Horn Rimmed Glasses Magic Eight Ball

Participants:

alexander_icon.gif bennet_icon.gif eve_icon.gif helena_icon.gif

Scene Title Horn Rimmed Glasses Magic Eight Ball
Synopsis Helena asks Noah for advice, and extracts a promise from Eve that she already knows the woman won't keep.
Date October 8, 2008

The Hangar

A wrought-iron fence borders several small garden beds and the stone stairs leading up to the house's front door. The house itself is a structure of old stone - not even concrete blocks, but quarried stone — with natural-color wood doors and window frames. The windows on the ground floor are barred.

Inside, the level is divided into only three rooms. The first is the foyer, with polished hardwood flooring, a freestanding coatrack on either side, iron-dark against soft-amber interior walls. The main staircase spirals up from one corner of the foyer, girded by a wrought-iron railing.

To the right from the entrance is the kitchen. The walls just off from white, the floor tiled in dark gray. In the center of the kitchen is a black-topped island, matching the counters that line the room. One wall is dominated by an eminently modern stove framed by an anachronistic brick hearth. Cabinets above the counters have glass doors; the windows above the sink are framed in light-colored curtains, the illumination they let in adding to the expansive atmosphere.

The dining room takes up the back of this floor. The far wall is brick and stone, with a facade of a fireplace mantle in the center. Interior walls have been painted a tone intermediate between amber and ivory, which is also the accent color in the dark rug beneath the long dining table.


There's too much time. Time spent planning. Time spent waiting. Time spent stewing in her own frustration. Helena wants to go out and do something, solve the problems now, and get on with the revolution, as it were. Helena's a bit prickly today, but tries to keep it check, if not for those around her, then to avoid an upset in the weather patterns. She sits in the living area, staring at her notebook, like it's somehow going to magically give her the answers.

Alexander comes slouching in from a long shift in the cab. He's made decent money, so the pale face is fairly cheerful for once. "Hey," he says, softly, putting down the water bottle he's carrying — it is, oddly enough, bright Chinese red with stylized carp on it. A gift from someone in Chinatown?

Eve enters from the kitchen area and nods at Alex and Helena, "Hello guys. I ran into Sylar the other night" she says bluntly and takes to doing her favorite thing of leaning against the wall. Her hair is in a messy bun and it doesn't look like she has gotten any more sleep.

"Hey." replies Helena to Alex. Eve's meandering in is greeted with upraised brows. "Alex and I had crumpets and tea with him the other afternoon. Did your bump into him result in anything useful?"

"And you're still alive and whole?" Alex wonders, arching those copper-colored brows. He's fully recovered from his little tangle with Elle, and heads for the fridge, obviously hungry.

"He really wants to help us get Peter back, for reasons that he wouldn't tell me. But I'm sure we'll soon see what his intentions are," Eve says to Helena and then smiles at Alex, "Not a scratch." She then turns back to Helena, "What'd you guys learn?"

A safehouse isn't safe if people are regularly coming and going. Having trailed him on his way back to the Hangar, Noah Bennet has to wait almost a full minute before he follows Alex inside, his coat slung over his shoulder and a leather briefcase tucked under his arm. With his horn-rimmed glasses, plain white dress shirt and charcoal gray slacks, he plays the part of a family man well — his appearance is designed to be innocuous, to divert attention away. In the eyes of the neighbors, he's just another working father on his way back to his family, and in a way this is true. In Sandra's absence, in Claire and Lyle's absence, the Ferrymen are all he has to come home to. "Miss Dean," he greets in a low voice as he hangs up his coat, "Miss Mas, Mister Knight."

Helena sits up in her chair upon Noah's arrival. "Mr. Bennet." she's unable to keep the relief from flooding her voice. "I was hoping I could talk to you. There's a lot going on, and we don't — " She doesn't know what to do. "I really could use your advice." For the moment, Eve's question is ignored, but not out of contempt — she needs to take advantage of the time Bennet's willing to give her his attention.

Alexander puts a finger to his lips, and actually winks at Eve conspiratorially. But the smile fades, and he listens attentively to the horn-rimmed glasses, settling himself comfortably at the kitchen table.

