FireCats: Magic On Earth - If Magic Did Exist, #2

By Matt Deckman

Living underground sucks. Living in a city that's falling apart sucks even more. Combine these and you've got the home town of Melissa OmNick, a hot tempered 22 year old FireCat.  Melissa is a recent graduate of the Street Police Training Academy.  Usually dressed in a high cut shirt, skirt, fishnet stockings and black boots, Melissa has to go through a transformation; both mentally, physically to be able to continue and partake in Police activities.

Why the Police Academy? It's the only sure-fire way that she knows of to get out of the dump of a city she calls home.

As she works her new job, she learns the tricks of the trade from the one officer she didn't want as her partner. She also displays unprecedented magical capabilities, far beyond that of her partner or any other police officer on the force.  This display catches the attention of the upper ranks, forcing them to take action on Melissa's future. 

During a test, it is shown that her power seems to know no bounds, as if growing, to show that she was meant for something greater.

How high will her power take her? Is there a limit to her power? While she discovers herself, she lives with Ryan, seemingly the only one who can tolerate her attitude.  Who is he and where did he come from, as he never works. What are his intentions towards Melissa?

~ Adults only - 18+ ~

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Deckman
• Release date: May 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533794369

Book preview

FireCats – Table of Contents

Notice

Copyright @ 2016 Matthew B. Deckman All Rights Reserved.

Only publishers indicated on this website are distributing this book.

The story line gets progressively darker and more mature.

Links:

FireCats Page: FireCats

Website: Magic On Earth - If Magic Did Exist

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Twitter: @moeifmgcdidexst

Facebook: ifmagicdidexist

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If and when you finish this book, could you kindly leave a review on the site that you got it from? Thank you.

FireCats

Chapter 1

God dammit Mel, wait up! Ryan shouted.

Hell no! I’m not letting this asshole get away! Mel yelled, keeping up the chase.  The guy she was chasing was a purse snatcher who just happened to grab Mel’s black purse. It was the mistake of his day, and now he was running in fear from her, only after realizing whose purse he grabbed, a crazy lady’s purse.

In reality, he dropped the purse a quarter mile back, but Mel had ignored it completely and pressed on.  Ryan managed to pick it up and gain on them, until now.

Leave me the fuck alone you crazy bitch!

Like fuck I’m gonna do that! Mel shot back. She put on a burst of speed and nearly took the guy down when he fell over his own two feet.  She churned a ball of fire, ready to attack, when Ryan caught up. He hooked both of her arms with his and lifted her off the ground.

Let go! Mel screamed.

No! You’ve got to remember that you haven’t gotten your police badge yet, and that you BARELY passed the tests! Ryan reminded her as the purse snatcher ran off.

Dammit Ryan, he got away! Mel complained.

So? He dropped your purse a ways back and he’s frightened shitless, he lowered her to her feet. She yanked her arms free and walked away.  Here, your purse, Ryan tossed the purse to her and she snatched it from the air.

She went to a nearby ledge that overlooked a 300 foot gorge, a gorge that had dozens of pipes running vertically up and down. The pipes went into the concrete walkway and ledge that she was standing on. She heated her core well above 5000 Celsius and levitated a few feet off the ground.

You have magic, use it. Don’t just use your fire ability, Ryan nagged.

Oh shut it, I use it because I can.  I’m a FireCat, god dammit, so I’m gonna act like one, thru and thru. Mel snapped.

"Yes, but you have magic, I don’t. I have to use fire," Ryan said.

Whose problem is that? Mel glared. Ryan looked hurt, and Mel immediately regretted saying it.  He was the only one who put up with her crap. Hell, he let her stay with him when things weren’t working between her and her parents.  She’d apologize later.

Ryan sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with it, Fine, go home. I’ll take care of this mess, he waved her away.

She nodded and flew upwards, towards the high ceiling of the tomb they called home.

Their home was really just an underground town or city that was in the shape of a huge oval. The ledge she flew from was one of the interconnection walkways that transported people to and from the industrial area to the residential area of the huge city. However now, it was just a distorted city with too many FireCats and not enough space. From top to bottom, it was a good 1000 feet and was roughly three miles in diameter. There were pipes, pools, industrial buildings, homes of all sorts and sizes, shops, etc.  There were designated ‘parks’ that had to stay green, which were costly to keep that way.  The place was a mess, a scum hole, a place that people wanted out of, but required more money to leave than what was currently available.

The city was encased in 3 feet of solid steel, to keep any humans out.  Unlike most civilizations, the fire cats kept tabs on the humans. But what really made them unique was that they improved upon human technology and made it better than what humans could ever do. 

Of course there were other cities of FireCats, there were several hundred spread throughout the United States and several thousand over Europe, Asia and Africa. The humans just didn’t know about them, the FireCats and weren’t going to till the very last possible second.  FireCats didn’t trust humans one bit. They were even distrustful of elves, which was a more recent development. Elves had made the jump to talk to the humans again, after realizing that the humans weren’t entirely bad.  Elves had the advantage with magic in that instance.  There had been fights between bands of humans and a few elves, and with other human help, those bands of anti elf humans were shut down.

Unlike the elves though, the FireCats had been strategically placed themselves in human society to influence and keep tabs on the humans. The FireCats had less of a moral backbone when it came to things like that, much like the human Russian Spetsnaz, ‘Do what must be done for the sake of the mission, regardless of consequences’ was a motto of theirs.

Mel brought her attention back to where she was flying to, a ledge that overlooked everywhere, a place only those who learned how to fly could reach.  Only those who were becoming police could fly. Others here and there had accidently learned to fly, but nothing could keep them from flying…that was a tried and failed mission.  In general, flying wasn’t taught in school, nor were there official instructions published. What had been reported that others had done was increase their core temperature or manipulate levitation spells and use those on themselves.  Outside of that, flying wasn’t in the normal range of what FireCats could do.

