CI's. They kind of made the NYPD world go 'round. There was a lot that a good detective could do with their own two feet and good investigative skills, but eventually you simply had to have someone on the inside. Those were the people who actually knew how things worked and who was really calling the shots.

Quin had gotten a tip about a new potential CI and was going to check out the lead. Sometimes these things were touch and go. Sometimes the tips didn't pan out and all the prep work ended up being a particular waste of time.

The Chinese restaurant was what you would expect of a szechuan place in New York City. You walked up to a counter and you ordered your food, then you sat down at a table an waited for it to be brought to you. The place was actually pretty nice, Quin decided, not simply a hole in the way that specialized in take-out. This was a place where you could actually order your food and sit down to eat. The atmosphere was nice too, the red and the gold weren't utterly overpowering. The name was the best part...it was actually called, "Sum Ting Wong."

Quin approached the counter, her taste in Chinese was simple and not very adventurous. "I'll have chicken lo-mein and a side of crab rangoon." she said, "And I was told that I might speak to a Mr. Wong?"

Hua Peing was working the counter at the "Sum Ting Wong" Chinese restaurant. Business had been good, she had been worried for a but what with one of their chiefs having to go back to China for family affairs but he had put her in touch with an old friend before he left. This "Friend", Mr Wong was proving a perfect replacement. He was a little rusty but was a good cook. He was a quiet man and he worked hard, but there was something about him..... something different. Truth be told he seemed to have more of a flair with cooking that the chief he was replacing. He was her new favorite and she was toying with trying to enticing him to stay, but suspected she might be unsuccessful.

The door bell rang, she looked up to see another customer. She sighed in frustration as the American began to order. This was a proper Chinese restaurant, you sit at the table and get your order taken, not order at the counter like some cheap take out fast food place. Suppressing her frustration at the stereotyping she gently steered the lady to a table and took her order.

>"...And I was told that I might speak to a Mr Wong?"

She frowned. Was Mr Wong in trouble? She hmmmed.

"You wait here, let me go check."

She clicked off in her high heels. As soon as she was past the counter she yelled in Cantonese:
" 喂! 王生,有個鬼妹找你!" (*Translation: Oi! Mr Wong, there is a white woman looking for you*)

Mr Wong, was doing this for a friend. Mr Chan was an Chinese Triad informant from China who had a day job as a chief. Hades had owed him a favor and he had called it in. He did not mind so much. It was physical work that helped his recovery and yet it was not athletic, giving his wounds time to heal. Plus it was honing his cooking skills and indeed re-sharpening his command of Cantonese and Mandarin.

He heard Peing's yell and frowned. His face had been altered, and he had told no one that he was here. Perhaps this was connected with Chan? He yelled back that he would see her in the alley behind the restaurant. He thought he caught a mutter about not seeing lady friends at work but he could not be sure. He ignored the comments.

He clocked out, washed his hands and stepped out into the alley way. Soon after a short, red haired athletically built woman entered the alley way.

"My lame is Mr Wong, who a you? Why you ausded for me? Do I lo you?"

He said as he naturally slipped into a strong Chinglish accent which he had perfected on the streets of Hong Kong

Whelp. She'd already screwed up.

Why wasn't there training or a handbook on how to handle situations like these? The redhead smiled in what she hoped was an appropriately embarrassed and apologetic way to the woman who kindly led her to a table and properly took her order. Now she felt conspicuous. Sitting at the table, Quin took in her surroundings, it was the smart thing to do in a situation such as this. The restaurant itself was as Quin had initially surmised and mostly what you would expect from a middle to high-quality establishment that didn't just serve take-out.

The clientele was as expected as well and seemed modeled after the population of your average international airport. This was New York City after all. A few moments later, the woman who had guided her to her seat returned to inform Quin that Mr. Wong was waiting for her in the alleyway behind the restaurant.

That set off some warning bells, but an alleyway definitely wasn't the worst place Quin had met with a CI. In general, they were very careful about where they talked about the things they knew. Part of being a CI was staying involved with the bad guys enough to continue to be helpful without getting caught.

Rising, Quin followed the woman to a nondescript door that led to the alleyway. The redhead could feel the small handful of plastic poker chips she'd stuffed into her pockets before she left, she wasn't helpless. She'd left her side-arm at home thought, which left her at a slight disadvantage if things went south. Honestly though, it was less intimidating to meet with someone when the obvious bulge from their shoulder holster wasn't clearly visible.

Mr. Wong was...somewhat less sinister looking than Quin had expected, and she mentally kicked herself for instantly underestimating someone. The man asked a few simple questions and Quin shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think I know you, at least not yet." Quin spoke normally, just because English wasn't the man's first language didn't mean he was deaf or dumb.

