Chapter 15

            Blake endured another five minutes of James drooling on him before Billy returned with the shot.  Player “woke” from his little condition and shook his head slightly, smiling at Blake.  “Yay, the cop’s back.  He he, hope I didn’t bother you too much.  How’s your arm feeling?”

            Blake couldn’t help but smirk.  “Better than my chest was feeling last time I came by here.  Don’t worry about it, I’m supposed to be getting the brace back in a few minutes and I’ll be fine.”

            And sure enough Sara came down with the metallic brace, helping him put it on.  He went through a few trial moves, making sure he still had a full range of motion.  “Hurts a little when I do a few things, but I kinda stressed the arm with a workout earlier.  Feels good, feels like I’m almost back to normal.  So tell me, what crazy things did you all put into this that I’ll never use?”

            James poked the brace a few times, wondering what it actually did.  “You work out?  Doesn’t look like it Blake.”

            “Oh James, we can’t all be as big and strong as you.  Well, since you seemed fond of getting the thing damaged Blake, we reinforced the metal and made it capable of standing up to a bullet.  It’s now just about as sturdy as Protector is.  That’s probably the main thing you can enjoy as far as updates go.  And we wanted to make it enhance your strength a lot but uh… couldn’t quite figure out the best way to do that without replacing your whole arm.  It has a flashlight on it now, pops right out here like this.”

            Zarek, Billy, and Sara went through every last detail of how to work and operate the various new functions.  The flashlight, a calculator, an emergency phone, radio transmitter so they could always know where he was, and then they got to the ridiculous parts.  “See, if you just do this it’ll fire out the little electrodes and your arm brace suddenly becomes a tazer.  We thought it would be a nice addition considering your line of work.  And we were thinking maybe we could add in a…”

            “Guys, it’s an arm brace.  It’s not a tool chest, it’s not a utility belt, it’s an arm brace.  I know you like making things really useful and giving them all sorts of functions, but you don’t have to.  I’m probably going to use only a couple of those at best.  I appreciate the hard work, but until I actually end up needing some of these tools they seem a bit pointless.”

            James stared at the little arm brace, sniffing it and pulling a little screen up out of the brace.  “Cool, a mini TV.  Do you get cable or satellite on that thing?  Where’s the remote?”

            Blake stared as some sort of science program came up on the screen, turning to stare at Billy.  “What?” the unipeg asked.  “I got bored recharging it.  Hadta do somethin’ while I were waitin.”

            James yawned, extremely bored by the scientific nonsense on the mini screen.  He looked down at the brace and randomly started pressing buttons, until Billy and Zarek both screamed at him not to touch anything.  Well, after that and the built in tazer firing and narrowly missing Billy.  “This thing’s boring, why couldn’t you just make him a boxing glove or something and I’d have a sparring partner?”

            Blake wasn’t completely ignorant of Player’s reputation.  He knew how great he was with a guitar, after secretly listening to quite a few Cds in his room when nobody was around.  He also knew that no matter how many times James got into a fight, he pretty much was reported to have always won.  The common dragon from his earlier trip to the gym today didn’t even begin to compare to the muscles on Player.  “I’m one of the best officers in all of Yann city, and no offense to you big guy, but I’d never spar with you even if both your hands were tied behind your back and you were blindfolded.  I’d still get pounded somehow.  I heard once you were working out in a gym on a punching bag and hit it so hard you bruised the ribs of someone on the opposite side of the bag.”

            Of course James took that as a compliment.  And of course Blake tactfully avoided mentioning how several of the fights Player had been in were probably illegal.  “Hey James… my friend here works at the hospital.  And he brought along a bunch of stuff.”

            Zarek grinned sheepishly, holding out the bag of assorted collectables.  “Well, a few things from coworkers and their kids.  A couple things for a few sick kids, and some of the receptionists that are just plain crazy about you.  I was just thinking maybe… well… if you didn’t mind or anything.  Maybe you could… sign some of them?”

            “Well… I… uh… ya see… it’s…”

            Billy interrupted James suddenly.  “He’s kinda shy when it comes Ta signin’ stuff ya see.  Come on James, let’s take it into that room over there an’ have a few minutes privacy.  Don’t you worry, he loves his fans.”

