OOC: Continued from "The Overdo Return"



Katran walked down the street with the air of someone who was terribly frightened... although she didn't really know that she was giving off these signals. She was however in control of her anger, which had now subsided enough to allow her to continue the conversation with the man walking beside her. He was a strange fellow, she gave him that. She didn't quite know why she trusted him so much when he was clearly just a human, and a seemingly quirky one at that. Still, she felt like she didn't have many options here, and her fear drove her to trust him.

She pulled her hand and reach for her cell phone. It came out of the hidden pocket and moments later she was dialing the number that Rupert had given her. There was no real sense in beating around the bush, she needed help and she needed it fast. The best thing to do was simply to call this number and see if it could be found at the other end of the connection.

The phone rang.

While she was calling, they rounded a corner and she spotted the local coffee shop in the corner of a plaza. It was quite secluded and definitely non-frequented, secluded enough that Eris believed they would not be overheard in there. They made their way to the shop, "The Java Express(o)" and stepped through the doors.

Katran picked a corner booth in the back and slid in, the phone continuing to ring. The atmosphere in the coffee shop was timid, the air smelt of fresh roasted beans, and the music that played over the speakers was soothing and low. This was a great place.

She looked up toward the teenager at the counter and nodded, she'd been here before and the girl understood the nod meant, "The usual." She brought out two steaming cups of the caffeinated liquid and dropped them on the table, then walked backed, paying them no further attention. There was only two other people in the shop, on the opposite side of the room. Here, Katran and Rupert could not be overheard.

She lifted the cup to her lips and sipped slowly. Would this phone ring forever?

(( OOC: I’m jumping the gun a little bit on this thread to introduce some power upgrades that will come out of Everybody wants to be a cat, since this thread is happening after that one. I will get around to explaining them all, but short form: Sonya/Teresa is stronger, faster, and has better senses than she used to, and her personality has changed somewhat. ))

About twenty-five feet away from the park bench Sonya/Teresa is sitting – or perhaps “crouching” is a better word? – on, a vole is burrowing in the ground. She can’t see it, but the sounds are unmistakable. About thirty feet past that three squirrels are fighting over something… a cache of nuts, from the smell of it. Two of them are chuffing loudly at each other, the third is watching quietly… waiting for its chance, she assumes.

About thirty yards away, a couple of teenagers are making out in the bushes. Them, she can actually see… or glimpse, anyway… though mostly she is aware of their progress by smells and sounds. She licks her lips unconsciously, concentrating her attention on the girl’s breathing, the boy’s heartbeat, the RING!whatinthehell was that who turned up the ringer RING! so damned high I thought I’d turned it down andRING! okayokay shut up already I’m answering "What do you want?!??!?"

Eris heard a girl speak at the other end of the phone and smiled a little. This was what she had been waiting for, a way to somehow get back with the mutants who she had began her career with. Now that she had been given an oppurtunity to jump back in, her heart was beating a little faster than normal.

Control girl... it's all about control Katran... keep it together and reply...

"Hello," she spoke with a decisive and aware tone, not wanting to make the girl on the other line think that she was excited or scared (but was she?) "My name is Katran Kjaer. I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'll cut right to the chase."

She paused and took a deep breath.

"I'm looking for the former residents of a building in downtown New York City. They formed a group of tight-knit people named 'The Order'. It's very important that I speak with these people... they know who I am, and I wasn't able to track them down until now..."

Eris paused and realized that the girl might think she was some sort of government spy, so she validated herself by the man accross the table, "By the way a man named Rupert gave me this number, so that's how I came to contact you."

She took another deep breath and waited for the girl to reply.

Oh, for the love of God… another one?

Sonya knows this is her own doing… she’d given Rupert her number precisely for this reason, so she could help get mutants off the street and into the relative safety of the Labs. She just can’t for the life of her figure out why she’d bothered. What good does it do her?

On the other hand, she’s also getting the idea that knowledge is power, albeit an obscure form of it. And the more mutants she knows about and develops connections with, the better her position in the long run. So she continues the conversation rather than hanging up abruptly.

"Right, gotcha. Ask Rupert how his nose is doing, will you? And, just to establish your credentials… how about you tell me who runs this tight-knit group you claim to know?"

Eris shook her hair to one side and sighed. She knew that the girl would be a little suspicious, but she figured the reference to Rupert would be enough. The truth was, she didn't really know who was in charge of the Order anymore. Had the recent attack shaken things up? Had Oppressor somehow fallen away from command of the group, and now someone else had taken control?

She just didn't know. But she did know members. She remembered who had been a part of the group while she was there, and she decided to play that card instead of just giving Oppressor and getting shoved away (or hung up on) if she was wrong.

