The last few days had been pretty dull. There wasn’t even much good crime to fight! I sorted through the new batch of crystals at the shop, picking out ones for the Special Stock, and just listened to the clock tick away the minutes. Lydia leaned against the wall, watching me work, and shook her head when she failed to see any difference in the ones I picked out versus the ones I rejected. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you pick out the ones you do.”
I shrugged. We’d gotten lucky this batch, there were a few rubies mixed in that were simply lovely. “I mean, I could probably write a book on it, if I knew how to put it into words. I’ve read several and combined their knowledge, along with Master’s training. In the end, you just sort of… develop a feel for it.” Which wasn’t inaccurate, part of the process was extending my energy into it, similar to the way I did to activate my collar’s spells, and seeing the results. If it was “dead” or “difficult”, or if the energy bled away immediately, it was no good. But that was tiring to do with every stone, so a visual inspection let me weed out the majority of candidates before getting to that stage.
She scoffed at my explanation. “One of these days, I’m going to try mixing them all up, and seeing if you can still sort them, or if you’re making it up as you go along.”
Putting the tray away under the counter, I sighed. “Please don’t, it takes a while, and it’s a lot harder to do when we have customers.”
“Okay, fine. How about we talk about something else?” She pushed off the wall to pace across the floor, back and forth.
“Like?” I couldn’t even wipe the counter down again to kill time. It was so close to closing time, but there was simply nothing left to do. These kinds of days were the worst.
“How about that rumor you had a fight in the food court?” She had a smirk, like she’d caught some juicy piece of gossip.
I winced. “Ehh, I wouldn’t really call it a fight. I mean, the man was barely… I don’t think he’s been in an actual fight his entire life. Pretty young, barely an adult.”
“And you have? Been in actual fights, I mean?” She was grinning wider now.
I rubbed the back of my neck with a hand. My mind went to the fight with the gryphon, that was my biggest fight and my go-to for bragging, but I couldn’t really talk to her about things like Terra and magic and monsters. Even if I still had the feather to prove it, actually retrieving it would be a problem. “Oh, I mean… I did a lot of training and sparring with the guards and such back home. Soldiers that kept our lands safe. Master and I would travel to neighboring towns sometimes, and I’d protect him from wildlife and bandits. Just the usual stuff, really.”
“Neighboring towns? I pictured a single little compound tucked away.”
“There… were a couple others. I was told there were plenty, an entire kingdom, but we just… always had a reason to not go there. Guess I know why, now.” I hated lying like this. I wanted so badly to just tell her everything. She was so nice to me, letting me work here and help. She was… a friend. I was still getting used to the idea of a Construct having friends, but it felt nice. Ben, Lydia, Zach, that girl from my first bandit fight on Earth… Did she count? I felt like she counted, kinda.
Lydia nodded, laughing. “Hah! Yeah, pretty wild, wonder how they got so many people to go along with it, how long they’ve been doing it. Really playing up the medieval lifestyle. Or fantasy, I remember you and Ben saying something about magic, early on. I bet the ‘mages’ had technology and just pretended it was magic.”
“Nnh. Maybe. I don’t know…” I cast my gaze down and looked to the side, giving a soft sigh. “I don’t… really want to think about it. Everything I knew being a lie. My whole life…”
That seemed to cut through her mirth. “Ah, yeah, I can understand that. Look, I’m sorry you had to go through all that, but at least you’re here now, right? You have a chance to learn the truth of things!” If only she knew the real truth, I thought to myself.
“Anyway, yeah, the food court. I pushed him and he ran, that’s all. I actually met someone that day, and this guy mugged him. Seems like he does that a lot, poor Zach. I didn’t like the thought of someone doing that, and especially not to my new friend, so I stood up to him.”
“Hah, I heard you picked him up and threw him. Of course, I also heard you suplexed him and they had to replace the tile, and another said you launched him into the deep fryer at Taco Bell, and… You get the idea. People are bored and are going crazy with this whole Superbunny deal.” She shrugged again.
“Is Superbunny really that big a thing? Why are people so… interested?” It came out a little more bitter and annoyed than I intended. I just wanted it to die off already, I didn’t like the feeling of being under constant scrutiny.
“Are you kidding? This is the most exciting thing to happen in… I don’t even know how long! It’s a mystery, and it’s fun! I heard a local artist is even drawing a comic book based on the whole thing. Still wish the person in the costume would come forward, you know?”
