Archive of Our Own ^beta

It’s been less than a week since Captain McGintley retired but already everyone is speculating about the new captain. Jake’s sure he’s not going to be nearly as chill as McGintley was, and while he is kind of curious, he’s also so not looking forward to the whole introduction-thing that’s going to happen when the new guy arrives.

There’s always that moment whenever Jake has to explain his quirklessness to a fellow officer when he finds himself on the receiving end of the look. Sudden disinterest mixed with vague pity. The ‘Huh, wow, you don’t have a quirk, so you’re super weak and kind of useless’ look. It stinks.

Ever since he was a little kid, Jake wanted nothing more than to become a super cop. A police officer with a powerful quirk, fighting evil villains, protecting innocent civilians, and saving the day. But all it took to crush that dream was his first day of kindergarten. The other kids had cool quirks. For their first hour together, everyone got to show off while the teacher cheered them on, and when they asked him what he could do and he stretched out his hands, closed his eyes, and wished that this time something amazing would happen, it all fell apart.

“That’s okay, Jake,” Miss Melwick said, “Not everyone has a quirk. You know, we are all special in our own way.”

Even back then Jake had known that was bullshit. Special in your own way translated to less special, or, you know, not special at all.

*
“Hey,” Rosa says as she strides into the bullpen, “I just heard our new captain’s a mind reader.”

She just drops that bomb and keeps on walking while Santiago freaks out.

“Wait, Rosa? What?” Amy jumps up from her chair. “He’s what?”

“A telepath. Heard some uniforms gossiping about it on the elevator.”

Amy lets out a weird borderline hysterical snort-giggle. “That can’t be true. I mean, with that kind of quirk you would be CIA.”

“Yeah, they said he might have been at some point.”

“What?! Rosa, you can’t just spread rumors like that!”

Rosa shrugs as she plops down into her chair. “I’m not spreading any rumors. I’m just telling you what I heard.”

“Yeah, Amy, get it together,” Gina chimes in. 

Jake rolls his eyes. It’s not that seeing Santiago all wound up isn’t kind of fun, but this story is ridiculous. Mind reading? That’s a super rare mental quirk. The government would be all over someone like that and no way are they getting some cool ex-CIA CO. 

“Relax, Santiago,” he says, “he’s going to be just another washed-up pencil pusher who’s only concerned with following every rule in the patrol guide.” This is the perfect moment to do his awesome robot impression, so Jake goes, “Meep, morp, zeep, robot captain engage.” He adds some really inspired arm movements too.

“Is that what you think?” comes an unfamiliar voice all of a sudden.

Jake turns around and finds himself staring up at the new captain.

He’s tall, middle-aged, black. His eyes are super intense and the way he is looking at Jake, his unfaltering, slightly heavy-lidded stare, does make Jake feel as though the new CO can see right through him.

Jake gulps.

This might not go great.

*

Sadly, Jake’s not wrong. After a brief but humiliating interaction with everyone staring at them, which ends with him being told to wear a tie, the captain heads for his office. He turns around in the doorway, facing them again, and announces, “Everyone, I’m your new commanding officer, Captain Ray Holt.”

Santiago, being a huge nerd, yells, “Speech!”

“That was my speech,” Holt replies, but then he hesitates and adds, “There is something else. You may or may not have heard about my quirk already. Either way, under the law, I am obligated to disclose it to you. If I so choose, I am able to hear the thoughts of anyone within ten feet of me. However, I assure you that I never use my quirk on the job since it would be an invasion of privacy and highly unethical. Also, I have very little interest in your thoughts.”

Santiago gasps. 

“That will be all,” Holt continues, ignoring Amy. “Sergeant Jeffords, a word?”

They all watch in stunned silence as Terry hurries after Holt.

*

“So, he’s a mind reader, that’s fun! Who wouldn’t want to have a boss who can hear your thoughts, am I right?” drawls Jake, still not really over the tie thing and now also pretty horrified.

“You heard him, he said he doesn’t use his quirk at work.” Santiago folds her arms across her chest and glares down at him as if, somehow, he’s at fault. “That man is going to be my mentor,” she declares.

“Hmmm, if I could read people’s minds, I would be blackmailing everybody,” says Gina. “Also, I would totally lie about not using my quirk, just sayin’.”

“Well, Gina, not everyone is like you,” Santiago shoots back,  all high and mighty.

“Okay. So I guess you all go through life not ever using your quirks, huh?” Gina makes a show of looking across the bullpen, at Charles, who, of course , is currently licking a screwdriver in a seriously obscene way, because his quirk is the ability to taste pretty much anything, including who or what touched the thing during the last twenty-four hours. Jake has to admit it’s a pretty useful quirk for a detective, but also like super gross.

Caught, Boyle puts the tool down. “Gina has a point,” he says guiltily. “I mean, can you imagine being able to mind read during an interrogation? I’ve always begged McGintley to let me lick my suspects. It would make things so much easier!” 

