Chapter Text
Vanessa could smell traces of gasoline wafting in the gentle breeze as she stalked around the barren circle of the gas station under a generous blanket of icy darkness. The property was dead silent save for the overflow of polychrome lights exhausting the cityscape and large letters that loomed from the roof top blinking haphazardly.
She ditched the idea of storming through the main opening and was prowling through the side with a degree of caution. Slowly treading until she reached the end of the wall, veering across the corner with her gun extended to an invisible enemy. A thin, impermanent cloud cut through the air when she realized she was alone and it fed her enough courage to approach the backdoor.
This side of the property was the loneliest of it all. To her left, a stretch of dune expanded far into the distance. The only light nearby was a small lantern bleeding a tiny bubble of orange that illuminated a few dry bushes close by.
Vanessa wondered if the suspect had fled, it'd be smarter than holding people hostage. She didn't know anything about him other than he was medium build, average height, male and wearing a mask to shield his identity — and that he was armed and dangerous.
She had dealt with worse so no fear fatigued her, instead she was already foraging a violent plan in her head. If this man didn't surrender, she'd send his teeth scattering across the floor or moaning against the wall with his knees backed into his chest in surrender.
The door slid open with ease and it restrained her pursuit, her gun lowered for a second. There were plenty of possibilities of why it wasn't locked. Maybe the suspect did escape, or maybe this was how he got in the first place. It was more outlandish, but the idea of it being a trap did cross her mind.
She waved the fog out of her head and sneaked inside, feather-stepping over the scatter of products all over the hallway. A narrative was painted all over the gas station, an obvious one at that. The place was in complete disarray, the signs of struggle weren't discreet at all. Vanessa inhaled sharply at the small spatters of blood across the floor. The vents sputtered and hummed, serving as the only company Vanessa could sense.
The storage room was completely empty, nothing taken, nothing scattered. Completely clean of the isolated chaos that had torn through the building. It peaked her suspicion for a moment but she continued, gingerly checking the aisles.
Nothing. Well, apart from a spill of bags and flattened candy bars. She could smell coffee brewing, the chill of the freezers felt against the side of her body. Everything was running like it was supposed to, just without the people.
The sight of another door hooked her, not only was it surrounded by destruction but it was boarded up with a broken chair. She tightened her handle on her gun and treaded down the room, pushing the barrier aside to twist the handle.
When she peaked into the darkness she jumped at the sight of two women with stripes of red tape covering their faces and bodies, restrained to the ground.
They stirred with confusion, panic muffles left their gags. Vanessa knelt down, silencing them. “It's the police, don't worry. Stay calm, alright?”
She looked behind her shoulder and then focused her hands on tearing their eyes and lips free. The tape cracked loudly and the woman whimpered before cupping her mouth to rub the pain away. Vanessa whispered, “Is anyone else here?”
“It’s just us.” She answered. Vanessa freed the other woman, slowly expressing her thanks. The woman continued, a lump was present in her throat. Evident that she had been weeping for a long time. “He just came out of nowhere. He threatened us and — and asked for safe money. Oh my God.”
Vanessa pulled on the tape restricting her body, stripping them free as she spoke. “Did he hurt any of you?”
“No. He just wanted money from the safe, so we gave it to him … I think he left, but I — I don't know.”
“Okay, well. I’m going to call for backup, and I need you two to stay quiet. Can you do that for me?” She explained, they nodded at the same time. “Good.”
Part of her wanted to call for backup …
A shrill cry sent her ears ringing, “Look out!”
Loud pain arrowed into her head without warning and throbbed furiously. In the thick of her response, she was dragged away by her collar and bashed against the freezer doors. Black spots moved madly in her vision; her movements were staggered from the warm dizziness ravaging her instincts and she was left temporarily winded long enough for strong hands to pull her up to her boots and send her flying onto the ground. A plexus of agony stampeded through her, only strengthening when she rose.
