Anger Management

Anger Management

May 17th, 2023

Manhattan, New York

On-screen, two people gestured back and forth, engrossed in an argument in the downstairs lobby. A man in leather pants, a black blazer with shoulder-length blonde hair, and a blonde woman in a matching gray skirt-jacket set. The woman was talking, trying to calm the man down, her red lips moving silently. The man threw his hand in the air, yelling something back at her before storming out of frame.

"He's back," Matt chuckled.

Near glanced at the monitor, long white hair framing his unamused face. "It's his own fault. I told him to wait."

"You have to admit, it was an impressive shot."

"He put everyone in danger. He has to follow protocol, Matt."

"Yeah... I know." Matt had watched the confrontation go down too, his blood running cold when Mello broke out of the safety parameter. "But it ended up okay. Romero's in custody."

"Romero's in critical condition."

Before Matt could reply, Mello's voice boomed down the hall. "Where's he at?"

"Look, I'll talk to him about it at home," Matt flashed Near a sympathetic look. "Just try and de-escalate it."

Near's eyes rolled under heavy lids like a mother about to scold her child. "He's still getting a three-day suspension."

The door flew open, Valentino oxfords snapped against the marble tile, echoing off the walls like thunderclaps. The soft click of Halle's heels followed. Matt braced for the fireworks.

"Mello, please—" Halle pleaded, red nails curled around Mello's shoulder.

Mello jerked away with a sneer. "Near!"

Near turned in his chair. "Yes, Mello?"

"A three-day suspension, what the fuck? After I saved everyone's ass."

Matt sighed, "Babe... please don't—"

"Shut up," Mello hissed, finger pointed to him. "This is between me and Near. Stay out of it."

Matt put his hands up in surrender. There was no use reasoning with Mello when he got like this. It was best to let him burn himself out. Near knew that, Halle knew that, everyone at the office knew that.

"Mello," Near replied in an even tone, "you know the rules. I hadn't given the go-ahead; the team wasn't in place yet."

"You weren't fucking there."

"Correct, I was monitoring the situation from headquarters to direct the team. You took matters into your own hands."

"It's my case," Mello shouted.

"Yes, but you work for me; therefore, it's also my case."

That did it. Mello ripped his badge from his blazer, launching it at Near. "Like fucking hell, I do."

Rester shifted, hand drawing back to his taser, but Near caught the badge, motioning for Rester to let it go.

"Romero had a bomb strapped to his chest," Near's voice lifted slightly as his annoyance showed. "That's why it was imperative everyone waited for my cue. Roger didn't have a target on him yet."