Participants:
Scene Title | Official |
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Synopsis | Aric discovers he is in more hot water than he anticipated, while Jane discovers the limits of red tape and common decency, when an interview is interrupted. |
Date | January 11, 2011 |
At the New York Police Departments request, Aric was admitted to the Suresh Center two days ago after he had submitted a report that he was attacked by a man. He gave a detail describtion of the man and the events that happened to turn him from Non-Evolved into an Evolved. The man is sitting in the patients ward next to a window. He has not been adjusting to the setting comfortably and has been given a slightly larger dose of meds to keep him calm and his powers under control.
Aric is currently dressed in a pair of grey sweats, and a baggy t-shirt with a comfortable pair of slippers. He stares out the window looking out over the city as the clouds roll in for the large snow storm coming into New York City. However the snow has not begun yet…
There's a firm knock to the door, just a warning before it opens and a short, but gruff looking Asian woman comes in. There's a badge at her hip that, at close inspection, identifies her as part of the DoEA. which may or may not seem like good news for Aric at this juncture. At least she comes in with a friendly smile?
"Aric Gibbs? I'm Agent Jane Pak. You're not too busy staring to answer a few questions, I hope?" Goodness, that even sounds like teasing.
Aric turns slowly to look upon Jane. Aric runs a hand through his hair and moves away from the window. "I am Aric Gibbs. Yes…I would be happy to answer any questions you have Agent Pak." Aric moves to his bed to sit down as he crosses his legs in an Indian Style manner, "If it will get me out of here and outside. I need fresh air…"
"That is an option on the table. Depending on how our chat goes." Jane shuts the door behind her, coming over to sit with him. But not indian style. "So I understand you were attacked and the nature of that attack left you as an evolved when previously, you were non-evolved. And now you're here for help and observation for the time being, more or less. Rough hand to be dealt. How're you doing, handling the sudden shift?"
As he sighs softly and says, "I have been turned into a light bright Agent Pak. A part of me wonders…why me. Why was I attacked. I am a simple book store owner. I have nothing against Evolved. Sometimes I even feel for them and what they have to go through. Yet…am I being punished? I am more upset that I was attacked I think then turned into a light bulb." He brings his hand up and nothing happens, "They have me on some meds that don't care for to be honest. I am someone who does not beleive in putting unnatural things in my body…yet I wanted to be…how did that rather odd nurse call it…a sweet patient and take my medicine." He chuckles softly.
"It's just for now. Abilities at manifestation tend to be uncontrolled, no matter the matter of manifestation. It helps keep you and everyone else safe. I hope you can understand that." Jane gives him a pat that's a little rough, but she means well. "Now, you were registered originally by an officer named Nash, right? The first time around."
Aric nods slowly, "A nice man. He was rather busy doing registerations the day I had come in. There had to be 15 people a head of me." Aric looks a little guilty, "I had gone in the day before the deadline. Work kept me rather busy…and I kept putting it off. He seemed a little tired and it looked like he had about 15 more people to do by the time I had gotten completed with him. I got him a cup of coffee because I felt bad for the guy just stuck behind the desk doing one person after another."
"Besides being very tired," Jane says with a bit of a wry tone, "Did you happen to notice anything odd going on? Anything at all. I realize you haven't spent a lot of time in a police station, but your best guess. Strange people, friends of his coming in… cutting in line? Sly winks, anything."
As he cocks his head to the side, his face showing deep thought Aric says, "No Agent Pak. I just remember the poor guy seemed…stressed and tired. Yet he was very polite…and had a kind word for a woman who had no idea she was an Evolved. He never raised his voice and he never showed any distaste towards the evolved….much less the non evolved. I thought he was very cool."
"Alright. If you remember anything, please speak up. It's very important." Jane shifts to stand up, striding over to the window herself. "Do you know a woman named Abigail Caliban? Formerly Beauchamp. I ask because you and she have… fantastically similar stories." She pauses there a moment, turning to look over at him again, her eyebrow raised a little, but over what seems to be a lighthearted expression.
As he runs a hand through his hair, "No ma'am. I do not know anyone by the name." As he leans back placing his hands slightly to the side and behind him to shift his body weight, Aric asks, "You mean this has happened before? This man who attacke me…I remember his eyes. They were a dark sort…do you think he is picking people with a reason or just randomly to prove a point?"
"Lots of random violence happens in the world, Gibbs. Surely you've noticed." There's just something about her tone that gives away that she's skeptical about his answers, the way a mother might be about a child who claims he didn't do it. "But we can't bring this one to justice without the help of those he victimizes."
Aric nods and says, "I am not sure how I can help yet if there is something I can do I will try." The ex-telepath has learned to pick up on body language and tone over the years and says with a little bit of innocence in his voice, "I am just a bookstore owner yet…I can try." He supports his weight back forward laying his hands over his knees and says, "What would you like?"
"All I need is honesty and upfrontness. I'm not here to get anyone in any sort of trouble. I'm here to find out what's going on around here. I have this web, that's all tangles, and you're a part of it, through your connection to Nash and being among those attacked by this person. So far, everyone else in this web is connected. Except you. Now, I'm a believer in coincidences, but so far in this case? No such thing. Knowing how you're connected might just help me figure out who and what this ability manipulator is after next."
Aric nods slowly and says with a certain level of determination, "I can not tell you who this woman or why I was attacked. Perhaps this Abigial is one of my guests at the cafe in the bookstore. Perhaps the man who attacked me is someone I have wrong in China. I don't know Agent Pak. If you have questions that could narrow down the reasons I am happy to explore them with you. If not…" Aric sighs tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear, "It seems I will be here longer then I wish."
