ArchivedLogs:Sirens

Sirens
Dramatis Personae Eric and Paige	2017-03-27 "I promise, if anythin' interestin' happens, I'll let /you/ turn on the sirens."
Location <NY> Bedford Hills Correctional Facility - Bedford Hills
It's a few hours after noon as Paige is heading out towards the gates of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, not looking particularly energetic with the imposing brick building behind her. She's dressed in her usual garb - the overlarge sweatshirt, her fading jeans, and no shoes. The hood of her sweatshirt hangs loose despite her frequent glances to the couldy sky about that threatens rain. Approaching the exit from the compound, she deftly pulls her phone out of a pocket and seems to send a quick text message. "Paige?" A voice calls out from behind Paige, back behind the gate. "Hey, on the gate!" There's a loud buzzing as the large metal gate slides open, and Eric strides quickly across the yard and over towards Paige, the sound of metal clinking back and forth as the officer finishes tucking away the baton, gun, and handcuffs in his hands. "I thought that was you," he says, sticking his hands in his uniform's pants pockets. "What are you doing up here at Bedford Hills?" Eric asks, curiously. Paige's ears flick up at the sound of the familiar voice and she pauses to turn to turn around. Her brows furrow when she sees Eric, a hint of confusion on her face, and she inclines her head towards the officer. "Sergeant Sutton," the young woman says in way of greeting. "I'm here, uh, visiting a friend. You know - Mai. The telekinetic you arrested. She's -- she's still --" The goat girl glances to the side while her jaw works but only a moment passes before she offers a shrug instead of trying to complete her sentence. "She doesn't get it. I've been trying to keep her ... in touch with reality. What, uh, brings you here?" She sticks her own hands in her own pockets, mimicking Eric's earlier action. "Oh." Eric shifts from one foot to the other, one hand coming up and awkwardly scratching at his head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense that she's up here. Kinda lost track of her once she got handed off to the DA and to Corrections." He pauses, a little bit of color rising in his cheeks. Awkward. "Uh, I was just up here to take an interview of a prisoner. Supposedly had some info about an open case, but I think she was just blowing smoke up my-- uh, she was just lying." Eric glances around, pulling keys out of his pocket and tossing them up into the air in a lazy fashion. "Not sure why. Maybe trying to get time off her sentence, maybe just wanted to fuck with our case. Who knows." Paige's ears press downwards as she focuses her attention on the ground, breaking eye contact with Eric. "It's right that you arrested her, you know. She -deserves- to be in there. Have you listened to her? She -- she did it. She has no remorse at all." Taking a deep breath, the horned mutant shrugs her shoulders again before looking up at the officer once more. "It's just awful. The way she acts. The things she says. She let us have her stuff for the new apartment, but she -- she really thinks she's going to get off at some point. That what she did was justified. It's just so -- she's just so -fucked- up, you know?" "Do you do that often? Interview prisoners, I mean. On Law and Order, they always made it seem like it was the DAs that did that, right? I mean sometimes in SVU, they'd have Olivia Benson or Elliot in the cell trying to force some information out of a prisoner, but mostly it was like Jack McCoy or Alex Cabot or Casey Novak or something." One of the girl's ears starts twitching erratically and she seems to resist the urge to scratch at it. "Why do you think she'd want to, uh, screw up your case? What would be the point of doing that when you're already in prison?" "I haven't really seen her much since putting her through booking. I saw her once or twice in holding, I guess, but now that she's up here with Corrections..." Eric shrugs his shoulders, non-committally. "The DA's problem more than mine." Eric looks over towards a NYPD cruiser parked nearby. "How are you getting back to the city? Do you need a lift?" Eric offers, hefting the keys in one hand. "Sometimes. Not that often -- once every month or two. The DAs are the ones who are interviewing people who have open cases. This is just someone trying to be a source from the inside. Who knows why people do things?" At the sergeant's question, Paige now reaches a hand up to scratch first at her ear and then at the back of her neck beneath the collar of her sweatshirt. "I, uh -- it's...it's just a thirty minute walk to the train station and an hour and half from there. And I -- I thought I wasn't supposed to trust you? I mean, after all that everyone said last month when Mr. Holland returned to the Commons. I mean, I wouldn't -- I'd really appreciate the ride, but I -- Are you even allowed to do that?" At this question, Eric bursts out laughing. "Well," he says after several moments, between deep breaths as he attempts to regain control of himself. "I'm certainly /allowed/ to drive ya. Whether or not you can /trust/ me is an open question. Trust me for /what/, I think, might be one of his first objections." The police officer grins widely at Paige. "I'm not his favorite person for several'a reasons. Arrestin' him several