Inspired to Pack Heat! (Muse)

Jorge stood silently and glanced at his watch once more. He really hoped that Sveta would be here on time. Seeing that no matter what she was going to be getting a gun, at least he could teach her the right way to use one. The last thing he, or his department, needed was another vigilante running around trying to make the world a “safer” place by burying bullets in any person who dared to look at them the wrong way. He simply would not allow that to happen on his watch. The girl had every right to defend herself, especially after what she’s gone through, but he hoped it would stay as defense…and nothing more.

Pushing himself off the wall again, the detective glanced down the sidewalk and immediately spied that mass of long blonde hair and the attire of someone simply trying to blend into a crowd. He couldn’t blame her. He only knew the girl for a few months and already he’s heard of her being kidnapped twice. After times like that, the only thing a person wants to do is melt into the background.

But he knew there was another reason for her attire. Barely any skin except for her face and neck were showing. She was trying to keep accidental contact with her skin to a minimum. He had to applaud her for being prepared. He would also do his best to not touch her skin. The last thing he needed would be to have his own abilities go completely out of his control. He didn’t know what that would entail, but he didn’t want to find out either.

Hopefully her life would not be like this forever. Deep down, he hoped that she would find that moment in her life where she could be at peace and left alone. But…only time would be able to tell. For now, he was going to teach and train her on her marksmanship…

>> "Good morning"

He greeted her with a friend, gruff smile and nodded his head. “Morning, Miss. I take it you’re ready for your first lesson? Good. Follow me.”

The man was dressed simply in his brown leather bomber jacket, dark blue jeans and a brown, buttoned up shirt underneath his jacket. His sneakers crunched the loose asphalt crumbs beneath his heels as he climbed the steps to the shop, opened the door and waited for the young lady to walk in.

Once she was in, Jorge took the lead. It was a good thing too because the store around them looked rather odd and easily confusing. There were shelves, all of which were packed with a multitude of different types of weaponry. All behind lock and key of course, but there were pistols, rifles, various types of bullets, sniper scopes, knives, any legal implement of harm that could be bought was on display in those shelves. And lining the walls were various poster and ads, all advertising military grade equipment or petitions written up by the NRA, or other various types of news that only the most dedicated would care to know.

Jorge didn’t usually care for shops like this. But…he had met the owner, Gary, and found him to be a fairly level headed guy. At least he was not some overly zealous, gun nut psycho that wanted over thrown the government or something. And from the background check, Jorge found that this place did an excellent job of screening their clientele before purchase. He liked them more and more every day.

The detective didn’t bother to drag Sveta along with him, but instead made a beeline for the counter where a much shorter, much rounder man was standing, going over receipts. When he approached, Jorge grinned as he rapt on the counter.

“Morning, Gary. I take it your well?”

“Haha, Cervantes! Of course I am! What can I do for your today?”

“I need one closed course, two rental pieces, if you may?”

“No problem!”

As the man turned around to gather the materials, Jorge turned back to see if Sveta was at his side. When she was, he nodded to her and finally decided to go at least a little into what they were going to do for the day.

“Okay, so I take it you’ve had very little experience with handguns. So…we’re going to start at the beginning. Wipe the slate clean. Trust me, it’ll be easier to work with you.” Gary returned and placed two black pieces, that looked like very real firearms onto the counter in front of Jorge. As he turned to sign them out, he continued to talk. “You’re going to have to get a feeling for the unwieldiness of a gun, to get your hands comfortable with it, and most of all, how to actually aim and shoot the thing.” He nodded his thanks to Gary as he picked up the two guns. And handed one over to her.

As soon as she touched it, Jorge knew she would feel the difference. These were slightly lighter, definitely not made of the heavy metal that real guns were made of. But the most important fact were the small splatters of paint that could be seen around the handle. Jorge arched a brow as he watched her.

“We’re starting off with paintball.” he announced. “Trust me. You’re going to shoot yourself. Better it be paint instead of a bullet.”

The look of relief on her face was priceless. Jorge could understand that, and he was a little relieved himself. Had Sveta showed any other kind of disappointment at not getting a gun in her hands right off the bat, that would have worried the man a little bit. Instead, though, it seemed as if a humongous weight had been taken off of her shoulders. The detective was thankful for that. The last thing he wanted was for her to get a little gun crazy and run off in a rampage through the streets of New York. She was a nice enough young woman and he would hate to have to have her on the wrong side of the law.

>> "Okay…Let's go."

A smirked crossed over Jorge’s face and the man nodded. A glance to Gary and the proprietor of the shop grinned as he handed Jorge the receipt and ticket for their closed course. Taking the ticket in hand, Jorge slipped it into his pocket before he moved on to lead Sveta towards the back.

“So, how are you doing these days?” he asked, trying to break some of the silence between them. “Besides, you know, the numerous kidnapping attempts.” He said this with a little lightness in his voice, trying to ease the tension just a tad.

It seemed that whenever he ran into this woman, it was always on some type of official business. Not that he really had much reason to meet with the young woman on a more casual basis. But he was a little worried for her well-being. The whole reason she wanted these lessons was so that she would feel safer, more able to take care of herself. But still…that did not mean that they could not talk or chat a little bit while they were in these session. It would help to alleviate some of her lingering fears about handling a gun.

After all, having a shaky trigger finger not exactly the best way to start things off.

As they moved down the hall, various sounds of gunshots could be heard as people squeezed off rounds in the targeting range. But these two would move past all that. Arriving at the end of another hall, lined with more posters that advertised various firearm related events, but mainly there were many listing for rules, regulations and safety tips that were all made in order to keep the clientele happy and above all, safe.

Arriving at a large, steel door that was labeled with a large “#4”, Jorge leaned down to a keypad that was attached to the door, punched in a code that was printed on his receipt and proceeded to open it for his latest trainee.

“Okay, so we’re going to get you used to weight of that paintball gun in your hand. As we move on, I’ll gradually give you other guns that weigh just a bit more and more until you’ve grown comfortable enough to handle the weight of a real one,” he said in a very teacher-like voice. “But first, have you had much experience with firearms? Any experience at all?”

The room they stood in was deceptively large. This was a second of the shop that was used primarily for paintball practice and games. In this room, it was the size of a dance studio with shooting gallery off to one side and a mini course that contained a plethora of hidden surprises (cardboard cutouts, bells, and various kinds of targets) all aimed towards teaching the running how to react and shoot under pressure. The walls were tall and the aftermath of many a paintball match could be seen at various spots about the walls and the course. It was apparent that this was a fairly active place.

Jorge glanced at the woman as he began to breakdown what they would be starting with.

Well she indeed seemed to be listening to him rather intently. Jorge watched her the entire time he was explaining what their plan was going to be concerning the gun and the various weight differences. Sveta said nothing and merely nodded in understanding at everything that he said. Jorge took this as a good sign that she was actually going to be allowed to be taught inside of just trying to get her hands on a gun. With that notion in mind, the police officer breathed a sigh of relief and began to calm at the prospects of teaching the young woman.

>> "A little…One guy at MRC showed me how to hold one and stuff. But not much. He was not really happy to teach me…”

“Really?” Jorge asked with an arched eyebrow.

He would make sure to get that man’s name later. If there was one thing that an officer never should do is to just hand over a gun into someone else’s hand, especially if is just for showing off. Though Jorge didn’t know the true context of the situation, he had little doubt that it was some rookie trying to get the girl’s attentions. And even if that was not the case, the man would still be in trouble.

But for now, he let the idea drop. He had a pupil and she came here to learn.

She seemed to be inspecting the gun closely before she finally turned her attentions back onto him. The tone her voice took next was deadly serious…

>> “Just make sure you do not touch me, okay? Not even through the clothes. I don't want more trouble."

The detective chuckled as he held up his hands in a defensive manner. “Trust me, you’ve got my attention before. I know what you can do. The last thing I want is to make either of us uncomfortable with something like that. So,” he said as he picked up his own paintball gun, “I just want you copy my stance the best you can and listen. You’ll be fine.”

Jorge unzipped his jacket, folded it up as he led her towards the shooting gallery. It was a large stand that had a small counter to provide a set distance. As he stepped up to it, he set his jacket on the side and glanced to her before he reached behind the counter and pulled out a pair of goggles. They didn’t need paint to splatter back into their eyes. Slipping his own goggles on, he turned handed one over to Sveta.

“Now, before you start shooting, show me how you hold a gun.”

Gun in her hand, Jorge watched as the young lady moved herself into a shooting stance. She had some of the basics down, but from the look of her it looked as if she had seen one too many movies. Unfortunately movie and television cops have this idea that you need to be utterly rigid when holding a gun out in front of them, but that really was not the right way to do anything. He tilted his head a bit as he looked her over, making mental notes on what she needed to work on and how to adjust her stance. She was only a few inches shorter than him but while he had a more top heavy frame, she had a thin and athletic frame all over. She would need to ground herself better…

Of course all this would help if he actually said them outloud. The detective was a fairly good teacher and if anyone could get her shooting form…it was him.

>> "Umm... is dis right?"

“Not bad,” Jorge said with a nod as he walked around her. “But, you need to strengthen your legs a little more and loosen your arms a bit. Here,” he said as he picked up his own paintball gun. “Watch me.”

Jorge moved into position next to her, but being careful to not touch her. Still though, despite this precaution, he could feel some small effect of her powers. He felt like he had just had a couple cups of coffee, like he was buzzed and bustling with energy. He definitely was not going to be sleeping right now. The girl had told him that being around her would be energizing but he didn’t think it would affect him so quickly. This added to his promise that he would not even come close to touching her. He was having difficulty still with his own growing abilities, he didn’t need to add her power boost to the mix.

“Alright,” he said as he got into position. “Just mirror me.”

Gun held firmly in his hands, he stood with his feet shoulder width apart and gently pulled one foot back a couple of inches and put a slight bend at his knees. This gave him a slight bounce but after he did this, he raised his arm, which also looked just slightly loose at the elbows. But even with this loose look, his hands firmly held the gun and pointed it ahead at the shoot gallery.

“Gun’s do have kick back,” he explained to her. “But if you make yourself too rigid, it will be too easy knock yourself off balance, or for you to trip over yourself. The key is that you need to been yourself malleable. You need to be able to adjust. So,” he nodded down to his legs. “You keep your legs slightly apart and bent so that you are bendable but still grounded and you keep your arms,” he raised the gun again, “loose so that you can adjust and still hold the weapon firmly ahead of you. That way…” he squeezed the trigger twice…

Fuump! Splat!! Fummp! Splat!![/b]

In front of them, in the shoot gallery, the brightly painted red and white target that was a good few feet away, had two fresh splats of blue paint directly in the center of the bullseye.

“…you aim and fire at your target with maximum efficiency and comfort. You don’t want to fatigue yourself by keeping your entire body as rigid as a block of wood. That’s counter-productive.” he said as he moved back into a standing stance and turned to her. “You’re turn.”

Once he had pulled the trigger, he saw Sveta jump twice as she stood next to him. This guns were not as loud as real guns, but still, if you were not prepared for the sudden sound then yes, it could easily startle someone who was unprepared.

He holstered the gun and turned back to see that she was regaining her composure. She had so far been very interested in everything that he was saying. She listened to him intently, she drew from his knowledge and she did seem to mimic his stance very well. It was obvious that the girl was a novice when it came to guns, but she was picking up his training rather quickly. That was all the better for him. He knew that no matter what she was going to grab something to defend herself with, he was only glad that she would at least be getting some sort of training beforehand.

And so she decided to take a stab at it.

Jorge stepped back and watched as Sveta reclaimed the position he had originally shone her. She had the bend in her knees, the separated stance, the loose arms, the strong grip…all in all she had done rather well. At least it would have been good if not for the fact that she pulled the trigger.

BAM!![/b]

An arched brow and he watched as he Sveta stumbled back half a step, looking just as surprised as she did when she heard him fire. Jorge half-attempted to leaned forward to catch her should she fall, but remembering her warning, and seeing that she was fine, he did not. Instead he straightened himself up as she moved back into position and gave him a truly and deeply apologetic look.

>> "Oops."

Jorge smirked a little and shook his head. “That’s fine. At least it wasn’t a real bullet.” He could only imagine how that kickback would have knocked her off balance. But as he turned to look back at the wall she fired at, he saw that not one single splatter of paint had struck the target. Instead, as he turned his gaze off to the side, he noticed that the paint had at least struck the wall. “Well…that’s progress,” he mused.

The experienced detective took the stance again and held up his gun to show Sveta. She made a common mistake that many people make the first time they handle a gun. She pulled the trigger…you never pull the trigger. It weakens one’s hold on the gun and, again, draws more unnecessary energy.

“Look,” he said as he showed her his paintball gun, “I’ll show you how to properly hold and fire the gun. Now, wrap your fingers around the handle, keep your trigger finger on the side of the barrel until you’re ready to fire.” he showed her his example and once more put a slight bend in his knees as he took firing position. As he did so, he raised his other hand. “Next, you’re going to take your other hand and wrap your fingers over your gun hand like so. This will provide a stable grip.” He turned his hands to show her just how firm a grip he had on the gun. “Once you got this, get back into your firing position and I want you to aim, take a breath, and squeeze, not pull, the trigger when you feel comfortable.” he emphasized that last part to show her that there was no rush here. He would show her the right way to do this…as long as it took…

Jorge stepped back once again and allowed Sveta as much space as she would need to feel comfortable. One of the things that new people needed when they handled guns was to be allowed plenty of space. Holding a weapon like that in their hand, they can easily feel crowded and that draws their focus away from task at hand. And while this was only a paintball gun and not a real gun, Jorge was sure that she was taking it as seriously as if it were a real gun. That worked out perfectly in the detective’s opinion. The more seriously she took this situation the better.

Silently he watched, she took his advice; she returned to the stance, she kept herself loose yet strong, and the whole time she aimed and breathed deeply. The seconds seemed like minutes, not because he was bored but because he was anxious to see how she would do this time around. Hopefully she wouldn’t be knocked back onto her butt…

>> BAM.

>> BAM.

She squeezed the trigger twice with only a few seconds of breath in between. Jorge smirked a little as he watched her take the shots. She had indeed listened to everything that he had said and the end result was well worth it. He took a step back next to her and looked out over to the shooting gallery at her handiwork…

She missed…

But at least she was getting closer to the target. Jorge tried to appraise the situation. Maybe she was closing her eyes right before she squeezed the trigger. Some people when they figured a gun closed their eyes in anticipation of either the kickback or the noise or the sight of the muzzle flash. That normally caused them to momentarily lose their target and miss. Then again, Sveta was new at this, so maybe she was simply a bad shot. Either way, she was still workable with.

He nodded as he looked over at the target that was slowly getting splattered with more paint.

“Nice work. We are definitely making some progress,” he smirked as he glanced back to her. “Okay, I want you to try that again, this time, keep your eyes open and focused directly at the target. Think back to how you were aiming before and use that information to help you adjust your targeting.”

Jorge silently watched her and waited for her to make her next shot. So far she had only squeezed the trigger three times. This session of theirs would not be ending anytime soon. She wanted to learn and if she wanted to learn right, then he was going to have to subject her to the same rigorous training that he had to go through when he was at the academy. Well…not exactly the same but it would be close enough. Suffice it to say that she would not be leaving the room until she hit that bullseye at least once.

Once she was done taking another shot, Jorge attempted to strike up more conversation with her. She was here to learn how to defend herself and that made him wonder…did she even know how to fight? Sometimes a person could not entirely rely on a gun. Sometimes a good fist to the jaw or knee to the gut would have to be the appropriate alternative.

“Sveta,” he asked once she had finished her shot. “Do you mind if I ask you something?” He cleared his throat as he set his gun on the counter and stuffed his hands back into his jean pockets. “Do you have any training in actual hand-to-and fighting? Because, if not, I’ve trained some youths in boxing before. I wouldn’t mind teaching you that if you want to learn. After all…sometimes guns are not always available.”