I groaned a little, looking up at the ceiling and rolling my eyes. “Maybe she will when everyone stops making such a big deal out of it? Who knows?”
Pulling out her phone, Lydia checked the time on it, before putting it away. “Ugh, still another five minutes. I’d close early, but mall management is itching to fine me for closing during mall hours. Damn jerk. I know he just wants me out to put in another Hot Topic or something.”
I tilted my head. How does one put something abstract like a topic into a store? “Oh, right, that’s that one place, with lots of black clothing?”
“Really? I figured you’d be a frequent shopper there, with your look.”
I shrugged. Before I could say anything, a man in a heavy coat ducked under the partially-lowered gate and into the store. “Hey, glad I caught you. I need a special sort of…” He trailed off when he saw me, not the most unusual reaction. I went to look up at him and my heart stopped in its tracks. The man wore a cap with a flat bill in front, but there was no way to mistake that face. Those piercing, evil eyes, that constant glare, that permanent scowl. I could almost feel the sheer waves of hatred radiating out from him. Here was the man that murdered my Master, somehow on Earth.
Lydia seemed oblivious to both of our reactions. Maybe I just overestimated how noticeable they were. “Special sort of what? C’mon, buddy, can’t help you if you don’t talk.”
His eyes never left me as his voice cut like ice. “Do you have any idea what sort of abomination you have in front of you, woman?”
I managed to force a breath into my burning lungs, I’d been frozen in place so solidly that I hadn’t noticed I wasn’t breathing. My muscles were almost shaking from tension.
Lydia moved to force herself into his field of view, gesturing to the entrance behind him. “Oh, fuck you, asshole! Get out, I’m refusing to allow you in my business if you’re gonna talk that way about Flopsy!”
The man didn’t even turn to look. “‘Flopsy’? Whatever. I don’t have business with you, I have business with her. And that business… is about to be done.” With a smooth motion, he reached under his coat and pulled an object, a long metal pipe with a wooden handle and accents? I didn’t know what it was, but I was already moving, my mind screaming danger.
A loud explosion tore through the air, and the glass display counter behind where I was standing shattered. I jumped in the opposite direction of Lydia, I was sure he’d target me, follow me, and I had to lead him away from her. Lydia was screaming as she ran for the cover of one of the shelves, scrambling to get away as Master’s killer swung the front of that pipe towards me. His hand on the wooden accent underneath them, he slid it back and let it move forward again, a “Chk-CHAK” sound echoing in the ringing silence, and a small object was ejected near the back of the pipe.
Ducking and darting forward, another explosion erupted from the pipe, but I was already out of the way, feeling something rip through the air next to me before the wall display blasted apart. He let out an angry hiss right before I kicked the weapon out of his hands, sending it clattering across the floor. An open palm strike followed it and sent him stumbling towards the mall hallway.
People were already gathering, though some were screaming, ones who had been able to see into the store. Following him out of the store, I faced off against him, about eight feet of distance between me and him, as his face twisted in pure hatred. The hat had gotten knocked off his head, and I saw a mark on his forehead. A burn scar, in the shape of a closed eye that had been slashed through.
It was a symbol I’d seen once before. Master had met with a fellow mage, and they had discussed a problem in the area. A cult named the Sightless Third Eye had been seen in the area, protesting the mage’s presence. They believed that magic should not be in mortal hands, that it should be reserved for the gods themselves. On the surface, they’re content to preach and protest, yet mages in areas where they were active had a tendency to wind up mysteriously dead or missing. It wasn’t well known, but the cult had members they called Hunters, who sought out and assassinated mages that were becoming too well-liked and powerful. Members branded themselves with that symbol, as proof of their vow to renounce magic in all its forms.
He reached into his coat again, but this time he pulled out a large dagger. One whose blade glinted in the fluorescent lights, with runes etched along the side. So much for renouncing magic in all its forms. “Fucking bitch. Should’ve known you’d be fast, you monster! But this is a special blade, it’ll cut right through whatever defenses you have. I’m gonna love taking you apart, piece by piece!”
I let my body settle into a fighting stance, getting ready to move in reaction to his approach, or spring into action if he turned to flee. People kept their distance but refused to leave, eager to watch. I didn’t pay attention, I couldn’t afford to lose any focus on this man. “Nice dagger, hypocrite.”
