Chapter 4: Confrontations

Confrontations 26 MAY/18 The City has made good on its spring promise of rain. The showers that started yesterday afternoon continued through the night and crept well into the day. It is steady and insistent, but still calmer than anything the summer storms may raise in the coming months. There are many other problems to worry about over just getting a little wet…   ~ ~ ~   After an evening of nursing a foot bruised during the brawl, Kitsune tries to start the morning right – a good breakfast, a good workout, a truly momentous effort to not check their phone. Thea has passed along the news that school is closed again. Before they head out, they notice that something printed on their printer, which they were fairly certain was powered off. It is a note from Flicker, the contents of which Kit kept to themselves.   The rain forces Kit to take public transportation to Little Dublin, made only more maddening by having to use their back-up earbuds. All in all it seems like it will be a repeat of a very bad, no-good, horrible day. At least at Naga’s they don’t see any figures in black hanging around today.   Instead, something has put Naga in a very good mood. She is laughing as Kit enters, in an almost girlish fashion. The target of her coy behavior is Gio, here to deliver some of the powders and tinctures that he recently got into the City. Naga admonishes Kit to come out of the doorway and into the store fully, a strange reversal of her harsh and cold demeanor the day before. Kit enters, but hangs back warily. Eventually, Gio heads off to his next appointment, but not before half-jokingly offering Kit some delivery work through him, with a playful wink thrown in because it’s Gio.   Naga sets about her business, telling Kit that they will try to forget what happened the previous day. After a terse few moments of silence, Kit breaks and wants to know who those people were. Naga will not tell them, claiming to want to protect Kitsune. Kit pushes luck some more and asks what she meant by ‘give you back to them’. Naga alludes to the incident in which Kit ‘died’, saying that it is no easy task to reverse that sort of state.   She will say no more, but tells Kit that their relationship has changed now, as all must, and she will make no more demands of a daily blessing. She does want them to continue to work for her, though, and she has one request to make today, if Kit is willing. It is sleeping medicine for her friend William Quietfoot, who works down at the amusement park at the Boardwalk. Kit agrees, and as Naga gives them the box to deliver, they confer the blessing. Naga smiles warmly at this gesture.   ~ ~ ~   Eugenia retreated to the aeries for the evening, re-establishing her connections to the old legacies that dwell in Winegarden. It furthered her grounding in the mortal and the mundane, as she tended to the birds of prey who dwelled among the stone buildings.   But then It is time for another Excalibur family breakfast, which is not complete without the flailing egg-based antics of Percival, still enraged over the break-in at the family vault. While admonishing Teddy, a message is delivered to Eugenia via a servant’s silver tray. It is a communique from Flicker, who has drawn the line between Aegis Security, and Pendragon Enterprises, the family company of the Caliburns. With great regret, Eugenia chooses to inform Percival of this connection. He demands to be taken to the vault at once, to deal with ‘those fuckers’. Eugenia relents, after releasing Teddy for the day.   The limo ride to Downtown is as unpleasant as always. Percival continues to mutter things appalling and inappropriate, and Eugenia tries her best to ignore, but cannot help the occasional jab back in his direction. When they arrive at Prydwen, they immediately burst into Lawrence’s office up in the higher floors, the sheer force of both personalities keeping anyone from stopping them.   Percival’s rant is epic and violent, but very marred by his reliance on his oxygen mask and his own choking rage. Lawrence is swept up in it, fit to fall apart at any moment, and driven to hurling things about his own office at Percival’s insistence. Eugenia is content to let this play itself out. Then, Detective Dmitry MacAuley makes his entrance, frumpy and understated as always. He doesn’t do much to interject into Percival’s tirade, but at one point does ask Eugenia to show him the water fountain.   As they emerge from Lawrence’s office, the detective shows Eugenia a handgun with a mother-of-pearl inlay. It looks much like the one her grandmother took out one fateful night so many years ago, like the one listed in the report of stolen goods from the break-in. The detective says that it was found in the hole in the vault, along with money and gold bars. Very curious. He offers to show her the vault, and she accepts.   ~ ~ ~   Mora’s day begins with a knock on the door – an unusual happening. She opens it to find Aric there, looking confused and holding an empty Amazon box and a cheap phone. “I got this package that told me to give this to you,” he said, bewildered. He hands the phone to Mora, and they cautiously departs.   It is a black burner phone. There are no strange devices attached, no suspicious markings or mods. There is a single saved number. Mora braves to call it.   “Hello, Mora darling,” Betty purrs from the other side of the phone. She has arranged the call to say that someone is looking hard into the Albert Cooper contract, which leads to Mora and leads to Betty. Betty cannot afford to be well-known at the moment, so she is terminating all contacts and contracts with Mora for the time being. She seems regretful and hopes that they can reconnect once all the nastiness is done. She doesn’t know a lot about who is asking the questions, especially since no one seems to be able to remember their face. She gives Mora one final warning: “People like you should avoid the river these days.”   Mora destroys the burner phone and her own, bringing it all downstairs to toss into Aric’s forge, where it pops and crackles. Aric remains confused. They banter lightly back and forth, until an awkward silence settles, and Mora moves to take her leave. Aric asks how the armlet is working out, and Mora confirms that it seems to be working… for now.   After procuring a new phone for herself, Mora hits the streets of Cross End to try to figure out more information about what happened that night with Albert. One of two drunks at Buzzy’s swears that the van nearly ran him over, and that it was the same van that tried to do the same to him outside of work a few weeks ago. His companion calls him a liar. Pushing her investigation east-ward, Mora asks around the site where she found the van and Albert’s body. No one knows anything, but says if anyone would have been around, creepily watching, it would have been Ol’ Pat. Mora starting the search for Ol’ Pat.   ~ ~ ~   After killing one of Felicity’s assailants, Francis has been overcome with guilt. He spent most of the night at a church, observing a candlelit moment of regret and penance. It helped him regain some ground against the rising force of Mitosis in his blood. When Lukas eventually found him, there was almost the hope of regaining a sense of peace over what happened in the accident.   The new day brings fresh frustrations for Francis. An obnoxious hipster-biker-messenger shows up at his door, bearing a note from Flicker. It lists out a bit of information gleaned from Felicity’s laptop, including four names that were key to her investigation: Veronica Diaz, the Little Dublin woman whose husband’s prisoner woes started Felicity down this path; Albert Cooper, a former prison guard that Mora has confirmed is already dead; Ian Chow, a former prisoner; and Jackie Payle, prison plumber, whom Francis has already questioned.   After showing the hipster the paint on his door, Francis contemplates his next moves. He decides to hop on his bike and return to Little Dublin, to see what, if anything, Veronica can tell him about the investigation that has put Felicity in such danger.   Veronica is an old acquaintance in the neighborhood – not friendly, per se, but familiar enough that she is shocked to recognize what has happened to him. She tells Francis that ever since she talked to Felicity about how bad her husband was treated in prison, things have gotten better. Gone are the meals of cheap gruel, the beatings, the planks for beds. He tells her that things are ‘just fine’, and she’s got no reason to disbelieve him. Still, it’s hard not having her man around, y’know? And Francis was pretty good looking back in the day….   Francis quickly moves onto the next name: Ian Chow.   ~ ~ ~   Lily Chow has been staying at the artist co-op ScorchRain since fleeing her parents’ home. In the last month, she’s gotten the hang of the eccentric personalities at the place. Most folks are empty street-philosophers who, for all their talk, can’t seem to cut ties with mommy and daddy’s money. And that includes the hacker girl they call Flicker, though there seems to be something a little more to her. And then there’s Krys, who is just delight on Earth itself.   Lately, Hans has been telling Lily that he is missing something. He’s not being very specific about it, except that it is something he needs to stay with Lily, and that it is back at her parents’ place. Lily has no interest in risking a return to her parents, even for a brief moment. Instead, she decides to join Krys on a small shopping spree in Old Quarter. Krys actually enjoys being out in the rain.   Krys shows Lily all the awesome, tucked away treasures of the Old Quarter. Small boutiques, indie shops, and thrift stores. They try on several new looks for Lily, mostly based in punkish leathers. Finally, Krys guides them to her favorite antique store, Dee’s. Despite the waning morning, the place is still not open. Krys slyly muses that Dee must have missed her morning coffee.   Just then, they are greeted by a loud “DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHLLLLLLINGGGG!” that charges at them from up the sidewalk. It is Michel, flouncing towards them in all his rain-coated glory. Krys introduces the gobsmacked Lily to Michel, who insists on letting them into Dee’s even if she is not up and about yet. Turns out he has a key.   Dee’s shop is a confusing maze of the historic, odd, and unsure. It does not take long for Lily to wander away from Krys and Michel’s side, as the latter joyfully shows off his looks in each of a series of vintage hats. Though there are objects here and there of Chinese origin – a jade letter opener, an apothecary chest – nothing gives her the same feeling as the object she found at her parents’. It helps her relax a little bit.   