The Praetorians, a fantasy cop drama. (Game thread Started/CLOSED Prologue)

[Belmarc]

"Um, Captain Ackerman? Apologies for interrupting, but would it be possible to have a word with you please, in that private that is feasible, there are one or two things that I would like to discuss with you; it may prove useful in the running of this precinct and the group in particular for the foreseeable future at least."

Ackerman held up a finger, signaling to wait a moment, as the volunteers found their way out of the room and towards their goals. "Hopefully they can handle themselves for a moment," she muttered to herself. Ackerman was beginning to doubt that she'd be getting any sleep tonight. "Alright then, Mordecai. Come to my office and then let's hear what you have to say." Almost before she'd begun talking she turned smartly on her heel and strode towards her office, expecting her subordinate to follow.

*****

Novak sipped at his coffee, cringing at its cold, bitter taste. Better than nothing, he supposed. It was likely that the rookies were just starting to dig into the kids. He wasn't sure who he pitied more. With kids, it could be hard to tell if you were getting information or just what they thought you wanted to hear. At least with three of them, the rookies could get some experiencing and he could get some real information. Lost in these thoughts, Novak nearly choked on his coffee, and had to take a few moments to recover. "It's even worse the second time around," he grumbled, and found his way to the captured warg.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

Ackerman held a finger up at Mordecai, gesturing for him to wait whilst the volunteer interrogators made their way out of the room.

"Alright then, Mordecai. Come to my office and then let's hear what you have to say." She then said to Mordecai, before turning slightly on her heel and walked towards her office, Mordecai following on soon after.

"Thank you for granting me this opportunity to speak with you, I know how hard it must be on you both physically and psychologically; given that it is the first day of this new department and your dealing with fresh recruits rather than seasoned officers. I may sound as though I'm a bit overly optimistic, but rest assured Captain, over the next few days and weeks, we will improve, and we will show how capable a unified force the Praetorians can be; though I have my doubts regarding a certain member of the team."

 

[Voidrunner]

"Alright then, here's how we'll handle this, I call it the Mad House Information Crack Down," Collin paused outside the holding cell where the rat/boy was contained to continue outlining his plan. "Now I wasn't there at the arrest and I barely know what all this about, some sort of infiltration of Warg thieves or something. Anyhow, if I try and get information I'll just be stumbling around in the dark so instead I'll go in there first and confuse him with nonsense. Once he's baffled enough and lets his guard down, you can move in. He'll probably talk to you just so he doesn't have to put up with me anymore." Collin grinned, immensely proud of his crackpot plan, he hadn't mentioned anything about an inspirational story though, presumably that was a later stage of the plan.

"All good? You're happy? You're ecstatic!" without further 'consultation' Collin barrelled into the holding cell and pointed an accusing finger at the boy across the room.

"You! What's your favourite colour?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"Sorry I couldn't rustle up something a bit more filling," he told the kid. "but I figure every little helps. When was the last time you ate?"

"I eat all the time! Did it last night." The kid replied defensively, as if admitting otherwise would be the ultimate sign of weakness on his part.

Still he couldn't help but eye the snacks with hunger that was only offset by the guarded mistrust that he shot at the two adults in the room. They smelt different to the other cops, one was kind of like the earth and the other... well he couldn't say. His young mind wasn't trained enough to fully understand the instincts that were warning him of prowling predators.

But hunger usually wins over caution and this time was no different as he slowly reached for the the food at a snail like pace. As if the sight of police officers was based on movement.

***​

"You! What's your favourite colour?"

"Fuck off!"

***​

"...but rest assured Captain, over the next few days and weeks, we will improve, and we will show how capable a unified force the Praetorians can be; though I have my doubts regarding a certain member of the team."

Well the vote of optimism was something, at least he could bring a rational mind and a can do attitude to the mix. Maybe this one could even rise to become a poster boy one day, though considering his hair and eye situation it was probably best not to start calling the photographers yet.

Ah it'd be in black and white anyway what would anyone care. Oh it must have been late in the day if she was letting her mind wander onto things like PR. She needed some coffee.

"Constable, it is my duty to offer a safe and confidential ear for those under my command but I want this to be clear: If this is you officially raising a cause for concern then you will have to fill out the proper paperwork for it. It would of course be kept confidential BUT taking up an issue like this is one for serious concern. Are you sure you want to do it on the first day?"

