Sterne greets the others and looking toward Napalm with some confusion he says
what message? I have not heard from Trysst since the train wreck. I have been tying up some loose ends in work, clearing my schedule.
What’s going on? he asks
"Oh, she called saying..." Lucas trails off and he clicks a few things on the computer and hits a couples keys. "That's weird. Someone used an administrative account to access my computer."
Lucas pulls up his testing reports and data to look for anything which might be missing or changed. He runs a continuity check on several files.
Sterne looks over at Napalm waiting for him to finish his sentence but it soon becomes apparent that his train of thought has been lost as the discovery that his computer has been accessed has clearly upset him.
Napalm? What did Trysst say in her message? Sterne prompts him but again no answer is forthcoming as he begins to tap more and more rapidly at his keyboard and Sterne can see the concern etched on his face
Napalm, what’s wrong? Tell us what is going on so we can help
"What's been going on here?" Akio speaks up as Sterne and Lucas start to act distressed. He then moves around to look at the screen Lucas is wilding typing at.
"It's all f!!%ing gone!" Lucas growls. "All the data I had on the chemical is gone! It looks like a normal remote access update, but someone's deleted all the files I had."
He looks up at Sterne. "Trystt called, saying that she had talked to Midnight. Midnight said to get the vial out of SHIELD and that it was dangerous. Maybe she wasn't meaning the vial itself, but that people here might be looking for it." He walks over to examine the vial, and looks to figure out how to rig up a portable cooling unit to try and keep the chemical at a constant temperature.
"Napalm, you told SHIELD everything that happened, right?" Spore asks.
"Who would be looking for it? SHIELD is supposed to be well-defended from the outside, right?" Spore asks.
"Napalm, you told SHIELD everything that happened, right?" Spore asks.
Within about 20 minutes Lucas is able to rig up a carry-case for the vial from a refrigerated box similar to those used to transport organs. He doesn't know if any damage to the compound is irreversible, but he certainly doesn't want to make it worse.
"Napalm, you told SHIELD everything that happened, right?" Spore asks.
"Um...I didn't exactly have time to write a full report..." Lucas looks regretful, but not ashamed as he pulls the vial and places it in the refrigerated case.
"Ok, where are we going when he get out of here?"
"Um...I didn't exactly have time to write a full report..."
Sterne observes the evasive nature of Napalms answer and wonders at its meaning.
Did they not trust SHIELD? Understandable given the recent history but also puzzling given the fact they were now a part of SHIELD and were working under their purview.He could see Napalm was ok with his decision to keep SHIELD out of the loop for now but obviously their operation had not gone unnoticed.
Daredevil said to trust no one. I can see that you don’t fully trust SHIELD, or else you would have briefed them on what happened. Sterne says as he looks around the group someone at SHIELD obviously has an interest in what we have been doing and they went to the trouble of erasing the files , question is what are they going to erase Next? he says bluntly and it is obvious by his tone what he means.
They were all loose ends now and the way he saw it they may all be in danger.
I can’t imagine they are going to let us walk out of here with the vial
or even walk out at all he thinks to himself
Lucas shakes his head. "I bet it's a small infiltration, otherwise they would have arrested us coming in. If we go quickly, we might slip out. But we don't know who we can trust."
"Let's get out now then, and talk on the way. Trystt is at a park in Hell's Kitchen near where Midnight wants to meet."
wait , before we leave we may be able to learn something. Napalm, I know you said I shouldn’t use my powers but they may reveal who accessed your computer.
Would they have had to physically use your computer? Or could they get access via the network? Sterne asks as Napalm continues to ready his portable chiller.
I don’t know any of the people here but you do Napalm, let me try something...it will seem confusing, overwhelming even but concentrate. Focus on your lab and your computer don’t let yourself drift.