            As Billy grabbed the sack of collectables and took Player’s arm he got a few odd looks.  In the other room with the door closed Player stared at the bag.  “You know I can’t sign those.  I just can’t, I never got to finish classes.”

            “Aye, nobody’s ever seen your signature.  So I’m gonna sign ‘em all for ya.  Trust me, nobody’ll know the difference.”

            James’ jaw dropped.  He stared as Billy started signing all the little dolls and pictures and other collectables.  Every time he signed something it looked exactly the same as last time.  “Wow, I never would have thought of asking you to sign all that for me.  I guess you are smart.”

            “Gee, thanks.  Guess that’s a compliment.”

            Back in the other room, while Billy was signing everything, Sara repeatedly had to lecture Zarek about the values of not touching things without asking first.  Blake was just trying to relax, wondering when his life might return to normal.  Then again normal for him used to be running down streets after petty thugs.  “Hey Sara?  I know Protector comes by here once in a while right?  Think you could maybe tell him to come by my office in a couple days?  Thursday would be great.  Just need to talk to the big guy for a while.”

            “I guess I can tell him.  Can’t say he’d show up but I’ll let him know when I see him.  Or you could try looking upstairs right about now.  Zarek, don’t touch that.  Or that.  Okay that one you can touch.”

            Blake figured now would be as good a time as any, walking upstairs.  He checked every room, but no Protector.  “That’s alright, guess I’ll see you in my office Thursday big guy.  Ten in the morning?  Great.”

            Somehow he figured Yann city’s guardian would be able to hear him.  He also kind of figured Protector probably just jumped out a window to avoid talking.  Either way, Blake had just about enough of this lab.  He walked back downstairs and was just about to leave when Player came out with the bag of collectables.  “Awe, you going already?”

            “Sorry, my sister’s probably wondering where I am.  Tell ya what, I’ll make time tomorrow and I can come and work out with you someplace.  Heard you have your own gym right?  Well I’ll be free in the afternoon.  Just get me the address somehow and I’ll be there.”

            James was smiling as Blake left, heading home.  “You better bring some padding.”

            And Blake didn’t doubt it.  A workout with James… what had he just gotten himself into?  Well, with that and a meeting with Protector on Thursday his week would be incredibly busy for a while.  Now, to somehow sneak home, get inside without his sister knowing, eat leftovers for dinner, and try to get to bed as if he had never been out this late.  To top it all off, he had to avoid Rynn, who would no doubt rat him out to Crimson.  “I am so dead for this one.  Ruin her chance at a good date, stay out late worrying her, and now she’s probably gonna catch me sneaking in.  Worst of all, I left Zarek in Billy’s lab and those geeks are probably trying to figure out some new way to experiment on me.”

            Despite all his complaints to the geeks back at the lab, it was getting too dark for Blake to safely walk home.  He certainly couldn’t fly at this time of night.  “Arm brace has a flashlight… now how did they say it was turned on?” he mused, walking down the streets.  At least it was in a relatively nice neighborhood, and he could still defend himself.  It was just finding the proper streets to get home.  “Ah… think this is it.”

            It was a pretty small switch on the brace, but Blake found the flashlight function finally.  Aiming the newfound light at the nearest street sign, the mirus dragon sighed.  He had already taken a wrong turn and was in fact walking toward the police station instead of home.  It was in a completely different direction, and he really didn’t want to visit the office.  “Maybe they’ll all be asleep when I get in.”

            Over an hour and a half later Blake saw his family’s home ahead.  Drake’s car was parked on the lawn, and all the lights were out.  The front door had been a little squeaky lately, all the windows normally locked.  Only Drake’s bedroom window and the kitchen window were unlocked, and neither one of them entirely possible.  “Of all the nights to forget my keys, of course it would be tonight.  Wish this thing had a lock pick…”

            Actually, if he looked hard enough he probably could have found one.  Since he wasn’t even sure where to start checking though, Blake wound up trying to sneak in through the kitchen window.  It would have been perfect, the light was out, none of the dishes fell, nothing went wrong, except Rynn and Crimson sitting at the kitchen table with a sandwich and soda for him.  “You are sooooooo busted Blakey boy.”

.         .         .

