Summary:'Sarge' stakes out the Disaster Zone looking for Isis Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It was raining yesterday. Today, it's not raining. While Brandon is certainly able to wait patiently in the rain, and has done so in the past, it's not something he really enjoys so doesn't do it unless it's necessary. He's found a spot on the roof of a building that's still standing and not likely to collapse any time soon. He's sitting on the edge, legs dangling over the side, drinking a beer. The cat lady said she and the wolfman often patrol this area so he's waiting. And if she doesn't show? It's not raining, the sun is warm though the air is still cool, and he's got a six pack.
Isis is visiting the Disaster Zone today. It's not so much patrolling as checking in on people. The slim, blue eyed mutant isn't alone, but it's not the wolf-man she's with. "There's still people going missing, Hank." She's saying to the obvious mutant as she leaps nimbly to a ledge just below Brandon.
Her nose twitches a little and she looks up to see the soldier. "Oh hey. It's Sarge. What are you doing here?"
Hank moves along with Isis and is easily keeping pace. He's dressed in simple khaki's and a loose fitted t-shirt, though his breadth of chest is such that it is tight there. "Mm…yes. Actually I have found some unfortunate goings on here as well, though unrelated to this case, not sure where things will lead but there's some seriously nasty dealings going on here."
A leap into a handstand, and then a push off with his hands and then Hank lands next to Isis, nostrils flaring as he scents the air and looks to the man on the rooftop. A polite nod, eyes of yellow friendly enough. "Good afternoon." He greets affably.
"Waiting for you." Brandon answers, his attention on the two as soon as they came into view. "You said something about mutants disappearing." That was days ago; has he been waiting every day? "Figured this was the easiest way to find you. Want a beer?" A six pack of Bud Light Lime bottles is next to him with one empty and the one he's holding.
Does Isis want a beer? That's a good question. "Got any food?" She responds as she takes a bottle and perches, cat like, on the ledge she's on. Isis is always hungry.
She's in that black jacket with pink piping - with the stylised cat head on the breast, and the words 'Hello Isis' around the large icon on the back, jeans and hikers.
"Hank, this is Sarge. He helped at the train and the burst water main the other day. He's like us." A mutant she means.
A shadow falls over her face as Brandon mentions missing mutants "There are. That's why Hank and me are here. Checking in on people. We think they're being taken for experiments."
Hank can absolutely add more.
A dinner plate spanning hand is offered to the other mutant. "A pleasure to meet you, Sarge. Hank McCoy, some call me Beast." Gee, ya think? With all that blue-black fur and fangs and claw? Sure talks nice though, excellent diction, and despite their color, his eyes glitter with keen wits. "Mmm…been working on this case for some time. Various sites and locations, mutants have been going missing, most specifically beast form mutants such as Isis and myself."
He looks to Isis, and then he too takes one of the beers.
Turning back to Sarge he offers a fanged smile. "Definitively less than savory, and yes, experiments and extreme modifications to them, high tech weapons, and exquisitely complex genetic manipulation."
Food? "No food." Brandon says. Moving his beer to his left hand, he clasps the offered one. "Beast." He listens to the summary and nods. "So, kidnapping, power augmentation, probably advanced training and brainwashing. Sounds like a very organized, wealthy organization. Maybe funded and/or run by one government or another. Have you thought about getting kidnapped with an implanted tracker?"
"Good thing I do…" Isis says brightly at the thought of food, reaching into the bag she carries and pulls out an energy bar, which she happily munches on while she drinks the beer. No taste!
"That's what we think but we aren't sure who. We think I was made by a similar organisation." She says. No longer bright, there's a slightly feral gleam to her eye. "I was made by AIM and used by them till Nick and the others found me." Both the men with her feel the wave of unease that accompanies that.
"I don't think getting kidnapped is the way to do it. They'll modify whoever it is before we can find them and the modifications aren't … all that nice."
Alas, Hank has no food either, he'll have to start carrying around jerky (bacon of course) or maybe energy bars in the future. Maybe both.
