Participants:
| Scene Title | Come Fetch |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Minea is the sweetest, most tolerant Company agent ever. That doesn't say much, granted, but it does mean Magnes isn't hauled off and forcibly Registered. |
| Date | March 16, 2009 |
Text to Teo, a few hours ago:
Have Something of yours. Come fetch before I toss in sky. Unhappy. Dahl.
Brooklyn — Car Park
Minea's nice. At least she's not going to go riding around in the car when there's a Magnes in her trunk. Instead she stayed right at the parking garage on the third floor. he'd been easy to drag in, since he had been FLOATING. SO it was, after sending the text message, Minea in her NOT HOOKER dress, is leaning against the trunk, tapping on her blackberry, a taser on the trunk and very unhappy look on her face.
It isn't as miserably cold as last week. Not even freezing, really. Still, Teo's bundled up in as many layers of jacket and hoodie as ever, and his scruffy-haired head is bunched down on his shoulders like the blob of a hypothermic hamster as he crosses the parking lot tarmac in long strides. He'd gotten her text. "I got your text." And a ride over, apparently, in haste commensurate with the bitter threat of her impatience and recent associations.
That would be Hiro Nakamura, walking along over there. She knows the one. Yay tall, Japanese heritage, sword. "W'ss going on, signora?"
And Hiro apparently knows the woman. The look he gives her when he appears is, get ready for this, A ROLL OF THE EYES. "This is your contact?" he asks Teo dully, as if pointing out that Teo has a spider crawling up his neck. He keeps pace with the Italian man and does not look the least bit troubled. Just if anything slightly perturbed.
Wow. Samurami man is friends with Teodoro Laudani. "Mr. Nakamura. How's your head?" Somehow, she's not surprised. Hiro gets a nod of her chin as the brunette turns. The taser is picked up, her hand around the business end not the shooting end, to slide it into her purse. No intention to shoot her visitors. "Cravaggio. Something of yours, pretty sure it was yours, came sniffing today. Intention to, what was it… send me to a country that he intends to populate with evil people." Her brown eyes flicker to Hiro, to the sword and then with a sharp smack of her elbow to a certain point on her car, the trunk pops open. Have to love old cars. Inside is Magne,s unconcious but unharmed. Slightly floating against some bungee cords that keep him from floating off to never never land. "That yours? Or am I hauling him in for being an unregistered Evolved."
What. Hiro Nakamura is enemies with Minea Dahl. That… makes… sense? About as subtle as your average landslide, Teo's face goes into furrows and edges of confusion; he manages not to wag his head in a tennis match stare between the two, although it takes him a moment to straighten his neck out and focus his mind on Minea while he answers Hiro with, "Si."
When the woman begins to speak, however, the entirety of his attention drops straight into the trunk of her car and has difficulty pulling out of it afterward. Oh, Christ. Magnes, Magnes, Magnes. "Kid has a bad habit of tilting at windmills," he mumbles, scratching his head. "He isn't Phoenix, but we know some of the same people. I'll take him."
Hiro steps forth to look in the trunk. He makes no remark in turn to Minea. Suffice it to say he's confident she won't be tracking him anymore, because he's pretty well discarded everything he had in his possession that night but his laptop, and that he made sure was clean. The woman's a plague in his eyes for all the he's trying to get some kind of useful relationship out of her. "He was going to send you to Latveria?" he asks to Minea without looking at her. And then changes his mind to look at her after all. "You have to admit, you are pretty evil."
There is no joking in Hiro's voice or his expression.
"Not that evil. i'm just doing my job. You can ask Cravaggio how he knows me. Maybe you'll change your mind a fraction. Besides. At least I didn't kill you" Even though she'd have been stuck in time stop hell. "get your paintings yet?" But then, back to magnes. "He has something to do with you, I know that" She turns, side by side now with Hiro. No move made for a gun but to instead give Magnes's cheek some not so light taps to make him wake up. "He says Flint Deckard sent him."
Magnes starts to groan at the slapping, crankily shaking his head. "I don't wanna walk the kids to school today…" he complains, god knows what he's dreaming about, but then his eyes open, and he thumps in the trunk, no longer floating. His eyes move from person to person, then spots Hiro. "Hey, you look just like Hiro…"
A rueful shrug of Teo's shoulders indicates first that he could, indeed, volunteer this story if it were requested and second that he doesn't know what is up with the whole 'Caravaggio' thing, either. "We helped each other because the world was imperilled, and then we went our separate ways.
