We Few We Happy Few

Participants:

matt_icon.gif elisabeth_icon.gif cat_icon.gif

Scene Title We Few, We Happy Few
Synopsis Elisabeth checks in at the library only to have a bit of a confrontation with Matt and a conversation with Cat.
Date December 21, 2008

New York Public Library


The day after she's released on crutches from the hospital with a gunshot wound in her thigh, Elisabeth is actually fully healed thanks to a dinnertime visit from Abby and Conrad last night. But that means today, she has to hike through the mess (or rather, get a ride from a passing cop car) to the hospital to see Trask, and once she's done there…. well, she makes her way through the city in boots and winter clothing to the wreckage of the once-proud library, being cautious the entire way that she doesn't get spotted. Shaking off snow once she's inside the building, Liz is pulling off hat and gloves and such as she walks into what's serving as the common area gathering place for Phoenix members, so far as she's been told.

When Elisabeth enters, Matt Parkman is sitting in one of the moldy chairs once used by a patron curling up with a book doing his own sort of damage control. "We've got to keep this short, Thomas," he warns, glancing up to look at Elisabeth. He's given up the blanket, as it is needed much more by Rickham at the moment. "And you've got to trust me. Your first priority is finding the Vanguard using the information relayed to you. Then find Steve Caiati. I don't want to risk a transfer or even a watch on our location. Trace? Hell, I can't stop you, but you keep it tight, Thomas, or I'll sign your papers myself. We're in good hands."

When Elisabeth enters, Matt Parkman is sitting in one of the moldy chairs once used by a patron curling up with a book doing his own sort of damage control via a cell phone. "We've got to keep this short, Thomas," he warns, glancing up to look at Elisabeth. He's given up the blanket, as it is needed much more by Rickham at the moment. "And you've got to trust me. Your first priority is finding the Vanguard using the information relayed to you. Then find Steve Caiati. I don't want to risk a transfer or even a watch on our location. Trace? Hell, I can't stop you, but you keep it tight, Thomas, or I'll sign your papers myself. We're in good hands."

She believes the worst of it is over for the President-elect, Cat's concern abated for the most part when he was healed successfully by Abby with some assistance she gave in stuffing a few things back into their proper place. At this particular moment her interest is in speaking with Edward and learning what calculations he may have afoot regarding probabilities. He isn't available, however, so the pamnesiac is occupying herself with the books on German language she selected previously. Maybe the woman is reading, maybe she's just looking at the pages. In either case she turns them one at a time, making her way through the German-English dictionary.

The sight of Matt Parkman sitting in the library doesn't precisely shock her. Given what all happened the other night, she knew they all wound up here. And since there's a quiet kind of complete madhouse going on at the precincts over the fact that Rickham's gone underground, it's not like it's surprising to find them holed up here. Dropping her wet jacket, gloves, and hat near the door, Liz walks further in, glancing toward Cat but stopping near Matt. When he hangs up, she says mildly, "I'm not sure he'd be able to trace it even if he tries." Shoving her hands into her jeans pockets, Elisabeth studies the telepath. "I'm assuming Helena gave you the same Vanguard information that I've already passed to the SCOUT captain," she says. "How're you guys holding up?" Parkman was not in good shape last she saw him. She hasn't heard about Rickham's damage — he was metal when she last saw him.

"Not me," Matt says when he clicks the phone shut and returns it to his suitjacket pocket. "I was out when that happened." He doesn't gesture to it, but there is a gash though the fabric of his dress and undershirts, and given the scar beneath them, clear that the Kevlar didn't do much to help. "I'd give up my left arm if we could get him to a hospital," he adds in a darker tone of voice, glancing somewhat fearfully back to the door that separates the makeshift sickward from the common area.

So much has happened, it takes Matt a moment to realize who he is talking to. Elisabeth. Elisabeth. "What are you doing here anyway? You in this outfit?" Searching for information, Matt turns up that metaphorical volume knob in an effort to scan the thoughts wafting through the library air.

At the moment she's aware Parkman is present in the library, and very aware of his telepathic talent. Cat is, however, not focused on him. What he might pick up is just that general awareness. The more active focus of her mind is on the printed pages carrying English words and their German translations. She seems to be going at a rapid clip, turning a page and looking at it long enough to see fully everything before moving on to the next. Thus, Matt may well by turning up that volume knob be getting an education in German vocabulary courtesy of the page images entering her mind.

