Sheriff Hitch and his deputy, Deputy Sprout were forced to hire more deputies and make more frequent patrols due to a rash of shoplifting. Zipp had been airborne performing her patrol when her sharp and observant eye caught a blur of blue. Grabbing her radio she shouted as she dove in for inspection. "Hitch! I've got something in the shopping district. It's moving damn fast! I can barely keep up. Hell! I'm chasing down a Velociraptor over here! Sunny! tell me you're close."
"The fuck! You should see this raptor perform hurdles! She's amazing."
"Yeah we can admire her athleticism later just grab her!" Zipp saw a flash of blue, Misty had been listening to her police scanner and realized the chase was headed her way. Misty managed to teleport right in front of the raptor and tackle it as it tried to hurdle over her. Misty didn't like seeing they many teeth in her face and feeling the one long claw tap against foot. The velociraptor managed to break free but had decided not to run. Hitch and Sprout pulled up in a police cruiser and slowly moved in. With Misty that close to the velociraptor they were nervous about this turning into a hostage situation.
"Easy Sheriff, I don't do hostages." The raptor had slid the stolen merchandise over and had lowered herself to her knees and hands behind her head, fingers interlocked. "This isn't my first arrest." Sprout moved in and applied his pair of handcuffs. Sprout noticed that for a raptor, this one was thinner than most.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"About four days ago." Once inside the cruiser Sprout found one his protein bars.
"I'm going to remove the handcuffs and let you eat this, if you run....I'm tazing you. It's not much, but it's what I got."
"I'm not running and at this point I'll be grateful for anything." Hitch was observing the interaction and had no idea that Sprout could be so gentle....especially after his failed take over. Sunny caught up to everyone and was breathing hard.
"You caught her! Good. She's gorgeous! So how are going to handle this? She's just a shoplifter."
"Sunny.....she's a repeated offender, I've looked her up through the database on my phone. She's shoplifted and has a few breaking and entering charges as well. She's.....alone, how did she slip through the system? Zipp, will your mother approve of that project I wanted to start up? "
"Hell yeah she would! Pipp's at the palace right now I'll have Pipp ask."
Meanwhile
"So deputy.....I'm going back to prison aren't I? I'm fifteen and all I have to show is a criminal record of shoplifting and breaking and entering. Didn't even finish Highschool or college. I was one semester away from being done with high school! My parents passed away and none of my extended family could be found. Which is weird, it's like they didn't want to be found."
"My friend Sunny could find them....I'll have another friend dig around." Sprout dialed Izzy. "Izzy can you dig around and ask Alphabittle about he knows about velociraptors. I've got one here that's fifteen and a kobalt blue. l"
"Sure Sprout, I'll ask around."
"Thanks Izzy." Sprout regretted having to put the handcuffs back on my protocol and procedure required it.
"So kid, what's your name? Or what do folks call you?"
"Kobalt, when I was in school, I was the fastest one there. I broke a speed record, Rainbow Dash may have been the fastest back in the day, I matched her speed record on land. My fastest cross country five kilometer was clocked in just at eight seconds flat - people said that I left a lightning bolt in my wake. For my holding cell....can I request at least one home-cooled meal? Hadn't had one since my parents passed on three years ago."
The police cruiser lurched to a halt. Hitch was remembering a case of his three years ago, Sprout had the same thought. The case was a double homicide and the twelve year daughter wasn't found. Sprout jumped Hitch and asked the now burning question. " Your parents, was your father a doctor in the Dragon Lands? Your mother was she a newspaper reporter working on some big story?"
"That is oddly specific, but yes.....wait I remember hearing that I was being searched for, wait your the two cops that were looking for me?"
"We had been, we assumed after two and a half years and no leads that you were gone. Just to think you've been under our noses the whole time. Hate to tell you this but your next of kin.....didn't care about where you were or anything. If they had, and told us about your hobbies and interests - we would have found you sooner. Weird they you never came up in our system l though."
"I've been using a fake name prior to you arresting me yourselves. I had gone by the name Razor."
"We failed, we should've recognized your face from the photo in your dad's wallet."
"Hey, I was trying to be elusive, my race went into hiding like most of the dragons had when Opaline showed up; however, some time I hit the streets again. I know your dash camera is recording everything, what have I got to lose? I'm in the system, granted not by my real name. As Deputy Sprout found me something to eat, I heard you mention a project."
"The project I mentioned was designed to help the kids who were failed by the system or slipped through get families again....only once it's confirmed that the next of kin can't be found or tried not to be found. You fit the criteria and so if your okay with it, how'd you like to be my trophy kid in this endeavor? "
"Technically, as a minor I don't get much say....but since you're asking my opinion, let me be your test subject. I must warn you, my street survival habits will kick in and you will get complaints most likely. So find someone who can be patient."
"Deal" Hitch replied and Sprout was trying to find the perfect guardian in his memory of the archives of current or past foster parents that he had to help run background checks on.
