July 22, 2018:
On the hunt for another Genoshan Scientist, Lorna, Logan, and Esme find one at a bar.. it's all too easy..
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
The day was cool, and damp for summer with on and off rain. The afternoon, into evening left the roads humid and packed with evening traffic. But in this suburban strip of bars, restaurants, and small businesses, the traffic was the kind meant for those seeking shelter from the chance of rain. Lorna pulled the borrowed car into a parking slot, glancing back at Logan and Esme. She'd dyed her green hair black, done up her makeup and donned a low cut shirt.
"Rogue and I were out earlier staking out where this guy hung out, we didn't have a home address, but a work address. Finally found out the guy likes to hit the bar here every night after work. Name is Doctor Allen Sales. Middle-aged, Genoshan Scientist. He worked particularly in the mutate conditioning facility, and has been hired by some rather vaguely connect government contractors. Officially in research and development there. Hopefully, with Esme along and I we can get him out of the bar and can go from there." She arched a brow, passing the paper notes back to the others in the car.
"I figure you wouldn't mind playing back up while we're inside. This guy is a piece of work.." All of them were, but this guy in particular was known for being nasty. For having the money to pay his way to the US and the know-how to get a job.
That said, Lorna waited a beat to see how the other two handled the plan, or the rough idea of a plan. Before she made to get out of the car and head toward the bar.
*
"That's not a problem." Esme is dressed today in a white fitted jacket and deep blue formal trouser. She's also wearing a pair of simple matching wrist length gloves, which she is adjusting now. The blonde has done her hair in ringlets and carefully touched up her blue eyes to look a little wider, lips painted a vibrant red. She's eye-catching in a way that distracts from her actual features, which really might be the point. She eyes the rear view mirror briefly and then scans the notes over briefly before moving to climb out of the car.
"We can try getting him outside willingly but I can make him if I have to," the young telepath murmurs in a matter-of-factly ominous tone. "Your play, Lorna. I've got your back no matter what goes down. All we need now is to pick our mark." The way Esme talks might be a strong reminder of the fact she's probably the least scrupulous of the fabulous five.
*
Logan sits deeply in the back seat, his short stature making him look even smaller as he rests against the car door with an unlit cigar resting in his mouth. He spared the others the torment of having to smell the horrible stench. Thankfully they've arrived and he won't have to suffer through not smoking for much longer.
Reaching up, he takes the papers passed back from the front seat and gives them a quick skim, his trained eyes picking out the most important bits of information. He certainly does seem 'nasty' but Logan's nastier. R&D, eh? Probably just tryin' to make a longer lastin' light bulb.
Nodding up at Lorna, he lays the papers on the center console and pushes the door open. Rising from the back seat, he cocks his head to the side, causing several metallic 'clunks' as his spine pops in a few places. Producing a lighter, he glances over at the others as he lights his cigar, "I'll be out here if ya need me." Wearing his usual lumberjack-like attire, him going in with these two all dressed up like they are would make this operation go a little less smoothly. He offered to be Lorna's backup when she needed it, so that's what he's here for.
*
The bar was large for the area, grey wall paint lined in coal and large tvs hung over the bar-top. There were booths along the walls, and plenty of smoothly polished wooden tables throughout. It wasn't packed, but neither was it empty. Plenty of locals filtered in to get out of the rain and enjoy the bar's newest releases of drinks on tap. The rich scent of food wafted out from the kitchens and followed waitresses out into the main room.
The man in question, Allen Sales, was alone at a table. Still dressed in work slacks and a button up shirt. His tie was off, and he was alone. His meal mostly consumed, and an empty glass whisked away and replaced by one of the servers. The booth directly beside him was empty, and where Lorna slid into place. A plastered smile remained fixed on her expression as she picked up a menu a server dropped off.
Lorna made a point of hmm'ing and haw'ing over her menu before she leaned over toward Doctor Sales. "Hey, could you help us? We're having trouble deciding whether the welsh ale is any good.." She glanced toward Esme, hoping the telepath would be up for nudging the man if her flirtation didn't work.
Neither had to worry, the man was a lonely figure, a man that worked on hatred alone didn't have many friends. Much less dates after having fled from Genosha to the US. Doctor Sales, a middle-aged man was a slight build, with curly black hair and was clean shaven. He wasn't handsome, but neither was he particularly unattractive. Average. Brown eyes lifted to land on Lorna and then to Esme with a raised brow. "Depends on what you ladies like.." He left it hanging.
