Claire’s alarm clock projecting from the holo disk on her nightstand began to blare alive in the early morning. Under the sheets a hiding and sleepy Claire groaned and moaned as a fumbling hand reached out for the clock. Not reaching it, she turned over pocking her head out of the sheet and slammed a hand on the disk, stopping the berating sound. Claire’s sleepy and groggy eyes tried to focus as she studied the time.
“Oh shhhhheets!”
Claire hissed as she threw the covers and stumbled out of bed. She ran from the room, fumbling with her clothes as she tried to find clean ones. Back on her bed, a lump underneath the covers stirred and a yawning Crystal emerged from the covers. Crystal tripped over her feet as her mind tried to wake and she took flight with the sounds of Claire running about in the living area.
“I’m late! I’m late! God I can’t believe I’m gonna be late!”
Crystal made it to her perch and yawned some more as she curled into a comfortable position, going back to sleep, “Whatda mean ‘gonna’?”
Without missing a beat Claire moaned a “Shut up,” and ran out the door. She ran down the stairs and saw a miracle as she came upon Midge’s door. Midge was standing there, holding out a brown paper bag that smelled like heaven.
Claire couldn’t help but smile as she skidded to a stop, “Is that what I think it is?”
With a laugh Midge watched as Claire snapped the bag open and took a big whiff, “Two Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins and one Moco Chocolate Cream Center Doughnut, on the house.”
Claire already stuffed one muffin in her mouth and finished swallowing the whole thing down as she reached the stairs, “Thanks Midge! I owe ya one!”
“I told you, you would be late!” Midge laughed some more as she saw Claire disappear down the stairs. The old lady could only shake her head at the young mage, amazed at what she can accomplish.
Outside, on the streets, Claire ran as she stuffed more of her breakfast in her mouth, making her way to the public trans-port at the corner. She bobbed and weaved around the pedestrians and just as she took the last bite of her doughnut she made it to the port, thankfully unoccupied. Claire gasped for air as she entered the glass tube bending on her knees. The familiar holo fairy appeared ready to help her customer when they weren’t there. Puzzled the fairy looked down at the gasping Claire and smiled, lowering herself down to eye level.
“Hello, and welcome to the New York Public Trans-Portal. How may I be of service today?”
With her breath finally caught Claire stood up straight with the fairy following her eye level, “Hi yes. I’m Claire Dunsworth and I have a port reservation.”
The holo fairy flickered as the mainframe ran the name, “Claire Dunsworth, Mage. Mage identification please.”
“Claire Dunsworth. Mage Class: Triple ‘S’-D. Licensed Code: FP. Status: Granted.”
Holo fairy flickered one more time, “Identity correct. Please wait one more minute as the portal is open. Please keep hands and feet inside at all times.”
Claire tapped her foot as she glanced at the glowing numbers on her wrist checking the time. She suddenly remembered the note that Melvin gave her with the address and a name. Just as the portal opened and zapped her to her destination she fumbled through her pockets hoping she remembered it. As her feet touched solid ground she finally found the crumbled note and unrolled it as she stepped onto the sidewalk.
She mumbled under her breath as she stepped out into the glowing sunlight, “Go out of the old precinct, take a left, than a right…cross a couple of streets…What?! Where’s the address? MELVIN!”
Claire looked up intending to curse at the skies so Melvin could hear her but stopped as she got a look at the building in front of her. It was rundown and clearly in desperate need of some TLC. The upper floors had cracked windows, crumbling concrete and obviously leaky roofs. But on the lower floors, someone obviously cleaned it up with new paint and new windows. Claire walked up to the steps and stopped as she spotted a cardboard sign pinned to the building.
“Future Sight Of The Joint Task Force Of The Mage Guild For International Magic And The New York City Police Department”
Damn, long name.
In the windows Claire saw shadows move and flicker. She did her best to see past the morning reflection but saw nothing and made her way to the front double doors. The inside better resembled the original state of the building as Claire looked around. She entered into a wide open space where flimsy looking desks were set up with hand-me-down projection computers. It was eerily silent as Claire walked inside, looking around wondering where everyone was. There were only two doors, one at the back corner, seeming to be an office and another to her left. A quick glance inside showed her it was a break room/canteen area. Her eye caught something moving and she crept her way inside, keeping with the eerie feeling of the building as she moved inside.
Claire stood stunned as she stared at the couch with her hand on the door handle. Sleeping there on the couch was a man but not just any man. He was the most beautiful, handsome man Claire has ever seen. His feet hanged over the edge of the couch, a testimony of his height, his face and nose was chiseled to a sharp point but not overly so. Claire moved closer as she studied his face. He had a start of a beard growing, darkening his already dark face. His hair was jet black, almost as black as the black holes she’s seen in space. Her eyes shifted down and through the open collar of his shirt she saw the same black hair curling through. His arms were crossed across his chest and also covered in the same black hair giving him the look of a bear almost. Claire softly chuckled to herself, careful not to wake the sleeping man as an image of a giant black bear sleeping on the couch formed in her mind. For reasons unknown she reached out and touched a finger to his arm. His eyes sprung open just as her finger touched his arm hair and she lost her breath. Like everything else about him his eyes were black but they were stunningly beautiful as so. They reminded her of sparkling black onyxes and they even glinted and sparkled like the said gem.
