10 weeks ago

A red hover convertible floated down in front of the subtle-looking bar known as 'Three-eyed Love'. From inside, the driver looked out of the window and towards the top floor window to see what looked like paper cranes and planes being tossed out of them one after another, a usual sight. One that caused the driver to sigh in annoyance.

"Why am I his handler again?" The driver questioned himself, knowing the answer and regretting their history a bit.

Climbing out of his car and making his way to the bar entrance, he felt another sigh come as he pressed his finger on the wooden and steel door before entering.

"Afternoon Detective McKluth." The owner greeted," Here for pleasure, or is this another professional call."

The detective gave the owner a somewhat tired grin and pointed upward," Business, but I'll take a drink before beginning, Garnet."

Garnet pursed her full lips in a small smile," the usual, Kevin?" Her voice was cool silk to the ears, a welcoming sound to go with her curvaceous and alluring physique. She didn't wait for an answer as she began her work.

"So, how long has he been up?" Kevin inquired, looking at Garnet and her figure in her black and red bodysuit, which accentuated every curve of the African-British woman. Her afro was soft and steady as she made his drink, something called a twist martini.

"How many are out there?"

Kevin knew what she was referring to, the mess of cranes and planes that didn't quite get the same hangtime as the others.

"Didn't count," Kevin shrugged as his drink slid to him, "too busy wondering how I got this position."

"My," Garnet leaned over the bar, moving a bit closer, the cut of her collar surprisingly inviting, showing a fair amount of cleavage, "it's almost like you dread coming to my bar."

"Well, it's not your fault." Kevin smirked, taking a drink, "Your hospitality is always a joy."

"I'm aware, your eye-fucking assured that."

"I'm a detective, just trying to detect how you got all that sexy in that tight bodysuit."

"Though very salacious movements and very enticing hip rolls, from what I am told." She didn't smile, but her tone held joviality and tease.

"Lucky person, waking up next to you."

"No one gets to wake up next to me." Garnet spoke with a bit of steel and dark pleasure, "Unlike you Kevin, our dogs don't usually hold relationships and start a family."

"You're not a dog anymore. You served your assignments."

"Not an active one, but I do house one, Handler," Garnet stated with a bit of distaste.

"Another way those on top keep others under their thumb."

"You volunteered to be a dog," Kevin sipped his glass, savoring the taste, "I always wondered why, someone with no criminal record choosing to be a government dog, especially when the bounty hunter registration was right there."

"Government assistance, they still need to treat their little enforcers with some kind of respect, Detective," Garnet stated as she adjusted her three lens shades before taking a drink of her own. "Rather they like it or not, they need to keep us pleased, even those that are paying a debt to society, after all.."

Kevin watched as Garnet placed the now empty glass face down and flipped up her shades, revealing her three eyes; left a ruby red, right a sapphire blue, and on her forehead an eye the color of a purplish Garnet.

The same gem that embeds the palms of her hands since birth.

"The city's peaceful days rely on its dogs' fangs... isn't that right, Handler?"

Kevin was about to respond when heavy footsteps could be heard from the staircase behind the bar; its furthest northwest corner.

"Hey Garnet, can I get a broom? I..." The voice of Steven resounded before he showed himself.

Opening the red and blue swirl-painted door, the gem hybrid revealed himself, dressed in a black tank top and slacks; he gave them both a look over before turning his attention to Kevin, his handler.

"You're earlier than expected, McKluth," Steven spoke nonchalantly as he made his way to Kevin. "How's Holly and Helen?"

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Steven gave a smile through half-lidded eyes.

Kevin threw himself away from Steven's grasp, nearly falling on his ass as he moved, only for Steven to catch his wrist.

"Now, it's not a good look for a handler to be afraid of his dog, is it?" Steven pulled him up to his feet, "the dog just might bite if they feel they can't trust their handler." Steven grinned before wiping his shoulders, "Lucky, I know I can trust you, Kevin. Giving our history."

"You.."

"But, that was a lifetime ago, " Steven interrupted, a smirk on his face that was gentle but sent a shiver down Kevin's spine, though the detective didn't let it show as he cleared his throat.

"Right...A lifetime ago." Kevin mumbled referring to the ex-criminal. 'Still doesn't wash away your past extortion methods,' Kevin thought to himself before pulling out a metal circular disk with a bluish-green platform in the middle and placing it on the bar.

