The Vibranium Brief - Inheritance Gambit

About an hour ago, Kaylee received a message that a certain young man had information for her. A young man she’d met not so many hours ago. Which is why she’s here in The Cattle Car. A reasonable bar / bistro on the Northwest side of Chicago. It’s clean and Justin can get in, but it’s also known to the people she’s called, asking them to meet her there – if they weren’t already there.

The brunette is sitting at table with a good view of the door, visible to any who may walk in. By her hand, on the table, is a glass of beer and there’s a plate of fries in front of her. She’s been eating them.

Jericho has a talent for dressing to match his surroundings. It’s not anything especially ‘powered’ nor the result of any talent more unusual than a good eye for observation and an instinct for blending in. So the person who walks in by the door that Kaylee can see, the man with the grey eyes and nondescript winter clothing won’t get many glances. About the most unusual things about him are a faded ball cap – so faded the log it had if any can no longer be seen – and a dark trench coat which is far from unusual in the Chicago winter.

Kaylee may suspect that there is a slightly more unusual coilgun underneat that trench coat but if so that’d be more based on experience than anything else.

He stops at Kaylee’s table and looks down at her. “What’s all this about now, mmm?”

With a book delivery to a branch further uptown, Ian had decided to clock out early so he wouldn’t have to come back to the library to do so. At least he’s not closing today, and his other tasks have since been completed. He’s due for the early shift tomorrow, of course, but that’s nothing new, and neither is taking books up this way.

He remembers the last time he’d come to this place for a bite. It hadn’t been a fun experience, but there seems no reason not to come by again, and he’s hungry, so there’s that. Stepping inside, he tugs his scarf loose so both ends fall in front of him as he glances around, looking for an empty seat. Instead, the first thing he spies is an all too familiar face. He blinks, as though to make sure he’s not just imagining things. Lips quirking, he lifts a hand to give Kaylee a small wave. His hand sort of pauses in the act as he also finds that he recognizes the person who’s stepped in before him and stops at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent’s table. Joy.

And then, it’s almost like they planned it. Just a moment after Ian enters the bistro and waves hello to Kaylee, the door behind him opens again, and it’s Samantha who’s entered just after the librarian. “Mr. Owenshire, hello. Are you joining us for lunch as well?”

Unlike Jericho’s seemingly effortless blending in to the surroundings, the vintage-ish clothing she insists on wearing makes her stand out a bit. But she doesn’t seem to care. If she’s a distraction to keep others from focusing on Kaylee, she’s okay with that.

Depending on Ian’s reply, she either steps around him to get to her fellow agent’s table, or she walks alongside him to do so.

While all the parties who met young Justin Steele at the library had guessed, by the little gleam in his eye, his questions, his chosen profession– that he might go stick his nose into things…

He’d made no statements that he would. No promises. No offers. He just went and did it, and when he had some results, he did indeed put in the call.

Justin doesn’t drive. He’s spoiled by being able to fly. So he had to get himself a cab, which he did. In the cab, he’d realized just how many twigs and leaves remained in his thick black curls. He had painstakingly plucked most of them out, had run his fingers through his hair in an attempt to look presentable, and had inspected his face. Some scrapes, some bruises from that god awful landing, but nothing too bad. The worst wound is throbbing on his right bicep, just below his shirt sleeve, covered, for the nonce, by his windbreaker. He ignores it; this is important.

He doesn’t expect a crowd, but he gently asks the hostess if Kaylee is already here. When told that she is, he makes his way to the designated location.

He is dressed as before, a kid who never made it out of the all-black phase and who perhaps never will.

When he gets there and realizes there are several other people there his warm brown eyes turn a little uncertain. Mr. Owenshire gets a quicksilver smile and a little wave, as does Kaylee. It’s not so much that he minds sharing the information with others. It’s just that he’s taken off guard. Kaylee at least took him at his word enough to be here, he and Ian have a thing for old-fashioned methods of research that might lend him some credibility, but these others? Especially the somewhat intimidating dude in the faded ball cap? Will they write him off as just a dumb kid?

