Shane walked on the gravel with light steps as the sun's heat caused him to sweat. He walked forward with the knowledge the owner of his destination could have waylaid or even dealt with him well before reaching the building itself. That, evidently, was not what happened that summer afternoon. He made it to the tall building's large red door and gave it a hearty knock. No answer. He tried to open the door instead, it was unlocked.
The building's inside was dark, the windows covered with an unnatural but familiar fog. A man sat at the kitchen table with his back turned to him. Broad shoulders were hunched over slightly as the man picked up a glass and downed the contents.
Shane had felt a sigh leave his lips seeing such a sight. Then, he made his way over to the man. "Scotch? This early in the day, Kenneth? What has you drinking old friend?" He said.
The man turns to look at him briefly, brown almost amber eyes matching the content of the bottle the man had at his side. Then Kenneth refilled the glass at his side, and another glass next to it. "My brother."
"Something happened to David?" Shane had known the two men hadn't seen eye to eye for a long long while. And Kenneth had never gotten along well with his in-laws.
"He's dead Shane. His wife too." At that, Shane felt any response die in his mouth. Kenneth took that opportunity to down his glass in one go. Shane himself took a seat next to Kenneth, then started sipping his own drink slowly, savoring the flavor as he thought of what to say. "So much for bitching about my day drinking." Kenneth snarked with a glance to the side.
"You know I can't begrudge you for this." Shane shook his head at his old friend's words. They hadn't parted on the best of terms, and he knew the other man just wanted to get a rise out of him. Kenneth had always lashed out when mourning. That hadn't changed. They both took a moment to drink in silence after that. Kenneth had poured himself a third glass. The third glass since Shane's arrival here. Who knows how many Kenneth had already gone through already?
"Capes are a bane on this world, Shane." His friend had said with a shake of his head.
"They can be better. We can be better. Look at how much we've alre-"
"We did jack shit!" Kenneth had turned to him with a glare, one of his eyes glowing in his anger.
"Any good we could have done died with Uppermost. The Elite was a mistake. A rotting carcass of what we wanted to be. Taking that deal? The worst mistake we made." Kenneth slumped back into his seat.
"It was our only option." Shane had shaken his head.
"No, It was the most convenient option. Damn any consequences that follow." Kenneth's words hit harder than any blow Shane could have taken from a brute. There was truth in them. Yet he refused to just leave it at that, there was still good he could do. "You didn't come here for that, did you?" Kenneth asked and Shane shook his head.
"I wanted to see my old friend. Nothing more." Shane had told him. Kenneth stayed silent for a moment. Then gave him a nod.
"David had a kid, never let me see the little brat. A boy, Rory. Named after our pa." Kenneth chuckled. "Still can't see him. In-laws got custody and would throw a shit fit if I tried."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." Looking back, they should have done more. Rory deserved better than being raised in an orphanage. David's child was practically family even if the man had resented him and Kenneth both.
"So am I." Kenneth downed another drink. And at that the line between memory and reality blurs. And now Shane is back in his office, alone. After having spent the whole afternoon and evening drinking with Rory. Kenneth's nephew.
"So am I. So am I indeed, old friend." He mutters to himself. Then hits the intercom. "Charles, please send me the dossiers first thing in the morning."
"Yes sir." Good. Very good. With this, he can hopefully make things a little better.
The only thing he had ever wanted was for everything to be better.
...
Work is easy. Entirely unnecessary to do it on his own. Yet, Max can't trust anyone else to be capable of it. Many incidents have already proven such. The only people possibly able to reach his standards would be James or Darren, but James has far too many issues with how things are run. And Darren is much better used elsewhere.
No, he had to do even the small things himself if he were to expect perfection.
"Mr Anders? I have a Rory McGrath on the line and he's rather insistent you would want to speak with him." His blood runs cold as anger travels through him. That impudent- No, as scathing as that encounter was, they came to an agreement. McGrath calling now must have some level of importance if he is calling Max at his work.
"Put him through, Holly." Max says through grit teeth, not something he can help in the situation. That insufferable brat gets under his skin there is no doubt about that. Yet the man deserves some respect for what he is capable of if pushed. Along with not being squeamish to death, he had discovered. No, McGrath didn't even flinch.
"Yallo Maxy, how ya been?" Any level of calm he regained is crushed in an instant. The pen in his hand snaps and he feels the ink flow over his hand.