Once Mel landed on the edge of the ledge, she looked back.  The entire city disgusted her. Becoming a police officer was the only way she saw to get out of it, through a transfer.  Other cities were nicer, supposedly. She had invested the time and energy to find out. Ryan on the other hand, didn’t and was somehow content on living in this hell hole.

Ugh, it reeks in this place, she muttered to herself.

Mel… someone from behind her spoke.

Mel turned around, surprised, Oh, Jason…what do you want? Jason was another cop, but one that liked to push buttons. Mel wasn’t all too fond of him, nor he of her.  His abilities were average; magic, physical and fire, nothing really to write home about. 

Cause more mischief today? Jason asked.

The one thing that always struck a nerve with Mel, was had Jason the ability to look down on everybody regardless of who they were, except those who were obvious in status. Those, he kissed royal ass.

I didn’t do anything this time, you prick. I had my purse snatched, and chased after the bastard until I caught him. Maybe if you used that radio of yours, instead of just letting it hang there, you’d know that you ignorant fuck.

Watch your mouth, he scolded.  Foul language was not something that Jason approved off and was the reason why the two didn’t get along.

Mel flipped him off in response. She turned back around to view the revolting city. This is what she was destined to protect until she got transferred. In order to be transferred, she’d either have to clean up or become one bad cop, in the sense of needing a stricter environment.

Mel, the chief wants you to report to the station. And for your information, this radio doesn’t get turned off, Jason relayed.

Mel shrugged in response, she’d have to visit that crummy place yet again. 10th time in two weeks since people couldn’t stop making trouble for her over random, petty shit.

After a minute or so, Mel walked right off the ledge. She fell quickly before using magic to glide down to where the station was.  Once she got her badge she couldn’t cause any more of this mischief, she knew that. She knew that.  She’d have to straighten up and deal with how the system worked.  She just wasn’t going to like it. 

It only took a matter of minutes for her to get to the station where a ranking officer was waiting for her.  She followed the officer in.  Once she was inside the chief’s office, the officer left and the chief motioned for her to sit down.

"Mel, it will only be a few more days before you get your police badge. You causing these little skirmishes for the rest of the force to pick up isn’t going to look good for you when you get it.  I’ve been patient with you and your temper, hoping to see an improvement.  I’ve seen minute improvement at best from you. Granted you didn’t actually lay a finger on the culprit today, but that was only because Ryan was there to stop you," he turned towards her.  He was a big guy, not just heavy, but solidly built, standing six and half feet tall. Unfortunately, ten years behind the desk had killed his physique, but that was to be expected.

Mel remained silent.  While the man in front of her was tolerant of her behavior, he was someone not to be trifled with. She had faced the man in battle and lost shamefully, a year before she decided to become a police officer.  She went up against him, tried to match blow for blow, but soon realized he was holding back, severely holding back as to not hurt her.  While the man was huge, and slightly out of shape, his magic and fire abilities were something out of this world. He took the techniques to heart and refined his own discipline in using them.  He was the main reason why she joined, she saw the potential power of a fire cat.

Mel sighed quietly, and apologized as whole heartedly as she could, My apologies chief. When it came to this man, do what was told and expected. Everybody else for all she cared could go to hell.

The police chief sighed and thought back to how many times she’d said the same line, Mel, if another one of these instances happen again, I’m going to be forced to take action, and not something small like clean up or other community service. I’ll be forced to use harsher punishments, whether or not you’ve got a badge. Do you understand?

Mel looked in him in the eye, yes sir, I understand. She stood, nodded her head and left.  She walked out of the station with clenched fists as to not break her concentration of walking out without hurting anybody. Several officers snickered, others scowled.  Some wondered why she even became a cop or how she was accepted into the program.

Ryan was outside waiting for her, Mel, let’s get a bite to eat, then head home. She nodded and followed.

* * * * *

Mel had finished eating and was on the couch, thinking about the next few days and what would happen when she got her badge.  She wanted to stay inside the entire time, so there wouldn’t be any chance of trouble, but realized that that wasn’t a solution to anything.  She could isolate herself in areas that were hardly visited, but that wouldn’t help matters either.  She tried to think of ways to stay out of trouble, otherwise she’d be risking punishment that severely hurt her, both physically and politically.

Ryan, what the hell should I do for the next few days? she asked, curious to as what his advice would be.

Mel, I don’t honestly know what to tell you, he answered back.

Mel sighed, I’m going to bed. She stood and walked to the room that Ryan was letting her use.

Ok, night. He finished cleaning then watched tv until he went to bed.

The next two days passed slowly for Mel. She walked around the city, and steered clear of any trouble she saw.  She couldn’t afford it.  When the chief laid down the law that was it. 

Today was the day she would get her badge. She dressed in jeans, and a flat grey colored t-shirt, which was a huge change from her prior attire of the usual fishnet stockings, short cut shirt and jean shorts.  She let her hair down, which came to just above her shoulders. She had longer hair a while ago, but it kept getting in the way and people pulled on it when she had gotten into fights, both inside the training facility and outside. She started down the road to the station.

Most people didn’t recognize her and wondered if she was new in town.  She kept walking and eventually made it to the station. Once she was there she went to the chief’s office, since that was where she was supposed to report.

The chief turned around when he heard her enter and had to do a double take, Mel?

Yes, Chief.

What’s with the getup?

My normal attire isn’t the best thing to wear when entering a new group for the first time, she shrugged.

That is true, follow me. The chief walked out of his office with Mel following behind.

He gave her the uniform she would be wearing, the badge, and all the normal accessories; radio, fire arm, pepper spray, night stick, cuffs, etc.  Once she changed, she approached the chief again and was handed an assignment.

She looked up at the chief, you can’t be serious!

Quite.

I don’t get along with Jason one bit. Every time I open my mouth, he has some sort of retort, something to insult about me, whatever it may be, Melissa tried to explain.

