"Yes Ma'am."

"Regarding?" She asks you pulling up a phone, it's spiral plastic cord twisting around her index finger.

"Uh..it's confidential?" You offer.

Her eyebrows knit together in a very clear display of: Are you kidding?

Hawthorne leans in and smiles with all the charm of an old mobster.

"Listen Deb.. this is a sensitive matter. The lobby is full of people and we just don't need anyone else getting involved in our business."

"Well my business is making sure nobody gets their time wasted."

Hawthorne grumbles and pulls out his phone, he taps the screen a few times and turns it around.

Her eyes shift downwards and her mouth goes agape ever so slightly.

"You have a reservation at La quête?"

"I know a guy." Hawthorne offers, his voice weary. "I have a reservation for the same time every year. Check the date."

"How!?" She gasps.

"I know a guy." He repeats. "Grey already offers you a bite to eat so why not have him take you somewhere nice? One of the best steaks in Gotham, a glass of wine, Christmas Eve. Tell Gordon that Hawthorne and his Rookie are here to see him. Tell him I said it's important."

You lean forward and tap Hawthorne's shoulder, he holds up a finger, he leans back and you whisper into his ear as he nods. He turns back around and adds: "Tell him we're trying to put a leash on smoke."

Deb's look is confused but she can't stop the glancing down. Surely without anymore words her finger hooks inside the rotary circle and she dials. You're almost impressed by how new this phone looks despite being clearly out-dated. She relays your message verbatim and then takes a slip of paper and begins jotting.

"Mhm.. Yup." She says absent mindedly, her eyes sometimes pulling from the paper to check the phone as if it might run away. She writes one last thing and then underlines it harshly. She hangs the phone on it's receiver and puts the note in her pocket. She turns her eyes to Hawthorne and through a smug smile says:

"The Commissioner is ready to see you, up the stairs and take a right. His is the office at the end of the hall."

"Thanks, Deb. This reservation is yours, you have my word."

"I know, Mitch. I know." She waves a hand as she leans back into her seat and pulls her book back up.

Hawthorne turns to you and once again you feel something just from his gaze, something inside, a piercing almost tearing pain in your chest. Faint and pin-point small but still enough to cause discomfort.

"Ready?" He asks you after a heavy breath.

"It's go time." You reply firmly.

You both head up the marble stairs, reach the landing, and begin the long walk to Gordon's office...

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[Conversation Attitude]
>Gordon is your last hope, you need to make that clear to him. No matter what the cost of his help is you need to accept it.
>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.
>Gordon is a cop, this is about catching bad guys. Appeal to this sense of brotherhood and push for him to help you as one cop to another.
>Tell Gordon everything because at the end of the day, even if you're working with Vigilantes, who is he to lecture you? His work with Batman is the same thing, a greater good, if he refuses to help you he's just a hypocrite.
>Write-In

>General

>Verbatim

=====

Explanations as well as Previous Thread Links and some general chatter below:

I wanted to repost the last update because I didn't realize we were so close to page 10 and it got archived while I was sleeping. I also got three votes before the archiving that I will hold on to (feel free to repost your vote if you wish for a (You) but I do have them regardless.)

Catch up on previous threads here: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=DetectQM

Thread Image includes a cut-out from a very talented Anon's artwork. If you see this, please feel free to plug anything you have! Other than the centerpiece I set up the rest of the image, let me know how you all like it.

Included as usual is a short list of your abilities as well. Sorry for the sudden cut off with the previous thread, I'll do better with keeping an eye on where the thread is.

I'm going to leave this vote open and do another post today (Friday) since it will be a long one again. I want to make sure anyone who wants to contribute gets the chance to do so.

File: 1718662471920910.webm (2.64 MB, 1280x720)

2.64 MB WEBM

>>6041202
>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.
Stand up straight. We decided to go to him and keep official instead of simply getting the files ourselves. If we can safely stay official over cloak-and-dagger, we do. That means something.
Also have this webm

>>6041202
>Gordon is your last hope, you need to make that clear to him. No matter what the cost of his help is you need to accept it.

>>6041202
>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.

>>6041202
>Gordon is a cop, this is about catching bad guys. Appeal to this sense of brotherhood and push for him to help you as one cop to another.

>>6041202
>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.

>>6041202
>Gordon is your last hope, you need to make that clear to him. No matter what the cost of his help is you need to accept it.

>>6041202
Appealing to the Thin Blue Lien won't work on Gordon, or in situation about investigating other cops.

I'm inclined to go with
>>Tell Gordon everything because at the end of the day, even if you're working with Vigilantes, who is he to lecture you? His work with Batman is the same thing, a greater good, if he refuses to help you he's just a hypocrite.
but since that has little support, I'll instead go:
>>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.

>>6041202
>>Gordon is your last hope, but you can't let him see you flailing in the wind after he just put confidence in you before the sting. Downplay the severity but really push for his help.
Approach gordon as if we still have a backup plan. maybe he likes batman because of how many contingency plans he has

>>6041202
>Tell Gordon everything because at the end of the day, even if you're working with Vigilantes, who is he to lecture you? His work with Batman is the same thing, a greater good, if he refuses to help you he's just a hypocrite.

>Last hope
>>6041343
>>6041427


>Confidently Downplay:
>>6041354
>>6041395
>>6041548
>>6041602
>>6041333


>Esprit De Corps:
>>6041368
+1 From Previous Thread with a Write-in


>Hippo-Crate:
>>6041776
+1 From Previous Thread

I have the votes, I'm going to take a little bit to get this written up and posted (eventually) but it will be posted before Sunday. See you soon.

>>6042031
qm are you alive

>>6042792
Yes, I just had a very not good day. I'm sorry for the delay. Thankfully it's over now.

You take a deep breath as you reach for the door handles, you get a grip on your nerves and hold tight, you won't let Gordon see you flailing. You have a plan, or at least you need to present as if you do. But you won't lie, you need Gordon to know he has your trust. You turn the knobs and step into his office.

The dying light of Gotham filters through his window, his desk lamp illuminates the rest of the dim office, you notice folders litter his desk with contents neatly tucked away. But the rest of the office is far from tidy with filing cabinets half open and a collection of open books and dirty coffee mugs.

"Sergeant." He offers to Hawthorne from behind his desk. "If you're wearing your nametag it'll be the second time your name's been read in this office."

Hawthorne folds his hands and his posture straightens.
"I figured you'd seen the report."

"You'd be right, and what a mess of a report. We're either dealing with a rogue officer or someone has access to our uniforms. Neither is a pleasing thought. So forgive me if I'm a little terse, we're between a rock and a hard place."

