New York, 2130. Over the past few decades, humanity has experienced a boom in everything- technology, knowledge, people.

The crime rate is no exception to this.

Enter Aiden Alodos, a detective with the New York Police Department. He's got a lot to prove and the will to do it, but this next case may be too much for him to handle. It probably doesn't help that his roommate is more involved with the case then anyone would think...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aiden sighed as he pushed open the door to his apartment, running a hand through his longer-then-regulation black hair. Amber eyes swept over the apartment- an old habit- before he entered, kicking the door shut behind him. He shrugged his coat off and hung it up before heading for the small kitchen, coffee on his mind.

It had been a long night. Aiden had somehow been shepherded into working through case files, and he'd ended up working several hours of overtime. As he slid open the kitchen control panel and pressed the "coffee" option, he couldn't help but think back on some of the cases he'd looked at. With a ping, a small compartment slid open, revealing a steaming mug of coffee; he took it and began to sip at it as he crossed back to the living room, flopping down on his recliner.

The tall, slim twenty-eight year old stretched out slightly, taking a huge sip of his coffee before settling into the chair and grabbing the newspaper from the table (It was delivered daily via a chute that connected to the mail delivery room.) As he idly flipped through the pages, he wondered if he'd see his roommate before he had to go back to work in a few hours.

"-And I wondered!...About the stars!...-" Almost on cue Avery LeChance's bass voice cut through the early morning air, leaking out of the cracked bathroom door along with the steam. His dark brown locks almost matched his roommate's at the moment, darker with the shower water.

A few minutes later, and done with his song, Avery stepped out of the shower. "Water off." He stated, the singing done, so his voice returned to the quiet tones it normal had. His reflection stared back at him as he flossed and brushed his teeth. He was skinny, probably too skinny, but he forgot to eat quiet a bit. Always too much to do, too much on his mind. His blue eyes reminded him of a crystal lake under the ice. A piercing blue. His best feature.

With a sigh he turned away, slipping his tan frame into his uniform, consisting of beige khakis, a blue shirt, and the green apron. He worked at a flower shop, sadly enough. It had been the only job he was able to get, though the hydroponics plant under the store was not his first choice.

Brushing his hair with his fingers, the male waltzed into the living room, flopping unto the chair across from his roommate. "Late night Aiden?" Avery questioned, his easy smile on his face. "Whatchu up to now?"


(Thanks so much! I'm back for a while. I figured I'd have him do the first kill in a post or two.)

[Yay! ^^ Sounds like a good plan, it's nice to ease into things XD And I have a feeling I'm going to adore Avery X3]

Aiden looked up as Avery's voice drifted through the apartment; he managed a wry grin and shook his head. His roommate was a quiet man, but when the moment struck him he could sing. It was an amusing trait.

He waited patiently until Avery emerged, taking his seat across from Aiden. "Yeah, you could say that," he said in a deep, soft voice, taking a long drink from his coffee. He couldn't help but pity his friend- the apron was a hideous shade of green (Of course, Aiden hated the color green in the first place.) "Just relaxing, I have to go back in in a few hours." He grimaced at his words- his schedule wasn't his favorite thing in the world.

"I'm surprised you still work at the shop," he mused. Avery's job was always a topic of conversation for him. "I'm sure you could find something else to do." New York was a huge, busy city, and there were jobs everywhere. It mistified him to no end that Avery was still working in the local flower shop, of all places. He put his mug and the paper down and leaned forward, deciding he wanted to take his (extremely shiny) black work shoes off.

Avery gave a tiny shrug. There was too much in life to worry about his job. "Pays the rent right? What else would I look for? Look at your job. Not what you expected right? I'll live..." The man popped out of the seat like he'd sat on a fire cracker. Food. Yes he needed food. And then he needed to go.

He had issues with the kitchen, claiming it hated him. Everything else did fine, but the damn kitchen panel wouldnt read his voice patterns. "Toaaast."He demanded, leaning close to the speaker. An annoying series of beeps let him know once again his voice hadn't gone through. "Toast Dammi-Oh forget it..." He waved his hand at the machine and turned away.