It was now that she realized that she had lost her gun and her eyes darted around to find the silver outline somewhere in the rough, but her confusion would have to wait as the suspect was right in front of her, flexing his bandaged fists. The dispatch wasn’t exaggerating, he looked borderline feral. His mask was a wolf mask frozen in a snarl, red eyes bulging out of its stretchy face. A scratchy mane draped his shoulders, torn ears dipping — the quality was almost laughable but it was also so absurd it made her consider if the aftermath of being slammed against the wall was jeopardized vision.
Vanessa could see his body language was congested with ferity, but she could also see something inviting in his stance. As if he was taunting her, as if he was asking for her to fight him. Vanessa’s eyes slanted downward with concentration, scowling. Whatever he desired had now exposed itself in her expression and he reacted with excitement, practically bouncing in his step as if he was in a video game.
What? Thoughts raced through her mind, but this one was the loudest. Was she fighting a drunkard or some lunatic? Not like it could be mutually exclusive. He didn’t seem under the influence of alcohol, but he did look wired.
He rushed towards her with his arms out, resembling the very creature he was weaponizing to hide his identity and Vanessa braced herself. They collided, muscles burning as they wrestled. Vanessa was able to overpower her lack of congruence and kicked him in the stomach, each jab loosened his grip but it only put more into his strike to her jaw. He kicked her to the edge of the counter, far enough to make it easy to dodge his fist. Next time, not so much.
Her nose practically boiled with something excruciating. The taste of blood made her curse and she shoved him onto the aisle, where he slipped and fell onto his back like an idiot. A satisfying howl of pain left his mask.
Quickly, Vanessa scrambled away to rush to where she had lost the gun. Both of the hostages had closed themselves in the closet, which was fortunate because the man basically barreled onto it in hopes of getting some damage. Vanessa pulled away plastic and other clutter, where the hell was her gun?
She couldn’t search for long. Vanessa spun around and started backpedaling away from her attacker until she had gained enough space to get up and rush to another part of the room. He was hot on her tail, but he stopped to catch his breath. They were circling each other like predators, twitching with anticipation. Vanessa had to admit, this was exciting and whoever this was understood as well.
Vanessa stole the opportunity and they wrestled again, the brutality was shared equally between them. It was a storm of punches and kicks, her teeth even found his arm. In between their twisted tango, they were bouncing against the walls like pinballs. Which was softening them up, her back was screaming with pain and judging by his tired groans, he could sympathize.
His ugly muzzle pressed against her face and it made her realize something. With swift speed, Vanessa pulled away his disguise and tossed it aside. It almost swept him off his feet and he responded with rage, “Asshole!”
He rammed his head towards her, Vanessa stumbled back with a violent cough. She got a good look of him: square features, hazel eyes and dark, curly slick back hair. She even noticed some light freckles decorating his face. She tried to remember his face as best as she could in the few seconds she had left.
Big hair.
Brown eyes.
Freckles.
Square jaw, square nose.
He ran towards her. Vanessa inhaled sharply, time seemed to be lost. Everything grew slower.
Little facial hair.
Mid twenties.
White.
While she had a good memory, she was never the best at describing people. She could only verbalize a lick of their likeliness, even if she remembered his face it’d probably distort in her mind and lose its accuracy. It was exactly why witness testimonies were so dicey.
Vanessa’s eyes glanced at the coffee brewing next to her. She could still smell its aroma, its warm aroma. Without second thought, she grabbed the jug and smashed it against his face. Black, scalding hot liquid hit the top of his head once the glass exploded on impact and he spun around, wagging his hands and hopping away blindly like something straight out of Loony Toons. He slurred furiously throughout his dance, “Motherfucker!”
Burnt flesh and coffee insulted her nostrils. Vanessa knew he was weak and locked him in a chokehold. He choked and tried bucking her off to no avail. His lungs seemed like they were on the verge of collapse, knees growing weak from the deprivation of air. He gasped and fell back, Vanessa yelled in pain from the hard tile against her back and his sudden weight.
They rolled around and she smelled his bitter breath against her face. The suspect was bruised, bloody and contorting with rage. He continued massacring her face, all she could taste was his bruised knuckles and blood. Her squirming didn't solve anything, he only pounded harder.
