hi buddy im yoUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICER { Affiliated with Citta-Alveare } Rank: Guardian Housing: A house in sector oo6 Notes/Weapons: Granted a human form // Given a wooden chair, their laser gun/blaster, and a car capable of flight for 30 minutes a day
Well, this is fine, they supposed. Sure, no one really wants to find themselves kidnapped and dumped back into Hive City in the middle of the winter season, but kidnappees can't really be choosers? It's not the exact saying, but its close enough; no one here has got any rights, even a man of the law. (Not to mention said law barely holds any meaning within the city's borders anyway, so they're shit outta luck there, too.)
Rolling up to a rather cozy bar they've been known to frequent at during their first stay here, the officer stamps some of the excess snow from their boot before coming inside and taking a seat at the bar. With badge hidden but still on their person, GC gives a warm smile to the bartender.
"Scotch on the rocks, please," he says politely, peering at the other patrons while he's being served. Bright eyes fall upon a familiar cowboy hat belonging to someone a seat or two away from them at the same counter, and GC's smile widens when he recognizes whom it belongs to.
"Hmm... I know ya, don't I? Mr. Nevada, if I remember correctly!"
Just to clarify, the process of picking partners is solely ooc for now. Characters won’t know they’re group with people until they’re thrown into the event, and currently even muns are blind to what the partners are for, so be sure to choose wisely, but for now it won’t affect your ic interactions!
[ IRRELEVANT ICON TEXT ASIDE gcbc's only settled with one partner at the moment anD THAT MAN IS NONE OTHER THAN SPARPS NEVADE, AMRSHAL ON MARS!!!!!!! ]
[ while we're here: hello! it's me, your friendly neighborhood cop here to spread good cheer and diSH OUT TICKETS TO THOSE THAT BREAK THE LAWS but mostly to spread good cheer. like this post for a short starter! i'll be cappin at 3 likes so get 'em while theyre hot! ]
The merciless cutting into their flesh... It wasn't something Good Cop wanted to dwell on but eventually his thoughts had moved onto the most similar thing he'd been through in the past, even if the way the two pain administered were inherently different. No nail polish remover here, folks. But even then, that hurt a lot; entire face wiped clean and his existence erased for quite some time. With this... he'd have to endure until Walter put them out of their misery, whenever that was.
Thank the Man Upstairs that he'd stopped only a moment later, leaving the officer to heave and gasp for air, squirming only dying down for a second as the initial sting of the knife finally pulled away. The other stinging from the wound itself continued to linger, but it wasn't nearly as bad.
Walter continued to go on about his Mother or whatever and at least now Good Cop was in no position to start complaining or questioning it. Maybe he thought the man would leave after giving him some sort of comeuppance for what they'd done to Henry, judging from how he'd stood to leave them sitting pathetically in their spot. What they weren't eager to hear was that horrible scraping against the floor, only made worse by how small the room was.
"Wait, w-wait--" Good Cop stammered out now, completely disregarding the lack of say he had in this situation. He could still try to negotiate, even on his deathbed for all he cared. "Y-ye've done enough to us, don't ye think? N-No need to go down this route e-either... P-please--" Again, he'd pressed up against the wall behind him like a frightened caged animal trying to escape its cruel master.
Well, at this moment right here was probably the last chance anyone would ever have before Good Cop gained a pathological fear of anyone getting near his face ever again. Of course he had to switch in right before the main event started, though, taking so much of the physical and psychological damage while Bad Cop was left to only fret and pound at their mental barrier for control.
Occasionally silenced and simultaneously ear-piercing shrieks were some of the only noises to escape the unlucky cop while they'd uselessly kicked at the ground and towards their assailant out of the instinct to simply survive this ordeal, all the while having warm red blood dripping from the wounds and down their visage. Their position brought up too many horrible memories, ones that Good Cop had hoped to bury down and were subsequently just dug up again through this ritual.
The need to escape grew with frantic and erratic movements, but all of it was simply for naught at this point. They knew they weren't being held back or forced into one having more control over the other, but they'd share the same dark fate as opposed to this time. Not either of them could survive whatever Walter had cooked up, but even through the pain, both of them realized he was doing the same to them as he'd done to Benny; carving numbers, wasn't it?
