ic [IC] Irradiated Intervention

[Sophistemon]

Stone looked over at Adept and smiled behind the opaque barrier of his mask. The senior agent knew his stuff; it was a classic, but clever, conversational lure. He had questions about the drones -- he didn't quite like the idea of a private enterprise having access to that kind of firepower -- but he kept his mouth shut and let Warne work his magic.

[olopi]

GM

 

Green looked pleased by that statement, a slight smile forming on his face. “Gentlemen, that is great to hear! That course of action should save both Neutron, and any other companies he may target in the future, millions in very specific security spending. Money that can instead be spent on more productive endeavours, surely.”

 

He looked over at his printer, then at his PC’s screen, and then back at the agents. “So, what else can I assist you with? There isn’t much more we can do, unless you’d prefer us to help you in more active ways?”

 

His smile became more sly. He opened one of his desk’s drawers, and seemingly searched something in it. All the while, he continued to talk.

 

“I’m sure we could work something out should you require additional assistance. Neutron will gladly work together with the Agency to increase the safety of Freedom’s citizens. “

[Blarghy]

So close.  Keep walking, Green; you're almost to that grave you've painstakingly dug. 

 

Warne tilted his head.  "Hmm.  Well, we won't necessarily turn down help, but I am not immediately sure what you have to offer, aside from information.  Do you have anything in mind?  I suppose that as a security officer, you probably do have the right sort of mindset for this situation.  Now that I've met you, I'm a little surprised you haven't pushed Neutron to take a more active role already; you seem like the type to pursue problems instead of waiting for them to flare up again.  Must've been galling, to wait so long for real action against Bonfire."

[olopi]

GM

 

“I have been pushing. We have been working, but these things, unfortunately, take some time. I am sure we, as the company, could offer more direct measures in a month’s time or so. Now, if we want this to be more urgent, we can go with something less advanced and convoluted. I have a variety of people I could contact, depending on how much I can get authorization to spend. With their help, and what your agency can offer us, we should be able to track him down without too many issues. “

 

Green eyed the bottle of bourbon standing on a drawer behind him, grabbed it, and began to pour himself a drink. “Now, if I have your agency’s cooperation, there shouldn’t be any huge trouble. I understand you prefer to keep things covert, that shouldn’t be an issue either. “

 

“Now, I assume you can’t drink while on duty, so, cheers. “ He raised his glass towards Warne, the same grin still on the lips now touching the glass.

[Blarghy]

Warne's smile turned a little rigid for a moment, before he mastered his composure.  Damn it, you slimy bastard!  Give us what we need!

 

Obviously, he couldn't promise AEGIS' cooperation or support, even to draw out a confession.  The lack of proper legal authority behind the Gas Man's warrant was their only bargaining chip; unless Green admitted to hiring his mercenary under forged pretenses, this whole case could fall apart. 

 

"We do prefer to act covertly," Warne agreed, trying not to think about how badly he wanted a drink himself--or better yet, a cigarette to calm his growing frustration.  Casually as he could, he asked, "...Who, exactly, can you contact to assist with this matter?  If you have allies beyond Neutron's standard circles, I am a little surprised you haven't brought them in already.  Most people would feel desperate for help by this point."

[Sophistemon]

Upgrade nodded, smirking behind his helmet. "That's us," stated the pilot of the titanic war-machine. "We're subtle." He leaned forward and laced his fingers. "And subtlety is the way to go when it comes to things like this, isn't it? You can't go around making a mess of everything just because one nosy cape is sticking his nose in your business. We're AEGIS, Green; we know how it goes." He spread his hands and shrugged. "Sometimes you just want them to play ball, right? But they've got to run around, all muscles and moxy, and muck things up for the rest of us. It's frustrating, is what it is, am I right?"

[olopi]

GM

 

Green nodded slowly. “There is truth to what you’re saying, yes. But often, these things are a lot more complicated. Subtlety isn’t all. And I’m glad about that. Would make my job a lot less important. Plus, means I don’t have to deal with subtle capes. Those are the real pain, at least with the matchstick we know what we’re up against and can adapt. “

 

“Now, as for contacts. There is talk of some, some much more proficient than Bonfire. But I would not know much about them, contacting them is a challenge of itself. They’re very picky, and often a bit too … grey zone for our company. “

 

He put down his glass, and entered a few things into his computer. “There are better options. Ones that don’t do anything ethically questionable, or go overboard. Ones that do it for a living. Some PIs, some bounty hunters. People who know how to track down people. And sometimes even do more, if they have what they need. “

