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Nestled within the heart of Fawcett City, a vibrant and bustling town teeming with lively energy, the local residents exuded a warmth and hospitality that created an unmistakable sense of camaraderie, forming the very fabric of a tight-knit community. The streets echoed with laughter, and the air buzzed with the amiable chatter of friendly folks who made every corner of Fawcett City feel like a welcoming haven. However, Lucia Valenti and Billy Batson didn't quite fit into that friendly crowd.
Hearing the piercing ring of a pawn shop alarm harmonizing with the wail of the white and blue police car's siren, the two teens found themselves wide-eyed. The younger teen flashed a confident smile and approached the patrol vehicle, addressing the emerging officers.
"Holy moly! The boys in blue!" Billy exclaimed, the male and female officers stepping out and circling the car, "We're sure glad to see you..."
"We called as soon as we saw it happen—" Lucia, appearing more dishevelled than Billy, interjected from behind him as Billy's arm gestured toward the shop, "They're in there." The teens moved in ideal unison, their actions eerily synchronized.
"You stay here." the man commanded, guiding him and his partner into the store, Lucia and Billy following with a confident sway in their steps. "Police!" The officer announced but received no response.
"I saw 'em hide back in there," Billy informed, gesturing towards the backroom. The two officers exchanged glances before obliging to Billy and Lucia's direction.
Leading the way, the female officer approached the door, her hand hovering on her gun, "Police, coming in!" She declared, reaching for the handle, "Police!". Upon opening the door, she scanned the room, unaware of the clinking sounds Lucia made while starting to lower the metal roller shutter.
"You really bought that, huh?" Billy remarked flatly, slamming the door shut.
"Hey, no, no, no! Hey!"
Lucia jumped, firmly gripping the shutter. With a mischievous smirk, she forcefully pulled it down while still landing from her jump.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Billy leapt back as the metal shutter swiftly descended. It hit the ground with a resonant clunk, and in a swift motion, Billy lunged forward, delivering a swift kick to secure the lock.
"Open this up right now, kid!" Billy playfully waved at the officer, who was banging against the glass door.
"Billy, hurry up!" Lucia hissed urgently, prompting the boy to swiftly join her. Billy darted away from the door without a second thought.
"That's a federal offense, kid. You can't do that!" The man's stern warning fell on deaf ears as the duo disregarded him, making a beeline for their car. "Do not get in that car." Once again, they brushed off the officer, defiantly entering the vehicle with Lucia taking the driver's seat and Billy settling into the passenger side.
Leaning in, Lucia fixed her gaze on the laptop screen and then turned her attention to Billy, deftly retrieving a pen and book from his green backpack. "Numberplate?" She quipped hastily.
"C-7-8-A-X-2-9"
Lucia keyed in the digits, a triumphant grin lighting up her face, prompting a cheerful laugh from Billy. She navigated to the search bar and entered the last name 'BATSON.' The results flooded in a sea of people with the same surname. Lucia scanned the names, her focus unwavering even as the officers continued their desperate pleas in the background.
"Very good, very funny. Very funny. That's great. That's hilarious." The male officer, adopting a sarcastic tone, interjected.
"Hope?" Lucia asked.
"Yep," Billy confirmed with a nod.
"Cora?"
"uh... Yes." Billy clicked his tongue.
"Amy?"
"Mhm." Billy hummed.
"Rachel?"
Billy's eyes sparked while leaning over to see the screen, "We don't have a Rachel yet," Lucia clicked on Rachel's information, scrolling until she unearthed the address and read it out.
"Twenty-one... Hoffman Street—" Billy acknowledged the older teen with a nod, and the two swiftly made their exit from the car.
"Uh, Dispatch, we need backup at the Laurelwood shopping centre, please." The officer's voice crackled over the radio attached to his vest as Lucia prepared to leave. However, she halted when she noticed Billy reclining back into the vehicle.
"Billy, let's move!—" She gestured urgently, bending down into the car.
"Dispatch, cancel that request." Billy imitated the officer, "Some kid stole our walkie-talkies."
Lucia facepalmed, straightening up just in time to catch the dispatcher's incredulous response, "Walkie-talkies? How old are you?'
Billy took a sharp inhale at the failed imitation and began to step out of the car, but his attention shifted abruptly to a steaming meal on the dashboard.
"No, no, no—" The officer inside pleaded, but Billy snatched the meal, "That's my lunch, kid!"
"Quick! Run!" Billy bolted with the pilfered lunch, swinging his bag onto his back. Lucia guided him down an alley, retrieving her backpack hidden behind the pawnshop's building before they sprinted away.
"I can't believe you nicked his lunch!" Lucia chuckled, securing her bag straps and extending her fist toward Billy, "Nice one!" Their fists connected before they broke off, the distant wail of sirens prompting them to quicken their pace.
