"I am sorry bu-"
Issac stood in front of the man and woman blowing the blue smoke to their faces as he walked behind them and closed the door gently.
The two coughed, waving the smoke away from their faces with the papers they held in their hands.
"What are you doi-" Soren asked as Issac walked to the table and sat on it, staring at the two as he removed his eye patch.
"Shhhh," Issac said, looking around the room as the sound of a small bell filled the room. "One word and this can turn sour. Understand?"
Soren nodded vigorously, making a motion of zipping his mouth close and throwing the zipper away.
"What are you doing, Mr Zaid?" The woman asked, fuming as she walked to him.
"Sorry, I have a problem with smoking. Friends have told me that I need to quit it." Issac shrugged, looking at them calmly as he crossed his legs, still on the table.
"Please refrain from smoking in the interrogation room." The man said as they walked to him.
"I will remember that." Issac nodded while the two stopped in front of him, seemingly forgetting that Soren even was in the room. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"You both are allowed to leave now, but ... you cannot travel anywhere for the time being. Do you understand that?" The woman asked, eyes getting heavy-lidded.
"Are we the number one suspects?" Issac asked, voice turning unsettlingly soft. "Is that why you are more cautious with us two?"
"Y-yes." The man said, sighing wistfully. "We have finally gotten some kind of lead and, even though it is just to a dead end, it is something at least. Right?"
The woman also started smiling as Issac pulled out chairs for the two to sit on.
"Yes." She said brightly, sending shivers up Soren's spine. "I can't wait until we apprehend the culprit."
"You seem very confident," Issac said, thin blue wisps of smoke coming out of his lips still. "Well, it is you two, so I am not worried."
"Right?" The woman said as they took the chairs in front of Issac. "I don't know how much longer this case is going to drag on but progress is progress."
"And who is it thanks to?" Issac asked, looking at the two as they both turned to each other.
"Me." They said at the same time, while Issac rested a finger on his mouth, amusement written all over his face.
"I see. The joint teamwork is very strong between you two." He said brightly, making Soren grab onto the wall for support while trying not to fall over from the cringe.
"Yeah." The man said, nodding happily, a blank stare on his face.
They look high. Soren thought, staring at the two. Is it the smoke?
He stared at Issac's eye, a little bell sound every time he moved slightly to the side.
No. If it was the smoke, I would have been affected as well. He looked back at the two, looking at Issac dreamily. What is he even doing??
___________
"Don't you think I and Soren have been framed?" He asked suddenly, appearing to be in deep thought.
"What do you mean?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Nothing much," Issac said nonchalantly. "But just that, it all seems oddly suspicious that the only thing you found on some of them is something that is related to us?"
"What are you getting at here?" The man asked as the woman began to think.
"Nothing much, just that everything feels too convenient. Maybe there is something the culprit has against us." Issac shrugged. "But then what do I know about all this police work."
The two turned to each other, frowning as the gears on their heads began to turn.
"Do you happen to have any enemies?" The man asked, turning back to Issac.
"Enemies?" Issac asked, taking out a packet of cigarette and smoking another one again. "I might have some. But then, my relation to Haiti Tuffin has caused me some problems in the past … Are you two ok?"
"You know Haiti Tuffin?" The woman asked, standing to her feet instantly. "How do you know her? In what ways are you two related?"
"Well … it is somewhat of a long story. I don't know if I should tell you two either. She told me not to tell anyone." Issac said, taking another puff of his cigarette.
"You can tell us, this will be a great help to the investigation." The man said, excitement dancing in his eyes.
"I don't know. I am supposed to meet her for a trip later on." Issac paused, lips pursed as he looked at them sheepishly. "I was not supposed to tell you that."
"Give us a second." The woman grabbed the man and pulled him out of the room as quickly as she could, Issac staring after them, smoke continuing to fill the room.
"What was that about?" Soren asked walking to Issac, trying to wave the smoke away. "I did not see any changes."
"What do you know about Haiti?" Issac asked, looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"That I met her last night?" Soren shrugged, grinning when Issac when back to his monotone expression. "Why don't you tell me then?"
"She is … well know." Was all Issac divulged. "Araya messaged me. Our flight is tomorrow … morning."
"For?"
"The boy."
"Time?"
"2 a.m."
Soren whistled, "I have to be up at 2??"
"No, one. So that we can make it to the airport on time." He frowned slightly, handing his phone to Soren. "Contact Haiti and tell her what we know about the boy. Tell her that we are booking a flight for her to join us too."
"Ok," Soren said, going back to his spot in the room, pausing just before he went back there, turning to Issac. "By the way, how did you make them forget about me even being here?"
"I didn't," Issac said, cigarette hanging from his mouth lazily as the door opened once again and the two walked in, ignoring Soren once again.
"We are trustworthy. So tell us about this … trip."
_____________
"Freedom!" Soren shouted as the two stepped out of the police station, stretching while people that passed them stared and avoided them, quickening their pace.
Issac stared at his friend, hands in his pocket while thoughts swirled in his head.
How did they not notice that Soren was in the room with me? And … what was the blue smoke that came out of my mouth when I amplified the effects of the orb?
He stared at the pavement ground, frowning.
My body is undergoing another change I think. Scratching the stubble growing on his chin. I need to shave before we leave.
Without warning the ground began to shake and, almost throwing the two off their feet as Issac absented mindedly grabbed onto Soren.
A faint wave passed them, making him pause. Their surroundings disappearing around them, a wave of clouded wind passing the two and obscuring their vision.
Another wave? Issac thought, still grabbing onto Soren's arm as his own began to shake. But they were always subtle. Why is this one ... never mind that. I need to get ready to run once the dust settles.
Once the fog around him began to disperse, Issac was about to take off down an opening down an empty alleyway when a hand grabbed onto his arm, stopping him on his tracks.
"Issac?" A familiar voice coughed out as the man turned to see Soren trying to wave the fog away.
"Soren?" Issac asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean by that?" Soren asked, slightly annoyed. "I did not take off or anything, even if I did, I would have taken you."
"No, I mean … this is the Wave isn't it?" Issac asked, genuinely confused. "Wasn't that … just the wave?"
"What are you talking about, Issac? Come on." He began to walk in one direction. "We need to see if any of the people are injured."
Issac stared at his friend walking into a cloud of fog calling for anyone in the vicinity to respond.
What is happening here? Wait. Issac pulled out his phone and opened to the news as quickly as he could, relief washing over him once he saw the 'Breaking News'.
*A sudden wave of smog washed over the city of Brokli. We are still trying to find the cause of this but it just might be from the increase in air pollution from the increasing number of factories in this city."
It was just a natural thing. He thought, relaxing almost instantly. I don't have to worry about Soren now. Oh yeah. Where did that man go now?
A loud scream of pain pulled him out of his thoughts. It did not help that this scream was very familiar.
What did he get himself into now?
Issac ran towards the direction of the scream, through the thick wall of fog that seemed like it was dispersing before but only grew thicker.
He paused in front of his friend laying on the ground, a nasty wound on the back of his head as footsteps could be heard scurrying away.