Meeting Daddy's Employee

Participants:

cardinal_icon.gif elisabeth_icon.gif kaylee2_icon.gif valerie_icon.gif

Scene Title Meeting Daddy's Employee
Synopsis Kaylee introduces Valerie to more of her trusted associates, just in case something happens to the telepath while helping Hiro.
Date October 18, 2010

World Center Mall


"Did we get everything?"

Even during the week malls are a mad house, but not as bad as the weekend when all the teenagers converge on the place. The weekdays are not such a headache for Kaylee Thatcher, with the constant murmurs of the minds around her it's actually bearable. Today they have come to the mall to do some shopping for the smallest of the the two blondes, Valerie.

Currently, they are settled at a table in the food court, with bags gathered at their feet. "You know… til I started seriously dating I never looks at clothing and thought 'Wow! That's cute. I wonder if he would like it.' " Rolling her eyes she closes the top of the bag and sighs, giving Valerie a crooked smile. "How you holding up?"

Of course, shopping wasn't the only thing they were here for, there was someone that might be interested in meeting the youngest Ray child and her him. In fact, Kaylee checks her cellphone for the time. "I imagine it shouldn't be too much long. We run too late, I'll let Joseph know so he can check on the dog."

"She didn't say who she wanted us to meet," admits Richard Cardinal as he walks along through the crowded chaos of the mall, "So I guess we'll just have to see…"

He's dressed in casual clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, a flight jacket thrown on to keep the chill of autumn away from the skin. His hands are tucked into his pockets, head tilting a bit to nod towards Elisabeth, "God knows I needed some time out'n about. One more phone call from Lola or Warren and I was gonna fucking kill somebody…"

"I got everything I had my eye on," Valerie says, looking through the bag once as if to make sure. The clothes she picked were cute, if a little bland in fashion. Mostly colors were chosen tha she liked. Different shades of blues and yellows and a lot of greens, though darker and more fall and winter colored than she might have chosen for herself.

"I'm okay," she adds, as if her sister might be concerned for her wellbeing. The dog's important too, though! "Do you think this guy you mentioned knows where dad is?"

Elisabeth walks next to the man in the flight jacket, a long-sleeved white T-shirt topped with a gray fleece hoodie over her blue jeans. She smirks faintly at the fact that Lola and Warren are driving him insane. "You know, I keep telling you to stop bringing psychos on the payroll," she comments wryly. She jiggles the soda cup in her hand, rattling the ice, and then drops it into a nearby trash can as they amble past. "You do realize that I really hate crowds like this, right?" she murmurs with a grin.

"Pretty sure." Kaylee comments lightly, "I pretty much know who has him and stuff. This guy works for Ray… well… sorta. He gets instructions from him and acts on them." Setting the bag on the ground at her feet, the telepath looks thoughtful.

"He might be your best bet for asking questions. Most of what I know about him, I got from Richard." Glancing around, Kaylee spots the familiar figure the hum of that mind familiar, though she has to work to find it through all the other ones ringing through her head. "Ah… there we go." Standing a little from her seat, she has no problem lifting a hand to get the man and his companion's attention.

"I don't see how we can stop the eighth without Warren at this point, unfortunately," Cardinal admits reluctantly, "I swear, he's almost more annoying now that he's something closer to sane, too…"

Catching sight of the hand raised in his direction, he crosses along over through he crowd towards where they're standing, an easy smile curving to his lips. "Kaylee! Hey…"

"Really? I didn't know dad had anyone working for him…" Valerie says, a soft tone to her voice, but she's pushing herself up at the sight of the tall and older man, who looks different from what she expected from that description. "I thought he'd be older and with glasses and one of those labcoats…" Cause that seems more like what someone who would work for her dad would look like! Before he was involved in clandestine future-changing events, at least. "He's younger than your boyfriend." Not editing herself very well, it would seem.

"Hi, nice to meet you," she says with a polite wave of her hand. "I'm Valerie… Ray." There's some hesitation, like she wants to put a different last name there.

There's a grimace that we can't get along without Warren, and Elisabeth bites her tongue. As they alter their course toward Kaylee and her companion, her blue eyes skim over the two women with a cautious expression. It seems that Liz is not terribly trusting, especially not in this open an environment — though at least her agoraphobia has lessened to the degree that she can walk in here without hyperventilating. "Hi," she greets quietly, her glance toward Kaylee acknowledging that they've met while the one on Valerie is simply curious. She knows nothing about the situation, and when the name drops, her expression flickers to one of astonishment briefly.

