Post by Zuyuri on Apr 1, 2016 2:44:45 GMT
The red and black police car of BPD ground to a halt, its lights swirling red and blue. The siren made a distinctive high pitched howl before being cut off. Word of a mage suspect fleeing into the bayou had been made noted to the C.I.D. group and that meant a split up. Shadow and Sunshine were asked to investigate the southwestern part of the swampy area. The blonde detective exited the vehicle, tying her hair back and glancing back at the red and black blur approaching, skidding to a stop next to her. Her red and black partner picked off dust from his jet skates, asking, “Do you have a plan?”
“Uh…” Sunshine looked away. This mage could be anywhere in the bayou under the water, crammed in a tree…in the jaws of a very tolerant alligator. “…no. Do you?”
“Not a good one,” Shadow shook his head. “Checking the water. The dust Anna identified could be floating around here or stuck in lichen…if we find that, ideally it could make a trail.”
They approached the swamp stew. Green-brown heaps of lichen and decaying plants lay on top of another. Algae floated in chunks or a perfectly fine sheen against the murky water. “Let’s get this over with,” Shadow muttered. He cringed as he stepped onto the closest thing to solid land which squished underneath his foot. “Well, so much for speeding through,” he mumbled dryly.
Sunshine made a very forced smile in his direction. Shadow was used to getting through patrols quickly. His speed was something he flaunted. The only time he ever needed a lift was if he ever exerted his energy, which he hardly ever did unless he removed his inhibitor rings. She checked her waist to see if her gun was secure. It fell into her hand like a waiting friend, and she sighed with relief before edging to follow Shadow across the wettest land ever…until it ended up becoming nothing but water; waist deep for Shadow and knee deep for Sunshine. The hedgehog let out a frustrated groan. This was just what he needed. First the jet skates and now his gun; True he had his energy spears, but that could only ripple the water and send off any clues into the depths.
“Well, at least you still have your energy blasts?” Sunshine had read his mind, and was offering one of her famous big, helpful smiles. It was so hard not to get mad at her or say it was the wrong time. His reaction was a nod and a sigh. They crossed through the depths of the bayou, keeping their eyes peeled for anything. There was nothing to point them in a mage’s direction. No dust particles, no glamour to match the trees, no blood spots, nothing. The only thing they did find was a patch of solid ground. Shadow hitched himself out of the bayou, cringing at the algae drenched equipment, which he hung on a low branch.
“It’ll be a while until everything’s dry,” he reported. The only thing that managed to stay relatively dry was the radio, which Sunshine had carried on her utility belt. She tuned it to her unit’s channel. “Officer Griffith and Seddon reporting. Target is nowhere in southwest. Over.” Her message was bleeped across until she got a reply, “Southwest deemed clear. Standby for further instructions.”
“By that he means dry off,” she grumbled, stuffing her radio back in the slot. She plopped onto the hollow log next to her partner, who was picking out mud and algae from the boosters. Good thing, too, because burned bayou was less pleasant smelling than it sounded. But in the silence of the swamp, not counting the cries of loons and buzzing of mosquitoes, Shadow’s ear twitched slightly and he whipped his head in one direction; attuned animal senses could come in handy. “What’s up?” Sunshine asked her alerted partner.
“I heard something back there,” he replied.
Sunshine just got up on impulse, reaching for her holster. It may not be the mage, but it was better than nothing. She cut through the thicker greenery, scanning every root and every tree hollow. If Shadow heard something, he wasn’t lying. But out here, any noise could be mistaken for something. He could have heard something running for cover…
Until Sunshine paused at what she saw in a hole of the bushes.
It was a little girl, completely out by her lonesome. She had dark skin and dark hair, probably a Creole or another ethnic group. She was hugging a green plush figure close to her chest. Her clothes were dirty, but there was no sign she had been out here for a long time. It looked less than a few hours ago. And when the little girl looked to the side, there were tears flooding in the corners.
Sunshine bit her lip. Shadow would be looking for her soon. This little girl was what he heard, and while he could tone done his stoicism around kids, having a theory being proven wrong was something he took a while to get over. So to see what he heard was a little girl when they were looking for a crime suspect would be…not exactly the best. She lowered her gun, putting it back into her holster.
