Participants:
| Scene Title | Like A Party Game? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Data is analyzed and organized. |
| Date | October 1, 2008 |
Cat's Apartment in the Dorchester Towers
She's been thinking, about the upcoming effort to recover Rock and locate Adam Monroe. He's not the only escapee, however, and it occurs to Cat some planning would be good. So she's standing in the main room of her apartment with an easel set up. On this easel is a pad of paper she intends to use as a chart. At the top she's made three columns for the fugitive name, ability, and a strategy for handling them.
Now she just needs to meet with Helena. So an email is sent to her, asking for a meeting here, or at whatever place might be specified.
Helena was happily willing to come to Cat's place, clad in her too-large men's jacket, a notebook tucked into one of the inside pockets. It's not like Helena has the luxury of a laptop. When she knocks on the door (which is hopefully thus opened), she admits ruefully, "I know I'm still my mom's daughter when I realize how embarrassed I am not to show up with a coffee cake or a bottle of wine for you or something."
"Don't worry about that, Helena," Cat replies as she lets the blonde in and closes the door behind her. "I've got resources enough. And speaking of which, are you hungry or thirsty?" She takes a few steps, pausing near the kitchen entrance so she can go in there and retrieve things or continue on to the main room depending on the answer she gets. Her features display a calmly businesslike expression, though there are also traces of cordiality.
"Something cold, please?" Helena's voice trails off as she spots the chart. She immediately seems to grokk what Cat has in mind. "I love visual aids." she says in a low voice of pleasure. "Narrow down each fugitive and what they can do, develop a strategy to get them. Nice."
"We hadn't organized information yet," Cat replies, as she ducks into the kitchen while Helena continues into the main room and sights the chart. There's a sound of a refrigerator door opening and closing, then another of glasses being taken from a cabinet, and finally her voice getting louder as she makes her way out to join the younger one. "The best part of this," she adds with a quietly confident laugh, "is we can make the chart and destroy it as soon as our meeting ends."
"Dry erease?" asks Helena, offering a hand to take her drink and murmuring a thank you. "And are we taking into consideration Company Agents in case there's trouble?"
The drink is dark and carbonated. Pepsi-Cola to be specific; Cat seems to have a taste for it. One of the glasses is placed into Helena's hand, the other she keeps and drinks from before replying. "Paper and marker works for our purposes," she opines, gesturing at the chart. "I meant more that I'll have seen it and be able to reproduce it exactly on demand." And she takes up the marker, adding another category to the right side of that chart, for Affiliation, then changes the header on the first column to Subject.
"Charting agents is an excellent idea," she agrees.
Helena nods. "So okay, I guess we start with Adam Monroe? He's currently the target." She curls up on the couch, clutching her cola. Who knew strategizing could be like a party game?
The chart is thus adjusted, a category added on the far right for Pertinent Miscellany, and Adam's info is written under that top line. Cat looks back toward Helena while taking another drink when she's done.
Helena closes her eyes, trying to remember who else was there. "Of the escapees, there was also a black woman, and I think she was the woman in the painting Peter made in the old tenement. The uh, one who was eating that guy. And a blonde woman, tall, kind of skinny. She was in cuffs, but she knew how to handle a gun."
Her features take on a brief expression of disgust at the mention of that detail. Cat's fingers don't start to write just yet. "Did the Cannibal seem to have an ability of any sort?" It's a given she did, having been there, but to narrow down what that might be is valuable. And a news item is recalled. "Agent Parkman was attacked by a wild animal some days ago."
"Well, she was one of the escapees, so I would assume so." Helena frowns some more, struggling to recall details. She doesn't have Cat's memory. "She had weird eyes. Like all white. Sort of like when Peter's doing the painting thing, only obviously she wasn't."
These facts are recorded, Cat being silent as she does so.
"There was also the blonde woman." Helena supplies again. "Not to be confused with Elle Bishop, the agent they took. She's got electricity powers. There was another woman there, in a lab coat. Asian, and I think she - it was either some kind of teleportation thing, or maybe illusions or mental control."
