Daniel "Hondo" Harrison
"You ain't got shit on me!" He cackled.
"Damn it!" Jim Street scowled at the screen. "My controller's lagging! It's not fair!"
"Don't be a sore loser, Jim." Chris bonked Street's head with an empty Coke bottle as she watched the match behind the two of them.
"All I hear is excuses." He leaned back and gave a confident smirk. "It's just a skill issue, and I'm sorry to say, but you're not skilled enough to beat me."
"Wow, so humble." Chris gave him an unimpressed look.
"No one can beat me in this game, even Routh. When is he coming anyway?" He asked. Jack was usually early, both for official and social gatherings.
"He told me he's coming." Street replied, checking his phone once again.
"Well, text him again and tell him to go faster. Say that if I don't see him rushing in that door in the next ten seconds, I'll serve him overcooked steak and warm beer."
The door suddenly slammed open, and a real-life Spartan in Mark IV stormed in. It was huge, it was intimidating, and its assault rifle was pointed at him.
"Motherfucker!" He screamed and fell off the back of the couch for cover.
His heart was pounding and soon he heard laughter. He looked up to see that the Spartan had now pointed his weapon away from him and was just standing still, as Street continued to laugh on the floor while Chris was holding her phone for some reason.
He looked around and saw the look of confusion and surprise on the others as they all focused on the intruder. The Mjolnir mark IV armor was impeccable and highly detailed, and he could hear the whirring sound of machinery within it.
"Sorry for being late, Hondo."
Routh's electronic voice came from the helmet, and he widened his eyes in realization.
"Is that you, Routh?" He asked. It looked so real. His eyes spotted the name, Jack R186, on the chest armor and finally relaxed as the armored figure removed his helmet, showing the familiar face of one of his rookies.
"Routh!" He stood and narrowed his eyes. He would beat that kid for scaring the shit out of him.
The helmet and the rifle were passed around the boys of D squad ten minutes later as they all moved to the backyard.
Routh's prank was hilarious, and even he had to smile once Chris showed the video of his reaction. But what kept his attention was the costume he wore. He wanted one.
"Wow, this is actually bulletproof?" He carefully listened to the conversation between Victor and Jack as he expertly flipped the steaks and burger patties.
"I saw the fabrication process." Jack replied after taking a sip of beer. "The engineer sent me pictures and videos. That's experimental high-impact filament with powdered ceramics. Then he lined in with more ceramic matrices and silicon carbide discs with laminates between each layer and then the Kevlar padding."
That sounded awesome. Unfortunately when he tried the helmet, it didn't fit him properly. It had been custom-made for Jack after the one who created the costume scanned his head and body with a 3d scanner.
"That could probably withstand high-caliber bullets." He observed when it was his turn to see the pictures and video of the process. 3d printing was amazing. He looked up and gave Jack a serious look. "Give me your engineer's number. I want one too."
He was not surprised when Jim, Viktor and Chris said the same. Paintball would be so fun in the future.
John Nolan
He stared off into space, clutching a copy of the document he had just signed for the Trust & Estates lawyer. It was the only thing that told him he had a father once, aside from his birth certificate. Now he was also gone, and he didn't know how to feel. It was weird, he was supposed to feel some sadness, but honestly, he didn't feel a thing.
He felt normal.
"Are you okay, Officer Nolan?"
He looked up and saw the Captain staring at him with concern. He nodded and stared at the document now crumpled in his hands. He realized he had crumpled his fist. Weird.
"Roll call is coming up, you should head inside before Sergeant Grey notices." The captain advised.
He looked at the bull pen, and it was half empty, with most of patrol now heading into the briefing room.
"My father just died." He mumbled. "Now I inherited his car… and 14 dollars."
"I see. My condolences." The captain stepped closer in front of him and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Do you need a day off?"
"No, Ma'am." He replied immediately. "I'm fine."
He noticed how Captain Andersen's eyes narrowed a tiny bit and nodded, and headed to the briefing room. He followed her and rushed for the roll call. Grey had just entered the briefing room.
He had just sat on his usual spot and noticed the captain had whispered something to Grey. The other officers were still relaxed and having their own private conversations as Grey hadn't yet called for order. Some were talking to Smitty, who for some reason was wearing a pink sash around his torso.
He looked around for a bit, and it was there that he noticed his T.O. was missing and realized she was talking to both the Captain and Sergeant Grey just outside the door.
The meeting continued normally, and he was able to pay attention as Lucy nudged him with her elbow to pay attention. Thankfully Grey did not call him out for being distracted. He sat up straighter as the sergeant started handing out assignments for the first shift. They were old cases that needed to followed up on.
"Harper and Nolan." Grey announced and handed him a folder. "A statue was stolen from a homeowner's front yard in Hancock Park."
He stared at the strange photo of the missing statue. It looked like a giant piece of turd. It was the exact same color too. Something must have shown in his face since the sergeant picked up on it.
