Rangers and Rogues

Chapter 7: Trust

Sol looked down at his phone, a string of texts coming from him and a number displayed as "[REDACTED]."

A few messages followed, but the conversation had ended several minutes ago, with "[REDACTED]" being the last one to send a text. "Sorry, there's nothing more I can do for you. You're on your own for this one, Riden."

With a defeated sigh, Sol shoved his phone into his pocket before twisting the door handle to his apartment. Just coming back from his morning jog, he grabbed a prepared towel and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. The fact he was discarded from the case as easily as that continued to get on his nerves. As a method of escape, he tossed his phone aside and sat down on a plush couch in the living room. TV remote in hand, Sol turned it on and began to untie his shoes.

A news anchor's feminine voice softly emanated throughout the room, "–events such these have caused quite a stir in Glasscity, leading civilians to ask questions. Meanwhile, the director of the Ranger Association holds silent, with no public statement to be heard. Eyes turned to Counterfeit for any clue as to what the association is actually doing for these disasters." Sol's had been partially listening in before, but the mention of Counterfeit immediately captured his full attention. "We've personally reached out on the public's behalf and have received a reply from him. It goes as follows:"

A picture of Counterfeit–the highest rank Ranger–appeared, completely overriding anything else on screen. "The Ranger Association is doing everything we can to resolve these situations. The culprits behind these attacks will be found, that's a personal guarantee." Counterfeit responds. His voice was completely clear, despite speaking from behind his rigid mask. "Currently, the S-Rank Council is discussing the next course of action regarding the most recent attack, and we will ensure that there will be nothing to fear in Glasscity."

As his voice faded away, so did the photo, and Sol was left with the news anchor once again. "With that said, we will continue to cover this story and any developments here on Forearm News–news straight from the source. Next up–"

Sol turns off the TV, before grabbing the offhanded phone and rereading some of the messages one more time. Looks like he has his hands full. I guess... I'll just focus on what I can do now. He thought, and then shoveled the phone into his back pocket. It was his job to keep track of Kate, so at the very least he'll make sure he does it the best he can–in his way.

As such, Sol made his way outside the apartment into the dimly lit hall. This area was Ranger Association-owned, so no other residents were in the building. The only sound audible were the steps of his boots. Kate's apartment was just down the hall, he figured it'd be good to give a check on her. Especially since his usual run had ended up going much later than expected, and he promised to bake some sweets later on. Besides, Sol wouldn't break a promise, even if it's something as simple as cookies.

Sol unlocked the door and stepped inside, immediately noticing that the lights were all turned off. Maybe she's sleeping? It was something that she tended to do quite a bit; possibly because she was still partially recovering from her injuries? Earlier, he had noticed that the spry in her step had recovered, but even with Mystic-boosted healing, those gashes still left noticeable scars.

Walking to an offshooting door, Sol knocked on it, yet no response called back. He knocked louder, but she still didn't respond at all. This was definitely unusual, but he played benefit of the doubt and hoped that she was just very asleep. Instead of continuing to knock, he opened the door quietly and peered inside. The room was also fairly dark, but a significant amount of light was cracking in through a small gap in the window. It illuminated the room with moonlight, exposing the shape of Kate's body in the bed–to a sigh of relief from Sol.