"We understand, sir." You chime in, adopting Hawthorne's stance.

"I'd hope so."

Removing his glasses Gordon stands from his desk and gestures to a set of old wooden chairs. You and Hawthorne oblige and take a seat as Gordon wipes the lenes with his tie. Without the thick black frames it was hard not to notice the shadows around his eyes and the depths they'd sunk. He replaces his glasses and nods to you. The floor is yours.

"We're bringing this to you because there's nobody better in all of Gotham, nobody we can trust half as much, and even fewer who would know the right thing to do."

His brows raise and you see a rapt attention in his eyes.

"As commissioner all of Gotham is under your watch, sir, so we felt it should be your call over anyone else's."

"Get it out, son." Gordon probes gently. You decide to lay it out.

"We have information on a Mole within the GCPD. Information I received off the clock from an anonymous source."

"Anonymous source?" Gordon echoes.

"I'm willing to vouch for him, Jim." Hawthorne cuts in. "Anything he tells you, I'll back it up. Provided it isn't bullshit."

Gordon holds Hawthorne's stare for a good few seconds before shifting his eyes back to you.

"What'd your source tell you?"

"Mandragora has a mole within the GCPD looking out for the interests of his associates, the other leaders involved in the Lounge Sting, and feeding him information on rivals and Officers. Including myself, I believe."

"Anonymous source?" Gordon echoes.

"I'm willing to vouch for him, Jim." Hawthorne cuts in. "Anything he tells you, I'll back it up. Provided it isn't bullshit."

Gordon holds Hawthorne's stare for a good few seconds before shifting his eyes back to you.

"What'd your source tell you?"

"Mandragora has a mole within the GCPD looking out for the interests of his associates, the other leaders involved in the Lounge Sting, and feeding him information on rivals and Officers. Including myself, I believe."

"And the information you received?"

"A quote. 'La Russie ne boude pas; elle se recueille' it's a quote by Andrew-"

"Gorchakov." He finishes. His fingers tug thoughtfully at his moustache. "Your source has this information how?"

"It's inside baseball, Jim." Hawthorne says quietly. "A tight lid."

Your eyes flicker to him but you just let the moment hang. Gordon needs to think you've already vetted this through. He sits on the edge of his desk and extends a warning finger.

"Remember who you're speaking to, Sergeant."

Hawthorne straightens his psoture once more. Saying nothing else. Gordon continues.

"Let's say I'm following you on this, your anonymous inside source, did they provide any proof?"

You remain silent, but keep your face straight.

"Tell me you've at least got a loose string to pull on?" Gordon insists.

You swallow hard, you didn't want to bring this up if you didn't have to.

"He was directing a junior officer into doing off-the-book assignments, under the guise of a 'test' for joining UC, upon learning about this I pressed the junior officer for details."

"Did you keep any record of your investigation?"

"No sir.." You reply quietly.

"You're sharp for a rookie and have some good instincts on you. But you still have a lot to learn." Gordon sighs. "Go on."

"He was directed to covertly obtain files from GCPD Store Rooms, provide intelligence on assorted individuals and in their final meeting he was requested to make contact with someone, a woman by the name of Helena Bertinelli, and lead her to a room within the Old Gotham Hotel. He denied this assignment and walked away."

"Yet never reported it?" Gordon asks.

Again you simply keep silent and try to hold his gaze. Gordon sighs and stands up.

"Is this officer willing to come forward? Testify to what he saw, heard, and did? Can he corroborate your accounting?"

"I believe so, sir."

"You believe so?"

"I'd have to speak with him, sir. But I believe he'll agree. He's a good cop."

Gordon sighs again, heavier this time, fom deeper in his chest.
"I wish you had done this through proper channels, Officer DeLucia."

He paces the space between his desk and the wall, you go to speak again but Hawthorne holds out a hand. You follow his suggestion and remain quiet.

"But I'm not going to pretend this doesn't exist just because it wasn't handed to me by your Commander. Going forward however, I would urge you to trust in the chain of command that I've set up." He gathers up a file as he sits back down, opening it he plucks out an empty form of some sort that he begins to fill in. "However, just because I have my own suspicions doesn't mean I can act on hearsay."

He hands the sheet out to you and you pick it up, you're shocked by the familiar text, it's a Confidential Informant sheet.
"A CI Contract?"

"Only way to keep his identity sealed completely, it'll be between Harvey and I if he's brought on as a personal CI. I might be Commisioner but I'm still a cop."

"So he'll be anonymous for as long as possible."

"Which won't be forever, we both know. We also know even a dirty cop has the right to face their accuser, word will spread fast, and dirty or not the fact they would even turn in an officer is going to cause a rift. If you get your witness to agree to this, then it'll be proof enough for me they're serious."

"And then?"

"Then we go from there, I'm not promising anything. Putting away dirty cops is more than just putting the cuffs on them, it also means months of reviewing every case they got their fingers on."

"I understand, sir. I'll bring this to him and convince him to sign on."

Gordon folds his hands and nods.
"Anything else?"

"Yes, sir. One thing actually."

Hawthorne steps forward and holds up a hand.
"Sir, this request should come from me. If I may."

"I'm listening, Sergeant."

"It's regarding the assault this morning."

"Your assault?" Gordon inquires, just as much correcting as he is asking.

Hawthorne's face tightens and he nods.
"Yes, sir. I was going to ask you for permission to view inter-precinct records."

"I'm assuming you want to see all Traffic Officers who were assigned to the event this morning?"

"Yes, sir." Hawthorne repeats.

"Is there a name you're expecting to see in there, Sergeant? Is this mole problem deeper than one man?"

"I don't know, but I feel like if I can just get my hands on that book and look at the names.."

"You'd get a gut feeling?"

"Something like that, sir. That and even without a gut feeling, we can work faster than IA."

"Is that so?"

"Be honest, how long out was their estimation for an investigation on this? A month? Two?"

Now it was Gordon's turn to be silent. His eyes now dark and thoughtful as he ran some unknown calculation in his head, his breathing steady and deep.

"If I hand a file over to you, I'll be breaking the chain of command as well, I'll be taking this out of the Mayor's hands. The GCPD will once again be investigating itself for corruption, the very opposite of what the Mayor and I agreed upon when we restructured Internal Affairs.."

He lifts his eyes from his desk and holds them firm and intense on Hawthorne.
"I'd be going out on a ledge for you both if I were to give you that information. If it came to light I circumvented the very system I helped create.. it would put the mayor in a position where he has to stand by his campaign and fire me. Or he'd be viewed as weak for keeping someone openly flaunting his rules in office."

