Participants:
| Scene Title | Enemies There |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Isabelle comes to someone who was an enemy in a previous timeline on her quest for answers on her past. |
| Date | February 23, 2019 |
In a conference room, one of many in the building, Ryans is currently pushing a pin into a board, a photo hangs from it. A symbol drawn in blood. The board was still thin; and when he steps back he can see just how bad. He lets out a soft sigh through his nose and turns back to the file sitting on the table behind him.
There is a soft knock on the door, before another agent opens it, “Hey Ryans? You got a visitor. Told her to hang out at your desk.” Message delivered they are out the again, leaving the man standing there with furrowed brows.
He didn’t have any appointments.
Tucking the folder under his other arm, Ben decides to see what this is all about. Luckily, his desk isn’t all that far from the conference room. It is pretty obvious this man isn’t much like the Captain Isa might have seen from the flooded world they had been in towards the end of their journey. This Ryans was far younger, groomed, and wearing a very crisp dark blue suit.
“Agent Ben Ryans,” He greets, with a deep rasping rumble. He studies the woman at his desk, while he take a moment to drop the folder in front of his chair. It frees him up to offer it to her, since he only has the one hand. “Please, have a seat. How can I help you?”
The heat of the room is comfortable, as if the sun is shining gently on an afternoon in the park. Izzy has maintained keeping her calm today. Walking into a government agency willingly is so not her MO at least it didn't use to be but dimensions are different, times have changed. Her flask is stashed in her bag that sits on the floor at her feet that have ankles crossed as she leans against the desk. When the man known as Ryans walks in Isabelle tilts her head leveling hazel eyes on him. "You looked way different in the last dimension we were all in," said curiously.
Shaking his hand with a firm grip of her own she smiles, "Thank you for seeing me." Isa takes the seat and leans into it, running her tongue along her teeth as she considers. "Richard and I grew up together. He said you might have some answers for me." She's not one to beat around the bush and hopefully a man as busy as Agent Ryans must be will appreciate that. "I'm not originally from here or my home dimension. My mother-" she stops and that guilt settles in.
"My mother once arriving… she began participating in an experiment. By a Doctor Morrison. I guess somehow that was The Company's way of finding children to test The Formula on… this Project Icarus." Here sitting in Ryans office a glaring reminder of the work he use to support. "Ended up with this."
Lifting her hand the whole thing ignites in brilliant orange flames that flicker and crack along her skin, Isabelle lets the flames linger for a moment or two before she douses it with her mind wisps of smoke lifting up to the ceiling.
A brow tips up ever so slightly at the mention of other dimensions, clearly Izzy isn’t the only one to mention them. “So I’ve heard,” is his opinion on the subject. “We are after all shaped by the experiences put before us and from what I understand, that was on rather wet.” The barest hint of humor there.
“Richard is a good man,” Ben offers about Richard, while stepping around to set at his desk “Reminds me of some people I’ve known over the years.” That could be a good or bad thing really. He doesn’t elaborate though, turning quiet and thoughtful at her words.
The display is watch for a long moment, his head nodding a little in understanding. Though support is a strong word, but know one really knew his stance. “I am not sure what I can tell you. When all of this was going on I was just a field agent.” Or was he? “That was a different department then where I was.” There was still a lot of missing pieces, even if he regained a lot of memories when Winslow turned back the clock. It was still the best answer he had for her at the moment.
A short laugh resonates from Izzy's chest and she nods, "Good one. Guy back over those seas could throw you with his mind. Just don't do that to me." Raising her hands in the air with mock terror. The jest is just a jest though and the pyro settles back into her seat. She's not as on edge anymore as she thought she would be speaking to a government agent.
"He's alright." Another laugh as she waves her hand, "It's my duty to fuck with him." And have his back on things like he does hers. Why wasn't she going to him? Oh she did already. But also… she has spent the last seven years with people all the time it felt like. It was good to do something alone, mostly alone.
His admitting to not having much information isn't that big of a surprise for the dark haired woman. These things were top secret even from people working in the Company she was sure, clearance and such. Still Isa can't just stop, "Honestly anything you can tell me at all would help. Even if it's a name of someone who you think might have more information." There's a flicker of emotion in those hazel eyes and she looks off to the side, "It's my past and I.."
Isabelle swallows, "I have to know somethings. Some of the whys and the hows. It's all a mess." Her past.
The mention of the other version of himself still having his ability, it raises a single brow. It was interesting that at least in one timeline, he kept what he was. Here though… “Lucky for you my ability here was stripped from me long ago.” His tone is flat, but there is no anger in it. He lived a lifetime not knowing about it, while he does think about it, there is no mourning over what he never remembered.
“Project Icarus…” Benjamin takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “A project that started with the Nazi’s and ended up in Company hands.” His hand cups the end of his other arm, as he leans forward on the desk. “The ideal being that if everyone was like them, they wouldn’t have to hide.” Or it was in part and it made sense. “I never agreed with what they were doing, especially with using children.” It had all happened before his girls were born, but even then there were some lines is didn’t agree to crossing.
“Children are often much more resilient than adults.” And easily restrained and manipulated. Though that last bit Ben doesn’t say out loud.
Stripped? "That sounds awful. I'm sorry." For all the horror it took for Isabelle to have her ability she couldn't imagine life without it, it was her. She was it. There was no clear distinction for her. She burned as hot with it or not. "I hope whoever did it got what was coming to them."
