No One is Bulletproof

"What do you mean you don't want to be a superhero?" Bill said.

"I mean I don't want to be a superhero. What is so hard to understand?" Lilly said, putting on her duty belt.

"You're bulletproof. You could do so much more with those talents than patrolling this beat. Not to mention a pay increase."

"I worked my whole life to become a cop. I don't see how having a superpower changes anything."

"But it does...babe...listen," he said, setting her down on the old bed. "Everyday you go to work and file reports about stuff that has already happened. Wouldn't it be nice to be proactive for a change?"

"We are proactive. Those superheroes make our job more difficult. They take down small time players that we spent months gaining trust, so we can't go after bigger fish. How I see it, if they cared about the city, they would at least coordinate with us."

"You could be that person. Think about it. A liaison to Precinct 12."

"We already have one of those, Captain Marsh."

"Captain Marsh is worthless. There is a reason he doesn't leave his office. I've seen him at the department parties you bring me to," Bill said, pretending to chug a beer.

"But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I won't be around as much. And let's be honest, I won't be able to patrol this beat if I become a superhero. Not like I do now."

"But I can't hog you all to myself. Not when you have such extraordinary gifts. You always said you wanted to help people. To make a difference."

"And I am in my current job. I don't need to be more than that."

Bill brushed her brown hair aside, looking deep into her dark brown eyes. "But you already are more than that. I always could see that."

Lilly smiled at Bill like when she did at their wedding. Sadly their wedding reception was rundown much like their bedroom was now. Clothes were scattered everywhere, stains on the carpet, and a constant locker room smell that never quite went away. Even their bedroom mirror had a crack in it and the pipes above their ceiling rattled when the neighbors upstairs ran any water. All this made made her fond memories grow stronger. She wanted to say yes. To become a hero and do more than her normal patrol down the same crime ridden beat. But the risk was too great.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and sat up from the bed. "I will see you when I get back."

"And I will have spaghetti waiting," Bill said, pushing off the bed. Something crunched under his left hand. "Hey, honey. What is this?" 

Lilly's eyes got big, seeing Bill hold a folded white note in his hand. She snatched the note from his loose grip before he could contemplate opening it.

"That is classified—for a case," Lilly said, trying to think of something realistic.

"What did we say about bringing your work home with you?"

"Not to. It must have fell out of my pocket. I better go before I'm late."

Bill waved goodbye, unsure why she was so weird about the note. His concern went away quick after Scruffles dashed past Lilly and jumped on Bill. 

"Hello there Scruffles. Not going to say goodbye to mommy," Bill said, rubbing his nose against her whiskers.

Lilly was glad Bill was preoccupied with their cat and opened the note while she opened the door outside.

'You have superpowers. Good for you. Think about joining Hero's Inc. and consider your husband dead. Destroy after reading or we will test how bulletproof you are.'

Lilly's head was still firmly in the note walking down the sidewalk, unaware of a man wearing drab clothes with holes in everything coming toward her. He bumped into her and ripped the note from her hand, crushing it in his fist.

"Give that back!" Lilly ordered, loud and clear.

"When Jaster says destroy something, you do it, lady," the man said, starting the paper on fire with his yellow Bic lighter. 

The man clutched the paper in his hand the entire time while it burned up to his fist before he let go, letting what was left drift in the wind. Lilly stared at this man while the paper flew away. Her hand was on her gun, but she was frozen in fear. Not of the man who had little regard for authority, but of Jaster. He knew where she lived. How long before he came asking for her to do something for him?

***