Synopsis: The city needs a detective. And where better to find a detective than in a dark alleyway at the dead of night. However, can a child with a complicated past really become a detective?
All characters in this story are completely fictional.
In the dark, twisted halls between towering buildings in the glowing city there laid mischief. The booming sound of cars honking and bells ringing filled the background. People scattered around the streets every second of every day. For what reason diverged between each individual. One would say this city was polluted with prying eyes, hungry for a midnight story.
These dark halls however, betrayed that belief.
She couldn't sleep. Tonight was somehow louder than the others. The chilling touch of air tempted the young lady as she approached a cold fate. She was programmed to idly sit and watch the streets infested with stumbling idiots tumble and fall, at least the lady would die laughing.
This town smelled like shit. To put icing on the cake, that annoying honking in the background was infuriating. "Why me?" A brisk moment of clarity overcame the lady. "Fuck this stupid bullshit…Why me?" She felt betrayed– alone, why did everything seem to slip through her fingers. It was nothing new though, she just never acknowledged this bitter taste in her mouth until then. Not a single limb in her body could change her fate, she was doomed.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
That sound… it sounded like plastic hitting the floor. It was likely another "good samaritan" passing by, not even giving the lady the time of day.
Tap... Tap...
The sound halted. "What's such a sweet, young lady like you doing out here on such a sour, cold day like this?" The girl hauled her eyes up to a man wearing a dark coat and black hat. There were no "good samaritans" in this city, only people who wanted something in return. "Mind your own fuckin' business dude." She drilled a hole into the man's chest with her eyes. But the man softly chucked at the crude remark. Instead of walking away as she hoped, he stood there, veiled by the dark of the night. The lady took a moment to size up the man in front of her, he was tall yet looked as frail as an old man. He was covered in puffy, gray fur. Those were the few features the lady could pick out. One thing that caught the young lady's eye was that the man had a plastic limb that replaced his left leg. Oddly, the girl felt intrigued by this.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
"Hey, get out of my face, shithead." The man had eyes that looked like the moon itself. Warm puffs of air comforted the dying lady, she didn't have much longer left. She scoffed, her last day was sullied by an old man. "What do you say about coming inside? It's awfully chilly out here, and I noticed you do not have clothes nor fur."
"Didn't I just tell you to fuck off man?"
"Your family must miss you. They must be looking for you right about now. How do you think they would feel?"
"Fuck that noise. If I had a family I wouldn't be out here right now. Just– piss off already." The lady was never one to talk, especially about her family. It was so tragic, she could not stand to accept it. But something about this man made words slip out of her mouth. Things she never intended to reveal.
"Hmm…that does sound rather sad. But the world always has something planned. There is no pain or evil on this planet carried out without reason. A purpose exists for each and every thing that happens in your short life, you should not throw it away."
Fire blasted out of the lady's deathly mouth. "Die, and take your sunshine and rainbows with you. That's my testament to your shitty world." The lady rolled around and found her arms going numb. It was almost time, her breath was slowing down. The only heat left on her body was coming from the breath of the coated man. Her frozen heart sounded like it was about to crack in her embrace and her arms shivered out any bit of energy she had left.
"How about we talk more inside?" Even though he was insulted over and over again, the man's voice was calm and collected. The girl snickered to herself. Instincts for survival suppressed any reasoning the lady had.
"Shit man, you could you make it any more obvious that you want to fuck me? Let's just get it over with already." The man picked up the lady's tiny, limp body and hauled her for a while. She knew that she had no use in this world, hopefully she would be done soon enough after getting done with whatever fucked up fantasy this old man had. Eventually, the sound of bells rang in her ears and a huge wave of warmth rushed to embrace her. "Hello detective. A room for two I presume?" The lady was as light as a feather, carried over to a small room with two giant beds and a prickly carpet. She was dropped onto one bed and the man leaned on to the other. The room smelt…clean, clean as a hospital. the lady couldn't remember the last time something didn't smell like garbage, not since that day. The room looked clean, everything was so quiet, her back had never felt so nice before.
Like a mother's embrace.
