As Sarah had run into the fray, her cognition speed had increased, allowing her to take in the environment around her in a smaller time frame. She knew she had her LENS on her side, but still chose to ignore it when it prompted her to evade Jax’s hit. She saw it coming. She knew it would hurt, she could have dodged, braced, countered. But she didn’t want to. He needed to learn a lesson and she would rather be the victim than a police officer. Though she suspected he was still likely to be charged with resisting arrest, that was better than the potential of assaulting a police officer.

The female officer, who Sarah later learned was Sergeant Adams, certainly had control of the situation, and Jax would have been treading water before long, but sometimes learning a lesson the hard way was the best. Jax had never hit Sarah before, not even when they were kids and fighting was normal. No, he had too much respect for her considering she had taken care of him for so long. So, she was hoping this was enough of a shock, of a wake-up call to sort his shit out.

On their way to the police station, Seb had repeatedly asked Sarah how she was feeling. She had brushed him off so many times, that on the tenth time she finally snapped and told him if he didn’t shut up she would tell him to leave. He took the subtle hint.

While Adams had offered to call an additional unit to take Sarah and Seb to the station where Jax would be booked, Sarah had declined on their behalf. She didn’t want to be around any cops for any longer than she had to. The walk was only half an hour, and Sarah felt strong, barring the juicy swollen lip.

Once Jackson and the police had left, Sarah’s LENS had activated a prompt:

Increased Intelligence;

Your level has increased from 0 to 1 - would you like to begin your level bonuses?>

What the fuck? No, I don’t have time for this.

Sarah really needed to make the time to talk to her LENS. She didn’t understand what this level malarky was, or how any of her attributes were affected. She recalled her agility, spirit and stamina changing earlier but didn’t really know what it meant. She would need to sit down when she got back to New Haven and take notes. Probably talk to AJ about it too, since he would know a lot more about this than she did.

“Sarah, did you hear me?” Seb had stopped walking, a step in front of Sarah who had ceased movement when her LENS began communicating to her.

“Sorry Seb, I got distracted by my LENS.”

Seb pulled a face. Social etiquette determined you didn’t open your LENS when talking with someone else, unless you told them first. Normally a quick point to the node attachment was enough, and most people were okay with it. Sarah hadn’t done that. She had just blanked Seb entirely.

“Sorry,” she repeated, cringing at the faux pas.

He let it slide, suspecting her mental acuity hadn’t quite returned after her radiation sickness, but he didn’t want to voice as much.

“How are you -”

“- feeling?” Sarah finished for him, a bite in her voice.

“No, I was going to ask ‘How are you….r shoes?” He quickly tried to cover.

Sarah looked at her shoes, stuck one leg out, twisted it from side to side while inspecting her worn sneaker and looked back at him.

“Like brand new.”

Seb looked down, saw the dried blood, road grime, and river filth on the sneakers, then looked at Sarah and nodded his agreement “Never been better.”

Their shared annoyance at each other was replaced with humour, and they continued their walk to the station.

Sarah’s anxiety started increasing the closer they got to the station. Police. Authority. None of it was her favourite, and the fact her little brother was in the bowels of it right now didn’t make her feel any better.

The police station was a large heritage building with moss and ivy growing on the red brick walls, which made it stand out like a fox among hens; a simile that Sarah thought was particularly appropriate given the relationship she and Jackson had with police. The surrounding buildings were all new-age, with clean, sharp lines. They had windows with auto-tints that activated when the sun UV level was higher than regulated, and the colour of the exterior walls could be changed based on season, event, or some of them had constant advertising on them.

The positioning and selection of the station building was purposeful - easy to recognise, easy to flee to and easy to flee from. Though the latter wasn’t something that was advertised as a perk, it was one most people knew to be true.

Before they went in, Sarah turned to Seb.

“You don’t have to come in with me. I know you’re not like the rest of us - no run-ins with authority or the like. You only work at New Haven to learn from Maureen, because you feel sorry for us…”

Seb’s face turned serious, and he put a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

“I - No, it’s not like that at all. There’s no pity here. I have my own story to tell Sarah, and I’d like to tell it to you one day.” He hesitated, his eye’s earnest. “But now it’s not my turn. We’re here for Jackson. And for you.”

She nodded, and they went into the building together.