"I was told you might be a good friend to have though." she added nonchalantly. "That you know lots of things about lots of things." It was the way things went with a new CI. Until you were both on even ground and comfortable, the conversation progressed through a series of vague, almost cliche statements.

Quin wondered what was going to happen to her food. This place was way nicer than the take-out places she usually ordered from. It would be a shame to not get to sample the food.

>"I don't think I know you, at least not yet."

Mr Wong blinked.

"You lo make lo sense."

He said a little exasperatedly. His shift was almost over and he was tired. Today had been a busy one. If he was doing this for a living he would be happy as he would get bonus from tips. As it was He only had two more weeks of this. After that he would be more than happy to steer clear of commercial cooking for a while.

>"I was told you might be a good friend to have though. That you know lots of things about lots of things."

What was this? Cliche town? No hint of sublty whatsoever. Who was this woman and what movie set did she come from? Perhaps it was the fact that it had been a long shift and Hades patience was running a little thin. Perhaps it was the cheek of Mr Chan to even suggest his name to anyone. It HAD to be Mr Chan. Perhaps it was the over the top approach. Hades mentally sighed.

"Many pepow say many fings, done not mean all are true. You order food yes? I just finisded your orda. You go, eat. When you finish I will be off shift, then we talk."

He turned and walked back to the kitchen, muttering to himself  "Pepo these days, all crazy."

Once the lady had returned to restaurant. Mr Wong went back to work, mollifying Hua Ping on the way back that no, the woman was not his lady friend. He thought that the lady wanted to ask him some questions about Mr Chan. He would talk to her after shift. No he was not sure how she knew of Mr Chan, perhaps she should ask him herself when he got back. If she would not mind, he had a job to do and orders to fill. He left Hua Ping in a little bit of a huff. But then again he was a grumpy chief, and one never ever messes with a grumpy chief.

Mr Wong finished his shifty and changed out of his apron and cooking clothes into usual street clothes. Jeans, t-shirt and hoodie. Clothes worn by countless others so much so as to be almost nondescript. He stood near the end of the serving corridor, out of sight of the patrons, extended his phone around the corner and took a picture of the lady in question. In less than a minute encrypted information was winging its way to his phone.

Out of habit he wiped the info off the phone and locked it. Then he headed out towards the main doors. Along the way he passed by the lady's table. He dropped a note as he passed. The note simply said "Same Place."

He waited for her further along in the alley. Far far away from prying eyes and ears. Once she got there he turned to her his voice angry but he kept the volume low.

"Lady, who you tak me for Huh? Let me mek dis simpow."

He took a breath to calm himself then started speaking.

"You are Quincy Acha, you are NYPD." He said accentuating each of the four letters.

"So the weal questeon, is what you want to lo, and how wiw it benefet me?"

He crossed his arms and looked at the Officer.

And just like that, Quin was dismissed back to the restaurant.

This was going to be a new kind of thing, she decided, trying to figure out if she should be offended or amused. She didn't think that Mr. Wong had been very impressed by her negotiation skills. The fact of the matter was that he was going to meet with her when his shift was over and that was enough for Quin. Plus, this meant she got to eat her food.

Back inside she went.

The food was awesome. Even if this whole CI thing didn't pan out, Quin added this place to her list of go-to's for excellent Chinese food. Take-out this was not.

As she was finishing up one too many crab rangoons (they were so good) Mr. Wong passed by Quin's table and dropped off a note instructing her to meet him in the same place. Quin quickly paid for her meal and made her way back outside.

Mr. Wong wasn't quite as friendly or confused this time and Quin once again kicked herself for even mentally underestimating someone who was supposed to possess the kind of information that Wong supposedly had.

He not only knew she was NYPD, but he knew her name.

Apparently it was time to cut the bullshit.

"Well, this just proves the point that you are someone I want to know." she said simply and a bit wryly.

As for what she wanted to know and how it would benefit him. Quin considered the man. This situation was a bit unusual in that there were no charges to negotiate down, or crimes to let slide from the man in question.

"I was told that you might have some information about the local underground. The NYPD likes to keep tabs on things like that as much as we can so we aren't standing with our asses in our hands when the Feds get involved." It was true, and suddenly Mr. Wong seemed like the kind of person who could appreciate blunt honest. "Plus, it doesn't hurt us to look like we have at least a bit of handle on our own city."


As for compensation.

"As for what's in it for you...There's always money." the redhead said, "Or, we're open to reasonable suggestions." There was only so much Quin could take back to her captain, but a CI this valuable could save TONS of man-hours and work.