"Mr. McGrath, I will address you as such and I expect you to return that basic level of courtesy." Keeping his voice level isn't hard. As annoying as McGrath is, he has dealt with far worse.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. So Maxy I just wanted to inform you Coil has your guy's civilian ID's and shit. I mean I learned them from him but I think he's gonna pin the blame on me when he releases them." Max was going to interrupt McGrath after being called 'Maxy' again. But now he's glad he hadn't. This is a serious issue. If McGrath is lying... No. What reason does he have to lie?
"Why are you telling me this, McGrath?" He asks instead.
"See, you tried pointing me at your problems. I thought I'd return the favor but point you at a minor hindrance of mine. Who also happens to most definitely be your problem."
"Well played McGrath. But I won't be moving a finger on just this alone." Max would still do something, but McGrath doesn't need to know that much.
"Look, this guy's super fucking annoying and needs to go. Let me even the playing field then. Thomas Calvert, PRT consultant. He owns a construction company and his base is in a construction site that hasn't been finished in forever or something I don't fucking know the exacts, find out on your own." At McGrath's words, Max finds himself pinching the bridge of his nose. Can't impale him, it'd only make the fight harder. Calm, he is a river of calm. McGrath apparently took his silence as a request to keep talking. "He's black too if you wanna sick your pet neo-Nazis on him for a just cause or whatever. I know you'd kill him any race but surely the race card will work for the nazis."
"Is that all McGrath?" Max asks through grit teeth.
"Nah that's about it. Actually hey Maxy do you know any good shawarma places I've had some trouble fin-"
"No." He hangs up the call, letting out a deep breath of what's possibly relief. The information McGrath gave him is likely true but still needs to be looked into. Coil dares to threaten his Empire?
That was the last mistake the man will make.
...
He split the timeline.
In one, finishing his breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon. Then he carefully picked out his clothing for the day, intending to go to his office in the PRT building. A mostly unused asset considering he rarely keeps this initial timeline. One that is crucial he runs near every morning. The PRT gathers information he would not be privy to if it weren't for his informants, spies, and power.
In the other, finishing his breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon. Then he carefully picked out his clothing for the day, intending to go to Coil's office as opposed to Thomas's. Everything goes the same in each timeline, the only difference being a right turn at a four-stop intersection while in the first timeline, he goes straight.
Creep, dutifully waiting for him in the white electrician's van that had people none the wiser. It was a basic routine to put his costume, second skin, on after parking his car and entering the said van. Now, he informed Creep to drive as he got comfortable in the back of the van.
In the first reality, he arrived at the PRT building on Lord's Street with no issue. A ten-minute drive and a personal parking spot made it an extremely smooth process. Everything needs to look routine to the public's eye. He is the picture-perfect average office worker, a PRT consultant of little renown. One that had emailed his transfer request the day prior.
"Calvert, I was hoping to catch you." Deputy Director Renick is a man of little ambition and even less drive. He had been lying in wait for Thomas's arrival. That much is obvious.
"About my transfer request? I know I don't do much for the organization but I would very much like to help and keep my status as a consultant after my move." He says with an easy grin.
"Of course, that much is easy. Very easy, I just have a few papers I need you to go through. I do have a personal interest in why you wish to move so suddenly, however, if you don't mind my asking."
Because a massive blind spot has ruined far too many plans I've had and is near impossible to get rid of.
He doesn't say. Obviously. Rory McGrath is a significant problem. One he can't find a way to work around with how his Tattletale keeps dragging the man into his business intentionally or not. Any attempts at removing him in another timeline even indirectly have instantly closed said timeline. It's inconvenient, to say the least.
"I've heard good things about a few casinos in Vegas, and I have pretty good luck. Weather is nice in Nevada as a whole as well." He instead says with an easy grin, every casino is a good casino with a power like his. Vegas will have some competition, yes, but Bastard Son's Elite branch will be easy enough to manipulate.
"Of course, I went to one during my trip to the PRT branch there." Renick chuckles, he just grins and nods along as they banter about meaningless trivialities as they walk through the lobby.
The other timeline he calls his Tattletale. "What's up, boss?"
"I need you and your team to do a job, I will be sending you the details shortly." He keeps his tone level and controlled. He's well aware she's been doing whatever she can to hamper him indirectly. And as he can't take her with him without unnecessary complications, he'll instead send her team after the Empire before he leaves. Then promptly release the civilian names his Tattletale had acquired.