While he doesn’t like you, and you don’t like him, you two will be good for each other as partners. He is a polite man who listens to people and follows protocol, while you take risks, are head strong and confident. I’m hoping that your ability to walk forward into the areas of the unknown will rub off on him while his politeness will rub off on you. You two have quite the bit to learn from each other, so I suggest you to make the best of it.  You’ll both be doing street patrol for the next six months and depending on how well or bad it goes, I may extend it or make it indefinite, he explained.

Mel’s eye twitched and she clenched her fist, Very well. Now that she was an officer she couldn’t afford back talk, especially to the chief.  Unlike Jason, she knew rank, she knew how to respect status in the police and associated organizations. She folded the envelope and walked out to where Jason was.  He was waiting at his desk.

Mel, from now on, while you are on duty, you will be referred to as Melissa by peers and Officer OmNick by the general public. He stood up and looked down at her, We are public servants, we help, protect and guide civilians. We listen to their troubles and assist in manners that are befitting an officer.  Assistance that is outside our scope of work, we call in the appropriate group and they continue where we left off, He handed her a little guide book, keep that with you in case you forget your training. Let’s go. He left for the door.

Once outside, the patrol begun, Melissa, I will give you a piece of advice; ask questions if you’re not sure. Your actions reflect upon me. I’d rather not have my reputation tarnished because you assumed something, is that clear? he nearly sneered at her.

Yes Jason, She said through gritted teeth. She already hated the day.

As the patrol went on, he pointed things out, gave bits of advice on how to handle certain things, reminded her to keep track of incidents in the notebook that he gave her (for easier paper work later), and overall, helped her with being a police officer.  Soon, she wasn’t complaining, but absorbing everything he had to say, while he was acting more than just civil, almost friendly. He had to admit to himself that when Melissa put her mind to something, like learning the ropes, she picked things up rather quickly.

It’s lunch time, what would you like to eat? Jason asked.

I’d be fine with a hot dog. Mel answered.

A hot dog it is then. He went up to the stand and ordered two.

Mel looked around and noticed that they were on an elevated area, overlooking a small gathering area.  She kept scanning the crowd, and in short, her head was on a swivel.  Jason had told her earlier to put her hair in a bun so it wouldn’t get in the way and she was glad he had reminded her. It saved a lot of hassle.

Jason, notice those guys over there, Mel pointed with a nod.

Yes, they are there every day of the week. They talk trash, sometimes shove each other, but nothing major. While most would say ‘don’t mind them’, keep them in your peripheral vision to be safe. Jason explained.

Will do.

Mel was about done her hot dog when someone started shouting behind them.

What now, mother fucker? Huh? What now?! Both Jason and Mel spun their heads to see the commotion and noticed one of the gang members brandishing a firearm.

Mel, drop the dog, jump down, unlatch the firearm and follow my lead. You are NOT to draw, but simply keep your hand on it. I will draw first. I will radio for backup. Clear? Yes or No. He said in one breath and jumped over the wall and down.

Yes sir. Mel followed. She did was she was told and began to build magic up in her core. She prepared incase she’d need it.

SIR, please put down the firearm, back away, put your hands on your head and drop to your knees! Jason had his pistol drawn and aimed at the man with Mel in tow.

Fuck you man! This bitch here was the one that started all of this yo! the thug pointed with the gun to a man who was dressed in the same manner, standing a few feet away.

Sir, again, please put the firearm down, back away and drop to your knees with your hands behind your head. Jason repeated, louder and more sternly than before. Mel’s blood was on fire but kept herself in check. When it came to guns, only a highly skilled magic wielder could cast a shield well enough to stop the bullet. She wasn’t nearly there.

Fuck you copper, the thug turned the pistol towards Jason as he took aim.

DROP IT NOW! Jason gave the last warning. When the man refused, Jason pulled off a round, hitting the man squarely in the collar bone. The thug dropped the gun.

Melissa, CUFF. Jason hissed, gun still trained on the thug.

Mel latched her gun as she closed the gap. She grabbed both wrists, mindful of any metals on the man and cuffed him, face down in the pavement, one knee in the man’s back.

Detained? Jason asked, firearm still drawn. 

Mel quickly patted the thug down with one hand while she kept the other on the cuffs chain, Yes, and disarmed. Her training coming back like second nature.

Good, excellent work, Jason holstered his firearm, grabbed the thug and hoisted him to his feet, Now you’re coming with us to the station.  Congrats, you’re going to be looking at me from behind bars in a day or two.

Jason and Mel hauled the man off to the station as the crowd looked onward.

The rest of the day went smoothly enough, until it was time to do paper work. Mel had to redo some of hers because they weren’t as complete as Jason wanted them to be.

Jason, nothing else happened with this case, she said quietly.

I disagree Melissa, there is plenty more that happened. You’re missing quite the amount of detail. That’s why I said to use the notebook. With the notes you took, I could write 5 pages. Refer to your notes, He replied, irritated that she was being skimpy on the report. He stood and filed his paperwork while he left her there to finish hers.

It had better be complete by tomorrow morning, otherwise I’ll write you up for insubordination. He left the station. Mel was forced to rewrite the report. Everything had gone smoothly for the day until it came to paper work.

It was well after 6 before she left the station, on her way home to Ryan’s.  When she walked through the door, a sweet smelling aroma greeted her nose.

What smells good Ryan? She asked.

A surprise. How was your day? He poked his head around the corner.

Morning slow, lunch time gunman, crappy evening; Jason is an anal fuck about paper work. He wants everything perfect, every detail put in, every action with a reason, etc. He told me to keep a notepad for the incidents we encounter every day, which I did, but when it came time to use it for the reports, he said it wasn’t nearly enough, Mel ranted.

It’s Jason you’re talking about here , you two have never gotten along and now the chief is forcing the two of you to work together.  It’s probably tougher on him than it is you. You’re the cadet here, he’s the senior and if you mess up, it’s his ass that gets chewed out, Ryan reasoned with Mel.

