Manhattan - Sophie Briggs' Office (February 2018)

[Hollywood Heidi]

Sophie Briggs' Office

Located in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. Corporate headquarters of the Pandion Preserve charity organization. Events taking place in February 2018, soon after the events at the Fight Club.

[Kristi Lynne]

Sophie sipped her tea and stared out the office window. She was relieved when the alien prize fighter had called to confirm her interest in a job. So Sophie had advised her to come by the office after dark, trusting that the woman knew how to make an unseen entrance. She had the fish on the line, now she just to had to successfully reel it in. In one ear, she was having a conversation with an uncooperative dealer in San Francisco; the other ear was listening for the sound of any movement in the hallway. 

"I am so glad that your restaurant got a good review, Sonny, but you know that's not why I'm calling," Sophie continued on the call. "Why are you wining and dining this buyer from Qatar? You know I can pay just as much as he can ... You want payment in bitcoin now? ... That's ridiculous, I have always guaranteed your cut ...."

[Ariel]

The walls of the hallway were painted with the dark shadows of the late night, dimly lit by the moonlight that ignited the floor for Nebula to follow. A single door sat ominously at the end of the hallway as Nebula quietly made her way down. Getting into this building was one of the easier stealth operations she had encountered in her time here on Earth, which placed another single layer of trust down for Sophie Briggs. So far, things seemed straight to the point with no games included. Nebula hoped this woman would keep it that way. After all, Nebula wouldn't make her forget that mean hook she's got.

Nebula's footsteps halted as she reached the door. She was unsure of what exactly to expect, but it had to be worth something to come all this way to meet in the secrecy of the night. As far as Nebula had scaled the building, Sophie was the only one left in the office at this point, so Nebula felt comfortable making a tiny bit of noise as she finally raised a single fist and gave the door a few light raps.

[Kristi Lynne]

At the sound of knocking, Sophie walked briskly from the window to the door, pausing at the desk to set down her teacup and saucer. "Hi, come on in," she warmly greeted Nebula at the door. "I'm just finishing up a call. Make yourself at home."

She sank into the chair at her desk while the blue woman entered and warily walked the space. Sophie certainly didn't keep anything incriminating in plain view, just books and photos and souvenirs of her travels scattered among them. The appearance to all the world of a successful charity's CEO. "Oh, bloody hell, Sonny. Your threats are about as laughable as your ties. ... I'll make it very simple then. Either that package is here on my desk on Monday, or your payment won't be."

Sophie clicked off the headset in her ear and tossed it onto the desk with a sigh. "Can't even trust a black market arms dealer these days," she remarked. "Anyway, thank you for coming. Would you like some tea, coffee?"

[Ariel]

"Hi, come on in," "I'm just finishing up a call. Make yourself at home."

Make yourself at home? What does that mean? Nebula thought cautiously to herself as she slowly entered the office space. Although she had been on Earth for some time now, she felt as if she was still hearing new phrases and lingos everyday that she couldn't quite make sense of. Sophie made her way quickly back to her desk to pick up the call once more with what looked like a little metal bug that sat in her ear. Nebula wasn't sure what to do, so she awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, her eyes wandering over the many different objects of memorabilia that decorated the space. Photos of strange buildings and monuments that were unfamiliar. 

 "Can't even trust a black market arms dealer these days," "Anyway, thank you for coming. Would you like some tea, coffee?"

"What's a tea?" Nebula snapped unintentionally, it was just in her nature. She hadn't visited many shops or places that provided something with such a name, only underground facilities where she wouldn't be recognized as something out of this world or be in any sort of danger. Whatever this tea was, those places certainly did not have it.

[Kristi Lynne]

"What's a tea?"

Sophie stifled a small laugh in response. She should have known that someone so clearly alien was not in the habit of mixing with the common folk. "Well, my dear, it is the beverage upon which all of civilized society is built and continues to exist," she proclaimed, while crossing to a coffeemaker in the corner. She dropped in a pod of Earl Grey tea and allowed it to noisily brew. "Of course, the heathens in this country drink it cold and with an obscene amount of sugar. But as my guest, I shall make you a proper cuppa."

Once the cup was filled, Sophie dropped in two cubes of sugar and a spot of milk from the mini-fridge beneath the counter. No point in asking Nebula how she took it. She handed the woman the cup and saucer, then went to retrieve her own. "Cheers," she said, clinking the teacups together. "Ryan sends his regards, by the way. He's gutted that he'll miss out on this job but it's his own fault, really."

[Ariel]

"Of course, the heathens in this country drink it cold and with an obscene amount of sugar. But as my guest, I shall make you a proper cuppa."

Nebula stared curiously down into the swirling, tiny cup in her hand that reminded her of some sort of light colored mud. Watered down with whatever it was that Sophie had put into it. Nebula was weary to drink it for this reason, as well as if this woman had slipped anything into the cup that might maim or kill her. Nebula was still a soldier with her guard up, it was a learned attribute that she simply couldn't shake.

