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The radio in his police car screeched and Slug was quick to pick up.
"Yeah, I've already been contacted, I'm going there now." He said grumpily. It was almost 10 am but he had done an all-nighter during a patrol the night before and still hadn't had his morning coffee or smoked even a measly cigarette.
In that city not much happens, it was inland, almost rural, so the number of inhabitants was not as high as that of any other city closer to the capital. The police station was staffed with just over a dozen staff including the operator. And the paperwork for traffic accidents was bigger than that for any homicide. Yet, every now and then there are some tougher events like attempted abuse, armed robbery, home invasion, and vehicle hijacking - But in absolute, very few are the times that any bad person actually succeeds in making any of that happen.
Not because the police in that city did an exemplary job, but simply because that city has a guardian angel.
Literally speaking.
Slug is not a religious guy - but there is no other word to describe that.
Although said guardian looked more like a walking Jesus Christ bald wizard (Loose, fair clothes, white as snow with a long hood on top, shiny skin, and a staff) he does what Slug would assume to be the job of an angel - Saving people, working for the good of society, keeping the peace and sometimes even using supernatural powers for a good cause, like levitate stones blocking the road, remove a cat trapped in a tall tree in the square, or simply prevent an entire building from collapsing on top of the police station.
Which happened once (the last example) and bypassing all the drama of Slug spending three hours on a coffee date with the hero, apologizing for how rude he was when they first met (Slug was new in town and ended up fining the Guardian when he found him sleeping on a bench beside the fountain in front of the church), they became very good friends.
Parking the police vehicle in front of the robbed bank, he could already predict what had happened.
The scene was rarely unusual anymore.
The Jesus Christ Guardian-Angel guy, who they decided to call Mr. White Hood and it turned out to be his real name, would certainly be there sitting on a chair, or on the floor, chatting with someone (especially kids if there were any nearby), and patiently waiting for one of the officers (usually Slug). The armed bad guys that have tried the robbing would be passed out on the ground, or just soundly sleeping while tied up to each other and the guns would be certainly thrown on the other side of the place (and possibly destroyed to pieces).
Right after leaving the vehicle and approaching the crime scene, he easily spotted the Hero and the predictable scene - with crossed legs on the ground by the front entrance, making tiny papercraft birds fly around him as two other kids were smiling and clapping their hands. While the wrongdoer was already handcuffed, and waiting in a corner.
Slug couldn’t hold the fond smile.
“Still trying to take my job, White?” He joked, after approaching the man.
The powerful guardian noticed him, giving the kids one of each papercraft as he literally disappeared with the rest - standing. His height effortlessly showed half a whole foot taller difference between them.
“Good Morning, Officer.” He would greet, politely, as always. His voice was old yet beautiful and clean like well-kept marble art statues. In the beginning, it would always give off a sensation that Slug was inside of a Big empty museum, but now it resembles more like a flowery Botanical Garden. “You know I’d never dare. I was merely passing by.”
Officer Slug laughed at him, skeptical, smiling playfully.
“To exchange money?”
The Hero blinked at him, abashed - which started to happen more frequently than usual.
“To get breakfast.” He replied, pointing to the bakery and coffee shop on the other side of the street.
Slug arched an eyebrow, in suspicion. The Guardian seemed anxious and uneasy but smiled hopefully.
“You used clairvoyance on me again, didn’t you?” He asked, crossing his arms like a scolding parent.
Mr. White Hood opened his mouth, raising a finger to try to justify his actions, because, yes, he did.
“You work so hard.”
“It’s my job , White.” The officer said, stepping forward and going to take the robber inside the police car. The hero promptly opened the back door for him.
After safely locking him up there, Slug placed both hands on his own hips and sent the hero a glance and a smile.
“But I think you saved me a few minutes for a quick break.” He added, grinning at the shining eyes and happy expression on the hero’s face.
Of course, when Slug and White Hood entered the shop there was already a pre-order on his name on the counter. He sent another reprimanding stare at the guardian, who shily flushed and took their order to a nearby table.
They could consider themselves friends, even if, at times, the policeman doesn't know how to deal with the super-powerful being.
Officer Slug was of the philosophy that all superheroes should be registered and follow the law as public servants - but White was not a superhero. Not really. He was a hermit, who lived in a small, simple house on the hill, inside a cave, who roamed the city, greeted people, and sometimes helped the population when he saw the need.
At first, he barely left his house, then he started to go out more often and - as he liked nature a lot - he used to spend hours in the park, in the gardens, and on some occasions, he even watered the flowers in some people's backyards (especially those who were clearly on vacation).
He doesn’t have nor needs a record, as - as far as Slug knows - he didn't even have an ID.