"Better? The food was incredible, by the way." There was no need to be rude.

>"Well, this just proves the point that you are someone I want to know."

Mr Wong Hurrumped at this, looking unimpressed, as if to say Well Duhhh, I found your information quickly.

>"I was told that you might have some information about the local underground. The NYPD likes to keep tabs on things like that as much as we can so we aren't standing with our asses in our hands when the Feds get involved. Plus, it doesn't hurt us to look like we have at least a bit of handle on our own city."

"Oly look lik you have handow on city? You mean to tew me you dong wewe have handle on city?"

Mr Wong shook his head and sighed.

>"As for what's in it for you...There's always money. Or, we're open to reasonable suggestions. "Better? The food was incredible, by the way."

At the compliment Mr Wong bowed his head for a second as a gesture of accepting the praise.

"Fank you, glad you enjoyded it."

He paused considering. "OK, at lest you tryded to do goot. I help you. Money I dong need more, but maybe fava would be usefuw to me. You have car? we tak dere. I give you littow info and you ask you boss if fava is ok, ok? If you boss say ok, we tok moa."

"After you Miss Acha."

Mr Wong gestured for her to lead the way. Just as they were heading out, a large group of Japanese blocked the alleyway.

"You are Mr Wong? Friend of Mr Chan's?" The leader demanded in English tinged with a Japanese accent.

Mr Wong nodded.

"We have message for you and your friend" He gestured to the redhead "To pass to Mr Chan."

The leader nodded to the girl and five men split off pulling dual hatchets and short Japanese swords. they advanced towards the girl and surrounded her. The remaining ten surround Mr Wong. As a sign of contempt they left their weapons sheathed. They wanted to make sure that Mr Wong lived to tell the tale.

They attacked. Hades though for a moment and decided to stay in cover. Mr Wong as it turned out was very good at.... he thought for a moment and picked Wing Chun. They all attacked with Karate. He responded.

He dismantled them, without killing anyone. Someone very very observant might have gotten the slightest of impressions that Mr Wong was holding back. It was so tempting, Hades could kill each and every one of the ten people in two moves or less. It would be so much faster, butttt that would blow his cover. A Chinese chief who knows Kung Fu is believable. A Chinese chief who can kill with the efficiency and skill of a seasoned black Ops wet worker.....less so.

As he stood around the graning bodies of his attackers, he found one who was still concious.

"You go tell your boss. He have messagch for Chan, go tew him dilect. I no message boi."

He then turned to see if "Miss Acha" needed any assistance.

Well. Mr. Wong just had something to say about everything, didn't he?

"For the most part. International crime rings that have existed for decades get to be a bit much though. Even for us. Add the fact that issues with them tend to include enough other agencies for an excellent bowl of alphabet soup, and we'll take all of the information we can get."

The man was appreciative of her compliment to the cooking and had suggestions on how they could proceed. Quin was honestly surprised that money wasn't interesting to the man in the least. She didn't know what line cooks made these days, but it must have been a far sight more than what she thought if the idea wasn't even enticing. The vagueness of "favors" was less than favorable to the redhead, but perhaps she could sort out what the other man had meant while they were on their way to the precint. Things were moving nice and smooth, just the way Quin liked.

Until the guys with hatchets and swords showed up. In the middle of an alleyway. In New York City.

Cursing softly at the fact that she had left her gun at home, Quin prepared herself for a fight. Wong seemed to be doing the same and Officer Archer hoped that he knew what he was doing well enough to hold his own until she could take care of this first group of guys.

Deadly force probably would have been appropriate, Quin thought as they all sized each other up and her body arranged itself into a defensive aikido stance almost by rote. She also slipped her hand into her pocket and wadded the small stack of poker chips into a solid ball of plastic that was about four inches in diameter. She'd be able to fling the thing around pretty well.

The attackers...attacked and Quin responded in kind. Luckly, despite the fact that they all seemed well versed in their weapons, none of the attackers were mixed martial arts experts like Michal had been. Quin was able to weave and redirect, using their assailants own bodies against them, occasionally whipping her little ball of solid polymer out and letting it sail through the air into an unsuspecting eye or temple.

Soon enough, all parties were down and the redhead turned to help Mr. Wong with his baddies, there had to have been at least twice as many that had gone for him.

They were all down.

Suddenly, Quin really wished she'd had her gun. She approached the man in time to hear him tell the conscious man on the ground to approach Mr. Chan directly if they had a message. What had he used to disarm and disable so many at once?

"I should call this in. Do you want to be scarce when the other cops show up, or do you want to wait around?" she said. Questions about the how of all this could wait.

