[color=gray][h3]Front Office, Silverside[/h3][/color][sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Adel [color=gray]||[/color] [b]Interactions:[/b] - [/sub]
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Griffon sat slouched over in her seat, her arms crossed on her desk and her chin nestled in them. She was tired as hell, probably had ugly bags under her eyes but she hadn't checked. She glared at the front door of the offices, the space between the actual office and the gallery, but also nodded to everyone that came or left so they would know she wasn't glaring at them.

She had a feeling something was wrong. 

Ever since last night when Adel and Swift had... argued, or whatever had happened, she had this pit in her stomach.

She looked to her left.

Swift was in a spare seat beside her, wedged between the desk and the wall, passed out. She had gotten here even earlier than Griffon had, but wasn't used to all nighters. She also decided not to tell Griffon why she'd been kicked out of the boss' office, wanting to talk things out with the man first. Griffon's eyes went back to the door. She was mad at Adel. Still wanted him to apologize to Swift. But then she thought about how not-okay he'd looked before leaving last night.

She tapped her fingers against her arms.

The boss hadn't been in the office yet.

Technically he could have already come and gone, slipped in and out before she or Swift had gotten in. Regardless, she hadn't [i]seen[/i] him. He'd texted her that he was fine some hours ago, in the middle of the night, but that was also the last she'd heard from him. He hadn't replied to any of her other messages, nor the messages of anyone else in the office she'd asked. When she tried calling him, it went straight to voicemail without ringing. 

There had been multiple attacks in Nocturnia as soon as day had broken, some right next to Silverside. Information, reports, and requests were piling up on her boss' desk, in his inbox. Yet he hadn't so much as checked in. Wasn't around to take advantage of a situation where he stood to make a ton of money. He hadn't given Griffon any orders besides the vague 'get ready in case of a fight' the day before, even when the rest of Silverside was bolstering its borders, the western side along the river with private guards standing by to ensure the properties of the rich and influential were untouched by the conflict. 

Sure, if anyone asked if she and her boss were friends he would probably say no. She might say it depends. But she'd known him for years now, and this just wasn't really like him. 

Griffon let out a heavy sigh from her nose, still glaring. She was getting antsy. 

Swift stirred next to her. The younger woman blinked her eyes open slowly, looking at the window where the amount of light told her it was already well into the morning. She frowned and looked at Griffon.

"Did he...?" she began, but Griffon shook her head without sitting up. Swift sighed, shifting in her seat. After a moment she stood up, wobbling towards the break room's coffee maker most likely.

"Swift, go crash on the boss' couch," Griffon said. Swift paused to look back at her.

"I don't think he would like that," she said quietly. 

"Exactly. If that doesn't summon him nothing else will," she joked. Swift gave her a small smile, but it faded quickly. 

"Would you like a coffee?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Alone in the room, Griffon began tapping her fingers again. She'd sent Eagle out for a practice run at finding and aiding a fellow canary, and Darter, the stupid bastard, was downstairs. Cybersleuthes were tucked in behind their computers in another section, some Omakase men milled around with a few canaries outside of the 'lobby,' and even more canaries scattered across the city, snooping on an individual basis or on assignment from Swift (that conversation had been an interesting one, for sure). There was just one piece missing. 

She finally sat up when Swift returned with two mugs in hand, gratefully taking the one offered to her. Swift placed hers on the desk and dragged her chair around to sit across from Griffon. After she sat, she nursed her coffee for a little while without saying anything. Now that Swift was awake though, Griffon filled the silence with one sided conversation. She let her frustration with their boss be known, then her recent frustration with Darter who always managed to get on her bad side. Then she moved on to recapping the latest show she'd been binging, which usually cheered Swift up (or so she assumed as the other woman had never seemed annoyed or asked her to stop), but wasn't really helping at the moment. 

"...Ms. Misty will be here soon. We'll have to proceed without him," Swift said eventually, clearing her throat. Griffon let out a heavy sigh, pushing her chair back until it stood only on two legs.

"Well it's not like he can be mad at us for doing it without him since he's still, I dunno, hiding or whatever," she said. She frowned slightly at her own words. "I think he probably would've agreed anyway. "

Swift hummed an agreement. She thought so too, so she didn't feel that bad. Her only hang ups were the fact that the man wasn't around, and that they had parted on such poor terms. For all Swift knew, he still believed her to have betrayed his trust. It didn't sit right with her. Still, she would just have to wait until he returned to clear things up between them. In the mean time, the deal she'd made with the Akula representative Misty took priority.