Well, there is nothing for it but to plunge ahead now that he’s here. He blesses, again, Kevin Steele’s endless insistence on drumming courtesy into his skull, that, at least, may smooth his path here.

He gives the two he does not know a quick, earnest smile, says, “Good evening,” and looks to Kaylee in the hopes that she might introduce him.

“I’m not sure but we’re about to find out.” Kaylee answers Jericho, smirking at a bit at the dark trench coat “Not tan trench coat work, hmmm?” She doubts he’ll get the reference but it brings a small chuckle from her. “This is Justin Steele, an … investigative reporter.” She raises her chin to the dark haired youth who’s just arrived.

Gesturing for them all to sit down. “Agent Samantha Carter, Jericho Trent. Friends of mine.” She introduces the other two to the youth. “Please join us Mister Owenshire, you might find what Mister Steele has to say interesting.”

“I met Mister Steele at Mister Owenshires library earlier today and he showed remarkable interest in helping find out more about … our drug issue. I hadn’t expected to get a call so soon, but … here we. Why don’t you tell us, Justin, what is so important.”

“Investigative reporter? I thought all of those were in New York.” The light teasing is good natured, at least so far as can be told. The man introduced as Jericho Trent nods in greeting to Samantha and Ian – whom he has clearly already met – and finds himself a seat.

One of the advanatages to having a computer in your head is the ability to do things like search ‘Justin Steele’. An investigative reporter probably leaves a decent footprint. There’s no time for a proper hack or a deep dive but if there’s anything particularly outstanding it’ll show up. Probably. Unless he keeps a low profile or otherwise hasn’t been noticed but honestly a lot of people seem driven to shout their every waking thought at social media so it’s usually a pretty safe bet.

What it is in this case remains to be seen.

He still doesn’t know what this is about but that part seems to be forthcoming.

“…Agent Carter,” Ian says, just a beat after Samantha’s question, thoroughly caught off guard. Was it S.H.I.E.L.D. members and associates’ appreciation day at the bistro or something? Of course, his response isn’t a reply, and so he ends up watching as Samantha goes on ahead to join the other two before he starts along after her. He’s actually meaning to head to the counter area as he usually does. Seating for one, and all that, but Kaylee says some interesting things to draw him to a pause by her table, and he turns to glance over his shoulder as she introduces someone else to her friends- someone who’s name is freshly familiar to the librarian.

Brows arching as he sees Justin step on over, he takes in what Kaylee continues to say. A crooked smile is all that holds back the sigh at the confirmation that the young reporter had gone right ahead with digging for more information. Well, it’s not like Ian can say he’s surprised. At least Justin doesn’t look like he’d gotten hurt. Maybe? Hopefully?

Ian waits for the others to be seated before he pulls up a chair for himself. Food will have to wait for the moment, he supposes.

Claiming a seat next to Kaylee by draping her own coat over the back of the chair, Samantha offers the curly-haired young man a smile hello. “Mr. Steele. A pleasure. I am fascinated to hear what what you have potentially found to share with us.” She’d hadn’t really been given any more of an idea what to expect than what Kaylee just said a moment ago, so she’s quite curious. It could prove to be some very useful information.

She also glances toward Ian as he follows her to the table, gestures for him to claim a seat while she sits and returns her attention to Justin.

The joke from Jericho produces a flash of a grin, takes the edge off what the younger man had perceived to be an intimidating air.

As Jericho searches he’ll find Justin’s footprint is small but there. He has done three or four in-depth stories in reputable paying publications, exposes, all on bad people doing bad things. He has a social media profile on several sites; his birthday is on one and that offers up the factoid that he’s just 19. But he doesn’t use the platform like a typical teen. He quite seriously offers links and photos back to his stories and that’s about it.

He also has a blog called The Bird’s Eye View, where the writing and research are of similar quality. It has a modest following.

The real footprint ping might be on several forums, where a few individuals have gone asking other individuals for help, that they need information because they’re in some sort of trouble or are being hurt in some way. From time to time? Someone links them to Steele’s blog, or shoots them Steele’s e-mail address, with very little elaboration. All this within about the past year, but it’s pingable.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir, Ma’am,” Justin says, and sits down. “And it’s nice to see you again, Mr. Owenshire.”

