>>“Okay, so…what you need is distance. I think I can help you there, besides just training you in using a gun, I mean. Alright. Until you get used to a gun and have proven that you can responsibly use one I’m going to suggest a couple things for you.”

Sveta watched curiously as he scribbled something. It was not like she had not thought of other options. She was not doing this whole training for the guns; she was doing it so she would not have to defend herself by boosting the enemy. She did not want to be helpless. But no matter how much she though about that, the most obvious choice was still a gun.
There were of course other projectiles, like throwing knives (not quite as effective) or darts (even less), and she even saw a kid practicing with bow and arrow on the Mansion grounds (now that would just look weird, whoever runs around shooting arrows in the 21st century?). She could just start carrying pepper spray in her purse, but the class of criminal that tended to come after her was well past the pepper spray quality. Bummer.

>>“These are deterrents you can legally carry with you until you get approved for your gun license. The TASER C2 is good for you to carry. Works as both taser with a 15 foot range and a stun gun in case someone gets too close. One squeeze of this and they’re going down. Now, Is a Pepper Mace Kubaton. Not large or heavy, but hard as hell and you hit someone in the ribs with you, you’re breaking one. On top of that, it had as a pepper spray/mace combo that gives you a good six foot range for up to 6 strong blasts. I suggest you start carrying these with you. After we’re done here, I’ll take you through Gary’s shop and show you. Now…back to your positioning and focus on that target.”

Sveta nodded and turned back to the target. This time, it took her a few seconds less before she fired the two shots, and they both hit the target, more or less. She waited, and breathed, and did it again. In the third round, one of the shots actually came close to the bullseye. Close-ish, at least.

"You know" she mused, lowering the gun and pushing the goggles to her forehead "It is not just about self defense. I have to protect myself dat is true; but dat is not all. I..." why am I telling you this? "... have been tinking a lot lately about what I want to do. You know, when I come here, I wanted to marry. But dat is not... really a career." she chuckled as she remembered "School and tings, I was tinking about becoming... someone. But den I realized, my powers do not go away. I can't be mutant part-time, and den be safe for the rest of de day. I will have to always protect myself, you know? I owe people dat much..." she bit her lips "... if I mess up, people get hurt, or die. So, I better not mess up." she looked down at the gun "I do not want to be a superhero. I just... want to do more dan just hiding and protecting myself."

It took a few more tries but she was finally started to get the rhythm and the hang of it. A couple more misses but eventually she managed to creep closer and closer to the bullseye at the center of that target. Each inch she got closer, Jorge could see the satisfaction and the determination on her face. She was going to be just as dedicated to learning as he was to teaching her. Again he had to admit that all this was a good sign.

But if he wanted proof that this was something she wanted, no, needed to do, then it came with her next speech…

>> "You know…It is not just about self defense. I have to protect myself dat is true; but dat is not all. I... have been tinking a lot lately about what I want to do. You know, when I come here, I wanted to marry. But dat is not... really a career. School and tings, I was tinking about becoming... someone. But den I realized, my powers do not go away. I can't be mutant part-time, and den be safe for the rest of de day. I will have to always protect myself, you know? I owe people dat much... if I mess up, people get hurt, or die. So, I better not mess up…I do not want to be a superhero. I just... want to do more dan just hiding and protecting myself."

Jorge was quiet throughout the whole time she spoke and did what was subconsciously asked of him to do…listen. Here this woman was telling him something that more than likely few people really knew. She was having doubts, questions about her future and what she could do. It was obvious that this extended far beyond just her needing to keep herself self. She was thinking long term. She was worried about what she was going to do the rest of her life, not just through the end of the month or even the year. She was thinking far ahead and that can be scary for anyone, especially someone in her predicament.

The detective knew that powers could evolve. His had evolved, after all. But would Sveta’s? Would her mutation ever give her the chance to actually turn her power off and on? He didn’t know, as a matter of fact, he doubted it. There was no sense getting hopes up like that, only to have them dashed away ten or twenty years from now when she is still giving everyone around her a coffee buzz.

But he smiled, albeit sadly, but smiled none the less. At least she had not succumb to a crumbling depression and she was attempting to take some kind of control. He finally nodded.

“You should be a cop” he said with a tone that could not be deciphered as joking or serious. “Trust me, you already have the mentality of one.”

>>“You should be a cop. Trust me, you already have the mentality of one.”

Sveta blinked. Jorge sounded serious about this, and at the same time, he sounded like he was joking. She couldn't decide which one it was.

"Me? A cop?" she smiled - it was not really a cheerful smile, but it was not a smirk either, just like his tone "I am here on a student visa."

As if that was the biggest problem with this idea.
Being a cop was not exactly staying out of trouble. Quite the opposite, actually. And if you were a cop who worked with mutants, like Jorge...
Could I even legally be a cop?...

Do I want to be a cop?

"Sure I could be a secret agent too" she chuckled, clearly joking this time "I already speak Russian, so..."

>> "Me? A cop? I am here on a student visa."

Jorge smirked. Okay, so maybe it was not the best idea in the world. After all, Sveta was trying to keep out of danger, as well as keep the people she cared about out of danger. Being a cop was not exactly the safest occupation in the world. After all, how many times had his own life been threatened because of his career choice? What about Gemma? An exact example of that happened him almost a year ago when, while on a date, a mutant he had put away came back and nearly slaughtered the both of them for revenge.

Yes, if Sveta wanted to stay out of the limelight but still be able to help people, that would probably require a more of a defending/healing role rather than actively putting herself out into danger and risking everyone she knew and cared about.

But despite the stump in the thoughts of her future occupations, Jorge knew that there was always hope. Through everything she will find that nitch where she belongs, that job, calling, path of life that she was always meant for. It would just take time and it will come when she least expects it to. At least that was always his view when it came to things like this.

>> "Sure I could be a secret agent too…I already speak Russian, so..."

For the first time Jorge actually laughed. He had to admit that she had a point. She was gaining some firing skills and she did have the accent and other language down. All she needed was some handsome daredevil partner in a tuxedo and a bunch of gadgets.

Shaking his head he nodded to her gun.

“Take aim and fire again, 007.” he said with a smirk. “By the time you leave here you’ll be hitting that bullseye dead center.”

Jorge laughed, and Sveta laughed with him. It felt good, laughing. Especially with paintball guns and nothing particularly funny to laugh about. She enjoyed his company; he listened, and did not talk much, but she still felt like understood, and that mattered a lot.

>>“Take aim and fire again, 007. By the time you leave here you’ll be hitting that bullseye dead center.”

"Yes sir" she said, putting the goggles back on, and turning back to the target. She was determined not to leave until she hit the bullseye.

It took her another ten rounds to finally do so.
But it was worth it.