The Spin

Participants:

alvin_icon.gif kay_icon.gif monica_icon.gif

Scene Title The Spin
Synopsis Three of Yamagato's fixers sit down for a discussion of how to respond to the message received.
Date May 4, 2018

Yamagato Building, Kay's Office


The past few days have been eventful at Yamagato Park. Monica has barely been seen since the explosion and flurry of activity that followed. Wherever she was, she's here now, making her way into Kay's office. She's not dressed for business, more like she just came from the gym. But the look on her face is a serious one.

"I'm taking myself off vacation," she says to Kay. Instead of hello. Or anything resembling hello.

The Yamagato mental health team has certainly not okayed Monica for active duty again, which Kay certainly knows. And Monica knows that she knows. If they were anywhere close to doing so, they backtracked after the incident. "I can handle this."

Alvin is dressed in his typical not quite black suit, with his security badge displayed and an easy neutral expression on his face. Eizen told him the day before the bomb went off that he'd be working with Kay's department, but then the bomb. And then the apartment. It's kind of pushed things back day by day until… now. So he shows up not long after Monica and raps his knuckles on the door three precise times, and then waits out in the hallway. He's got his phone out, and is reviewing… stuff. Probably security stuff. It's what he typically does when he's not doing anything but is still on duty.

Kay looks up form her reports when her door opens. Or, actually, when she hears the peron who's supposed to be screening her visitors say wait, wait, I'll buzz her to let her know you're here! A slow breath in and out through her nose. She'll be having someone reassigned. That she would have seen her agent without question isn't the point.

"That's not how this works, Monica."

Sir, wait! from the hall again. Kay pinches the bridge of her nose when Alvin knocks on the glass wall next to her door. Her smile is a thin in. "Get in here, shut the door." The hapless whoever out there doesn't know what it is Kaydence does for Yamagato, or it's likely they'd be a bit more diligent in their duties.

Turning in her seat at her desk so she can face her to visitors, she gestures to a couch and two armchairs set across from her. The multitude of monitors she can look into at any time go black with a quick keystroke, then the Yamagato Fellowship logo bounces merrily from one edge of the bank to the other.

"Sit."

"This time, that's how it's gonna work," Monica says, her tone firm, but distant. And dark enough that even she realizes it's not helping her case. But as someone else enters, she doesn't get much further than that in her attempt to reinstate herself. Her hands move to her hips, fingers drumming with a sort of twitchy energy. Even her cybernetic fingers seem to have picked that habit up.

When Kay says to, she sits in one of the armchairs, a hand running down her face before she looks back to her handler. She wants in for the inevitable response. For the payback.

"To be fair." Alvin comments as he enters, a small smile for the signs of frustration on Kay's face. "They couldn't really say no to security. And I'm not sure anyone but security would try to say no to Miss Dawson." A small somewhat amused smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he turns to face Kay after shutting the door behind him. "I saw that Miss Dawson was headed this way and thought it might be a good time to have that sit down since I"m supposed to be working with the both of you on our Praxis problem."

He moves and takes a seat in one of the armchairs, one leg lifting slightly to cross the other at the ankle once he's settled into the chair. "How are you Miss Damaris?" He settles his elbows on the arms of the chair, and steeples his fingers in front of him, eyes moving from Kay over to Monica. "And how are you Miss Dawson?" His voice pleasant enough, but the question to Monica is definitely a little more searching than the one to Kay.

"Frustrated," Kay answers for both herself and Monica. "Too much has been going on under our noses, Mister Mott."

The glass wall of the office that shows the hallway dims. From outside the room, everything is mirrored. Now, she's blocked out any distraction from anyone walking by. An audible click signifies the door locking so as to prevent interruption.

"The question is what we're going to do about it." Pale hands smooth out a wrinkle in wide leg aubergine trousers before the director of public relations crosses one leg over the other. A look is cast to Monica as if to say not you, before she shifts that gaze to Alvin and lifts her brows in polite inquiry.

"Everyone is welcome to try," Monica mutters, mostly to herself. But it's just an expression of that frustration, really. She looks over at Alvin, her brows drawing together as she listens to him. Something in there definitely gets her attention and she flicks her gaze over to Kay. There's a silent question there, one she has no intention to voice just yet. Instead, there's a heavy sigh as she looks back over to Alvin. "And for fuck's sake, please don't call me Miss Dawson."