"That thing costs half a million dollars." Grey told him. "No matter how it looks."
"Yes sir."
"Bradford and Chen." Grey tossed another folder to Lucy. "You're dealing with a three day old home invasion. The victim is a former gang member, Nevin Cooper. No forensics, no suspects."
"Which means Lopez and Routh, I want you to follow up on the case upon the request of Detective Calderon." Grey turned to Routh who was sitting on the other side of Lucy and handed him a considerably thicker folder.
Routh opened the folder and quickly scanned the information inside and gave a quick nod.
More assignments were handed out to the other units and soon he found himself in the shop, heading to one of the more affluent neighborhoods to follow up on the case.
He noticed his T.O. sigh as she continued to drive.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I just wasted a couple of good concert tickets." Harper complained. "Doesn't matter now though. How are you holding up?"
"Why did you ask?"
"The captain told me what happened." Harper gave him a quick glance. "There's a reason why we were handed this boring but safe assignment rather than the one Lopez and Routh took from Calderon. They're worried that you'd lose focus, and I can't help but agree."
"What's that got to do with the concert tickets you lost?" He asked.
"It's nothing, forget about it." Harper replied. She was unusually chatty this morning. "What car did you get?"
"It's a 1971 Chevelle." He replied.
"Nice car. Could be worth something." Harper commented.
They drove past the gated community guard house of Hancock Park and arrived at the large house, where a couple was waiting for them. He let Harper do the talking as he looked at the spot where the giant piece was supposed to be.
The wife appeared unconcerned about the missing statue while the husband continued demanding results.
He noticed Harper was getting more annoyed and stepped in to save the man from getting tased.
"Sir, we'll do out outmost to retrieve your missing property. We'll give you updates if we make progress in our investigation."
That seemed to calm down the man and they got back into the shop as the couple went inside their home.
"It's obvious that the wife did it." Harper stated. "I understand her. I wouldn't want my lawn to look like a dinosaur took a massive dump in front of it."
"And it was awfully convenient that the cctvs of their home were in the middle of being replaced on the day it went missing." He added as he read the reports.
"But not the neighbors." Harper replied as she looked around. He followed her gaze and noticed the affluent houses on the opposite side of the street further back. "She couldn't have done it on her own. One of those cameras could have caught the accomplice's vehicle."
It was the easiest case they encountered so far, and with the helpful neighbor who provided them with a copy of their footage, they soon found the accomplice. It was strange, since the neighbor also hated the sculpture but was willing to help them out. She kept wearing a smirk the whole time she gave them a memory stick containing the cctv footage.
It turned out the pick-up that carried away the statue on its flatbed belonged to one of the homeowner association officers and they lived just around the block.
They headed to the man's house and immediately heard the cries for help at the side of the house as they approached the door. He hurried and opened the unlocked gate to the yard and found their missing statue. It had apparently toppled over and pinned the suspect to the dirt.
"Oh thank god!" The man said when he noticed them. "I've been stuck here for hours and hours!"
It was easy to get him free, and the amusing situation with these rich neighbors was enough to distract him from what happened that morning.
"I told you." Harper whispered to him as the wife confessed to her husband that she had asked the HOA officer to take away the statue and kept it a secret from her husband. Oh, and the wife and the HOA officer had been having an affair for months, as the CCTV caught them sharing a quick kiss as the man hauled the statue away.
Jack Routh
"You really think I'd be a good fit in Metro?" Angela asked.
"I really do." He replied and gave his partner a quick glance. They were on their way to the grocery store to investigate the robbery homicide case. Detective Calderon reached numerous dead ends on the case and asked them to follow up and perhaps open up a new lead.
The senior detective was swamped with difficult cases and was struggling to manage his schedule. Angela decided it would be a good practice for her upcoming detective exams. She had also declared that he would be her last boot since she would move on from being a field training officer.
That then led to him telling her that she had potential in Metro after she asked about his time in Rampart.
"What makes you think so?" Angela asked. "I'm curious by the way, but I'm still determined to pass that detective exam."
"You're tough and wouldn't put up with bullshit." He replied. "And you set incredibly high standards for yourself and others, but you're quick to forgive and don't carry a grudge. You also thrive in high-stress situations and you're a crack shot from what Zoe told me."
"That's got to be the sweetest compliment I received." Angela batted her eyelashes at him and held up bother hands to her cheeks, causing him to laugh. His former T.O. acting like a princess was so wrong it was funny.
The happy mood in the shop vanished once they met the grieving owner. His wife was murdered during the robbery and he looked like he had nothing to lose. He was still cooperative, and he seemed determined to do what he could to help catch his wife's murderer. His comment about the missing high-value scratch cards was a new but unexpected lead.
"That's how we are going to find him." Angela stated that after the owner told them he reported it stolen an hour ago.
"Good. I hope you catch him." The owner told them as they thanked him for his help. "And that he gives you a reason to kill him."
