The Serpent and the Devil (IC)

[Scuffles]

Glow flashed the receptionist a smile and made it a special point to shake her hand and offer her thanks. The woman was clearly quite delighted to be able to help and the young telekinetic wanted to make it clear how much the assistance was appreciated - especially since Cloak was likely not going to be all that happy about it.

"Mister Cloak we're really sorry to interrupt your busy schedule," she said as they made their way into the lawyer's office. "But we have a little bit of a problem that we understand you're familiar with. We've heard that the people who were rescued from the Flowerbell a couple of months back have already been processed and are due to be deported shortly."

She looked the sharply-dressed lawyer over curiously, searching his face for any reaction to the name of the ship and then continued. "We saw first hand what happened on that ship," she said with a gesture towards Heraldo. "And we're concerned for the safety of those people if they're sent back. We're hoping you could shed some light on why they've been denied refugee status quite so quickly?"

[Supercape]

GM

"The Flowerball? The Flowerbell?" said Mr. Clock, his eyes momentarily darting to his computer screen, where his card game was now evaporated.

"Ah yes, the Flowerbell! The Immigrants!" he said, smiling and pressing his hands together in a pyramid under his chin, promptly leaning on the structure.

"I am terribly sorry. But laws are laws, you know. Technically they entered the country illegally, and hence, they are due for deportation. We did look into the refugee status, and have consulted with the Mexican Authorities, and their claims are unsubstantiated. You must understand, that people desperate to enter our country will often embellish andeven fabricate stories of maltreatment from their home country, in order to obtain refugee status. We need a standard of proof, otherwise our borders may as well be non-existent..."

He smiled with sincerity and sadness.

"So I am afraid we must enforce the law as it stands. The illegals are to be deported tomorrow, as I understand. They will be treated fairly during deportation, they are not prisoners..." he said, by way of minute recompense.

[Ari]

The brightly-dressed young man listened with care to Mr. Cloak's speech, nodding every now and again to show he was listening. Once the lawyer had finished, he said at once

"Well, that's understandable, but I think you would be remiss in forgetting how many incredible things exist in this world" said the teenager powered by a genius loci "Besides, if you desire unmistakable proof that they have suffered under the thumb of a crime lord, surely you could, say, send a couple of heroes to investigate their claims? I mean no disrespect to the Mexican authorities" he added quickly "I merely wish to suggest alternate routes of finding out the truth"

Standing a little at ease he continued "You say they are to be deported tomorrow? Well then, how about you put out a call for somebody to accompany them, say that while it isn't known to be true there is a possible risk to their lives and rights upon their return? I am certain you would be swamped with applicants for such a task!" he proclaimed cheerfully.

[Supercape]

GM

"I'm afraid the matter is quite settled I couldn't possibly...." started Mr. Cloak, waving his hands without looking at El Heraldo.

"Accompany them did you say?" he interrupted himself, leaning in and paying attention as the words registered.

He pressed his hands to his temples.

"Now then, now then. That is something that is certainly...new. I can't say I actually condone what you are doing, you understand, and I want to make it quite clear I wont be aiding you in your enterprise. But of course it would be legal to accompany said individuals".

He pulled out a few tomes from behind him and perched some reading glasses up to his eyes. His finger traces the various clauses and sub-clauses of the various dry legislation.

"Yes. No legal impediment to such an action at all. If one was prepared to do so, and incite article 41a subsection 12, quoting State vs RC, one would have no such impediment to doing that whatsoever. Of course, I would not be in a position to give you legal advice to do so, and nor would I suggest such an action. I am merely discussing technical hypothetical legal scenario's with some passers by who are not my clients and whom I am not advising...."

[Scuffles]

Is he serious? We can't go to Mexico with these people! Glow thought as she glanced back and forth between Heraldo and the lawyer with a disbelieving look on her face. We'd get expelled at the very least!

She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure that doesn't solve anything," she noted. "They can't have a hero guarding them forever and the threat isn't just going to go away. Mr Cloak, I'd like to know how the investigation concluded so quickly that these people don't have a legitimate claim to refugee status. We were on that ship, we saw what these people suffered."

The young heroine fixed the lawyer with a hard stare. "Look, you don't seem comfortable with this whole situation. These people will be in danger if they're deported tomorrow, you know that. We can help them, but we need some help of our own to do it."

[Supercape]

GM

Mr. Cloak winced under Glow's stare.