That, too, is an expression of her frustration.

She seems content to let Kay speak for her, at least as far as the small talk goes— probably a lot more, too. Kay's mention of a question has Monica leaning forward, but the look makes her lean back again.

"Frustration I understand. But there is absolutely nothing we could have done about the bomb attacks. Unless we can either unearth or replicate some technology that the Institute supposedly had that blocks teleporters. The attacks are horrible. And they've dealt a heavy blow. But there is really nothing that could have been done. Eizen and I went over the incident again and again and again."

Alvin gives his head a small shake, before then giving it a curious tilt. "ID the bomber. ID the bomb parts. I know that's all being worked on. And strike back. We need to be careful though. Hit them where and when their guard isn't up. Be patient, but be ready to strike when the opportunity presents itself."

Alvin leans back in his chair a little, his gaze tilting towards the ceiling. "In the interest of interdepartmental cooperation I… have a piece of information that as far as I know only security knows. But if we're going to work together on figuring this out and striking back you may need it. The Kensei sword was stolen from Japan. And I have no idea why Praxis would want that. Other than to say that they stole it from us. It's the piece of the puzzle that just doesn't… fit."

"Mrs? I was unaware you were married. My apologies Mrs Dawson." He means it too. He's not being sarcastic. Just… overly proper. Something he definitely picked up in Japan. "Everything makes sense as a Praxis hit. It really does. Except the sword. Unless it's like some high school… stealing the mascot type childishness. But even that would be out of character."

"That wasn't an accusation, Alvin." The use of his given name is deliberate and a hint as to how he's actually meant to be addressing her agent. "I understand things we can't predict. And you understand that makes them no less of a source of frustration."

The news about the sword has Kay leaning back against her seat slowly. Her gaze is squarely on the other woman in the room when she says, "I'll talk to Nisatta." She should understand what that means for her.

"That doesn't make a lick of sense," Kay murmurs with a shake of her head. "Who the hell takes a sword? Museum theft isn't really Praxis' game."

Monica's eyes scrunch closed as Alvin picks a whole new way to address her. Kay handles it, though, so Monica just shakes her head a little before turning to the more pressing issue.

"It fits," Monica states, as far as the theft of the sword. "Because this isn't business, this was personal. The sword was a move to make sure we know that, the people who would know." She pushes up from her seat, because now she has to walk. The note about Kam seems to ease her demeanor, though, her muscles loosen, her expression turns less severe.

She'll thank Kay later. When they can talk freely.

"Hiro used to have that sword," she notes, as if this is an important piece of that puzzle. "The bombings may well be Praxis, but someone else is in this. Someone Hiro pissed off. And believe me when I tell you: that is not a short list."

"It wasn't taken as one Miss Damaris." There's a curious lift of a brow at the deliberate use of his name, perhaps not understanding what he missed that brought it on. "I was trying to give some reassurance to your frustration Director Damaris. And as I said I understand the frustration. I don't feel it. But I understand it."

Alvin's head tips slowly forwards. "It has Mister Erizawa and myself vexed. Everything else fits with an attack by Praxis. Well that and the girl said something to Mister Otomo before hand. There would have been no reason for her to do that if it was a business hit. For all she knew he was about to die. So why say anything? Everything else fits though. The bomb, the timing with the hit in Japan. All of it fits. It's a little extreme compared to previous hostilities with Praxis, but if they are getting desperate then it makes sense."

"The sword, and the girl saying something before teleporting away. They don't fit. Like two pieces from an entirely different puzzle. I am of the opinion that we were not hit by Praxis. They are still a problem we need to solve. But I do not think it was them that hit us." Alvin is silent for a few seconds. But his head does dip a couple of times when Monica makes her point in about it fitting with a new person involved "It could indeed be that the game has changed entirely without us knowing. Perhaps a new player with a different agenda that's part of Praxis, or associated with them. But Occam's razor would suggest that they are separate. Perhaps the hit was done by someone that's aware of our tensions with Praxis. And the recent hit on one of their warehouses. Which…" Alvin pauses, his eyes narrowing. "Unless there is a third party trying to provoke a war between us and Praxis." His head nods a couple times further with Monica's points about Hiro. "So someone new. Whether they're with Praxis, or a new third party. Someone new. We need to find out who."