"We'll talk tomorrow morning, but for today… just sleep." He did not need to say it twice for the girl's eyes had already dropped like a bag of bricks, and yet she was flooded with confusion. Did the man not want something in return? There were no "good samaritans" only those who want and those who take. The lady laid there and admired the soft warmth embracing her from head to toe, silence danced in her ears. But, as she laid down, eyes shut, there was one underlying problem; the light pierced her eyelids. The girl sloppily lifted her heavy eyes open and, with her remaining strength, she spoke. "Hey, can you–"
The man was holding a pull chain to the lamp in his hand, as if he was about to turn it off. But he looked… terrified. Like–deathly terrified. His entire, pale body clenched. "Oh sorry… you probably need the lights off huh?" The man's face illuminated in the light; it looked so broken, so… hollow.
"N-No. Nevermind… The light is fine being on." When she spoke those words the man's horror seemed to wash away. Even with the light on that night was the calmest night of the young lady's life.
Something was sizzling. But not a bad sizzle, there was no burning building smell, but a…good smell. The lady's eyes shot open to the sight of light creeping through a window. She sniffled, whatever that smell was, tickled her nose. She raised her body and looked towards the smell. Finding a neat, black stove below an iron skillet. "Huh? Oh you're awake. Good morning."
The girl looked at the man wearing his black suit and black hat. Despite his slender build and well-hidden prosthetic leg, he had the ability to stand out in a crowd, being oddly stylish in a way. "You should get yourself cleaned up, breakfast will be ready soon. The bathroom is in the hallway to the left." The woman hesitantly slipped out of the cozy bed and waddled out to the hallway. "I also left some clothes in the bathroom cupboard, they might be a bit too big. But they will help with the cold."
This all felt so surreal, like the lady had died and gone to heaven. Although she knew this was not heaven, for her mother was nowhere to be seen. "...Thanks dude." She choked those words out of her throat and left the room. To the hallway, on the left, she opened the door and was welcomed by a white tiled room with a cutesy butterfly patterned curtain covering a bathtub, a fluffy black towel lying on a sink, and a short toilet next to said sink. Below the sink she opened a cupboard and found a folded suit very similar to the man's, it had the hat, the jacket, the whole shabang. But there was a issue…she lifted her head to a mirror. Looked at her gigantic eyes and tall antennas, then to her sharp arms. She did not have hands like others did, perhaps the man wasn't as smart as he seemed. "How the hell am I supposed to put this on?" She could try to slip her arms under the clothes, but that would rip them. The lady kicked open the bathroom door and marched back down the hall, into the room where the man could be seen cooking up a storm. "Did you forget something miss?"
"Dumbass, look at my 'hands' real quick and tell me how the hell I am supposed to put on clothes." The man looked dumbfounded for a moment, as if he had just realized. "Oh my, I…really have no explanation for this…I'll send someone down to help you out, take your time miss."
"...The name's Ageha, don't call me miss."
"Ageha… right, where are my manners? My name is Toscanno. But you can call me Tosca." Tosca put his furry paw out and gently awaited a response. Subconsciously, Ageha pressed her arm into the paw, piercing the hand and giving way for blood to flow out. A wave of red flushed down her face, fiery fury flew through her veins. "Dumbass! I JUST got done telling you!"
Ageha wanted to slap the shit out of Tosca, but held in her rage by marching out to the bathroom. Sliding open the calming curtains. And turning on the hot water. She basked in the scorching heat that dribbled down her dirty body. Aggressively pulled a lever causing the shower to rinse Ageha with soap. Once she felt satisfied with bubbles foaming from her skin, she pulled a second lever which made the shower head spew out water once again. Yet, no matter how much Ageha tried to wash out the blood on her arm, she just could not stop dirtying her mind about what she did. Slamming her arm into the hard wall causing a small tile to crack. "You idiot."
The young mantis exited the shower with a new sense of calmness after a long hour.
