2013.06.11 - An Unlikely Alliance

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, or as lazy as it ever gets, in the Big Apple. The temperature is warm but not unbearable, and the skies mostly clear. There's a fair bit of activity on the streets, folks walking to and from various shops, homes and restaurants, and the wealthy part of the city seems pretty much at ease.

At the Starbucks on 66th and 3rd, Justin Hammer stands in line to get his afternoon overly-sweetened coffee fix. He's got a big charity event to attend this evening, and so caffeine is a necessity. He's dressed normally- no weekend casual for the CEO as he sports his usual three-pieced suit with a blue striped tie. One of the baristas waves to him and greets him by name when she notices him in line, and he offers her one of his usual grins and a nod. He's a regular here, since it's less than two blocks from his home.

Keith O'Neil was making his way back after running into Amanda and a strange young man, when he realized he hadn't had his pick-me-up for night patrol. He usually didn't go to Starbucks if he could avoid it. He loved their stuff, but there were always too many people. Too many eyes to stare at him. But at this point, he had gone long enough without coffee that he would brave the stares just to get his fix. He was wearing jeans and a simple white T-shirt, because you couldn't really accessorize with purple without adding to the color smorgasbord. He walks into the place and heads straight for the line, placing himself squarely behind Justin without noticing who it is... noticing the whispering that suddenly arises when he walks in.

He didn't resent it, he had an unusual appearance, it was normal for people to take notice. He hadn't made his name as a hero yet, and there was always a chance he never would, so the hostile and surprised glances might never turn into recognition. None of them would ever be as strong as the ones he saw in the mirror every time he woke up.

Justin takes a step forward as the line advances by one order. He's still got one person in front of him, and he waits mostly patiently, hands in his pants pockets. He hears the door open and refuses to let himself look back, trying desperately to control the growing paranoia that has been festering over the last couple of weeks. Shifting his weight and looking to the side, he notices a couple of young women looking his direction and then whispering. At first he thinks they're talking about him, and he smirks, but it becomes quickly apparent they're looking /behind/ him. Slowly, Hammer looks back over his shoulder and sees a strange, but oddly familiar sight.

Blinking a couple times and turning slightly to get a better look at the purple cat-man, Justin tries hard not to visibly flinch away. He only somewhat succeeds, and the motion is still there for those watching. His first instinct is to ignore, or avoid, the strange creature, but he knows that Fern is on good terms with this particular 'special'. That changes all the rules. "You're Fern's friend, Keith, right?" he offers, trying to make his tone sound pleasant, though it comes off slightly on edge.

The flinch isn't lost on Keith, who was after all staring straight ahead to avoid engaging anyone in the store. He felt the motion viscerally, almost like a slap across the face. When Justin speaks to him, it's quite clear from the look of his eyes that he saw the initial reaction. Anger isn't really the emotion reflected in them, it is more like disappointment, or something else. But his face remains completely impassive, like a cat not wishing to admit an insult had actually hit its mark. "Yes." He says in a quiet, measured voice. "That would be me." he says simply.

'I didn't CHOOSE to be like this, you bastard!' the little voice inside of him screams, and Keith shifts weight onto his right foot slightly.

While Justin had never been a huge fan of 'specials', he likely wouldn't be nearly as off-putting as he currently is if it wasn't for recent events. He turns more fully toward Keith, straightening up his back and trying to regain his usual air of confidence. "Small world, huh? As big as this city is, and we both end up in the same Starbucks." He offers a smile, then pulls his right hand from his pocket and offers it to the cat-man. "We never really got to officially introduce ourselves, at the restaurant." Not that Hammer wanted to, but Fern would have likely been hurt had he said he wanted to stay as far away from the Cheshire as possible. And now that he's made contact, he best act as pleasant as possible lest it make it back to her.

'You could be nice to him. He's trying to be nice to him.'

'It's not genuine, you know it.'