"Well..." Eris said with a smirk on her face, agitation clearly in her voice, "Back when I knew the members, there was a man in charge named Dorian, also known as the Oppressor. I also remember a few lower levels, a girl named Syn, another girl named Thorn, a guy named Abyss (or had that name come up in some other time... oh well... she had to roll with it now). That's all I really remember about the people, except some of their personalities of course. Some of them were so annoying they stuck out like a red thumb."

Easy there, don't want to make her mad. "So, if you could get me in touch with them, I'd much appreciate it." She waited.

((ooc: Continued from The Overdo Return.))

Rupert ordered a coffee. Black. Untainted with any weaker stuff. Then he slumped back against his seat, and stared across at Katran as she made her phone call. Flipsy was outside, tied to an expired meter and giving him puppy eyes through the window as she shivered in what passed for a poodle's fur coat. Since it was well above freezing, he somehow couldn't muster up any guilt for leaving her out there for a little while.

It felt thoroughly nice to be sitting down. Under the table, his legs were splayed out comfortably and probably taking up more than his fair share of space. Above the table, he let his head and neck lean back against the vinyl seat of the booth. He found himself staring at a speaker on the ceiling as the woman's conversation went on. The lightly playing song was familiar, but it took him a second to place it. "Ode to Joy" Right. It would be "Ode to Joy"; one of mankind's highest achievements, supposedly.

"What a joke," he muttered, taking a scalding sip of his coffee. He didn't notice the burn. "Give me Springsteen any day."

Sonya listens to Katran summarize her knowledge of the membership, and nods. She’d heard references to this “Oppressor” fellow, though she hadn’t known his real name; the other names are mostly familiar.

She’s curious as to how Syn came to be in charge of the Order, but presumes that Katran would not be a reliable source of information on the topic, having left before the changeover.

"Right. So, here’s the deal: after their place got trashed, our mutual friends relocated… they’re sharing a hideout and an entirely unoriginal name with some other like-genomed folks, plotting deep plots. If you’re up for hooking into that, I can take you there and check you in with their front desk. Receptionist's missing a finger, don't stare, it makes him cranky. Or, if you just want to get in touch with the Order, I can pass your contact info to Syn or Abyss and have them give you a ring. However you want to play it."

Idly, she wonders where she’s calling from. In the background, she can make out Rupert’s voice – something about Springsteen? – and some kind of classical music, though it sounds more like it’s coming out of a PA system than someone’s stereo. She doesn’t hear any other voices or activity, though… an empty store or restaurant or something, she’s guessing. Doesn’t narrow it down much… not that it really matters.

The girl on the other end finally believed her story, and Eris was glad that it checked out. Being a former member definitely gave one insights to the group, even if the membership had been somewhat short-lived. Either way, she hadn't been able to control that little episode of her kidnapping, so she wasn't able to control her membership.

Man, things were so complicated these days.

Katran spoke when the girl finished, "Yes, thank you. I'd like it if we could meet up and you could check me in. I'll meet you at the Java Express, slash O, tomorrow at nine a.m. if you can arrange to meet me there, then we can proceed to this hideout you speak of."

Katran wondered if Dorian was even with the group anymore, and guessed that he wasn't, because the girl hadn't mentioned him. She looked up and stared at a paiting of the ocean behind Rupert's head. It was docile and free, quite a beautiful scene if one was into that kind of thing. Thankfully for Katran, she was not, and the picture only held her attention for about two seconds.

"You'll recognize me because I'll be wearing a black wrist watch and reading "Gone With The Wind" in a corner booth. By the way... what's you name?"

(( OOC: Hope it’s OK to keep going, Rupert… it seems like Rupe is mostly waiting for the phone call to end, yes? If it’s a problem, let me know and I’ll roll-back.))

"Trendy coffeeshop number seven, check. Make it 11, though; miss the morning rush." Privately, Sonya makes a mental note to show up early in a different form and make sure she isn’t being set up… being shot once during one of these operations is more than enough. "My name’s Teresa, you’ll recognize me because I’ll introduce myself. And tell Rupert to direct the goons with guns to another coffeeshop, this time. Anything else?"

She wonders what Katran’s power is, and whether it’s at all useful.

OOC: I believe he's just waiting for the phone call to end, so this is fine.

The picture above Rupert's head sort of echoed Eris' feeling right now, one of relief and peace. No worries that the world was crashing down and coming to an end pretty soon, she was going to be safe and sound, and hopefully back with the Order the next morning. That had been her goal in all of this, and that was what was going to happen. Goody.

She replied simply, "Eleven then. Nope, nothing else. See you then Teresa." She hung up the phone and slipped it back inside her dress.