times is part -- though not all'a it." Eric spreads his hands out and shrugs his shoulders. "It's up to you, Paige. I can promise ya to drive you home safely, but I can't tell you that you should trust me." Paige's ears flick up and there is definite blush under her fur as she takes in Eric's immediate reaction. "I -- I haven't really spoken to him. I didn't know you had arrested him before. I mean, I think I read about it in some of the articles they were publishing after his release and stuff, but I didn't really think about it." There's a momentary pause and she starts clenching her hands. "You know that Mai thinks you betrayed her, right? She's got in her head that because you're a mutant you somehow promised not to arrest her. I didn't hear much of what was going on between you then, but she also really believes people should be thanking her or something, so it's not -- she just doesn't understand how things work, you know? I just -- I want to trust you. But a number of people think otherwise. I am really...grateful that you didn't kill my friend. She was out of control. I'm just -- I'm sorry. I'd really like a ride. It's weird for me, though. My brother is a police officer, but I know what he says he does and I've read and seen what other police officers do and it's just -- it's just how am I supposed to know?" The horned mutant gives a small shake of the head before speaking again. "So--Apologies. I could really use the ride." Eric shrugs his shoulders. "I'm a cop. Sometimes, we have to lie to people to get them to come in safely, or confess. It's part of the job. And sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. And sometimes..." Eric shakes his head, snorting once quietly. "And sometimes we're corrupt as hell and do things we shouldn't. I told Mai what she needed to hear to get her where she belonged -- behind bars. Maybe that means I did betray her; I dunno. For me, I'm just glad I didn't have to kill her." Eric pauses, and his smile fades. "But I would have, if I needed ta'." Eric lets that sink in for a moment. "As for me... you're not a suspect. Unless you plan on confessin' to murder or kidnapping or somethin', I think takin' a ride with me is perfectly safe. Then again, that's probably what I'd say if it /wasn't/, so.... Jax'd tell you to not take the ride with me, I'm sure. But I'm offerin', if you want it." "I don't -- I don't not trust you because of what you did," Paige remarks, brows furrowing, as she looks Eric in the eye. "You didn't betray anyone. You did your job and you put her in jail. And that's where she belongs. And -- " Here an odd expression passes over the young woman's face, flickering from brief confusion to an unusual harshness. "I'm glad -- I'm glad that you would have killed her if you had to. She's not -- she's not..." Face reddening, her gaze shifts downwards and she clenches her fists hard. "You did your job and you did the right thing. I had no idea it was her, but now --" The girl lets out a nervous, awkard laugh and a sad smile finds its way onto her lips. "Now she confesses every time I talk to her." Sincerely, she then adds, "She's a danger to society. Don't -- don't let her ever get out." Her eyes flick down and to the side after saying this and she takes a moment to recover before speaking again. "Everyone says not to trust you. I mean, a lot of people do. But I want to take the ride because I -do- trust you. Because I saw what you did. All cops are bastards, right? But at least you were the right kind of bastard." Eric chuckles and nods his head over to the cruiser. "I'm definitely a bastard, I'll give you that. Come on, we can talk and ride." Eric steps over to the cruiser and unlocks it with a quick button press on the keyfob. Sliding into the front seat, he reaches over and pops open the passenger door. The car starts with a roar of the engine, and Eric pulls the computer attached to the center console out of the way for Paige. It immediately starts booting up, and Eric taps on it for a moment. A map pulls up, and Eric taps in the address of the Harbor Commons. The police officer pulls his seatbelt on as the computer thinks for a moment before obediantly plotting a map to there, along with some other information one might not see on a normal map: a notation in the upper right with the note 'Known mutant hot spot; contact MID before entry'. Paige follows Eric to the cruiser, walking around it to get in on the passenger side. A slight nod and a thanks are given to the officer when he opens the door for her and she puts her seatbelt on as he inputs the address. Paige does not seem particularly impressed or in awe of the car's features, though her eyes do flick about the dashboard and consoles, ears twitching. She doesn't say anything as the sergeant prepares to start the vehicle even as her gaze briefly passes over him. A minute of silence passes while she stares out the window towards the woods surrounding the correctional facility. When she does speak, it seems the topic has changed. "Sergeant Sutton. You're a -- a mutant, right? Do you ever wish you weren't?" Eric is silent for several seconds, looking over his shoulder as he backs the car out of the space and begins to speed off down the road, away from the prison. "Yeah, I am. And sure, I do, sometimes." He briefly glances at Paige. "Ya have to understand, me and the rest'a the folks at