Liar!
Liar!
A police constable guided Zed, Loren, Suzane, and Olly into the office of the Captain-rank officer.
The office was large with multiple sofas and chairs along with a working desk at the end. A middle-aged man with short white hair sat in front of the desk. He had a dusky skin stone with some white patches on his face.
He was Athol - the Captain rank officer in this police station.
As Zed stepped inside, he saw many familiar faces along with some new faces.
The four fools: Edgar, Rees, Percy, and Brian. They were each accompanied by a parent.
Even Jessica was present, sitting with a brunette woman in her forties.
Zed assumed she was her mother given the similarities they shared.
"Zed!" Jessica rushed towards him while her mother followed.
"I knew you will be here!" Zed then greeted her mother, "It is our first time meeting, ma'am."
"Please call me Eloise!" She responded with a smile, but he was able to see the anxiety she desperately tried to hide.
He knew that for a lower, middle-class family like hers, the police station was the last thing wished to visit. This was especially true for Jessica's family who has suffered from the corruption of Police Force.
After all, Jessica had been forced to work for Irina and her gang, and despite multiple requests, the police never helped. So it was hardly surprising that the reputation of police was anything but good in Jessica and her family's eyes.
They feared the police and now the same police had invited Jessica as a witness to the incident that happened to the children of investigators.
Zed didn't look down on Eloise for her nervousness and anxiety. If he was in her situation, perhaps he would have been the same.
After all, anyone's reaction to a situation largely depended on background and standing. The weak didn't have the right to interfere in the matters of strong.
"Eloise, please rest assured there is nothing for you to worry about," Zed said in a calm tone, "Jessica won't be giving a statement in my favor."
"No! I will not lie!" Jessica refused before her mother could sigh in relief.
Jessica has already taken many favors from him. So how can she lie and let him suffer in the present situation?
"Jessica, do as I ask," Zed requested with a faint smile, "They won't be able to do anything to me even if they win."
"But---"
"There is no but!" Zed stopped her, "In the worst-case scenario, I can take help from Felicity. But if you are honest here, you will unnecessarily invite troubles for your family!"
Jessica bit her lower lip. She knew he was correct and this only made her feel helpless.
Sure, Felicity can also help her avoid troubles, but she won't be able to help her forever.
"If only I was strong!" Jessica clutched her hands tightly. She felt frustrated for her inability to help the man who has done so much for her.
"Relax! Nothing will happen to me!" Zed put a hand on her shoulder. "Anyways, after this is over, let's go out for drinks!"
"Drinks?!" Eloise, Suzane, Jessica, Loren, and Olly were dumbstruck.
How can he be so relaxed when odds are against him?
And furthermore, speak of drinks like this was some park instead of the police station!?
"I believe none of us are underaged, so, why the strange looks?" Zed was bewildered by their looks.
"..........."
"I'm only talking about beer!" Zed added but they continued to give him strange looks.
".............."
"Cough~" Athol released a coughing sound to bring their attention. While their conversation wasn't loud, he heard every word.
Even he felt strange by Zed's attitude. The four fools and their parents sat across Athol with looks of displeasure, so he had to remind Zed about their existence.
A few seconds later, Zed and others walked towards the desk.
"I won't waste any time and start with the topic at hand!" Athol clicked a panel on the desk. "Zed, you are the perpetrator---"
"Excuse me!" Zed interjected in a polite tone. "Can the ladies have seats?"
Zed pointed towards Jessica, Loren, Suzan, and Eloise.
"I'm sure they are not accused of whatever crime you will frame me for," Zed continued in a polite tone. "So please be a gentleman, even if you can't be a good police officer, and give the ladies seats."
Athol was stunned by the mockery-full polite request. Not only the words clearly implied he wasn't a good police officer, they pretty much claimed he wasn't a gentleman either!
There was a limited number of chairs around the desk so he couldn't give everyone a seat. In fact, the space around the desk was already overcrowded with four fools and their parents sitting.
There were already eight chairs so how can he accommodate more?
Zed seemed to sense Athol's dilemma. So he said, "Surely the four fools aren't so mannerless that they would sit while keeping the ladies standing?!"
Four fools?!
Edgar gritted his teeth in anger at the familiar insulting words. Zed had used those words before bribing the gang to cripple them.
"How dare you!" Edgar and the other three rose to their feet to teach him a lesson. Their missing limbs had been regenerated through cloning technology.
"So nice of you to offer your seats!" Zed signaled the ladies to have the seats, "I'm glad you still have some manners left!"
Loren and others didn't know what to do. The four fools didn't really 'offer' them the seats. They only left the chairs to face Zed!
