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Post by skybright on Jan 4, 2007 22:50:31 GMT -5
The icy blonde receptionist named Tanith was on duty when Daws arrived at Tiernan Enterprises, and after the usual brusque exchange she waved Daws towards the elevators and went back to filing her nails.
Daws made her way to Tiernan's office and removed her fedora as she entered. "Morning, Mister Tiernan."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 4, 2007 23:09:19 GMT -5
Tiernan did not turn from gazing out the heavily tinted windows as Daws entered. He was standing with arms folded, scowling out in the general direction of Spooktown.
"Did you deliver my message to the Spooks?" he asked brusquely, without preamble.
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Post by skybright on Jan 4, 2007 23:22:17 GMT -5
"I did." Daws lied glibly, "Thought I'd let you know their reply."
She frowned. "I wasn't the only messenger the Spooks had last night -- someone got there before me, with a message from that King of theirs. He wrote to tell 'em he'd be 'away for a time' -- didn't say where, but my guess is holed up somewhere with your escapee."
Daws shrugged. "Far as I can tell, it was on the level -- the Spook I talked to had the written message on him, and he didn't seem happy about it, either. Once I told 'em you're after the shapeshifter and Vance, he sent for a couple of Spooks to start lookin'. Said to tell you they might need a couple days to try tracking him down."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 4, 2007 23:32:06 GMT -5
Tiernan turned slowly, with a grudging, black-tempered expression.
"Hmm. I didn't expect the shapeshifter to have the foresight to go into hiding." He moved to his desk and sat down. "Finding him is the new top priority, Miss Dawson. As long as he didn't interfere with my plans, I didn't care whether he existed or not, but now... As you can imagine, someone with the ability to impersonate me could do almost anything. I want him taken before he has a chance--preferably alive long enough to tell me where Vance is, but taken, in any way possible.
"Tell the Spooks I want to hear something definite from them in two days. Otherwise..." He spread his hands almost casually. "We'll find out if the rumors are true, and their welfare is the one thing most important to their so-called king."
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Post by skybright on Jan 4, 2007 23:41:56 GMT -5
Daws nodded slowly. "And supposing they can't turn him up -- supposing he's split for good? I mean," she shrugged, "Guy who can look like anybody doesn't necessarily have to go back to Spooktown."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 4, 2007 23:48:55 GMT -5
Tiernan's eyes darkened slightly. "Let's just say that the Spooks had best hope that the rumors are true. That will be all, Miss Dawson."
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Post by skybright on Jan 4, 2007 23:55:24 GMT -5
Daws settled her fedora back on her head. "Understood, Mister Tiernan. You'll hear from me."
She bit back on a growl of frustration and made her way out of the Tiernan building and back to the car where Handy and Sid were waiting. "Tiernan's still not happy." She announced gloomily as she entered the car. "And I don't think he's gonna settle for Proteus just being a permanent missing person, either."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 0:06:52 GMT -5
"If I knew somebody could waltz inta the Paragon lookin' like me an' just give any old orders, I wouldn't be too happy either," Sid conceded gruffly. "Anyway, we're still stuck for what to do about it."
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 0:09:14 GMT -5
"Yeah." Daws sighed and shrugged. "Well, I guess the next thing to do is to hit Spooktown and see if we can't at least get them to behave sensibly for a couple days."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 21:36:03 GMT -5
"Lotsa luck," Handy muttered, starting the engine of the car.
A few minutes later, the three of them were approaching Spooktown. The customary sentry, Sham, stepped forward to meet them.
"Back again, huh?" He gave Sid a suspiciously appraising glance, and apparently decided to ignore him, turning back to Daws. "You got us another message from Proteus?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 21:47:10 GMT -5
"Somethin' like that." Daws replied.
She shrugged, trying to keep her tone neutral. "Proteus has gotten himself mixed up in some brewing trouble. I've got a message from Nicholas Tiernan -- and it's not particularly a friendly one -- but I've also got some ideas about how to avoid that trouble, if you all are willing to hear me out."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 22:19:22 GMT -5
Sham's expression, which had never been particularly friendly to begin with, darkened a little more.