MID... we've got it pretty easy. All'a us are-- well, were-- able to hide it. Wouldn't have been able ta' get the jobs we did otherwise. N' my mutation doesn't have a lot of downsides, really. But... sometimes, yeah, sure. Gotten fired twice for bein' a mutant. And I get tired a' walkin' into a briefin' room and all the other cops stare at me as if I'm some kind'a animal." Eric's eyes remain on the road, teeth worrying at his bottom lip, pausing for a moment. "But if I gotta be honest with ya, I usually don't wish I wasn't a mutant as much as I wish I could just beat the smug looks off'a the other people's faces." Although her attention is still focused on the passing scenery, Paige nods at the sergeant's words. "It's -- it's nice to hear that. In a way. I mean, it's just -- it just get so hard. How do I tell my friends that I wish I wasn't who I am, that I wish -- that sometimes I wish I wasn't like them? I used to bag groceries for my dad at his store. I used to think I could make something out of my life." The corner of the young woman's mouth twitches into a partial grin. "Middle-class pretty white girl - they would've hired me for practically anything. I was considering internships for the next year back when I was in school. Now they stare at me as if I'm kind of animal, because I -am- some kind of animal. Sometimes I really wish I weren't a mutant. Sometimes I wish I could just go home. But it wouldn't be the same. After you know how everyone treats you different because of how you look, it can't be the same." She shifts a bit in her seat and pries her gaze away from the window. "Some people say that you're making the system worse by being mutants and working for it. But isn't it better to have a cop who knows more about where you're coming from than one who doesn't? That -- that other cop you had with you when you came to arrest Mai. He...he wasn't very nice. I think I'd rather have at least some sort of mutant cops than none at all, you know?" "Yeah, I think so. But not everyone agrees with that, and I see where they're comin' from, to some degree. Like... mutants bein' part of the system validates it. I think MID can do some real good, and I think the city's better off for us bein' there. I think mutants in the city are better off for us bein' there. But if I didn't, then I'd quit, so... my opinions don't much matter there." Eric turns the wheel, merging them onto the highway. He remains silent for almost a minute, thinking, before he speaks back up. "It's not good out there, but it's not all bad. Some doors close, some doors open." He turns and flashes her a brief grin. "You could still follow your brother into the force." Paige reaches up a hand to scratch near a horn while Eric speaks, but ends up staring at him following his suggestion. It takes her a moment to process what the officer said. Then her ears start flicking and her hands begin gesturing as she talks. "What? Me?" The furred girl lets out another awkward laugh. "Me, a cop? You're kidding me right? I can't -- I can't even stand my ground against people who yell at me. And then -- and then I'd have to like kill people and I really don't think I want to kill people. And my brother is awful. He's not a good cop. He's ... not a good person. He doesn't think mutants should be treated the same; he likes making life hard for them -- for us. I just don't think it would be a very good idea, you know? I'm not ... programmed for that kind of stuff. For not running away and things." Her hand shoots rapidly up to scratch anxiously at the side of her face, skin red beneath the fur. "I just don't think it'd be a good idea," she repeats. "To be fair, Paige, most cops never shoot someone in their entire career, nevertheless actually kill someone." Eric chuckles and shakes his head. "I mean... not everything can't happen, just cause you're a mutant. Doors that you'd think might be closed ain't necessarily closed. Some are, but new ones open." The police officer glances over at Paige, one hand reaching over to poke at the computer keyboard and wake the screen up which had gone dark. "Pick somethin' you enjoy, and go for it, ya know?" "I know. It's just I'm a visible mutant. I don't think it'd matter if I had a uniform or not. People would treat me differently. And it could be even more dangerous than it is for me now. Do you know -- do you know what Mai said? She said she should've killed you. You and Officer Kelly. She says she -regrets- not killing you two. Can you imagine? And there are other people out there like her. People who -- who might not show the same restraint. And maybe you'd have to had shot her if she didn't stand down. But she -- she can stop bullets or deflect them or something. She isn't -- she isn't a safe person." She leans back into her seat, ears twitching and head tilted back. "Something I'd enjoy. I don't think I have that luxury. I would like to help people, but I am not -- not in a position to do that." Eric frowns as Paige speaks, letting his breath whistle through his teeth. "Well. I'm glad things turned out like they did, then. Hopefully, she can get the help she needs in there." He glances over to Paige, shrugging his shoulders. "Why not? There's plenty of jobs out there that help people. Some in large ways, some in small ones." Eric presses two switches on a console in front of him, briefly turning on the lights and a loud