"Politics are a dirty game." Hawthorne comments.

"But you need to play if you want to change anything. As proud as I am of this system we've built, it isn't perfect." Gordon looks away from Hawthorne and to you. "If you get these names and your investigation pulls no leads, it ends there."

"Yes, sir."

"But more than that, if your investigation becomes public, I can't be your safety net. I'd see to it that no criminal charges were brought onto either of you. But your careers would be finished."

"Jim, you can't-"

"Commissioner, Sergeant. And this is not an order, it's a test of faith, I need to know you're both serious about this. If you're willing to put your jobs on the line the inter-precinct list is yours for however long your investigation lasts. I know it's hypocritical, but we have to keep in mind the bigger picture."

You feel your jaw twitch slightly and swallow drly. You exchange glances with Hawthorne and he nods to you, solid and firm, forever the stoic.

"I'm in if the kid's in."

You look back to Gordon and he raises an eyebrow, sliding forward a file.
"Are you willing to put your job on the line, Officer?"

>"Yes, sir. I'm confident this investigation will bare fruit."
>"Yes sir, don't worry. I'll be sure this is kept under wraps."
>"No, sir. But not because of lacking confidence in our case. I failed to consider the position this could put you in, I can't risk the department's reputation on a hunch."
>"No, sir. Our intel on the mole is more solid and I have reason to think these two could be connected. We'll focus on the mole."
>"This isn't fair, sir. We came to you because we figured if anyone would understand needing to go through red tape it would be you."
>"How is this any different than working with our 'mutual friend'? What is he putting on the line to make you trust him so much?"
>Write-In

Apology for the late post, been dealing with some stuff recently, we should be fine for a normal week going forward. As always let me know what you think of the big dialogue wall.

>>6042933
>"Can I speak with Sergeant Hawthorne about this outside, for a moment?"
We have a brain tumor and not a lot to lose. Hawthorne, though... What if he loses his pension? How are his savings?

>>6042928
Sorry to hear it, QM. I'm glad to hear that the worst is seemingly behind you, though.

>>6043027
+1
A late answer is not a bad one

>>6042933
>>"Yes sir, don't worry. I'll be sure this is kept under wraps."

>>6042933
>"How is this any different than working with our 'mutual friend'? What is he putting on the line to make you trust him so much?"

>>6043027
That doesn't need to be an aside. That can be done right here. We can be the entire shield given our possible predicament.

>>6043243
That's not a bad idea, actually. We can take the full heat. It's our idea, and our Shivers.

>>6042933
>"Yes, sir. I'm confident this investigation will bare fruit."

At least he can always have the Justice League as a fallback. If the tumor doesn’t kill him.

>>6042933
>"Yes, sir. I'm confident this investigation will bare fruit."
In for a penny, in for a pound.

>>6043359
Maybe Batman is still willing to hire Mark to be his personal Gotham-whisperer.

>>6043027
>>6043030
>>6043119
>>6043243
>>6043259
>>6043359

"Yes sir, I'm confident that this investigation will bear fruit and stay under wraps."

"Then we never talked about this." Gordon says extending a file. You reach for it but something nags at you, pulling on an invisible string in your mind.

"Do you mind if I speak with Sergeant Hawthorne about this for a moment?"

Gordon's eyebrows arch in surprise but you notice a flicker of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Take all the time you need, Officer."

As Gordon leans back and busies himself with some paperwork as you walk a confused Hawthorne to a corner.

"Are you sure about this, sir?"

"Of course I am, what are you talking about?"

"I'm just saying, it's a big risk for you, your pension could be withheld. Your reputation in the department would be-"

"Worth jack if I back away from catching the bad guy because it could inconvenience me. As far as the future let me make something clear to you, since it seems like you've already written yours off, nobody knows shit about the future."

"Sir, the doctor-"

"The Doctor doesn't know you. He's seen you on paper as organs, blood, and a nasty lump. But he doesn't see the things they can't test for: your grit, your gumption, your hutzpah!" He says the final word with a backhanded slap to your chest. His eyes have an unnerving certainty to them, pupils still as ice. "This mole fuck is already in cuffs he just can't feel em yet."

You swallow and can't help a slight smile from forming as you nod.
"Seems like you're sure."

"Damn straight. You won't shake me that easily."

He offers a weathered hand and you take it, shaking tightly. You turn from him and approach the desk as Gordon puts a large looping signature on a sheet of paper, he peeks at you over his frames and extends the folder once again. You take it without hesitation and pass it to Hawthorne. Gordon smiles and pushes another piece of paper forward.

"What's that?" Hawthorne asks.

"The official reason for your visit today." Gordon explains as he extends a pen out to Hawthorne. "As of.. 4:32pm, Sergeant Mitchell Hawthorne, you are officially reinstated as Training Officer for the remainder of Officer Mark DeLucia's field training program. Make sure your Commander gets that signed."

"Commissioner, are you sure? I mean I didn't-"

Gordon holds up a hand.
"If you two had any plans, this arrangement would be the most pain-free way of handling it. Sergeant you're responsible for letting Officer DeLucia's previous Training Officer know that he has been relieved of his duty."

"Yes, sir." Hawthorne replies, voice devoid of tone. You look to Gordon to see if he has more to say but his focus is now directly focused on the papers before him.

You feel a gentle hand guiding you towards the door, as you both exit the office Hawthorne closes the doors behind you softly. When it clicks you notice a slow exhale and his shoulders relax into their normal position.

>>6043604
(You) too
>>6043676

"Well that went about as well as it could have." Hawthorne says, looking down at the sheet of paper still in his hand. A messy M.H. scrawled on the bottom.

"I didn't think he would do that.." You mumble, feeling a seed of guilt take root in your chest. "Kimble was.." You let the sentence drift off as you continue trying to shake off the surprise.

"Kimble is a big boy. He's gonna understand, especially since you decided to trust him." Hawthorne looks around covertly as he speaks. "The real bitch of it is going to be taking this to the Commander."

"Really?"

Hawthorne sighs and starts off back up the hallway, your dueling footsteps the only sound in the near silent 2nd floor.
"You can't expect to take a shortcut and have other people not notice you ended up ahead of them, Rook. Nobody likes surprises, cops even less so."

"Makes sense.. I guess. Are we telling him together?"

"Day shift is about over, now." Hawthorne replies checking his watch. "He's been staying late recently and this event probably just locked him in for enough OT Hours to balloon our budget."

"So.."

"So he's going to be pissed." Hawthorne sighs as he takes the steps down.

