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"Did you not hear a word I just said? I know I talk a lot, but holy shit. Let's keep it simple then: there are no good ones, not in the OEA. So you don't worry what I could or couldn't live with, maybe you should start deciding what you can."

Looking around like he was trying to find the person he'd actually been talking to because this guy wasn't tracking with anything he'd said. Harming his people was all that organization sought to do. "That's very OEA of you. Are you doing us a favor by taking us from a world that hates us, is that it? Does your 'duty to the human populace" cause you sleepless nights? The necessary evil. Maybe stop fucking killing us and you'll feel better."

The 'someone will' sounded like a threat, but for now, he decided to leave it at that. "You're throwing around accusations like confetti, and I'm sick of hearing it, and if anything was very OEA of me, this conversation might be going in a different direction." Despite the pressure to prove his allegiance, TJ was not going to give into it either.

"We'll just have to agree to disagree." TJ acknowledged a certain level of ignorance, and being recruited into the OEA didn't help his stance to try to defend it. Yet, this guy standing in front of him didn't possess the full story and likely never would. "I don't intend to know you personally, so we ought to cut our losses now."

But where Juri lacked in supernatural speed, he can always make up in cunning. The witch began knocking down any recycling bin in the hallways allowing the plastic bottles to roll on the floor. There was a quiet sneer before he attempted the next flight of stairs. He just needs to make it to the fifth floor and he'll be home free."

"Yes you were." Nova said with a huff, pretending to be annoyed at him. Nova found her ears turning red from the eye contact."Oh wow." Damn he's handsome when he smirks. "You made an amazing recovery." Nova stated. "That's right don't mess your odds with a karate master." Nova said flexing her one arm. She was secretely relieved he was healthy. "By the way you saved the guys life- he had appendictis."

"You were admitted around 11:00 pm and it's 2:30 am." Nova said flipping through the paper work. She leaned in and examined the wound. "You could just been disoriented and not concussed but-" Nova reached for her textbook. "We would need to do an mri before we release you. You should have-" Nova paused seeing the name that was suppose to do the duty. "This is the eighth time this shift." Nova said under her breath as she printed out the order and added a STAT sticker. She focused fully on TJ.

"Of course if we don't see any bleeding." Nova said simply. Her eyes widen when she realized what he meant. "Oh." Nova said feeling embarrassed for herself. "Sounds like a plan. I'll just tell my dad I took on extra hours" Nova said with a grin. "I might stop by the vending machine before we head out then. Curfew immunity and all that." Nova said with a smirk. "I've been here since three so I deserve a treat."

"Hmm, can't I just sign my discharge papers? My brain is perfectly fine." Obviously, he was no medical professional, but he felt fine; okay, maybe a slight headache, but was it all necessary? He'd have to wait for her verdict on that one.

In the meanwhile, to distract her and to encourage those discharge papers. "I was going to offer to buy you dinner, but my timing is incredibly terrible." He was certain it would be for both of them - maybe 2:30 am dinner would be a regular occurrence - he hoped it might, seeing as they both had jobs that required odd hours. The terrible timing was more practical.

"Vending machine it is, but I'll promise next time..." Then he remembered - she didn't have his number, right? Or did he forget that? He might have tried passing it to her once or twice in the past - with no success, but that was only half the problem - he needed hers. He took a brief moment before he finally got to it, a slow mind maybe because the fact she hadn't rejected his flirtation.

Handing his phone to her. "Text me when you're free for that 2:30 am dinner." Was it even dinner at that point? Maybe breakfast... lunch to someone - heck, it was 5 pm somewhere.

"Curfew immunity is great, but it's also why my friend back there ended up here, and why there are no good restaurants open this late," he said with a sigh. "You sure struck gold with me." He was not the greatest catch, always caught up in some mess or another. The weight of his business with the OEA briefly furrowed his brow with worry, but he quickly shrugged it off, returning to his regular cheeky smile. "I'll make it up to you."

"Look, I'm not here for some twisted fairy tale, and I'm definitely not your knight in shining armor. You want charming engagements, find yourself a prince, not a cop on duty." With whatever madness that was going around, he could assure it wouldn't be difficult to find. "To make it clear: I'm not a mall cop, and you're not a princess. How about we head to the hospital to get your mind checked for those delusions you seem to be having?"

His brow furrowed as if he was on some sort of prank show. "Occult Eradication Association. If you put your name to something like that, you either are a killer or you're supporting them. They are committing genocide on a global scale. That's not just a killer, that's a psychopath. Someone else may buy your bullshit, but like I said, I know exactly who you are. Don't give me your company line about 'we're not killers, we're saving people.' You've painted people I love as monsters, made people fear us, captured us, murdered us, and you have the audacity to stand there and preach about no justification for killing? That's all your people do."

