Realistic or Modern Super Intrigue

[Willow Pillow]

Louis Briggs had just won TIME's Most Influential Person award, celebrating his victory with a tangy gin, a splash of lime soda, topped with a mint leave. Briggs Enhancement employees across the states partied and celebrated. He made sure to allocate a large number of sums for his executive suite to plan something memorable.

The publication was a good day for the company. A good day for all the long hours and work his staff had put in to make Briggs Enhancements what it was. After all, he might have developed the patent for the first bioprocessing chip. But he wasn't the surgeon operating on patients' spines. Nor was he the manufacturing worker that turned paper and design to make the chips possible. He wasn't on the research and development team that worked tirelessly on prosthetics, synthetic skin, and technological organ replacements. He was just one person. It was because of the sales and marketing teams that Briggs Enhancements was a staple in the medical industry.

This was their win.

And as long as they celebrated, no one asked questions about why he didn't want to. He was the good Samaritan. He gave back to the community. It was easy to do those things if it allowed him to sit alone by the fire and ruminate in his own thoughts. Being out tonight of all nights would lead to sharing the story once again about his blood disease that should have taken his life, but with a combination of robotics, ingenuity, and a bit of tech he was here.

Or have someone bring up how he lost his parents.

At a young age, he learned that stories were tools that could advance one's position in life, but it didn't stop the agitation over time as his personal pain would be brought up whenever there was an interview or a new person crossing his path. It was the people that knew how to scrape and claw to survive that he got on with. They understood the value of a day to oneself.

Which was the best way to celebrate.

He wasn't done yet, enhancing the human body.

He had a long way to go before anything could be enhanced.

 

[Krista]

Guinevere, or Gwen as her friends (what few there are) called her, was just lifting her next score from a nice old mans home when she heard his name. Again. Gwen rolled her eyes but listened all the same. Arrogant bastard just won Most Influential Person award. Like that man needed anything else to brag about. If they keep going this way, that man won’t be able to fit his ego on this planet anymore. Shit, they might have to look at building a space station just for him and his arrogance.

She shouldn’t complain too much though. Her best friend, her only family and the person who helped her become a human again. Before, she was wheelchair bound and cranky about it. Though she didn’t let it stop her from doing what she does best. Steal. She was a thief of epic proportions. There was no one like her in this world or the next, she made sure of that. She was not a killer, she did not kill people no matter how good the money was. Instead she would take up challenges in stealing the unstealable and making rich off it.

Pocketing the extremely rare and highly valuable diamond necklace the old man was going to give his arm candy (oh for heavens sake, she is like 40 years younger than him!) and slipped back out of the mansion. No alarm tripped, no security alerted and 3 very happy doggos munching away on the bones she brought with her.

Gwen learned the hard way to always carry bones with her, just in case a doggo got too curious and tried to ruin her plans.

Once she was a safe distance and knew she wasn’t being follow, Gwen jogged over to her bike, stashed the valuables in the safe she had installed under her seat and sped away. The under seat was specially made so she could stash valuables without breaking or ruining them. Wouldn’t that just be a sucky day. Risk life and limb (again) to liberate a poor gem only to have it smashed to bits by her reckless driving.

There was only one place she was going tonight, she honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was waiting on her.

Guinevere arrived at the massive mansion and studied it’s shadows and lights a moment. It was a moonless night so she was relying on her own knowledge and the lights he had turned on. Briggs security system really was amazing. All high tech, best on the line, most of the time hasn’t even hit the market before he snatched it up. He had secrets he didn’t want anyone to know about so he had to have the best.

But, she was better.

Grinning, she quickly braided her waist length black hair and then tucked it inside her jacket. No need for a random ass stray hair to ruin her plans. Briggs always kept her in tiptop shape, always making her work. Not that he really was trying to do that, she just REALLY loved a challenge and that’s what Briggs was. A challenge. The only man who could challenge her the way she needed to be.
Keeping the layout of this place in her mind she crept along the house and yard. Dodging moving cameras, ducking into dark corners for a dude to walk by, a bone to slip to a doggo and laser beams to gymnastic over.

