[D2, MN] Telling Stories Out Of School

[Uri-el]

An angel is a messenger--just ask your local Greek-speaker--and so the most natural thing in the world for Uri-el to do after being invited to a secret meeting with a criminal organization by someone likely also part of a criminal organization is to tell the universe about it. Really, he ought to be given credit for showing some restraint and limiting it to a few souls and a fair distance from the ubiquitous cameras of the bunkhouse/tv set.

He stood, smoldering, at the edge of a pond a fair distance into the refuge and looked at himself in the water, pondering tomorrow's adventure.

[Iris Pythia]

Iris arrives a little later, chugging an energy drink with a sweater half hanging off her.

"Yo Malik, never thought you'd be for all this secret squirrel stuff."
She yawns.

"You seem to be burning a little hotter than usual."
Idly she scans the area, then the wider area and then finally the greater area just in case anyone or anything was trying to listen in.

[Bee Haw]

Bea had returned safely from other adventures, finished conversations with those co-adventurers, and then found Malik's note.

Well, of course she was curious was the angel had to say. You always listened when an angel spoke!

"Malik, good to see you again. I hope the day is treating you well."

"And, hello there," she added to the woman. She recalled her from contestant announcement meetings. Had they been introduced yet? "I'm Bea. Bea Hawkins. Also sometimes called Bee Haw. From Oklahoma."

[Iris Pythia]

"And, hello there," she added to the woman. She recalled her from contestant announcement meetings. Had they been introduced yet? "I'm Bea. Bea Hawkins. Also sometimes called Bee Haw. From Oklahoma."

"Oh, the honey Bea. Your name came up over some snacking. All good stuff."
Iris chugs back another half the bottle and waves.

"I'm Iris Pythia, from Delphi. Which I guess is like Greece's Oklahoma."

[Uri-el]

"Secret...squirrel?" Malik allowed the comfort of confusion to wash over him. "I am not aware of this reference. But I am glad that you two have the opportunity to meet. It is good that those who are serious about doing what is right work together."

[Bee Haw]

Bea nodded.

"I trust you Ur-iel. I saw for myself how much good you did last night. How much you prioritized the lives of the people in danger. I still worry there are more bombs. More trouble. I wish we'd been able to catch Steel Mosha. I have learned a little more about Brass Orchid business in the city. She works for them - a triat involved in drugs and other black market activity."

[Uri-el]

Malik considered that for a moment. "Today, I met a woman. Zara. At the site of our attack, Bea. She was investigating on behalf of another organization, one she refused to name, but given her elite-supremacist turns of phrase, we can at least derive its nature.

"Using her abilities, or perhaps passing on information she already knew from other sources, she was able to tell me that the bomb that leveled the building had been delivered some days prior to the explosion by Vandelay Couriers.

"She also informed me that the lady that led the attack--Steel Mosha?--was a "baseline cyborg" working for the Brass Orchid. She claims that the Brass Orchid seeks to claim Elite abilities for baseline people through technology.

She also mentioned that they are assholes. I suppose that I shall find out, as she and I are to meet them tomorrow."

[Bee Haw]

"Oh! That's good information. Couldn't we investigate Vandeley Courtiers? Were any other packages delivered for the same account? That is concerning that there might be other bombs out there. Waiting to be detonated. How can we keep the community most safe?"

"That's right that Steel Mosha was working for the Brass Orchid. They are a Chinese-originating triat, involved in drugs and other black market goods. That makes sense that they have a cyborg component. I saw some tech goods at their black market earlier tonight. They also deal in weapons and exotic animals. Poor animals."

"Brass Orchid has elite members. They had a guard that had blood powers - magical or psychic in nature, if I had to guess. Her attack caused a person's eyes to bleed. And she tasted the blood, like it gave her some further power."

"You are attending a meeting with them?" She looked surprised by that. But probably a much wiser route to gather information.

"Be careful. They do not hesitate to use violence. To kill. The local Brass Orchid are on edge because the son of a bigwig in Shanghai is here. Wah Shen. That he makes them nervous is interesting. I'm not sure if he is their ally or enemy or superior? He was at the black market and went into an extremely extra well guarded space called the Champagne Room, which looked like it connected to a warehouse sized space."

