Log:The Coming Dawn, Scene 1

The Coming Dawn 2017/07/09 Malcolm Grimm 1

It's 11am on a Thursday shift at Starguard. One of those days where Gabrielle's not on duty, being mostly just a member of Gamma. But as a full-time agent, Malcolm Gibbs has the usually work to do.

While in the motor pool, assistant Michael Pao trots to the hovervan Malcolm is inspecting. He's a little portly, dressed in a suit with a tablet clutched under his arm, and glasses. He just got back from vacation recently, and caught a bit of sun based on his darker complexion. He's even grown facial hair during his break, sporting a mustache and goatee.

"Ah, there you are, Special Agent Gibbs. Captain Ryan wants you to report to his office. It's on the third floor, west wing."

Captain Ryan works in special ops. While Malcolm has seen him in passing or heard from one of his briefings, he's not usually someone that works with Malcolm. And he's not part of Malcolm's usual chain of command.

"Captain Ryan?"

Malcolm both looks and sounds speculative about this. Special Operations is a command under which he thought had made it clear he didn't want to operate. Then again, it's not like the special operators don't need someone to tweak their vehicles from time to time. Usually, of course, it's someone much lower ranking than a Captain that's calling for his assistance with that.

With a grunt, Malcolm offers a nod to Pao and replies, "Let him know I'll be up as soon as I finish this inspection. Probably twenty minutes."

Pao nods to Malcolm, even offering him a salute, since Malcolm is higher ranking than him. He turns to stride with purpose elsewhere, either back to Ryan's office, or to notify the next person while he types something on his tablet.

Malcolm returns the salute, leaving Pao to make his exit.

About thirty minutes later, Malcolm is still buttoning up a formal shirt as he makes his way down the hall to Captain Ryan's office. The tall man may or may not have been changing clothes the whole way from the motorpool to the SpecOps wing to save time after he had to waste five minutes making sure the two junior mechanics assigned to assist him understood exactly what components of the hovervan needed replacements and which just needed routine maintenance.

Inwardly Malcolm continues trying to figure out what Captain Ryan wants of him.

The door to Captain Ryan's office is open, and the man sitting behind the desk in uniform is broad-shouldered, tall, with salt and pepper hair and a clean shaven face. His hair is immaculately styled, his uniform pressed, and his posture upright and proper as he reads through a file on his desk.

"You're late," he says gruffly without looking up as Malcolm reaches his doorway. "Come in and close the door," he motions to an empty seat across from him.

"I did tell Pao it would "probably" be about twenty minutes," replies Malcolm.

The door is closed behind Malcolm, the tall man moving to take the indicated seat as his grey eyes study Captain Ryan. Malcolm sits down and folds his hands into his lap as he regards the other man. He shifts his weight for a moment or two before he settles into a properly soldier-y posture.

"How can I help you, Captain?"

Captain Ryan smiles in amusement at Gibbs' response, but doesn't make a comment. Instead, he moves on to a matter at hand.

"Tell me, Special Agent Gibbs, are you familiar with Comrade Dawn?" His tone is chummy and conversational.

"Not particularly, sir," replies a conversational Malcolm, "Should I be?"

Captain Ryan raises a bushy eyebrow. "You should, if you pay attention to world news. I think they've assigned you to the motorpool too often, Special Agent Gibbs. Comrade Dawn is a formidable villain from Russia. She raised a small army of metahumans with promises of a new world order, and a country to call her own. Most of her recruits are from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Metahumans weak and powerful, she accepts any who follow her ideals."

He pulls a photo from his file and slides it across his desk for Malcolm to examine. On it is a photo of a woman with blonde hair, wearing a red uniform. Her hair is a short bob. She's attractive, and has the look of a leader in her eyes as she gazes out over the heads of a crowd. There's a banner of orange, yellow, and red that she's holding, depicting a sun rising within a triangle wedge. And glowing yellow light surrounds her as if she's backlit by the sun.

The grain of the photo is a telltale sign that a telephoto lens was used to take this at a great distance. It catches the backs of the heads of the people she's addressing, their heads all bowed down in servitude.

