Log:It Wasn't Me Technically

Hope Must Die 2015/04/07 Paragon Porter Mr. Hardwick 4

You know, for as much time as Porter and/or Para seem to be here, maybe they should enlist? Or move closer? This time, though, it isn't interrogating a prisoner (or he hopes not), escorting a villain, or even chatting with Ms. Winters. It's not even Porter visiting his Sweetie after a voluntary incarceration following a giant misunderstanding. But almost! It's, well, the reverse of that.

And so Porter is the one sitting in the mildly uncomfortable cell with the beautiful view of a Questionite hallway wall and not alot to do.

Yes. This time, it's his Sweetie visiting him after a voluntary (and violent) incarceration. Porter was photographed, finger printed, and put in his cell to await questioning. Meanwhile, Para was frantically on the phone with Brent Hardwick to ask him to come represent Porter. Once a babysitter is secured for Kysmette, Para heads straight for Starguard.

After a brief conversation at the security desk, footsteps can be heard approaching Porter's cell. The heavy, armor plated kind. Until eventually, a security guard comes into view and motions to Porter's cell. And then, Paragon comes into view, nods respectfully to the guard, and turns to face Porter. Her eyes dim and she puts a hand up against the clear Questionite door. "Sweetie..." she murmurs softly as the guard heads back to his station. "Are you alright? You looked awful on the news..."

Porter doesn't look so bad now, really. No more bloody nose. He washed up his face and hands. He isn't blinking pseudo-ominously at camera flash. Porter sits upright on his bunk and then hops up to walk to Para. Well, as close as the door will let him. "Hey, Sweetie." He even has a smile to give. "I'm Ok. How're you doing? How's Kyssie?"

Paragon's helm retracts so that Porter can see the smile she has for him. Her hair is braided from when he did it the other day. "I'm alright. Worried about you. Kysmette is fine. But she'll start fussing soon without her daddy. Mrs. Growalski has been kind enough to take care of her." Her eyes look him over to check for injuries. "I can't believe Lightning did that to you. He's usually so responsible and careful." At least she feels relieved when she sees he's looking better than he did on the news. "I'm glad you're okay," she murmurs softly, trying to hide being pained at seeing him like this. The smile is still there, but the eyes give it away. She's pretty bad at hiding things. She steps even closer to the cell door, hand still pressed against it. "You don't belong here..."

"Hey, they guy saw somebody get murdered in front of him, maybe other people get hurt." Porter shrugs, "Don't blame him for being ticked off. And don't worry, you can let Kyssie know I won't be away long." That's something worth smiling over, and he does. Even if he has no idea if it's really the truth. "I'm Ok, Para. You need to worry about you, too. And Kyssie. I might not be able to keep a close eye on you, or show up right away when trouble happens. At least for a little while." He presses his hand to the door opposite hers.

Paragon smiles a little brighter at the thought of him not being away long. "I'll let her know. She may still fuss, though," she chuckles. "I may have to read her a bed time story. I am told that children like those. Even if she is too young to comprehend." She looks to his hand, so close, yet separated. Her hand begins to close as if to close around his. The metal of her gloves scrapes against the Questonite with an exertion of strength, but it doesn't cause a scratch.

The noise is enough to alert the guard, who gives Paragon a suspicious look. Paragon looks apologetically towards the Guard, then back to Porter and sighs. "Mr. Hardwick should be here soon. I told him of the situation and he said he was on his way. He gave the same advice he gave me; do not talk without your lawyer present."

Porter winces at the scrape, then looks sheepish, then nods to Para. "Ok. I won't. Well, unless it's to you." Because he's not about to not talk to her while she's here. Or even when she isn't. No matter how unnerving Hardwick can be.

Paragon smiles softly at Porter. And apologetically. "Sorry. I just wanted to hold your hand. And I think I can be trusted with your secrets. So what happened?" She glances towards the security door as it opens, and in comes slickly dressed Mr. Hardwick, who is stopped at the security desk to get clearance. "Wow. He really did hurry. Mr. Hardwick is here."

"I don't know," is Porter's (maybe not surprising) answer. "I mean, I still haven't seen the news stuff. As for after that... I got yanked out of the coffee shop. Attacked. Because he thought I did all that. I-" He stops to try and look down the hall when she mentions Hardwick. "Wow. Really?"

"I called him last night as soon as you told me to. He must've arranged a transmat straight here," Paragon murmurs. She looks back to Porter worriedly as the attacked part sinks in again as a reminder of the bloodied nose in the photo. "I need to have a talk with Lightning about this."

After some discussing, Mr. Hardwick starts to walk down the hallway and a steady pace.

Porter sighs. "Sweetie. It's Ok. Really. He was doing what he thought was the right thing. Maybe he was..." Another shrug. "And thanks for calling him."

Paragon frowns slightly, then sighs. "Alright, Sweetie. I just...it hurts me that you were hurt and I wasn't there to help," she says softly.

"Mr. Porter," Mr. Hardwick declares rather than greets as he comes up to the door with briefcase in hand. "I was surprised the last time when I saw Paragon in a cell. So why am I not surprised to see you in one?"

"Hey, Mr. Hardwick," Porter tries not to wince before greeting. He also tries to sound polite and friendly, circumstances aside. He might succeed on the latter two. "Yeah, I'm not really surprised, either. Stuff happens."

"Yes, stuff does seem to happen around you, doesn't it," Mr. Hardwick states. His eyes are narrowed some, then he turns to Paragon. "And you should have told me sooner that you violated your bail with that Magma Opal incident. And with your case just around the corner. You're not making this easy on me."

Paragon's head dips down in shame like a scolded child. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hardwick. The evidence pointed to them. I didn't think--"

"No, you didn't," Mr. Hardwick sighs and massages the bridge of his nose a moment before dropping his hand again. "Explain to me what's going on, Mr. Porter."