The last thing they needed was interoffice gossip pulling at the seams so early on. Better to nip this in the bud.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"...Are you sure you want to do it on the first day?" Asked the Captain Ackerman as they entered her office and she sat down on at her desk. The question made Mordecai think for a moment; the far colder part of his mind was saying that this was a problem that needed to be sorted right then and there, whereas the rational side of him suggested that they give Archie the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.

Option number two made the most sense in context, this was the first day of a new career for everyone, it was natural for there to be some issues; people needed the chance to get to know one another, and Mordecai wasn't the sort of Talin to make harsh judgments too soon.

"I suppose when you put it like that Captain, it might not be such a good idea, especially with it being the first day; perhaps the problem will sort itself out in time, I guess everyone is a little on edge at the moment. Our first case and already so much has happened."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I eat all the time! Did it last night."

"Sure." Jason said with a smile, eyebrows raised as he watched the kid barely hold back from drooling all over the food. He waited, patient and relaxed, and the kid slowly leaned forward and too a bite, and then another, and another after that. For a while he just let him eat, setting the kid's mind at ease, before he spoke again.

The young warg was, as expected, slow to trust. However, he was also proud. There could be something in that.

"That was a pretty impressive operation you had going back there." Jason told him, his admiration not feigned. "Looked like you had everything running like clockwork. You've gotta be comfortable in your surroundings to pull off something like that. You've gotta know where the picking are, you've gotta get in without anyone seeing, and you've gotta know the quickest way to scram if things go south. I bet you know those streets like the back of your hand. Say, how well do you know Maple Way?"

Maple Way just happened to be where Jason was born.

 

[Voidrunner]

If Collin was put off from his plan by this hostility he didn't show it, perhaps he was used to people greeting him with profanity whenever he entered a room? He merely clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of that colour. Looks like we won't be redecorating your cell after all. And here I thought you'd want to brighten this place up a little," he gestured around the dingy cell, "not very inspired if you know what I mean." Collin had initially thought that it might take some work to provoke his suspect but this moving along nicely, Rat should have no trouble with this miniature crook after Collin was finishing annoying him with inane garbage.

"Let's forget the redecorating then shall we? I'd like to get some of your values on thievery. For example, if you walk past a property and there's a pile of stuff outside with a sign next to it saying 'FOR FREE', would you take it, or does the fact it's free take the fun out of it for you?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"I suppose when you put it like that Captain, it might not be such a good idea, especially with it being the first day; perhaps the problem will sort itself out in time, I guess everyone is a little on edge at the moment. Our first case and already so much has happened."

There you go. Good lad. "Very wise, Constable." Ackerman noted. "Then... if there's nothing else that you'd like to discuss, your free to make your time your own."

Please make yout time your own... She couldn't go home until they did.

***​

The lad couldn't help but feel a little pride swell up in his scrawny chest. He knew it shouldn't have, he should have just shut down and kept quiet... but it wasn't like the others noticed how much he helped out... an' he worked real hard. Harder than the smaller kids, they just wandered around like idiots until you told them what to do. Little kids were so stupid.

"...how well do you know Maple Way?"

"Dunno. Dunno the names." He shrugged. "I got maples on it?" He always learned his way about by physical landmarks. Got a better feel for the streets that way. Plus he couldn't read but they didn't need to know that. Reading was human's game, who needed it anyway?"

***​

"Let's forget the redecorating then shall we? I'd like to get some of your values on thievery. For example, if you walk past a property and there's a pile of stuff outside with a sign next to it saying 'FOR FREE', would you take it, or does the fact it's free take the fun out of it for you?"

What the hell was this? Were all humans like this? When they said that the cops asked questions he didn't think it would be like this.

"I dunno!" He barked, exasperated. "You take stuff cus you need stuff so yeah I'd take free stuff." That was the point of stealing, to make stuff free... right?

This was weird. He wanted out.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I got maples on it?"

Jason laughed, but not in an unkind way.

"Not so much, no." he replied, grinning. "The 'Maple' part's for the colour of the bricks. They get stained a maple colour because it's so close to the factories."

As Jason spoke, he half deliberately allowed some of his old, more common lilt to come back into his speech, as opposed to the strictly disciplined speech that he preferred to use when at work. The kid wouldn't have to be a genius to pick up on it.

"I remember all the other kids would come home each night, covered in that red-brown dust, after they'd been kicking a ball around or something. Never joined in though, I didn't know my own strength back then, somebody could have got hurt...

What about you, you got any friends, besides those kids you were with last night?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"What about you, you got any friends, besides those kids you were with last night?"

