Cursed Officer

"Officer Vow! How's the situation coming along?"

Pulling his eyes away from the store entrance, Luke Vow blinked slowly as his hands gripped his pistol tightly. He licked his lips, his skin pale as he began to speak.

"Lieutenant Rod, Sir, the Awakened individuals are still inside. We have yet to see any escapees since the first group."

Luke's eyes fell back into the entrance of the store. The entire building was damaged, barely standing as it was illuminated by a swirling blue portal.

"First time seeing them then?"

Luke nodded solemnly.

"I've shot many rounds in my life, serving this country, but the fear that hit me this time..."

His voice trailed off, the only sign of his fear remaining. The Lieutenant took a step forward, his arms crossed.

"Don't worry kid, blue portals are some of the weakest of their kind. Slacken that grip before you shoot an Awakened, not that you would faze some of them."

As he finished speaking, the portal began to pulse, a sign of the creatures within dying.

"Sir?"

Luke holstered his gun, his eyes falling on the face of the men and women stepping out of the portal. Seven entered, six left on their feet. The front runner, a large man with muscles bigger than Luke's head, approached.

"'Ey, where is the 'ealer we asked for?! We got a man bleedin' out over 'ere!"

Luke looked past him, his eyes falling on the young man being carried out by his allies. He had a bow placed over his heavy wounds across his torso.

"Boy! I'm speakin' right now! Don't let my man die!"

Luke breathed softly, his fears beginning to fade completely. Despite his fear of the monsters within the portal, he could stare this man in the eyes without any.

"Forgive me, Sir, I never got word of any healers arriving. There were also no callouts for one either."

The large man grabbed Luke by his collar, lifting him off his feet. The Lieutenant quickly pushed between them, wincing in pain as he was shoved back.

"You tellin' me... my man is gonna die 'ere?"

Luke placed his hand on the arm of the Awakened man and shook his head slowly.

"Put me down, then put him down. Be careful, as any gyrations can make him worse."

Pulling Luke closer, the man's breath began to heat up his face.

"You got first aid experience? Boys! Grab the supplies!"

Things began to blur for Luke as he patched up the injured man, his injuries something that would still kill him if left untreated. Minutes felt like hours as Luke was watched closely, bodies moving in and out of his peripheral.

"Hey, kid, look in my eyes. I need you to keep them open for me."

A pained expression crossed the boy's face as his eyes fluttered open. He bit his lip, but kept his eyes on Luke.

"Good. Help is on the way."

Looking away, Luke stared up at the groups leader. His large hands made his phone seem tiny as he slipped into a bag.

"Boy, keep Ryle alive for twenty minutes."

Time was slow, though when a healer was finally able to take Ryle away, Luke got to his feet. He had blood covering his hands, as well as some on his clothes, but he bowed towards the Awakened men and women.

"Thank you and good work!"

With a snort, the leader gave Luke a respectful nod before he and his group packed up and left. That day ended for Luke in a way he hadn't anticipated, but his respect for the Awakened had ignited.

A year passed by quickly, the original threat of the portals dying down as the Awakened began to move in force. The police and even the military worldwide slowed to halt as the Awakened made the world safer, for the most part.

Sitting at his desk in the station, Luke was reading over the report a fellow officer had handed him. It was like many others, listing those that died as well as those that closed the portal.

"What do you mean?! You ain't gonna pay us what we deserve!? We busted our asses while you bastards sat at your desks, reading papers!"

Luke smirked slightly, tossing the paper down and standing from his seat. His eyes locked onto the man, an Awakened covered in scars, and the commissioner staring each other down.

"Bo, you got any info?"

Sitting near Luke, a fellow officer and friend, Boris looked up.

"Daniel Vincent, Tier 3 Awakened. Physical strength and speed powered up. Last recorded as a level 15? He isn't very special, but he closed down a blue portal. Should be getting thirty grand, but the commissioner is up to his old tricks."

With a sigh, Luke began to head towards the confrontation. Leaning against a wall, he kept himself where he could intervene.

"Come on you freak! We have costs too! You get paid better with what you collect inside those damn portals anyways. Now go ahead and leave my precinct before I charge you with assault on an officer."

A smug little smile on his face, the commissioner crossed his arms and waited. Daniel glared him down, taking a single step forward. A small hand grabbed his arm, pulling back. A voice, barely audible over the tension, came from behind him.

"Danny, pull back. We can't have this fall back on our Guild. Lets take our reward and go, whether its all or not."

A small girl, barely fifteen, began to drag Daniel out by his wrist.

"Consider yourself lucky, bastard."

Daniel turned away, the commissioner taking his chance and dropping to the ground. He screamed in a pitch too fake to even be his voice.

"S-someone help! This Awakened, FREAK, attacked me! Officer Vow! Arrest him!"

Luke closed the distance, putting himself between Daniel and the commissioner. The look on his face was that of rage and confusion. Even the girl was shocked as her hands fell from Daniel's wrist.

"Sorry, but could you just do me a favor and leave?"

The commissioner began to speak, but Luke looked down at him, his glare that of one who was wronged.

"Commissioner, explain yourself, or get up and walk away. The Awakened still deserve our respect. They are not the monsters that they fight."

His jaw dropping, the commissioner got to his feet and raised his hand towards Luke.

"You are nothing in this precinct! I am everything! You think you can talk down to me like that?! Boy, I will make this place a living hell for you and anyone that tries to side with you!"

Luke could only sigh as he looked back towards Daniel. With a knowing nod, the two Awakened departed as Luke brought his attention back to the commissioner. He bowed slightly.

"Forgive me, I didn't want you to be struck, Sir."

With a hard smack on the top of his head, the commissioner turned away with a smirk on his face.

"You are not to leave until all of the reports are done. You are to take ALL the reports from the others as they are to clock out. Understood?"

Without waiting for an answer, the commissioner walked away, leaving Luke to stand straight and walk back to his desk.

"Sorry, Luke. You're the only one with the guts to stand up to the commish. But hey, we ain't gonna leave you with a ton of work!"

Raising his hand in a fist, the precinct copied Boris, one by one. In unison, they raised their middle fingers towards the commissioners office. Luke held in a laugh as he sat down.

"Just get back to work you slackers!"

His short-lived jubilation faded over the next hours, his paper work growing and shrinking as his fellow officers continued to head home. The moon shown high in the sky as he finally walked out the front doors of the precinct. Brushing his dark hair back with his fingers, Luke stared into the sky.

"This world is... cursed."