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Rotten Wings, Prologue.

The metal of the star on the desk glints in the face of the setting sun that pierced through Captain Maynard's office window. It, infuriatingly, hit perfectly on the patch of mahogany wood where the badge Elias Perez had just thrown landed only moments ago. An impossible-to-ignore golden beam reflects back at him from where they collide, cutting through him and attempting to call him back all at the same time. He turns away.

"Detective," the woman behind the desk calls, her tone betraying the fact that it's definitely not the first time she has. His eyes jump to hers, widening only a fraction before falling stoic again.

Forcing balled-up fits into the front denim pockets on his jeans, he tries not to squirm. Her eyes are too calculating, his jeans are wrong in this office, and the skin stretched along his shoulder blades pulls uncomfortably-freshly a tad too tight. Still, he only quirks his lips into a smirk. He almost shrugs, but the aborted move he attempts only causes his muscles to lock.

"Not anymore." He says it a beat too late, confidence cracked and blasé attitude too unlike him. Elaine looks even more unimpressed. Her lips part once, twice, before all she does is sigh. It's heavy and knowing, a sound that's passed over her lips multiple times over the years.

Elias isn't deluded. He knows he's not the first detective to do this to her-give in too soon and way too tired-and he certainly won't be the last.

But he also knows that she was hoping he would be different. Of course, she had never said it outright-she's a damn good professional-but he could see it in the looks she'd give him, or the things she'd say. He could just tell. For what it's worth, he was a damn good detective.

His eyes flicker back to the badge, just a quick here-and-there motion, but it's enough. It's enough for Elaine to notice, and enough for his stomach to roll in discomfort. Unfortunately, he's still yet to figure out if it's at the idea of leaving it there or the idea of not.

"You know, you've still got two weeks of leave left."

He does know. He's been thinking about that since he made this decision a week ago; how it might be premature of him to turn his badge in now. He's been thinking about it since he walked into the station this morning, and everyone stared at him in his threadbare jeans and too-baggy sweater-that still lingered on his skin uncomfortably despite being two sizes above his own.

It's clear what Elaine hopes when dropping this point, that he'll bite his lip and nod and look at the badge on the desk again until he caves and takes it back.

But he doesn't.

"Technically," his lips feel jagged the further he morphs them-pushing them into a mask he doesn't know how to wear. "Someone's who not a detective anymore wouldn't have leave through the department."

Elaine sighs again, nodding acceptance.

"Okay, Perez." She pushes against her desk to free her body from the space between her chair and desk, and the badge rattles. The sunbeam on his face dances. "I'll put the paperwork in in the morning."

He waited until the last possible moment in the day to make the trip down here, only finally getting it over with when the silence in his apartment was just loud enough for his mind to scream.

Holding a hand out to him, he's forced to stare at it for only a moment. It's too official, shaking her hand. It's a reflection of the day he first arrived at her station. Once a welcome, now a goodbye.

His hand dwarfs hers when he connects the two. The moment of his arm pulls the tissue in his back, just barely, and he squeezes her hand just a little too tightly.

"It's been an honor, Captain," he tells her, words dripping in sincerity.

Elaine nods. "Yeah. It has."

Her eyes track him his entire way out of the office, and he can't help but wonder if she's attempting to see through the cotton stretched across his shoulders. If maybe she's tracing what's under with a look alone.

The door bursts out of his hand when he pushes it open, the movement too rough. Klinger and Poland, the two officers with the unfortunate desks a little too close to the principal's office, jump out of their skin when the oak ricochets off the wall.

Wincing, Elias dips his chin to them and forces his shoulders away from his ears. Somehow, he hadn't even noticed that they had made their way up there until now.

Denim rubs against his knuckles as his hands make their way back into his pockets. It's an effort to keep his head up under the weight of too-obvious stares throughout the office. All of them are curious and blatant, hoping to catch a glimpse of an idea of his next move. Thankfully, the only person he'd need to be worried about isn't in the office today.

As his fingers connect with the plastic covering of the elevator call button, he relaxes minutely. Home free, gracias a Dios.

"Perez!"

Well, almost.

"Grant." Definitely forgot to count her.

