Abel couldn't move from where he had fallen and so they passed the time waiting for the calvary to arrive by chatting about other random things.
Bittu told Abel his first experience with street crime in Shikago and Abel told Bittu about his first few days awake.
“So you just woke up and bam, you were a talking head?” Bittu asked him incredulously.
Abel nodded, trying to ignore the bone deep ache that was pulsing through him. “Yeah, it was the strangest thing. I knew that I was in the wrong place, but I didn't know why. It's like my memories were gone but not the knowledge of them. I can't really explain it any better than that. I'm sorry, Bittu.” he said a bit sadly.
Bittu stood suddenly, a slight whistling groan coming from the sorry pile of white feathers handcuffed to the stairs next to him.
The swanith slowly rose to a sitting position, their backwards knees sprawled out in front of them awkwardly. He looked around and then his golden eyes widened in shock. “AAAuuhh!” they screeched and tried to stand, only to have their handcuffed arm overbalance them.
As they crumpled back into an ungainly heap Bittu said “I wouldn't do that if I were you. You could hurt yourself, and then there wouldn't be any hurting left for me to do.”
Abel frowned at the nerivith man’s comment but said nothing. Bittu had far more experience with this kind of thing than he did, and so he held his tongue and watched.
The feathered man shuddered, his head tucked under a wing as if he were trying to hide. Bittu looked at the small man and said “Hey, you. What's your name?”
The swanith shook his beaked head and muttered “I didn’t do nothin man, you can't prove guan.”
“No need for the strong language, you know the drill. You answer my questions, or…” The man said before lashing out with an open handed slap to the feathered man’s face. The feathers must have softened the blow, but it still shunted the small avian almost to the dirty ground.
Abel barked “What are you doing?”
Bittu gave him a look that seemed to say ‘Shut your face hole.’ in no uncertain terms. Abel snapped his mouth closed, not liking the situation but not sure what the protocol was.
The swanith man groaned, his normally trilling voice now a bit haggard and rough. He coughed, a trickle of dark green blood running from the corner of his beak. He took a deep breath and said “You can hit me all you like, I won’t tell you anything you drit.”
Bittu bristled, his long sinuous tail lashing in anger. He stepped closer to the man and pulled out his Port-25 pushing the barrel of the weapon into the man’s throat. “You want to play hard to get with me fathersucker? I will fuck you up, there isn’t anyone here to stop me.” He glanced at Abel in a manner telling him to hold his tongue.
Abel cringed inwardly at the poor treatment of the prisoner, understanding the dark morality of keeping a criminal safe till trial. But Bittu seemed to be taking an altogether more sinister path. Abel held his tongue, watching as Bittu worked the man over a bit more before the swanith finally screeched out in pain.
“Okay! Okay! My name is Thaee, I was hired to collect on an overdue debt. That’s all man, I swear on the spires it is all.” the man cowered into a small grimy ball of feathers, crying softly.
Bittu shook his head and holstered his gun before walking a few paces away and putting his hands on his hips.
Abel couldn't take it anymore. He spoke up quietly in his partner’s direction. “That was wrong, Bittu.”
Bittu looked at him and nodded “And yet I didn’t see you trying to stop me.”
Abel frowned under his helmet. Flipping the visor up so Bittu could see his face he saw the man wince at Abel’s shattered features. “I couldn't have even if I wanted to, so I figured I would let the situation play out. But that doesn't change the fact that what you just did was morally reprehensible.”
Bittu threw his hands up and stalked towards Abel. As he was in no position to back down or otherwise run away he put on his most determined face instead, intent on winning this bout of wills.
“You just don't get it do you, you are new here. You need to understand something, rookie. These guys, these pieces of shit, they wouldn't hesitate to torture a five year old child to death if they thought they would learn something valuable from them. You understand that?” Bittu said venomously. The remark struck Abel as awfully specific.
Suddenly he realized that the nerivith man was trembling, but it didn't appear to be rage, instead it looked as if the man was on the verge of some sort of anxiety attack. Softening his features he reached out as far as he was able and patted the man’s knee softly.
“I’m sorry, Bittu. I may not be very experienced, but I have your back, no matter what. I just didn't understand the need for such force. I’m sorry.” Abel said, bowing his head humbly.
Bittu seemed to calm a little at the contact and stood stiffly. Looking at the still crying form of the beaten Thaee, he sat down next to Abel on the ground. He put his horned head in his hands and curled his tail around his legs saying “I don't want to be this way Abel. But this city, this festering cesspit of corruption has slowly been grinding me away. I'm afraid that if i stay here much longer there will be none of me left. All that was once virtuous replaced by apathy and vitriol.”
