Coffee and Blood Magic

Summary:
January 04 2015: Jaqueline and May conference after the disaster at the interagency gala. Jericho shows up. Because he can.

Battery Park Cafe

One of those places Trent likes to meet, which means reasonable privacy, good visibility and decent coffee.


Characters

NPCs

  • None

Mood Music:
[* None]


Aspect made his break clean. No one suspected the Hacker, which is good as it might have otherwise made questions about what made the legendarily formality adverse Melinda May dress up in a very nice red dress and heels and come on down to the interagency meet and greet. The plot foiled though, the HYDRA agents still living are taken into custody along with their paraphenalia and after all the talking and questions from both sides of the Atlantic, both women finally have a chance to breathe, look about and decide what the next move is.

It's Battery Park and still fairly early in the evening so there are after all options. Bars. Coffee shops. Restaurants. Public places. None of them are far either. In fact, one of the places Trent meets May sometimes is about a block up.

-

Likely as not, Jacqueline will be having more than one chat with the two she managed to apprehend. The question as to whether they were targeting her specifically, or simply taking advantage of her unexpected appearance, is not a trivial one to her. Especially since, in either case, it proves HYDRA's gotten a wee bit more information on her than she's been overly keen on divulging. While she may be know as Britain's resident speedster, her more occult nature is one she prefers to keep largely under wraps… outside of her own agency. Then again, that probably explains how Hydra found out, in the first place. Only a fool assumes their agency is entirely water-tight. Particularly given how long Hydra's been in business.

And how often they've tangled in the past. (Not as much as Captain America, perhaps, but often enough. It was World War 2, after all.)

Having changed into something slightly less black tie than her ballgown, and less 'cape' than her speedsuit, the Lady Crichton has availed herself of a second bag kept in the trunk of the car, and sports attire far more suitable to a decent, casual night on the town. Unconcerned about just where they go — providing it's away from the clean up teams scouring the occult traces from the hotel grounds, she regards May curiously. "So," she says, her smile unshaken but serious. "Exactly how much of the background to all this are you willing to share with me?" She's not fool enough to think the other agent will lay all her cards on the table. That rarely happens between agencies. (Between agents is another matter, altogether.)

-

Melinda May leads Lay Falsworth-Crichton to that one place where she's met with Trent before, and is again some more mentally cursing her shoes. Unlike the blonde, she doesn't have instant access to a change of clothes, so is still in her red dress.

"Well, I can tell you that my involvement in what went down tonight was not SHIELD-originated." That enough of a shocker for you?

-

A blonde brow drifts skyward. "Indeed?" Her head cants slightly. "So, there's no way to know if they were attacking SHIELD directly or someone at the party specifically." Not without asking them a little more forcefully, perhaps — though the Lady does have standards. "Perhaps you could start at the beginning?" She orders herself a drink and settles back for the briefing. This should be interesting.

-

Melinda May takes a moment to gather her thoughts. Then, she starts to explain. "Trent is an outside consultant. He calls me in when he finds things he thinks are interesting, I do the same. He's been investigating this occult incidents for a few weeks now, because in a … fact finding mission last week we found that the people behind these incidents were compiling files on several individuals, including SHIELD agents." She doesn't say the name Hydra aloud, she likely feels she doesn't need to. She also doesn't name any of the people who had files already compiled on them. Just knowing there are files should be concern enough.

-

Jacqueline sips at her drink, listening. She nods slowly to the information, unsurprised, given what she saw tonight. "And indication why?" Figure out why, she reckons, and it might be possible to get a better handle on the who and what. "That was a real mishmash of elements, I saw. Mayan death magic, eastern blood magic, kabbalistic summoning and bindings… and that's only what I actually recognized." Which suggests there were things there she didn't recognize. Not, mind, that she's a mage to have any sort of authoritative idea about what it all means. "Mixing styles like that is… tricky business, at best. At least, it is according to every witch or sorcerer I've ever met. They must be pretty desperate."

-

Melinda May takes a deep breath. "No indication that makes any sense to me. Trent might know more, since this has been his op from the start. All I do know is that it's escalating. Fast. Just a couple of weeks ago, there wasn't this mishmash of styles." It's like watching a serial murder morphing as he develops his MO.

-

Jacqueline considers that. "If it's escalating, then, there's a timeline. And it's running out. What they did tonight was… sloppy. That suggests urgency, and that the venture isn't, perhaps, going quite as smoothly as planned." Her lips purse slightly as she considers further. "These files that are being amassed… are there any commonalities? Is it exclusively SHIELD agents, or is it broader than that? A metahuman angle, or some other factor? What do they seem to be targeting?"

-

Melinda May considers. "The only commonality I can think of is that every person in those files has been a hindrance to their goals in some way or other. A mix of SHIELD agents, metahumans… I would have to guess that they're targeting people that stand in their way."