Sarge's summary is succinct, and crisp. Clearly a military man, he and Posse would likely get on very well, Hank thinks. "Evidence suggests Advanced Idea Mechanics, so yes, very wealthy and with a long reach." The concept of getting himself kidnapped did /not/ occur to Hank. "Actually…that's not a bad idea. There's a very good chance I might be somewhat resistant to what they do, and a deeply hidden tracker…perhaps an isotope with a particularly exotic signature…"
He looks to Isis, his thoughts and emotions habitually quiet, which might be soothing for the empath. "It might be worth a try since my own modifications recently have damaged many of the points they'd likely have wanted to use…"
"Response time would need to be instant." Brandon points out to Isis' objection. "The target would need to be monitored around the clock, tracked and followed to where they're taken, followed by a strike team. It might be only an interim location but you'd be one step closer maybe." He considers Beast appraisingly then shrugs. "That all requires having the proper equipment and enough manpower to make sure the stalking horse isn't lost."
"Might be AIM … " Isis says as she chews on the bar and takes another pull of the beer. "But there's evidence it might be related to a company here in New York. Or they have involvement, taking what AIM did with me and doing worse. You've seen the mutants we recovered…."
Meeting Brandons eyes, she considers that a little. "They replace limbs with reverbium implants. Put reverbium in peoples voice boxes. It doesn't matter how good tracking is, something can always go wrong - and I'm not sure we want to risk it with someones life."
"You're talking about a lot of people being available at a moments notice…."
"The Reverbium tie-in is strongly suggestive that they're at least involved, but that's true, it might be the local company…the connections are a bit tenuous at the moment. It is possible it might be a front or working in cahoots." Hank rubs the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger, and then takes a swig of his beer.
He looks to Sarge. "Sounds like you've done such operations before."
He sighs. "It is a risk, but as he said that might get us some solid intel quickly, though…we'd definitely need a fairly large and solid team."
"Something can always go wrong." Brandon agrees after taking a swig of beer. "That's the nature of battle. How many others will be lost without swift action? Whether that's worth the risk is something that needs to be decided by those involved." Which isn't him; he's just laying out the option. Beast just gets a nod of confirmation. Yes, he's done such operations before though the circumstances were different. "It would be critical to make sure the tracking mechanism can't be blocked or detected. Next is that the strike team be ready to move as soon as the signal comes to a halt. The risk is that it ends up being just a transfer point and you only capture some of those involved instead of finding an actual base. But you may be able to extract information from them. If you have a way of maintaining contact with the subject, you can expand your options on when to move."
"Exactly. That might close down the lab to where they are taken." Isis agrees. "There's already been raids on several of those and people have been saved. It could be worth trying while we follow the leads we have. What we really need though is proof the company we *think* is involved, is really involved."
The slim mutant fidgets a little, before sliding closing to Hank and rubbing her ears against his arm. He's seen her records - what she was like when they bought her in from that facility. He knows how hard she tries to fit in now.
"Nick and I got a lead the other night and I know he'd like help chasing that down. It's not likely we can get a warrant to talk to these people, so we might have to resort … to other means."
"True enough - no plan survives contact with the enemy." Hank ponders. "That unfortunately does sound like it would take resources and personnel we can't raise just yet. So…" He looks to Isis, and then Sarge. "…we may need to go with the less than official means." Of course he's an X-Man, vigilante actions are a thing, a definite thing. "So Nick is in need of help?" Sounds like Beast is willing. "So…Sarge…what's your connection with all this?"
Brandon just listens since he's just presenting an option and isn't really involved. Beast's question gets a shrug. "No connection. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and met Isis. She mentioned disappearing mutants. I got curious. I don't approve of kidnapping people and performing experiments on them against their will."
"We need to track the lead I got down, yeah. We have a name. This guy in a research company that was bought by Lobo Technologies has been diverting resources from the companies public stuff to genetic research. His workers are a bit pissed about it and were more than willing to talk to a pretty girl…" Isis just smiles in a very feline way "… who they felt they could trust."
"Would you like to help us, Sarge?" That's a direct question to the newcomer.
"Also - why aren't you talking in our heads today?"
Hank was just about to ask as well, and then he chuffs a soft laugh as Isis does so for him. The Beast finishes his beer, and tucks the empty into the six pack, and then sort of hunkers down with one hand pressed to the ground though his eyes are kept peeled, he is clearly keeping an eye on their environs. "I am sure your aid would be welcome." This to the Soldier.
