Sure, it was just another day at Piassa Square, but when both Samantha and Marcus showed up, it was a sign that they needed to meet in one of the back rooms.

It was just after six in the evening and business was steady.  The slow influx of new students was becoming a rising tide and it was clear that Cythi would need to hire more people.  It wouldn't be a real problem, given that she actually paid a fair wage, and there were always going to be students in the area.  The benefits of being right near an urban college.

Samantha and Marcus sat together near the back, well away from the main door, and talked while Marcus seemed utterly distracted by his phone.

Eventually, Stitches sauntered in, glanced down at Marcus and sniffed with feigned disdain, then shrugged and--literally--sashayed away.



--
OOC:

Samantha Swan
PI. former Seattle PD, the one who got you all together initially for the first Exalt drug-bust.  It's still her thing.

Marcus Cleverley
Freelance inventor, technologist and roboticist, disciple of Carter Wilson.  probably the inheritor of the VIGIL suit and persona, though this hasn't been made official...  He'll be your tech guy, riffing off of the "Colossus" character that had been talked about earlier on.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:14, Mon 02 May 2022.

Samantha was looking relatively presentable today.   She wore a pair of not-quite-too-tight blue jeans and an over-sized shirt that looked like it might've been more appropriate for Punching Bag.  At five foot four, she was practically swimming in the shirt.  The sleeves rolled up to her elbows still drooped.

When Stitches sauntered by, she cocked an eyebrow and stifled a laugh, then nodded and followed the vibrant showman down the hallway that led to the washrooms and the kitchen and staff area.

Beyond the kitchen, beyond the office, a plain blue door led to the shared spaces for the businesses in Piassa Square.   It had a combined Office Center and a board-room.  It even had a formal reception-desk, though there was nobody manning the desk and the entrance foyer had been locked and chained for months.

Blue and green tile gave it the feel of a much more opulent place than the square really was.  Large blue-glazed clay planters lined the four columns--two on each side partially hiding he various doorways that led into and out of the foyer.

Stitches led them into the boardroom, a fairly simple affair, but kept clean and neat and definitely professional.  Despite his personal presentation, he had a good eye for interiors and presentation.

"They got the call." Stitches said with a bit of a drawl.  "Give 'em a li'l bit an' they'll come running.   Getcha anythin while you wait?"

"Nah." Marcus said,  he barely looked up from his phone, though he did manage to take a gulp of the Mocha Cappucino. "But we got work to do.  Tell them to hurry!"

Marcus wasn't the most patient of people in the first place.  And his people skills weren't the best, but what he could do with the Internet of Things, well... it was a fine line that blurred between technology and super-powers where he was involved.  He never quite came out and said whether what he did was strictly one or the other.

Stitches nodded to Marcus before pulling out his cellphone and sending out a quick text to the team. The manager then retrieved some cold bottles of water from the mini fridge in the corner and set them out at the empty seats. About a minute later, their first team member arrived.

Kevin navigated the hallways to arrive at the conference room. He came dressed for hero stuff in durable blue shorts, mixed martial arts gloves, and a metal mask that looked like it had taken a few hits. Kevin took his seat at the table and took his mask off to enjoy the cold water. “Well I was starting to get bored anyways. Can’t wait to see what the mission is this time.”

Cythi was due to the increase of business actually helping out in the cafe and dressed as a coffee barrista for the shop which came with kitty ears and kitty cat aprons. There were multiple type and both male and female aprons and ears.  Cythi would probably be earning more money from the cafe but her insistence on it being fair.

Actually she had been running an interview up to this point but being the person takes lost causes in has already decided to give this person a second chance.  Thankfully though it was setup for a paid trial run with the other people to make sure they were a good fit and it was done by vote of the other staff.

It was then that Cythi sits down with the rest, "Sorry about the delays."  She says pulling up a chair but before sitting, "Does anyone need anything?"  She says holding a tray of drinks and goodies including the specialty cat shaped doughnuts.

