In Agreement

Participants:

kaylee_icon.gif nick_icon.gif

Scene Title In Agreement
Synopsis With a lot of questions and uncertainties in the mix, Nick and Kaylee agree on at least two things: they need to find Gabriel and help Sibyl.
Date June 10, 2018

Raytech Industries


When Nick Ruskin walks into Raytech, it’s clear he’s not there for a business meeting.

There’s no suit and tie, no attache, no resume in his hand. Instead, there’s his aged black leather jacket, Doc Martens, jeans. No pre-presentation nerves or anxiety, but instead, a tension and worry that cut much deeper, into every bone and muscle. It’s clear he hasn’t slept, showered, or shaved in a couple of days.

“Here to see Kaylee,” he says before the receptionist can ask, British-toned words clipped and terse. “She’s expecting me,” he adds, before she can call security instead. He knows what he looks like.

It doesn’t take long before Kaylee Ray-Sumter is stepping through the security doors, with a bright smile. Dressed in her red power suit and black blouse, she looks nothing like the girl on the island, except for the bright smile. “Nick!” Admittedly, she had been looking forward to seeing him.

Though as Kaylee approaches, that smile falls away slowly and worry of her own replaces it. “Come on,” she says softly, reaching to lightly grip his arm and steer him towards the door leading back. A visitor’s badge is taken from the receptionist and handed to NIck. “Please have a few bottles of water brought up to my office, Sera.”

The journey to her office is only a matter of minutes really. “It’s really great to see you, Nick. I just really wish it was under better circumstances.” Cause clearly, whatever he was here about wasn’t good. “Have a seat,” Kaylee offers motioning to the chairs sitting in front of an old wooden desk. “What’s on your mind?”

Despite the worry woven through his expression and posture, Nick smiles when she does, happy to see the face of an old friend. He lets her lead him to the office, blue eyes darting here and there to see first person what the Rays have been up to.

He sits, a visible wince narrowing his eyes as his bruised back makes contact with the back of the chair. “Thanks for meeting with me so quick. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” he says, voice a little strained from that wash of pain.

His eyes meet hers. “Sibyl’s in trouble. You know who she is?” The question is heavy with implication; he’s not asking if she’s met the girl, but if she knows the truth he’s just learned. “We need to find Gabriel.”

The mention of Sibyl gets her attention, however, before she can say anything the water arrives. Meeting the assistant at the door, she softly thanks them and shuts everyone out. Once they are alone again, Kaylee is again focused on Nick. “So you know Sibyl…” she trails off setting the water next to him. “And by that statement you know who she has trapped in her head?”

Moving around the desk, a drawer is pulled open and an aspirin bottle retrieved. As a telepath, she has an abundant supply of painkillers stashed throughout Raytech. These are set next to the water, before she sets herself down. “She asked me to help find Gabriel before she disappeared, unfortunately, I’ve had little success. The man clearly doesn’t want to be found,” she sighs out.

“Is she okay? I’ve been trying to find her, since.”

Nick reaches for the pills, shaking out a few and swallowing them with a chaser of water. “Cheers,” he murmurs, before raking a hand through his dark, unkempt hair.

“Yeah, I know who she is. She’s, uh.” This part makes him sound a bit more crazy, so he stares at the water’s surface, as if the right words might appear there for him to read. “Another version of Eileen has her. With Ramirez. Probably Danko, but I didn’t see him. The Horsemen. You know?” He looks back up, his brows lifting, hopefully, so he doesn’t have to explain all of this in so many words.

It helps that she’s a telepath — she can read the truth in his thoughts if she needs to.

“She’s not right,” he adds. “And she’s willing to kill if she can’t find another way. I promised the kid I’d help.” He caps the aspirin bottle, sliding it back toward her with a nod. “I wasn’t sure Gabriel was even still alive, honestly, but Sibyl says he is. No idea where.”

Kaylee nods slowly in agreement to the sediment that Gabriel is alive. “We know he didn’t die, unless he kicked it after the fall of the island.” Which was a possibility, but even in her own mind it seems doubtful.

