Sarah was feeling great. Her feet felt lighter, she had a pep in her a step - a fucking pep! - she didn’t know the last time she felt this good, but her LENS, or whatever it was that helped her, worked miracles.

After the healing, her LENS had presented a pop up, informing her of everything it had done once she had given it permission to help her.

You have been healed!

We have successfully treated: septicemia, gaping leg wound, radiation sickness, ongoing radiation poisoning, insomnia, nausea, fatigue and warts!>

The last one - warts - she didn’t even know she had. But hey - not anymore!

Now, leaving New Haven with AJ and Seb - not sure which of them was more confused about the sudden change in her health and demeanour - she knew they were going to find Jax. They had to. He was missing, hadn’t spoken to anyone in over a day, and now his LENS had been disconnected. None of that was great for him, and it was her responsibility to keep him safe.

“Where are we gonna go first?” AJ asked.

Seb shrugged. Sarah hesitated. She was feeling confident. Confident enough to find him, but she really didn’t know where he would have gone.

However, being the leader in this situation meant she had to make decisions, which was something she wasn’t great at doing with any semblance of confidence. After a brief moment of deciding which way to turn, she chose. She pointed left, getting the other two to turn and head that way -

“Hey! Wait upppppp!”

The voice cut through and Sarah contained the grimace that fought to be shown.

“Oh, hey Pelham,” AJ said. “How are you?”

AJ was always so nice. Too nice. Even if people, Pelham, didn’t deserve it.

“Hey AJ, ‘sup? Where you guys going?”

Seb, stoic and silent, looked at Sarah to respond.

“We’re just going to go find Jax.”

“Oh yep, you reckon I should come too? Since I know him?”

The innuendo was clear, only made worse by the exaggerated way she wiggled her bushy eyebrows. Sarah didn’t bite, Seb all but rolled his eyes with his arms crossed disapprovingly, and AJ just looked away. Pelham clearly didn’t get the vibe of the situation, and missed the seriousness of it.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Sarah replied.

“Oh?” Pelham pouted. “Why?”

“We’re kind of in a hurry, and you don’t really look ready to go.”

Pelham was currently dressed in pyjama boxer shorts, a tartan-mesh to and a bralette that barely covered her nipples. To her credit, her knee-high black leather boots were extra clean, but Sarah suspected she had likely just shoplifted them, and so they hadn’t been worn in Pelham-style yet.

A small smirk and a forced quizzical look from Pelham to Sarah led to a stalemate, as Sarah refused to elaborate, and Pelham refused to bite.

Probably not the right kind of help.

Stop.

Sarah ignored her LENS. As much as she wanted to take it up on its offer, she really didn’t think the options were going to leave her in a good spot to find answers for later.

“Right.” Seb said, his patience wearing thin, he hooked his arm through one of Sarah’s elbows, “we need to go.” He turned her, and they began to walk away.

AJ, being the nice guy once again, shuffled along while Pelham decided she was coming regardless of what she was wearing, and who said what. She very nearly turned into a limpet against AJ’s side to ensure she was included and wouldn’t be accidentally ‘lost’ in the journey.

“So - where are we going?” Seb asked Sarah quietly.

“Do you have any idea?”

“Uh, I can’t really say your brother and I have ever been… friends? We don’t really share the same… interests.”

“That’s a diplomatic way to say you’re not a thief, drug dealer or a liar.” She wasn’t angry at the statement - Sarah knew her brother wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and she doubted whether or not she would have anything to do with him if they weren’t related.

Seb shrugged, a coy smile on his face.

“AJ - where do you think we should go?” Sarah called over her shoulder to AJ, who was still being dragged down by Pelham.

“Um,” he started, “I know that this is important, and we’re in a hurry, but I’m really hungry.” He dragged out the really to emphasise his current state of self diagnosed malnutrition. Which was probably fair, Sarah reasoned, since he usually survived off energy drinks which were just a whole lot of synthetic chemicals combined with some delicious flavourings.

“Actually, that’s a good point,” Seb added, turning to Sarah, “you didn’t finish your breakfast and you’ve gone through we don’t even know what the last couple of days. We need to get you some kai to make sure you’re going to survive this.”

Sarah was taken aback by what her LENS just said to her. Now it was talking about taking care of her? Because she couldn’t do it herself?

What ARE you?

That some bullshit response. Fuck!

The time for her to actually sit and learn about her LENS was certainly overdue, but she just didn’t care. Right now, Jax was her priority. After food.

“Yeah, alright, let’s get some kai” Sarah said, trying out the word for size.

“Heeyyyy - that’s the one cuz!” Seb said.