"I'm a little surprised you called me about this," he adds to the woman, an eyebrow tilting quizzical but without actual criticism. Deckard. How the fuck— "Thank you, though. I…" He winces slightly when Magnes reconnects with the Earth's gravitational pull. Unable to decide whether crowding in closer or backing away would offer more comfort, Teo remains precisely where he is, raising a hesitant hand Hello. "Abby's friend, remember?"
Hiro gives a glare of hot embers at Minea. "I spared your life. Do you want me to regret that? Because with me, I could always go back and correct that mistake." he says to Minea with direct gravitas. "Let's just cut the cute banter. You are nobody's friend." And then it's time to look at Magnes. Magnes, who from this day onward shall be known as Captain Obvious. Flint Deckard's name makes him frown a little. "The last time I saw Flint Deckard he was running the wrong direction from his own jailbreak." Of course that's also the FIRST time Hiro ever saw Deckard.
"Shut it Nakamura. You were unconcious. Hooray for your time stopping goodness. You were unconcious at my hand. You want to fix that, go back in time and chop my head off the first time you saw me in the chinese food place and salvage your pride. But I'm here now, handing over superboy to your friend when I could run him in for being an unregistered evolved" Minea's leans in, working the bungee cords off magnes. "I called you because your a bunch of kids running around doing what some people in the upper echelons of law enforcement can't do or won't do. Same reason I told Elisabeth about your wayward clone parked in homeland, and same reason i'm making her a set of ID's. Same reason that I still have on the table, the offer of ID's for a couple others"
The last of the bungee cords released, she reaches into her purse, getting out a boxcutter and with a deft motion, removes the wrist ties from around his wrists. "magne shere, has had a run in with the company arleady by the way" There' sa gesture to the mark at his neck. "Which means he's not being careful and needs to stop trailing people by jumping over roofs" Minea shakes her head, stepping back. "If your unregistered Mr. Varlane, then DON'T FLAUNT IT. Or I will drag you in next time"
"I'm not gonna track down evil people anymore, alright?" Magnes assures, quickly jumping out of the trunk and up on the ceiling, standing upside down, and looking down at them. His clothing appears to be in their correct positions, not falling down or anything. "But can I ask why there's a Hiro cosplayer? I mean, he does Badass Future Hiro pretty well, but if you can't take me seriously, how can you take a guy cosplaying seriously?" he asks, very serious, he wants to be the one giving the hard time for once!
Fff. Teo resists the urge to grab at the gravitationally-gifted pizza boy when he exercises said gift. The verbal exchange going on around him warrants a sharp glance between the Company agent and samurai in the way that imminent sword or gunfights would probably draw the attention of somebody who has no sword of his own and doesn't particularly want to shoot anybody here right now.
"Sorry, but I get the sense that it's an occupational hazard," he offers Minea, angling a gaze along the direction of her gesture to the mark on the boy's neck. He isn't the most diplomatic character at his most serene, but here is his best fumbling effort. "Trust issues gonna happen. The Company's does some barbaric shit. There's a list. Apparently, some shit got done to Hiro Nakamura." A glance twitched at Hiro, a shadow of an inquiry, but not one he can ask here. "Sometimes our jobs say we fight. Doesn't mean I'm not grateful for this, or that Varlane isn't—"
Flying. Cazzo. "Hey." The Sicilian pops an arm up. "Bambino. Would you come down? Where— don't say where, but— you have somewhere you're staying now? Someone you're staying with?"
"You're still talking, Saseko." Hiro says dully, not looking at her. He seems very much not interested in arguing with the woman. At this point it's either tolerate her or just execute her on the spot, and he's already decided not to do the latter. Looking up at Magnes he says simply, "Stop wasting time up there." Like, wasting time by pretending Hiro is some cosplayer. Jeez, what has this kid been into?
Of course some shit got done to Hiro. She's the one who did said shit. at least. That she knows of. But lets stay mum on that for now hmmm? Hiro is treated to an eyeroll now. «Still could have killed you» tossed back in japenese. Look. It's improving! 'Tell your people, to stop panicking if they see me. I live here too, the island is only so big. If i'm coming in to have a package delivered, and they happen to work there, then, they happen to work there, and I want a package delivered. I'm not gunning you all down. Even i'm not so stupid as to try and catch a tiger by it's tail" Her gaze goe sup to Magnes on the roof. "Fucking baby terrorists" again, spills from her mouth. "Tell Flint I don't give a flying rats ass about him, I really don't. I don't have a bone to pick with him and sending gravokinetics at me, who don't even know how to tail properly, is a very stupid idea. He keeps it up, and I will toss him in a cell and let them slap his name on the registry. I mean it" The last is benefitted for Magnes. "Your lucky it was me kid and not some other" under her breath, there's a softly muttered "I just roofie them"
Magnes sighs, gently jumping down, doing a small spin so he's standing upright on the ground, though keeps his distance from Minea. "I have somewhere to stay, but…" he looks at Hiro. Most other characters are easy to ignore, not so… obvious. Ponytail, sword, badassness. But before he can say another thing regarding that, Minea speaks up again. "I only chose you first, the other two people he mentioned were Kain Zarek and Felix Ivanov."
