Loris wasn’t worried when Maddie walked out of her room in a tight black dress and fishnet stockings, or when she slid the lacy domino mask over her freckled face, earpiece meticulously hidden behind a lock of thick dark hair from the wig Vi procured. Her identity was safe behind her disguise, he was sure of it. His own getup was nothing eye-catching like hers, so their target would never pay him any mind unless he needed to intervene-

“She’s more than capable of handling this,” the commander had told him, “I understand your concerns, but she’s not a child. Let her work.”

He didn’t think he had any concerns. Sure, he found the bouncer’s gaze lingering over Maddie’s body as she walked into the club highly irritating, and he couldn’t help but watch the bartender’s every move when she ordered a drink, but he hung back a few paces just as he was instructed. She performed her role perfectly, attracting the suspect’s attention with the sway of her hips like a moth to a flame, and before Loris knew it, she was pulled into the woman’s lap. Even with a feathery half mask over her face, he recognized her; Revitika Cromwell, one of Zaun’s most notorious gang leaders. He ground his teeth over the rim of his bottle as her nails dug possessively into Maddie’s thigh. She bruised easily, and the thought of such a detestable cretin leaving ugly marks on a woman nearly half her own age made his blood boil. The whole scene looked so wrong to him, he might as well have been watching someone’s little sister set fire to an animal shelter. 

“Stop glaring at them,” Caitlyn’s voice hissed through his earpiece, “I can see everything, and she’s fine. If there’s a problem, I’ll advise you to get her out of there, but right now, we need to let her do her job.”

Schooling his expression, Loris leaned against an interior column and nursed his drink. He nearly choked on it when Maddie was pulled in for a kiss, before he circled around the other side of the bar to shake off any suspicion. The place was too dark to see the floor beneath his feet, but he managed to relocate her at the same booth, the dim lights above reflecting off her skin as she relaxed deeper in her seat. Her arm slowly slid off the side of the table to hang limply against her side, and her head tilted to rest on the suspect’s shoulder. Her glass was nearly empty in front of her, he could have sworn it was at least half-full just a minute prior.

“Something’s wrong,” he whispered.

“Officer Wolfsbane, don’t-”

“I think she messed with Maddie’s drink.”

“I have it under control, don’t you dare compromise this investigation!” 

“She’s falling asleep, there’s no way she’s alright-”

“Here’s what’s going to happen. Revitika will take Junior Officer Nolen out the back door to her car. You’re going to stop her right before she drives off, understood? We need it documented that she intended to take Officer Nolen to a secondary location along with clear footage of her tampering with the drink.”

He stopped in his tracks as Maddie was coaxed out of her chair, “Are you seriously telling me that you watched this piece of dog shit spike Maddie’s drink and said nothing?” 

“My purpose tonight was to obtain undeniable evidence of a crime, and I did. Now it’s your turn to fulfill your purpose and follow them before she drives off.” 

With a curse under his breath, he maneuvered around the horde of club goers that drifted around the room until he caught sight of his friend being half-dragged across the parking lot, whatever substance in her system gradually incapacitating her enough to stop her from resisting while Revitika slung her over her shoulder. He ripped out his earpiece, already well aware of the scolding his commander would give him as he pulled his friend free with his left hand and lifted the suspect by her throat with his right. He wasn’t just angry. He wasn’t just disgusted. He wasn't just impatient. He was worried.

-- *wrench emoji*