A bright smile is offered to Cardinal and Elisabeth both, "Hey, good seein' you again." A nod returned to Elisabeth. "Thanks for meeting us here. Allows me to multitask." In fact, Kaylee looks fairly worn around the edges, ski around her eyes a little darker then normal, but there is still a smile on her lips.

Lips press together to hide her embarrassed amusement, at Valerie's unedited words. "This is… my little sister." Kaylee confirms with a soft huffed chuckle. "The one I told you around Richard, a few months back." The one Edward told her about through another person's head.

"She had questions about Ray and I figured you might be able to answer them more then I could." Kaylee sheepishly admits. "But, I also thought you should met the youngest of the Ray kids."

The offered introduction brings Cardinal's eyebrows both upwards in a bemused fashion. "I remember," he admits at Kaylee's words, tilting his head in an easy nod to Valerie and offering her an affable smile, "Richard Cardinal. Good to meet you, Valerie… I suppose I work for your father, in a manner of speaking. Not that he's in any condition to give instructions at the moment."

Not that it's stopped him before.

Even younger than she should be… From the look of her, she could easily still be a high school student. But Valerie offers a hand out to the older man, for shaking, even if her grip isn't very strong. Short and young, she looks rather fragile, in comparison to her brother and sister. "I haven't… seen my father in a long time," A week ago was four years ago, so it's half true, "So I'm wondering about that condition. Kaylee said he was in a coma? Do you— have any details about where he is? Why he's there? She said he was being kept there…?"

"If anyone understands how our dad works, it is Valerie here. He's been in and out of her life a lot." Kaylee offers up with a bit of a crooked smile, since that only really seems true for the one Ray kid. "I tried to explain it to her, but honestly, your group knows more about his situation and the people that have him."

Settling back in her seat, Kaylee lets the littlest Ray to talk to the shadow, smiling a bit at how straight forward the teenager is.

"Edward suffered… major head trauma," admits Cardinal with a slow shake of his head, "He was struck by a power backlash from something he was - trying to do awhile back, and it knocked him into a coma. He's currently being held by the Commonwealth Institute, which has no particular interest in letting him go." He rubs a hand against his nose, grimacing, "They're using telepaths and such to access his ability, I understand."

The young teen looks down, obviously distraught as she focuses her pale blue eyes on her own hand for a few moments. Power backlash. Knocked into a coma. Valerie looks very worried, even more worried then Kaylee had seen her over her own predicament. "He must have known this would have happened— I don't know why he didn't prevent it… Unless he didn't prevent it for a reason." There has to be a reason. When she looks back up, there's a vulnerable worry in her expression, "What's the Commonwealth Institute? Do you know where they have him?"

"I know they have him." Kaylee shifts a look to her sister, with a sad smile. "I've been told so. Told I'm on a protected list, not to be touched and all.

"They took me at one point." Kaylee states, glancing at Cardinal with a twitch of a smile. "I imagine that's what they wanted me for that day, not that I remember any of it," she says with a voice thick with bitterness. " Just told me Broome had wanted to talk to me about my father. At some point, I was face to face with my father, finally… and they wiped it away. I don't even know if I agreed or anything." A flick of a hand in frustration finishes off that sentence.

"You too?" A wry comment from Cardinal as he slants a look to Kaylee, then looks back at the teenager, lips pursing in a grimace, "He can't predict everything… and he's been wrong before. There were also some - circumstances that he wouldn't've been able to predict." To whit, he was fighting himself at the time. The question about the Institute brings silence for a moment, and then a sigh of breath, "They're a… extremely unethical, illegal group operating with government sponsorship, kidnapping Evolved and performing some pretty unpleasant research."

There's confusion on the young woman's face, as some of what they're saying either doesn't quite process, or she doesn't agree with it to the point where Valerie is confused by it. "I understand that they're bad and that they're holding him, but— are they in New York? Do they have him somewhere else? Commonwealth Institute sounds a little familiar…"

"That I don't know myself." Kaylee turns her attention to Cardinal, as if hoping that he knows more. "Last thing I remember of the incident was being pulled up into a helicopter… then waking up in bed." So she doesn't have anything to share there, giving an apologetic shrug to Valerie. Leaving it to Cardinal to explain what he can.

