Building A Plan

Participants:

kendall_icon.gif ling_icon.gif melissa_icon.gif

Scene Title Building a Plan
Synopsis Ling and Kendall come to see Melissa following her return from China, and Melissa shares her plan for ho wto handle Rupert…
Date October 16, 2010

Westview: Melissa's Apartment


Once again, Melissa is back in Summer Meadows, and while neither Ling nor Kendall visited her house back then, Kendall knew about it. This time it's a small, one room apartment. A very empty one room apartment. The living room really only holds a futon which seems to be both couch and bed, a backpack, bottle of pills, bottle of water and a…book? Mel reads? Not right now, though.

When they show up at the door, she answers in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt, face pale, hair pulled back into a tight, almost severe ponytail. It has not been happy funtime in the Pierce residence. She blinks at them both, then silently steps back and motions them in, giving a small smile. "Hey guys."

"Melissa! Are you ok?!" Kendall doesn't seem to know that Melissa's got a migraine, otherwise he'd be a lot quieter, but as it is, he's pretty noisy. "I got your text message, but you don't always tell me the truth." eye.

Ling frowns as she sees Melissa, hands at the side of her semi formal business attire. "I am glad to see you made it back in one piece, Melissa. I admit, I had been worried when I heard the news report on the news about the…shuttle explosion." Which is Ling downplaying it a rather bit, but that's how she does. A look around the apartment, and Ling quirks an eyebrow. "I am a bit amazed you let them put you up in such a… small living space."

A look down to Kendall, Ling lets a moment of silence pass before she speaks again. "I hope you have a moment, Melissa. I have something I wanted to speak to you about. About Kendall." She could let him talk, but she's sure he'll fill in the gaps anyway.

The loud voice has Melissa wincing, eyes closing, a hand resting on her head. "Quietly," she whispers, before shutting the door behind them and moving towards the futon. "I'm alive. Not a scratch on me. What's this about the shuttle exploding? It didn't explode." She glances around the apartment a moment before shrugging. "And I didn't have a choice in where they put me. Otherwise I would've stayed put."

Her gaze slides over to Kendall when Ling mentions him, and her head tilts. "What's up? You're not in any trouble, are you? Because I'm in no condition to kick your ass just yet." Pause. "And I've got something I wanna talk about too." Another, slightly longer pause. "And might as well get any questions about space out of the way now. Just…no yelling, or I'll have to shoot someone. Might be you, might be me."
Kendall snorts, eying Ling. "Nothing bad." he retorts, although in a much quieter tone. "I talked with someone from Ferrymen, and I moved in yesterday. Ling introduced me to someone named Kaylee, and she set me up." now he pauses. "Well, that's about it. Now tell us about space! What's it like?" Kendall totally wanted to go but SOMEONE prevented that from happening.

So, it seems Ling is the one filling in the gaps. "To be more exact," Ling remarks, lowering her voice even more than normal - she knows DHS set Melissa up here, and expects that the place might be bugged. Or she's paranoid. "There was a report on the news following the assassination attempts the other day that they had acquired a list of names of members of Messiah. I do not know who is on it, but I felt it best to take precautions in the event that the house became a… target, following that. SO yes, I have had Kendall set up with the Ferry until he can move back in with you."

Ferry? Moving? Kaylee? Melissa frowns and glances between them. "I don't see why the house would be a target. No one knows we're living there. And if they had my name, they would've been here already to pick me up." There's a pause. "It's temporary though, good. Okay. Temporary is good. Just get me the address before you guys go." She doesn't seem too worried about bugs, but then, she's been here a few days. She's likely searched every possible hiding spot. And she's got a wealth of movie trivia to draw on for those possible spots.

The question about space has her falling silent. "Horrifying. Agonizing…But beautiful." She shakes her head. "We didn't have suits, so everyone was in pain from the moment we launched. Or, well, should've been. I was the only one in real pain. Lack of suit and making sure the others could function. Sixteen hours. Just to get to the satellite. Sixteen hours that I did pretty much nothing but use my ability."