The man seemed to sob once before removing his hands and taking a deep breath. Not knowing what else to do Abel put a heavy cybernetic arm around the man's shoulder and said “I don't think you are all bad. I mean, you still have good qualities man.”
Bittu sat still for a few more moments, only the twitching of his tufted tail giving away his inner turmoil. He eventually asked “You really think so Abel?”
Abel smiled at the man, his original eye crinkling with emotion as he nodded. “Yes, yes I really do. Now you should probably get up, I think I hear a vehicle approaching.”
Bittu scrambled to his feet, drawing his sidearm once more and taking cover behind the stairs.
Abel raised his own sidearm, not able to move into cover but perfectly capable of defending himself.
Instead of hostels, a police cruiser rolled around the corner and a pair of officers hopped out, taking cover behind their doors one of them shouted “SPD! Identify yourselves!”
Abel raised his free hand and shouted back “Officer Abel, code X ray-five-six-niner-niner.”
Bittu shouted out “Officer Xeem, code X ray-five-seven-seven-eight.”
The other woman, a young looking nerivith woman with a long raven haired ponytail and impressive swept back horns ducked back into the squadcar. After a moment she called out “They check out.”
The older and much gruffer looking human woman holstered her firearm and started towards them. Abel put his gun away as Bittu walked up to his side.
Bittu looked down at him and hissed “Thats officer Malak, they are a real badass, watch your language. She is a touchy one.” and with that he spread his arms wide and smiled. “Officer Malak, it's so good to see you, hey have I told you your…”
“Cut the chatter Bittu. What are you doing on my turf? You know this is my side of town.” Officer Malak spat with disdain.
She stopped a few meters from them and then looked down at him, Abel raised a hand in greeting.
“What the fuck is this?” Officer Malak asked incredulously. “What new piece of shit hardware have they stuck you with?”
Abel was a bit taken aback, though with his visor down he supposed she must have also mistaken him for some sort of advanced robot. Before he had a chance to say anything to refute the woman, the other officer walked up and looked at Abel.
“Officer Xeem, please meet my new partner, Officer Balungathernadler.” Officer Malak said without pause.
Abel and Bittu cocked their heads simultaneously. “Officer… What? I'm sorry, can you say that a little slower?” Bittu asked.
Officer Malak shook her head and said “Oh come on, it's not that difficult. It’s Balungathernadler. Balungather… You know what, most people just call her Officer Bal.” the woman snorted.
Abel again raised his hand and said “Hello there Officer Bal. Thanks for coming.”
Officer Bal looked him up and down, she turned to Bittu and said “What’s this? I’ve never seen one of them before.”
Bittu shook his head and started to speak but Abel cut him off. “No no, it’s quite alright Bittu.” He reached up and slid his visor up, unveiling his face to the two officers.
Officer Bal recoiled in surprise and what looked like a little horror, but Officer Malak just grunted and said “A fucking cybe? What are you doing with this reject?”
Abel growled and said “Hey, there is no need to get nasty. We were just doing our jobs, it’s not our fault we got here first.”
Officer Malak took a threatening step towards him but Officer Bal held her back and whispered something in the human woman’s ear. She stood back and said “You, stay out of my fucking way Bittu. You and your… Freak!” she spat the word with considerable contempt.
Abel frowned, that hadn't been the kind of welcome he was expecting. He sighed as the two women walked away, the young nerivith officer casting him strange glances over her narrow shoulders as they left.
Abel slumped a little, his nerves shot and the emptiness threatening to overwhelm his senses. ‘What is the point?’ He wondered to himself. Nobody he had met had given him a good first impression, he got the feeling that he wasn't really a popular entity in society. He thought about the reasons for their hatred, but came up empty handed. Nothing struck him as obvious, so there must have been a less obvious reason for the mistreatment. It would have to wait though, he was busy.
“I am sorry Abel. She wasn't this jaded last time we met. Something must have happened to her last partner to make her so angry. She really used to be a sweet woman.” Bittu apologised beside him.
Abel waved a hand and then rested it back on the asphalt. “It’s okay Bittu. It really is, I think I'm just going to have to get used to this kind of treatment. It seems that cyberphobia runs deep in the people of Shikago. Is there a reason?” he asked a little desperately, needing to have a reason for his pain.