wail of a siren long enough to get a slow car out of the leftmost lane before shutting them off again. "If you could do anything, what would it be?" Paige's ears flick upwards as Eric turn on the sirens and she sits up straight, widened eyes looking immediately out the windshield. When she eventually notices that nothing particularly exciting or life-threatening is taking place, she slumps back down into a more relaxed posture. "Some places won't hire me because of the fur. Like, if I was a waitress or a server or something, they say that there's no way I could guarantee that a piece of fur wouldn't end up in someone's food or something. And then other places tell me that'd I set off peoples' allergies. Also, my horns are scary, I guess? And dangerous? I don't really get it. Some places say that having hooves is unsanitary because they're always touching the ground. And then there are the ones who just see that I'm a level four mutant and are convinced I'm lying about not having powers. And, you know what else? Some of the more shitty places ask me if I've 'done anything' to 'get my mutation under control' - like what the fuck?" The curse comes out with a disgusted scoff. The blonde mutant then appears to be considering the officer's question and her voice comes out much more softly. "If I could do anything...If I could do anything...Part of me'd want to stop what -- what my parents are doing. To stop what the Friends of Humanity are doing. But I don't think I'm up for that. I think -- I think I'd want to be a counselor or something. Or a therapist. Some kind of social work, you know? But I'd like have to go to school for that. I -- I'm only twenty, you know. I didn't really think this far ahead when I ran away from college." Eric nods, looking over at Paige with a surprised look when she mentions her classification. "It's not too late to go back. You're /only/ twenty." He pauses for a second, hesitating. "I'm surprised you got put at level 4. If you don't have any other powers... that seems high. Have you thought about appealing? I know the feds have a process for it. Not sure what it is myself, but, there is one somewhere." The police officer drums his fingers along the steering wheel, checks the map on the computer, and looks forward to the road. "I thought about goin' back once or twice myself. Become a lawyer. But I don't think I've really got that in me. I've got the job I always wanted. There's some schools which are more tolerant than others, though. Maybe you could transfer ta' one of them." "According to the MRA Board, I've got horns and hooves and that makes me dangerous. And wouldn't I have to go to court or something? I don't -- I don't really have nice clothes for court. Or a lawyer. My roomate, though - she's a three and she's got powers. She moves really fast and can't slow down. About five times the pace of everyone else. And it's not just moving, it's like living. She just lives faster. But she doesn't really age, so that's a plus." Biting her lip and looking out the window, Paige continues, "I still have -- I still have debt. They've started, uh, sending me letters now that I've updated my registration with the new address and all. I think I'd have to finish my bachelors first, though, before going to graduate school. It just seems like an impossible goal. I feel like I'm so far away from being in a position to do any of that." The horned mutant spares a glance towards her hands as she begins picking at them. "You should stay a cop. Especially since you're in charge and all. But, from what I've seen, you seem to like being cop. Not that that's a bad thing or anything. I mean, I don't -think- it is." "I've been a cop since I was younger'n you." Eric says, chuckling. "Back home, in Georgia." He reaches down and fiddles with the heat for a moment, not seeming to make any real changes but merely turning knobs one way and then back. "I dunno about any of that. I imagine you should be able'ta go back pretty easy, but. Don't mean it's gonna be /easy/, ya know?" Eric shakes his head. "One step at a time. That's all we can do." Paige watches Eric play around with the heating dials, ears twitching in curiosity. "Really? So you've known what you've wanted to do for a long time, huh? Since you were little?" Her eyes flick to the side of the officer's face before darting to the top of the windshield. "How did you know?" There's a moment as the furred girl sits silently and stares vacantly upwards in thought. "I wish it was easy. Or at least easier. My first step is still to get a job so I can...start paying back my loans, I guess." A wry grin cracks on her face. "I don't think any place is going to accept me when I've got outstanding loans, you know?" Another pause. "So, you're from Georgia? What's that like? I'm from New Hampshire." "Yeah, since I was little. Ridin' around, gettin' to use the siren...." Eric shrugs, a grin spreading on his lips. "Mostly the sirens, if I'm gonna be honest. But later, after I joined, well. Helpin' people definitely feels good." A pause, and Eric looks over to wink at Paige. "Usin' the sirens is still pretty damn fun, though, I gotta say." Eric glances to a car on the edge of the road, frowning as he looks at a car broken down on the road. "One sec," Eric says, turning on the radio and twisting the dial. "NYPD cruiser 5833 to dispatch." A moment goes by before a