Participants:
| Scene Title | Gun Caches and Presidential Meetings |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Card, Alec, and Liz chat. |
| Date | October 19, 2009 |
Elisabeth's Apartment
A shadow slips beneath the door to the newly repaired apartment, washing upwards into a three-dimensional form from which Richard stretches, elbows swinging back as he re-limbers up as if he were a bit cramped in that two-dimensional form. "Hey, Liz," he calls out, "You home?"
Alec looks up from the counter top where steaming coffee is resting next to his elbow and he's working a soldering iron over a circuit board, filling the air with the oddest mixture of smells, coffee and molten lead. "Yeah, she's in the back putting on her pretty thong. I'm assuming that's for you, she's long since been done dressing up for me." he sniffles dramatically then leans back over his work. "Should be back in a minute. Coffee?" he points at the kitchen with the iron.
Richard's chin lifts in an easy nod, and then he heads in the direction of the kitchen. "Sounds good, thanks… how's it going, man? World's gone fuckin' crazy lately." Into the kitchen he goes, clattering about a bit to find a cup.
Alec doesn't glance up, "Has it? To be honest I've been crazy busy making everyone safe /and/ cracking out my day job. Even an insomniac gets exhausted, yeesh." he blows gently on the board, "So what happened that I missed?"
"You mean aside from the entire Muni building getting destroyed, and Humanis kidnapping people left and right…?" A snort as Richard emerges with a cup of hot coffee in his hand, blowing on it and gesturing vaguely with one hand, "…I have to stop the Statue of Liberty from getting blown up. Just call me Jack fucking Ryan I guess."
Alec snorts once, "Trade ya." he says simply, "I'll stop buildings from getting blown up and you do a few back to back 20 hour a day weeks installing people's security while also tring desperatly to rebuild the bridge during the day." his cheeks puff out. "Less action I know, but I get paid better. Usually."
Cardinal's lips twitch into a wry smile to that. "Sorry, I don't do honest day's livings. What bridge're you working on," he asks, head tilting curiously, "The Narrows?"
Alec snorts, "You would if you knew what I got paid." Alec quips, though inwardly he smiles at the irony of that very statement. "Hell if I know what it's called. I've only been in the city a few months." he shoots Card a grin to show he's kidding, "Don't worry, the reconstruction efforts will take /years/ to complete."
Cardinal shakes his head in dry amusement, taking a sip of his coffee before noting, "Got more important shit to do than make money. If I wanted money, I just would've gone into business with Daniel."
Alec lifts the board up so he can eye it closely, "Blasphemer. Money /is/ the important shit." he sets the board aside, "Damn, how long does it take to put on a thong? I'd a figured down, down, up, up, zip, finished!" he taps his mug, "Feel like topping me off?" he asks, leaning across the counter and holding the mug out. Hey, Card's the one over by the coffee pot!
"Sure, what the hell." The mug's held out, and Cardinal claims it, setting his own down to refill the mug, "Personally I'm going for world conquest. It's more satisfying, and you can get all the money you want." He's probably kidding.
"I don't bother with thongs when I'm home alone. But goddamn it, I wanted a bath!" Elisabeth grouses as she comes down the hallway, looking unsurprised to see Richard in the kitchen with Alec. Audiokinetic, remember? Eavesdropper extraordinaire. She's wearing a pair of loose, comfortable shorts and a tanktop, her blonde hair damp. "Besides…. with the two of you yacking like old women out here, I didn't think you'd miss me a bit," she quips with a grin as she skirts around the island to fetch herself a mug as well. She holds it out to Richard to fill, since he's pouring, and asks, "How're things going? I got news they retrieved Helena last night. What's this about Liberty Island?"
Alec waves a dismissive hand, "Yeah, but to many people are then trying to kill you, and there's all that bitching to listen to, from the rich, from the poor, from the middle class that /think/ they're poor but aren't… To much bullshit. Money is neat and simple and it buys me a yacht. Someday." he shuts up now, they're talking Business after all.
Cardinal slides the mug over across the counter now that it's been filled, and he leans down to fold his arms on the counter, flashing a grin over to Elisabeth. "Hey, lover— did they? Good, good. What about Hunter?" A pause, "White's gonna blow up the Statue."
Elisabeth wrinkles her nose and helps herself to the coffee. "I'm assuming her too — can't imagine they left her behind." She pauses and looks at Alec, "you don't have enough for a yacht yet? When you do have enough for a yacht, I get to run away from home on it." She flickers her eyes back to Cardinal. "Tahiti or something. Really." She sighs. "Oh just fuckin' great. Really? We gotta go and be all cliche about it this time??" She rolls those baby blues theatrically. "Christ."