But he wastes no more time, smiling a little when Agent Carter expresses her interest.

He looks frankly around the table and clears his throat, looking for all the world like he’s being called on to give a school presentation. Nevertheless, what he has brought to the table is no crudely done Power Point on the War of 1812.

“I believe I found a smuggled vibranium shipment. The metal I found uh–”

He clears his throat. “It um– smelled like metal touched with sulfur or maybe ozone, if that helps verify that I found myself the right box. I’ve never seen vibranium before. But the way they were acting was pretty suspicious. I’ve more information if that seems right.”

The last thing he wants to do is waste the time of a bunch of important people. He glances at Kaylee, whom he expects would know the properties of vibranium quite well. Granted, he’s never sure how strong smells are to others. She might have to literally be huffing the stuff to know, and that’s probably not happening.

Kaylee starts humming after Jericho’s joke. The theme of a popular cartoon when Jemma was young. Catching herself, she clears her throat and turns her attention to the youth.

“You … ” she wrinkles her forehead at his news “… You … smelt it?” She glances to Jericho and then Sam checking their reactions “Did you see it? And … how?”

It’s certainly of interest to her for various reasons but she never mentioned Vibranium in their discussion earlier today. “I think, you need to explain more.”

She’s already pulling up the properties of Vibranium in her head. The data’s being shared with Jericho. There’s traces of sulphur in the mix, minute – like miniscule amounts.

“Vibranium has been one of the rarest, most controlled metals in the world for over a hundred years.” Jericho doesn’t know every use it’s ever been put to… or even most of them but he knows that it is vanishingly difficult to find. “Did you see it and how large was the shipment?”

He knows someone who will be very interested in that news. Given news they’ve already had, any sighting of actual Vibranium is… big news. Of course, there’s another question to be asked: ‘where’.

No one needs to ask Ian Owenshire how he came to be familiarized with vibranium. That had been a very strange night, and when even his own associates are confused by the outcome, then it was hands-down something that he certainly wouldn’t be able to explain.

Justin’s probably way more interesting by way of what could be found and associated with him over the internet than Ian had been, but even if Ian had the means to, he wouldn’t dig into the reporter’s background. Well. Okay. If he really wanted to, he’d ask Francisco or Four about it, but it’s not something that the librarian wants to make a habit. Besides, he’s more interested in the now rather than the before.

When Justin admits to having possibly found a shipment of vibranium- smuggled, at that- the look Ian gives him is something between concern and surprise. “…if it /is/ vibranium… who was in charge of shipping or receiving it?” That’s not an emphasis to say that he doubts the find, more that given the find, is there anything else to go with that information. Obviously this is big.

Samantha glances back at Kaylee at the mention of ‘smelling’ vibranium, appearing a bit surprised by Justin’s description. She remembers the original stuff, back during the War. She certainly doesn’t remember it having a particular odor. Well, not until after it had been painted and carried through no less than three countries and at least half a dozen Hydra outposts. But that was the smell of paint, gunpowder, the leather of the straps Steve used to carry it, and maybe possibly a tiny hint of Steve himself.

“It was metal, and it was lost when Captain America went down in the Atlantic. But I saw him carry that damned shield through northern Italy, Austria, and Germany. I’ve never been outside of the US. I…”

Samantha seems to take on a thousand-yard stare for a couple of seconds before she blinks a few times quickly and forces her attention back to the others.

“I doubt I can verify vibranium by smell, but I can possibly recognize the frequency at which it resonates.” Of course, that would mean retrieving the stuff. Not exactly a simple task.

How did he smell it? Well, he invited that question, didn’t he? (He might have invited a wholly different one, like ‘how did you find the shipment, but that is the one Justin thinks he’s invited, and latches onto).

The young man looks a trifle embarassed. “Um, well, Ms. Kaylee, same way I can tell you use lavender soap, and that it’s um…Yardley’s? I think? I may be wrong abou the brand. Not Ivory Lavendar anyway. It’s um. It’s part of my uh. My thing. Smelling is. I mean.”