Turning on his heel, he smiles weakly at the sergeant, silently hoping for a quick and painless conversation. When the older woman does nothing but point at the elevator and says, "Going down? Me too," he knows it's pointless.

The two climb into the elevator side-by-side when it arrives, and Athena beats him to reaching for the panel. He does nothing but raises an eyebrow when her fingers press the button for the top floor archive.

"Going down, huh?" He says as they lift up two floors and the silence stretches.

"Eventually."

Their building isn't old, and neither is the elevator currently traveling them. Yet, it doesn't speed past floors like Elias wishes it would. Instead, it carries them at a steady pace, and by the time they reach the top, he's sweating.

After the doors close, no one in or out no matter how much Elias debated exiting in favor of the stairs, Athena's low timber finally echoes around the space. "You're a good one, Elias. It'll be sad it see you go."

"How do you," know?

"It's the look," she points a finger right between her eyes, still not looking at him, "in your eyes. I've seen it one too many times. Always hoped you'd be one of the ones I never saw it on, but." The breath she lets out when she stops is ragged, and Elias flinches. Her head tilts to him, and the look in her eyes is something almost maternal as she continues. "But no one can blame you."

"Maybe," he disagrees. "Maybe not."

Despite looking at him like he is, he's not one of her kids-Elias' choice is nothing Athena can influence, and she must know it. So, she hums, before turning her eyes back toward the doors in front of them. As if compelled, they spring open, the parking garage revealed to them.

Elias steps out, and the sergeant behind him follows. It's unexpected, but he doesn't say anything. Their footsteps echo quietly as they make their way to his car, the woman behind him just two steps away. It's clear she's dropping her pace to make up for the slight limp still lingering in his left leg, and he curses himself.

He can't tell if she's leaving time for his thoughts to linger or to collect her own, but she doesn't speak again until his car is in his eyeline. "So what are you gonna do now?"

He blows out a slow breath, laughing without much humor. "Heavy question, Thena." He looks at her, unable to read her expression-just like always. "Why? You got a new career path lined up for me already?" His tone is teasing, but her face doesn't change.

To his surprise, she only shrugs. "Maybe." Before he can question it, or more likely, refuse it, she holds a hand out in front of him. At some point, it had gained a little white card that she was now offering to him. Slowly, and suspiciously, he takes it.

Sue Blevins

Metro Dispatch

At first, Elias doesn't know what to say. Can only stare at the card and scan over the letters printed there one, two, three times. He's met Sue before, he thinks idly, when he needed to hear a dispatch call for a case. Nice woman with a warm smile. Perfect for her job. A job Athena was now pitching him.

"A dispatcher?"

He looks up at her, and she shrugs nonchalantly.

"You became a cop because you wanted to help people. I figured that hasn't changed." He opens his mouth to rebut, but closes it just as quickly. His teeth smack. That hasn't changed. "Maybe this way, you keep doing it-without running the risk you're scared to."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Elias nods jerkily. His eyes don't leave the card as he slaps it up and down on his palm. The words jumble-the ink bleeding together into a mess he can't decipher. Still, he's unable to forget what the print is.

"Look," Athena continues, in a tone that forces his eyes to her without even trying. "It's just a thought, Perez."

He swallows. "No, I get it." I slides the card into his pocket, curling his left fist around it and keeping it there. He offers the opposite hand to the sergeant. "Thank you, Sergeant Grant."

"Just call me Athena."

He dips his head in acknowledgment as her hand catches in his. "Then just call me Elias."

The woman in front of him chuckles, a warm honeyed sound. Something that's been warming up in her chest for years and crafted from pure love and light. Her eyes shine as she lets his fingers slip away from hers. "Alright." Her chin dips toward his pocket-where the card disappeared. "Tell me you'll think about it."

"I'll think about it."

It wasn't a lie. But it was also all he could promise her.

Thankfully, she took it with one last nod. Nothing more was said before she turned and left, and Elias was left with nothing but the letters burning into his palm and his thoughts.

Elias stares at the white door in front of him. The porch under his feet is solid and stable, and for some reason, he still feels like something is going to give out. He refuses to recognize that the unmoving concrete probably means it's going to be him.