**********
Bittu scratched his horns, the two short nubs characteristic of the males of his species. He wished he had gotten a closer look at Officer Bal, she had a spectacular pair of horns. Long and delicately curved, they would have been the envy of many a woman back home on Draken V. He had often heard humans talk about women with a rockin pair of tits, but he was a horn man through and through.
Smiling to himself his horny thoughts were interrupted as Abel asked him “Bittu, is the man okay?”
Bittu twitched in surprise, the man they had just left lying in the room six stories up. “Shit, we need to… Oh, yeah. Sorry, I need to go check on him. Will you be okay down here?” he asked his partner, the large man still sitting in the shallow crater he had made.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Abel nodded and waved him off “I’ll be fine, I can't get much worse after all right?” The man joked with a pained chuckle.
Bittu gave him a thumbs up and rushed up the escape ladder to the first stairway. His tail lashed in nervousness as he quickly ascended the long grated stairway to the opened window of the man’s apartment.
As he reached it he saw the man sitting up with his back to the wall. He was rubbing his head and cradling what looked like a badly broken arm. The man yelled in fear as Bittu swung through the window and he put his hands up non threateningly.
“Hey it’s okay, I’m a cop. See?” he told the man, showing his badge.
The man calmed almost immediately then tensed again.
“My daughter! They took my daughter!” the man wailed.
Bittu stopped. “Shit!” He exclaimed.
The man cried “You didn’t save her? Those monsters have her, they said they would kill her unless I pay them the money I owe. I don’t have the money! Please, you have to save her.”
The man was in hysterics and so Bittu pulled a few pills from his pacification kit. A few painkillers and a mild sedative that would keep the man from hurting himself. “Here, please take these, they will help with the pain till EMT arrives. Here, take them please.”
He handed the small pills to the man who eyed them a little suspiciously. “Are you trying to kill me?” He asked.
Bittu shook his head and widened his violet eyes in shock. What was wrong with this guy? “What? No! I will admit there is a mild sedative in there, but it's to keep you from hurting yourself till we can get you to a hospital. So please just take them.” he told the man.
The man frowned but did as he was asked, downing the pills with a grimace. “I must thank you I guess, for trying.” the man said bitterly after he had calmed a bit.
Bittu stood and nodded “Thanks, we actually got one of them though.”
“You did? What did he say?” the man pleaded.
Bittu shook his head “Nothing much, yet. Don't worry, we are taking him in for interrogation. We’ll crack him and bleed any useful information out of his sorry carcass. Of that you have my word.” he told the man who nodded appreciatively.
Bittu pulled out a datapad from his belt and asked “If you don’t mind, I do have a few questions for you now. Would you be willing to answer them?”
The man froze.
Bittu shook his head “You aren't a suspect, Mr…”
“Zaplin. Harry Zaplin.” the man told him cautiously.
“Alright then Mr. Zaplin. I need to know if you have any idea why these men attacked you.” Bittu asked, wanting to see if the man would be straight up with him.
Harry Frowned and said “I already told you…” But Bittu cut him off with a hiss and a wave.
Bittu pointed at the man and waved his datapad “No, don't tell me what you said, tell me what you meant. I want to know the nature of this connection, the more I know the better I can help. I want to help you, I’m on your side here, remember that.”
The man sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position on the side of his room. “Well. I’m not a bad person okay? But bad things always seem to happen to me. My wife… She got sick.” the man paused and Bittu flicked his tail at the man, motioning for him to go on. Harry continued on saying “Well, she got sick and the hospital said they wouldn't keep covering her bills on my credit alone. I have poor credit…” he stopped again.
Bittu asked “And that's part of the issue… How exactly?”
The man threw up a hand and said “It’s got everything to do with it. You know how these fucking doctors work. No money, no treatment. And I was almost completely out of money. So I, called in a favor.” he admitted.
Bittu raised an eyebrow, his tail freezing in intrigue. “Oh? What kind of favor are we talking about here?”
Harry glared at him and said “The kind of favor that would save my fucking wife, that what kind.”
Bittu raised his hands apologetically and said “Sorry, I had to ask you know. I’m still trying to help, if I wanted to incriminate you I wouldn't have bothered asking for your side of the story. I would have just hauled you off to the station house as you are, are we clear? So please, for the sake of brevity and my own sanity, cut the attitude.” he said sternly.
