Where the Sun Don't Shine

Participants:

luke_icon.gif veronica3_icon.gif

Scene Title Where the Sun Don't Shine
Synopsis Veronica questions Luke Campbell about his connections with 'Batsu' and Samson Gray, and can't make any promises if he will ever see daylight again.
Date April 30, 2010

Fort Hero Infirmary

Fort Hero's infirmary is another incongruous clash between modern and antique. In out-of-the-way corners, bits of old machinery has been shoved — but so much else is shiny and new, or the next best thing to it. The various rooms, from patient beds to an ICU to an operating room and various labs are equipped with top-of-the-line instrumentation. There are some things the base doesn't have, but it has the infrastructure to practically qualify as a hospital in its own right. However, not even the pervasive use of antiseptics in this wing can quite get rid of the scent of damp stone.


As Veronica heads to the infirmary to visit Luke Campbell, she reviews the notes she took when Agent Ayers called to tell her his most recent findings. The newest revelation explains quite a bit — the blackouts as well as the moments of clarity and control that seemed to tell two contradicting stories of Campbell and his power. The fact that a vagrant teenager should not have had any access to any Company files nor the ability to track and kill Company agents. The question is how much does Luke know about "Batsu" — Ichihara — and of course, there is the question of Samson Gray.

After passing through the front of the infirmary, Sawyer shows her pass to the guard outside of Campbell's door. Inside, the patient has a spartan and sterile hospital room type of environment — the only differences are the locks on the door, the lack of a window, the guard stationed outside, and the fact the patient is currently negated.

"Are you awake, Mr. Campbell?" Veronica asks, husky voice pleasant enough. After all, he's a teenager, and he may not have been at fault for the deaths he caused. She approaches the bed to study the young man within.

Luke looks up when Veronica comes in and flinches at her gaze, openly avoiding it. "Yes." he replies to her eventually, since it's obvious he is. He's bandaged, since it'll still take a long time for his hand and shoulder and side to heal from the bullet wounds. He gingerly touches his hand and frowns at Veronica. He knows who shot him now.

"First, I apologize for your injuries. I shot to disarm you because you were a threat to us," Veronica explains quietly, frowning a little at his injuries. "You will recover, which was my intention, but we would not have recovered if you used your ability to its full extent on us, am I right? I'm very sorry we were in a situation where I had to make that choice." She moves to a chair near by and takes a seat. "Can I ask you why you were in that building and why you used your ability on my colleague?"

"I don't know." Luke replies curtly. "Last damn thing I knew I was getting a sandwich. Next, I was being shot." oh, yes, there's some ill feeling. "I never killed anyone."

"Unfortunately, we have quite a few deaths with witnesses having seen you around, and you're so far the only person with as powerful of an ability that matches the injuries we've seen that we know about. Right now it looks like you did, even if you don't remember it," Veronica says, her voice quiet though matter-of-fact. "We have enough evidence against you, Luke, but the fact you don't remember where you were — that bothers me, and I'd like to find out more about it, if you can help me. If you answer my questions, it's possible I can find out who is behind it. Otherwise — all we have is evidence. And that points at you."

She opens her notepad and glances down at the notes again. "Tell me what you know about a man called Batsu?"
"I don't know much. I saw him twice, he was this Japanese guy, saw him at a shelter on Staten island and then at a church, and I don't know anything else." Luke shrugs, then winces.

"What was your interaction like? Why did you talk to him, or vice versa? What was he interested in, did you hang out or was it quick — you need to give me more information than that, if you want us to help you, Luke. I'm not the bad guy here — people are showing up dead and microwaved and I need to stop it, all right? It's in your best interest to tell me what you know so that I can help figure out why dead bodies show up wherever you go," Veronica says. "What church did you see him at and when?"

"He asked me how I felt about my mother right before…" Luke trails off, shaking his head. "That was the second time I saw him." that should give Veronica a nice time frame. "The last thing I remember there was him staring at me, then I wake up and my mom's dead. She deserved it, but I didn't do it."

"So the first time was before the drug dealer in Staten was killed… the second time before your mother was killed?" Veronica jots something down. "Did he try to make you angry, try to … try to make you target the trailer or the Staten guy at all? Do you remember feeling anything before you … black out?" she asks, underlining the word "remote control of target" in her notes. That's the last thing she needs. A remote control telepath on the loose, while she chases a smoke monster with danger sense.

"Nothing at all. He was asking me all these questions about my mom, how I felt about her, and the last thing I heard him say was that's probably how his daughter felt about him." Luke shrugs one-shouldered. "Next I know, I'm somewhere else and there's a fucking hour or so missing from my goddamned life."