“And yeah, I know about the horsemen. Know who they are and know that there is an Eileen with them, who has Kazimir’s ability.” Kaylee leans forward, resting arms on the desk. “Didn’t know they got Sibyl though. Does this other Eileen know about Sibyl being our version?” It’s a serious question, even though she knows it sounds crazy.

Hands come up as she stalls an answer from happening right away, concern coloring her features. Worry and anxiety clear, “More importantly, can you find her again. We are running short on time. Sibyl’s ability is slowly eating away at what is left of Eileen. I’ve seen inside her head.” It’s not good, her tone says.

“Lot of years since then. And a war. I wasn’t sure,” says Nick, tiredly dragging a hand across his eyes and forehead, then raising a brow when it’s clear she knew about Eileen as one of the four riders of the Apocalypse.

“I was fucking in Sedro and didn’t know she was one of the assholes until she kidnapped me the other day,” he says, anger boiling up, visible in clenched fist. “And yeah. She knows. She’s going to kill her if she can’t find a way to fix it, and she probably won’t like any of the fixes you or me can come up with.”

He shrugs at the question about how to find her. “We were on Staten in a shipping container, but I’m sure she’ll move her. We need to find Gabriel. I’m going to ask Delia and Benji to help find him. I need to talk to Avi too. Fuck.”

A nervous hand rakes through his hair again. “They’re both my sister, you know? But if you say the one is being … I donno, dissolved… maybe that’s a solution, too. At least the kid would get to live a life. Eileen — that Eileen — maybe she’s earned her rest.” He lifts a shoulder. “If we can’t find another way. If we can just… get Eileen two-point-oh to leave her alone and let her be.”

“If Eileen wanted to rest, she would have died that day,” Kaylee points out gently, sympathetic of his plight. The fact he had two version of his sister out there. One trying to kill the other. “She is fighting to live, which explains why she has so much control over Sibyl.”

“And this other version of Eileen, this isn’t ours.” The telepath sighs softly and shakes her head, dropping her gaze, so as not to meet his. The pattern of the wood is only mildly interesting. “Right now, my main concern is preserving what is left of her and giving her a choice. I owe her that for what she did for the Ferry.” Clearly, Kaylee has spent some time thinking on it. “The trick will be the how, which means that Gabriel might be our best bet.”

Looking up finally, Kaylee offers Nick a reassuring smile. “I’ll check with my sources. I have a pirate names Etienne in my employee, I’ll slips him some extra money and see if he can listen for rumors about the Midtown man out on Staten. I’ll check with Eve as well, see she can help us track him down.” The smile tugs a little to one side, “I think between us, at least, maybe we can get his attention.”

Nick shrugs one shoulder and looks away, expression flat. “I don’t know how much of her was left when she ended up in that kid’s head. The birds…” he swallows, remembering the night they fled the island. “She wasn’t in control. It might not’ve been a conscious thing.”

He’s quiet for a moment, before speaking again. “I told the horseman I won’t help her. I told Sibyl I would help her. So that’s where my alliances go. But i won’t actively try to hurt the other, either. I can’t.”

Swallowing, then blinking hard, Nick returns his gaze to Kaylee’s. “If he knows she’s alive — in any way — he’ll help,” he says, of Gabriel.

Which brings him at last to a question. “How long was she with Avi? How long have people been keeping this from me?”

Hands come up in a defensive manner at him not hurting either Eileen, Kaylee offers him an apologetic look. “To be honest, Nick. I have no plans of hurting either of them. So, if it came off that way, I’m sorry. I just— “ Kaylee sighs softly, hands lowering to the surface of the desk, “ —want the one safe and, honestly, the other one… well I want her and her fellow Horsemen to stop trying to kill me or my friends. They already killed Remi.”