"Well, I suppose as the investigation goes on, I might get more specific questions. But this isn't a jail, Gibbs. Yes, you'll be staying here for a bit. But you can roam. The island. Stick to Roosevelt for a bit, though." Jane comes over to pat him on the shoulder, though. "And look at the bright side. You got a cool power, at least." She does take a few steps toward the door, but stops to turn back to him. "Oh, right, one other thing. Have you ever had dealings with Redbird Security? Contracted them for your shop, hired a body guard… ducked in to get out of the rain?"
Aric cocks his head to the side and as he runs a hand through his hair Aric opens his mouth to say…..
…NOTHING.
In that before a critical question can be critically answered, the door slams open with an echo of someone protesting. "You can't go in there," is next to drowned out in the over-stimulus of a truly unnecessary amount of men flooding the confined space, "an interview is being— " Argument, meaningless and apparently quite useless, but cues in a very important sentiment that for all that these men move with an official slant to their stride, they are not necessarily welcome.
They're outfitted in the black of the PMC men that patrol Roosevelt Island, one meeting Pak's eyes in fleeting if unflattering acknowledgement for her presence. "Ma'am," is what she gets, as two more are moving in on Aric without particular regard to things such as personal space and respect, gloved hands coming to grip the once-telepath by the arms and haul him up to stand.
"Whoooa there," Jane says, taking up a position in front of the door. They got in, but she's not letting them out. "You're manhandling a key witness for the Department of Evolved Affairs. And, more importantly, my witness. And even more importantly, I'm not done questioning him. So if you could take your hands off and give me some sort of magical red tape-stopping IDs and/or paperwork, that'd be sweet."
As he is lifted off the bed by the men, Aric is blinking in shock. He looks at the men and then at the Agent and says, "What the hell is going on? Agent Pak?" Aric does not struggle yet the men can feel his muscles are tightening under his t-shirt. His blood pressure is beginning to rise as he says, "What did I do wrong?"
Jane has the door covered, but there's nothing much she can do when something small and shining flashing in one bulkily gloved hand with a delicacy that belies it, and Aric will feel the stab of needle into his upper arm before anyone can see it. The sight of the injection is temporarily blocked from Jane's view as the third of the trio steps in front of her. "We have a warrant for his arrest and frankly, that's all we're authorised to tell you, Agent. Stand aside," might not be good enough and—
And the man seems to know it, his posture waiting and ready. In the meanwhile, grogginess seems to sweep Aric through. It's not unconsciousness, but sedation, making the world go light and fuzzy. Neither man on either side of him answers his question.
So not good enough. And Jane does, in fact, pull out a gun to point in the mouthpiece's direction. "And you have to the count of five to show me the warrant before I shoot. I don't much like the idea of kidnapping, even when the perps are as fancily dressed as you. So if this is all official, you shouldn't have a problem proving it. Don't worry, you can hold your finger over the classified parts. I won't peek." Sadly, Aric's question is just going unanswered all around.
As his blood pressure rises from fear, the Suresh Center's meds begin to burn off at a quicker rate and a small tingle of electrcity can be felt until the needle sets in and Aric's mind switches to pain. "Ouch ya son of a bit…" Aric's body goes relaxed as he looks the man to his left and grins with a lazy look in his eyes. "Ya know…your kind of hot. Why don't we get rid of these guys and go have some fun…I could give you a bath and wash all the colors off your skin."
In the face of a gun aimed in his direction, the soldier mostly stands stoic and thoughtful. The word official is an interesting one, as well as powerful. Especially within a branch of the government like the Department of Evolved Affairs. Red-tape to wrangle demi-gods, deadly pieces of paper and of course, the odd point-blank aim of a sidearm when called for.
Which might make it a shock, in more ways than just one, when the sprongs of a tazer leap out with a pfft of air pressure to stab Jane's flesh through her jacket, an electrical current shuddering through her in the same movement the soldier steps forward and wrenches her gun arm in an odd angle, jamming muscle through her wrist as a blam of misfire punctures the ceiling and sends plaster down in flakes.
"Holy shit, you tazed her while she was pointing a gun at me," is so much echo to Jane's ears when she collapses under yet another jolt of electricity when her attacker squeezes the trigger for good measure.
"Yeah, well, that's why— "
The clip is ejected, falling and bouncing inches from Jane's face, pistol quick to follow. "We're done. Let's go. Make sure her superiors know before she goes crying to them — get on the phone with Sebastian, pronto."
A marching band of legs move passed Jane, including the numbly stumbling slipper-clad feet of Aric, who gets a hopeful jostle that he'll sober up a little to get out of the gays, but not so much that he becomes a problem.
Aric follows giggling softly as he yawns, "God I am tired all of a sudden…"
Shots are fired, yes, but goddamn interfering assholes make her aim go all cockeyed. She'll be pissed off about it later. When she's conscious again. But for now, Jane makes an impressive floor mat.
Squeezing passed the soldiers and drugged apprehension, a woman in a white lab jacket with a Suresh Centre badge is quick to crouch down near Jane, hands tentatively pushing her onto her back and then watching, staring, at the exeunt ahead of her, no glance back deserved to either bystander witness doctor or unconscious Department of Evolved Affairs agent.
The weather is coming down as sleet by the time Aric is wrangled out into the Roosevelt Island cold, but he can only feel it through the soft garments of his clothing, his slightly numb arms and one foot that's been freed of a slipper in the dragging. His face, however, is covered, swimming sight blacked out entirely by rich cloth drawn over his head, hiding his face in heavy hood by the time spectators outside the Suresh Centre can get a look.
More hands come out the back of the van that's waiting for them, gripping his arms, a fistful of shirt, and by the time he's giving into unconsciousness, the last he hears is the slamming shut of van doors and the cold bite of handcuffs on his wrists.