"Cheers,"

Sophie clinked her cup against Nebula's, startling Nebula slightly. Earthlings sure had weird customs. Still holding the cup in her hand, Nebula stared at Sophie in waiting for the information that she had promised to give her upon meeting in this space.

"Ryan sends his regards, by the way. He's gutted that he'll miss out on this job but it's his own fault, really."

"And what job might that be?" Nebula asked Sophie, getting straight to the heart of their meeting. She wasn't very good at small talk, no matter how hard she tried. She also found it as an annoying distraction to dance around subjects, the social customs of humanity did not interest her. Especially when there was a job to be done.

[Kristi Lynne]

"And what job might that be?"

"Not a fan of small talk. Duly noted," Sophie remarked, sipping her own tea and trying not to be offended by the slight. "I suppose it would be a waste of time in your line of work. Right, on to business then." She flipped open a set of cabinet doors behind her desk that revealed a white board on the wall, then sat down at her desk to begin work on her laptop. With a few clicks, what was on her laptop was then displayed on the wall.

“There was a time when we thought we had compiled a pretty exhaustive list of the threats to mankind in every conceivable corner of the world," Sophie began, as the screen cycled through images of enemies foreign and domestic, individuals and groups, and the carnage left in the wake of their violent actions. "And then one day, just a few blocks from here, the sky split open and down came an invading army of aliens." She then cued up news footage of the Chitauri forces decimating the New York City streets.

"Seventy-four known deaths, countless casualties, and nearly 20 billion dollars in property damage. Some neighborhoods still haven’t been rebuilt," she continued. "In the wake of the attack, a joint venture between the government and Stark Industries dubbed Damage Control was tasked with the clean-up. It turned out to be a growth industry. The Avengers in their single-minded zeal to save the world left quite a trail of broken bodies and buildings in their wake." Sophie made no effort to contain the disdain in her voice as she spoke of 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' while watching more footage of Greenwich, England; Washington, DC; Lagos; and Sokovia. The breath still caught in her throat at the sight of that city's destruction, but she did her best not to show it.  

[Ariel]

“There was a time when we thought we had compiled a pretty exhaustive list of the threats to mankind in every conceivable corner of the world,"  "And then one day, just a few blocks from here, the sky split open and down came an invading army of aliens." 

Nebula watched emotionless as Sophie gave her some backstory for the current mission about to be proposed. Images flooded the screen of enemies foreign to Earth, some that Nebula recognized. The images being shown on the screen transitioned into video footage full of carnage and destruction upon the very city she had been residing in since her arrival. She was more than aware of who this group was - The Chitauri. Allies and servants of Thanos, her own father. Not so much as that she felt bad for the City and residents who faced this loss and havoc, but a feeling that this attack was due to her father's bidding was enough to make her blood boil.

"Seventy-four known deaths, countless casualties, and nearly 20 billion dollars in property damage. Some neighborhoods still haven’t been rebuilt," "In the wake of the attack, a joint venture between the government and Stark Industries dubbed Damage Control was tasked with the clean-up. It turned out to be a growth industry. The Avengers in their single-minded zeal to save the world left quite a trail of broken bodies and buildings in their wake."

Nebula was disgusted, and yet she wasn't surprised that the world's greatest so-called "heroes" added more to the destruction and turmoil. Earth put these massive jokes too high up on pedestals, not thinking that they could also be capable of committing any sort of wrong. If anything, Neubla found the fact that the Avengers were in deep trouble with the world mildly amusing.

"in all of this, where exactly do I come in?" Nebula asked Sophie. Whoever it was she needed to take down, Nebula knew that she could get the job done. She answered to no side except for her own. And the side of her new boss, of course.

[Kristi Lynne]

"in all of this, where exactly do I come in?"

Not exactly the patient type, are we? Sophie thought to herself. "Well, eventually, the workload became more than their resources could cover. They began contracting out to independent agencies, like mine. Lower costs, lower profile. in a word expendable," she sighed. 

The screen then shifted to a global map upon which circles of different colors began to appear. "A couple of years ago, my mission brief changed. Incidents of what appeared to be natural disasters began to occur all over the globe -- earthquakes, fires, floods. Random acts of God to the casual observer. But then SHIELD, or SWORD or whatever they call themselves these days, they began to notice patterns. And at the center of these patterns were people." 

Sophie clicked on a few of the circles, which then brought up a window with a photo and profile. "Otherwise unremarkable individuals who began to exhibit enhanced abilities," she advised. "Inhumans, that's the official term. I don't know the specifics of why or how they changed, but the working theory is that exposure to some substance -- possibly alien in nature -- altered their genetic makeup. Woke up some sort of dormant DNA.

"Some of these Inhumans are harmless," Sophie told Nebula. "They welcome, even request SHIELD's intervention. But others, they don't want to go quietly. And that’s where my team comes in. Apprehension and extraction, or if necessary, termination.”