"Are those doughnuts?" Angel asked as she walked in, taking a bite out of one without waiting for an answer, grabbing a coffee in her other hand and took a seat. She took a long sip and gave Cythi a thank you nod."Mmmm... random, my favorite flavor."

She looked at Marcus, "I'm going to assume you didn't call us here just for free refreshments, tasty as they may be."

Marie would walk in eventually, mostly because she would not be caught off work in that in-her-own-mind gawd awful cat getup that Cythi makes her wear while she's working in the cafe. Thankfully Cythi let her rent one of the apartments above. So she quickly made her way upstairs, changed, and back downstairs towards the meeting room. "Random is not a flavor." She stated, emotionlessly, as she walked into the room overhearing Angel.

She offered Samantha the rarest of smiles, before it disappeared from her face as quickly as it was there. That emotionless demeanor she is known for returning. "I wager something happened someplace and they are here to have us clean up the garbage." She said, deadpan as usual adjusting her wrap around sunglasses.

Marcus grinned at Gagamba, looking entirely too smug. "I'm sure it's pure coincidence that we came to you.  Nothing to do whatsoever with some of the best sugary comestibles on the west coast.  I assure you.  Supercharging the physique of a Greek God takes time and effort and lots--lots of sugary comestibles."

Marcus weighed maybe a hundred and ten pounds when soaking wet.  If he was Greek God, he was maybe Dionysius, God of wine and food.  But Marcus wasn't really the partying type.

In reply to Marie (msg # 10):

"Hah." Samantha grunted at Marie's observation.  "You sound like a tenured cop."  She reached out and took one of the coffees, debated about a doughnut, but thought better of it.

Virginia arrives having come from her apartment only a block away. She is in her own world with ear buds in, listening to music. At first she did not really acknowledge anyone else in the room, so engrossed she was. But suddenly her demeanor changed which meant the song must have ended. She pulled out her ear buds and said, "Hi everyone! Is this a meeting meeting or something more serious? Like trying a new doughnut flavor?"

She eyed the food tray but passed.

Kevin partook of a donut and drank some of the coffee. “Meeting meeting I believe. A possible chance to stretch our legs.”

"But she's not wrong."  Marcus murmured to Samantha, about Marie's comment.

Then he Waved at Virginia and lay his phone down on the table.  "Carter and I have been working on an algorithm to cross-reference what we know--and what local law enforcement knows about Exalt movement.   It kicked out three points of interest.

Before we go report to Chief Best, we need you to investigate.  I don't want to be on the hook for sending an armed STAR team to an empty warehouse because the data was wrong."

--
OOC: Chief of Police, Carmen Best

She looked towards Samantha. "I'd say 'no I'm a mind reader' but I did not need to read your mind to figure this one out. If it was just you, or him, it likely would be just a check-up to see how we're doing. But both? Yeah, something is happening. Remember, I was in a gang." She stated, flatly.

Then she listened to Marcus. "Called it." Came again that emotionless tone. "You basically want us to go into the warehouse and see what we can find."

Mission 1: Too Close To The Sun
"First off, University of Washington.  Notable because they're not covered by Seattle PD, but by it's own police department.  UW Police have had a dozen reports of what one of their spokesmen called, a notable trend of sudden stupidity" He made little air-quotes to emphasize his words.

"We're not just talking about regular college hijinx.  Y'know, kids too drunk to do their homework or putting a prof's car on the roof of a building."  Marcus said.  "We're talking about a three-hundred percent increase in motor-vehicle accidents, and a massive uptrend in drug-related incidents. UWP is swamped.

"Three people were treated for hypothermia last week, after being trapped in a walk-in cooler.  They forgot that there was an emergency release inside.    A young lady--a psychology postgrad--jumped from a third storey window while wearing paper-mache wings.  She's lucky she only broker her legs.  Things like this are happening way beyond statistical baselines.  I can set up a meeting with UW Police, our Lady Icarus wannabe, whoever you need."