“Little girl, are you okay?”
The little girl in question looked up at the cop with her sad eyes. Sunshine knelt down to her level. The kid didn’t want to talk. Well, okay.
“Is everything all right? Can I get you anything?”
The little girl said nothing again. Until… “I just want my mom and dad.”
Sunshine’s eyes lit up. So was she lost? Abandoned? Witness to a murder? The bayou was no place for a little girl. “You know. I’m a police officer. Maybe I can help you find them.”
The little girl shook her head, and the tears began flowing again. Oops, was that the wrong thing to say. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry!” Sunshine held out her hands. She was running out of things to say. But if the child started bawling, it would be a good thing and a bad thing. Shadow would find her but so would the criminal. The child was hugging her green toy again, which Sunshine noticed now was a makeshift doll with whisps of straw for hair and mismatched buttons for eyes. Small nicks were in the fabric, and a tiny hole was evident, like it had been bit playfully like a dog. “I...I like your doll.”
“…Really?” The little girl’s eyes were still watery and showed a bit of weariness, but just the tiniest bit of joy was coming through, “I thought I made her head too big.”
“You know,” Sunshine poked at the head of the doll with her finger, “my police partner Shadow has a big head. Maybe it’s because he’s got so many spikes. But when you get past his prickliness, he’s very nice.”
The little girl giggled. A bit of mucus was showing through her nose, which she sniffed back and wiped with her forearm. “My name’s Lilo,” she sniffled.
“Lilo. That’s a pretty name. My name’s Sunshine.”
“Can I call you Sunny?”
Sunny. That was the adjective a lot of people used for her. Sunshine found it annoying when adults said it, but kids like Lilo? She could make an exception. “Okay, Lilo. I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth. Are you hurt?”
“Yes. I was climbing up a tree because I got scared, and I cut myself on my leg.”
“Where on your leg?”
“The bigger part,” Lilo answered, gesturing to her thigh.
She picked up the little girl and studied the area mentioned. Sure enough, on the underside of the thigh was a gash. It wasn’t the worst cut the officer had seen, heck she was used to seeing burns on her own hands and far worse on victims. Most cops came around with a first aid kit in their car, but with Shadow and Sunshine, they had a secret weapon.
Sunshine looked at the light filtering through the trees. The sun was out; good. Would it be out for long? It was getting close to dusk, and the colorful were getting slightly ruddy. Shadows were creeping through. The light through the trees, more importantly, was still white. It’d be enough energy to focus on. She pulled a lock of hair from her ponytail, wrapping it around the little girl’s wound. “Tell me if it hurts, okay, sweetie?” The little girl nodded wordlessly. Sunshine made her hair lock snug, used her fingers to grip her hair, and began singing;
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”
On cue, the crown of Sunshine’s head began to shimmer. Not unlike fiber optic lights, a few strands lit up a vibrant golden yellow, much brighter than Sunshine’s golden blonde hair. The light worked its way throughout her locks, making a bright yellow aura.
“You make me happy when skies are gray…”
The glow had flowed to the part of her hair wrapped around the little girl’s leg. The light wasn’t piercing or hard. It was warm, like someone giving you a hug.
“You’ll never know dear how much I love you…”
The hugging feeling was getting rid of all the painful pings the cut had given her.
“Please don’t take my sunshine away…”
As the song finished, the glow in the cop’s hair dissolved slowly back to its original color. Sunshine smiled wistfully at the girl. Would she be scared? Nervous? Well, okay she was nervous enough. Very gently, she peeled her hair back where she had wrapped it. If there was a cut before, it was gone now. Good as new.
“Sunshine!” Her radio buzzed with Shadow’s voice calling over. “Sunshine, do you read?” The blonde cop put Lilo down to answer. “Sunshine to Shadow, I read you. I’m okay. How’s our stuff?”
“Good as new. We should get back to the car.”
“Hold on.” Sunshine looked at the little girl. They couldn’t just drive off with her all alone. If her parents were killed, who knew what would happen? And something in the little girl’s eyes told the story for her. Her parents got hurt, and she was scared off. “I found a little girl. She’s lost and scared. She mentioned wanting her parents, but…I don’t know if they’re…around.”
There was silence on the end for a while. A moment later, Shadow responded. “Stick with her. I’m going to make a few calls and come back for you.”