-

That elicits a brief laugh from the Brit. "Naturally," Jacqueline says dryly, leaning back in her seat. She shakes her head. "There are any number of reasons they'd want to clean house, I'm sure. And we've already established they've got something of some sizable magnitude planned, or they'd not go to all this concentrated effort, in the first place. A normal state of operation for this lot. So, unless there's something you haven't told me, it sounds like a fast treadmill to nowhere." Her long fingers tap her glass reflectively. "They tried to take control of me, tonight," she muses slowly. "Mind control," she clarifies. "I wonder if we can use that to our advantage. Perhaps there's a way to infiltrate them. Find out firsthand what they have planned and skewer it."

-

Melinda May considers that. "I can think of one way, but it would mean putting someone at risk who's already been through enough because of these people." And she sure as hell is not going to volunteer Lunair without talking to her about it first. And maybe not even then.

A tight smile touches Jacqueline's lips. "You misunderstand me," she says quietly. "They tried to control me, tonight. Perhaps I'm the one to infiltrate them." Or, perhaps not. She does, after all, have other business to attend. But, the thought is there.

-

Melinda May ahs and nods. "We should discuss this with Trent and Oracle. They know a lot more about this whole thing." And they have resources that May can only rival if she employs all of SHIELD's capabilities, which… unlikely for something that isn't even officially on the books.

-

Jacqueline has her own resources, even outside of MI-13 — which is just as well, since she really doesn't intend to avail herself of their resources any more than she has to. The Brit nods affably and offers a mild shrug with a smile. "By all means. The offer's there, anyway. If you choose to go your own way…" A second shrug, this one suggesting that she won't be surprised or perturbed. But, those two Hydra agents that tried blood magic on her, tonight… they will answer to her regardless.

-

The door to the little cafe rings and Trent walks in. Jaqueline may well note the scent of blood on him. He'd been busy investigating the source of the original network search in the apartment not far from the Hotel. The server nest hadn't been empty when he got there. And the occupants and he had exchanged… pointed words.

The hacker goes over to order a cup of coffee then glances over at May and Falsworth with a questioning cant to his head. Girls night out? Or should he come over?

-

Melinda May nods to Jacqueline. That offer may well be taken, but that's not her place to say. It's… oh. Think of the devil and there he is. When Trent tilts his head questioningly, she offers a small nod. It's okay with her if he joins their conversation. She doesn't know how the Lady will feel about it, though.

-

Jacqueline's gaze follows May's and she spies Trent. At his canted head, and May's nod, the Brit flips her hand in an inviting gesture. By all means, join the debriefing. Or whatever it is, now. She reaches out to catch up her glass and take another sip, watching his approach. She can smell the parfume de sang that hangs about him like a cloud… and she purposely ignores it.

-

Jericho's changed from the 'pseudo-tux' uniform of the wait staff at the Hotel to concealing street clothes. Jeans, long sleeve, ballcap. He slides into a seat near the two agents and gives them both a nod. "May. Falsworth. Glad I found you, though it's actually a bit of luck running into you." Without a word he sets down another file folder. "Found that at the server farm. They were burning them when I arrived." And this one is charred and smells faintly of kerosine.

The subject of the file is Lady Falsworth herself. A lot of the information contained therin is outdated or outright wrong, and they don't seem to have down here that she's a vampire, though someone has scribbled in the margins 'possible blood witch'. What is notable is the police sketch artist quality style drawing in the back that shows her being attacked by several fanged humanoids… unlike the other sketches May has seen, this one doesn't definitively end in death. The note on the sketch says 'prognostications uncertain. Best fit solution unclear.'

-

Damn it. How did they have a file about SkaterBlonde over here ALREADY? At least now they have a copy and can start "We need to figure out how they're picking people to build files around."

-

"Oh, how pleasant," Jacqueline says dryly, as she leafs through the file and comes across the drawing. "It seems I've a new fan club." Everyone knows fan artists sometimes come up with the strangest illustrations. Nevertheless, she shakes her head at the 'blood witch' reference and snirks outright at the misinformation throughout the pages. "Sloppy," she says again. "Sloppy and desperate." She nods to May's words and looks up at Trent, now. "We do. What do they want? What's their endgame? Any clue?"

-

Jericho shakes his head. "Clues yes but not much more. A magically versed friend and I are going to investigate the origination site for their first scyings that we're aware of. I'm hopeful data there will reveal their intent more precisely. But generally, my working theory is they mean to subvert or kill particular individuals in order to manipulate changes to futures that their diviners are predicting." Which is a lot of theory on his part and he's not a magical expert. But it fits the facts as he understands them. "Simultaneously they will attempt grabs on a series of metahuman operatives to affect future changes more easily. Stack the deck so that they win, basically."

-

Melinda May shakes her head at all of this. "There must be some crucial single event that all of this leads toward. What they tried today was … sloppy at best. Have you come across any kind of deadline in all of this?"

