Finding The Rotten Egg

Participants:

brian_icon.gif gillian_icon.gif

Scene Title Finding the Rotten Egg
Synopsis In every dozen there could be a bad one. Finding it is often difficult.
Date March 01, 2009

Great Kills Branch Library - Staten Island


After a series of phone calls, Gillian finally gave a location. In the Kills part of Staten Island. An old library branch. Long abandoned and unused. There's signs stating that it's condemned, warnings to keep people out. But the tape on one of the doors has been sliced open. A lock has been broken. The door opens for people who know which one to try and enter from.

The building has been looted. What wasn't carried off lays in water damage, through leaks in the roof and broken windows. There's creaks in the rafters and the walls when the wind hits it at a wrong angle. But this is where she asked to meet, and this is where she waits. It's not nighttime yet. Walking the streets at night is dangerous, so she asked to meet in the early afternoon. The streets are safer that time of day. This area isn't overly visited, either. Especially considering… it's a library. One without any undamaged books.

Sitting on the spiral staircase, she waits for the man to arrive. Or one of his clones, at least.

Slipping through the door, the young man is dressed in a black track jacket and a pair of dark blue jeans. His beanie is pulled down low over his eyebrows. Brian squeezes the door back shut after him. His gun tucked into the back of his pants, the replicator moves quietly into the building, his gray eyes scanning it quietly as he moves in. He moves quietly, going into old abandoned libraries is just kinda creepy okay?

He is a little late. That's what happens when you have clusterfucks at the home. Though he looks wary and cautious with his surroundings he also looks tired, worn out, and generally unhappy. His shoes touch against the ground quietly, moving in.

"Hello?"

"Brian?" Gillian speaks up, recognizing the voice. Even if it's daytime, there's not too much light available, which is why she carries a flashlight with her. It isn't on. There's enough light streaming through broken windows and throwing patches of light along the wall that they can see each other. "Right here. You're a little late," she notes, but he probably already knew that. "It's good to see you again." She'd not really seen him one on one until… recently. After a second, she recalls the Pheonix passwords to avoid shapeshifting Sylar. Hopefully the one she uses isn't too outdated.

"Did Teo tell you what he wants us to do?" She's not sure how much communication he's had with the bossman. She moves a little closer, keeping the knot in the back of her head tied up for the moment. The library is creepy. Quiet. And another gust of wind makes something knock against a wall somewhere.

Once she is finally in sight of him, his features soften. It was good to see her. Even if he had just come from a handful of shitty situations. She was a nice girl. And it was good to see her alright from the bridge… Moving forward, Brian's arms go up and wide to wrap around her in a hug. Giving her shoulder a pat he goes to release her. "Are you doing okay?" He asks quietly, his voice suggesting he may not be able to answer that question favorably.

"I think so. I'm sorry. I haven't.. Had a lot of.." He waves a dismissive hand. "I've had a lot on my plate. Thank you for doing this." The young man says quietly, taking a step back. "Helping me find myself. But please, I know it might be hard to contain yourself, but I don't know if I could handle a naked party today." She just has a special knack of getting him out of his pants.

"It's not a matter of me containing myself… we need to strengthen your connection, right?" Gillian asks, putting the flashlight into her coat pocket for now as she moves up closer. She does keep the knot securely fastened, but it sounds like he knows what they're doing. Except for the fact that… "I am going to use my ability on you. What you have to do is focus everything into your connection with the missing clone. Not making new ones, not doing anything else… Just that. Teo wanted to see if you could… reattach somehow. I'm not sure."

There's a pause. "I don't really want naked men falling from the sky and into my lap today either, so… we can take it slow. If you stop popping out clones, we'll shut it off." She looks down at her hands. "Might be better if I don't touch you, and just send energy from a distance. Until we start getting a connection. Then maybe, if you need more…"

There's a pause. "If you think he's looking back, and you can't… control him… or whatever the fuck you do. Teo wanted us to cease and flee immediately."