As they entered, scans cleared them as being weapon free, that they had no outstanding warrants for them, and that they weren’t sick, with a new virus or a potential biological warfare agent.

After enquiring for her brother, they sat in the foyer of the station, a few worn plastic chairs their only respite. Idle talk wasted time, as Sarah nervously twisted her fingers and chewed her cuticles, her concern for Jax wreaking havoc on her system.

Finally, almost an hour later, one of the officers from earlier - Patel walked up to Sarah, and told her to follow him.

“Only her.” He said pointedly at Seb.

“Why can’t he come?” she asked.

“Only you have been asked for.”

“Jax only asked for me?”

Patel shrugged, his tall shoulders rising and falling slowly, as his interest in this conversation faded.

Sarah looked at Seb and apologised. She hugged him, and told him she would meet him back at home.

Seb tried to argue, to say he would wait, but Sarah had hurried off as Patel tired of waiting.

Annoyed at being separated, Seb debated waiting in the foyer for her. He didn’t know how long she would be, but he didn’t want to leave her here. But it was safe, wasn’t it? She was in a police station of all places, surely he could trust her safety here.

As a middle ground, he left, but messaged her on his way out asking her to ping him when she was done and he would come back and walk back to New Haven with her. She had called it home when she mentioned it in front of Patel - not New Haven. Was she embarrassed? Or was she hiding where she lived from the cop?

Maybe both?

He couldn’t blame her.

Thinking back to when she said he didn’t need to go in with her, implying it wasn’t his battle and that she was less than him… They really needed to talk soon. Sure, his history wasn’t as clear cut as hers and Jacksons, but he didn’t really have much of a family outside of New Haven. His parents were both dead, and all he had left of them was a pounamu necklace they had given him when he was younger, a homage to their heritage. Seb fingered that now, trying to draw strength from his whakapapa as he left the station and went to wait at a cafe nearby for Sarah.

Jax was silent throughout his processing at the station. Silent as they removed his LENS. Silent as they scanned his fingerprints. Even silent when they asked his name. But, they didn’t need him to answer that. His bag had been emptied and his C-Card found; so they knew everything that was in the system about him, which admittedly wasn’t much. Normally a person's LENS was registered to them too, so his name should have come up when it was run through the diagnostic machine, but Jax’s unit wasn’t registered. Since his and Sarah’s LENS’ hadn’t been acquired through savoury means, registering them would have led to questions about serial numbers, set up and all the illegal mods… Questions he didn’t want to answer.

Before placing him into the holding cell, they gave him a quick once over with a healing wand, gave him a second-skin cover for his open wounds, and sent him on his way. His request for his shower had been laughably denied. He was in his cell when they asked if he wanted a phone call. He almost denied it, then thought better of it. Jax made his call, using a special LENSLite unit that was made for people to call directly to another person's LENS without using theirs. Then, he was returned to holding, given a pouch of water and a dry sandwich.

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The space around him was cool; with stone, bare metal and plain seats. There were a few other people there with him - a couple of druggies, itching themselves and chewing their tongues; a dishevelled looking businessman; and a young kid with eyes that didn’t leave the ground. He reminded Jax of himself. A sad kid, probably feeling quite hopeless, not sure how he would get out of this.

Jax shifted over on his bench, moving closer to the kid.

“Hey, you all good?” Jax asked, a caring lilt to his voice.

The kid looked at Jax. Back at the floor. To Jax.

“Fuck off.”

Fair enough. Jax still looked and smelled like he had fallen on a literal trash planet. The kid would be fine. A bit of attitude goes a long way.

Time passed slowly in the cell with nothing to do and no LENS to use. He wished they had at least given him a face cloth or something so he could make a dent on the dirt that was seeping steadily into his skin. Sleep came to him eventually, tendrils of fatigue snaking down his face and luring him to slumber. His head lolled against the stone wall behind him and he almost fell sideways on the bench, the momentum causing him to jerk awake. The other cell occupants stared at him, but no one said anything.

He smiled, thern realised that he probably looked crazed, and stopped. How long would he have to wait before his call led to something? If it even would.

A thud of thick-soled shoes signalled an officer was coming their way. Jax sat up, straight, hoping it would be his ticket out.

“Healy.” Jax nodded, and followed the officer to a room labelled “Visitation.”

