Ya one in a million cause you got that shotgun shine

[out_of_time]

WHO: Jack Bauer and OPEN
WHERE: NoHOPE
WHEN: Visiting hours, Saturday 10th through the week.
WARNINGS: Should be none.
SUMMARY: Jack has been incarcerated in the Import asylum after being apprehended by Wonder Woman. Visiting hours are open.
FORMAT: Whatever works.

Suicidal tendencies. Violent behaviour. Paranoid traits. Anger issues. Possible PTSD.

Jack had been caught again, but this time he wasn't going back to the Superjail as a convict. This time, it had been decided that he was sick, that he needed help. He was a psychiatric patient now. They were going to treat him.

Despite not having superpowers to speak of, Jack was kept under careful and delicate watch in his room. They had his file, they knew what he was capable of. Even his plastic utensils were scrutinized and accounted for after every meal. After Harvey Dent's suicide, even his clothing was treated with suspicion, in case his shirt became a makeshift noose or garrote. His room was locked, his window was bulletproof glass, and everything, everywhere was so damn white.

He cooperated with them, within reason. As far as he was concerned he wasn't sick- his behaviour in Venezuela had been the result of Vulcanus' damn virus. But these people were just doing their jobs, and he understood. He answered their questions. They talked a lot about his past, about his career, his experiences. He didn't let them get too close though. His family was off-limits, especially his wife.

He was anxious throughout though, tense, on-edge, and it was hard to hide. Always watching, looking for openings or threats. As far as Jack was concerned, he was running out of time. His capture and institutionalization couldn't have been kept secret, not for someone with as many warrants as Jack had. Soon the world would know that Jack Bauer was captive in NoHOPE. And there would be those who weren't content to leave him that way. Sooner or later, they would come.

The hospital had at least one advantage over Superjail, from Jack's perspective. It would be a little easier to escape.

Comments

[hellionated]

Julian isn’t sure about that. His feeling was that whether they were successful would depend on how big of a focus Jack’s crimes were to those involved. Jack had probably been put on the backburner what with everything else that had happened over the last few months, ImBargo included.

He glanced at Callie; she was involved with the legal side, and she’d been working with Dent. She’d know how to answer that better than him.

[maggotbone]

Callie nodded briefly. "I'd expect a critical eye, but all things considered, I think we have a good chance to claim that your drive just needs to be focused and monitored regularly. We can 'assign' you a counselor from the D.O.I. to help with any social disabilities you potentially have and we'll use your expertise as a former officer in our law enforcement division- working closely with Julian himself. As long as I prove to the court that your abilities, while it has posed a threat in the past, can be channeled to support our struggling social status- we got it." She sounded fairly confident. "PR for Imports as a whole, using you as a shining example to reformation, they might go for it to help subside native paranoia of us."

[out_of_time]

Jack actually smiled at that. Callie's confidence and positive attitude- justified confidence, not the stupid kind that disregarded the facts- was something he hadn't seen or felt himself in a while. What she was saying made sense, and that felt good. He might actually have a shot at getting out of here and getting back to work- and with a safety net in case he was 'compromised' again.

"I like the sound of it. A lot of what I did as an officer saved native lives, you can use that. Do whatever you can to make it happen- the sooner I'm out of here the better." He looked at Julian and smirked at the kid. "If this goes off, I guess you're going to have to act like you're my boss."

[hellionated]

Wow, okay. So Julian hadn't seen that one coming. Thinking about it, though, they could pull it off. He'd already publicly shouted about his support for Jack, and Callie had agreed. Yeah, that part had been private, but still. Maybe Jack showing up in the DOI wouldn't seem weird after that. If this was going to work, the cover would have to hold. So he smirked back, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Somehow I don't think that part'll be a problem. Anyways, it's a good plan." He glanced at Callie, nodding. "If we can make that stick at appeal, we're golden. ImPorts might be harder to fool, but I doubt we're the only ones on your side here."

[maggotbone]

"Great. Then that's the plan we're going with." Callie nodded, with a smile. "You hang tight here until I get you out of here, Jack- and you know I will. In the mean time, Julian and myself will see what we can do about building our numbers in support and once we get you out of here we'll talk international plans." She rose an eyebrow in the general suggestion. "Agreed?"