"Why? They're my pack. They look out for me." It wasn't like anyone else had since he got here. Maybe they didn't start off as a proper pack but they worked with what they had, even if the little ones were stupid sometimes. That wasn't their fault. What would this one know? Bet he lived in a fancy house with a super comfy bed an' never went hungry an' all.

"Who kicks a ball around anyway?" He muttered under his breath. because they were the stupid ones here.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Very wise, Constable." Captain Ackerman remarked. "Then... if there's nothing else that you'd like to discuss, your free to make your time your own."

"Actually Captain, there was something that I wanted to talk to you about, it's the reason why I wished to speak with you, the "problem" as it were was a subject that suddenly sprung to mind as we were walking. Now, I'm not exactly sure how far your power and authority goes, but I was wondering if you would be able to acquire the medical records of everyone within this precinct, yourself and Sergeant Novak included." Said Mordecai as he took a seat on the opposite side of the Captain's desk.

"The reasoning behind such a request, is that it would help me greatly in the tending to our staff; as it may inform me to any pre-existing medical problems that someone may have. Using this information, I would be able to more accurately prescribe or perform the right sort of treatment, with the potential, and I mean potential added benefit of a sped up recovery process, meaning injured officers would be back on the field sooner, until such a time as we are able to procure additional staff."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Who kicks a ball around anyway?"

"People who aren't too busy killing animals for the sake of a few trinkets." Jason said quietly, as he stared into the young warg's eyes. There was suddenly a menacing edge to his voice that hadn't been there before, and was gone just as quickly, as Jason continued to speak as if nothing had happened.

"So was that all of them then, the kinds from last night? Is that your whole pack, or are there more out there? I mean, while it would be even more impressive and all, something tells me you're not at the top of the food chain just yet."

 

[Voidrunner]

"You take stuff cus you need stuff so yeah I'd take free stuff."

"Aha!" Collin looked as though he'd struck gold, despite how mundane the suspect's reply had been. "You steal stuff because you need it? That's brilliant! See the real crooks steal just because they want to, for profit or for a laugh. But you aren't like that are you? You only steal to survive?" Collin began to pace around the room, seemingly deep in thought. "You're part of that crime ring because whoever it is running the show protects you? This is bad, really bad." Collin suddenly stopped his erratic and strode straight to the door of the room with purpose.

"I see you're completely innocent of any wrongdoing," he announced boldly, "the only criminal in this room is me, for allowing myself to be part of a police force that lets people like you get roped into crime for a living. It's despicable, I should be the one in a cell! In fact I'll go and get one of the other officers to arrest me right away. I'd arrest myself if I thought I was worthy of holding a badge anymore. So sorry about this interrogation , someone else should pop around to talk to you while I get hurled in the slammer."

Collin beat a hasty retreat out of the room until he reached where Rat was standing well of out earshot of the holding room. "He's all yours my friend," he told Rat, "I think I've confused the living daylights out of him with that little routine. Oh and if he asks anything about me just tell him I've been thrown into prison for the rest of my life. Good luck!"

 

[EnigmaticSevens]

So men were not apt at introspection, hell, some men didn't ever truly listen to the words that came rattling out of their mouths. Rory had always found it rather darkly fascinating. Hunt spoke like a man relieving some great internal pressure, the words probably didn't matter to him much, so long as he spoke them and felt like he accomplished something, asserted some point of superiority. Yet the words revealed much, and all of it was troubling. How many generations of beatings, whippings, and simple rewards did it take for a dog to forget it was once a wolf? A dozen, a hundred, one? Hard to say, but it happened sure enough. And then the dog trotted alongside the hand that held the whip to hunt its former kin, without thought or hesitation. The dog though it did well. Hunt stank of dog. It lingered in the veins of his arguments, in the stress of his sentences, in the loaded contempt behind each utterance of the word 'animal.' As though humans were something superior, their laws, their systems something worthy of esteem. It was the warg's, the 'animal's' burden to 'earn' the human's 'trust.' To find worthiness in a human world. And what was the reward, the good? A home outside of Oldtown, outside of the 'filth,' willing compliance with a system that scorned it, approval?