“Gotta even the odds!” He snarled as he lunged forward, swinging the blade so fast I could only have the impression of a solid arc, pain lancing through my arm as I didn’t quite dodge in time. A solid kick met his chest, but it didn’t do nearly enough to knock the wind from him. He stumbled backwards, only a step or two, and I started to circle around him.
“You’re the monster. A weapon like that… What if you hurt an innocent person? One of these people?” I waved an arm in the general direction of the crowd, but my eyes were watching for an opening.
He sneered. “If ‘innocent people’ don’t want to get hurt, they can stay out of my way!”
I used the moment he tossed his head dismissively to dart forward, hoof first. His other hand behind the dagger’s blade, he held it up as a shield, my metal horseshoe clanging loudly as he was forced back another step. I jumped back out of reach of a counterattack. This man was dangerously skilled, at least with weapons from Terra.
Heavy footsteps cut through the crowd, men in uniform pushing their way through to the front. One brown, the others blue. Police officers? The brown I recognized from seeing mall security around, and having them pointed out to me. The blue uniforms drew smaller metal devices, and I recognized them as guns from the pictures Ben had shown me after I started fighting crime. The officers’ guns were pointed at both of us. “Stand down! Drop the weapon, hands in the air, on your knees!”
Master’s murderer’s eyes darted to the side, seeing this. “Tch… Not a good situation for me, I guess.” He started to spread his arms slowly, in a motion to surrender.
I began to relax my guard. I realized my mistake when a small pouch fell from his sleeve into his free hand. “He’s got some–!” was all I got out, before he threw the object to the ground, causing a plume of smoke to fill the air around him.
The guards–officers, I reminded myself–fanned out, surrounding the cloud, but as it began to dissipate, it was clear there was no longer a man inside. They started to look around frantically. “Where’d he go?” “How’d he get away?” another cried.
My body slumped. He was gone, but surely he’d be back. I didn’t know when, but knowing he was here, and he was on the hunt… I was shaking. I almost missed it when one of the officers approached me, gun still drawn. “You! Hands in the air. Don’t move!”
I blinked in surprise, confused, but not in a position to fight right at that moment. Between having dropped my guard, and having multiple officers with guns drawn, it wouldn’t go well for me. So I complied, slowly raising my hands. “I don’t have whatever he had. I don’t have anything.” I watched as they surrounded me.
Lydia crept forward from behind the shelves, looking around fearfully. “Is… is the man with the shotgun gone?”
One of the officers jumped at the voice, turning to look before quickly putting his gun away. An officer approaching me nodded to him, and the recipient of the nod moved forward to talk to Lydia. Meanwhile, a rough grip twisted my arms behind my back, cold metal being wrapped around my wrists. I could easily have resisted, but I likely would’ve gotten retaliated against if I did. So I let them move my arms into position and do whatever they were doing. If I needed to, I’d break out later, anyway.
Lydia’s eyes went wide, though. “What are you doing with Flopsy? Why are you arresting her?”
“Stay calm, ma’am. Can you tell me what’s going on here? All we know is there was fighting and she’s involved. Until we can make sure everything is safe, we need to keep this under control.” The one in front of Lydia spoke in an even tone, almost as if he was reciting a script. “Now, please start at the beginning.”
I listened to Lydia talk about how this guy came in, pulled a shotgun and opened fire, and how I fought him until the police arrived. She even showed the damage that had been wrought. I didn’t pay that much attention, I was still dealing with an officer that was on me. “He attacked us. I defended Miss Lydia and myself. Why am I being detained?” My words were short and clipped from my annoyance, and the adrenaline of combat that was still going strong.
The officer in front of me stared into my face. “Are you familiar with the name Jim Blaine?”
I didn’t react. There was something… but I couldn’t place it. After a moment, I shook my head. “No.”
“You assaulted him three days ago, on Monday. In front of multiple witnesses, in the food court of this mall.”
I exhaled sharply, scoffing. “The thief. He robbed my friend.”
“That’s not how he tells it, and nobody else saw it happen. You’re under arrest for assault and battery, in addition to… this.” He waved his hand at the empty space where the man had disappeared. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights as I have explained them to you?”
I looked him in the eye. Was he joking? I was being arrested for stopping a thief? I let the words he had said settle in my mind. Somehow, it felt like I already knew them, or at least had heard them before. I nodded. “I understand.”