voice answers, voice a little crackeled. "Barracks F. A little out of your jurisdiction, aren't you?" Eric rolls his eyes, answering, "Just heading home. Heads up, you've got a broken down white sedan at around mile 28 southbound on the Saw Mill parkway." Silence for a moment. "Thanks for the heads up. Safe travels." Eric hangs the radio up and turns it off. "Georgia's nice. Warm. I never saw snow until I came up here, ya know? A little bit here and there, but nothing like we get up north." Whereas she had not previously appeared interested in the unique features of the police cruiser, Paige is now sitting up straight again and watches with intrigue as Eric makes a report on the radio. Her eyes focus on the officer and the device as the verbal exchange takes place. Soon, an amused expression comes over the horned mutant's face. "The sirens? Really? That's -- okay, I kind of get that," she remarks with a grin of her own. "Do you have to do that every time you see a car on the side of the road? Or only when you want to? And snow is the -best-. I mean, I kind of figured it be warm down there, but snow is great. I really like -- I -- " A frown and furrowed brows quickly consume Paige's countenance. "I really liked skiing. I guess I can't do that anymore. Do you miss living in Georgia? What's it like being a mutant there?" "If I was in the city, I'd probably stop just to make sure they're alright. Around here, though, I'm out'a my jurisdiction. Safer for me to just call it in, let the state police take care'a it." Eric chuckles. "Nah, bein' a mutant down there sucked even more'n it is up here. Up here, you're a freak. Down there, you're spawn a' the devil." Eric glances over at Paige, eyebrows raised. "I miss some'a my friends, my mom, but the rest of 'em can burn for all I care. Why can't ya ski anymore?" "Yeah, I'd -- I'd imagine it'd be worse the farther south you go, right? Though some people like to call me a demon. I don't really get, though. I don't have the tail. If I had the tail with the spade, then I could be a -proper- demon. I think I'd need red skin, too, but the...assholes don't seem to care." Paige's ears twitch idly and there's a small smile on her face as she speaks. "And I don't think you can ski with hooves. I don't think they make ski boots for it, you know? Besides, it's not like I'd have the money to do anything like that anytime soon. I'm getting some money from unemployment and my roommate helped me figure out foodstamps." She pauses for a few seconds. "I miss my family. But they don't miss me. And I'm coming to terms with that. If -- if they don't want me, then I don't want them." "Oh, your feet go the other-- yeah, al'ight. I did grow up in farm country. My mom didn't have goats, but I certainly seen plenty'a them in my day. I can imagine it'd make ski'in' a bit tricky ta' find the right boots. Not impossible, but... then again, I ain't know a whole lot about skiing either." Eric says, a laugh in his voice. He chuckles and looks over at Paige. "I can't drink." Eric confesses. "I mean, I can drink, but, I can't really get drunk. Not since I manifested." A beat. "Their loss." "You do realize you're talking to someone under-age here, right?" Paige replies, letting out a laugh. "It's okay, Sergeant Sutton, I can't drink either." Apparently the young woman finds this rather amusing as she laughs again before continuing. "And why would you want to get drunk? If you're not drunk, you can't get a hang-over. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me -- not that -- not that I would know what getting a hang-over is like or anything." Her eyes shift to the side and she seems to hastily try to switch topics. "I don't know much about goats either. I mean, sure I've seen them, I guess. Sometimes at petting zoos when I was younger." Hunching over slightly, she looks down at her hooves and wiggles them slightly. "Hooves are weird. And I don't think any ski-boot company would think it worth their while to make boots for hooves." The goat girl straightens her back. "It'd be hard to say the least. It might seem like it's their loss, but it's -- I'm pretty sure it hurts -me- more." There's a momentary pause before she gives Eric a curious look. "Did your accent just get heavier or is that just me?" Eric snorts and shakes his head. "Right. I'm sure you've never had a drink in your life. N' maybe... we were talkin' about Georgia. That could certainly do the trick." Eric flashes a smile to Paige, waving one hand in the air in a lazy gesture. "Goats have... weird eyes. S' about all I really know," Eric says, voice light and teasing. The cop falls silent for a moment, tapping at the computer keyboard and splitting his attention between the (mostly empty) highway in front of him and the computer screen. "You know," Eric says, suddenly breaking into the silence. "You should talk ta' B. Might have an idea or two about the skiin' thing, considerin' their company." "Oh gosh, they are -so- weird. So...creepy. They're like that because they're prey, you know? And they're -always- level with the ground. The pupils, I mean. Did you know goats can see more than three-hundred degrees around themselves? I did some research. I just really hope I don't get eyes like that," Paige rambles, her attention mostly on Eric though occasional glances are given to the console. "And B? You mean Shane's twin? I've heard