His heart rate increased, excitement growing.

He stepped inside as the officer held the door open for him.

“Hey,” Sarah said, and she went to move towards him for a hug when she stopped short. The smell hitting her before her eyes realised his appearance.

Jax’s face fell. Sez. Not who he called.

“Geez, I’m happy to see you too.” Sarah said, her face matching his as his rejection hit her hard. They moved to sit on utilitarian chairs either side of the equally function-centric table as Jax tried to cover for his disappointment.

“No, sorry Sez. I am happy to see you. Honest. I was just expecting…”

“Expecting…?”

He shrugged, and let his breath escape in an elongated sigh.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m really sorry I hit you.” His eyes fell to the table.

“What happened to you?” Sarah asked, her face returning to its usual sisterly concern, with a smothering of judgmental wonder.

Jax was tired. He didn’t have the energy to relay it all to Sez, despite his sincere desire to.

“I don’t want to get into it yet.”

“Jackson, you -”

Jax raised his hands in defence. “I will tell you, I promise. I am just so tired and sore. They barely gave me much to patch myself up.”

She had noticed his badly bruised face, the multiple wounds on his arms, the thick cut on his chest. And that was all she could see through the layer of grime that currently covered the majority of his body.

“Okay,” she acquiesced, nodding.

“Can you get me out of here?”

“Uh.” The pause from Sez didn’t instil the usual faith he held for his big sister.

“Well, see, it’s your first criminal offence - “

“That they know about,” Jax muttered.

“- Yes, and, well. They checked your LENS and aren’t very impressed that it’s not registered, and with the mods that AJ has done, and refusing to provide identification, resisting arrest and .. umm… assaulting me, WHICH I know was an accident and you’re sorry,” she spoke loud to overshadow his protests. “But… they’ve set a bail for you that’s too high. Like, way too high. Even if I asked Captain Haddock for New Haven to help, which…”

“Which he wouldn’t do.”

“Yeah, which he wouldn’t do - I don’t know that I can help. You need to wait for a court date and then maybe…” she shrugged.

“Fuck.” He slumped back in his chair, the realisation that he was stuck here hitting him hard, as a terror for authority being in control of his life once again began to seep in.

He looked at Sarah, his brown eyes filling with tears, reminding Sarah of Jackson when he was a little boy, struggling, and she would always comfort him.

“I’m scared.” He sputtered, before the tears began to clear tracks in his muddied face.

“I know,” Sarah said, moving quickly to give Jackson a hug, accepting her yellow t-shirt was now going to be mottled. “I love you Jackson, I’ll think of something.”

He nodded, his soul deep cries muffled by her shoulder. He just wanted to go somewhere he felt safe, it had been a long couple of days, and he needed comfort. He needed to be with Sarah so she could help him get out of this. He was trying not to rely on her so much, trying to help her like she always helped him. But that wasn’t really working in his favour.

“I love you too Sarah.”

Leaving Jackson had been hard. He was no longer actively crying when the officer came in to tell them their time was up, but the tears were still welling as he fought to keep them contained. He used the back of his hand to wipe them away, trying to prevent anymore from falling, smudging the muck on his face and his hand even more. His eyes were rid rimmed, a combination of fatigue and failure. He looked like the little boy Sarah remembered having to cuddle at night, to protect him from their mothers latest bastard friend. Like the little boy she had to find food for when she wasn’t much older than he. Life wasn’t fair, and her heart ached that he was stuck here in an authority driven containment when she knew it was, like hers, one of his biggest fears.

He hadn’t handled the reform school the best, even if it had been the last resort to try and sort him out; to try and fix the street kid in him, and she worried about what would happen to him here when he was transferred to a proper jail, with strict rules.

So absorbed in thoughts of concern for his well being, Sarah walked straight into Adams, whose outstretched arms were the only thing that stopped her from falling to the ground.

“Are you okay?” Adams asked, righting Sarah, her face an awkward smile-meets-grimace.

“Oh, yeah, fine.”

“How’s your face?” Adams gestured to her face.

Confused, Sarah haphazardly touched her face where Adams was signalling, and winced. She’d forgotten that Jackson had hit her and she had yet to do anything about it.

“Yeah, he got you good.” Adams said. “Do you want a pain pack or anything for it?”

Not now.

