Chapter Text
You stopped right in front of the metal door. The door was at the back of a modest sized building, the walls were dirty gray, covered with graffiti and other drawings very unartistic and more stupid. Raising your hand you were about to knock on the metal before stopping, you looked over your shoulder at Moon and Sun who nodded their heads signaling you that they were close. You knocked three times on the door, the sound of your phalanx against the metal echoing for a few seconds before stopping, there was a slight silence before the door finally opened on the figure of an elf with dark skin and short shaved hair. His skin was decorated with lighter marks, scars of one in particular at the level of his lips which held stuck between it a toothpick. The elf looked at you with his eyes before looking at Sun and Moon who was standing behind you, a grimace distorting his lips before he lowered his eyes again towards you, removing his toothpick ready to speak.
"It's y/n. I'm here to chat with Double B." You declare before the elf even has time to say anything.
You made the elf freeze imperceptibly at the mention of your name before opening the door wide, giving you room to enter the room. You nodded, silently thanking the elf before entering under the elf's careful and intense gaze, which lingered particularly on Moon and Sun who didn't flinch, following you silently. The interior was a simple corridor, the wooden floor was covered with dark red carpet, the room was lit by orange light bulbs, the walls were decorated from time to time with typical Australian posters, decorated with kangaroos and koalas as well as emu and other fantastic folk creatures.
In the hallway, in addition to the elf who was standing by the door, there were two other people who were looking at you with such seriousness and especially with a certain hatred towards the two animatronics that were behind you. The two Fantastics, a satyr and a dwarf beckoned you to follow them, you looked quickly in the direction of the two policemen nodding imperceptibly towards them before turning again towards the two supernaturals to follow them down. You crossed the long hallway, coming to a flight of stairs that you began to climb. The smell of wet wood and wood fire could be smelled, mixing with all the scents of the different supernaturals that were in the building or that had passed through there.
When they reached the third floor, the two Fantastics saw that they were standing on either side of the stairs in a very military fashion. In front of the staircase was a small waiting area devoid of any objects or decoration, simply opening onto a huge double dark wooden door that was guarded by two new Fantastic, this time a naga and an orc. In the staircase you could hear murmurs, glancing at it you saw the different people who were surely in the rooms of the lower floors looking in the direction of Sun and Moon, their pupils dilated by curiosity, anger and fear.
"Double B is ready to receive you." The naga hissed, the tip of his tail curling around one of the door handles to open it before pushing it open.
You nodded once more, moving towards the door, as you walked through the door you heard the naga hiss lightly in the direction of Sun and Moon. You curled your lips slightly letting a small cat-like growl echo in your chest, the naga immediately looking in your direction with disdain. You knew that provocation inside the Nest was not something you wanted to do, and it was even more risky since you were in the company of animatronics. But you had to make them understand that Moon and Sun were with you, and that until Double B said so, the two metal policemen would indirectly have the privileges you had. The Naga finally looked down, closing the door behind you once you had passed through it. You found yourself in a new corridor, much darker and even less well lit than the first one, you took a small jerky breath before sighing turning to Sun and Moon to tell them with a small smile to try to hide your nervousness:
"We did the easy part. Now all that's left is to be in Double B's good graces."
You didn't give Sun or Moon time to answer anything, pivoting on your heels to face the hallway and the opening at the end, you stepped forward with the two policemen right behind you. At the end of the hallway was a large circular room, like the rest of the building, the floor was made of red carpet, the wooden walls had been replaced by tapestry on which were embroidered birds and other exotic vegetation. This time there were paintings with golden frames, abstract representatives, landscapes and once again birds. The furniture was imposing and dark, in the middle of the room there was a table surrounded by chairs, pushed against the walls there were cabinets and shelves with contents for some invisible, while others revealed objects once again rare and sophisticated.
