"LET'S GO BOOT!" Officer Hawthorne pat me on the shoulder as she dragged me from the conversation.
"Woah, isn't Officer Patel my T.O?" I asked. Why did she want me?
"Don't tell me you wanna go exclusive with him?" My lips dropped into a thin line of disgust as I imagined being his lap dog.
"Yeah, no yikes." My face scrunched up from disgust.
"Then come on. We gotta do some foot policing." Officer Hawthorne and I walked down the street as we looked around.
"It's Quiet....."
"Zzz....ZIP IT!" I flinched as she screamed. "You did not just say the Q-word right now."
"W-What?" I was appalled. Was she just like that bastard? My mind ran through the infinite possibilities of her teasing and ridiculing me, putting me through the same sense of worthlessness as everyone in my life did.
"The Q word? You're jinxing us. It's a superstition." She spoke firm.
"Oh. I'm sorry." My shoulders slightly drooped as we kept walking.
"Sigh. It's fine. You're a Boot anyways." I looked at her.... Her hair slick back into a neat bun. She reminded me of her. I sighed. "What?" She said.
"Nothing." Her eyes narrowed but she looked straight. We looked around and the town was bare. It was buildings sky high but the people were a few to none. Probably because it was the late afternoon..... people would be in the offices.
"You're not wrong. After the Butterfly Killer killed so many heroes in the last 6 years, the people themselves are afraid to come out. Even the heroes. Especially the heroes." She said grimly.
The heroes being scared..... That's a first. "Why?"
"I know they are scared. But that's all I know."
My eyes narrow.
"Tell me more." I urge.
"It's on a need to know basis, boot. What would you even do with that information?" Damn, she's right.
"Help? Two heads is better than one." She snorted at my answer.
"Fine. I'll tell you what I can say."
"The Butterfly killer has murdered heroes. Lots of them and all of them have been in punished in a way that was deemed fit by the BK. You've heard of Captain Freiz no?"
Yeah. That asshole fired me and didn't take my side.
"Yeah. He was the previous captain.... Why did the captains change? Wait did he get fired?!" My voice couldn't hide my joy as my hands raised to my chest... as she noted it. Her eyes couldn't hide the slight disgust. I put my hands down as i cleared my throat. "Sorry."
She cleared her throat as her eyes turned into a slight glare. "He and his daughter... were raped."
Oh.... Oh damn. I took a step back.
"Why?" That was all I could breathe out.
"I told you..... The BK punishes the hero in the way they have sinned."
My eyes widened. So Captain Friez was a rapist?
"What about the daughter?"
"Dead."
I let out a sigh.... of relief....
"It's a good thing no?" I said softly.
"What did you say, boot?" She glared as she invaded my personal space.
"I mean..... if it weren't for the butterfly killer, the girl would still be raped. Mistreated by the man." She grabbed my collar and shook me.
"If that was the case, why did the butterfly killer not spare the girl? Why kill her? She was innocent."
"Did he rape someone else's daughter?" She stopped shaking my collar.
"Doesn't change the fact that she was raped." She kept walking. "Do you support their actions?"
"I don't know. All i know from the Butterfly killer is that this person... could be a symbol of hope. The Killer gave that girl peace. If i was in her place.... I wouldn't be able to live knowing the only man i could trust, broke it in the worst possible way."
"Good thing it wasn't you then, isn't it?" She said condescendingly. I hit a nerve.
"I'm sorry. That... was very insenstive of me. I couldn't....shouldn't imagine what she went through." I bowed a little as i looked to the floor
She took a deep breath and nodded
"At least you're sorry, I guess. I just.... cared about Akane, Friez's daughter. She was a good girl. Always did her homework." She choked out. She shook herself as she took a deep breathe in the air. "She gave it her all drawing, playing as she ran in her backyard. she... she loved science. Everytime I'd go to their house for a cup of tea, she blither about random science facts from the encyclopedia..... he bought for her" Her eyes narrowed as she took a step forward.
"Let's keep walking and don't say the Q - word ever again."
We were silent as we tried to find some people we could potentially help. I thought of Aspen and Poru and I could feel my blood boil hotter and hotter. If someone dared touch my kids, i would definitely shove my gun up their ass and shoot. Their blood spilling everywhere as i break into him like a bloody deflowering spilling his intestines and giving them the taste of their own medicine. I chuckled internally.... maniacally. Wait. I'm acting just like the butterfly killer. Ew.
"Do you have siblings?"
"Only my brother... He's with that bas... Officer Patel." I say quickly.
"I have an older sister. She's awkward and smart.... But she's my sister so that automatically translates to awesome."
"What a mood." I laughed.
"You have a sister?"
"Yes." I said smiling. She raised her eyebrow.
"I thought you only had a brother." I stopped in my tracks as i stared at her.
"You said yes... didn't you?" I looked down at the ground. How dare she insinuate me to be some kind of liar?! I let out a breath I was holding. She was staring, her gaze all penetrating, firm... unreadable..... yet comforting. As if she herself will take on the burden of any sin that claimed me. Just like her... clearly not letting this go.
"Does it matter?" I ask.
"I just want to know more about our boot." The temperature somehow dropped 10 degrees as we stared at each other. My back hairs stood up and my stubble felt itchy.
"We can't be proper allies.... if we can't relate to each other." She circled me as she got closer. "You want to be allies with us, right?" She smiled comforting..... yet i could tell she had something on me.
"Right. Honesty does help keep people closer, doesn't it?"
"You're right, Boot. But you ought to keep your wits. Don't forget. It is not only your choice.... but your responsibility to choose which truths you want to come out." She hugged me. Tight. She was right. If I had any secrets, only I was responsible for both the reveal and the fall out. I..... hugged back. My hands reaching across her back as I held her close. Tears flooded my eyes. I couldn't stop.
"Hey... are you..." she spoke, her voice muffled in my shoulder.
"Please." I breathed out. It felt good. Safe. Familiar.
"3-Adam-18, Do you copy?" We immediately pushed each other back. "Uh yes sir! What's the problem, captain?"
"Bring Officer Bloomfield and yourself back to the station. We need to talk." Lockman's voice was hard and lost the edge of his flirty slights.
We glanced at each other and back to the radio. "Yes sir, on our way."
"Let's go." She walked off. "Come on." She beckoned me..... She... She's like a big sis. Is it.... too early to think that?