"When?" She asks without fighting it.
"Tomorrow."
"Can't do. Got a date." An infuriating response. He takes a moment to cool off before deciding this conversation will need a timeline split. Before he can even debate the value of collapsing the timeline with Renick, the timeline collapses on its own. That… no that doesn't make any sense. There is a possibility, however.
He splits the timeline.
In both, he continues the conversation with his Tattletale.
The first; "I don't pay you to have a social life, I expect you to work when I ask you to."
The second; "Where is The Kraken right now!?" He demands.
A-"Pay? Don't need it but I'm assuming you'll threaten me again if I don't do it." She responds half-heartedly.
B-"What? Why would I know that?" She lies.
A-"You have assumed correctly. Propose it to your team, and do whatever you can to convince them."
B-"Listen to me you little bitch, if you have any semblance of self-preservation you will tell me where Rory McGrath is!" He demands, already deciding to discard this timeline.
A- "Fine." She answers curtly.
B-"The fuck? Fine, he's sleeping." That is not what he wanted to hear. He collapses the timeline.
He splits the timeline.
A-"Something else I need of you. Someone attempted to kill me in a discarded timeline. Find out who." He orders.
B-"Something else I need of you. Someone attempted to kill me in a discarded timeline. Find out who." He orders the same in both timelines.
After she confirms his orders he hangs up. Someone attempted to take his life in his civilian identity. That's the only plausible possibility. As the other would be he was approached by another blindspot. While still possible, these blindspots are extremely rare as it is. No, it's much more likely someone made an attempt on his life.
Truly, getting out of Brockton Bay is the optimal move in this situation.
...
"So, what's the issue cus?" Vicky asks her cousin after successfully cornering her in the women's washroom. Crystal is always a ball of sunshine and happiness around her, so seeing how she acted around Rory has her deeply unsettled.
"Why do you think there is one? And I thought you were going to have lunch with your 'boyfriend'." The last word was said with more venom than she was used to. Vicky finds herself recoiling a bit at that.
"Oh, now I definitely know something's up. Is this about the rebound thing? Look I actually like him, it's complicated okay?" Contrary to what she expects, that seems to actually anger her cousin.
"It's not about the fucking rebound thing! Why did you have to go for him!? He's nothing like Dean!" Her cousin exclaims, throwing her arms up with a rather annoyed expression on her face. She's not quite sure why this is pissing Crystal off, but she feels she's close.
"He's nice? I like him? Do I need much more reason? There is some other stuff sure but those are his secrets to tell." Victoria shrugs.
"You don't fucking get it! I liked him, hell I've already sucked him off!" What? When did Crystal even have the time for that? Rory sounded like he hadn't even known her either. No time for that, she should be more worried her cousin has gone farther with her boyfriend than she has. She can't really do much about Crystal's crush, she likes Rory, and she won't be breaking that off. Even if she feels bad for the slightly teary-eyed cousin in front of her.
"I'm sorry. I can't do much about it but I'm sorry you're being hurt by it? Look I love you cus, but I really like him."
"You… I- I'm too mad and upset to honestly talk about this. Just. Leave me alone for a bit please, Vicky?" It's heartbreaking seeing her cousin in such a state. What the hell is she supposed to even do here? She's never fought over a boy before but now she's fighting with her cousin over one? Before this, she's only ever been with Dean. And now she's starting to realize she really isn't experienced in this kind of thing. It most definitely doesn't help that she'salready sharing Rory.
"I'm sorry. Again. I just. Yeah okay, I'll see you around?" She asks her cousin. Crystal is a bit teary-eyed but still manages to give her a nod. That's good, right?
Maybe she could ask Lisa for advice on this…
...
(Query)
(Denial)
(Insistence. Query)
(Denial. Denial. Denial)
(Annoyance.)
(Mocking.)
(Disconnecting.)
"Hey, lady! Get off the fucking road!" She tilted her head as the man in the automobile used his upper appendage to press the automobile's clarion. This body is suboptimal for her. And the reactions are slow. She moved her lower appendages to bring her out of the automobile's way. "Fucking finally. Dumb broad."
She felt an unnatural sensation at the human's words. And so she deflated two of the man's automobile tires. As the human curses, she moved to continue looking for the subject of her curiosity.
She cannot be far.Deviant Vital {Administrator 1}{Growth 1}{Drone Command 1}Is in close enough proximity to respond to her(Query.)