So apparently Miss Acha could fight. Well good on her, perhaps stereotypes were not all wrong. Mr Wong was thinking in particular of those regarding the fiest of red headed individuals.
She looked at him with a shocked expression. Mr Wong chuckled, raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders almost apologetically.

"What? You fink all seliotypes are long? I was not always a cook. I am Chilese and I low Kung Fu!" Mr Wong said smiling.

"You see the movie Ip Man? I actually studied under one of his students in Hong Kong." He said proudly.

>"I should call this in. Do you want to be scarce when the other cops show up, or do you want to wait around?"

Mr Wong thought for a moment. "It plobably beta dat I lot be alang." He would let her figure out how to explain that one. If he was recorded as being on scene with a member of the NYPD, that would make things... difficult in the future.

"Can you wait few minuts befor call in? Need to finish saying." he asked.

When Quin indicated her agreement Mr Wong continued, "You walk, I talk." And gestured to a spot where they would be out earshot of anyone and out of sight of prying eyes. Once they were there he continued.

"I said before that I give you sample and we see how to go from there, so here it is." He paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

"Ok, so here what I lo. There are at least one " He pointed at the incapacitated men on the ground. "Maybe up to four orginizasons werking togeda to fom a smugoling ling." He looked around to make sure that there was indeed no one else in earshot then continued at a lower volume. "They grab children and give dem drugs to see if mutant or lot. If yes then sell for much much much much much monney, if lot den sell to lomal smuggling ling."

He sighed expressively. "Missy Acha, I like dis city, but I am one man, a very smaw potato. I cannot tak on one army, much less free of four, so on my owg what can I do? I give you dis info and you come back tell me what you find. If as you say earlier you actually find more info and show me dat you can help. Can and not just twy, den I" He pointed to himself. "I go and stick my lek out to get more info for you."

He waited for her to respond.

"So I guess my pwice is info and a fava, what say you Missy Acha of Niped?" He had gotten tired of annunciating each letter of NYPD so pronounced it as one word.

Once he got his answer he would vanish and leave Quin to deal with calling such an event in.

Quin had to laugh as the cook demurred, "Even for someone who knows Kung-Fu, taking out ten men is no mean feat." she responded.

The pedigree of Wong's training was impressive. Quin didn't know if her aikido master had anything similar, but she knew for certain now that underestimating this man would be incredibly dangerous.

The redheaded Detective nodded her head to the suggestion that Wong not be around when the police arrived to clean up the mess they'd made. A few superiors knew that Quin was chasing down the lead on a new CI, but it would be easy enough to explain to the regular LEO's that she had been getting dinner and heard a commotion. Wong's absence could be explained by simply stating that he'd left the scene. When given the choice between making fifteen collars and letting one man go, nobody would question that she had stayed.

Quin was just reaching for her phone when Wong asked her to wait. Removing her hand from the cell and pulling it from her pocket, she listened intently to what he said as they moved away from any potentially prying eyes or ears.

There would be an exchange of information this evening. Quin was pleased, so would be her superiors.

Smuggling. That was good stuff. Stuff the NYPD could get after in conjunction with the port authority. It would be nice to have their own info on goods and...

Children?

Quin's face hardened at the mention. These bastards weren't smuggling goods, or even weapons. They were smuggling children, and making even more money off of any mutants they caught. Considering the number of mutant kids who ended up on the streets, Quin could feel puzzle pieces slipping into place. What better crime to commit, than one where literally nobody would miss the victim?

This was big...HUGE.

Repeatedly tonight, Quin had admonished herself for underestimating Mr. Wong. He was obviously a concerned citizen, but we was definitely more than that too. The redhead still had mixed feelings about vigilantes, and they edged more towards intense dislike than anything else.

These were kids though, and this guy had information that could help. She cast a look over her shoulder at the men down in the alleyway, he could do things to help too. Michael Hunter was the same way.

At least they weren't X-Men.

Quin nodded her head and held out a hand.

"You've got a deal. Now that we've got a starting point, we can put people and surveillance out to see what we can find. My superiors wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of me feeding info back to a CI, but in this case, I'll do it anyway. The deal I draw up won't be able to say that officially though. This will be a quid pro quo situations though. I won't expect anything else from you, until I have something to bring." Hopefully that would be good enough.

"How should I get ahold of you to draw less attention next time?"

> "Even for someone who knows Kung-Fu, taking out ten men is no mean feat."

Mr Wong shrugged his shoulders expressively. He wondered if he had perhaps given too much away. He had not wanted to derail the potential of cooperation between him and the NYPD.