"We'll keep you posted, sir." He was not one to judge a man who was clearly grieving after losing his wife. He shared a look with Angela and quickly left after that.
Feeling hungry after their investigation, he suggested that they visit a bakery recommended by Penny since her place of work was near the area. He was surprised to find Tim's shop was parked outside.
"Let's go check those donuts. If Tim Bradford is even taking a break from patrol, they must be good." Angela stated.
Unfortunately, that was not the case as they encountered Bradford and Chen in the midst of questioning one of the bakery staff who sported a busted lip, scratches and bruises around his eye and cheek. He knew that was Nevin Cooper, the victim of the home invasion.
There were also other visitors in the back kitchen, and judging by how his partner tensed and put her hand near her weapon, these visitors were likely gang members that the victim was used to be a part of.
They were just in time as Tim gave them a quick glance and continued speaking to the apparent gang leader who wore a large yellow jacket beneath a red shirt.
"Marquel, right?" Tim asked.
"Do I know you?" The gang leader asked.
"I'm the guy who put Keon in Pelican Bay. I heard you filled the void." Tim replied.
That meant this Keon had just been replaced by Marquel, and he knew from Reacher's experience with gang dynamics meant that this new leader was flexing his muscle and intimidating what looked like a former member.
"Ah, what can I say?" Marquel replied with a smile. "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them."
"Shakespeare." Lucy commented.
"Play?" Marquel turned to her in curiosity.
"Twelfth night." Lucy replied.
"Smart for a cop." Marquel gave an appreciative nod to Lucy as his eyes glanced over her figure. "Never met a smart cop before, or as pretty."
"Strange play for a tough gang leader to pick a quote from." He stepped forward, attracting the attention of everyone in the kitchen.
"Why is that?" Marquel asked.
"Twelfth Night's story is mostly about a woman pretending to be a man. She was so good at it, that even a Countess fell in love with her, thinking she was a dude." He ignored the muffled laughter and continued speaking.
"I'm assuming you don't know who spoke that quote you used in the Twelfth night either." He continued. "You just heard it, and thought yeah, that sounds cool, I'll memorize that to make myself appear wise and powerful."
Marquel did not respond and looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"That quote you used? That in truth was written by the character Maria, playing a trick on the known fool Marquel, I mean Malvolio." He added, purposely confusing the two names. More muffled laughter and snickers were heard.
He added further insult as he glanced at Marquel's chest and nodded at it. It looked like he was heavily working out, but forgot about leg day. "Are those muscles or boobs?"
His fellow gang members were definitely laughing at him now. Marquel scowled and looked angry enough to attack him.
"And judging by the bruises on Cooper, you were teaching him a lesson." He glanced at the injured victim and focused his attention back to the gang leader, his eyes taking in every detail, and noticed the slight bulge in the pocket of the open yellow jacket he wore. It was most likely a gun he carried for protection.
He moved forward so that he was in the leader's line of sight and was now covering Lucy, causing Marquel to step back. "And I bet the bruises from your knuckles mean that you were personally doling out the beating to make Cooper an example. I'm pretty sure if I checked your dirty fingernails I'll find traces of his skin, and that can be DNA evidence, since you obviously don't wash your hands regularly."
"Fuck this cop!" Marquel had had enough of being made fun of as he anticipated. The gang leader tried to pull out a gun from the jacket, but he reacted quickly by grabbing an empty baking tray from the rack and slamming it hard into Marquel's face.
The gang leader quickly collapsed on the tiled floor, dazed and with a bleeding nose. He tossed the now deformed tray beside Marquel's head and kicked the gun out of his reach.
He stared at the four remaining gang members and raised an eyebrow. "Anyone else who wants to quote Shakespeare?"
The four shook their heads.
"Get on the floor and put your hands up." Tim took over as Lucy and Angela pulled out their weapons. With Marquel showing he had a possession of a gun and attempted to use it, they had probable cause to search his associates.
The remaining gang members had nothing on them, and so they were let go, but they stood several feet away watching as their new leader got tossed into the shop.
Nevin Cooper finally agreed to press charges against Marquel, stating that he was the one that broke into his house and tied him up to intimidate him enough to join gang once more.
"You intentionally provoked him." Tim observed.
"New gang leaders always act more violently than they need to be to demonstrate their dominance and power to the rest of their members." He replied. He glanced at the shop to see two gang members waving at a scowling Marquel who had now recovered.
"He wanted to use Cooper as an example as a message to his fellow gang. I removed that respect and reputation he was taking care to build by using his fancy Shakespeare quotes back at him."
"Fair enough. I initially didn't want to confront him, but when you and Angela arrived I felt more confident in our chances." Tim replied. "Good work Routh."
"I can't believe you used an analysis of Twelfth Night to arrest a gang leader." Lucy shook her head in amusement. "How did you end up here anyway?"