Funny.  He said the same thing, Mel snipped back.

Mel, give it some time. I’m sure he’s not used to a partner at the moment. He’s probably use to doing everything his way without having to worry about a novice cop, and how they may or may not do things correctly, Ryan continued.

Gee, thanks for siding with me, Mel rolled her eyes.

Anyways, dinner is served, Ryan laid out the main dish of flounder stuffed with crab meat laced with lemon and hint of garlic, accompanied with red roasted potatoes and green beans.

The rest of the week went the same way, Mel kept track of the incidences, with detailed notes, asking Jason what else he wanted her to note down to make the paper work more towards his liking.  The closer she got to what he wanted, the more he’d relax and less stress would accumulate between the two.  Each night, Mel would put more thought into each of the reports for the incidents, giving each one a half page or more. 

By Friday, Mel had a fairly good idea of what Jason wanted in the reports and was able to complete one report without him tearing it to shreds, figuratively and literally.

Good work Melissa, you’ve completed a single report that I didn’t have to mark up or make you redo, you’re learning…more slowly than I had hoped with the paperwork, but you’re making progress, That struck a nerve in Mel, but she let it go so as to not start another argument. She just wanted to get the work done and go home for the weekend.

Melissa, Jason said.

Yeah.

Tonight, the police are going on a drug raid. I want you to be there as backup, Jason informed her.

Um, why? You’re not developing a crush on me or something, cause the last time I checked, we hate each other, Mel said, skeptical.

Jason chuckled, Melissa, you are the absolute last person I’d choose to date. It would take the FireCat brink of extinction to make me want to date you.

Gee, thanks, you….I’ll let your imagination fill in that blank, Mel sneered.

Jason glared at her, Never the less, I want you there as backup, it will be a good exercise for you. With that, Jason stood up, filed his paper work and went to the locker room briefly before heading out, Report here at 8 PM, the raid will commence at 9. You’ll need that hour to be fitted with body armor, a usual precaution.

Mel nodded and finished her work.  She gave a quick call to Ryan to let him know she’ll be late, headed to the lockers to get into street cloths and went out to get a bite to eat.

After her meal, she was back at the station. There were numerous law enforcement officers there, both of the local, and of heavier caliber.  One of the high officers waved her over where she was to be fitted with body armor. Of course, once back into uniform, she went over.

Officer OmNick, an officer said, of which she turned to face him, You’re a new officer, correct?

She nodded.

Ok, your chain of command is this, you follow Jason’s orders. If he’s unable to direct you, Anderson, over there will. He already knows who you are. Just to warn you, Anderson is worse than Jason when it comes to doing it right, but because of his instructions, you’ll find it easier to handle. Anderson hasn’t ever lost anyone under his command and doesn’t plan on starting tonight.  With that, good luck and stay safe tonight.

Mel nodded and went over to Anderson to greet him.

It was shortly before the raid and everybody was to move out, cloak spells active, with their id tags lit.

Once there, Mel was behind Jason, who was going to go into the structure during the raid, as a backup.  Mel was there as an extra. Jason gave her a two way radio to use in case of an emergency. 

The raid commenced and Mel waited patiently.  There were several shots after they went in, a few spells thrown, then silence.

MELISSA! Jason shouted over the radio.

Yeah?! Mel responded.

Get yours and Anderson’s ass by the back, two are escaping! he ordered.

Mel looked over to Anderson, who nodded. They both raced to the back, Anderson in the lead.

Knees and Elbows, Melissa, knees and Elbows, that’ll bring them down hard and fast and keep them down. Anderson ordered.

Yes sir!

As they rounded a corner to the back, they were greeted with several shots.  Mel took cover behind the wall and created a defensive barrier to protect her and created a small hole in its front.  There, she put the gun in and closed the gap, anchoring the barrier to her gun. Her one elbow was far enough forward that she created an anchor to it as well.  This way, where she pointed, she was protected by the barrier. 

She rounded the corner, flipped her laser on, took aim and put one in a knee cap. The thug dropped hard.  Anderson did the same thing, only without the barrier as the other was concentrated on Melissa and her barrier.

Once both thugs were detained, the raid over and people being escorted back, Anderson walked over to Jason and Mel, who was detailing the life out of her notepad.

Excellent work Melissa, innovative and quick thinking, did you learn that from Jason here? Anderson asked Mel.

Teach her what, now? Jason asked.

No, he didn’t teach me, it just seemed like a no brainer. Mel responded. Jason looked at her to explain.

Melissa created a shield, anchored it to both her gun and her forearm to take down the thugs that you warned about. That’s not something that is taught at officer level.  You learn that after a promotion or two. Either way, Good work Melissa, Jason. Anderson explained then walked back to his commanding officer.

Once Anderson was out of ear shot, Congrats Melissa, you’ve impressed a superior officer. Keep that up and you’ll get promoted to the top of the ranks soon enough, Jason laced the comment with sarcasm. He was expecting Melissa to act like an officer, but not a kiss-ass to the higher ranks.  Mel glared at Jason’s back as he walked away.

Why is he such an ass? Mel mumbled.

Because his brother was an officer who was killed in a raid, another officer said behind her.

Mel spun around at the voice, Oh, I didn’t know.

Quite alright, rookie mistake.  Anyways, congratulations on taking down the escapees and for that use of magic, the officer said, And my apologies for my rudeness, name’s Mike, Mike stuck out his hand. Mel accepted it.

Melissa, or Mel for short.

Nice to meet you, anyways, I got to go, wife and kids waiting at home, Mike waved.

Mel noticed she wasn’t needed anymore. She checked out with the commanding officer and headed back to the station. She used the same tactics as before and made it to the station with relative ease.  Once she put her gear away and changed back into civilian clothes, she made her way back home. 