There was a split second of focus between their agony: 0... 5, 1, 2... 1. '5', though. Instead of Benny's '4'. They had to wonder... Was he counting them? Marking them for death or something more... Either way, this couldn't be the last of his murders.
Well honestly, being calm was not much of an act. If it was, it was a damn good one. Walter just seemed to be the type of person who was almost emotionless. Even his brief conversations with Henry involved a calm voice and the same expression on his face no matter what happened. At least he was more expressive as a child. Right now, this was just about taking another heart for mother. Then again, it could be argued that when Walter says mother is talking to him, it’s really just him telling that to himself, while covering it up as ‘mother’ saying it because of his delusional and warped mind.
A city like Hive held many puzzles, and Walter was simply one of them. His existence here wasn’t as rare as back in his own world where he was the only one, but that did not diminish the threat he possessed. At least that other serial killer going through this city covered up his tracks, since the news focused on them and not him. Although it was insulting that this other killer used such a similar motif, considering the man in the coat’s reasons for doing so were religious and not simply malicious or to have a calling card.
The stutter from the policeman started to echo through the room, and they could protest however much they wanted but it would be no use. After all, Walter had heard protests like this before but they made absolutely no impact on him whatsoever. He was saving them, after all. Even a pig like DeSalvo who didn’t deserve it was granted salvation, out of the kindness of mother’s heart.
“You have been chosen for the blessing of mother, like your friend was. Take this as a gift, as it should be taken. Of course, you may also take this as an example of revenge if you wished. It matters not to me.”
Quite literally being taken off guard by the sudden gunshot, there wasn't even much of a reaction at first as they'd simply tried to keep from crumpling to the ground from the bullet's impact and felt only a dull throb as the adrenaline of their surprise kicked into high gear. It wasn't a sort of wound that anyone of... their original nature would or could expect, but nonetheless, it was pretty darn bad when the pain set in another minute later.
The white hot burning sensation shot up from the wound and in no time at all, the officer fell to their one good knee while the other threatened to crack even more, bone shattered and a bullet sitting pretty somewhere in that ripped flesh. It's unfortunate Good Cop had to deal with the brunt of it, Bad Cop trying desperately to take control once more to keep his other half from being traumatized by the sensation. He's already had enough to go through before, he couldn't bear to let him go through this now.
He was crying out now, though, and fully found himself on the ground and leaned up against the wall for some sort of support. Shaking hands hovered over the bleeding wound and moving it even slightly only served to bring about more pain. How could anyone be this cruel, letting another human being suffer through this. Walter was a madman and it was clear only now that he was just incapable of having any compassion.
It was so easy to anger people sometimes. Almost like controlling a puppet. Just pull at their strings in the right direction and they come alive. This bothersome policeman was no exception, his emotions and apparent connection with the previous victim being used to metaphorically stab at him before he was really stabbed. The idea of protection was doomed to fail; the only one Walter believed in was the protection of Henry which he was enforcing now. This man attacked his Receiver for no reason, so he would pay for it with his life.
Honestly, they should be thankful mother has chosen to given them a blessing. They almost do not even deserve it. Best thing was, this was all planned out. Walter wanted the policeman to wander into this specific room. After all, somewhere the man would never be able to see… he was hiding an axe here. For what purpose you may ask? Well, you shall just have to wait and see.
The presence of an abomination simply stood there, not even seeming to move as the other took aim and fired several shots with their weapon. All useless, of course. Walter would be nearly as terrifying to others if he could actually be hurt or considered vulnerable.
“Should have worked? From what I see, it did not. You would be best not voicing your frustrations so loudly in future.” His voice remained calm despite being shot at which would put any normal person under pressure. The damage being done to the fabric he was wearing was annoying though. Plus, this man had came in and attempted to ruin his house.
Weapon was dropped to the ground. Huge mistake. Instead of trying to avoid the punch, he just continued to stand, not moving at all… as the punch had no effect. Walter didn’t even flinch by the force of it.
“Do you honestly have any idea what force you decided to rush into?”