The mention of Avi gets an odd look from the telepath, confusion and curiosity war with each other over the idea of Sibyl staying with him. He didn’t exactly seem like the fatherly type. “She was with Avi? Avi?” This was clearly news for the telepath. She confirms it by saying, “I had no idea… or if anyone else knew. I only found out maybe two weeks ago when she asked me to help with fading memories. If that long and it’s been a bit crazy since.”

With a heavy sigh, Kaylee settles back in her chair, which creaks with age. Her words are soft, when she speaks up again; eyes studying him with a touch of worry. “Trust me, Nick. Something big like this. I wouldn’t have kept you in the dark.”

He looks away, shaking his head again. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest that. I”m just tired and a bit fucked up. I didn’t mean to snap.” He reaches for the glass of water, turning it in his hands for a moment, before lifting it and taking a swallow.

“Avi knew, though. Eileen — adult — used me to get him out to Staten and tried to force him to help her get the girl. Force him to tell me he’s had her, knew who she was, for however long.” He shrugs. “He didn’t do either, but they got the girl anyway.”

It takes a moment for some of her words to register. “Why Remi?” he asks. That he doesn’t question the truth is telling of what he thinks of Eileen and the Horsemen.

Though she doesn’t say anything, Kaylee gives a wave of her hand dismissing his apology. It is something she understands. That worry, that anxiety over not knowing something. “Well, sounds like Avi has some explaining to do.” Of course, her opinion of the man has never really been high, thanks to many run ins when they were all much younger.

The question about Remi has Kaylee looking away, focus dropping to a point just in front of him. “She was a telepath. From what I understand, this Eileen prefers them dead. Especially, those working for Richard.” There is a humorless uptick at the corner of her mouth. “She is watching not just me, but my husband, Joseph, and my children.” That might be news for him. How long had it been? The glint of gold on her finger proof.

“There is a lot going on beyond you sister, so when I say, it’s been crazy, I’m not lying.” There is a resigned way that she says that. “Though your sister is my priority. I promised her,” Sibyl, ” my protection and to help her. I plan to do that.”

“Yeah, we do. It’s not something I’m looking forward to,” Nick says, regarding Avi. She wouldn’t need to be a telepath to see the complex cocktail of emotions the last few days have stirred in him.

“Sibyl said that — that the other doesn’t trust seers and telepaths, something like that,” he adds, rubbing his palm over his eyes again. The adrenaline’s long since faded, and all he has now is the pain and worry to keep him upright. “But we’re in agreement there. My priority is Sibyl — wherever this other came from, it’s not her right to take what’s not hers. Still — if we can help them both…”

He shrugs again, brows drawing together and his forehead lining with worry. “Right. So we’ll gather our respective resources, see what we can find.” He takes out a card and hands it to her. “The second number listed’s a satphone. If I don’t call you back within 24 hours, carry on without me.” The implication there is fairly obvious.

“Thank you,” he finally adds, troubled eyes coming up to find hers again.

The offered card is taken and Kaylee’s offered in return, “No need to thank me, Nick. I’ve always respected your sister and you— you I’ve always considered a friend. I’m going to do what I can to help you both.”

Climbing to her feet, Kaylee gives him a concerned look. “You have a place to stay?” There are a lot of the Ferry that she hasn’t kept up with since the trials, so she doesn’t know who might be still in the Safe Zone or who only visits. “I can offer you one of our apartments to clean up and crash, if you need it.”

He stands, dropping his eyes at the words ‘respect’ and ‘friend.’ She’s one of the few he considers a friend, as well, one of even fewer he feels knows him well enough to truly call a friend — someone who knows his deepest flaws.

Nick's smile turns rueful at the hint he might need a shower, but he shakes his head. “Delia’s over in Queens. If she finds out I’m in town and didn’t head home, she’d… well, forgive me anyway, because she’s Delia.” His smile for the redhead Ryans woman is fond, loving. “Besides, I need to put her on the job, right?” Operation Gabriel.

He reaches for her hand, squeezing it lightly. “We’ll figure this out.” They have to.

Cool fingers return the gesture, support in a simple act. A soft smile curls Kaylee’s lips, as she returns with a confident, “Damn right we will.”


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