Chapter Text
During the years of prison interrogation, Victor Vale only met one person that was in any way interesting.
One day he was left out and escorted into an interrogation room when a man who couldn't have been that much older then himself, maybe early 30s, was sitting at the table, reading what Victor assumes is his file. After the guard has cuffed him to the table and they are alone, there is a short silence before the cop looks at Victor and speaks.
"I'm Detective Nathan Wuornos from Haven PD. I'm here to ask you some questions. Do you mind if I record this?"
Victor smiles, "Fine by me."
While Nathan sets up the equipment, Victor tastes his last name in his mouth. "Wuornos, Wuornos, where have I heard that before. Oh, yes. Any relation to Aileen?"
Nathan just shrugs. A part of Victor is annoyed at that. He enjoys getting a rise out of people, and you'd think reminding a cop of a serial killer relative would give him something. It's been a while since he's really had a chance to try his power on a person he can see, so he gently concentrates on the, for a lack of a better word, "aura" around Nathan, making the atmosphere just a little bit uncomfortable, just a hint of pain in the air.
"You're outside of your jurisdiction," Victor points out. There's no 'Haven' in this state, although Nathan hasn't spoken enough for Victor to pinpoint his accent.
"Sometimes people help each other out, and jurisdiction can be granted," Nathan says. At least that's comfirmed. Curious situation.
"Is Detective Stell still trying to convince people I have supernatural powers and that's how I landed here?" Victor puts on his most put upon voice, making the whole idea sound ridiculous.
"I'm just here because I was told to come."
Nathan does have a good poker face. He shows no hint of being affected, even subconsciously by the pain in the air and he's not rising to his bait.
"So, you don't know anything about this? You're just here for a chat?"
Nathan sighs, "I'm not here to talk about 'EOs'. I don't believe in them."
Finally, a reaction. Victor has been in isolation a long time, so he takes his joys where he can. But something finally hits him. Nathan still shows no physical signs of reacting to his power. He nudges the dial up just a bit.
"I'm sure you've read my file. There was no mention of this silly idea?"
"There was nothing I have to worry about."
Victor can't help his slight surprise, "How come?"
"I have periodical idiopathic neuropathy."
Victor was enough of a pre-med that he understands the jargon. Fascinating. "Your nervous system doesn't function correctly? How?"
"Can't feel anything."
"It's not congenital insensitivity to pain?"
"It's not just pain, and it's not congenital. It comes and goes."
"You have to show me," Victor says with a little too much enthusiasm. Maybe this a new EO. Even if it isn't, it sounds fascinating.
Nathan takes a moment to examine Victor. It makes Victor realize that he is possibly calculating whether this show will lead to Victor being more talkative. Victor won't deny that he is interested, and it might work.
Nathan makes a decision, "They didn't even let me bring a pen so..." Nathan puts his hand on the table and starts to pull back his pinky finger.
The pain Victor senses in the air is different than he's used to. It's unconnected. Looking at Nathan's face, he understands why. Nathan's face registers no pain, no sensation, even though Victor thinks they are only moments from hearing a crack of a dislocated finger. When Nathan stops, his pinky doesn't lay down with the rest of his fingers.
Victor and Nathan look at each other. Nathan registers no pain, no discomfort. Victor doesn't hide his fascination. Which is good, because it hides his other feelings. Victor thinks about when he first got his power. Shutting down his nerves, cutting himself off from the pain, from everything. How empty and inhumane he felt. How does one live like that?
"Cool trick," Victor's voice has turned nonchalant.
"Yeah, it's a lot of fun," Nathan's voice on the other hand is full of sarcasm.
"How did you get it?"
Now, both of them are openly examining each other. Maybe Nathan really is an EO. Maybe there are more than one type.
Nathan's tone changes into rote listing of fact. With his condition, he must have met a lot of doctors. "Childhood accident the first time. It's been back about a year."
"Back?" Victor is surprised. Could an EO disappear like that for decades? But not a normal medical condition wouldn't do that either.
"Yes. I was normal. Then it came back."
"Was there an NDE?"
"NDE? A near death experince? No. Why?"
Can't be an EO then. Or then, the definition needs to be updated. Victor tries to not sound too bitter when he continues, "That was the going theory that Eli Cardale proposed. NDEs bring about superpowersm Of course, there are no EOs, so the theory is defunct."
"Hm. Of course." Nathan doesn't sound convinced.
"Are you here to see whether I can make you feel pain?" If Victor had no control over what he feels and what he doesn't, he might be compelled to search for someone like himself. He doesn't really think about the fact that he outed his power, if the file really didn't mention any theories. They never did manage to proof he was an EO. Otherwise he'd be dead.
Nathan's demenor changes and the 'small talk' proportion of the interview seems to be done.
"I'm here to ask you how Angie Knight died."
Victor knows his face registers no reaction. He's had years to deal with the fate he unwittingly gave Angie. It's been years though since he's let himself think of her. Despite his parents, or because of them, Victor has never really been good with feelings. Feelings about Angie's death were particularly difficult to parse through. He wasn't sure he knew what he felt for her when she was alive, and now... he prefers not to think of her.
"I was found guilty in court of law. It's why I'm here. What more is there to know?"
"Someone with connections contacted my department, my Chief said I should come talk to you."
"You weren't given a reason?"
"You claimed innocense. You might get into gen pop if you show some remorse."
"Why did they ask you?" The whole situation is starting to become more clear.
Nathan leans towards him on the table, "Because there's nothing you can do to me."
Victor considers this. He does worry his powers will stagnate if he doesn't manage to widen his reach. And sometimes, the isolation does get to him too.
"I do regret what happened to Angie," he starts. He does miss her, and wishes she hadn't had to pay the price she did for helping him.
Nathan just looks at him, quietly examining him.
"I went to a party, got into a fight with Eli, and I called Angie to get me. She had a project due, so we went to her lab, where that terrible accident happened. She died. I called Eli first, because I was in shock. I went home, and Eli shot me. He was jealous of me and Angie."
That final line is the most egrerious lie. Eli never thought Victor could get Angie. Victor's not even sure Eli cared enough about Angie to care whether that was a possibility. (Not that Angie ever wanted Victor, which was maybe for the best because Victor didn't quite know how he wanted her)
Nathan flinches a bit when Victor mentions Eli shooting him. Victor must not be the only one with a complicated best friend relationship.
"Then I woke up in the hospital, went to trial, was convicted and now I'm here."
"You still claim Angie Knight's death was an accident she caused?"
Victor pauses for emphasis, before looking at Nathan with a cospirational smile, "How else could she have died? Superpowers or EOs don't exist."
"Right..." Nathan says thoughtfully. "I think this is it."
Nathan takes the file and goes to the door to yell at the guard.
Victor doesn't know if this accomplished anything. He looks at Nathan's back, down at the hand with the still unsettled pinky and zooms into it's pain. It's there but different, weak, disconnected. He turns it off.
It's like Nathan remembered the finger at the same time, looks down at it and shakes his hand. His finger is better again, whether Nathan call tell it or not.
Nathan nods at Victor before he leaves without exchanging another word.
For a moment Victor is alone. Nathan seems to be a relatively functioning person despite his condition, whatever it is. If he could, Victor would make a note of it for the future. The neuvous system is a fascinating thing. Maybe Victor should practice with himself some more.