Next to him, Maddie Buckley makes her presence a reminder when she places a warm hand on his bicep. Her fingers curl around the material of his Henley gently, and his head whips to her. The other dispatcher doesn't flinch and instead smiles kindly.

"They're going to love you," she says to him, for the third time that day.

He sighs, dropping his shoulders just slightly from where they've come to hug his shoulders. "I believe you, Maddie." His eyes flick to hers, more earnest than he wanted them to be. "But what if they don't?"

"Elias, please." She steps forward, wrapping her arms around the man. Despite being the taller of the two, his friend has an uncanny ability to make him feel small when he's in her arms.

It also never fails that he sinks into the embrace, body slouching to make up for the height difference between the two.

"They'll love you," she repeats again. "Because I love you."

"That's not fair," he chuckles weakly. Pulling away from the woman's hold, his eyes flash to hers. Concern swims there, and he aches to erase it. "You took one look at me absolutely floundering a call and decided I was going to be the stray you took in. It was pity love at the start."

"It was not!" Maddie sounds a clear mix of exasperated and offended, hand swatting at his arm lightly in mild annoyance.

It's one of her least favorite habits he has, degrading himself so easily.

"Okay, Mads," he chuckles while making sure at the same time that she can see the sincerity in his eyes when he says it. "I know," he confirms when the crease between her eyebrows doesn't disappear.

Only then does her expression clear, and she lets out a breath. "Good. Well, let's go then."

Stepping toward the door, she twists the handle under her hand without blinking and pushes the wood open. It's a clear sign of familiarity, and Elias' stomach twists. "I'll meet you in there in a minute," he rushes out, smiling sheepishly when Maddie gives him a look. "I promise."

"Fine," she agrees. Pointing an accusing finger at him, she narrows her eyes teasingly. Elias can still see the hint of threat in them. "Ten minutes, then I'm coming to get you."

"Yes, Mom," he drawls, laughing at her scowl and waving her into the house.

After the door closes behind her, he lets out a weighted breath and steps out of the path directly into the house. Leaning over the railing of the porch, he clasps his hands together and lets his head drop forward. With his chin touching his chest, he begins taking slow breaths in and out, he reminds himself that no matter what happens today; it'll be okay. He does not need the 118 to like him. He was fine before he knew them, and there would be no reason he wouldn't be without them.

A breeze picks up in the air, spreading the late-January chill through the air soundlessly. Los Angeles wasn't known for getting too cold, even during the winter-like months, so when it dropped below even 60°, Elias felt small shivers take over him throughout the day.

Closing his eyes, he continues his attempt at the breathing exercises his therapist had taught him a handful of months ago. It was going to be fine. Nobody in there was expecting anything from him. Maddie had made it clear they were great at waiting for you to come to them first-exactly what he needed.

So why couldn't he bring himself to go inside?

"Uh, if you're going to throw up, I suggest you don't do it in Cap's gardenias."

At the voice, Elias looks first to the flowers that his head has been hovering a few feet above in the patch of garden just under the porch, then to the source of it.

Standing a few paces away, only halfway up the driveway and with a covered plate in her hands, a woman smiles at him warily.

Her warm brown eyes were wide and clearly expressive, and old training had him scanning her up and down. She didn't shift on her feet like others might have and instead tilted her head at him slightly when his eyes made their way back to him. Her chestnut hair swayed with the movement, but he was focused on her quirked eyebrow.

"Well?" She insisted.

"I'm sorry?"

Chuckling, she seems to take his answer as some kind of acceptance and starts up the driveway again. "Do you think you're going to throw up? I can go get one of the many paramedics in the house to come check you out."

"Nah," he laughs, despite himself. "Trying some breathing exercises I was recommended a while ago, more like."

Pink-tinted lips pull down into a frown, and she makes her way next to him slowly. Mirroring his position over the railing next to him, she looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "You okay?" The plate she's holding emits a clear aroma of snickerdoodles now that she's closer.

"Never better." When he smiles it's all teeth, and she grimaces at the fakeness dripping from it.

"Maybe I'll believe you next time."

Dropping the act, he laughs without humor and rolls his neck. "What's not to believe? Who wouldn't be okay when they're about to walk into a house full of strangers, who are also all infamous as hell in just about every circle they run around in?"