On either side of the room you could see henchmen, of different species but all Fantastics. Their attention was entirely directed at Moon, Sun and you, but your attention was entirely directed at the man directly in front of you, behind a huge desk of wood and glass, in a black leather chair. A lamp placed right next to him barely illuminated his face and features. Double B was a Fantastic over forty years old but you didn't know exactly how old he was, his salt and pepper hair was neatly slicked back, he sported a slight mustache and a small goatee, but what caught your eye the most were the scars he had that started on his right cheekbone and ran across his lip at an angle before ending on his chin almost like claw marks. There were many stories about how he got this scar, some said he got it while he was still living in Australia after being attacked up by a crocodile that tried to eat him, others said it was the claws of a werewolf that he had faced when he arrived in America.
You motioned to Sun and Moon to stand still, both nodding imperceptibly from their facial discs as you stepped forward under Double B's heavy, weighted gaze. You walked around the table, your heart pounding in your chest but you hid your fear, not wanting the other Fantastics in the room to sense your fear. You walked forward with your head held high, your ears perked up on your skull as you forced them to stay still despite the animosity in the room, your tail wagging gracefully as you walked.
Once on the other side of the table, facing Double B directly, you looked up at him and met the dark, piercing gaze of the boss of the organization, before bowing. As you bent over, one of your feet came to stand behind the other, one of your hands went behind your back, the other extended at your side in a very theatrical and almost exaggerated way, but in a way that imitated the movement of a bird's wing. You heard Double B shift in his chair, a heavy exhale leaving his lips as his stony, time-worn voice rose, echoing throughout the room to say in his voice that mixed an Australian and Spanish accent :
"Straighten up. You know you don't have to greet me like that."
"And you know that under the circumstances in which I present myself to you I am obliged to do so." You reply, straightening up to look at Double B.
Double B let his gaze pass from you to Sun and Moon who still hadn't moved from behind the table. You heard the Fantastic humming a reply while examining the two animatronics before he focused on you again, one of his hands decorated with a few rings coming to rest on the table with a slight clatter.
"It's true that when Canary reported that you were looking for me I didn't expect to see you in the company of anyone, let alone in the company of animatronics working for the police."
"And I apologize for that Double B. If the situation had not been critical and important I would not have..."
You were interrupted by a hand movement from Double B, his chair creaking slightly as he leaned menacingly over his desk with both hands coming to rest flat on the table in a threatening and rather loud manner in this room where the silence was deadly. You blinked slightly, observing the reactions of the other Fantastics around you who had not moved but whose threat was becoming more and more apparent but not in your direction. You glanced over at Sun and Moon, making sure they hadn't moved, the two animatronics seemed still but you could see that their eyes were confused, and that they seemed to be fighting against themselves not to interfere.
"You know that's not what I want to hear from you, Gatito." Declared Double B his slightly rumbling voice.
Biting your lower lip before letting out a sigh, you looked up at Double B. You had always tried to keep your distance from Double B and all his little group, but you knew that right now you had no choice but to give in to the whims of the Fantastic, not for yourself, but for Moon and Sun. The two policemen had certainly imposed themselves to accompany you, but they trusted you enough to come to a place like this, having agreed to do what you asked of them and promising never to speak of it. Their lives were literally in your hands, it allowed you to prove to them that you could defend yourself alone, but it also allowed you to turn the balance, since this time it was you who had to protect them.
"I'm sorry DB." You sighed in the direction of Double B.
"Ah... That's what I want to hear. You're one of the only people I allow to call me that, and the reason I gave you that permission is so that you would do it Gatito. Now, explain to me why you are so suddenly visiting me, when I invite you and you constantly refuse my requests huh ?" Declared DB with a little touch of reproach.
You grimaced slightly in front of the remark of the Fantastic, your reaction however did not pass unnoticed, Double B let a laugh leave his lips, moving back again in his armchair in a more relaxed way while he came to rest his arm on the desk and the other one on the armrest of his armchair. Immediately you felt the threatening atmosphere in the room fade away slightly, making you breathe a small sigh of relief. DB waved his hand again as if to erase the subject and added :
"Forget it, I know, a wild Gatito will always be a wild Gatito."
"Thanks DB. If I'm here to ask you for your help, to ask you to pay your debt. This debt that you owe me, I would like to use it please." Declared you while looking Double B right in the eyes.
