The Half-Blood Giant

Chapter 46: Jail

Hunter sprawled out in the backseat of the police cruiser with a smug look on his face. He wasn't worried in the least. With his magic, he could escape any cuffs or jail cell with ease. He noticed Ray was glancing at him in the rearview mirror and smirked at him. He didn't believe he had done anything wrong. Humans were his natural prey, fit to be eaten by an apex predator like him.

Joey stayed outside with Eren, hugging her against his chest until the flow of tears waned. When her sobs had subdued enough for her to talk, Joey asked her gently, "Eren, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"N-no..." Eren hiccupped. "J-Joey, I can't do this anymore, I just can't..." A fresh burst of tears streamed down her face. "I tried so hard, but I can't... it's too much..."

"Shhhhhh," Joey hushed her softly, massaging her back with his thumb. "Shhhhhhh. It's okay. It's all gonna be okay..." He pressed his lips to her in a tender kiss, noting how much she was trembling. His heart broke for her as he saw how much she was suffering. Hot anger bubbled up inside him for that monster who would dare to try and harm his precious Eren.

Joey enclosed Eren in his hand against his body, so she would feel safer, before opening the car door to speak to Ray. "Take him back to the police station. I'll stay here and get witness statements at the clinic for the police report." He gritted his teeth. "And Ray? Try to find out who this leg belonged to." He plopped the severed limb into Ray's hand. Ray looked ill as he fixated on the macabre sight.

"I-I found that stuck in his teeth," Eren quavered, her face waxen. "That's when he..." She choked, her face twisting up. From the back seat, Hunter laughed softly with bitter hatred, making Eren flinch. Joey closed his hands around her again defensively. The two cops glared at him and Joey slammed the door, storming off. Hunter laughed harder.

Ray was normally professional when performing his cop duties, but hearing Hunter's chilling laugh in response to Eren's suffering touched a nerve. "You're a sick fuck, you know that? What the hell's wrong with you, kid?"

Hunter leered at him, still giggling like he had just heard a great joke. "I'm normal. It's the rest of you giants that are backwards! I mean, loving a human... imagine debasing yourself like that, stooping to their level. Pathetic." His expression contorted with savage venom, becoming deathly serious. "Love is for fools. I'm no fool."

Ray shook his head but didn't deign to respond. He didn't understand where the teenager's rage was coming from, but he was relieved they finally had the evidence to lock him up so he wouldn't hurt anyone else. He drove to the police station, deep in thought. He got worked up as he thought about how this deranged demon had been walking around freely where Pedro worked. He could understand now, all too well, why Joey had almost blasted Trent's head off when they rescued Eren. Prison time, even for life, seemed like an insufficient punishment for murdering human kids.

Hunter seemed almost bored when they booked him. He glared at the camera when they took his mug shot, practically searing a hole through the lens. He went through the motions without any protest, allowing them to take his fingerprints and swab his cheek for his DNA. Oddly enough, Ray couldn't find a "Hunter Ogreson" in any databases, regardless of what information he used. He didn't have any ID, birth certificate, or state-issued identification number. It was as if he didn't exist, or had never been born.

Ray brought Hunter into the interrogation room. He was offered the services of the public defender for legal counsel, but Hunter dismissed this recommendation, deeming a lawyer unnecessary. Ray questioned Hunter about the missing students, attempting to finesse information or perhaps a confession out of him, but Hunter refused to divulge anything useful and was frustratingly tight-lipped. Eventually, Ray took him to the cells.