[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/mZ1sYwnS/Copy-of-Anissa-Quinn.png[/img][/center]
[right]In collaboration with([@The Savant]) as Officers Klay and Lupton[/right][hr][hr]
[indent]	[color=808080]The young woman might have waited awhile for the older man to show up; it was late at night, and there was a knock on the door — Selene would know better if it was Roach; he would never knock, and he would let himself in. This was someone different. It was Officer Klay and his trainee officer Lupton at her door. They were following up on the incident that happened earlier that day with Pilka, Roach, and everyone else. They had three out of the group in custody, and they were here to fish for more answers and possibly gain a plausible arrest, even though Roach had a status that was protecting the girl behind the front door. “[color=white]Miss Selene Syn, are you home? We are officers with the safety unit of Dominion, and we are wondering if you could answer a few questions for us![/color]” Klay’s voice sounded friendly and a little too warm when it came down to it. Putting the facade on to get her to open the door. 

Selene remained motionless on the floor, the fabric of her clothes adhering to her skin like some form of grisly epidermis made out of sweat and what little blood the bloodhound attack had caused. She leaned against the wall, one leg extended, the augments beneath her flesh throbbing in sync with her heartbeat, a relentless, mechanical reprimand for her earlier recklessness. The tremors radiated upward, a neuropathic wildfire searing through muscle and bone, a sensation as familiar as it was merciless. Years ago, when the engineers had embedded the prototypes into her calves, they’d cautioned her with clinical detachment: “[i]You want to be fast, not fried. Don’t redline unless it’s life or death.[/i]” 

She’d ignored them, of course. Survival had a way of making martyrs of pragmatists, a role she’d had to take up once she’d sought her independence.  Though the migraines that always followed these episodes, a vice tightening around her skull as her body revolted against the synthetic overload, were a bit much. She’d, however, long since stopped documenting the recovery times. What was the point? Each incident carved deeper trenches into her stamina, each rebound slower than the one before it. The augments weren’t designed for humanity—they demanded obedience, not desperation. Yet here she was, again, bargaining with circuitry as if it could be reasoned with.

The knock came as she massaged her temples, Selene tilting her head toward the sound, jaw tightening.

Not Roach. He wouldn’t knock.

The voice that followed only confirmed it. She could almost see the saccharine smile stretching across Officer Klay’s face. Fishing. That’s what this was.

Selene didn’t move right away. Let the silence stretch. Let them wonder.

Then, dragging herself upright with the help of a nearby crate, she limped to the door, but didn’t open it. Her voice was low and level, with just enough hoarseness to imply she’d been through it.

“[color=eeeba0]Questions about what, exactly? The part where I almost got mauled? The part where a government contractor pointed a gun at a teenager? Or the part where you showed up [i]after[/i] all of that?[/color]” She rested her forehead briefly against the doorframe, unseen. “[color=eeeba0]If this is about arresting someone to balance your quota, find someone easier. I'm not in the mood.[/color]”

Officer Klay was thankful to hear the woman on the other side of the door but he was curious as to why she wasn’t opening up — most people would — then again… after earlier today, he would be cautious to open the door to authorities as well. He went to speak but her sassiness got the best of him and he had to hold his tongue for a second. Closing his eyes and nodding with a thought before a sigh of light humor was let out, “[color=white]My trainee officer Lupton and I are to ask you a few questions. About all of it. The Duskhound attack and the contractor pointing a gun like a lunatic around,[/color]” Klay was hoping to collaborate with her — he didn’t know the true relationship between Selene and Roach, so he was trying to see if it was a good one. 

“[color=white]We are not here to arrest you but we do need to ask questions about Roach Vexler and we might request you testify against him,[/color]” Officer Klay explained lightly. 

Testify. They wanted her to testify against the man. Possibly. A soft suggestion, dressed in bureaucratic language and wrapped in the illusion of choice. But still. It felt like a big ask. A cruel one, even.