Speaking of her dress, it was blatantly obvious to anyone around that someone wearing this extravagant an outfit was probably not normal, so it would probably be a good idea for Eris to change her appearance a little. She did not want to be noticed in any way, and right now she stuck out pretty good. She made a mental note to change that when this conversation with Rupert was over.

She got up and ordered a small Americano, and then walked back and sat down accross from Rupert. She stared him down inquisitively, wondering how much this man really knew, and what was his connection in all of this... was he a mutant too?

"So, can you fill me in Rupert?"

((ooc: Yep, I figured you fine ladies would like to finish up that phone call. )

Rupert had come to two conclusions. First, this place had decent coffee. Not as good as Insomniacs Anonymous served, naturally, but good. Acceptable. Decent. Second, the owners had the worst taste in decorations. Generic ocean paintings in a coffee shop in the middle of New York? Seriously? At an ocean block coffee shop on the Jersey shore, sure. In the middle of New York... no. There was something distinctly disjoint about the honking yellow taxi cabs passing by outside, the cloud of exhaust rising from a legion of cars, the shivering poodle, and the blandly tranquil ocean scenes. It felt more than a little surreal, actually. He imagined that looking at those reproduced prints of waves was just a taste of what being on antidepressants would be like: largely nondescript, and the kind of boring you just couldn't muster up the enthusiasm to complain about.

"There's antidepressants in the water," he mused, to no one in particular.

> "So, can you fill me in Rupert?"

"Huh? Oh." He straightened up in the booth, actually looking at the woman he was with. "Probably. Since I'm not in the rambling mood, how about you tell me what you already know, and what you want to know? Otherwise, don't blame me if I'm telling you things you don't give a crap about. I probably know a lot of things you don't give a crap about." He took a sip of his coffee, then gave a sputtering cough. That was hot.

The Americano was somewhat bland for Eris' tastes. She enjoyed a much more bold drink to take her mind off her problems, and put her mind onto solving her problems, but it seemed this drink couldn't do that. She ordered an Expresso... something with a little more kick. She needed that these days, and she had found that alchohol hadn't bee nable to do it, no... coffee strangely enough was her answer.

Rupert spoke, after somehow realizing that Eris was talking to him. This man was definitely strange, and kind of humorous too. If she didn't need his help so much, Eris may have just burst out in hysterics right then and there. His manerisms were so funny to her. Not bad, actually good. Quite good. Funny. She hadn't had very much to laugh at these past months. But out of respect for the man, she kept her peace.

"I don't mind rambling, but here's basically my end of it."

She took a sip from the newly brewed Expresso and then set it back down on the saucer. "Several months ago I was removed from the world by any stretch of the imagination. Completely removed. I was like that up until about two weeks ago, and since then I've done nothing but go to my home and sleep, eat, and fear for my life. I'm really not even quite sure what I'm afraid of, I think the trauma I've been through has something to do with it... but that obstacle has since been removed... so..."

Uhoh. She was rambling. Keep it together girl... cut to the chase. "Anyways, I'm completely oblivious to basically everything that's been happening. I realize that something has happened to the mutants of this city, but I have no idea how or why. I've spotted several strange robot-like creatures in the streets, which make me quite uneasy, but I don't know why."

That was it. She basically had just told him she was a mutant in more words.

"So, now I need to meet back up with my friends from the Order. They can help me, if nothing else by allowing me to share their friendship. I have no idea why they are in hiding or what is going on in the public eye. I've tried to avoid all of that since getting back. Does the government have something to do with this? I'm sure Haywire would have shaken them up a bit."

She breathed deep in and let it out slow. "I guess my question is, what in the world has happened to the mutants of this city, and how does the government and robots, and even you, fit into all this?"

> "Several months ago I was removed from the world by any stretch of the imagination. Completely removed. I was like that up until about two weeks ago, and since then I've done nothing but go to my home and sleep, eat, and fear for my life. I'm really not even quite sure what I'm afraid of, I think the trauma I've been through has something to do with it... but that obstacle has since been removed... so..."

Rupert stared at the woman for a moment. Another kidnapping sap story? Yeah, probably. Though 'sap story' didn't really sum up the horror these people were put through. He'd heard it. He'd heard it many times. He'd seen pictures and video to match. He was currently employed at the only fully government-sanctioned sap story factory in American history. If she was hinting at the sort of thing she thought he was hinting at, then he'd just as soon not question her on it. That was why he sipped his coffee--which was still too hot--and let her rambling back story pass him by.

He'd heard it before. He hadn't wanted to hear it then, and he didn't want to hear it now. See no, hear no, speak no.

He let the rest of her words seemingly pass him by as well, blowing on his coffee and looking out the window behind her. There were some punk kids--chains and dyed hair and all--petting Flipsy. Move along, move along... damn straight, punks, move along. Good. Flipsy, stop wagging your tail after them like a cheap street mongrel.

He was listening, though. As well as a man with a fever and a sneeze building up steadily between his eyes can. A few words lodged with him: Order and Haywire, in particular. The Order, he was beginning to realize, was the name of the mutant group hiding in the Sanctuary. The group that had hidden the killers of the Sanctuary massacre; the shifter that had killed his partner, the ribboned girl who had stabbed him, the red-headed girl who had joined in the general slaughter. The sound twins who had been vandalizing the city had been found there, as well. Who knows who many other criminals had been hiding in their ranks. On that note: hello, mysterious red-clad woman from the Sanctuary.

> "I guess my question is, what in the world has happened to the mutants of this city, and how does the government and robots, and even you, fit into all this?"

"Easy enough." Rupert answered, setting his coffee cup down on the table in front of him, and sitting up straight. He put his elbows on his thighs, and leaned ungracefully forward towards the table. "Last questions first, then after you don't freak out and run off, you get to answer one of mine. Once we're past the formalities, I'll tell you the rest of what you've walked into.

"I fit into all of this as an NYPD officer. A detective." But wait: it got better. He sniffed, and continued. "Currently on loan to the mutant relocation camps, as a supervisor.

"My question for you: have your ever killed a human, Ms. Katran?" He actually made eye contact for that one. It was the sort of question a man should make eye contact for.

Rupert sneezed.

As Rupert stared down Eris, she was beginning to feel a little uneasy about him. May be he wasn't such a good person to trust... he didn't seem to care so much about anything. Who's to say he would just turn her in to some unhealthy characters? Who knows? But she couldn't back down now. She did not have a choice but to follow this through. To walk out now could mean danger, or worse, lack of information. In this ever changing world, knowledge was power, and Eris sure as heck needed power.

A few kids near the door came up in Katran's peripheral vision. She wasn't into these punk kids, but they gave her an idea and made clear something in her mind that had been hounding her all day. With the dilemma of how to fit in, in this world at least solved, she now set her mind on other things.

Like the meaning of the words, 'mutant relocation camps, as a supervisor'

What? Camps? Concentration camps for mutants? Is this really happening?

The world swirled around Eris as her vision blurred. Her lightheadedness caught her off guard and nearly made her fall over in a faint. As it was, she tipped her coffee and spilt it in her lap. Oh my... But the spilt coffee was the least of her worries at the moment. She righted her cup and set it down on the table, staring back at the police officer to see if he was bluffing. Over the years, Katran felt like she had developed a pretty good sense of whether or not someone was lying to her.

He wasn't.

It was true.

She leaned back and sighed a deep sigh, bringing her eyes back to the picture above his head. For once in her life she wished that everything was as peaceful as that picture. The water normally lapping the shore and playing a tune of steady harmonics. A tune that never changed. All was peace. But no, the god Eris would continue to play her games with the world, and now, so would the mutant Eris have to counter the effect.

When Rupert posed the question about killing a human, she averted her eyes back to him, careful not to give anything away. She was so caught up in the realization of what was happening to the mutants via the government, that she wasn't altogether there either. She looked at him with an air of non-challance. Shocking news tended to do exactly that to her. Shock her.

She stared doumbfoundedly.

She could continued her half-stare.

Finally, something inside of her sparked and brought her back to reality. Answer the question, you. She shook her head like one trying to collect herself... which she was. Then looked Rupert straight in the eyes. "Never."

OOC: I'm actually not quite sure whether Katran has ever killed a human or not, if I remember correctly, she taken a few down in battle, and a couple in self-defense, but never killed one in cold blood. Either way, she genuinely is distracted by the shocking news of the camps, so she's kind of in no mental position to either tell a lie or the truth, but simply answer.

> "Never."

The woman was looking him straight in the eyes. Rupert matched that gaze, second for second. Meanwhile, his hand patted down the length of the table, fumbling for the metal napkin dispenser. He grabbed a napkin, still watching her, and blew his nose.

Who was he kidding? He wouldn't be able to tell if she was lying. Even if she was, what was he going to do? Make a big scene and get her turned in to the Camps right after he'd told her everything he needed to keep hidden about his real allegiance? Right. That would be brilliant. A true peak of intelligence amidst his own personal mountain range.

"Never. Well, that's great. Keep it up." Rupert sighed, and slumped back in the seat. "So from that vacant look on your face, can I guess that you really haven't heard of the Camps before?" He ran hand through his hair. "That's... also great. To sum them up: think the early stages of the Holocaust's camps. No mass exterminations, but everything else we can think of." He used the 'we' casually; given present company, perhaps too casually.