Chapter 4

“Blake, I’m a little surprised you’re back so soon. Isn’t that arm of yours going to keep you out of action for months?”

“Why should it? I can move, I’m not handicapped, my brother just won his election so I don’t have much on my mind. I’m able to focus, I can handle a shift again. Just let me have my car back, and I’ll be out there keeping the city safe.”

Blake was a cop in Yann city. At least, last month he was until he got shot six times. After a month of inactivity, surgery, and an odd device Zarek developed to enhance his recovery Blake felt it was time to get back on the streets. Every night he would look up to the sky and see Protector, out on another patrol of his own. He wanted to be out there helping, and maybe give Protector a chance to have a night off.

“Alright, go out there and keep the city safe like you used to. Hope you didn’t forget how to handle a night shift. And if anything wrong you know who will be there to save you… again.”

“Protector didn’t save me. He got me to the hospital After I was shot. Six times to be exact. And in case you forgot, I was out of the hospital and back home in only a few days. Don’t worry about me. I’ll give you a report in the morning.”

Blake smiled and left, heading straight for his old car. Tonight he’d have to put Zarek’s work to the test. All he’d done with the gadget was in a controlled environment. Now he’d actually have to use it for its real purpose, keeping Blake in action. He’d never admit it to anyone but Blake loved the thrill his job gave him. Helping the innocent, bringing down the bad guys, never knowing what might happen and trusting his own abilities. When Protector first started helping people Blake just considered it more of a challenge. Every night he had a new goal, to try and catch more criminals than Protector.

“Now, where should I go first? Protector’s probably got the business area covered about this time. Shops are just closing, robbers try to take advantage. Maybe a drive by the park, see who’s out late tonight. And Drake will probably want to know about any homeless or orphans trying to stay there. And… why am I talking to myself?”

“You’re not. Turn off the radio Blake, then you’ll be talking to yourself. And I’m in the business area, Protector just got a couple crooks. So you’re right, he’s got this part of the city covered for now. I’ll be down to the city park in a couple minutes. Don’t get yourself shot again before I’m in the area.”

That voice was familiar. Blake probably worked with him in the past. He sighed, flipping off the radio. At the moment he was less than a mile from Billy’s lab. Nothing ever happened in this part of town. Of course, Blake could never have a quiet night. Driving up to the park two polar dragons saw him and ran.

“Don’t know anyone who runs from the police like that. Unless they did something wrong.”

Blake flipped on his radio and signaled the other car, warning whoever was in the second vehicle to block the other entrance. The full moon and occasional park lights were all he had to work with, chasing after the two polar dragons. This was a public area, he couldn’t just start shooting or anything. Besides, he only had his dart gun. If Blake was lucky they might confuse it for a real weapon in the dark, but he’d have to be really lucky.

“Stop. There’s nowhere left to run, you’re heading straight for the fence. Just put your hands where I can see them.”

Actually they were heading straight for the other entrance to the park. Blake was just hoping they would stop or that other car would be there. He couldn’t hear any sirens. Blake doubted his backup actually made it on time… until he saw the car blocking the entrance and two officers standing there, waiting. “Sorry, park’s closed. But you can get in this car here and come down to the station.”

They could, but neither polar dragon wanted to go to jail. Blake was moving toward one with his handcuffs when the polar pulled out a gun. Almost exactly like last month, Blake threw up his right arm in defense. One shot hit Zarek’s brace, glancing off to the side. This time though, someone else was there to help. Blake finally got a good look at his backup, one of them was there that night. It was the young purple from the night he was shot, one of the few officers there that evening that didn’t get hurt.

The purple and his partner rushed in, taking down the two polar dragons. Blake’s arm brace was sparking, the bullet must have damaged something. He could barely use his arm now. “Thanks kid. Owe you one for that. Think you can take these guys in and fill out the reports? It’s your arrest, not mine.”

“Sure thing Blake. Hey, did he hit you? Thought that shot came pretty close.”

Blake shrugged it off. “I’m fine. Didn’t hit me, just hit this brace thing. Stunned me a little, nothing to worry about.”

Blake slowly walked back to his car, leaving the scene to the young purple. The brace was still sparking, and it was getting hot. Just as he reached his vehicle Protector came down in front of him. “I heard the gunshot.”

“Protector. Thought I needed to be rushed to the hospital again? Not this time, I’ll be fine.”

Protector looked Blake up and down, focusing on the arm brace. He just kept staring at it through that red visor of his. “Thermal scans indicate that brace is malfunctioning. It’s heating up rapidly. You need to remove it.”

Blake didn’t have to be told it was heating up rapidly. He also didn’t need to be told about the sparks flying from it. “I don’t know how to remove it. And the doctor that put it on is out on a date, I can’t reach him. Just have to hope it stops burning me. And soon, before I completely lose my arm.”

Protector kept staring at him for a moment. He glanced off in some vague direction, looking toward Billy’s lab. “If it can’t be removed then it has to be fixed. Come, I know someone. He’ll be able to help.”

“Alright. If you know someone that can fix this thing. Only Zarek should know. He made it and put it on me. Guess it won’t hurt to have someone else look at it.” Because at this rate the arm brace was going to seriously injure him. Blake couldn’t just ignore this injury.

Player knocked on Poseidon’s door, looking a little anxious. Don answered a moment later, surprised to see James. It was kind of late for him to be visiting today. “Something wrong Player?”

“Hi Don. Uh… is Johnny home?”

“Yeah, let me go get him real quick. What’s this about?”

Johnny flew over and landed on James’ shoulder. “Hey big guy. You need me for something?”

Player almost blushed as he looked over to Johnny on his shoulder. “Yeah. See, Billy wanted me to come over for some tests tonight. But… that lab’s kinda creepy at night. And you go there too, you understand right? I was hoping maybe… you’d come with me? Keep me company?”

For all his size and strength, Player was still a kid at heart. And in some cases still a kid mentally. Normally he would be at Kia’s home, he wasn’t used to being alone lately. James smiled and gave a little laugh. The big guy just wanted a familiar face around when he was being tested in that big lab.

“Okay. I’ll go with you and keep you company big guy. I know what that lab’s like. Well, let me just go and tell Kim. She’ll wonder where I got to again otherwise.”

Johnny got quite a lecture from her last time he took a little adventure without her knowing. She hadn’t been mad, after all he did bring home something nice. But she still had to provide a good example for their child. This time Kim was very understanding. “Go right ahead. Just come home exactly as you are now. Don’t let Bill do any crazy experiments on you while you’re over there, okay?”

“You know I won’t.” Johnny gave her a little kiss good bye for the evening and flew back to Player, settling down in one of his pockets. “Let’s get moving then. The sooner you get to leave the better right?”