"Oh, we're infamous now, are we?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. He may not know who she is, but from the way she's speaking and her earlier words referring to the gardenias in front of them as 'Cap's', it's not hard to deduce she's a member of the 118. And every person in the 118 is well aware of their reputation.

"Yeah, all right," she concedes, smiling at him playfully before lightly nudging his shoulder with hers. "But we're really not that bad. I think the most scary thing about us is Bobby's reaction when a recipe goes wrong, and no one but him has stepped foot in the kitchen for months. So we should be safe."

"Maddie had said it was Chim on game nights," he argues.

Recognition flashes in her eyes, and something in her expression shifts so quickly that he almost misses it. If it was anybody else, who lacked the training he's had instilled in him for years, he would've.

"You're Elias," she states, not a question.

"Yeah," he answers anyway. "And you are?"

"Raleigh," she offers after a moment. "Raleigh Carmine."

Despite no other words leaving her mouth, Raleigh's eyes seem to have a conversation of their own. It's impossible not to notice the way they tell their own story, with how wide and open they are, just waiting for someone to look into them and understand.

It feels impossible to follow up with anything after that when he's just witnessed at least a handful of thoughts run through her head, so he waits her out instead.

"Come on." He blinks and she's pushing off the railing, staring at him in a way that allows no argument against her next words. "Take a breath, gather yourself, and then let's go. The parties not going anywhere, but we definitely can't stand out here forever either. I know for a fact somebody would be chasing us down."

Her smile is encouraging when it's turned toward him, and he has to accept he can't keep running from these people. That maybe, he shouldn't want to.

He does, just a little.

"All right," he concedes, pushing off the wooden support and leaning toward the girl in front of him. He waves a hand at the door in an invitation to lead the way while trying to swallow the last of the nerves. "Only because you're probably right."

"Yeah?" She laughs, looking at him over her shoulder as she opens the door and walks in. The comfortability of it, to walk into someone's home that was not one's own without looking, said a lot about how Raleigh felt in this home.

She doesn't break stride as she continues past the threshold, still looking at him, meaning he can't back out for the second time. Instead, he ducks his head and follows behind her.

Still, when he hears voices begin to greet the woman in front of him, he turns his back to them in order to both shut the door and give him one more moment. Just one more.

"There you are," a deep and weathered voice calls to Raleigh. When he turns around, the younger woman has been wrapped in the arms of an older man in a friendly embrace. "I think Hen and Chim were just about to put bets on how late you'd be today."

"Am I ever late?" she teases with a familiarity that leads Elias to believe that yes, she is, all the time. Facing a little more of the music, he steps forward to watch her present her offerings to the man. "I brought those snickerdoodles Athena loved so much last time."

The man smiles warmly, a look a little too easily defined as love shining in his eyes at the mention. Elias can only assume this Athena is close to him, while thinking of his own Athena at the same time. He hasn't reached out in a while, not even to tell her he did end up calling in that job at dispatch.

He'd have to do that soon.

"She'll love that," he confirms. "Well, come on in. Everybody's already here. Well, except Eddie, but he's on the way according to Buck."

His eyes land on Elias then, and the smile doesn't leave his face as he offers a hand out. "You must be Elias. I've heard a lot about you-from Maddie and Athena both. Glad you could make it."

On autopilot, he takes the outstretched hand in his, brain still playing catch up. "Wait-"

"This is Athena's Elias, too?" Raleigh asks, rewording his own thoughts and getting them out first. "You're Athena's Elias?" she asks him when the man doesn't answer fast enough.

"Athena Grant?" He's got a sneaking suspicion, but it couldn't hurt to check.

"The one and only," he chuckles. "Sorry, didn't even introduce myself. I'm Bobby Nash, Athena's husband."

Pieces click distantly in Elias' head, pulling past memories of Athena's husband-the captain of the 118. Something he definitely should've put together already. "Of course. A pleasure to know you, Captain Nash."

Bobby makes a quick face before chuckling. Waving him off, he leads the pair further into the house. "Just Bobby's fine. Or Cap if you so prefer, but please don't call me Captain Nash in my own home."

"Right."

