by Martha Carr
"He must be in heaven right now." Leira wrinkled her nose. There was a bright orange and chocolate smear on the troll, his green hair sticking out the top. "Don't let him choke."
"Yeah, I'm in control of this situation."
The troll swung back and forth a few times like he was on an edible trapeze holding on with his legs as Hagan gave a few more shakes. On the last shake, the troll bent forward, swinging high enough to grab onto another section, burrowing his way through more doughnut.
"I give up," said Hagan, putting it down on the napkin. "You're the old dirty bastard." Hagan watched the doughnut shimmy on the table as the troll worked his way back up from the bottom.
A muffled, "bastard" could be heard from under the doughnut.
"He is really picking up those two syllable words faster and faster," said Leira.
"You sound like a proud parent." Hagan shook his head. "Fine, I concede defeat," said Hagan, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Plenty to go around, I suppose." He watched the troll roll over the top of what was left of the doughnut, biting into an Oreo piece.
"Yumfuck!"
"How long do trolls live? That little swearing machine could be around longer than the two of us, swearing at the world with a smile. Never mind. Fuck, it's easy to lose focus these days. A swearing troll steals my doughnuts and eats a few magical flowers, a rat that can talk and will help you find the answers to getting your grandmother out of a purgatory that a Gnome on another planet may have the answers to but won't tell. Do I have all of that right?"
"Remarkably accurate. Goes to show what a natural detective you are. Even when it gets super weird you can still put all of the pieces together. Your mook of a partner is lucky to have you. Give him time. You'll get him to be at least halfway decent."
"I'll tell you, Berens, I don't know if I have it in me to train another one. You were easy! A natural. Came on like gangbusters. Even better, you didn't need to discuss feelings. You didn't have any! I just had to get out of the way or yell slow down a few times. This one! He asks questions and holds up his phone to record the answers! What the hell is that about?"
"Rose will hunt me down if you have a stroke out here. Take a breath, get a different doughnut. There's another cruller in there. Grab it quick."
"Really, you should be bringing doubles at this point. The tiny beast can eat as much as I can. I'm oddly impressed." He mopped his face with a napkin, smearing chocolate across his forehead.
"Normally, I'd let you keep that," said Leira, leaning across with a clean napkin, "but I owe you for letting the little guy finish off an old dirty bastard." She pointed at his forehead. "And it won't be the squad room that sees it, it'll be Rose."
"What? Oh, yeah, far more dangerous. You stay till Rose gets back?"
"I have to go meet my new partner."
"Oh, great. Well, I wish you better luck than I'm having. Magical or non-magical?"
"The human variety. You better hide that box," she said, stepping out of the bench.
"I have a refrigerator in the basement for deer meat. Rose is opposed to my hunting in the first place. Refuses to have anything to do with it. Little does she know about the real estate I save in there for moments like this. Keeps me going, you know."
"That's sad, Hagan. Raise the bar a little. Come on Yumfuck." Leira grabbed a few napkins, scooping up the troll with what remained of the doughnut.
"Most of what's left is sticking to him."
"Just how he likes it."
"Goddamn right!"
"Goddamn right!" chirped the troll, smiling up at Hagan, blinking, his eyelashes coated in chocolate.
"Swearing as a second language. You need an old towel or something to set him on in the car? The Mustang deserves better than this."
"I have one in there just in case. Besides, I've been through this one with him already. He'll lick it all off before we get home."
"Everywhere? That is one clever little furry dude. Take care of yourself, Berens. Can you fix the flowers again before you go?"
Leira let the energy travel up through her and closed her eyes, imagining the flowers as whole as they spread out their petals, the tiny bite marks disappearing.
"Damn, I miss that. Those were the days."
"It was a week, at best."
"A very good week."
"At some point, an office would be a good idea." Leira was standing in the same empty warehouse sitting at the same wobbly card table and folding chairs. General Anderson sat across from her, his hat once again neatly lined up with his phone.