His hands roughly patted me down, reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone. Finding nothing else, he eyed me skeptically. “Do you have a purse with your wallet in it?”
“No, I don’t have one.” I didn’t bother to look at him, I wasn’t pleased with his presence.
“Where do you keep your ID?”
“My what?” I know I’d heard that before, but nobody had really explained what an “eye-dee” was yet.
“Your identification. Something that says who you are?”
“I don’t have anything like that. I say who I am. If you really need something with my name on it, I have my collar.” My tone became more curt as I grew more frustrated. I really wanted to just snap this tiny chain holding these metal cuffs together. I was angry they had interrupted my fight with Master’s murderer and caused him to flee. They let him get away.
In a similarly annoyed tone, he replied, “Your collar says ‘Flopsy’.”
The officer that talked to Lydia had rejoined the others now. “The other woman also calls her that.”
“Because that’s my name. My name is Flopsy.”
The one arresting me curtly snapped at me. “What the hell kind of name is that? What’s your last name then, Flopsy?”
I glared at him from the corner of my eye. “It’s my last name. My first name. The only name I’ve ever had. I’ve never had any name other than Flopsy.”
“Suuure. Okay, whatever, we’ll sort it out at the station.” With that, he grabbed my arm and started to lead me roughly through the mall. The crowd had already been dispersing once the action was over.
Lydia watched me being led away, still visibly in shock at everything. I turned my head over my shoulder. “I’ll call you when I can. Sorry you have to close up by yourself.”
Finally, I was shoved roughly into the back of a police car. The temptation to break free and vent my rage at the murderer’s escape was tempered only by reminding myself that these idiots were innocent and didn’t know what they had done.
I was feeling indignant. Since my arrival, I’d had my fingers pressed into some kind of ink and then onto paper, I’d been led around and shoved, and nobody would tell me much of anything about what was going on or what to expect. They wouldn’t tell me what they wanted beyond “questioning” and wouldn’t tell me when I could get out of here. They wouldn’t even take these awful cuffs off.
I sat in a small, bare room. A simple metal table, simple chairs, bright harsh lights, a large mirror that was built into a wall, and a single door for going in or out. It was deep in the bowels of the “police station”, where I was to be “questioned”. My arms were still behind my back, my wrists “bound” by metal cuffs linked by a thin chain. For now, I was humoring them, if only because upsetting them would only make things worse.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
I sat at the middle of one of the long sides of the table. An officer from the mall stood against the wall behind me to my left. A new officer came into the room and sat across the table from me, with papers arranged in front of him and a notebook in his hand. A wave of acrid, noxious stench wafted from him, some kind of horrible plant had been burned recently and the smoke clung to him. I coughed, recoiling as best I could.
Seeing my reaction, he gave me a questioning look. “Is everything all right?”
It was difficult to even breathe, I felt like I was fighting for air. “You have a most horrible stench about you. Were you in a bonfire, where the most rotted, disgusting plants ever were burned? How can you breathe with that on your clothes?”
“Guess you’re not a fan of cigars, huh? Oh, gee, I’m really sorry about that. I’m trying to cut back, nasty habit and all that, but you know how it is. But I still gotta have one whenever I’m on break. I’ll, uh, try to keep my distance for you.”
I coughed again, keeping my breathing shallow seemed to be enough. His voice was like shaking a box of gravel, raspy and rough. I didn’t know how it is, but I figured I’d ask Ben about it later. I couldn’t wait to get out of here and get home.
Shuffling the papers for a moment, he started. “State your name, for the record.”
I rolled my eyes. “Flopsy.”
The officer raised his eyes from his notepad to give me an incredulous look. The one behind me chuckled. “Your full name, for the record.”
“Flopsy. That’s it. Just the one, it’s the only name I’ve ever had, my first name and my most recent name, and anything in between. As shown on my collar that I’ve worn my entire life. Just as I’ve said to every single officer who’s asked me this question, multiple times.”
“Most recent name? What do you mean by that?”
“You keep asking me what my last name is. I’ve never had any name before Flopsy, or any name after, so that’s my most recent name.” I wanted to cross my arms in defiance, but I settled for glaring at a spot on the wall to my right, not looking at either officer.
The officer at the table scrawled something onto his notepad. “That’s… not what that means. You know that right?”
The one leaning against the wall interjected. “No, as far as we can tell, she really is that stupid.” I shot him a glare that only seemed to amuse him more.