"Can I get a drink, Garnet?" Steven asked the bartender as he sat down eyes on the dusk as its center began to light up, displaying a hardlight folder.

Garnet glanced at Kevin, her expression unreadable, before turning her attention to Steven. She nodded and prepared a drink for him, the corners of her lips curving slightly. "Here you go, Steven," she said, sliding the glass over to him. "Enjoy."

Steven took a sip of his drink and turned his attention back to Kevin, his eyes flickering with an intensity that made Kevin uneasy. "So, what's the assignment this time?" he asked, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and mischief.

Kevin sighed, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small holographic device. He activated it, projecting an image of a man onto the bar counter. "This is Gregory Kane," he explained, pointing at the figure. "He's a renowned tech genius who recently went missing under mysterious circumstances."

Steven leaned forward, studying the image intently. His eyes glimmered with excitement as he processed the information. "Interesting," he murmured.

"He's also a serial killer or so we believe," Kevin added quickly as he took a sip of his drink.

"You believe?"

"Every officer who tried to find him never returned. so far five are still missing."

Steven hummed looking at the holographic image of Gregory; he looked between 35-40, and his sharp features held a kind and tired expression with his grayish-blue eyes and slightly combed-back hairstyles. His skin was flushed red and his lips were clammy, chipped, and thin. "Doesn't look much of a murderer to me."

"Looks can be deceiving, you should know that more than anyone, Mr. Pink."

Steven kissed his teeth at his handler's comment, his eyes taking on a dangerous pink glow, "I'm not that person anymore." Steven gave a small grin that didn't reach his eyes, "despite what you think."

"No, you might be more dangerous now."

"Only for criminals." Steven chuckled, "Besides, I'm more of a lover now; like I said not that person anymore and paying my dues to this fair city."

"Sure, you're a hero." Kevin blew an annoyed sigh" A bastion of goodness and light."

"Ha! Far from it!" Steven laughed, "But I'm much better than I used to be. Trying to be better. "

"Trying huh?" Kevin questioned, a sense of unease settling in his gut as he watched Steven's playful demeanor.

"Is that why you litter the front with paper planes? Trying to reach someone, Maybe?"

Steven hummed taking a sip, "Not something for you to know, McKluth." His voice held a slight warning, "Personal matters."

"Which makes you hard to trust, Pink."

"I handle the work given to me, don't I? Two years in, I haven't acted outside of my contract."

"Sure, but the whole change came a bit too quickly, and after disappearing for a time before... there's a whole blank period in your past."

"It's in the past why worry about it?"

"Because I've been extorted by you and your family in the past."

"You were just an informant."

"And you used my then-girlfriend as a pawn to keep me in line, didn't you, Pink."

Steven kissed his teeth gulping his drink, his demeanor hardening as a bit of guilt gripped his heart, "Well that's why I requested you as my handler, now you get to boss me around, retribution or whatever. leave it in the past."

Kevin clenched his fists, trying to suppress the anger that burned within him. Memories of that time flooded his mind—the fear, the desperation, the feeling of being trapped. He had thought he would never escape Steven's clutches. "Sure, says the one who still trapped in his own past. broken heart maybe?"

Steven said nothing but gave a low humorless chuckle as he took the last of his drink.

"Oh, now that's surprising if a little funny" Kevin pushed seeing Steven's hand tighten," Didn't think you have a special someone...or Had, I should say."

Steven's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and pain, his pink glow intensifying. "Drop it, McKluth," he warned through gritted teeth.

But Kevin was relentless. "Who was it? Someone you couldn't save? Or someone who couldn't handle the truth about you?"

Garnet watched the exchange silently, her three eyes observing everything with an unreadable expression. She could sense the tension in the air, the weight of their shared history hanging over them like a dark cloud.

Suddenly, a violent surge of energy erupted from Steven, crackling with pink electricity. The bar patrons around them started to back away, sensing the danger in the air. Kevin braced himself for an attack, but before Steven could unleash his powers, Garnet stepped in between them.

"Gentlemen..."Garnet's voice cut through the tense air like a blade. Both Kevin and Steven turned to look at her, surprised by the sternness in her tone. She placed her hands on the bar, her gemstones glowing with a fiery intensity. "Enough," she said firmly. "There's no room for grudges and personal vendettas here. You have a job to do, and going to do it professionally."

steven sighed before nodding and turning to the folder.

