Delta Police Station - Central District.
A police constable guided Zed, Loren, Suzane, and Olly inside a room which served as an office for a Captain rank officer.
The room was large with multiple sofas and chairs along with a working desk at the end. A middle-aged man with short white hairs was sitting in front of the desk. He has a dusky skin stone with some white patches on his face.
He was Athol - the sole captain rank officer in the police station.
As Zed stepped inside, in addition to Athol, he saw many familiar faces along with some new faces.
The four fools: Edgar, Rees, Percy, and Brian. They were each accompanied by a parent.
Even Jessica was in the room sitting in a corner along with a blonde woman in her forties.
Zed assumed she was her mother given the similarity in facial features.
"Zed!" Jessica rushed towards him while the woman followed from behind.
"I knew you would be here," Zed then greeted the woman, "It is our first time meeting, ma’am."
"Please call me Eloise," The woman responded with a smile but Zed could see the anxiety she was desperately trying to hide.
He could understand for a lower-middle-class family like Jessica’s, the police station was the last thing they ever want to enter. This especially was true for Jessica’s family who has suffered under the corruption in police force.
Jessica was forced to work for Irina and her gang but the police never helped. So the reputation of the police wasn’t really good in their eyes.
They feared the police so the current situation wasn’t really pleasing for them especially when Jessica was a witness to an incident caused by the children of investigators.
Not like Zed looked down on Eloise for her nervousness and anxiety. If he was in her situation then he would be the same.
The attitude of a person to a situation is largely depended on one’s own background and standing. The weak don’t get the right to interfere in the matters of strong.
"Eloise, please rest assured there is nothing to worry about," Zed spoke in a calm tone, "Jessica doesn’t have to give a statement in my favor."
"No! I will not lie!" Jessica refused before her mother could sigh in relief.
Jessica felt she has taken many favors from Zed whether it was the awakening of her new ability or her freedom from Irina’s clutches.
"Jessica, do as I ask," Zed spoke in a light manner, "They can’t do anything to me even if they win."
"But---"
"There is not but," Zed shook his head, "In the worst case, I can take help from Felicity. You, on the other hand, would bring unnecessary trouble for your family by being honest."
Jessica bit her lower lip as she understood how correct Zed was. She felt helpless by the situation and knew there was no easy way out for her.
Felicity might help her avoid the trouble but she couldn’t help her forever.
"If only I was strong," Jessica clutched her hand in frustration at her inability to help a man who has helped her so much.
"Relax, nothing would happen to me," Zed put a hand on her shoulder, "Anyways, let’s go for drinks after this is over."
"Drinks?" Eloise, Suzane, Jessica, Loren, and Olly looked at Zed in disbelief.
How can he be so relaxed in such a situation where odds were against him?
And he is even talking about drinks like like this is some park instead of the police station!
"I assume neither Jessica nor me nor Loren are underage so why the strange looks?" Zed asked confused.
"....."
"Besides I’m only talking about beer," Zed added but they continued to give him strange looks.
"..."
"Cough~" Athol gave a small cough to bring their attention. While the conversation wasn’t loud, he has heard every word.
Even he felt strange by Zed’s attitude much less others. The four fools and their parents were sitting opposite towards Athol with displeasure so he has to remind Zed about their existence.
Zed and others walked to Athol’s desk.
"I won’t waste any time and start with the topic in hand," Athol clicked a panel on the desk, "Zed, you are the perpetrator---"
"Excuse me," Zed interjected in a polite tone, "Can these ladies have a seat?"
Zed pointed towards Jessica, Loren, Suzan, and Eloise.
"I’m sure they are not perpetrators of whatever crime you are trying to make me a culprit of," Zed added in a polite tone, "So please be a gentleman and a good police officer by giving these ladies a seat."
Athol was startled by the demand and the polite tone. While the tone was respectable he felt a hidden mockery inside them as if telling him that he was not a gentleman nor a good police officer.
There was a limited number of chairs around the desk so he couldn’t give everyone a seat. In fact, space surrounding desk was already overcrowded with four ’victims’ and their parents sitting around.
There were already eight chairs so how he accommodate more seats?
"Surely those fours fools are not so mannerless to sit around while ladies are standing," Zed completed.
Four fools?!
Edgar gritted his teeth in anger at the familiar insulting words. He has used those words before bribing the gang to cripple them.
"How dare you!" Edgar and the other three stood up to teach him a lesson. Their missing limbs were regenerated through cloning technology.
"So nice of you to offer your seats for the ladies," Zed signaled the ladies to have a seat while ignoring the threatening words of the four fools, "I’m glad you still have some manners left."