Because Roach Vexler, to her, wasn’t just some hired hand with an in with the authorities and a temper. He’d been there since she was too young to understand why her parents weren’t there for her in the way they should have been. Since the day she realized safety wasn’t a birthright—it was something negotiated, often at the cost of comfort, warmth, or love. Roach didn’t offer any of those things. But he offered something else: consistency. Protection. A twisted kind of loyalty wrapped in cynicism and cigarette smoke.

He was the one who taught her how to slip out of handcuffs before she hit puberty. Who explained, without blinking, that sometimes the people who smiled most were the ones she had to be most wary of. He’d never told her she mattered, but he’d never left either. And that counted for something. Didn’t it? 

Even now, she didn’t want him arrested. Didn’t want him carted off and dumped into whatever bureaucratic oubliette Dominion reserved for men like him. Not because she thought he was innocent—God, she knew better than that—but because she understood something most people didn’t:

Roach had history in his bones. A whole generation of grief and doctrine was buried under his skin. He’d revealed pieces of it over time, the most recent hinting at the involvement of people like Pilka. She hadn’t understood it then, as the man was still a mystery in many ways. All that she knew was that he wasn’t kind. He wasn’t good. But he was hers. And the idea of testifying against him felt like trying to condemn a fire for burning down a house, without mentioning who poured the gasoline.

Selene straightened slightly, letting the back of her head thump gently once against the doorframe. 

“[color=eeeba0]So…you want the truth about him, I’m guessing?[/color]” She said then, sighing. “[color=eeeba0]Well, first thing’s first, he’s an asshole. Always has been. But…he also saved my life more than once.[/color]” Selene’s fingers flexed uselessly at her side. “[color=eeeba0] So, if you want to talk, I’ll give you what I know. But if this is about building a case before you’ve read the entire room, I suggest you walk on.[/color]” Her hand hovered briefly above the lock.

This caused the main officer talking to her to go quiet for about thirty seconds as if he was debating what he should do. “[color=white]Miss Syn, I understand this is a difficult topic and you have a relationship with Roach Vexler, though we do need to ask these questions. What you say might or might not help him in his case.[/color]” Klay was trying to manipulate her a bit. Twist that they were there to possibly help or not — he didn’t want to lie to her. However, Roach was blindsided by the same man that hired him. People like him were becoming outlawed in the city as well and he was rotting in a cell somewhere confused because they have always brought him in for questioning but never holding. The man wasn’t dumb and he knew something was up, just not exactly what. 

“[color=white]Could you please open the door?[/color]” Klay’s voice was balanced and almost soothing. He was trying to be the perfect fashion of comfort and openness that most people allowed in. The officer was realizing that Selene might not be the type of person to fall for his strategies. “[color=white]We are not asking to come in. We are just asking for a few moments, face-to-face, that’s all,[/color]” he added on with some hope. 

Selene believed Officer Klay. Maybe. Believed that he wasn’t lying outright, at least. That didn’t make his presence feel any less like a test. This wasn’t about cooperation. It was about pressure. Positioning. Nudging her just far enough to get what they wanted before stepping away, spotless. It was how the city worked. It was how Roach worked. And that’s what made it complicated. Because if she opened the door, she wasn’t just giving them a clearer look at her bruises or a rundown of Roach’s past. She was cracking open a corridor in her life that she hadn’t walked anyone through. Not since she was old enough to realize no one would understand the way that man mattered. Not the government. Not the courts. Not some recruit named Lupton.

She didn’t trust them with the truth.  But maybe she didn’t have to give them all of it.

Selene exhaled slowly through her nose. 

“[color=eeeba0]I’m not promising anything beyond the facts,[/color]” she said, knuckles grazing the lock. “[color=eeeba0]But I’ll give you five minutes. Outside. Then you leave.[/color]”

Click.

She opened the door just wide enough to let them see her blood-smeared silhouette, some of the blood not even hers, while most was.  One arm braced against the frame, the other limp at her side. Exhausted. Guarded. But still standing. 