He ducked out of the room, returning with his shoes. He tugged them on while speaking, "I'm probably gonna be late again. I hurry and hurry, but can't ever make it there. Message me if you'll be at the office or here for dinner. I can swing by there on my way home with something to eat, 'kay?"

Without even waiting for an answer, the door slammed shut behind the male.


Avery's toast slid down with a beep.

Aiden watched in amusement as Avery resumed his daily battle with the kitchen system; for some reason the two just didn't get along. He supposed it was because the system had been programmed to Aiden's first, but he wasn't an expert with these kinds of things. He was about to offer help when Avery gave up, dashing around the apartment like he'd had too much caffeine.

"You know, Avery, I could get you something... real...," he trailed off as the door slammed behind Avery. He shook his head; the man really didn't eat enough, and it worried Aiden. Avery was probably the closest friend Aiden had; his schedule and work ethic combined meant his social life was non-existant. The sound of the toast coming out drew him out of his thoughts; he sighed and shook his head with a wry smile.

I'll just run something over to him when I head in, he thought, pushing himself to his feet to dispose of the toast. He then went back to his chair and his paper, skimming through the pages.

"Crime is going up," he muttered to himself, his nose wrinkling. He just didn't understand why people would murder another person. Property damage? Well, not legal, but understandable. Harrassment? Usually got the message across, still not legal but understandable. Stealing a lawn gnome? Weird, but understandable (several cases like that had run through the office. People really liked their lawn gnomes around here.) Murder, however, was beyong his grasp.

Avery was on his normal route, walking through the alleys rather than taking the busy streets. The crowds didn't agree with the quiet male. He hummed softly, glancing about. It was no secret that crime thrived in the alleyways, though Avery had never really thought of anything happening to him. Like watching a movie where someone close to the main character dies, but you don't really think it could ever happen to you. Desensitized.

So it was quiet a shock when Avery was shoved to the ground. He saw stars for a second, and felt someone searching his pockets. The thing that startled him out of it was a strange object pressed to the back of his head. A...gun? Oh god...was this man gonna kill him? Whether it was angry about Avery only having five bucks on his money card, or so there wouldn't be a witness didn't really matter. The possibility was high.

The man fumbled on the ground quietly, until his fingers wrapped around a chunk of loose concrete. The streets were old, and always falling apart. Avery gripped the jagged stone, and jerked over, surprising the man pining him down. The rock slammed into the side of the stranger's cranium. Blood blossomed forth, spewing out.

The tall male struggled to his feet, staring down. There was a lot of blood. Avery knew headwounds bled, but hadn't realized how much. The man was groaning and wiping blood from his face. It was strange, but in that tiny space of time, it had seemed like Avery's hectic life had slowed down. It had felt nice, to be in control. And he still was. He controlled this mans life. He felt something he didn't know was in him. He wanted to spill more blood. Make this man cry out and regret trying to walk all over him. He was no better than anyone else. His boss, his coworkers, his friends. Well...not Aiden. Aiden always tried to be there.

But this man wasn't. Avery lifted the concrete, bringing it down again and again, until he couldn't even see the features of the man below him. Once the man was still, and once all the anger Avery hadn't known he had was spent, he stood back. He dug in his pocket, tugging out his keychain. On it there was a tiny circle item, his cellphone. He called work, still staring at the body.

"I....I can't come in today...I've come down with something." Not waiting for an answer again, he hung up. They would know who he was, though he'd never called off before. Avery glanced around, spotting a faucet. It was an older one, with a turn handle, though Avery turned it, and water gushed out, so it wasn't too old.

Once his clothing was cleaned as good as it could be, and he was washed, Avery took his green apron, which was stained from the man's blood, and shoved it in a nearby trashcan.

Then it was back home. Less than an hour after he'd left, Avery slipped back into the door, hoping Aiden had left. He felt pale. Happy, and excited, the thrill of taking a life swimming through him, but was sure to slip up and say something to Aiden. As he came in, he called out softly, "Aiden? You still home?"

