Kestrel just rolls her eyes, "Look at all the capes we've got here - you want it more secure by getting rid of the heroes?!"
The man looks at Tabula Rosa for a moment, like of all the questions he was expecting to have to answer, that had not been one he expected.
Badge reads
A.R.G.U.S. Field Agent
Name: Cash, Johnny
Agent #: 007
Hair: Silky
Eyes: Gorgeous
And around the logo instead of reading Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans it reads:
It doesn't matter what this says because they won't get a good look at it.
When Kestrel speaks up he seems to snap out of his brief surprise and tries to act confident.
"I'm afriad that's classfied, need to know and all that."
He answers Rosa then looks at Kestrel.
"Heroes? I don't see Supes or the bat, no Wonder Woman. Not even a Flash or Arrow. Why don't you run along, somewhere a HOA is missing their neighborhood watch."
"I really don't see why you're so hostile to us. We're offering to help, and your attitude isn't very cooperative. I'm going to go look at some evidence, and when I get back I expect an apology."
TR then turns and walks into the jewelry store.
Kestrel's eyes sparkle in amusement before immediately turning affronted and intense.
"I don't think I like your attitude Agent Cash. We were specifically directed here with the full cooperation of local authorities exactly because of suspected meta-activity, and you're here to stymie us? You know, that strikes me as suspicious! What do you think would happen if we took your malfeasance to your superiors. If even 007 is implicated, how high does this conspiracy go?!"
|
The man-in-black opens his mouth to reply when someone loudly clears their throat. The woman never raises her voice or sounds angry, but there it is definitely a stern and commanding undertone.
”Yes Agent Cash, what would your superiors think.”
At the tone and inflection of the voice the man stops, tensing for a moment before smiling and turning to face her. The woman it dressed in a simple, but flattering, naval blue suit of her own. Her arms are crossed as she tilts her head slightly waiting for an answer.
”Agent Rothman.” He says cheerfully. ”There you are. I was just having a little fun.”
Agent Rothman’s eyebrows furrow and she sighs. Dropping her arms she walks purposefully over to the man and pokes a finger his chest. ”What have I told you about this?”
”What? I think I look good in black.” He tries to quip but the stern look she shoots him cuts him off and he visibly leans back a bit and takes a half-step back, raising his hands in defensive placation.
Agent Rothman doesn’t give though and steps forward, keeping her finger in his chest, as she emphasizes his name. ”Mr. Moore, you do remember the rules we laid down before we left California. Or, do I need to include impersonating a federal agent when I file my report? ”
The look on Leon’s face is clearly worried. ”Come on now, Sarah“ Something in the woman’s eyes flickers and he quickly corrects himself. ”I mean, Agent Rothman, I was just teasing the benchwarmers. You know, killing time till we meet up with the League members I’ll be joining up with.”
Agent Rothman takes a step back and crosses her arms again. This time it was her turn to smile like she was in on a joke Leon wasn’t, and he recognizes that look.
”What?” He asks, but when the agent just smirks and says nothing Leon’s own smile fades.
”No.” Leon doesn’t sound like he believes what he’s thinking, or more like he doesn’t want to. He looks around at the others, then looks back at her. ”No. You can’t be serious.”
Agent Rothman quirks an eyebrow and Leon takes her by the elbow and leads her away a bit.
”We had a deal. I would go clean and your bosses would get me work under League supervision.” He says.
”The ‘deal’ was you would serve a work release parole with League supervision and regular reports to your liaison agent. These ‘benchwarmers’ as you refer to them are designated representatives of the League in these parts.” She corrects him with a smirk.
Agent Rothman steps away from Leon and approaches Straightjacket and MINOTAR. As the two have been part of the League’s presence in the area the longest she assumes one of them to be the designated ‘leader’.
”Pardon me gentlemen, my name is Agent Rothman.” She shows them a real and very official ID.
”I am have orders to deliver Mr. Moore here to your supervision. On behalf of myself and ARGUS, I apologize for his behavior so far. I’m sure he will not cause further trouble from now on.”
Meanwhile, Leon looks back at Kestrel and Rosa and forces a smile. ”Well, that was a good laugh, wasn’t it.” He rubs his hands together and tries to sound nonchalant. ”So, what have we found?”
Reentering the establishment after direction from the true agent, MINOTAR nods to her.
"Affirmative agreement and speculation: Thank you Agent Rothman. May I ask who...or what this Leon Moore is? I have searched my full memory, and do not find any mention to us of him by the League. Does he have an alias or official League 'Designation' that I would be more familiar with? Or should I perform a full memory scan for anomalies and possible de-fragmentation of data? I was recently rendered inert for the first time in my short life-span, and it could have affected my memory array or the data in it in some unknown way."
Coldwar follows Agent Rothman back to the group. "Wait. He isn't an agent. You are? And you're only here to deliver him, presumably a criminal, if he is on a work release parole? So now, we're jailers, as well as detectives? This just keeps getting better."
He creates an ice sculpture of a lounge chair and sits down. "This is when, Nightwing finds a clue. Who's our detective here?"
TR returns to the group and starts to speak, then clears his throat and gives Leon an expectant look.