Harry looked a bit taken aback but then simply nodded. His features changed as he got more sincere “Well, ok then. I guess while we are being honest then I should mention I used to work on the docks. That’s where I first met the Brine gang. Yeah, I never joined, honest. But nobody works those docks without paying their fair share to Oorin. He controls the docks, all of level forty to fourty-nine.” the man said earnestly.
Bittu frowned “Oorin, Orrin Sumps? The fucking port authority overseer?”
Harry Shook his head “No, Orrin Sumps Jr. His son.”
Bittu straightened, well that was fucking news to him. Not that he was any expert on the upper docks or their workings, still. It was a useful piece of information to have.
“Alright. Tell me what happened next, and why Oorin’s boys were tap dancing on your chest a bit ago.” Bittu asked.
The man groaned and said “Well, my wife’s bills were covered, but I had a limited time to pay Oorin back. I seem to have missed it, I work at the corner Nutri-Mart. There was never any way I was going to be able to pay the man back. But I thought I would have more time, time to get my wife out of the hospital and disappear. I guess he was expecting me to try that. Oh merciful Dark, they have my daughter and they know where my wife is. You have to help me, Officer. Please.” the man once more begged.
Bittu heard a sound and whipped out his sidearm, the man whimpered and tried to cower as best he could. “SPD!” Bittu shouted “I’m armed, Identify yourself.”
The sounds of footsteps stopped. A voice rang out “This is aegis trooper Cowlins, you had better not get between me and my patient. You know what happens if you attempt to interfere.” the voice rang out threateningly.
Bittu holstered his gun slowly, not intimidated by the voice. Instead he yelled out “Cowlins? Are you still larping around with that goofball Danny?”
Another voice rang out, this one younger and a little hurt sounding “Hey, what the fuck. Is that you Bittu, you sleazy son of a bitch?”
After a minute two familiar faces poked around the corner of the hall and Bittu threw his arms out wide. “Danny-boi! Oh man, you have grown. Look at you, you’re a man now! How did that happen?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.
“I fucked your mom that’s how.” The human paramedic retorted with a wide grin.
“Oh yeah, and how was that huh? I bet you liked it too you dirty xenophile.” he laughed as the man approached for a hug.
Behind the younger man approached a hulking hunched figure in dark grey combat armour and carrying a big gun. It was Cowlins, the yeown’s large furred head swinging side to side as he scanned for potential danger.
He reached out a large hand and fist bumped Bittu while saying “It is good to meet you in peace once more Bittu. I feared that we would one day be at odds, and I have no wish to kill you my friend.”
Bittu nodded and said “Yeah, it’s good to see you too.”
Danny chuckled and walked into the room. Gesturing to the man Bittu said “Danny, meet Mr. Zaplin. Mr. Zaplin is having a bad day, I’m sure you can make it all better?”
Danny sobered up and waved Cowlins forward. The large armoured man dragging a hovergurney behind him. Bittu stepped back out of the way as Danny started checking Harry over, the man answering various medical questions quietly as Danny fixed a temporary sling to stabilize the man's broken arm.
Bittu turned to Cowlins and asked “So, how have things been? I haven't seen you two in a long time. What's it been, like six months?”
“Eleven, eleven months. And I have not been dwelling on the past in case you were wondering. So you can stop sweating.” The large furred alien said, his armour creaking as he moved his muscular form.
He walked towards the bedroom window, putting thoughts of the past aside. “You two didn't happen to see a big idiot with a pair of broken legs in the alley did you?” he asked nobody in particular.
Danny glanced over at him and nodded “Oh that guy, what's his name is already loaded up in your cruiser, they insisted. We offered to take them to the hospital but he said he already had a scheduled repair appointment. I guess it's easier to fix synthetics than organics. Fuck my job right?”
Cowlins spoke up suddenly “I like him.”
Danny paused and turned to look at the big man. “You what? You don’t like anybody.”
Cowlins cocked his head and shrugged “I like you… You are not nobody.”
Bittu chuckled and said “It’s okay Cowlins. I like Abel too. He is… an interesting fellow. A big lovable idiot to be sure, but a good guy.” Bittu said fondly, surprising himself.
Danny helped Harry to his feet and with Cowlins assistance, got the injured man sat comfortably on the gurney.
Danny turned to him and asked “An idiot huh. Is that how he broke his legs then, being an idiot?”
Bittu shook his head and replied slowly “Not exactly. He did something stupid yeah, but his reasons were quite noble actually. I don't think the guy really thinks about the consequences of his actions before he does them. He kind of just, does the right thing, all the time. It’s strange.” Bittu trailed off quietly.
