End of Watch

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Judas Carmichael hated rain. He also hated the orc that stood in groups across the street from him. It didn't help that his partner belonged to the same social class as they did. It also didn't help that the orc group hated his partner. 
They were throwing up gang signs behind the other man's back, pretending to shoot at him and it wasn't the first or the last time they would do it. 
"Hey, Ruvik!" He barked, finally tired of standing in one place while the other man decided whether he wanted an orc burger or a bronto thigh. Both smelled like death. "Today, please! Geez, I swear four elves have died in the time it's taking you to decide on that garbage."

"We can't pick it up!" Judas shouted, losing his temper. "I told you what happened to the last people who tried! Unless there's a Bright we're all screwed. Ruvik, I am your supieror officer! Listen to me!"

“We had a bright, and you just let her disappear.” Ruvik muttered rather childishly. “Fine. Call them. Ask for Kandomere.” He added with a snort.

"Fuck you, man. She left me while I was trying to protect her from pig nose bastards like you!" Judas shouted. He looked up just in time to see a group of men heading toward the wand. "Watch, see what happens if we do it your way."

Ruvik wasn’t watching the wand, he was watching his partner. He saw the anger, and what even seemed like betrayal in the other man’s eyes. Even the tone of his voice gave away that this ran deeper than someone he was protecting running out on Judas. “You had to know this would happen.” He breathed when he understood the pain. “She’s basically fucking elf royalty, given her father owns half the elven district.”

"She kissed another guy. I saw them drag her out and I followed. I was going to save her and she fucking kissed some other elf." Judas breathed, deciding truth was best. "I left and came back here to find you. That's when I saw the Fogteeth, our guys and the feds were fighting over a wand so I figured screw it and jumped in."

“Oh man, I’m sorry...” Ruvik breathed earnestly. “But, I mean... you’re sure about what you saw? A lot of weird shit has been happening lately.” He added, hoping to ease his partner’s pain somewhat.

"Oh I saw it." Judas hissed. "She kissed him back. If there was something else to it, it would have been a peck. This was tongue. They glowed, Ruvi. Fucking glowed!"

“You jealous of the kiss, or the glowing?” Ruvik asked. “She’s a bright. How much do we really know about them?”

"Are you saying the other one could have been a Bright?" Judas asked, shaking his head. "Screw that, I'm talking about the kiss. She put her arms around him. She wanted it." The man on the street grabbed for the wand and he and his group exploded.

Ruvik looked rather disgusted as he picked at chunks of flesh where they had landed on his head. “So what you’re really saying is... she was yours, and no one else could have her?”

"I don't know what I'm saying." Judas whispered, staring at the building across from them. 
"Hey! You two morons get out from behind that car and do your jobs before this whole town goes to shit!" Montehugh was across the street, slamming his fist on top of a ruined car.

“You’re saying you love her, and want to rip that ekf’s head off as a trophy.” Ruvik assured Judas before hopping over the car and running for the next one, simply hoping he didn’t get shot on the way.

Judas raised up, providing cover for his partner as the other man ran. He was right. There was gun fire coming from every where. It was no longer just orcs. Other gangs had joined the fight. It was insane. 
But then there was something else. A tiny figure running faster than Ruvik for the wand. A little blonde woman coming from the other direction.

Ruvik saw the blonde hair and growled out loud. He had tried to keep her out of this. He was shouting for Judas to keep covering his back, things were about to get a whole lot worse if someone else got to that wand.

Someone shouted in orcish to grab the woman. Four orcs, larger than Ruvik himself surged out of a nearby building and made a dash for her. Montehugh and Judas managed to down two before needing to reload. 

Molly was barely aware of what was happening around her. The wand was calling her. It was eating her alive inside. She didn't know why she felt like this but she had to get to it. She needed it.

Ruvik made a dive for Molly, narrowly missing her. “Blonde, get out of here!” He roared as several bullets skimmed past his ear. “Have you lost your tiny little mind?!” His fear for her safety had him losing most rational thought.

Ruvik's voice reached her through the haze and she turned her head. It was enough of a stall to allow one of the largest orcs to grab her around the waist. "Where you going girly?" He purred. "Not after my wand, huh?" 
The shooting stopped almost instantly and once again the street was eeriely still. Judas and Montehugh stood waiting, not sure what to do next.

Ruvik was quick to get back on his feet, though he seemed lost in the situation. His hand was in his gun, but now the wand was in play, he worried for Molly’s safety.