Once the policeman questioned him what kind of race he was, as his countenance was similar to humans, but he did not have a nose or ears and his skin color was not common even for albinos - White did not know how to answer. He just knew he was unique and that he was very, very old. That he had already lived many centuries. Even in other worlds. And that this is one of the best life experiences he's ever had, so he decided to keep it.
He didn't go into detail about it, even though Slug asked him.
On the way out of the cafeteria, Slug returned to his police car playing with his keys, laughing at something White told him.
"Honestly, I actually loved your Easter plan of hiding eggs all over the city for the kids' amusement.” He giggled, loving the after-taste of sweet cream and coffee on his mouth. “Because sometimes I still hear news of people finding some of them in the middle of July and I can’t help but remember you, all covered in colorful ink stains, in front of the Police station, grinning like a madman and telling me you finished hiding all the five hundred eggs in one single night.” Slug waved a hand around, unbelieved. “ Priceless ."
White Hood laughed fondly at him, adoring the quality time he got with that officer he so much admired.
“Oh, it took me much more, but I stopped time.” He confessed, smiling. He also enjoyed that event a lot. The kids’ faces were indeed priceless.
Slug stopped walking, making White also halt in surprise beside him. He looked at the officer’s face and started to perspire in fear .
The public servant of the justice was seriously frowning at him in disbelief.
Oh-ho
“You stopped time?” Asked Slug, squinting his eyes. Taking a step forward in White’s direction.
The guardian, dressed in white, took a step back, uneasy. The staff on his hands held close to his chest.
“White, do you do it frequently ?”
“...” Not knowing what to reply, White shook his head.
Slug didn’t buy it and took another step forward to apply authority. White didn’t have the right to lie to a police officer - he knew it.
“Did you ever do it because of me ?”
The question was a harsh one and Slug might have even got nervous to ask that in such a manner, out in the open, when White could easily vanish if he wanted. To be certain he wouldn’t teleport or fly out of there, Slug held the sleeve of his tunic.
Whatever friendly relationship they believed they had, needed to have a limit - White was as powerful as a God, and stopping time for the benefit of the other was possibly one of those limits! No one in the universe had that ability and no one knows how it could affect other human beings. It was a complicated novelty to absorb in such a short time. And the fact that he was one of the reasons for that, made him feel even more nervous.
“ White ?” He asked again, in a lower voice, searching for his eyes under the hood he was trying to hide.
“Just once…” The confession came, in a very low voice.
Slug sighed in relief but decided he needed to know more.
“Well, that isn’t much. For how long, exactly?”
White, still hiding under the hood of his tunic, turned his head slightly to the side giving access for Slug to finally see his red flushed face.
“A hundred and fifty-five years.” He whispered, deeply ashamed.
Taking his hands out of the sleeve-like it was on fire, Slug took a step back and lost himself in words, completely taken by surprise. He tried to form many questions but needed to cope with the information first. So he took a deep breath in - while White was crouching on the pavement trying to become small and insignificant.
Yes, he was deeply ashamed.
“Why?!” Came the question a second later, with the officer finally coming down to his senses.
White didn’t look back at him.
Sighing, Slug crouched on the pavement beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I won’t arrest you, I just need to know.”
Taking a deep breath in, White inclined his head to the side again, face, yet, pretty much flushed.
“I was really happy you came to visit me once, and I didn’t want you to leave.” His voice, clear and pretty echoed in a whisper, and if Slug wasn’t as close as he was he wouldn’t be able to hear it.
To the hero’s surprise, Slug laughed quietly at the reason, feeling the hand on his shoulder go down and caress his back fondly.
“Am I in trouble?” Asked the guardian, worried, but not for his well-being or about the law, worried about Slug being mad at him.
“I don’t think that counts as false imprisonment, so you are safe.” The officer tried an easy approach, joking. Trying to make the other not feel as bad as he looked like. After all, he wasn’t afraid of White - that event apparently happened a long time ago, when they were still working on being friends and possibly he only did that because he was lonely. He can relate to the feeling.
Standing on the sidewalk and raising a finger in the air while the other hand went to his hip. In a serious mode, he reprimanded.
“But never do that again. If you want my company you should invite me over, not mess with the timeline.”
Looking at the officer beside him, White stood, slowly.
“Would you want to?”
“Sure, why not.”
The guardian’s chest filled with air.
“Is it a date?” The question held hope into the spaces and Slug could see it clearly in White’s eyes and flushed cheeks.
“ Friendly date.” He clarifies, to make things clear. He’s not stupid and Mr. White Hood is way too expressive. “Tomorrow night.”
Closing his mouth and smiling way too large, the hero nodded his head and raised his staff millimetrically from the pavement, tapping it down twice on the ground.
Slug arched an eyebrow, questioning in silence.
“I ordered pizza.”