It was nearly 11 when she got home, Ryan, I’m home. God I sound like a fucking house wife.

Yeah, so?  Would it be so bad to be a wife? Ryan asked from the couch.

No, if I met the right guy it wouldn’t be bad, Mel replied while she went to the fridge.

So, what kept you late?

We had to help out with a drug raid, I was asked to be the backup for the backup and I was actually of help.  After the main group went in, two thugs escaped out the back. Another officer and I were given the heads up, we chased after, and pulled off two precise shots in their knee caps, Mel smiled as she took a swig.

Nicely done, that must make you feel good, Ryan got up from the couch and took a beer himself.

Yeah, it did, but come Monday I may have some trouble with Jason.  He was a little jealous I think when a superior officer complimented me and didn’t say anything to him. Probably because I showed initiative on my own, and proved myself outside his circle, Mel explained.

Don’t worry about him, just do your best and continue to do your work. That’s all that can be expected, Ryan smiled.

Yeah, that’s all I can do. Anything good on Tv? Mel plopped down on the couch.

It’s all junk, I was channel hoping when you came in. Ryan sat beside her.

Mel took a long swig from her beer as Ryan tried to find something to watch, Take it easy Mel, don’t drain it all at once… He looked at her when he heard snoring. She had fallen asleep.

Ryan set the beers down, picked Mel up and carried her to her bedroom. He pondered whether or not to do anything more but decided it would be better to wake her up enough for her to change instead of him doing it. Once she was under the covers, pants and shirt on the chair, Ryan shut the lights off and went back to watch Tv.  He had some work he needed to try to get done.

The following Monday, it seemed that Jason was in a better mood than he was Friday night. Mel was glad for that and aimed for keeping him in that good mood.  She did her work to the best of her ability, took an excessive amount of notes to help with paper work, and listened to Jason’s orders.  She liked that he was in a good mood, it made life easier on her.  When it did come time to do paper work, she was able to fly through it because of the notes she took. Jason was overly impressed with the extensive length of some of the reports. He thought she was just catching on, but she just didn’t want to give him a reason to get pissed off. 

The same thing happened day after day for the rest of the week.  The entire week passed without incident, but some of the people in the streets were starting to sneer at Jason and Mel. Jason told her to ignore it, which Mel tried to do.

Yo, police bitches, a random civilian shouted. Jason and Mel turned to look at the man. He was tall, dark skinned, tall and overweight and dressed in local clothes.

Yes sir, what can we do for you? Jason asked politely.

Yeah, why the fuck you shoot my brother a week ago? He wasn’t doin’ nothin’ but proven a point, and you shot him, the man said.

Sir, he was brandishing a firearm and wasn’t adhering to my instructions to resolve the situation, Jason explained. Mel stood by. She was looking around at the surrounding crowd. She noticed the crowd thinning out except for a select few men, who were larger than most.

Jason… she whispered.

Well aware Melissa, gather magic at your core. In doubt, double it, Jason whispered back.

Yo, what the fuck you saying to her? the man asked.

She asked a question, and I answered, that’s all, Jason replied.

At this point, there were six huge men, around Mel and Jason.  Mel summoned large amounts of magic at her core and started reciting a spell in her head that would create a significantly strong shield to stop bullets, several a second. She was at a level now that the barrier wasn’t an issue, to stop bullets anyways.  Jason requested for backup and added a code into his radio. When he did that, the man in front of him, pulled out his firearm.  Mel unlatched hers while Jason drew his.

"We need backup now," Jason hissed with venom into his radio. He trained his firearm on the man in front of him, at his chest, nowhere else. Mel had her firearm drawn and was ready to cast her shield.  Now, several others had drawn their arms and trained them on Mel and Jason

Melissa… Jason warned.

It’s ready…Maximum power, Mel responded.

You get the three at 4, 6 and 7 o’clock, I’ll take the other three, no bullshit shots, drop them, Jason whispered. Mel spared him a glance of surprise before locating her targets via magic.  Jason seemed to know exactly where this was going, since the others were ready to shoot.

It took only a split second for Mel to put the shield up, the men to fire and for Jason and Mel to drop all but two.  They took cover behind a concrete wall while the men took cover behind trees.

Mel couldn’t believe that she’d just shot two men, but she had to keep her wits about her. 

Ow, fuck! Jason griped his shoulder.

Jason! Mel looked at him as he gripped his bloody shoulder.

I can’t move my hand and I can’t shoot…dammit, backup isn’t here yet, where the hell are they?! Jason shouted, Mel get out of here!

Fuck NO! Mel exploded. Jason looked at her with wide eyes. She wrapped the shield around her, boosted her magic, engulfed her hands in fire and dashed towards the other two. 

Yo police, what’s wrong?! they shouted and no sooner did they shout that then Mel was in front of them, and shot fire at both, entirely engulfed in flames.

Melissa! Jason shouted as he looked in awe of what she was doing, STOP NOW!

She ignored him, if only for a second before she dropped her arms. Both thugs were petrified with fear; wet with soiled pants, and tears streaming down their faces. Jason looked at both, puzzled.

I cast a protection shield around both. I didn’t burn them, only just scared them shitless, Mel explained and grabbed her radio, We need a medic. Mel gave their current location.

Jason stared at Mel for a moment before he sat down and thought things over.  Mel took charge of the situation and directed the medic over to Jason.  She filled in what happened while the other officers took away the cuffed men. Once Jason was taken care of, he went to the hospital to be checked out properly.  Mel left with the other officers and headed back to the station to fill out her report. 

Melissa, I want a full, detailed report on my desk before you leave today, the Chief said.

Yes sir, I plan on it, she sat down at Jason’s desk and began compiling her report.  This was one report she wished Jason could look over, but she was on her own.

It was after four when Jason stepped through the station door and went directly to Mel, Melissa, you alright?

I’m fine Jason, I should be the one asking though. How’s the arm? Mel glanced at Jason.