The issue of his senses out of the way, at least to his mind, Justin moves on.

“I did see it, though, yes. They were shipping it in the form of embossed blades. Could have been daggers, could have been swords. I only got a very short look.”

Jericho’s question is addressed next. “They had a single shipping crate. Hang on, my dimensions may be a little off, but um…about maybe yay high?” He gestures on his body. “And about…yay long,” he uses the table here, “more or less the same width.”

He is happy to answer the questions in the order in which they are received, relaxing as they start to request more information. This means they’re not dismissing him, anyway. He’ll let them direct the flow of the conversation rather than going Full Metal Infodump, a thing he is well aware he’s quite prone to.

“I don’t have names,” he tells Ian regretfully. “I have partial descriptions on the smugglers, including one identifying marker, I have the location of the slip where they did a sale tonight, which they um– well they might not use it again, but there might be worthwhile leads. I have a full description of the buyer, the license plate of the vehicle he used, and a lead on a bar where he at least spent some time recently.”

Samantha’s comment makes him grimace. “Crap. I should have thought to really listen to it too. I’m really sorry Ma’am. I guess it is called vibranium. Though I guess if it only makes noise when hit I’d have been out of luck on that anyway…”

He exhales and runs his fingers a bit nervously through his hair. This is definitely the first time he’s ever found himself giving information to SHIELD people, after all.

Kaylee’s eyebrows rise as Justin identifies her body wash. “Yardley, in fact.” Anyone who know what that is, is probably snickering. A good English brand, of course. “That’s an impressive skill but I’m not sure I’d want it in the SHIELD locker rooms….” her eyes dance a little in amusement but she’s soon serious again.

Taking the information on the plate numbers, she shares it with Jericho “I can’t … can you?” she asks the Cyborg. She lacks the connections to the Internet that the Hacker seems to have. Whether he can get any details tonight, remains to be seen.

The I can’t might raise some eyebrows as well.

“What’s this about a bar?” The flyer the youth has is for a bar just inside the South Sprawl – Puzzles – and it’s advertising live music on Friday nights. The LMD biochem shakes her head as she hands the flyer to Sam and Ian – she’s not heard of it, but then …

Jericho frowns. The timeframe and location let him do a quick scrubbing. He raises his arm and there’s a blue glow atop it as a holographic keyboard manifests. His left hand flies over it with practiced ease. That is… beyond what one might expect of even an AR interface and it’s clear even to anyone who is looking through AR – as people often are – that it’s quite ‘real’.

“Right. Plates registered to a WeHaul franchise. Rents out vans all the time. Let me see about…”

A few more taps gets a slight frown. “It was rented out to ‘Logistics Solutions Limited’. Which is a moving company, despite the pretnetious name.” Another few taps. “Hmmmm. They do a lot of jobs in the Far Southeast Side and the South Sprawl.”

Moving things through the Sprawl is dangerous. It’s not a warzone sure but if someone thinks you’re moving something of value there is a non-zero chance of getting robbed or carjacked. Anyone who regularly does movements in it either takes protection or has connections.

Jericho makes a crumpling motion with his hand and tosses toward Samantha and Kaylee. Both get an address that’s for the company offices. It’s a small company according to listings. About 50 employees total.

How exactly Jericho knows gets all of this is not explained. But clearly he’s quite confident in the information.

Samantha looks at the flyer, only taking it in her own hands if no one else does so. After a moment she shakes her head no to Kaylee. “Can’t say I’ve ever been there before. Sorry.” She then listens to Jericho’s explanation about the vehicle whose plates were recorded, and blinks in momentary surprise as the hacker sends the data straight to her brain. She’s … not used to that yet.

She would be extremely curious about how the man is able to glean that much data but, well, She remembers Howard Stark and to a lesser degree Tony Stark. Where there’s a scary amount of intelligence and a way to access the data, there’s little to stop the data from being ferreted out.

“Perhaps someone should pay this moving company a quiet visit?”