“I’ll just put that down under ‘alias’ for now, then. Okay, moving on, where are you from, Flopsy? I’m only trying to help you get all this sorted out, so you can be on your way.”
“If you want me on my way, you could let me go now.” I watched for a reaction and got none at all. Like talking to a stone statue. “I’m from Freymoor. It’s a very small village. My friend called it… how did he put it? ‘One of those isolated compounds up in the mountains,’ I think. Personally, I don’t like the way ‘compound’ sounds.”
The officer scowled a bit, writing for a while before talking. “And where is ‘Freymoor’ located? Could you tell me?”
I huffed and resumed looking at the wall. “I don’t know. The night I left was… chaotic. Frantic. A blind panic. I barely remember anything at all, I just remember winding up… here. In this giant town, full of lights and electricity and technology…” I let my gaze drop to the floor as my voice trailed off. I didn’t have to try hard to sell a sense of sadness and confusion, my first night here was… confusing, to say the least.
“Do you remember what date that was?”
I looked up, blinking. Date? “Oh, uh… no? It was… I want to say about three weeks ago? Four? I haven’t been very good at keeping track of days, everything is so confusing in this place.” How long had it been? How much time had I lost, just trying to make sense of this world? I had no progress at all on getting back to Terra to show for it, too.
The two officers exchanged looks. The one filling out the papers pulled a box from his hip and gripped it, talking to it. “Could you please bring the file on the Rocky Road Bar and Grill brawl from late June, and put it on my desk? I’ll come for it in just a bit.”
I watched, confused. It was kind of like a phone, but much bigger, with a pole sticking out one end. I nearly jumped when a voice came from the box, replying. “Right away.” Something about the box was pulling at a very emotional cord deep within me, and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Sorry about that. Now, what’s your address?”
“Uh, everyone just… calls me Flopsy?”
“No, like, where do you receive your mail?”
Excuse me!? My eyes were wide at what he just said. “I–! How dare…! I don’t… I don’t know who you take me for! I am NOT that kind of girl! I can’t believe… Ugh! For. Your. Information, I have never ‘received a male’ in my entire life!”
The officer behind me burst out laughing, doubling over, his face red as he couldn’t stop laughing. I gave my most withering glare, shaking in my seat, ready to snap this stupid chain if he didn’t apologize.
The one questioning, however, was completely taken aback, and looked like he had no idea what I was saying. “What…? I… What? No! That’s…” He looked at the other officer. “Has she really been like this the whole time?”
Holding up a hand, he struggled to slow his laughter enough to get words out. “Pretty much! A real piece of work, ain’t she?”
The questioning officer pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and rubbed it, sighing deeply. “You really are from some compound, huh? Okay, where are you living? Are you renting a place? Are you homeless? Staying at a shelter?”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to get the anger to subside. “Hmph. I’m… staying with a friend. I thought maybe you knew that, and were… insinuating things about me, and him.”
“And, could you tell me your friend’s name?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why, so you can go arrest him too? Forget it.”
He took on a soothing tone of voice, trying to placate me. “It’s just for the record, so we can find you in case we need to ask more questions.”
I wasn’t buying it. “I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be used against me, in a court of law.”
“Oh boy, here we go.” The one against the wall straightened up, his voice taking on an irritated edge.
“All right, we’ll skip that for now. Let’s get to the purpose of this. You are accused of assaulting a Jim Blaine. What can you tell me about what happened?” He readied his pencil.
“Why bother? I already told you guys, and you said you’d rather believe his word over mine. It doesn’t matter what I say.”
The questioning officer nodded sympathetically. “I’d still like to hear your version, if you please. Just to compare notes, if nothing else.”
The one leaning against the wall was snarky. “You know, not cooperating makes you look bad. If this goes to court, the judge isn’t going to be happy about this. We’ve got dozens of witnesses, you should tell the truth.”
I looked between the two, the disparity of their attitudes setting off an alarm bell in my mind. Something about this situation felt so familiar, like I’d seen it before somewhere. “…I have the right to an attorney. If I cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for me. I want an attorney.”
The one against the wall swore under his breath. “Now she wants an attorney. No you don’t, you’re only making yourself look even more guilty.”
My gaze narrowed. This man, possibly both of them, definitely didn’t want me to have this. “Are you saying you are going to deny me my rights? I want an attorney.”