A sound seemed to come from behind Walter, almost like the clicking of a pistol. Now, the policeman could figure out how screwed he truly was.
Oh please, Walter's calm act couldn't keep Bad Cop spooked for very long and in no time at all, he'd already tried to steel his resolve and thought past his weapon's attacks not having any sort of effect. What in the world could he be, withstanding one of those blasters' 'kill' shots at point blank. Sure, he was put off by his seemingly invulnerable state, but now it was just an annoyance.
After throwing that punch, though... the officer stood back and nursed their aching knuckles, Walter's literally Everything proving to be so much more durable than they'd expected and already, the unsettling feeling of coming in here and basically asking for a death wish was becoming more obvious. Bad Cop needed to step away, or even get around the man before him but only now did he realize he'd basically been trapped in this room within the home. So stupid of him for not paying attention to his surroundings.
He'd always been the one trapping others in a room with no way out, not the other way around... He felt more powerless now. Useless, even, now that he realized he didn't have full control of the situation. The realization was only further set in by the soft sound of a pistol cocking and for once, shaking hands lingered at a pair of clear glasses hanging from the collar of their jacket.
Taking a deep breath, the officer switched out dark aviators for the clear pair they'd brought around, entire demeanor changing in a heartbeat. "Y-Ye don't have t'do that, buddy---" he stammered out after a minute of thought, voice higher, and even more willing to show a bit of fear in its tone. "Let's just try t'think rationally here, alright? No point in usin' a weapon against someone ye know won't be able t'stand up to it!" It was Good Cop's most feeble attempt at keeping peace now, or some last ditch effort to escape the worst case scenario.
By now, though, Walter's sufficiently kept them sidled up against the back wall in this dark side room with no surefire way of escape.
He might not have deserved an end like that, but it was seen a blessing. In the twisted logic of a man basing his thoughts off brainwashing and his Otherworlds it made perfect sense that such a thing could only be performed by a gruesome death. If Benny didn’t understand that, then it was his own problem. Sacraments were meant to stay dead after all, but even though this city gave him a second chance parts of how this experiment was run disagreed with him. There were still issues such as how the Holy Assumption could be undertaken in his current form, but for now the main focus was this brute of a man who dared attack his Receiver of Wisdom.
Being high and mighty in the mind of this man was deserved considering he did come incredibly close to summoning the Holy Mother, who would then birth the goddess. She who came down and gave concepts of time and laws, dying for humanity. What was she given in return? The polluted mess of a sinful world that Walter sees today.
“Is it not polite to check how ones’ neighbours are faring? Considering you attack him and then burst into my own home without any warning, it seems you are the one at fault here. The relationship the Receiver of Wisdom and I share is none of your concern. You had no need to get yourself involved in something much bigger than yourself. It was not your throat that had hands wrapped around it, choking the life out, an idiotic helmet landing on the ground. You defend a fool.”
Keeping as aware as this was a good move on the part of the policeman, but he underestimated just how much of a reach the man in the coat had here. Walter was something that should not be; an abomination of death and god wrapped up in the guise of his physical human self. Whispering into their ear was amusing because of their reaction, their hands immediately shaking from it. Yes, Walter did honestly think his intentions were good but there was a dark sense of humour slipped in there that conflicted with his apparent ‘good’ agenda.
"There was no intention of attacking you or your friends. Mother decides who is blessed like your friend was. But unfortunately, matters must be taken into my own hands. In such a world of sin, greed and gluttony there must be those who take a step out of the darkness and into the light."
Without any sound or even a warning, a presence appeared behind the man. It was very likely the policeman wouldn’t even notice until there was a voice, but it actually seemed real now.
“Well, try to avenge them now? I stand here waiting, a head below the guillotine.”
Walter's words only seemed to spark even more troublesome emotions out of the cop, expression twisting into a grimace and full on snarl as he had the gall to insult Benny like he did. Sure, the cop had never been close to him; to anyone, in fact, much less a Master Builder. But... They were familiar with each other, from the same world, and something that they could cling to in order to stay grounded. Benny and all of them that had been pulled into the city, the officer wanted to protect them all.
