It had been a strange day. Colt, who had been so excited for his exam... didn't see it pass.

Yes he had been to the police station, yes he had talked to his colleagues, yes he showed up (one more time) how skilled he was at shooting

But it felt more like he was the passenger of his body, not the driver. Like he had turned on automatic mode.
He vaguely remembered having eaten in the cafeteria, having dealt with a file of unpaid Minutes...
He even remembered that his superior congratulated him for his shots during the exercise, and that he could soon pass the final test to officially be able to carry firearms.
But all of that felt like somebody told him this, not as if he had lived that day.

Sun was low in the sky when Colt got on his Vespa to go home.

He went back through the same traffic light, drove down the same dusty alleys.
Once again he stopped in front of his house. But for once he apprehended...
He didn't want to go home, he knew what was waiting for him once he got back.

Colt sighed and knocked. No reaction.

"Drop your gun, it's just me..."

Finally, the cop entered his house while Shelly put her shotgun aside.

"How didja do ?"

"To know that you were goin' to aim through the door and shoot me dead if I entered without a warning ? You take my pistols during nighttime, ain't that stupid..."

"Touché redhead !"

Colt took off his shoes and put his jacket on the coat rack. He just wanted to eat something simple and sleep.

However Kit came to rub against his owner's legs to claim his meal.

"Later, kitty cat..."

"Hey, cop seed."

"Wassup ?"

"Who's Brock ?"

Colt felt his hair stand on end, he turned to Shelly who was putting on a rather neutral expression, but was definitely ordering him to answer.

"How didja-... Where have you heard that name ?"

"Oh nothing" she answered ironically "That 'Brock' just called you about four times in 15 minutes... and sent you this."

The thug handed his phone to Colt, dozen of messages could be seen, including:

'Ayo, dude. How was your day ?', 'You promised me that you were gonna tell me everything' or even 'Colt, where are you ?'

But of all the texts, the last one was the scariest.

'Bro I'm coming right now to see what's going on'

Sent 13 minutes ago, Brock was on his way.

Colt looked at Shelly horrified, the neutral expression of the bandit had become a much hasher expression. If a look could kill, he would have fallen dead still on the ground.

"You said you were goin' to be careful."

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose !"

"You said you would behave normally-"

"Shelly please..."

"That you would lay low-"

"OK LISTEN HERE ! I CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT ! Brock and I have known each other since elementary school, we know everything about each other ! And yesterday I annoyed him to death with my shootin' exam story so he made me promise to tell him 'bout the results but, oh surprise ! A wanted bandit broke into my house ! You should already be happy that I just didn't tell my colleagues everythin' ! It would have been so much easier ! And I would have had somethin' else to tell Brock than 'I am sooooo skilled, I hit every target haha ! Others were sooooo jealous of me !' So of course he's worried ! It's not like me not to brag about myself ! So excuse us for having human reactions ! And by this I mean that he is worried about his best friend because he hasn't given him any news and that I'm freaking out cuz I'm a cop and I'm sheltering a bandit in my house !

After this tirade, Colt stopped to catch his breath.
Kit had ducked under the table when Colt started to scream.

The apprentice cop lowered his head. He was waiting. Waiting for Shelly to turn him into a bloody corpse for speaking his mind out. Either way, even if he didn't survive, Brock would be here any minute. He would find Shelly, he would call the police and she would get busted.

"Gotta admit, you're rather ballsy for a wimp..."

The young policeman raised his head in surprise, he didn't have the barrel of a rifle pointed to his forehead?

Well, on the contrary. Shelly looked rather amused actually.

"Ok so here what we're gonna do. I'm going upstairs, you're not referring to me, you're doing your best to reassure him but I don't want him to stay here."

Colt had a split second of disbelief before he nodded frantically.

The following minutes passed in a flash, Colt helped Shelly, against her will, to climb the stairs, he rushed down to put on his boots and jacket. He had barely finished when somebody violently knocked at the door.

"COLT, COLT ! Open up shitass ! Open up or I'll break down your door !"

The interested party couldn't suppress a smile before going to open the door and feign surprise.

"Brock ? What is-?"

"What's going on man ? I called you a dozen times and you didn't answer, you didn't even look at my texts!

"Ah ?"

"Normally, you would have rushed to tell me about your day ! What the hell is going on !?"

"Well listen we'll discuss it, but come, don't stand there, enter !"

He made his childhood friend settle in the living room and also settled before starting his lying story.

"Well friends ? What do you have to say in your defense bro ?"

"Are you suing me? But Brock, I didn't even know you texted me! I was so excited this morning that I forgot to take my phone ! Stupid right ?

"Well duh, I got scared for your life dude !"

"Yeah well, I've been busy all day, I couldn't go home to pick my phone up. Seriously, it was a monstrous day today ! I had so much work that I just got home ! See ? I still have my shoes and my jacket on" Colt finished while stretching his legs towards his best friend.

Brock eyed Colt's boots with a dubious pout, then looked up at his childhood friend.

There was a long silence during which Brock ended up massaging his temples.

"Pal... I was so scared for you..."

"It's nothing see ? I'm here, it's all ok"

"Sorry that's so stupid"

"It's fine ! There were all the elements for you to freak out! There is no reason to blame you !

"Well then, tell me about this fucking day." Brock said with a sigh, visibly relieved.

Colt spent the next half hour explaining in detail how his superior had congratulated him on his shots which hit without exception, and that he could soon pass his exam to officially be able to carry weapons. His friend congratulated him several times, sincerely enthusiastic for him.

After about an hour, Brock had to say goodbye to Colt. He accompanied him to the door.

Brock finally left to return to Retropolis. When the apprentice cop finally closed the door, he collapsed on the floor, sighing.

Half a minute later, he was climbing the stairs to find the bandit he was sheltering.

"Shelly, Shelly ?"

When he opened the door to his bedroom he discovered that she had fallen asleep in his bed.

The apprentice cop sighed before slipping the blanket over the thug and going down to the living room with the intention of sleeping on the bench.

However Kit didn't agree yet, in a concert of shrill meows he claimed his dinner.

"Ok, chill, here I come".

After feeding his cat Colt retrieved the blanket Shelly had slept with yesterday and finally settled on her sofa.
It didn't take a minute for him to sink into Morpheus' arms.

Clearly this day had been exhausting.