The door opened and Agent Carter stepped off the elevator. There were armed guards there to stop him, but he knew the drill. He handed his paperwork over without so much as saying a single word to any of them. The lead guard took the paperwork and looked it over, reading it carefully, which seemed to annoy the agent... which was evident by his glancing at his wrist watch and letting out a sigh. Some time later the guard handed back his paperwork and gave him a nod. "This way, Agent Carter. We have the mutie prepped and ready to go. You should know tho-" He was cut off by Jackson who gave a wave of his hand. "I don't care. Take me to the mutie, I've more important things to take care of." He said, more than a little annoyed with the guard, who was only trying to do his job. "Y-yes sir. This way."
He followed them down a few halls till they came to a stop outside a cell. "This the one?" He asked the guard, who answered with a nod of his head. "Open it." He said before his jaw clinched. The door opened and he stepped through. It was then closed behind him. He didn't look to the woman, not at first. Instead his eyes glanced around the cell room. It was small, a single twin sized bed and toilet. Showers were down the hall. He looked to his paperwork. "Prisoner 0026, you've been assigned.... Get up and let's go."
For twenty-seven years Bella had endured a lot. Needles, pain, torture, hatred. It was all the same to her now as she had grown numb to it all. That’s what not having free will did to someone. Made them a shell of who they could’ve been. Bella had been made to be the perfect bloodhound to track and hunt other mutants like herself. Although through most of it she had to be fed what to say and do to make herself more believable otherwise she was clueless in social events and situations.
The day before, they tried forcing her to use her telepathy for longer to make her stronger. That ended up with a trip to the labs as she felt her brain shutting down with a massive nosebleed. She wanted to do better, but deep down part of her was scared of going too far with her telepathy. Even though she wasn’t treated the best here, she considered them some kind of family. She had spent most of the morning there being poked and prodded until she was back to "normal". "Radar, you have a mission today. Agent Carter will be here to retrieve you. He'll fill you in on the power you need to find." The older woman said and stared at her charts before sending Bella off to her cell.
There she sat on her bed just waiting for time to tick by. Getting a bundle of clothing in her cell she began to change. She didn’t bother trying to be shy about it. Not like she had the option anyway with her cell being nothing but a bubble of glass. Pulling on her jeans her eyes caught sight of the guard and the man she would be helping today. Agent Jackson Carter, like most everyone here in GADEM she assumed he hated mutants like herself. She felt it as she laced her boots before slipping on the tank top and the tan leather jacket.
Having the door open she holstered the gun she was given. Feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end she finally turned to give him her full attention. She didn’t flinch as he spoke her numbers. However, she did remember the horrible memories that came with it when she was younger. Her face took on a stoic stance as she looked Agent Carter over. She had to say, he looked nice in the suit. His features rough and rugged like many of the men here.
“Radar, at the ready sir.” She said and saluted like she was conditioned to. A slight British tilt to her words. It had taken years for her to really speak her codename out when they had first given it to her. She had only been known as 0026 since the beginning. Little did she know that she had an actual name that her mother originally picked out for her. No one dared speak it though as she still worked there in the labs overseeing everything that went on with her.
“I look forward to working with you Agent Carter sir.” She said and held a hand out. She didn’t expect him to shake her hand, but she had been told it was polite to do so. Her green eyes watched him as he looked her over. She was wanting to make a good first impression. Hopefully, she had, otherwise this would be grating on her all day. It took everything in her to not prob his mind to find out what he was thinking.
His eyes went back to the clip board in his hands after he gave her a once over. "Radar, at the ready sir." He heard her say. "That's nice...." He said unamused... his eyes never leaving the clipboard. Heturned a page over, looking at the next page of info on her. "Says here you can track muties with that 'gift' of yours. The mutie we are hunting is a dangerous one, able to be anywhere and any time he chooses. We're not sure how he does it, but he is killing people. That needs to stop." There was no emotion in his tone, well... other than annoyed that was. "That's where you come in. Track it and bag it. Put an end to his killing."