Alec blows on the coffee, "I did before the market crashed. Bonified millionaire. Stupid fucking Sylar ruined my nest egg. Oooo I was pissed to. Had my eye on a three sail forty five-er. Beauty." he sighs, "Was gonna name her Just Rewards… or Two For Flinching, hadn't decided."
"I do have access to a yacht, you know," Cardinal points out absently, not that anyone asked, adding, "Sylar didn't blow up Midtown anyway. Which reminds me, Peter stopped by the library last night." He sips his coffee.
Elisabeth goes still and sets her coffee cup down, staring at Cardinal. "What did he want?" she asks quietly, worry darkening her expression. She moves to pick up the sugar and milk to doctor her coffee with unholy amounts of them, and she also removes a plastic container from the cabinet to put on the island between the three of them. Brownies…. ooh!
Alec blinks, "Huh?" he asks in a flat and slightly unhappy tone, "So… who blew it up? Oo. Brownies." he reaches in all greedy like.
Cardinal tips his head slightly to Alec. "It was the president's brother. Peter Petrelli." He reaches over for a brownie as well, shaking his head, "Zu… didn't take it well, she nearly freaked out. Her whole family was in midtown. Mack didn't take it too well either." Quiet, his words, "I think he wanted to warn us about the nuclear weapon. I don't know. Abigail took him home, maybe he'll be more willing to talk to her."
There's a long pause, and Elisabeth says grimly, "Mack's wife was killed in Midtown and Mack himself maimed. My mother was in Midtown. By sheer stupid luck that day — or fate, if you believe in it — my father was spared. But believe me when I tell you, I know exactly where they're coming from. Petrelli had an uncontrollable power, and I pity him for that — but it doesn't mean I'm not still pissed. And now we're trusting him to contain yet another uncontrollable power, one that was most recently inhabiting the man who fucking tried to kill 95 percent of the world's population… gotta tell you: Still Very Unhappy about it." She shakes her head and moves to pick up a pill bottle from a cabinet next to the stove, popping a pill from it. "Tell me about Liberty. What're we planning? What do we need? Alec's working on the electronics we'll need to bug Donovan, for all the good THAT will probably not do us — I imagine Linderman's going to have him ousted from the race pretty fast."
Alec pauses with a brownie half way to his mouth, "I'm assuming he's entirely indestructible or something? This is why he's not been shot repeatedly in the face yet?" Alec didn't lose anyone in the bombing, but damn… he lost his life's work, and he's not exactly brimming with depth and empathy as a rule. He points at the circuit boar on the counter, "That's the last piece I needed. You're all just lucky I'm a fucking genius." he beams at Liz, "Take me like an hour to assemble all the parts and another hour to test them all then we're straight. Problem isn't getting them all up and running, they're fast once you know what you're doing, it's putting them in place."
"I didn't know that." Cardinal watches Elisabeth for a silent moment… then pops the brownie in his mouth, taking a bite, chewing and swallowing. "He does have memories from Volken— the entity's asserting itself, but I don't know how much of him is Petrelli still. Don't worry about Linderman, I have everything I need to subvert his political machine to our favour, I should stop over Caiati's place tomorrow, actually. Liberty…" A shake of his head, "We're going to have to meet him on the island. It's the only way this'll work. I'm hoping to get the cowboy to arrange access— problem is we need some weapons, and Deckard's been unreliable lately."
"Didn't know what? That most of the survivors of New York lost someone in there?" She grimaces. There's a long pause, and Elisabeth asks mildly, "How many weapons?" She briefly touches Richard's shoulder — casual, a reassurance though for herself or him might be in the air — when she leans around him to take her coffee cup back. It's just as quickly over as it was done, and she's leaning a hip against the counter looking at him over the rim as she sips it.
Alec shrugs, "So go steal some." he suggests, "Dude you get some funding and take a trip down south. One day trip to a gunshow in Tennesse and you can come back with unmodified arsenal, then buy the mod kits, or steal them, and make with the mods. It's not that hard, just some serious wheel time and leg work."
At the comment from Elisabeth, Cardinal falls silent for a moment, gaze dropping to his coffee. A sip's taken, and then he shakes his head, "Not a bad idea, I s'pose. I don't know anything about mod kits, personally— just need enough weapons for a dozen or so people, preferably vests or jackets to match. Oxygen tanks, too, in case White starts burying people."
"Might not need to steal them," Elisabeth observes calmly. Her faint smile has an affectionate edge to the regret that flashes across her face. "Conrad had a couple of stashes in the abandoned subway tunnels we used to use for power training when he was teaching me to use mine. Last I knew, they were still there. Half a dozen M16A2s, maybe two or three crates of Bennelli shotguns that had never been used. There may also be a crate of vests there, but I'm not sure. Pretty sure he got them from Deckard when he was procuring for Phoenix before the bridge fight. Can't help you with the oxygen thing, though. Might ask the Ferrymen about that one. Or just buy 'em from a medical supply store."