Her jaw sets as Ryans says what he knows, nodding slowly. Her ability was a product of research started by Nazis, ironically it seemed to fit in Isabelle's mind and she does the opposite of look on in horror she laughs, "There is so much irony in that statement," about children. That thought makes her fall short the laugh cutting off. She can almost hear the screams of those kids, see the whole thing playing out in front of her. "Children are easy to handle."
Leaning forward to place her elbows on her knees she looks Ryans dead on in the eyes, "I appreciate you doing this. Telling me anything you know." But she's not done. "What I really need are records, anything having to do with my mother and her family… I was adopted." Having to be so forthcoming on her backstory proves hard for the woman and she looks down at the desk between them. "I just want to know my family." There had to be someone out there she could see to atone for her sins of killing her parents.
"I imagine those are all either destroyed or somewhere where you need clearance that you and I will never have."
“That I don’t have,” Ryans says about the records. “Between retirement, the take over of the Company by the Institute, and the Civil War… “ he trails off, actually giving her an apologetic look. “All I have left is in my head and even that is full of holes.”
Pulling a piece of paper closer Ben turns thoughtful, “I know of one group that might be able to help…” he pauses in writing the information down and adds, “..maybe.” They might still hold those secrets close to the chest. “If anyone still has Company files, it will be Sabra.” That he felt comfortable saying. A part of him is pretty sure the woman would not appreciate her old coworker sending someone her way, but…
“You deserve answers.” He slides the paper over with a phone number on it. “Sabra Dalton and I worked within the Company. She is now a part of a group called the Deveaux Society. All three ladies are good people.” There is a hint of fondness when he talks about Sabra and the others.
As the paper with the phone number is slid across the table Isabelle just stares down at it with hazel eyes, inside she feels a tidal wave of emotions hitting at her walls. Blocks that a certain blonde telepath had placed, they weren't holding back the memory she needed though. Not enough. "Tha..Thank you." It was a step towards answers.
Isabelle looks down at the paper more as she drags it off of the table, palming it before she slips it inside of her purse. "I really do appreciate this." The woman almost hangs her head but keeps steady.
The heat around her stays bearable, keeping it managed in this government office is of the utmost importance at least Isabelle doesn't want to hear it from Magnes and Liz how she needs to be more careful. "What sort of thing do you do around here?" Now that business is done, it's easier to speak on these matters. Less for the ones about genetic experiments on children, holes in memories and stripped abilities.
As for, “This place?” Ryans asks, not that he really needs it repeated, he’s attempting to decide how to answer that question. “I’m a consultant to SESA. Only recently brought in.” He motions in the vague direction of the conference room he had been occupying before he showed up. “They needed my help with a case to track down someone.”
There is a flicker of a smile, “I’m supposed to be retired… again, but… it didn’t take… again. It’s just not in me.”
Pushing back on his seat, Benjamin gets to his feet and motions her to join him, “Do you have other business here? If not, let me escort you out.” He glances to make sure no one is close, before his quietly rumbles out a, “You can tell me a little more about what happened to you. Liz told me a few things… but…” He spreads his hand and arm.
There's a wicked grin at the rebellious streak that Isabelle sees in Ryans, she can appreciate that. When he offers his arm the woman stands and takes it, her warmth washing over the older man more. Still comfortable, still manageable. "If you have children they must be sick with worry. I have a daughter, recently adopted."
As they walk out of the office Isabelle nods casually, "Liz and Mags found us on their first landing. The world I'm from.. was decimated by a virus that just killed… well everyone." Isabelle is silent, she's been trying not to think too much on this since she walked into the office and saw the man. "I met you there, we raided a factory. We needed to find someone, an augmentor to help us leave my home."
That memory sticks fresh in Isabelle's memory now and she looks over at Ryans, "You we're working for the Vanguard." Her tone is soft and she searches his face for a glimmer of the man she threw flames at. "It was chaos, there were kids in cages. You guys were hiding behind them…" The pyrokinetic stops herself and closes her eyes briefly, Release… the notion is hot in her head, searingly so. "My friends and I won that day." That's what she has to say about that.
"You weren't the same in the last world, the Flooded world. You aren't the same here." Isabelle remarks, giving her thoughts on the man currently standing in front of her.
There is a noticeable grimace when she mentions his family and the Vanguard. After a long moment of silence, Benjamin nods. “I know,” he admits. “We know.” Meaning his family knows.
Almost like he can’t help it, Ryans starts to talk… “He hated it… But the Vanguard cornered him and his girls. They spared his baby girls for loyalty, but he thought it was temporary. That he could get them out.” There is a bit of a haunted looks in those blue eyes, his focus on the floor ahead of them. “He couldn’t do it… no matter what he tried.” There is a soft sigh out of his nose, “You all killing them was probably a mercy in the end. For them… and those kids.”
How many nights had the old man stayed up thinking about that conversation with his daughter from another, darker world. “But… as you know, not every world is like the other. I understand his choice though, I’d do whatever it takes to protect my family, too.”
Hearing what the man she fought against was going through at the time humbles Isabelle, gives her more perspective. They were all just trying to keep their families safe.
"I hear ya there." Echoing, "I'd do anything to keep my family safe." She'd proven it more than once that she had no line she would cross. As they near the exit Isabelle lets go of Ryans arm and turns to smile at him. "If you ever want to knock back some of my moonshine hit me up in Yamagato. Liz loves the stuff." An absolute lie but it's the best way to sell her booze.
"Again, thank you." Isa leans against the doors, revealing sunlight outside as the sounds of life pour in. She didn't have many answers still.
But she had another lead.