His inner monologue, his reason versus his emotion, constantly looking over his shoulder. This time, though, he feels very tired. Masks, everywhere, and his own grin was just one of them. He doesn't smile, but his lip pulls a little to the side in a demi-smirk. When he speaks, it is with a remarkably clear voice.

"Are you offering me that hand because you wish to, or because it's what is expected?"

Justin isn't used to being called out so blatantly. Sif did it to him when they met, but she's a goddess, and that didn't seem quite so... Up front. The man lowers his hand and glances to the side, toward the barista who's ready to take his order now. Looking back to Keith, he sighs. "Look, you're a friend of Fern's, so yeah, I'm trying to be nice. Honestly, it's a bit of both, so take it or leave it."

Keith's eyes are the usual piercing green, and unblinking. Cats could be masters of evasion, but when they were struck to the core, they struck directly and without reservations. "Order your coffee, I'll be at this table," he says quietly "Then you'll get my answer." Abandoning the hope for his order, he walks to one of the corner tables, his back to the wall, and sits down.

Watching the cat-man walk away, Justin frowns. He was going to offer to buy him something to drink, his usual nicety, but Keith walks away before he can offer. Turning back to the barista he orders a cinnamon dulce latte, vente of course, and a piece of the berry coffee cake. He pays with cash (the Starbucks Gold Card he had was lost when the mutant stole his wallet), leaves a sizeable tip, then walks to the end of the bar to wait for his drink to be made. Once he has it in hand, he walks toward the corner table where the purple feline has taken up residence. Once there he sets down the cup and the small paper bag with the cake in it, and pulls out a chair. "So what's the verdict?" he asks as he sits down across from Keith.

The cat stays still as Justin sits down and looks at him for a few moments with that stillness that only felines seem to carry.

"I did not always look like this. What I am now was thrust upon me with little choice in my part. With the talents I received, I could have done many things. I chose to do my best to help this city. To help clean the little places in those broken alleys where people say prayers that nobody answers when the wolves are at the door. Places you never see, Mister Hammer." Keith says this quietly and deliberately, with preternatural calm. "Do I ask for accolades? No. But for once, for one day in my life I would appreciate it if the whole lot of you would stop reminding me what an inferior being I am, to have the audacity of being alive." He pauses, and when he speaks again, his voice is raw to the core. "I don't need help in being reminded I am a monster. I know very well I am one. But I am more than that. If that's all I am to you, however, there is no point in trying to keep up appearances- there is never any value derived from something predicated on a falsehood."

The CEO listens to the feline, trying to keep his expression neutral. When Keith has finished, Hammer crosses his arms on the table and leans forward slightly. "Ya know, don't take this the wrong way, but you've got a pretty big chip on your shoulder," he says in his mild New York accent. "Don't get me wrong, you've got a good reason. But honestly, I think you're reading a bit too much into this." Justin picks up his coffee and takes a sip from it, being careful as it's still pretty hot. "Now it's my turn, since we're being so honest here. I can't speak for anyone else in this place, or this city," he makes a motion out toward the rest of the shop with his left hand, "But I'll tell you why /I/ acted the way I did. Couple weeks ago I got mugged. No big deal, right? It's New York. But the guy who did it? Mutant or something. Invisible. Literally didn't see him coming. Couple nights later guess what? Same guy, breaks into my house. My damned house. /That's/ why I'm on edge. Because there are people in this world no one can defend against, and you can't tell the good ones," Hammer points toward Keith to emphasize 'good ones', "...from the bad ones."

"But that's the same of everyone." Keith adds quietly. "You go out on the street and someone shoots you dead before you turn the corner, or dives a knife in your ribcage. Could be anyone. Anyone. Mutant, regular, whatever, ultimately everybody is one flavor of human or another, and if we go by generalizations then nobody's to be trusted. Mutants aren't the only people no one can defend himself against, you know. I grew up in Morrisania and let me tell you... many of those people couldn't defend themselves from the people that descended upon them. Regular humans. Regular people who killed and terrorized. It doesn't matter where you go, you're going to find someone or something you can't defend against, no matter *what* their skills are. Generalizing, every person is nothing more than a wolf waiting to pounce upon your throat."

