Chapter 37 (1/2)
The Austin Police Department's Third precinct was designed to intimidate. It was not just the fact that the structure of its outer walls mimicked a medieval castle, or that the roof had stone parapets. It wasn't just that the outer walls protected inner walls, an entire separate building, a sanctum even more heavily reinforced. It wasn't that each police officer, from the lowliest desk jockey to the Chief himself, was likely cut from marble and carved like a Greek god. In truth, the most intimidating fact about the building was its aura.
Dan shook his head ruefully. He sounded like a hippy, but it was true. There wasn't really a better word for it. The place had an imposing vibe. It was a bit like how a haunted house could terrify teenagers through its mere existence. The Third precinct was a badass. The building itself, mind you, or rather the area that it consisted of. It wouldn't surprise Dan if the thing was secretly a transformer, waiting for its time to shine.
The feeling made no sense, so Dan mentioned it to Gregoir.
”You feel the mighty power of our illustrious Captain Gable!” Gregoir explained (loudly) as they passed through the massive steel gate that allowed entrance through the outer wall. The pair garnered a few odd looks as they approached, but these looks faded quickly once Gregoir's presence was recognized. The gazes turned to pity, then, directed solely at Dan.
It was uncomfortable.
”A natural power?” Dan panted out, as he struggled to keep up with Gregoir's massive gait.
A good thirty yards separated the outer and inner walls. A wide courtyard led towards the entrance of the actual precinct, and another layer of security. The second checkpoint was rather more modern, consisting of a rope line leading to a series of scanners that an airport would kill to possess. Several officers milled about in the area, speaking to the odd citizen. The entrance itself was rather narrow, only four or five Dan's wide. Gregoir could probably occupy the entire doorway by himself if he tried.
The blonde giant's stride broke for a moment and he coughed into his fist. ”Ah, that was a bit of exaggeration on my part. No. The captain is a mutate, but his upgrade was a standard issue one. For... anti-riot purposes, if I remember correctly.”
Belatedly, Dan realized that natural powers were not exactly commonplace anymore. Not only that, but the society at large seemed to possess a not entirely unreasonable fear of such things. The random nature of the process probably didn't help. In a country once ravaged by frivolous power use, it must be comforting for citizens to know exactly what their protectors were capable of.
”Good day to you Mr. Kenny!” Gregoir over-exuberantly waved towards one of the checkpoint guards.
The man was slightly shorter than Dan, though just as built as the rest of the police officers. He possessed slightly dark skin, wrinkled slightly from age, and Asian features. A prominent scar ran down the side of his face, starting from the corner of his left eye and curling down to his jaw. His black hair was flecked with grey and trimmed into a crew cut. Approaching fifty at the minimum, the man held himself like a military veteran. He was also visibly scowling.
”I told you not to call me that,” Kenny(?) admonished.
”My apologies!” Gregoir boomed, not breaking stride in the slightest. ”Greetings, Sergeant Ito! Why have you been consigned to the front gates on this fine afternoon?”
Dan followed along like a meek puppy, keenly aware of the Asian man's growing displeasure. Gregoir brought him straight past the rope line, his towering legs stepping past the obstacles with ease. Dan kept up with some difficulty, gracelessly tumbling beneath each rope and praying that people were too busy staring at Gregoir to notice his own performance.
At last they reached the front of the line. Gregoir's arms extended out, hugging towards Sergeant Ito in a friendly, if presumptive, gesture.
Kenny slapped them away without hesitation. ”We've got another group of brats visiting today from some private college. The captain thought I might frighten the little piglets. Said something about an 'unsuitable demeanor for recruitment'.”
Gregoir chuckled. ”Do not misunderstand our brave captain, my friend! It's simply that some prospective recruits might misconstrue your honest and forthright way of speaking as intentionally abrasive!”
Sergeant Ito grunted dismissively. ”He's pampering them, the little shits. If they can't handle a little honest criticism, then what are they even doing here? We don't need soft rookies.”
”We do, actually,” Gregoir corrected genially. ”Our manpower is shockingly low of late, as you know!”
Ito scoffed. ”Quality trumps quantity, Officer Pierre-Louise. It would be a favor to the department if I were to show up at that little recruitment drive and scare off the bad seeds.”
”I suspect that you would scare off more than the bad seeds,” Gregoir admitted with a loud guffaw.
”Hm, not so,” Ito murmured to himself gruffly. ”I was quite good at making treasure from trash, once upon a time. My methods work, as you're well aware.”
”Alas!” Gregoir cried with passion. ”Your methods are your own! I am ashamed to admit it, but I lack the strength of character to train recruits in the same manner that you have in the past!”
”Yes, you prefer to cheer them into compliance,” Ito observed dryly. The corner of his lip ticked up ever so slightly.
Then he leveled his scarred gaze on Dan. ”And what's your story, kid? Has this fellow's sparkling personality inspired you to join the ranks of the exalted Austin PD?” He jabbed a thumb towards Gregoir without glancing away from Dan's eyes.
Dan was unfazed. The man was moderately intimidating, Dan supposed, but nothing really matched up to Grandma Summers.
”It was more like he abducted me from my hotel lobby,” Dan admitted frankly.
Conversation paused in the general area as people processed that statement.
”Hah!” Ito laughed. It was a sudden, short thing. An abrupt bark that almost seemed to startle Gregoir.
”You're awful calm for an abductee,” the scarred man noted with visible amusement. Gregoir, meanwhile, fidgeted awkwardly.
Dan shrugged. ”I've got a mutated short-hop upgrade. I can leave at any time.”
”Implying he brought you here,” Ito noted. ”Awful stupid of you to get in the car of a stranger, cop or not.”
Dan shrugged. ”He caught me off guard with his... what did you call it? His sparkling personality.”
”Much like a flashbang,” Ito agreed with a nod, much to Gregoir's dismay.
”Quite so, quite so.” Dan was getting far too much enjoyment out of the blonde giant's discomfort. ”Anyway, once I regained my senses, I decided to find out if this lunatic really is a cop.”
”Of course I'm—”
”Surprised?” Ito interrupted Gregoir's protest to query Dan.
Dan shrugged. ”I was at first, but your conversation explained it. You are low on manpower.”
”Hah!”
Gregoir gaped at the casual reply. Though Sergeant Ito likely bantered with him often, the French viking was clearly unused to being teamed up on. He decided to cut his losses and move forward.
”Ahem.” Gregoir coughed into his fist, then gestured towards Ito. ”Daniel Newman, this is Sergeant Kaneda Ito. He is a thirty-year veteran of the force, and my old mentor.”
Dan stared at the scarred man, aghast.
”Don't give him the wrong impression,” Ito snapped with irritation.
He turned to Dan. ”I pulled this brat out of a ruined building, after some idiot tried to build a cosmic generator and blew himself up. He got it in his head that it was his destiny”—Ito flashed air quotes—”to follow in my footsteps. He hasn't left me alone since.”
”You were my saviour!” Gregoir shouted emotionally. ”To do anything else would have been spitting upon your kindness!”
Every cop in the courtyard rolled their eyes and looked away, apparently accustomed to the noise. The odd civilian milling about edged away from the loud man.
Ito simply rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. ”Alright, enough of this. You're holding up the line, Gregoir. Why are you even here?”
”Oh!” The hulking blonde finally remembered his purpose. ”I was planning on giving young Daniel a tour of our facilities. And, perhaps, arrange for a ride along.”