Elisabeth lifts her chin, her blue eyes never leaving Matt Parkman's face. "You could call it that, I guess," she replies mildly. "I went back to the force to do my job from the inside… but I think they've got the right ideas. So yeah… I work with them too. Help them out when I can." Her thoughts are calm on the matter — she sees no conflict of interest in what she's doing. Her job as a cop is to stop Evolved criminals, people who hurt innocents; Phoenix is a group (in her mind) of rebels - not criminals - doing their best to save Evolved who've been grabbed up by the government for no other crime than being Evolved. She glances toward the room Matt looked toward and asks in alarm, "He's hurt? Shit! How bad?" It clearly startles her.

Then she looks back at Matt and says, "The Secret Service agent - Calvins - who took the first shot will be okay. So will the rest of them. Trask and the others." Just in case he wanted to know and no one told him.

Matt soon focuses his mental attention on Elisabeth alone - not that he doesn't want to learn German, but it is too much to focus on right now - even if it does bring up some questions. "Good to hear," he says as a catch-all to Elisabeth. "He'll be okay. That little girl's got quite the touch." Like Linderman, only without the favor attached.

But as Elisabeth's words regarding this snatching-up idea that Phoenix has gotten into their heads sink in, Matt frowns. "I think you're all better off with the gift baskets and whatnot," he half-grumbles. "Leave things you don't understand to those who do."

Matt soon focuses his mental attention on Elisabeth alone - not that he doesn't want to learn German, but it is too much to focus on right now - even if it does bring up some questions. "Good to hear," he says as a catch-all to Elisabeth. "He'll be okay. That little girl's got quite the touch." Like Linderman, only without the favor attached.

But as Elisabeth's words regarding this snatching-up idea that Phoenix has gotten into their heads sink in, Matt frowns. "I think you're all better off with the gift baskets and whatnot," he half-grumbles. "Leave things you don't understand to the people who do."

Her feet are moving now, with her eyes still on the book in one hand. They're bringing Cat in the direction of that pair while she continues to absorb the printed contents. Now maybe twenty pages in, there isn't much sign she's paying attention to potential obstacles. In this fashion both the Agent and the Scout member who also serves with Phoenix has abandoned any intent to conceal what she can do. After another few seconds she looks up from the information and looks both of them over calmly.

Elisabeth purses her lips and nods slowly. "Perhaps you ought to explain it to me," she offers with a thoughtful look. She moves to sit in a chair next to the one he's in, her mind an open book to him — her presence in Phoenix is more a function of the fact that Vanguard blew up the school she was teaching at during her two-year hiatus from the police force (cuz she didn't want to Register!) and nearly killed her than of true belief in this whole idea of 'liberating experimented-upon Evolved'. She's not even sure she believes that part, aside from personal knowledge that at least one person she knows was actively tortured while in the hands of HomeSec. A cop, no less. She's actually got quite a number of bits and pieces of information in her head if Matt cares to go digging. But her attention at this moment is on Matt himself and on getting a different perspective on what's going on — she dislikes working in the dark, and she's willing to incorporate whatever information he gives into her view of what the 'right thing' to do is. It's very clear to him that her main goal is twofold — to protect people from Evolved who are out to hurt people, and to protect Evolved who've done nothing wrong from 'normals' as well. She glances to Cat and offers the girl a nod and small smile. "Hi again."

Matt, too, looks at Cat as she nears, but he doesn't see any problem in speaking in front of her. After all, if he's open with Elisabeth, the rest of Pheonix is sure to know soon enough anyway. "Things are more complicated than they seem, and," he pauses, squinting as some of Elisabeth's more explicit knowledge surfaces, "Every department has people in it who can't follow rules. There is no official doctrine or policy to be cruel. You know us, Elisabeth." You know _me_. "The system in place now isn't perfect, but I think, with Rickham's help, it can get better. We're trying to get rid of fear by figuring it out." Matt's eyebrows furrow as he states his passionate, if vague, case. At first glance, yeah, it's not pretty. But you have to trust us." Helena's words come back to him, and Matt stiffens. "We're not Nazis."

Her eyes settle on Elisabeth first. "Guten tag," she offers quietly. Cat's features are generally neutral as she then turns toward the Agent and studies him for a few beats. Her right hand comes out, extended to shake once. Should he take it, the perceptiveness picked up from his time as a policeman will show her skin is soft and warm, the fingers have some amount of strength to them without being crushing, and at least two of the digits have calluses near the tips; a thing common to people who invest a solid amount of time playing guitar. "Doctor Catherine Chesterfield," she offers.