"We're not gonna hold hands?" He asks faking disappointment. The last thing he needs is to hold another girls hand. Giving an exasperated sigh, he takes a few steps back. "Alright." He murmurs, going to unzip his track jacket. Stripping the jacket he throws it on the ground, only wearing a white shirt under the jacket. Taking a deep breath he gives a nod. "Just on the missing me. I can do that." He thinks. "I've never really had to do this before. I can control me poppin out but.. I donno. You just make me feel so.." He waves a hand, then gives a grin realizing what he's sayin g sounds like.

"Yeah. So Anyway. Let's do this." He goes to take a seat on the ground. All the better for him to concentrate. He takes a few deep breaths. "So.. How you been?" This is the best time to start up small talk. The best time.

"I have that effect on all the guys. Maybe that's why I ended up getting this ability in the first place…" Gillian says with a grin, obviously not minding his flirting in the least. Did she imply that she's some kind of power-Viagra? Yes, she might have… "But it's not my fantasy to have ten plus naked men all coming at me at once, you know? And I'm actually involved with someone right now, too." She tosses out at the end, letting her smile slip just a bit as she moves in closer to find a seat nearby. Just in case, she drops the flashlight down in the distance between then, and then pulls out the panic button. Emergencies. They might have them.

"I've been… okay. I'm thinking of getting a job out here. I'd actually decided to leave Phoenix after the whole operation to save the world, but Teo talked me into staying." For a price. Her boyfriend. She's sure that the deal for her continued help filtered down. "There's a lot of crazy stuff going on, if half of what they say over the info group is true… but if we're going to be trying to connect to your Company half… we probably shouldn't talk about anything too important…" Like the kidnappings. The possible Moab raid. All that other stuff. She's not even told Tavisha about it. He's not Phoenix.

The knot comes undone, forcefully untied, leaking energy from her into him, trying to boost up his ability. "I mentioned to Teo… I wondered if this is like what happened to Assface. How he split into seperate clones."

"Aw, it isn't?" Brian asks with a grin in response to her aversion of ten naked men at once. "I could do like twelve if that's what it is." He gives a little smirk. Though when she says she's involved with someone he gives a nod. "Me too. I think. I may have fucked it up." He gives a shrug. "Whatya gonna do, yknow?" He leans back on his hands, mentally preparing himself. He gives a nod. "I have connections around here. And if you need a place to stay. There's always room at the Lighthouse." He glances over at her. "Not in my bed, extra beds." He notes just to make it clear.

"I did the same thing. Attempted leaving.. But yeah. Teo is Teo. He made me feel guilty. And then made me Lieutenant." He raises up his arms as if to say 'what the fuck'. "Yeah there is. You're right we shouldn't talk about it. Just, thanks for helping Gilli. If there's anything I can do for you.." He gives a little gesture with his hand as if to say he would be happy do it.

"Petrelli." He growls. "I hope not." And then comes the power. Tilting his head back he closes his eyes. It does feel nice. Powerful. Stronger. The urge to make a million gabillion clones is resisted as he focuses on his connections. The connection with his replicate at the Lighthouse, and the other in Staten and then, at the connection that sounds like static…

Extra beds are always good to fall back on. "I got a place for the moment, but it's good to have a back up that isn't an abandoned Library." Or a loft with a bunch of strings hanging from everything. Gillian isn't surprised that Teo managed to talk him into staying as well. It's… "Really? A Lieutenant?" that surprises her, but she nods. "Seems like a good idea." Considering they lost so many people… "You'll do a good job, I'm sure… I'd suck at it."

The terrorist thing was never her gig, she just wanted to do what she could to keep herself alive, keep someone she cared for alive too. It came down to acts of selfishness. Funny for someone who has no ability of their own, really.

"I really hope it's not like him, either… That was messy." And it didn't end nicely. The energy continues to flow to him, she can feel it. She sends in a little bit more. "Anything yet?" she waits for a response, negative or affirmative. "I'm going to ramp it up a little… so brace yourself." With the warning, that's pretty much what she does. A little at a time.

"Alright. Well if you need anything. Let me know. I have plenty of money." Bria n informs, tightly as the power continues to surge through him. He closes his eyes. Slow breaths exhale. "I see.." His body trembles as Gillian continues to amp him up. He finds the missing duplicate, that is no question at all. But the replicate is trying to keep him out. Trying to prevent him from getting into his head. But Brian is a lot more powerful, but apparently, the replicate is trained, he knows what he's doing.