Justin is intrigued, but he doesn’t pry. If he’s not ready to give them the full rundown on his gifts yet it’s not fair to start asking a zillion questions about their identities. Besides, they’re taking what he’s done and building on it, and that’s a new experience for him too. He finds a quick-silver grin flashing over his face. “There were five sellers,” he says quietly. “A woman, four men. One of them has some sort of ice shooting power. The buyer had blonde, shaggy hair, about yay tall,” — he hesitates, then feels, he’d better explain, “Give or take. Um. When I’m doing my thing sizes don’t look quite the same to me as they do when I’m not doing my thing. That’s the only drawback, I get a little fuzzy on heights and dimensions.”

When you are rat or bird sized, everything looks mostly huge, after all.

He names the slip number too, and with that, they’ve got everything he’s got. And with that he settles down; he’s not here to interfere with their investigation, after all. He’s here to help. He doesn’t immediately volunteer to go pay the moving company a visit, for example.

Kaylee doesn’t even blink when Jericho does his thing, how much does she of the Hacker? “Two leads into the South Sprawl?” she murmurs. Visiting the moving company might be a good idea. Sam can certainly lead that and get the requisite paperwork to get them access.

“It’s possible this Puzzles is being used as a meeting point. Public enough to not raise questions but private enough to conduct business. It’s a tactic I’ve used before.” She’s good at meeting in coffee shops and the like to pass information, particularly when she thinks she’s being watched.

Oh, well. Jemma was. Therefore Kaylee is.

“I’d suggest we pull the feeds from the slip and review them…” She looks to Jericho at that. Can they? Or rather, he? She can, when she gets back to the headquarters and that will do if he can’t. “… but it’s likely the ones you encountered, Justin are just messengers. Still….”

“Do you think you might work with Agent Carter and get more details on that moving company? Seems like you have a nose for information…” oh she’s so damn funny. “And I think I feel like singing karaoke this friday night….”

“The docks security isn’t as tight as would be convenient. I might be able to composite something that gives a bit more of the picture from delivery drone feeds and auto-car cams but it’ll take time.” That’s tens if not hundreds of thousands of records to sift through and even if he has easy access to them and a program to sift through what he’s looking for it won’t be quick. And odds are good that he’s going to have to go digging for at least some of those video things. Still… one of the nice things about modern Chicagoland is if you’re good with computers you can discover that someone is almost always watching just about everything. Even if they don’t know it.

“I think a bigger question is why a moving company needed to rant a van. It’s possible they just rented the vehicle to keep up with demand. That’s not unheard of, but it’s also exactly the sort of thing you might do if you didn’t want to leave any evidence of illegal activity on your own regularly used fleet. A visit might be wise, just to see if they can tell you anything about it… even if what they tell you and what you find out are two entirely different things.”

Jericho shakes his head slightly and leans back, frowning slightly. Something is… niggling at him. Ah. “How do you know he had ice shooting powers?” Seems like a simple question but the answer might be revealing. Were there tensions? Did the ice powers play into how things were moved around?

With a nods to Kaylee, Samantha accepts the task of checking out the moving company. She’ll see how much SHIELD can acquire through official channels, and the do things a little more personally if need be. She looks at Justin again, this time in a manner that seems like she’s evaluating his usefulness. “If you would be willing to accompany me, Mr. Steele, I suspect that between us we can likely discover anything unusual to be found at that business office.”

There’s…a lot of things Ian has to wonder even as the others go on back and forth with their findings and questions. Jericho’s strange motions certainly aren’t something new to him, and given the things she’s said and done here and there, the librarian’s begun to wonder if Kaylee’s technically enhanced in the same manner. Justin however is a new player in this field, at least to him (because in all consideration, Ian’s probably the newest when it comes to, well, any of this, and he’s been thrown in head first expecting to hit the ground running.

While the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to at things, he’s excused himself to make a quick order because he hasn’t eaten since a piece of toast and a cup of coffee this morning and if he’s going to be mentally taking notes he needs some sort of sustanance. Looking back, at least Jericho asks one of the questions he’d wondered as he casts another glance towards Justin. Being able to smell things so acutely, finding out so much on his impromptu investigation and so quickly, well. Just how close had he been to getting caught. Or had he at all?