If it's personal, well, she may have started it. Kay stares out the window of her office at the clouded sky. "Separate or not, we need to figure out what we're going to do about it. I'm not of the opinion that escalation is the answer here." If this is how they respond to just a few little murders, then how would they respond to an actual strike?

"Monica. You're up."

Monica listens to Alvin's take on the matter, nodding here and there as she paces the office. But, she also looks thoughtful, like she's mulling it all over before she speaks.

Or maybe she was waiting for Kay. Because once she gives her the floor, Monica stops pacing and leans against the chair she had been sitting in. "No one needs to provoke a war between Yamagato and Praxis. But it wouldn't be hard to influence one side or the other to decisive action to cover something else. Our third party— if they are one— they could have pushed Praxis into a distraction. To cover their agenda."

She looks to Alvin, considering for a moment, then she turns back to Kay. "As much as I would like to say that escalation is amazing and we should really try it sometime— What we really need is intel. Was this Praxis, was it not? Is there another player or isn't there? Was the sword planned or a theft of opportunity? We don't know where to strike if we don't know who the responsible party is. Intel. Something to hold over their heads. Keep them in line."

"There have been tensions with Praxis for a long time. But never like this. It's always been more of a tit for tat thing with them. Never something like this. Unless they do think we're responsible for that horribly messy hit." Alvin sits up a little bit straighter in his seat, his eyes going to Monica as she speaks, and he's silent while she speaks. And he agrees fully with her assessment of what they need.

His head tips firmly in agreement. "We need information. It's impossible to make an assessment of what action we should take without further information to go off of. If it turns out it was not Praxis and we hit them? We have tipped our hand and overplayed it at the same time. And invited further unnecessary conflict. I've learned many things during the years I've worked for Yamagato. But probably the most important I learned from Kaito. Do not strike until you know who your enemy is, and where is the most advantageous to strike." Alvin glances to Kay at that. "And no matter what action we take it will be a strike. Whether we attack their people, their business, their image. No matter what it's a strike. The only real variable is what kind of form it will take."

"I'm inclined to agree with—"

Messy hit.

Kay tilts her head to one side slowly, sizing up the man with a calculating gaze. "What is it you think we do here in Public Relations, Mister Mott?"

Monica looks over at Alvin at his first words, then over at Kay. Tension is not how she would describe their relationship, after all. The comment on the hit might as well have not been spoken at all, for all she reacts to it. Of course, she's angled just so, that Kay is the only one who sees the memory flash across her face.

When she looks back to Alvin again, she shows nothing but that same pensive expression. "I agree. So we need to let forensics do their thing before we can decide our next move. Information is everything right now."

She looks back to Kay at her question, her brow furrowing. Should we be doing this is a question that usually goes the other direction between the two women. But not today.

Alvin presses his lips together until they're a thin and bloodless line while he looks back at Kay. "Well, until this very moment I figured it was cleaning up messes regardless of what form that takes. But now? But now I'm beginning to think it might just be making messes. That then need to be cleaned up." Oh Eizen. You let Alvin walk into this without all the necessary information. There will be a talk in the future about that.

"I have been with Yamagato for thirteen years. Not a life time. But a long time none the less. This would not be the first mess I was brought in to help clean up. Nor I imagine will it be the last. But if I'm going to help clean up the mess I really need full disclosure on the fucking mess to begin with." He's irritated, on the verge of angry, but his anger doesn't actually appear to be directed at anyone in this room. "That hit was us then?" He asks, looking between Kay and Monica, his jaw set and tight. Hey Kay. Now he's feeling some of that frustration.

"That isn't what I said," Kay is quick to point out. "I was only suggesting this might be slightly out of my scope. You're right, I clean up messes, but I don't hide bodies."

No. That's all Monica.

"We're on the same team here, Alvin. Don't lose sight of that. We need to let each part of this machine do what it does best, and assist each other however we can." Kay tucks a strand of blonde hair away from her face. "We're on the same page, aren't we?"

