Chapter Text
Edge
When they pulled into the circle drive at the Ebott General, Antwan was standing outside the doors, waiting. Even from a distance, he seemed tired. Shoulders slumped, his suit was rumpled, and there was still blood on the shirt he was wearing, dried to deep maroon.
Red brought the car to an easy stop, then hooked a thumb at the door. “out, honey bun, we’ve got places to be and antwan needs your seat.”
“yeah, yeah,” Stretch grumbled, then he hesitated. “go easy on him, you shit, antwan’s had a worse day than any of us.”
“i’ll be sweet as his gramma,” Red snorted, “out.”
A worse day, yes. Edge couldn’t imagine how difficult this was for him, wasn’t sure he’d be able to leave the hospital if Stretch were the one injured inside.
It was difficult enough to let Stretch go now. Necessary, Edge knew, they couldn’t let this be until morning, and while Red was right that Jeff would appreciate a familiar face, Edge also didn’t want Stretch within twenty yards of any representative of the Ebott police. He’d be safer here than even at the Embassy, for now.
“Be good,” Edge whispered to him, reluctantly loosening his hold and smiling faintly as Stretch scoffed.
“i’m plenty good. now all you have to do is warn the rest of the world to do the same.”
A quick kiss then he slid across the seat and out the door. Stretch paused to speak to Antwan, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder and whatever he said made Antwan nod, roping Stretch into a tight, one-armed hug.
That alone spoke of his mindset; Antwan was usually scrupulously careful to respect Edge’s rather unreasonable concerns about Humans touching Stretch.
Stretch hugged him back, pressing a smacking kiss to the top of Antwan’s head and easily dodged his half-hearted swat. He did pause when Antwan asked him something, nodding and pulling something from his pocket to hand over. Only then did he go inside, the automatic doors closing behind him. Antwan climbed into the car, sitting in the passenger seat.
“Hey, guys,” he said tiredly. He rubbed his face with one hand, digging a knuckle between his eyes as if a headache lingered there.
“How is he?” Edge asked without preamble as Red pulled away from the curb, turning towards the Embassy.
“He’ll be okay.” Antwan rolled down the window a little and reached into his pocket. A half-empty pack of cigarettes and Stretch’s lighter, Edge saw, and Antwan shook one out, lighting it with a cough. “The Human docs were saying he was fucking lucky, a million to one shot that they didn’t hit anything vital. He’s in a room on the Monster side now, which I feel a lot better about after hearing what happened with the cops. Not doing so good on the whole serve and protect shit, are they.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard and he took a hard drag on his cigarette, speaking again in puffs of smoke. “But he’ll be okay now. He would not have been okay if Stretch hadn’t helped him.” Antwan looked out the window, his voice hushed, “I didn’t even know you guys could do that.”
“eh, not many of us can,” Red said dismissively. Certainly no one but Edge would see the tension in his shoulders. They both trusted Antwan, or as much as Red could trust any Human. It was still a touchy issue. “the honey bun is sort of a special class.”
“Yeah, well, look,” Antwan flicked the butt out the window before rolling it up, something Stretch would have had a fit over, and turned to look at them. His gaze was fierce, “You guys are my best friends, you both know that. But I owe you one, all right? Stretch doesn’t get it, but I know you do, you know what it’s like to owe a brother something.”
“I do,” Edge said quietly. He met the ferocity of Antwan’s gaze without question. He understood all too well.
“Okay,” Antwan took a deep breath and as he let it out, his expression changed. Despite his blood-spattered clothes, he looked the same as he did when he strode into a courtroom, filled with sharp determination. “So, let’s go deal with these fuckers and then we can get back to our guys. Edge, do you have a suit in your office?”
“I do.”
“Good, wash up and get changed. You get to be the Monster who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I stay like this, I’m the injured party whose boyfriend is still in the hospital. And Red?”
“yeah?”
“You fuck off and spy however you do. Come within ten feet of that interview room and I will kick your tailbone to the curb.”
“like to see you try, candy ass,” Red said, but his eye lights sparkled with vicious amusement.
“We don’t have a lot of time, so give me the same statement you’re going to give them,” Antwan said firmly, ignoring Red. It was reassuring in a way to see his calm authority. It was hardly the first time Antwan had been in an interview room with a representative of the Ebott Police, and Edge could respect the ability to set aside his own personal concerns for efficiency. Later would be time for breakdowns, now they needed to get things done. His own emotions were easy enough to wall off, held behind his professionalism. “Don’t think too hard or embellish, okay? Cold details about those fuckers and that’s it. Leave out anything about the healing mumbo jumbo. In fact, leave out as much about Stretch as you can. It’s already gonna be a media circus with the Twitter darling so let’s not give them anything to hammer on.”
Between the two of them, they settled on a statement, both of them ignoring Red’s ribald contributions. Precise facts with as little as possible left out.
Now they only needed to give it.
It only took Edge a few minutes to change and meet Antwan down at the conference rooms. The dark stains on the front of his shirt were starker in the bright overhead lights, as was his exhaustion, but his expression was pure determination.
“You don’t answer questions unless I okay it,” Antwan said, low. “We agreed to give a statement and that’s it.”
“Of course,” Edge said. With that, they opened the door, Antwan leading the way.
A woman seated at the table looked up when they came in. She was the very picture of professionalism despite the late hour, in a tasteful gray pantsuit and her long hair pulled up in a neat bun. A visitor badge was clipped to her lapel. “Hello, gentlemen. I’m Bethany Andrews, Internal Affairs.”
“Good to meet you,” Antwan said curtly. “Antwan Young.”
Edge nodded to her. “Edge.”