*
Esme is busy watching the entire room, casting her gaze over everyone in the room with a critical eye. She's idly checking people's thoughts as she checks the room.
I need another drink. If I leave now I'll have to listen to my wife scream because I went out tonight.
I wonder if the bartender's single.
Who are those girls who just came in? They're really cute.
I hate numbers. There are, like, too many of 'em and stuff. *hic*
There's a brief pause afterward and Esme finally settles her eyes on Doctor Sales, a brow arching as she studies him. She flashes a bright smile. "I mean. We haven't really done this that often. But we were looking for a couple of pointers, maybe…?" Rather than give the man a chance to dissent she gives him a small nudge to make him 'suggestible'. Despite any common sense.
Esme doesn't break his brain. Yet.
*
The hairy runt of a man is content to hang out near the car, puffing away at his cigar. The scents of the various types of booze inside start to make his mouth water. After all, he's gone about 3 hours without a beer. A throaty grunt erupts from his chest as he puffs on his cigar, rolling it idly between his fingers as his eyes peer through a set of windows. He has positioned himself so that he can keep a rough eye on the ladies in case things go south. Wouldn't be bothered if they did, either.
*
Doctor Sales looked at the two pretty girls, and the slight nudge of confidence was written off as intoxication, and he even got up as Lorna scooted over and settled into the booth after patting the seat beside her. Green eyes flickered toward Esme, a lipsticked smile tugging at her lips as she pointed toward the menu. Lorna tapped a few drinks asking inane questions. The waitress came over, and orders were made.
Apparently the two girls, plus drinks made Doctor Sales a bragging man, as he asked the waitress to close the two women's tabs and put it on his own. "I get bank, working for the government contractors, great benefits you know." He sipped at a dark brown ale, well on his way to getting drunk at this point.
"Really, wow, government job? Must be pretty hard.." Lorna gabbed and fluttered her eyelashes, leaning toward the former Genoshan. Her wedding ring carefully tucked away. It was clear by his thoughts, that he was interested in one or both of the lovely ladies, without much nudging by Esme. He wanted a hook up. He was lonely, wealthy, and wanting to get drunk.
It would be easy to get him to leave with both girls. Even as the staff dropped off more drinks and food.
*
"You must be really important," Esme enthuses, with a knowing glance at Lorna as she does. The girl idly bites her bottom lip and reaches for one of the man's hands. Forwardly, yes; even too forward, if she hadn't already read his mind. Fingers creep up the inside of his left arm as she shifts a little closer, ending up with a knee against a seat on the booth.
"This place is kind of dingy. Do you want to go somewhere a little nicer. Maybe even your place?" She almost purrs those words, blue eyes meeting the Doctor's. Gold digging is a universally accepted motive for a pretty young woman to hit on an older man. He seems to be welcoming the attention, so why try to hide it?
Now that they are close, Esme decides to take a plunge and see just what is in his head. What he's done, what he aims to do in the future… Why Lorna wants him dead. Already half drunk, she expects him to be an easy mark as she gently tugs him from his seat. With her free hand the blonde reaches over and steals his drink away from him to sip on it herself.
*
Logan's eyes survey the street outside the bar, idly watching the passers by going here and there, all the while keeping his senses trained on the bar and what he can hear and smell inside. He can just make out the drunken-acting dialogue between his partners and the scientist. Knowing the situation, he feels sorry for the man almost.
Returning his eyes to the bar's window, he sees Esme pouring it on thick now. He'd venture a guess to say that she could have him eating out of the palm of her hand at this point. It's enough to tug the corner of his mouth into a slight grin. He's gonna be in for a rude awakening pretty soon.
*
Perhaps it was all too easy, as he turned brown eyes on Esme and grinned. He seemed relaxed as he waved over a waitress, waving a credit card and slung an arm around Lorna's shoulder. "Oh, I'm just the head of my department. We're working with live test subjects, top secret stuff." His department was working on bringing his work from Genosha to the United States and selling it.
Mutant conditioning. Chemically neutered men and women. Powers on demand for the government powers that be. The collars were seen as fallible by his department and the contractors were working quickly to develop more permanent ways to answer the mutant question. "I'd love to ladies, I think my place would be just perfect.."