She smiles then, as though remembering something wonderful. "No matter how many movies or pictures you see of the earth from space, it can't compare to actually being up there. Looking down on the world, looking so small. So beautiful. So perfect. You can't see the violence. The destruction. The hate. You just see the blue and green and white."

The smile fades. "It was almost the last time I saw it though." Here her gaze settles on Ling. "Rupert interferred," she says flatly.

Kendall sighs. "No fair." he mutters. "I wanted to go. Imagination and illusion just isn't quite as good as REAL. "That sounded like it sucked though."

"You forget, Melissa. They have Edgar in custody. And in the event they had your name, you might be in the clear now. This would not stop them from investigating your former place of living." To Ling, it seems like perfectly reasonable thinking. "I will leave an address, but he is staying in a play called Gun Hill, in the Bronx." Ling shakes her head, sighing. "I told Kaylee that it would just be a temporary measure. She is also till willing to aid us as we need. She has… been appointed a liason to Messiah, it seems."

Ling seems interested in what Melissa has to say about space, a frown on her face about the assertation that Melissa was forced to use her ability for sixteen hours straight. The strain on Ling if she sues it more than an hour or two straight can be taxing. Sixteen sounds like hell.

But then the mention of Rupert comes, and Ling's breath hitches. A string of Mandarin curses follows, an angered expression forming on her normally stoic face. "We have much to talk about, then, Melissa. Messiah has schismed. It seems he may ahve been out to screw up this entire time."

Melissa looks at Kendall and says seriously, "I wish I hadn't had to go. I've never felt anything as painful as I did up there." And for her, that's saying something. "I wouldn't wish what we went through on anyone. It wasn't so bad for two of us. Uncomfortable, but not bad. But me and the one who went outside? Well, there's a reason why I still have a migraine and can't use my ability right now."

Turning back to Ling, Melissa nods. "I've got a plan for that. All of it. Edgar, Rupert, you, Messiah. But first I should tell you what happened up there. You may as well sit down and get comfortable, because this may take a while."

Kendall looks at the futon, then shrugs and goes to sit down as suggested. "This Rupert guy sounds like a grade-A douchebag." he comments, making himself comfortable…. but not too comfortable. Melissa sleeps on this thing after all.

Ling glances down at Kendall, and can't help but chuckle a bit. Carefully, she takes her seat, glancing over at Melissa. "I would recommend you find and speak with Peter about plans. He knows now that Rupert was using him as his play thing. Several members of Messiah are still loyal to him, though he does not plan to remain leader. He is actually thinking smart for once, not wanting to accidentally lead us into one of Rupert's plans." She glances at Melissa, as if appraising her reaction. "at any rate, he… is as much about killing Rupert as anyone else, at this point."

Melissa nods at Kendall. "He is. And then some. And I'm not going to make you leave. I want you to know why you should avoid him. And if what I've got planned fails, or you end up in the hot seat for god only knows what reason, I want you to have a bargaining chip."

To Ling, "I left a voicemail for Peter. Told him that I wanted to chat, and that I was going to kill Rupert. And if anyone got there before me, there was gonna be hell to pay," she says flatly. And to talk like this around Kendall…Maybe she believes he's growing up after all?

She takes a deep breath, then starts, where stories should, at the beginning. Ish. "Okay, Kendall? Rupert's power is persuasion. He basically mindfucks people. He did it to me, three times. Matt Parkman, with DHS, removed the suggestions, and unknowingly took them on himself." A glance to Ling. "Kaylee verified that, by the way. I'm clean." Back to Kendall. "We don't have any way of knowing what the suggestions are, though, and Peter most likely was mindfucked into the whole Messiah thing. He used to be all whine, whine, want a normal life, whine, whine." My, someone isn't as forgiving of Peter as they used to be.

"Now, with space? It was four of us on the shuttle, and Rebel was doing all the navigation. Rebel's a technopath. I've mixed feelings on him, but he's done his job for Messiah." Mostly. "We'd just gotten in range of the satellite up there, and were preparing for the whole out into space without a suit thing, when Rebel suddenly stopped talking and the shuttle went dark and started moving away from the satellite. Just after, I heard Rupert say something. Gaba-ri, whatever the fuck that is. Or who. Not sure. A trigger of some sort, though. Has to be."