“[color=eeeba0]Start talking.[/color]”

“[color=white]I-I think you need a medic,[/color]” Trainee officer Lupton let out with surprise on seeing the blood. He turned pale compared to what he was in appearance seconds ago. Senior officer Klay seemed to tense at the sight as well. 

He cleared his throat, he didn’t react as much as Lupton, though he was seasoned — he had seen a lot through his time as a safety officer. “[color=white]I’m obligated to ask you, are you requesting any type of medical attention before we start our questions?[/color]” This was to cover his and Lupton’s asses. 

“[color=eeeba0]If I needed a medic, I’d have called one.[/color]” Her tone was clipped but tired. “[color=eeeba0]Don’t pretend this visit’s about my well-being.[/color]”

Yet, the truth was, she didn’t know if she needed help or not. Her leg still burned like it held a grudge, her head throbbed in waves, and her vision occasionally swam if she shifted too fast. The augments hadn’t liked being overclocked during the duskhound chase, and the sprint to retrieve the case hadn’t helped. Neither had the brief scuffle with Roach. [i]Stupid.[/i] Necessary, maybe, but still stupid.

Accepting care also meant opening more doors. More records. More questions. It meant exposure, possibly even having to reach out to her parents, if it came down to emergency authorization for service. Or worse, being reminded that Roach wasn’t the one stepping in. She’d assumed, somewhere deep down, that he would be.

“[color=eeeba0]You’ve got four minutes now. Ask what you came to ask.[/color]”

Trainee officer Lupton seemed to open his mouth to say something, his bright blue eyes, and baby blonde hair was the epitome of innocence. His facial expressions and the unburdened light showed how exposed he was to everything and it honestly wasn’t a lot. Before Lupton could say anything, Officer Klay was speaking, “[color=white]We wanted to ask you about earlier today, the events with the burrower. Please start from the beginning, if you can — are you able to walk us through what you experienced with Roach Vexler?[/color]” 

“[color=white]Shouldn’t we ask how she knows Roach Vexler?[/color]” Lupton piped up. 

Klay glanced at him, “[color=white]That is not very important when we are trying to get information about his actions and what happened in those moments of the day, Lupton. We want to know what happened, possibly why, who was involved, and everything else,[/color]” he explained to his trainee officer before smiling at Selene. 

“[color=eeeba0]If the how matters that much,[/color]” Selene said evenly, “[color=eeeba0]he’s known me since I was in diapers. Like I said, complicated.[/color]”

Her gaze moved to Klay. “[color=eeeba0]But you’re asking about today, so fine.[/color]”

She shifted slightly against the doorframe, choosing her words with caution. “[color=eeeba0]I was at the plaza when everything went sideways. Roach showed up during the duskhound attack, saved me, and locked onto a target—the guy. A burrower, I think? I didn’t recognize that fact at first.[/color]”

Selene hesitated, then continued.  “[color=eeeba0]Roach took a shot, but it wasn't lethal. The man went down but got back up. He claimed the guy attacked a girl. My age. My… profile.[/color]” An intentional omission: the way Roach’s gaze had landed on her mid-accusation, as if Pilka’s sin were a mirror. “[color=eeeba0]Then she appeared, unharmed, insisting he’d done nothing. And honestly…she seemed mostly ok. I can’t see someone guilty being defended in that way by their supposed victim. But I…I don’t exactly know everything. I think Roach may have known something the girl and I didn’t. [/color]”  The young woman couldn’t help but remember the intensity in Roach’s stance at that moment. He hadn’t sounded like a man just doing his job. He’d sounded like a man driven by something deeper, by history she hadn’t yet been trusted with. Roach might have known something that she didn’t. He’d said something about ‘people like him,’ like there was more there. Something older. Personal, even. 

Selene cleared her throat, continuing. “[color=eeeba0] Anyway, things escalated. Roach wasn't backing down, and I thought he might be overreacting. Maybe he saw something else. He usually has his reasons. But in that moment, it looked like it was getting messy, fast. I tried to step in, calm things down, but...[/color]” she shook her head slightly, “[color=eeeba0]I couldn’t. More people got involved, things got chaotic, and the man and the girl ran.[/color]”

She deliberately didn't elaborate on the case or the failed disarm attempt.