Knock knock knock
Ageha looked at the closed door. "Ageha? Sir Toscanno asked me to help you dress." An elderly female voice seeped through the door. With little delay she scrubbed her body on the neatly folded towel and pulled open the door. Meeting a gray cat who looked to be in their fifties. Her fur seemed scruffy and uncared for. Her black necklace dangled a small, golden bell. "Damn, is everyone here old and shriveled up?" With steady arms she held the crisp clothes and slowly yet sternly told Ageha what to do.
Ageha looked in the mirror after a few embarrassing minutes of assistance with getting dressed and struck a pose. Putting one arm to her head and one to her flank. Now that she had a better sight, the fedora she wore looked snazzy along with the large black coat which fell to her knees. She could get used to this look. And to add onto that there was a cinnamon scent to the suit. The young lady took a moment to bask in her glory before gliding through the halls and stepping inside to the first room on her right. "Well now, you look a lot more high-spirited compared to yesterday."
Ageha ignored the comment and sat down on a wooden chair resting close to a small table with glass plates and silverware awaiting for the moment food would grace their world. The mantis dangled her short legs from the chair while waiting. Tosca plopped bacon and eggs onto the plates on both sides of the table and lowered himself to a chair on the opposite side of Ageha. She looked down, stabbed a crisp strip of bacon, the delicious smell danced on her nose. "...Thank you."
Tosca clasped both hands together, making a praying gesture. "You shouldn't be thanking me just yet." Ageha dropped the strip in her mouth and gleefully munched for a moment. "What do you mea– holy shit–"
"Yeah." The man dropped his scarlet face down.
"This tastes like shit! How the hell did you fuck up so bad?"
"Haha– I thought so. You see, I've never really been a good cook. I was hoping it would be better this time around but… I'm pretty sure the cafeteria is serving breakfast right about now, we can eat there."
Ageha stabbed another strip of bacon and tossed it into her maw. bewildered, Tosca crafted a face of confusion. "What?" Ageha mumbled as she chewed the crunchy, bitter bacon burnt to a crisp. Tosca simply sat there dumbfounded as he watched Ageha scarf down his Frankenstein of a meal. Toscanno never studied biology of other species, so seeing Ageha slide her jaw crabwise while chewing seemed odd. Nonetheless, his shoulders felt lighter after seeing her eat. It reminded him of his child, and as he was reminiscing Ageha was done eating and peered at him. "...Why… Why did you help me?"
"You actually remind me of my child." Ageha tilted her head to the side. It seemed like Tosca was not listening. "You have a child?"
"If I was to guess, they are about your age, maybe a year or two younger. You two would probably get along well."
"I don't want to chat with some brat." Ageha proclaimed, lifting an appendage to her head. Her sharp, miniature knives sliced a patch into the mint-conditioned hat. "Oh shit." She pulled her hand away and gazed towards Tosca for solace, thankfully his face gave off a lax look. "It's fine. That hat was a bit old anyway."
"Still… sorry dude." Ageha grasped a moment of silence. Then, took a second to realize how different she was acting. This was not like her, she was never one to apologize. Who gave a damn about some stupid hat! She was about to open her mouth and blabber something stupid but before she could she got the offer of a lifetime. "You don't have family, none whatsoever?"
Her mouth forced open and answered the question without disobedience, "yeah, they all left me at a young age."
"Any friends you can live with?"
"None."
"Hmm…"
"What the hell is this about?" Toscanno caressed his chin and idly tapped his foot. "Well?" Ageha asked hurriedly.
"What would you say about becoming a detective?"
"Alright team, it's go time! Disperse! Ageha, you stay here." A large line of people marched out of the room until only Ageha and the man in a blue jacket remained. "You're going to be on a different case. I'll fill you in later, but you will be on your own for a while until detective Toscanno gets back. Make sure you rest plenty, you'll need it."
Ageha put an arm to her head and her other to her side, "Aye aye sir!" The man stared through Ageha's thick skin. "Is there a problem sir?" His focus broke and in response, he shook his head around. "No, it's just… it feels like just yesterday you were a child. When Toscanno took you under his wing I didn't know what the hell he was doing. Bringing a little girl in here who seemed to hate everything and everyone."
Ageha covered her flushed face with her sleeve, "I was a problem child back then, but thanks to Tosca I was able to get back on my feet. And thanks to you chief, I was able to learn as well."
