Checking the outside cameras on my wristband, I chose the path with fewer Trinity members.
While I waited for her to get dressed and bag her gear, I took a final sip of coffee.
Before heading to the door, I got hit by a massive yawn that made my whole body shake as if an electric discharge had just struck me. After the involuntary biological response, I laid eyes on Officer Sun, who was watching me.
"So vampires do get sleepy." As she noticed I took too long staring at her, I recomposed myself and took the lead.
The woman wore the same faded light-blue hoodie, my samurai mask obscuring her face, and her hair left loose and untamed. She looked like a completely different person—definitely a disguise master. Looking at her, I'd never say she was a cop.
"Let's go, stealthy master."
Overpopulated as always, the slum was again packed with people and noise.
Going down the stairs, residents had their doors open to sell all kinds of stuff or offer suspicious services. Some were outside talking and smoking on the stairways. A few of the guys on my floor gave me a shoutout when I passed, accompanied by the Officer right by my side.
I signaled a greeting without stopping, while Officer Sun kept her head down, unbothered by the sexist comments.
Walking to the station with that woman was going to be a parade. Everyone I knew would say something dumb about us. Can't blame them—it looked exactly how they were imagining.
"Fenix, you beast!" A few flights of stairs down, a Trinity boy I used to make deliveries with shouted.
With a shy wave, I passed by, hoping the Officer wouldn't pick up on any of it. In times like these, I hated knowing that many people. I wasn't friends with all of them—we just knew each other from the block, or once upon a time we worked together. It's hard to stay isolated in this place.
"Why are you a beast, Fenix?" For the first time since we left the apartment, she said something.
I almost didn't hear it, if it wasn't from how close we had to be given the small size of the staircases.
"It's a long story."
"Oh, I bet it's absolutely riveting."
"I can't control what people say." I shrugged, letting the tip of a smirk escape my lips.
Downstairs, there were Trinity members everywhere. They were separated into small groups of three or four in every building and alley. It was particularly easy to point them out. The gangs had unique traces. Church members were the Steelheads—all synthetic limbs, big and robust to focus on brute strength.
The Circus gang had undergone so many surgeries they barely looked human—skin dyed in wild shades, features warped into alien contours. They stood out so much, people called them Neonheads.
Then there was the Pharmacy gang, or the VRheads. They replaced their eyes, respiratory and circulatory systems with biosynthetic organs, turning their faces and torsos into elaborate machines—all so they could pump themselves full of drugs and VR trips without dying… at least not right away.
As we crossed the building door, there was another group I was familiar with. Some nodded at me and I returned the gesture.
"Stay close." I told her when we entered our first crowded alley. There were people all over the place, making visibility very hard.
A few meters into the alley, I looked back to check if Officer Sun was behind me, and as expected, she wasn't.
I stood on my toes trying to find her red head from above, and luckily, she was just a few bodies behind. Probably didn't push hard enough to pass through the sea of people. As soon as she caught up, looking breathless and disoriented, I grabbed tight to her hand and pulled her as I moved forward.
Hand in hand, we went all the way over to the main street, where there was more space and she wouldn't get lost anymore. I let go of her soft, sweaty hand.
"Thank you." She let out after we crossed the street, right under the train tracks that shook the ground.
"I'm sorry for that, I didn't want you to fall behind." On my hand, I missed the warmth that she left on it. As a habit, I pulled my hair back, regretting not tying it up before leaving.
"I won't forget all you did…" She looked up to me with small eyes, fighting the light of an ad right above us. "One of these days I'll pay you back for the coffee."
"Yeah… just don't die a stupid death in a stupid operation." I had no idea how to respond to such honest gratitude. All I did was fight against my hair in an attempt to get rid of her touch.
"I'll do my best."
And like that, she turned around and left.
I watched her a little before starting to make my way back. It was all so strange. We started things the wrong way. She knew what I was going to do on that balcony, and now she was thanking me repeatedly.
Something about her was off. The way she switched tones when talking about something random like coffee, or how she looked harmless in sweat clothes. That image was something to remember, definitely. A cop in the slums—that must've been the first time in decades.