Siren Song

Chapter 1

The door swished aside, announcing his arrival.

Gunmax swaggered in with his usual self-assured strut, stopping in the middle of the room and glancing around. The day had been lethargic and slow for its duration, following an evening of excitement and celebration after solving another case. Deckerd may not have celebrated himself, but that did not excuse him from writing his report to Yuuta, the boy in question drowning in his own special hell, paperwork.

The teal mech stood there for a few seconds, expectant, before huffing and turning his attention to his favourite victim: Deckerd himself.

"Well?" He asked.

"No crushing embraces today? Did someone die?"

Power Joe lifted his helm from the desk, dimmed optics narrowing threateningly.

"Do you ever shut up?" He glowered.

The two mechs had a feud blazing between them; it had started before Gunmax had even been officially incorporated into the Brave Police. Deckerd had put down many an argument between them, and he was sure the entire precinct could hear it when he failed.

Gunmax pursed his lips, glaring at the offending mech. For a treacherous second, Deckerd feared he'd have to crush another shouting match. However, the visored mech relented, spinning on his heels and making for the door. "Fine," he spat. "Have it your way."

And just as dramatically as he had entered, he left again, the door punctuating the end of his sentence.

Deckerd sighed quietly, a tired concoction of resignation, relief and frustration.

"You don't have to be so rude. He was joking, you know." The Kung Fu detective struck his leader with an unimpressed stare, but Deckerd didn't back down, returning the deadpan gaze.

Beratement was on the tip of his tongue, and his lips parted decidedly, but he was interrupted from beginning his scolding by the main screen of the office crackling to life.

"Brave police, your presence is requested at Hiroshima bay. A man named Shukka Hejimemashou is terrorising the harbour, destroying shipping containers and oil tankers in an unidentified mech. Human casualty is minimal so far, but it is unsure if he will not move on to destroying houses and office buildings next." Saejimo appeared before them, face stoic, live video feeds cropping up around him.

Yuuta stood up, slamming his fist determinedly onto his desk, the coffee cup placed on it rattling and spilling over the side of the table onto the floor beneath.

He seemed to pay no mind.

"Well it's decided then. Brave police, to Hiroshima!" His rallying cry worked, and the present mechs stood up, saluting. The air was filled with a chorus of 'Yes sir!', and the room cleared out.

-

Deckerd frowned. Something was missing.

The brave police raced along the highway, sirens blaring. Hiroshima remained only kilometres away, and the city's skyline was beginning to peak out above the mountains. To his left and right, the build team and Duke drove on at their highest gear. Above him, Shadowmaru and Drill Boy flew alongside each other.

His frown deepened. someone­ was missing.

Gunmax!

Deckerd swerved into the opposite lane of traffic, skidded, then stopped. Cars veered around him, honking furiously.

"Deckerd!" Yuuta exclaimed, fearful. "Deckerd, what is it?!"

Regaining his composure and weaving through oncoming traffic back into the correct lanes, he replied.