Somehow the fight had gotten dirtier. She dragged her sharp nails down his face, adding an extra prick to his face injuries. It only made him grunt, so she had to resort to punching the fresh on the side of his head. He flew back, slapping her hands off with a loud hiss. Vulture-like eyes darkened with anger and his hand quickly dove into his back pocket.
Then she saw it, the silver exterior of a small pistol between the man's gloves. Her eyes widened.
She forgot he was armed, but confusion dawned on her. Was he just looking for a fight? Was he just trying to find another way to take down a cop without bullets? She couldn't ponder any longer because a quick stab to the head shocked her unconsciousness, the darkness came without warning.
Vanessa could hear … something. Her scenes were dulled from the fatigue swarming her body, so her surroundings exposed themselves in colorful, fuzzy shapes that she couldn't properly name due to the haze disturbing her head.
Everything in her body was screaming. Sores, blisters and bruises had suddenly amplified, rocking her system with unbearable waves of pain. A wound on her head was weeping tears of blood that veined down her face, her face strengthened when her head throbbed.
Like anyone, she tried to soothe herself with her hand but she was suspended. Vanessa looked down in shock to see the same very red tape trapping her to a rusty chair. She struggled within her colorful restraints, it was so tight she almost felt claustrophobic.
She heard heavy footsteps behind her, Vanessa couldn't register what was happening before she turned around to face an angry man with light coffee stains on his face. He cleaned some blood off his face with his sleeve, he said nothing and just looked at her with an indescribable expression.
Panic rose inside her when her memories started flooding back. She blurted, “Where are the hostages?”
“What?” His voice was softer than she expected.
“The women in the closet!” Vanessa yelled, he only blinked and increased the negative space. Another chair was present in the room, which he relaxed in across from her. “What’d you do?”
He responded as if it was obvious, “Nothing?”
Vanessa pushed against the tape violently. Not only was she enraged, but embarrassed and confused as well. “What the hell are you doing?”
The man crossed his legs and looked at her as if she was the crazy one. He looked oddly calm, a contrast between the pompous and violent side of him she had been exposed to. She didn't care, Vanessa demanded more. “Answer me!”
“Or what?” He challenged, he spun his gun around teasingly. “You'll arrest me? Taze me? Shoot me?”
Vanessa was going to tell him she'd crack his head open but she was compromised, so she only snorted. “I'll do way worse than that, jackass.”
Her response made his brows perk up. “Oh, yeah? From where I'm sitting I don't think you can do anything.”
“You're not escaping,” Vanessa kept moving. “The whole area will be surrounded in minutes.”
Amusement shaped his lips, “Really? I've been here for a little while and I don't see any backup. Maybe they're doing something more important or they just don't care about some small-town cop.”
Small-town cop? Vanessa growled. He was toying with her and all she could do was sit in some flashy web. She satisfied some of her aggression by looking at the injuries she inflicted. While she didn't win, she felt victorious remembering knowing how much she had beaten out of him.
He must have noticed where her eyes were lingering because he tried to tilt his head to shade some of his wound. Regardless of how boasting, he was still embarrassed.
He skidded closer and set his boot on top of her left knee. The disrespect he was radiating was enough to make her teeth sink into her bottom lip. He continued, disgust sizzled in his voice. “You're pretty brutal. I mean, I know you're a cop but …” he pointed to his burn with his gun. “... this was pretty surprising.”
“You attacked me first.” She argued. That made him roll his eyes. Was he seriously annoyed that she dared to defend herself? Vanessa wished he wore that stupid mask again. She couldn't stand looking at him so she focused on her surroundings.
Vanessa was in the neat little room she had first looked in. It wasn't anything noteworthy. It just looked like it was a room for storage. Or maybe a break room. Perhaps a mix of both. Nothing but shelves and boxes and an oddly, bright light dangling over her. The atmosphere was … uncomfortable. The dust, the blood and most of all, the tension, was all so oppressive.