Ahh... but this dog was confused, confused in thinking his masters thought him their equal. Oh they might learn to trust him, trust him to know his place, to do as ordered, but he was ever the inferior, ever the subordinate, even as he postured amongst those he called his peers. "I lead, you follow... my people." Rory didn't try to cap the chuckle such words brought to his throat, but in the laughter there was a pity of sort. This tame thing was no alpha, no matter what it spouted or how it strutted about. This was the prison trustee, the slave driver. What did it matter if his authority was ultimately subordinate? He could still crack his whip, he was still better than some common 'animal.' Regardless of his childhood, Hunt's logic faced a fatal flaw. In the past few years Oldtown had changed more than it had in the past few decades, and it was no longer a human place even if the humans lingered. Hunt's street cred was dated at best. But for now, Rory kept silent, and watched, watching was his specialty after all, and it had served him well thus far.

The interrogation played out as well as could be expected, and if nothing else, Hunt could be expected to cajole and coddle with a deft enough hand, enough to woo a child at least, though Rory wondered how long that temper would hold in check when someone with longer teeth than this boy was sitting in the hot seat. Rory leaned back against the door, arms folded, watching the boy, watching for the little signs, the ticks that showed pride, anger, fear, the useful points of stress. He broke off from his perch, pulled a chair and sat alongside the table, facing the boy, back to Hunt, leaning in slightly," A pack don't leave kin behind. You put out the call, you sniffed us out, and not a damn one of 'em lifted tooth, claw, or talon to help ya out, just pissed right off, the lot of 'em. No true 'pack' does that, and they damn sure wouldn't have ya playin' some hume's pet, collar and all, to get by. Your better than that."

Rory set the barbs, but didn't press further. He'd not go hounding after names, not yet. Names were the most intimate betrayal, and that was a lot to ask of the boy, even if his 'pack' had abandoned him. But information was information, and there were more roads to some answers than charging through the front door," How'd you sniff us out, anyway? That took some doin', impressive, useful. What set you to wailin' in the first place?"

 

[Belmarc]

"He's all yours my friend. I think I've confused the living daylights out of him with that little routine. Oh and if he asks anything about me just tell him I've been thrown into prison for the rest of my life. Good luck!"

Collin's plan must have worked on the kid, because it'd certainly worked on Rat. His brow furrowed and he shook his head, but opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. He watched the boy in the relative gloom but made no movements. "So you look like that," he said absently. Rat leaned against the door and study the rest of the room. "What is your name?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"-I mean potential added benefit of a sped up recovery process, meaning injured officers would be back on the field sooner, until such a time as we are able to procure additional staff."

Ackerman stroked at her chin for a moment, chewing at her bottom lip and looking into the middle distance. She did want every advantage she could get here. It wasn't like the other precincts could boast their own medic. Except this was the first day... and she was yet to see any of Mordecai's self proclaimed medical expertise for herself.

"I'll see what I can do, Constable. Though the bureaucratic side of things may take some time, I'd recommend focusing on your other duties for now."

***​

"So you look like that," he said absently. Rat leaned against the door and study the rest of the room.

The young warg took a few seconds to snap himself back into reality and take stock of the newcomer. "That one's mental... you know that right?" He waved his arms in the direction of the door that Collin had left through. He didn't want to believe what everyone used to say about what the police were like in this city but what else could he think?

"What is your name?"

"Most just call me Rat." He muttered, throwing his walls back up. "Cus... y'know." He shrugged.

***​

"So was that all of them then, the kinds from last night? Is that your whole pack, or are there more out there? I mean, while it would be even more impressive and all, something tells me you're not at the top of the food chain just yet."

"Pfftt!" The kid tried and failed to restrain his own little spiteful scoff. "Your kidding right? You two were going at it like an old married couple, wouldn't be surprised if you were, sick stuff you city folk get up to." His eyes flicked back and fourth between the two adult wargs as if they'd just tried to spit on his face.

"A pack don't leave kin behind. You put out the call, you sniffed us out, and not a damn one of 'em lifted tooth, claw, or talon to help ya out, just pissed right off, the lot of 'em. No true 'pack' does that, and they damn sure wouldn't have ya playin' some hume's pet, collar and all, to get by. Your better than that."

That one got some sparks. "What would you lot even know! You got fuckin' everythin' aint ya?" His teeth bared and sharpened away unconsciously like tiny bone needles. The boy almost hissed at them an all. What did this lot know about going hungry or being rejected by their own kind? Of having to fight everyday just to get by.

They ruined everything! If things had gone right maybe he could have stayed, could have lived without a fucking care in the world. Judy had been kind enough, she kept him warm and fed and she always wanted him around. She wanted Charlie around anyway. "I liked being Charlie." He whispered hoarsely, tiny voice catching in his throat as he shrank away.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"I'll see what I can do, Constable. Though the bureaucratic side of things may take some time, I'd recommend focusing on your other duties for now." Spoke the Captain as she stroked her chin whilst thinking over the proposal.