Her fingers move again, recording the information shared. "The blonde prisoner, she was in handcuffs. Was she in or out of a cell at the time, Helena?" Cat records it all in her mind and on the page, so Helena can also see how complete they are in available details. Blonde prisoner, Asian woman in lab coat with possible mental, illusory, or teleportation resources. Elle Bishop, electricity, also blonde, since Helena says there could be confusion between her and the blonde prisoner.
Helena considers. "They were moving her, but whether it was in or out I couldn't tell." she admits. "The Asian woman made me see Suresh - who was really Sylar - as her, and her as him. She also made Eve look like Elle Bishop and Elle look like Eve. I got really confused. She either did some kind of weird teleport swap or…something else."
Nodding as she records data, Cat doesn't comment verbally until her hand stops moving, and she stands aside for Helena to view what's written and make comments. She thinks to revisit the persons mentioned and see about finding other details, but that'll keep for later. She intends to take it slowly, and not rush things at the risk of overwhelming someone whose memory isn't like her own. More of her cola is imbibed.
Helena stares at the chart for a few moments, then admits, "I think that's all I've got."
A nod prefaces her reply. "Now we need more descriptive information, if you can remember it, Helena," Cat states. "Apparent ages, heights, things like that, for the benefit of anyoine who hasn't seen them before." Her hand remains poised to write down whatever she's told.
Helena considers. "Okay. Starting from the top. Adam Monroe, kinda tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, built kinda thin. I don't remember how tall the black woman was, but she was pretty leggy, too. The blonde woman who wasn't Elle Bishop was also kind of model tall, very fair, blue eyes. Bishop was more petite."
"So Adam is taller than most guys, who are the same height as me or slightly taller?" Cat asks. She's five feet eight inches tall, standing there in bare feet. "And Elle is petite, maybe about the same height as Dani?" She focuses on those two first, intending to come back and cover the handcuffed woman again later, after recording data.
Helena shakes her head. "Cat, I was kinda busy getting brain fucked and then smacking around Sylar." She's a little proud of that. "I seriously think that's about all I can recall. I have a source who might be willing to give me details on the escapees…but he's prickly."
"It's okay, Helena," Cat replies in a calm voice. "I'm just trying to be thorough, really." She hopes the younger one will understand, as she starts to write in what she does have on the chart. And when done, once again she steps back so the data can be read without obstruction. Her cola is lifted again.
Helena admits wearily, "I'm sorry. You know, these people could be halfway to Timbuktu by now. I don't know how we even have the resources to find them."
"Maybe we do, maybe we don't," Cat replies. "But we can try, in any case. This gives us something to work with, at least, in knowing who and what we're dealing with. And it makes a template for use in future operations." She starts to write again, adding some more names and details.
Helena suddenly sits upright and squeaks in alarm, "Matt Parkman lives here?!"
"Not right now," Cat replies. "Right now he lives in the hospital. If he'd been released, I wouldn't have asked you here," she adds in perfect calm. "It's something I only recently learned." There isn't a trace of worry on her features. The glass is raised, she drinks more of her soda.
"And a wild animal attacked his arm?" Helena's mind is racing at that. "Do you think the cannibal woman…?" She blinks owlishly and takes a long dredge of pepsi.
"It seems possible they ran into each other," Cat replies, "it's natural he'd have been looking for her, after all. And I doubt the authorities would've wanted to publicize it being an escaped cannibal woman who hurt him. I've thought a bit about the Company, and why things weren't made public about the raid and escapees. If it were me, it'd have been seen as a golden chance to embarrass Pariah in the public eye, but they passed. It tells me they've an interest in keeping both the Company and the people they hold off the radar."
Helena points to Cannibal Woman's entry. "So do we want to put 'possibly assaulted Matt Parkman'?
There's a nod, and the entry is adjusted to reflect that chance. "Yes," Cat answers.
Helena cocks her head a moment. "I feel like I'm missing something." she says. "Something to do with Peter's art."
"He mentioned something about a Samurai warrior, something he said was out of a bad Japanese film," Cat muses. "And he did etch that prisoner here." She hasn't seen Adam physically, but he was in the cells, and was arted, it… "Could be the same guy."
Helena frowns a moment, scrunching her lips, and digs into Peter's coat pocket. She roots through a couple of pictures, and then holds up one of the etching on Cat's window. "Yeah. That's him. So Adam Monroe is samurai guy."