"I deal with crime and criminals pretty much every day, Captain," replies Malcolm, "I try not to waste my off-duty time on stuff that I get paid to dwell on."

This seems like a more diplomatic answer to Malcolm than detailing how the vast majority of his time at home is spent listening to rock 'n' roll, working on motorcycles, working on continuing education coursework, and spending time with his boo. He leans forward to collect the photograph as he mentally pats himself on the back. Studying it thoughtfully, Malcolm quirks an eyebrow and peers over the top of the image at Captain Ryan.

"And why should I be more familiar with Comrade Dawn? Is she making a push into Colonial Bay?"

"That's what some of the rumors say. We know she's making a push onto American soil. We don't know where. Or precisely when." Captain Ryan leans back in his seat and knits his hands together, letting them rest against his chest.

"We suspect she's going for a recruitment drive. But she might also be looking to stake a claim on land to take as her own, for her "People". There's a number of cities we suspect are her targets, but to face against her and her army, we need to know where she is, and what her plans are. What we're lacking is intel."

Captain Ryan offers a half smile. "That's where you come in."

"Where... /I/ come in?"

Malcolm looks equal parts aghast and confused. Both hands come up in a defensive open palm gesture while he tries to lock eyes with Captain Ryan.

"Captain, sir, I don't think you have the right Special Agent. I'm not a spy. I'm not even good at being a scout."

"I need someone tough, Special Agent Gibbs. And you're one of the toughest we've got. I've read over your record. Impressive. You also have a particular set of skills that I need," Captain Ryan goes over another file. This one has Malcolm's name on it.

"I think you're being underutilized by Starguard, Special Agent Gibbs. I told the Director such. And he agreed with me. So as of today, you're in my Op."

He doesn't give Malcolm much time to digest that before he gets right down to business. "Comrade Dawn is looking for some of the best she can get to move forward with whatever big plan she has in mind. We have one of her agents, which she calls Citizens, in custody in Tranquility. Citizen Pain is the only one of her number we managed to capture, and we can't get her to talk. But the guards have overheard her trying to recruit the prisoners. Preach to them, if you will..."

Malcolm opens his mouth.

It closes a moment later.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he considers Captain Ryan. Malcolm glances at the file in Ryan's hands, eyebrows knitting together for a few moments before he shifts his steel-colored gaze toward the Captain's eyes. It can't be helped that Malcolm feels like he's already gained a pretty accurate read on the Captain's personality. Actions speak much louder than words.

"So what? You want me to go undercover as a prisoner in Tranquility so this woman whose codename is a tortured Orson Welles pun can "convert" me to her "faith"? Or would you rather I talk her into answering your questions by offering her a custom-built motorcycle? I'm not sure what "particular set of skills" I have that you think are going to be terribly effective here."

"Please." He might roll his eyes at this moment, but he restrains himself. "You're half right. I want you in that facility and close to Citizen Pain's influence so she can try to recruit you. I want you recruited. And if she won't tell you where Comrade Dawn is, I want you to help her escape Tranquility." That's a tall order.

"Does this Citizen proseletyze to her guards?"

Malcolm tries not to look incensed. These are precisely the kinds of missions he didn't want to get involved with, precisely the reason he never tried out for special operations. He can't help but offer a vague frown, his steel grey eyes studying Captain Ryan intently as he waits for the other shoe to drop.

"No. She's only done so with other prisoners, and only when she thinks she isn't being watched. We were first alerted to this when the guards heard her talking, but she stopped as soon as she heard them. And she won't talk to criminals who rely on tech. Only those she deems to have ingrained talents."

Captain Ryan's eyes fix him solidly. "No one is to know you're on this mission. Not the other agents, not your friends. Not even your girlfriend, Special Agent Gibbs. This has got to remain quiet. Comrade Dawn's people have ways of infiltrating organizations. We won't be sure who we can trust."

That actually raises Malcolm's ire. He stiffens in his seat, straightening up further as his steel gaze fixes right back on Ryan's eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir," growls Malcolm, "What exactly in that dossier you have on me has given you the impression that I don't know how to conduct myself with compartmented information or a covert op?"