"Supervision? We have to babysit? Great. "
Then in response to Leo, "Clue? Don't look at me, I'm clueless. "
Agent Rothman shakes her head as she walks with the others.
”Leon Moore, sometimes called ‘the Paper’ by various news sources. He was a small time thief.”
Leon pointedly ignores Tabula Rosa not in the mood to offer an apology right now. He gives the agent an offended look but she ignores it.
”But Mr. Moore has proven helpful and cooperative, to a point. As such a deal was reached and his prior public record has been sealed. The League may still have a copy, but as long as he remains cooperative it shouldn’t be an issue.”
She regards Coldwar and Straightjacket. ”Ex-criminal. And think of yourselves as role-models. Setting a wayward soul on the right path.”
Leon rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything.
Agent Rothman checks her watch. ”I can’t stay much longer. Did you have any other questions?”
Leon moves through the shop looking at the emptied cases. ”Hmm. Quick, efficient, clean. Nice work.” He says absentmindedly. ”Not too smart thought. Unless they already have a buyer ready, it’ll take too long to off load everything. Way too much attention as well.”
Leon looks around at others. ”Did they clean out the back too? What about the safe?”
"Thief? Perfect timing. We don't need a detective on the team. We have a professional. Carry on Mr. Moore." Coldwar crosses his arms across his organic ice chest and watches the Paper follow the clues.
Looking at the footage pointed out by Kestrel, MINOTAR begins wondering aloud.
"Query: Is the 'powered' individual using some form of camouflage or invisibility then? Mental powers would not affect a video camera and the glass of the case would not block much...except holograms? Light effects? Could someone like....accessing memory files... Mirror Master be involved? A lot of jewelry cases are lined with mirrors to reflect the light on the products inside. And invisibility is in his wheel-house of powers I would assume."
"It looks like everything that was taken had diamonds on it; it's possible that they were taken for something other than money, given how worthless diamonds are." TR then shakes his head with a look on his face that says where did that come from?
Leon narrows his eyes and looks closer at the cases. Moving around the counter he tries to open one, to see if it's still locked.
After that he heads toward the door to the back of the shop and tries to open it.
"Wait worthless? Diamonds were expensive on my world. Is that another opposite value, like the nature of good and evil? Are diamonds connected to good and evil?" Coldwar reacts to Tab's connects and starts down a philosophical rabbit hole.
"Not sure what he's talking about. They are plenty expensive in this world. I see the commercials all the time and the prices ain't low. "
”Oh, they’re still advertised heavily, but the actual value of the has dropped in recent years. Their value has always been artificially inflated to being with. What people are paying for is just just a shiny status symbol.” Leon remarks off handed as he tries the door to the back of the shop.
”Well then, since my work here is done, I’ll take my leave.” Agent Rothman pulls a card from her pocket and pass it to MINOTAR. ”My contact information in case you need it.”
Turning to leave she pauses at the door and looks back at Leon. ”Play nice with others Mr. Moore.”
Leon stops and gives her smile that quickly turns into a playful grin and gives her a bow. ”As you wish, Buttercup.”
Agent Rothman rolls her eyes, but a smile touch’s the corner of her mouth and she shakes her head. ”Inconceivable.” She chuckles as she walks down the sidewalk to a grey sedan with government plates.
Obviously relieved to be of use, MINOTAR begins to explain.
Because the arrangement of atoms in diamond is extremely rigid, few types of impurity can contaminate it (two exceptions being boron and nitrogen). Small numbers of defects or impurities (about one per million of lattice atoms) color diamond blue (boron), yellow (nitrogen), brown (defects), green (radiation exposure), purple, pink, orange or red. Diamond also has relatively high optical dispersion (ability to disperse light of different colors).
Most natural diamonds have ages between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years. Most were formed at depths between 150 and 250 kilometres (93 and 155 mi) in the Earth's mantle, although a few have come from as deep as 800 kilometres (500 mi). Under high pressure and temperature, carbon-containing fluids dissolved minerals and replaced them with diamonds. Much more recently (tens to hundreds of million years ago), they were carried to the surface in volcanic eruptions and deposited in igneous rocks known as kimberlites and lamproites.
Synthetic diamonds can be grown from high-purity carbon under high pressures and temperatures or from hydrocarbon gas by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Imitation diamonds can also be made out of materials such as cubic zirconia and silicon carbide. Natural, synthetic and imitation diamonds are most commonly distinguished using optical techniques or thermal conductivity measurements.
On this Earth Diamonds are valuable commodities. The most familiar uses of diamonds today are as gemstones used for adornment, and as industrial abrasives for cutting hard materials. The markets for gem-grade and industrial-grade diamonds value diamonds differently."
As MINOTAUR drones on about facts, Straightjacket's eyes glaze over.
"Diamonds only have value because a handful of companies say they're valuable."
"Can we get a list of the suppliers and contractors who have had access to the store?"
"Hey Straightjacket. Does your Dad see anything fishy around here?" Coldwar asks waiting for the new guy to find a lead.