It was excuses, and Briggs wouldn't hear it. "No one does," he snapped, knowing they grabbed these people from literal children. He knew it was tragic, but he also knew he couldn't trust the people they'd become. They were too far beyond help, too broken. "You didn't sign up, sure, but you're still chasing."

He smirked, shaking his head. "Protection? Yeah, I need a lot of protection from, oh what are they called--right, the OEA! Wait, that's you. Getting confronted with the truth gives me a headache too. Sorry about that."

"But could you live with yourself? On the off-chance I could be one of the good ones." Despite the skepticism, TJ was just asking for the benefit of the doubt, even as the chances of getting it were slim.

"I'm not doing any harm to your people—the only harm I'm doing is to myself." A sad reality, but the lack of faith people had in him, his boss always being on his case, and now the OEA trying to change him into something he was not.

"Statistically, I've been known to be very persuasive. I wasn;t captain of debate team for nothing." Nova said with a wink. There was an eye roll. "If the worthy cause involves an ice cream truck again I will expect a blue bunny." Nova said. "Page 128." She said.

"I'm a walking fire hazard." Nova teased back. There was a look on her face. "I tend to overthink things. Using statistics instead of my actual feelings. Rationalizing every bad thing that happens here in this town. And only recently stopped obessing over a seven year old case." Nova confessed. "Except for Nana- you are the third person i feel at ease with." Nova ssaid with a blush. "The second person is a very occupied guy." She said.

There was a glint in her eye. "The nurse can't fall for such great pick up lines." Nova held out her wrists. "Arrest me officer I am guilty of being a hopless nerd."

There was a genuine laugh accompanied by a snort. Something Nova tended to hice.

"I'll make sure to bring out the defibrilator." Nova reassured. "Unless you want Helga to do it." Nova teased with a smirk. "You better get some good rest." She said as she walked out the door. "Anneyong." Nova whispered.

2:40 am

Nova ran back in a different set of clothes. Of course around this hour someone would decide to smoke in the building- that someone was the same person calling her Nerdy Nagisa. And of course it set off the smoke alarm causing her to change.Nova ran into the room in her Kamen rider t-shirt and ripped jeans as well as a lab coat. Her wet tendrils cascades her face as quickly shook the other awake stifling a yawn.

"Rise and shine Officer, It's 2:40 am." She said.

"I was not sleeping," TJ grumbled as she shook him awake, attempting to maintain his tough cop facade. "I was going to try playing dead." He slowly opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on hers with a sly smirk. "But I thought you might whack me harder than the other guy did earlier." He chuckled, acknowledging the missed opportunity for a prank but realizing the hospital setting wasn't the place for such antics.

"It's time to go home, right?" TJ questioned, uncertain if it had been 12 hours since their last conversation or if there were still 12 hours remaining. Nevertheless, he was certain his brain was fine since he hadn't slipped into a coma or worse. "I mean, I'm going home." Why did he feel the need to clarify that? He paused briefly to think, and then added, "I can escort you home too." He considered the possibility that her father might have already shown up or was on his way but still offered, "I have a free pass on this curfew thing, so you can stay out of trouble if you're with me."

Juri winced in response. He really wished he turned the volume down on his hearing aids. "Cop!" He said raising his hands in surrender. The witch sighed as he looked for a moment-well this guy can't run. So he decided that his only way

"Not as much as this-" Juri said as he kicked the air to distract him and began to run to the building.

Training had honed his running skills, and while supernatural speed-runners posed a challenge, humans were a different story. TJ's eyes gleamed, "You better keep running because if I get my hands on you…" Without missing a beat, he launched into a full sprint, the chase underway.

If anyone knew how to get anger in proper check, it was Laine. His answers were making her think he really didn't understand his assignment. "A little squeamish to kill, are we? They killed ours, so the time will come when we kill them back. We just need answers first, so you better get your big boy pants on by the time that happens." He had so much to learn. That had been undersold. "It's just supernaturals. Ones who slaughter and maim poor helpless humans, it's honorable work. Just unappreciated. Sure you know all about being unappreciated?"

His boss might have put a spotlight on him, but did that make him deserving of this rodeo? He really didn't understand the assignment, sure, and he'd fight for his beliefs even if they didn't align with the OEA. Just because he overdid his own pursuit of personal justice didn't make him capable of actually killing someone. That was where he drew the line.

"I'll help you get answers, but beyond that? You're on your own - not interested in being your protegee. I don't see honorable work in deeming all people criminal because of their species, and sure, I'm unappreciated, but I wouldn't change it. You're not going to change it."

"Circus has a lot of different people, and y'all don't really like different, do ya? So not sure you'd like that any better than what you got right here."

"I was only asking for five, someone else already got your other five, but I think 3 is the serial killer quota, so I'll let you have it." Feigning shock, he pretended like he bought that. "Wow, my bad. Well, I guess you better take your speed drills home because it's curfew, and only OEA members are allowed out here unescorted. Kinda funny that you didn't look like you were on your way home." With a shrug, he added, "so yeah, not an assumption. You can't enforce a curfew if you're subjected to it. Not as dumb as I look, babe."