He flipped the paper back to it's resting position and lowered the clipboard to his side. His eyes now moved to connect with hers. "You follow my orders, do what I say, when I say, or I put a bullet in your skull. Understood, 0026?" He hadn't called her Radar, wasn't going to call her Radar. Didn't care about her nickname. She was an inmate, a tool to be used and then put back in the shed like so many other tools. Nothing more. When she gave the nod that she understood, he would turn to the guard, giving the signal to open the door. With that, they would take their leave of the cell, the prison, and to the car.
Last Edit: Jun 14, 2018 22:32:29 GMT by Agent Carter
Meanwhile, Parking Lot #3, NY GADEM FacilitySo this is what field work is like, Agent Ford thought as he sat in the driver's seat of a Chevrolet Caprice Police Interceptor, one of the rounded Caprice models with the mutant-proof dividers between the front and back seats, sitting in the car, watching your surroundings, pausing as he saw a beautiful woman walk by, his eyes trailing her curves as she passed by, checking out the scenery...sure beats being an intel agent, he thought as he picked up a small set of files and began reading through them.
This wasn't hyperbole either; though he'd been a GADEM agent for several years, this was William Ford's first field assignment and he was anxious to get the show on the road. For the past three years, he'd worked as an intelligence agent for GADEM, sifting through voluminous amounts of mutant intel, farming out the smaller parts to other agencies of the United States government and keeping the more important items within GADEM's wheelhouse. Although he looked and acted nine ten out of ten like an abject idiot just released from the funny farm, he had a whipsaw smart mind and could read situations as good as anyone, enough to where even GADEM's bosses - including even Director Chase, of all people - had commented on it. As one fellow agent put it back in the intel shop, "Bill Ford is the picture postcard example of an idiot nine times out of ten...but give him a good lead and solid intel on that tenth time in question and he'll run down mutants every single time."
Turning the radio on to the local classic rock station, he picked up the files and began going through them; unlike most days, where he might quickly skim over the files, he took his time, reading each one, pausing only to make a few notes in his pocket notebook he kept in an inside longcoat pocket or making a note to ask questions if they ran into someone down the road. Come on, Jackson, where the heck are you, buddy? Agent Ford asked, anxious to get the show on the road and start chasing down leads and mutants. His only concern was the mutie they would have with them; his only thought on that as he went back to reading was, I sure as hell hope Agent Carter keeps that mutie on a short, explosive leash while we're out...
Closing her eyes to keep the annoyance hidden as she sighed at Agent Carter. ‘Just another asshole like the rest. You should be used to this now 0026.’ She thought to herself. She put her hand down as he explained who they were looking for. ‘Teleporter most likely. Easy enough with how large of a scale I can get. Only tricky part will be getting exact location.’ She resisted the urge to cock an eyebrow as she crossed her arms and shifted her body weight to one leg as she listened to him go on about following his rules. She didn't need a reminder of who was in charge and she snapped diving into his mind and finding a little memory hidden away.
“Agent Carter. I have been doing this since you were running around on a school playground worrying over how you’d tease little Sally Johnson because you liked her.” She quipped. She could use her telepathy while here in her cell. It just never reached past these walls because of the buffering material GADEM had. But this was starting to get on her nerves. She didn’t need this whole speech and macho man bravado to contend with. He wanted her for the job because she was good at what she did. She had the highest rates in capturing mutants than the other Agents and this full facility was part of her successes.
Giving a sigh at his hard look she sighed and nodded and followed a few steps behind him. It was what she was taught. Sign of respect and ranking. Respect went both ways and though most people didn’t like her, she had some form of respect with her captures and skills. She looked at the other cells at the mutants who flipped them both off, started cursing. One of them yelling how she betrayed her own kind. ‘How can I betray my own kind when I’ve never known my own kind.’ It made no sense to her so she just rolled her eyes at him and continued walking.
