4:00:15 PM <•Antioch|GM> ...
4:00:26 PM <•Antioch|GM> ((12/08/09, Tuesday; evening.))
4:00:33 PM Megafire → Mega|Mendez
4:00:55 PM <•Antioch|GM> There's been a moment's reprieve, between the takedown of Lilith and the impending arrival of the Protectorate Critical team.
4:02:14 PM <•Antioch|GM> Stepping in to assist the outgunned Primus on their first legitimate outing solidifies the PRT's position, providing an opportunity to be leveraged for PR, in multiple directions.
4:02:31 PM <•Antioch|GM> In part, Sorenson's purview, and the nature of the discussion slated for an hour and a few from now.
4:03:45 PM <•Antioch|GM> Mendez has left her schedule with a degree of flexibility, in terms of allocating time for the meeting with Sorenson, because she finds in her custody the still relatively unknown Borgata cape, Sordina, and a member of the reviled Blackguards, Verminator.
4:03:45 PM <•Antioch|GM> It's an opportunity to exercise the skills in interrogation that earned her the esteemed position of Director.
4:04:00 PM <•Antioch|GM> Findlay nods, gesturing towards the interrogation room.
4:04:14 PM <•Antioch|GM> "They're both in holding, ma'am. Any preference on who's up to bat first?" ||
4:07:18 PM <Mega|Mendez> "How are their injuries?" I ask, first. Both of them would be a treat, and I'm certainly enjoying the number of avenues that have opened due to this recent victory, but I'd like to treat Sordina, at least, with a degree of dignity.||
4:08:38 PM <•Antioch|GM> "Verminator is uninjured -- Downsize was able to restrain her without any physical injury. Sordina is having some issues with throat inflammation from what we're assuming is Caitiff's Tinkertech gas, but his mental faculties seem unimpaired." ||
4:10:28 PM <Mega|Mendez> I nod. "Sordina first, then," I decide. "And let's make sure he has a glass of water, as well."||
4:11:00 PM <•Antioch|GM> "Of course," he replies, stepping out.
4:13:31 PM <•Antioch|GM> Findlay returns, minutes later, with Sordina brought along. His power is still a relative unknown, and he's been restrained in handcuffs, Striker-restraining mitts, and a face mask for the time being, and the MP3 device on his person has been confiscated. He fixes the Director with a stare that's more weary than irritated. ||
4:19:23 PM <Mega|Mendez> I nod at him, giving him a slightly apologetic smile. "The restraints are a necessary precaution, I'm afraid, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
4:21:34 PM <Mega|Mendez> "That said, I would like to talk to you, so, if you can promise not to use your power, I can have some of them removed for you." It was a sign of goodwill, more than anything else. If he did use his power, he still wasn't getting out of here.||
4:22:09 PM <•Antioch|GM> "That won't be an issue, Director," he replies smoothly, mouth unmoving, mask still in place. ||
4:24:08 PM <Mega|Mendez> I quirk an eyebrow at that, and give him a little smirk. "Voice projection, how convenient. No desire for a glass of water either, then?"||
4:25:45 PM <•Antioch|GM> "I'm sure I'll be fine without," he says, taking a seat. The chain on the restraints that Findlay has hooked in the floor have just enough play for him to set his manacled hands on the table, which he does so with a heavy thunk.
4:26:19 PM <•Antioch|GM> His posture is straight-backed, formal despite the restraints, in a way that makes Mendez imagine he would be clasping his hands together if not for the anti-Striker mitts. ||
4:28:36 PM <Mega|Mendez> I nod at him. I like the man already. "Not the most pleasant of fights, from what I've been able to gather. Anything you're willing to share about what happened?"||
4:30:19 PM <•Antioch|GM> "The Blackguards attacked one of our properties. We responded shortly thereafter, but were disabled, primarily by Caitiff and a heretofore unknown Blaster using the alias 'The Artful Dodger'." ||
4:33:36 PM <Mega|Mendez> "We didn't get to see the latter in action. Any details on his powers?" I expect I might be able to get some of this out of Verminator, but she's a lot less likely to be cooperative than Sordina, and it'd be nice to have some information beforehand.||
4:36:10 PM <•Antioch|GM> "He produces a tube of force roughly three yards in height and twenty in length, by my estimate. He is able to leap into it for mobility as well as provide the selfsame effect for his allies, strike others with it to launch them a fair distance, form a barrier to deflect gunfire, and launch objects with it as projectiles."
4:36:54 PM <•Antioch|GM> "It produces sufficient force to tip over a roughly 3000 kilogram van at close to point blank distance."