“Roger.” The connection timed out. The little girl was still staring up, wide eyed and Sunshine. The hair trick was probably still in her mind. Sunshine returned to kneeling, redoing her ponytail. “My friend will come and get us. You’re going to be okay.”
“Are you one of those magic people?” Lilo asked. Sunshine pursed her lips. Lilo was asking about Others. Her parents must have been them. It was hard describing gifted humans to a child, so she twirled a hair and opened her mouth to reply, but Lilo answered, “I’m one. My parents could become wildcats.” So she was a were-child. And more shocking was the past tense spoken solemnly. Could. Her parents were no longer around…
A shock of blue light distracted her momentarily. Shadow had teleported next to her, panting. Lilo looked from him to Sunshine, probably putting two and two together. “What’d you find out?” he asked.
“Orphaned,” Sunshine answered. “She’s some kind of were, too. Her name’s Lilo; the fate of her parents is unknown.”
“I know a place we can take her.” He reached into his belt and pulled out a scribbled card that suffered a bit of damage from the bent corner. “Take the car and drop her off at the address written here. If someone about sixteen or so with a skin condition answers the door, tell them that I sent you. I’m supposed to be en route at the freeway. I’ll meet you back at the station.” Typical Shadow, putting the bigger mission first and being just as serious. Sunshine looked at the little girl with a smile. Everything was going to be okay at last. Teleporting would get them all back to the car, and that meant major body contact if Shadow was to get them all back. She scooped Lilo in one arm, grabbing Shadow’s hand in the other. In a blink, the island in the bayou was gone, and they were back near the car.
But before Shadow could speed off, Lilo had touched his arm. “Mr. Prickly?” Both cops looked at each other. Mr. Prickly. It was going to be a nickname that stuck. All because of a cute little girl. “Thanks for getting me and Sunny somewhere safe.”
A corner of Shadow’s mouth twitched. It wasn’t a smile, but that twitch was a sign of amusement. He would be giving her heck for this. “No problem. Keep out of trouble, okay?” He ruffled her hair before zipping off, becoming a blur, off to intercept the criminal.
Sunshine turned on the ignition, making their car hum. “Buckle your seatbelt, sweetie,” she told the little girl who was scrambling to the front. “We’re getting you out of here.” She shifted the power to drive, and the car rolled off the dirt and back onto the road, to the address Shadow had given her.
“Uh…” Sunshine looked away. This mage could be anywhere in the bayou under the water, crammed in a tree…in the jaws of a very tolerant alligator. “…no. Do you?”
“Not a good one,” Shadow shook his head. “Checking the water. The dust Anna identified could be floating around here or stuck in lichen…if we find that, ideally it could make a trail.”
They approached the swamp stew. Green-brown heaps of lichen and decaying plants lay on top of another. Algae floated in chunks or a perfectly fine sheen against the murky water. “Let’s get this over with,” Shadow muttered. He cringed as he stepped onto the closest thing to solid land which squished underneath his foot. “Well, so much for speeding through,” he mumbled dryly.
Sunshine made a very forced smile in his direction. Shadow was used to getting through patrols quickly. His speed was something he flaunted. The only time he ever needed a lift was if he ever exerted his energy, which he hardly ever did unless he removed his inhibitor rings. She checked her waist to see if her gun was secure. It fell into her hand like a waiting friend, and she sighed with relief before edging to follow Shadow across the wettest land ever…until it ended up becoming nothing but water; waist deep for Shadow and knee deep for Sunshine. The hedgehog let out a frustrated groan. This was just what he needed. First the jet skates and now his gun; True he had his energy spears, but that could only ripple the water and send off any clues into the depths.
“Well, at least you still have your energy blasts?” Sunshine had read his mind, and was offering one of her famous big, helpful smiles. It was so hard not to get mad at her or say it was the wrong time. His reaction was a nod and a sigh. They crossed through the depths of the bayou, keeping their eyes peeled for anything. There was nothing to point them in a mage’s direction. No dust particles, no glamour to match the trees, no blood spots, nothing. The only thing they did find was a patch of solid ground. Shadow hitched himself out of the bayou, cringing at the algae drenched equipment, which he hung on a low branch.