"You've no right to call him that!" he'd barked aloud and without hesitation, yet again firing another shot around the dusty, dark room and faintly illuminating with the heated ammunition. "Sure, he's as much of a fool as you are a serial killer, but keep your mouth shut." Bad Cop was close to just flipping over tables and such because his blood was boiling at this point, but that wasn't professional at all (not that breaking and entering and hoping to murder a total stranger was the pinnacle of professionalism either).
But Walter still decided to keep going on about his Mother or whatever, and it made less and less sense as he spoke on. Were Henry's words really true, though? Instead of an actual mom, he was just listening to the screwed up words and orders of some half-baked god or goddess or whatever the heck his weirdo cult decided to worship?
Bad Cop found himself giving a shrug as he listened, before stiffening at the familiar feeling of truly being watched; of truly having eyes boring into your back and the teasing feeling of malice hanging in the air. He barely turned his head before seeing a figure standing behind and to his side and was even quicker in aiming his blaster in the direction, sending one, two, many heated shots at areas he'd deemed as vital points in these humans.
Head, chest, stomach, even the legs in order to try and bring Walter down, shooting at those areas proved to be useless, the only sign of anything actually hitting were the faint smell of scorched fabric and a dry heat in the air.
"That--- That should've worked, it always worked!" Clearly he was getting more and more worked up now, Good Cop urging him to keep his cool without actually taking the time to switch and take control of their body. Bad Cop was the better fighter here, he could take this man on, right? Wait, no--- Bad Cop, don't.
Nope, there he was, losing his cool and dropping his weapon to the ground when he'd just assumed it wasn't going to have any sort of affect on the murderer in front of him. Without any warning, Bad Cop lunged as he threw a swift punch towards that killer's greasy and grody-looking face instead. Like that'll be any better.
(( guardian status has just been obtained! since gcbc doesn't have any powers or weapons to unlock, i've asked for flying capabilities onto his [bob barker voice] BRAND NEW CAR!!!!! it's only got 30 minutes of nyoom nyoom flight juice per day's use though, so you won't see it in the skies very often. the vehicle in question is below the cut and no, i did not make a mistake in not giving him a police cruiser instead ))
Mission Objective: Miraculously, the two aspects of your personality will be split into two separate bodies, granting you two the ability to truly walk in your own shoes for the duration of a single day. That is, 24 hours, or unless mutually agreed upon to no longer be separate entities. Good luck!
TIME: 6:19 PM EST
The rest of the day after Bad Cop's little incident was trudged through by both parties in silence, as much as Bad Cop hated the treatment he was being given. It seemed his meltdown earlier wasn't taken well by his nicer counterpart. Not. At. All. If it was enough to get Good Cop to fume at the guy without once exchanging a word with him despite them having both agreed to keep an open communication channel between them because of their split situation... Maybe the disconnect was having a bigger effect on them individually than they'd like to admit.
Nonetheless, despite being given the silent treatment, despite knowing that this was just the opposite of what Good Cop wanted to go through during this brief time, Bad Cop had still taken out his frustrations on any unsuspecting piece of furniture he could find when they were back home in the privacy of their apartment.
The moment Good Cop stays back at the door to lock up, Bad Cop immediately breaks physical contact from him and goes all out on the nearest chair. The poor thing couldn't even see it coming, being hauled up into the air and thrown against the opposite wall, all the while having Bad Cop growling and eventually all-out yelling because god, how could he have been so reckless, so stupid, to just blow up on another living being like he had earlier at the hospital.
Robots were one thing and certainly Master Builders were another back when they had that job to do, but they were supposed to be good now. No more hurting innocent people. No more mindlessly flying into a rage because something happens that's completely out of their control.
Bad Cop was supposed to be a shining pinnacle of reform, maybe even more so than President Business because he was the one that directly dealt with the capture of hundreds of innocent people. He made their lives misery and even though Good Cop went along for the ride, he was the one that people last saw when they were either carted up to the Think Tank or dragged while kicking and screaming to the melting chamber.
But now, here he was, standing over broken remains of the wooden chair he'd settled for smashing even further into splinters seconds before and looking like he could lash out and bite at anyone that dared approached. Not that Good Cop was particularly afraid of it happening to him, but he doesn't turn to face the other man until he hears him finally start to settle down with the unnecessary furniture smashing.