You saw Double B freeze slightly in front of your request, his hand which was posed on the table moved to come to caress the small goatee which he had with his chin whereas he frowned. You saw out of the corner of your eye the few guards in the room fidgeting uncomfortably. It was common to see Fantastics come to DB for help, but it was rare to see someone come and ask the boss of the 'Nest' to come and pay his debt, let alone when that person was accompanied by members of the police. Double B hummed for a long time before bending over again in earnest, intertwining his fingers to rest his chin on it.
"I'm more than a little surprised you'd come to me for this. You who always refused to use the debt I had towards you for all these years, refusing my proposals more than advantageous for you..."
Double B made a small pause, raising his eyes in the direction of Moon and Sun before pointing one of his index fingers in the direction of the two animatronics while saying :
"And I can't help but think that it's because of these two that you've come to claim your due."
You looked in the direction of Sun and Moon, making a small movement of your head in the direction of the two metal policemen to signal them to come closer. You saw the two animatronics comply immediately, moving around the table to stand next to you. Their movements had caused a slight agitation near the guards but a simple movement of the hand on behalf of DB had made them all recover their calmness and their stoicism. You concentrated again on Double B, speaking again while indicating Sun and Moon with small movements of your hands.
"This is Sun, and this is Moon. As you said DB, they work for the police. And you're also right that they're the reason I came to you for help. You probably know about the murders of Arnold Wilson, Jyseral Klain and Abigael Fynch ?"
"Yes, like all Fantastics I have heard of them. But the police have concluded that they were accidents and suicides, not murders." DB sighed as he settled back into his chair properly.
"Yes, that's what the first police investigations concluded. But Detective Moon and Detective Sun found some of the circumstances too strange and decided to reopen the investigations to get more clues."
"And what exactly do you want from me ?"
"A potential witness to one of these murders has fled, leaving no trace. I was hoping that with the eyes you had through everything that you could help us find this Fantastic quickly. Or maybe you already had some information about her." You finished.
"Hmm... And why should I help the police ? I find it strange that the police suddenly decide to pay attention to our community. Seventy years since we revealed ourselves to humans and the Science Fiction community and we never received anything but hatred, restrictions and rejection. The dead will not come back to life because of this investigation. The hatred between the different groups will not be erased because of this investigation so why should I do such a meaningless action that will not change anything for us Fantastics ? Why change things today ?" Double B asked.
A small silence settled in the room as DB's words hung in the air, heavy with meaning and innuendo. The corner of Double B's lips was slightly raised in a barely visible smile, his gaze weighing on you as he waited for an answer from you, and only from you. He knew for a fact that you were the first one not to do anything to change things, and you were even one of the ones making things worse with your thieving background and present. You knew that DB was testing you, he wanted to know if you came to him willingly, if you were aware that you were using the huge debt he owed you for something futile, something useless, something that didn't bring you anything and wouldn't bring you anything in the future.
You looked over your shoulder, meeting Sun's gaze and then Moon's, there was a glint of determination and confidence in their metal and plastic eyes. A trust that they had placed in you for a reason that was still mysterious to you, you wanted to ask them why they trusted you despite everything they knew about you, you were a criminal who knew worse criminals and yet here they were, not even thinking that this might be a trap. You let a small sigh leave your lips, for creatures made of metal and electricity and numbers at the cutting edge of technology they were pretty damn stupid. A smile appeared on your lips, DB's words were as serious as they were mocking and you couldn't help but respond in kind.
"Because things have to change sometime DB. And it's probably up to us Fantastics to make the first move. But I'm just repeating Mr. Botzaris, he's a good teacher when he wants to be. At least he's trying to teach me something, even if I'm not one of his best students." You paused for a moment before resuming. "And I don't think you have much to say about my choice DB, you said you would grant me what I would want, and I want to use this debt you owe me to get this information about this elf."
Double B let a thunderous laugh leave his lips, he came to hit his desk with one of his hands in a way that almost exaggerated his amusement before slowly calming down. You knew that your words had been more than risky, it was directly associated with provocation and anyone else who would have dared to speak to Double B in that tone would surely have been punished, but you knew that for now you were still on the good side of the boss of this organized gang. Once his seriousness recovered DB's gaze shifted back to Sun and Moon, examining them from head to toe before he clicked his tongue, waving his hand in their direction.