 

“I’ve compiled a list. Price, Quality and Availability. If you need somebody fast, there’s the Gas Man, if time’s not an aspect there are proficient PIs. But I assume whatever the private sector can offer, your agency can do much better, right? Otherwise, I can contact the aforementioned Gas Man, he has a bit of a personal grudge and should be able to find our problem within hours. ”

[Blarghy]

Now, not only was Warne's patience crumbling like dry sand, he even began to wonder if Green was leading them on.  Could he know their true purpose here?  He seemed to come so close to giving the agents what they needed, but never went so far as to implicate himself. 

 

Is this just reflexive caution from a smart criminal, or did someone tip him off?  Could the Gas Man have gotten word to him somehow?

 

He fought down the strong urge to smoke, smiled less convincingly than before, and asked, "Gas Man?  Who is this person?  And he has personal issues with Bonfire, you say?"

 

Is that Green's plan?  To claim ignorance and tell us that the Gas Man acted fully on his own?  Would the bounty hunter go along with that, if Neutron promised to compensate him handsomely after prison?  Damn it all to hell, I won't let this case fall to pieces like that!

[Sophistemon]

Ethan inclined his head. "If this 'Gas Man' is who you go to when you want a job done quickly, who do you contact if you want a job done well?" There was a moment's pause before he spoke again. "I'd be interesting in seeing your list. You never know when outside sources might be a valuable asset." Once it was in their possession, AEGIS could cross-reference the list with known criminals and their associates. At some point, something should turn up. He hoped, but didn't consider it likely, that the Green Dragon would be presented front and center as a Neutron collaborator, but it would make things easier if he were.

[olopi]

GM

 

Green smiled, once more waiting a few seconds before replying. Either he was toying with them, or he wasn’t quite sure about the situation himself. It was hard to tell, these things tended to be close to each other.

 

“He is a local … I think he calls himself bounty hunter. I prefer the term independent security. He has all sorts of client, and tracks down information about various types of criminals for them. He’s as good as his price suggests, but he works fast. Plus, he’s been in the business for a while, so even if he’s not the best, he has something to show. “

 

“As for his grudge, I got into contact with him after Bonfire’s initial assault. There was only so much I could learn about him, so I hired the Gas Man to find him, follow him, and figure out more things. It didn’t quite work out, as Bonfire learned of this fact and attacked him, stealing his van in the process. Which, as you might imagine, left a bit of an open wound. “

 

Then, he stood up, and took first steps towards a drawer next to the wall, a few feet away.

 

“As for the list, I believe last I checked I had it in the drawer over here….”

[Blarghy]

So close, and yet so far.

 

Warne guessed his partner's motive and waited for Green to retrieve the list, although still without as much hope as when they first entered the office.  It seemed increasingly unlikely that Green would make the big damning admission that they initially wanted, but maybe the agents could still catch him in a lie that would unravel all his others. 

 

"Grand theft auto, you say?  Obviously, that's a crime.  This 'Gas Man' should have reported it, and given the superhuman involvement, AEGIS could have acted sooner.  Maybe we should contact him after all."

 

Now, Green, realize that if I do this, he may tell me about the bounty you forged.  Start to panic, try to change my mind, and make a mistake.

[Sophistemon]

"Definitely," Upgrade concurred. "Now, a man's got to do what a man's got to do and all, but if someone stole my ride I'd report it pretty darn quick." He looked over at Adept and shrugged. "Then again, nobody's brave enough to tough my baby. Not when I'm around to do anything about it, anyway." He turned again to look at Green and quirked his head. Something about the man was giving him pause, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was. If he were Warne, he'd probably narrow it down to a purposeful evasiveness. But was that out of a genuine discomfort due to dealing with authorities, or was he hiding something and up to no good? He moved his foot over and thumped his boot into Adept's shoe, then lifted his chin to indicate Green. Trouble? he hoped to imply.

[olopi]

GM

 

Green ducked down, and began to leaf through the drawer. There seemed to be quite a large amount of files in it, all arranged in an alphabetical system, so while he was searching, he continued to talk.