Taking a brief pause, he tried to sum it up. "Taking a life, regardless of the justification, doesn't put you in the right. It's just a cycle of horseshit. Let's say I do it for the bad things they've done, but what does that make me? There's no distinction in killing someone based on deservingness. Whether it's done with a tail, fangs, or you're dressed up like a damn clown or an OEA agent - they're all one and the same. A killer is just a killer."

"At the end of it all, I'm not one of those people." Sure, he caused his own issues, but going that far out of line? It's a ledge he didn't want to fall off. "I didn't sign up for this shit at the OEA." Who was he fooling - other than himself? "But sure - put me into that category."

"Look, I'm not a hired gun - if you want protection or whatever the fuck else, then let's talk, but right now, you're giving me a damn headache."

"The student has become the master." Nova said with an exageratted bow. "But statiscally the drop kick is the most effective- don't drop kick anyone though that's dangerous for you and the victim."

Nova felt herself be frazzled but surprised that TJ kept his grip on her arm. Nova found her eyes turning red. "I’m not being obtuse—you are a-cute guy." Nova shot back.

There was a sigh as well before snapped her fingers. "I will put the timer on my watch, I will see you approximately at 2:30 am." Nova said with a promise. She slowly let go of his hand but not before squeezing it gently. "I will cal-u-later?" Nova asked with a shy grin.

"Statistically, I don't always listen." The statistics in that were zero to none. "If I end up back here, you know it was for a worthy cause." He wouldn't pass on her being a worthy cause for him landing back in here.

"If your worst tendencies involve leaving your textbooks on the microwave, I'm in for a real treat." He teased. "But tell me more about those worst tendencies..."

But it seemed he'd have to wait for that for now. "Calling your patient cute? Now, that's dangerous territory." But he was equally guilty in this very moment.

"You'll see me; I'm going nowhere, and I might start flatlining because my heart..." It was too cheesy; he didn't want to finish that sentence. He'd get comfy knowing he'd be here for a while, and likely he would doze off until she returned.

"Yeah, let's see...OEA Cop at 123 Fuck Off Lane, and coffee and donuts. That close?" None of those details actually mattered to him. They were the hunters, though, with any luck, that would be changing soon.

"A few less OEA members? That's a lot of use to me. See, I've been thinking. It was five, right? Now, that's an odd number...seems a bit unlucky. If you take out another five, you'll have an even ten. Ten sounds way more worth the curfew than five in my non-professional opinion."

"With clowns like you around every corner, I might as well be working in a circus." The days grew impossibly longer dealing with such people.

"I'm sure ten sounds great if you're a serial killer, but I'm not. I have no interest in being one either. For now, you'll just have to do with one less OEA member because, despite your belief, I'm not. In my professional opinion, you should get your facts checked prior to assumptions."

Clicking his tongue, he replied, "you got it, chief, knock yourself out." Really. Thinking about it for a moment, weighing pros and cons of the invitation. "Here's my thing, though," he mused, "I say yes, I win. I mean, there's zero question. I tell you to knock off some of your compadres in the OEA because that's what I would like the loser to do, and you're obviously not going to do that. So then we're all liars, and everyone goes home very disappointed. Y'all ain't as subtle as you think over there in the police department, I know who you are. I know what you stand for. So wanna try again? When I win, what do I really get?"

"Do you know who I am? What's my name? What's my address? What do I eat for breakfast?" Hell, if the other knew, he'd be damn surprised and a little concerned.

"For the sake of pretense, I'll tell you what. I'll knock off some of my 'compadres" — he used his fingers as quotation marks. "What use is that to you anyway?"

Juri continued to stretch. "Maybe I should go for a run for it.Wouldn't want your weak lungs to hurt" The witch signed nonchantly. He smirked as he opened the apartment building door. "You first, mall cop."

"Let's get one thing clear." This guy really was testing his patience, so he raised his voice because if he was gonna keep being called a mall cop, he might as well yell like one. "I'm not a fucking mall cop." His boss had probably weighed the idea of demoting him to such a position, though. "Sorry, does that hurt your weak ears?"

Shaking her head, she shrugged before grabbing a used coffee cup. "People get ansty when there is a curfew, it's never actually that good of a tactic."

"I know we trained for a lot of unexpected scenarios, but I don't remember the dead returning being one of them. How do you arrest someone for murder when the victim returns to life once they're in the morgue? Probably attempted, but I just imagine lawyers are having a field day on that one." Everyone seemed to be in the same position, stuck in unknown territory.

"Have you been thrown in and over to OEA? Or is that just me? I apparently have no choice in the matter."

"You can go." It's not as if he was hindering her departure in any way.