Loren and others didn’t know what to do. The four fools didn’t really ’offered’ them the seats. They only left the chairs to face Zed!
"Don’t ignore us!" Edgar shouted.
"Silence!" His father’s stern words came from behind.
"Suzane, please have a seat," Edgar’s father requested Suzane and other women to have the seats.
He was acquainted with Suzane due to Morgan since they were investigators.
The four fools felt helpless by the situation. They were now standing along with Zed and Olly while all the parents and ladies were seated.
"Now that everyone is seated---" Athol stopped in between as he saw Zed turning around and walking towards a sofa in the corner.
Under the disbelief of everyone, he took a seat on the sofa far away from the desk.
"Please continue" Zed ’politely’ signaled Athol to continue, "My legs are tired so I hope you don’t mind."
"You..." Athol was having a hard time controlling himself.
"Nice sofa," Zed complimented loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Glad to know the taxes I and others pay are making the lives of police officers comfortable."
"Bastard," Athol stood up from his seat no longer able to control himself.
While he has indeed decided to frame Zed in the crime since he didn’t wish to offend investigators, but he was still going by the rules.
Yet this kid continued to act so brash under the disguise of politeness. Even his words on ’taxed’ and ’comfortable’ were full of hidden insults.
"Bastard? Are you introducing yourself?" Zed looked confused, "Why would your parents name you as such?"
Athol’s eyes bloodshot with every vein in his body popping out. He leaped up in the air and waved his hand.
A green arc of light rushed towards Zed.
Everyone in the room was startled by the sudden turn of events. The green arc of light carried a destructive might as it moved.
The ceiling in the room cracked and the air compressed into a heavy pressure as the arc of light moved forward.
"Stop it!" Suzane and others shouted but it was too late for the green light was already above Zed.
BOOM
Smoke and dust spread around the room while the sound of an explosion reverberated all around.
"Zed!" Jessica was horrified.
Athol has leaped on the floor but then his eyes turned wide. He turned around in disbelief as the dust settled down.
"Impossible," Athol stepped back unable to believe the scene in front of him.
Zed was standing in a place where originally there was a sofa. A faint layer of fire covered him and as the layer of fire disappeared, everyone saw he hasn’t taken a single scratch.
"How can it be," Suzane knew the green arc of light wasn’t so weak for a kid in twenties to come out unscathed.
"He is a monster," Olly muttered. He was sure if he has taken the attack head on then he would be in a very sorry condition.
"You shouldn’t waste taxpayers money like this," Zed ignored the shocked expression as he moved towards another corner of the room where a couch was placed, "Otherwise you would make people believe the terrorist was right when he attacked police headquarters."
Zed sat down while waving his right hand up and down as if it has turned numb.
"Son of a bitch," Athol felt his blood boiling whenever Zed spoke.
He couldn’t understand how can a kid be capable of turning him mad just due to words.
"Athol, calm down," Edgar’s father pacified him. The last words said by Zed has reminded him how grave the situation was in the current environment.
"Damn," Athol gritted his teeth and gulped down a glass of water to calm himself. He grasped the chair handle as he sat down.
Swoosh~
A streak of fire suddenly landed on the chair just the moment Athol sat down. The fire spread from the chair to Athol’s pants.
"AHH!" Athol jumped from the seat with his hands on his bumps. Black smoke followed along with a terrible stench as the fire seethed around on Athol’s body.
Athol moved his hands as fast as he could to clear the fire. Alas, the fire showed no sign of stopping.
His clothes were torn and his skin was now scorching black with every second. The stench of skin and hairs burning reeked the surrounding.
"What?!" Suzane and others were totally caught off guard.
"Help him!" Edgar’s father waved his hand a stream of blue light flowed on Athol.
Ssss
The fire faded into oblivion and the smoke cleared out. Athol’s thighs and the lower half was black and filled with black marks. Maybe the fate was on his side for his ’main asset’ was still safe.
"This is..." The ladies hurriedly turned after they saw Athol’s lower half naked.
"Please wear something!" Loren muttered.
"Fuck!"Athol was feeling insulted and anger in equal amount.
He quickly grabbed a pant from a shelf where his spare clothes were placed. He then turned around after wearing the pant.
His eyes were filled with anger as he gazed at Zed.
"Oops," Zed scratched his cheek in embarrassment, "I was just waving my hand to ease the numbness but a streak of fire materialized without my intent."
"Liar!" Everyone in the room, including Loren and Jessica, muttered together.