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Post by Jordanna on Nov 9, 2006 22:57:30 GMT -5
Jerod Vance had received a rather cryptic message from Proteus, asking for a meeting at Regina Dawson's office at five o'clock. With his perpetual attachment Handy in tow, he arrived to find Joey Falco sitting on Daws' sofa, reading one of her dog-eared mystery novels. The young man quailed only slightly at the grudging stare that passed as Vance's greeting.
"I take it His Highness has been impersonating you at Tiernan Enterprises," the Major said, only half-questioning.
Joey nodded, hastily vacating the sofa and removing himself to a battered chair. "Yeah. I guess maybe he's found out something, too."
"No other reason for him to invite himself over for a chat right now." Vance rather imperiously claimed the spot on the sofa that Joey had vacated, motioning for Handy to sit beside him. Then he glanced toward the closed door of Daws' inner office. "C'mon out, detective. You got company."
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Post by skybright on Nov 9, 2006 23:17:29 GMT -5
The door swung open and Daws poked her head out, raising an eyebrow. "Company, huh? And me with nothin' to wear." She remarked dryly.
She ambled out to perch on the arm of a vacant armchair, shrugging slightly. "I take it Proteus didn't tell you any more in his message than he did me."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 9, 2006 23:22:39 GMT -5
"Nope." Vance philosophically lit a cigar. "I'm half-surprised we're hearing from him at all. He must think he's onto something we can do that won't get anybody so much as a skinned knee."
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Post by skybright on Nov 9, 2006 23:28:01 GMT -5
"Hey, if he's right, I won't complain." Daws replied, examining her claws lazily. "And anyway, I'm looking forward to giving Tiernan any kind of bloody nose. Wouldn't do to let him think we've forgotten him."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 9, 2006 23:49:33 GMT -5
"He's gotten so paranoid that it's hard to make a move--at least the way we have been," Vance groused. "I'm starting to think some drastic action would shake things up."
Before Daws could protest, there was a tap at the front door--and a duplicate Joey Falco stepped in. Seeing the alarmed look of the genuine article, Proteus smiled and quickly took his familiar shape.
"Sorry to spook you, boy. Can't be too careful about who saw me come down here." He smiled thinly at the other mutants. "Good afternoon, folks. Major, Miss Dawson, Mister McCarty."
"Glad to see you," Vance drawled laconically.
Proteus chuckled. "I'll just bet you are."
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Post by skybright on Nov 9, 2006 23:54:57 GMT -5
"Well, I am." Daws said, smiling. "Things have been positively slow around here of late."
She raised an eyebrow and gestured to one of the unoccupied chairs. "C'mon in, have a seat. I guess you've got news for us."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 10, 2006 0:11:28 GMT -5
"Possibly. Anyway, it could be something for you to do." Proteus settled himself on a chair, regarding the three resistance fighters keenly. "But before I give you one word of it--I want your promise that no matter what, you won't let anybody get killed while you're dealing with it. Not on your own side or Nocturne's."
Vance scowled. "If it's something that means a direct confrontation with Tiernan's people, how can we promise that? They don't exactly love us, you know."
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Post by skybright on Nov 10, 2006 0:15:13 GMT -5
"Vance's got a point." Daws said evenly. "If they start attacking first, or if something goes wrong . . ." She shrugged. "All we can promise is that we'll do our best -- and I know I'll do that, anyway."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 10, 2006 22:25:27 GMT -5
Proteus frowned. "You know the way I feel, Miss Dawson, and you know I can't budge on it. Either you figure out a way to handle my tip that's absolutely certain not to get anyone killed, or you let it go--no matter how much you might hate that." He folded his arms. "If I don't have your word you'll stick to those terms, I walk out of here right now, and you won't have any chance at all to do something about what I know."
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Post by skybright on Nov 11, 2006 0:28:52 GMT -5
Daws pursed her lips and frowned thoughtfully, glancing sideways at Vance. After a long moment, she sighed and nodded. "All right, Proteus. I don't like it much -- but I'll agree to that."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 11, 2006 20:44:41 GMT -5
Vance made a growling noise in his throat, but he spread his hands. "Fine. Half a chance is better than none. You've got our word, Proteus."
With a slight smile of satisfaction, Proteus reached out and picked up the newspaper from the coffee table. He opened it to the item about the gem exhibit, and held it out to Vance. "I guess you know something about Nocturne's personal hobbies, smart boy."
Vance looked at the article, glanced up at Proteus, then down at the paper again. Finally he held it out to Daws.
"The bat's planning a jewel heist."
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Post by skybright on Nov 12, 2006 0:33:43 GMT -5
Daws took the paper and examined the black-and-white photograph of the bracelet that was the exhibit's centerpiece. "Ooo, sparkly." She remarked dryly. "I take it our creepy friend has a taste for shiny things that don't belong to him."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 12, 2006 21:55:15 GMT -5
Proteus nodded. "If the stories around Spooktown are any indication, he's got quite a collection squirreled away somewhere. That article was laying on his desk, along with a floor plan of the Newland Gallery that looked like it came right from the architect. Add all that up, and..." He shrugged.
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Post by skybright on Nov 12, 2006 22:15:23 GMT -5
"And it adds up to someone doing a little less-than-legal early Christmas shopping." Daws finished.
She scratched thoughtfully behind her left ear. "Okay, I can see where meddling with the Bat's little hobby would make him good and sore. Any clue what night he's planning on hitting the exhibit?"
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 12, 2006 23:12:31 GMT -5
Proteus shook his head. "No. The exhibit runs from this Saturday through next Friday, so it's got to be sometime in that week--but I couldn't tell you which day in particular."
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Post by skybright on Nov 12, 2006 23:19:29 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "Why did I know you were gonna say that?"
She shot a sideways glance at Vance. "Well, what d'ya say, Major? Worth takin' a shot at?"
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 12, 2006 23:52:51 GMT -5
"I don't know." Vance shot a skeptical look at Proteus. "Depends on whether we can come up with a way that suits his terms."
Proteus smiled lightly and shrugged. "That's up to you. I've told you everything I know about it."
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Post by skybright on Nov 13, 2006 0:04:35 GMT -5
Daws looked thoughtful. "Well, if we are gonna do this, we're gonna need a lot more in the way of intelligence on this gallery. I wouldn't say no to more knowledge of how Tiernan's goons are going to go about hitting it, either."
She shrugged. "And Saturday's not that far off, so we're gonna have to come to a decision --and come up with a plan -- pretty quick."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 13, 2006 0:12:04 GMT -5
"I'll be going back to Tiernan Enterprises," Proteus said. "I'll keep my ears open for any word about when and how--but you know how guarded Nocturne has been lately."
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Post by skybright on Nov 13, 2006 0:15:47 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Guarded enough that we're lucky enough to know that much." She replied. "Thanks to you, that is."
She shrugged. "Well, as to information on the gallery, I can have Jai round that up -- he's been getting bored anyhow, and some floor plans and security info shouldn't be too tough for him to dig up."
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