Next to him sat a middle-aged man in a dark suit, staring stony-faced at Leira. Behind him were the general's aides.
"I try not to fix what isn't broken as a general rule. But you have a point. You are an unexpected bit of good fortune for us. I'm afraid we didn't anticipate having you on board. Moving swiftly when it comes to infrastructure is not our strong suit. There is the added challenge of creating something that is more secure than your average black site. It all presents a challenge. Take a seat. Meet your new partner, Agent Rolfe."
Leira took a seat, glancing over at the stoic figure next to the general, knitting her brows. "Is this going to be your usual mode? I suppose that could actually work for me. Silent type. I'll bet you don't eat that much, either. Doughnuts? I may miss that. You'll have to watch me eat a lot of the time. Then there's coffee."
The agent just stared at her.
"This will be like not having a partner at all." Leira leaned her elbows on the desk, propping her chin in her hands. "Has he at least been briefed?"
The general gave a small smile. "Agent Cohen told us what happened. He will be filling out paperwork for a month of Sundays. Agent Rolfe was one of the few still willing to be your partner. He has been told the basics. You may want to fill him in further. He comes highly recommended and is very decorated. Served in three tours. He has the highest level of clearance we've created so you can tell him anything. Calm under pressure."
"That's good. What exactly are the basics?" Leira sat back in the metal folding chair. "That things will get all magicky? She moved her head side to side, while doing Hagan's version of magic hands. Still nothing. "You're like a block of ice."
The general smiled, coughing into his hand to hide it. "Before we end this meeting, I have a couple of things for you." He held up his hand, giving a short wave without looking back at the aides. One of them jumped forward, laying a briefcase down on the table in front of the general. The general opened it and pulled out a gun and a badge.
"Your standard issue Glock 40 and your new badge. Take care of both. I trust you can handle a .40? Of course you can. Forget I asked that. There's also more paperwork, even for you. There's always paperwork even when you classify all of it, redact most of it, and won't let anyone see any of it." He stood, extending his hand. "Well, good to see you again, Agent Berens. Perhaps by the next time we meet there will be walls and a better desk than this old table." Agent Rolfe stood up, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Leira.
"Not the real friendly kind, are you? You have to melt the ice cube a little." Leira slid the badge into her pocket and picked up the gun, feeling the heft in her hand. Not bad.
"There's no open case in Austin right now. Why don't the two of you just go to lunch, get to know each other a little. Before the magicky shit hits the fan, which I'm sure it will." The general picked up his hat, sliding it under his arm.
Leira stood up but instantly felt lightheaded. This is new. She could feel something probing at the edges, circling her. Trying to draw on her energy. Her instincts kicked in and she steadied her stance, resting her hands on the table, letting the gun down easily. Not good to be holding a weapon if you're going to pass out. This isn't good.
"Agent Berens, are you alright?" The general sounded muffled, his voice echoing in her head. It took some effort for her to lift her head. She held out her arms to try and steady herself. Something shoved her in the middle of her back, making her stumble forward. Agent Rolfe's
eyes grew larger and he took a step away from her.
Leira studied his face and slowly turned, doing her best not to topple over in her fog. Her detective instincts were serving her well. Making her slow down, gather information. She was under attack but from something magical.
As she turned she saw a familiar face, bobbing in the middle of an empty warehouse, reaching out her arms. It was the dead girl, Casey, reaching out again from the void. There was another rip in the world in between.
"You shouldn't be able to do this," said Leira.
The general stepped forward, locking his arm with Leira. Everyone else stayed back.
"We caught your killer," he shouted into the growing dark mist.
"That's not what's happening," shouted Leira. The loud hum was back. Think faster, Leira. Put these pieces together. She looked up into Casey's eyes. "You're being used, aren't you? You're not trying to contact me. That thing is. It's looking for new customers. You can't get away, can you?"
The mist started to grow, enveloping the dead girl. Leira hesitated. "I will find a way to help you."