She dismissed her LENS and looked at Adams.

“Ummmm, no. Thanks.”

Sarah went to walk past Adams, who reached out an arm to stop her.

“I’m sorry about your brother.”

“Okay.”

“I’m Athena. Athena Adams.”

“Hi Athena, Sarah.” Fatigue was beginning to settle back over Sarah and she wanted to be outside. Get some fresh air. Time was getting on in the day, and she had been flat out busy since she woke up and went to the cafeteria this morning, yet she felt like she hadn’t achieved anything.

Sarah gave Athena an awkward head nod, and walked past her.

Not to be shaken so easily, Athena began to follow Sarah, touching her lightly on her elbow before she got a light electric shock from the connection. Sarah didn’t react, and Athena wondered if she had imagined it.

“Hey, Sarah. Wait.”

Sarah was on the street now. Dusk was settling. Swallowing her sigh, she turned, eyebrows raised in what she hoped was a polite, but firm ‘what the fuck do you want?’

“Look. I get the feeling that you and your brother have been through a lot together. Whatever he’s been into. Whatever you’re going through. I’m not judging you -” Athena raised her hands in a surrender gesture before Sarah could begin to argue. “- but I just wanted to help you if I could. I work for a business that helps get young women into stable jobs. We offer work training and can help with housing… clothes.”

Clothes. Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she had any nice clothes. The ones she was wearing now were well worn, she was probably the third or fourth owner. But she didn’t know Athena. At all. And she wasn’t in the right frame of mind or mood to begin to get to know her.

“I’m okay.” Sarah turned around.

“I get it,” Athena said. “Lots happening, you’re busy. Look - just take my contact details please - you don’t even have to give me yours. Just reach out to me when you’re ready.”

Sarah paused. Athena sent her contact info.

Sarah selected Yes.

Sarah hesitated. Would that be a bad thing? Did it really matter? Was she overthinking it? Or would a sergeant cause her trouble?

She didn’t care. She was tired and wanted to go back to New Haven.

Yes.

“Okay?” Sarah asked.

Athena nodded, and stood waiting, watching Sarah as she left. Athena wanted to help Sarah. She wanted to help as many women like Sarah as she could, but getting through to them to let them help was the first hurdle. Often her profession was the first barrier, and despite it giving her the best connections she could to help them, it meant that she needed to work extra hard to gain their trust. Sarah seemed different. The way her brother had reacted when he had seen her, the way he had crumpled when he realised he had hit her - and not one of her colleagues - they had been through a lot together. Athena only hoped she could help Sarah before she followed, or was dragged down by, her brother down whatever misfit path he was currently on.

Distracted by her brother, Athena and her offer were quick to escape her mind. She was overthinking once again and trying to find a solution to his incarceration, when really, there wasn’t one. And maybe that was okay. Maybe it was time Jackson felt some real repercussions from his actions. Ones that actually impacted him and not someone else.

She sighed, and opened up her LENS to message AJ when she saw the one from Seb. Shit. She hadn’t seen it when she went in to see Jackson because they block LENS units from working inside, and she was so preoccupied when she left that she didn’t see the icon letting her know there was something waiting for her.

He had told her to message him when she was done and he would come back. She was already a good ten minute walk away, and she couldn’t really be bothered going back. She would be fine.

She sent him a quick message saying she would meet him back at New Haven, and then sent AJ a message saying they needed to talk about Jackson and his situation. She gave him a brief summary of events, hopeful his brain would whip up a solution by the time she got back to New Haven.

The walk back to New Haven was uneventful, and it was dark by the time she returned. She wanted to go see AJ, but she needed to sleep. She was fighting an internal war, torn between seeing AJ for her brother, or taking a rest for herself. The rest would probably help Jackson too, to be fair.

Her LENS chimed in.

I can’t. There’s so much I need to think about, to prepare.

I doubt I’ll even sleep.

She hesitated. Maybe her LENS was right. She couldn’t do much if she was tired. A small nap would do her good. She went to her room and decided she would have a quick lie down. Not much. A small rest to give her enough energy to go see AJ. That was fair. Jackson was probably sleeping now anyway, and she wouldn’t be able to do anything tonight to help him. She felt a sudden wave of fatigue wash over her, and before she could even blink, she was asleep for the rest of the night.