The man tilted his head down, revealing his gigantic horn, "No no, it was all Mrs, not me." Ageha looked at the rhino of a man's gigantic ring dwelling on his left hand, then smiled. "Well, I'm off. I have to get back before it starts raining." She skipped out of the doorway and shoved open a door to the outside city. Metallic cars glided past her feet, violent wind grabbed onto Ageha's coat. Lights illuminated the whole city brighter than any star. Signs sprinkled all over the road, each paving their own roads for everyone else to use. Loud honking overshadowed a catchy jingle inside a pub across the street. For better or for worse this city was a lively one. One that Ageha would never get tired of seeing. Even as it rained Ageha could only admire the city in all of its glowing glory.
Ageha took a stroll back home. But instead of her usual path she would go through an alleyway, she did this not because she merely wanted to but because there was a pharmacy closeby. She needed a certain medicine she could not find anywhere else. The hidden alleyway betrayed the overly public vibe of the city. Inside there laid mischief. The area smelled of stale rum and was polluted with empty cans and half used cigarettes. Barely shown by lanterns with candles in the middle which could be blown out at any moment. Ageha clung on to the dim spark as she sneaked through the alleyway. That is, until the wind stole said spark. The mantis smashed her left arm against the wall forcing a crack noise to reverberate through the alley. Then, light, Ageha's arm lit up like a glow stick which paved the way for her.
Ageha tilted her head down as rain tattered her fresh clothing. Tap tap tap... footsteps passed Ageha when she was looking down, not even giving her time to react before running off. A brief moment of confusion overtook Ageha, keeping her from taking another step. Her arm waved with the hope of illuminating the noise. "Hello?" No one answered. With a small shudder she decided the sound was crafted by mischievous raindrops. She glided past flooded trash cans as well as a few equally unlucky people eyeballing the detective from afar. "There!"
A small shop rested behind all that darkness. Covered with the words: "The government is filled with pigs" graffitied on the front of the building. Not everyone liked the new laws made to lower crime rates, so this expression of disapproval was no surprise. Three potted plants on the front doorstep gave some semblance of hospitality. Ageha stepped close to the glass door and read a sign stating the store was open. Shakily, she opened the door and tip-toed inside, then a bell announced her entrance for the lady at the front counter. Her gaze shot at Ageha. With not so much as a word, Ageha lifted a slip of paper out of her pocket and placed it on the counter. The lady picked it up and took a short moment to read before going into a room behind the counter and out of sight.
As Ageha waited, she looked at the reflection in the glass, her hat had layers of stitches and small rips caused by herself. Perhaps it was time to buy a new one. The detective sighed and looked outside the window doors. Water flooded the streets while wind attacked anything in its way. "Not today." She decided to postpone her shopping trip to a later day. Ageha looked at the woman on the counter with a bag in her hand. She walked towards her, put both of her arms under the bag, and awkwardly hugged it to her chest as she pushed open the glass door with her elbow and walked into the storm.
Wind shoved past Ageha and attempted to steal her belongings, but Ageha stood sturdy. Quickly darting across the street and through the alleyway. Tap tap tap… that sound again. As if she was being followed. Tap tap tap... "I know you're there. Show yourself!" But nothing came out of the darkness. "I don't have the time for your pranks!" Again, nothing. Ageha had a brisk moment of fear, whispering for her to sprint through the alleyway and back to the oddly empty streets. The mantis took a sharp right and darted to the sidewalk. But a group of people blocked the path. They all had large amounts of dark fur covering their body, chains on their neck, packs of cigarettes and beer bottles in hand. Ageha took a few classes in species studies so she knew this particular species was called wolvish. She also swore she remembered their faces from somewhere. "Hey! You can't be drinking on the streets! Disperse!"
The pack looked at Ageha. Then, an explosion of laughter erupted. Ageha took in the stench of alcohol in the rainy streets. "You're sticking your nose in places it shouldn't be, get lost bitch." The detective's face flushed beet red but she stood her ground nonetheless. "I said disperse!" One person stood up and slowly approached Ageha's face, "hey, I remember you."
