2013-01-12 Standing Offer

Out of all the parks in New York City, there is one that has an odd reputation. The Great Hills Park. Part beach, part former landfill. One that in the winter, isn't used that much, or nearly as much, since there isn't any swimming in the cold water (or as much, thanks to the occasional polar bear swimmer who's crazy enough to try and do some swimming here).

And at night, that is even more true.

And yet, just like any other 'park' in the city, this one attracts drifters, the homeless, and worse. Dealers. Pushers. Petty thieves. And the like.

But tonight, among those from the fringe of society, there is another. One out in a slightly torn up jacket. Why Laura Kinney is here, even she couldn't tell you. But for now, she is here.

Nate is here hunting, bit pickings have been slim. He is not interested in petty thieves or pushers. They are not really criminals in his worldview. He came expecting someone much more dangerous, but the Intergang is more cautious after the last few scuffles and they must have suspected he would be here. There seems to be nothing of interest for him here. In the darkness of the night he can hardly recognize Laura, a girl he has not seen in months anyway.

It may have been months since Laura met Nate. Or at least saw him. But considering how they met (so to speak), it isn't exactly like she can forget him either.

Not that she's looking for him either. Instead, she's just sitting there. Alone, on a bench. For now.

Nate has not actually forgotten Laura. After what Sophie told him about her, he was quite interested in meeting her. But circumstances were unfavourable, and he never went to Gotham to look for her, and now he has other business in his hands.

Nevertheless a girl alone in a bench, in a icy winter night, does draw his attention. She might be a lost runaway and he can direct her to a shelter, at least. And if she is drugged, a night here could kill her. He finally recognizes Laura when he is a couple yard from her. He pauses. "Well, good night. Laura, wasn't it?"

There's a slight glance at Nate, before Laura nods once. Slowly.

The fact is though, that she isn't drugged. And considering what she's wearing under her coat, she isn't that cold. She's just alone. But she does recognize the man speaking to her.

"It is."

Nate is also wearing a coat over his outfit. But it is cold, even though he keeps moving. Staying like her, still and doing nothing is weird. But maybe she is invulnerable to cold weather. "We have met once before, briefly," he checks for reaction. "Hmm, are you waiting for anyone or anything?"

Not exactly invulnerable. But between training, and knowing how to dress for the cold, while still being able to maximize movement helps.

"No." is said before she tilts her head towards the spot next to her, if Nate wants to join her.

"Thinking."

Nate hesitates a moment and then takes the offered seat, looking at the small girl with some curiosity. It is freezing and it is definitely not the kind of place he would pick to stop and think. But he can endure the cold just fine, at least for a while. "Alright. See, Sophie told me a little about you." Perhaps not the best way to approach the problem, but Nate is direct. "Are... they still looking for you?"

The answer is a simple, "Yes." as Laura looks straight ahead, and not at Nate. nor does she say how she knows. But then again, given what she does know, maybe she figures they never will give up on her as long as 'they' exist.

On the other hand, the fact that Sophie told Nate about her does /eventually/ give her pause, before she glances back at him. but she doesn't ask what else was said, or why it was said.

Nate hrms. He is starting to suspect this can be a very one-sided conversation. But he could almost hear her unvoiced question. "Sophie told me a bit about the sisters and how they were created to be living weapons. And you were too. Not details, so if you have secrets, they weren't revealed." He pauses again, "she didn't told me something I want to know. Do you want to end it, end them?"

Yet again, the answer is a simple, "Yes." That is before Laura practically jumps up, and just stands in front of the bench.

"I do."

There's almost a flash of pain from the girl as that's said though, as well as an unvoiced flash of a desire not to see 'them' hurt others. There's no way to really tell what others, or how they could be hurt though.

"Why are you asking?"

Nate tenses briefly when Laura stands so suddenly. He got flashes of emotions there? She looked like ice a moment before. "Because I am going to end them," replies Nate, "not just me, of course. There are a few of us. We want to put an end to these secret agencies and conspiracies that do things like... clone mutant and aliens to be living weapons." He stands, "let me tell you about us, then you can tell me about yourself, alright? Not here, though, somewhere warmer."

"There are others." is said in a way that it's unclear if that's a question, or a statement of fact. If she's asking about the others Nate is talking about. Or saying that there are others that Nate hasn't approached and might not know about.

But what ever Laura means by that, it is still said.

Likewise she waits for Nate to go (or at least start to head towards) where ever he thinks they should, based on the end of his statement.

Sure, there is a 24/7 dinner not fifteen minutes walking from her bench. Nate knows it is there, because most minds are sleeping in the neighbourhood, but not there. There are not even six people in there, and the place is rather rundown, not particularly warm. But the waitress brings hot cocoa when Nate asks for it rather quickly. That will do. "What do you mean there are others?" He finally says to Laura, his voice quiet.

Between what she knows, what she flat out knows to be the truth, and what she suspects...

"Weapon X." Laura says, if only to judge Nate's reaction. If he really is after secret government facilities and the like, then he may very well have a clue or two what she's referring to with that.

"In my world Weapon X was the man that calls himself Wolverine here," comments Nate passing Laura a mug full of steaming cocoa. He met Wolverine once, briefly, there was not much time for small talk, mutants terrorist were trying to kill them both. "Not a coincidence, is it?"

A fist is made as Laura sits there, before accepting the cup of cocoa. if one fully knew what she could do, they might have to worry about her claws popping out at the mention of /him/.

But they don't. For the moment.

"Probably not. But he is not the only one they made."

"You are not very good with words," comments Nate with a faint smirk. "I had no idea Weapon X was the name of an agency, no. I have heard many names. Cadmus, Intergang, Hydra, the Secret Empire, AIM, Midas. Do I add Weapon X to the list? What can you tell me about them?"

"I can be, and am good with words when I need to be." Laura says, first in English, before switching to French, albeit in a more formal manner than most native speakers would. 

Then she shakes her head.

"But why say more than what needs to be said?"

Then there's a pause.

"And for now... Hold off on Weapon X. Eventually you may have to go after them. But if you do, you will need more than you have right now."

Nate tilts his head, then he frowns faintly. "Yes, I might need more information, of course. That is why I am talking to you." Or at least trying to talk to her! "I am good at looking for information, though, I am a telepath." Since Laura lived with the Cuckoos, he assumes she knows quite a bit about their capabilities. "Once I find one member of that organization, I can start to unravel it."

And there's a shake of her head at that, before Laura takes a sip of her cocoa.

"No. You will not." is said as the drink it set back down. "They have telepaths. They are compartmentalized. They compartmentalize their information. You may learn a little, but you will not unravel it. Weapon X... Wolverine does not know about me. He does know about some others. I know about some others. But what we know is just barely a scratch on the surface. What their agents know is usually less."

"I am more powerful than any of their telepaths," notes Nate, sounding pretty sure of himself. "And if that fails, my team mates have sorcery, alien technology and a wide array of abilities to draw upon. These agencies, they are used to people reacting only when they are reaching outside, attacking someone. Can they survive when they are the ones being attacked? I doubt it."

Slowly, Laura gets up. The fact that Nate is so confident... Well...

"You actually think that?" is said, her expression is somewhat cold and emotionless, if not just distant.

"Maybe you can." is said as there's a shrug, before Laura turns her back and starts to walk off. "Maybe you can't. But for Weapon X, you will need... Others."

"Will you find them? If you do, contact with me," Nate remains at the table, and since Laura is leaving, he doesn't speak anymore. But he projects into her mind an address, an email and a cell phone number. If Laura really wants to strike back at the agency that created her, she knows where to begin.