"And why did they need to come with you, Gatito ? You could have very well come to me for his information alone, it would have caused you less trouble."
"They needed to be there for..."
"We wanted to make sure they were safe." Moon said, interrupting you.
You turned almost abruptly toward Moon, glaring at him as the fur on your tail bristled and one of your ears twitched against your skull. You heard Double B click his tongue before humming at length, you turned in his direction analyzing his reaction with apprehension. The Fantastic brought his hand to his lips before saying :
"None of my henchmen would dare touch Gatito here. In fact, I think they are safer here than anywhere else."
"That's probably the case sir, but we didn't know who exactly they were going to meet. So we allowed ourselves to have doubts for the safety of our colleague." Said Sun, taking a step forward.
You turned back to Sun, looking at him with dilated pupils as you shook your face, silently and not very politely telling him to be quiet, but the animatronic only gave you a single glance, focusing on Double B. You turned to the Fantastic, watching as he froze in his chair, his body motionless and tense. Your gaze roamed the room as you saw the other Fantastics begin to wave their hands, some reaching for their weapons, others digging out their fangs and claws. As you heard Double B let out a heavy sigh through his nose you looked up at him ready to intervene to cut the discussion short, but DB let a new mocking laugh leave his lips at Sun and Moon's statements. When the voice of the Fantastic was raised again full of mockery and especially in Spanish you could not help but grimace.
"¿ Colegas ? ¡ Ja ! Los pequeños animatronics me hacen reír fingiendo que se preocupan por un Fantástico." Double B sighed, looking at one of his closest bodyguards.
You understood very little Spanish, knowing only the basic greetings and a few insults, but even if you didn't know what Double B had said, you knew it was a bad sign to hear the boss of 'the Nest' speak in his other native language. Like you, most of the Fantastics in that room didn't speak any language other than English, except for the guard closest to DB, who was the one DB trusted the most, and who in turn let a laugh leave his lips. Without any reference you didn't know what reaction to adopt or what to answer, not having understood anything. So you remained motionless, your ears straight and tense on the top of your head... That is, until Moon next to you decided to speak again, answering Double B in his own language:
"Sí, es cierto. Nos preocupa la seguridad de nuestro colega, aunque sea una criatura Fantástica."
"Ser de la comunidad fantástica no cambia el hecho de que y/n siga siendo nuestro colega." Sun then added with a small movement of his hand in your direction.
To say that you were stunned was an understatement, and you were not the only one since the many Fantastics in the room, including DB in particular, were looking at the two animatronics with dilated pupils. Your ears slowly fell on either side of your skull as your tail fell back along your legs, waiting with anticipation for Double B's reaction. Contrary to what you had expected you saw the Fantastic step back in his chair, his fingers intertwining as he came to rest his hands against his stomach his accusing gaze judging the two detectives that accompanied you.
"Huh. Te importa tanto que te hace querer acompañarlo a un lugar donde estás arriesgando tu vida. Y supongo que y/n te advirtió de que era peligroso presentarse ante mí, así que incluso a sabiendas insististe en venir de todos modos... ¿ Por qué tienes tanto interés en proteger al pequeño gato ?"
You didn't understand what DB was asking, but you knew it was about you since Double B had indicated you with a little finger movement and Moon and Sun had looked in your direction. You couldn't help but recoil slightly from the surprise and sudden attention. The respectively black and red optics of Sun and Moon being posed scrutinizing you as if it sought the answer inside you, you saw them exchanging a fast glance of agreement before turning to Double B which awaited their answers with a raised eyebrow. When the two animatronic detectives started to speak you didn't understand anything, the words were exchanged too quickly and apart from a slight surprise from Double B, his reactions didn't reveal anything particular to you apart from the fact that he was amused because at the end of Moon and Sun's answer, DB burst out laughing again. Lowering his eyes towards you, an enigmatic gleam in his brown orbs.
"Ah... Gatito. One can say that you know how to make special friends. I don't hate those two animatronics, but can I trust them ? I wouldn't want me and everyone around me to be in danger because of those two."