4:37:08 PM <•Antioch|GM> His eyes are closed as he recites this, perhaps attempting to replay the scene in his mind's eye. ||
4:40:45 PM <Mega|Mendez> That's... very detailed and precise information. I make sure to write it all down for Lt. Spencer to put into the files later. "Thank you very much, Sordina," I say, honestly. "That helps a lot. Did he say anything? General personality cues?"||
4:41:56 PM <•Antioch|GM> "He was reckless, hungry for a fight. He attacked me with an arm that was visibly broken and did not seem to suffer for it." ||
4:42:15 PM <•Antioch|GM> -||
4:42:31 PM <•Antioch|GM> He closes his eyes again, seemingly pondering something. ||
4:43:31 PM <Mega|Mendez> Oh joy. "Blackguard standard, then?" I muse, hoping to persuade him to share his further thought.||
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Voices begin to play, originating from Sordina's general area.
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Sordina: "This is very inconvenient."
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Dodger [feigning concern]: "You're telling me! My cane's still under there!"
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Sordina: "Good help is so hard to find these days, you know."
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Dodger: "Dude, I feel you on that. These guys are lame. Are you more impressive than them?"
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> [pause]
4:45:02 PM <•Antioch|GM> Dodger [challengingly]: "Well?"
4:45:56 PM <•Antioch|GM> "My exchange with him," he explains. "Combative, flippant. We didn't speak much before he attacked me." ||
4:48:00 PM <Mega|Mendez> I blink a few times. He's certainly telling me a lot about himself and his own power. His audio projection seems to be very versatile, and either he can record and playback conversation, or he can fake it well enough. Something to keep in mind when talking to him.
4:48:45 PM ⇐ CupofCoffee quit ([email protected]) Quit: Connection closed for inactivity
4:48:55 PM <Mega|Mendez> "Definitely Blackguard standard," I say. "Thank you for the information."
4:49:43 PM <Mega|Mendez> I make sure to write this all down, before shuffling some papers. "Now, I'd like to talk about the Borgata, if you don't mind." I pause, watching him for a response.||
4:53:35 PM <•Antioch|GM> He remains silent, but it seems he's merely awaiting the first question rather than being truculent. ||
4:54:45 PM <Mega|Mendez> "Any word on who will be taking charge in Cleveland?" I ask.||
4:55:13 PM <•Antioch|GM> "I genuinely don't know," he replies.
4:56:46 PM <•Antioch|GM> His response is clear and articulate, giving no indication of his falsehood, but given the dearth of information on him, it could just as well be another quirk of his seemingly versatile acoustikinesis. ||
4:58:15 PM <Mega|Mendez> "That's a shame," I say. "It'd be nice to have a conversation about our new mutual enemy." I sigh.||
5:01:24 PM <•Antioch|GM> "With all due respect, Director, regardless of which Borgata member takes charge in Cleveland, I don't foresee your assistance being necessary." ||
5:02:49 PM ⇐ Divock quit ([email protected]) Quit: http://www.kiwiirc.com/ - A hand crafted IRC client
5:02:58 PM <Mega|Mendez> I smile. That's definitely the Borgata confidence I'm used to. "Perhaps not, but it'd be nice if we could deal with the problem without accidentally getting in one another's way, don't you think?"||
5:03:46 PM <•Antioch|GM> "Then you can safely leave the matter of dealing with the Blackguards in our hands, and turn your attentions elsewhere," he suggests. ||
5:05:01 PM <Mega|Mendez> "And let Primus get in your way, instead?" I say. "That'd be downright unconscionable of me."||
5:05:58 PM <•Antioch|GM> "Primus can get in our way," he says, sounding pleased. "They deal in insurance, do they not? I've received instructions from my superiors to ensure that the protection racket remains a time-honored Borgata tradition." ||
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5:11:57 PM <Mega|Mendez> I quirk an eyebrow. "Perhaps. The Blackguard is still going to be one of my highest priorities, and I'm not going to wait for your reinforcements to arrive to see them gone. It would be nice if we were on the same page, but, when it comes down to it, I imagine we do not, strictly speaking, need your assistance, either."||
5:13:19 PM <•Antioch|GM> "I think," he says, after a pause, "negotiating this sort of thing would better be left to my impending superior."
5:13:35 PM <•Antioch|GM> After further deliberation, he adds, "He, or they, will arrive on Friday." ||
5:15:18 PM <Mega|Mendez> I nod. "Duly noted. Thank you for your cooperation. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?"||
5:20:06 PM <•Antioch|GM> "I would request that you leave the fate of the Blackguards in our hands."
5:20:33 PM <•Antioch|GM> "They have attacked us in a time of mourning. Three of our strongest capes have left Cleveland to attend a funeral."
5:21:05 PM <•Antioch|GM> "Whoever returns to take command, if you deny them their opportunity for retribution, I expect future relations to be particularly... strained." ||
5:21:59 PM → Divock and Turncoat joined
5:24:35 PM <Mega|Mendez> I give him an unimpressed look. "Yes, I remember your particular brand of retribution after the last time someone messed with you. I hope to find a somewhat better outcome, this time around." Not denying them their retribution, exactly, but certainly tempering it.