Participants:
| Scene Title | I Found Brian |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Gillian brings Brian to Cat, and receives test results. |
| Date | July 6, 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.
Late morning, the mail already delivered, guests coming and going. And the guests aren't just going to their rooms. Some are trying to buzz up to the Penthouse.
In the video camera of the elevator shows two people, though the female in front is easier to see. Dark hair hanging haphazardly, a new set of nicer clothes than the drab stuff she'd been wearing in the past. Gillian's trying to settle since the death of not just one piece of her, but a third. All her attention is on the moment, the clones drawn back in to keep the fatigue from setting in early, but the last few days she's been testing her limits— more often than some people might like.
"Cat, I need to come up," she says into the com. A moment later she adds, "I found Brian."
His back practically collapses against the wall as he allows Gillian to do the talking. Grey eyes in a fog of uncertainty, confusion, and flat out torment. His features are mostly expressionless, a zombie who happened to shed a few tears. His eyes are rimmed red, and the tracks of tears down his cheeks are visible through the grime that covers his face. His hands hang at his side as he gives a slow, pathetic look over at Gillian, then back to staring forward, at nothing and anything.
Luck has smiled on Gillian at this point in time, Cat having been in the room where camera feeds go and are recorded to take a cursory look at things from the night before. And the fact there's someone else with her draws notice, though the face is hidden by Gillian being in the front. Fingers press a button, and she replies "That's great to hear, Gillian. See you soon."
Soon after the elevator arrives, Cat will be there at the doors across from it with the unopened envelope from the DNA testing service in hand. "Elisabeth," she says in passing to the detective at her kitchen table with coffee, "Gillian's on the way with Brian."
A pretty wiped-out looking Elisabeth glances up at Cat somewhat blearily, her gaze sharpening visibly when Brian's name is mentioned. "He survived? Thank God." She takes a huge swallow of caffeine and shoves her chair back from the table, heading toward the room Cat loaned her for a couple of hours' sleep this morning to yank on her clothes before we have company. "Back in a sec," she mumbles.
Gillian reaches out to touch the taller of the two in the elevator, squeezing his shoulder affectionately, but saying no more. It's a fairly quiet ride, slow enough that she might wish there were elevator music. There's no speaking, that's for sure. Not until the doors open and the two arrive on the Penthouse floor.
Shifting her hand down to his arm, Gillian keeps a hold of him as she leads him inside, walking until she sees the rich woman who remembers everything. Since the last meeting up on the roof, she's looking less haunted, but there's still a lot of tension. Understandable, considering the situation. "I've been splitting myself up to look around the last few days— I found him. He's not doing to good, but… I think he'll get better. I lost another one too, so…" She takes in a slow breath. In many ways she can only imagine what it would feel like to lose so many at once— two in a handful of days had been hard enough.
Shuffling near her, Brian's eyes take in Cat without much expression. She could be a lamp or any other fixture in the room for all the reaction he makes to her presence. Though it seems that he is that way with most everything in the Penthouse. His eyes slide sadly over to Gillian as she reports the loss of another. His forearm flexes ever so slightly under her grip, the only affectionate gesture he can afford to make at this point. Otherwise the zombie that is Brian stands pathetically next to Gillian.
Her eyes move from one to the other as Gillian speaks, no comment made by Cat during that time. The man is studied afterward. She's seen Brian after losing one of him, though by the time she last saw that he'd gotten better at continuing on after the loss. Or at least when he absolutely had to because a sniper was firing at them with a very nasty gun firing tungsten darts which wipe out entire building walls. When she does speak, it's a four word assessment. "You survived Arthur's attack." She looks a but surprised by this apparent fact, even as the envelope in hand is extended toward Gillian.
"Brian," she adds seconds later, "I think you should make copies, at least one, and have them in different places. It might confuse one of Arthur's abilities. Come, let's get you to a chair. Are you hungry or thirsty?"
As she comes back into the room, Elisabeth is pulling on a scoop-necked T-shirt over a pair of jeans. Her feet are bare, and she still looks tired. But nothing compared to what Brian and Gillian both look, in all honesty. "Christ," she breathes softly. "C'mon, you two… sit down before you fall down. Gillian, are either of you injured?" Like … first-aid level injured, she means. She literally hasn't seen Brian since the Narrows incident months ago, though she's followed his Lighthouse and its situation through both news and word-of-mouth. She's tried to steer kids who need a haven in his direction when she could, the ones who could benefit from the place. Given his face, she's not entirely sure he'd be able to answer the questions, though Cat gives him directions… she watches him closely.
"We've both had pieces of ourselves die— so I wouldn't say we're uninjured, but it's mostly metaphorical now," Gillian admits quietly, moving him over to sit down before she nods in agreement to Cat. "It's not easy to leave clones out long, I've discovered. I get really tired after a day, but I've been splitting myself up as much as I can. To cover more ground." And to test it out, too.
A slow intake of breath before she adds, "Brian does have his ability still— but so does Arthur. He sent these… clones after me who could turn into shadows. Knows I'm alive now, obviously. Any chance of catching him by surprise pretty much thrown out the window. Not that I regret being at the Lighthouse that night. I got all the children out." One of the many things she'd already checked on, just so she'd know.
Collapsing into the chair that Gillian leads him to, his hand hesitates into going into his lap. It clings to her hand for a moment before falling limply into his lap. Elisabeth gets the same recognition that Cat does. Just parts of the room.
A blank look is directed to Cat as she tells him to make copies. A slow breath is inhaled through his lips as his eyes simply rest on Cat, though there doesn't appear to be much focus. A few seconds after the direction to make 'copies' is given, his eyes start to well up with moisture again. And it's at that point that he draws within himself completely, eyes go down, and he pushes himself as far back into the chair as possible as if retreating from the room. No noises are made, yet his head lowers completely avoiding eye contact with anyone.