"I promise you on my life DB, they won't say anything. I will vouch for them." You answer.
"You trust them that much ?" Asked Double B with almost septic intent.
You turned, looking slightly in the direction of Sun and Moon who had lowered their eyes to you again. You tilted your face, frowning slightly as you looked down at your gloved hands, which you opened and closed. You stayed in your thoughts for a few seconds before finally letting out an amused sigh. You then turned back to Double B and smiled at him before answering :
"Yes, I do. I trust them."
You saw DB get up from his chair, the man wasn't very tall, he was even shorter than you but that didn't stop him from being scary. He came to stand in front of his desk facing you as he removed the rings he had on one of his hands before holding it out in your direction, his gaze fixed on you as he asked you to make a promise. You walked over to Double B, reaching out and placing your hand in his, palm up. Once your hand was placed DB lifted his other hand which he had transformed into a wing like hand covered with black and white feathers coming to place his hand in yours as he withdrew his other hand from under yours, leaving you to bear the weight of his feathered hand alone as you looked into his eyes.
"I promise you DB, on my existence, that they will not speak of you, your group or anything associated with you." You sighed with determination.
Double B gave you a small approving nod before removing his hand from yours, you took a step back out of respect, watching DB retrieve his huge rings to put them back on his fingers. He then leaned back against his desk crossing his arms over his chest looking at Sun, Moon and you who were now lined up before him. He let a laugh leave his lips before saying :
"So who is this Fantastic you are looking for ?"
You immediately reached into your pocket and pulled out the information sheet you had previously retrieved and handed it to DB. The Fantastic retrieved the sheet, his eyes scanning the file as he quickly read a hum of agreement leaving his lips. Double B finally turned around having put the sheet you had given him on his desk before focusing on you again. He shook his head slightly before saying, indicating the documents with a wave of his hand :
"Neither her name nor her face tell me anything. I will have to ask my informants to do some research to get more information. I'll let you know as soon as I have something that might interest you."
"DB. Tell your men to be careful. The police don't seem to be the only ones looking for this elf."
As you spoke you had grabbed the collar of your sweater, pulling it slightly to the side as you turned your head to expose the bruises that marred your neck. You saw Double B's pupils dilate before his eyebrows furrowed over his eyes, he clicked his tongue before nodding, letting you know he got the message. You put your sweater back on your shoulders properly.
"If we also find the one who did this to you, do you want us to take care of them too ?" Double B asked with a sinister smile.
"No !" You exclaimed, the fur on your tail bristling slightly. "The police will take care of it."
"Okay okay Gatito." Replied DB with a laugh.
"Thanks DB." You sigh as you bow to him once more.
"Gracias por su ayuda." Sun says.
"Gracias Sr. Double B." Moon added.
DB let an amused sigh leave his lips in front of the words of the two animatronics before turning the back, making once again the turn of his office before sitting down in his armchair. Hardly seated he made signal to one of his men of hands to approach him to come to give him the information concerning Jenna whispering him some orders. You turned on your heels and faced Sun and Moon to whom you made a small movement of the hand to mean that it was time to leave. As you and the two detectives reached the entrance to the hallway DB's voice rose again.
"One small thing Gatito. My debt to you is not yet fully paid. This little research is nothing at all compared to what you have done for me. A life for a life."
You looked over your shoulder, giving a small nod in DB's direction and as you were about to turn around again you heard Double B add to Moon and Sun :
"You should thank Gatito, thanks to them you have immunity from my group. I will make sure that my men do not cause you any problems."
You saw the two animatronics let a small laugh leave their lips before nodding in the direction of the Fantastic who signaled you to leave. As you left the room you saw the two guards standing by the door looking at you in amazement, you gave them a small smirk, your tail wagging with some pride as you left the building without a scratch and with your request granted. You made your way back in silence, once inside Moon's car you let a sigh leave your lips, lying back in the back seat before draping your arm over your eyes as you made all your Skinwalker attributes disappear, letting a heavy sigh you didn't know how to hold leave your lips. You heard Moon and Sun settle into their seats before you heard Moon chuckle and say :
"Are you okay 'Gatito'?"