Aiden had passed out in his chair, his newspaper having fallen all over the place in his sleep. The sound of Avery calling out startled him back into conciousness, the rest of the papers in his lap fluttering to the ground as he tried to get back up.

"Huh? Yeah, hey Avery... you're home already? Shit, did I miss my shift?!" He stumbled to the kitchen to check the clock, a frown creasing his brow as he realized only 30 minutes had passed since Avery left.

"Hey, is everything alright," he asked, coming back into the front room. When his eyes fell on Avery, he couldn't help but be concerned- he was pale, obviously shaken by something. "Did something happen," he asked, examining Avery closely. Before anything else could be said, there was a beep, causing him to look down at his pant pocket. "Uh, excuse me," he said, reaching down and grabbing his phone. He headed for the kitchen as he answered it.

"This is Alodos."

"Aiden? This is Emily. I just got a call about a murder near your place. I know you're off duty right now, but...."

"It's cool, Em," he said, trying not to sigh. "I'll be there." He flipped his phone shut, then went and pressed a few buttons on the kitchen control panel before heading back out into the front room. "I'm sorry, Avery, I just got called out, but there should be something hot for you in a few," he said, gathering his jacket. He paused, looking up at his roommate. He regarded the man sort of as a brother, and as such he was immensely worried. "Call me if you need," he finally said, then exited the apartment.

Before Avery could answer, Aiden had moved away, talking. A thought began dawning on Avery and he sunk into a couch cushion. There was a million things he should of done differently, though the most worrying one was his apron. Aiden was a cop! What if they found.it, and he saw it somewhere and recognized it? What about fingerprints? Were his at the crime scene? Shit, the rock...where had he put it?

He'd made so many mistakes with his first kill, if he wasn't in jail soon, he would just need to be more careful next time.

Leaning back in the chair, the tall male frowned, realizing what he'd just thought. He truly expected to do that again...he liked it. It had been the best feeling in the world...

He groaned, jerking to his feet. Maybe nothing would be found...no reason to worry right now. Aiden had said.there would be something hot. Sure enough, waiting in the prepared compartment was some soup, in a to go container. Aiden was awesome. He ate slowly, thinking.

"What have you got for me?"

Aiden approached a slim, pretty woman, watching her turn to face him as he ducked under the yellow tape.

"Detective Alodos, I'm glad you could make it," Claire Rosewater said, nodding to him. "It looks like a mugging gone bad. One victim, beaten to death with a piece of concrete." Aiden arched an eyebrow at her as she led him to the alley. "Some kids found the body and called it in."

"Gruesome," Aiden commented, as they knelt next to the body. Sure enough, the rock was close by- and covered in blood. "I'm guessing it's going to be hard to pull prints off that," he said, nodding to the rock.

"With that much blood? It's damn near impoible," Claire said, wrinkling her nose. "We also found a bloody green apron in a trashcan nearby. It's soaked in liquids from the trash, but there's definitely blood on it." Aiden paused, the frown on his face deepening.

Green apron...?

He realized that Avery hadn't been wearing his apron when he walked in.

"My roommate," he said suddenly. "He wears a green apron for work. He must have witnessed the crime, or at least been here immediately afterwards." Claire gave him an odd look.

"Aiden, if it's his... He could be a suspect."

"Avery wouldn't hurt a fly," Aiden said automatically. "I promise you, Claire, it couldn't have been him. And when he walked into the apartment, he was pale and shaken. He must have seen the victim and tried to help in some way, and it freaked him out enough that he wouldn't have called it in." He could see that now, actually, the scenario unfolding in his head. In the back of his mind, one thought buzzed along- Not Avery. Couldn't have been him.

"Just... check it out, will you," Claire finally said. "You know what to do, Aiden. If you say he's clean after you've questioned him, then I'll trust you." Aiden nodded, getting to his feet.

"We should get that to the coroner," he said, inclining his head towards the body. "I'll head in now and get the paperwork done for you."

"Thanks Aiden, I'll clean up here," she said, then waved him off. He smiled and turned, heading back for the office.