"As soon as Eagle gets back, I'll collect Darter so we can talk about our next steps. If Misty has arrived by then, all the better."

Both women were clearly uneasy, but being together and having a sort of game plan for the day made them feel a little better. 'Business first' was practically their boss' motto, so they'd focus on that for now, and explain everything to Adel when he got back.

Whenever that happened to be.


[hr][color=gray][h3]Riverfront, Silverside[/h3][/color][sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Adel [color=gray]||[/color] [b]Interactions:[/b] Martin (in collaboration with [@flux]) [/sub]
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Martin stalked the waterfront of Silverside. Concealed in a trench coat he reveled in his old cover. A private eye who reappeared after having to go to ground after a ‘bad case’ coming for his blood. His outfit bordered on absurd, his ‘life’ within the city even more so. It just meant few people took him seriously, less so his business, but it meant his wet work often went overlooked.

He found himself gazing across the district. Lights reflecting off every vertical surface in sight. Opulent would be an understatement. There was a sense of functionality here, something that could only be realised by people who felt real pride in their country or state. To Martin that elicited something visceral, something fearful. These people were rallying, coming together to make something more of their circumstances. They were becoming organised, dangerous.

Martin dropped his head down. His next report would suggest posturing a force ready to repel or invade Nocturnia should this trend continue. Even animals could become dangerous when given enough time. He found a bench along his route. Taking a seat he looked over the waterway, spending the good part of an hour just watching the calmness of the flowing water glinting in the morning light. 

Letting his guard down he could hear children playing. Not turning his head, just following the sound he also heard parents chasing them down in tow. Nothing sinister, nothing wrong, just a family ready to attack the day. It was a moment of doubt, over his missions, his studies. It happened occasionally within the city. Thoughts drifting to how different his life could be if his cover became a reality.

Then the Gyft. A shout. A rush of energy. Turning his head now the parents guarded their children as someone else in the park began apologizing profusely. Someone who lacked the discipline to control what the city had blessed them with. Someone who could’ve ended another prospective family looking just to live safely. He scoffed. There was no alternative. Control was the only chance these people had for prosperous lives.

His focus returned to the moment, not long after he spotted his target approaching. Martin called out the moment his man passed him. “Private Gonzalez.”

To say that hearing his name came as a shock was an understatement. Eagle - Alex Gonzalez- paused mid-step, frozen for a moment while he thought about what someone calling that name could mean.

He had been on his way back in to work, having been sent out to connect with a canary nearby and confirm their status. And now didn't that just seem so silly, when he was still a soldier at heart?

Alex turned, scanning the area, finding the person who'd called out to him. They looked like an old movie archetype, but upon closer inspection of the man's face... Alex squinted, and then blinked in open surprise.

"...Sergeant? What the hell are you doing here?" He actually smiled at the man, lowering his voice slightly as he approached. "Am I glad to see you, though. I was getting ready to try radioing out soon."

Martin allowed an easy smile. “At ease boy. Take a seat.” He waited for Eagle to sit down before continuing to speak. “It's good to see you made the fall. You got a lot luckier than most, being out on mission in Silverside when it all fell apart.” He paused long enough for Alex to open his mouth but cut him off regardless. “Reports are however that you’ve begun to naturalise into the Canary’s, supporting that fact is that you not only failed to retrieve comms gear but actively declined it.” 

He looked to Eagle. “We can still hear what's coming over those, and none of it has been good private.” He paused again, this time without Eagle’s attempt to jump in. Martin smiled. “How do I know you aren’t compromised.”

Eagle's face fell as he took in his superior's words. This was what he hadn't wanted to happen - for his brothers in arms to learn he was alive, but write him off anyway. To make sure his mission in Nocturnia was for life and abandon him here. But he'd figured that conversation, as much as he did NOT want to have it, would have taken place over the radio. Now that he was face to face with Sergeant Luthen, he could explain himself properly. He had to make the man understand that he was the same Private First Class Gonzalez he'd always been.

"I'm not compromised sir," he said seriously, hands gripped tight on his knees. "After the massacre I needed to lay low somewhere, couldn't go back to Yellowbrick with those mafia guys all over it. The Canaries were - I thought they were my best shot at staying alive."