Trust me Sterne says with a smile and standing behind him he places his hands on either side of Napalms head and focusing his mind he floods Napalm with a kaleidoscope of images, a multitude of scenes from the recent past suddenly fill the scientists mind .
focus Napalm
Aiko seems lost in thought rubbing the back of his head he turns and points as Lucus. "This isn't good. Let's just think a moment, if you didn't report it then who did you tell about the Vial Lucus? There's a very small group of people that know about it." He then looks to Stern. "If you think you can get any information, let's do it quick. I don't want to keep Trystt out there on her own, we can only trust our group no one else. Spore keep an eye on the door, also maybe Spore should look after the vial too."
Both Napalm and Sterne see flashed images of people coming and going into the lab, overheard conversations about last night's game, the latest episode of America's Got Talent, what Kathy is Finance was wearing to work the other day (very inappropriate) and a hundred other snatched mundane work conversations. But nothing useful about this particular event.
Napam hasn't been secretive about his recent work, but people have definitely noticed he is preoccupied and cranky at best so they have left him more or less to himself. He has a level of authority where he can work on his own projects without too much interference, so it's possible no one - other the regular chem staff at least - knows he has even been working on the vial.
An uncomfortable thought comes to mind... you know someone who may just know something about this chemical compound. If world-reknown biomolecular chemist and mutant expert Moira Mctaggert can't work out what it is then no-one can.
Whether that is a scab you want to pick at is another matter
After Sterne uses his power, he stands frustrated and seemingly lost in thought. To some of you, he looks quite uncomfortable.
Dropping his hands Sterne Stands staring into the distance, for a few moments he is lost in thought as his mind searches for a solution to their problems and an uncomfortable idea begins to surface.
Shaking his head in frustration his eyes suddenly focus.
nothing, nothing of any use anyway. Damn it. he says before turning to the others
we are no closer to finding out what that vial contains and now we have someone trying to erase all the evidence of its existence.
We need to get out of here now, let’s go meet Trysst and discuss our next move.
He says quickly , feeling an urgent need to get out of the SHIELD building as fast as possible.
With the carry-case in tow, the group make their way out of SHIELD HQ.
Using a dozen or so small vines, Spore pulls out his newly-replaced phone and quickly texts Trystt not to come inside, and to meet them instead at a coffee shop nearby with nice planters on their patio and good sunlight. "This way," he points.
"Let's get Trystt, then decide what to do."
Lucas looks over Spore's arm at the text from Trystt. "What if it's a trap? What if someone got hold of Midnight or at least her phone? We could be delivering the vial right into their hands."
Skip stands perfectly still as he listens and thinks over an idea. "Let's hide it or at least have a decoy with us to pass it off. I still don't feel comfortable just walking around with that even before Trystt told us it's bad. We got the from that train Dr Doom didn't want us getting that." Nodding to himself. "But no matter what, we have to meet up with Trystt and we have to be at this meeting, even if it's a trap."
With the delicious smells of baked bread and cheese in your noses, you meet to discuss the next steps.
Spore gives Trystt a big hug when they arrive, and from the genuine smile on her face he can tell she's not been kidnapped, captured, or anything of the like.
"Oh, good," he rumbles. "We were worried someone might have come for you. Napalm was being watched at...work..."
As they approach the four storey white stucco building, Sterne glances around at the strange looking group and shrugs. They were bound to draw attention to themselves wherever they went.
Stepping inside his senses were assailed by the smells from the kitchen and he found his stomach rumbling.
Moving to the counter he pulled out a couple of bills
can I get a couple of slices of pepperoni and a coke he says and with his order swiftly filled he scanned the restaurant for Trysst, Spore had already found her and he couldn’t miss the seven foot tall alien hugging her in the corner.
grab yourselves something, Trysst is over there in the corner he says and makes his way over to her
it’s good to see you againTrysst, we have a lot to catch up on he says as he joins her and Spore
I wasn’t sure if you wanted anything Spore...I mean, do you eat regular food? he asks the huge plant like alien before he briefly tells Trysst about Napalms research being erased at SHIELD.
Trysst, when you heard from Midnight , Did she seem herself? Was she worried about anything? What exactly did she say to you? The others are worried that meeting up with her tonight may be a trap he says to Trysst as he begins to eat.