That is, until she sees a figure standing in the doorway leading to what she assumes is the back room. The figure is standing eerily still, with her back to Lily. Lily asks Hans what he can determine about the situation. It’s not much, but the problem seems to be coming from the woman, not something external. Hans separates from Lily long enough for a quick poke on the woman’s back. She does not move. At all.   ~ ~ ~   Kitsune makes their way through the City to the Boardwalk, where they find William Quietfoot working on a broken bumper car in the amusement park. After assessing Kit, William admits that Naga discussed an exchange with him. The payment for this set of sleeping medication would be a ‘cloak’ of sorts over the brighter parts of Kit. William says this was intended to protect Kit further. However, he won’t do it without Kit’s approval.   William claims that he and Kit are alike in certain ways, his eyes flashing feline for just a moment. He offers to help Kit learn more about why they are here, and who they can be. If they are willing to trust William. At that moment, Kit’s phone vibrates with a message from Kat, asking if they are available to meet up.   Kit makes the choice to go to Kat, rather than William. The older man is saddened, but allows Kit to depart. With a look over the shoulder, Kitsune sees a jaguar where William used to be. The jaguar rushes off into the shadows.   Kat is waiting in the rain in their spot by the river. He is greatly agitated, and does not notice Kit’s approach at all. Kat apologizes for not responding sooner, and confirms that Toma had passed the messages along. But the funeral has taken so much. And this morning, something ‘went wrong’. Kat doesn’t know how to explain it, but his family seemed very upset. And Kat keeps talking to someone just over his shoulder, though he doesn’t realize it.   They agree to go back to the spot of the funeral together. On the way, Kit figures out that somehow, Kat is talking to someone who is supposed to be dead. That doesn’t clarify the situation much. The mystery deepens when they arrive at the riverside park, and through the rain, can make out two figures on the end of the dock, starting out into the water.   Kat wants to go confront them. Kit tries to reason with him, but cannot get through Kat’s determination. As Kat boldly walks out towards the figures, Kit bounds into action, tumbling over the boy, landing in front of him, and tackling him to the ground.   They lay there, in the rain, Kit’s body pressed against Kat’s. Kat is confused, searching in Kit’s eyes for the reason they stopped him. Kit has only one answer. They kiss him, warmly, and after a moment of butterfly confusion, the kiss is returned hotly, tenfold.   The fan-verse explodes. And dies. And is brought to life again. Only to die once more.   ~ ~ ~   Unaware of the teenage smooching happening across town, Eugenia has gone down into the vault with Detective MacAuley. There is still police tape up, but it is calm now – a distinct difference from the madness just the day before. The detective leads Eugenia to the edge of the hole that stretches from wall to wall along the floor. With his flashlight, he shows her that the tunnel does have a bottom, and that it goes on into the distance in both directions.   Eugenia presses for information, and the detective admits they don’t have much yet. Only that a number of supposedly stolen items were found in the tunnel just outside the vault. He also points out that there’s significant damage to boxes right by the hole, but doesn’t seem to be any in the rest of the room. Eugenia thanks him for the information, and suggests that the difficulties with Aegis Security may arise from their parent company, Pendragon Enterprises. Dmitry takes this to heart, and sees Eugenia up to at least the lobby. He departs, thanking her, and as the elevator doors close, she sees Margaret at the front desk.   Back up in Lawrence’s office, Percival has tired himself out to whispered threats and heavy pulls on his oxygen. Lawrence remains as perturbed as always. Bolstered by the new information, and with her grandfather’s tantrum out of the way, Eugenia takes control. She insists that Lawrence find out who approved the outsourcing of security to Aegis and why. She wants to see the list of stolen goods again. And she wants to see someone higher up.   Thinking about the vault set up and the box numbers listed, Eugenia assumes that the jet jewelry, the documents from the 1800s, the chess pieces, and the 2 two-cent coins were not a part of the ‘robbery’ from the other night. This aligns with Percival’s reactions to the news about the chess pieces and the coins last evening.   Without asking, Eugenia wheels Percival up a few floors to the office of Ms. Locke, the Chief Operating Officer for Prydwen. A flustered secretary tries to explain that she is in a meeting, but just then a striking woman emerges from the office. She is sharply dressed, coolly confident, and clearly does not work for Prydwen. “Excaliburs,” she greets them derisively, and then gets on the elevator.   Ms. Locke does not prove useful in anyway, more interested in placating the Vaults’ top client than providing any solid information or promises. Eugenia wheels her grandfather out for the day, and begins to plot the next steps.   ~ ~ ~   Mora manages to find Ol’ Pat. He’s a tinfoil hat kinda guy, and is currently blathering on about the conspiracy of the government to scoop out his brain and feed it to the aliens. Mora decides to use his fear of her to her advantage to try to get whatever information she can. Unfortunately, it does more harm than good, and Ol’ Pat is reduced to even further incoherency.   