Chapter 9: Heart and spirit!

The next day, early morning before the night, Dustin and Tal were going to confront the criminal informant who they've identified who invaded the force. "Assessment of his ability?" Tal requested from his energetic little sister with his cold tone and sign language for his brother. "The kid's talented, quite literally the most skilled we've come across. Even though he hasn't been able to beat me yet, he's way ahead of a fighter at his age, I'd guess only because of who his dad is, he has loads of issues that'll likely cause him to lose more often than he should if he doesn't overcome them." Janece answers her brother's request, Janece leaves it up to Lowell to tell him better. "He's making progress but he's having a rough time getting over treasuring ferocity in his style and his impatience overwhelms him. He fights to end the battle as quickly as possible and remains on the offensive, against bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled opponents than him this could lead to his death. Regardless, his progress has been spectacular, if he doesn't want to be touched by the average thug, he definitely won't get a finger laid on him. He's ready for the streets and field work now." Lowelle filled his brothers in with a grim expression as he explained. "We have to stay on our toes and keep him on his during this journey but I can't believe that this might be way easier than I thought." Said Dustin as he did his special shake with his little sister. "He is the son of THE late and great Mist-Affliction." Janece butts in with her upbeat and optimistic voice, a bonafide fan of her student's father. "I'm not holding because he'll be with us tonight." Tal asserted as he cracked his knuckles and prepared his heart for the interrogation. "… Everything he treasures, we treasure, all of those that he's sworn to protect hold dear, rides on what he is capable of and this isn't the worst he'll have to endure. This is going to be tough for me to endure." Dustin speeches as he grabs his gauntlet from the bag and tightens it on him.

Tal Presence dragged the dirty officer by his collar and threw him into a brick wall in one of Chaelb's dark alleyways as the night time rain fell on them with Dustin and Derek spectating. "Are you going to have me throw you into this fine establishment through these walls of theirs or will you let your tongue save you?" Tal asked the false cop. The man was trembling, teeth rattling, rapidly breathing and had his arms up while looking to the floor. "That's motivating, I'm the guy you want to know if you got anything you need to know— they call me rapid tongue Jonah because I'm known for being that fella who is verbally productive—I." The corrupt officer continued babbling until Tal looked towards Dustin knowing he'd ask better questions. "We know you've been feeding information of this department to a certain criminal in the city you work for, give me the addresses and any information on your buddies who work with you, I could see you're a basic grunt in his operations and he only keeps you so close." Dustin informed the corrupt officer with his most intimidating acting and demanded from him. He asked for a notebook and pen with a stutter, Tal kept tools on him in his many pockets and had a miniature notepad and multi-tool tactical pen on him at all times. He wrote down all that they asked of him and compiled without any resistance, it was refreshing for them. "Disgraceful, rotten dirtbag." Said Tal before Dustin tapped the corrupt officer with the pinky finger of his gauntlet hand and sent him sleeping instantaneously, Dustin memorized everything on the notepad before handing it over to Derek to memorize it with the intention of him learning to lead and keep him busy.

"I was expecting that to be unbelievably worse than it turned out to end up being." Derek says as Dustin used his gauntlet and grappled to the top of the bar to call the police chief and fill him in on his plans and the corrupt cop revealing information. "He was just the first and very suspiciously compliant, it's a weekend night and we have fifteen more visits. If you can make it past the next then one of them is bound to be what you were expecting, tonight will be your very first experiences in observation and hopefully stoicism, kid." Tal replied before he chuckled. "I'm hoping that the universe brings my worst expectations to stand in the way, I'll stand through it!" Derek professed meaning every ounce of his words. Tal nodded his head with respect in his mind. "Tonight, we'll test how strong your mind and heart truly is or what breaks them." Tal warned Derek as he gave an uncomfortable smirk. "Like your body, they must be strong if you're going to be able to follow your father's path. Leave the kid alone, Tal." Dustin butted in as he arrived back to the two from the rooftop.

"He could not stand through it like he declared. I'll give him credit for lasting through all of them." Said Tal as the siblings were being confronted by Derek's grandmother once they returned and she saw her grandson. Dustin elbowed his little brother in his ribs. "This was his first night, Ma'am, you understand the threat ahead of us from the legends and the seer. You understand why— we had to not hold back and let him experience how ugly this gets." Dustin reasoned with her but she didn't give up her unyielding glare of disappointment and disgust. Tal backed away and went to find Lowelle and Janece who were speaking to Derek. "We'll give him a day off." Dustin assured Lidia Wiley before he began walking away but she caught his attention when he heard her click her tongue. "Give him a week to recover from the gore and… the dolor, he's lost those dear and ever since he's become something else." Lidia demanded before informing him further. "Him being something else is why I offered a day originally, anyway, I think a week is reasonable, got it." Dustin nodded his head and headed upstairs from their living room to his student and let him know.