Interview

"Who the hell are you?"

"You should be worrying more about your partner."

Besides, the spook on the other end was likely going to get that answer sooner or later. Claire hums in the stolen earpiece as she digs through the pockets of the suited man she stole it from. Turns out it was pretty easy to sneak up on one of these goons when they were busy stalking someone else. The first thing she checks for is a new phone. The second is a gun because she could see his partner eyeing her up from across the street as she started to move him to a more concealed position. A quick scan of his current thoughts reveals he isn't too pleased about how rough she handled his buddy — with a concussion like that poker night was going to have to be rescheduled — but playing nice would get her own stalkers suspicious and there wasn't exactly an easy way to introduce yourself to a shady organization. Not easy for them anyway.

"By the way, what's the point of asking around about a shapeshifter? Can't imagine he's keeping a face for too long."

Her new 'friend' doesn't respond, too busy pushing through the crowds toward her. Meanwhile, she slips the pair of shades off the laid-out agent's body and exchanges them with the cheap pair she'd been wearing. Rather than running away, she approaches with the hand holding her newly acquired pistol hidden in her jacket. She makes sure to bump into him and let him feel the barrel through the leather. She can feel his fingers tighten around his own gun, but it doesn't concern her. She didn't need to read his mind to know these types didn't like drawing attention, especially not with so many civilians around.

"Let's not make a scene, Michael."

She also knew that most people hated having a total stranger say their name. He inwardly curses and Claire smiles as she leads him to his partner, safely out of view of anyone but some rats and cockroaches.

His thoughts are simple. Angry cursing and half-baked ideas of how to get out of this situation. He even thinks of reaching for his gun again. Finally, he comes to the realization that shooting him likely isn't in his captor's best interest and proceeds to try to talk her down. For her part, she plays along a bit. Letting fear and doubt start slowly showing on her face as her grip on the gun becomes more and more uneasy.

That's when he decides it's time to strike.

Claire ducks his swing and sends a left hook into his liver with the precision of someone far more practiced than a teenage girl had any right to be, then tackles him to the ground while he's doubled over in pain. What follows is a pure and simple beating as she uses her free hand to hold him by his thinning hair while the other brings the butt of the gun down repeatedly into the side of his head. Generally, it just wasn't as easy to knock someone out as the movies she enjoyed often made it seem. It did help that she could tell exactly how out of it he was getting with each successive blow. He does try to struggle, but her knees keep his arms pinned to the ground. The end result is a second bruised and bloody goon fading in and out of consciousness. She decides to wipe off the gun and let him pass out on his own.

Standing, she takes a deep breath, straightens out her clothes, and does her best not to let the rush get to her as her body trembles. It wasn't necessarily the violence — not entirely at least. There was just something special about knowing exactly what her victim was experiencing. What he was thinking, the way he struggled to focus on her, how each impact sounded through his ears. She wasn't a sadist, but it was hard not to get a bit giddy.

But there were more important things to do than bask in the afterglow of a fight. She takes out the phone she pocketed earlier and quickly dials a number.

"You have a problem. You'd like to know more about who caused it. You might even like some extra help solving it. Lucky for you, the gal with all the answers has an offer."