Deep down though she felt wrong. She felt empty and it was better to feel the repressed rage and keep herself down. The ride up through the elevator was quiet as she kept her thoughts on finding this killer. This is where she could let that anger out. Let her self-doubts and fears just vanish until she was caged once again. As soon as they were out she took a deep breath of fresh air. It was so nice to feel the crisp chill to the breeze as they walked to the car. A light smile on her lips until she saw the other person in the car.
Putting back on a neutral face she opened the back door and got in with no arguments. Her abilities would be muffled because of this car. “From the description you had given me this mutant sounds like he can teleport. They’ll probably be hiding in the abandoned section of New York.” She buckled up as Carter started to drive. But she didn’t think he’d follow her advice. He was human and from the feeling rolling off him a prideful son of a bitch. It didn’t matter to her though, that pride could get in the way all it wanted. She was going to do the job and do it better than the last time she had. She was going to improve to the best of her abilities and earn herself some respect in the meantime.
As soon as they were out she took a deep breath of fresh air. It was so nice to feel the crisp chill to the breeze as they walked to the car. A light smile on her lips until she saw the other person in the car. Seeing Agent Carter and another person - a cutie, by the looks of it, Ford mused - he climbed out of the Caprice and unlocked the doors so that both his partner and the mutant could get in the car while he moved over to the passenger side. "So this is Mutie the Cutie, huh?" Agent Ford quipped nonchalantly as they all climbed back in and Ford began to drive, the three of them leaving the facility and heading back into the Big Apple.
“From the description you had given me this mutant sounds like he can teleport. They’ll probably be hiding in the abandoned section of New York,” the mutant said as they drove along the expressway, Agent Ford taking notes as she continued on, ever cognizant of the vibes coming from both his partner and the mutant with them; though, like most GADEM agents, he had little use for mutants, he had found in his intel days that many a mutant would talk to you if you just treated them with just a modicum of respect. Not friendship, just respect; that's all.
Hearing the mutant - Asset #0026, according to his notes from the files he'd returned to the glove compartment as they headed out - talk about where their subject might be located at, Agent Ford flipped open his notebook and began talking. "Whereabouts is this mutant located at, miss?" he asked, reeling off several questions about where and who he was, seeing if (a) it dovetailed with what he'd already written down and (b) to make sure she was telling the truth; as he waited for answers, he whispered to Agent Carter, "Radio call came in; Transit Police are clearing an area of abandoned subway lines south of Houston Street in Manhattan. Maybe that's where our target is located at," his voice trailing as he waited for answers from the cutie in back of the car....
She had used her ability to read his mind, that wasn't going to go well for her, and the tightening to his jaw would show that... if she picked up on it that was. He said nothing as they went out of her cell, he ignored the others as they shouted things at him and the tool he was using. He even said nothing as they rose the elevator up to the fresh air, but as soon as they were out in the open, free so to speak. That's when he moved.
Before she had a chance to take a step he turned and forced her to the wall behind her. He placed his forearm across her shoulders, using it to both pin her and choke her. He had freed his firearm, having it pressed against her gut. "You pull some shit like that again, and I'll put a bullet in you. I don't fucking care how many of your own kind you've helped us bring in. Do I make myself clear, 0026?" There was so much venom dripping off his words, but none more so than when he used her code. He refused to acknowledge she was a person. She was a tool to be used and then put back in the shed, nothing more... Not to him.
As they made their way back to the car, his partner.... whom he had not asked for and not wanted but was stuck with anyway, got out of the driver seat to let Carter take the wheel. He was learning at least. But then he had to fuck that up by saying that he thought 0026 was cute, and out loud. "Keep your thoughts to yourself rookie." He snapped at the man. This was not his day... Who had he pissed off to get stuck with all this?
