<span style="font-weight: bold">LA Park</span><br/><br/>Athena inhaled deeply, before hoisting up Declan’s legs. Combined with Olive lifting him up under the arms, Declan was now being carried. Albeit slowly as the girls struggled somewhat. He was tall and quite muscular. Definitely heavier than someone who would've been fat and his height.<br/><br/>The girls took deep breaths as they walked along the gravel path through the Parkside. The sky getting lighter as dawn was arriving. The fresh light, however, only made it more obvious how injured Declan looked. Those scratches were inhumane. Dried up crimson with diffused shades of purple and blue from the scars.<br/><br/>‘Poor Declan.’ Athena winced as she spoke within her own mind ‘This shouldn’t have happened to you… I shouldn’t have wandered off…’<br/><br/>It really had been a strange night for Athena. She blew a couple of hair strands off her face with exasperation as she looked towards the skies.<br/><br/>First, she decided to talk to a man standing outside the record store. She had no justification for it. He just somehow seemed out of place. At this point, she was willing to look for any lead to help her solve at least one of the many cases she had pending back at the office.<br/><br/>However, getting anything out of the man she spoke to was like trying to suck blood out of a stone. No results. Nonetheless, she still had his fingerprints on the cigarette he gave her. So she wouldn’t rule him out yet from anything.<br/><br/>She then heard a high pitched scream. Coming from the end of the peer within the Docklands area. She had headed towards the end of the peer and found a wounded man. Drunk, incoherent, and unable to get up- no matter how hard she tried. She had uncovered a wound which had a double cross on it. Having taken a snapshot, she decided to run for help. So much fear pulsing through her body. Constantly feeling like something was watching her. Or following her.<br/><br/>That was when she ran to the florist. A store she was pretty sure Declan had run to when he asked her to wait for him. Having knocked frantically upon the door, it was answered by Olive. A half human and half panda girl who was still in her pyjamas.<br/>Olive helped calm her down and mentioned that Declan had already been at the store but heard a scream and headed off to try and find her. Olive had offered her services to help find him. Insisting that Pandas had a good sense of smell?<br/><br/>That was news to Athena alright…<br/><br/>In any case, they had headed towards the docklands. Athena noted blood on the peer going across the peer. Naturally, Athena’s instinct was to follow it.<br/><br/>Yet Olive requested they turned around and she sensed that Declan was in the opposite direction.<br/><br/>And there they had it… having followed the spilt blood up until through the park, that was when a wounded Declan O’leary emerged from the brush. Ashen and unsteady looking, he uttered Athena’s name and ‘Flower girl’ before capsizing to the ground in a heap.<br/><br/>There were so many things puzzling Athena about this picture. The most disturbing being who that blood trail belonged to on the bridge and whether that wounded man on the peer was still alive.<br/><br/>What was playing more on her mind right now, however, was Olive’s abilities to find Declan. Furthermore, she offered to help Declan through herbal remedies.<br/><br/>In any other situation, Athena would’ve protested and insisted that by rules and regulations, all injured parties should be admitted to a hospital. Maybe to that hospital next to the medical corporate building. The one with that famous surgeon there… what was his name?<br/><br/>However, she was just so dazed and overwhelmed that all she could do is hold Olive’s hand and trust her. Given Declan’s current situation as well, she didn’t think at this rate they could get him to the hospital at time.<br/><br/>Athena also knew she’d run into a lot of interrogation if she were to call for help from either a fellow police officer or the ambulance. She’d be asked about everything that had happened tonight. Including why she hadn’t managed to help the injured drunk at the end of the peer and why her hands were so stained.<br/><br/>There was so much red tape in society. It was suffocating. Here she was, trying to do the right thing by solving these dark mysteries and helping her colleague. Yet with the way everything turned out, anyone she spoke to in the force could whistle blow for every small thing she had done wrong.<br/><br/>Who would believe her if she were to say she felt like she was being pried on which caused her to run away with fear?<br/>To another authoritarian, she would sound like she had been severely neglecting her duties.<br/><br/>A couple of fingers started clicking in front of Athena’s face. Causing the female fox to shake her head and blink rapidly.<br/><br/>“Athena… wake up!” Olive snapped.<br/><br/>The sky was light by now. She could hear the seagulls over the port, as well as some of the very early morning cars taking off to go to work.<br/><br/>As for what was directly in front of her, Athena was now looking through the florist shop. All colours the colours from the flowers and bloom giving off a warm and inviting vibe.<br/><br/>“I’ve already unlocked the door, now, just help me carry him inside,” the half panda half human instructed.<br/>Athena simply nodded again. Feeling a bit spaced out from the events over the last few hours, the consequences and the sleep deprivation in general.<br/><br/>The girls carried Declan through the sunlit florist room. Up the wooden stairs and into a spare room. Athena groaned throughout the whole trek. She was really beginning to feel the strain in her neck and shoulders now.<br/>With one last mighty effort, they lifted up Declan and placed him upon a well made bed. Classic look, with a touch of flora patterns faded within the friendly coloured hues of the quilts. The window looked out over the docklands. The radiant sun could be seen giving off dazzling light from the waters.<br/><br/>Athena appreciated the view. If not from a bitter sweet point of view. She closed her tired eyes for a good few seconds, before pressing her back against the wall. Letting herself collapse controllably. Back still against the wall as she exhaled with her forehead supported by her hands.<br/><br/>“Can I get you anything…?” Olive asked. She really didn’t want to look after one casualty and give counsel to another who wasn’t handling the situation as headstrong as she would’ve liked.<br/><br/>“No… I’m fine…” Athena answered, head still buried in her hands.<br/>Olive sighed, about to head out through the door go retrieve the remedies that Declan needed, but then stopped between the room and the hallway.<br/><br/>“You were very quiet throughout the whole journey,” Olive remarked, turning over her shoulder to look at Athena. The female fennec looked up at the half panda. Eyes peering over her crossed shoulders supported by her knees.<br/><br/>“You do trust me. To help Declan… right?” Olive reiterated the question she had posed earlier.<br/><br/>“…yeah… I do,” Athena replied, frowning somewhat “I just have to ask… what do you think it was that attacked him? Those scars… they don’t look human…” she trailed off, looking at Olive and focusing on the forthcoming response.<br/><br/>Athena nearly reached out to show Olive her phone with the snapshot of the scar she had taken a photo of from the fatally wounded man on the peer. Then she decided against it. One step at a time, she needed to decide whether the issues on her mind were worth discussing.<br/>_________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">City streets </span><br/><br/>Maya, a young female anthormorphic  dog of moderate height, was walking upon the sunlit pavement. She was donning her school uniform which consisted of an azure blue skirt, a white shirt and an orange tie. Some might say the choice of uniform colour and design was a bit too creative. Suited her fine, however.<br/><br/>Her temperament was calm, collected and composed. Also very young at heart and outgoing. She was always perceived as a trendy person to be around but she was also genuine. If not assertive and sarcastic at times.<br/><br/>Today, she thought she’d walk over to Aaron’s house. After all, their group project was due. For today!<br/><br/>She arrived outside his apartment door and began to knock. After a few seconds, Aaron’s mother arrived to answer it.<br/><br/>“Hi Aaron’s mum!” Maya closed her eyes whilst waving a hand with a cheery smile “I was wondering… is Aaraon awake yet?”