The bill paid, he leaned closer to Lorna, the black haired woman had to swallow her disgust as she smiled up at him. She was in the process of getting up when something hard was shoved up against her ribs. Doctor Sales wasn't as drunk as he'd projected, and he knew exactly who Lorna was.. dye job or not. A plastic and ceramic gun was shoved up against her side as he held her close. His voice low as he smiled sharply at Esme.
"We're going to leave and head to my car, your friend here is going to come along with me and you, blondie, I assume are one of them? You're going to come along, no sudden movements, or I blow a hole in her ribs."
*
Esme frowns faintly as she is scanning, trying to find some of the information that she was looking for in the man's mind. She pressed just a little harder. Delicately. He was resisting passively, which made sense given his occupation, and she iddn't want to warn him there was a telepath here…
Then the other shoe dropped. Esme let out a soft gasp and her eyes darted aabout, then downward. The man threatened Lorna nad she nodded quickly, staring at him. She wasn't going to do anything that would make him shoot her friend.
Mentally, however, Esme reached out to Lorna quietly, linking their minds. <If he shoots can you take him at this distance?>
Logan, for now, will have to observe, but the abject panic on the blonde's features would be a good tell as they were being led outside and toward the doctor's car.
Meanwhile, Esme nodded quickly. "Don't shoot. I'll come… .No sudden movements. Um. Should I put my hands up…?"
*
The Wolverine doesn't have to be a psychic to know what's going on. This particular scientist seems a little more capable than the first one. Good. Makes it more fun when they try to be clever.
Casually taking a long drag from his cigar, Logan follows the movements of the two ladies and their companion for as long as he can through the small windows until he loses sight of them. He continues walking around the building until he can get a clear view of the door. This one seems adept. He knows what he's doing. And the fact that Lorna's not hurling knives from the adjacent tables at him must mean she's compromised.
Logan leans against the outside wall of the bar just around the corner of the door and kicks a foot up, resting it on the brick exterior, and continues to enjoy his cigar. He lets his ears and nose keep track of the scientist and the girls.
*
Doctor Sales did have training against telepaths, given his job it was hardly a surprise. Deeper probes were likely to have issues, and Esme could feel the mental strength beyond the surface thoughts. He'd recognized Lorna from the start, and the ease with which he'd moved over to the girl's tables had all been his ploy. The gun? It wasn't a normal gun, loaded as it was without a hint of metal on it. The man had lost his home to Magneto and the X-men. He'd learned and studied the man and his family.. which meant Lorna Dane and her public images from Genosha.
Given that other scientists had been slowly targeted over the last few months, both by Logan and Lorna and the Brotherhood.. the man hadn't been slack in protecting his own life.
"You try to so much as make a piece of metal twitch and I'll pull the trigger." He hissed into her ear as the group made their way out of the bar and into the rain slick streets. He pushed and guided the two women down the street, right passed the corner where Logan sat.
*
Lorna for her part was stringing together mental curses, her green eyes narrowed as she held herself stiff in the man's grip. <Not likely. It's not metal at all. I can't block it. What about his mind? Can you shut him down? Where's Logan? Give him an update. We'll need him to act fast.>
<I can shut him down, but he's - strong. I can't promise he won't get a shot off before he goes down. Logan's… Coming.>
Just to be safe, Esme does extend a thought out toward Logan. Finding a familiar mind that isn't hiding from her is as easy as breathing. She could do it if he were a mile away. <Gun. No metal. I'll distract him. Pretty please could you tear out his throat? Thanks, you're the best.>
Esme doesn't even expect a response. Logan can draw his own conclusions. Instead, she continues to play along with their captor as they move toward the vehicle. She makes sure to walk to Sales' left, her slender frame between Logan and the Doctor. She can always step aside at the last instant, but it gives him a screen for his movements, if he wants to use it.
"W-where are we going?" Esme splashes as she walks right through a couple puddles, ruining her boots. Wolverine had better appreciate the effort she's putting in.
*
If Doctor Sales had glanced over as he rounded the corner he would've seen a man casually smoking a cigar leaning up against the building. He may very well have recognized him as the Wolverine, given his height and build. And hair. But fortunately, Esme's efforts were not in vain and she kept him distracted. As soon as they make it past Logan, he shoves off the wall and follows along behind with a deceptive stealth for a man of his stature.