"I was getting hungry, and a friend told me they had great donuts." He replied.
"Donuts? No thanks. I eat healthy now." Lucy replied. "I'm even cutting back on beer."
He couldn't help it. He quoted another line from the same play. "Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
"Please stop." Lucy begged.
After processing Marquel, Tim and Lucy decided to join him and Angela for lunch while they waited for the results for the scratch cards from the lottery office. If anyone turned the flagged cards, they would be contacted.
Tim was explaining to Lucy about the details for the Sergeants exam and what happens after, and then Angela shared her preparations to become a detective. Both seemed to be trying to prove to each other which one was harder to pass as they bantered back and forth like siblings.
He checked his duty issued phone as a message popped up and realized someone had attempted to cash in the stolen scratch cards. The relevant names and details were included in the message, but there was one problem.
"Anyone up to visiting a strip club?" He asked. Angela completely ignored him and focused on reading the receipt of the food they ordered while Tim and Lucy stood up without another word and headed back to their shop to resume patrol.
Arriving at the strip club just past noon was strange. Angela insisted on remaining in the shop and went inside alone. He was allowed entry easily enough, though the floor manager hustled him to a dark booth in the corner once he was spotted. The man claimed his presence could make their clients leave if he was seen.
He had to wait as the stripper ironically named Chastity needed to finish her 15 minute number before she agreed to accompany him back to the station. She was surprisingly cooperative when they asked where she received the scratch cards and told them she was given them as a tip for her lap dance.
She also kept asking him personal questions, much to Angela's amusement. Once they arrived at Mid-Wilshire, they found an empty office that no one really used and asked Chastity to wait for him there as he went off to get refreshments from the break room.
"Maybe you should be our point man now when interrogating strippers and escorts." Angela proposed as she nudged him with her shoulder as they both drank their coffees. "I'm sure they will be cooperative when you ask the questions. Do you have any other questions Officer Sugar? Do you want to pat me down for weapons as well? I might be carrying a deadly weapon!"
"I think you're getting overwhelmed by your review schedule." He told his former T.O. "Get eight hours of sleep tonight. You're starting to sound like a drunk and giggly Lucy."
"I do not!" Angela argued back. "Take that back or I'll tell the captain you're spending time with a stripper watching porn!"
"See?" He shook his head. "How many cups of coffee and soda have you taken today? You're high on sugar and caffeine."
"She is." Nyla spoke up from where she sat in a nearby table. "You clearly need some sleep, Lopez."
"Fine." Angela stood up and dusted the crumbs of biscuits on her uniform. "You'll handle the paperwork?"
"I'll take care of it." He promised.
He left his partner in the break room and brought a cold can of orange juice for Chastity and joined her to analyze a few hours of her conducting lap dances to various customers to spot the one that gave her the scratch cards. To be fair, she was quite good and flexible in her performance.
"You must have strong core muscles." He observed as Chastity in the footage did a complicated move as she leaned back nearly ninety degrees to the floor while her lower body remained on the customer's lap.
"It's in the thighs." Chastity pointed out. "See? I was gripping his waist."
"Still impressive." He noted. He looked up and scowled as he saw through the blinds Angela, Nyla Harper, Lucy and… Captain Andersen Routh now dressed in their civilian clothes watching him as they "pretended" to discuss whatever was posted on the corkboard opposite the glass window.
The only paper posted on the board was of Quigley's invitation to join him in the parking lot for barbecue and a chance to swim in a fairly large kiddie inflatable pool. Of course there was a $20 entrance fee.
They were all wearing amused expressions but were trying to hide it. His wife though had one of her eyebrows raised. He gave them pointed look causing them to disperse.
"Officer Routh, you're missing my performance." Chastity complained.
"Sorry."
"Right there!" Chastity eagerly pointed at the screen after three more lap dances. He paused the video in the laptop and took note of the time stamp.
"Would this be able to help you catch the bad guy?" Chastity asked.
The footage was grainy, and the lighting poor, but he was pretty sure the techs could enhance and clean up the footage.
"This is a big help for the case." He replied.
"Anything for you, Officer." Chastity beamed, looking delighted.
He suddenly had an idea and took out his card containing his official contact information. "Say Chastity, do you think you can help me out in the future in cases like these?"
The stripper took the card and observed it for a moment. "What's in it for me?"
"For one, you'll get my protection." He faced the younger woman. "You encounter any trouble at all, call me. There's a fund set up as well for informants, and that entitles you to a monthly allowance. It's not big, just enough to buy fancy dinners if you want once a month."
"So I contact you and tell you if I hear something illegal being discussed?" The stripper asked.
"I don't care about petty crimes." He replied. "I just want ears in places where cops don't go to that often. But you have to be careful if you're going to work for me. Your safety is paramount if you agree to this. You can't tell anyone, not even to other cops."