“I am happy to do that,” Justin says, smiling at Sam in a genuine matter that indicates he is telling the absolute truth.

But then Jericho speaks, and he chews on the inside of his cheek. Oh well, if they’re going to pull video they’re going to know soon enough aren’t they? Justin decides he’s just going to level with them. He glances around the table. Well, hopefully they won’t spread it all over town. It wouldn’t help them to do that.

“Because they shot it at me as I left,” he says. “If I were a conventional flying person I think they might have probably chased me down, but I was literally a tiny black bird at the time? So uh. Whoever it was clipped my wing pretty good. Haven’t had to to take a cab in years, but all I could do was glide like that! I’ll get it seen to later, it’s like a dry ice burn.” It hurts a lot, but he’s trying not to pay attention to that. The last thing he wants is to be kicked off this thing just because they’re worried about his little boo-boo. Granted, proportionately it was a much bigger boo-boo in bird form.

And then he grimaces, Ian’s scrutiny making the young man look down at the table. His voice softens. “I am sorry, they did figure out I was maybe not just a bird. If I’d been smart and used raven-rat-something-else they might not have, but I went raven-rat-raven and they did and now the location of the slip is probably kind of useless.” Live and learn, it’s a mistake he won’t make again, but he still feels bad.

“You’re hurt?!” It’s a whip crack question to the youth and the biochems eyes narrow. What she says next though might surprise him “If you’re going to work with us, you tell us those things when they happen. Can’t have injured assets in the field.” Someone might chide her for that. Sometimes the biochem is just too focussed for her own good and forgets the ‘human face’, or ‘mutant face’ as the case might be, on things.

Oh, and that’s purely Jemma.

He might be lucky and avoid Sam bundling him off to SHIELD HQ to be looked at.

“If you think we might get something from the Dock feeds, then you and I can do that, Jericho. And karaoke, Friday night, in the Sprawl.” If the others want to come with her, she’ll work it out, but the trouble magnet agent seems to be determined.

Sam and Steele look like they’re going snooping and Kaylee looks to Ian “Perhaps Mister Owenshire might help you, Agent Carter. His … friends … might have information to assist you.” She knows the ones that’s for sure.

Justins apologies get a wave of the LMD’s hand “It happens. The most important thing is that they didn’t get you and … ” her eyes narrow again “… I’m assuming the wound is minimal.”

Jericho’s look at Kaylee says ‘why on earth would I want to karaoke in the Sprawl?’ but he doesn’t say anything. That’ll be for later when he asks her just what the hell she’s thinking.

“Slow down there, doc.” Is what he actually says. “Alright, so you were spotted and one of them shot at you. Not the end of the world since they didn’t see your face. They’ll be wary about using the locaiton again but if they’re any good they wouldn’t have anyway. Certianly we weren’t going to wait for them to use it again. That could take weeks. What’s important is that we figure out how much Vibranium they had, where it came from and what they’re doing with it.” There’s a few other things he has to look up for this but that’ll come later.

“Is there anything else we should know?” Because if not… he’s got work to do. There’s processor time to be stolen.

Sam’s expression goes ever so slightly displeased when Justin admits to having been injured in his snooping about on Kaylee’s behalf. She stands and walks around to where he’s seated at the table. “Let me see.” Her tone of voice makes it clear that she accustomed to be heeded. “So from what I just gathered, you are able to assume the forms of smaller warm-blooded creatures?” She can already think of a few useful applications for that, that won’t put the young man unduly into harm’s way.

So, some sort of shape-shifter? That does indeed explain a lot for the questions he might have wanted to ask. Ian sighs, more because what he’d hoped not to be the case turns out to be just so. “…sooner later is better than later later. At least you otherwise don’t seem to have gotten too hurt, thankfully.” He doesn’t want to make Justin feel any more on the spot than he might already be with Kaylee’s scolding, although her wording does draw a look from him. ‘Assets’, really? That terming just…rubs him the wrong way.