Danny stretched his back and said “Well, whatever he is, he weighs a fucking tonne. We barely got him out of the alley. You take good care of yourself Bittu, and it is good to see you trusting someone again.”
Bittu wanted to retort but was stopped by Cowlins as the yeown placed a heavy clawed hand on his shoulder and said “I wish you the best of luck. I hope you and your new friend will live long prosperous lives, you take good care now and may Frine shelter you in the palm of her hand.”
He waved and the three left down the hall, their footsteps fading into the distance as he sat on the edge of the bed for a minute.
What a situation, that was more reminders of the past that he really wanted to deal with. Groaning a little at the stiffness in his lower back he stood and began to walk out of the apartment towards the stairwell.
**********
Abel sat in the cruiser with his arms folded across his chest. Bittu had left to check on the man some time ago, while he had been gone a nice pair of medics had shown up and helped him out of the alley. With only one partially functional leg he had pretty much been dragged to the car, but it was better than lying on the ground in the middle of an alley.
His shattered leg was sitting at the foot of his seat, but he wasn't worried. Dr. Abernathy would likely be upset with him when he got back, but he had gotten his first bad guy. He looked into the back of the squad car, the reinforced glazmite between them raised and the swanith sitting uncomfortably in one of the bucket seats.
Abel snapped his head back forwards as he noticed a figure leaving the front entrance of the apartment building. It was Bittu.
He smiled under his helmet as the man walked up and opened the driver side door. Bittu leaned heavily on the door and gave a loud sigh.
“What's wrong partner?” Abel asked cheerfully, trying to ignore all the hurts that clamored for his attention.
The nerivith man sat heavily and closed the door. He leaned back into his chair and then glanced at him. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times before shaking his horned head silently. Instead he simply turned on the car and they pulled out onto the street.
Abel was confused, had he done something wrong? He didn't think so, but then again he didn't exactly have that large of a social profile to draw from. He thought about asking if he was doing something wrong but thought better of it. It would likely have only made the unresolved issue worse, and that the last thing he wanted to burden the man with after a hard day at work.
Their shift was technically still less than half over but Bittu spoke up saying “We are heading back to the station.”
Abel shook his head and asked “Why? We are still only a third of the way through our patrol. What did I do wrong?” he asked the man.
Bittu threw up a hand and then scoffed “What did you do wrong? Do you seriously hear yourself?! You nearly fucking killed yourself, and on top of that, we let two of the perps get away. We need to get our man to the station anyways, but the day is over for you. I want you at one hundred percent all the time, I'm not patrolling with another partner that can't watch my back for me.” The man said, a hand seeming to reach for his lower back by itself.
Bittu seemed to realize what he was doing and hiss frustratedly to himself. Abel was flabbergasted. He didn't know whether to shit a brick or jump out of the moving car. Nothing he thought of as a response did his inner turmoil justice so he remained silent.
After a few moments Bittu looked at him and asked angrily “Well?”
“Well… What?” Abel responded.
Bittu growled and narrowly avoided tearing the bumper off a slow moving black van. “Well, aren't you going to tell me what an asshole I am?”
Abel was taken aback by the man's self deprecating mood. “Why would I do that? You are my partner, partner. I am here for you no matter what, isn't that the way it's supposed to be?”
Bittu looked at him and then to the road. He seemed to be at a loss for words. After a pregnant silence he muttered “Yeah. Yeah that's how it's supposed to be.”
Abel smiled and patted the tense man's shoulder and said “Good. I’m glad we agree. Hey, I know I'm not supposed to eat solid foods, but can we swing by that Shabino’s place. It looked really good.”
Bittu started to chuckle and looked at him, a slight smile on his otherwise dour face. “Yeah, we can do that Abel.”
Abel gave him a thumbs up and a goofy grin, putting his visor up while they were in the car.
Bittu nodded and smiled a little wider. “We’ll make a lunch stop, I think they have a drive through so you don’t have to worry about your legs. Oh, and Abel?”
“Yeah Bittu?” Abel asked, the look on the man’s face telling him he was about to say something important.
Bittu paused and then said a little quietly “Thanks. You really are a good officer. I’m glad I was picked to be your partner.”
Abel grinned wide and smacked the man’s shoulder again gently. “Hey, no problem at all Bittu. I'm happy I was placed with you as well, you are a good Officer too, I hope I can be as good as you one day.”
Bittu seemed to get a little sad at the comment and muttered “Yeah, one day.”