Porter blinks. "Magma Opal wha?" Either he didn't know about it, that it violated Para's bail, or all of the above? He looks between Para and Hardwick a couple times, then sighs. "Despair, that's what he calls himself, attacked some people in public. Killed someone. And since he sort of is me, or maybe will be me... I got grabbed. And arrested."

"Thank you, Bernie," chimes a perky Barbara Wawa, "Today's Colonial Bay Corporate Report starts with surprising news! Corporate security firm Saberline & Sabot have announced they will be opening a specialized branch office in Colonial Bay."

Barbara smiles into the camera as graphics appear over her shoulder related to Saberline & Sabot. It's fairly standard stuff: corporate logo, file footage of S&S guards in a generic corporate lobby, and the like.

"Simply titled, "Bad Company", this branch has been specially organized for Colonial Bay's uniquely high metahuman population and is tailored to protect corporate and private interests from metahuman and meta-level threats. A number of civil rights groups are already petitioning the city council based on Saberline & Sabot's shaky record on an assortment of legal and civil fronts.

"Bad Company, however, is off to a more promising start than many other branches. CBN has obtained exclusive footage of Bad Company member Richard "Breach" Mason employing non-lethal tactics to stop a powered armor incursion into the Magma Opal Investment Group building out in the Towers."

Immediately the video feed cuts to high-res security footage, sans audio, of an armored Breach standing in front of a security desk in the lobby of a handsomely appointed corporate building. Across the lobby from him is a fully armored Paragon. They appear to be locked in a Showdown at the O.K. Corral situation until Breach abruptly quickdraws and flings a grenade from his armor's combat harness. It bonks Paragon in the helmet before exploding into a dense cloud of clearly electrified smoke that apparently does nothing against Paragon, who emerges from the miniature lightning storm like a Terminator from a firestorm.

Paragon takes a swing at Breach, who dodges by kicking up and back into a hand-stand on the desk before launching into an aerial somersault to land behind Paragon. The clip ends with Breach straining to bodily heave Paragon to the floor.

"On a more pleasant note, the next local company on our beat specializes in protective costumes for pets..."

Mr. Hardwick purses his lips slowly. "Magma Opal Investment Group. Paragon marched into their building and had an altercation with their security."

Paragon looks extremely sheepish and ashamed. "I...I'd been 'had'." She uses the phrasing as if quoting someone else's use of it. It does not come naturally to her. "Someone gave me false information..."

"And she went charging in for justice in a setup to make her attack an innocent company. Assaulting a company for no reason while out on bail for charges of, among other things, assault, does not help her case any." Mr. Hardwick frowns and levels his gaze on Porter. "It's a miracle you're both not in jail right now. So, Despair? Clarify what you mean by sort of is you, and maybe will be."

Porter blinks again and looks to Para. He's frowning, but it's more worried than glowering or admonishing. Then another sigh. "Well, he's supposedly a future me. Or an alternate universe me. Kysmette... died." He stutters on that before more confidently adding, "HIS Kysmette. And he blames Para. The other Para. Who... I think... he killed." Another not easy thing to think about, much less say. At least he's now looking squarely at Hardwick, rather than Para. "But now he's here. Already tried to kill my Para... our Para. I don't know why he attacked those other people."

Paragon flinches as well and looks sorrowful as Porter mentions the other Kysmette's death.

Mr. Hardwick remains stoic as ever as he absorbs the details. "So. If I understand this correctly, in the future, you go mad with grief at the death of your daughter, kill one of your girlfriends, and then travel back in time to go on a killing spree. Perhaps to change the future?" The index finger of the hand holding the briefcase taps on the handle in thought.

"Hey, what do you mean one of?" Porter frowns and is insensed. But it does quickly fade to a sigh. "That sound pretty much it, from what little I know. I don't think I'd do that, but..." Does he really know how he'd react to that? No. And he never wants to have to find out. Ever.

Paragon pipes up in Porter's defense and explains to Mr. Hardwick, "He...he doesn't have several girlfriends anymore. It's just me now." She looks a little shy now that she's said it out loud.

That catches Mr. Hardwick off guard. It's a miracle. "Oh...? It seems I underestimate you, Mr. Porter." That's the closest he'll probably come go apologizing at the moment. He stays silent for a moment as he thinks things over. "The insanity plea may actually be applicable here," he says with some amusement before getting serious again. "Let us hope for everyone's sake that you don't do that, then, Mr. Porter. The police are going to want to interrogate you, but I can begin working on getting you out on bail in the meantime. If they do come to interrogate you, tell them you want your lawyer present, and have them call me right away. Have you got all that?"

Porter wasn't trying to catch him off guard. Just defend his Partner. With the capital P. His eyes start to widen when insanity is brought up (no matter how viable a defense it might be). Then he lets out a sigh. Though a bit of a smirk. "Ok. I don't really have anything to tell them other than what I just told you... but I'll have them call. First." He nods. Twice.

"Good. Police have a way of making you admit to something without realizing it. I would be there to ensure they didn't take anything out of context," Mr. Hardwick explains. And insanity may just be the right plea. Maybe not for Porter, but Despair has clearly lost it from the loss of his family. "Since you don't have anything else to tell me, I'd better get to work on this case. Take care, Mr. Porter."

Porter nods. "Thanks, Mr. Hardwick. For ..everything." Because an itemized list would probably make them both miss a court appearance.

Mr. Hardwick nods silently and turns to head for the exit of the security area. Para stays, remaining close to Porter. She watches Mr. Hardwick go for a moment before looking to Porter and smiling softly. "It'll be okay. You'll be home soon, Sweetie," she promises.