“Gross, Boyle,” drawls Rosa. She’s leaning back in her chair, legs stretched out under her desk. “Sure we use our quirks, it’s only natural. Captain better not be reading my mind, though.” Steel flashes in her eyes, literally. Although Jake’s known her since their academy days, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to how quickly she can produce a blade.

But also, for all them, he knows, their quirks are just parts of them. He couldn’t imagine Scully without his bottomless belly or Hitchcock without his disgusting ooze on which he sometimes slides through the bullpen or Gina without her scary ‘Ginaggestions’... It’s like trying to imagine Terry without his muscles.

And then there’s Jake who just has… nothing. 

He swallows against the lump suddenly forming in his throat.

It’s okay, he tells himself. It’s fine.

“Captain Holt seems so in control. I believe him. And I think I can learn a lot from him,” says Santiago.

“Please, you use your quirk more than anyone.” Gina rolls her eyes. “Ginaggestion: admit it, Amy.”

Jake cringes when Santiago’s eyes glaze over and she nods.

“You’re right, Gina, I admit it.” As soon as the words have left her mouth, Amy blinks. “Dammit, Gina, you know you’re not allowed to do this to people!”

“Sooorry, my bad, I was just making a point though. Quirks are fun! Well, at least mine is. Yours is kind of a weird bummer.”

“Excuse me, knowledge absorption is incredibly powerful! All I have to do is touch a book–”

“It would be amazing if it worked with the internet, but having to touch actual writing on paper? Please, Amy, it’s so last century I could cry.”

“It’s pretty good for doing my paperwork whenever she loses a bet against me,” Jake pipes up, just to say something and also maybe to see Santiago scowl which is a little cute. He’d never admit it, but he actually likes her dorky quirk. It’s just so her. “Plus, never having to read again, that’s the dream, am I right?”

“No, I love reading! Reading is fun! I mean I have to wear gloves when I go to the library or a bookstore, but–”

“Wow,” Rosa says, which is what they’re all thinking, Jake’s sure. Don’t have to be a mind reader to figure that out.

*

When Terry comes out of Holt’s office, they all congregate around him.

“He just wanted to get a feel for this place,” the sergeant says quickly, “he wants to do a good job, no need to worry.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Nothing much. The precinct. My quirk…”

“Sooo, Holt’s interested in super strength?” Jake teases because he can.

“You know that’s not my quirk. I wasn’t born with this! Terry works hard on his body!

“Okay, if you say so, Sarge…” Jokes aside, Jake’s feeling a little anxious. Terry probably filled Holt in on the trouble Terry’s been having with his quirk. Calming touch, he calls it. It’s pretty amazing, but it makes Terry absorb other people’s anxieties and they’ve been building up for a while now. Truth be told, the sarge is kind of a mess.

“Did you happen to tell him about me?” he asks, a queasy feeling in his stomach. He can’t really decide what he prefers. If Terry told Holt Jake’s quirkless, then at least it’s out of the way. Or maybe Holt is reading all their thoughts anyway and already knows everything there is to know about them. Well, then at least Jake could skip the awkward conversation.

“No, he’s going to want to talk to all of you guys individually,” Terry says.

Amy nods eagerly at the same time that Rosa lets out a groan and Jake drops into his chair, pretty unhappy.

*

“According to your file, you are quirkless.” Holt says, looking at Jake over the rim of his reading glasses.

“Sorry, am I supposed to talk or can we just do a mind-meld or something?” Jake asks with a little smirk to show just how unintimidated he is. “I feel like that would save a lot of time and effort.”

Holt closes the file and leans back in his chair. “I told you I don’t use my quirk on the job, detective. Do you not believe me?” He looks super serious.

Jake shrugs awkwardly, his smirk kind of slipping. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. It seems like such a useful power.”

“You do realize that a confession gleaned from the thoughts of a suspect cannot be submitted in court. Additionally, there are restrictions placed upon individuals with mental quirks such as myself. I am legally not allowed to use my power in the interrogation room.” Holt cocks his head, studying him for a second before continuing. “And, if my career in the NYPD has taught me anything, it is that I have nothing to gain from using my ability on my colleagues. In most cases, I was made aware of what they thought of me without ever having to resort to using my… gift.”

There’s a heaviness there that hits Jake like a freight train. That makes him feel guilty for thinking how much he would have given to have a quirk like Holt’s.

All his life, people must have been afraid of Holt. His quirk is scary. But it’s also really cool. It’s such a bummer to think that he never got to see it that way.

Jake wouldn’t admit this, but he’s not too great with words. Still, he’d like to communicate this somehow, so he drags a hand through his hair and says, “Sir, could you make an exception and read my mind right now?”

Holt peers at him for a second, his face unreadable, then, unexpectedly, the corner of his mouth twitches. 

“What exactly is a…Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?” he asks.

“Dammit, I was trying to focus on thinking how I’m not going to judge you because of your quirk if you’re not going to judge me for being quirkless.” 

“It’s a deal, detective,” says Holt, now almost close to something that might be called a smile.

“Good. Now, about those Ninja Turtles–”

“You are dismissed.,” Holt interrupts, and for the first time, Jake thinks that maybe this is going to work out after all.