"While I was trying to talk to Rebel, to get him to push past the suggestion, there was an intervention that saved us and got us back down, but I know Rupert was to blame for Rebel doing what he did. Which is…frightening…"

"I more or less understand what it is he does." Kendall replies to Melissa, nodding. "Kaylee checked me out too and said he didn't do anything to me, which is understandable since I've never even seen the guy, much less talked with him." pause. "Who's Rebel?"

"If you had met him, Kendall, you might not remember it. Or at least, so is my understanding. That is why I had Kaylee check you." Ling lets out a bit of a sigh, shaking her head. "Peter is going to want to talk to you. I doubt he will be enthused with your… gung ho approach, even if it is what Messiah needs if we're going to find him. Every second we sit around trying tog et help and build crumbled relationships, I am sure Rupert entrenches himself further away from us." A pause. "At least, until the eighth."

Looking down to Kendall, Ling frowns. "Rebel is an enigma. He is a technopath, as Melissa said, who I understand it lives within the city's information network. Only a few times have I seen him in a… human body."

A hand rubs Ling's face, the Chinese woman frowning. "How the hell did Rupert even get a communication up into the shuttle to begin with?"

"Other than wanting Rupert dead, I haven't said what my approach is. And right now? I don't give a damn about what he's enthused by," Melissa says with a shrug. "And Ling's right. I don't think it's necessary. I was only ever alone with Rupert twice that I can remember, but there were three suggestions in my brain."

She shakes her head then. "I've no idea how Rupert got in contact. But him, Rebel and Wireless were all in communication with it. And I'm very tempted to send Wireless a fuckton of flowers for getting us home safe. But no, my plan? My plan involves getting a deal for you and Edgar, catching Rupert, getting information out of him, then giving his dead body to DHS to clear us and Edgar. And after Rupert nearly killed me in space? I think I've earned the chance to kill him." She has never been this bloodthirsty before. Never.

"Wireless? Now who's that? What's with people and superhero nicknames? This is the real world." Kendall rolls his eyes. Ok, so he wishes he had one too, but that's beside the point. "Ah… maybe you shouldn't do something that'd result in you getting a life in prison sentence. How about just bind and gag him and leave him wrapped like a present on DHS's doorstep?"

"No, Kendall," Ling is quirk to reply, arms crossed as she sits. "While I am unsure about how well any plan will work, much less one designed to earn pardons, Melissa is correct. Rupert has to dealt with in as severe a manner possible. Leaving him in any other state leaves him in a position to persuade himself out of trouble, and back into action." A look off to the side, and she grimaces. "All signs point to him being responsible for the events of November eighth. If you have a plan, Melissa, we must act fast. And I would recommend you include at least some of Messiah in on it. There is strength in numbers, particularly when dealing with one such as Rupert."

"Wireless is the Ferry's techno," Melissa say swith a shrug. "And I don't plan on getting a life in prison. What I plan is to go chat up my uncle and Matt Parkman. They're looking for Rupert. I have no doubt that they'd be just as happy with Rupert's body and some choice information as they would with a live body. And a dead body doesn't have a chance of mindfucking them into doing god only knows what. And do we really want him in control of DHS? He already has suggestions in Parkman's head, though he doesn't know it."

"I do have a plan. First, I'm going to go have that chat. Since I'm not wanted anymore, and Parkman's already been in my head, I'm going to offer them a trade. I give them Rupert, in any condition, and they give you, me and Edgar clean slates. We can't be arrested, imprisoned, or otherwise punished for what we've done up until now."

She reaches for her water and pills as she continues. "I'm already pondering what mix I'll need in order to get Parkman safely. A negator would be nice, but I only know one, and I don't think he'd be up for this. Audiokinetic, maybe, if I can find one. Speedster and/or telekinetic for the actual grabbing. Grab him, gag him, chain him up, then let a telepath poke around in his brain while he's asked questions. We find out everyone he's mindfucked, how he's mindfucked them, who's working with him willingly, what failsafes he has in place. Everything. Once we're satisfied, he gets killed, and I take him to DHS." Of course, she intends lots of pain before the killing, but no need to tell Kendall that.