After eating a high calorie, high fat, and super high protein-infused meal at a place her LENS had chosen and directed them to, Sarah felt perfectly satiated. She had been a bit loath to enter the eatery in the part of town that didn’t have dirt caked on every surface, especially with Pelham in tow, but the food had definitely made it worth it. Payment of the meal was split between Seb and AJ, both of whom hushed Sarah’s protests. She had the money. And she didn’t enjoy men paying for her - she didn’t want to owe anyone anything. But fighting it seemed more effort than it was worth at this point, and she didn’t have an ally in Pelham who had just looked expectantly at the two men when the teenaged waiter had brought the bill to the table.

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They stepped onto the street and started, for the second time, their walk to the old city to find Jax. Ahead of them a homeless vagrant was struggling against two cops, while a third officer watched on with folded arms.

“Um, gross!” Pelham exclaimed, “That homeless person is covered in who even knows what! Like so filthy, I wouldn’t even touch them.”

And that was saying something.

Sarah tensed. She didn’t want to be stopped by the police again, even though they seemed preoccupied, but she was weary about running away from them or avoiding them entirely because of what happened last time.

“Let’s cross the street,” Seb directed them across the street when Sarah gasped and stopped him by the arm, pulling him and AJ back onto the sidewalk.

“Whoa!” AJ fell onto his ass, unable to keep his balance when Sarah pulled him on one side, while Pelham tried to keep him going the other way. Pelham also ended up falling over, her boxer shorts tearing in the process. But Sarah didn’t even notice.

She was staring at the homeless person. Except that it wasn’t a homeless person. It was Jax, and he was covered in blood, dirt and grime.

AJ looked to where she was and realised what had happened.

“Ohh…. fuck.” he said.

Jax had only regretted the decision he had made to walk through the nicer parts of town when he started getting the filthy stares. Apparently he had forgotten he looked like a walking, talking shit-caked monster from the deep. That’s okay though, he was being reminded plenty now. One lady had pulled her young daughter away from him, all but hissing as he passed, while her daughter laughed and tried to hit him with whatever-the-current-female-action-hero-was action doll. The little strength Jax had left went to withholding the growl he wanted to shoot their way, to partly terrorise the mum, and partly humour the little girl.

The shop fronts nearby were auto-triggered to go into lockdown when he walked past; and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the facial recognition software or because he looked like a literal zombie. Probably a bit of both, he mused. He ran his fingers along the metal that had slammed shut, enjoying the feeling of antagonising the system that decided he was a threat. A threat he was not.

Not only did he look like a zombie, with the dried blood, ripped clothes, general trashy attire and smell, but because of his numerous wounds and beatings, he was ambling like one too. That little girl could probably have taken him down if her action figure had connected.

So, when he had been walking for only five minutes in this nice part of town, he let out a defeated sigh when three cops came towards him. Two male and one female, sauntering like they owned this very town and this very street, and how dare he wander these parts with his out-of-place everything.

“Hello,” the female was the first to address him as they met by a small wooden seat on the sidewalk.

Jax nodded his head in greeting, then took a seat, easing down slowly and trying not to grimace as his shirt raised up and rubbed the cut on his chest, reopening the wound.

“You look like shit.” The shorter of the male cops said, his blonde hair in a mullet.

“Could say the same about you with the ape drape you’ve got there.” Jax retorted.

“My what?” The cops face distorted.

“Cut it Hodgenson.” The female said.

“He just fucking said -”

“I know what he said, don’t feed into it.”

“What’s your name? Or I don’t suppose you have your C-Card on you?” The other male cop asked.

“Why? What have I done?”

“Well, you’re looking a bit worse for wear and we just wanted to make sure you were okay, and maybe we could take you home for a shower.”

“Thanks, but I’m not into guys.”

The cop smiled.

“That’s a shame,” he said, then winked at Jax. Jax laughed.

“Oh for fuck - Patel step back next to Hodgenson.” The female was clearly in charge, maybe these two idiots were on probation. They clearly weren’t very smart and the ease with which he could rile them up was laughable.

“Just you and me then -” Jax leaned forward to read her nameplate, using his hands as leverage on the seat “- Adams.”

“What’s your name? Or give me your C-Card.”

Jax paused. He could make this go on longer if he wanted, see if he could get Adams to crack, but he wasn’t sure she would. Her brown hair was fastened in a neat and tight bun, not a hair or speck of makeup was out of place on her face and she stood strong and tall. Steadfast in her position.

“Your name.”

“Why?”

Adams held out her hand. “C-Card.”

“Do I look like I have my Citizen Card on me?” Jax was a little amused; she thought he would actually have it - he had his bag, but one look at him would surely think maybe someone like him wouldn’t prioritise an identification card as part of their everyday luggage. Even if it was the law.

