[The Human Element] Delta Division HQ

Jacob continues to listen, but now he's taking notes on his new teammates. What they say now is as important as anything he's gotten from the files he's seen. And a good PI always listens more than he talks. There's something about the whole situation that's not adding up, and he plans on trying to find the missing elements of the equations. That's his job, after all.
 
Vlad put his elbow on the back of his chair and turned his body to the side to better look at her. Well darling, do you really think that some one can maintain their sanity for hundreds, if not thousands of years by being a tight ass that never has any fun what so ever? he asked her blinking while he did it. Oh mortals and their misconceptions about immortality. Trust me, being the brooding frigged repressed dreary soul is all good and well for the first hundred years or so but if you dont learn how to enjoy yourself and have some fun.


So on a side note, do you have any plans after the mission? I would so love to have you for dinner.
 
Jacob ignores the vampire's byplay and looks at Sam. "What resources will we have to draw on? And I'm confused. Is he still in Russia, and we're going to assist moving him from one Russian town to another? If so, are the Russians going to be part of this? Having someone jogging our elbow in the middle of the operation would be...awkward at the least."
 
Grace took her seat next to Drake mostly for the security of having someone she knew by her side. She listened to the briefing, not exactly sure how these things went. It went pretty quickly, so she assumed that Sam left the time for mostly questions. And already the group was having heir issues.


"So, you want us to guard a very public move in an attempt to draw the attention of those willing to interrupt it so that you can safely move him by some other means. That makes strategic sense. But I guess my first question would be what teams you are planning for this distraction. Are we going to be one single team, dividing up into two teams?" She wasn't sure how well she trusted each of the new people, but this would prove to be a testing point for them.


"I guess my other question is - does this kid know what is going on, and is he willing to cooperate?" Did he really know what was about to happen to him, she wondered. She was born into a family of heroes, so certain things would seem normal to her that other kids might not really be aware of,
 
Sam's gaze flickered in Pearl's direction. "Mr. Mickelson, there are designated smoking areas. This is not one of them. Mr. Brodavitch, we are discussing the mission, not my personal life, do stay focused." Her look shifted back to Pearl, and included Grace as she answered their questions. "The specifics of how this mission is accomplished--teams, the employ of the decoy, or other various strategies--will be in the hands of Mr. Allison. Yes, Mr. Mickelson, this transport will be from one Russian town to another, then to an undisclosed location after that. There will be a Russian security team at your disposal. They are a resource for you, as well as a reminder that this is as much a mission of diplomacy as an escort mission. Beyond that, anything that Delta can provide you, let me or any of the other senior staff know and I will see to it.


"In answer to your other question, Girl Prodigy--" In respect to Grace's choice to wear the mask to the meeting, she avoided use of either her first or surname-- "I am not sure of how aware of this the boy is. His cooperation will depend on his caregivers. He shows a high level of disconnect to what we would consider normal society, and does not communicate with any more than a few simple words, and then only to his primary caregiver. Anything he wishes to tell those outside his immediate circle, he does so through his mathematical calculations and technology." She smiled a little. "You might find yourself with much in common. He may be able to connect with you on a level most others do not understand."
 
Stefan lets out a low whistle. "She reminds me of my drill sergeant, only easier on the eyes. No wonder this place is such a tight ship. I'm having to resist the urge to salute and head out right now." Stefan looks impressed with Sam's handling of this rowdy motley crew. He begins running systems checks on his equipment, cycling his weapon through the forms he's got working - one with an array of tiny lights, like LEDs; one with with a single lens and a large amplification chamber for a laser, and the assault-rifle looking form he carried it in with - and running diagnostics on his wrist-mounted computer.

Stefan didn't MEAN to insult Sam with that remark, but if she wants to guess at his drill sergeant's political leanings and assume he's calling her the same, well, unintentional comic relief is the best kind, isn't it?
 
"If you don't mind then, while we're gearing up here I'll send one of my copies to establish team contact with the Russians. He and I will be in constant communication, so if there are complications on the other end we'll have advanced notice and can adjust our plans accordingly." Jacob looks up, watching for Sam's reaction.
 
She found it surprising that someone once known as Mythos wouldn't be a formidable person, and more surprising was that others would assume she was a push-over. The snarky quips and the personal innuendo aside, they seemed to forget she was as powered as any of them, and that she was currently running the largest hero group in the world.


"Ms. Clive, one final question. How will we know if the boy arrives safely if we aren't exactly with him?" She was worried that the fasçade they might be running might get too involved at some point, when they might just be able to get out because the task would already be complete.


