Re: Mallowford Stories

Mallowford Stories: Henderson
Written by Booziken

Cigarettes… my ex-wife always said they were going to be the death of me and here I am with probably the last one I’ll ever smoke. How the hell did I get stuck here between a super powered death machine and a giant blob thing?

“You followed us here, remember?!”

As I light my last cigarette, I can only contemplate on the fact that this might actually be the end of me.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“He’s doing that creepy monologue thing again.”

Well, before I run into this damn mess I should probably be cliché and start from the beginning.

“Are we seriously doing this right now?”

My name is Alex Henderson and I work as a detective in Mallowford City, or I did until just a few weeks ago. It was just an average day; I just got some coffee brewing for the second time today while doing some paperwork. Paperwork was all I ever did since the invincible Captain Epic showed up a few years ago all high and mighty with his self-righteousness, super powers and what not. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate the guy but ever since he showed up there’s been absolutely no crime at all except a few jay-walkers here and there. All the paperwork we ever did in the office was just glorified journalism on his exploits.

Not much was going on that day so my colleagues and I were talking about playing a few games of poker until the chief showed up. He rounded us all up so I sat on the desk while drinking my bitter coffee.

“Gentlemen, Captain Epic… he’s dead.”

None of us could believe it, we were all in awe. I was the first to ask as I stood up, “How? How’d he die Chief?” The Chief was stern with his answer,” I don’t know, but I do know that if we don’t act now the whole city will go into chaos.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, hell; I couldn’t believe what I was feeling … excitement I think it was.

The chief sent me to investigate the “death” of the Captain, so my partner and I started at the original murder scene. It took place in an empty warehouse down in the industrial lot, as we drove down to the location my partner turned to me and asked, “So how’s things with the ex?” With my hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road I answered.

“Same old, same old.”

My partner and I didn’t talk much.

As we entered the crime scene I saw that there wasn’t much to see except the signs of a little struggle, a few dashes of blood here and there. My partner James grabbed me by the shoulder and pointed to a smudge on the wall. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it; it still gives me a chill whenever I think about it… mustard. I’ve hated mustard ever since I was a kid and to see it in a work related situation was just wrong but also strange. My partner called me by name,” Henderson! You’re talking to yourself again.” I apologized.

People were mourning by the time it hit the news, others started to riot for God knows why and to put the cherry on top of the cake some villains came out of retirement as soon as they heard that he died.

We went down to the coroner’s to inspect the body. His mask was torn from his face; pieces of skin could be seen ripped around his eyes and nose, “What did he use to keep this thing on? Superglue? “My partner joked. “Apparently he did”, the coroner caused a jump scare in me and my partner. We couldn’t even feel her presence, she was pale as the moon in the night sky, her green eyes penetrated my spirit as I stood there looking at her with her confused look. My partner nudged me,” I apologize for my partner, he tends to think out loud.” She brushed her dark hair to the side and commenced her analysis. I wasn’t really listening to what she was saying because it was mostly scientific terms and besides, she was some pretty decent eye candy. “So in Layman’s terms, his heart was taken out but we don’t know how.” My partner gagged when she pulled down the sheet to show that his whole chest was still gaping open, I gave an impressed whistle at the sight of it.

A week later I was taken off the case. They said I wasn’t getting enough leads; I was getting nowhere. They got some hot shot detective from up north on the case and put me on patrol with my partner. I didn’t mind though since the case was getting cold anyway and crime started to pick up again.

I was arresting a punk who thought it would be fun assaulting an old lady while she crossed the street when I got the call.

“Yo Partner! We got a robbery at the east side bank! We going or what?”

I could only smile. This was my time to shine.

“Umm dude? Are you talking to yourself?”

“Go home kid and take off that stupid costume while you’re at it.”