Not Avery. Couldn't have been him.

Avery finished up the food and cleaned up a bit. He tended to do most of the cleaning, since Aiden kept such hectic hours. Plus, it was something to keep his hands busy, while his mind rushed a mile a minute. So much he messed up...what if he was found out? He would need some kind of story...

If he stated he was the one who was robbed, then clearly he was the killer too. What if the man had already been there? That would be good. He was laying there, on Avery's normal route. He'd seen the body and rushed over, trying to help. If his fingerprint were on the rock or anywhere else, he could claim he'd had to move it off the man's crushed face. Then he'd gotten blood all over him, so he'd cleaned off with the faucet and threw the apron away. He was scared, and panicked.

That could hold up pretty well. He hadn't called the police for the same reason. He'd been scared of being accused of doing it, so he hadn't called it in. When he was gonna tell his roommate, Aiden had gotten a call and needed to go. There...

He grinned, leaning back on the couch he'd just fluffed. It would work nicely. A good boy with a steady job, who had no record couldn't murder anyone.

Aiden rubbed the bridge of his nose as he finally got to his office in the station, the door swinging shut behind him as he turned on the light. It was a small space- just enough room for him, his desk, a few chairs and a bookshelf, but that was really all he needed. He flopped into his chair, his fingers dancing across several panels as he typed in codes and whatnot to bring up various forms.

He paused in his work and glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call Avery now and get the questioning over with. After a moment, he shook his head and turned back to the panels. It would be better to talk to Avery about it face to face, so he could assure his friend that he didn't think he was guilty in any way. Besides, there was something nagging at him- something that was making him hold off on it.

What are you so worked up about? Avery couldn't have done it. It'll be fine.

It was still eating at him. With a sigh, he threw himself into the paperwork, his fingers dancing over the panels furiously as he immersed himself in his work. After the first few pages, however, he found himself becoming more and more distracted. It was just something he had to get out of his head, he finally decided, reaching for the phone and dialing Avery's cell number. He waited as it rang, a knot of apprehension curling in his stomach.

Avery jumped, his tiny ball beeping out a loud song. He lifted it, talking quickly, his heart thudding. "Caller Id?" He questioned.

"Aiden Alodos." Came the phones response.

Avery's heart thudded faster, and he took a deep breath. "A-answer." [I]He just wants to make sure you're OK...[I] Avery licked his lips as the phone clicked. "Hey, Aiden...when ya gonna be home tonight?" He finally managed to question. "And thanks, for that soup. I really needed it." Avery's long legs lifted him up, and he began pacing quickly.

"Hey Avery," Aiden said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll be back in about an hour or so, I'm just filling out paperwork." A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth at Avery's thanks. "No problem, you looked like you needed it." There was a pause; Aiden rocked uncomfortably in his chair, trying to figure out the right words to say.

"So, ah... Avery, I was wondering if you could tell me exactly what happened tonight," he finally said. "Not that you're in trouble or anything," he added quickly, which wasn't completely a lie. "I just... well, I want to know if your okay, and it would help me get some of my paperwork done." More not completely lying, which made Aiden uncomfortable. But he didn't know what else to say. Oh, my coworkers think you may be a suspect. I told them there was no way, but they wanted me to question you anyways. Nah, that was a bit too heavy handed...

Avery paused as well. God. Aiden knew. Aiden was on his case. Aiden was having to fill out paperwork on his case. His murder.

He licked his lip before finally answering. "I-it's about that...that guy in the alley isn't it? L-look, Aiden...you you don't really think I did it do you? I was so scared! The guy, he was just laying there and I saw him and ran over. He was so still, b-but I thought maybe he would be okay, so I tried to help, I moved that rock off of him."

He paused again, hoping he would buy it. "H-he wasn't moving though, so I stood up and was gonna call the cops, but I had his blood all over me. They were gonna think I did it! So I cleaned up and threw away my apron and on the way home called out of work. I-I was gonna tell you but then you had to go...please don't be mad Aiden! I...I really don't know what to do...I'm so scared..."

