Can you stand, Micheal?" Adrian puts his hand out.

Micheal grabs onto the hand. "Yeah, it will heal off in a day," he says, glancing at the bullet wound in his leg.

"Use your creation ability to make me something to wrap the wound."

"I'll try." Adrian flows spirit energy through his arm and thinks of creating a bandage, but it doesn't work.

It's probably too complicated. Let's go for something more simple.

He then tries to make a more basic piece of cloth. Blue energy flows out of Adrian's arm and forms into cloth.

Adrian hands Micheal the cloth. Micheal wraps it around the bullet wound to stop the blood.

"Behind the counter," Micheal says.

"What?"

"Come out now, and it'll hurt a lot less."

A man scurries out from behind the counter with his hands up. "You're monsters like him," the man's hands are shaking.

"Who's him? Could it be someone you hired to kill the Brotherhood? Give me all the info you got on him before we kill you."

"He approached us and said he could take care of our issues. The guy showed us his skills; he was barely fucking human. We don't know much about him, but he gave us a meeting place. We were meant to go there and give him the money at 2 Holloway Street. It's not too far from here."

"Thank you. Knock him out," Micheal looks to Adrian.

"Huh?" Adrian looks between Micheal and the man with a confused face.

"I took a bullet to the leg. You expect me to do it? A punch with normal flow will do. Aim for the jaw."

"But why?"

"Because fuck him, the guy's a criminal. Either you do it, or I'll limp over there and do it myself."

It's better if I do it. Knowing this guy, he'll do more than just knock him out. Adrian looks at the man who's backed up against a corner.

"Huh, no please, I won't do nothing! You can leave, you don't have to do this," the man says as Adrian is slowly approaching him.

"Sorry, but it's better this way." Adrian takes a punch at the man's jaw. Adrian's punch lands with a crack. The man's head jolts before he crumples to the floor.

"Pour me a drink, will you?" Micheal sits on the pub stool.

Adrian walks behind the counter and picks up a random bottle of alcohol. He pours it into Micheal's mug.

As Micheal is drinking it, Adrian checks his pocket watch. It's 12.

"What do we do with these guys?" Adrian looks at the pile of bodies strewn around the ground.

"Nothing. We can't arrest them without evidence. To the law, we just attacked some random people."

"Aren't they gang members?"

"Yes. But that would have to be proven, which isn't something we can do. We leave them here, it'll get chalked up to gang wars," Micheal wears a grin.

"And what do we do about the Revenant? You're injured, we can't go after him."

"Don't worry." A symbol on Micheal's left hand starts glowing.

"I told Captain. He'll deal with it."

"What? How did you tell Captain?"

"You don't know what a Soul Bind is?"

Adrian looks at Micheal and raises an eyebrow.

"Two people can bind their spirits together by putting a symbol made of their spirit energy onto each other's body. It allows them to talk to each other no matter the distance. I wouldn't recommend using it. If the other person ever betrays you, they can very easily kill you using the bind. Only use it if you have absolute trust in that other person."

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"Let's get back to the station. Captain will deal with the rest. Oh, and don't mention this raid to Captain. He'll be pissed."

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah," Micheal and Adrian walk towards the pub door. Micheal's face contracts as he slowly limps towards the door. He's clearly in pain.

Adrian walks in front of Micheal and stops him. "You don't have to act tough. I can see you're in pain." Adrian brings his shoulder close to Micheal. "I'll carry you."

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"It wasn't a suggestion. I can't let you try to tough this out when you clearly need help." Adrian blocks the door.

Micheal bursts into laughter. "Fine, have it your way."

Micheal puts his arm around Adrian.

Adrian carries him to the carriage.

"Back to the station," Adrian says.

"What did you do this time, Micheal?" The carriage driver sees Micheal's bullet wound.

"We raided the Serpents. We beat the piss out of them. Taking a bullet was worth it."

"Crazy fuck."

"Focus on driving, will you?"

....

They arrive at the PRF. A new carriage is now parked outside. Adrian carries Micheal in.

The receptionist doesn't seem surprised at Michael's injury. "Micheal, can you stop being so reckless? I get the job is dangerous, but the others don't have a bullet wound after every case."