"Do we have to deliver the paperwork today?"

"Sooner the better.. but it has been a bitch of a day. I suppose it could wait until the morning, at the latest."

"That sounds good, it feels like I've been on the clock 24/7 for the past week." As you speak you feel your legs tighten and ache, almost like the pain was just waiting for a verbal reminder.

"No better time for a drink, I say. Drop me at the station and get home, get out of the monkey suit and get a hot shower, and when Mendez brings my car back I'll pop over."

"My place?"

"You feel like sitting in a bar with a bunch of strangers right now? Cause I don't. I'll bring a sixxer and we can go over the file."

"All work and no play-" You grunt as you push the front doors of city hall open.

"Makes your TO very happy." He says slapping the file into your chest. "If you have other plans, I'll just keep the sixxer for myself."

"Why not share it with Mendez?" You tease. A grumble and a wave of the hand is the only reply as you both clamber into the car.

"I just figured.. if you didn't want to be alone." Hawthorne looks at you with guilty eyes. The tumor. Try as he might he can't avoid thinking about it. You wish you could too.

>"I could use a break, I need some sleep and just time alone to process everything. You understand, right?"
>"It'll be a change to actually invite someone into my apartment for once, but I'm game. Swing by and we can get into this."
>"Maybe we could take a break from the case tonight? Just sit around, talk shit, do something normal?"
>"I appreciate it, but I'm not a kid anymore. This medical stuff isn't as scary as you think, I'll be fine."
>"I would, but I promised Kimble a meeting with Q and H. Should probably handle that sooner rather than later."
>Write-in

>>6043685
>"Maybe we could take a break from the case tonight? Just sit around, talk shit, do something normal?"

>>6043702
+1
Let's recover from surviving a flamethrower dude and SIM again

>>6043685
>"I would, but I promised Kimble a meeting with Q and H. Should probably handle that sooner rather than later."

>>6043685
>"I would, but I promised Kimble a meeting with Q and H. Should probably handle that sooner rather than later."
>”That, and I should probably inform the odd couple about what’s been going on with me. They might have some ideas on alternative solutions to my tumor.”
>”I kinda admit, I’m wondering if Q might have got the diagnosis already.”

>>6043790
Supporting except for the alternate solutions thing
Do we really want to be in debt to some capes?

>>6043804
jJxlSZud here, posting from home.

There's a difference between hearing an offer and actually taking it, anon. Besides, we're feeling OK now, but if we start hallucinating while on duty, we might want to have more options.

>>6043790
supporting

>>6043790
>"Maybe we could take a break from the case tonight? Just sit around, talk shit, do something normal?"

>>6043702
>>6043769
>>6044170

>>6043781
>>6043790
>>6043804

Tied up so...why not both?

>>6044449
Sure

You smile appreciatively but it flickers quickly as your memory catches up to you.

"I would, but I promised Kimble a meeting with Q and H. Should probably handle that sooner rather than later. Plus I should probably talk to them about my.. yeah." You gesture vaguely to your head.

"I hear you." Hawthorne groans as he reclines your passenger seat.

"But how about after?"

"Huh?"

"I have something to take care of but I still want a break, maybe we just let the case lie for a night. Just sit around, talk shit, do something normal?"

"Normal." Hawthorne scoffs. "Sure, Rook. You have my number."

Hawthorne stretches and you hear a concerning amount of pops and clicks, each one accompanied by a satisfied groan. Some fishing in your backseat produces Hawthorne's dress cap which he lightly drapes over his eyes.

"I'm gonna catch some shut-eye, wake me when we get to the station."

"Yes, sir." You say quietly, appreciating the idea of some quiet time to think. You shift into drive and head out.

====

A quick drop-off later you set up a meet with your masked friends through text. You set it at the place you know best.

"Pizza Palace. 6. Emergency. Both." You keep it as barebones as possible just to be safe. A nearly identical message is sent to Kimble instead telling him '7'

That should give you enough time to have a private chat with Question and Huntress, as well as warn them that this meeting is of great importance. As you drive through the dimming streets that thought troubles you the most, Huntress and Question have been working in tandem with you, even if it was from the shadows, Huntress going as far as to shelter Bass Head for you. You find yourself worrying more and more about this meeting, about Kimble's opinion, even if you do everything right Grey still said he's going for them. Maybe you could convince him to walk away from it? Maybe..

A passing beam of light stirs you from your thoughts. You blink and check your phone. You've been sitting in a stupor behind the Pizza Palace for a while now, thinking back you don't even remember the road leading up to the familiar dumping grounds. A familiar beater is caressed by the thin mists of Gotham City, the door cracks open and you follow suit.

Question tosses out his usual greeting as the three of you stop in front of the dumpster, you can't help but notice the thick padlock now keeping it closed, Huntress gives you a silent nod. Your stomach churns.

"Officer."

"Q, Huntress."

"What's the emergency? I had to walk from the middle of dinner." Huntress asks, steeping forward.

"At six?"

"Turns out storing a brat where I'm staying comes with some schedule changes."

"Oh?"

You feel your own cheeks grow warm.
"You can have him back if you don't like it." She replies crossing her arms.

"No, no. Thank you.. I mean it. You didn't have to give him a place to stay and I really appreciate it."

You see her lips purse and eventually her stiff posture relaxes.

"Yeah well, you're lucky he's quiet, I couldn't handle two motor-mouths in my life."

She casts a glance aside and you follow her line of sight to Question, two thin prongs of metal inserted into the dumpster's padlock. Huntress scoffs and shakes her head but you feel something in your chest, a strange pang, almost like a skipped beat.

"Q, what are you doing?" You ask the back of his head.

"Freeing the truth."

"I thought you said you learned everything you could from this place?"

"It's the principle.." He mumbles as you hear a light click followed by the heavy lock dropping to the ground.

"Glad this is how you handle emergencies."

Question rises from his knee and tucks the small tool in an interior pocket of his coat.
"There's no emergency, Officer. In fact it seems you have everything handled."

"What? What do you mean by-" You pause and sigh. "How much do you know?"

"I know you seemed to gain the assistance of Commissioner Gordon, you left his office with a folder and an additional sheet of paper, the official reason was transferring the Sergeant to his old position as your Training Officer. However, that paperwork is mercifully simple. A single page. Meaning the file you also left with could have been a great majority of things. But I'd put my money on... the listing of all Traffic Officer assignments from this morning."

Your eyebrows move on their own in a state of surprise, Question proudly stands tall and tilts the tip of his cap forward.
"So am I, right?"