Studying him quietly, Elisabeth says softly, "In point of fact, I *don't* know you. I've heard of you, sure. And my minor in college was Homeland Security. But I have to tell you, Matt… I'm not liking a lot of what I hear. A good friend, a cop, was actively tortured at the hands of HomeSec. And this forced registration *is* extremely reminiscent of the Nazi regime. It's why I quit the force two years ago — and I was a goddamn GOOD hostage negotiator. If you don't believe me, check my stats. But the fact of the matter is, my ability helped with that, a lot. And I registered recently only because I honestly felt that if I wanted to go back to the force, I had no options. And I wanted back on the force. I want Vanguard and people like them stopped." She shrugs just a little. "If that occasionally means having to go a little vigilante on some people… I'm not against that." She grimaces. "It's not as if SCOUT made a fine showing when they raided PARIAH's HQ a couple weeks ago, you know. The current system doesn't work, and you know it — people are scared, they're panicking, and in that fear and panic, they're making it worse than it has to be. That said…. it's the only system we've got. I *don't* have to trust 'us' — because I don't think some secret 'us' has the best interests of the American people at heart. I voted for Rickham… I sincerely *hope* that things change when he takes office. I have more hope now than ever. But…. politicians promise what's most expedient to get them into office. I want to see him wipe out this mandatory Registration act and bring to light ANY instances of torture as Evolved are tested, and I want people JAILED for those actions. Then… then I might be able to believe in that little secret clique you've got going in HomeSec."

Matt does indeed take Cat's hand, but his own introduction, though probably unnecessary, is cut off by Elisabeth's rampage. He'd though there was enough floating about the NYPD precincts about him to cover most of his bases with their boys (and girls) in blue, but he's been wrong before. "You don't see it," he says with a tighter tone, his eyebrows furrowing as he lets go of Cat's hand and rises to his feet. "You're too blinded by your own hate for things you don't understand. A rush job is always a bad job, and to be honest, we've been running around trying to prevent the next attack from PARIAH and all the other groups like it all over that some of the balls have been dropped. But there has never been a direct order to…to do anything like that. But I'm not going to stand here and defend myself to you or anyone else, because you wouldn't believe me if I did. For change to happen, everyone has to be willing to do it.

"Even you."

Matt takes a deep, steeling breath before he walks toward the door where Rickham is recuperating and disappears behind it.

She listens as Elisabeth speaks her opinions, her hand is shaken by the Agent, who proceeds to get up and walk away after declaring he won't defend himself. Cat's features harden, the neutrality shifts to something of more determination. "Oh, yes," she states to the closed door, "you will. Because police work for the people, not people for the police, and you have two choices: answer every question you get from one of your bosses fully and politely, or quit. the. job!"

Elisabeth sighs heavily and looks after Matt. Trust is a two-way street, Matt, she thinks in his direction. Whether he hears it or not, she won't know unless he opts to do something about it. I'm asking you to trust ME enough to tell me — give me better information to work from. Not this whole 'you have to trust us' and just expect me to jump. I'm willing to believe there are factions, just as there are out here, and that you're on the right side in all this. I think you'd have already given us all up if you weren't. So…. when you're ready, I'm willing to listen. Who knows? Maybe I can even help.

For all she knows, she was just thinking at herself, but whatever. If any of it does get through, maybe it'll go somewhere. "Sorry about that, Cat. Didn't mean to run him off on you." Liz grins a bit and blows out a breath. "That, my dear, is exactly why I went back to the force. Because sometimes people forget… cops work for the people. If you ever feel like they're not appreciative enough of your efforts here? You should try wearing the uniform, though. It's pretty thankless most days."

"I think the biggest issue is openness," Cat states after some moments spent silent. "We don't need a raft of new laws, we don't need secret prisons, or warrantless testing of DNA. Those are all open doors to Gestapo powers. If an Evolved person is dangerous, there may be a need to contain that person. But the criteria have to be set hard and fast. There's no reason, also, not to take each individual case to court and get a commitment order from a judge, just as would happen with the dangerously insane."

Elisabeth nods. "I completely agree with you. I'm not against containment of Evolved criminals *or* of some way to suppress or contain dangerous powers. The trick there will be, as you said, the hard and fast rules. Who gets to determine what powers are dangerous?"

