Chapter Text
Partners in law and being alive.
Thud.
He didn’t mean to hit her that hard but it seemed the blow had knocked her out cold.
"thanks, man. i owe you one."
Doggy turned to the source of the voice, Player, doggy’s police partner and pal, who was now staring down at the fallen monster –Was monster the correct word?– before quickly getting back to work.
The thing seemed to resemble someone he had seen before. Mrs Pig, if he recalled correctly. Recognise her from once before, when he was patrolling some of the towns. The thing kinda looked deceptively and relatively the same as her but still mutated (zombified?) with a glowing eye and aggressive behaviour. So even if this thing turned out to be some drunk aggravated civilian who got ahold of some wacky substances or was actually some deformed freak experiment, he was at least confident enough to say that he has the right to defend himself and knock the sense out of it without warning.
So maybe monster is the correct word.
“You alright, D?”
Player asked, still busy adding the gas they had bought with them. They shook the can with a frown before continuing.
“Huh. I don't think I've gotten enough to be honest. Thank the whole of Evalia you bought us some extra time or I wouldn't have noticed. So, erm, I think, maybe since she is knocked out, for now, I can try to find some more gas, before we leave.”
The policeman gave a quick thumbs up in response, watching the detective run back into the station to search for more gas. D felt a painful pang of guilt stab his chest for making their friend scavenge whilst he camped in the garage.They probably have been running for more than 10 minutes straight now.
He checked his phone again. Still no response from Poley. Or any of the other neighbouring police stations.
What the hell are you suppose to do when some rogue but civilian shaped creature breaks into your work place? Do you call the zoo or throw tbem in a cell? Were there any criminal left in the cells? Can't really remember.
Anyways, he should go help his friend but someone needs to look after the car and be on a lookout for any new possible dangers.
On that topic, D returned to staring down upon the monster again. He gripped his baton tighter, ready to strike again if needed. He hoped not. The previous hit had taken a lot of his strength and had maybe possibly dislocated his shoulder. Regular hits won't do. He had heard the gun shots when he was starting his car, the sound of bullet piercing flesh, yet it had still followed his partner into the garage. When he had seen that creature, he knew that was the case. Again, he didn’t mean to hit her it that hard but now, after looking more closely at the beast, its twisted unnatural muscles and stunned but feral features, he can't help but feel almost relieved.
Definitely after spotting the bullet wounds (did the thicker skin and scabbing stop it from passing straight through?) on the right arm, the one with the bat. and the right leg. None at the vital spots though. Even in this situation, Player stuck to detaining instead of ending.
. . .
god dang it pal, why do you not question the code and guide book now? your moral compass is gonna get you hurt some day.
“Back.”
Player announced, now seemingly more composed. Still tired, just not as much as before. Just as tense though. They slid past Doggy, adding in the new found gas before passing him the other cluster of items they had found, which the policeman gracefully caught and quickly packed into the truck.
“A third extra can of gas for the future. Good thinking.”
“What can I say. It's easier to plan and think without someone trying to bash your head in.”
They teased, flashing a smirk at Doggy but also throwing quick glances back at the monster. Not out of fear, of course, but instead, out of confusion and worry.
Doggy can practically hear the cogs turn in their heads. Ok, you need to focus too.
He scanned through the items Player had collected. The spared first aid kit that had previously sat in the back of storage cupboard, collecting dust. A small plastic crate of bottles of water. A bag of what seems to be a bundle of everything that was left in the mini fridge and in the break room, aka pretty much nothing except 2 apples and a sandwich from a lunch deal. Oh and also a tin of instant coffee. And last of all, 2 tasers.
“I understand the first aid kit but isn’t the rest a bit overboard. How did you even manage to carry all of this?”
“Very slowly and carefully for sure. I was practically walking at snail’s pace getting all that but I knew I could afford the wait since I knew you’ll be there to help.”
There was a momentary pause before they continued.
“What do you think of our dear visitor on the floor there?”
Doggy looked back at the unconscious creature. It seemed to occasionally twitch as if it was being shocked every few seconds yet, fortunately – and hopefully – it was still unresponsive and doesn't seem to be able to get up any time soon.
“Ermm..Freak accident maybe? Illegal drugs usage rates have been on the rise. You never know what's in them before it's too late. You want me to tie it before we leave to find someone to take care of this?”
“Well- erm yeah, you might want to carefully tie them up or move them to the cell but…”
Another pause.