"And then, there's Fern. And others I've met. That's why I refuse to believe that. You've been targeted by an invisible man? Fine. He's not the only one that can do that. You want to defend yourself against him?" he leans forward "Then let me catch the son of a " pause "....the bastard."

Hammer is a bit too full of himself to think he can't truly defend himself from a normal attacker. Of course this is a false sense of security, but so far all the issues he's had have been with those of the 'special' variety. He brought up the mugging and robbery, but there was also the hostage crisis. That guy certainly wasn't normal. His expression hardens, and Justin looks like he's going to retort the feline's argument, until Fern's name is brought up. He glances down, toward the table, then back up to Keith. "You wanna catch him? Go for it. The cops sure as hell won't. I hired a P.I. to try and track him down. Guy says he thinks he's likely to try something again, since he's hit me twice. I'm not above having an insurance policy, though, and if you bring him to me first, I'll pay you for it."

"I don't want your money. No disrespect, but this is what I do. I didn't spend four hours registering myself, full name and everything just on a lark. He's hit you in your own home. Has he tried to hit you in your office?" asks Keith.

The businessman in Hammer finds something distrustful about people who work without compensation. That's just not what drives the world. But with what Keith just told him, it makes some form of sense. The cat-man wants to do /good/ and in his eyes, doing good doesn't get compensation. In fact, the way it was put, one should expect misery or no good was truly done. Justin shakes his head lightly at the question. "No, he hasn't come by the offices, at least not that I'm aware of." The security systems at Hammer Industries are top notch, but if the guy can turn invisible, what other stealth abilities does he possibly possess? Hammer really has no way of knowing if he's been to the facilities or not.

"Well, that means he either doesn't have the tech to break through, or that whatever he is looking for is in your own home. I'm not going to pry into whatever secrets you keep, but you need to fortify yourself. I assume you've gotten infra-red equipment installed in yuor surveillance systems at home, and added some redundant systems so they can't all be disabled from one position." Keith's gears start turning quickly, and his eyes become sharp as he focuses. "I don't know how vulnerable your layout is, since I don't know your home... but I'd secure all windows and entrances, and equip them with dye bombs. Set up several dye bombs across thresholds in your home and require them to be activated or deactivated solely by your command. They may be able to turn themselves invisible, but it's hard to be invisble with police dye smeared all over you. There's also another gambit that you can do... and that is put in subtle but deliberate weaknesses in your system so that one specific entrance is less secure. Guide them through your house to you. And when they come for you, they could find... say, me, waiting for them. It is just a thought on the fly, but I'm willing to work with you and get these criminals behind bars. I'm not going to ask you what it is that they could want in your home if it isn't you. If there is some secret there, then put it somewhere safer. If it is you? Then they're trying to kidnap you, or worse. And we need to stop them when they get cocky enough to try again." The feline says and leans back on his chair.

It's really hard for Justin to not frown. He runs a freakin' weapons and security company, for god's sake, he knows how to secure his home. He also has no idea that infrared won't work against the mutant that's seemingly after him, or that the dye packs would likely be useless. Once Keith has finished his spiel, Hammer nods once. "The security system has been upgraded, as have the locks. I already had security measures on all entrances and windows, but he still got in. I think he was after money and guns. He specifically asked me where I keep my weapons." Glossed over is the fact that the alarm wasn't set and the wallet that was stolen had a spare key in it that Justin forgot about. He pretty much set himself up for what happened, but that fact doesn't make the final reports. "I'm seriously considering just getting a dog. No offense." He already has Sam Simeon, the private investigator, casing out his place, he really doesn't want the cat-man actually in his house. Not because he's a special, but simply because he values his privacy.