She decides to hop across the river to the Warehouse District to look into the place where that drunk number one works. There are no signs of the white van anywhere. There are a few industrial factories, some warehouses, and one parking lot that looks like the Wild Hunt had visited the previous night.   One building does stand out. It looks like an old morgue, forgotten among the industrial setting. The graffiti is dusty and the shattered windows have lost their edge, meaning it has been empty for a long time. It is between the drunk’s place of work, and Buzzy’s…   Feeling like she is hitting a dead-end, Mora decides to return back to her place, and suit up for an evening of tracking marks. Betty may have cancelled her contracts, but Mora has a few still open that are of the less noble variety. And a girl’s got to get paid.   ~ ~ ~   Francis is down to the last name on the list – Ian Chow, listed a former prisoner with just a phone number. He decides to call. Ian is suspicious at first, unsure of how Francis is related to Felicity. But he agrees to meet. He’ll be at a bar, one right where the four southern districts meet, wearing a yellow hat.   If Buzzy’s is a dive bar, this place missed the pool altogether. There is literally only two people in the place – a despondent bartender who looks like she’d rather be dead, and a person at a table near the back, wearing a bright, crisp yellow hat, tag still dangling from the back. He turns, takes one glance at Francis’ hulking and damaged form, and immediately runs for the backdoor. It’s pretty clear that’s Ian.   Summoning the monster within, Francis grows his legs to give him a burst of speed. He manages to get to Ian right before the crook gets to the back door. He throws Ian up against the wall between the bathrooms. The bartender seems unperturbed, even when Ian becomes the man with the Yellow Pants.   Ian admits to having talked with Felicity, and telling her that he didn’t want to comment on any so-called abuse he may have experienced while serving his sentence. But he confesses that later, he was contacted by someone on behalf of the Warden. Ian owed a favor for early parole, and they were cashing it in. If Felicity contacted him again, he was to say he wanted to talk, and then lure her into a meeting. Then he was to tell the Warden’s men about it.   Just then, three men enter the bar, each with a shotgun. “Well that ain’t good,” Francis mutters.   ~ ~ ~   Striking out on their own, Lily decides she and Hans need more help with the situation. She summons Hans back. They are both a little concerned when, for a second, Hans seems stuck next to the woman in the doorway. But soon he is free again, and merges back with Lily, who calls out to Krys and Michel at the other end of the store.   When they reach her, she points out the situation. Michel cries out ‘Mon Dieu!’, and rushes to the woman’s side – unfortunately, crossing into the threshold of the doorway, and becoming frozen himself. Lily pulls Krys back before she ties to help as well, and risks getting stuck.   Krys confirms that this is Dee, the proprietor of the shop, but Krys has no idea what is going on. Cautiously, Krys picks up a teacup and tosses it through the doorway. As soon as it crosses the threshold, it is frozen in midair, the same way Dee and Michel are. Unsure of what this means, Krys throws a jade letter opener next. Unlike before, this one sails through. The teacup then rattles and makes it way through as well, crashing on the floor on the other side of the door.   Lily seizes on the idea. She runs to the front of the store, where in a large glass display case, Dee exhibits a number of old keys. Lily grabs them all – decorative keys, skeleton keys, rings of keys of myriad shapes, keys of iron and steel and bone. She throws one at Michel’s back, but it bounces off harmlessly, without a single inch of feathered fabulousness moving. She throws one through the doorway. Both Dee and Michel seem to take a frame-forward, as if unfrozen for a spell.   Emboldened, Lily tosses every key she has into the doorway. Amidst a flurry of raining keys, Dee and Michel tumble through the doorway to the floor on the other side. Dee looks greatly confused, Michel overcome, and Krys relieved. Rather sheepishly, Krys introduces Lily to Dee.   ~ ~ ~   Two messengers still stand at the end of the dock in the rain, unaware of the teenagers behind them. One is a tall man, the other a woman of average height, and both are young.   “So, is he, like, gonna show up or what?” smacks the woman, annoyed with the weather and the task at hand.   “I dunno,” the man replies, sighing heavily. “I guess we just wait.”   Eventually, the shape of a small boat can be made out in the rain. It approaches the dock, guided by a figure in a long, hooded robe. The figure reaches the dock, and waits patiently without saying anything. The man and the woman each offer up a single coin, which are taken with a gracious bow. Then, silently still, the boat pushes off from the dock again, and back out into the place where the two rivers meet.   “Um… wasn’t he going to say something?” the woman says, still annoyed. “How do we know that we did it right?”   The man can only shrug. “I guess the only thing to do now is tell Max that he took them. Hopefully that fixes things.”