You froze, pulling your arm away from your face to glare at Moon. He and Sun had turned their facial disks in your direction, not yet having bonded. The two animatronics displayed expressions full of emotions, satisfaction, determination, relief, and a little touch of mockery in front of the little nicknames. You made a face in their direction, lifting one of your hands to give them the middle finger, letting a giggle leave your lips as you saw their expressions change directly to one of annoyance.
"Don't call me that." You say. "And yes, I'm fine, just the pressure coming down."
"Okay. Put your belt on." Moon declares.
"Hell no. All three of us need to talk. Don't you know how to follow instructions ?! I told you not to speak, not to say anything and you dared to address Double B directly ! Without his permission, and in Spanish too ?!" You exclaimed, straightening up slightly in the back seat.
"Hmm... It look like we can't. We're just acting a little like you, don't you think ?" Sun replied with a small laugh.
"It's not the same. If Double B had been on a bad day or if you had said something wrong he would have taken you apart on the spot and nothing I could have said would have changed his mind. I told you the second time we met, blame me for what you want but I'm not a murderer and I don't want anyone's death on my conscience."
"And it's exactly the same for us." Moon declared. "When you entered Hikaku's house without our permission if something had happened to you it would have been our responsibility. And we don't want death on our conscience either."
You froze blinking, caught off guard again by their words as you watched the animatronic eyes before wincing once more in their direction letting a loud "tch" leave your lips as you sat up properly deciding to buckle your belt and look out the window. You could have answered them, you felt like telling them that it wasn't the same there were so many differences between you and them, you were a criminal, they were police, they were fair and honest, you were a liar and you weren't afraid of being illegal, they were animatronics and you were a monster, they wouldn't have your death on their conscience, you're sure too many would be relieved to know that there was one less Fantastic, namely a Shapeshifter.
The car sat still for a few more seconds before Moon finally decided to start the car, sending it into traffic as the silence between the three of you became slightly heavier and less pleasant. After a few minutes of driving Sun looked up at you through the rear view mirror and asked :
"What did you do to make Double B owe you so much ? Usually people like that do everything they can to not owe anyone anything and to make everyone owe them something."
"It's a long story." Did you still sigh a little coldly.
"And it's a long way to your house too. So I think you can tell us." Moon added for emphasis.
You watched the two animatronics before rolling your eyes, looking out the window of the moving car again. You hesitated to tell them for a few seconds before finally letting out a sigh, you could at least explain how you came to know DB. You owed them for saving your life, for the medicine and for the ice cream last time.
"When I was about 15-16 years old, I was hanging out in the streets in my feline form, as I used to do every time I skipped school, and that's when I saw a bunch of barely suspicious people in a dark alley. Curious I hid and spied them, one of them, a male Nymph was saying that they were going to make a lot of money with what they had found, and while talking he was waving a small cloth pouch that seemed to contain some very precious things. They were not discreet and not careful enough, moreover the idea of being able to get money made me lose all caution, so I came out of my hiding place I grabbed the little pouch between my fangs and ran away with it. The Fantastics I had just stolen didn't like me stealing from them so they started chasing me all over town. After almost getting hit by who knows how many cars, I finally lost them. I decided to see what was in the pouch and upon opening it surprise, a little sparrow."
"A Skinwalker ?" Sun questioned.
"Yeap. She's a young skinwalker, she must have been about ten years old, she was terrified, and I didn't understand why she could be valuable. As I was about to ask her some questions, the Fantastics who had clearly kidnapped her found me. I reflexively grabbed the Skinwalker sparrow before running away again. As I continued to run without really knowing where I was going, the little sparrow girl pointed me in the right direction, and I listened. We ended up in a neighborhood I didn't know at all and the Skinwalker led me down a dead-end street. I thought we were done for because her kidnappers had caught up with us, but before they could do anything to us an army of Fantastics came in and tore them apart. It was quick and violent, and once the kidnappers were out of the way, the Fantastic pack turned on me and the sparrow I was holding in my fangs. I noticed that the Skinwalker Sparrow was getting restless, and it ran away from me and towards one of the Fantastics in the pack who had just stopped the kidnappers. That's when I realized that it was probably her family and that I was probably going to end up like the kidnappers..."