A bit painful, but to be expected, now if you’ll excuse me, he patted Mel on the shoulder before he went to the chief’s office and closed the door.

Chief.

Yes Jason? the chief looked up from his paper work at Jason, What can I do for you?

It’s not me, but I’d like you to do something for Melissa.  Transfer her out of this unit…into the Riot police, he said in one breath.

And why should I do that?

I think you’ll find your answers in my report, Jason laid down six pages on the chief’s desk, You’ll be interested to know how Melissa handled herself. I suggest you read this after she gives you hers.

That good or bad? the chief asked.

Decide for yourself, Jason walked out.

For Jason to act like that, the chief knew something was up. From what he had heard, Jason couldn’t keep his complete calm and actually used words he frowned upon. He ignored protocol leaving his office.  Jason never ignores protocol. There was a knock at the door that snapped the chief from his thoughts, Yes, Mel?

Here is my report, detailed as I can get it with the highest degree of accuracy possible, Mel laid 6 pages down onto the chief’s desk.

Ok, I’ll read over this tonight. You’ll need to come in tomorrow for the follow up, be here by 9am. The chief instructed.

Yes sir. Mel said.

You may leave. The chief dismissed her. Mel nodded and left the office.

The chief grabbed another cup of coffee and started on Mel’s report like Jason asked.  Jason was a good officer, followed the rules, did his job spectacularly and when he asked for favors, which were almost non-existent, he repaid them in double. The Chief would make sure to pay special attention to these reports, due to what Jason had said and how he carried himself when he walked out. Jason may not be the friendliest person on the planet, but he was true to his word.

Ryan, I’m home, Mel stepped through the front door.

Thank god you’re back, are you alright?! I heard what happened on the news, Ryan pulled her into a hug before Mel could comprehend anything.

Yes Ryan, I’m fine. Jason got hurt though.

Yeah, they said an officer got shot, but only a flesh wound, Ryan explained the news coverage.

Yeah, it was an ambush of sorts. They were waiting for us and opened fire, six on two. We managed to take down four of them before the other two pulled off rounds, one hitting Jason.  I let my temper get the better and nearly scorched them, but was able to put a defensive barrier up before anything got out of control, Mel explained. She grabbed a beer and downed half before she put the bottle down.

This time, I’ll let you go on that, Ryan teased.

Funny, anyways, I have to go back tomorrow for a debriefing. Apparently it’s connected to the raid and the other member that Jason shot. So I’ll find out all the details tomorrow, 9 am sharp. Mel sat down on the couch.

Trouble always seems to follow you Mel.

Oh well. Mel concentrated on the Tv.

Several hours later, the chief rubbed his eyes. Going through twelve pages wasn’t difficult or time consuming, it was Jason’s request of transferring Melissa to a higher status of authority.  Mel was just a week old officer and Jason, who’d been working the police force for nearly 10 years, was recommending her for something that was difficult and demanding of a FireCat. The Riot Police were only called in when needed. To recommend Mel for it after a single incident that didn’t last more than a minute, it was strange, something nobody would do, let alone Jason, but he had recommended her for it. 

Both reports were detailed beyond most, but they paralleled each other in sequence of events.  Jason was at the hospital the entire time, Mel was here and according to witnesses, Mel and Jason didn’t have time to fabricate anything, so what they said in the reports was accurate.

What concerned the chief was Mel’s use of magic. She fired two rounds from her gun before resorting to just magic to take the others down. She used a defensive spell, a fire spell and another defensive fire spell. According to her report, she encased the thugs in the defensive fire spell, poured the fire around them, a scare tactic, to show who they were up against and defended herself from them with the defensive spell. All three at once, while consuming abnormal amounts of magic with no serious prior training. The training she got from the academy wasn’t significant enough for this.

What concerned Jason and the chief, from Jason’s report, was Mel’s extreme speed. She covered 20 feet in less than two seconds, from a stand still. So on top of the three spells she conducted simultaneously, she enhanced her own body with magic. From what the chief could understand, Mel had magic capacities well above that of a regular street cop. Normally, having four different avenues of magic consumption would leave someone somewhat breathless, but according to the medics and Jason, Mel didn’t feel a thing.

The chief picked up the phone and dialed a number he only used a few times before, Yes, it’s me, I have an officer here who has displayed unusual potential recently. I’d like to set up some sort of trial to see if it’s real or just a spur of the moment thing…..Yes, thanks, goodnight.

At 9 am the next morning, Mel walked into the station and noticed someone she didn’t recognize, talking with the chief.  She changed into her uniform and went to see the chief, he was waiting for her.

Melissa, this is Sergeant Stanson, a ranking officer in the riot Police unit, the chief introduced his friend.

Hello, nice to meet you, Mel extended her hand which the Sergeant took.

Like wise.

Melissa, could you please explain to myself and the Sergeant here what happened yesterday, the chief asked.

Yes sir, Mel turned towards the Sergeant, My partner and I were patrolling when a large dark skinned man had asked for assistance, but in reality was setting up an ambush. Jason responded to his call, and while we were in conversation with the man, the crowd thinned, and left only six large men.  Jason authorized the use of deadly force and said to drop the men. He also instructed me to start reserving magic, of which I did. In the next seconds that followed, Jason and I had drawn our firearms, trained them at the men in response to the men drawing their firearms. At this point, I threw up the shield and used a locater spell for the men behind us.  Once they fired, we returned fire and were able to put down four of the six men.  The last two were able to put rounds through the shield I had created. I had lost my focus after trying to steady the shield and keep firing at the individuals. In turn, the shield dropped, Jason and I went for cover. It was during this time that Jason was injured. He couldn’t hold his firearm due to where he had been shot. He had requested for backup, but backup hadn’t arrived yet.