[Iris Pythia]

Several eyes open across Iris' head as she cocks it.

"Wait, this sounds totally different to my bombing and my attack. We're after some nepo-baby warlord called Nuani Kagumbo. Don't think Chinese organised crime or anything is involved. These sounds like bad dudes, but seperate groups of bad dudes, unless there's anything linking the two?"

She looks between the other elites.

"I mean, happy to help on both. But it's Nuani I really want."

[Bee Haw]

Bea was getting used to seeing Iris' many eyes.

"Your powers are sight related. You can see in many directions and places simultaneously?" Like her?

"It does seem like the two events are unrelated. I don't know what happened at the waterfront beyond the horrifying loss of life. Can you tell us more about what happened there?"

"Where we were ... it was two gangs fighting. Steel Mosha was helping a gang who did jobs for the Brass Orchid. It seems totally unrelated. Beyond maybe the chance the enemies coordinated? Knowing Tsehay Moqe could only be in one place at a time?"

"I have not heard the name of that warlord before. Did you have any sense of what they wanted? They just started killing people?"

[Iris Pythia]

"Umm yeah I have true sight, I can see pretty much anything that's not blocked by the curvature of the earth. But I'm working on that. It's a gift, but you know, pros and cons. It can be a lot."

With a slight smile.

"But I still wonder out at night to help fight when I should be listening to a horrendous audio-book, I'm just great like that."

At Bea's prompting Iris shares what had happened on her end, that a remote suite had teleported in, apparently hunting for Frankie under the direction of Nuani Kagumbo, an elite warlord, mercenary company director and probable terrorist. When the suit's communications had been disabled by Thousand Miles and Babble it had self-destructed and taken civilians with it.

Iris expression turns more and more painfully neutral as she continues.

"I suppose the gangs and Nuani could have worked together. Ugggh, I'm going to have to go into the city and spy on folks. I hate doing that."

[Uri-el]

Malik chuckled. "At least you have the option." He looked down at himself. "I could not even look over a crime scene without drawing a lot of attention. And it is entirely my intention to assist you with this warlord in return. It seems like that is more within my skill set. And perhaps we will discover a connection. Certainly that was a concern of Zara's."

"I was wondering, though, whether there is anyone we trust to mount an intervention if these people intend to kill or kidnap me at this meeting. They'd need to be able to cover ground rapidly, because we cannot risk tipping the meeting into a confrontation if there is a chance to get legitimate information."

[Bee Haw]

Bea looked worried.

"The Brass Orchid are looking for Frankie and possibly me. One of their guards realized there was at least one bee watching what was going on at the black market and had them on alert for bees."

"Frankie can teleport. She was checking something out but supposed to meet us back here, in the kitchen. She hadn't gotten back by the time I left to meet you."

"I'm really hopeful she's sitting there chomping on chili as we talk. But if we don't see her when we get back... We need to figure out where she is before your meeting. And you need to be prepared that they might ask about her. Let's hope and pray they are still looking. Because I can't even imagine the alternative."

Frankie had to be alright. She had to be. Lord, watch over her. Bring her home!!!!

"And, yeah, we need to figure out how to protect you and be ready to act if anything happens to you. I'd have offered to watch over you bee-style, but I think that would cause too much trouble now. Put you in more danger, rather than less. But maybe Iris can watch the meeting at a distance?"

[Iris Pythia]

“Well I can’t swoop in and save you in. At least, not quickly. I suppose I could run in and fight my way up but…”

Iris shrugs.

“But overwatch, that I can do. Any funny business and I can get the signal out to you, Bea or any other backup.”

[Uri-el]

"Has anyone...tried to figure out what happened to Frankie? Also, are there other Elites here that we trust?"

[Iris Pythia]

"I haven't wanted to pry. It feels like it was something...existential? But that's kind of her business."
Iris makes a 'Frankie'll tell us if it's important' motion with her shoulders.

"Lots of the elites in the competition seem fine. And obviously I trust my family, but I'd rather not bring them in on this unless you all want a lot of lectures about sitting back and letting someone else handle it."

[Uri-el]

"But we think she is safe, then. Not in any real danger."