“It’ll be a while until everything’s dry,” he reported. The only thing that managed to stay relatively dry was the radio, which Sunshine had carried on her utility belt. She tuned it to her unit’s channel. “Officer Griffith and Seddon reporting. Target is nowhere in southwest. Over.” Her message was bleeped across until she got a reply, “Southwest deemed clear. Standby for further instructions.”
“By that he means dry off,” she grumbled, stuffing her radio back in the slot. She plopped onto the hollow log next to her partner, who was picking out mud and algae from the boosters. Good thing, too, because burned bayou was less pleasant smelling than it sounded. But in the silence of the swamp, not counting the cries of loons and buzzing of mosquitoes, Shadow’s ear twitched slightly and he whipped his head in one direction; attuned animal senses could come in handy. “What’s up?” Sunshine asked her alerted partner.
“I heard something back there,” he replied.
Sunshine just got up on impulse, reaching for her holster. It may not be the mage, but it was better than nothing. She cut through the thicker greenery, scanning every root and every tree hollow. If Shadow heard something, he wasn’t lying. But out here, any noise could be mistaken for something. He could have heard something running for cover…
Until Sunshine paused at what she saw in a hole of the bushes.
It was a little girl, completely out by her lonesome. She had dark skin and dark hair, probably a Creole or another ethnic group. She was hugging a green plush figure close to her chest. Her clothes were dirty, but there was no sign she had been out here for a long time. It looked less than a few hours ago. And when the little girl looked to the side, there were tears flooding in the corners.
Sunshine bit her lip. Shadow would be looking for her soon. This little girl was what he heard, and while he could tone done his stoicism around kids, having a theory being proven wrong was something he took a while to get over. So to see what he heard was a little girl when they were looking for a crime suspect would be…not exactly the best. She lowered her gun, putting it back into her holster.
“Little girl, are you okay?”
The little girl in question looked up at the cop with her sad eyes. Sunshine knelt down to her level. The kid didn’t want to talk. Well, okay.
“Is everything all right? Can I get you anything?”
The little girl said nothing again. Until… “I just want my mom and dad.”
Sunshine’s eyes lit up. So was she lost? Abandoned? Witness to a murder? The bayou was no place for a little girl. “You know. I’m a police officer. Maybe I can help you find them.”
The little girl shook her head, and the tears began flowing again. Oops, was that the wrong thing to say. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry!” Sunshine held out her hands. She was running out of things to say. But if the child started bawling, it would be a good thing and a bad thing. Shadow would find her but so would the criminal. The child was hugging her green toy again, which Sunshine noticed now was a makeshift doll with whisps of straw for hair and mismatched buttons for eyes. Small nicks were in the fabric, and a tiny hole was evident, like it had been bit playfully like a dog. “I...I like your doll.”
“…Really?” The little girl’s eyes were still watery and showed a bit of weariness, but just the tiniest bit of joy was coming through, “I thought I made her head too big.”
“You know,” Sunshine poked at the head of the doll with her finger, “my police partner Shadow has a big head. Maybe it’s because he’s got so many spikes. But when you get past his prickliness, he’s very nice.”
The little girl giggled. A bit of mucus was showing through her nose, which she sniffed back and wiped with her forearm. “My name’s Lilo,” she sniffled.
“Lilo. That’s a pretty name. My name’s Sunshine.”
“Can I call you Sunny?”
Sunny. That was the adjective a lot of people used for her. Sunshine found it annoying when adults said it, but kids like Lilo? She could make an exception. “Okay, Lilo. I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth. Are you hurt?”
“Yes. I was climbing up a tree because I got scared, and I cut myself on my leg.”
“Where on your leg?”
“The bigger part,” Lilo answered, gesturing to her thigh.
She picked up the little girl and studied the area mentioned. Sure enough, on the underside of the thigh was a gash. It wasn’t the worst cut the officer had seen, heck she was used to seeing burns on her own hands and far worse on victims. Most cops came around with a first aid kit in their car, but with Shadow and Sunshine, they had a secret weapon.