"Cambridge… somewhere," Cardinal admits with a slow shake of his head, "Specifically? Your guess is as good as mine… you can't just walk in and ask for him, though. I only wish it was that easy."

"Cambridge," Valerie repeats, as if that actually gave her the piece of information she needed. "That's kind funny, it's where he was the last time I saw him, too." She even smiles, as if she's trying to find the humor in it. "I'll probably have some more questions later— especially for someone who works for him. Is there somewhere I can find you when I think of them?"

Elisabeth has been silent this whole time, watching the young girl. "Valerie… do you mind if I ask you something?" She waits only long enough for an acknowledgement before she says, "Just how often did you see your father through the years?"

"That is where he worked, after all…" Cardinal dips a hand into his jacket to pull out his wallet, opening it up and finding a business card for Redbird Security within to offer out to her. A sidelong look to Elisabeth, and then he pauses, "And… did you ever meet his associate, Professor Mallett?"

The where is new for Kaylee, brows lifting a little at his answer. "Don't we all wish it was that easy." She comments blandly, with a humorless smile. "Of course, being in a coma as he is, at the moment it's probably as good as any place.

Elisabeth's question gets a bit of an eyebrow twitch, before looking to Valerie, it up to her how much she wants to reveal. "I — " There is a pause as she considers something, before glancing between Liz and Cardinal. "Hey, have you two happen to have talked to Warren lately? Cause… something is up with him, his head only has the one voice now." and Kaylee looks confused about it.

Of course, when she mentions Warren, she is forced to cluing in Valerie, before she learns from the others. "You… know how Ray mentioned a brother?" Kaylee starts, looking to her baby sister. "His name is Warren and… he doesn't know about us."

"That is where he worked, after all…" Cardinal dips a hand into his jacket to pull out his wallet, opening it up and finding a business card for Redbird Security within to offer out to her. A sidelong look to Elisabeth, and then he pauses, "And… did you ever meet his associate, Professor Mallett?"

The mention of Warren promptly causes him to grimace. "Yeah. The Institute did a personality wipe on him… so he's sane, for the time being, if you can call that sane. He's not homicidal at least. He's still just as fucking annoying as ever, but he's being useful anyway."

"I saw him more often when he moved me into an apartment in Cambridge. I even attended some of his classes, and classes of people he knew," Valerie says, not quite answering the question posed by Cardinal, because she gets distracted by the mention of her brother, and what's happened to him. Warren. The brother that she wasn't sent to meet the day she was supposed to die. "Am I the only one in our family who hasn't been messed with mentally by this Institute you're talking about?" Cause it certainly sounds like it. Her brother had been homicidal???? It certainly explains why her dad may have sent her to meet Kaylee rather than her brother…

There's a purse of her lips and Elisabeth comments dryly, "Warren is…. " She could say so many things. "Just be cautious of him. He says he's sane, that they fixed him, but I don't think you can fix rapist crazy. I think it's still under there somewhere." Her tone is dark with reference to the man who used to be Mortimer Jack, and her opinion of him is pretty clear.

"Sounds like your the only one." Kaylee comments with a slow nod of her head, cause unless they did something way back before the bomb… "They — are not good people. Kidnapped people and used them for their own means. Even Joseph was in their hands at one point and used as an experiment that affected the whole city." Another thing she hasn't told her sister about, but then — there is a whole hell of a lot to tell her.

"As for Warren… He was three personalities in one, a mass killer." Kaylee grimaces a bit and shakes her head, as she explains their big brother to Valerie. "And just… yeah… I've been avoiding telling him who I am, I met him when he was insane. But dad had a plan… I figure when that plan comes about is soon enough for him to know."

"If you change your mind about meeting him… I can introduce you," Cardinal offers, although it's in the sort of tone of voice that suggests he doesn't think it's a great idea, fingers rubbing against the side of his neck in a brief scratching, "I suspect that he'll eventually lose it again, though. His ability isn't exactly healthy on the mind."

"His ability gave him multiple personalities? Does he turn into other people?" Valerie asks, not knowing a lot of the details, and looking bothered about it at the same time. In her mind, she's picturing her brother being a metamorph and turning into different people physically! "He's like Jekyll and Hyde." In fact she's doing it vividly, in the literal way, complete with crazy looking face.

A small smile touches her lips, "If that message Ray left says anything, it's that Warren will find us, " including her sister in that statement, a glance going to the girl. Kaylee shakes her head a bit. "The man is a planner… hell, he probably planned all us kids out ahead of time." That idea doesn't thrill the telepath too much either, cause it means they were born to play a part in something.

