I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain: it went the dull and wicked ordinary way

[hacktivist]

WHO: drpsychosomatic & hacktivist John and John
WHERE: Dr. Watson's apartment
WHEN: After the first interrogation and before Li’litu reveals herself
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: "It is a dangerous thing to share data. It creates pathways. Bonds. [it would make us... better]"
FORMAT: Quick




[There had been a lot of travel, back and forth across the City, nearly no food, and certainly little risk of sleep or bathing. But progress was being made, as the timer ticked down--pushing back against an inevitable tide that Ghost could not conceive the full shape or size of, quite yet. But he knew who he could depend on now. Or thought he knew. He drew up to the door, pressed up against it with his fingertips as he thought, then reached to ring the bell, three times.]

Comments

[drpsychosomatic]

[John had been home a while since visting N'cho in the makeshift prison, and it hadn't started feeling any less awful yet. Sherlock was alive, at least, he believed that was the truth- but it was a hollow, unsatisfying relief. He'd just started trying to go through Sherlock's notes to see if they held any clues when the doorbell rang. Straightening up, he went to answer it-- wondering for a moment if it might be someone come to take him in for questioning. He doubted his conversation with the skrull had gone unnoticed.]

[hacktivist]

[Ghost didn't waste any precious time on social niceness, ducking in under his arm lithely and moving inside, staying close to the wall]

We need to talk. Have you seen the Skrull?

[drpsychosomatic]

[He frowned, but made no move to stop Ghost-- not, admittedly, that he could have done much if he wanted. He closed the door behind him and led the way back to the living room, a little stiffly, folding his arms once he felt they were both comfortably in his territory.]

N'cho? Yes. I've spoken with him.

[hacktivist]

Is that his name. [Ghost spun in the air to face Watson, pressing his palms together and lacing the fingers before separating them to point at Watson.] He didn't tell me anything.

[drpsychosomatic]

[He nodded, shoulders stiff. Well aware though he was of how embarrassed he should feel about having been fooled so completely, that wasn't exactly the first thing on his mind currently.]

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you killed one of his friends publicly on the network. Not sure I'd tell you anything if I were him myself.

[hacktivist]

[the flinch was nearly invisible, unless one was specifically looking for it. And his voice remained level.]

Interesting -- she attempted to kill me after imitating--DeConnick--but this fact has been glossed repeatedly.

[a second as he locked down those feelings for the nth time this week.] I need information.

[drpsychosomatic]

[Well... that was true. He sighed.]

I wasn't-- look, even if it was in self-defence, it's not going to endear you to him. That's all I'm saying. He's a kid, Ghost. A scared one, at that.

[hacktivist]

He was deceived by Vulcanus into believing imPorts are all malignant. I know. I also know that their actions proved Vulcanus' propaganda was not wholly without merit.

[the battle of calming himself down again is going badly for the home team. Fuck he is so angry of late.] He is a kid who lied to you. Who orchestrated the kidnap and very probable torture of the real Sherlock Holmes. What did he tell you.

[drpsychosomatic]

Nothing particularly useful, really. I think the other Skrulls are his family- or at least, his family are here too. He mentioned his mum and dad.

[He wet his lips, his brow furrowed. He knew nothing about Vulcanus, or Skrulls, and he knew that put him at a disadvantage. ]

Look- I am not being naive about this, and I'm definitely not siding with the bloody invasion force. Far from it. N'cho told me that I needed to leave, that there was going to be trouble- but I want Sherlock back, and I will do anything to do that. If it means hoping that enough of Sherlock is in him that he'll give me something I can use...

[hacktivist]

That does present a complication. [considering] The City may be less safe for imPorts in future years than ever.

[So here comes one of the parts he's kind of dreading] I must apologize for keeping you high on my suspicion list, Doctor.

[drpsychosomatic]

[He sighed, ducking his head. He expected there would be so much to apologise for between the lot of them by the end of all this that the word would lose all meaning.]

It's-- it's fine, Ghost. I'm... well. I'm not sorry I trusted Sherlock, actually. I think he's going to be more upset about it than I am.