Alec shakes his head, "Medical supply stores require all kinds of ID. I can get you forged ID's, but they're gonna wanna know where a dozen tanks are going. Scuba shops on the other hand will deal in cash if you buy the tank and don't rent. Won't be cheap, but it's untraceable generally speaking. If you happen to have a 'porter and can get to and from the west coast in a blink that would help bunches. Or Florida."
"I can raid Shard's supplies for oxygen, probably," Cardinal admits—turning a bit to look at Elisabeth in surprise, brows raising a little, "Holy shit. Well, that'd definately fuckin' do for armaments. Mack'll shit himself."
Elisabeth starts to giggle softly at the look that gets shot her way. "And here you thought I was just a good lay." She smirks. "I do hope someone other than me has to clean Mack up when he defecates, though." Her expression is thoroughly amused.
Alec snorts at the lay part and quickly takes a hit of coffee before he says something he'd regret. Gulp.
Cardinal reaches over a hand to brush a bit of hair from her brow, saying quietly, "Never thought that's all you were, babe." Then, lest things get too mooshy in front of a witness, he adds teasingly, "I mean, you can also explode people with your voice."
There's a soft laugh and Liz replies, "Only augmented." She moves to lean on the counter and grins at Alec. "I see you choking on your tongue over there, mister. Quit it. Tell me how the day job's going? I could use some mundane news."
Alec sets his now half empty cup aside and allows the pristine look of child like innocence cross his face. Alec really is very very good at being not guilty. "Well so far it's what you expect. I have a jillion workers, all get in each other's ways, a half jillion foremen all trying to figure out why their crew isn't getting the choice easy jobs, and two jillion suppliers all suddenly unable to come up with the materials they promised would be oh so easy to get ahold of. So… you know, the usual shit. And we're not even really into the heavy building yet. I think we're /almost/ done clearing all the fucking debris." he shakes his head, "Same ol' same ol'. Oh. And I had to restrain an architech that was weilding an exacto knife like it was Excalibre. Frankly? I need a good fuck and a bottle of scotch older then the fuck."
Watching Richard excuse himself to the facilities, Elisabeth listens to the litany of complaints and then ffffffffs at Alec with a grin. "Your words say that but your expression shows every bit of distaste you have for the notion," she comments. "How's your apartment looking?"
Alec blinks, "You lie! I love scotch!" he smirks, "It's… Well to be honest I'm considering a different one. The fire didn't do to much damage, thank god, but it …" he shrugs, "Been in one place to long I guess. Not used to it. Still, it's repaired, I could move in anytime I liked."
Elisabeth chuckles. "Well, if you're gonna move, lemme know. I'll help. If you want." She rolls her eyes — the offer seems ridiculous to make, but hey. It's what friends do.
Cardinal returns from the facilities, shaking his head, "…hey, we should probably get some radios, too. Headsets or something, so we can keep in touch all over the island to spot the bastards."
Alec stands and sighs, "Well, while you were in the crapper and Liz here was telling me I should move in with her," he makes a face at her, "I got a call. Work. I'll see you two kids later. Don't do anything I would, that includes that thing with the whipped cream, a Cabbage Patch Doll, and two Elvis records. It sounds fun but really you'll just pull something." he heads for the door.
Elisabeth rolls her eyes at Alec's fleeing back, and it's possibly a step in the direction of a return to normal that she allows him to let himself out without following and locking ALL the locks behind him. Or maybe it's just a hint that the door locks itself? Although Liz does glance at it worriedly, unable to stop herself. "Okay… " Then she turns those blue eyes on him. "So now tell me about that mess on your head," she comments mildly. "What'd you do?"
"What?" Oh. She noticed the bump, and dried blood, and such. Cardinal rolls his eyes up towards his head, then flashes a quick grin, "Just got hit with a piece've flying van, is all, nothin' serious."
A single brow quirks upward. "That's all, he says." She grins slightly. "It's a good thing I'm not the worrywart type, yeah?" Sighing as she considers the the situation, Liz asks quietly, "Do we have any idea of a timeline, babe?" She looks up at him. "Do you want me to keep my mouth shut? Personally, I'm kinda thinking you could use more backup than we've got."
"I think we'll be okay," Cardinal says with a tight shake of his head, "We've got all of Shard's people as well, probably, since the idiot went and got himself captured or something…" He looks at her seriously, "We can do this, Liz. Let them know what's going on, but we don't need too much more help."
Elisabeth pauses and says wryly, "I was referring to a fuckin' SWAT team, not the firebirds." She chuckles. "Although I can see where the confusion comes in." She sips her coffee one more time and sets the cup down. "How the hell are we going to get enough people onto Liberty Island without being seen to in any way stand against the kind of power White's going to bring to bear here? Now… granted, this is not like an all-out assault against Humanis First …. but I seriously think you need a negator. The only one I know has gone off the grid." Even she doesn't know where Norton Trask is at this point.