A look of resolve came over Casey's face. She shook her head, no, hard and focused, pushing out a wall of energy knocking Leira and the general back a few feet into a pile on the ground. Casey let out a cry of "Don't try" that echoed through the empty warehouse.
"I could hear her!" Leira scrambled to her feet as the mist started to move into the warehouse. Agent Rolfe pulled his weapon, aiming it straight at Casey.
"This shit's real!" he yelled.
"Stop, we have no idea what would happen to a bullet fired into that place!"
It was too late. Rolfe fired off three shots aimed straight at Casey who shut her eyes but didn't flinch. "She's already dead!" yelled the general in anger.
The bullets hit something solid just short of Casey and ricocheted around the warehouse, puncturing the metal sides. One bullet grazed the arm of one of the General's aides but drew no blood.
"I'm sorry." Casey's voice came through again, just as loud, echoing inside the space.
"You haven't done anything wrong," said Leira, yelling over the noise, stepping back from the encroaching mist. Suddenly she realized what she had missed before. A calm came over her. "In fact, you've helped me," she yelled. "I see a way, at least a next step!" It's the strength of the energy. This thing is able to rip open a hole and keeps looking for me. We can use that. "I will find a way..."
Leira wanted to reassure the girl but just as the darkness came over her a light appeared from behind the mist, edging it out, slicing through it effortlessly, bathing Casey in its glow. Suddenly, she was transformed and Leira could see what she must have looked like when she was alive. The wound in her forehead disappeared. A calm came over Casey.
"You have been so brave," shouted Leira over the noise. "You helped us find your killer and saved others from becoming his victim. I know you were trying to warn me about that darkness. It's okay, Casey. I got the clue you were trying to give me. There is a way, I can feel it. You've given me hope." The light shot through Casey, enveloping her as she faded into it, still smiling as the rip in the world in between closed. "Good job, Casey." Leira turned to the general who was back on his feet. She looked at Agent Rolfe, still holding his gun, his arms shaking.
"General," said Leira, "this isn't going to work for me. I'll need someone new." She gently took the gun out of Rolfe's hands, laying it down on the card table and picked up her weapon. "Not your fault, Rolfe. That was some messed up shit. Good rule of thumb, though. Don't try to shoot the already dead. The rules tend to be different."
"Leira." The general looked weary, picking up his hat off the floor. "You're a very special young woman. That was an amazing act of courage, even compassion."
"General, you were pretty impressive yourself. I suppose this means you're going to have even more trouble finding me a partner."
"That's a good estimation. You okay on your own for now?"
"I am and I have backup if I need it. Call me when you have a case. I'll be ready. Look forward to seeing the place when there's walls, minus the new bullet holes." She smiled at Rolfe who had stopped shaking and was running his hand through his hair. "Acting like a human being looks good on you, Rolfe. You should try it more often. I'll be seeing you." She slipped on her aviators and headed for the door.
Chapter Nine
"Why did we park so far away?" Eireka was standing at the entrance to the large hall in the convention center, a badge around her neck with a graphic on it of a non-descript super hero leaping through the air. She looked enthralled and wasn't really listening for the answer. She was clutching Leira's phone in her hand, too busy looking for someone in a costume to take a picture with.
"Do I bother to answer her? Pretty sure she's not listening to us," said Leira, smiling at her mother. She looked at Correk. "She made me bring the charger, just in case. God forbid we run out of battery and can't take a thousand pictures."
"And then just one more," said Correk, grinning. "Sure, answer her. I was wondering the same thing."
"That was the closest lot, Mom. This is a popular convention."
"That's nice, dear. Ooh, black Green Lantern." Eireka was waving the phone at the man, trying to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir..."
"It's going to be like watching a toddler all day. Oh crap, there goes the troll." Yumfuck dropped out of Correk's pocket landing neatly on his feet, balancing himself with his hands. He was off and running before Leira could reach down and scoop him up.
"Let her go. She'll be fine. The troll on the other hand will make friends with everyone before the day is through. He'll be in a hundred pictures."
"That'll be fun to explain. Aren't we worried anymore about magic being exposed?"