“All right, wait here. I’ll be back momentarily.” I still wasn’t sure I trusted him to not be acting, but it didn’t matter if he was genuine or not. He got up and walked out of the room, leaving the wall guard to keep watch over me.
We waited in silence, I had nothing I wanted to say to him. At least with the questioner out of the room, it was a little easier to breathe.
It took a few minutes, but the questioning officer returned, with a man in a suit, and gestured in my direction. My face scrunched like I’d been smacked in the nose with a log as the stench returned in force with the questioner.
“Greetings, I’m Mr. Reid. I’m the public defender being assigned to your case. I’d shake your hand, but… Well, no matter. Gentlemen, if we may have the room, please?”
The two officers grumbled, but stepped out, leaving me alone with the man who sat down across from me. I watched him without a word, wary of what kind of tricks he might try to pull. I still wasn’t sure what an “attorney” was, or a “public defender”. Were they the same?
He seemed to notice my stare. “You requested an attorney, didn’t you? That’s me. I’m here to help you with your defense, make sure things are handled properly. You did a good job in asking for me, I wish we could get it so an accused person got one by default instead of having to ask, but the cops write the laws.” He gave a chuckle.
“Huh. I was wondering. Okay. Well, why do I need a defense in the first place? I shouldn’t even be here.”
“I’m told you are charged with assault and battery?”
“Which one? They say they’re arresting me because I pushed a thief, but they arrested me after I stopped a murderer with some kind of exploding pipe at the mall. Apparently, they want to punish those who stop crime.”
His eyes were wide at that. “A pipe bomb? Wait, you mean the mall shooting? You…? They didn’t tell me that part! It’s not in the record, so it doesn’t seem like you’re being charged for anything there. Hang on, we’re getting off track. Tell me about this Jim person?”
I told the story again, of my encounter with the thief.
“Hm. Well, when they come back in, it should be fine to tell them what you told me. Wait, how badly was Jim injured?”
I huffed. “Not at all. A bruise at most, from where I grabbed his neck before pushing.”
“And you just… pushed?”
I frowned, eyes breaking his gaze. “Maybe with a bit of force. Enough to push him back against the wall. Four feet? I only wanted the card returned, I didn’t want to harm him, so I didn’t.”
“But you could? Harm him, if you wanted to, I mean.”
“Anyone can harm anyone, if they want to. But yes, I’m… a lot stronger than I look. I used to do a lot of farm work, back home.”
He nodded. “And that’s why you felt safe, picking a fight like that?”
I scoffed. “I’d hardly call it a fight. The murderer in the mall was a fight, Jim was just a… man who doesn’t even look like he’s labored in his life, let alone fought.”
He gave me a wary look. “Tell me about the murderer in the mall?”
So I did. “I’d offer to show you, but… Handcuffs.”
“That’s all right. Okay, I think we have enough to work with. When they come back in, they’ll ask you to tell them what happened with Jim, and you can tell them what you told me. If they start asking other questions, wait for my advice before answering, all right?”
“Yeah, okay. …Thank you.”
“It’s literally my job, but you’re welcome.” He stood up and knocked on the door twice, cracking it open. “Okay, we’re ready to continue.”
The two came back in, taking up their previous positions, while Mr. Reid sat to my right this time. Nodding at each other, the questioning officer got his notebook ready. “Okay, tell me about how you attacked Jim.”
Before either I or Mr. Reid could protest, the wall officer rudely added, “And don’t bother lying. Witnesses.”
I glared at him once again, before turning my attention to the one taking notes. “He robbed my friend, using the threat of violence to rob him of his ‘debit card’, a thing that… stores money, I think? I confronted him, he took a swing at me, I pushed him back into the wall. He dropped the card, so I picked it up and returned it, and I don’t know where Jim went. Since the card was back where it belonged, the encounter was over.” I stood up and started to pace, sitting with my arms restrained like that was getting too irritating. My hooves echoed loudly in the bare room.
The one against the wall looked like he was going to snarl. With a face of anger that struck me as familiar. “Lying like that is grounds for defamation and slander, you wanna make things worse for yourself? Keep lying.”
I moved in closer. I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated by this man. “So eager to let a thief walk free and punish the upstanding? Bad enough you arrested me for fighting a murderer, you–” I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t just his face that was familiar. I sniffed the air, drawing in closer to the officer, who looked confused and uncomfortable. Up close, I could actually pick his scent up over the smoke stench of the questioner. “…You. You’re related to him. You and Jim have the same scent, no wonder you take his word over mine.”
