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[Text]

This is Hank Anderson, and I recently got my promotion so it's now Det. Hank Anderson. Which is why I wanted to make this announcement.

[Hank still wants to research into the missing people and initiate his vague plan to devalue the iterations. Right now the public see them as a protective force for good. Hank wants the people to see other fucking people as their reliable protective force. That in the many variations of temperaments and personalities and creative resolutions to conflict, they can find their safety.]

I have a case that could use some assistance from some specialized outsiders. If you could come to me and lay out your experience and training, I would like to offer you temporary deputy work in helping solve this case.

Necessary qualifications include:
-Combat against armed opponents
-Negotiation and Interrogation
-Ability to secure an area until CSI arrives (cursory crime scene analysis a bonus)

Due to Dualis's policy on providing payment through credit, if you would want rewards we would have to attach a name to your activities. However if you'd want to work off-record [which is as close to anonymously as he can get] we could come to some sort of arrangement such as donated payment.

I'll be at the cat cafe to conduct interviews 4:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon for the next week. You can show up when it's convenient to talk. Sounds like a fucking weird place for it, yes, it'll make more sense when you're there.

I've also arranged for donated goods to be offered when people come in and might find themselves in a state of disrepair or any nicer version of saying fucked the hell up. New clothes, medical things like crutches for people with chronic conditions, sanitary supplies like soap and toothbrushes, things of that nature. So if you want to donate something to the people coming in there's a donation box in the dormitory's lower entryway and they'll be taken to the temple.

[Action]

Like he promises, Hank's waiting around at the cat cafe whenever someone shows up. Usually reading a book, sometimes bored, sometimes deeply into it. Right by his side though? A mammoth green cat, purring and resting her head against his arm. She's twitching her tail to and fro.

Hank is pretty sure he'll be able to tell if someone is bullshitting their credentials and whether they'll do intentional harm with their new role. It's hard to do background checks when different universes are involved, but he thinks he's figured out a way to beat the system without having to use any of the department's lie detectors.

Note: Plotting post here.

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"Angel, you've been nothing but helpful." He calls her that again as he hears what seems like a self-disparaging note. He could be reading it wrong, but he wanted to be sure. She's absolutely done a ton in his book.

"I'll make sure you know what I find out."

"I'll certainly keep my eyes open for something resembling the technology, but it isn't to be relied upon." He has the sneaking suspicion their luck will run out eventually, and given how many powers seem to be working against them, it'll be sooner rather than later.

"Another, more viable option may be a telepath. I know magic that would allow me to manipulate a person's memories, but I can't traverse their mindscape." He almost sounds annoyed at the admission of such a limitation, but he moves on. "You're more familiar with out associates than I am on that front, I'm afraid." Unless Hank hadn't been keeping tabs on what others brought here could do. If not, Loki was going to start. Knowing the tools at their disposal was the first step on the road to success after all.

"That's why I brought Charles and Arkady. They're significantly powerful psychics- back home, anyway. They got the same problem with the chips. They're hindered. So we still need to figure out how to deactivate them or something."

He rubs his beard, scratching his chin thoughtfully with his fingertips as he works out a plan of attack. "Arkady said she could help keep meetings and conversations secret sometimes. Brief periods of time where people could just talk in their heads."

Arkady was a name he'd heard before, and he'd even had the pleasure of making her acquaintance at his first NAPs session. She'd easily, one could even say effortlessly, read his intentions, seen his unspoken hesitation and uncertainty about the environment. She'd even seen the guilt he'd felt over all the things he'd left undone. "Charles" was a variable Loki couldn't account for, but the strange girl with the violet eyes could certainly be useful, that was if they could unbridle her potential.

Or she could end them all. She also seemed decidedly unstable. "Fruitful, that, though just as vulnerable as speech if they can simply extract the memories, isn't it?" He looks down at his drink, thoughtful but making it appear as though he's simply considering the beverage's flavor. Idly, after all, he was. It was lacking. "She and I could work in tandem. A variation of the spell I use to render myself invisible can me used to cloak an area in silence."

Edited 2019-11-24 20:01 (UTC)

"I know they've used erasing memories as a punishment." He'd warned Squall as much before. "More than jail time or anything, that seems to be what they do."

The invisible thing though? And her mind? Even if they switch it up sometimes (he wouldn't want the same group meeting up every single time, people would take notice, he sure as shit would) it's a damn good plan. So he nods. Yeah, he likes that.

Honestly this whole thing is an exercise in thinking backwards. He'll have to ask Connor about it, too. What could they do that Hank or Connor themselves probably wouldn't notice.

"...You know, the bodies brought in from the drug thing have appeared to be human. So uh... It's not my favorite fuckin' thing-" and why it didn't occur to him first "-but we could get a couple of their brains out of the morgue."

Desecrating a body? Not his favorite. But dying himself is even further down the list. And if they steal a couple of removed whole brains from bodies that have already been autopsied, write them off as being contaminated or destroyed, they'll probably even go unnoticed.