[hacktivist]

Logic dictates no one is at fault for failing to identify... literally flawless duplicates.

[he considers.]

The skrulls have made two incredibly disadvantageous enemies. If you are familiar with the board game Diplomacy-- [he raises a gauntlet, projecting a map of what looks like the various territories of WWI Europe--with three different colored dots, green, red, and white.] In this game, with three players of off-balanced resources, the probability of a single, convincing win from any one faction is 25.17%. Therefore, the probability of a draw, either between two parties or three, is 74.82%.

The probability of a three way draw, Doctor, is 47.55%.

[a pause]

Let me restate that. The probability that three opposing factions, ImPorts, Skrulls, and Vulcanus, will all destroy one another, based on this theory, is almost fifty percent.

[drpsychosomatic]

[He tried to follow, he really did- and for the most part, he succeeded. He couldn't help wishing Sherlock were here, though not exactly for the first time today. His shoulders dropped.]

Yeah... I-- really don't know anything about Vulcanus. It's a name I've heard thrown around, but no-one seems to be explaining it. They're against the imPorts, right?

[hacktivist]

It would be unfair to say that is their whole goal. They appear to be an enterprising hybrid of government and corporate interests, whose motivations are wealth and power. ImPorts serve those interests in a purely tangential sense - to kidnap and to carve up and to thieve powers from. We are not a means to their end, but a bonus--at best--and a nuisance at worst.

[he opens his hands, as if offering something invisible to Watson, and adds]

I believe if they thought us a true, substantial threat, we would all be dead already.

[drpsychosomatic]

Good to know.

[He offered Ghost a slightly apologetic smile. Being aware that he was only alive because no-one had bothered to anything about it wasn't new to him, really. God knew Moriarty seemed to have been intent on holding the threat itself over Sherlock's head indefinitely.
This wasn't personal, though, which was slightly different. He wasn't sure which he preferred.]

So your typical shadowy political group bent on world domination?

[hacktivist]

Typical?

[he paused, uncertainly. Body language an open question.]

Elaborate?

[drpsychosomatic]

Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? Costumed heroes and villains, super powers, people straight out of books- why not the... Brotherhood of the god knows what? If anything I'd be surprised if there weren't some kind of Illuminati Mason nonsense going on in this bloody city.

[hacktivist]

The Illuminati, the Freemasons and the Bilderbergs are not fictional entities, no. Here or at home.

The Masons trace back to the Knights Templar--they own Hollywood, did you know that?--their rites and rituals draw on Graeco-Roman symbols, Vulcan/Hephaestus--Vulcanus is a fitting congruence--the Illuminati are harder to follow, as their name varies based on their country of operation--they profess a kind of intellectual enlightenment. The name is... helpful, at times, to my purpose.

[gravely serious] The Bilderbergs are among the most dangerous. If you want to touch the pulse of the evil thing that hides and waits for you in every shadow, that's where it beats the strongest.

[his fingers trace little worried lines down the grime streaked helmet as he gestures with his other hand open, to encompass half the City] The Bilderbergs may even have built Lachesis and framed Mr. Stark with his own tech.

But Vulcanus... Vulcanus is different. Mason/Illuminati/Bilderberg activity is not glasnost by any stretch. Vulcanus has risen openly.

Why does anyone issue an open challenge, Doctor?

[drpsychosomatic]

[John listened to Ghost's spiel carefully, wondering just how long he'd gone without the proper medical attention. While he considered it likely that there was something at play in the City-- well. Ghost's paranoia concerned John as a medical practitioner as well as someone who considered themselves a friend.]

Because they want their opponent to reveal themselves, right?

[hacktivist]

[he settled down on the edge of the nearest piece of furniture, drawing back a little into himself] Because they think they have an advantage sufficient that they do not fear retaliation.

[drpsychosomatic]

[He nodded, slowly. That made sense- and he suspected that right now, Vulcanus had very little to worry about. Recruiting bodysnatching aliens had been a very clever diversionary move on their part- but he'd be damned if they got away with it. Once they had Sherlock back...]

Right. Well, if I know you half as well as I think I do, them underestimating us is exactly what we want them to do.