 

“I’d suggest against it. He’s not exactly the most cooperative guy. Especially if you’re not paying him. And from what I’ve heard, he holds a bit of a grudge against you government types. Wouldn’t know why, not a thing that’s ever been brought up. Unless you can promise him something big, he’ll probably just ignore you. Certainly know it’s happened before. “

 

“I’d contact … ah, here he is. “ Green held up a folder, seemingly filled with quite a few pages. “One of them. More efficient at actually bringing somebody in, and they don’t want as many requirements to do their job as the Gas Man. “

[Blarghy]

Warne glanced to his partner, and while Green was busy looking through his files, the agent nodded grimly.  He, too, had a bad feeling about this.

 

"We're hard people to ignore," he pointed out sternly.  "If this 'Gas Man' has personal involvement with Bonfire, then we need to pursue that lead.  Whether or not he decides to help us afterward is up to him, but we'll leave no stone unturned here.  Lives are at stake; we can't afford to risk another attack on some other nuclear facility, Neutron's or otherwise.  Besides, I agree with Stone, especially given what you've said about this mercenary.  He probably has a grudge by this point, and if he has taken action against Bonfire on his own, then his testimony could be useful."

 

As well as illegal and very bad for you.  Come on, Green, you can't let us get to the Gas Man.  Try harder, and make a mistake!

[Sophistemon]

"We don't need to tell you how dangerous nuclear power can be, do we?" quipped Stone. "Useful, sure, and generally safe, but that's when people aren't attacking the facilities and attempting to shut down half the country over some misguided environmentalism, am I right?" He placed his hands flat against the surface of the table. "Nobody wants a repeat performance of the earlier mishap, Mister Green. Personally, I respect what you do here. One look at me and you can tell I'm a bit of a gearhead, right? So believe me when I say I love this stuff, and I know just how beneficial nuclear power can be -- it beats the heck out of coal, anyway, and it'll last us much longer than oil in the long run if only we'd led it. Our primary interest is in putting this matter to rest as quickly and cleanly as possible, with as few bumps in the road as we can manage. That'd be best for everyone; the last thing we need is a scandal, or another attack."

[olopi]

GM

 

While the two were adressing him, Green got back up onto his feet, and handed Warne the file. Standing in between the two, he took a step back to address both of them. “So you understand. It’s our only way of keeping things up, whether we like it or not. And people like him are dangerous. But anyways. If you really want to get him, there’s the file. Lots of people that are rumoured to be efficient at this. Clean, quick, and subtle. And they won’t require a warrant like the one I ga-“

 

He’d gotten a bit worked up, but as soon as he realized what he’d said, he suddenly shut up. And just a second later, he switched the subject. “Either way, we doubt another attack will take place any time soon. We have increased our security, and keep on doing so. Is there anything else you need, or are the files I provided enough?”

[Blarghy]

At first, Warne only looked down, flipping through the pages in the folder.  He was interested to see what kinds of people Green had at his disposal, and once they finished here--one way or another--he intended to submit the data for analysis.  You didn't keep a file of no-questions-asked mercenaries in your office without using it on occasion, and AEGIS could very well find other crimes to link Green and his friends to. 

 

After this lengthy pause, Warne tilted his eyes up again to meet Green's.  "They won't?" he asked.  "How unusual.  I am fairly certain that Bonfire is still a legal citizen of the United States, and Freedom City in particular has laws regarding the legitimacy of vigilante personas.  Even in his capacity as a 'hero,' he has rights.  If any of these people--" he waved the file, "--were to pursue him without proof of immediate wrongdoing, then they would need a warrant supported by the government.  Otherwise, they are not bounty hunters, or even vigilantes, but simple criminals.  Someone would also be a criminal if they, for example, forged one of those aforementioned warrants.  And if, again for example, that warrant contributed to an unlawful assault, then, well..."

 

He smiled a terrible smile.  "What I'm trying to say, Mister Green, is that it is my great personal pleasure to place you under arrest.  We know what you've done, we have witnesses prepared to testify to your actions, and now, we have confirmation from you yourself.  Please come along peacefully.  Or don't.  Resist if you like.  After the day I've had, that would just be delightful."

[Sophistemon]

Ethan stood, placed both hands at the small of his back, and stretched his spine until the vertebrae popped. "Finally," he said. "That was taking forever." He smiled, behind the blankness of his helmet. "Here I thought you were being clever, but it was just everyday good-old-fashioned evasiveness." He strode towards the man with purposeful steps and stopped just short of walking into him. He looked down at Green and quirked his head. "Honestly," he said. "I wish you'd been honest from the beginning. It really does go easier on you that way." He turned to his partner. "Got your cuffs, or do you plan to use the Tee-Kay?"