So I took the initiative and boosted myself physically, wrapped the defensive spell around myself, and initiated a fire spell around both hands. I darted between the men that were hiding behind trees roughly 20 feet away, encased them both in an opaque shield that would prevent them from being burned and engulfed them in flames for a few seconds.  A simple scare tactic that would force them to surrender, of which they did several seconds after I stopped the fire spell. I arrested the individuals, and requested medical attention for Jason, Mel explained.

She was about to continue when the Sergeant stopped her, That’s more than enough Mel. I’m not here to debrief you, I’m here to see what you’re magically capable of. Most street officers that come out of the academy aren’t usually able to produce…or rather sustain multiple avenues of magic consumption, like you conducted yesterday.  Maybe one to two spells, possibly three at most, but not for the duration of which you did. You also had a spell on that boosted your physical prowess significantly. So in short, four total spells.

I only kept the three spells up for maybe 10 seconds at most. Mel explained.

That’s where your report differs from Jason’s, significantly, the chief explained, He said that he counted you sustaining those spells for more than 30 seconds and was registering heat intensity from your fire spell at well over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mel had a face of disbelief, That can’t be possible.

Jason counted the seconds go by on his watch, Mel, taking note of the times, and this was after 10 to 15 seconds. The chief said.

Which means what then? Mel asked, confused.

Which means, in short, if you were to stay with this department Melissa, your skills and abilities, would be shamefully put to waste. This is an opportunity to move up to the riot police, if yesterday wasn’t a fluke, the Sergeant explained.

Mel’s mind lit up and kept it from her eyes, So, when would I need to prove this?

Pick a time, the Sergeant answered.

Noon? Mel questioned.

Perfect, follow me to the compound. I can get you setup and you can get dressed awhile, the Sergeant instructed.

Mel followed the Sergeant out of the station and followed him to the compound. It wasn’t a long walk really, but when she got there, she was a bit impressed. She really hadn’t ventured to this part of town before. Once inside, she was escorted to the locker room, where she was given a training uniform to change into.

I’ll go set up your match, a female staff member said.

Mel changed into the uniform which consisted of black pants that were like fatigues, heavy boots, tank top and a belt. Once she was done, she was shown the way out to the arena area. She was taken aback at the training facility, it was larger than it appeared. 

The Sergeant was out and talking to a small group of individuals.

There she is. Her name is Melissa OmNick, and she’s a street cop. No deadly force, but knock her down, he told them.

Two took off and ran at Mel, full steam.  She caught sight of them and realized they weren’t going to stop.  Mel responded with a physical booster spell, launched herself and managed to trip one; he fell flat on his face. She took the other down with a quick succession of kicks to the face. The first man has gotten back up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She poured more magic into her booster spell and pile drove her elbow into his side, twice. He stammered back while the second man came at her. She dropped and hooked her foot at his knee and brought him down. She flipped backwards and put 15 feet between them and her.

With a bit of magic, more than twice the booster spell, she shot fire at both, and escalated the temperature as high and as fast as she could muster.  When she ceased, the ground was scorched around the men, whom had heat shields up.

She heard clapping, which came from the Sergeant, "Very impressive, very impressive indeed.

The two men who were on the ground, got up and walked over to Mel, Awesome job and swift movements, we’re three year vets here, and you took us down, they extended their hands. She shook both.

"Now, if these two were actually trying, you’d have been on your ass and wouldn’t have gotten up. Yesterday was no fluke. Today was even better. A total of two minutes, and fire that was over 1500 Fahrenheit, which means, if you want, you can be here instead of your current department. Better pay, better training, better hours, better work, better gear," the Sergeant explained.

In short, just better, the first man said.

Mel didn’t even blink, When should I report?

Monday, 7 am sharp, here in the training area.

Done.

Have a good weekend and rest up, the Sergeant saluted.

Mel returned it, then left.

Fucking awesome, very fucking awesome, she thought on her way home.

Chapter 2

Mel told Ryan about what happened and he was ecstatic. They went out that night to celebrate and Mel came home a bit more than buzzed.

Monday morning, Mel was at the compound gate by 6:30 am, and by 6:50 she was in the training area.

You’re early, another trainee said, walking and waving toward her.

Yeah, kind of excited to be here, but worried I may not make the cut, Mel answered.

Melissa OmNick? the trainee asked.

Yeah, Mel works, Mel responded.

Name’s Rachael, Rachael extended her hand.

Ok then, Rachael, Mel wasn’t sure what to make of the girl who had short blonde hair and was about the same height with a lighter frame.

The buzz around here is all about you, don’t disappoint or I’ll personally kick your ass, Rachael challenged.

Excuse me?! Say that again to my face, you bitch! Mel stood, mad as hell.

Don’t disappoint or I’ll kick your ass, Rachael said again, was 2 inches from Mel’s face.

I dare you to try! Mel hissed back. Rachael drove her fist quickly into Mel’s stomach and then sent an elbow into her head, putting Mel on the ground.

Ow, fuck me… Mel rolled onto her back.

Rachael folded her arms, Welcome to the big league, better wise up.

More trainees started to show up, Hey Rachael, what’d you do to the newbie?’

I taught her some respect, Rachael answered. That and gave her a taste of what to expect.

What to expect? You drove your elbow into my skull! Mel said as she rubbed her temple.

Rachael knelt down and looked at Mel’s temple, You’re not bleeding; besides, I was told to do so by the Sergeant.

What…why? Mel asked bewildered.

Simple, to teach you to expect the unexpected and that mobsters won’t play by the rules. Rachael extended a hand, here, I’ll help you up, and no I won’t hit you again. Rachael reassured her when Mel glared at her, but took her hand anyways, swaying a little.

Wow, you alright? Try to shake it off, Rachael said as she steadied Mel.

Yeah, just not use to taking an elbow into the temple, Mel replied.

Nobody is the first time, we’ve all been there, done that, it’s initiation for the newbies, Rachael explained.

LINE UP! shouted the Sergeant as he entered the training area. Thus the training had begun for Mel.