The officer had his back pressed to the wall, as if he could back away from me, glaring at me. Mr. Reid raised an eyebrow, staring at this. “Is this true?”
I leaned in, gesturing with my nose, since my arms were still bound. “I’d recognize that stench anywhere, it was on my hand for hours. And his tag says ‘Blaine’, just like how you keep calling the thief ‘Jim Blaine’. You’re too old to be his brother, and you don’t smell different enough to be an uncle… Are you his father, then?”
“Sh-she’s insane! Smell? Are you going to listen to this? You shut your fucking mouth, criminal, before I get out my nightstick!”
Mr. Reid looked from the panicking officer to me. “You can tell by his scent?”
I straightened myself, glaring at the officer. “Hmph, if I’m wrong, you can cut off my nose for lying to me. They’re related by blood, and I’m pretty sure he’s Jim’s father.”
The questioning officer looked confused, or at least pretended to be confused. Mr. Reid leaned back in his seat. “Officer Blaine, you’re the officer in charge of this investigation. You took charge of it by request. Proper procedure would’ve been to divest yourself from it the moment you knew the ‘victim’ was your son. Because you took witness statements, you’ve tainted every scrap of evidence you have against my client. You have no case at all now.”
“That’s bullshit! She hit him! I’m not going to just… let a freak like this attack someone and get away with it! Even if it is my son! Especially if it’s my son!”
The questioning officer covered his face with a palm. “God damn it.”
“I can still… charge her with resisting arrest! Obstruction of justice! Failure to identify herself upon request by a police officer!”
“Give it up, Blaine. Look, I’ve got another case on my desk that I need to ask her about. You can come along if you want, Reid. This one’s not tainted, so she’s not off the hook completely yet.” With that, he stood up, stretching, and gestured to the door. “You’re done here, Blaine, you can get out of here. Flopsy, Reid, with me to my desk, please.”
We stood next to a desk in a large room full of them, other officers milling about or sitting at desks. The questioner stood by it. “Boy, I’m really sorry about Blaine, I had no idea he was the kid’s father. My name’s Lieutenant Falk. Flopsy, do you recognize the name, ‘Rocky Road Bar and Grill’?”
I tilted my head. “No, should I?”
Falk sat down and opened a file that was sitting there, pulling out a drawing and showing it to us. “How about the person in this sketch?” What was drawn was very obviously me. I hadn’t seen a single other person with hair like mine, let alone wearing a collar. Text written on the side stated, “Wears hoof boots(?)” and “Feather in Nowhere?”
Mr. Reid was quick to jump in. “What exactly is the meaning of this, Lieutenant?”
“Well, that’s what I’d like to ask Flopsy here. About a month ago, right around the time you say you came to this town, there was a pretty huge bar brawl at the Rocky Road Bar and Grill. Three different biker gangs were meeting there, and all three were pretty thoroughly beaten. According to the bartender, a girl matching Flopsy’s description,” and he added a gesture with his free hand in my direction, “was the victor. The sole victor. She walked outta there without a care in the world, after beating up at least fifty men.”
Mr. Reid was staring at me, speechless.
I blushed a little. “Well, I mean, most of them beat up each other…”
Lieutenant Falk nodded, as if he had expected me to say something. After all, it’s not like there’d be much use in claiming they had confused me for someone else. “So you were there, that night. Now, you told me you didn’t know the name.”
“I don’t. I was only there the one time, and I didn’t remember the name. I only remembered it as ‘That place where I arm-wrestled and they got upset with me’. …I didn’t start the fight, if that’s what you’re asking. I was attacked first, and once fists were flying, well… You know how mercenaries are.”
Falk raised an eyebrow. “Mercenaries?”
I nodded. “Yeah, wearing leather armor? I figured they were some kind of muscle for hire. Why else would they have matching insignia on their armor?”
Mr. Reid coughed, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I think that’s enough, Flopsy.”
Shrugging, I went to say something, except an errant piece of dust went up my nose. “I don’t understa–nnh! Aah… ah…! Tchu!” I whipped my hands in front of my face as I sneezed, sniffling afterwards. Grabbing a tissue from a box on the lieutenant’s desk, I used it to blow my nose, before tossing it into the trash can. I hadn’t even noticed the metallic ping noise when the chain between the cuffs broke. But I did notice the dead silence that had fallen over the room. “Oh, um, were… were the tissues not for me to use? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”
Falk gestured to my hands, but he still didn’t say anything.