His gaze didn't leave her. Vanessa had enough, “Do realize how long attacking and abducting an officer can get you?”
“Guess none of that crossed my mind.” He answered without care. Vanessa realized that he was studying her, but it wasn't out of objectification. It was as if he was fascinated with her. He tilted his head and raised the bottom of his boot to her stomach. “Really funny that all it took was a little bit of red tape to stop you. Where's all that anger now, officer?”
If looks could kill, she'd be a much happier woman. They both stared at each other. While she was imagining daggers ruining his face, he had something else entirely. “What's your plan here? Are you going to shoot me or something?”
“... No.” He explained, “I just want to understand what I'm dealing with.”
“Stop lying.” Vanessa said through her teeth. “And let me fucking go already!”
“God, you're the angriest person I've ever restrained. Could only imagine how many people you put on the ground.” He stood up and cocked his head, Vanessa craned her head up to look at him with barely contained fury. “Not so fun being imprisoned, is it?”
It wasn't as if she had to imagine. Vanessa’s life was already purgatory, it had been since the day she was born. He was just trying to teach her a listen, one she had no interest in listening to. “You're one to talk.”
He shrugged. “I only do this because I need to.”
“No you don't.” She shouted, her own hypocrisy made her feel a little ill.“Everyone has a choice. You’re a goddamn monster who deserves to rot.”
“Oh my God, did I hurt your ego that bad?” He tried to hold back a cackle. “I figured you'd be a better sport, I mean, you guys being bringers of justice and all.”
“Quit preaching.” Vanessa spat.
“Rude.” He pouted. “I'm just … practicing my first amendment rights, I have freedom to say whatever I want. I even have the freedom to say you're a piece of shit who hides behind a badge so you can curb stomp people on the streets to get yourself off.”
Suddenly, she tried to pull through all of her tape through a series of violent spasms. “Whoa, whoa. Easy. If you keep struggling I might need to add another layer.”
“Fucking try me!” Her voice echoed.
His eyes widened at her bold answer, a strange rush of excitement coursed through him. Most people didn't retort like she did. Her defiance made him smile, but it didn't do enough to stop him from biting off another piece of tape to stop another retort. “Language, officer.”
Her angry muffled threats didn't do much but make her look stupid. Vanessa continued to thrash and swear, he stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. “Save your breath.”
He walked past her and Vanessa tried to rotate her chair to his direction, weakly bucking to give chase. He stopped and let her get close enough to stop her with his boot. He smiled and slowly pushed her, letting gravity do the rest of the work. Vanessa didn't fall quietly, cursing his entire bloodline behind a restrictive shield.
He knelt down to really rub it in. For some reason, this felt more intimate. Vanessa could see his eye bags, the tiny scars that decorated his face, she even noticed he had an earring. Was she really that angry she was forgetting to pluck out things to remember him by?
He caressed the side of her cheek with his gun, “Everyone loses sometimes, don't feel bad. I’m sure your colleagues will understand how much you messed up during that fight. I mean, your taser was right there.”
He holstered his weapon. “Guess you just wanted to blow some steam and play hero. I don't blame you, we all need a win. Maybe you'll get that by arresting a couple of kids for vandalism.”
Vanessa’s gaze narrowed. She hated that he had a point. Maybe she was just doing this to mend herself, she had been stumbling due to insecurity. Part of her was hoping to reign supreme over some gas station robber or better yet, just not embarrass herself. He stood up, grumbling at the pain from their fight. The aftermath was hitting him just as hard. “Well, my time's up.”
Vanessa shook her head rapidly and squirmed around, roaring as she watched him leave. He stood by the door in front of him and looked around his shoulder, instead of a smile he flashed her an almost empathetic expression before slipping into the hallway. He picked up a backpack set outside, most likely overflowing with the spoils of his robbery — his successful robbery.
The door shut behind him and Vanessa resorted to yelling like a lunatic for him to come back. Promises of brutality and death came out as incoherent, only for her to understand. When she got no answer, she went limp until she heard the familiar song of police sirens.