He climbed into the car and shut the door. The key turned, engine rattled to life, and the radio came on. Classic Rock... At least he had some taste in music. That trench coat was so 50's though. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the drive. Some time later, 0026 spoke up. She seemed focused this time around. "That would be a good guess, however... Our target isn't in New York. This road trip is going to be a bit longer...." Christ, he was getting a headache already.
Last Edit: Jun 22, 2018 4:18:15 GMT by Agent Carter
"Keep your thoughts to yourself rookie." He snapped at the man. This was not his day... Who had he pissed off to get stuck with all this? He climbed into the car and shut the door. The key turned, engine rattled to life, and the radio came on. Classic Rock... At least he had some taste in music. That trench coat was so 50's though.
What the fuck? Agent Ford thought, glaring at his fellow GADEM agent as he continued to focus on the information the mutant in back was giving them. In a sense, he didn't blame Agent Carter; he was the senior agent between them so he was in charge...but the Intel side of his rankled over the slight. Within the ranks of GADEM's field agents, it was an open secret that the Intel and Operations offices were not on speaking terms - Intel agents, of which Ford had been for several years, thought that Ops agents were arrogant pricks who thought they were high up there like a cat's ass, looking down upon the rest of GADEM's personnel like they were nothing. Ford had seen that look several times and it burned his ass every time; without the intel their side delivered regularly, Ops agents wouldn't have anything to do other than sit around and twiddle their thumbs.
Likewise, Ops agents thought their Intel counterparts were soft fucks who cared too much for the mutants under GADEM's possession....this was true, to a point. The reality was most Intel officers, of which Ford had been one before the transfer to field work in Ops, didn't care for the mutants per se' - oh, they cared about the mutants....specifically, the information and intelligence they could bring GADEM and some, like Agent Ford, respected that. His mantra was simple: be straight up and respectful with the mutants and you'd be surprised what information they would give. He'd interrogated enough mutants in GADEM's numerous facilities and prisons to know that; it still galled him, though, to see Ops agents like his new partner act like Ops agents always seemed to act.
But he didn't let it bother him, though; as he listened to Asset #0026's answered, Agent Ford compared them to the notes he'd written while waiting for them and shook his head. So far, so good, he thought... "That would be a good guess, however... Our target isn't in New York. This road trip is going to be a bit longer....," he heard; pausing his questioning of Asset #0026, he looked over at Agent Carter and asked, "So where are we headed?" wondering what was going on between the three of them in the car...
Last Edit: Jun 28, 2018 5:03:28 GMT by William Ford
Bella hadn’t liked being threatened, but she showed no fear at the gun to her head. It wasn’t the first time it happened. The had done interrogation training with her. Blanks against the temple of her head. She still carried faint bruises as they drilled her from time to time, but the natural curl of her hair kept the bruises from being noticed. But most people got a bad talking to from the head boss of Riker’s. Adam wouldn’t like to learn that their best asset was in danger of being lost.
She didn’t let the thought linger though as his partner had called her Mutie the Cutie and she was confused. She’d never really gotten compliments on her appearance so she had no idea if it was good or bad. But she decided to keep quiet as the radio played its music. She had to admit the classic rock was nice for a change of pace. She hadn’t noticed her fingers tapping to the beat of the songs. She answered the other agents questions easily enough as he asked them.
Laying her head against the window she watched the buildings go by. She didn’t feel slighted as Agent Carter gave her a small compliment on her thinking, but was surprised at it not being where she had thought. She had never been out of the city of New York. If it was out of the state he had a lot of nerve to take her out there. She had no clue how other towns or cities were set up.
“Good, question.” She mused to the other partner. Being inside this car was going to be far too cramped with Agent Carter in the car. This is why Radar preferred to be in her cell. Then she wouldn’t have to constantly deal with people in general. Just the usual thanks for the food and yes sir for training. She was their perfect weapon to draw out the mutants in the world. And yet here she was being treated like trash by one, and drained of information from another. She refrained from asking the same question in a different way as she waited for his answer.