It all fits for her. She'd known Brian can make clones from a clone, after all the Agent portion of him had the ability for Tyler Case to temporarily lay on Veronica Sawyer. She watches the man sink into the chair for a time with a solemn expression before turning toward Gillian. "I've seen him go deep before after losing one of himself, but… he doesn't even seem to recognize me or Elisabeth."
And assessment follows, spoken somberly. "It seems, then, Arthur is able to make clones that can access other abilities he has. I wonder if he can manage the full range. Hopefully not." Just one of him is nightmare enough. "We got the word about the Lighthouse and the children through the Ferry." Whether or not Brian needs to eat or drink will have to be brought up again later. She's still holding the envelope of test results.
Elisabeth has a stunned look and her eyes slide to Cat. "Oh for Christ's sake…. he's figuring out how to COMBINE the powers he's taking?" she asks in alarm. Because that sounds like a combo of Brian's power and Cardinal's to Elisabeth. And then she turns her attention back to Brian, moving to keep within his periphery while his head's down so she doesn't startle him.
"He's in shock, Cat… he's not going to be able to respond to anything until he manages to pull himself together." If he does. God… "Make some tea, okay? Make it real sweet. We'll see if we can get him to drink something. It might help," she tells Cat then looks to Gillian. "Does he still have duplicates out there on the run? Or has he been this way since you located him?" She moves to get a blanket to wrap around the replicator gently.
"He can use at least two abilities per clone, besides clong. Shadow walking and ice are the ones I've— he used that against me." Gillian takes in a slow breath, reaching over and touching the young man next to her, pulling into himself. "I don't know if he ever lost that many at once. I've lost two in a few days and sometimes I just…" Her voice shakes a little, perhaps recalling all too well how horrible it'd felt to watch two clones get murdered by the same man.
"I don't know if he can do three abilities beyond that. I'm only able to manage one per clone. I've tried to do more. But one seems to be my limit." Elisabeth's question makes her grimace, "I don't know exactly. He was withdrawn when I found him. It seems to come and go. I think he'll just need time. But he should probably stay somewhere safe until… until this is over. So that Arthur doesn't… find him." There's a pause, "What's that?" she nods to the envelope.
Hardly reacting to the blanket being tucked in around him, he seems to take much more notice of the hand touching his. His hand practically springs to life and fastens itself onto Gillian's hand. And finally, though his eyes don't move up a quiet, "Thank you." Is emitted to reward Elizabeth's efforts. Though other than that, he simply sits.
She knows what shock looks like, from the books she's read in the past. Brian is examined with that in mind again, and Cat nods once. She seems about to head for the kitchen, but Gillian's having of the floor stops her feet. "He's been doing this for I don't know how many years, he's got practice none of us do, I'm certain." She restarts her path toward the kitchen, only to stop again.
"Do we need to find and warn the one called Agent Winters?" The envelope is once again extended toward Gillian as she quietly states "Test results."
With a gentle hand, Elisabeth strokes Brian's head and says softly, "You're welcome." He seems to damn fragile right now. She remembers the last time one of him died… the Narrows. So much badness in such a small amount of time. God… She glances up to Cat and looks thoughtful. "Interesting question… Arthur hit the Lighthouse. Do you think the DHS agent is still alive?"
"Yeah, I imagine he's a lot better at his shit than I am," Gillian says with a grumble, obviously not pleased with the fact that she's going to be trying to take down an obviously superior opponent. Doesn't mean she won't still try, though. She's going taking him down alone, at the very least. "This is the only Brian I could find," she answers simply, sighing a little. "Maybe…" there's a small shake of her head.
"I don't know— but… Sal already gave me his results," she says, perhaps cause he didn't need to have his go through the mail, who knows, but she looks over at Cat and says, "Can I see it? Both tests turn out the same… gotta be true." Two different sample types, two different laps.
Taking a deep breath, Brian sits up a little bit in his chair. Clearing his throat, "I think I'm alright. It's just.." A hand waves as if in replacement of whatever word he is trying to say. His voice is tight and slightly trembling. "Thank you for your help. You two." It sounds more rehearsed than genuine, though his eyes do touch on Cat then Elisabeth. "I just need a little.." But then it seems like his time using words for now is all done, as he starts to choke up again.
"Of course," Cat replies on the subject of the test results, the still sealed envelope already extended toward the woman. She's even let it be hers to open, she doesn't know the results, which gives Gillian that measure of privacy about it.
A step is taken, but she once again doesn't go for the tea. The question about warning Agent Winters is still unanswered. If Brian's words were to say he is Agent Winters, Cat clearly doesn't get it.
Elisabeth goes ahead and takes herself to the kitchen with one more reassuring brush of Brian's hair. He's a good guy, and she's sorry he has to go through this. She'll deal with the tea and let Cat handle the rest.
"If we find more, yeah, sure, warn them, drag them off into hiding— whatever to keep Arthur from getting him… I'm not sure if there are more out there, though. Think I restored his ability with Delphine's power, but I'm not sure I could do it again," Gillian says quietly, distracted, but one could understand that as she takes the mail and opens it. Most of her attention is on it. Looking for a few specific words. Results from the DNA test on the hair.
She inhales deeply. The inhale is followed by a genuine smile, one that brings dimples to her face. "Especially since he's my brother. Younger brother," she adds after a moment, leaning into the man with a drink and nudging him with her shoulder. "But you should lay down and rest. Then we can figure everything out." But two different tests sent to two different places. Same results. They're siblings.