Keith O'Neil smirks "I don't blame you. If you want to, give me your P.I's name and I'll work with him, if he finds me trustworthy enough. We'll see from there." He pauses. "I don't object to being paid, Mister Hammer, but this is a personal matter. As someone who can turn invisible himself, I take great exception against anyone who uses it to abuse other people. Call it my Ring of Gyges peeve, if you will. I'll do everything I can to get this guy."

That statement causes one of Justin's brows to raise as he looks at the feline. He was slightly leery of him before, but now he's more hesitant knowing he too can turn invisible. Trusting isn't Justin's strong suit. "I'm working with a guy called Simeon. Sam Simeon. Works for O'Day And Simeon Investigations and Fine Art. I can give him a call, let him know you've taken a personal interest in the case." Having consulted someone else on this may piss off the P.I., but Hammer doesn't really care. His only concern is catching whoever had the balls to rob him twice, and string him up.

Keith O'Neil notices the brow raise. "You don't need to worry about me, Mister Hammer. If I were the person you needed to concern yourself with, I wouldn't have told you I could do it- or that my power is only useful for hiding. Speaking or drawing attention to myself in any shape or form such as touching someone immediately breaks the illusion. O'Day and Simeon, got it. I'll contact him and be ... tactful about it. For now you can rest assured that they will probably not try something against you in public, or they would already have done so. It's easy to get carried away and think of a sophisticated group behind this, but this might very well be someone of smaller scale. One last thing-- as far as you and Mr. Simeon know, are you the first case like this that has been reported recently?"

The CEO nods an acknowledgement to the reassurance. He still doesn't completely trust the cat-man, but that's simply his normal reaction to anyone. "As far as I know, yes. I haven't heard through the grape vine that anyone else has been hit by an invisible man." Of course muggings are pretty common, so the mutant may have hit other people and no one has made the connections. At least it doesn't sound like they're going up against some kind of super-villain.

"Good news is that this may be a two-bit thug who lucked out and found he had superpowers. And I'm somewhat familiar with where scum like that go to lay low after a 'good job'. I look forward to working with Mr. Simeon." The cat stands up "I have taken enough of your time as it is. Are your bodyguards outside?"

Justin watches Keith stand. He stands as well, glancing toward the door. "Yeah, there should be a plain-clothes guard outside," he replies. Again he offers his hand to the cat-man, this time the gesture seems more sincere. Or at least as sincere as it can seem coming from Hammer. "I appreciate your help on this."

Keith O'Neil shakes Hammer's hand and nods. "I'll do what I can, Mister Hammer. But as a precaution... let me do something for you." He says, looking towards the bathroom. He speaks quietly, "I'm not a mutant. At least not as you understand mutants. Better think of me as a ... Cheshire cat. That being said, I have the power of illusion. Call your guard and tell him that a body double of yours is walking out and to not follow him. That'll be me. Wait ten minutes and then go with your guard. That way if anyone is following you, they'll be in for a ride. It is a lovely afternoon, I think I shall take a walk to the financial district before heading home." he smirks.

Hammer blinks, then shakes his head. "That's... That's not really necessary. I think I'll be alright." The idea of someone else walking around looking like him is just creepy, though quite practical when viewed from a security standpoint. Presidents, celebrities and other officials do it all the time. "Simeon seems to think he'll be after the house again, more than me. I should be alright."

Keith O'Neil nods "Alright, then. Stay safe and I'll contact Simeon as soon as he picks up his phone. If you have any urgent messages, leave them at the registration bureau, I check my messages there frequently. Once I have a phone of my own, I'll give it to you." he gives him a wave "We'll send this creep down the Rabbit Hole." And with that he turns around and walks out of the Starbucks, ignoring the stares he gets. Who cares about the stares? He has a job to do.

"Will do," Justin responds, then chuckles at the Alice in Wonderland reference. Now he understands exactly why Fern used a quote from the book to describe Keith's disappearance from Anita Bella. He really is a Cheshire Cat. The CEO watches the feline go, then sits back down at the table. What the hell has he gotten himself into? At least Fern will be pleased that he and the cat-man seem to be on good terms now.