"Don't ignore us!" Edgar shouted.
"Silence!" His father's stern voice came from behind.
"Suzane, please have a seat," Edgar's father requested Suzane and other females to have the seats.
He was acquainted with Suzane thanks to Morgan since they were fellow investigators.
The four fools felt helpless by the situation. They now stood along with Zed and Olly, their parents and other females seated.
"Now that everyone is seated---" Athol was once again forced to stop in between. This time because Zed turned around and stepped towards the sofa at the opposite end!
Under the stunned eyes of everyone, he took a seat on the sofa, far away from the desk.
"Please continue!" Zed politely signaled Athol to continue. "My legs were tired so I hope you don't mind having them some rest."
"You...!" Athol was having a hard time controlling himself.
"Nice sofa!" Zed complimented loud enough for everyone to hear. "Glad to know the taxes I and others pay are used for the comfort of our honest Police Force!"
"Bastard!" Athol was no longer able to control himself. He jumped to his feet, his eyes flashing with anger.
While he had indeed decided to frame Zed as he didn't wish to offend investigators, he was still going by the rules.
Yet this kid continued to act so brash under the disguise of politeness. Even his words - taxes, comfort, and honest - were full of open insults.
"Bastard? Are you introducing yourself?" Zed looked confused, "Why would your parents name you as such?"
Athol's eyes turned bloodshot with every vein in his body popping out. He waved his hand.
Space in front of him distorted with a flash of green energy, turning into an arc of green light and charged straight at Zed.
Everyone in the room was shocked by the sudden turn of events. The arc released destructive fluctuations as it swept forward.
The ceiling cracked and the tiles on the floor burst apart.
"Stop it!" Suzane and others shouted but it was too late! The arc smashed on Zed!
BANG
A blast echoed out, filling the room with dust. The floor quaked and the lights on the ceiling exploded, sending shards of glasses everywhere.
"Zed!" Jessica was horrified.
Athol felt good after venting. His lips started to turn into a smile when his face constricted. He stared at the end of the room as the dust settled.
"You got to be kidding!" Athol was unable to believe the scene in front of his eyes.
Zed stood in the place where the sofa used to be, a layer of ethereal flames wrapped around him. Everyone noticed he didn't suffer a single scratch!
"How can this be?!" Suzane knew the might of the green arc wasn't so weak that a kid in the early twenties can come out unscathed!
"He is a monster!" Olly muttered. He was sure if it has taken that attack, he would have been in a very sorry condition!
"You shouldn't waste taxpayers' money." Zed ignored the shocked expression of everyone as he walked to the other corner of the room where a couch was placed. "Otherwise, the public would have no choice but to believe what the terrorists recently claimed."
Zed made himself comfortable on the couch, waving his right hand up and down as it has turned numb.
"That damn kid!" Athol's blood boiled whenever Zed spoke. He was surprised by the kid's ability to turn him mad with every single word.
"Athol, calm down!" Edgar's father pacified him. Zed's last statement reminded him of how grave the situation was, given the current environment in the city.
"Dammit!" Athol gritted his teeth and swallowed a glass of water to calm himself. He then grabbed the armrests to sit down on the chair.
Swoosh~
Just as Athol sat, a streak of fire crashed on the chair. The seat on the chair caught fire instantly and it spread to envelop his pants!
"AHH!" Athol jumped up, his hands on his ass. Trails of black smoke swept out between his fingers as the fire seethed.
Athol whipped his hands as fast as he could to extinguish the fire. Sadly, the fire showed no sign of stopping as it spread further into his clothes.
With every passing second, his clothes were burned and his skin turned scorching black. The terrible stench of skin and body hair burning swept around the desk.
"What?!" Suzane and others were totally caught off guard by the situation.
"Help him!" Edgar's father stretched a finger towards Athol. A stream of icy light flew out, surging into the fire.
Ssss
The fire disappeared into thin air. As the black smoke vanished, everyone was able to see Athol's lower half of the body was covered with burn marks. Perhaps, Lady Luck was on his side for his 'main asset' remained safe, unlike his thighs and ass.
"Eww!" The females quickly shut their eyes after catching sight of unsightly body parts.
"Please wear anything!" Loren muttered. "Just don't be naked!"
"Fuck!"Athol felt humiliated by their reactions but he could do nothing to them.
Thankfully, he has spare clothes on the shelf behind him. He quickly grabbed pants from there and wore them.
Athol turned towards Zed, his face twisted with rage.
"Oops!" Zed scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I was only waving my hand to ease the numbness, but a streak of fire materialized without my intent!"
"Liar!" Everyone in the room, including Loren and Jessica, shouted together.