The agent nods. It seems to fit. "I'm sorry about that. And your mother. I mean, I know you were angry at her, but I'm sure you didn't want her to be killed like that," she says quietly, eyes down. He may be an adult, but he is still just a kid, and an orphan at that.

"One more question on Batsu, and then I have another topic to discuss with you. Do you have any idea where Batsu might be living? Did he mention where he would be heading next, or any other shelters or places he might be squatting? It's really important we find him, Luke, and it's really important for you, too. I'm sure you are smart enough to realize that."

"He didn't say much of anything except that the shelters weren't for people like us, that there wasn't a place for us." Luke shakes his head. "It sounded like he meant all shelters maybe."

"All right," the agent says. She didn't expect to get lucky on that account anyway. "All right. Now. Have you been in contact with Samson Gray at all since you left your home in New Jersey? Aside from the … altercation… in the shelter where you stopped him from assaulting a young woman. Very brave of you, by the way," she adds, nodding in appreciation. "Do you have any idea of where he might be staying in the city — anything that you might know from prior to your time in Moab or after — a phone call, an address, a street name — anything that might give us a clue to where he is, I would really appreciate it."

"I have no clue at all. I told your guy that he tried to kill me, did your guy tell you that?" since Veronica seems to know about Luke saving someone, she probably knows that too.

"Samson Gray tried to kill you? When was this?" she asks, curiously, brows knitting together. "And I'm not sure which guy you told, but maybe he forgot to mention it. When and how did Gray try to kill you?"

"Right after I stopped him. He used his psychic powers or something to pick me up and throw me across the room. I thought I was gonna die and almost broke some ribs." Luke frowns at that. He trusted the guy!

"Oh. Right. I thought you meant maybe another occasion," Veronica says, scribbling some notes. "Have you seen or even sensed Gray to be around at any time aside from at the shelter? Like a scent of smoke or a glimpse in a crowd? The slightest thing might give me a bead on him, Luke, and it's imperative we catch him. He's very very dangerous, and a threat to all of us. Especially other Evolved people, to be honest." Her tired brown eyes survey his face. "Or anything you think might be useful to know — from when you knew him back in Newark."

"Smoke?" Luke asks suddenly, frowning. "No, I've never met him other than that, the last time I saw him was years and years ago when I was a kid, before the bitch sold me to the government."

"He can take a smokelike form as one of his powers — like he did in the shelter, did he not? I was told by witnesses that was how he escaped," Veronica says, noting the suddenness of Luke's reaction. "Why, what came to mind when I said smoke? It meant something — reminded you of something? It's important — even if it seems silly or like it might be useful to me, anything that you think of — whether you think it's relevant or not — I'd like to know."

"When the roof collapsed, I was suddenly outside, it was like someone enveloped me in smoke and took me outside. It was… it was probably him. He must've saved my life. And then I zapped him to stop him from killing that idiot." man, if Luke knew that was what happened, he woulda minded his own business.

"Well. He clearly thinks fondly of you, but keep in mind he is dangerous. When you get released from here, I'll expect you to contact us immediately if you see him or he tries to touch base with you — for your own safety, and the safety of others. No one with a power is safe from him. Trust me on that," Veronica says with a shake of her head. "Unfortunately, with the weather the way it is, I can't run out and get you anything and not have it flash-frozen by the time I got back, but is there anything I can get you while you're here with us?"

"I'll be free to go, whenever I want?" Luke appears surprised at that. "You're not going to lock me away to rot like you guys did once already?" he doesn't really know who these people are, he just associates 'the government' with those who locked him up at Moab. "Y'know, keep me drugged 24/7, lock me away in solitary confinement where the sun don't shine?"

"I didn't say that," Veronica says with a shake of her head as she writes down 'Richards' and underlines it. "I can't promise that. It's not my job to decide how long you're with us, but should you be released, I need you to keep in mind that Samson Gray is someone not to be underestimated." She stands, closing the notepad she writes on, capping the pen and sliding it in her pocket. "There are things we need to investigate — they may or may not exonerate you, but I'll be sure to tell my superiors you were forthcoming with what you know — or don't." What he doesn't remember is more of interest to her right now — in might help them find both Ichihara and Gray.

Luke rolls his eyes. Figures. There she went, offering him freedom, then the next breath was rescinding that. "Hah. If you ever saw him shooting birds and gutting them and pulling out all their insides, you'd know that already. He was a taxidermist, he killed things for a living." then he turns his face away, not wanting to talk anymore.

"Thanks. Get some rest. Sorry again about the hand and shoulder," Sawyer tells him quietly, heading out of the office to type up the report consisting of no-new information, and requesting for a certain Doctor Allison Richards to visit the young man in the infirmary.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License