"Yeah.. how in the hell? Did you hack City Hall's computers? The CCTV? Bug Gordon's office?" You rattle off theories but each one i met with a shake of the head.

"I abhor the internet, CCTV goes both ways, and I have no reason to suspect the Commissioner in any foul play. I've heard a lot about him, he seems a lovely person."

"Then how?"

"I was there with you, trying to gain access to the file room."

"What? You broke into City Hall a couple HOURS after the mayor was attacked? Are you insane?"

"It was a simple process, nobody questions a fellow officer asking directions."

"A fellow Officer?" You narrow your eyes.

"Yes, speaking of I borrowed an outfit from your apartment. I'll have it dry cleaned."

"You were-" You take a pause and exhale slowly. "One: Stay out of my fucking apartment. Two: Did you at least find anything?"

"I have a list of the most likely suspects, pulled from the file room shortly after your departure. I haven't had the time to go over it yet, your text came through just as I was about to sit down."

"Well I can cut your search short maybe. Where does the Detective Gorchakov land on your list of suspects?"

He digs in his pocket and pulls out a small leather bound notebook, he flips through and pauses before snapping it shut.
"He's my second most likely."

"Second?"

"The custodian at Precinct 3 is hiding something, I just know it.." He says, smashing his fist into his gloved hand.

>>6044503
Q you motherfucker, i love your antics and hate them at the same time.

"Forget the janitor, Q. Focus on Gorchakov, I have a solid tip on him."

"What's your source?" Huntress asks.

You swallow.
"SIM."

She throws a hand up and looks to Question. Question's expression remains as impenetrable as ever, but his hand does creep up to his chin where he rubs it ponderously.

"You trust SIM to be telling you the truth, Officer?" He probes.

"I trust that the mole going down is just as beneficial to him as it is to me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He wants to be out from under the organizations thumb. But that doesn't mean I'm letting him get away with anything he's done. He'll pay for his crimes."

"I hope that means you plan on putting him in cuffs." Huntress interjects. "Y'know, upholding law and order, taking accountability. Yadda yadda."

"Yes. It doesn't mean I don't WANT to kill him sometimes. But it would be easy to make myself the one man court. But where would it end?"

She purses her lips and leans against the car.
"So why did you call us out here then? Because your mole hunt doesn't really involve me."

She spits those last words and you see Question angle his body away, it's the slightest tell, and you could be wrong but when a man doesn't have a face you make do.

"It's about Kimble."

"Your, now former, Training Officer?" Question asks.

"Yeah, I brought him in on everything. He knows about SIM, about Mandragora, and about you guys."

"I'll make sure to add him to my rolodex, so what? Honestly at this point it would be easier to list the police that don't know about us. I mean-" Huntress starts mockingly.

"Huntress.." Question says quietly.

"It's a little more complicated than that, he wants to meet you."

Huntress shakes her head.
"Then tell him to be at Jimmy's next week."

You look to Question but he just stands there silently, you can HEAR his mind racing and over your own sight of the alley ghostly illusions form. Hawthorne and Question's first stand-off. Sheets of paper flying by with bold text across the top 'DD-214'. You feel the edges of your face peel away and fresh alley air flooding over your cheeks.

You blink. Then you blink again. It's like living life through a slide-show. You watch Huntress and Question get further and further as a cold force presses against your back. You blink one final time.

Question stands before you with hands firmly placed on your shoulders. Huntress behind him watches you with a worried expression. You check over a shoulder and see your arm propped up on the car, your legs cramp and ache, as you open the driver door and sit down Question kneels next to you.

"Mark? What's going on?"

>"It can wait, in a few minutes Kimble is going to be here. He wants to meet you, unmasked, just like Hawthorne. But the stakes are higher, if he doesn't like you guys... when this is all over he's going to try and put charges on you."
>"Grey, the Detective from Jerry's, he's set on trying to charge Huntress with that murder at the Auto Yard. Hawthorne and I are against it but Kimble is on the fence. This meeting determines where he falls."
>"I think I might be dying.. This morning I was in the hospital and they found a mass in my brain. A tumor. My Shivers are acting on their own and I'm having trouble tuning it out. I need any help you guys might have."
>"I have a tumor in my brain. Doctor's were pretty vague but it doesn't sound good, this investigation is on a clock now. I'm going to need you both, soon. If I can't finish this case I need you both to step up."
>Write-In

P.S. We are confirmed for Hawthorne 1 on 1 time after this meet.

Long text segment means Author Notes: I really enjoy writing Question and I am oh so glad I picked him as the Token 'super' for this story instead of some others I had on the brain. I've also been spending a lot of time consuming new media. Books and Films mainly so if you've noticed any style changes recently my apologies lol. Always open to questions, comments, etc from you guys and I'll probably respond to you directly or in the next Author Note section I end up doing. Thanks for playing and I'll see you soon.

>>6044509
>>"I have a tumor in my brain. Doctor's were pretty vague but it doesn't sound good, this investigation is on a clock now. I'm going to need you both, soon. If I can't finish this case I need you both to step up."

>>6044509
>"It can wait, in a few minutes Kimble is going to be here. He wants to meet you, unmasked, just like Hawthorne. But the stakes are higher, if he doesn't like you guys... when this is all over he's going to try and put charges on you."

>>6044509
>"I have a tumor in my brain. Doctor's were pretty vague but it doesn't sound good, this investigation is on a clock now. I'm going to need you both, soon. If I can't finish this case I need you both to step up."
>”It sounds like it’s related to my Shivers… could be something that grew from using them, or maybe it gave me them in the first place.”

>>6044569
Supporting this and >"In a few minutes Kimble is going to be here. He wants to meet you, unmasked, just like Hawthorne. But the stakes are higher, if he doesn't like you guys... when this is all over he's going to try and put charges on you."

>>6044569
>>6044779
+1 to this combo.

>>6044509

>>6044569
>>6044779
+1 the combo

>>6044814
This is me, by the way.

>>6044569
>>6044536
>>6044546
>>6044779
>>6044814
>>6044930

You take some slow deep breaths, your leg muscles slowly easing, you look up to Question and bite the bullet.

"I have a tumor in my brain. Doctor's were pretty vague but it doesn't sound good, this investigation is on a clock now. I'm going to need you both, soon. If I can't finish this case I need you both to step up."

Huntress gasps gently and puts a hand to her mouth. Question simply looks down.

"It sounded like it was related to my Shivers.. could be something that grew from using them, or maybe it gave me them in the first place."

"I see." Question says simply.

"Yeah? Nothing about how I need to switch toothpastes? Or cut back on the screen time? Or.. uh.. or-"

A gloved hand grasps your shoulder and Question remains silent. You sigh and it drags into a shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry, Mark." Question says quietly.

