Interim and Departure. (2)

The hulks were all incredibly emotional, and Rahamat was at a loss as to how to proceed. He looked around to try and find a gap to slink through and escape, but saw Relovan standing before him. The Enforcer grabbed the cabbie's shirt and yoinked him with such force, it as any wonder how the shirt didn't completely rip. What did happen however, was that he was freed, and within a matter of moments, both men exited the establishment and made their way towards the cab. Rahamat practically flew into the car, while Relovan simply got in, and before he could even fasten his seatbelt, the cab was on the move. The next location hadn't even been asked about, and it too a few minutes for Rahamat to calm down enough to actually speak.

"T-That… that… was not what I was expecting, Enforcer!"

"What exactly were you expecting?"

"Death! Torture! Maiming! The rumours I had heard about that place… every time you came across somebody who had been there, they would refuse to talk about it…"

"I'll admit, it is a little jarring the first time you go there, but… you get used to it."

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no, how do you get used to that?! I still don't know what actually happened!"

"I went in and got a haircut while surrounded by a bunch of passionate barbers." Relovan stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but… why were they crying? Why did Tony cry? Fall to his knees?"

"He's just being dramatic, is all."

"Just how did you manage to remain calm the entire time, and then leave without paying?! I heard that Tony only cuts the hair of an exclusive few, and that he charges such a high price per cut, that even those on the list can only afford a haircut once a year!"

"…bullshit." Relovan said with a roll of the eyes. "The club is exclusive because Tony considers himself an artiste as he likes to say, and only cuts the hair of those he considers worthy to be works of art. He's a pain in the ass, sure, but his skills are legit. Regarding the whole payment thing, Tony saw me as I responded to an incident in his neighbourhood, approached me and asked if he could cut my hair. I thought it was a weird come on, so I turned him down, but the guys I had just arrested explained who Tony was, and after he revealed the haircut would be free, I agreed to it."

"…how long have you been going there?"

"The incident occurred in my first week of being posted here, so… anyway, the next stop is the Fourteenth."

"T-The Fourteenth Precinct, Sir?"

"That's right. It's been a long time since my colleagues last saw me, so I guess it's only proper to go say hello."

"Roger."

Rahamat nodded before turning the radio on, which drew an inaudible groan from Relovan. The trip to the police precinct was uneventful, and the men once again did not speak. Instead, the volume of the radio was gradually increased. By the time the cab reached the precinct, Relovan looked like he was tired of life, and was ready for it all to end.

"Why is it that the major contribution Earth hip-hop has made to the galactic community is spreading this mumble garbage to all corners of the Void?" Relovan asked as he stepped out of the car.

Rahamat was too busy jamming to answer the question, so the Enforcer simply slid his cap on and took a deep breath. He felt naked when he wasn't wearing his hat, and he then looked through the window.

"You don't have to wait for me, Rahamat – from here, I can walk back."

"Are you sure, Enforcer?" Rahamat asked as he turned the music down.

"Absolutely. In fact, how much were you supposed to get from the person you ejected from the car earlier? I'll cover that fare at the very least."

"No no, it's alright, Enforcer. I tossed him out by the ladies over at the Pleasure Palace – he's probably still busy! Let me go and fetch him, Enforcer."

Relovan looked at Rahamat before bursting out laughing and nodding a few times.

"Here's hoping he isn't a dried-out husk by the time you find him."

"Here's hoping. Call me if you need me."

Rahamat then drove off and left Relovan standing outside the precinct. Relovan walked in to the premises and strode his way towards the building. He walked through the front door so quietly, that nobody even stopped what they were doing to look at him. Relovan just navigated his way through the building until he reached a flight of stairs which he ascended slowly. Once he was on the next floor, an untold number of eyes all set their gazes on him, and he already knew what was about to happen.

"It's true! That really was Relovan who Titaka'Kaiket saw walking through the entrance!" Someone declared.

"Holy shit!"

"He's still alive!"

"Somebody call the Captain!"

A number of Officers and Enforcers all flocked and crowded around Relovan, who just looked at them all and awkwardly nodded at them.

"Dude, nobody knew where you were, or if you were even alive. Everybody heard about the encounter you had with those other guys who went to the First Planet with you, and how you went at them." One Officer began rambling, without Relovan even asking for any details.

"Yeah, calling them cowards and shit."

"We thought they all got together, took you out and then the Chief was just covering for them."

"We were told to not even look for or ask about you, that you were still in recovery and due to your 'squishy Human body', the healing process was going to be longer than we expected."

Captain Biggum was the last one to speak, and the rest of them all shut their mouths. His hooves clacked on the floor tiles, and he was flanked by Toto and another assistant that Relovan didn't quite recognize.

"Captain." Relovan said with a nod.

"Fuckin' hell Relovan, it's good to see you. We've been deflecting and dodging questions that we had absolutely no idea how to answer since that damn incident. But before all that, as your Captain, I just want to say job well done. While we were all cowering in the presence of those other-worldly monsters, you took the fight to them and enforced the law, as your Rank states you should. You hear almost daily how you are 'only Human', yet you showed all of us what it means to truly be brave."

The Hhagu Captain saluted Relovan, and the Enforcer stood at attention, and saluted his pig-like superior. Toto and the other assistant immediately followed the Captain's lead, and even though it took some time, the remaining Officers and Enforcers all saluted Relovan as well. Despite the majority the salutes having been made through gritted teeth due to Relovan's lack of popularity amongst most of his colleagues, that didn't make them any less genuine. The men and women all stood in silence for felt like the longest time, before Relovan lowered his hand and nodded his appreciation.

"The Law does not see race, creed, strength or weakness, Captain. It is often very simple, and very binary – you are either operating within the confines of the Law, or you aren't. When you are within those confines, no matter how you bend or manipulate the Law, you are still in the right. It doesn't matter who or what you are, the moment you step even an inch over the line, then you are a delinquent and must be brought to justice. Those who called themselves Enforcers cowered behind the victims while hoping that somebody else would take care of the problem. Fucking cowards, the lot of them."

Relovan virtually spat on the floor as he called them all cowards. The others just looked at him, with a large portion of them shaking their heads.

"That rigid stance of yours earned you a lot of enemies, Relovan."

"Yeah, and? I stood before those enemies in a space which allows members of the police who have issues with one another to work through those issues without facing repercussions. I offered them the chance to make things right. They chose to do nothing. So whether facing near omnipotent super beings, or a single, injured Human, cowards remain cowards."

An awkward and uncomfortable silence descended upon the police men and women, and with the exception of a few who nodded and smiled, most of them looked somewhat guilty.

"So what's next?" Toto asked.

"Well, I am anticipating receiving a summons from the Council. Void Lords have their own disciplinary processes after all, so I will be required to appear before the Council and present my recollection of the events that happened that day."

"Are you not afraid of being attacked or even killed by the Void Lords?" An Officer asked.

"He already tried to kill me once before – and came dangerously close. But I'm still alive, so I don't find myself being overly afraid of him. That said, because this has become a Council thing, I am under their protection until the end of the Trial, so at the very least, my life and my safety are guaranteed for the next few weeks."