"I'm really good at listening and I even took acting classes when I first arrived here. Okay, I'll take the deal." Chastity smelled his card and placed it inside the cup of her bra.
Ten minutes more of explaining the payment process and how to contact him safely, and he finally secured his first informant. He escorted her to the lobby where he encountered Nolan speaking to a younger man around his age.
The man was apparently Nolan's brother, and he had a flirtatious personality as he tried to chat up Chastity.
He left the two alone and headed back to the bullpen as the day shift started packing up.
"How was your time with Chastity?" Tim Bradford asked once he left the locker room, freshly showered and wearing his civilian clothes.
"Productive. She also agreed to work as my informant." He replied.
"That's got to be the first time since I transferred here that someone convinced a stripper to be an informant." Tim mused. "Not bad, she's well placed to hear things."
"I thought so too, but I'll still try to work on that guy in the community college that makes fake IDS."
"Look at you, not even a year in the force and you're already expanding your information network." Bradford replied. "Most would assume having one informant is enough."
"Most would." He replied as he eyed his wife walking down the stairs. "But I don't, because assumptions kill."
Zoe Andersen Routh
Even if it was all part of police work and her husband had to sit there and watch a footage of another woman get naked for the afternoon to solve a case, she still got… possessive. Their make out session in the parking lot almost led to sex before she regained her senses and they soon went home in her car.
The next morning was Wednesday and both had their day offs at the same time. It was their designated bi-weekly movie date, and so to annoy her husband since he spent an entire day yesterday with a stripper, and yes she was that petty, she chose a movie whose genre Jack hated the most.
Historical Dramas.
She lost it when she saw how Jack reacted when they first watched BraveHeart. Her husband kept giving commentary on the film, and it quickly devolved to sarcasm and indifference as he pointed out mistake after mistake in the film. Her man was so worked up about it after watching that it looked like he was prepared to write a paper criticizing the inaccuracies in the plot. It took her sucking him for Jack to relax and calm down and eat their lunch in peace.
As expected, Jack kept scoffing and shaking his head as they watched The Patriot. The only time he perked up was when the British Army was marching in what Jack explained was the battle of Camden, with redcoats marching while playing the Grenadiers March. He explained the origins of the grenadiers and she was surprised to learn it was inspired by a fruit of all things, a pomegranate.
He then gave a five minute lecture on the legacy of the British Grenadiers marching song, totally ignoring Mel Gibson and Heathe Ledger as they tried to rally a militia to fight the evil British. The only other time he perked up was when the French Navy was shown arriving at Charleston.
A tout les canons, tirez!
"Now that the film is ending, and you're suddenly interested?" She asked.
"That was accurate, what that French naval officer shouted." Jack explained. "A tout les canons, tirez means all cannons, fire. Of course that French fleet that blockaded the harbor would soon get defeated by a British fleet a year later."
"You speak it so well. Don't tell me you know how to speak French." She asked as she rested her head on his lap.
"I know some French." Jack replied as he turned off the TV.
She slowly turned her head away from the screen and looked up at her husband. "You said that too when I asked if you knew how to shoot a sniper rifle at 300 yards. How well do you speak French?"
Jack returned her look and nodded his head. "Very well. Je parle très couramment le français"
"What other languages can you speak?" She asked. She was amazed, she knew some French, but her husband spoke like a native.
Happy that she learned something new about her husband, she turned around in the couch and presented her feet for him to massage, which he automatically did.
"English of course, and French." He replied.
"Mhmmm." She started to close her eyes to relax. His fingers had the right enough strength to give the soles of her feet the proper massage they needed without being too painful.
"I can also speak Latin, Spanish, German, Russian and Farsi."
What? She sat up and stared at her husband in surprise. European languages, she could sort of understand why he could speak them, but Farsi? She knew of a few intelligence officers who learned the language out of necessity. What if her husband really did have a military background… that could explain a lot of his skills… his weapons training, unarmed combat and tactics.
She shook her head. No, that was a crazy train of thought. Jack is too young to accumulate all those skills.
Her husband merely shrugged. "I like learning languages back in high school and college."
"You know, sometimes Hondo's wild ideas seems to have some merit. German? Russian? Farsi?" She joked. "You're like a super secret agent, even beyond the elite operators of the military."
"Farsi is an ancient Persian language, it was interesting." He explained.
"It was also taught to JSOC and the Intelligence agents working in Afghanistan and the middle-east."
"That's just a coincidence. I'm no soldier." Jack stated.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just surprised at this side of you. You never indicated you knew other languages." She gave her husband a long look.
"I never had a reason to use it. You know that in many countries, their citizens are usually multilingual."Jack explained. "It's mostly our country that only speaks one language. Other countries speak at least two at least. Some can speak four or even five and that's normal."
"I get it, you're smart, and Americans dumb." She replied as she turned around again and used his lap as a pillow.