“You know I recently got another case, right? Before this, I came across another aggravated person, I think, in the house I was investigating. You noticed the monster’s uncanny resemblance as well, right? Well, the attacker I faced also resembled a civilian too.”
“You suggested there are even more of these creatures?”
“I can't say for certain but, well, I'm not sure about you but don't you think this seems like a start of an apocalypse or something. Even if it's not, I'm not taking the risk of not being some what supplied before I find answers.”
“Welp, I guess its no harm-”
The sudden screeching from behind shut down the conversation immediately. The duo didn't bother to look back at the source of the sound before slamming the trunk shut and hopping right into the car.
Doggy thumbled with his seatbelt and, after making sure to check that his colleague was ok too before, started the car. The second cry from the monster was cut off by the roaring of the engine. At some point, during the commotion, the car shuddered from what seemed to be a blow from the bat it carried but it wasn't too long before, the car accelerated forwards and out into the street, leaving the danger behind and leaving the two in absolute silence.
The car was bathed in alternating waves of gentle yellow lights and fuzzy darkness as it glided through the strangely empty roads and town. Despite the time of day, or in this case now night, it was unusual for the absence of cars on this road. The only sign of potential life were a couple poorly parked vehicles and some half hearted decorated shop fronts. Many should still be driving back from work or even driving to their night shifts. Doggy wonder if Player noticed too. They probably already did and were generating a couple thousand theories and unnecessary worries too. He looked over to find them looking deep in thought, which probably confirmed his theory.
. . .
“So erm… you’re lucky I came in on my day off.”
He joked, attempting to break the tension in the air.
“Oh. Hm! Well, thank you my dear saviour for coming to save me.”
Player teased but continued looking out of the window.
“You're overthinking about how quiet the street is, right?”
“Maybe… yeah maybe just a tiny bit. But those abandoned cars though, combined with that open car door-”
“Car door?”
“Yeah, the second yellow car was left open. Just a minor detail, it could be nothing, maybe just someone who forgot, but with everything else, it seems like some people had to quickly leave for some reason. Those shop fronts also seemed abit rattled and rummaged too. But still no sign of anyone… Have you tried to call anyone?”
“Tried. A few times when i first saw the monster. And around when we were going to leave. No answer or calls from Poley. Nor any of the other stations nearby.”
“Strange.”
Doggy waited for Player to continue but he found them stuck deep in thought again.
Back to worrying again? Alright.
Silence continues.
The dark cloudy sky brings no comfort.
Continue driving.
Glance over.
No response.
. . .
I wish I can read minds.
So is this it, zombie apocalypse?
Oh dang, I’m scared.
I don’t know what to do.
Don’t think too much.
Monster bad, must help and survive.
I was abit useless back there wasn’t I?
“So why did you come? Did you leave your hat behind again?”
Player asked jokingly, looking over, seemingly out their worry bubble. Doggy can see their classic grin, a familiar warm blend between a smirk and a smile. Calm. Cheerful. Smoothing. It suggested everything was ok. Worked well on children. Sheesh, I suck at dealing with kids. But of course, just like the clichés, this wasn’t reflected in their eyes. Which instead, though blank and normal to others, revealed flashes of tension and a suppressed anxiety that Doggy immediately picked out. They were close friends after all.
…
“Eh. Had an odd feeling you know? Maybe it was fate. But also because I knew you were on duty today. Detective stuff was it not? So I thought I could maybe give you a bit of a scare too. Didn’t know I was gonna see horrors myself…”
“I see. . . . I’m glad you’re here. I’m sorry to be a burden but, I gotta admit, I’m a bit spooked by all this. That twisted civilian. She looked like Mrs Pig, right? I know she called maybe yesterday or a few days back. Didn’t know she meant a violent invasion of the police station.” Pl joked, throwing Doggy another smile. As if Doggy couldn't decode the tension hidden away in their posture. “Filed a missing person report. Literally the case I was on. I-”
And more quietly, almost to themselves.
“God I hope the child is ok,”
And back to him again, “Sorry… can you give me another moment? Just had a thought.”
They continued muttering stuff to themselves, asking questions then answering them themselves. Organising clues and joining dots. Always trying too hard. Lost in thought. Seems like a hassle. Doggy is glad he ain’t a detective or well, technically, ex-detective/part time one like Player.