"Hopefully," Cardinal shakes his head, "We can recover Shard. Otherwise? I'll just have Lola put a fuckin' bullet in his head before he so much as lifts his arms. As for access, I'm hoping that the cowboy'll help us on. No cops, though." He grimaces, "After that stunt with the Muni? Evolved need to be seen taking a stand against White."
"I can't argue that," Elisabeth says with a nod of agreement accompanied by a grimace. "Careful of Lola… I don't really know where Shelby found her, and frankly she… kinda pings my radar as not terribly trustworthy." There's a pause, and Liz just shakes her head. "Christ…. and I say this to the thief turned freakin' city savior. Don't think I don't see the irony in that statement, okay?"
"She was Linderman," Cardinal replies with a faint smile, "She was infiltrating Adam's group, but he found out… so she went on the run, I found her, convinced an assassin Daniel sent after her not to kill her after all… it's a whole…" A flutter of fingers in the air, "…complicated thing. She'll help."
There is a moment where Liz stands stock still in dead silence, her head tipped and a puzzled frown furrowing her forehead. She starts to say something, and then merely shakes her head. "I need a drink. One stiffer than coffee." She turns to pull a bottle of good scotch out of the cabinet.
"I told you it was a whole complicated thing," notes Cardinal, leaning his shoulder on the doorway, brows lifting. "It's part've one of my plans, anyway."
"Complicated is the understatement of the century with this," Elisabeth says, pouring the drink. She doesn't pick it up yet, though, looking toward him as she leaves the bottle on the counter and leans her elbows there with a thoughtful expression. "Denton will help. You just need to get him… refocused." She grimaces. "Teo's still nowhere to be found, and he's still got Dr. Sheridan. Denton's focus is on that because…. he thinks Teo killed Dahl, I'm pretty sure. And I'm…. not sure I disagree. I … think the amalgam Teo's…. losing it, Richard." She sounds worried, sad. "He kept trying to tell me that he wasn't Teo, but… " She nibbles her lip. "He was a manufactured Evo from the future, and the only thing I know about future Teo is that he and I lived through… everyone we loved dying." She looks at him. "In the grand scheme of things, this is so not even in the big picture, just like the shit I'm dealing with from the IA guy, but I…. " She trails off and just sighs. "Anyway…. let me pull on some clothes and I'll take you down to Con's cache of weapons."
"Shit." Cardinal closes his eyes, drawing in a breath and then exhaling it, his head shaking slowly, "I wish I had the time to look for him, he was… kind of a friend, once… but I don't have the time, Liz. Liberty Island has to come first; you know what'd happen if he pulled this shit off."
Elisabeth nods immediately. "No, I know. And frankly…. I don't think he's likely to hurt her. At least…. the Teo *I* knew didn't want to hurt her. He was using her to try to get to someone in Homeland. I still don't know what that's all about, what he thought he could accomplish." She grimaces. "Like I said, in the scheme of things, it's not really even on the radar. Liberty and whatever Humanis First is up to… those have to come first. Much as I hate to cut him loose."
Cardinal shakes his head a little, "I think he needs to figure out his own shit— I don't know. We haven't really talked much since he had me tortured." The last is a bit wry.
Elisabeth grimaces a little bit. "How do you do that?" she asks, sincerely puzzled. "Just…. say it like that?"
That gives Cardinal pause, and he looks at her for a few moments before shrugging one shoulder and turning to walk back over to the door, "You laugh or you cry, babe. I'm trying my damndest to laugh, these days, because if I stop to cry, someone's gonna end up dead."
There's a soft huff of laughter, and Elisabeth shakes her head, moving to walk around the end of the counter to watch him with an uncertain expression. "You locking the door or heading out?" she asks quietly. "And by the way…. Cassidy sent a message for you." When she has his eyes again, she adds, "She said thanks for not killing them." She studies him and wonders aloud softly, "Would you have? Just… for me?"
Ah, hell. Cardinal stops in his tracks, glancing back over his shoulder to her, not making direct eye contact while she reveals that Azrael told them what he'd said. After a silent moment, he says quietly, "If it came down to them or you? You're damn right I would have."
The silence hangs between them for a moment. "Thank you," Elisabeth says simply. Her tone is quiet, her expression merely accepting of the answer giving away nothing else.
"Wouldn't've told you, mind," Cardinal admits quietly, wryly, "Don't figure you would've appreciated it. But I have my priorities."
The quick grin that flashes at him is soft. "Don't want you thinking I approve, mind," Liz retorts gently. "But thank you for… having my back. Again."
"Anytime." A faint smile, and Cardinal turns, opening the door to head out, "We'll go check on that cache later. I've got a meeting with the president."
Click, goes the door.