"As a punishment." The statement was a confirmation as much as anything else. Punishment seemed unlikely, at least as the sole motivation for the occurrence. "Or the covering of tracks disguised as punishment. It's good to know our captors aren't perfect so much as thorough." He nods. "Extraction sounds like a solid first step to me, and I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve. Are you familiar with astral projection?"

He could spy without being technologically detected, after all. His physical mind would be up to two miles away. "It's a corpse, Hank. Their spirits have long-since fled. Take heart, it's for a good cause." He even offers the other man a reassuring smile. "I have a personal stake in seeing this through, after all. I have a proper afterlife to attend."

"I don't doubt that, pretty sure it's just as a punishment too. Some chronic offenders that had nothing to do with harming the Head get it. Usually they get something they love forcibly forgotten. Same thing happens if you die, a fuckin' part of you gets replaced or he can't rebuild your head right or something. People think that's by accident but I keep thinking it's him chipping away at what he might see as character flaws."

Hank frowns to himself.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'd be all 'absolutely not' if I didn't realize it was important. Connor was supposed to go down into the morgue to look at the bodies, so he's got an excuse to be down there. Not sure he can get the brains out."

But... wait. The fuck is Loki talking about?

"Like you're gonna be ridin' it out to Valhalla? What are you talking about? I mean, I know dead people show up here, but what the hell could get a drop on you?"

"It sounds as though it would be more a punishment for their loved ones than for them." But perhaps that is because Loki's true fear, now that he's passed on, is being forgotten. His jaw flexes at the thought of some machine determining what it feels is acceptable about him but he doesn't respond to it.

It was imperative they get a look at the chips inside those brains, though. "We'll see to it he gets them out."

And he swallows at the further prodding. "If the gods are good, yes, and it was a titan with the might of the cosmos at his command." He breathes a sigh, taking a sip from his drink before explaining further. "In my universe, there is a collection of ancient stones, the Infinity Stones. Each is a manifestation of an absolute force of the cosmos. This man, Thanos, possessed two."

"Then I guess we gotta fix this shit. So you got somewhere to stay. I'd really like you to have the chance to last as long as you damn well want."

Hank's perspective is skewed, he knows. He's still getting used to the idea of wanting more life for himself. Wasting away emotionally has almost become a comfortable habit at this point, something that needs more attention than he can afford here.

"We'll work it out. And fuck, if nothing else, we've been recording whatever we can just in case." He motions between him and Connor. "We're gonna fuckin' make it work."

"If you say so, then I believe you. You're the authority right," she teases just a little bit. There's a smile on her face and she gives him a quick hug before pulling away.

"I'll let you know if I find anything too. Be careful though. There's nothing more dangerous than people who want to control people and secrets." Though she doubts he needs to be told that.

Somehow the man he just locked eyes with recognises him, which makes Connor's brow furrow a little in confusion. Back in Detroit, he was used to being recognised - here, an anonymous traffic cop, it's far more of an anomaly.

"Yeah, that's me." He's still frowning a little as he leans over the table. "And I only learned this today, but I'll try to explain it."

His explanation of the basics isn't exactly fun-filled and dynamic, but he gets the point across.

"I'm afraid I don't know who you are, by the way," he says as he steps back, waiting for the other man to start and eyeing him curiously.

He can live with that. No allegiances. The only loyalty he needs to have here is to Hank - and ow long has that been the case, anyway? That Hank is the only person he can really rely on? Living rough doesn't put him off either - he'll do it if he has to, even if what he's seen of it hasn't always been…

"Jericho?" he says softly, even though he knows that's what Hank means. "I didn't stay there long, but it was rough. They had to steal parts and thirium they needed - and so many of the androids there were injured they still never had enough.

"I'm surprised as many of them survived the invasion as they did. A group of us fought some off and jumped overboard, and we helped who we could, but most of them weren't equipped for fighting or surviving anything."

And this was just androids - androids don't need any of the basic things humans need for survival, most of which were missing on Jericho. Even the simple things a human might take for granted like being warm and dry just weren't available there. A place like Jericho is only good for a being who can't feel cold, or discomfort.

A group of androids could hide anywhere they wanted. Here, hiding organics, it's going to be a lot more difficult.

He tilts his head back, mouth pursed in thought. "Maybe that's how Markus drew people to him at first. He thought for himself, he came up with ideas to let them make their own lives better."

Yeah no problem. Do you have time to talk to me now?

Sure. I told the waitress to point me out to anyone coming in looking for 'Hank Anderson'. I'll be around.

They'll find out more as they delve into this drug ring, he's sure of it. They can get by. He's just dreading reencountering that feeling of needing to run. In Detroit they had hope, they could get to Canada. He could plan. Here he'll just have to run, and that's all he can think ahead to.

"We'll make sure we get you that thirium."

The hand that's on their joined ones lifts to rest at the back of Connor's neck, rubbing his thumb there fondly and soothingly. Though it's as much for himself as it is for Connor.

I'll be there in a few minutes.