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Dropping a fry into her mouth, Lucia dusted her salty fingers against her torn jeans. She gazed into the bag to see nothing left of the meatball sandwich the two split and only a few fries remaining. She lifted the damp box due to the bag's condensation, plucking one for herself before focusing on Billy.
"You want a chip?— Hey, what's wrong?" Lucia immediately asked, noticing Billy's mood diminish the moment they settled down near the house that could potentially harbour the boy's long-lost mother whom he lost at a fair. Each house they visited triggered an unsettling feeling within Billy, and this time proved no different, as the search for his mom remained elusive and disheartening.
Securing the fries within the warm bag, Lucia rose to her feet, her eyes held a glint of optimism. "Billy, I've got a good feeling about this one." She extended her hand to him, "I'm sure that—"
"She's the one. If not this time, then the next." Billy interrupted, gripping Lucia's hand as he stood, "You say that every time, you know..."
"And I mean it, you know." Lucia teased, draping an arm around Billy's shoulder, observing his fingers playing with a compass that his mom had given him before losing her.
"What do I even say..." Billy sighed, his gaze fixated on the front door across the snow-covered yard.
Lucia, eyeing the nativity statues sitting in the snow, snickered, "Just say that you're glad to be home, as God promised us all..." Her lighthearted comment earned her a waggish elbow to the side, "Just say what you always do, Billy." Her hand moved soothingly up and down his arm.
Billy looked at Lucia, his tone softening, "But... Luci, what about you?" His genuine question prompted a sigh from Lucia, who looked down at the boy under her arm.
"Billy we've been over this. My mom got killed by a guy my abusive dad had cheated out of money, cops took me away when I was three, Billy... I—" Lucia swallowed painfully, the words were bitter to taste yet they seemed to flow like a second language to the seventeen-year-old.
Billy veered nervously, "Yeah, but... next year, you turn eighteen. You'll be out of the system. Luci, you'd be homeless and—"
"Billy!—" Lucia interjected, not needing the harsh reminder, turning Billy to face her, "I'm going to be fine. I'll make things work, and if this lady, you know... isn't your mom," Lucia said lowly, "Well then, I'll make sure to have a cozy place for you to stay while we keep looking for your her, yeah?"
Billy didn't respond, just stared at the older girl. Suddenly, his vision was darkened by his grey beanie folding over his eyes, he lost his balance and used the white picket fence for support. "Hey!" Billy pulled the beanie off his face, looking at Lucia now leaning beside him on the fence.
"Go and find your mom, Bilbo," Lucia encouraged, winking at the kid. He dismissively shook his head, a smile turning into a nervous scowl as he crossed the yard and approached the white door adorned with Christmas decorations on the porch.
Lucia observed as his hand trembled slightly while reaching for the doorbell. Despite a momentary pause, he summoned the courage to press it. Swiftly, he adjusted the collar of his brown jacket, layered atop a vibrant red one, and then straightened his beanie. Every gesture displayed his certain nervousness, and with each anxious turn on his heel, his eyes sought comfort in Lucia's reassuring smile. Yet, just as a sense of peace settled upon him, a sudden voice jolted him forward.
Lucia, unable to catch much of the conversation, sat in anticipation, a familiar routine. Her frostbitten hands sought warmth within the pockets of her zipped-up jumper, nestled beneath the layer of her denim jacket. Fingers tightly crossed, she hoped fervently for Billy's reunion with his mom. Unfortunately, the door swung open, revealing a darker-skinned woman who was clearly not Billy's mother.
Billy's shoulders slumped, a saddened look across his face. Turning over he caught the sight of the police car from earlier pulling up, quietly snickering at the fact Lucia was flipping them off since they nicked the curb and sprayed snow over her.
The car's loudspeaker crackled to life, "Just had to take my lunch, huh?" The male officer stated, the two slinking toward the car, "You save me any fries?" He quipped, gazing at Lucia throwing her backpack into the back before the officer was hit in the face with the empty 'Genos Steak' bag while she entered.
"Oh, sorry. I ate them all..." Lucia batted her lashes, then shifted to a distant expression, now waiting for Billy's arrival into the car.
The officer sighed, glancing out the window as Billy maneuvered past the fence, lifting the radio to his mouth once more. "Come on, kid. No time for sulking—"
"Shut up, douchebag!" Lucia snapped, the two officers exchanging glares through the metal grate between the front and back.
"Hey!" The female officer in the passenger seat interjected sharply, shooting a disapproving glance at Lucia.
"He's going through shit..." Lucia trailed off, eyeing Billy sliding into the seat beside her. The girl leaned back, nonchalantly scratching the corner of her eye with her middle finger before sniffing and lowering her hand.
Lucia shifted her gaze to the passing outside world as the police car cruised down the road. Her eyes landed on Billy, and she sent him a comforting yet playful wink before redirecting her attention to the officers in the front.
"So... come here often?"
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