You clear your throat and nod. Tapping his hand to send it away. He obliges and you look to, where you hope, his eyes would be.

"That's not important right now, because in a few minutes Kimble is going to be here. He wants to meet you, unmasked, just like Hawthorne. But the stakes are higher, if he doesn't like you guys... when this is all over he's going to try and put charges on you."

"What!?" Huntress calls out. "Mark, what the hell?"

"Enough." Question says firmly, rising from his knee he brushes off his slacks as he removes his hat. "Go ahead and explain, Officer."

"This whole thing started with Hawthorne and I wanting to handle Mandragora, same as you, Hawthorne didn't care what it took as long as we finally got him. So he was willing to overlook a lot. But as we got deeper and deeper into this mess with SIM, Calc, and whatever else is actually happening, we had to bring in new people. You know Grey.."

"The silver fox with a stick up his ass?" Huntress chimes in. Question gives her another look but she doesn't even acknowledge him.

"Sure." You relent. "He has a more black and white view of the world, he said that when this is all said and done he's going to try and run you in Huntress.. for murder."

Her brows furrow and her eyes spark fiercely. Her silence is made eerie by the slight grinding you can see in her jaw. But it eventually breaks.

"And Kimble?"

"It's like I said. I vouched for you, told him you were good people. He said he wanted to meet you himself so he could verify it."

"And if he doesn't?" She hisses.

"Then he'd give Grey a hand in building a case on you two."

"Us two!?" Huntress says, stepping forward aggressively.

Question steps forward and puts out an arm which she bats away.

"Are you not hearing this? We've done nothing but helped and they STILL want to arrest us. Why are we even entertaining this?" She clutches the lapels of his trench coat and pulls him close. Powerful but with a tenderness, her well manicured hand touches his cheek and the tips of her nails gently trail down to his chin.

She leans up and places her lips by his ear.

Her next words are whispered. You shouldn't hear them. You couldn't hear them even. But yet they enter your mind and play through your ears regardless, you can feel the heat on your neck from her breath, more than that you can feel.. stirrings. You shudder violently, pushing those feelings back and only allow the auditory information to reach you.

"Why won't you walk away from this, Q? I played by their rules because you promised me that it would work out.. but now look. The kid is dying. Mandragora could walk by the end of the week and everything I've done would have been for nothing."

You see Question's hand reach up and cup hers. She sighs.
"I'm tired of this, Vic. I'm sorry for being distant from you but letting Mandragora go.. I didn't just do it physically. Leave with me and we can just be Victor and Helena."

You reel in shock, her words turn to slush between your metaphorical fingers, Helena. The grudge with Mandragora, her grand arsenal, the fact Banks was sent after her by Gorchokov. Huntess is Helena Bertinelli. You look up only to see Question has taken a step back from her, still clasping her hand in his. He whispers but you hear it as if you spoke it yourself.

"Not yet. I'm not ready to go yet, I helped you see through your business with Mandragora. I need you to help me see this through, I need to be more than I was when she beat me."

In the darkness it's hard to tell but you think you spy a small droplet fall from the edge of Huntress' purple mask. She's silent for a while as her thumb strokes the back of Question's hand. Eventually she nods and with a sniffle she turns to you.

"Am I interrupting something?" You hear from behind you. Kimble's voice.

You whip around and though the sun had already dipped below the cityscape of Gotham, plunging the city into a familiar state of artificial night, you could see the large pistol strapped to his hip and how dangerously close his hand lingered to it.

"Officer Kimble." Question says from down the alley, he let's Helena's hand slip away as he spreads his fingers. "When I last met with your Sergeant he preferred I keep my hands visible."

"He's old fashioned like that, must have rubbed off on me." Kimble replies. Still meandering slowly from the dark.

"Kimble when did you get here?" You ask.

"I thought you'd have picked up on me before anyone else, boot. Clean the wax out of your ears, I ditched my car about 2 blocks up the street to be safe. Hoofed it."

"You'd think after the morning you had you'd want to spend as little time on your feet as possible." Huntress chimes in.

"I've been through worse and with wet socks. Appreciate the concern though, ma'am. Would you mind maybe doing a little spin for me? I know you have a history of going full Robin Hood on people."

She sighs and lifts her hands giving a half-hearted spin, more of an exaggerated turn.

"Officer Kimble, I heard you wanted to look us in the eyes. Were you speaking metaphorically?" Question questions.

"Nope, Mark isn't the only one with a 6th sense."

"Then in that case I'm going to reach into my coat and retrieve a can."

"Feel free." Kimble replies, but his shooting arm goes tense.

Question slowly removes the can from his jacket with two fingers. Turning it to himself and releasing a gentle mist. Kimble's jaw drops slightly as Question's hair goes from a jet black to a lighter fiery red and the edges of his face from temple to chin begin to furl and peel away. Question dips his head into his hands and pulls the mask free from his face entirely.

He hesitates. Staring into the blank patch of pseudo-skin for a few moments before Huntress gently touches his back. He sighs and stands straight and proud.

"A pleasure to meet you, Officer."

"And you." Kimble replies, his hand relaxing.

Huntress reaches for her mask but Kimble holds up a hand.
"I can see your eyes just fine, leave it."

"Uh.. whatever you say." She replies.

Kimble looks to you and smiles.
"I won't lie. They're off to a good start."

He turns to the duo and raises his voice slightly.
"Would you two mind waiting by your car? I have something to speak to Mark about."

As they hesitantly walk off Kimble leans into your car.
"Thanks for setting this up, Mark. But I need you to let me handle this now."

"Excuse me?"

"This talk I have with them, I want to have it alone."

You glance to them and back at Kimble.
"Are you sure? I think it would be better if I was here."

"Exactly why I want you to go home and get some rest, that you deserve."

You go to argue back but he holds up a hand.
"This isn't a request Mark, I'm sorry. I need them off-balance, I'm not going to be able to get a good read on these two if you're around. I need you to trust me."

"I do, trust you Kimble, it's just.. I want this to work out."

"Again, that's why I need you to head home Mark. I'm sorry to pull the rank card on you here but this is an order; go home and get some rest."

>"Yes, sir."
>"I'm sorry, Kimble but you aren't my TO anymore. I can't leave the three of you alone until I'm sure everybody will be okay."
>"Why are you so insistent to get me out of here? Are you planning something?"
>"Just promise me you'll hear them out completely. Please."
>Write-In

>No secrets, okay? By the way, fuck off, kid.
Some people.