"No, not dumb." Jack countered. "We're plenty smart. It's just that our attitude and reluctance to learn other languages stems from a lack of knowledge about the history of English language itself."
"You could picture a tree that started with a huge trunk and then eventually split off into many branches, and one of those upper branches is the English language." Jack continued explaining. "Along the way, it has changed and transformed from old English into what we know as modern English in the sixteenth century."
She felt Jack massaging her scalp and she closed her eyes as she listened to her husband.
"There was even a time in Britain that the lower class spoke old English, and the Aristocracy spoke French, but then that all changed with the great vowel shift to make vowels shorter. "
"My husband, the Historian." She smiled and snuggled closer to Jack.
"You were the one that started the topic." He teased back.
"Will you help me learn?"
"Of course." Jack promised. "What language do you want to learn first?"
"I want to improve my French." She replied. "Correct me in my pronunciations and grammar."
"Of course." Jack replied. He rolled his head around, and she found him staring at the cardboard coaster with the wondercon branding on its surface. It was one of many freebies she and Penny got from the convention. "By the way, what's in the bag you bought in Anaheim?"
"Do you really want to know?" She asked.
"Yes. What is it?"
"A costume." She sat up and stretched. Now that she was properly relaxed she wanted some intimacy. "Let's make a bet."
"What kind?" He asked.
"Whose costume is better, that armor you wore or the one I bought? Loser has to follow the other today, no questions asked." She was sure she would win this one, and she had plans for her husband. So many plans.
"You're on." Jack replied, looking smug as he leaned back on the couch.
"Wait for me in the yard." She got up and quickly headed to their room to change. She couldn't get the image of Jack wearing a sexy, barbarian costume out of her mind that day and bought something she thought was its counterpart.
Jack Routh
He was waiting for Zoe as he walked around and inspected the walls and shrubs planted around it. He knew Zoe was up to something. She couldn't be that confident unless she had something planned. Still, he went along with it. It had been weeks since they had proper role playing, mind blowing sex. He was up for anything and he was excited and was thinking of what he could make Zoe do if he won.
He wondered if she would come out wearing a slave Leia costume, those plastic bags from Wondercon didn't look like they could carry much.
The door to the kitchen slid open and his eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped open as his wife stepped out to the yard.
Zoe styled her hair to be messy, as if she had just gotten out bed and merely ran her fingers through her hair like a comb and didn't bother to brush it further. That was hot enough already with her pretty face and then his eyes wandered down to the rest of her amazing, hot body that first attracted his attention when he first woke up in this world.
This time she was not wearing her usual stylish and sexy blouses and tight skirts to cover her body but something entirely different.
She was wearing a tiny bikini top made off small metal plates. Her long smooth and shapely legs ended to her feet which were clad in what appeared to be crudely made leather boots, stitched together up to the ankle with leather cords. Covering her crotch was what looked like two narrow and tiny loincloths made of round metal discs held together by rings of metal that barely reached halfway through her thigh.
To finish the effect she had a pair of bronze bracelets attached to her upper arms, styled like snakes eating their tails and enhancing the contours of her toned arms.
Every step she made, the metal parts jingled, and her breasts bounced, barely supported by the tiny metal chain of her bikini top. Her hips were pure seduction as the metal loin cloth swayed, briefly exposing her crotch. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, and he could spot her erect nipples and areola peeking through the plate pieces and her pussy lips through the wide gaps off her metal loincloth.
On her shoulders were leaf shaped metal pauldrons and around her neck was a necklace made of animal teeth. Her shapely waist had a leather belt around it, and a leather scabbard attached to it and what looked like his replica sword was sheathed. He wondered what she looked like from behind.
She turned around for him, seemingly reading his mind and showing that her beautiful, shapely ass was exposed by her costume except for the middle that now pooled at valley of her lower cheeks. Her taut and smooth back showed muscles as she moved around, a result of her daily workouts.
His wife didn't look embarrassed at all, and the sheer confidence she radiated through every part of her body turned him on. She was incredibly sexy.
He grew hard immediately.
Zoe pulled Thranduril's sword from the leather sheathe with her right hand and pointed it at him.
"You! I like your look! I shall take you as my bed slave." Zoe declared.
"Zoe?" He asked. He received a slap to the face in response. It didn't hurt that much, but it did surprise him.
"Did I give you permission to talk, slave?" Zoe asked with a raised eyebrow, waiting for his response.
His brain could barely comprehend what was happening. She exuded pure confidence in her tone of voice and posture, like he had seen her whenever she presided over her division. It was that look and stance that demanded complete obedience, and nothing else.
This was it he realized. He knew she was asking if she had won their bet. Damn, he had no choice. Pussy comes first, Mjolnir Mark IV Armor later!
"I apologize, mistress." He replied as he bowed his head.
"Strip!" Zoe demanded as she placed the edge of the dull blade against his chin. "I wish to see your body and inspect it for myself if it is worthy to touch an inch of skin."
