2013.06.01 - American Gothic pt 1

Venture Ridge, Wyoming.

"Venom's contact didn't lie." Taskmaster confirms. "This stinks up and down of beekeepers." The skull-faced mercenary is speaking low enough no one beyond the Baroness and their newest associate could hear, Zayin. The man's masked face as unreadable as the Taskmaster's own.

"How do you want to play this? We know he has a small army in there." Which is something Baroness couldn't exactly transport to this armpit of a town in the middle of who cares America. "Business approach or straight up infiltration?"

"That's one good benefit of him, it makes keeping him worth the cost." Baroness speaks neutrally in her crouch behind the two, one arm bent and resting on her knee to hold up the semi-automatic handgun. As she spoke her focus is on that weapon, pulling the clip, checking the rounds, sliding it back in and clipping the safety off before she holsters the weapon on opposing hip of its twin. Pushing to a stand her cold gaze assesses them from behind the framing of glasses and that light sheen that keeps the impenetrable thoughts somewhat hidden.

"Business first, after all, that is all this is unless they make it too much. Then we do it the easy way." Swatting at a fly with a snap of her wrist her nose wrinkles in disgust. "Hopefully this goes quickly, this place bores and disgusts me."

"And here I thought you only kept him around for his wonderful personality." Dr.Venom as he is calling himself now has an ego the size of the globe perched atop the Daily Planet. Taskmaster cannot personally stand the man but he is a scientific genius who can do things no one else in the Baroness' organization is capable of. He is also the primary reason they are here right now.

"Business it is." Taskmaster says with an unseen smile. A toggle of his I.I. and he is taking on the holographic projected image of a plump woman with a tablet, bunned up hair and glasses two sizes larger than Ana's own.

Surprisingly Zayin peels off his mask to reveal a bright blue eyed man with cinnamon brown hair. His suit being quickly torn at and altered to make him appear as if he was a simple gun armed bodyguard.

"We'll don't you clean up purdy." Taskmaster teases the other man in a Southern accent before looking towards the Baroness, "Looks like we're ready.'

There are some things even brain bleach wont take away, and that would be what Taskmaster transitioned into. Baroness just stared for a moment, masking her initial shock with the usual apathy touched by a smile that could be sheer joy or an utter quake to foundations if she pushed the -happy button-.

"You two she elope." Accented vocals came out dryly around that smile as a hand rests upon her hip, a fingertip tapping over one of the pockets. She would change but it is not necessary, they know her, and it did not matter what kind of suit Baroness walked to the door in, it was a Baroness suit and did not negate the intentions.

Turning on heel she walked towards the entry.

"No sense of humor. We'll have fun with this one." We? The Master of Stolen Awesome has learned many things in his time around the Baroness and her growing army; the woman does shockingly have a sense of humor. It tends to be sarcastic and dark but it exists in there. It means all of his banter isn't entirely lost. Though, looking at Zayin and the organization known as the Night Creepers he works for the mercenary has to think twice on that.

The hidden base located here in Wyoming for A.I.M. is rather UN-assuming to the naked eye and to electronic surveillance, it looks like a cluster of ranch houses (larger ones) hugging a treeline. It's whats beyond that expanse of trees where lies the trick, netting, advanced camouflage canopied over a latticework of buildings and open ground labs. It is EXPANSIVE and entirely unseen. A.I.M. practically works in plain sight of the U.S. Government. It's impressive to say the least and kind of daunting when you have to walk in there and demand they hand over some of their resources.

Cutting a path back to their vehicles they get in to the black jeep together and 'simply' roll on up to the front of the house up until a cattlegaurd crossing and fence doesn't let them pass any further. It's several minutes later two rather cheerful looking teenage boys walk out all smiles and waves.

The hefty one in the lead props himself against the driver side door. The window is slowly rolled down by the shade wearing driver. "Afternoon folks, you lost? My brother and I be happy to give you directions back to town."

Right under the governments noses, is right up their alley. At least right up Baroness', but that is not what she is interested her, her plans did not keep her in this hell-hole nor anywhere touching on it or what they were up to. She just wanted a piece of it - needed a piece of it to expand and give the doctor more to do then interrupt. Smooth, things were finally starting to go smoothly.

Thought none too soon as the two youths approached and offered hick hospitality that only had her sneering from her seated position, staring out the opposing window. "Not lost at all." She states pointedly, finally looking from out the window towards the one youth that casually propped himself against their vehicle. Rocking forward that constricted suit groans protest when both her elbows come to rest on drivers and passengers seat, putting her right in the teens view. "I have business with the -folks-. Might want to let them know the Baroness calls. Hm?" On the last word one brow rises in tandem with a singular corner of her lips.

"Sure... a sec." The youth says before reaching in to his overalls which gets a gun pointed at his face. "No harm, no harm, just grabbing my phone." His free hand raising up palm flat to show it was empty while he slows his movement. This doesn't' deter the guards firearm from it's aim.

Lifting the cell up the young man points the camera bulb at Baroness. "You're so pretty I just can't resist a picture." The driver's gun remains poised on the /hick's/ face. "Mind if I?"

Tipping his head to the side Taskmaster/Assistant Lady about to speak when the young man suddenly interrupts, "Thank you for the picture Miss DeCobray." No picture ever taken.

The quick draw of the drivers weapon only made the Baroness' smile brighten, broaden, and any "picture" is that much more geared for front page - if it did not resemble the fact that it was one of sheer malice for this paparazzi. A finger flicking gesture from the edge of loose hanging wrist told him to go ahead with the security scan, one that was verified by the name he called her by.

"Any time. Such a sweet boy..." Stated with a bored tone as a hand reaches to the side with Task-assistants subtle movement, curling a finger within one of the loose strands of his/her bunned hair. "Don't you agree?"

Every gesture seemed to be a toying one, barbed even as she withdrew her digit from the forced-coil of hair. "They ready for me and my company then?'

"Don't touch the hair. You know how long it took for me to get it like this?" Disguised Task mumbles.

"They are. You can go right in, ma and pa are waiting."

As soon as the words leave the young man's mouth they're pulling ahead in time to see the most spot on American Gothic portrait one could ever hope to see in real life. Ma and Pa being spitting images of Wood's oil painted and imagined duo. The jeep pulling to a slow stop the Baroness has her door opened and she is quickly flanked by Task and Zayin. The driver leaning against the side of the vehicle.

"Miss DeCobray, it's a pleasure to see you here. Would you please come inside? My wifes delicious sun tea is ready and we got an AC running in there." The elderly man suggests before motioning them in towards the screen door of the large three story ranch house.

The charade is endearing, to a point even that smile is becoming hard to hold and making the bit of skin at the corners of lips and eyes jump in her own internal turmoil and repulse for this. Business... Business... Going on like a chant in her head from the empty bleachers.

"Anything that gets me away from..." Swatting at another fly it is hard to hide the now evident withdrawal of her upper lip from her teeth. "...the insects." Oh the innuendo that could be said in that singular statement...