It's like a rabid blind bear attacking a cobra.

And then just like that, he's in. His sight is returned from the missing replicate. And he sees, a very attractive woman. In an apartment. A nice apartment. "I see a hot chick." He flicks his eyes open, flashing a smirk at Gillian. "Besides you." But his grin is quickly wiped away. The other Brian is fighting back.. Bringing his hands up to his temples the young man suddenly looks very alarmed.
Plenty of money? That's a sound that she must like, from the arch of her eyebrow. Gillian doesn't comment further on it, though, because she's trying to send specific amounts of energy to him, so that he can reconnect. A hot chick not her… that's something… "Try to remember her face." Might be important later, but she knows he's not Cat, and won't just take a mental snapshot. It isn't that easy. It's the grin disappearing that alarms her, and the sudden alarmed look. "Brian? What's happening? Do we need to break this off? Talk to me?"

Sometimes she wish she knew what was happening with the energy she gave someone, that she could experience what they experience… she watches his face instead, moving to reach a hand out. The most she can give him would come from touch. "If you need to pull back, pull back."

Hold please, currently participating in a mental deathmatch. Brian's features move from alarm, to strain, to completely blank. A long moment passes before his lip twitches. Making a spasm like movement, Brian lurches his upper body forward before flying back, his back and head connecting solidly on the ground as if he had just been punched or something of the like. He isn't able to say anything his lips, flopping open his eyes staring blankly ahead. A bit of blood leaks out from his nose to his upper lip. Yeah it's probably a good idea to pull out, now.

The spasms make her pull her hand back. Gillian actually stands up, stepping back a little. That wasn't supposed to happen. The panic button falls to the floor by accident, but it doesn't get pushed. Possibly a good thing, possibly a bad thing. "Brian!" It's surprising her, but it isn't until he settles and the blood trinkles down his nose that she cuts off the flow of energy and moves to the button. "Hey. Still alive?" She didn't get him killed, right? "Can you talk? Is it panic time?" Did they see her? This isn't a place she needed to use again for a meeting, and the Company already knew her face, most likely, but it still makes her nervous.

"Hrnngh." Brian moans, blinking his eyes a few times. Bringing up his hand to his nose he gives a frown at the redness he finds on his fingers. Rolling his eyes slowly to Gillian he takes a steadying breath before attempting to talk to her. "We got into a brain fight.. I think." He places one elbow on the ground trying to shove himself up, but he has difficulty. He's sapped. Collapsing back to his back, he looks up at her again, letting his hand drop to his side on the ground. "He won."

"Looks like he won… I guess we should call it lucky that you still have your brain intact," Gillian says, moving away from him to a bag where she reaches in and grabs out some napkins she stashed in there from a restraunt. "Well, we may not be able to do that again, then," she says, holding them out to him. They're cleaner than pages from damaged books laying around, at least. "We should clear out, in case he got anything on out location. Though I picked this place cause it's kinda hard to recognize from sight. And it's dark. So maybe he didn't get too much to go on." They can hope, at least. Also unassociated with Phoenix, except the fact they'd know they had stashed up in a Library once before. They aren't now. "Get anything out of it?"

"Lucky?" Brian coughs, bringing up one weak hand to take the napkins and dab at his upper lip. A long groan is let out, "I feel like my brain just got kicked in the balls." Apparently it's not a pleasant expereince. The napkins are dropped by him his hand dropping to the ground once again. He tilts his head back letting out a long groan. "Yeah we should clear out." He moans trying to push himself up a little but failing. His back goes back to the ground once again.

"I don't know what he saw.." The first time he's ever referred to one of his copies as 'he' instead of 'me'. "I saw a nice apartment. And a woman. And then he kicked my ass. In my brain." The replicator reports, glancing over at his track jacket on the ground. "Ow.."