It hard her heart pounding in pure joy, her face pink with glee and the adrenaline to rush hot through her skin. No one on the security knew her, so if she was caught she was doomed. There was a chance they would shoot and never ask questions. Wouldn’t that be a sad day for the world.

Finally, sweat sliding lazily down the sides of her face, she made it to the office balcony where she slipped over the ledge, though a crack in the door (she conveniently made) and along the wall. Taking a nonchalant stance against the bookcase, she grabbed a bottle of brown alcohol from the shelf and took a swig.

“I’m curious. Do you think your next award will be a crown? I mean, there are only so many awards you don’t have left before they have to start scrambling to come up with some other random shit to give you.”

Her words were soft and so full of sugar you could go into a diabetic coma. Teasing this man was the reward she gets for successfully infiltrating his sanctuary.

 

[Willow Pillow]

Her favorite bottle, the glass chilled to the touch as if her entrance was to be expected. He didn't leave from his arm chair, looking at his watch intently before going back to the article. "Princess Charlotte is far too young for my taste, besides the monarchy has seen better days." He did give a soft smile flipping the page. He had a title in mind.

A God among men, maybe?

Or whatever the altruistic equivalent was these days. Kids so willingly gave up their agency for false promises these days. If you were convincing enough to describe what a good person should be, no one noticed what you were actually doing. "Funny how the foster system is told here, don't you think? Rose 'above it'." It was funny.

But not the truth.

Gwen and Louis were linked together since they were kids. No one paid attention to small, little black kids in the system. One look and it was assumed his parents were in prison or lost custody of him because of drugs, or whatever bad influence you could think of. Dismissed, and not worth understanding the truth of it. It was an easier story than the truth that he had a loving home once, a bed of his own, and a future. Gwen noticed him, though. They had each other's backs as the adults turned a blind eye to the abuse.

It was better to write how he was a poor kid who overcame diversity than talk about what those group homes did to kids that were like him and Gwen.

"Beat your personal best today. DIdn't alert a single guard. The drones on the other hand?" He mused. His smartwatch had the drone program deactivated.

 

[Krista]

Gwen rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t stop other men from trying.” She grumbled at his comment about Princess Charlotte. Taking another swig she moved silently, more quiet than a cat, and sat on the arm of his chair. She leaned her back against the side and looked down at what he was reading.

Rolling her eyes again she pushed stray hairs from her face.

“They know nothing of the foster system. They spin those pretty words but they are meaningless.” An anger simmered under her voice. A long held anger, one she has given in to many years ago.

Guinevere was placed in a foster home after abuse. Dad beat mom, mom beat dad. Both dead. Child left alive and unwanted. She bounced and no one cared. No one until Louis. There was almost an instant bond. When life got too much and broke her in half, Louis found a way to save them both.

Her loyalty and love for him will never falter.

Getting off the arm of his chair she stood up and looked towards the balcony window. Closing her eyes she sighed when he told her that she beat her time but that there were drones.

“Of course you would have fucking drones!” Sighing she put a hand on her hip. “You’re such a bastard. You know that it’s only because of me that your security is what it is. If it wasn’t for me, pushing your security more and more.” She gave a soft laugh. “If anyone should get a medal or some kind of fancy award, it’s me.”

Walking over to his desk she leaned a hip against it and stared at her person.

“So now that you have a new award, of which I am sure your employees are celebrating on your dime, what is the plan now? What are your eyes set on now?”

Gwen knew that man never didn’t have a plan. There was always a plan, an idea, a way to be better and faster and smarter. Most people in the magazine and in the world think that Louis Briggs, was just in this for the money. Gwen knew better though, that wasn’t what he was after.