-

It's not a bad goal, Jacqueline reflects. Nor, she notes privately, is it all that original. Not, mind, that she expects Hydra to be all that original. They've been fighting the same battle for over 80 years, after all. "There has to be a deadline," she agrees, "if what Agent May has told me is true." And, really, she doesn't doubt it. "What they did tonight was reckless. The mixing of magical disciplines and systems in the hands of simple ritualists without any real mystical ability whatsoever? None of the mages I know would ever approach such a thing so cavalierly. More than that, everything I've seen and been told thus far—" admittedly, not much, —"suggests they're escalating. There are only two reasons to escalate in such a reckless fashion: either you've got a deadline breathing down your neck, some fixed point-of-no-return; or the bloke in charge is getting pressure from his higher-ups to show more results than he has thus far, making him desperate."

-

"Could be either." Jericho notes. "But I agree that there must be a near to moderate future deadline. I don't have their complete files and while I'm good, Agent Falsworth I'm only one guy. And frankly, this is my best guess. I've got a trip up to Central America coming up that i hope will be informative. Hopefully I'm not wrong…"

"I suppose we're going to find out. Mean time, if you're right and I think you are, this is only going to get hotter from here. And the people they're targeting? Are the people you'd ordinarily be tasking out to protect others."

-

Melinda May shakes her head. "I'm liking the sound of this less and less. Have you had a chance to talk with an occult specialist, Trent?" What was the name Bishop mentioned? Constantine?

-

It's no surprise they're targeting hero types. That's just part of the job. Nevertheless, Jacqueline nods, taking another sip of her drink. She falls silent, now, letting May's question stand for anything else she might add. It's a good question. All of her resources in that regard are in England, after all. Better to see what's local.

-

Jericho shakes his head. "Magik." May knows Illyana's name but Falsworth doesn't. He doesn't want to out the woman he's living with who also happens to be a mutant and a demon queen and the person he'd burn he world down for if it came to it. "She confirms largely what Falsworth has told you. She's also mentioned that they could be attempting to alter the tenor of the Ley Lines in Central America. Or perhaps elsewhere. Alter it enough and it starts affecting the people who live near. Manipulate it finely enough and…"

-

Melinda May frowns and shakes her head. Ley lines? She's heard the term before but doesn't really know what they do. "Detective Pezzini also works in a division similar to MI-13. If she requested that I accompany her to South America, I could possibly bring a full team along." Hand picked, of course, consisting of agents May trusts.

-

Jacqueline knows just enough about ley lines to know that messing with them is a Bad Idea. At any level. There are always cosmic (and karmic) repercussions. She considers what she knows of significant occult confluences in the near term. Which, actually, isn't much. "I suspect you may, indeed, be at a point where you're going to need to beard the lion in its den. Whether via an infiltration team or direct assault, this needs to be shut down hard, fast, and definitively. I'll put myself at your service, if you need, Mr. Trent." Otherwise… well, she might go poking around on her own. Or she may simply pass it off to the Department and let them send a squad in. At this point, she's only willing to guess so far.

-

Jericho glances over at may and then nods. "I'll talk to Sara then, May, and I think I may well take you up on that, Agent Falsworth." He stands and nods to the two ladies. "I'll be in touch then. Through May, if your security proves to be too touchy." He grins a bit. "I'll try not to get to curious about your department. I have trouble enough with the Snakes without borrowing any of it. Anything for me?"

-

Melinda May ohs and nods, pulling her phone out of that useless little clutch purse. "One thing." She quickly accesses something on her phone and turns it for Jericho to see. "Possibly tasteless, but then so is the person that sent it to me." ( http://cdn4.nerdapproved.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hail-hydrant.jpg )

-

Jacqueline considers once more, for just a moment. "My people weren't able to tell me anything you haven't told me here tonight." In fact, they told her a helluva lot less. "I would suggest, though, if you wish to speak to me, simply call Falsworth America." She smiles. "If I'm not immediately available, leave a message and I will be."

The corporation is her own, not the Crown's. And while it is successful, it's not Stark Industries or WayneCorp by any stretch. There's little doubt the hacker — or his informative Gothamite friend — could get into the system if he really wanted. Then again, the really sensitive stuff isn't kept on the public systems, anyway.

-

Jericho barks out a short laugh at the sight of the hydrant. "Priceless, May. Send that one to my e-mail." She's got a dead-drop account for him. "Falsworth America… ah that Falsworth. That's why that sounded familiar. Alright. I'll be in touch. You two stay safe until then." The hacker nods, gives them a small smile and heads on out into the cold.

-

Melinda May is a little glad that Jericho was able to laugh at the image she showed him, and does take a moment to email it to him as requested. "So," she says to Jacqueline, "that's where we're at currently." She offers her phone to the Lady, so she can see what made the hacker laugh the way he did.

-

Jacqueline, too, barks a laugh at the hydrant. "I'm sure Herr Shmidt would greatly appreciate that." No, actually, she's sure he'd through a hissy fit about it. But, that just makes it all the more amusing. Nevertheless, she nods as Trent takes his leave, acknowledging both of the Americans in that simple gesture. "Once more into the breach, I guess," she says, with typical British stiff-upper-lip. She rises and extends her hand to the Asian, since the hacker has taken his leave. "Been a pleasure, Agent. I'll look forward to hearing from you again, soon."


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