All Valid Questions

Participants:

cat_icon.gif elisabeth_icon.gif

Scene Title All Valid Questions
Synopsis Elisabeth has several of them.
Date April 29, 2009

Village Renaissance Building, Cat's Penthouse

Arriving by any of four elevators, visitors will find they open into three foot corridors facing wide double doors made from sturdy southern pine which swing outward and have the strongest locks available. The stairs lead to single doors, also outward opening, at the end of three foot corridors. Entry requires both a key and a keycard; other security measures are a video camera and voice communication terminal at all doors. The 4th Street side has floor to ceiling windows interrupted only by the access points. Cream colored curtains are normally kept closed.

This level has enough space for sixteen apartments. There is an office space with reception area, conference room, and executive office; a room for archery practice and other forms of physical exercise; a very well appointed kitchen and dining area; a music zone with an array of instruments, electronics, and amplifiers; an entertainment area with an HD set covering an entire stretch of wall from floor to ceiling; a locked room where security footage for the building is recorded and can be monitored; a laundry room; a staircase for roof access; central air and heating; the main bedroom and a few smaller guest rooms; plush deep wine carpet everywhere except the kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms; and track lighting everywhere overhead. The light levels can be lowered or raised in the entire place, or selectively by segments. The overall decor suggests the occupant is a woman.


Her mood is stormy still, a day and a half after the visitors she in no way expected to have. Reporters are gone from the building front, however, it seems they found something more fruitful than Abigail Beauchamp to focus on. That whole issue, minor as it was at the time, was at worst a mild annoyance. What Cat contemplates now is far more serious. And worrisome.

What the hell is he up to? His methods were so unlike him. Failing to have a concrete scenario to lay out when asking for assistance, hostile displays, threats. It makes not a speck of sense.

It's the workout and training room she'll be found in now, in shorts and a sports bra, using Krav Mage moves on a punching bag. The archery target has a new photo on it now: Doctor Edward Ray, with arrows stuck in both bespectacled eyes. Outside the exercise room there rests the remains of a destroyed large punching bag.

When she arrives downstairs, Liz doesn't even wait for them to call ahead, she just lets herself into the elevator. She knows that by the time she hits the top, Cat's likely to be at the door anyway, and she's in no mood to stand around and chitchat with people today. No way. She's impatient as the elevator glides to the top floor. When she steps out, there's an air of impatience about her movements. Stalking through the rooms, heading for Cat's exercise room — she can hear the other woman from here — she calls ahead, "Cat? What the hell's going on?"

"I wish I really knew," she answers tersely. She wasn't at the door as she customarily would be. Cat is still assaulting the bag. Arm strikes, hand punches, kicks. The whole range. Hair is tied into a ponytail, she seems to have been at this for a while now. "He turned up Tuesday evening just before sunset, on the street, and I invited him up. It's a curious thing when a man the Company is holding comes to my building." Her motions stop, she faces Elisabeth briefly while grabbing a water bottle and upending it to drink.

"He has an agenda. He wants us to help keep the Company from collapsing."

"What. The. Fuck?" Elisabeth demands. "Any fucking idea why he'd think we'd even consider that?" She shoves a hand through her blonde hair, coming to a stop in front of Cat as the brunette drinks.

"He claims," Cat shares dryly, "something far more oppressive will rise in the Company's place. But he offers no details as to how this happens, or is possible. It's very much not like him. No evidence, no exhibits, no detailed horror story like he brought regarding the Vanguard. No, just vague accusations against my father, claims Pinehearst is evil, demands to know if I can be trusted to be on his side, and threats."

Elisabeth frowns visibly. "I'm reluctant to merely trust on faith — I mean… first, how'd he get out of Company custody? And second, if he does know something, why aren't our precogs seeing anything?"

"He's ten years older than we last saw him," Cat replies with darkness in her tone. "When I wasn't agreeing with him instead of listening and wanting details, he decided to make a demonstration. The power to this building and the entire block went out, then suddenly Tyler Case was in the kitchen. This tells me Nathan Petrelli is on his team too. It looked very much like time being frozen and restarted, at the very least teleportation."