 

[Willow Pillow]

"You like the challenge," he mused. "You might even thrive on it. Who's to say this isn't to help give you practice." Her freelance activities were...well...

Who was he to judge?

"Did you test out the suit I made you?" With Gwen it was always a 50/50 if she took him on on his aid. It started off when they were kids. Help was a sign of weakness and she wanted to prove her own path. He understood that. Power is hard to hold onto, and once you have it, it's hard to let go. It wasn't unless she was forced to take it, did she take help.

He remembered being at MIT, and the only way she would let him help her was when he pressed it was so he could pass his class. He needed to test his chip on someone after all. They both knew he developed it for her - they both knew she'd only take it if she heard him say it was for himself.

The suit itself was a thin fabric material, easy to breathe in, with a cloaking ability to help the wearer blend like a chamelian to their surroundings. Bulletproof and knife-proof, it was meant to keep her safe on the off-chance one of her targets came a little prepared for her thieving attempts.

Louis put the magazine down and sipped his drink, finally staring at his longest and closest friend. "You ever hear of the Research Unit of Sciences and Health organization?"

He knew the answer.

"It was classified information from the Pentagon. It was an experimental program set up in 1918 by our government as an answer for the first world war. R.U.S.H was tasked with developing a serum that would enhance men on a molecular level - to make them stronger, faster, and more durable for war." He waited for her to put the pieces together, their trip to Washington D.C last year. The press talked about his talks with the president on how Briggs Enhancements would improve veteran care and mechanically enhance future soldiers.

"I found those classified documents on that trip, Gwen," he smiled. "And if my theory is right - I don't think we will need parts and material to get that outcome. I'm close to figuring it out."

Monitors across the bookshelves lit red across the room. Louis rose to his feet as there was a knock on the door. One of the servants timidly walked in, head down to avoid eye contact. "There was an accident at one of your research labs, sir. Emergency vehicles and police are on their way but there are several casualties."

"Which facility?"

"...the one off-site sir. The one for stem cell research."

His eye twitched for a moment, and his calm demeanor faltered for a split second. Out of all the ones...it just so happened to be that one. Shit.

 

[Krista]

Gwen did like a challenge. It was the one thing that has kept her going all these years. Especially when she was wheelchair bound, the challenge to herself to be better than those walking had kept her from rolling herself right in to traffic.

“No, I haven’t used your suit yet. It seems like a really nice suit and I appreciate you making me one.” Maybe one day she would wear it but not yet, not for a bit. Gwen didn’t like the feel of tightness against her skin. It’s why she never wore gloves, scarves or anything like that. No under armor either. Of course this made her more vulnerable but she felt disconnected otherwise and almost unable to function. Years of abuse in foster homes had pounded that sensation in to her. All of her clothes were loose fitting and easy to get off.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want his help, she loved the fact that he thought about her enough to make something like this. Something to try and keep her alive in case something goes wrong.

Louis then asked her about some research thing. Of course she didn’t know and she knew he knew she didn’t know. So she didn’t say anything, let him go on.

Walking over to one of the chairs she sat down, crossed her legs under her and played with the ends of her long hair.

Gwen watched at Louis talked about this new thing he was interested in, watched as he got more and more excited. It didn’t matter that she had no idea what he was talking about, she had no interest in this area, but she liked watching him talk about something he was interested in. His face kind of lit up.

Before he could elaborate on what he was close to figuring out (she still didn’t understand really) his eyes darted to the tv screens and stopped talking for a moment. Gwen looked toward the door as someone walked in, a timid little thing that would have been fun to play with if Louis didn’t look upset.

Growing up in the foster system with Louis, she knew how to read him pretty damn well.

Once the servant moved on she looked over at her friend, examining his face and eyes. She knew that an accident at one of his facilities is bad, but his face said there was more to it. Standing up she walked over to him.

“Why don’t we go over there and check it out.” Gwen wanted to help in anyway she could.