“[color=eeeba0]He’s not reckless,[/color]” she concluded. “[color=eeeba0]Just thorough. And thorough looks like madness to those who’ve never had to sleep with one eye open.[/color]” Like someone whose job required him to watch over things or people others may want to get rid of. 

The officers stayed quiet while listening to Selene and at first, none of them were taking notes, but that changed when Klay glanced at Lupton. Lupton looked like he remembered that he was supposed to be working, took out a notepad and a pen, and began to write everything Selene was saying down. The older officer with darker skin seemed happy that he didn’t have to vocalize the request for the information to be jotted down by the rookie. 

“[color=white]So, you assume that this burrower was a target of Roach Vexler’s?[/color]” Klay questioned. “[color=white]Do you happen to know anyone that might hire him or hire him for the purpose of going after burrowers? We understand they are not allowed and by certain contractual licensing, they can be killed on sight while in the walls of Dominion, but we do not believe that was what was happening here. We have a tip on a few different things but we are trying to get everyone’s sides and perspectives. Any information will help, even if you think it’s unimportant. Did Roach bring up names, clients, descriptions of someone he might have talked to? Anything?[/color]” Klay seemed a little more eager to ask more personal questions about the man’s work when Selene had informed them that she knew Roach her whole life — it put her into the spotlight. 

Selene remained quiet for a long moment. Klay’s questions had taken a turn from the events of the day into territory that felt way too close. It was one thing to recount an incident; it was entirely another to start unravelling the threads that held Roach’s carefully constructed secrecy together.

“[color=eeeba0]He never shared his client list with me. That’s not how it worked.[/color]” Her tone was careful, firm. “[color=eeeba0]Roach might’ve taught me a lot, but he never let me see that far behind the curtain.[/color]”

The flash of expression that crossed Klay’s face showed that he was disappointed to know that Roach didn’t share his clients with Selene or any information about that matter. “[color=white]I understand,[/color]” he responded plainly while looking at Selene. “[color=white]One more question before we go, if you had to go up onto the stand. Would you testify against or for this man?[/color]” This question instantly changed the air — it made it heavy — and Klay was not playing around with this question. The Safety officers must have already made a decision on Roach and they were trying to figure out where everyone stood. Roach had a lot of enemies and they had quite a few people ready to talk about him if it came to that. They were wondering if Selene would. 

Klay wished he could arrest Selene though she hadn’t done anything worthy of an arrest — not even one that could be framed as an accident and covered up with excuses. 

Selene held Officer Klay’s gaze steadily. He was obviously testing her, hoping to find leverage, to confirm whether she was an ally or an obstacle. The air felt charged, thick enough to choke on, and Selene realized she’d stopped breathing. With a controlled exhale, she straightened slightly against the doorframe, refusing to let the question visibly rattle her.

“[color=eeeba0]I’d testify,[/color]” she started carefully. “[color=eeeba0]But you and I both know it wouldn’t be that simple. Roach isn’t a saint, but he’s not Dominion’s devil either.[/color]” She paused, the hesitation brief but weighted. “[color=eeeba0]I’d testify to what I saw—truthfully—but that doesn’t mean I’d help crucify him just because someone decided it was convenient.[/color]”

Selene felt her body ache, exhaustion tugging at her muscles, but she didn’t waver. “[color=eeeba0]Now. Unless you have an actual charge, your time’s up.[/color]”

“[color=white]Have a good day, ma’am,[/color]” Officer Klay said with a distastefulness in his tone. It wasn’t very apparent though it was there. He gestured for Officer Lupton to do something and it made the younger officer put his notebook and writing utensil away before giving Selene a half awkward wave. The older officer forced a smile before leaving Selen’s front door with Lupton in toe.[/color][/indent]