"He suggested if I want answers I need to speak with my father, who according to him works with Pinehearst and is tied to Adam Monroe making plans against Hiro. So I arranged a meeting with Father, and at Edward's demand texted Robin Hood to tell them it was set."

Elisabeth throws her hands up in the air. "Jesus fucking Christ on a crutch," she swears. "This is getting more and more complicated all the time. Let me know what you need, and I'll be there," she tells the brunette. Shaking her head, she says, "I assume you've let Teo know all this, so….. yeah… really. Let me know what you need me to do, and I'm there," she sighs. "I'm inclined not to do ANYTHING that will help Adam Monroe, though — he just killed a Homeland agent that I didn't quite hate." She scowls.

Her eyes close for an extended moment on hearing that news; when Cat speaks again the voice is solemn, taking a bit of a comforting tone. "Teo's been briefed," she confirms. "As for Adam, I sent word to Hiro about Adam having taken on Ethan, the things Mr. Redbird told us. I asked Edward when he was here if he had anything to do with that and," Cat pauses to make eye contact, "Edward recommended I ask Father that question."

Elisabeth tilts her head. "Cat…. what's your father got to do with any of this?" Because the other woman rarely mentions the man.

"Allegedly he isn't really an insurance company head, or isn't just that," Cat replies. "Allegedly he works for Pinehearst. For Arthur Petrelli. So…" she adds, "… when Father and I meet I plan to lay everything on the table and see what the truth is. Edward claims my parents are both involved. That something he's working on needs to be stopped, but he gave no details."

While she speaks her iPhone display lights up and she moves to the device lying nearby. It says there's an incoming text message, which she brings up to view.

You owe me

-C

brill_villains.jpg

Cat studies the image sent with the message for a moment, then heads to her office area, motioning for Elisabeth to follow her there.

With a frown, Elisabeth asks, "So…." She follows Cat as they walk. "What the hell is Pinehearst? What's their game, and why would we want to stop them if they're out to stop The Company?"

In the office, she forwards the image to herself as an email and brings it up so the painting can be viewed by both. "I don't know," Cat tells the officer, "he was short on details. Pinehearst is a firm run by Arthur Petrelli, it seems their goal is to bring down the Company. A man named Roger Goodman is likely to sometime soon expose the Company's darkest secrets.

Her frown still doesn't vanish, but Elisabeth studies the image before she speaks again. "Arthur Petrelli isn't dead, then?" Because it's common knowledge by now that the President's father is dead — that kind of thing, even if you didn't read the news when it happened, makes the papers when someone takes the highest office in the land. "Do we know who Roger Goodman is?"

"Roger Goodman is the director of public relations for a firm called Biomere, he's rather well known," Cat informs. "As to Arthur, I can't say with certainty. He may have faked his death, or it may be someone claiming to be him. I hoped to ask Peter at Moab if he actually ever saw the body, but, well, things got weird. Never had the chance."

Silent then, she studies the image before resuming. "The one with glasses, this must be Edward Ray. Two of the others I'd say are Tyler Case and Nathan Petrelli. The fat man and the woman I don't know anything about. The electrical creature…" Cat trails off there.

Elisabeth considers and asks, "Robin Hood?"

"It could be," Cat answers speculatively. "But it looks more like a man with electrical powers instead of technopathy. The fat one, my guess is that's Robin Hood. Although in fairness nothing says Robin Hood has to be a guy. It could be her." She gestures toward the female shape among the group. "Aria Baumgartner mentioned a name, Niles Wight, as having electrical powers. A friend of hers was electrocuted, murdered, not too long ago. Her name was Thea. But she insists Niles is a friend, not a killer."

Elisabeth mmmms softly. "Hard to say. But according to this, we've got six of them who came back from the future?"

"That's my conclusion," Cat muses. "I think of Niles Wight in this group because he's said to have some kind of electrical ability, and the vision carried elements of time manipulation, along with Aria saying 'he came back'. And they know each other.