[olopi]

GM

 

Green didn’t offer any resistance. Instead, he just stood there, motionless. He looked at the two, his expression well hidden beneath a trained smile. And all that left his mouth was “Lawyer.” Nothing else. Just waiting, for what came next. He was trained enough to know when to say things and when not to.

 

And in this case, not saying anything was clearly the best option. Everything was silent, with nobody moving. Switching from conversation to silence was common for these things, but still a bit strange even after having done it so many times.

[Blarghy]

Well that wasn't very fun; this casual reaction put Warne on his guard again.  He expected surprise, disbelief, anger--something.  If Green didn't know to prepare for this outcome somehow, then he was a rare sort of person.  Possibly a dangerous sort, although Warne usually acted under that suspicion anyway, because it just paid to be safe. 

 

"You're welcome to as many as you can hire," he acknowledged as he handcuffed the prisoner.  "Lord knows we'll have plenty of our own."

 

He put one hand on Green's shoulder--not that he needed it to secure the man's movements--and nudged him toward the door, taking out his phone with his other hand and calling Becker.  "It's done," the agent said.  "We're bringing him out now."

[Sophistemon]

Ethan nodded, and the chuckled that emerged from his helmet was rendered unintentionally ominous by the enhancing effect it wrought on his voice. "That's right," he concurred. "The best money can buy. And rest assured, AEGIS is very thorough when we start digging into things." Then, perhaps surprisingly, he reached out and rested a gloved hand on Green's shoulder. "You should come clean," he advised. "I've been saying that from the beginning. The more honest you are with us, the easier it'll go for you. Trust me on that."

[olopi]

GM

 

“Good job, agents. I doubt we’ll need any further backup, but they’ll be on standby until we are back at the HQ either way. Wouldn’t be the first time we got this far… Either way, let’s get him back to HQ and tie this up for today, he probably won’t be spending the night at home.”

 

Escorting Green through the building got the two agents quite a few looks, and the tension was rather high. Even if, ultimately, everybody knew better than to try and attack two federal agents. Back in the car, Bonfire awaited the three men, his head in the shape of a smiling mouth and two big eyes.

 

“Hey buddy, been a bit, right?”

 

Even that didn’t get any reaction from the Head of Security, who continued to not say a word, or really even move a muscle on his face, during the drive back. Once the van arrived back inside the HQ, the detained Green was given to a team that would look after him for now, while the two agents and their heroic aide met back up with Becker.

 

“And it’s a wrap. For this assignment, at least. Shift’s about to be over too, so unless you want to stick around, you’re dismissed until tomorrow. Celebrate, I guess, we’ve finally made some progress. “

[Blarghy]

"Thank you, ma'am," Warne answered.  He wasn't much for celebration, actually, but he nonetheless had a faint, vaguely smug smile.  Even this grumpy agent could appreciate a long-awaited success.  This mission took a few turns he didn't expect or particularly want, but Adept couldn't fault the final result.  Despite some lingering concerns that Green's superiors might've, at the very least, been overlooking his illegal actions, this arrest would surely give those lofty executives good reason to watch their step in the future.  Sometimes that was the best AEGIS could hope for.

 

"Notify me if I'm needed for any further developments, of course."  And with that, Warne nodded to his boss and partner, gave Bonfire a stern you-had-better-behave look, and went for the door. 

[Sophistemon]

"No problem, boss. All in day's work." Ethan had removed his helmet and, after having run a hand through his hair to work it back into shape, felt a bit better. "It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it all turned out okay in the end. Results are what matter, I guess." He shrugged and turned to Bonfire. "So, kid; what's next for you?"

[olopi]

PC

 

It was good to finally be finished for the day. It had been one of the more busy days Cass had ever had as Bonfire, all things considered. And while the entire thing wasn’t over yet, and probably wasn’t going to be for a while, at least one major thing had been tied up. And from hereon out, it would hopefully get easier.

 

Not that he was directly involved too much. But the less attention AEGIS paid to him directly, the better. And the agents he’d met, could, perhaps, be useful in the future too. Contacts of all sorts were a good thing.

 

The young man’s body looked rather exhausted, even if he’d spend large chunks of the day just sitting around. Still, as both the agents knew, even that got tiring after a while.

 

“Honestly, at this point? Just gonna lay low for a bit longer. I’m sure my bills can take the hit... hopefully. And the less I get involved with the agency, the better…”

 

~ Fin ~