Aiden exhaled, leaning back in his chair as Avery rushed the story out to him. "Breath," he instructed his friend. "I believe you Avery, it's alright, okay? Just calm down, you aren't in trouble." He began typing across the panels, busying himself with work. "I've got some stuff to do, but just sit tight. I'll be back in a bit." After saying his goodbyes, he hung up, then called Claire.

"What have you got for me, Alodos?"

"I just spoke to my roommate," Aiden said, as he filled in paperwork. "He saw the body, but he arrived after the murder occured." There was a pause on the line, and then he heard Claire heave a sigh.

"Aiden," she began slowly. She reminded him vaguely of a mother trying to explain something to her child. "I know he's you're friend and all, but... Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Avery's a good guy," Aiden said, a tad defensively. "He freaked out and didn't know what to do, is all." There was another long, uncomfortable pause; Aiden shifted in his seat, pausing his work. "Claire, you said you trust me, right?"

"Yeah," she finally said, after another pause. "I trust you."

"Then trust me on this one. Avery's record is spotless. And I couldn't see any reason why he'd just go and smash some stranger's face in with a rock."

"Alright," she said with a soft sigh. "You're going to have to bring him down to give a formal account of what he saw, but I'll clear his name off the list for now. I'm going to let you go, I'm talking to our forensics guys about getting an identity."

"Alright, you have fun with that," Aiden said easily. "I'll bring Avery in later. Bye."

"Later, Alodos."

He hung up, then leaned back in his chair, staring at the multiple screens before him. He had the nagging feeling that something wasn't right here, but he just couldn't figure out what...... He shrugged, then cracked his knuckles before going back to work.

"T...thank you Aiden..." Avery pressed his thumb over the tiny sensor, and the phone shut off. He set it down next to him with a huff. He hated lying to Aiden. Utterly hated it. But Avery didn't want to go to jail.

He settled back in the couch, his thoughts wandering. In all honestly, he was looking forward to the next one. He didn't want to kill anyone who was a good person. What if he was killing for a good reason? He could kill those who did bad things. His brain churning, he pictured face after face of the people he knew. That would be so suspicious though. It would need to be a stranger.

Still thinking, and excitement still bubbling in his stomach, Avery fell asleep, his soft snores filling up the apartment.

Aiden, after an exhausting night, headed back to his apartment. His boss had seen him working away on paperwork, examining updates as he got them, and had promtply sent him home, giving him the next shift off. He suspected that Claire had probably made a call in- the chief was willing to listen to what his daughter had to say, after all- but at the moment, he didn't care. All he wanted was to get home and sleep.

The drive home went by in a blur, and before he knew it he was silently entering his apartment, taking off his shoes so he could sneak in without waking Avery. He could hear him snoring, although his eyes couldn't quite pick him out from the darkness of the apartment. The lights snapped off after a certain time of night, and the fact that they had not been turned back on told Aiden that Avery had been asleep for a while.

He sighed and went to the kitchen, typing in the codes to get himself a cup of soup so he could eat before he crashed.

Though he slept through Aiden slipping in the door, the soft beeps from the kitchen control panel woke Avery. Not wanting to face his roommate after what happened, Avery knew he'd have to eventually. He slipped from the couch, and stepped in the kitchen.

He folded his arms over his chest, leaning a shoulder on the doorframe, his eyes on the kitchen floor. "Hey Aiden..."He began softly. "You...have an alright afternoon..?"

Aiden looked up, startled, as Avery spoke, then managed a weak smile. "Ah, Hey Avery." He shrugged, feeling the tension in his shoulders as he did so. "It was alright. A lot of paperwork." He turned to face him as his soup heated up, studying his features. He was looking down, like he didn't want to look at him. Aiden sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair.

"Avery, are you okay," Aiden asked, his voice soft. He knew better then to ask if his afternoon had been alright- it was written all over his face that it hadn't been.

Avery paused, glancing at Aiden. "I...I'll be okay. I'm sorry...for not telling you earlier..." He continued softly. "With knowing me and stuff?" Avery shifted nervously, glancing back down again.