This is ridiculous. Teo resists the urge to toss his hands up, though they wind up flexing spasmodically at his sides. Most likely, the samurai's tack is the better one to take as far as accomplishing anything here, but manners and habit repeatedly steer the Sicilian into conversation. "Donna, you told us you'd leave us the fuck alone unless you were ordered not to. Makes a vigilante-terrorist cell nervous, even when you're holding out company secrets and candy.
"Or especially. There's other shit besides guns, isn't there? We may have the luxury of making our own ethical interpretations, but that doesn't mean we're blind to the fact that you don't." Despite that caustic-kindly effort at rationalization, however— "I'll tell Flint.
"Don't go after Zarek or Ivanov." Teo is reasonably obviously not talking to either the Company agent or Hiro at the moment. He cranes his head up at Magnes, brow folding underneath the weight of consternation. "Please? Come down? We can take you there. Wherever. That was." Vague gesture. Generalized. Teo probably does not actually think Magnes came from the daytime moon.
"Also don't think I haven't noticed you lied to me, Minea." adds Hiro simply, holding a finger up for her. He's not interested in arguing with her because it strikes him as childish, but that little fact needs to get out there. He looks Magnes up and down and asks, "Why do you think I'm a cosplayer?" Because hello.
At least Hiro knows precisely what a cosplayer is.
"Yes, I told you that I was walking away. Creative use of my orders, that's how they're writing off my involvement with you. But that doesn't mean that when I need something delivered, or I decide I want a cup of coffee with Harrison, that i'm wanting to dig into your innermost secrets. I called you because I figured he might be one of yours and I'd give you the decency of claiming him first, before I opted to haul him in." magnes is out of her trunk, she's happy. The box cutter put back into that expensive purse, along with god knows what else. Two hands reach up to shut the trunk with a good thunk. "risk my fucking neck to not kill the little fucker" But Hiro prompts a smile. "Technically, Nakamura, I didn't. I still work for all those people. I'm off your case. Have fun tracking down the next guy. I'm still waiting for my fuck up papers and trying not to get Evo'd all over by some other evolved. Stanley Asters. Over on 18th. He's another one you want to look into for your little personal quest. He's known to do some backdoor dealings. Take the tip or not. I'm out of here. If Mr. Varlane calls my number again to set up a fake meeting, I'm sending him a bill for time spent, like I would a real client. Enough to make slinging pizza's or whatever it is that he dlivers a necessity for life"
With a true grin Hiro answers Minea, "Yeah uhm…that thing with the paintings? That was my lie." Confession time, it seems.
"Don't worry, I'm not going after anyone alone anymore, I hate getting tased." Magnes skates up to Hiro, being on the ground now, making a quick circle, then stopping. "You're dressed as Badass Future Hiro Nakamura, from 9th Wonders. You know, Save the Cheerleader, Save the World. You're really serious about your cosplaying, totally in character." he says, clearly impressed, the situation taking his mind off the Evil Two-Faced Harpy in the area.
So many cruel names. Teo watches the pizza boy glide in geometry around the samurai, before glancing back at the Company agent. And then back at the samurai again. For a young man privvy to so much weird shit, there's still a lot of shit that's just beyond him. Paintings. Rufies. Comic books, apparently, but he doesn't read enough of those to actual recognize the title or the catchphrase. He spent most of his adolescence kicking balls, in multiple meanings of the phrase.
After a moment, slowly, he turns his head toward Minea. "Drive safely."
"He is Hiro Nakamura Varlane. He's pulled me out of time and space once already. I'm sure if you ask nice, he might do the same for you" A glance to the 'hiro' in question. "We all lie Hiro. The job is one big fucking lie. I've been making lie's for 8 years now. Just usually, my lie's hold up. If your looking for them, you know some places at least. See you around, if I see you. I'm sure you'll have no problem finding me." Her keys come out, unlocking the door, purse throw into the passenger side. "Call, if you have questions. I'll keep an ear to the ground for your clone" The keys go into the steering column, turning the Malibu on, revv'd a few times to give a hint to get the hell out of her way.
Hiro rolls his eyes after Minea once again as she drives out and then glances at Magnes before asking Teo in very much an out loud voice, "Is he always like this?"
