The flashback was mostly meant to shuffle together a lot of different information that would have been clunky to work into actual dialogue: that Carter was formerly part of MAB, that he's retired from them, and his general opinion/disposition toward them even before meeting the MC.
But I see where you're coming from. I'll keep that in mind in the future. Thanks for leaving a comment and reading!
I have a suggestion about how to make it less 'clunky'.
I think a prologue with a younger Carter arriving on the scene (finding MC), making note of some things and reporting, 'we've got another weird one' and maybe using some MAB-related jargon/supernatural terms that clearly indicates he knows his stuff, as well as showing some distaste or coldness (or however he feels about the MAB) when reporting to that lady, actually adds a lot of intrigue right from the start. We wanna know more.
And this intrigue intensifies if, in the first chapter, an older Carter is acting like a run-of-the mill cop indifferent or clueless to the supernatural, different to how we saw him act in the prologue (now the reader think, 'what? is this the same guy?'). Now MC, being sensitive to such things, may be able to tell that something about Carter just doesn't feel right and never has, but can't pinpoint what is it. Maybe it contributes to MC's unwillingness to trust Carter with certain things, or Carters unwillingness to be too friendly with MC. Or maybe MC is torn between this mistrust & the longing to rely on someone, or find familial comfort, and it's just awkward. This goes on up to the reveal in chapter 2, and can cause some interesting moments between them til then.
I don't really see how it would be clunky to work it in to the conversation when Carter & MC are reunited after the shooting indecent at the house, if anything it makes perfect sense as it works with the progression of the story events. It would make even more sense if MC caught a glimpse of the summoned being back at the house but had no idea wtf it was. Carter seems hesitant to explain at first, mentioned that what he shot at wasn't human. It was a summoning. MC asks him what the hell he's talking about, what is a summoning and how the hell does know such things. Carter sighs, then starts speaking in fluent supernatural terms that no run-of-the-mill cop should know. MC just stares/says wtf/etc. Carter says, 'listen kid, there's a lot you don't know... a lot I haven't told you about me, about who I was and who I used to run with. I planned to to tell you earlier but between cases and you trying to wrap your head around your abilities, and how hard it was for you, it seemed a cruel and unnecessary burden to heap on you. I just kept putting it off, y'know. But I guess this is it.' He gives an abbreviated account of the weird circumstances under which he found MC, and how they weren't the first strange finding he had. MC asks how many others, to which he explains he'd been finding them for years, when he worked for the MAB. Then MC can ask him some questions about MAB that he answers. You can give continued indications of how Carter feels about the bureau ('show, don't tell') in how he speaks about them, words he uses, etc. rather than him straight up saying how he feels about them.
Anyway, just an idea!