Molly didn't speak. She kept her eyes on Ruvik. Her body shook with fear. "Come on girly. I remember you. The angry little miss that was going to kill us all for my wand. Why you going to do that? Huh?"

Kandomere opened his eyes to pain. He hated pain. He'd allowed the orcs to beat him and punish him when Montehugh had not returned with the money. He heard them talking now of death. He could only laugh. Death... When had he ever faced such a thing?

“You know you can’t touch that thing.” Ruvik told the other man as he slowly approached. “Take a look around, you’ll see the chunks of the last guys who tried.”

Celia was furious with her daughter. Not only had she caused a great of trouble... the girls had kissed the dark lord. She had come in with her wide eyed innocence, and now Kandomere was going to pay for it. The elder woman had bluntly told her child this as she locked her up somewhere only she knew.

The orc slid his large hands down Molly's arm and then wrapped tightly around her wrist. He yanked her arm out and grinned widely. "I'm betting this one can though." He purred. "What would happen if I just took the arm? You think it would still work? We gonna try, human?" He snarled, shoving his nose in her hair.

Kandomere was looking at the dark lines that spread down his skin. He traced them with a bloodied finger, shaking with rage. She had drained him of the last his magick. Unless he got to water soon he was indeed going to die. How ironic it was. Not taken down by an angry orc but an innocent elf's kiss. I'

That was all it took. Bullets would soon be flying again now that Ruvik had just slammed one into the other orc’s shoulder as he held Molly’s arm. “You won’t get that far.”

Viola had seemed to pay little attention to anything Celia snarled at her. The young woman almost seemed high, just smiling and nodding at everything the other woman screamed in anger. The feeling wouldn’t last, and soon the young elf would be scratching at her skin, needing more magick.
As it was, Celia had again left her daughter and was returning for the dark lord herself. She wasn’t quite as pragmatic as Montehugh had been. There would be much orc blood spilt tonight.

The orc was caught off guard by Ruvik's attack and let go off Molly to defend himself. The two of them went rolling in the mud. 
Molly crawled toward the wand, her fingers barely brushing it when Montehugh grabbed her ankle and yanked her back. 

Kandomere laid in the darkness, listening to the silence. He wondered if death sounded this way. At that moment he didn't mind.

Ruvik wasn’t exactly in any shape to be fighting anyone right then, thanks to the injuries he already had. Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.

A slender hand slid over Kandomere’s mouth, bright blue eyes meeting his in the dim light as Celia leaned over him. She had encountered several or s on her way in here, and dispatched them with minimal fuss. That didn’t mean more wouldn’t find them. Once she was certain Kandomere knew it was her she removed her hand. “Forgive me for taking so long, my lord.”

Soon he would find himself fighting alongside his partner. Judas had not abandoned him. 
Molly was in a struggle of her own, screaming and scratching at the man who was trying to keep her away from the wand.

Kandomere gave Celia an extremely rare smile. "I...am glad it was you, child." He whispered.

Ruvik stomped on the leg of one orc so hard the bones snapped. He smiled. The bloodlust was affecting him, and it was already too late to pull back. He wasn’t as calm and civilized as he would have his partner believe. 

“Please forgive what my daughter did... I will punish her myself for her misdeeds once you are safe. That is all that matters.” Celia breathed.

Judas stepped back, his mouth dropping open. "Ruvi...what the hell?" Even he knew this wasn't the way the other man needed to act. It wasn't normal or right. 

Kandomere laughed softly turning his head to watch the svelte woman as she watched the corner for more guards. He never once imagined that she'd be the one to come for him. After everything he'd done, he'd been certain she'd leave him there to die.

“What? You want him getting up to follow us?” Ruvik snarled angrily.

“Can you stand?” Celia asked quietly, unaware of Kandomere’s thoughts right then. “I’ll take you somewhere safe, then you can take my life. My apology for what my daughter did to you.”

Judas looked around them, surprised to find the shooting had stopped and they were surrounded by feds. "No..." He hissed softly. "We don't do that to our friends." 
Molly was struggling against the man who held her, watching another in a full body suit pick up the wand and carefully put it inside a container. She howled as if this physically hurt her for them to do.

"If I wanted to..." Kandomere sighed softly, talking used up too much of his energy. "I cannot move." He admitted. "I have nothing left."

“Friends?!” Ruvik howled, seemingly barely able to think straight. “They’re hurting Molly! Look at them, they’re monsters!”

“Take mine.” Celia breathed, daring a place a hand over his own. “Like my foolish daughter stole from you... take whatever I have.”