Malcolm doesn't break eye contact. He doesn't back down. There is chance that Malcolm has stopped blinking for the moment.

"You're one of the more powerful metahumans within this branch of Starguard. You have the ability to survive in space for short periods of time. You have the knowledge of how to fly a vehicle back to earth in the case of an escape. And you have the toughness to survive and extract yourself should you be discovered once brought into Comrade Dawn's fold."

Captain Ryan doesn't blink either as he fixes Malcolm with a calm, but calculated stare. "Are you saying you aren't capable of all that? That you're not the agent for the job?"

Captain Ryan adds, "You haven't done a covert op at this level. Most agents new to deep cover think they can still tell their loved ones, or talk to their partners within Starguard about it. I just want to make sure there's no questions on the level of security needed for this mission."

"I think you and I both know that I am not "most agents", sir," replies Malcolm. He remains bristly about the subject, though he tries not to let it bleed too much into his body language or expression. Malcolm shifts his weight uncomfortably in his chair and continues to regard Captain Ryan. "So what is it, exactly, that you want me to do, Captain?"

Captain Ryan offers a tight, apologetic smile. "Now that I've met you in person, yes, I know that now," he tries to unruffle Malcolm's feathers. "I've already given you the general outline of the plan. There will be some...improvising once you're undercover. We'll have a guard planted as backup at Tranquility."

The Captain sits up properly from his chair, moving his folding hands from his chest to his desk as he leans in a bit. "I want you to get arrested and held at Tranquility until your day in court. With a plausible reason for you to be susceptible to recruitment. I'll have my team going over your psych profile to come up with the right scenario. Unless, that is, you have any suggestions."

Malcolm bites his tongue at the request for suggestions. He shifts his weight again, head canting to one side as he regards Captain Ryan.

"Maybe you could give me a dossier on Comrade Dawn and her... Movement? Maybe I could offer a suggestion from something we've already observed about her and her people."

Captain Ryan smiles as Malcolm seems more on board. He leans forward and pushes the folder he pulled Comrade Dawn's photo from. "She's a cult personality. A very powerful metahuman powered by the sun. She's taken advantage of the civil unrest in her country and others to convince people that metahumans are a superior species, and need to step up to rule the world. She promises utopia with a united humanity. Serving under metahumans, of course."

"So she wants to form a Russian version of China, got it."

Malcolm considers this information for a few moments. It's not much to digest, of course, but it is a dense nugget to wrap his head around. After all, how is Malcolm supposed to act like he supports something like this when he's never really considered such a concept to be valid. Quietly Malcolm considers this as he stares off into the space between himself and Captain Ryan.

Let's hope this isn't a moment where Grimm decides to Shadow Step up to Malcolm's side.

Captain Ryan nods and smiles as Malcolm gets it. "Oh, of course, she thinks she can do it better. And her people believe it, too. Her agents have been spotted in China...Kroskev...West Africa, Columbia, and other places in the past, building momentum. She aims for metahumans in the lower and middle classes who will listen to the ideas of toppling the 1%."

The Captain studies Malcolm keenly for a moment. Maybe something about the class descriptions triggered the studying gaze. "She doesn't recruit maniacs or ruthless killers, but someone who's killed once out of grief, rage, love, or to avenge someone, she can see past. Hmmm. Maybe for your cover, we--"

Suddenly, Malcolm can hear a momentary whisper. And then a soft chorus. Captain Ryan hears it too as his eyes go wide at the threatening, coaxing, devilishly tempting whispers. He quickly reaches to open the top drawer of his desk for his sidearm as Gabrielle Grimm manifests next to Malcolm at a time that would've normally been his lunch shift. Has he been in here long enough for it to be noon already? Yes...with the delays at the pool and the briefing, it's just about twelve, and it seems this is one of those days Gabrielle decided to surprise Malcolm with a lunch from that wonky sandwich shop with a Doctor's logo on it. It's sure to have his favorite sub and a bag of chips, plus a bottle of soda.

"Hey, Handsome, I --whoa, I'm sorry!"