"Actually, it might be worthwhile if you could have someone sit in on their briefing to get a better understanding of their viewpoint. Of course, he or you would have to appear half-way around the world. I believe Mr. Allison will be teleporting us to the location we need, so you would need to travel as fast as that. Also, do you speak Russian?" It was a good plan if he could do it, but even the fastest sub-orbital would take nearly 3 hours in transit time, assuming it was ready to launch. But teleportation on a global scale was the purview of Mr. Allison, not that she thought that he was just a means of conveyance.


"Anything you would like to add, Mr. Allison?" He was supposed to be a tactical genius, so it might be worth listening to everything he would add to the conversation. She did wonder how many others would also contain their egos long enough to gain something useful from the curly-haired super-cutie.
 
Her face, unreadable in the shadows of her cloak and with the impassive gaze that she cast about those that had been assembled, Netherwild continued to stand silently, content to observe.


She understood some of what was said, but much of it escaped her grasp. She would need to confer with the female, Meralise, about specifics. She knew she would need to spend more of her time learning this new language. Until then, she would likely be a liability and would have to rely on instinct more than her new overseers might like. At the least, if she would regularly work with these beings, surely they would need to spend some time learning each others abilities; their strengths and weaknesses.


Though some of what was said was beyond her at the moment, she understood the mood and tone of the room, and much of the body language the others were displaying.
 
Jacob frowns, then shakes his head. "Russian's next on my list, but I haven't learned it yet. A valid point. Alright, then. Mr. Allison? What do you have planned for us?"
 
"An advance team would probably just complicate matters. Working with the Russians is important, but presenting a unified front is more so. Assuming the principal is safe where he is - or someone would already have been dispatched - and safe where he's going - or we'd be planning for a long stay - we just have to move from one location to another with one extra warm body in the group, and make sure he's still warm when we get there. We're a large team of extraordinarily skilled individuals, plus Mr. Allison and the baby-eater, who I'm sure will have some use." Stefan's smile in Jay's direction indicates at least part of that sentence was a joke...
 
As the conservation in the room slows, the doors swing open once more, causing sunlight to flood the room. The source of the glow is a teenager of average height with a well defined build and a handsome face. Ordinarily his orange eyes and hair would attract attention but the true source of intrest currently is the glowing tattoo of the sun on his forehead. He looks around the room, frowning first when he sees the old looking man and again when he notices the shadowy cloaked figure. Turning to Jayson he grins and speaks:


"G'Day, I'm Desmond. Hope I'm in the right place this time."
 
Jay waved back at him, while Sam quirked an eye at him. "Glad you could make it, Desmond."


Jay turned and pointed at Grace and Jacob in turn. "Mr. Allison is my father. It's Jay here, or Blink on the field." He grinned and his thumb jerked backward to Sam. "She's the only one I'll put up with for the formalities, mostly 'cause I can't stop her." He tapped on the screen of his tablet, then flicked his finger on its surface, bringing an image of their route to the main holographic display. It took the place of the image of the little boy.


"I've made contact already with the family and the Russian government," Sam said. "They've been briefed already, and will be waiting for you."


Jay took over again. "We'll be taking an open car along this route. There will be other security vehicles behind and ahead of us. I think we should have Stefan's decoy in the open car, while the kid's in one of the other cars. We'll need some of you guarding him there. Others will be in the crowd as we pass through Saint Petersburg. That's where our visibility will be the highest. Jacob, you and yours can handle that, along with any others of our team you need. Stryker and Thundra will be in the open car. Though they're not protecting the primary target--no offence, Nicky--they will be close enough just in case. The important thing is that they look like they are.


"Drake and I will have eyes in the sky. Prodigy Girl, you're with us. Anything looks weird, we'll be able to spot it. Vorg's going to handle air support. The rest of you, we're going to need some in the real car, some backup in the air, and others in the crowd as we pass through the city. Stay in radio contact, and I'll get you back when we're through, keep our defences together." He smiled. "I'm not a micromanager. I'd like your input, and I want you guys to take this mission wherever you feel the most comfortable. I want you all to be at your best."
 
"I can put a couple of dozen in the crowd along the route, and have them in constant contact with me. We can also handle the initial takedown of any threat in the crowd, and given that we'll have eyes in the sky I'll have the backup if something big comes through. I'd prefer having a few mingling here and there with concentrations of two or three in likely ambush sites. We can do some shooting, and all I need is enough paper clips for each copy." He looks at Sam. "I'm assuming fifty boxes of extra-large paperclips isn't going to hit the budget too hard, ma'am?" Jacob looks back at Blink. "I should be able to handle the sideline security without putting any bystanders in danger from my end."
 