"Right," Kevin muttered, his gaze fixed on the holographic image of Gregory Kane. "We need to track him down before he strikes again."

Steven nodded curtly, his pink eyes flickering with curiosity before reverting to his normal brown.

"So do you have any idea about where he might be?" Steven inquired, "I doubt he would still be in the city by now?"

"That's the thing." Kevin started, "He usually stays on the city outskirts, and has a whole mansion-like lab up there."

"Government funded, I'm sure," Garnet commented.

"State government funded." Kevin injected, "His research is greatly respected, but can't fund a possible murderer."

"And paying the families of these maybe deceased cops is hurting the government's pockets." Steven sneered with a huff,

"enough to send one of their very expendable dogs."

"Believe it or not, I'm not a fan of it, but it is what it is." Kevin clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing at Steven's tone. He had always known that Steven had a rebellious streak, but sometimes it rubbed him the wrong way. Still, he couldn't deny Steven's effectiveness when it came to getting the job done.

"Such a bleeding heart."

"Compensation, government-paid board, freedom, and a chance to get your record clean." Kevin listed off several perks of Steven's situation." You have more than the regular nine-to-five, or local officer." His nostrils flared in annoyance, "Not that the government cares about the lives of a few cops when compared to their precious funding."

"But you do," Garnet stated looking at Kevin's disappointed and sardonic demeanor.

"They're my fellow officers, good men, women, and others. Like me, they care about justice and protecting innocent lives," Kevin took a gulp of his drink finishing it off before placing it down.

"Going to their families to announce their disappearance... yeah, it weighs heavy on me...add that to the higher-ups who only care about their interests, and make those on the front lines expendable. Sometimes the government feels as criminal as the gangs and mobs we try to take down."

"every institution has its corruption." Steven stated as he got up from his seat, "That's why justice is singular as it is varied." he stretched his arms, "But that is a conversation for another time. so where are we going?"

"Woods in the county of Reekskill," Kevin stated as the hologram shifted to a map highlighting a dense forest area with a path heading to the center of the area. " The mansion itself is near the center."

"Not on the map I see, an unregistered address?"

"No address, government wanted to keep it under wraps," Kevin stated as he pressed on the hologram showing the Co-ordinates of the mansion,' "Need to keep protecting their assets after all."

Steven smirked at the sarcasm," So we're just bringing him in, right?"

"You're just bringing him in." Kevin corrected.

"What?"

"There's some other business I have to attend to." Kevin told Steven as he gave him the holodisk, " But yes, the goal is to bring him in alive."

"I'll make sure he's unharmed." Steven agreed

"Never said unharmed." Kevin said pointedly, " I said alive. Just use your best judgment... Depending on any of the officers you might find."

"and if they all are dead?" Steven arched his brow as his handler finished his drink.

"my statement still stands," Kevin informed " Alive, don't care how alive..."

Steven whistled, a dark smirk coming to his face, "Aye aye, sir."

Garnet shook her head with a smirk, "I'll clean up the mess you made outside, go get ready for work Steven."

"Work." Steven chuckled as he headed towards the stairs, " Thanks for cleaning up Garnet, I'll make it up to you."

"You always say that." Garnet grinned as the hybrid made his way upstairs. door closing behind him. She turned to Kevin who was getting ready to leave himself, "So, they coming today, huh?"

Kevin smirked, " They should be in the city in a few hours, I'll be there to pick them up...Thanks for giving them a place to stay."

"Hey, I'm just looking after a fellow dog, besides I've known them since they were sixteen years old, it would be nice to see them again..." She went to get a garbage bag and broom, "It's not a problem, you want to come with to pick them up?"

"Naw, you have your business to run and everything. I'll be back later to drop them off." Kevin smirked, " Later G."

"Say hi to the missus and little one for me." Garnet waved as the detective closed the door behind him.

Meanwhile, on a hover train, A mother is watching her child read an AR newspaper with a smile on her face, the child's pink gem belly button slightly peeking from under their t-shirt.

Unaware that she and her child are being watched. if one was detailed enough they would see an indigo tattoo peeking from the watcher's wrist, as they reached for a hidden weapon.

a tattoo that symbolizes one belonging to a branch of an assassin clan.

a less detailed offshoot of the same tattoo bored by mother and child alike. the runaway princess and her child.

They bear the mark of the main family of the Maheswaran, the world's deadliest assassin clan.