Generic napkins, and if they find it, it's his own blood. Nothing they didn't know. Gillian grabs her bag and buttons up her coat. She's ready to go, but they don't need to use the panic button. They can go on foot. She takes it slow, though, watching him to make sure he can move well enough. "So, what we can tell Teo is… he's mentally got a stronger kick than you, you can't control him anymore, and… we have no idea at all if he can see through your eyes." No idea at all. "Maybe we need one of those… mind people to help you out. Go with you next time. Maybe kick him in the brain-penis."

She touches his shoulder after he gets his track jacket off the ground and adds, "You didn't end up making a bunch of naked people." That part was at least a success… "Even if the rest fucking failed. Maybe you won't have to hurt if we need to shoot him in the head."

Sliding his jacket loosely over his shoulders as he finally manages to sit up, Brian hangs his head. "I guess so." He says groggily rubbing tenderly at the bridge of his nose. "I don't get it." Brian says softly, sounding somewhat shell shocked. "How did I—" He doesn't have control over himself. This is not a good sign. What if he starts losing control of all his copies? Trying to limit his inner freak out, he slowly pushes his gaze up to Gillian. "Bonus points for sensitivity, Gilli." Brian mutters as she talks about shooting him in the head.

"Help me up?" He asks, offering his hand up to the woman, pressing his other hand against the ground, pushing up with that hand and his feet in a vain attempt to rise up. "Yeah. I didn't make another orgy.." He says dryly. "Sorry to disappoint."
"If there's a way to get you back together without it, I'm sure we'll find it," Gillian says, reaching down to take his hand and help him to his feet. She's not really strong, but she can help someone stand up. "I'll help get you back to the Lighthouse," she adds, even moving to offer him a shoulder if he needs a little extra help on the whole walking part. He's taller than her, so she'll make a pretty good crutch. "Only thing disappointing is the fact you didn't kick his ass instead. You need to work on that. If he's really working for those guys…" Well… "Maybe he'll be one of the good ones, but if it comes down to you or him… I'd pick you."

With a groan, Brian gets to his feet with Gillian's help. His arm drapes over Gillian's shoulders to use her as a crutch. He tries not to put a lot of weight on her, but ends up doing so anyway. Though he does his best to support himself as best he can. Letting his head hang, he shuffles his feet beside her on their slow way to the exit. "Yeah. The Lighthouse." He says groggily. "I don't even know what was going on.. I've never lost control of myself Gilli." He mutters.

When she says who she would pick, he lets out a weak smile. "That's sweet." Brian coughs out. "Ugh. You're already in love with me." The joke sounds less humor-ly what with the scratchy voice and weakness and whatnot.

"First time for everything. How long you been doing this… splitting into different people thing?" Gillian helps him toward the cut open door, pushing it open and moving out onto the street. It's a lot of weight. Luckily she can handle it… for the moment. They'll likely need to rest. It's a long walk. At least it's daytime. Someone will just think he was the unfortunate victim of violence. Or maybe sick. She'll hope sick. Less likely to come near a sick person. "It'd be a lot less complicated if I was in love with you, walking orgy." She won't correct him much beyond that, though.

There's a moment or two of silence. "Maybe this was always something your ability could do. Petrelli split— you said it didn't work that way, but maybe it does. Maybe it always could work like that. You just didn't know it." There's a pause. "Did I ever tell you that he split in front of me? I think I was even boosting him when it happened."

"A couple years." Brian informs as he limps along, heavily leaning on Gillian as they go. His feet drag as she half carries him a long. He's not too sore, just weak. He has no power to put into his legs, and it makes for a very difficult situation on Gillian's part. "You're telling me." He murmurs when she returns to the subject of love. "The girl I like, works for me, and I just kissed her and.." He waves a free hand. "Wasn't my best idea ever." He admits, though he smiles weakly at what she calls him. "Aww is that my new pet name. How cute. You and me, we should just settle down on a farm in Colorado, naked guys and fields as far as the eyes can see." He can picture it now.

He lets out a frown. "Maybe. But.." He sighs. "Damnit. I hate that Petrelli guy. Maybe he knows more about my power now than I do. I should probably try to find him, see how he solved that whole problem." Brian murmurs.