"His ability? He explained it to me a little more when I last talked to him. It's like he sees everything as machines. It… messes with his head." Leaning forward on her seat, Kaylee rests her arms on the table as she addresses Cardinal. "One thing I learned about Warren, when he was insane," — something in her tone suggests she doesn't fully believe that he is cured, — "is with a subtle suggestion I can switch out those personalities and he's none the wiser." That that she feels confident that would help with the insanity.

BOth Liz's eyebrows shoot to her hairline. "Are you kiddin' me?" she asks Kaylee. Clearly that she didn't know either. "Jesus Christ…. I can't decide if that's the best news or the worst news I've ever heard." She shoves a hand through her blonde hair, holding it at the base of her neck and glancing around the crowded mall uneasily. "Man."

"At the moment, he's doing some rather vital work, so I hope that he holds himself together at least until that's done," Cardinal says with a slow shake of his head, "At least I've managed to pry Elle off him." Even if it did require an intervention by the Haitian and some… creative reinterpretation of her instructions regarding her notes.

"And no, he doesn't actually… change," he allows in rueful tones, "And right now he's only got the one personality, thank god."

"Things are so complex here," Valerie says, not really talking about the city so much as the time that she's found herself in, but she's not offering that piece of information. "Maybe it'd be best if I meet him now— but… just having a way to contact you should be fine, Mister… Cardinal? Like the bird?"

"First time I met him." Kaylee offers with a slow nod of her head to Liz, giving her a small rueful smile. "He was nice, then suddenly acting like jerk, but I could hear them both in his head." Clearly before the third personality joined the first two. 'I pulled the other one back up and told the other to sleep." There is a small shrug. "I'm no Rupert, but I can influence people."

There is worry when Valerie speaks of meeting Warren. "Dad mentioned him coming to me with a blue box… I just… I really think it's a bad idea right now." Then something occurs to her.

"Speaking of influencing people." Kaylee turns to Cardinal with a small frown. "You wouldn't believe who I got corned by. The DHS Secretary?! Molly's dad. The man has me up in a corner, cause Molly told him what I am." There is a soft sigh. "She meant well, so I'm actually not all that upset at her, but it's got me in a hell of a position." Giving the two EndGamer's a matter of fact look. "At this point, I'm just trying to keep him from finding out all my ties."

Elisabeth is pulled up short by Kaylee's comment on Matt Parkman. "Shit," she murmurs softly. "Aren't you already registered? Why is it a problem that Parkman knows what you are?" she asks with a frown. "And in point of fact — if you have to deal with Parkman, the only tie you should let him pull from your head is …." she glances at Richard. Right now, it seems as if that would be a good idea.

The business card's offered out, and Cardinal quirks a faint smile. "Yeah, my number'n address are on the card. If you've got any other questions, or need anything, just give me a call…" Then the news about Parkman brings a startled glance over, "Secretary Parkman? What does he want from you…?"

The business card is taken, as it doesn't go over the girl's head. Not nearly as much as the rest of what they're saying. Matt Parkman? What her sister can do? Valerie looks over the card and listens to what everyone is saying, whether or not she really understands it. After the address is put into her memory, she pushes it away into the pocket of her borrowed clothes, and then starts to move— not to go away, but to sink back into her chair and watch.

"Oh, I'm registered… but not exactly full telepath." A sideways glance is sent to her sister ass Kaylee explains. "When I decided to register, I did it to go to college, with the intention of updating after. Mainly, casue it was pointed out to me that telepaths are being rejected or kicked out of Universities for 'other' reasons." The looks she gives Liz says she completely believes otherwise. "But so far, he only wants to make sure his daughter is safe with me, cause the kid — according to Parkman — looks up to me. Then it has been to see what I can do.

Kaylee's brows furrow as she continues, "Not sure how he'd get anything out of my head, cause it's like sticking a mic to a speaker when you try to even read another telepath. However, considering how powerful his dad was… He probably is too."

"He definitely is," Elisabeth confirms. "In which case, I wouldn't be too concerned about the entire situation. If you're helping Molly…." She bites her lip. "Take care of the kid. She's been through a lot."

"Oh." Cardinal's shoulders sink once more in relaxation as the situation's explained, and he gesture vaguely with one hand, "…well, Molly definately needs to be kept safe, so I can't blame him there. If I had a kid, I'd get pretty worried if some unregistered telepath was hanging out with my kid. Matt's alright. He's still DHS, but he's— good DHS— if that makes any sense."