a bit about them -- are those the right pronouns? I think I've heard a few different ones for th--for B. I thought I also heard that B was in school. And I told you, I don't have any plans to go skiing any time soon. It's just a fantasy at this point. Sorr--Er, apologies. Sometimes, I just get a little excited." "I think so. I'm... honestly not quite sure," Eric says, a little bit of pink burning into his cheeks. "But considering the hoverboards, I feel like some custom ski boots gotta be doable. Or hovering snowboards, I guess." Eric shrugs his shoulders, blush still staining his cheeks as he stares fixedly ahead. "Yeah, weird eyes. Still, might be cool to see almost behind you. Good situational awareness, ya know?" "Heh. Yeah," Paige remarks as she rubs at the back of her neck with one hand. "It'd be pretty cool. But also -- I don't know. It sounds like it'd be weird and scary, you know, in a way. And I'm just still getting used to everything else." Her hand falls down and she drums on her knee for some seconds before turning again to Eric. "So have you ever skied before? Or snowboarded? It's -- it's a sort of kind of exhilirating experience. You're going downhill so fast, but you're in control and it's" The young woman's brows furrow and her ears twitch while she diverts her gaze towards the windshield. "-- it's nice to be in control of some things sometimes." Eric shakes his head. "Nope. Never been either. I went... what's it called." Eric gestures in a circular motion in the air, tilting his head back and forth. "Snow... boating. Something like that. Sitting in this, like, giant tire thing and slidin' down a big hill." The police officer shivers and turns the heat up a little bit. "Too cold for me," he whines, pulling an exaggerated pout. "But I know what ya mean about control. For me, that's how I used'ta feel back in Georgia, when I used'ta do no-knock raids. Everythin' goin' really fast and time just... slowin' down." There's a definite, amused smile on Paige's face as she eyes the officer's face. "You mean snow ... -tubing-, Sergeant? And, too cold for you?" The goat girl shakes her head overtly shamefully. "I thought police officers weren't supposed to have weaknesses. You could try growing a fur coat," she teases with a short laugh before offering a shrug. "Things are slightly less cold for me now. But what -- what makes you feel in control when you do no-knock raids? I mean, isn't that...a little, you know...I don't know...-mean-?" "Tubin', that's it!" Eric exclaims, slapping the steering wheel once. "What'd I say? Boatin'? Christ. And call me Eric." Eric worries his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment, considering. "I don't think they're /mean/, but they're dangerous. For everyone. We're only suppost'a do them when there's a real risk of evidence gettin' destroyed, or people runnin', or tryin' to kill us." Eric says, matter-of-factly. "Not... that it always turned out like that, mind you, down in Georgia. Still, it's a rush." The police officer shrugs his shoulders and drums his fingers along the steering wheel idly. "Lots of meth labs we busted that way. Those things ain't fun. Got blown up once. Bad news." "-What-?" Paige's voice holds more than hint of incredulity and her eyes are now solely focused on examining Eric's expression. "-Blown up-? Doesn't that -- wouldn't that leave scars or something? You don't -- and I don't mean to be rude, but -- you don't seem to have like any scars...? I don't -- -blown up-? Really?" It's clear that she is at least slightly suspicious. "-Oh-. They give you some sort of -- of armor, right? Blast protection and stuff? I thought only bomb squads got that stuff, but I -- I don't know much about police even if my brother is an officer. He doesn't...he only tells stories of arresting mutants. And they're -- they're usually low-grade to be honest. Like, ones or twos. He just uses their status to make their situations worse. And, yeah, sometimes...sometimes you hear stories. From, you know, other mutants. Or you read them online. About police. It's sometimes just hard to figure out. I was brought up being told that I could trust police. But now I -- I can't, you know?" Eric waves his hand, dismissively. "Nah, no suits. Those don't do a hell of a lot when you're in the middle of a fireball anyway. That's my mutation. I heal, real well. Fast, too. S' how I found out I was a mutant. Got shot in the line of duty, n' I didn't die." Flashing a wide grin, Eric shakes his head, amusedly. "Ya'all should have seen the look on my sergeant's face. Dead center mass, I was a goner. Got up, brushed myself off, bullet fell right out." Eric makes a squishing sound with his mouth, then a pop. He snorts, smile still hanging on his lips. "Not the way I really recommend testin' for mutations, mind you." Eric's smile fades and he shrugs his shoulders. "They're not wrong. Police ain't always there ta' help, 'specially if you're poor, black, or mutant. We're just like anyone else, really. Some of us are good, some're bad, and most of us are a mix'a both that get pulled along for the ride." Paige's eyes study Eric with a somewhat slackened jaw. After he finishes speaking and her initial surprise and intrigue pass, her gaze flicks down towards her hooves. "Well, I don't -- I don't know," she admits, again rubbing at the back of her neck in an anxious manner. "I