Further inside the home, the clear glass doors that open to the backyard are made visible, and a quick look outside shows all of the party guests have found their way out there.

"We're all out back," Bobby informs them, leading the way-only to get stopped by Maddie barrelling in. She stops short at the sight of them, eyes finding Elias' first.

"There you are! I was just about to come get you!" She smiles warmly at Bobby and Raleigh, looking somewhat proud of herself. "I see you've met Elias."

"We have," the woman beside him agrees, placing a light hand on his bicep and smiling at her, before back at Bobby. There's something knowing in the look they all share, and when Raleigh goes on to say, "I think we'll like him," it feels like passing a test he didn't know he was taking.

He smiles.

Then he remembers.

"Maddie," he hisses, grabbing the older woman's arm and pulling her closer to him. "You didn't tell me this was Athena Grant's house," he accuses.

"Yeah? So?" Bless her, she couldn't look more confused if she tried. At least Raleigh and Bobby had nice laughs.

The mix of voices in the backyard blended together perfectly. Like all their tones and accents have now since adapted to bounce off of those in this group perfectly.

They also ricocheted around each other in a way that made it impossible for sound to not fill the space, meaning Elias had to bend forward ever so slightly to hear what the little boy in front of him was saying.

"And Robin's really cool because he's not super either! He's just known for agility and acrobatic skills but still gets to be Batman's sidekick!"

When Christopher Diaz had seen Elias on the edge of the party, hugging the wall and debating how early would be too early to leave, he'd approached him with only the confidence a kid could have and asked him who his favorite superhero was.

This is when Elias made the detrimental mistake of saying he didn't know much about superheroes. This leads to a twenty-minute, and running, conversation about all the different superheroes and their abilities.

Elias never thought he was one to be good with children, and definitely never would've thought this evening would include a decent chunk of his time with one instead of Maddie or someone else at the party, but Chris seemed to be having a good enough time and he couldn't deny that he was as well.

Maybe it was because Elias seemed to have a question in response to every superhero he was told about, more his lack of understanding of some of these weird superpowers than anything, or because he was just actively nodding along-but Chris was smiling so wide as he rambled on it looked like it hurt.

"Buck likes to call me Superman, and he's my favorite. Dad says that Superman's his favorite too, but I think it might be Batman." Chris claps his hands in excitement, continuing to ramble about why he thinks that his dad prefers Batman to Superman.

It's not the first time Chris has mentioned his dad in this conversation, and it's not even the second or the third. Whoever this mystery man is-all Elias can seem to gather is that his name is Eddie and he's another member of the 118-he's very well loved by his son.

"Aren't Superman and Batman enemies?" he asks as Chris pauses to take a breath between tangents.

The boy lights up, nodding frantically. "Yes! Well, kind of."

Elias smiles as he begins a new ramble, this time about the rivalry between Batman and Superman and the times they've had to work together versus the times in which they were enemies.

It was heartwarming to see; a kid who was so passionate about something so trivial all because he'd been allowed to find great joy in it. It made Elias yearn for his old childhood. Or, at least, the parts of it that felt like one.

In the middle of Chris' words describing one of Superman and Batman's epic battles-his words, not Elias'-the two were interrupted by a new voice.

"Chris!" it called, pulling both their attention toward the man stepping into the backyard. Elias swallowed harshly at the sight of him, immediately taken off guard by the sight he made. Dark hair was mused on his head like a hand had been run through it one too many times, and the material of his green henley was stretched unfairly tight across the expanse of his chest and shoulders. No way that wasn't one size too small.

Even worse, was the pure look of love in his eyes when he set his sights on Christopher. It was perfectly disarming, that kind of expression on the face of a man who looked like that.

"Dad!" The little boy who had been occupying Elias' time shouts, pushing off of the lounger he'd been sitting on in order to make his way across the yard.

He stumbles a little getting his bearing with the crutches, and Elias reaches out to hold the back of his arm in minimal support.

Turning to smile at the older man quickly, he cheers, "Thanks!," before taking off for his dad. Only at this point, Eddie has already made his way toward them, and Chris doesn't get anywhere before his dad sweeps him up and into his arms for a hug. Their matching chuckles make Elias' heart twist when he hears them.