"And you tried to tell me you weren't a very good rolemodel," Valerie says outloud finally, a kind of tsk in her voice as she does. She may not understand a lot of what's being discussed, even less than most people might suspect, but she still listens— and will likely learn more about this crazy world— eventually. "It seems like it was easier when people didn't know about— telepaths and all that stuff." Which was last week, to her.

Chuckling Kaylee gives Valerie a 'see I told you' look, shaking a finger at the smallest blonde " I told you I wasn't, but would you believe me? Noooo." The tease and hint of budding affection for this new sibling is evident, though it fades as she glances to Liz.

"Honestly, I haven't seen her for awhile." Kaylee says with a sad smile to Liz. "We spent that long winter sick together, but since… " Her hands spread apart in a helpless gesture. "And I've been… so busy, I haven't even had much time to even really go out on many dates with Joseph." She sounds a touch amused about that.

"Classes, work… everything else that falls at my doorstep." She doesn't seem overly bothered by it, mostly overwhelmed. There is a soft sigh from Kaylee, digging her cellphone out. "Speaking of which… I have a test tomorrow and I should attempt to spend some time on studying."

The phone is tucked away, eyes narrowing at Cardinal thoughtfully, "Well, so far you haven't steered me wrong, so… if you believe he's good DHS, I'm going to believe you here and see what happens."

"He's a good man, Kaylee. He could have busted me two years ago — he knew I was Phoenix back then." For which Elisabeth has been PARDONED and can talk about, ha! "Don't go telling him much — only what he needs to know. But he's likely to leave you be so long as you're not a danger." It's the best that she can offer.

"He's a bull in a china shop, mind," Cardinal admits in dry tones, "When I told him about Pinehearst, he barged in the front door and ended up locked up in a cell — no subtlety at all — but he's a good guy, and he means well."

"I think I've spent as much time out today as I can handle, too," Valerie confesses softly, though she's smiling some even as she does. "Thank you for telling me about my dad, Mister Cardinal, even if it wasn't the best news— I'll try to think of anything I can to help, too." She has a few thoughts, but they're best saved for later, anyway. What was that name he asked about? Maybe she'll recall later and be able to answer that question. "I got my clothes, though." Enough clothes to fill a good sized bag. But for some teenagers that's a small shopping spree.

"Last thing I plan to do is tell the man anything." Kaylee affirms for Elisabeth with a bit of a smirk. "I know where my loyalties lie." Her head slowly nodding, glancing at Valerie again. "Yeah, I think it time to head home."

When the telepath turns her eyes to Cardinal, her mental words echo through his head, Matt Parkman I think did something that could hurt him. He //removed Rupert's suggestions from someone's head. Three of them. One of Messiah's people of course. If what I've learn means anything… he's possibly got them in his head. He wouldn't admit it and I couldn't push asking without him getting more on me about it.//

Reaching down to gather up the bag and rise to her feet, Kaylee gives both a smile. "Again… thank you, both of you for coming out here. I thought it might be important that you meet Valerie and vise versa." A glance goes to her sister. "So she knows all the people I trust — and in this case— dad trusts, if something ever happens to me and she needs help." November 8th was just around the corner.

Elisabeth nods very slightly to Kaylee and Valerie. "Redbird's door is open," she says softly. And she watches as the two girls walk away. Glancing at Richard, she comments quietly, "They act as if they've been together far longer than just a few days."

"Oh, hell…" Cardinal closes his eyes, "…thanks for telling me, I'll warn him."

"Anytime, Val. Take care, both of you, and keep in touch…" He steps away as well, moving to follow along with Elisabeth, his head shaking from side to side, "Yeah. Well, maybe they have been… she's been hanging out with Nakamura lately, I think."

Elisabeth frowns at that and murmurs, "Now there's a man I'm looking forward to seeing again soon." Being as she's supposedly heading into the past to save Jaiden's behind. "I'd like to know where and when Francois went. And why he had to go in the middle of a goddamn firefight. THat's damn annoying."

"I can help you walk Missy when we get home. I think she might be starting to like me a little— but I think she's jealous of me, too." Valerie says to her sister as they walk away. The pup does have a very possessive personality— so it didn't take much for her to figure out that, just maybe, the dog's a bit jealous of her.

And then, the two girls disappear into the distance of the mall.


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