Arms crossed boldly over his broad chest and a deep frown setting into his expression, Good Cop looks on sternly at the sight before him. "What the heck did ye do that for, B. And don't tell me ye don't know what 'm tryin' t'talk about!" He doesn't mean to raise his voice very often, at least not on purpose, but it's evident that this is exactly the type of reaction he's trying to pull out of himself at the moment. "Ye scared the poor kid for no good reason at all. Ye didn't need t'do what ye did. Throw him against the wall and wait until I stepped in t'hold ye back? If anyone else had seen--- If Ms. Luna had seen! We would be out of a job right now." He never liked equating himself to Bad Cop's keeper, but it was starting to seem like that's exactly what his job is right now.
Bad Cop's listening, of course, as his counterpart rightfully tells him off of his earlier actions, but he clenches his fists hard, shaking at his sides like he's desperately hoping he doesn't throw a punch at the other. The thought alone is enough to keep that particular path at bay, but he turns his frustrations towards the wall and lets his fist fly right at it instead. Some cracks in the paint and a dent inward are all he could show for now and he knows he'll be feeling it bruise over in an hour or two.
He's gritting his teeth as he always does when he's ticked off, but hey, at least he's facing Good Cop now instead of keeping his back to him. "'m sorry," he spits out under his breath, but it doesn't sound genuine. Like he's just barely holding back the venom from seeping out of his tone. Barely. "He was talking too fast, too loud, and wouldn't shut up when I tried to say something." It's not really the best excuse though, when his mind mulls over what he'd just said. Good Cop wouldn't go for it in the least. "It was bad enough he probably waltzed on in late if he hadn't read our memo; seems to me like he was---"
"Do not tell me he deserved it, B!" And here he was again, stepping into his space and interrupting Bad Cop at the first chance he'd gotten. He hated idly sitting back and listening to him make excuses or force himself to do things he knew he didn't want to do. That's just what it meant to be another presence in the same space. Picking up on things no one else on the outside could even hope to pick up on.
"I know you're not takin' this as well as ye hoped and I know 'm not doin' so hot either, but that's no reason to take out your anger on someone that didn't deserve it!" He's getting bolder now, stepping closer to Bad Cop before they nearly chest to chest, nose to nose even if he'd like to push their boundaries even further. Both of his hands slide up his counterpart's, eventually settling on his shoulders and gripping hard. "I-I know ye didn't want him t'separate us. But..." Good Cop trails off, hesitant to voice his opinions. "If this is permanent, we have t'get used to it. I can't always be around t'keep ye cool and ye can't always be around t'punch the baddies when I can't make myself do it."
It takes a lot to really get Bad Cop riled up and emotional, and not in the angry 'GRR GRR AGAGAGAGA' kind of way. When he looks up to Good Cop, even without being able to see the emotion in his eyes, it's clear that he's just barely been able to hold back a flood of. Whatever it is that he's feeling right now.
Brows furrowed and teeth biting his lower lip, Bad Cop shakily brings up both of his hands to Good Cop's arms and rest themselves at the crook of his elbow. He grips gently, though, fingers pressing against his skin and digging in just slightly. He won't be letting go anytime soon, it seems.
"I don't. I-I can't, G. I can't do that."
Even now, Good Cop still doesn't really understand his reaction to this. Their separation and willingness to separate when times call for it is obvious, isn't it? "B, it's not hard. We kind of did it today, right? It'll just take a little more time t'get used to. Push it slowly and see where it gets---"
"NO! I can't let you go again!" His outburst takes Good Cop by surprise and even more so when Bad Cop pulls him in close, arms wrapping and meeting at the other officer's back. The hug is tight, makes it difficult for Good Cop to breathe, but he soldiers through it because this kind of reaction isn't anything he's ever seen Bad Cop experience before.
"G, please--- You don't understand, and that's fine." There's a pause as Bad Cop takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself and ease the way his words tremble as they're spoken out. "You didn't have to endure that silence. That godawful, painful silence after Lord-- President Business did what he did to you and I am so glad for that."