"What? Dad? Oh, um, I can ask, but I don't know that he can see anything I can't. "
"Sure, I'll poke around. "
and his father will move around in his incorporeal state. Perhaps there are tunnels which nobody else has detected.
Leon just stares at MINOTAR as the machine man rambles on about diamonds.
”Sooo…, does the speak-n-spell do that often? Is there a setting to turn it off, like Siri or something?”
He glances around at the others, settling on Coldwar as he asked Straightjacket if his father can help and chuckles, not knowing about the man’s ghostly helper.
”Gonna call your old man for help? Anyone got an Aunt or cousin they want to call while we're at it?” He chuckles again. ”Either way, it would have taken more then simple invisibility. Everything ‘s still locked, the thief would have to be able to ghost through the cases or maybe reach through space somehow.”
Ignoring Leon's comments, MINOTAR files away the interaction for review later.
"Statement: From the specific security footage that was uncovered the suspect's hands seemed to appear inside the cases themselves. So at least partial travel between space/distance, or even time, would be suggested here. Again, something definitely a known ability of Mirror Master or someone of similar power capability. Request: Please check with Argus on the current known location, if any, of Mirror Master...AKA: Evan McCulloch as I understand it...or anyone else who can shift themselves through space at least partially. I think you can exclude the Martian Manhunter and other similar known heroes in this search for now."
"Can't the....what's his name....the Quicksilver run fast enough to run through things?"
Coldwar reacts to the Paper's flip comment. "His father's a ghost, jack@ss. Which appears to be the M.O. of the thief. You got better lead yet, thief?"
Straightjacket bristles at the mockery.
He walks over to Leon, while growing to full height.
"Buddy, I didn't volunteer to babysit you, but I sure am willing to administer discipline which seems to be needed if you don't shut your worthless pie hole. "
"How about everyone calm down a little? There really is no need for hostility, regardless of some people's rather rude behavior."
MINOTAR stares at the group...recording everything for 'posterity.'
Leon stares at Coldwar for a moment before Straightjacket steps up to him. He looks up at the man and cocks an eyebrow.
”Well now, I guess you all aren’t complete push overs.” With a bit of a smirk. ”You can calm yourself there, Stretch. Your friend’s right, there’s no need for me to be hostile, even if you are being rude.”
He looks over at MINOTAR. ”Sorry Hal, I’m not an ARGUS agent remember, I can’t help you there. You got the League contacts, they can probably get that info for you. But if you’re already checking the tape from last night, you might wanna see if the shop has tapes from the days prior. Our perp might have cased the shop before hitting it. Maybe he got himself caught on camera.” Leon shrugs.
"I'm being rude?!? In the interest of the image of the League I won't smash you flat here, but don't run your mouth in a dark alley chum. "
"Are you both children? Do I need to spank you and tell you to behave?"
"Or are you professionals?"
Straightjacket just walks out.
"I think Encylopedia Bot over there has it right."
Kestrel looks up blandly at Leon, Sraightjacket, and Leo. "Sorry, we're at least pretending to solve this thing, right?"
"On the footage you can see a disembodied hand grabbing the jewels. Mirror Master'd be my first bet too, especially since variable density's not exactly child's play even for those who do have the power set. Odds are this is an established rogue."
Turning to Kestrel, MINOTAR asks her a question in a calm manner, his eyes glowing red-orange.
"Query: Is this a 'squabble?' My interactions within the League thus far have not had this kind of fallout with any previous member. It makes no sense one 'simple' person can cause all of this delay and contention among us? It is also obvious this 'Leon' has inadequacy and narcissistic issues that have nothing to do with us. Why do you all allow his words to cause distress or anger when a thief is getting away with his crime?"
He then pauses, unmoving as long as it takes, until Kestrel forms a reply.
"Yeah. This is why it's easier to fly solo tbh. Hopefully though, once everyone's figured out they don't need to prove whose is biggest things'll calm down a bit."
"So I haven't had a chance to see the video yet. Which case was the hand seen in, and where specifically did it appear in that case?"
Straightjackets dad, when he comes back from investigations (likely found nothing with those numbers will head out looking for his son. He probably missed the whole episode. Straightjacket will just head back to his apartment after finding a good place to head back to civilian garb.
"I think Encylopedia Bot over there has it right."
Leon chuckles and regards MINOTAR when he responds.
”Wow, even C3-PO has some teeth.”"Yeah. This is why it's easier to fly solo tbh.”
”See, she gets it.” Leon walks over to look at the recording himself.
”Even though someone powered did the deed, you shouldn’t rule out all the possibilities. You don’t have a motive. Might wanna check the store’s records. If they were have money problems this could be an insurance scam. Pay someone to rob the place to get the insurance check.”
TR moved over to the case where the arm appeared, took a pen, and tried to push it through the case at the same angle.
Kestrel frowned, unconvinced. "Insurance scams doesn't match the focus on the diamonds as the only goods stolen, and definitely wouldn't mean being worried about avoiding damage to something like the fixtures.
We can check the specific policy, but usually stores have worse coverage against internal theft, so there'd be no motive to pin it on the security guy."
"My money's on a Super Science Gizmo that needs diamonds as fuel."