He grins toothily at Isis, scritching behind one of her ears to offer comfort. No, she has NOT had an easy time of thing. "Goodness, a pretty girl? Who'd have thought it?"
To Sarge he asks. "In our heads, mm? Are you a telepath then?" Because those are REALLY useful.
Isis' question actually gets a smile. "Because people have vocal cords and energy constructs don't." Brandon answers. "I'm not normally a telepath. If you want to call it that." Why is he then but not now? Ask someone who might have a clue. "Sure, count me in."
Isis purrs a bit as Hank scritches her ears, taking comfort in the physical contact. "Nick said we needed to get the guy to talk. I went and took his drink and started talking to him in the nightclub." Hank might just picture what that was like. "It was really loud though, the music that is. It hurt my ears. I was glad when we went to get something eat. Nick and me, I mean. Not the guy." She adds the last hastily, just in case there's any confusion.
Which … well, that was a typical Isis explanation.
"Energy construct? Is that what your armour stuff is? I thought you were like Armor." Which means he isn't and Isis knows that Hank loves this sort of this. "I like your mental voice. It's … what's the word Hank? When it sort of 'booms' but not too loudly?"
"Great. I'll tell Nick and we'll make some plans to do this. I don't want there to be another batch of mutants like me." A batch? That means Isis wasn't the only one.
Energy construct? Okay, Hank's attention is definitely gotten. "So…you convert yourself into some sort of energy state and while in that state your mind reaches out directly?" Hank doesn't have the details, but that's not a bad guess. "That sounds fascinating."
Yes, he'd like to see it action, no…he's not going to push, not out here in the DZ. He /does/, however, produce a business card. "My contact numbers, and I can reach Nick or isis."
A grin to Isis. "I'd go with 'resonates'.
He nods then to Isis and continues to scritch, those claws are good for something besides shredding things at least.
Brandon has no idea who or what 'Armor' is and doesn't ask. He's starting to figure out that questioning every last thing Isis says that might or might not be relevant would be a full time job. "Psychic energy, yes." Or so his trainers said. Beast gets a nod as that's an accurate summation and he takes the business card. "I set up an email account you can send messages to. It's moc.liamtoh|14917191egras#moc.liamtoh|14917191egras."
Probably for the best. Not asking Isis to explain too much. She's much better now but she's still … scatty … at times. "Sort of makes armour and weapons? I think I saw a cannon on his shoulder the other time." She's not sure though. They were in the middle of fighting the remains of a sentinel.
"You should get a phone, Sarge. It will help. I can ask Miss Potts to help with that." Hoo boy. "But we'll email you soon. I'm sure."
"Ah, of course, Psychic Energy, it would track that you'd be able to reach out mentally as that's what you're composed of." Hank /definitely/ wants to see this sometime, but is is pretty sure 'say, want to come by my lab so I can run a few tests' would be about as welcome as getting punched in the face a few times, maybe once they get to know one another.
A chuff. "Hotmail, good choice for a disposable account. Not the most secure, but we just have to be a bit circumspect."
The details Isis offers are filed away in the man's brain, and he laughs again as she suggests getting a phone. "I'm sure he has one, but we'll reach out to Miss Potts if needed." A smile. "Come on, lets check on those folks we came to see…Sarge, you're welcome to come with."
"I have a phone." Yup, Hank's got it. "I just don't have a phone that can't be traced back to me." Brandon says. Seems he doesn't want people knowing his name. "Suppose I could get a burner if I'm going to be doing this. Just hadn't really planned on…" He looks around and shrugs. All this stuff. Finishing his beer, he looks at the couple left. He can pick them up later, assuming someone who hangs out on abandoned building roofs doesn't steal them. "Sure, don't have anything else planned."
"Oh. I see." Isis looks a bit sheepish at that. The man wants his privacy - not something that Isis normally considers. Maybe Hank will introduce Brandon to the X-Men / Institute at some time, but Isis knows better than to mention it here.
"Alright. Come on then …" Leaping effortlessly from the ledge where she's perched, the feline like mutant moves further into the Disaster zone.