"You been having fun?" His voice is low and soft, clearly only meant for his son, and Elias curses silently again.

"Yeah! I was just telling Eli about superheroes!" He tells him happily, bringing attention to their third party.

There's something in Eddie's eyes that Elias wishes he didn't recognize, but he does: distrust. It's not that he can blame the man for being concerned about who his kid is hanging out with, especially when he's never met him before, but he doesn't really think his team would leave his son with someone untrustworthy, does he? "Oh, were you now?"

Doing his best to take it all in stride, he tilts his head at Eddie and shrugs. "You caught us in the middle of talking about Batman versus Superman."

"Superman, duh," the man says immediately, hugging his son that much closer to him. Christopher giggles at the answer, catching Elias' eye and pressing a finger to his mouth.

The dispatcher smiles fondly, nodding at Chris. It doesn't go unnoticed by Eddie, of course, who looks down at his son and frowns playfully. "What, are we keeping secrets now? What is it?"

"Nothing, Dad," Chris giggles, shaking his head.

Chuckling, he cups his hand against the side of his face, pretending to hide his words from Chris while stage-whispering, "He thinks you secretly prefer Batman."

"Eli," the little boy groans, slouching in his father's arm and holding the I sound. He pouts seriously, looking as if he's just been seriously betrayed.

Holding his hands up in surrender he turns comically wide eyes on Chris. "What? What did I do?"

Laughing so hard he teeters in his father's arms, Eddie takes it as a sign to put him down. Only after making sure he's got his footing does he pull his hands away, and it's not even a second later that Chris is taking off. "I'm going to ask Denny what other superheroes to tell Eli about!"

The two watch as he abandons them without looking back, and Elias laughs softly. "I've done myself in with this one, haven't I?"

"Oh," Eddie nods sagely. "You're never going to go another day without learning about a new superhero."

Despite the comradery in his tone, there's still something guarded in his expression as he takes Elias in, and the other man forces himself not to shift under the stare. He's had worse men than Eddie Diaz stare him down. This should do nothing to do him. Yet, he can't help but feel the phantom itch of the skin on his back, like it's somehow under scrutiny. Impossible.

"I'm Elias Perez," he tells him finally when Eddie continues to fail to say anything. "You've got a good one with him." He hooks a thumb in the direction of where Chris has disappeared. "If it weren't for him, I'd either still be hugging a wall right now or gone already."

But now that he was gone, there was nothing to stop him from leaving now instead. He'd stayed well past what he expected from himself, it'd be okay.

It must be the right thing to say because Eddie's eyes soften, and the hand that takes his to shake isn't demanding. "Eddie Diaz. It's nice to meet you, Eli."

"Oh, actually-"

"You two!" Athena calls, redirecting their attention and cutting Elias off. "Are you coming to eat or what? We've already had to wait long enough for you, Diaz. Haven't we?"

It's only when she says this that Elias realizes the two of them are the only ones still lingering in the backyard as the sun dips below the horizon. Everyone else is inside and taking their places around the table. Meaning he can't possibly leave now.

For one, Maddie and Athena would never let him, and for two, there was no way he'd be able to walk past everyone toward the door and handle their stares as he made his leave. Could he?

"Come on." Eddie claps him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts of escape and sending him toward a spiral due to the weight of his hand on his shoulder. "Don't want to make them wait any longer."

You could do it now, he thinks. Just say it. Actually, I have to go. I don't think I can stay for dinner. C'mon, say it.

Opening his mouth to say one of these responses does not go as planned, for the second he opens his mouth, all that comes out is, "No, probably not."

With his fate for the night now sealed, he says nothing as Eddie leads him inside, and thinks to himself, It can't be that bad. Maybe it'll even be nice.

If only he had known then it would be one piece of everything.

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𓅛 Authors Notes. I'm actually so happy with this prologue, but it is not edited so if you seem typos or grammatical mistakes, kindly just point them out and move on with your day pls & ty 😣

𓅛 Just a little introduction to Elias' past (in a way) and some of his first introductions to some of the 118!! They make my heart so happy & I hope they do the same for you <33

𓅛 Don't forget to tell me your thoughts xx