Claire leaned closer, so transfixed over his eyes that she failed to notice the tall tell look of sleep in them. Before she could say anything a hand appeared behind her and she squealed as she was dragged onto the couch. Claire struggled, pulled out of her trance as a crushing weight of a full grown male climbs on top of her. She tries to scream but is startled silent as the man snuggles her neck. Feeling his hot breathe on the sensitive skin of her neck brought rushing blood to her face. She was stunned stiff at the sensation and was at a lost at what to do. Her mind was scrambling as she looked for some way out when the door banged open. Claire’s eyes rushed to the door to see another tall blonde haired man walk in wearing a white muscle shirt and jeans, chewing on a piece of wheat straw.
“Ah, I see ya’ve met Black.”
The man didn’t even bat an eye at seeing Claire being trapped under a sleeping Black. Before she could say anything the blonde haired man walks over and whacks Black on the head with the newspaper he was holding.
“Wake up Black! Yar smotherin’ ‘er!”
The head against her neck moves as he mumbles, rubbing his head. The must have been a signal for Claire snapped out of her stiffness and kneed the man off her. He crashes to the ground and groans as he rolls over onto his stomach, clutching it. Claire sat up staring down at the groaning man and looked up when she heard laughter. The blonde man who rescued her was leaning against the counter holding his own stomach as he laughed so hard he got a stitch in his side. Amazingly he was able to keep that wheat straw in his mouth as he laughed and even after when he turned to Claire wiping at his eyes.
“Lordy girl I ain’t never seen nobody push at ‘im like dat!”
He goes into another fit of laughter as the man named Black sits up and glares at Claire sitting on his spot. She shrugs her shoulders as black glaring eyes sheer into hers, “What? You’re the one who was smothering me!”
Claire glared back at Black and the only sound that was heard was the blonde man trying to control his laughing. The noise must have been loud for a hefty man with thinning hair soon blocked the doorway, taking in the scenery. The man barely passes a look at Claire and fixes his gaze at Black sitting before her.
“Black! Where were you?! You missed the meeting!”
Black only scratched his head as he got up and pulled out a cigarette, striking a match. Claire raised an eyebrow as she watched him light the cigarette and a plume of smoke filled the air around him. He leaned against the wall as he took another drag of the cigarette, crossing his arm as he gestured with his smoking hand at Claire on the couch.
“I was sleeping.” His voice was still rough with the weight of sleep. Claire was ashamed at how the rugged sound of his voice tingled her nerves. “What could have been so important at that meeting anyways? It’s nothing but the same drill every time.”
The hefty man huffed into the room and poked a sausage finger at Black’s chest, “You know that’s not true! Today I was announcing about the new mage coming!” He turns to the blonde man sipping a mug with a pained look on his face, “Where is the new mage anyways?”
The blonde man pointed to Claire just as she stood and cleared her throat, “Hello. I’m the new mage in question, sir. My name’s Claire Dunsworth. It’s nice to meet you Mr…?”
“Cogswell my dear, Captain David Cogswell.” The newly named Captain Cogswell gives her a beaming smile as he shook her hand, registering her for the first time, “This gentleman over there is our resident cowboy Detective Henry Tanks.” Henry walked over and offered his hand and Claire shook it with a thanks as Captain Cogswell introduced the last man standing, “And this infuriating man is Detective Raven Black.” Raven and Claire merely shared a glance at each other as Cogswell props his hands on his hips with a smug look on his face as he finishes talking, “You’re new partner Ms. Dunsworth.”
Claire stood stunned as Raven snaps his gaze at Cogswell, biting his cigarette, “What are you talking about? I don’t take partners.”
“Black!” Cogswell turned and pointed his sausage finger back at Black, “You have refused every partner that I and Tim have given you. It’s time you have a partner! You need a partner! And what better partner for an insufferable man like you than a mage?”
There was silence as Claire glanced from Cogswell to Black and back, wondering what to say as her jaw worked up and down. Black glanced at her and scoffed. Claire felt her anger raise as Black walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
She crossed her arms as Cogswell went after him and turned to Henry, “Where is he going?”
“Black?” Henry raised an eyebrow in question as he goes to take another sip of the mug but before it could touch his lips he screws his face up and throws the mug on the counter, “Probably went in search of another cup of coffee. Whoever made this isn’t even glorified mud.”
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