"What does this have to do with Double B ?" Moon questioned.
"It's coming. I was exhausted and out of breath, but the adrenaline and fear made me run again, I've never run so fast in my life. After escaping from this pack of Fantastics I stayed a whole night hiding behind a trash can in an alley in the Miracle District, too afraid to go home. The next day I finally came home and told myself that I was probably safe. A few days passed after this incident and even though I kept thinking about it I was not on my guard. On my way out of school I was approached by a car, and before I could react I was grabbed and pushed into the car. I thought it was karma coming back at me. When I found myself in front of the father of the little sparrow Skinwalker I thought that I was really finished. But the father instead of turning me into a coat thanked me for saving and bringing his daughter back safely, telling me that he owed me a life debt."
"That was Double B's daughter ?" Moon declared.
"Yep !"
You let an amused laugh leave your lips as you went back to your memories, sure at the time and at the moment you had experienced this mishap you hadn't laughed, but now that you thought back it was one of the most exciting and positive things that had ever happened to you. You let a small sigh leave your lips as you thought about how you told DB that you didn't save his daughter on purpose and that you only did it because of a misunderstanding, but that didn't deter the Fantastic who insisted that you join his group. You didn't want to have anything to do with Double B and his group despite the many interesting propositions he had made to you during the years following the one where you had saved his daughter, it was too risky with your condition as a Shapeshifter and then you preferred to stay alone. Besides, Mr. Botzaris would have probably lectured you for joining a criminal guild. But today, thanks to your misadventure, you had been able to get precious help, so your past fright was a small price to pay.
"Should we know of any other people around you with a suspicious profile ?" Sun asked with a small laugh.
"Um... Nah, DB is the most dangerous one I knew. My other acquaintances aren't perfect but they're not like me either." Did you answer almost amused by Sun's question.
"If you get into trouble so easily I understand why you don't have much life left. Although I'm curious to know the other five who lost you a life." Moon stated, a sincere hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Hey. My life isn't a TV show. You should already consider yourself lucky that I told you how I met Double B."
You turned again to the two animatronics abandoning the contemplation of the outside to furtively cross the glance of Moon in the internal mirror and then to support that of Sun. While silence returned to settle comfortably only disturbed by the noise of the engine of the car, you thought again of the exchange that there had been between Moon, Sun and DB and that you had not succeeded in understanding because they had addressed it in Spanish.
"What did Double B ask you ? I didn't understand everything but he asked you something about me ?"
"Huh..." Sun sighed and seemed to think for a second. "He just asked us why we decided to go with you despite the risk it might represent for us."
"And what did you answer him ? I have rarely seen DB surprised and amused at the same time." You asked, tilting your face to the side.
"Just that you found yourself working with us because you got caught by the police for a murder story. No big deal. Kitten." Moon chuckled.
"Okay. Let's get this straight. You don't call me that. I don't like nicknames. So no nicknames, Capiche ?"
" 'Capiche' is an Italian word." Sun replied with a laugh.
"And I don't really care."
Moon and Sun let a small mocking chuckle leave their lips at your sudden annoyance. Nicknames were a few things you didn't appreciate, it was something that was known to be adorable and affectionate but it was also double edged, it was a sign that you were close to someone. Sure you were used to nicknames and other silly puns about your condition as a Cat-Walker, but affectionate nicknames were reserved for your close circle, and you didn't feel or want to be close enough to Sun and Moon to allow them that.
The night had started to fall on the city, slowly you could see the illuminated signs being lit, the streetlights illuminating the road on which the car was moving as well as the passers-by on the sidewalks. Even at night the city seemed to be alive, bustling with members of different communities, every time you took the time to observe the city you couldn't help but wonder how things had been before. Before the Great Revelation of the Fantastic, before the Techno People were created. There were history books, photos, news reports, movies and a whole lot of other records, but nothing described the atmosphere of those times.