Adams stared at him, unassuming and unamused.

“Name.”

The question was gone, and so were any extra words. She was being brusque now - still polite, but her firmness showed no sign of wavering.

Jax threw his cocky smile at her. Patel elbowed Hodgenson and muttered “She’s not gonna like that.”

“This is your final warning.” Her dark green eyes had hardened now. Any sort of sympathy she may have been saving for him disappeared with the upturn of his lips, and the glisten in his eye. This idiot must have been used to getting his way when he turned on the charm with a lot of people, but this shit wasn’t going to work on Adams.

He had miscalculated Adams’ authoritarian nature as being a show, that maybe she was uptight but liked a little bit of fun. But, he had definitely misjudged her.

“Sorry,” Jax said, raising his hands in defence. “I’ll just go.”

“I don’t think so,” she said and grabbed one of his wrists before he could leave. Jax snarled as she grabbed the rope burns and cuts on his wrists. She looked under her grip at the very visible wounds.

“You’ve been in trouble, haven’t you?”

He winced; “you could say that.”

Patel stepped forward and went to grab Jax’s other hand, but he twisted away, out of reach of the taller police officer, only stopping when Adams gently jerked his arm the opposite direction his body was going. The small bite of pain elicited was nothing compared to what he had already been through, but he was so tired and worn out that a tickle from a feather could have very well ended him.

Patel reached for Jax again, but Jax used the last of his second- or third- or fourth- wind to dodge, trying to free himself from Adams’ iron grip.

She relented, choosing to step back as Hodgenson stepped forward in her place and began to help Patel in containing Jax.

Just as they grabbed the evasive man, a group of four came up quickly behind them, avoiding Adams whose quick reflexes only managed to stop three of the four who rushed in. The fourth, a woman who seemed too fast, went towards the trio. As she stepped forward Jax freed an arm from Hodgenson, swung it back violently and connected straight into Sarah’s face, splitting her lip which began to bubble with blood almost immediately.

“Fuck,” Sarah said, grabbing her face.

“Oh shit, Sez!” Jax stopped struggling when he realised his wind up to escape had injured his sister. Patel and Hodgenson took advantage of the situation and forced Jax’s arms behind his back, securing them with special issue police laser handcuffs. The cuffs were impervious to most forces and could only be unlocked with a fingerprint scan from the handcuff owners, their partner or any senior members of the police force.

Jax licked his lips nervously as both Seb and Adams went to check on Sarah, whose face was contorted into a look of absolute anger.

“What the fuck are you doing Jackson?” she hissed, the fresh fat lip was causing her issues with her enunciation. “Why do you have to fight everything?”

“Jackson.” Adams smiled knowingly at Jax, who averted his eyes to the side. Not down, because he wasn’t going to be intimidated, but he would admit he was wrong in struggling and ultimately hitting Sarah.

Seb had a portable ice pack he had activated and pressed to Sarah’s lip, while her hazel eyes flared with annoyance at her brother. She had been trying to find him, save him - help him, whatever, and now she found him her reward was a fat lip. Just when she had just healed herself with her LENS, too.

AJ and Pelham were silent. There was nothing either of them could add to the situation, though AJ felt remorse on his friend's behalf, while Pelham eyed Patel like he was a snack she could devour.

“You know him?” Adams asked Sarah. Not really asking if Sarah knew Jax, the answer to that was obvious, but more asking how she knew him.

“He’s my brother.”

“Ah, right. Any idea what he’s been up to?” Adams waved her hand, motioning a circle around Jax. His stench, his attire, his filth. All of it was an experience. An awful, awful experience.

Sarah shrugged. Speaking was starting to hurt her more and more as each minute passed.

“We’re gonna have to take him in. Can you come meet us at the station?”

Sarah nodded, and said nothing as Jackson was led away by the three police officers.

“Well! We found him!” Pelham said, delighted. “I knew that wouldn’t be very hard!”

Seb and AJ exchanged a confused look, and Sarah, yet again, ignored her.

“I guess I’ll go to the station,” Sarah said, sucking back the spit that threatened to pour over her swollen lip.

“I’ll come.” Seb said. Sarah was about to argue, but relented. Truthfully, company would be nice. She knew AJ would want to come too, but like hell she wanted Pelham around, so they agreed that AJ would be chivalrous (read: the sacrifice) and walk Pelham back to New Haven. For her part, Pelham excitedly grabbed AJ’s elbow and led him back towards New Haven, not a care in the world that her ripped shorts were showing that she was going commando today, all the while AJ’s defeated look made Sarah laugh.