And so far, so good. Adel had even paid for his hotel, shockingly enough.

"I have been working with them, sir, that's true, though with all due respect it's been two days. They're a neutral party. I should have pressed the issue with the comms." Especially since his [s]new[/s] temporary boss hadn't done anything with them yesterday. "But if you're here - you didn't come just to relieve me, I'm sure."

Martin nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Resourceful. You're a survivor, I'll give you that, and between us you have my respect for achieving what you have. I see real potential in you. Officials outside though.” He paused again. “You know what they’re like, conspiracy in every corner, contamination in every crevice. They don’t get what war really is.”

Martin cut straight to the point. “So I’ll offer you a deal private. You assist me on my mission and you’ll be out on the first convoy with me when we’re done. You’ll get your discharge papers with honours signed by myself personally if you want, and go back to life outside the wall as a decorated veteran.”

Martin's tone remained the same as before. “If you say no, then you make a life for yourself here on your own. Either way, if you ever sell out your brothers and sisters, I’ll be sure you end up in containment as a control subject for Gyfted studies. Understood?”

Eagle barely heard the threat, he was too focused on the reward. He could get out of this hellhole. He could work with the Master Sergeant himself and get out alive, see his wife and daughter again.

"Sir!" Eagle said, his voice taken by kindled hope. "I would [i]never[/i] betray my brothers and sisters, or my country. No matter what happens to me in here, that won't change. Of course I'll work with you. It'd be an honor, sir."

Whatever mission it was, he'd do it. Alex glanced around the area. It was wide open, people went about their business, but no one bothered the plain clothes soldiers. Most didn't even look at them. Even so he asked, "Before I ask about it, is it really alright to talk about all this here?"

Martin showed the first fracture in his composure in a long time waving his hands down at the private. “It is when your not a screaming patriot in fucking public. Jesus.” He calmed the private and himself. He showed enough gumption to survive, but he was still a private, he had to remember that. Once settled Martin returned to Eagle’s gaze. “Yeah it's fine, if anything better. Background noise muffles our words, chatting on a bench isn’t suspicious. Canary’s ask, an old man asked for assistance, thought he was having a medical episode.”

Martin went on. “As for you. Get close to the Silver Canary. Get his trust. I’ll forward you military intel to trade for that trust. Once you have him, we reconvene. If he’s secured outside the wall, then your part is done. I’ll be in contact once I’ve retrieved other survivors. Understood?”

Though Alex had momentarily gone sheepish at the outburst, he faded back into a more serious expression as what the Sergeant was asking him sunk in. At first it seemed that his incredible fortune was continuing. He had survived the assault on Del Guarde, had managed to find a safe place to crash, had learned his current employer had military comms for him to use, and now he'd met with Sergeant Luthen and all the man was asking him to do was cozy up to the guy he'd begged for a job two days ago. If anything he had already planned on getting closer to the Canary, just by virtue of working for him and getting on his good side so he could survive and escape the city.

"Uh... 'have him,' sir?" he asked, a furrow in his brows. Secured outside of the wall? "Why do you need him outside? I don't mean to be insubordinate, I’m just a little… confused."

Martin’s expression hardened having his authority questioned for clarity. He eased back. The private had been through hell. He’d give him a break, just this once. “He’s a subject of interest, both personally and scientifically. So much so we require the security and assets of our facilities to fully dissect. You have your orders.”

[i]Scientific subject of interest?[/i] Alex had no clue what that meant. Logically he knew what all of the words meant, what they meant when put together, but... Adel? Subject of interest? It was surprising. Then again, Del Guarde had been briefed on the Silver Canary not long after they arrived in the city; it was how Alex had recognized him when they'd met. Though... 'personally?' Had the Sergeant met the man before?

Eagle could tell that asking more questions would earn him trouble though, and he didn't want to ruin his shot at salvation. "Understood, sir," he said, bringing his hand up to salute but then thinking better of it considering the situation. Instead he moved to stand. "I'll do everything I can."

Martin nodded. “Good to hear. Stay alive private, it would be a shame to die now.” He leant back into the chair. “I’ll contact you when I have further orders. Don’t linger and don’t come back. I’ll leave in an hour or so.” Seeing Eagle’s hesitation he said it in a way he’d understand. “Dismissed.”