"Your enthusiasm does you proud, young lady" he said, mustering up some composure. "But what aid are you thinking of? I appreciate the danger that these people may...or may not be in, but this is the Law. One cannot circumvent it just on a whim. They have entered this country without due application, and like it or not, this country has borders. They are, in effect, illegal immigrants, and hence must be deported!"

He shrugged his hands up apologetically.

"I am but a lawyer, doing my civil and contracted duty" he offered.

"As to the speed of the process, well I can only say that I dutifully and expertly proceeded with the states legal move's. I can hardly be blamed for my expertise, can I?"

[Ari]

"They wouldn't need to hang around forever" retorted EL Heraldo "just long enough to poke around and find out the truth of this El Sierpe guy. If he's really oppressing those people, there ought to proof somewhere"

He gave little more than half an ear to the rest of the proceedings, being slightly miffed that he hadn't gotten across what he had in mind better. Cloak's declaration about his speed carrying out the order got his attention though "But..you're a lawyer. You must have many callers puling your attention this way and that, what encouraged you to tie up this case so quickly?"

[Supercape]

GM

Mr. Cloak put his hands to his chest in indignation. He was a cool customer, but he was rattled now. He was speaking a little to fast, moving a little to quickly...he was lying.

"Me? Sir! I am merely doing my job! efficiently at that! Careful where you tread sir! I cannot reveal my sources or my clients or my contacts! I just so happen to represent the state in this!"

He was of course also contradicting himself.

"And now Sir...Madam...I must get back to the vital work I was doing..." he said, avoiding their eyes, looking at the card game bleeping away on his computer monitor. "Very important...!" he added with emphasis.

[Scuffles]

This guy's practically rambling! I wonder what on earth has him so rattled? This is definitely messed up, but how to get him to tell us what he knows? Kristen thought as she chewed on her bottom lip. Then a thought struck her. I wonder if he reads Jack Jackson? Maybe I can channel some Disaster from Down Under here...

The young telekinetic extended her will just a little and gently took hold of various items around the office. Several hefty reference books lifted off shelves and floated around with lime green halos, the handset of Cloak's phone floated off it's cradle and even his chair began to rattle slightly.

Meanwhile Glow fixed the lawyer with stare, making little effort to conceal her frustration and rising anger. "How can you have clients and sources when you're working on a refugee case Mister Cloak?" she asked in an accusing tone. "Perhaps you're working for someone other than the government? Someone with an interest in getting these people back to Mexico?"

Her eyes flicked towards Heraldo as she wondered how her friend would react to her little display.

[Ari]

Heraldo's mind was currently awash with baffled questions. Who was Mr. Cloak working for? Did he have any ties to El Sierpe? How much would situations like this change if Glow gained the power to read minds?

All questions with knotted answers, the kind he hated most. I wish I could...do something t'-gah! he started almost violently at the sight of Glow's telekinetic display. Glancing sharply at her he struggled briefly with conflicting emotions: on the one hand it was kinda freaky, and would probably impress even tough customers like Cloak. On the other, it might well be an uncontrolled flare-up of her powers, and very dangerous for the building and those within it.

But how to discover if it was intended or accidental?

Maybe...nah.

"Glow, would you release the phone for a second? Mr. Cloak just might want to make a call soon"

[Supercape]

GM

Mr. Cloak gulped, and gripped his desk tightly as Glow's telekenetic power manifested itself.

"No! No!" he yelped, sitting bolt upright in his chair. "Leave me alone! I didn't do anything wrong! I swear it!" he said, blabbering uncontrollably.

"I accepted a donation, that's all it was, too...speed up the process...anonymous...I didn't ask....it paid well...and I was only doing what I was going to do anyway. All I got is a name Concerned Citizens of America against Immigration they called themselves..."

He looked left and right as if seeing if he could escape, his eyes lingering on the window, momentarily contemplating throwing himself out of it, two stories up.

"That's it...I swear!" he said, falling to his knees.

"Don't tell anybody! Don't hurt me!"

[Scuffles]

The books floated back into place neatly on their shelves. Cloak's chair returned quietly to its normal place. The phone however slammed down onto its cradle with a loud smack. As the green reflections in the room faded away, Glow turned to Heraldo and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think the law says about accepting bribes to kick legitimate refugees out of the country?" she asked. "I'd guess there's probably rules against that right? We'd have to report that wouldn't we? To make sure the case is reviewed again for sure."

She looked back at the frightened lawyer. "Unless someone can give us something better to go on so that we can save these people."

[Supercape]

GM

"Don't you dare!" snapped back Mr. Cloak, a reflex action that overcame his fear and was borne of years practicing the adversarial sport of law.