"Anything I could do to help then?" Kendall asks, kicking his feet idly. "I mean, he can try to persuade my illusions all he wants, but nothing would happen. And Kaylee said he's not a telepath, so he'd have no way of knowing where I am if I just happened to be invisible. I imagine he'd have to know where I am so that he could do his mindfucking, right?" he frowns at both of them. "And I'm tired of being shoved off in a corner. I have a USEFUL power, and damnit, I wanna use it for more things than just scaring the hell out of people. I already proved once how useful it is, right?"

"You are banking on a lot of unlikely occurrences with this plan, Melissa. I cannot see DHS being willing to work with known terrorists. Not to mention teh risk of bringing The Institute back to my front step." Ling frowns a bit before rising back up to her feet. "However, Rupert must be dealt with, and I have yet to hear a better plan for what to do next. I can speak with Richard, if you would like some assistance from his front. He is as determined to stop Rupert as you, me, r Peter."

Kendall's speech has Melissa tilting her head and arching a brow. "Think about what you just said, Kendall. How am I shovin' you in a corner? I just told you about Messiah. My plans to kill someone. I don't think that's something you do when you're shoving someone in a corner." She shrugs at Ling. "Maybe they won't. But I'm not a known terrorist. And Jason is willing to work with me. And no, not yet on Richard. I don't know him, so I can't trust him."

"Telling me about something and letting me do something to help are two different things. You told me about going to that research place but told me to stay home, remember?" Kendall raises his eyebrows at Melissa. Everyone here knows how THAT turned out. Graphically. "So you're willing to let me come and help, then?"

Ling shakes her head a bit, sighing. "I am unsure of how you could fit into this plan, Kendall. It sounds rather specific, and I do not imagine any sort of illusion could force Rupert or those he is working with out of hiding." A pause, and Ling looks back at Melissa. "…I take that back. Perhaps we can use Rebel to… arrange a meeting with "Rupert" to lure someone still loyal to the snake out. Perhaps they will know where he is."

"I'm…not sure Rebel is alive," Melissa admits. "That was part of what happened up there, but I was pretty out of it most of the time. There was something about security killing him." Kendall is considered for a long moment. "I can't promise anything. If your ability can be used for this, then yeah, if you swear you'll be careful."

"Well considering I've already died once… I don't think I want to repeat the experience. I've used my 1UP already, there's no more." hey…. was that just… a Scott Pilgrim reference? Considering this is Kendall, more than likely. "I bet Rupert would count as an evil ex." he mutters. "Surely someone, somewhere, has dated him in the past."

The idea of Rebel being dead seems unusual and worrisome to Ling. "Killed? Do you mean his body? Or… how does one kill data?" That has Ling scratching her head a bit, pacing back and forth. "Perhaps this Wireless can mimic Rebel enough for such a plan to work. Regardless, I think it is an idea to look in to. The perfect way for kendall to get involved." Kendall's Scott Pilgrim references fall largely on deaf ears, Ling just sort of giving him a look.

"Yeah, the chick they found in his house who had been so mindfucked she was brain damaged," Melissa says dryly. "And I have no idea. I didn't see his body for the trip, just heard his voice through the comms. That creepy trinity thing. But after the Rupert interferrence, Wireless said something about security and firewalls and that she didn't think he'd get through before it killed him. And Wireless…She might. It'd help the Ferry. But I already owe her super big for getting us back to earth."

"Incidentally? The Mandarin lessons helped over there."

"Mandarin?" Kendall squints at Melissa, then over at Ling. "Huh… I bet I know what that was used for, huh?" he smirks at the ladies. "So what, there are people who live in cyber space? I bet they'd be awesome at MMORPGs. I wonder if they see it from inside the game? I've often wished I could live in a game."
Gaming> Milena says, "OMG. IT /IS/ SCRIBBLENAUTS."