You were curious to know, but at the same time, you didn't want to, fearing that things would have been better if they hadn't changed. It was a paradox because as much as the tensions between the different communities were sometimes frustrating and some of the rules were very unpleasant to follow and bear, you didn't want to have to hide. Maybe it was because you were hiding your true nature as a Shapeshifter that you thought that way, maybe it was also because you were young and born well after the Great Revelation that you thought that way, many old Fantastic people you knew said that life was better before all that. Your gaze also stopped on Sun and Moon, if everything had been like before, you probably wouldn't have met them...
As you saw the dimmer streets of the Miracle District appear you let a sigh leave your lips, shaking your face to get out of your thoughts. As the streets continued to pass by, Sun's voice rose to ask you:
"When we were with Double B, you made a promise with him. It was the same kind of promise you made to us. Is this some kind of Fantastic custom or tradition ?"
"Um... Yeah, you could say that. It's kind of like the human pinky promise, but a little more complex." You answer by waving one of your hands.
"Is there some kind of special significance to the way you place your hands ?" Sun continued.
"You are right. When making a promise there is the one who receives it and the one who gives it. The one receiving the promise must always reach out where the hands first, he asks for the other party of the promise to support him. The pledger then places his hands in the other's, palm up to show that he is ready to pledge. The receiver then comes to place one of his hands, or one of his limbs that may be the tail, a wing or even the face, usually it is a limb that shows our supernatural side, in the hand of the other to show him that he gives his trust to the one who promises. The receiver of the promise will remove his hands from under the hands of the promisor to signify that the promise rests entirely in the hands of the one making the promise."
"This is... We were not aware of this custom." Moon stated. "We have a tremendous amount of information about the Fantastics, but a lot of important things seem to be... missing."
"Who gave you all this knowledge ? Did you ask any Fantastics, or did you just look at websites written by people who weren't necessarily Fantastics ?" you asked. "There's a lot of things that the Fantastic community won't say they do, and for a variety of reasons."
"You're right. There were no Supernaturals in our group when we graduated to become police officers, so we relied entirely on books and other information available on the internet, we didn't think to consult any Fantastics outside the police field." Moon answered you.
"Have you studied ? Don't you just need to consult your 'database' or whatever you call it ? You can download the information from the internet right ?"
The two animatronics let a laugh leave their lips at your question that was both sincere and slightly skeptical. You often heard them talk about their databases that they consulted to find out whether or not, so to hear them say that they had to actually study was something that threw you off slightly. You saw Sun turn slightly towards you to look over his shoulder before saying with a small wave of his hand :
"We could have, but we preferred to find out for ourselves to cross-check as much information as possible and make a generalization of the information we could get."
"It's... kind of stupid right ? I mean, you could have just learned it all without really making any effort but you still wasted your time. If I had been in your shoes I would have taken the easy way out." You say with a slight frown.
"Hmm... It's true that we spent some time, but the proof is that even with all the research we did, there were things we didn't know about, so if we had just been satisfied with one piece of information we would have been even more lost." Moon replied.
"But if it makes you feel better, there are some things we just download the information for example, criminal profiles. There are too many of them and since they are constantly being updated, to add, remove or modify criminal profiles, we can't afford to read them over every day." Sun added.
"Many animatronics prefer to do things this way. With our instant and nearly infinite memory we have an advantage, and we don't want the humans, or even the Fantastics, to feel inferior because of it. We want to be on equal footing with the other communities. It's kind of our complex." Moon continued.
"Well, of course there are members of the Technological Community who take full advantage of their developed abilities, we're just making a generalization. Sun said with a small movement of his face disc.
"I see ?"
Your answer sounded more like a question. You never knew that animatronics could have complexes too, especially about their superior abilities. You had always thought that Technological people could just plug into a computer and have all the knowledge in the world, you didn't think that they could have the concern for equality and the fear of being excluded because of something they couldn't necessarily control. You found it strange and yet it made you think that maybe the Science Fiction People weren't as well integrated as you Supernaturals thought, after all even though it had been longer than you that Animatronics and other robots were integrated the fact that they were still afraid meant that things weren't as perfect for them. That maybe they weren't so different from you.