Sunshine looked at the light filtering through the trees. The sun was out; good. Would it be out for long? It was getting close to dusk, and the colorful were getting slightly ruddy. Shadows were creeping through. The light through the trees, more importantly, was still white. It’d be enough energy to focus on. She pulled a lock of hair from her ponytail, wrapping it around the little girl’s wound. “Tell me if it hurts, okay, sweetie?” The little girl nodded wordlessly. Sunshine made her hair lock snug, used her fingers to grip her hair, and began singing;
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”
On cue, the crown of Sunshine’s head began to shimmer. Not unlike fiber optic lights, a few strands lit up a vibrant golden yellow, much brighter than Sunshine’s golden blonde hair. The light worked its way throughout her locks, making a bright yellow aura.
“You make me happy when skies are gray…”
The glow had flowed to the part of her hair wrapped around the little girl’s leg. The light wasn’t piercing or hard. It was warm, like someone giving you a hug.
“You’ll never know dear how much I love you…”
The hugging feeling was getting rid of all the painful pings the cut had given her.
“Please don’t take my sunshine away…”
As the song finished, the glow in the cop’s hair dissolved slowly back to its original color. Sunshine smiled wistfully at the girl. Would she be scared? Nervous? Well, okay she was nervous enough. Very gently, she peeled her hair back where she had wrapped it. If there was a cut before, it was gone now. Good as new.
“Sunshine!” Her radio buzzed with Shadow’s voice calling over. “Sunshine, do you read?” The blonde cop put Lilo down to answer. “Sunshine to Shadow, I read you. I’m okay. How’s our stuff?”
“Good as new. We should get back to the car.”
“Hold on.” Sunshine looked at the little girl. They couldn’t just drive off with her all alone. If her parents were killed, who knew what would happen? And something in the little girl’s eyes told the story for her. Her parents got hurt, and she was scared off. “I found a little girl. She’s lost and scared. She mentioned wanting her parents, but…I don’t know if they’re…around.”
There was silence on the end for a while. A moment later, Shadow responded. “Stick with her. I’m going to make a few calls and come back for you.”
“Roger.” The connection timed out. The little girl was still staring up, wide eyed and Sunshine. The hair trick was probably still in her mind. Sunshine returned to kneeling, redoing her ponytail. “My friend will come and get us. You’re going to be okay.”
“Are you one of those magic people?” Lilo asked. Sunshine pursed her lips. Lilo was asking about Others. Her parents must have been them. It was hard describing gifted humans to a child, so she twirled a hair and opened her mouth to reply, but Lilo answered, “I’m one. My parents could become wildcats.” So she was a were-child. And more shocking was the past tense spoken solemnly. Could. Her parents were no longer around…
A shock of blue light distracted her momentarily. Shadow had teleported next to her, panting. Lilo looked from him to Sunshine, probably putting two and two together. “What’d you find out?” he asked.
“Orphaned,” Sunshine answered. “She’s some kind of were, too. Her name’s Lilo; the fate of her parents is unknown.”
“I know a place we can take her.” He reached into his belt and pulled out a scribbled card that suffered a bit of damage from the bent corner. “Take the car and drop her off at the address written here. If someone about sixteen or so with a skin condition answers the door, tell them that I sent you. I’m supposed to be en route at the freeway. I’ll meet you back at the station.” Typical Shadow, putting the bigger mission first and being just as serious. Sunshine looked at the little girl with a smile. Everything was going to be okay at last. Teleporting would get them all back to the car, and that meant major body contact if Shadow was to get them all back. She scooped Lilo in one arm, grabbing Shadow’s hand in the other. In a blink, the island in the bayou was gone, and they were back near the car.
But before Shadow could speed off, Lilo had touched his arm. “Mr. Prickly?” Both cops looked at each other. Mr. Prickly. It was going to be a nickname that stuck. All because of a cute little girl. “Thanks for getting me and Sunny somewhere safe.”
A corner of Shadow’s mouth twitched. It wasn’t a smile, but that twitch was a sign of amusement. He would be giving her heck for this. “No problem. Keep out of trouble, okay?” He ruffled her hair before zipping off, becoming a blur, off to intercept the criminal.
Sunshine turned on the ignition, making their car hum. “Buckle your seatbelt, sweetie,” she told the little girl who was scrambling to the front. “We’re getting you out of here.” She shifted the power to drive, and the car rolled off the dirt and back onto the road, to the address Shadow had given her.