Desmond blinked.


"Great, we're all prepared. We've got a plan and everything. 3 questions though. Who are all of these people that I;m going to be working with, who are our opposition and is the vampire vulnerable to sunlight?
 
Nicky looks at Desmond for a few seconds while an angelic halo forms over his head and his wings recolor to all white. He announces to the entire room, "Greetings, stranger. I am the Fairy of Tardiness, and I am here to bless you with insight. One who shows up on time learns what the hell is going on." The furry angel-robot then calmly walks from the room...


Stefan is torn between being embarrassed and laughing out loud, and settles for clearing his throat. "Stefan, from a year somewhere between a hundred and a thousand years in your future, if your past were slightly different. I'm not a, um, metahuman," his emphasis on the word a bit unusual, "but some of my equipment is unique in this timeline, and so my capabilities are superhuman even though I'm merely a bit above average. As to your other questions, there may be none, but given the principal's value and perceived vulnerability, we expect something to happen at some point. Finally, I hope not."
 
"Ummm... I can't fly. Are we planning on bringing a helicopter with us, or is there going to be some other means to cover the transport from the air?" That was going to be the hard part, if she was expected to keep an eye on the crowd for anyone suspicious. She would probably be suspicious of everyone. Plus, this was starting to sound more like a parade than a simple transport.


"My name is Girl Prodigy," she said in response to the question. "My gadgets are my powers, kinda like Stefan. I have a little combination of everything, except flying."
 
Charity had no such concerns about embarrassment, and burst out laughing. She managed to contain it to deep chuckles that shook her whole body long enough for Stefan and Grace to explain themselves, but she was in tears from laughing so hard by the time they finished. Eric snickered quietly, though it was hard to tell if he was laughing at the little robot, or his girlfriend's reaction. Jay, Drake, and even John also seemed overly amused, and Sam actually cracked a smile.


Finally Jay sobered enough to glance at Drake. "You haven't shown her the Maverick?"


Drake grinned. "Nope."


"To call our transport a 'helicopter' wouldn't be doing it justice," Jay explained. "But don't let me spoil it for you. You'll see it later. Those who can fly by one means or another, like Eric, will be more visible air support, while our role is more or less surveillance for the whole way."
 
"I could take any of the positions, using my teraport to relocate between them if needed, or relocate in the crowd. Just know I can overuse it - I'm also pretty easy to hit while flying, it takes quite a bit of my concentration," Stefan offers.
 
"I'd like to have one of my copies airborn as well. Given my ability to communicate we can triangulate any suspicious movements or activities without compromising radio security."
 
"Always happy to entertain. The angel/fairy/ninja/pirate/zombie/robot thing is weird and I'm the Heliomancer. Ever since getting this tattoo I've been able to absorb sunlight and use it for varying things.can't turn off the glow though. Also, where in Russia? I pissed off quite a few people when i was in Moscow last month. I don't really want to get caught by them. Or be the reason the mission fails."
 
Jay nodded at Jacob. "That's a good idea. We will be in radio contact at all times, but that's a good backup, especially if Solstice shows up to play and feels the need to hack our comms."


"I'd like to see them try," Drake said.


"Yeah, yeah, you and the wonder kid will eat them for breakfast, I know. Backups are still good things to have. Stefan, it's good to know you have mobility if needed, but it might be best to keep you in one place for the time being, say in the car with the kid? Can you carry anything with your teraport? Because that would be another just-in-case in the event we need to get the kid out fast.


"Desmond...do I want to know how badly you pissed them off? We're most visible in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg, which isn't exactly within walking distance, but people have been known to travel. I just need to know how much we're restricting your visibility."


His gaze traveled up at the rest of them. "Anything else, guys?"
 
Depends. How long will the mission last? Besides, worst comes to worst I can bug out and fly away at 500mph. I'd like to see them catch me, plus I'll be a huge distraction for whatever we're up against. Beyond that, Solstice is still trying to recruit me. Last time they asked I requested 42 virgins as a joining condition, and I doubt they'd manage that.
 
"Once upon a time... I've been playing with it since it got damaged, and it seems my Passenger Relay got hit, but there might be a way anyway. I can carry a bit with me when I 'port, and if I leave my gun behind Nicky fits within the weight limit. I haven't tried to port an organic inside my personal carrying capacity rather than using a relay before, but in an emergency I could certainly try."

I can carry up to 100 pounds of 'matter' with me. Whether the kid is light enough and whether a living creature can ever be teleported that way both lie in your fields of discretion.

:D
 
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