The next day, Merlin and Justice sat at separate desks, working on their paperwork. They shot each other disgruntled looks from time to time, though Merlin seemed more amused than angry. He was such a freak and almost impossible to read. Most of the squad members shouted, threw things; their hearts were on their sleeves. Merlin kept things close to the vest, giving very little away.

The door to Chief Authority Figure’s office flew open, and he blasted out. Sadly that wasn’t dramatic enough to capture everyone’s attention, so he whistled loudly, reminding Justice unpleasantly of high school gym. His attention was focused on Merlin and Justice. “Merlin! C’mere. Mayor Bottom’s got a special assignment for you.”

Justice groaned. “I bet he does.”

Merlin remained focused on what he was working on. “I have tons of paperwork from yesterday. Let Tony go instead of me.”

As he finished his sentence, Merlin gave Figure a quick once-over as if to gauge the reaction.

Tony sat up straighter in his seat. “I’m all over it.”

Figure shook his head. “Tony can do your paperwork. The mayor wants my top men, and that’s what he gets, my tops.”

Merlin raised a brow and smirked at Justice and then shrugged as if to question whether that was an accurate description of Justice. Why was it so easy for Merlin to make his face flush? He was sweating. “There are plenty of tops who can service him. How about Tony?”

Tony looked between them with his brows furrowed as if he didn’t get it. “I’m a top?”

Merlin gave him a coy side-eye. “Clearly not. My bad.”

Justice covered his face with his hands in the vain hope that no one saw him laugh.

Figure either didn’t understand or didn’t want to. He continued to stare at Merlin. “Actually, Merlin, he asked for you specifically and only you. They’re set up in the interrogation room. Sorry, there are no conference rooms. But you know it’s not an interrogation.”

”I’m glad someone’s sure about that.” Merlin heaved a long sigh and then pushed himself up from his desk.

That was an odd remark. Figure and Justice traded looks as Merlin headed off to the third interrogation room where Mayor Bottom and his cronies were waiting.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t go with him?” Justice had a bad feeling about this. Merlin shouldn’t have to take a meeting with grabby Mayor Bottom. God knew what he might do to Merlin alone in there.

Despite Merlin clearly being able to take care of himself in a fight, there were things that could happen in that small room. For one, Bottom could seduce him.

Not that Justice cared. Or should care. He and Merlin were just partners, not partners. But then, even as partners he believed that he was obliged to keep him out of danger and this was technically only Merlin’s third day as an officer of the law.

Figure and Justice stared at the closed interrogation room door for a good ten minutes before Figure shrugged and excused himself. There weren’t any screams or sounds of distress happening behind the door. Justice wished that they could use the observation room to see and hear what was going on, but given it was the mayor in there, watching was out of the question.

Justice headed back to his desk a few minutes later. Whatever was going on inside the interrogation room was taking quite a while. He bought his lunch from a vending machine that was serviced infrequently by the undead American laborers.

Just as Justice finished his salami-and-something-that-might’ve-once-been-lettuce sandwich, Merlin finally emerged from the room. He looked dazed and not in the good way you might be from alcohol or narcotics, but that he’d been told something he was having difficulty processing.

Justice dropped the wrapper and went to Merlin’s side. Sure, they didn’t get along, but they were falling rapidly into the pattern of colleagues. They’d been in the shit together. Whatever posturing happened the rest of the time, they were brothers. Besides, Merlin looked lost, as if he needed a hug.

For a moment, Justice fantasized what it would be like to hold him, to let Merlin give up, relax his defenses so that they could embrace.

Merlin scowled and wrapped his arms tightly around his own chest as if he could hear Justice’s thoughts.

As a crowning insult, Mayor Bottom filed out of the room behind everyone else and playfully patted Merlin on the ass. “All right, kid. Great talk. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

As soon as the mayor was out of earshot and his entourage finished debriefing the chief, Justice leaned in. “What’s that all about?”

Merlin had the queerest look on his face as he shook his head. He didn’t meet Justice’s gaze; his eyes followed Mayor Bottom warily. “Not sure, actually.”

“You were in there a pretty long time to not know what you all were talking about.”

Mayor Bottom waved as he left the offices. Only then did Merlin face Justice. “The mayor asked about my family.”

That seemed like a pretty straightforward topic. Politicians frequently asked insincere questions about one’s family, or so Justice had heard. He didn’t have much personal experience to draw from. “Did he hit on you?”

Merlin wrinkled his nose as he recoiled. “What, do you want me to show you on the doll where the bad man touched me?” He shoved Justice away. “No, he didn’t hit on me. He just asked a bunch of very personal questions.”

“Shouldn’t they know most of it? Don’t they do a background check?” If there was a big secret about Merlin’s family, he felt he had a right to know above all others.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Merlin stalked to his computer.

That was not even a witty dodge. Justice followed. “You mean they didn’t? I know we’re shorthanded, but I don’t know if you’re a murderer or a rapist or what.”

Perhaps Justice’s voice was a little loud, or maybe he hadn’t noticed how quiet the office had gotten while they disagreed. The rest of the team stared hard at Merlin, probably wondering what would prompt that outburst.

Tony piped up. “Yeah, there’s nothing about no Merlin Pride on the computer. You NSA or something?”

“Or something.” Merlin eyed Tony and then the computer. He addressed the room. “You…none of you know who I am? You really have no idea?”

They shook their heads.

Chief Figure, who had returned to his office but hadn’t shut the door, ducked his head out. “I was told to instate you. Thought you had to be a big deal, maybe someone important from a big government agency or something.”

Merlin crossed his arms and frowned. “Huh.”

Figure stepped out and seemed to be looking at Merlin with new eyes. “My best guess was that you were sent to help out, maybe do some investigating. My degree’s not in criminology. Not too many of us here have real thorough background checks. To be honest, was just glad to have another set of hands. Justice there goes through them.”

Justice tried not to look sheepish. It was true; they had lost several people since the whole thing started, and the resources and interest in doing background checks on people who joined ZoCOS wasn’t the priority it once was. But Justice thought someone must’ve known this guy.

Was that what the mayor was discussing? Seemed legitimate to ask, “Who the fuck are you?”

Merlin was contrite in posture, not meeting anyone’s gaze, as if he’d been just as bamboozled as anyone. “I came here to help. I didn’t expect the attention.”

Tony advanced as if he was spoiling for another fight, but he was limping. “Real country bumpkin, aren’t you?”

Country bumpkin? Was that what Tony saw?

Recalling the comment Merlin had made about his hair, Justice doubted that he was from the country, or at least not this country. But there was no distinguishable accent that made Merlin sound like he was from anywhere Justice had heard of.

Merlin peered at everyone in the station, hard enough that it stopped Tony dead in his tracks. Merlin had that same strange brow furrow he had when he was watching the military men before. When he met Justice’s gaze, Justice had that light-headed feeling again, as if he was weightless, and then it vanished. “Let’s go, Justice.”

~~This series will continue in daily increments through the end of March 2026. After that, it will be once a week on Tuesdays~~