"One of teh two native languages of China, Kendall," Ling clarifies, as if she feels she needs to. His comment about living in a game earns the rolling of eyes. "I suppose that is the best way to look at it. I am glad the lessons were useful, Melissa. I would hope so, at least." Ling taps her foot, looking off to the side. "Perhaps, then, we should get inctact with Wireless anyway, to find out what he or she knows of Rebel's fate. If he has survived space, than I would suggest we put Kendall to use."

"Hey, it got the astronauts out of the shuttle alive," Melissa tells Kendall. "I didn't wanna kill anyone over there. There was no need. They were innocent. And we just wanted their shuttle." She nods to Ling. "Wireless is easy to get a hold of. Just gotta send a message to Wireless. The name. Already sent her a thank you. And told her I'd repay her if I could."

There's a hesitation, a long one. "If it were at all possible, the person I'd like to have when we actually get to pickin' up Rupert is Sylar. Boy's got skills. No idea how many abilities he has, but I've seen more than a few myself."

"Sylar? You mean… that Sylar?" Kendall eyes the two women again. "Uhm, am I missing something? Since when…" ok, how to ask this delicately? "…do you know the guy who blew up the city?" ok, not delicately at all, it seems.

This is the aprt of Melissa's plan that Ling seems to take exception to, a quick shake of her head and a dismissive wave of her hand. "Absolutely not. Sylar is…" Ling looks down at Kendall, rolling her shoulders a bit. "He is a member of Messiah. Truthfully, this should not surprise you that much, Kendall." Looking back to Melissa, Ling's eyes narrow. "Sylar is too dangerous. I do not know how he acquires his abilities, but I certainly do not trust him with someone like Rupert."

"He didn't bl—" is said automatically before Melissa shuts her mouth. She may not be pleased with Peter at the moment, but she won't spill that secret. "Yeah, Sylar, Midtown man. I know him. I've worked with him. He's not that bad, really. And I am talking about Sylar, not his clone. But he's not necessary. Could just be handy. It can totally be done without him."
"He has a clone?" Kendall tilts his head. "Uh. Do people know about that? Wait, he's in Messiah?" well it… sorta makes sense? But… "Ok, just a bit confusing."

Ling, this time, looks just as confused as Kendall. "I was unaware he had a clone. That might, however explain a lot." Her arms cross, Ling glancing off into the distance. "I do not like the idea of involving Sylar. If you think it would be wise, so be it. But I will go on the record not approving."

"Apparently, yeah. One workin' for us. Another who tried to kill us," Melissa says, shrugging. "We'll plan for not having him though. Anyone happen to know an audiokinetic? Telepath is easy, and I'm sure Kaylee can be persuaded to help. If Edgar were out I'd use him too, but since he isn't, just leaves Daphne, and not sure she'd be in for this sorta thing."

"Well I can make people think they hear things, would that work?" Kendall suggests to Melissa. "I mean, so long as it's other senses too, since I don't think I could draw sound unless it was like… people talking." speech bubbles yay!

"I see." Ling's eyes narrow, and then she sighs. "Either way, this is all something we need to start looking into as soon as possible." Ling feels no need to sit around on her laurels with, quite literally, her life may hang on finding and stopping Rupert.

"It might," Melissa murmurs at Kendall's request. "But we still need someone capable of keeping us from getting mindfucked. I mean, I can probably get a hold of negation drugs, but that still requires getting them into him somehow. Any ideas?"

"Get a sniper and shoot him with a trank. That should work, right?" Kendall suggests to Melissa. "Or… are negation drugs something you're supposed to swallow?" Kendall doesn't really know. "Or heck, is it like tear gas?" he shrugs, and then stands up. "Well I'd better get going then, I still need to move more stuff out of the house. Since no one's living there right now, more or less, I'm afraid someone would break in and steal everything."