He followed along, watching if Zoe would break character but it seemed she was fully immersed in her role.
"Hurry slave!" She gently tapped his ass with the flat of the blade as he started removing his shirt, followed by his pants until he was standing only in his boxers. He decided to play his wife's game.
"I said all of it." Zoe pointed at his shorts with her sword.
A moment later he was fully nude and enjoyed the breeze the early afternoon sunlight that caressed his skin.
Zoe stepped closer after she took a moment to admire him from head to toe. Not usually shy about nudity, he felt strangely exposed under her burning gaze.
"I find you appealing." Zoe nodded and sheathed her sword. She stepped forward and grabbed his chin with her hand, forcing him to look down and match her gaze.
"You shall be my bed slave." Zoe continued and then she suddenly grabbed his erect cock. "This would suit me nicely."
The sex they had that early afternoon was far, far different from what they used to do. Instead of the battle for dominance and pure lust, now he experienced a more sensual and slow as Zoe pushed to lie down on the patch of grass and mount him.
"Do not move until I tell you." Zoe instructed as she impaled herself further into his cock until finally she was resting her ass on his crotch.
He nodded and focused on his wife's face as she first ground her hips against his, taking him as deep as she possibly could with their current position. He was unable to look away from Zoe's eyes as she held his gaze. Then she started to lean back, resting her hands on his lower legs as she slowly shifted her legs. He noticed that she was being careful not to let his cock slip out of her pussy as she rested her feet beside her head.
Zoe arched her back and his eyes feasted as he watched every part of his wife's body.
"You feel so perfect inside me." Zoe whispered. She shifted again until she was squatting over him and soon she started to move up and down on his cock.
"Fuck!" Zoe hissed. She suddenly increased the pace and he reached out to hold her waist to stop her but she slapped his hands away.
"Remain… still, slave." Zoe gasped as she continued to bounce up and down his cock. "This… cock will not leave my cunt until the sun has set."
"Prepare to be ravished." Zoe grinned and leaned forward and bit his lip harshly. The kiss then ended and his wife clutched his jaw hard forcing his lips to partially open. He was surprised when Zoe suddenly leaned forward and spit inside his mouth.
"Swallow it." Zoe forced his mouth to close. She gave him a dangerous smile as she bounced harder on his cock for a few moments then slowed down.
"I'm marking you, in every way possible." Zoe explained. Damn, his wife was getting wild, and he was all for it.
He never knew being taken as a slave by a bikini clad warrior woman will be in his top three fantasies.
Reese Carter
"They're late."
Reese looked at her phone, scrolling through the messages from the band that was supposed to be here an hour ago. The guests were already in their tables, waiting for the entrance of the entourage and Pam and James.
She looked up as her fellow maid of honor's husband came out of a side door. He looked dashing in his simple light blue polo shirt and charcoal grey suit.
"They're getting impatient there, Reese." Jack reported. Thank goodness that she and Zoe had the foresight to have catering serve the guests appetizers as scheduled. She looked over to see Zoe with Pam, trying to distract the bride who was looking worried.
"The band and the DJ are late." She reported. "We're supposed to have this grand parade heading to reception."
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment as he looked around at the assembled entourage. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, and even a pair of adorable flower girls looked like they were getting tired of standing around doing nothing.
"There's a piano in the stage. It seemed to play fine when we were setting up decorations this morning." Jack reported. "Get the entourage ready, I'll handle the music. I'll message Zoe when it's time."
She brightened up, suddenly remembering her best friend's husband was a man with many talents. "Okay! Great!"
She admired Jack's form as he strode confidently back to the reception hall and then turned around to face the entourage. She clapped her hands, attracting their attention.
"Everyone! Get ready! Just as we rehearsed!" She called out.
"Finally!" One of the bridesmaids, a blonde named Taylor replied. She remembered that she was Pam's cousin. "These heels are killing me!"
"I told you to break them in first before today." One of the bridesmaids told the blonde.
It was like herding a bunch of sheep. She had to ask one of the groomsmen that they needed to be arranged before the flower girls. He wanted to carry the basket full op petals as well and toss them along the aisle.
Pam looked relieved as she made her way to the back with James. Zoe moved to stand beside her. They were each other's escorts since both were maids of honor.
"Your husband will take care of the music." She told Zoe. "He said he'll text you."
Zoe opened up her small purse and gave a nod after looking at the screen. "He works fast. He said to start in 30 seconds."
"Thirty seconds people!" She shouted to the rest of the entourage.
She made a mental countdown in her head when she heard the music coming through from the wooden doors. It was something she had never heard before. She noticed that even the entourage noticed as they stopped chatting with each other as they also listened to the music.
"Let's go people! Star walking girls!" Zoe ordered.
The two ten year old flower girl, twins, started walking as their parents opened the two wooden doors to allow the entourage to walk in.