"And don't lecture me on the law!" he continued, losing some of his nerve and biting his lip, but still holding some semblance of wit about him.

"They may be legitimate refugees, or rather, they were legitimate refugees. But the process there was entirely legal. Believe me, I know how to keep my hands clean..." he answered, for once honestly.

"As for where the donation came, and yes, I am confident I could prove it was so, it came from Mexico. Unnamed, untracable, at least, untracable by me, but without question from Mexico...."

[Ari]

"Is that a fact?" EL Heraldo asked Glow with definite interest, deciding the game might as well continue "That is something I'm sure would be of interest to the Mexican authorities, not to mention American ones." Abruptly turning on Mr. Cloak he said furiously "How did you receive the bribe? In the mail? Electronically? Be truthful, or we'll find the truth without your help and beyond your desire!" he stamped the Banner on the floor for emphasis as he glared openly at the lawyer, fuming internally at the callous disregard for why someone wanted those people back so badly as to bribe someone to get them.

"Did you even wonder why you were being bribed?" he demanded passionately "Or are you the kind of guy that needs a little grease to get moving at all?" there were rumors that several Puerto Rican villains were lawyers in civilian life, and now that he looked at it it seemed terribly likely.

[Supercape]

GM

"Did you even wonder why you were being bribed? Or are you the kind of guy that needs a little grease to get moving at all?"

"I'm just a lawyer!" said the increasingly shaken Mr. Cloak. "I don't ask where my clients come from, or get their money...or....or...." he gulped.

He handed over an envelope. An empty one.

"It was paid in cash! by courier. See, you can see the Mexican stamp mark!" he said, almost blabbering.

"That's all I know! That's all I got!" he blubbered, falling to his knees and grabbing El Heraldo's colourful clothes in desperation.

[Scuffles]

"You didn't think it was strange that the Concerned Citizens of America against Immigration made you a donation from Mexico?" Glow demanded as the lawyer practically fell apart. "I find it fairly difficult to believe that an intelligent man like yourself didn't think that a little bit strange! I hope you sleep well at night when you read about these people being tortured and murdered in the newspaper next week."

The young heroine glanced at Heraldo, her mind racing as she wondered how best to approached the situation. I wish we had more training for this kind of stuff... what do we do? If we lean on him any more he might just turn into a blubbering mess and be no good to us at all! Maybe it's time to ease off a little?

"Look Mister Cloak, we really don't care about you taking bribes. It's just not our problem. We're perfectly happy to overlook it completely if you can help us save the lives of the refugees you've endangered," she said carefully. "But we need something from you. Delay the deportation. Heck, cancel it completely. We need something that forces the other side to make a move, something that gets them out in the open. Will you help us?"

[Supercape]

GM

Almost in tears, Mr. Cloak whimpered at Glow.

"Well...I could instigate subsection 41 of the emergency protection of deportees code he mumbled..."

He shook his head.

"No! No! I can't do it...don't you understand? I'm no fool. If I do that, I will be as dead as those refugees! deader! whoever is pulling the strings here, its serious, do you understand? I get tied to any screw up, and all the money in the world wont save me....unless you can put me on a different planet...."

He wrung his hands desperately.

"I'm sorry, but if I get any more tied up in this than I am, I'm finished! I'd rather take my chances in a court of law!"

[Ari]

Kris is pretty awesome at this, I'll have to ask her for pointers on questioning dudes thought Subito with an admiring glance at Glow. To Mr. Cloak he said sternly, forcing himself not to thrust the lawyer away from his person "Only one problem with that point of view: her and I are involved. I'm practically bulletproof, Glow here can crush things astoundingly hard with her telekinesis powers, neither of us are friends with whoever wants to get those people back under their thumb, and we will fight to our last breaths to keep them safe. Now, you can keep on refusing to help, but if you do we lose one of our few chances of finding out who's behind this and if they're related to those monsters who ran the prison ship" disentangling himself from the lawyer he added crisply "But if you help...we can defend you. And you'll get a reputation for being the sort of guy one can go to for help, which will only help your business, won't it?"

[Scuffles]

"Besides," Glow added helpfully. "It's far too late for you to get out now. You're in it. You can't just take one bribe from a Mexican drug lord. They're going to ask you do do more for them. What will it be next time, help someone bring drugs into the country? Help them smuggle weapons in? Do you think they're going to take no for an answer? It's just going to get worse."

She shook her head. "You've got one chance to get out of this. If you help us, we can help you and we can help the refugees and everybody gets out of trouble."