"Negation Gas," Ling states simply, shaking her head. "If we could get some of teh Institute's negation gas, I imagine that would work wonders, at least long enough to get the drugs into his system. "A telekinetic may additionally be able to keep him pinned from a distance, as well as placing the drugs in his mouth." A pause. "Does his ability just require one to hear him? If so, he may be thwarted as simply as with a pair of thick headphones and a music player."

"Wait. No one is living there?" Melissa says, worried now. "I left all my stuff there 'cause I figured everyone else was gonna stay. That's why this place is empty. I mean, I have no movies here." And that's a tragedy of course. Then she gives herself a mental shake and nods. "Yeah, there's negation gas, but there's also a pill or injection. Abby takes it. And I think it's hearing. I mean, otherwise he could've mindfucked all of us at Messiah meetings, and you were clean," she points out to Ling.

"I'm afriad Kendall is not entirely accurate. I ratrely see much of Tony or Faron, but as far as I can tell they are still about. I am no longer spending all of my time there, but I still check in to make sure everything is okay." Ling waves a hand dismissively, clearly it's not that big a worry for her. "However, I can bring your things ehre, or stay around there more if you wish. At any rate, I am aware of the drugs one can take. They are, howeever… risky. Gas, or a telekinetic with headphones may be our best bet."

"I'm not sure we can get a hold of the gas. But I know a telekinetic, if I can figure out where he's run off to anyway," Melissa says, wholly unaware that Alexander is now in Messiah's ranks. "You got headphones though? And a player of some sort? If not, lemme know and I'll get you some. I don't want to take any chance of this going wrong."

“There is a telekinetic among Messiah, named Griffin. He was with me on the mission to… not assassinate Mayes,” is Ling’s reply. “That depends on if you want to involve Messiah or not. However, I believe he would be perfect for such a thing. He has aligned with Peter, and is bringing… a few people into our ranks, possibly. I do not have any headphones, I’m afraid that is something you’ll have to procure those on your own.

"Has he been cleared though? Though I guess he'll work. Can you get him on board? Tell him the plan, and I'll talk to Matt? Since they're not looking for me, I'm the safest bet there," Melissa says. "And I'll get you set up as far as headphones go."

“He can be cleared soon enough. It appears that Kaylee’s schedule is rather busy for the time being, but I will see if I can speak with her as soon as possible. Griffin as well.” Ling gives a nod as she looks fown at Melissa. “That is how we handle Rupert. Finding him is another matter entirely. You have experience with this… Wireless person. Perhaps you should contact her about Rebel.”

"I think if we explain why we need Griffin cleared, she'll be all for it. i just hope that this time she can keep her mouth shut," Melissa says with a sigh. "And yeah, I'll send her a message. See if Rebel's alive, and see if she has any way of tracking Rupert. I mean, if she's as jacked in as Rebel, then maybe it won't be too hard. Otherwise…Hard work or lucking out finding someone who can find people with their ability."

“If you are referring to her speaking to the Ferry about Rupert,” Ling replies with a raised eyebrow, “I told her to. He is not just a threat to us. A plan such as this, however, I imagine she will keep better to herself.” Ling nods at Melissa’s options as they presented, wrinkling her nose. “I know now of anyone who can locate someone via an ability. It certainly is possible, though. I can see what information I can gather.”

"Then why didn't we go forth and tell everyone in Messiah about him?" Melissa asks, arching a brow. "But we'll see. And I hate to do this, but can you go? Keeping a kid pain free in the vaccum of space while feeling the pain he'd be experiencing…Yeah. I'm pretty burnt out and migrainey. I just wanna sleep until it's gone."

Ling furrows her brow, eyeing Melissa for a second. “If you knew the Kingdom was a ruse, would you stand in the court and shout it for all to hear?” She gives a bit fo a nod, turning towards the door. “Be well, Melissa. I will speak with Kaylee and Griffin. I would suggest you speak with Peter, as soon as he returns from trying to find help.”

Melissa grimaces faintly at the suggestion. "Yeah, plan on it. Won't be fun. Part of me still loves the bastard, but the rest of me wants to smack him upside the head," she mutters. "I'll talk to Peter. And Wireless. And Parkman. You be safe."


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