"Because the others are pussies," Michael barks back.

"Even Captain?" Melissa tauntingly asks.

"No, he's just fucking strong. Captain ain't no pussy like your brother," Micheal says as he walks into the booth.

"Being careful isn't being a pussy, it's being smart," a man from above the stairway says as Adrian is carrying Micheal up the stairs.

"Fuck you, Will." Micheal detaches from Adrian and limps to the sofa.

"Pleasure to meet you. John Davis, new recruit." Adrian puts his hand out.

"William Hawkins, Inspector and class 2 Revenant." The man shakes Adrian's hand. He is wearing a brown suit and vest with a blue tie and black gloves. He looks to be in his mid-20s.

"Where's Tommy?"

"He went out for a smoke. He'll be back soon."

"Captain has an important thing he needs the entire station to hear. Come sit down and wait, John."

Before Adrian can sit down, a man with silver hair wearing a white coat with a brown vest, red tie, and white gloves emerges from the stairway. A satchel hangs around his shoulder.

The man glances around the room. "Oh fucking hell, Micheal, stop getting shot."

"Enough with the lectures, give me the meds."

The man reaches into his satchel and pulls out a white pill and a vial of brimming red liquid and gives them to Micheal.

The man looks back at Adrian. "I should probably introduce myself. Thomas Sinclair, doctor and coroner of this station," Thomas says as he sits down on the sofa.

"John Davis, new recruit." Adrian pulls out his pocket watch. It's 2:30.

The captain should be coming back soon.

Adrian sits on the sofa next to Micheal. Micheal isn't grunting in pain anymore.

The pill he took was probably a painkiller.

....

The captain arises from the stairway holding an unconscious man. He glances at the four sitting before going into the interrogation room.

The Captain emerges after 30 seconds.

"Edmund, come out here." Edmund emerges from the record room and sits down.

"An incredibly important order has come from higher up. Our station's main focus from now on is hunting down the Reaper. Recently, we found out that the Reaper is no random vigilante; instead, it's an organized group. We're tasked with finding out everything about them and destroying them. We will investigate every previous murder of the Reaper and protect any potential targets in our area. I will handle the protection of targets. Hawkins, Sinclair, and Thorne will investigate the murders, while Thatcher and Davis will work any cases unrelated to the Reaper. The duties may change later."

"Captain, why have I been sidelined?" Micheal asks.

"The Reaper isn't someone you can find by punching things. And the other cases need someone experienced working on them, and like I said, it may change later." The Captain walks into his office.

He comes out with four files. He hands three of them to the Reaper group and hands one to Micheal.

Adrian looks at Micheal's leg. The cloth is gone, and while the bullet hole in his clothes still remains, no wound can be seen on his leg.

Micheal pulls out the file. It reads, "A servant in Viscount Claire's estate died to a hunting rifle firing without anybody holding it. While there's a high chance it's a misfire, a control Revenant of class 2 could be involved. Protection for the Viscount and investigation into the servant's death is needed." A fucking noble, Captain? You're sending me to protect a noble?

"Michael, you're the best combatant here other than me, and I've already been put on for the protection of a Count that is likely to be the Reaper's next victim. I don't have any other choice than you, despite how little manners you have. Just try to talk as little as possible and keep the noble happy, will you?"

"Fine."

"C'mon, John, let's go babysit a noble."

Adrian and Micheal get out of the PRF and get into the carriage.

"Viscount Claire's estate," Micheal says with a sigh.

"Can I ask what happened to the bullet wound?"

"As a warrior, I already regenerate fast, but Tommy makes some fucking wonder drugs. They make the pain go away and patch you up super quick. The department wouldn't work without him.

"Although maybe I shouldn't have drunk it. Then I wouldn't be on this shitty case."

"Why are you so disappointed in this case?"

"Nobles get scared at the slightest drop of a pin and get the PRF to protect them. Ninety percent of the time, we just end up wasting our time protecting someone who doesn't need it instead of actually doing our job. But I guess crimes that affect normal people matter less than the chance of a noble being hurt."

"Does Viscount Claire do it often?"

"Now that you mention it, no. I've never seen Viscount Claire ask for protection."

"So maybe there actually is a Revenant involved."

"Doubt it.