Looking down, I realized what happened. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to break these. I just… I sneezed, you know? Reflex. Couldn’t help it.” At least my shoulders were finally free. I sheepishly rubbed a hand along my upper arm, drawing a hooftip along the floor.
“And how, exactly, did you break them by accident?”
I grimaced a little, looking at the cuffs. “Perhaps they were defective? It only takes a single weak link, after all.”
Mr. Reid cleared his throat. “Well, if they were defective, then the fact that she didn’t break them shows she never tried. I’d say we can toss any ‘resisting arrest’ charge, don’t you?”
Lieutenant Falk narrowed his eyes, but after waiting a moment, he just nodded. “Yeah, that must be it. Defective cuffs. My wife is always telling me to check these things, you know?”
Perhaps because of the lack of alarm, others in the room started resuming their activity and conversations. I took the opportunity to rotate my shoulders and ease the soreness.
Mr. Reid still looked a little shaken, but spoke. “I think we can get these off her. Clearly she’s not a risk of violence or anything, don’t you agree?”
Falk paused for a moment, as if considering. Finally, he brought out a key and used it to remove the metal cuffs from my wrists, placing them on his desk. “Yeah, I think so. Boy, violence sure does seem to happen a lot around you a lot though, doesn’t it, Miss Flopsy?”
I looked at him, trying to gauge his intent, but I simply couldn’t. Either he was completely oblivious, or he was a wonderful actor, but it wasn’t in between. “Am I free to go now?
Falk nodded. “Oh, sure, yeah. Sorry to keep you so long, I’m sure you’re eager to get home after such a frightful day. Not that you seem to be bothered by it, tough as nails you are. Never seen a girl like you before.” Mr. Reid started leading me towards the door that led to the main waiting room, when that gravelly voice called out once more. “Oh, just one more thing.”
I stopped in my tracks, turning to face Falk as he stepped forward, holding my breath from the smell. “Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Back in the room, you mentioned ‘fighting a murderer’. But there were no deaths in the mall. Not even an injury. Could you tell me what you meant by that?” His notebook was already in his hand, along with a pencil poised over it.
I coughed softly, trying to clear enough air to get a breath. “Well, he… attacked me, with that weapon. That pipe that exploded at the end. He tried to kill me. He’s an attempted murderer, at the very least.”
Nodding as if having to mull the words over, he wrote something down. “Pipe? You mean the shotgun? Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry to bother you, I just have to clear these kinds of things up, you know? Otherwise my bosses will be very upset with me. No further questions right now, though.”
Fed up with this whole process, I gave a polite farewell and turned to leave before he could ask anything else. My head was spinning from lack of breathable air as it was. Once I made it into the front lobby, I found Ben and Lydia waiting for me. I couldn’t restrain myself, rushing forward to give Ben a big hug, though I made sure not to crush him too tightly.
“Oof! Someone’s happy to see us, at least. Lydia called me as soon as you were taken away.” Ben squirmed slightly, looking a bit uncomfortable with the contact.
I let go, blushing a bit. “Sorry, just… This whole thing has been awful. These ‘police’ have been utterly unbearable to talk to, they’ve clearly made up their minds to punish me and don’t care what it takes to justify it.” I glared in the direction of the closest blue uniform, not caring what they thought of my opinion.
Lydia nodded a bit. “I just can’t believe tonight… Let’s get out of here and unwind.”
An officer handed me a small plastic bag with my phone in it, and I nodded as I took it. “Yeah, let’s get home.”
In a dark basement somewhere in town, Malik appeared in a cloud of smoke. Brushing himself off, he placed his dagger on a table and straightened his clothes. “Damn that abomination. I’d heard she was strong, but I should’ve asked more questions before I killed that mage… I’ll have to prepare better for next time. Can’t strike at that ‘mall’, too many people. Need a place where I won’t be interrupted. I do have that warehouse by the river…” Getting out some supplies, he inscribed a sigil on stone, placed it in the circle he appeared in on the floor, and imbued it with a teleportation spell. Grinding the stone into powder, he mixed it into a replacement for the smoke bomb he used to escape. Silently, he thanked himself for stealing that book on teleportation from his fifth target before reporting his success. It had been an invaluable tool for quick exits. But that was only one preparation of many.