[ Steve literally meant a few minutes because he jogged in a few minutes later ]

Hank? I'm Steve.

[ He offered his hand ]

He looks around the bar, not sure what to say at first. It's a kind gesture, certainly, and beyond what Loki would have anticipated. He...would like to see his family again, his Mother...even his Father, but if he was to remain, it was certainly going to be after overthrowing their 'benevolent' captor. He does smile, though, ruefully. "I've already lasted my due, Hank, but the thought is appreciated."

His tone is genuine, much to his own surprise. He does, actually, appreciate Hank's sentiment. He follows Hank's gaze as he motions to Connor. The boy looks unassuming to say the least, but honestly, so does Hank. There was more to humans that he'd assumed. Was there also more to their constructs? He supposes he will see. "That's Connor I take it?"

Edited (what is tense, can I eat it?) 2019-11-26 07:14 (UTC)

Those are hard words to hear. Usually they come with a good amount of self-blame, with the idea that the only real redemption is in death. And god, that's a fuckin' pit Hank's head's been buried in. Some fuckin' post-mortem 'all-clear'. Don't worry, the world is a little better without you in it. At least that's the shit he's seen bother himself and a lot of other guys.

It's a fuckin' uphill struggle but right now in front of a bunch of people looking to stop the AI plaguing them (insert badumching here for the sake of deplorable puns) he's not going to discuss it further. He might try to bring it up later, though.

Connor's a welcome distraction, so he motions towards him sitting with Maggie. "Yeah. That's him. He's got some unique CSI gifts that... I hope he never fuckin' has to use again but he might end up having to."

Pleasure to meet you, Steve.

[He puts aside his cup of coffee, stands, and offers his hand. Beside him the massive green feline continues to purr.]

So from the get-go, what are your qualifications?

Thane has always been good at blending in despite often visiting places where he stood out. While it wasn't a concern during his training on Kahje he prepared himself during his time traveling the Milky Way looking for work. He wasn't familiar enough with pool to pretend, so instead he crosses his arms — loosely, and 'watches', keeping his stance uncharacteristically lax when he talks to Hank.

He nods his head, and from afar it may just look like he's trying to follow the game and nothing more. There's a lot to unpack here. "Perhaps it would be beneficial for us as a whole to compare our abilities...work together to make up for the chip's limitations." In the event that they end up having to fight off more than they can handle. Even those who came here without powers could benefit in learning how to work with those with them.

"Do we know the extent of this chip's integration beyond the fact that it will kill whoever it's removed from? If death is only the result of a physical removal, for example."

Loki actually prefers the quick and dirty explanation of the rules Connor provides and once the other man is through, he nods, setting the cue ball and lining up a shot as he responds.

"I know. Hank mentioned you as his partner. My name is Loki. He and I secured the precinct." Perhaps Hank had mentioned his accomplice that night. His aim could use some work, but the break he achieves sinks a solid and he nods again, thoughtful. If he understood correctly, that was now his color, which he started to aim for again. "He speaks highly of you."

"CSI?" It isn't often Loki hasn't to ask for clarification, but the term is specialized enough that it's passed his knowledge base. He looks over to Hank, questioning. He's glad for the subject change, that his new friend is willing to go along with it. Dying to save his people was the last he could have done, but it wasn't something he liked to think on.

The memory of dying, the process of it, the pain, the helplessness...no. He'd much rather focus on learning about criminal processes. It was something he'd need to learn if he was going to work with the city government, even in the role of spy. "All our gifts may be necessary if we're to gain ground."

"Crime Scene Investigation. There are detectives that specialize in analyzing crime scene details. Like um, blood stains, footprints, contents of that blood. They can tell if someone was poisoned, or if a shooting was staged, that kinda thing."

He allows the subject change easily. Generally subjects like that are easier anyway.

"He has a mobile fuckin' labratory in his mouth so sometimes he pokes his finger in things and fuckin' licks it off like it's McDonald's Szechuan Sauce and then he can tell you who's DNA it is and all kinds of shit. Anyway. Best part of him moving to negotiations is that I don't have to watch him do that anymore."

Squall does a pretty good job of looking like he has absolutely no clue how to play a game of pool as he listens... And he can't help it when he just slams the cue against the table at the last bombshell. He reaches to touch the back of his head, scowls and turns away from the table and Hank, unintentionally looking like a sore loser.

He folds his arms, teeth grit. What the hell? How is this place worse and worse the more he learns about it? It's not that he's not used to something in his head leeching his memories but this is something else.

"So the people you said were killed and came back... They're all clones?" He's pushing back his anger, half turned back to Hank now. "How do we know who's a clone? Or that we're not already one?"

"They're paranoid. I don't blame them." He doesn't approve of it either though. That's not how they should have asked for help at all. He pokes at his own badly-sliced cake. He doesn't feel like eating, not after what he's learned.

"Did you get promoted too?"

Edited (hurr durr edit) 2019-11-28 04:28 (UTC)

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/gathers into very late embrace

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b) /slams in here gently