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Trystt barely wipes her hands on a napkin before jumping up into Spore’s hug. ”Nope, just me,” she manages through a mouthful of food. After swallowing, she says, ”Good to see you, Big Guy. You didn’t hurt Ebon too badly, did you? Grab a slice, guys.” On the table is a pile of napkins, a smartphone, a deck of cards being used to play solitaire, a large soda, and two plates; one has a couple of slices on it while the other holds a bewildering number of pizza crusts for one slight young woman.
Trystt listens to the update, tearing into a slice of pepperoni and sausage as she does. ”Normal enough, given that it’s Midnight. She just said to take it away from SHIELD and to meet her, that was it. She didn’t ask us to bring it, that seems like a good sign.”
Lucas sits in front of Trystt and stares the the small woman's plates. He looks back at his own slices of pepperoni and meatball, then just shakes his head. He takes a bite of the pizza and then starts to talk with his mouth full. He stops, proceeding to chew for several second and then swallow before continuing.
"Did she say it was dangerous? I don't know where we would stash it while we met with her, but that does sound like a better idea, just in case. Someone at SHIELD accessed my computer and deleted all the files from the tests I had run. Not certain why, but we got out of there with it quickly." He takes another bite, losing some pepperoni to the plate.
Ebon pizza place and waves to Trystt bowing to her. "It's good to see you it would have been nice to have you spar with us but Spore went easy enough on me and healed me up good enough." He smiles. "I think I'll just get a salad." He says plainly as he looks over all the greasy pizza. Grabbing a small bow, he sits down with the rest of them and listens in.
"Well the safest place is with us, but I don't like the idea of us taking it to the meeting and maybe into the hands of whoever got on to your computer. Maybe we can trust Maggie? She has to be the only one outside of our group that would understand all this and we can trust." He says looking to Lucas.
finishing the slice he was eating Sterne wipes his mouth on a napkin and balling it up he tosses it onto the pile of crusts created by Tryssts seemingly endless appetite.
....she has to be the only one outside our group that would understand all this, and that we can trust...
He turns Ebony words around in his mind again and agin and every time he comes back to the same thought he had back in Napalms lab after he opened his mind up to the Psychic resonances that lay there and he knew it was the right answer, maybe the only answer and one that took him back to a difficult time in his life when his powers were first emerging.
there is someone else we can trust, someone outside our group he says hesitating slightly if anyone can tell us what the hell is in that vial then this person can.
Have any of you ever heard of Doctor Moira MacTaggert?
aside from her work with .....people like us he says avoiding the term “mutant”. It was a word he disliked intensely, he saw it as a derogatory term that was most often used as an insult to those with abilities
she is arguably one of the best biomolecular-chemists in the world. If not the best. Sterne says in response to Trysst she may be able to tell us what is in that vial, give us some idea what we are dealing with. If I were to reach out to her, ask for her help I’m sure she wouldn’t refuse he says
"None for me, thanks," Spore says, turning down the offers of food, but grabbing a water and pouring it over himself. Rather than soul down onto the floor, all of it was absorbed into his body as he let out a refreshing sigh.
"I don't know about MacTaggert, but we shouldn't forget Midnight. Trystt wasn't kidnapped, and I don't think she was either. And she might know something."
Finishing up his salad Akio ponders, distracted for a moment when Spore takes a drink. "This is beyond me, I won't be any help in figuring out what this vial is but the Hand is apart of this and that's why I need to know whats going on. If this MacTaggert can help then yes I think you should get in contact, but let's not give out too much information."
"Don't worry Spore. I haven't forgotten about Midnight, we will be at that meeting she has something for us and being as lost as we are right now we need all the help we can get."
"Sterne, if you know Moira McTaggert, that would be a great help. She's one of the best in her field and has real experience with mutant genomes, so if its anything like that she would be the one to turn to. But Spore is right, we have to see what Midnight knows first."