"Would they work the fields naked and get all sweaty and…" Okay, maybe this idea is a little amusing… Gillian has to laugh a little. But it's a better topic than the other one. How they solved the problem… "I was there when that ended, too," she says, raspy voice moving away from humor to something more serious. Each step is pretty slow, quick enough that they make it down the road, but slow enough that the chance they'll get to the Lighthouse anytime soon without flagging down a ride… pretty slim. Flagging down a ride might need to happen. But right now…

"They'd decided to try it your way. Stop killing each other and get back together. That's when Homeland showed up. They shot the suit in the head, their own fucking guy… The other one got shot too, but he was arrested. And well… if Teo has anything to say about it, we'll all have a chance to talk to him eventually…" That's one of the plans coming down the pipe. Peter had been listed with Helena and the other guy. "Just hope I'm still around to kick him in the shins at least once. If I'm not— maybe you can do it for me."

"Does that get you excited?" He asks at her grinning, trying to take a little more weight on his own feet, but fails. Ending up with an even more extensive reliance on Gillian. "You're pretty strong you know, you work out, that's hot." He answers for her, without her even answering. Tilting his head back he lets out a groan. "This kinda sucks Gilli. Finding out you can't control yourself and you're consorting with some woman." He glares. He hadn't even thought about that. His copy could be violating that poor woman and he would have no idea.

"So he's in the prison that the others are in. But I'm not in it. Because I work for the company. Balls." He mutters with a glare. He gives her an incredulous look. "What do you mean still around you mean like alive? Don't you start talking about that Gilli. I need you around for when I start my own strip-o-gram business.:

"Much longer and I'm leaving you on the curb," Gillian says with a rasp, but she's still trying to keep a half smile on her face, to show it's a joke. She wouldn't just leave him… "May need a rest break once we get a few more blocks." In case the Company helicopters decend upon their old location. Paranoia is one of her problems, still… but she's been on the run for a lot longer than she needed to be. It's become old hat.

"I started out with no control over my ability… now I can turn it on and off, more or less. I'm sure you can learn control too. Might help to have some outside assistance…" She doesn't know if Petrelli would be the best idea… and her mentor… that's not exactly an option. "Maybe you can find someone with experience in their own ability who can help you with yours. I did." Not quite the same. But…

"I've dodged the bullet so many times the last few months, I'm not counting on the streak continuing. Don't worry… I don't have a deathwish. If you need to leave the orphanage business and go into stripper dance lines… you'll have a backer. I want thirty percent, though."

"Let's take a break." He concurs. Deciding very suddenly that that would be a very good idea. And without warning Brian pulls his arm off of Gillian and practically collapses on the curb she had threatened to leave him on. He manages to keep himself seated upright. Sticking a hand out behind him, he breathes a little heavily. "I used to only be able to make one. Now I can make like ten. With you? Way more." Brian murmurs weakly .

"Hey. I'm sorry I got so mad at you. That one night. At the meeting, before we left. I haven't seen you since the bridge. And I donno if I said anything unkind. But.. Thank you." He offers simply, going to look up at her. "Gilli, if you need anything you can call on me. Alright? A place to stay whatever. If you need something I got your back, alright?"

The sudden loss of weight surprises her, but Gillian moves to sit beside him rather than keeps walking. Not quite as far as she might want, she sticks her hand in the bag and touches the panic button, so that they can push it if they need to. Would certainly be quicker, but it isn't something she wants to use for a taxi ride… even if she once had a taxi who she called on for much the same thing. Once. Eve was big girl, though, and she had to carry her while she was completely unconscious. It was different.

As she settles, she glances over at his serious tone. And his thanks. "You're welcome…" There's a suprised sound to her rasped voice, drawn out by the chill that's gotten into her throat, tightening her skin. "I won't say I'm just doing it because I like you… I'm getting things out of working with Phoenix, and this happened to be the job that Teo gave me. But you're not a bad guy." There's that partial smile again. "Or a bad dozen guys." Pause… "Maybe one of you is a bad guy. But if he is, he's been brainwashed by the Company." Maybe not all of what NotPARIAH said was false.


l-arrow.png
March 1st: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
r-arrow.png
March 1st: Fighting Hurts
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License