[out_of_time]

"Agreed." They had a plan, they had a chance. "But don't wait too long on getting me out. Hitting the Skrulls and hurting Vulcanus is a higher priority, and you don't need me for that." Even though he dearly wanted to be there when Vulcanus paid even in part for all that they had done.

He looked to Julian. "You're not the only ones. I have a few other contacts, they could be able to help us out after this is set up. But for now it's safer for everyone if I don't tell you who they are." He was thinking about Scathach especially- her position at the Institute would be in jeopardy if people realized she was allied with someone like Jack.

[hellionated]

Julian nodded. He hadn't really expected names to be named. Those supporters hadn't been loud about what they thought, so he wasn't surprised that Jack was quiet about it too. They'd come forward if he and Callie started trying to get support ourselves. Still...

"Is there no one you want us to contact? If there is, now's the time to get them on board. Right at the start." He glanced at Callie. "We'll need all the help we can get, right?"

[maggotbone]

She nodded. "Yeah. I'd like to get things well prepared before you're released. If you have allies already, Jack... it'd be wise for us to know of at least one."

[out_of_time]

Now Jack thought hard. What they were saying made sense, but he was not going to put Scathach at risk in case either of these two were compromised in any way. She was the last of the tight, trusted circle that had once existed between, her, Jack, Geddoe, and Seras. He couldn't lose her.

"Spider-Man," he answered instead. "You can trust him. He won't go as far as I would, there are lines he won't cross, but I trust him to do what's right." And since they were probably going to have to do things beyond those lines...

"There's also a mercenary I know, Yelena Belova," Jack added. "She's good. She's very good. Very professional. If you need something stolen or sabotaged or exposed, she'll get it done." Jack was still unaware that 'Yelena' was really the Avenger Black Widow- all he knew was that her performance as a member of the Dependables had been incredible.

[hellionated]

Julian didn't know Belova's name, though he knew that Spider-Man was associated with the Avengers. He was distrustful of Avengers in general, partly because of his experiences of the Registration Act and the Initiative back home, and because of everything Marvel Girl had told him about them fighting with the X-Men.

Still, right now Vulcanus was bigger than all of that. Vulcanus were against all ImPorts. They all had to work together. That was something Rachel had tried to get across to him. He understood that now.

"Okay. That's a start. We can try to bring others into that circle. I don't think everyone will listen, but some will. We can do this."

[maggotbone]

With a short nod, Callie stood up.

"We'll keep you posted, Jack. Seems to me, Julian and I have plenty of work to do." She smiled, giving a nod to her Head of Security. "We'll take action where everyone else is afraid to. Sometimes doing something worth while means taking risks. In the mean time... we have to think about some back up plans in case things don't work out for us. First and foremost, we need to protect each other, right?"

[out_of_time]

"No, the first priority is protecting the people who can't protect themselves," Jack answered immediately. "Natives and Imports." He needed to make that clear, especially to Keller. He had gotten the strong impression that the kid didn't much care whether the entire 'ordinary' human race lived or died, but Jack was driven to defend everyone threatened by Vulcanus regardless.

Those distinctions weren't as important as the fact that he had allies and a plan and possibilities, though. He could endure his time here better now, knowing people like these would make sure things still got done. "Good luck, both of you."

[hellionated]

Jack had Julian right. He didn’t care much about the native population. He didn’t care about heroics in general, not anymore. Any impulse where that was concerned had drained out of him a long time ago, and he’d never been doing it for humanitarian reasons anyway. He was in this fight because Vulcanus had hurt him and his friends. That was what he cared about.

He didn’t think the distinction mattered. Jack wouldn’t care what his motivations were so long as he got the job done. He’d do whatever worked. Besides, there was part of him that thought Callie might agree with him. When he’d been angry, she’d been quick to bring him into the fold. She hadn’t shut him out or told him to stop; she’d brought him with her, trusted him, given him an outlet through which he could act on what he said. No one had done anything like that for Julian in a long time. She understood that ImPorts had to come first even if Jack didn’t.

“Anything we do to hurt Vulcanus is good for everyone,” he said. “That’s how we’ll protect them. ImPorts and natives. That’s how we’ll win.”

[maggotbone]

Callie agreed. Really, this entire conversation was reassuring. They weren't alone, and they were going to take the steps that needed to be taken. "We'll talk soon, Jack. Rest assured, we'll do what needs to be done." She glanced over to Julian. "Lets go."