"Then, follow me." Ashton said.

Desks skipped by at lightspeed as he hurried from Point A to Point B, just fast enough Quin couldn't easily keep up. He stopped at his desk, reached into a drawer, and got his firearm. Then, he slid it into his shoulder holster and fanned his coat to cover things up. He made sure his badge was fastened to his belt, then grabbed his (now-cold) coffee. Passing it to Quin as he passed, Ashton made a beeline for the exit.

"My car's in the garage." He stated the obvious. Then, led the way.

His car was a black Ford Taurus of relatively new make. Beautiful, for a detective's ride. Better than a squad car. They'd need a squad car eventually, for the crooks, but hey. That was what backup was for. He opened all the doors with an electronic key, then slid behind the wheel.

Quin had to struggle a little bit to keep up, she wasn’t used to running in a room full of desks. Several bumped knees, apologetic looks, and a couple of glares later, she came up even with Detective Drake (yes...the empahsis was back on the title) just in time to get handed a cup of coffee.

”What the hell do I look like? A barista?” she grumbled, hopefully loud enough to hear as she followed her superior officer from the room and down towards the garage.

The car door opened and Quin slipped into the passenger seat, depositing the cup into the cup holder and pulling on her seat belt.

“ So what’s the call?” she asked, then cursed as something occurred to her. ”I don’t suppose you’ve got any vests in your trunk? Do you?” Way to go newbie. Way to go.

The trunk popped open. Ashton glanced over his shoulder, towards the back of the vehicle. "Check." He said. "I'll fill you in when you get back."

In the trunk of the car was a single kevlar vest. Ashton's. He wasn't currently wearing it. Desk work usually didn't demand dodging bullets, or taking them.

His eyes dropped to the cold coffee cup. "..." Ashton stared. Somehow, he'd thought he could sell her on it. It looked like she hadn't taken the subtle hint. With a sigh, Ashton finished the cup off. He made a bitter face and held the empty cup away from him, shaking his head. "Cold." He muttered. It had probably been for the best. Cold coffee was a tough sell.

Oh good. Quin thought, slipping out of the car and moving quickly to check the popped trunk. Thank God, she thought, pulling the vest from the trunk and moving to slip back into the passenger seat.

”Thank goodness. I never leave the station without one of these.” It wasn’t for the reason that Detective Drake was going to think, and she wouldn’t explain any further unless he asked.

”So, I’m back. Fill me in on the call.” she said, re-hooking her seatbelt and reaching back to put her hair in a full pony tail. Looking good was one thing, going on the job was another.

"Bank robbery," Ashton said,turning towards Archer. He raised an eyebrow. She had chosen to wear his vest, after all. How... considerate. "That thing fit okay?" He drawled.

He hoped it did. It certainly wasn't going to be doing its job protecting him at the scene. The least it could do was protect someone else.

The key clicked in the lock. Shifting gears, Ashton backed out and turned the car towards the exit. The bank wasn't too long a drive away. They'd have to go fast.

Ahhh a bank robbery. Quin had worked a few of those in the two years she’d worked for the NYPD.

”Ahhhhh, the lowest common denominator in urban crime. When will they learn that bank robbers always get caught?”

As to the rest of what he’d said. Quin looked out at him out of the corner of her eye, then down at the vest, that was obviously going to be too big.

”Probably not…but it will.” she said with a grin.

"Oh, will it?" Ashton asked, skepticism and disinterest weighing down his words. "Why's that? You don't inflate like a balloon, do you?" Because that would be quite the waste. And quite the waist.

It was a good thing everyone was buckled up. The car exited the garage, and hit quite a bit over the speed limit. Ashton lit the sirens as they sped by a mother and her rainbow vomit pink baby carriage.

"I suppose it makes sense," He added, matter-of-factly. "Mutants, working for MRC. Certainly makes it harder for mutants to get away free."

Quin laughed while Detective Drake made his guesses as to why the vest would fit her. Yeah, so wrong. They hit light speed near the entrance of the parking garage and Quin was suddenly thankful the car had an ‘oh shit’ bar for her to hold on to while they moved. Obviously, they’d be there in no time.

”I’d show you right now, but I don’t think you need any help killing us with this vehicle. Pay attention when we get there and I’ll explain more later.”

He made one correct guess, and Quin nodded her head, ”Damn straight.” she agreed, ”And I’m not an idiot in a costume being an idiot and screwing everything up.” Maybe it was obvious how she felt about the local vigilantes…maybe not.

>>”I’d show you right now, but I don’t think you need any help killing us with this vehicle. Pay attention when we get there and I’ll explain more later.”

"'Kay," Ashton said. "And hey." He'd caught that. He glanced towards her defensively. "I drive fine. Just like Han Solo..."

And just like Han Solo, they were well-equipped to race in and save the day. Nobody'd escape that sort of schtick. Archer agreed. She raised him idiots in costumes.

"Good lord." Ashton muttered. "You haven't seen the freak show, yet. Always barging in when they aren't needed... throwing themselves in harm's way. Extends to powerless whimpering lawyers, too... or other people." His eyes shifted while he was driving. Had he just gotten personal? Did it matter?

Apparently Detective Drake felt the same way about the local mutant freak show that she did. Quin nodded her head, eyebrows raising as he spoke. ”Yeah…they’ve broken in on a couple of busts I was involved with.” She shook her head, ”They bust things up, they get in harms way…and they don’t think about silly things like warrants or Miranda rights.”

She was on a roll now, and what was that he’d said before?

”Also, the fact that you just compared yourself to Han Solo, encourages me to think I should make you pull over and take the keys because you’re either drunk or delusional.” Had she just said that? Quin winced in the passenger seat, ”Sorry. That was rude.”

Ashton's grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"Obviously, you aren't familiar with Star Wars." He packed a punch behind the two words with a dark look, made a hasty turn at a light. Slowed down, just long enough to look at her, eyes narrowed. "Parsecs."

"Parsecs?" Quin asked, skeptically.

Ashton sped up, and took another shortcut. As he went, he lectured her. "It's not a measure of speed. It's distance. Doing the run in the shortest," The bank loomed in the distance. "Length." Ashton finished, making the turn.

He pulled into the parking lot, smoothly and safely. Some squad cars and riot police were already stationed around the area, ready for action. Ashton parked the car with a sigh. "The costumed crowd think they can do it that way. Shortcuts. But." He looked at Quin, grin broad. "They aren't Han Solo, like us."

His seatbelt spun back on itself, into its hole. Ashton got out the door, pocketing his keys. "Coming, Archer?" He asked, ready to go.

There were parsecs and shortcuts, and all kinds of stuff like that. Quin tried to follow along, and failed miserably. Sure she’d seen Star Wars, she’d seen in a few different times, but she hadn’t memorized it, or figured out how to use the units of measure that were in the movie.

What Detective Drake said made sense though, he also knew the streets. He knew the streets really well. Quin was impressed, she’d have admitted it if she’d been asked. He also handled the car like a pro, despite her previous comments. This guy knew his stuff.

They pulled into the bank parking lot, and as they got out of the car, Quin realized something. “Where’s your vest?” she asked, noting that she’d only seen one in the car. Listening, but not waiting for his answer, and remembering her promise for a demonstration, she winced in apology at her partner and tore down the seam on the side of the vest he’d let her borrow.

There wasn’t time to pull off her jacket and shoulder holster to make space for the thing, so Quin just concentrated on the Kevlar inside the vest. She’d felt it singing to her from inside its fabric casing the second she’d picked the thing up. It only took a few moments, and the Kevlar inside had removed itself, leaving an empty shell behind as it molded itself into place under Quin’s jacket and holster and over her shirt, it was one piece, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it falling off. There was extra, and she simply tossed it into the passenger seat she’d just vacated. Quin grinned at her partner.

”Not my prettiest work…but it’ll do in a pinch.”

>>“Where’s your vest?”

Ashton opened his mouth to answer. Then, she tore his vest open. His mouth promptly closed. It clamped tight.

The hell was she doing, messing with his stuff? That was his. He'd lent it to her. What kind of detective did she want to be? One who couldn't get a clue?

Ashton kept silent, throughout her entire demonstration. Her unwarranted, unasked for, demonstration.

What word started with 'demo' and ended 'ion'? Demolition. Yeah. That was more in line with what she'd done. The worst part? She was grinning about it, like a schoolgirl who'd just given the correct answer. It was the kind of grin that made some people shut up and forgive.

Ashton stared at her. "... that was my vest." He growled.

Ashton wasn't 'some people.'

That look on Ashton’s face...Detective Drake’s face. It was…not impressed. Quin’s smile faltered…then fell right off. He was pissed. This wasn’t fair. Okay…so that was his vest, but he’d said she could use it. She was using it the best way she knew how.

”I…I can fix it. I think.” she said, all teasing and showing off far from Quin’s mind. She’d screwed up. She’d really screwed up her first day on the job. This sucked…this more than sucked. Why had she gotten so egotistical? Pausing in her mental tirade, the redhead sucked it up and prepared to take her well deserved medicine.

“I’m sorry. I’m used to that being okay. It’s how I use them. I’ll replace it and this won’t happen again…sir.” Man…hopefully she could fix this mess.

"Let's handle this bank robbery," Ashton told her, through clenched teeth. He didn't wait for her. Apologies could come later. Making up, later. If possible. She'd screwed up. This was a crime scene, not a pristine lake. This was not the time or place for showboating.

He passed the cops who'd sealed the area off, flashing his badge. Ashton did not jerk his thumb back to jab towards Quin, to let them know she was with him. He did not acknowledge that she was even following him. He wasn't ready yet. Ashton ignored Quin as he stopped by the guy in charge of the operation.

"Fill me in," He said succinctly.

The balding officer opened his mustachioed mouth, and did.

"Five men in black ski masks entered the bank at 2PM. All of the same height and build. They threatened, then took hostages. They're after money. It looks like dopplegangers." He waggled his mustache in satisfaction at his comment.

Ashton rolled his eyes towards the bank with a sigh. "Clones," He muttered.

"Sorry?" The man asked.

Ashton snapped back to him, glaring. "Clones. Dopplegangers are evil twins. It sounds like they're all evil. Learn your vocabulary better, officer. Thank you. I'll take it from here."