            The following morning Blake was glad to be able to run out to work and his office, away from more scalding comments by his sister and Rynn.  Okay, so he came in incredibly late and didn’t call.  And he tried to avoid them yelling at him.  Was it really that big a deal?  Shouldn’t they have been more concerned about his own health and him having the brace back?  As he sat back in his office chair behind his desk Blake tried to relax for a moment, thinking about last night.  Of course peace and quiet never seemed to last long for him, as the office window slid open and Protector’s boots landed heavily on the floor.

            “You know there is a door Protector.  You are allowed to use it.  And I thought I said Thursday.”

            “Thursday wasn’t good for me.  What do you want?”

            Blake leaned back a little further in his seat, glancing over at the motionless metal giant standing in his office.  “I was thinking of taking some time off.  Might go out to Honey Village, might go to Pash.  Figured you could probably handle this city yourself for a couple days, but I wanted to make sure.  On my trip I’ll be looking to see if any of those cities need a stronger police force, or if they need me.  And when I get back, I want YOU to take a vacation.  Come on, all this time the force has managed just fine, and you do a great job, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it constantly.”

            Blake suspected there had to be someone out there Protector wanted to spend time with.  After all, there were tons of people in the city that would love a chance to hang out with him, plenty of girls who would want to date the big metal hero, and what were the chances Protector had absolutely nobody in all of Yann city that he didn’t love?  Well, if he didn’t have anyone maybe a little vacation could help him find a friend or two.

            For a moment Protector just stared at Blake.  The officer waited patiently, assuming the metal behemoth needed time to think.  “I don’t need a vacation.” came the eventual reply.

            “True, you don’t need one.  That doesn’t mean you can’t take one.  Just think about it.  If it would make you feel better about this whole idea, I can have the office put more cops on duty at all times.  Besides, when I get back I’ll be at my best, and all the new features Billy put into this arm brace will make my job easier.”

            Protector glanced at the brace, sizing it up.  He had heard a few of the toys Bill put into it, and overheard the fuss downstairs.  It still didn’t impress him though.  “Mine’s bigger.” he replied, with the first smile Blake had ever honestly seen from him.

            “Yeah… well… uh… mine’s got… uh… okay yours is better.  Well, is it okay for you to handle a little more work while I’m on vacation?  And… you wouldn’t happen to know where James’ gym is would you?  I’m supposed to be there later today to work out with him and I completely forgot to get the address.”

            The metal guardian of Yann city took a blank sheet of paper from Blake’s desk and tried to grab a pencil from its holder.  All he managed to do was effectively snap the pencil in half, much to his frustration.  “I’ll give directions, you write.  Don’t forget and listen close.”

            Blake took the directions carefully, wondering how Protector even knew the place.  Well, he still had several hours before it was time to go and try to survive a workout with James.  Most of those would be filled with paperwork, and a lunch break.  Except… except Protector hadn’t left yet.  “Is… is there something I can help you with?”

            “Nothing, I was just… thinking.  I might take you up on your offer for a vacation after all.”

            Protector walked toward the door, pausing with his hand on the knob.  The imposing metal figure turned back, looking at Blake, then something on the wall.  He opened his mouth, but no words came.  Protector turned back to the door, opening it slightly, pausing again and closing it.  He turned around, walked up to the wall behind Blake, and stared at a picture.  It was the painting Crimson made of Blake the day he was in the hospital, the day he got shot.  “Your sister… she’s a fine artist.  Very fine details in her painting.”

            Protector kept staring at it, reaching a metal hand up to the painting and gently touching one specific part.  Blake stood up and looked at the image, wondering what held Protector’s attention so long.  The metal hand fell back to Protector’s side, showing Blake exactly what he had been so interested in.  Blake’s shadow in the image, it was in the form of Protector.  He had never noticed it before but with the metal savior of Yann city right beside him he finally managed to pick out that detail.  “She thinks very highly of you.”

            “I know.  I’m lucky to have her as my sister.  She really thinks I’m the best thing to ever happen to the city.  Thinks I’m just as good as you, or better.  Guess I was always her protector when she was growing up, kept her and Drake safe.”

            Protector shook his head slightly.  He seemed… sad.  Blake was pretty sure if it was possible the big guy was probably crying under that helmet of his.  Very softly, Protector whispered five words, words he probably didn’t even mean to say in front of Blake.  “I wish that was me.”