think -- I think -you're- a good person, but, like we, uh, talked about, a lot of other people don't." The horned mutant clasps her hands together and squeezes her wrists between her knees, an action that pulls her shoulder inwards. "Your mutation sounds really useful, though." An amused snort exits through her nose. "All my mutations are physical. And they're not super helpful. Not...helpful at all, really." Her hands open and clap once and she lets her palms hang open. "So how does that -- how does ... what sort of other things ... should you have, you know, -died- from?" "What, gettin' blown up and shot ain't good enough for you?" Eric teases, winking at Paige and rolling his shoulders from side to side. "I mean, that's mostly it for things that'd have /killed/ me. Been beaten a bunch, broken limbs, slashed up." Eric purses his lips, tilting his head from side to side as he considers. "Oh, Jax castrated me once." He adds, nodding. "That hurt." Beneath her fur, Paige's face turns positively red as her ears flick up and she stares at Eric with wide eyes. It takes her a moment to find her voice before she stammers out, "He -what-? Why would -- I -- I bet that would hurt. That sounds -painful-. That sounds pretty ... " Skin still burning crimson, the goat girl places her hands on the sides of her neck and looks to the roof of the car. "That -- that's -something-, for sure." Her eyes turn to watch Eric even while her head is tilted upwards. "Sorry I asked. That sounds kind of ... traumatic. I didn't know -- didn't know that people did that kinds of things." A few deep breathes eases the embarrassment out of her. "And, no. It was probably wrong of me to ask that. About what things would have killed you. I don't know. My mutations don't confer any benefits and I was just curious." Eric bursts out laughing, beating the steering wheel with one hand. He even has to wipe a tear out of one eye after he manages to get himself under control. "Sorry, I ain't makin' fun of you. Just...it kinda all mostly rolls off'a my back these days." Eric shrugs his shoulders, his cheeks coloring slightly. "I was datin' one of his kids, n' he wasn't exactly happy about Shane bringin' a cop home." His smile fades, slightly. "Ta' be honest, I probably deserved it. Anyway, I heal, n' he knew it. I doubt he would'a done it if I was some flatscan." He waves a hand, dismissively. "S'nothin' to apologize for, Paige. If I minded, I'd have told ya. And not answered to boot." For her part, Paige simply blushes again at Eric's reaction, hands dragging over the fur on her cheeks as it subsides. Still, she manages to give a nod while her ears twitch. "I guess that makes sense. Somehow. I can't -- I didn't know you dated Shane. I'm kind of...surprised? that he would date someone who his dad ... really didn't like? But why -- why do you think you'd deserve, you know, something like that?" She lets her hands fall down and turns her head towards the offier. "Were you scared?" comes her initial question before she gives her head a brief shake. "I mean, were you scared when you got shot? Or, you know, when you got blown up. Or, um -- you know, the other thing. But mostly the first one. You didn't know about your mutation, right? That -- that just sounds scary." "It was a bit back, now." Eric shrugs his shoulders, eyes turning back to look ahead at the road a little bit more than necessary. "Scared? When I got shot, sure. That gun pointing at me, I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time... damn, I thought it was all over." He chuckles and shakes his head. "But after? Nah, I was in shock. Didn't have a /clue/ what was happenin'. Figured it must'a been a dud bullet or somethin', 'till I saw the blood. N' there wasn't time to be scared when I blew up. Raidin' a meth lab, n' the whole thing just went up in no time. No smoke, nothin, and then -- boom." Eric scratches at one of his ears, awkwardly shifting in his seat. "N' I was hurtin' too much to really think clearly enough ta' be scared after. That one took a bit ta' recover from." Paige nods silently, ears flicking up then back, as she listens to Eric with her own gaze focused on the road as well. "That doesn't sound like something ... that's easy to recover from. Apologies. I didn't intend to upset you." There's a pause as the young woman furrows her brows and frowns. "They don't -- they don't make you do, you know, the more dangerous things just because of your mutation, right? 'Cause that'd be pretty fucked up." Another few seconds pass before the horned mutant bites at the inside of her lip. "Sergea--" she begins before cutting herself off. "Eric. When you and Officer Kelly came to that apartment that night and you talked to us and you arrested Mai - I didn't know what was happening. It was scary and I thought you had made a mistake. It just didn't make sense to me back then with the way she acted towards me and all. But seeing her -- seeing how she was reacting and resisting arrest - I didn't believe it. I've said 'thank you for not killing her' ... but now I just want to say that you for, you know, saving me? 