Useful maps: <a href="https://www.washington.edu/maps/#!/sca">https://www.washington.edu/maps/#!/sca</a>


Mission 2: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Second point of interest might be a bit more difficult to track down.  Seahurst Park is a beautiful woodlands area.  But there've been a dramatic increase in local animal wildlife acting outside of normal.  Like, coyote attacks in broad daylight weird.

Seattle PD arrested Jack Watts, a low-level dealer two days ago.  He operated in the general area.  He's sitting in a cell waiting on arraignment, which should be day after tomorrow.  Archie thinks the wildlife going crazy in Seahurt is connected to Watts.



And then, the mystery mission.  Marcus said.  "I feel bad even bringing this to you guys.  But here we go...  Sam?"

Mission 3: Mob Mentality

Samantha let out a slight sigh.  "SO, one of the guys you tagged a few months back.  Andrei Semenov.  He's out on bail.  One of SPD's undercover guy tagged him going into the Arctic Club.  Now this is way beyond Semenov's pay-grade.  He's just not that high up the food chain.

There's stories that the Hells Angels is running a prostitution ring out of Arctic Club, the Lotte and one or two other hotels around Pioneer Square.     My contract didn't go into details because they're watching to bust the ring.  But Marcus thingie rates a high probability that this might have direct ties.

"Should be pretty straight forward.  Boots on the ground, talk to people..  Not looking for a fight, but if it goes that way, you do what you have to do.  I can help "

"We." Samantha said. "We can help."

"None of these are threat-level red."  Samantha said.  "But getting some good, solid intelligence to Chief Best will seriously help your credibility and respect from the boys in blue."

"As if I could ever get credibility and respect from the police." She said in that deadpan tone as she looked towards Samantha. "Most of the girls that get caught up in these prostitution rings are young girls picked up off the streets that have no homes, no lives, no place to go, and no one that cares about them. Then they get themselves so far buried into them, they cannot get out. The only other option is gangs which is only a hairline better, because at least in a gang you form a brother and sisterhood." She continued emotionlessly. "If we can help close this thing down, and help some of those girls into better lives, I'm game."

Cythi having missed her chance to speak.  Mind you she did not really have anything to add to the conversation at hand other than, "The doughnuts are supposed are really good.  A salted caramel type.  I even risked the pain to try one but that is besides the point."

She says sitting down and listening to the rest.

"If it comes down to the vote I think I like the one that Samantha Suggested as well."

"Hmmm. I will help with whatever the team decides but I find the University of Washington the most odd of the reports. Prostitution and bikers pimping? Some would call that entrepreneurship. Is that what heroes need to do? Is that not more for local police and social services? Animals attacking? That could be a family of rabid raccoons spreading disease. Call animal control. But a large number of students doing bizarre things? That sounds like malicious villain work to me. Maybe tainted drugs, fake exalt, or cloned chemicals damaging their minds? Maybe someone is selling experimental exalt derivatives." It was the 'mind altering' effects that intrigued her most. She immediately suspected Psydney but would not say it for fear of appearing paranoid. She was paranoid of course.

"Personally, the university sounds like someone with my type of abilities playing games. They want to control people to make them do things, or forget things, and are getting off on a power trip." She stated, flatly. "I am for doing them both to be honest."

"Yeah, I grant you that none of them scream 'oh my god! Exalt!'  But Archie's in the early stages of development.  When we get this bad boy up and going with the right data feeds, we'll be able work magic."  He offered a slow self-deprecating shrug.  "Or, y'know, at least convince Chief Best to give me full access to the crimecast databases."

