#And I did already have a vague version of Goldfinch and friend in my head

[writerbits]

Goldfinch - Short Story 01

giving myself a lil challenge were I have a week to write a short story and then i post whatever is finished. Here's the first one it got an in depth outline.

Bluebird interupts Goldfinch in the middle of generic superhero stuff to let him know the director wants to speak with them.

One of Gold's teamates assures him that it can't be for anything bad because Gold has never done anything wrong ever and all the leaders love him.

Goldfinch goes trying to figure out why they've been called in. The department of Equity lays down strict rules with no wiggle room and he is an expert at staying in the lines once he finds them.

"We have reason to believe a powered felon is taking refuge in this city." Gold is confused because breakouts are usually included in gheir daily patrol updates and they're too far from any super prisons for this to be recent.

The felon is a hero whose ran away, their name is Zephyr and Gold is being asked to bring them back to justice.

"It's my honor to defend Equity." He tells the director.

Gold stares at the picture on the folder she gives her.

Gold meets with the teams hacker who thinks this turncoat must be insane because the DE is gonna wipe him from existence.

There are instructions on what they are supposed to do to recover a traitor. Gold isn't on shift so he needs to wait for the current patrol to return. Zephyr scored high enough in hacking that they have to check their mainframes.  Gold notes the dour look in Caleb(Zephyr's) id photo.

The team start speculating on zeph's reasoning and Gold reminds them that it doesn't matter and they'll get in trouble for talking about it.

The computer is clear, but Gold suggest the wipe it so no one can get in. The team doesn't think Zephyr has good enough hacking skills for that to be a problem but gold insists better safe than sorry. He also wants to hide the physical backups because Zephyr trained here and has the door codes. Gold is the only member of the team who trained here and they ask if gold knew him. Gold explains that his room was down the hall.

Midnight returns from patrol and Gold heads out.

People wave when Goldfinch flies overhead. The love of the city is almost a physical thing that is constantly reaching towards him. Goldfinch flies higher and is obscured by clouds. Gold was despised in the accademy. He was too unresponsive to form social groups and constantly used as a benchmark that other trainees failed to live up to. Even though Goldfinch and Zephyr were roomed so far apart they were very close because Zephyr was one of the few people who talked to him.

Gold knows exactly where Zephyr is going to be hiding because it's where he hid before. After getting injured during his sidekick days, (leading to that id photo), Zephyr had considered fleeing. Injured supers get bleak assignments and he's scared. Gold held him while he cried.

Zephyr assumed that Gold would turn him in for even talking about deserting. Goldfinch realized that even his closest friend seems him as someone who blindly follows orders.

The building is even more dilapidated now than it was the first time Zephyr tried to leave. Gold is trying to be cautious, but Zephyr still gets the jump on him. They scuffle and Gold doesn't defeat him, but does get him cornered.

Gold notes that young Zephyr accepted being turned in with a dull resignation while current Zephyr is incensed. Zephyr rants about the corruption of the current superhero system and begs his friend for mercy.

"It's my honor to serve equity." Goldfinch announces handing over the backups to their computers harddrive.