'Cause that's essentially what you did, right? I mean, that wasn't what you were -- it's just --" This part is said as Paige reaches up to scratch awkwardly at the back of her neck and is followed by a somewhat awkward chuckle and a softening of her countenance. "So ... thank you for saving me. She could have -- she could have killed me." "Nah, not here. Back in Georgia, though, that was the deal. I got to stay on the force, freak or not, as long as I took point on the SWAT missions." Eric runs a hand through his hair, then gives Paige a warm smile. "Lookin' back, that's a little messed up. Back then, though, I loved it. I /wanted/ ta' be point /anyway/, so I was happy ta' make that trade." A non-committal shrug. Eric quiets as Paige continues, looking out to the road in front of him. "Well... you're welcome, Paige, but it-- that ain't what we were there for. N' I don't think Mai would'a hurt you intentionally. I mean, I don't agree with what she did-- huntin' down a man in cold blood-- but I understand it. A mutant killed one'a my sergeants here, years back, when I was still on patrol." He takes a long, steadying breath, fingers clenched against the steering wheel. "If I would'a been able to shoot her dead right there... I don't think I'd'a have felt bad for even a minute." The police officer grits his teeth, taking another breath and visibly willing himself to relax. Slowly, the tension drains out of him. "But, in the end, I didn't. She's in prison, somewhere, n' I'm better for not havin' done it." "No, I know that's why you weren't there." Paige bites her lip some more, ears twitching, as she processes what Eric said. "You didn't shoot her and that's what matters. You controlled yourself. You could have, but you didn't. That takes guts, you know? Not letting that person control your actions like that, right? And despite what Mai thinks, -not- killing someone is a hell of a lot stronger than what she did, than what she is." The validity of this claim is asserted with a definitive nod. "And she didn't just kill that guy, Eric. She didn't just hunt him down. She also tortured the man. She's ... told me a lot about what happened." A deep breath and a sigh. "I think I need to stop visiting her. I've clung to the hope that, you know, she's still my friend. Still the person I thought she was. But she just -isn't-. And she never will be." Eric winces and shakes his head. "You don't need that shit fillin' your head, Paige. That stuff'll fuck you up as sure as any drugs will." The officer shivers, one hand scratching at the back of his neck. He falls silent, teeth worrying at his bottom lip slowly. "Some things you'd want to unsee if you could. Unlearn, if ya could. But ya can't. There's a time when someone is so far gone, there's nothin' left of 'em that's worth savin'. Not often, but... torturin' and killin' someone certainly puts you up on that list." His eyes flick over to Paige's face, searching, quiet once more. Slowly, hesitantly, Eric reaches out to gently -- and briefly -- grip Paige's shoulder in a supportive squeeze. Paige's ears flick up and she looks over at Eric to momentarily catch his gaze at the touch. Then her eyes dart away her face reddens slightly - whether this is due to the physical contact, the raised heat, or an emotional response to the topic is unclear. Nodding, she takes a deep breath. Half a minute passes as the young woman works her jaw before she asks, "What's -- what's your favorite part about being a cop? There's so much ... -shit-, so much fucked up shit that you have to deal with - so what's your favorite part?" "You mean, besides the sirens?" Eric says, lightly. He grins as he faces the road, considering -- and turning the heat down again with a quick twist of a wrist. "I think it'd have'ta be the sense of... mmmn." Eric sucks air between two of his teeth with a light whistling noise. "A lotta the people I deal with, I'm there when somethin's gone real wrong. In their lives, in someone else's life. N' it feels good ta be able to help make it a little bit better -- or just keep someone else's from gettin' worse." The police officer snorts, shaking his head as if disappointed. "Such a fuckin' cliche, I know." He sniffs once, rubbing at his nose with two fingers. "Don't get me wrong; the power ain't unattractive, and it's a hell of a rush. But, I don't think /I'd/ be doin' it for that alone. Not anymore, anyway. Maybe when I first joined up." Paige lets out a soft chuckle as she shifts a bit in her seat, blush fading some. "Yeah, you don't -- you don't seem the type of cop to let that power stuff get to your head. Again, the way you handled that situation ... " With yet another few deep breaths and a roll of her eyes, the goat girl waves her hand dismissively and grins. "And so what if it's a cliche? That sometimes what we want to hear, you know. We, the people. Or at least, me, the person. Some of us like knowing there are people out there trying to make our lives a little better." This statement makes Eric smile in a puppy lab-like grin. "Aw, shucks." Eric says, chuckling. "Why don't ya get some rest, Paige? We've got about forty minutes before we're in the city. I promise, if anythin' interestin' happens, I'll let /you/ turn on the sirens." He adds a playful wink to the end of it, grin widening a little bit. "Eh?" The young woman in the passenger seat raises her hood, perhaps in a bid to hide her blush as she laughs. "Fine, fine," Paige counters teasingly. "I'll be quiet." Still, she seems to follow Eric's advice and turns onto her side away from the officer, resting her head on her hands while adding, "You -better- let me turn on the sirens."