"Where the fuck have you been?" Rose snapped, her voice sharp as glass. "I said this morning."
"Look," Alpha said, hands out in surrender, brow tight. "I was busy. OK?"
"I'm the only reason you're not rotting in a cell in that costume," Rose said. "Vigilantism's still illegal, last I checked. You're tolerated because you’ve been useful. Past tense. You got that?"
"Oh yeah, loud and clear," he muttered. "So, why am I here?"
Rose glared over her glasses, green eyes sharp and unreadable. Her auburn hair clung to her pale face like wet threads.
"There was another incident last night," she said, disappointment dulling her voice. She looked out over the skyline. "The mayor wants a press conference. Thinks the people still respond well to you. Four o’clock. Be early."
She fished out a crushed packet of cigarettes. She bit the filter, and brought a lighter to the tip and clicked it.
"Great," he replied, shielding the flame for her. The ember flared as she inhaled. "Is that all?"
"No," she said, blowing smoke.
She picked a shred of tobacco off her lip and flicked it. "There's a new gang. They call themselves the Omegas, after the villain in that stupid cartoon of yours."
"What?" he asked, surprised. "A gang? Don’t tell me someone’s dumb enough to move in on my city.”
"Criminals are stupid," she said, handing him a photo. A teenaged boy mid-deal, hoodie turned just enough to show the white omega symbol on his back.
"I don’t get it," Alpha said, looking up from the photo. "A couple street deals. That’s your department, isn’t it?"
"You need me to explain this to you?" she snapped, yanking the photo back. "They made this gang to spit in your face. It’s a walking, talking ‘fuck you.’” A smile tugged at her mouth.
"That’s becoming popular lately," he said, turning away.
"Don't take it personally," she said. "You're too good at your job. Now they think they don’t need you at all."
"Yeah," he said, kneeling to launch.
"Before you disappear, any leads on this freakshow?" she asked.
He paused mid-air, face grim. "I’m working on it."
"Good," she said. She finished her cigarette alone, watching until he vanished into the smog.