"That's why the process has to happen in open court, with all the bells and whistles. Full publicity, each decision in the newspapers and presented for whatever criticisms come at it, or agreements. There aren't any easy answers. Except that fear isn't the answer."

Elisabeth nods slightly to Cat. "You're preachin' to the choir, sister." She smiles a bit. "Now let's see if the guy who's going to be in charge in a month agrees." She shrugs a bit. "We do the best we can with what we've got in the meantime, right?" She studies Cat and says, "By the way…. didn't really introduce myself the other day. Liz Harrison."

"I think he does," Cat replies, "and I'm more sure of that now that I know he's hiding and ignoring the Linderman Act just like so many of us. His ability has nothing to do with his ability to preside. I…" She trails off briefly to parse a thought into words. "Some may feel I have Nazis on the brain, after the analysis I wrote on the info collected, and maybe I do. When I was told of Volken's Nazi past, that's all I saw. History repeating itself. Isn't it interesting, as an example of that, right now we have a Nazi working to destabilize things and plotting genocide, at the same time as our incoming President is concealing a condition from the public, one which has nothing to do with the office he'll hold, just as was the case in 1933?"

There's another pause, after which she extends the right hand which would tell her the same details Parkman could have gotten from the contact. "Cat will do, Liz. I don't stick with formalities. But if they come, I'm Doctor Chesterfield. Not Miss Chesterfield." Quirks? She's got some.

Elisabeth nods to Cat. "Cat, then." She considers and says, "I'm not sure your analysis is incorrect, as I already mentioned to Matt." She shrugs a little. "The parallels are a little spooky, that's for damn sure." She sighs. "I want to believe in this president. I want to believe that *someone* can make things better. But maybe it's wishful thinking. Hell, it's still not better for gays, and they're not half as dangerous as Evolved are."

"I have hope, simply for this reason: People in this country elected Mr. Rickham. That says they still believe in and understand the dangers of unbridled police power. It's an uphill struggle, there will be blood, and death. I know, know so very well." She looks at the ceiling and closes her eyes for a moment of silence before reopening them to look at the law enforcer. "But we'll get there."

Elisabeth tilts her head and asks quietly, "Do you mind if I ask what it is that you can do? You seem…. VERY sure."

"I never forget anything," Cat replies. "It's a blessing, and a curse."

Elisabeth winces. "Oh geez….. yeah, I can see the down sides of that just as well as the up." She shakes her head, gesturing to the other chair. "You're welcome to sit, if you'd like."

"In lower times," she states calmly, "it's a matter of trying to keep busy, not let myself have time to think and wallow so much. I've only been back to the apartment once since I was released, when I had to pick something up, mostly I hire people to retrieve things and bring them to me, bouncing from hotel to hotel each night, or to safe houses, until I find a new home. Even if it wasn't compromised, it's too soon. The triggers are everywhere."

Elisabeth nods slowly and says quietly, "I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am, Cat. I…" She sighs. "I'm sure you're hearing that from everyone, though. Is there anything at all that I can do for you?"

"What I want, I can't have," Cat replies quietly, turning to make eye contact. "So there really isn't anything you, I, or anyone else can do. Even if I get my hands on Ethan and take the revenge that burns at me, she'll still be gone. And there are bigger concerns than my personal business with him. They need to be stopped and torn down, period. Life goes on, and so must I."

Elisabeth nods slightly. Cat's a little off-kilter in her mind, but she understands the distance too. You have to have it to survive. It might be Cat's normal M.O., she has no way to know, but … "You let me know if I can," she tells the other woman quietly, meeting her eyes. "In the meantime, … I'm all about the stopping them and tearing them down. Not to worry, it's top on my priority list." And everyone else's now, it would seem. Weapons of mass destruction have that effect.

"Thank you," she says quietly, moving to stand. "Now I need to go think on how to tell friends we both had, who might be looking for me, what happened. Or whatever version of the truth doesn't involve sharing internal secrets." Cat contemplates, stating solemnly "I'll just tell the truth without details. She was murdered, there's no body to bury or ashes to scatter, we know who did it, and they're under Federal investigation."

Elisabeth smiles gently. "That seems like the best course of action. The best lies always hold as much truth as possible." She moves to stand as well. "I'm sure we'll meet again. Be well, Cat."

"You too, Liz," Cat answers in a subdued voice. "We few, we happy few, we band of sisters and brothers." Feet move, and soon she's gone.


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December 21st: Braced
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December 21st: On The Antics Of Imps
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