The Brass Society

Chapter I

Preface

The badge was new as the young pilot removed it from the collar of his chestnut leather bomber jacket. Slightly warm, too, the heat of the engravings still glowing from under his touch. A smirk pulled at his lips as he set it aside on the console of his airship.

He knew this would happen. Join the airforce and within a few months, he'd get promoted to the elite squad. Captain Gil Hawkes, himself of the Argentum Air Force, had told him personally that he had high expectations for the young pilot. Saw big things from the young man he was constantly calling a "son". Of course, with a high Lieutenant status came the high-ranked missions. He just never would have expected a mission like this.

The badge glimmered as the sun's rays caressed each gold-encrusted ridge of the silver medal. The silhouette of the oncoming city was visible against the glorious faded pinks, pastel oranges, and lavenders of the sunset painting the sky. He sure as hell never saw quite a view like this back home. Such a shame that in the course of a few months, smoke and a raging fire rising from the depths of hell will be the only thing visible against the sky's natural work of art - as Hawkes had lovingly described it.

How exciting to imagine. How enthralling the view would be to see plumes of fog, burning crimsons, and gold rising from the once "pristine" and "magnificent city." It made him gag. A little bile rose up to the back of his throat at the thought. Gold, the city was anything but gold.

But the city still didn't deserve its impending fate.

~*~

"Breaking and entering into residencies and shops. Robbing a considerable amount of jewelry and troys from homes -"

The Captain droned on and on with his absurd list of crimes she recently committed, and she could only stand there with a lazy smile just barely lifting the corners of her mouth. However, her attention was split as the officer's palms holding her tight in his grip behind her started to sweat, creating a slimy-like texture against the dirt riddling her own skin.

"Lottie!"

She flinched, eyes glazed over with attention immediately switching to the Captain who raised a brow towards her.

"Am I boring you, Miss Fane?"

Lottie feigned a yawn then, always deriving in immense pleasure of messing with the Captain.

"Oh, not at all Quinn." She fluttered her eyes as if she were struggling to keep them open, going slightly limp in the officer's grasp. "It's just - that's such a long list you've got there, how is it that you've only managed to catch me now?" The smirk to bite her lips was just an added twist to the dagger lodged in the man's ego.

The twitch to his eye was obvious, and a tad comical with a giggle bubbling to her throat once she saw it.

"You're an especially slippery character, Miss Fane. I'm honestly a little honored to have you in my custody at the moment." His own smile made her skin crawl, the man possessed a grudge against her lasting the last few years, and this moment was rare for the both of them.

Lottie clicked her tongue, glancing down to the gun protruding from the Captain's holster, then trailed her eyes up to the rooftops arching above them in the alley, mocking a dramatic eye roll.

Captain Quinn then continued with his list of offenses, hoping to drill into her exactly how much trouble she was going to be in once taken to the station. However, with her head now tilted slightly back and above, she could get a good look at the fire escape ladder to her left. The thing was rusted and looked as if it was coming apart from the building's brick siding at the top near the roof, but solid enough to potentially hold her weight. She knew that just on the other side of that building, half a mile or so away were elevated train tracks that circled the city. Hearing the train's whistle in the distance cracked another smile on her face, and she tilted her head down, biting the inside of her cheek to hide it.