Helena adds, "Also, Cannibal woman is black. Not to make a thing, but for the sake of description…" she trails off. "We can't afford to be PC. I guess the puppets are right."
Her head tilts, she glances at the picture, and immediately matches it with her memory of the etched art. There isn't any obvious trace of it left in the apartment, she was lucky in finding a good contractor to fix things. "Very interesting. I'm not sure what his sword skills might do for him versus Sylar, if he even has any, but at the least he's got to be very hard to kill." There's a pause, while she reflects on the cannibal again, and vocalizes a thought. "Black, and a cannibal… maybe an African tribal woman? Kind of cliche, but it seems like it might fit."
Helena looks dubious. "Maybe. I hear more about white men eating people then I do black women. I didn't hear her speak, so I have no idea if she had an accent."
"It's just an image I get, thinking about someone with dark skin eating people, like someone from an old tribe hanging onto a very much not Western custom." Cat's brow furrows, she starts to write and records the information about Adam, but hesitates about writing the tribal bit down. She'll wait for Helena's further opinion first.
Helena looks a bit dubious. "I think it's profiling a bit much." she confesses.
And with that the idea is abandoned. She simply records that the cannibal is of African ancestry. When finished Cat steps aside again to allow full view of the chart, and drinks more cola.
| Subject | Ability | Strategy | Affiliation | Pertinent Miscellany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Monroe | Regeneration | Fugitive | Sylar's target, a tall and thin blond with blue eyes, the Samurai warrior from Peter's art. | |
| Cannibal | Unknown | Fugitive | White eyes. Leggy. Possibly the 'wild animal' which assaulted Agent Parkman. Is of African ancestry. | |
| Blonde woman | Unknown | Fugitive | Outside cell, was in handcuffs. Model tall, has blue eyes. Can handle a gun. | |
| Elle Bishop | Electricity | Company Agent | Petite, blonde, blue eyes, fair skin. | |
| Asian woman | Illusions, telepathy, teleportation? | Company Agent | Wore lab coat. Possible doctor or technician. | |
| Matt Parkman | Telepathy | Homeland Security | Famous as one of those who went public along with Senator Petrelli. Currently hospitalized after animal attack. Resident of Dorchester Towers. | |
| Gabriel Gray (Sylar) | Illusions, telekinesis, radiation, etc. | Himself | Kills people like us, steals what we can do. Wants Adam Monroe enough to ask for help, propose trade. Other motives: unknown. |
"I think my head is going to explode." Helena admits. "Shall we call it a night?"
"It's not quite night," Cat replies with a quiet chuckle, "it's just about 4:30. But we can get back to this another time, you could maybe show the chart to others and get their input too. Catch their thoughts on the basic info and the strategies. Dani'll be coming home soon, and I've not yet thought about how much of this to share with her. If anything."
"I dunno." Helena stretches like she needs a nap, at least. "I think for now, on the down low. I'll ask Alex what he remembers about the raid." She sighs and rises. "Thanks for helping, Cat." Perhaps unexpectedly, she puts down her soda and gives Cat a quick hug if the woman permits it.
The hug is returned, her arms wrapping around the younger woman, and a smile shows. "You're very welcome, Helena. Did you want me to destroy this and recreate it whenever we need it again, or do you want to fold it up and carry it with you?"
Helena considers. "Destroy it." she says firmly. "We can always make it again if we need it. Actually, there's something else I want to make sure you have." Tugging out her notebook again, she writes down a series of steps and an address before ripping it out and handing it to Cat. "Read and destroy. It's our current, if temporary safehouse. You need to follow those protocols to get in and out. Okay?"
She nods, with a chuckle. "It's not like I'm going to forget any of it." Cat then takes the protocols and reads them quietly. Once done, she pulls down the top sheet from that pad on the easel and tears it into strips which will fit into a mechanical shredder for thorough destruction. "Got it. Thanks. Take care, Stormy."
Helena giggles. "Peter said that you'd eventually give me a nickname." With that, she slips out.
After Helena is gone, Cat puts away the easel and pad. Following that, short work is made of shredding both chart and Hangar protocols Helena gave her.
 October 1st: Speculation |
Previously in this storyline… Next in this storyline… |
 October 1st: Life Is But A Walking Shadow |