She looked down as she was recognized, hoping for the wolvish to magically forget. "You're that ungrateful bitch. I remember takin' you in n' all you would do was complain, bitch, n' whine."
"Leave the premises, I'm not in the mood."
"Ooh scary! How about you give me all your paper. It's the least you could do for sappin' on me for so many years."
Ageha drilled holes through the group with her eyes. "Get ghost."
"Make me bitch. Or are you too scared?"
"She's probably still thinkin' bout her daddy!" Someone in the background blabbered. Something burned inside of Ageha. It made her head smolder as it echoed words of encouragement, telling her she was right to let go. No amount of training could help Ageha hold the festering anger inside of her back, she tossed her bag to the floor, wrapped her arms around the front person's wrist and pivoted her heel before she tossed the man across the street. He went flying and landed on his face covered in mud.
At that moment, Ageha felt her shoulder get a bit lighter. As if she just tossed something out of her head. But what she did not take into account was the other ten or so wolvish charging at her from behind. With her primal reflexes she ducked below a fist fast enough to blast through her hat. Then, another fist grazed her chin as she instinctively doged. Her spiked arms raised up. No, she could not hurt anyone, if she drew blood she would not be better than the gang in front of her. She would be just like her father.
That brief moment of morality paved a path for one fist to come flying into her stomach. Air slipped out of her mouth, her throat wheezed at the pain. lungs felt empty and more so her stomach felt like it had bursted open. Ageha coughed out her spit as she dropped to the floor. Her hands felt brittle similar to plastic. Bitterness overtook her taste buds, a ringing noise stampeded through her ears all while she coughed in desperation. One breath, that's all she needed to stand, one breath. The taunting voices of the wolvish men rendered as mumbles to her ears.
The same was true for their cries of pain as Ageha watched the group suddenly grab their fingers and yell in harmony. Digits bent in a way they were not supposed to. "Huh? What's happening to them?" Ageha attempted to ask, but could not overcome her instincts yelling at her to breathe. The pain spreaded through her body like wildfire, crawling through her throat. Her huffs had little effect as she coughed it all back out. Airless and swirling with a concoction of emotions there was little Ageha could do but focus on her tight chest and pray the pain away. Life flashing before her eyes, Ageha remembered a memory she kept locked away in her heart for years.
One of her father.
It's not every day someone could say "my father was both the worst and best person in the world." Ageha sadly could. Her father was always kindhearted, softly spoken, and all together a good samaritan towards the city. However, behind that facade of kindness and selflessness rested someone else. Someone Ageha could not bear to see. Someone completely fed up with the world and the horrible hand he was given. A person who, given the right circumstances, would kill hundreds with his bare hands just to relieve that pain temporarily. Ageha's mother was that relief, the gang knew that, they used it to get to him. Of course, they would never expect that same nice and caring person to be so powerful.
Ageha's eyes shot open. She was still on the rainy streets. Covered in muck and mud. But instead of the faces of wolvish there were none. Ageha felt her feet drag on the floor and her shoulder being carried. She glanced to the side, in front of her was a good samaritan she knew well. "Tosca?" Toscanno gave Ageha a pain-filled smile. Of course Ageha caught on to this immediately and surveyed around for what caused the pain. "Are you okay?" Ageha asked.
"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." What a bold-faced lie. He was clearly ready to drop to the floor at any moment. Ageha pulled her arm up, then realized. Her arms, they implanted themself into Tosca's flesh as if begging to become one. Heat flew through Ageha's hard skin. "You idiot! Dumbass! Fucking moron!" He was in fact an idiot. A dumbass. A moron, he was all of these. And he accepted it. He was someone who tried to shoulder everything and everyone on his own, just like Ageha's father. And the idea that the two could have a similar ending terrified her. So much so that Ageha dug her arm out of the man's shoulders, instead opting to fall to the floor face first. To add to her woes, she caught a glimpse of Tosca's fingers bending in a direction Ageha is pretty sure should not. After years of being by Tosca's side the young mantis knew what had happened. Why did he have to get hurt all the time? Was there no other way to fight back?