Captain Ryan nods and smiles as Malcolm gets it. "Oh, of course, she thinks she can do it better. And her people believe it, too. Her agents have been spotted in China...Kroskev...West Africa, Columbia, and other places in the past, building momentum. She aims for metahumans in the lower and middle classes who will listen to the ideas of toppling the 1%."

The Captain studies Malcolm keenly for a moment. Maybe something about the class descriptions triggered the studying gaze. "She doesn't recruit maniacs or ruthless killers, but someone who's killed once out of grief, rage, love, or to avenge someone, she can see past. Hmmm. Maybe for your cover, we--"

Suddenly, Malcolm can hear a momentary whisper. And then a soft chorus. Captain Ryan hears it too as his eyes go wide at the threatening, coaxing, devilishly tempting whispers. He quickly reaches to open the top drawer of his desk for his sidearm as Gabrielle Grimm manifests next to Malcolm at a time that would've normally been his lunch shift. Has he been in here long enough for it to be noon already? Yes...with the delays at the pool and the briefing, it's just about twelve, and it seems this is one of those days Gabrielle decided to surprise Malcolm with a lunch from that wonky sandwich shop with a Doctor's logo on it. It's sure to have his favorite sub and a bag of chips, plus a bottle of soda.

"Hey, Handsome, I --whoa, I'm sorry!"

"... Welp. I guess that blows the rumor that this wing has a teleportation-proof lining," deadpans Malcolm.

Malcolm may be trying to defuse the situation with humor. He is also very aggressively leaning into the space between Captain Ryan and Gabrielle Grimm so that she doesn't get shot. The tall man does not so much as sweat a single drop of biometal as he interrupts any logical firing angle.

"Gabrielle, meet Captain Ryan. Captain Ryan, meet Gabrielle Grimm."

. o O ( Lunch, meet Captain Ryan. Captain Ryan, meet the lunch my sweetie got me because she's awesome. )

Captain Ryan's fingers wrap around the grip of his gun. He's just pulling the gun out, but halts as Malcolm leans into the way. The momentary pause gives him a moment to halt his reflexes and take a moment to study the sudden intruder.

"Recruit Grimm," he suddenly realizes, apparently knowing of her in some capacity. He sighs as he shakes off the adrenaline rush and drops his gun back into the draw, sliding it shut.

Gabrielle's not even sure what was about to go down until she sees the gun put away. And suddenly she realizes Malcolm put himself in harm's way because she was impulsive.

"S-sorry, I thought...this is Malcolm's lunch hour, usually, I just..." she blushes a bit, finding this awkward, but she's also smitten that Malcolm would protect her like that, while simulataneously feeling guilty for causing him trouble.

"Actually, once you get into the building, you can teleport around well enough. It's teleporting in from the outside that's difficult..." she explains with an awkward grin.

"I, uhh. I should go, huh?"

"That is entirely up to the Captain," replies Malcolm.

He slowly straightens up in his chair, gaze steadily fixed on Captain Ryan as Malcolm tries to decide just how torqued off the Captain is now. Malcolm only spares a sidelong glance at Grimm long enough to shoot her what he hopes is a reassuring look. There is a faint glimmer in the corner of his eye as Malcolm taps into their bond, letting Grimm feel his smile at her mere presence in the room.

It's possible that the thought, 'I wonder how the Duchess of Darkness got so good at lighting up a room,' sneaks in there too.

Grimm glances sidelong at Malcolm and offers a sheepish smile as she feels his inner smile. She really does try not to look like some smitten lovestruck lady as she feels the bond between them strength and she hears the sweet thought.

'Sweet thinker,' she thinks back over their bond playfully. 'I hope I didn't get you into trouble. This guy looks super serious.'

Captain Ryan looks put off by the sudden appearance, especially after he said no close relations were to know about it. "How did she know to find you here?" It almost sounds like an accusation. Almost.

"As I understand it, she just thinks of me and then steps into a shadow and pops out of mine," replies Malcolm. He shrugs his shoulders as he looks helplessly at Captain Ryan. It's possible that Malcolm is attempting to convey something to the effect of, 'Eh. It's a living,' to the Captain by facial expression alone.