"What's the idea here? If Proteus is in trouble..."
"He isn't yet, an' whether he stays safe is up ta you mooks," Sid retorted.
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warnin'. We want him safe just as much as you do."
A tense moment passed. Then Sham folded his arms and scowled. "Okay, so lay it all out."
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 22:29:28 GMT -5
Daws sighed and spread her hands. "It's like this. Proteus threw in his lot with us to spring a friend of ours from Tiernan's custody. Now Tiernan's up in arms about it. He sent me to tell you all to give up Proteus -- or else to face Tiernan's retribution."
She frowned. "When Proteus heard about that he was all in favor of marching out and turning himself in -- to protect all of you. Our idea is to keep that from happening -- to trick Tiernan into thinking that Proteus is dead, so it'll be safe for him -- and you -- to go back to livin' your regular lives. But our bunch can't do that alone."
Daws pushed her fedora back. "Look, I know you an' me didn't start off on the best terms and probably won't end on 'em either. But if this mess is going to end with Proteus and all the rest of your people safe from Tiernan," she shrugged, "Then we're gonna need your help."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 22:44:55 GMT -5
Sham's expression had grown even blacker as Daws spoke.
"Proteus shoulda thrown you people outta here the first day you showed up." He gave a growl of anger. "Well, genius, what's your plan? Talk fast--before I go to the others and we figure our own way of dealin' with this."
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 22:53:52 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Me and mine know from experience that Tiernan won't just accept a missing person without a body -- otherwise Proteus could just come back here and lay low and this whole mess would clear up.
"Our idea is this -- to substitute another body in Proteus' place, make it look like he kept whatever form it was he died in, and offer that to Tiernan as 'proof' that Proteus isn't a threat to him anymore."
She crossed her arms. "The thing is -- you and the other Spooks would have to play along with the scheme, and make it pretty darned convincing. And you'd have to make it clear to Tiernan that you aren't giving up the 'body' -- that you've got your own law for burying your dead or something to that effect.
"Once he buys it -- then Proteus can come back. You all can let it circulate that you've set yourself up with a new 'King' to replace Proteus," Daws shrugged, "And we can go back to dislikin' each other from a healthy distance."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 23:03:57 GMT -5
Sham digested the idea for a long moment.
"I was wrong. Proteus shouldn'ta thrown you out--he shoulda fed you to Tiernan." Sham dropped his hands to his sides. "Has Proteus okayed this plan of yours?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 23:09:29 GMT -5
"He gave me free reign to try and come up with somethin' -- so long as it didn't involve anybody getting hurt." Daws replied. It wasn't precisely the truth -- but it would do for the time being.
She shrugged. "Come down to it, we don't think we'd even have to use a corpse -- I got a friend who can go into a trance-state that's close enough to death for our purposes."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 23:16:55 GMT -5
Sham snorted. "You're deluded if you think Tiernan'd let the body go without making sure it's dead. For that matter, he'll probably wanna do all kinds of tests on it."
"I told ya that," Handy muttered to Daws, half under his breath.
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Post by skybright on Jan 5, 2007 23:27:00 GMT -5
"Not helping." Daws murmured back, without taking her gaze off of Sham.
She raised her voice back to a normal level, still trying to sound neutral and confident. "Given the right job of makeup, on a body with a pulse of one beat every five minutes or so -- and even Tiernan'll have to believe his own eyes.
"As for the tests," She shrugged, "Like I said, that's where we're gonna need your help. I don't think even Tiernan would wanna face all of Spooktown one-on-one for something like an obviously-dead corpse."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 5, 2007 23:36:58 GMT -5
"Just how long have you been workin' for him?" Sham jeered. "You think he doesn't know about mutants that can fake death? And sure, we could put on an act to try to convince him it's Proteus--but he'd expect that too."
He waved his hand before Daws could protest further. "I wanna talk it over with the others. We got a deadline from Tiernan?"
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