"Is...is anyone else going to be coming to ask me questions about it?" Avery's blue eyes widened a bit, and he peered at Aiden. He had lied to his friend, but some other cop might not be so willing to believe him. "I...I had to tell you everything already...it...it was frightening Aiden...I don't wanna have to see it all again..."

"Don't sweat it, Avery. It's not your fault." Aiden sucked in his lip, thinking. For a second, he was tempted to lie- but that wasn't what Aiden did, and Avery deserved to know what he had to deal with.

"I will have to bring you in again, just so you can give an account of what you saw," Aiden said, feeling a little guilty as he said the words. "But I'm pretty sure Claire will be doing the questioning, and she's not as scary as she looks."He leaned against the counter, reaching for his soup as it popped up. "And I'll be in the room as well. You don't have to worry about anything."

Avery nodded slowly. For a split second, guilt had clenched his stomach. Aiden hadn't said he hadn't gotten in any kind of trouble or questioning, just not to worry about it. The guilt was gone then, though Avery's concern for his friend remained.

"Aiden...why did you become a cop? Did you ever think about quitting? Becoming something else? Something....safer?"He began, stepping forward. He slumped down in his chair. They had been roommates for a while, and friends longer, bit he had never actually asked why Aiden did what he did. Plus, maybe he could get Aiden to switch careers...it would save a lot of tension at home. especially when more bodies began showing up. "Clair?" Avery continued, musing aloud. He knew that was Aiden's partne4, but didn't know too much about her. "I don't remember...have I met her?"

Aiden sipped at his soup carefully, contemplating Avery's question. "I think I did it because of Alessa," he finally said. He focused on keeping his expression neutral, although his stomach clenched at the thought of his older sister. She had been murdered when Aiden was young- seven, or eight, and she'd been fourteen- but after her death Aiden had become determined to stop other people from having to hurt like that. "Not because of her, but for her," he amended after a moment of silence. He absently scratched at his chin, where stuble was beginning to grow- he needed to shave later. "I don't think I can see myself doing anything else," he confessed.

"I don't think you've ever met Claire," Aiden said with a shrug as the subject changed. "She isn't one for making social calls. Or having any kind of social life. You know, I'm not sure she knows what fun is," he mused playfully. He grinned at himself, shaking his head. "She's a stunner though, Avery. You might like her." He threw in a wink with that. He often teased Avery about girls- it was just harmless teasing, of course- but he would never seriously set Avery on Claire. The woman was a ball-buster when she wanted to be and kind of scared Aiden sometimes.

Avery shifted uncomfortably, reaching out and patting Aiden's hand. He felt another tangle of guilt tickle him. He had brought this up, and thus caused the pain that crossed his roommate's features, though Aiden tried to cover his hurt up. He leaned over, gently patting his friend's hand. Despite being socially challenged, Avery felt strongly for his friend, and wanted to comfort him.

As Aiden continued, Avery listened quietly. "Fun?" Avery chuckled, attempting a joke, "She sounds like me." As Aiden continued, Avery shifted his gaze away, hiding his reddening cheeks. He had dated a bit in high-school, and had a fling with a boy a few years ago, but hadn't dated for quite a while. Though he knew Aiden was teasing him again, a burst of confidence made him speak again. "Maybe..."He he offered another joke. "I guess ill have to wait until she's done interogating me for information before asking her out?"

Aiden chuckled, shaking his head at Avery's willingness to go along. "I'm sure you know more about fun then she does," he said, throwing in a dramatic sigh. "But hey, you're cute, you might have a chance. If you can succeed in getting her to go out, then by all means go for it," Aiden added. "I'll be there to hold her back so you can run if it doesn't go over well." He couldn't help but laugh as he imagined it- Poor Avery running as he held back Claire, the investigation table knocked over and papers flying.

"Anyways, I have the day off today, so you wanna go do something? I hate getting cooped up when I have free time," Aiden said, tossing his soup cup away. Sure, he hadn't really slept much in the past 24 hours (He'd dosed off at his desk, to be certain), but his energy was up again, thanks to the soup and the company of his friend.