He pulls Good Cop even closer now, or as much as he can manage with how little space there already was between them, and lays his head on his shoulder. Ever so slightly, his grip on the other's arm tightens, shoulders wracking with barely held back sobs. Good Cop -- in attempts to just... register everything Bad Cop is dumping onto him so suddenly -- does the only thing he knows could help even in the slightest way; pull his other half into a warm embrace, returning the hug with all the force he could muster.
What could he possibly say now, though? He knew he couldn't understand. He wasn't there for two days. He wasn't the one that had to deal with his other half's erasure and he certainly didn't have to do all the things that Bad Cop had to do when he was gone. It'd taken him months to let Good Cop view those memories and even then, he's sure he still hasn't seen everything.
"B-B, I didn't..." Tone soft and apprehensive, Good Cop makes sure he mulls over his words carefully. "Why didn't ye just say somethin'? I didn't know. I never could have known how ye felt... But this isn't the same as before! I mean..."
"It's not that, but it's just. I want to protect you. I need to. I can't lose you to something I can't control. Not again." It's easier to see that Bad Cop's crying now, tears dampening the fabric of the patch of uniform at Good Cop's shoulder. It's not a sight anyone gets to see very often, and it breaks his other half's heart to see it happen from the outside of all things. "We're two sides to the same coin; you know that. Without you there, it was unbearable. I could barely work. I had to cling to other things just to distract myself and even then, all of that was pulled out from underneath my feet."
And then it really hits Good Cop like a ton of bricks; he's been so eager to just try and get over this happening to them in the first place, he doesn't even realize what Bad Cop was going through on the inside, and lord knows that man loves to hide what he can when he can. But up until now, he'd never known just how bad it was. Just how much of his supposed 'death' had affected him.
Good Cop must've looked so stupid right now, didn't he? Almost looking like he'd been taking their unique relationship for granted. Bad Cop didn't know how good he had it until the One Good Thing in his life had been stripped away from him, anyway. Bad Cop was just... making sure it'd never happen to his partner. He had to protect him, even if he didn't want it and if he'd come out of this hating him, well. He shouldn't think about it.
An uneasy gaze shifts from Bad Cop's trembling shoulders to just about everywhere else in the room and Good Cop shuts his eyes tightly, trying to take this in just a little bit at a time. "I-I wouldn't know what t'do without ye too, B... Really. 'M sorry I've just been so caught up in t-tryin' t'get over this. I just didn't think about... Anything." And no, he really hadn't thought about it at all. He'd just assumed in place of actually asking Bad Cop of his opinion. If this is what their separation would bring about from him, he didn't like the thought of it at all.
At least now both of their thoughts and worries have been put out into the open, and a wave of relief washes over them instantly despite the news not being as positive as they'd hoped. But they'd always agreed that there shouldn't and wouldn't be any secrets kept from each other, even if they couldn't exactly look into the other's mind right now.
"... I don't want this and I hope ye know that I never did. Not this mornin' and definitely not now..." Sitting both himself and Bad Cop down, they never once break physical contact as he lays his forehead against the other's. "It. It was nice seein' your face, though. Even if it is just exactly like mine. But I think I'd rather see and hear ye up in my head again. " Good Cop breathes an airy chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood up a bit. Bad Cop at least gives a smile in return, as soft and subtle as it may be.
Who knows how many people would've been confused by the two, maybe mistaking them for twins when they were so much more than just a couple of brothers, if anyone could call their relationship just that.
"Just think of this as a... bad taco-induced nightmare. Soon enough, we'll wake up and I won't have to see you next to me and you won't have to see me next to you and we'll be... We'll be just fine." Or so he'd hoped, at least.
But it didn't take long for their words to echo through each other's mind, both men blacking out simultaneously as the conditions of the challenge bestowed upon them without their knowledge were met. 24 hours, or until they'd both decided they did not want to be separated any longer. What reason there was to put the two through this sort of turmoil was anyone's guess, but they'd supposed it might've been for the best.
Learning about each other in more ways than they could've imagined than if they were still residing within the same body and state of mind, it would be an experience and lesson they'd take to heart.