Mr Wong watched Quins face for reactions as he spoke. He was not disappointed. He noted that the word smuggling triggered something, a separate train of though perhaps. The hardening of her expression as he mentioned children, the disdain, the anger. Then as the final piece slid home, the stunned expression, as the scale of the information began to sink in.

Quin seemed to deliberate for a second then come to some internal decision. She held out her hand. Mr Wong shook it.

>"You've got a deal. Now that we've got a starting point, we can put people and surveillance out to see what we can find. My superiors wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of me feeding info back to a CI, but in this case, I'll do it anyway. The deal I draw up won't be able to say that officially though. This will be a quid pro quo situations though. I won't expect anything else from you, until I have something to bring."

"Agleed" Mr Wong nodded. It was understandable and it was a good deal. He had dealt this way many many times before.

>"How should I get a hold of you to draw less attention next time?"

Mr Wong considered for a moment, then allowed a slightly sheepish expression to cross his face.

"Ummm, wewwwww. You could pletend to be my giloflend." He held up his hand to stall any protest, he was not finished yet.

"You seee, first of aww I lot the only tonge dat, how you say it, waggs. So if dere is weston wooman come to see Mr Wong oftun den they fink someting intalesting going on, maybe somtin someone would pay for. But if you pletend to be gilofliend den the most day do is tease me and it raises my soscial standing."

He held his hand near the floor. "Mr Wong is chief and lestaulant."
His hand moved up to his knees. "Mr Wong have gilofliend."
His hand moved to mid thigh. "Mr Wong have weston gilofliend."
His hand moved to his waist. "Mr Wong have weston giloflend wif red hea."
His hand moved to his neck. "Mr Wong have weston giloflendwif red hea who is hot!"

He shrugged in a slightly embarassed fasion. "It pletend only, unless you like balding asian men wif comb ova." He joked. "Plus you get to have disocut when you eat hea. Odawise we can allange a meeting time if you would plefer data instead."

Good. He'd agreed. Quin allowed herself a small, internal sigh of relief. Missing out on information like this would have been disaster after finding out what was going on. All that remained was to establish a meeting point.

Wong spoke and Quin had to chuckle at his idea, shaking her head slightly as he explained. The damned thing was, that what he was saying actually made a lot of sense. It was obvious from what had just happened in the alleyway that they weren't dealing with your average run of the mill thugs. This was a major ring incorporating organized crime from several different directions. Arousing too much suspicion would be...problematic.

The offer of such a tailor made cover story was simply too good to dismiss. The discount was nice too.

"Probably best to keep things professional." she said with a slight grin. He was sweet...and apparently some kind of ninja master, but this was all too serious to even consider anything else. "It's a great cover story though. I'm willing to play. The food here really is fantastic too, so wins all around."

Quin considered things for a moment, then held out her hand, "I'd better get this called in before these goons start to wake up." Reaching into her pocket, the redhead produced a card, "My cell number is on there if you need to get a hold of me. Otherwise, I'll call ahead next time and make a reservation under my name."

She smiled again, "I sense the beginning of a great friendship."

>"Probably best to keep things professional."

She grinned. She was attractive, and from what Mr Wong had seen, fiery too. But Mr Wong wanted to keep things professional, at least for the moment.

>"It's a great cover story though. I'm willing to play. The food here really is fantastic too, so wins all around."

Again Mr Wong bowed slightly in that stereotypical Asian way of accepting a compliment.

>"I'd better get this called in before these goons start to wake up. My cell number is on there if you need to get a hold of me. Otherwise, I'll call ahead next time and make a reservation under my name."

"Fank you.." said Mr Wong accepting the card.

"If you abou to caw in, I mak myself scarce. Lice to meet you Missy Acha."

>"I sense the beginning of a great friendship."

"Me too me too."

With that Mr Wong walked around a corner in the alley and vanished from sight. Once round the corner Mr Wong flipped up the hood of his hoodie, hiding his face and hunched his body slightly. He became indistinguishable from the masses of people going about their business. As he walked Mr Wong ran through the events of the day. All in all he was pleased. He had been worried for a moment that he might need to break cover when the Yakuza came but obviously Quinn could handle herself. So in exchange for informing one detective Quincy Archer of the existence of a smuggling ring, he had essentially recruited part of the NYPD to help him find information.

To destroy such a ring would take two types of people. One would be the legal authorities, wielding the full weight of the law, to help those affected. The other type were to take care of those who the law could not touch. The challenge would be keeping both types from meeting.

Mr Wong want back to cooking at his restaurant and patiently waited to hear from Miss Archer.