"Of course Captain, I understand such requests take their time. Now then, I think it's high time I retired for the evening, it has certainly been an eventful day wouldn't you agree?" Mordecai asked rhetorically as he stood up from the chair, making his way towards the door. As he was about to leave, he turned to face Captain Ackerman once more.

"By the way Captain, should any of our "guests" downstairs happen to injure themselves, either because of their own fault or as a result of the questioning, I'll be sure to look at them tomorrow; as well as our fellow officers. Good Night Captain." Mordecai said with a respectful nod as he left the office and towards the cloakroom, putting on his overcoat before exiting the building, waving goodbye to anyone he saw along the way.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

His personal mistrust of the man notwithstanding, Jason had to admit that Rory had gotten a good measure of the kid, and his well-timed interjection had provoked a reaction that broke through the young warg's cocksure hostility.

"I liked being Charlie."

"Kid..." Jason said, softly. "Look at me. Go on, take a good long look."

He waited for the young warg to raise his eyes, studying the details. Jason's thick, perpetually messy hair, his ruddy, weather-beaten skin, the coarse stubble that covered the lower half of his face, and the huge arms ending in rough, callused hands. His may not have been the friendliest face at first glance, but it sure as hell wasn't the face of a pampered rich kid either. That was before you got to the eyes, where the beast half of him lurked behind.

"I understand better than you think." he continued eventually "I understand not knowing when you're next gonna get to eat. I understand how it feels when it seems like there's no-one in the world that cares; and this one..." he jerked his head towards Rory "knows what it feels like to be new blood in a place that probably doesn't seem like it wants you a lot of the time.

In any case, the only way either of us are gonna understand any better, is if you talk to us; and I want to understand kid, because I want to help. I want to know where you're from, how you got here, and what we have to do to make it so you don't have to come back and sit in that chair again. We're not the bad guys."

Jason paused for a few moments, giving the kid time to process what he'd just said.

"How about we start with your name? Take things nice and easy."

 

[Belmarc]

"That one's mental... you know that right?"

He chuckled, and nodded as the boy went on.

"Most just call me Rat. Cus... y'know."

This caught Rat's full attention. His eyes refocused on the child, studying him carefully. Had he heard them use his name and was trying to use it to buy sympathy? Of course, the boy really could turn into a rat, so that at least checked out. Nothing else he could do but believe him. Now the problem was if the boy would trust him.

"Me too. Around here, anyways. Home, they call me something else." Thrown off guard, he wasn't able to piece his sentences together as well, and his words spilled out. "Different reasons." Catching his slipping, he coughed to calm himself before carrying on. "I picked Rat. In this city, a human name is needed." He shrugged, as if to say he couldn't understand. "I came from outside, from the wilds, expecting opportunity. Found only crime. One day, opportunity caught me." He paused, remembering the chase Mabel had given him. If he had known how to soar back then, would he be in this child's shoes now? Or lack thereof, it seemed. "You?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"By the way Captain, should any of our "guests" downstairs happen to injure themselves, either because of their own fault or as a result of the questioning, I'll be sure to look at them tomorrow; as well as our fellow officers. Good Night Captain."

"Goodnight, Constable." Ackerman said in the closest thing she had to a motherly tone. Some of these new recruits would prove interesting to say the least.

And it's the first day... oh gods it's only the first day!

***​

The young warg listened intently with wide eyes as Jason went on about the city life and experiences he knew about all too well. The thief in him knew he shouldn't be suckered in but more than anything he was still a child and the child in him longed for an adult that could understand.

"How about we start with your name? Take things nice and easy."

"Dunno... just kid I guess. First real name anyone called me was Charlie." He fidgeted a little at that. "The others don't really go for names, I mean wargs aren't supposed to, right? Most are still trying to get their first animal sorted." He could still remember when Charlie the cat was brought to him and he went through his first shift. It still sent shivers through his skin.

***​

"I picked Rat. In this city, a human name is needed."

"Yeah!" The kid scoffed. "What's with that?"

"I came from outside, from the wilds, expecting opportunity. Found only crime. One day, opportunity caught me. You?"

"I guess." He shrugged. "It's not like people want what we can do around here. I don't see why everyone keeps trying to get into the cities. I'd rather go to the forests. These humans are so uptight about EVERYTHING." This one apparently had a higher opinion of himself and his kind than the others.