Some phrases were caught. An attack at a house. The monster. Missing family members. But most words dissolved into a soup of incoherent mumbles and whispers, accompanied by a few frowns and finger fidgeting. Until, abruptly, silence. Again. And a long held look of confusion.
I should be watching the roads more carefully.
But there wasn’t much to look at anyways. The roads were still empty and even when he steered the car down an almost usually guaranteed busy street that joined the small neighbourhood to the bigger town, the lack of life was disturbing. Did something really happen? Are there actually more monsters?
Doggy attempted to distract himself by making note of all the buildings he passed. He had missed the clues Player had seen so maybe he should be on the look out too. A few random clothing shops, an old post office, a relatively small plain gallery and quite a lot of boarded up buildings. Not good signs. What further scared him were the sudden twitches of movement, quick darting shadows and flashes of glowing eyes. Thank god they had bought more gas. Doggy suspects with the original amount Player had bought, they may have needed to abandon the car by now and walk. He doesn’t want to jump to conclusions on what those shadows are but he doesn’t want to find out too.
“Doggy? D?”
“Huh? Yeah!”
Oh dang that was embarrassing.
Pl had turned to face him now, a frown of concern now replaced the previous concentration.
“Sorry about that. The mumbling. I forgot I need to fill in the deals with you. That was quite rude of me. . . . So… I don't want to assume the worst or state the obvious but I think an apocalypse has started or something. I caught some decent glances of whoever was in the shadows. People. Civilians. But infected. A virus or something must had spread. I’d like to find out why.”
The rest slowly got drowned out by the creeping build up thoughts and static in D's brain. For some reason, the idea that they may actually be dealing with a zombie apocalypse frightened him tremendously. An apocalypse was messy. Rules fell apart. Tough decisions have to be made. There will no longer be clean sharp orders from officers higher up who you can put the responsibility on anymore. Every mistake will have consequences.
Maybe he had just realised how relatively easy and safe his life had been and now, the safety net had been ripped away.
"Let's not think about that right now." Doggy cuts in. Did he cut in? He couldn't tell if player was saying anything then. "I'm going to take us to a campsite area I know, still near the city but quiet and safe, I hope. So we can rest before we decide what to do."
“But if there is anyone who can figure this all out, id trust it to be you.” he added on.
Regardless, the conversation fell into silence. Again. God damn it, there's a pattern. I messed up again. But he's thankful Player noticed his discomfort (they were always good at spotting hints) and gave him space. He did not want to think about it too much.
It would be so much easier to see the monsters as just monsters. Not fallen (infected?) civilians. Not innocent people. It was always easier to split the world into good and bad before, commanded by leaders above. And even when he faced cases that blurred the line into morally grey, the law was the law and the guilt was easily washed away.
His partner on the other hand. ... Again, player always knew what to do, knew when to stay silent and obey and when to dig deeper for more clues. It was a skill he greatly appreciated and admired. One of the reasons why Doggy themselves had asked to have them promoted. Back before they weren’t even close friends but respected colleagues.
But just because they seemed to have listened on the outside, inside, in their head, they would still dwell on a case for too long. Let it make them feel bad and discontent. Searching for some personal dangerous justice. Always rational until emotions and morals were added to the mix. Never really affected their performance but Doggy knew it could potentially sprout into a ticking time bomb in their head. Cause them to do something rash. Get them killed.
Get them killed.
. . .
Something that now really loomed over them because of the apocalypse was death.
Death was always present in life and the chance of injury was always high in their career field. It was something Doggy accepted a long time ago.
But to die. Really die. For the light to fade from the eyes. For skin to turn cold and pale. The cold reality left a heavy sick feeling in his stomach.
To be dead. Reach an end. It was frightening.
To lose someone. Worse. It’s jus-
…
. . .
I don’t know how I’d deal with it. I’m not as mentally strong as pl-
“I just want to mention again that I'm grateful you were there to help, D.” Player’s voice melts away Doggy’s pessimistic inner monologue. The driver doesn’t turn, continuing focusing forward but visibly relaxes. He takes the left from the highway, the smooth paved roads transforming into narrow rural paths. “You’d always got my back and I hope I can repay in some way too. So you don’t need to worry man. We can do this.”
. . .
He could see the light (something he always found comfort in) that marked the campsite in the forest (nature too) ahead.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Maybe it was just the reflection from the last headlights of the highway but their face shone, revealing again that determined, trusting smile. He felt himself smile in return.
As long as we stick together. Everything will be ok.