[Case 90: Five Man Con]

Sam didn't drink coffee much, but there was something he hadn't quite resolved yet.

In the weeks that followed him getting his wings clipped as he laid low due to the actions with General Hydra, Sam had quite a bit of free time.

Free time he spent at his civilian job, free time spent visiting his brother and sister, and free time wondering exactly who was the voice in the microphone.

He knew Mirage was a actual person. He knew listening to far too many sibling like squabbles with Miss M where a machine wouldn't respond in such a manner. He knew that from conversation with Kurt that Mirage was an old friend, who may not always has been this detached person in a machine. He also knew that Nightshade who came into suddenly, was more that just celebrated hero from the League. She meant something to everyone in the group, particularly to Mirage, whose brisk orders seemed to bend and fold at her suggestions, and instead of squabbles on the microphone became silence and cordial requests.

But that wasn't the reason why he was that Lima Bean. During the weeks he has passed by he recalled, Kurt's word of advice about finding the real Mirage.

"Look for a nerd with a laptop in a coffee shop, chances are it might be him."

It was long shot, yet he had nothing else better to do.

So Sam bought an overpriced drink and looked for a place to sit as he scanned the crowd.

Look for a guy with a laptop, he mused, but so far he saw quite a few except-

As his eyes passed across the room, a man sitting before a computer met his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away.

Could it be?

He worked his way across the room, and when the man didn't get up to leave, Sam figured he made the correct guess.

"Hi." Sam said sitting down at the table. The man looked up but didn't say anything, "nice to finally meet you."

"Do I know you?"

"Yeah we talked before." Sam's words trailed off as the man stared as if he had no idea who he was. "I mean we have a friend of a friend-"

"You never returned your library book."

Sam turned eagerly to the voice behind him, to see a young man unpacking his laptop, from the bag hanging off the handles of his wheel chair.

"You're a librarian," Sam said as he sat down at the table.

"Among other things. Did come to meet someone?"

"To look for actually, I should be going-"

"Maybe I can help you find your friend," the man said holding out a hand, "My name's Artie."

Sam shook his head hesitantly, "That sounds familiar."

"You may have heard of my father, he used to be the commissioner at the LPD. Everyone always remembers my old man, but I shouldn't be surprised he's was miracle worker in the family."

Sam stared at him, as he reacted at the empathize on the words, "you, you're-"

"Surprise," he said smirking, "It's about time met face to face."

Sam had spent a lot of time wondering what it would be like if he finally met face to face with the guy who looked after his siblings, the guy who gave him something worthwhile to do, the guy who saved his life in more ways than one. He had thought of the words he might say, but as he stared across the table, at the guy wearing brightly color sweater vest with a bat sticker on his laptop, and realized anything he could say was pointless.

"It's nice to finally meet, though a bit anticlimactic," Sam added.

Artie grinned, "One of us saving each other lives out in the field that could fun straight out of the comics or something. I could arrange- I'm joking," he added, "and you can relax, I'm not about to sack you."

Sam lowered his voice, "You have a talent in reading minds?"

Artie shook his head and pointed and Sam's grip on the table.

"It was for show, really, but things have gone quiet, and other things have change. And if you haven't gone looking for me, I would have done the same."

"Where am I headed?"

"Nowhere," Artie corrected with a smirk, "yet. Over here!"

Sam turned as Artie waved across the crowded coffee shop, where a group was headed in the direction. Sam first saw Kurt, who was flanked by pair of women, the one to his left holding out her hand to receive money.

The other carrying two drinks in her hand, beamed at Artie as a strand of blue hair fell across her eyes.

The woman with the coffee handed one to Artie, before pulling her chair close to him to make room for her friends.

"You're not going to get the other five bucks from me," Kurt said as they sat down.

"We'll see won't we," she retorted, her voice sounding familiar.

Kurt looked away, and gave Sam a slight wave as he picked up his own coffee.

"Who are you friends?" Sam asked.

"They're not my friends," Kurt interjected before Artie could reply. The response merited laughter from the other two, something that did little to improve Kurt's move. "I don't know these idiots." He stood up and reached in his pocket and threw money in the air before he stormed off.

"Don't go," the woman with blue hair said, "we promise we won't laugh." She gently nudged Artie in the ribs. "Won't we?'

"Scout's honor," Artie chipped up.

"I can't make that promise," the other friend said, "He just can't handle being wrong can he?"

"Am I missing something?" Sam asked.

"They made a bet you couldn't tell who they were, and I'm owe them all fifteen bucks and a free meal."

"Why would you make a bet on that?"

"Because I'm an idiot." Kurt sat back down. "Sam meet the girls, you know them already."

"I do?" He glanced at them closely as he suddenly made the connection, "I do, don't I?"

"Mercedes," Miss M said, her smile reminding of the flight they had to Serbia where they fought over the radio.

"I'm Tina," Nightshade said, her smile was brighter and more genuine than the last time she saved his life. "It's nice for all us to be together at once."

"You were right," Sam said turning to Kurt. "I should have gone to Lima Beans."

"I'm always right."

"If you were," Artie remarked dryly, "you would have vetoed the name."

"Are you still upset about that," Mercedes asked, "Tina can you get your man, he's supposed to be cool with it."

"With what?" Sam asked.

"Our name," Mercedes said proudly, "I got it painted on the jet, Beta Strikes."

"You really did do it!" Kurt sputtered, "you let this happened?"

"We needed a name." Mercedes seemed impervious into Kurt's mild fit. "And lower your voice, I can hear you well enough."

"I think it's nice," Tina said firmly.

Kurt turned to Artie who opened up his laptop, "I give up."

"You can't give up," Kurt hissed slamming his hand on the table, "where's your dignity!"

"Well, you come up with a better name."

When Sam had taken the call from a faceless stranger he didn't imagine he find himself here, arguing about team names with a group of people that while he was still an outsider with, he someday hope could call his best of friends.

"It's already painted so just cool it-"

A beep punctuated the conversation as all heads turned towards Artie's laptop.

"What is it?"

"Who did it?"

"Where are we headed?"

Artie shrugged, "That was nothing, just to quiet everyone but this," he turned the laptop that showed only one word on dark screen: Dalton.

Kurt frowned as he pulled the screen back.

"Wait," Sam asked, "what does this mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Tina murmured,

"It's a five man con, which means…"