[Supercape]

GM

"Allright Allright!" whimpered Mr. Cloak.

"I'll stop the deportation...for now. You have to understand, ultimately they are illegal immigrants, so they will be deported sooner or later. However, I can delay it. If I know one thing, its how to throw a load of spanners in the well oiled machine of justice. A few letters on small print that hasn't been completed...."

"But if my benefactor gets wind of this, I am in trouble. So I am holding you personally accountable for my life..." he glared at both of the heroes, but particularly at Glow.

He picked up the phone, asked to speak to the director of the camp, and a few irate conversations later, he had done as promised. Pending investigation, the deportees had been granted reprieve.

"I hope you are satisfied!" he said, somewhat angrily. "And if anyone asks, mahogany please..."

"That's my choice for my coffin!"

[Scuffles]

Glow stood with her arms folded as made his phone calls and nodded in satisfaction when he hung up.

"I can assure you that won't be necessary Mr. Cloak," she said as she tried to reassure the nervous lawyer. "We appreciate you doing the right thing here and we'll make sure you're adequately protected in return. So what we need to know is what will be happening next. How long it's going to take before this news becomes public and the 'Concerned Citizens of America against Immigration' find out?"

She turned to Heraldo. "We'll have to keep an eye on things once they do. Can't imagine they're going to be happy about it."

[Ari]

"Thank you for your willing cooperation, Mr. Cloak" Subito said brightly "and we will defend you from your 'benefactors', don't worry" he said the word 'benefactors' with undisguised contempt "So rest assured." He meant what he said, confident that the two of them would prove adequate protection against any threat.

In answer to Glow he said "I hope they don't! If they keep quiet and calm about this, we'll miss our best chance yet to catch those behind all this!" he slid the Banner back into its slot with a sharp *tnnk!* as he turned to go, holding the door for his comrade. To Mr. Cloak he added sternly "Please do not turn renegade on us, sir. It will do nobody any good!"

As they passed the receptionist on the way out he thanked her profusely for letting them in "Thanks to you, we are closer than ever before to stopping this Evil!" he proclaimed to her.

When they left the building he took off his hat and wiped his forehead before replacing it, muttering to Glow with a slight grin "You were fantastic back there, can I be a fan of yours?" sobering up he frowned at Mr. Cloak's office "What shall we do now? We commence interrogating the post office employees?"

[Scuffles]

Glow was quite relieved to be out of Cloak's office.

"I don't think I had to do that much, the guy was already terrified - of us, of what he'd gotten himself into, basically everything!" She shook her head. "I figured if we scared him a little more he'd spill everything. I didn't like it much though, I don't want people to be scared of me, I want to help people!"

The young heroine chewed her lip as she thought about what to do next. "I don't think the post office are going to be able to help us very much, That envelope didn't exactly have a return address printed on it! Maybe we should head back to the detention center and hit up the guards to make sure they keep us informed? I figure things are most likely going to change over there now that Cloak has done his thing... What do you reckon?"

[Ari]

I don't think the post office are going to be able to help us very much, That envelope didn't exactly have a return address printed on it!

"Sorry. Bad joke." Subito said with a grin.

Adjusting his bandanna mask, El Heraldo glanced at the ground for a moment, deep in thought "I'd say so, yeah. That Cloak guy would want stuff to move as fast as it can so we can pull this one over El Sierpe before he can strike back and nab those people" he agreed, standing on the tips of his toes and flexing them as he prepared for lift-off, inwardly rejoicing at the knowledge he would soon be flying again. "You think we should ask those folks being held what to expect if this guy wants 'em back so badly? Common strategies and stuff" he added by way of clarification "Not sayin' they'll know, but I figure we should at least ask."

If only Mr. Smith was here, he'd be able t-

-why the heck do I keep thinking back to that guy? It isn't like he's omnicompetent

[Supercape]

GM

Back at the camp...

Officer Tyrone Smith looked muchhappier when Glow and El Heraldo returned.

"Glad you two are back! I just got word that the deportation has been cancelled - or delayed, rather. Don't ask me how, or why, but some kind of appeal and legal irregularity. Still, gives these folks a chance eh? and I'm a lot more comfortable that due process is being followed. Seemed just to damn fast..."

He lead the two heroes to the encampment, which was still under lock and key, and armed guard.

"You want to see these folks again? You know, my nose tells me you guys had something to do with this huh? good to see you looking out for them...I confess we don't see many of you hero types looking into immigration!"