Magnes looks at Minea as if she just told an incredibly hilarious joke, then moves away from the car, wondering just what the hell is going on here. "Look, I'm as much of a comic fan as the next guy, but Hiro Nakamura, sword and all, is fictional. I guess Ando's hiding around here too, right?" he asks, not taking the situation seriously at all when they start talking like this.
"I've only met him a few times," Teo says, once he's stopped wondering how Hiro might actually have taken Minea out of space without physically reconfiguring her into paste. "But yeah. I think so. If Don Quixote could fly." He is waving at the back of the woman's vehicle as she drives off. After a moment, he drops his arm and looks between his companions. He is quite out of his depth on the subject of— "Comic books?
"What—" His mouth flattens. Perfectly unaware that he's playing with fire, far as Magnes Varlane's sanity and participation in consensual reality goes, he turns to Hiro. "If you don't mind, we should get out of here. Minea said she's had to deal with tails and shit in the past."
Suddenly it makes sense. 9th Wonders. Hiro saw that comic too, and in fact read a few issues. He even encouraged Zoe to read them. And this guy obviously missed the memo on Isaac Mendez and his particular ability. He can't be too upset with Magnes because it does make a strange sort of sense, what he's saying, but still. "Ando's dead." he says simply to the comic fan. Teo gets a nod from him and Hiro puts a hand on his shoulder, waving Magnes closer so he can touch them both to get them out of here and back where they need to be.
Magnes has no idea what's going on, but he does get in close, having no real reason to protest. "Man, I haven't gotten that far yet, spoilers! I guess that explains how Future Hiro got all badass." he says with a sigh, disappointed at the spoilers, still thinking it's all a joke.
Painless process, as Teo remembers. He doesn't brace the way he had the first time, uncertain whether the Japanese man's teleportation operated the same way as Anne's. He does absentmindedly glance at the sword sticking out from over Hiro's shoulder, though.
"Catherine said there's room at the Renaissance Village Building. Figure he can regroup with Abby there, too. The friend I mentioned earlier," he says, bite-sized, easily digestable captions tacked on to the jumbled network of relationships that constitutes Phoenix and company. "Grazie, signor."
Hiro's teleporting is much more seamless and instant, with very little side-effect. It's a sudden cessation of being there and instead being here. Once he lets go of the two men he steps away and asks Teo, "Anything else?" As if he has many busy things to do.
"What the hell?!" Magnes looks around, surprised and confused, stumbling forward a moment before he gets his barings. "Wait, we teleported, so that means…" He looks back, eyes wide. "Hiro is based on a real person! Holy crap! But um… I live with Abby's sister, and this isn't the place…"
"Abigail's an only child," Teo says without margin of uncertainty or much confusion besides. He is chalking it up to a weird American colloquialism thing, which is closer to the truth than he knows and ironically partly because of his acquaintance with Elvis Shepherd herself. "If you'll do me a favor and stay here a night, Abby's going to be here tomorrow.
"Last I heard, she wanted to talk to you." Her. Cops. She leads to the other, and there's this whole other conversation about Registration that is going to happen and he doesn't especially crave to be around when it is.
He smiles at Hiro, beatifically, this time without spending a moment to stare at the sword. "Not yet. Thanks. Probably need your help soon though. Please keep in touch."
"You want back in that Company agent's trunk?" Hiro asks Magnes pointedly, not bothering to add to his realization of what's going on here. Facts tend to speak for themselves. He gives a short bow of the head toward Teo and says, "I will. I have one of Cat's phones. You can have her call me again if you need it or just get the number from her." Another glance at Magnes. Once of those feet-to-face looks that one gives people one thinks are strange. And then suddenly Hiro vanishes like a ghost.
Magnes watches Hiro's sudden vanishing in amazement, but he doesn't have time to admire, because Teo is hitting him in the head with reality. "I can't see Abby! Just let me go home, there's no way I can see her again right now…"
Teo bends his features around fresh perplexity. There is always more perplexity to have when comic book geeks are at hand. "Why not? She's free. Trying to figure out… some shit with the police, I don't know. Fuck.
"I don't think the legal proceedings are going to fucking get anywhere with the jurisdictional bullshit and vigilante justice and shit, but she needs closure and I don't… Magnes, if you'd seen—" His jaw tightens, and he cuts a sharp glance down at the flat matte finish of the wall, before lifting his gaze again. "I don't understand jack shit of what happened. She's hurting."
Features creased with annoyance, Teo aims a succinct punch at his arm. "You need to help."
 March 16th: Oldest Trick In The Book |
 March 16th: Memento Mori |