Eve just nods her head and looks at Noah as he and Helena talk, she doesn't have anything to say yet.

"No one wants advice — only corroboration," Noah, Steinbeck fan, allows himself a small, rueful sort of smile. He sounds tired, but given his line of work that's probably not much of a surprise. "There's a lot going on for all of us. Lay it on me and I'll do what I can."

Helena can't help smiling a little and leans her elbows on the table. "You've probably heard that Peter's been mindwiped and is working for the Company. He's apparently lost his last two years and the Company has spun a yarn and convinced him they're the good guys. Sylar has made an offer; if we find and secure Adam Monroe for him, he'll deliver Peter to us. The only problem is, Sylar's convinced we have the resources to find Monroe and we don't. He could be in Timbuktu now for all I know. Alternatively, Elle Bishop is still missing, and there's the possibility of helping find and rescue her in exchange for Peter, but they're not trustworthy either and there's no reason they'd deal, or stick to their deal. But at least they won't start shapeshifting into members of PARIAH and try to eat our brains. Claire thinks we should work with Sylar. I think we should try negotiating with the Company. But Mr. Bennet, if you can think of an option that doesn't involve either of them, that would beyond helpful." For a moment, Helena looks very much like a nineteen year old girl, out of her league. She should be attending sorority rushes, not planning high stakes espionage.

Alexander rises again to put on water for tea and soup, but he's still attending. "Rock and a hahd place," he comments, in a weary drawl. ""Can't trust anyone."

"I do agree that getting Peter back is very important, we can't let the Company use him in their game. He needs to be on our side" Eve says and looks at Noah and then Helena, she notices how stressed Helena is but doesn't say anything. "But like I just said, after my 'heart to heart' with Sylar, his motives are unclear. Something deeper than Adam Monroe, he said that he and Peter are true equals." Eve then lapses into silence.

Noah is silent for what seems, at least to him, a very long time but can't be more than a few seconds. He nods to Helena, seemingly in agreement with her assessment. "The Company isn't going to give Peter up willingly," he says, "no matter what you offer them in exchange. He's too valuable, and there are entities in the upper echelon that are— attached. I don't know how to explain it better than that." As for Sylar? That's a little more difficult, isn't it? "If you want to deal with Sylar, be careful. Don't leave him any loopholes, and don't agree to do things that you aren't capable of unless you want a target painted on your back. Monroe is worse than he is."

"So you don't see any other options?" Helena deflates, as if maybe Bennet could provide the answers that she's been seeking, like some kind of Merlin. "What would you do?" she asks. "The Company might renege, but I can't help but think if Sylar somehow did manage to give Peter to us, then Peter would be convinced we're working with Sylar and distrust us no matter how much we tried to convince him. Not to mention Sylar's help requires Monroe's whereabouts, and we have no way to get that information that I can think of. And then, even if we did, Monroe's ability would presumably make Sylar unstoppable." C'mon, Horn Rimmed Glasses Magic Eight Ball! Give Helena something.

Alexander suggests, quite diffidently, "Ah know this is sort of ancillary, but shouldn't we just sic the Company on Sylar directly? Wouldn't they want him? I know it wouldn't buy us Peter, but it would get him out of the picture….and might get us some help or some slack from them?"

"Who's to say they want Sylar? He is uncontrollable and a killer. While Peter can do exactly what Sylar can do without killing people and he isn't a loose cannon." Eve offers and scratches her head.

"I wouldn't deal with Monroe or Sylar or the Company," Noah says, glancing at Alex. "If they have Peter playing agent, that means he's out on the field — and readily accessible. He has a handler, another agent — non-Evolved, that's how they do things — but if you can isolate the handler, that should give you free access to him, at least for a little while."

"They've thrown up bargaining with Sylar too. Do you know what sort of places they'd go? I'm watching his apartment," Hell, Helena's living in his apartment, "And Claire's got an eye on the Petrelli mansion. Are there places that Company agents go um, after hours or something? Any place you suggest where he might turn up? They wouldn't still be basing at the old location, the one we raided, would they? We could watch that too if they are."