Elisabeth sifts through her memory and then says, "I think Ivanov caught that case. I'll check into it. That's the electrocution in Thomas Jefferson, right?" She looks at Cat. "Maybe the Niles she knows today is a friend, but… what about a Niles whose been locked up in Moab for a while?" It's something she'll have to read Felix in on. "What else did she say?"

"That's why Felix was at the Farm when I showed up looking for Aria," Cat explains. "He was investigating Thea's murder. He knows now Aria may also be a target, I told him about the vision. Aria's also a telepath, I showed her the vision from start to end that way." She grimaces slightly.

"The residents don't believe he's truthful about helping, they say the cops blew them off when they claimed Thea was murdered. As to Niles, they've not seen him in some time. They say he was taken away by Feds."

Elisabeth nods a bit. "Glad you told him about the vision. Even if he doesn't quite agree with certain things, more information can only help him." She glances at Cat. "Yeah… taken away by Feds," she sighs.

"If he was in Moab by that fact, he isn't now, I'm fairly certain. I'd be surprised if anyone there didn't get deposited far away. But there's still the Company. And in the future, if he's one of the people who came back with Edward, if he's locked up then nothing says he doesn't have grudges."

"Yeah… this could get really complicated, really fast. We need to find out exactly who came back with Edward Ray. Since it looks like their goal is to stop Pinehearst, it makes sense that's the place to start. But again, we're stuck in the position of not knowing which is the lesser of two evils, honestly. If all the people who came back here with Edward Ray were prisoners in Moab in the future…. WHY were they prisoners? Were they in a situation like our people, or had they actually committed crimes and done wrong?" It makes a difference, so far as Elisabeth is concerned, after all.

"All valid questions," Cat replies gravely," which I don't have the answer to. I could try contacting Robin Hood and seek to meet with Edward alone, not saying why so none of the people with him know what I'm after, then ask him directly about these others. Maybe I could convince him to share since we should know who he's got on his team if he wants assistance, but that doesn't guarantee he'll share. So far all he's done is name a target, make threats, and leave us to find things out on our own."

"It makes no sense. If he wants and needs help, if Pinehearst turns out bad, why not get specific? If I had my way," she muses, "I'd work to find out what that organization is up to and maybe act if it seems warranted, but I'd also very much want to make the Company crash and burn too."

Elisabeth considers, and then says, "Why not talk to Roger Goodman, then?" She looks at Cat. "He may or may not tell you anything, but as of this moment, he's a target for them — if we can find out what Pinehearst is all about, then maybe we can make a slightly better informed decision about whether to help Edward Ray or just eliminate him?" Because in all honesty? All this time-travel stuff scares the CRAP out of her — the damage they could do is incalculable.

"Because they could be watching me," Cat opines, "and they have Nathan with Hiro's abilities. If I'm seen going to meet Roger Goodman, Edward might conclude it's dangerous and act. His MO seems to perhaps be switching powers via Tyler Case. I've no desire to become a nineteen year old me who finds herself suddenly in New York with only spotty bits of the last seven years." Her features have taken on a look of determination.

"My parents are in the city now. They're up to something, and the first step is finding out what. After we do what we can to help Aria Baumgartner not be murdered."

Elisabeth nods decisively. "Well, that's the top priority, so far as I'm concerned, in the short term. If you want me to try to get to Goodman, I can — I know someone who works at Biomere who might be able to help me out."

"Thank you." Cat replies with a nod. She looks back at the painting sent to her and studies it again before asking "Have there been any incidents of any kind involving people who might fit these rather vague descriptions, Elisabeth? Can't see faces, but we know three of them at least. And with them traveling from the future there could be doppleganger sightings."

"No, there's been nothing that's coming to mind, though I'll check. If your electrical guy there is Niles Wight, the only people unaccounted for in our conversation here are Robin Hood — who could technically be guy or girl — and one other person. So… the fat man and the girl? I'll see if anything pops when I get back to the precinct," Elisabeth sighs. "I wish we had more than this to work with, though."



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