By lunch time, Melissa was hurting all over from the strenuous exercise, but was still glad to be there. She wasn’t just a cop, she was a riot cop now and that demanded respect over street cops. Compared to the other trainees, she was lacking in strength, but made up for it in agility and speed. During the physical training sessions, magic wasn’t allowed to be used, nor was it allowed to be used in hand to hand unless granted by the instructor. 

In the afternoon, she was put through close quarters combat training for several hours, learning more advanced moves than the street cop academy.  The other trainees said this would continue for several weeks, but she’d be getting paid to do so.  It was only a matter of time before she would be training with magic, which was the area everybody was looking forward to. Her first day, everybody saw the magic potential she had and couldn’t wait to see how much more powerful her magic use had come since she started physical training.

Ok Mel, let’s see what you’ve got today, the Sergeant said, Johnson, line up and take on Mel.

Mel walked to the hand to hand area and waited for Johnson. Once he was there, the Sergeant gave the ok, and both attacked. Mel tried to faint a high punch and deliver a low one, but Johnson countered and dodged, griped her arm and used her own force against her to flip her and put his knee on her neck.

Done, Johnson said. The entire combination of moves had caught her off guard.

Next.  Each trainee took a turn against Melissa.  Even though it was training, it would help in the field. She tried different tactics each time, but lost every match.

Mel, you’re to go home and study this book. If you can, find a sparring partner. Next week we’ll do this again, to see how far you’ve advanced, the Sergeant instructed.

Why is it only me, sir? Mel asked, curious as to why she was getting special attention.

Because nobody has shown the amount of magical power and ability you have for years and only those with a certain amount can become riot police, the Sergeant explained.

Mel shrugged and continued with the rest of the training for the day. Lunch was provided, tailored to offer the maximum nutrients to keep the body strong and mind sharp.

That night Mel was at home with ice on almost every part of her body. Her sore achy muscles refused all movement unless absolutely necessary.

Ow… she groaned as she shifted her weight.

No magic allowed, huh? Ryan asked.

Yeah, Sergeants orders.  If I use magic, it won’t allow the muscles learn the proper way of healing after a strenuous workout and training.  It’s healthier this way, and safer. In about 5 minutes, I’m going to go soak in the bathtub, Mel explained.

Yeah, using magic to heal muscles isn’t best, considering what’s happened with a few officers. The muscles never healed right and later scarred and they couldn’t work right afterwards, Ryan continued.

Either way, I’m gonna be turning in early to get enough sleep for tomorrow, Mel started to get up.

How was it today, other than painful? Ryan asked.

I got my ass handed to me, but then again, the riot police are on an entirely different scale than street police. I’ve been given a manual on hand to hand combat. I’m supposed to study it and, if I can, get a partner to help with it.  They’re going to teach it to me, but they figured this will give me a heads up to it, Mel continued.

I’ll be here if you need help, Ryan offered. Mel waved and went to soak in the tub.

* * * * *

PICK UP THE PACE MEL! the Sergeant yelled at her. She still lagged behind the rest of the trainees when it came to physical fitness.  The Sergeant needed to get her to top performance quickly, never knowing when a mob may break out, or some other incident that required something more than the shoddy street police.

He looked at his watch, 12 on the dot, Lunch time! he called and walked to his office while the trainees went to lunch.

Damn, I’m already spent and its only noon, Mel mumbled.

Welcome to the Riot police. The pansy ass training that the street police do is nothing compared to this, and this isn’t even full steam. To us, this is a vacation, only cause you’re here.  Give it another week and we’ll be at full steam, running twice this, Rachael explained.  Rachael had turned out to be decent. She gave Mel tips about everything, including how to excel at being a riot police. 

The physical training that was being dished out was exhausting. Mel couldn’t even count how many miles, push-ups and sit ups she’d done in the past 5 hours. After lunch they’d be doing more, then hand to hand combat for the rest of the day.  To riot police, hand to hand was essential. Yes, training with the equipment was important, but an entire day was spent doing that, usually a Friday.  Hand to hand had to be second nature and effective without thinking, a single half second of delay could mean the life or death, so you had to know the proper sequence of moves and be sure enough that it would take down the enemy, with or without magic. While you had a partner right behind you during riots, you needed to make sure you could defend both your partner and yourself against two or three people.

Hey Mel, the Sergeant came over, You got a second? Mel followed him to a secluded area.

Yeah Sergeant, what’s up?

You keeping up alright with the rest? I know that it’s only been a few days, but I need to make sure you can handle this physical training, he asked, concerned that she was still lagging behind.

I’m just not used to it. It took me about a week to keep up while in the academy.  The same should be with this training, give me till Friday. If I don’t keep up Monday, I’ll train outside the 7 to 5, Mel said.

Ok then, Monday will be exam day for you. If you keep up, then we’ll push it to the fullest extent. I look forward into not doubting myself, the Sergeant said then went back to his office.

Mel walked back, Tell it how it is, why don’t you, Mel shook her head.

What’d he want?

Just wanted to know if I could keep up with the training and wanted his nerves to be put at ease since he’s doubting himself now, Mel said glumly.

Don’t worry about, come Monday, you’ll be ready, Rachael said. All Mel did was nod.

During combat practice Mel studied the book, the moves others were making and tried to comprehend it.  When it came to using them, she kept reverting to street cop techniques, which resulted in less than spectacular losses.

Fuck, I don’t get it, Mel applied bandages to her scrapes and cuts in the locker room.

You’re either not trying it, or not comprehending the moves, Rachael answered.

Easy for you to say, you had instruction, I didn’t.

Ask the Sergeant for help, I’m sure he’ll be more than happy that you asked and to help you.

Mel did just that after changing, hey Sergeant, can I talk to you, she was outside the gate, ready to go home.

What’s up?

"These combat courses, I don’t get the moves, I can’t seem to remember