“Wonderful. Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, let’s get started.” While Edge and Antwan took a seat, she pulled a small recording device out of her bag, setting on the table and pressing the record button before she began, “Now, Mister Edge—"
Edge interrupted her, “It’s just Edge, there is no mister. I don’t use honorifics.”
Her pleasant smile never wavered. “All right, then. Edge, I was given to believe that your spouse was with you during the altercation.”
That made him frown. “And I was given to believe we were here to give a statement, not to be questioned, Ms. Andrews.”
“You are,” she said mildly. “I was only going to express my concern that they're uninjured since they're not here with us.”
Edge glanced at Antwan who gave a slight nod. “He’s fine.”
She didn’t ask where he was, and Edge did not offer. “That’s good to hear. Now, if you’d like to give your statement?”
Edge did, slowly, the same as he’d given it to Antwan, with all the detail they’d agreed upon. He told how the Humans attacked them, how Jeff had been stabbed and how he had held the Humans until the police arrived. He repeated word for word what the police had said, emotionlessly, until he got to the point where Stretch shortcutted them away.
“…and then we left,” Edge finished. He waited for her to ask how they left, how they escaped from a group of police offers. She didn’t, only wrote a few last notes on her pad before setting her pen aside and looking back up on him.
“Thank you, Edge, that was very concise,” She folded her hands over her notepad. “First, I’d like to apologize to you for how the police handled this case.”
“Thank you,”’ Edge said slowly. Even Antwan’s calm exterior cracked, briefly showing his surprise.
“There are procedures in place for how incidents with Monsters are supposed to be handled,” she went on, crisply, “and from your statement and the cell phone footage that is appearing online, those procedures were not followed. I think you handled the situation as best you could, given the circumstances. The men that were incarcerated all had criminal records of violent behavior in the past. As for fleeing from the police, the argument can definitely be made that you were in fear of life-threatening bodily harm, particularly in your husband’s case.
She sighed and reached out to turn off the recorder. “Gentleman, if I may be blunt and off the record? I don’t have a problem with Monsters. Most Humans don't and even ones who do usually have the sense to recognize that the technological advances cooperation provides is worth having you here.
“I’m aware that the Ebott police force has, to put it in vulgar terms, a bug up their ass about your people,” she spread her hands with a grimace. “It’s an internal issue that I can assure you is being worked on. Frankly, losing the Embassy would be a devastating loss to the city for a number of reasons. We want you to stay and to be happy you did.”
Edge nodded, considering. Monetary reasons alone were enough for the City planners to want them here. Having the Embassy here was very profitable for them and most Monsters didn’t want to leave, anyway. They’d built homes here; uprooting them would be difficult and even traumatizing. “I believe I can state as an Embassy representative that our goals are mutual, Ms. Andrews.”
She smiled faintly. “Bethany is fine. The mayor is planning a press conference this afternoon and as far as I am aware, there are plans for Monster representatives to be there with him. Hopefully, that will put this situation behind us.”
“And the officers who were on the scene?” Antwan asked, coolly.
“Will be evaluated and either appropriately reprimanded or trained. I’ll keep you informed of any decisions. Thank you for meeting with me.” She packed away her notepad and recorder, then held out her hand. Antwan shook it. She seemed surprised when Edge did as well, surely aware that touching unacquainted Monsters was a bit of a social faux pas. But Edge was not afraid of Humans, certainly not this one, and he had the HP to back his confidence.
Her hand was warm, fleshy, and as she held Edge’s skeletal one, her eyes flicked over Edge lingeringly. “A husband, was it?”
“Yes?” Edge confirmed, a bit puzzled. He took back his hand when she finally released it.
“Pity,” she murmured.
Before Edge could process that she walked out.
Edge stared after her. “Did she just—?”
“Yeah.” Antwan only looked tiredly amused. “Good thing Stretch wasn't here; he gives off a kind of hair-pulling cat fight vibe when it comes to you.”
"He doesn’t have hair?” Edge said distractedly, only more confused. He was still trying to process that the Human might have been interested in him in a less than professional manner. He’d heard stories about Monsters and Humans, but never considered it. His interest in relationships began and ended with Stretch.
“Never mind,” Antwan chuckled. “Just be happy Stretch took you off the market. Saved you a lot of shitty headaches, I tell you what. Get you into that motorcycle outfit of yours and you’ve got a look that would have people dragging you to clubs."
This was information that Edge could have happily done without.
Antwan slapped him on the back, “Don’t worry about it, pal. Look, can you do me a favor?”
“Yes,” Edge didn’t bother qualifying it.
“Head back to the hospital. I’ve got motions to file and too much other shit to do before I can. If I do it, I know it’s been done right. But I’d feel better if you were there with them.” Antwan swallowed hard. That veneer of professionalism wavered and the vulnerability beneath it was something Edge knew all too well, learned and relearned every time Stretch was ill or hurt. “Just…look after him for me, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I’ll keep him safe.” It was a promise that Edge vowed would not be broken again.
Antwan grinned, his eyes crinkling. “Don’t need a blood oath, or anything, but I trust you, man. I got your car brought here, it’s in the lot. Keys should be in your office.”
“Thank you,” Edge caught Antwan’s arm, keeping him from turning away as he said again, unequivocally. “I’ll keep him safe.”
Another crack, his dark eyes showing a faint, desperate need and Antwan gave him a short nod. “Yeah. I get you.”
In short order, Edge was in his car, heading towards the hospital. Much as his own principles questioned leaving Antwan behind to work, his urge to see Stretch and Jeff outweighed it by a heavy margin. His own caged emotions were starting to hammer at the bars of his control and seeing Stretch would help.
He did make a quick stop at a 24-hour supercenter for one necessary item. Subtly had never been his strong suit, anyway, and the time for being straightforward long past.
Edge planned to get the answer he wanted by the end of the day, as soon as Jeff was conscious enough to give it.
tbc