>>6045246
True that. Things only matter when when it suits them

>>6045243
>>"Why are you so insistent to get me out of here? Are you planning something?"
>>"Just promise me you'll hear them out completely. Please."
no secrets goes both ways

>>6045325
+1 especially
>"No secrets goes both ways."

Kimble better not be the mole. Everything points to Gorchakov, even SIM's hint, but...

>>6045243
>"Just promise me you'll hear them out completely. Please."

Write-in:
>”I wouldn’t advise trying to arrest them alone. You won’t win that fight.”

>>6045325
Supporting

>>6045243
>"No secrets goes both ways. I can back off, but I owe it to them to not just go home after springing this on them."
Frankly, as silly as it might sound, that would just be incredibly rude, and probably put the on edge besides.

>>6045398
Supporting

>>6045243
>"No secrets goes both ways. I can back off, but I owe it to them to not just go home after springing this on them."

You asked my respect on this. In turn, you can't ask me to drop their respect.
You all can go to your regularly scheduled games of cops n' robbers if or when the brain tumor takes me.

>>6045788
+1

>>6045325
supporting

>>6045325
>>6045327
>>6045397
>>6045988
>>6045788
>>6045838
>>6045398
>>6045734

"Why are you so insistent to get me out of here? Are you planning something?" Your voice is tinged with suspicion.

You notice a drop in Kimble's face.
"Mark, are you serious?"

"No secrets goes both ways, Kimble. But I sprung this on them and I owe it to them not to skip out on something I set in motion."

He opens his mouth to argue but pauses.
"Have you ever heard the expression 'Trust But Verify' before?"

"Sounds familiar."

"It was a quote by Reagan. It's what it says on the label, I trust you. I want that to be clear."

"Okay.." You say, curious where this is going.

"But I don't trust them. Everything you told me sounded good, but I need to verify it, from their end. I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want you to take it personally; but I need to make sure these two aren't pulling something over on you."

"Pulling something? Hawthorne trusts them. They've been on my side since the beginning."

"Which is what makes me so suspicious. Again, this isn't to insult you, but you're still green."

"And Hawthorne?"

"Is one of the best men I know. But can you honestly tell me this business with Mandragora isn't touchy for him? That it could make him a little blind?"

You bite your inner cheek. Kimble sighs and shakes his head.
"If you're really curious what I have planned for them, it's pretty simple, I'm going to ask them the same thing I asked you."

"You're corroborating my story?"

"Pretty much. I trust you, but that doesn't mean I show my ass to a stranger without being sure. They need to earn this."

You lean back in your seat and rub your face.

"Now that you know what's up are you willing to head home? I understand not wanting them to feel nervous but that's exactly what I want, if there are cracks in anything they tell me I'll be ready to catch it."

"I wouldn't try to arrest them alone.. that fight might be harder than you think."

"You don't have to tell me twice, that Huntress looks like she can handle herself, no matter what I learn or what conclusion I come to I'll just thank them for their time and head off."

You screw up your face considering his request and he sighs once again, checking over his shoulder, before pulling his weapon from his holster. He turns it and hits the release and the magazine slides into his hand, turning it upright you can see the magazine is empty.

"I'm more than muscle. I've handled situations like this before, DeLucia. Trust me on this, because my trust in you is the only reason I'm giving them the chance to convince me. Also.. you kinda look like shit."

You glance up and see he isn't lying, your skin is pale and your forehead is flushed, cragged jutting pink lines reach out for your pupils. You blink and feel a slight sting.

>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."
>"I still don't like this, Kimble. I want to stay."
>"I'm sorry, this was a mistake, maybe you should go.
>Write-In

Most likely will be doing another update before I sleep, just a heads up.

See you soon.

>>6046039
>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."

>>6046039
>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."

>>6046039
>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."
First we doubt him during the van ruse moment
Second we doubt him with Question and Huntress
Damn Kimble's got it rough. Is it the way he's framed and the way he does things that doesn't jive with Mark and by extension us anons? Or are we just needlessly doubting this guy and thinking less of him or that he's some traitor? Why does it seem that way so much? What does anybody else here think? Am I the only one noticing this?

>>6046039
>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."

>>6046083
I don't think he's a traitor, but what I do think is the guy is way too prone to trying to set up these bluffs and stings and such without telling us what's up, and he always acts needlessly cagey and gets all vague when it's go-time. It may be that he's used to a more military background where that approach is all you need, or even his PTSD kicking in and making him get all terse, but his communication needs work.

>>6046040
Apologies, I actually just ended up getting home and need to be up within the next 8 hours again. I will try for an early update tomorrow to make up for this.

>>6046155
Slight Kimble character insight that may or may not be wanted, so I'm spoilering:

Reminder that the first thing you'd ever seen about Kimble was that he was a man with strict standards and expectations. He also already had a history of washing out Rookies. I try to write Kimble as someone who is expecting soldier qualities from police and, in times of stress, will default back to his coding of a strict adherence to the chain of command when something he perceives as dangerous pops up. For better or worse.

I just wanted to offer this for any anons reading who are having a bit of a hard time getting a handle on what Kimble is 'about' or anyone who maybe feels a little bad that Mark and Kimble seem to be having so many clashes.

(Just imagine if you had picked him as your training officer from the start; how different things would be right now? I wouldn't mind hearing your guys' thoughts on what Mark would be like under the tutelage of someone other than Hawthorne.)

>>6046083
Literally all he had to do was say "I just need to cross reference your guys' accounts. Don't want you standing there so they can check your expression when they say things to course correct." and it'd have been an "oh doy" moment. It's like a five second situation defusal to not look shifty. Do I blame the guy? Nah. I just think his people skills are garbo kek

>>6046296
We can offer to stay away while he does his cross reference, but we should still be back for the conclusion.

For me it wasn't a lack of trust, it was simply a lack of decorum/ respect in the action. We've partnered up with them for some big work with big trust, so just fucking off isn't polite.

Additionally we should probably let huntress know she may be somewhat compromised. We don't know how much or why, but at least it'll get question to check procedures and set up more precautions for her.

>>6046348
Very good point about Huntress/Helena.

>>6046155 is me, and I'd like to change my vote to

>"One of them might be compromised, and I haven't had a chance to tell them yet, so I'l let you do your thing first, but I can't go home yet."

>>6046039
If we do leave, can we PLEASE mention this to Huntress befroe we leave, just in case?

>>6046348
I’m pretty sure we told Q about Gorchakov trying to get Banks to abduct Helena Bertinelli a while ago and Q rushed off to tell her afterwards.