Alexander notes, quietly, "I saw him and what I guess was his new partner at Rapture. British guy named Woods. I don't know if they go there regularly,"

"I'm guessing we should start watching the clubs and bars around town, being a Company agent must be a stressful job and nothing says realization like a glass of vodka. I can watch where I sing, the Orchid Lounge." Eve says and looks to Noah as if she wants to know his opinion on this.

"Rapture's as good a place to start as any," Noah agrees with a short nod. "I'll ask around in the meantime, see if Gordon's picked up on anything over in her neck of the woods."

Helena nods. "Alright." She looks at the other two. "If you see him, don't approach him okay? Call me and let me know that he's there. Don't do anything." It's clear she trusts Alex to listen to her. Eve? Not so much. "I'll still need to keep playing Sylar against the middle. He's made noises about how a lack of cooperation might mean him starting to pick off PARIAH members. We're going to need to start coming up with measures to make sure we're all who we say we are at any given time."

Alexander offers a little salute….and is apparently at least a little bit serious about it. "Passwords?" he suggests.

Eve nods her head at agreement at Alex. "I think that is a great idea. Except there are telepaths out there."

"But Sylar isn't one. And I mean it Eve, you see him, you page or call or text or whatever, don't get all into having a conversation. It's important." Helena's pretty intense about this. She nods to Alexander. "We can rotate. Passwords, clothes colors, maybe a temporary mark on the skin. If we keep changing it around, we should be able to keep from being fooled again."

"Passwords first, then, " Alex says, evenly. "My first one is…." He trails off for a moment, "Basra."

"I won't have a conversation, promise." is all Eve says. She blinks and looks around.

Helena grins at that. "Alrighty, then. I have no idea what that is. Password should change weekly, yeah?" She muses. "Also, with that recent anti-Evolved terorism, now might be a good time to add more to our ranks. Having a registration card is an invitation to being a victim." She looks over at Eve. "Don't fuck around about it, Eve. Don't approach him in any way."

"Listen to her," Noah advises Eve. "If you want to keep your head." This is as good a note to leave on, and so he quietly heads upstairs — presumably to get some rest. He looks like he needs it.

"Basra is a place," Alex says, and his voice is very gentle. The kettle begins to whistle, and he moves to take it off the burner, pouring it into cups of tea waiting to steep.

Eve rolls her eyes at Helena and smiles softly, "I said I promise didn't I? I won't talk to the man who can't remember us." she nods at Helena and Noah. Secretly Eve knows that if she encounters Peter, she has to talk to him. Then yawns. "I'm gonna sleep and see if I have any more visions. Sleep well everyone" Eve says and then stands up straight. Eve looks really tired.

Not so secretly, Helena pretty much knows Eve's lying. "Good night." she replies and turns to Alex. "So where is Basra?"

Alexander just shakes his head. "Lahk herdin' cats, innit?" he says, as he sets a timer and lets the tea steep. "Eye-rack." Even a year or more there isn't enough to let him say it right, apparently.

Helena shakes her head. "I know she's lying." she says quietly once Eve leaves, and doesn't care whether Eve hears her or not. "She does what she wants whether it screws things up or not. I don't care if she gets herself killed, but if she gets one of us killed, or ruins our chance to get Peter back, I'll make her wish she was never born."

Alexander nods, and sets a cup of tea down in front of her, even though she hasn't asked for it. "I know. She pulls that shit one more time, we are finding a way to kick her out. Wish we could memory wipe."

"Anyway. About that hold up at one of the libraries." Helena continues, feeling gratified that Alex is on-board with the issue of Eve, "Like I said, this is a good chance to swell our numbers. Sergei gave me some names, but there was one in particular I'm interested in. Apparently there was a boy - Hispanic or ethnic or something, teenager, was phasing people through the floor. I'm wondering if he might go back, so I want to keep a lookout for this kid."

"I heard about that. Sounded like a right clusterfuck," Al says, with his accustomed bluntness. "I'll keep my eyes open for this one?"

Helena nods. "Please do. I might go nose around the library myself, I've got nothing better to do."

"I'm there all the time. I like to read," Al offers, mildly, scooping up the teabag.


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October 8th: 302 Briarwood Terrace
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October 8th: Classified Trust Issues
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