Kevin listened to the options before giving his opinion. “We don’t all have to go on the same mission. In fact, everybody going might be overkill considering what we are capable of. I would like to propose this plan based on our abilities and those interested in the specific missions. Marie and Virginia take the University case. With Marie’s mental skills and Virginia’s charm, they should be able to gain access to the campus and sniff out any telepathic stuff no problem. Next, would be Cythi, Angel, and Stitches in the armored car to the Hell’s Angels case. Via headset and cameras, Stitches will be able to gather information on the individual girls involved as well as the records of the members of Hell’s Angels. Also having two beautiful girls approach them may allow them an in and come across as defenseless and non-threatening. Stitches being in the car also gives a protective escape vehicle if there are ladies that have to be rescued. Trust me, the car can take a beating and keep on going. As for me, I’ll be the floater on the wildlife case. I can handle any dangerous animals that might show up cranked on Exalt. But this leaves me free to drop the mission to assist one of the other two groups quickly if backup is needed. Thoughts?”

Stitches was sipping his coffee and half chokes when Kevin volunteers him for one of the missions. *cough hack cough* “Sure thing champ. I’m the best in the biz when it comes to finding out info. Got plenty of contacts from when we would be on wrestling tours. At least you didn’t tell me to walk up like I was a pimp. I might be too convincing haha. I’ll definitely stay in the car and keep the engine running.”

"The wildlife thing could be another mental thing too, something specific that only controls animals." She said tapping her chin in thought at Punching Bag's suggestion for how to handle things.

"Okay, I am fine with this. Under this condition...  In any of you suspect mental abilities are being used where you are call me. I can tell you if they are or are not before you even go in." She explained. "Remember, I can sense the use of mental powers around me. It's always going...it's why my eyes are always glowing, and why I wear these." She said tapping the sunglasses on her face.

[OOC: I figure by now everyone would know Marie's eyes always have a soft glow about them. The more of her power she's using, the brighter they glow.]

"I am good with whatever is decided.  I think it might be better we do one at a time but if we split up that is fine too."  Cythi offers not really minding and happy she is on the one she wants mainly as it reminds her of that which she hated growing up.

"Going for the trifecta!  All right." Marcus said., swiping his fingers rapidly across the surface of his phone.   "I'll let our SPD and UWPD contacts know you're involved.   "Now, tell me how you want to approach this?"

OOC:
Once Bitten Twice Shy (Seahurst Park) is, on the surface the most boring... go to Seahurt Park and wander around?  Maybe contact Seattle Parks & Rec?

Mob Mentality (The Arctic Club) will want the surveillance team looped in so that if anything goes down they can record and perhaps capture evidence.  There will likely also be concerns about you blowing their operation.

Too Close To The Sun (University of Washington) - UW Police chief will be informed of your presence and investigation.  You can meet with her or talk with "lady Icarus" or anybody you want to...

Either way, it's enough to get me started on building the scenes.

Angel piped in, speaking around another doughnut, "I'm fine with the plan. Maybe I could learn a thing or two watching the master in action." She aimed a quick look at Stiches. "DON'T say it!" the Filipina Phenom warned him.

All joking aside, she was hoping to learn more that would make her a better vigilante, although she preferred the title of hero.

"I like it Marie. If we experience an episode, you can confirm or eliminate meta influence. We should meet with the University of Washington police first. It would be best if they were aware of our presence should anything occur. Maybe they can hook us up with some student i.d.s, library cards, and a parking permit. That way we can blend in. What do you think about Lady Icarus? As good a place to start as any I believe."

Virginia was secretly stoked to have the mind powers detector with her!

She looked towards Virginia, and nodded in agreeance with her. "Alright, sounds good. Not that I'll have much issue blending in though. I'm barely out of high school. You though." Was that a bit of teasing, or? Bit hard to tell with that deadpan tone.

Kevin finished his coffee and a doughnut. “Good. We’re all in agreement then. Stitches can reach out and make contact with the various agencies while we get ready. I’ll make sure to have a ranger with me giving the lay of the land.”

At this point Cythi mostly listens as her skills or knowledges were not that useful.  "I am good with however we all want to do this.  If you think I would be a better fit somewhere else I will also accept that."   She offers even as she continues to feel stoked at this adventure that is about to unfold.