'I really don't care if I'm in trouble with him,' replies Malcolm through the bond with Grimm, 'He irritates me. I'd even say he /VEXES/ me.'

Such language! What would Malcolm's Granma'ma think?!

"Yeah, hah hah, that's...pretty much it," Gabrielle gives an unconvincing laugh at the awkwardness.

'Oh, wow, them's fighting words. He vexes you? This seems...pretty serious, Handsome. What's going--'

Her thoughts to Malcolm are cut by Captain Ryan asking her, "Can you do that with anyone? What sort of distance can you travel? Starguard's file on you says you've been able to get to Egypt from here in a single teleport," Captain Ryan questions Grimm. Why does he know about her file and past activity in Starguard?

"Ohh. Uhh. Really just Malcolm, or someone or someplace I've taking some time to memorize. And yeah...Egypt, the bahamas, Thailand...I can get anywhere I need to," Gabrielle replies, also struck odd by his questions.

Malcolm mentally gestures at Captain Ryan as the questions mount. There is an implicit 'Here's Your Sign' about the mental gesture, his grey eyes flickering between Grimm and Ryan steadily while Malcolm remains still and quiet in the chair. It's entirely possible that Malcolm is hoping that he will spontaneously develop a metamaterial power based on ruthenium polymers so that the Captain just forgets entirely about Malcolm.

'I might be able to do that, you know. Make him forget. Well...only for a short time,' Gabrielle offers across their bond. It might get her arrested or court-martialed, or whatever Starguard does.

Captain Ryan rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Cadet Grimm, please step outside of my office and close the door, but you can stay and wait for Special Agent Gibbs so you two can have your...lunch." The captain looks like he's calculating something.

"Oh, okay. Sorry again for intruding," Gabrielle apologizes as she's suddenly dismissed like that. She glances at Malcolm as she turns around, eyebrow raised in question about what the heck is going on with this guy, then walks out, shutting the door behind her. Not that a door or walls would stop the bond between them.

'Don't go hacking his mind.'

Malcolm feels he needs to make that very clear. It would be difficult to explain to a judge - or military tribunal - that an errant thought accidentally set his girlfriend to brainhacking a Starguard Captain. He shifts his weight and nods to Grimm as he senses her glancing at him.

Once the door is closed, Malcolm fixes his attention on Captain Ryan. He drums his fingers lightly on the arms of his chair as he regards the Captain, lips pursed slightly for a few moments. Eventually Malcolm seems to settle on a choice in words and he relaxes marginally in his seat.

"Sorry about the interruption, Captain. I didn't realize the cadet would be stopping by for lunch today. Or that it had gotten so late."

Pause.

Breath.

"What were you saying about my cover?"

He can feel in his mind Grimm's playful response to reassure him. 'I wouldn't try it. I was just teasing. But I can't think of the last time someone -vexed- you is all.'

"I was just trying to think of a plausible motivation that would cause you to get arrested and sent to Tranquility," the Captain murmurs thoughtfully as he continues to stare at the door Grimm just departed through, like he's trying to calculate something.

"Like someone staring at the door my girlfriend left through as though with lust," suggests Malcolm. There's a hint of a verbal question mark at the end, but Malcolm's expression doesn't really reflect it. He arches an eyebrow, though he doesn't sound or look accusatory in the least.

'I think you made a first impression, Beautiful. I just don't know if it's a good one or a bad one or something that's a little of both.'

The Captain's eyes immediately veer back to Malcolm at his suggestion. "That doesn't fit your psych profile," he retorts lightly. "But I was thinking...if something happened to your girlfriend...what a man like you might do."

Malcolm arches an eyebrow at Ryan. He doesn't argue, but he also doesn't look entirely sold. With a shrug, Malcolm straightens in his seat and gestures for Captain Ryan to continue.

"What are you thinking, Captain?"

"I'm thinking," Captain Ryan clarifies as he leans back in his seat, "how hard would it believe that, if a perp did something terrible to your girlfriend, that you'd go too far. Go too hard on the perp..."