"We'll claim he's a teeny-tiny robot or animated. Cleverly deposited in the photo. It's Comicon!"
"You look a little giddy yourself there, Light Elf. I see you wore the full Oriceran outfit today. Good call. Even have on the cape."
"I've already gotten a compliment for my authenticity, a few winks from a woman in a Poison Ivy costume and a strange command to be backstage by one p.m.. I have no idea what that was about."
"Look at the flyer they gave us. What's at one p.m.? Oh, Chippenelves. My, my, you've been mistaken for a hunky dancer. I wonder if there's an ATM around here where I can get about forty dollars’ worth of ones. Oh look, right up against that wall."
"What's a Chippenelf?"
"I'm glad you asked. I will be happy to make sure we're at the right spot when one o'clock rolls around. Lately, I just feel luckier and luckier. Gonna have to get that phone back from Mom at some point."
"Leira, Leira, come take our picture together." Her mother already had her arm around the small-statured man dressed as Green Lantern in a padded costume.
"Ah, well, there you go. No worries about losing your mother in the crowd. You'll be her official photographer all day."
Leira gave him the dead fish look but really, she was happy. It was unsettling her. So much happy all the time. She found herself smiling for no reason standing in the kitchen that morning. Hagan would be worried if he had seen that one.
Leira snapped the picture, taking an extra one after her mother's worried look.
"Are you sure it was a good one?" asked Eireka.
Leira held her comment and took another picture. Eireka held out her hand for the phone and wandered away.
"She's not ignoring you so much as enjoying her bliss," Correk said, over her shoulder. "Careful, you're looking a little happy yourself. Might reach out and grab hold of you when you're not looking."
Leira watched her mother surround herself with an assortment of Batgirls of every height and size, asking a stranger to take a picture. She shook her head but couldn't suppress a smile.
She looked at Correk. "Speaking of things that can reach out and grab you. The thing was back and opened up another hole in the world in between. Don't throw up your corn dog. I didn't take the bait thi
s time but I learned a few valuable nuggets."
"Can I get a picture with you?" A middle-aged woman in an all velour maroon outfit holding a shopping bag with rolled posters poking out was grinning at Correk, holding out her phone to Leira. "You take the picture?" She already had her arm around Correk's waist.
"I would be delighted to. Thank you for asking." Leira took the phone, smiling at Correk.
Quickly a short line fell in behind the woman as more people wanted a picture with the tall elf.
"Light Elf," said Correk, scowling at the teenager as he noticed the kid was holding up two fingers behind Correk's head. Another friend was photo bombing the picture in the back, grinning from ear to ear, his braces shining in the fluorescent light. Leira snapped away giving suggestions on poses.
"Try turning to the side just a little. Much better. Put out a leg? Oh, yeah, that has it."
Correk glared at her, mouthing, fireball but she gave him a crooked smile and said, "Get a little closer together. Little more, just settle on in. There you go."
The line finally faded away chasing after a well-endowed Batman. Correk pulled Leira toward the slower section with the boxes of older edition comic books. "The thing ripped another hole in the world in between?" he hissed, putting his face a little close to Leira's.
"Back it on up, just a little, hot dog breath. Yes, that's what I said." Leira scanned the crowd for Yumfuck and saw a group of ladies smiling and looking toward the floor. "I should have put a little pole with a flag on it on him. Okay, okay, yes, the big pile of very powerful dark energy showed up again. It doesn't look like anything but heavy dark fog but it feels like something. Like a lot of beings mashed together." Leira let out a sigh. "It was using that dead girl again, Casey. That's the lure. I didn't get that the first time but she wasn't contacting me of her own free will. I hope that still exists in that shit hole."
"Were there other witnesses?"
"Oh, a full regalia of G-men, guns at the ready. Though General Anderson was remarkably together and stood shoulder to shoulder with me. Well, almost shoulder to shoulder," she said, holding up a hand just under her shoulder. "He's not all that tall, remember?"