"Considering the calls I've been on with Tokyo, there's enough mess to go around." Monica finds her seat again, dropping down into unceremoniously. "Sorry, Kay. It's hard to shake my Pariah days." And… St. Joan days. Phoenix. Endgame. Ferrymen. The war. Everything. "But I'll get with their team over there, make sure we get access to what they uncover about their bombing. And vice versa. The more of our minds on this, the better. And— we need to make a strong public showing, and soon. How's Kam? Think she could give one of those speeches about coming out of this stronger and with renewed purpose and blah blah blah?"

"We're at least in the same book now." Alvin comments in a wry tone. His head is shaken a little bit, a slow back and forth. The irritation is quickly banished and it's back to a calm neutral exterior. "I even commented to Eizen that it could also have been the work of a very skilled operator or operators that made it look like it was a complete mess. But there are not many operators out there capable of doing that on such a large scale. A person, maybe two. But not a hit like that." His eyes have drifted to Monica now, a detached look in them as he thinks. He doesn't respond vocally to Kay's talk of being on the same team. He simply arches a brow at it. He needs no reminder.

"I will reach out to contacts I have and see what I can find out as well. And if that hit was us. Then the sword being taken makes a lot more sense. Because that would mean we made it personal first." Which also, at least to Alvin's perspective explains why Monica jumped to that point.

Kay sends a small smile in Monica's direction. "We're alright," she assures. No need to apologize to her for her… enthusiasm. "Let me know what you find out. I'm sure they're just as anxious for answers as we are. We all need to remember patience."

If her old partners could see her now, they would probably laugh in her face. Turning her attention back to Alvin, her smile thins slightly. "And you'll inform me of your own findings as well as Eizen? The more information I have, the better face I can present to the public. I'm not afraid of the truth."

Monica looks over at Alvin, his observations on the limitations of one operator taken in with a spread of her hands. "We've got superpowers out there. Maybe some telepath made them do it to each other," she points out, but her tone gives away that this is merely a guess. Like maybe she doesn't even pay attention to the US news anymore. "All it takes is them to think it's us, really."

Normally, she might show some pride in her work being complimented in such a way. But not today. Not that job. Much better to push it away, which is what she has done.

Her attention swings back to Kay, nodding to her words. "Yeah, don't worry about Kay. You should look over her background sometime. She's a badass." A badass in an office. Like Monica.

Alvin looks slightly amused by Kay's question about information. "And here I thought I'd already proven that I'm willing to share information." Alvin takes in a slow breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out and nodding his head. "I want to get this situation resolved. Regardless of who did what to provoke what. I want to get this situation resolved and under control. As I know you are both well aware, we cannot afford another hit like that."

Alvin's head tilts slowly forwards. "I don’t' worry about anyone that Yamagato hires. We don't hire people that are less than capable. Frankly we rarely hire people that are less than outstanding. There has always been an eye for talent in this company." Alvin pushes up from his seat and looks to Kay and then to Monica, and he bows, a slow, traditional and well practiced bow. Definitely picked up from his time with the company in Japan. "If there's nothing else for me I'm going to go and get started on gathering as much information as I can."

Thank you, says the smile Monica receives this time. "I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm again inclined to agree with my subordinate." Slender shoulders come up in a shrug, brushing the ends of the director's hair slightly. "There could be dozens of reasons why they suspect us. We won't know for sure without more data."

When Alvin stands to take his leave, she straightens up. "Of course." Kay turns briefly to type something into her keyboard and a click once again signals the lock on the door disengaging. "Thank you for your time, Alvin. I'm sure we'll talk again soon."

"Considering this hit took out our leadership, yeah, I'd say it would be best if we didn't have another," Monica says before she looks over at Kay to nod to her point. "Data, data, and more data. That's what the techs are always saying to me." But when Alvin stands, she looks back to him. "Thanks, Al. I'll pass along what I can get from the other office, too, when they have their investigation results."

"The techs have the right of it. You can never have too much information. I'll let you know if I have any new information. Otsukaresama deshita." Alvin offers both of the others another quick bow before he steps through the door and leaves Kay's office.


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