Ageha was glad to see her caretaker safe and sound, thankful that he helped, yet totally pissed that he did so in such a vulgar way. The mantis held back her tears as she picked herself up from the floor; she almost slipped a number of times while limping to the man and raising her blood-stained arm. Turning her hand to the blunt side and– with the force of a hammer, slapped him in the face. Almost hitting his head clean off. The arm instantly illuminated Ageha's rainy heart. "Why? Every time– why? Why don't you listen? Did you forget that you have a child back home?! People waiting for you. Who care for you. They need you alive. Why hurt yourself so?"
As much as Ageha hated to admit. Despite Tosca having a wife, Ageha loved that man. Yet, she was fine with watching from the sidelines, as long as he was happy. But watching him self-destruct? There was no way she would watch that, as long as she lived that would never happen. That power was not meant for the loved, no this power was built for the lonely. For the people who care not for their own life. Not for Tosca.
Wordless from the sudden change in Ageha's usual demeanor, Toscanno put a battered paw to his face. The same burning pain reverberated through Ageha as well. "Do you feel that burning pain?! Remember it well! Because– the next time you use that power I will make sure the pain is ten times worse."
"Without it I won't be able to protect this city. Especially if I get put in a corner, I'll need to–"
"Curse your own helplessness! Even if you are in a corner. Even if you are lying on the ground coughing out blood. I swear to the nine immortals, if you use that power again– if you keep killing yourself like this, you will never hear the end of it." Ageha huffed, rain clouds filled her view "Think about your family–think about me. What the hell would I say to them? How could I explain that you killed yourself for the "greater good of the city" and, in spite of his family he fought valiantly for a city he doesn't even live in. Think dammit!"
Toscanno held his breath. There was no telling how long Ageha stored this quiet storm. All by herself. And for someone else nonetheless. She limped over to Tosca and stabbed her arm into the collar of his shirt, pulling him to her face. "Do you understand?! Will you finally listen?" Even now Ageha held back the urge to kiss him, to display her accumulated love over the years.
Toscanno swiped a moment to look at his left hand, each and every finger bent in a different position. Well, every finger besides his ring finger. The finger that held his one and only. Completely unharmed from his pain. Or so he thought, even if that finger did not snap, the pain indirectly dumped onto it. Tears rolled down Toscanno's face, "What have I done all these years?" Blood sprinkled on his palms. "I didn't know you felt this way. I never even–" during his speech he dropped to the floor, covered in mud and blood.
Ageha could barely remember much else that night, she rushed over to Toscanno, lifted his body, and hauled it to a hotel. She recalled pulling keys out of Tosca's pocket but that was all.
The next day started off with Ageha pouring oil on a skillet and cracking eggs into a bowl. Skillfully pulling out a package of bacon and placing a few strips on a cutting board. She rinsed her hands with soap and washed with water. Then sliced the strips into shorter lengths. The bacon slipped down the board into the simmering skillet. Ageha took a second to glance at the bandaged man resting next to her. His eyes were wide open yet he did not speak. Neither did Ageha, she had no clue what to say. Tosca flailed his right hand around a nearby countertop and clutched one picture in his hand. The picture of a young child clad in dark fur next to another child with white fur covering their body. The two looked so different from one another yet so happy.
A finger grazed the dark furred one. Oddly enough they looked neither male nor female. Having a buff chest yet slim body. Ageha remembered that gender being called something along the lines of immormale; not really a rare gender persay, but it was one of the more unknown body types. "My poor Kyusei. Left without a father to learn from." Ageha waited patiently for him to speak again. "How could I ever look them in the eyes?"
"Like you always do. Look them in the eyes. If you have to–apologize, give them whatever they ask of you. Tell them how you lost your leg. Admit to your wrongdoings if you have to, anything to keep your family." Tosca gently smiled. No longer would he hide the truth from his family and furthermore from himself. "I promise… I promise to my family– to you. I won't use this power anymore."
A warm smile comforted the man. Something amazing smelling crawled up Tosca's nose. "Alright, foods ready! Let's eat, then go shopping for some new clothes. Today's a big day."