>>6046513
If that was the case, Gorchakov woulda been immediately on Question's shitlist and ideally would have told us.

Right?

File: problem avoided.png (51 KB, 1141x582)

51 KB PNG

>>6046704
>>6046513
Huh, so we did. That said, Q probably assumed it was because she's from a notorious Gotham crime family.

>>6046039
>>"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, let me know how it goes."

>>6046042
>>6046069
>>6046083
>>6046155
>>6046725

"Alright, I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

"I was right there with you."

"Yeah I know, you could have made this a whole lot simpler if you just told me you were crosschecking my story. I get not wanting me here, having them peek at me to see what they should say. I know I'm green and I have a lot to learn, but I've pulled through for the department before. I think I've earned a little more.. tact." You struggle to find a softer way to end your argument.

Kimble's eyes slip downward and he frowns lightly.
"You're right.. I'm sorry. I have trouble seeing past rank when things get rocky, and that's not fair to you. I just remember my first night being a boot, I was just lost. I had no idea what to do, but the answer was always to shut up and listen to the commanding officer." He scoffs at the memory. "I guess that doesn't really translate well when you go domestic."

"Well maybe you have to switch up how you do things? Talk a little more and share what you're thinking so we can all get on board."

He nods but you can see his heart isn't in it.

Don't get quiet on me now, sir. You're the one who said you aren't all muscle, think about it like this, if you bring me in on the plans then you won't have to be disappointed when I don't pick up on it."

He smiles weakly and nods with half-laugh.
"Sure. Just try not to get jealous if Gray ends up liking my ideas more."

"I'll be sure to do that." You reply with a friendly jab to his shoulder.

You place your foot on the edge of your door and rise from your seat.

"What are you doing?"

"Saying bye, I owe that to them at least."

Placing two fingers in your mouth you let out a sharp short whistle. You see Question and Huntress both turn to face you, taking a few steps back.

"I'm heading home." You say just loudly enough for them to hear. "I trust Kimble, just be honest with him. We're on the same team."

Question gives you a stoic nod and Huntress does the same, her arms lightly wrapped around his. You sigh, the thought of Banks assignment to retrieve Helena Bertinelli tugging at your mind, you feel like you should tell her something but another piece of you deep in your mind soothes your anxious thoughts. It'll be okay, you give them both a smile and drop back into your seat.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kimble. Text me what you think when you wrap up here."

"Will do. Now go home get some rest."

And there isn't a single detective in the world who could find a reason for you not to do just that..

You move almost in a daze. Parking your car, getting out, climbing the steep stairs leading to your floor.

When the door opens you feel your legs wobbling, the full weight of the day only now catching up to you. Your first order of business is throwing yourself into a hot shower, the steam helps you scrape away all the sweat, grime, and soot you'd accumulated. Stepping out you treat yourself to a fresh pair of clothes and head into your kitchen. The full work of the day has also put a considerable dent in your stomach, it growls and rumbles like a feral cat in a bag, you search your cabinets and scour the fridge eventually settling on a thick cut turkey sandwich and a bowl of hot instant noodles.

Devouring your meal you can't help but reflect on how cop life in Gotham and college life in National City weren't that different, or maybe it was you who hadn't changed all that much. As you gulped down the last mouthful of warm and spicy broth you let yourself sprawl over your sofa. Your feet felt like lead balls attached to rickety sticks, your back ached in such a unique way that it was almost pleasant feeling, and finally the thing that hurt the most was your head. Your temples throbbed and it felt like someone was gently, yet firmly, trying to push your eyeballs out from the inside. It wasn't the worst pain you'd experienced but now knowing what could be the cause of it..

TAP TAP TAP.

Your eyes fire open. The peaceful darkness replaced with a searing LED bulb from your ceiling, you grasp a fistful of cough and haul yourself up. Hawthorne was coming over.. that's right. Your groans as you lift yourself from the couch must have been audible from even the hallway because when you open the door you see Hawthorne looking with mild concern.

"Hey, sir." You say weakly. "Come on in."

"You alright, son?" He asks, stepping in and letting his eyes sweep from corner to corner. Surely an old habit.

"Yeah just.. really fucking sore."

Hawthorne barks sharply and sets a six-pack on your coffee table.
"Hah, you haven't even started to know what that word means. Wait till you get to my age and have a day like the one we just did."

"I don't want to." You say as you collapse back onto the couch.

Hawthorne stands in the center of your apartment with hands on his hips.
"Y'know I didn't get a great look at the place last time but you've got a nice little apartment. What's rent?"

"Lower than it should be, landlady's husband knew my Grandpa so she cuts me a discount."

"Hmph. Not low enough to buy a table?"

"What?"

"Where do you eat dinner? Or do you live off fast food?"

"I got a perfectly good coffee table."

Hawthorne walks over and drops onto your couch, plucking a bottle from it's cardboard sleeve.
"Oh Christ, don't you ever want to have a woman over here? You're gonna make her eat off your coffee table?"

"Oh come one, It has table in the name. It's not like I'm eating at a desk, which I've seen you doing plenty of, do YOU live off fast food?"

Hawthorne pops the top and takes a long swig. Smiling at you he spreads his arms and shrugs.

"What can I say, rook? I like my food how I like my women."

You groan in faux-disgust and grab a beer for yourself.

"Handle that business with Kimble and the latex fanatics?"

"Yeah, I also got into it with him a little."

"About?"

"Just work stuff, y'know. Trying to tell him to communicate better."

Hawthorne chuckles again.
"Shoulda seen him when he first joined up, now that was a mess."

"You raise an eyebrow and enjoy another sip, silence sets in as Hawthorne continues casually examining your apartment. While he does so you try to decide on what to talk about..

>"Speaking of Kimble then, what WAS he like when he first started?"
>What were you like when you first started off in the GCPD?"
>"How'd your talk with Grey earlier go? You guys were at each other's throats."
>"Earlier you told the receptionist you have a standing reservation at some fancy restaurant, right? I didn't even know you liked that kind of thing."
>"So.. how's Mendez?"
>"How about this weather, huh?"
>"Do you think I'm gonna be okay?"
>Write-In (Recommended)

>>6046817
>"Speaking of Kimble then, what WAS he like when he first started?"
>"So.. how's Mendez?"

No heavy subjects. Just jokes and gossip.

>>6046883
+1

>>6046817
>What were you like when you first started off in the GCPD?"

>>6046883
+1

>>6046817
"Speaking of Kimble then, what WAS he like when he first started?"
>What were you like when you first started off in the GCPD?"

>>6046817
>>What were you like when you first started off in the GCPD?"