His coffee comes about then, which he’s all too happy to take a sip of black, and as he settles back against his seat he takes another draw from the heated liquid. He only flicks a look back towards Kaylee out of the corner of an eye as she makes mention of him and his associates, to which he shrugs. “I’m sure they’ll be open to hearing how they might be of service,” he replies as he lowers his cup.

With Jericho trying to get all the details straight so they can work out the angles they need to further explore, Ian nods quietly as he retreats into his coffee once again.

“Um, yeah, it’s not going to kill me. You’re welcome to look at it when we’re, you know, not at a dinner table?” Justin asks Kaylee, looking taken aback. He draws back from Sam too, looking at the two women like he’s not too sure if they remember they’re in some sort of bar! He’s definitely not going to show off the yucky wound at an eating establishment. And there’s no blood going on so there’s that. At least, none that’s soaking through to his wind breaker.

He shakes his head at Jericho, relaxing at his reassurances. Okay. He did not actually destroy their investigation with a rookie mistake; he’s a happy camper. “No, Sir,” he says quietly. “I’ve given you all I’ve got today.”

And Sam asked a question. “Not just small ones, I can be whatever I want, but small is subtle and useful and my preference.”

Oh god these women are still closing in on him. “You could look out in the parking lot?” he asks, rather desperately. Everything he’s ever been taught says you don’t just…gah! It’s a table! Where people eat! He casts a glance to Ian as if hoping the librarian can help the ladies see reason.

Clearly the SHIELD agents have seen worse, or so they think, but Kaylee hadn’t asked to see the wound. “Perhaps, Agent Carter, you could escort Mister Steele back to Headquarters and see to him there. Maybe arrange for some level of clearance for him.” There might also be the opportunity for stipend for their newest asset – not that she uses that word again.

“Thank you, Justin, for your work tonight.” She’s interested in his mutation and shape shifting ability, but the LMD has a few things of her own she needs to take care of. She’ll corner him later – poor lad.

“If we’re all done here, I think we can let Mister Owenshire get back to his dinner. Or get to it, at least…”

Jericho snorts and stands. He knows well the feeling of being closed in on, though not by these two. “Well I should get to work on that. I’ll be in touch, Mister Steele.” He doesn’t say how but Justin Steele has enough of a presence that e-mail is a possibility in the least. If not actual phone numbers.

“Catch you all soon. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

The only one likely to follow that advice is Ian. Poor guy.

She’s a little slow on the uptake, but Samantha realizes as Jericho takes his leave that she and Kaylee are ganging up on the kid and she backs off, returning to her spot at the table. “You’re right, Mr. Steele. Best not to do that here. But, you will accompany me to get that injury checked out? I think it would make us both feel better.” She glances at her fellow LMD as she says this.

“And, yes. If you could notify your companions, Mr. Owenshire, that I would appreciate one or both of them to accompany us to this monving company, I will be in your debt.”

“I’m sure that if Mister Steele’s been able to make it this far, looking over his injuries can wait until he’s somewhere more approprite,” Ian says over his coffee, not glancing at the reporter although he’d caught the motion of the look out of his peripheral. He smiles briefly at Kaylee. “Oh, don’t mind me. But I’m not going to object to being able to eat. I’ll apologize if my stomach’s been too loud.”

He gets to his feet to move his chair back to where he’d pulled it from before stepping over towards the counter as he’d originally planned to sit. No point in taking up more space than necessary. Setting down his coffee cup, he shrugs out of his trench coat to drape over the stool backing, looking over his shoulder at Jericho with something of a dry smile, but then there are plenty of things that Jericho seems to do that Ian would rather have no business doing, either.

“I’ll let them know to be in touch,” he informs Samantha as he reclaims his coffee, lastly turning towards Justin with a nod and a mouthed ‘good luck.’

When Kaylee Simmons calls Justin Steele to the Cattle Car to divest himself of his info he finds a few unexpected additions in the presence of Jericho Trent, Samantha Carter and Ian Owenshire. Together, they take what he's brought them and turn it into some solid next steps.

Date:

January 06, 2051

Location:

The Cattle Car Bar, Chicago

Plot:

Mutant Growth Hormone

Storyteller: