Nicholas stood with his arms crossed in front of the mess of maps and notes scattered across the table. Joseph had gone to wait for Emily, Albert, and Thomas, leaving Nichols to his thoughts and doubts. Gwen stood across from him and scribbled across a notepad while reading a report. Nicholas picked up the report that had been the most disappointing for him. Thomas Light, spotless record, worked for the Mayor but never got mixed up in the darkest parts of the capitol. Son of Henry and Nancy Light, Nicholas mulled that name over for a moment, Henry Light, he made a mental note to look him up later, although the report said he'd died a few years ago in the mines. Most likely he'd never done anything besides dig in the dirt all his life. Still, the name sounded familiar, maybe he'd been important before the Cessation and Information Lockdown. Nicholas scrunched the report in his fist and pocketed it as Joseph led the group in.
"You've met Nicholas," Joseph said closing the door behind them, "his wife Gwen."
Gwen nodded, not looking up as she finished writing. "Emily," she said shaking her hand as she set the notepad aside, "and..."
"Albert," Emily said as Gwen shook his hand, "and Tom."
"You the one who need to see the weapons." Gwen said as she took Tom's hand.
"That'd be ideal."
"Would the Mayor recognize you from three years ago?"
"Probably."
"Mmm," Gwen said biting her lip and turning back to her notepad. She looked up at Joseph then back to her paper.
"Do you have an idea Gwen?" Joseph asked.
"Maybe..." She looked at Tom, "you're not going to like it."
"I'm not particularly fond of the way this city is run either."
"Well if you don't like getting a little bruised, we can bring you into the weapons base right under Wolv's nose."
"How?"
"See this is the part you won't like..."
"I think you did your part a little too well Al." Tom commented as his eyes teared up. Emily leaned over him concerned, dabbing at his bleeding nose. "Em," he protested gently pushing her away, "the point is for my face to be a mess so the mayor can't recognize me."
"I still can't believe you agreed to this," she said ignoring his protests and wiping more of the blood off his face, "either of you." She shot Albert a glare at that, before being simultaneously pulled away by Albert and pushed away by Tom.
"An opportunity to beat up my best friend without retribution? How can I turn that up?" Wily asked taking the formerly white cloth from her.
"Like I said Al, I think you might have done it too well. If my nose is broken -"
"You won't need me to mess your face up later because the mayor still won't recognize you."
"Fabulous." Emily said, rolling her eyes. "Ready?"
Tom glanced in the mirror on the wall of the surprisingly large wardrobe that Joseph had at HQ. His face was a mottled mess of bruises and a significant amount of blood was stemming from his nose. "Do you think anyone will recognize me?"
"I doubt it." Gwen said coming in with two men wearing the same uniforms as Wolv's security men. Emily shuddered involuntarily, she knew that they were members of her uncle's group, but she also knew that their job was to act like they'd captured Tom, and rough him up to convince the mayor if necessary. Although, Al had done a good job of that. She glanced back at his impassive face, then rolled her eyes again. Men, she sighed, they could beat their best friend up one minute, and act completely calm the next.
"Ready?" Gwen continued, "good, let's go."
Emily followed the group down the stairs into the entrance to HQ where her uncle was waiting for them.
"Right, you two get out of here. Be at the train station in 10 minutes." He waved a hand at the two security men, who quickly disappeared out the front door.
"Em," he stared at her. Joseph hadn't wanted his niece to get mixed up in the actual operation of overthrowing Wolv. However, he knew that, like all Stanton women, she wasn't going to let her friends take all the risks while she did nothing. He sighed, "Go out the back door in two minutes, good luck." He sighed watching her walk away.
"Gwen, get going, you'll be late." He nodded at her as she left, "Nicholas, upstairs, as soon as you're done saying good-bye." He added as Nicholas pulled his wife aside before she left. "Albert, walk with me." He said leaving Gwen and Nicholas as he followed Emily toward the back of the building. When they reached the door she'd left just seconds ago he turned toward Wily.
"I know you're supposed to keep an eye on Tom and his party. Do me a favor -"
"Watch Emily too? I was already planning on it."
Joseph studied the face of this young man who Emily trusted so well, who'd also seemed surprisingly quick to agree to beating his friend's face beyond recognition. There's definitely something hard behind the eyes, but, Joseph thought, he's taken better care of Emily then I have. He nodded, "off you go then."
