invinciblenpcs (invinciblenpcs) wrote in theinvincibles, @ 2015-06-29 18:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, !plot, !plot: act i, #npc: ares, #npc: athena, #npc: zeus |
Who: Agent Ares, Agent Athena, and Agent Zeus. Cameo from Agent Hermes.
Where: Agent Zeus' office.
When: Monday, June 29th around lunch.
What: There are some disagreements on how to handle the Stonewall situation.
Warnings: N/A.
“Periwinkle, we’ve been waiting here for--” “Shh, Allen. I’m on the phone. My gal pal Ginger’s very upset.” Pippa Periwinkle said with absolute severity and a hand covering the receiver on her headset, before picking up the call again -- and immediately laughing. “Heehee… Now go on, Ginger. Ah! Ha ha! No!” It wasn’t that Fairchild didn’t like the Director’s secretary -- it was that he hated her. With every fiber of his being. And yet that loathing still paled in comparison to the disdain in his eyes as he glanced to his right. Athena. He had to suppress a sneer. It was her and her Operative’s fault they were here in the first place. When she saw Fairchild glance in her direction, Operative Athena forced herself to give him a friendly smile. It was bad enough that one of his Agents was incapable of performing her job correctly, but it was even worse that they had to go through this mockery of an investigation as a result. In the end, it wouldn’t change the fact one of her operatives was dead and she suspected the DMS would do anything to pin it on him. The only thing that made this entire idea of a meeting bearable was the fact she knew Agent Ares was going to be much more miserable during the entire thing than her, which was enough to get her through what was about to come. “Haha! I know it’s awful! All right, bye!” Periwinkle concluded, turning back to the Agent and Operative standing before her. “Ginger’s cat died.” She snorted. “But in a really funny way.” She pressed a button on her desk. “Aaaaaaaaaanyway. Director Kellogg will see you now.” Allen stared at the secretary for a moment, contemplating if it was worth it to remind her of her usual incompetence before, ultimately, choosing to let it go for now. “About damn time…” he grumbled, moving over to the door without waiting for the Operative to join him. All she was going to do was try to make his life difficult, like she always did. Better for him to get the ball rolling fast, if they were going to come to any reasonable conclusion. “Director Kellogg, Ma’am. With all due respect, this entire procedure is unnecessary. Agent Xray caught the Operative--” a glare for Athena’s benefit “--collaborating with APEX. It’s an open and shut matter.” Her hand caught the door inches before it was about to close, but she managed to keep the neutral expression on her face as the last thing she wanted to do was lower herself to his level. By the time he started talking, Athena had only stepped into her place beside Agent Ares in front of the Director. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her while she waited for him to finish his accusations. “Agent Xray claims she caught Operative Stonewall collaborating with APEX,” she started without even glancing at the man standing beside her. “At this point, that is the only evidence we have in the situation, which makes it far from an open and such matter.” “Rios is a Level Six Agent. She’s been with the Department for over a decade. She has proven time and time again to be a skilled and loyal asset in the field. Her loyalty and judgement is above question,” Ares countered, addressing the Director and stoutly refusing to acknowledge the metahuman in the room. “Operative Stonewall on the other hand had only spent barely six months in the field at the time of his death. He was a known wildcard, with a lack of decorum and professionalism. He’d been sighted snooping around the Armory in his time here, and was known for being a social butterfly with a hand in every pot. I don’t think I could make up better circumstances for a spy, and here it is right in front of us.” “Would you like me to go back through some files and pull out some instances of decorated Agents that turned on the metahuman population for nothing more than their own hatred, Agent Ares? You and I both know being a dedicated employee doesn’t mean prejudices are automatically erased. For all we know, Agent Xray just merely knew how to play her part.” Turning her head finally, she smiled at her colleague. “And we all know Operative Stonewall simply had a crush on Agent Hephaestus. You’re reading into things because it’s convenient to paint your narrative. Operative Stonewall was an asset to the program. He wouldn’t have passed if that wasn’t the case.” “No, I would like you to properly vet your Operative candidates so we stop ending up here with a dead spy and an Agent being blamed for doing her damn job,” Allen snapped as he turned toward her. “I’m reading into things because that is how investigations work. I’m reading into things because, once again, one of yours crossed the goddamn line.” He turned back toward the Director, shaking his head. “I have said it before and will say it again -- we don’t need them. A bigger agent force with the proper tools and training can be twice as effective without the risk of going rogue.” Theresa finally showed some emotion on her face in the form of a small scowl. “Do not take that tone of voice with me, Agent Ares. And you are reading into things because you have an obvious bias that is blinding you from the fact there are protocols in place for events like these.” “Just as there are protocols for when one of your Operatives turns. Step one, assess the situation. Step two, put a bullet in his fucking head.” “Allen,” Miranda Kellogg said, softly but firmly, her hands folded on her desk. “Theresa.” She glanced between them both, her face expressionless. “Please, by all means. Sit.” “Of course.” The scowl grew even larger at the mention of step two, but Theresa managed to hold her comments as she carefully lowered herself into the nearest chair. While there were plenty of things she could have said in response, she was determined to remain the better party in this situation. After the two were sitting, the Director nodded, still looking from one to the other. “Obviously, this is a very stressful time for you both. I understand that. Neither of you wants to hear the kind of accusations that are being lobbied against your staff, and truly I can’t imagine anyone who would. But surely there is a better way to do this than to shout in my office.” Her gaze lingered on the Agent, for a moment. “I propose a dual investigation. One into Xray’s behaviors and attitudes, to ensure that she is still capable of performing her duties in the field with objectivity,” a nod to Allen before she looked back toward Theresa. “And one into Stonewall’s communications for the past few months. The word of one Agent is hardly evidence enough for a full conviction. If we are to be sure in our decisions, we should look into the information available to us.” “And I can assume Agent Xray will not be reinstated in the meantime?” Theresa asked. “The Blue Team has an Alpha-Class Operative, and who knows how many more of them might’ve been Stonewall’s accomplice. We can’t leave them down an Agent,” Allen countered. “And putting an Agent back in the field who just shot their fellow operative and friend is conducive to a good work environment how?” Theresa was beginning to look annoyed. “Dr. Choi hasn’t even finished with his autopsy and you want to throw her back into the mix already?” “Xray’s suspension will stand,” the director said firmly, “until the investigation is complete. Both for her own mental health, and the comfort of her teammates.” She turned back to the paperwork on her desk, the meeting obviously over, as far as she was concerned. “Report your findings to me, as you discover them. Leave no stone unturned.” Allen stood, recognizing the dismissal, and gave the director a nod, sparing only a brief glance at his metahuman counterpart. “I’ll be sure to get you my report as soon as possible, ma’am.” “Thank you, Director Kellogg,” she said as she stood. “I’ll be sure not to sacrifice quality for time in my report.” And with that Theresa quickly made her way past Agent Ares and toward the door. |