Applause rang out from the guests that were standing up from their seats. She spotted the Piano immediately at the corner at the side of the stage, with Jack playing that amazing melody. Zoe gave her a nudge and they too started walking after the last pair of groomsman and bridesmaid passed through the doors.
The venue was beautiful, covered it Pam's favorite flowers. The light blue and silver cloths hanging overhead like waves with fairy lights among them gave the venue a wonderful atmosphere that was only enhanced by the music Jack was playing. She made her way to the podium as Pam and James came in last. The bride was openly shedding tears, but she still had that soft smile in face as the music Jack was playing reached its climax.
After her opening remarks, she moved to the side to allow for the best man's speech as she joined Zoe who had made her way to her husband by the piano.
"What song was that?" She asked. "That was amazing Jack!"
"It's called the Bittersweet Symphony." Jack replied. "I figured it would be perfect here."
It certainly was. Pam had planned for her father to join them for this, but he had lost his battle to cancer a month ago.
"Thanks for not letting us starve." Zoe nudged her husband with her shoulder as they pretended to listen to the speech.
After the speeches were done, with the band now only thirty minutes away, Jack once again saved the event.
"Pam and James met at a Coldplay concert right?" Jack asked. "Go, have the guests start lining up for the buffet. I'll play some background music."
"Be sure to reward Jack properly later." She told Zoe. "Since I can't, even if I wanted to."
The staff served the entourage personally, as the other guests started lining up for the buffet. She made her way to her own assigned table where she joined the other bridesmaids.
"He's amazing." Taylor gushed, her eyes locked in to Jack as he started playing.
"He's also married." Reese laughed.
"Damn." Taylor pouted comically. "Why are the good ones always taken?"
They both paused as they recognized the tune. Jack was playing Yellow. The energy in venue increased as the guests had a great time eating and even a few clapped between songs as Jack continued playing.
"Look at them, so sickeningly sweet." Taylor pointed out to the corner. "Ugh."
She turned around to see Zoe had a plate full of food and was feeding her husband carefully. She looked at the pair with a wistful smile, happy that Zoey finally had a man that she deserved. After getting her fill, she made her way to the bride and groom to check on them.
"How are you guys?" She slid up to the empty chair beside Pam.
"It's even more amazing than what I envisioned." Pam replied with a happy smile.
"That guy behind the piano, that's Zoe's husband?" James leaned in to join the conversation.
"Yeah. He arrived early to help set up the venue as well with the other bridesmaids and groomsmen." She replied. "He stepped in when we received word that the band we hired are running late."
"Reese, they haven't had their own wedding reception, right?" Pam suddenly asked.
"Yeah why? Zoe said they're working on it, but with their work, I think they're having difficulty planning it."
"Here's what I think we should do." Pam leaned in. Even James looked like he wanted to be part of it as well. "You know Zoe's coworkers right? Who is she closest to?"
"Well…" She remembered that Zoe shared about who Jack was closest to at the Mid-Wilshire police station. A woman named Angela who was his training officer. Maybe they should start approaching her first. Then there was a fellow captain in Rampart that Zoe mentioned she got along well.
The band finally appeared, apologizing profusely and quickly set up their equipment and instruments while the guests ate and chatted.
James had invited Jack to their table, and they were now sharing stories about each other's profession. She, Zoe and Pam were drinking more than they should, but she knew it was because they were all relieved that the event they worked for was now a success.
Zoe was getting particularly tipsy and her best friend admitted that she forgot to eat breakfast because of how early they had to leave to prepare the venue. Then the conversation moved on to Jack's musical ability.
Pam at first playfully teased Jack that he should play a song for her and James to dance too. James added that Jack should make the song spicy and hot so that they would be in the mood after the reception.
"Enough to drop panties?" Zoe asked. She noticed her fellow maid of honor's cheeks were flushed. "There's no such song."
"Maybe I could play one." Jack replied, countering Zoe's statement.
"Fine. If you play a song, right now, that can get me hot and bothered, you win." Zoe dared.
"You're on." Her husband replied as he stood up.
Pam and James laughed at the interaction and egged the two more.
"Go on! We promise we will dance to your performance!" Pam nodded her head eagerly.
The band was pretty accommodating, well they should be after being late for two hours. Jack borrowed one of their mikes and set it up in a way that he could sing while playing.
She decided to help out and even stepped up to the podium to introduce Jack before his performance and asked Pam and James to head to the dance floor to dance.
It was also there that she saw for the first time in her life, a bunch of women looking like they really dropped their panties, or they got wet as they watched Zoe's husband seduce them through music.
Even she got flustered, the lyrics, his voice, those runs. Yeah that song was created to get people in the mood for sex, plain and simple. It also didn't help that the performer looked absolutely handsome, and he didn't even seem to know it. That added to the attractiveness factor too since arrogance was a major turnoff. She was pretty sure Zoe's husband would be in many of the bridesmaids' fantasies tonight.