It would be simple to take the man's arm off with his claws and be done with it, but hiding the fact that mutants are involved makes it a little less easy. A cut through bone that clean would raise suspicion and could implicate him. Instead, as he approaches from behind he speaks out, "'scuse me, bub." He reaches out to grab the man's forearm and jerk it in his direction, away from Lorna's ribs as quickly as possible. His intention is to spin the man around to face him. At the same time he brings his other fist up, swinging it at the side of the man's head. He's going for the disarm and the knockout. As much as he wants to stuff his claws in the man's face, he digs up every ounce of self control and manages to keep the claws sheathed. For now.
*
It was a good thing that Logan was there, Lorna and Esme could likely protect themselves, but it would be messy. It would be hard and at the end of the day, it might've drawn more attention than Logan's quick, silent, method. Doctor Sales was ripped from his grip on Lorna, his gaze aimed at Esme as she splashed through puddles and stuttered over her words. His car was merely a few yards away.
His focus was there. Not on Wolverine as the man yanked his arms away, twisted him around and knocked him out. It happened in the blink of an eye, a gurgled sound of surprise and the man dropped cleanly and completely.
Lorna exhaled a breath of relief, staggering as she dropped to pick up the nonmagnetic gun and click the safety on. The gun had been 3D printed. Untraceable. And entirely made of plastic with ceramic rounds. "He suspected we'd be coming after him Logan.." She licked her lips, tucking the gun away into her back pocket. Green eyes moved toward Esme. "We might be able to get around killing him if you don't mind breaking his mind.. though, I guess that leaves it open for other telepaths to pick up on what we've done.." She murmured, and kicked at the fallen man for good measure. Pig.
*
"Are we really worried about other telepaths? It's assholes like this guy we're hiding this from, right?" Esme studies the unconscious man for a moment, taking a deep breath. Her panicked expression is replaced with a cool, calculating one in an instant, revealing her ruse all at once. How much of her concern was feigned is unclear but the blonde is obviously in control now.
"We could always have it both ways. Make him kill himself, leave a note confessing to some of his crimes?" The woman tilts her head slightly to the left. "Telepaths can't read the dead." She starts to remove her left hand glove as blue eyes shift to meet Lorna's green ones.
*
When the man drops to the ground after having an adamantium-laced fist smash into the side of his head, Logan takes a step back and watches Lorna handle his weapon. He sure as hell was prepared for her. Not so much for Esme or Logan.
The cigar still in his mouth, Logan considers Lorna's revelation thoughtfully. "Sounds like word's gettin' out about our little plan." His eyes scan the parking lot before he crouches down to grab the man by his collar and lift him up to a standing position. They need to get him out of here before anyone sees and starts asking questions or gets a good look at them.
Logan fishes through the man's pockets for his keys and presses the unlock button until the car in front of them beeps. "We need to get him outta here sooner rather than later." He tugs open the back seat and effectively tosses the man inside. Resting his arm across the top of the car, he peers over at Lorna and Esme, "Who wants to ride in the back with 'im?"
*
Lorna exhaled a breath, glancing to Logan. "It's possible, or he's you know, paranoid. The Brotherhood has been targeting a few of the former Genoshans. It's not a secret that the twins are Magneto's kids these days. Or that I am. Public information all found on the internet. And people know what my powers are, being that.. well, they're Magneto's.." She muttered, her lips twisting as she waved her hand and the car started up.
"I'll ride in the back with him. Should we take him out of the city, or raid his place? One of these guys has to bring work home with him. There has to be something we can get off them." She griped, sliding into the back seat. The man liked his cars. It was older, an antique. That meant more iron and steel in the body. As Lorna got into the back seat, the seat belt wrapped tightly around the fallen man by the buckle. If he managed to wake up, he wasn't going anywhere.
Green eyes glanced toward Esme, "Is it any easier to go through his head while he's knocked out?"
*
"Usually. It depends on just how good he is at this. But now that he isn't shooting anyone… We don't need him intact afterward, right?" Esme affects a carefully neutral tone as she reaches out a hand to stop Lorna. "Skin contact helps. Let me ride in the back… I'll start with finding his place. He was trying to pick up girls, no one will even think it's weird that we're there. We should have plenty of time. Unless someone's expecting to hear from him…? Well. We'll find out, I guess. Keep Logan company, I might be a bit distracted."
This would be why Esme bared her left hand, apparently. She plants it on Doctor Sales' shoulder. "We're going to become friends."