[Ariel]

"Some of these Inhumans are harmless,"  "They welcome, even request SHIELD's intervention. But others, they don't want to go quietly. And that’s where my team comes in. Apprehension and extraction, or if necessary, termination.”


Nebula listened to Sophie's speech, her attention piquing with interest as she watched the screen change to the next slide. She would have told any other person otherwise if they had told her that she could be put to good use on a planet such as this one. Not having a clue that Earth was home to these 'inhumans' until now, Nebula began to think otherwise of dull and powerless Earth. Maybe, just maybe this planet was home to more interesting beings than she thought. Powerful beings, many who sound like they haven't a clue what is happening to them, "They must be terrified...," Although composed of much metal and hardware, Nebula couldn't help but to have a soft spot for beings that felt utterly lost and out of control. Beings like herself, "I can only imagine how cruel this world has been to them...," Nebula uttered before turning her attention from the screen and back to Sophie, "...But I understand them. They need my help, and I will give it to those who are willing. But in what case is termination necessary?" Nebula asked Sophie, figuring that all of these outcasts deserved a chance at a better life - even the rogue ones. For if it hadn't been her own sister that had shown her mercy in her darkest moments, Nebula figured she would have been dead long ago.

[Kristi Lynne]

"They must be terrified... I can only imagine how cruel this world has been to them... But I understand them. They need my help, and I will give it to those who are willing. But in what case is termination necessary?"

"Usually at my discretion," Sophie replied. "When a subject proves incapable of controlling their power, or they've racked up a significant body count and show no signs of stopping." Puzzled by Nebula's newfound compassion, Sophie wondered if she had perhaps made a mistake. It was Nebula's brute force and determination in the arena that had made her a suitable candidate for this mission, not her understanding or empathy. She wasn't running a bloody Red Cross or a refugee camp here.

"Gods and monsters, my dear. This planet is ill-equipped to deal with either," Sophie explained. "Enhanced beings like this are dangerous, to themselves and to everyone around them. They make their own rules and face no consequences. You've seen the destruction one super soldier like Steve Rogers wrought. Imagine the damage that thousands, or millions, even more powerful than him could do." 

She exhaled, trying to dispel the emotion and the feeling that she was sounding too much like her mentor. Retrieving a key, she unlocked a cabinet drawer and withdrew a stack of files, placing it on the desk. "Ever been to Japan?" she asked casually.

[Ariel]

"Usually at my discretion,"" When a subject proves incapable of controlling their power, or they've racked up a significant body count and show no signs of stopping." "Gods and monsters, my dear. This planet is ill-equipped to deal with either," "Enhanced beings like this are dangerous, to themselves and to everyone around them. They make their own rules and face no consequences. You've seen the destruction one super soldier like Steve Rogers wrought. Imagine the damage that thousands, or millions, even more powerful than him could do."


Nebula nodded at Sophie's answer, understanding her point of view. If they were a lost cause, there would no longer be any sense of reason. Then again, Nebula would have thought that about herself at one point. Though, she respected her new boss's stance on the matter and did not press any further questions upon the matter.


"Ever been to Japan?" 

Nebula stared at Sophie in question, as she had no idea what or where this so called Japan was located that Sophie had referred to, "What's in Japan?" Nebula asked affirmatively, and yet her curiosity began to sparkle brighter and brighter as they delved into the mission at hand. She had yet to discover what opportunities lay within this newfound company, but she had a feeling that she was in for an adventure no matter what happened after this point.

[Kristi Lynne]

"What's in Japan?"

"Our next acquisition, possibly," Sophie answered, laying the top folder open on the desk and moving aside so that Nebula could see. "Four days ago, a village at the base of Mount Iwate in northern Japan was flooded," she began, laying out a series of black and white photos of the devastation. "Up until this point, that whole area had been experiencing a drought. The nearest source of water, the Matsu River, was at critically low levels. And then suddenly, a catastrophic flood."

Sophie laid out two more images. "These were captured by satellite, before and after the incident," she explained, her finger tracing along a twisting path. "Notice how the direction of the river changes. Now, I don't know how things work on your planet, but here rivers don't flow uphill. I think someone's found the ability to manipulate water. Whether they did so intentionally or not, that's to be determined.

"The government identified three survivors, now being housed in nearby Morioka. Safe to say that one of them is our Inhuman," she concluded.

[Ariel]

"These were captured by satellite, before and after the incident," "Notice how the direction of the river changes. Now, I don't know how things work on your planet, but here rivers don't flow uphill. I think someone's found the ability to manipulate water. Whether they did so intentionally or not, that's to be determined."

Nebula's gaze followed Sophie's fingers that traced the unnatural phenomenon. It still didn't feel real to Nebula that these beings existed on this boring planet, and she anticipated seeing all of this for herself in person. Sophie was right, it was unnatural for a being to bend water unless they were from out of this world. Whether they did it on purpose or by accident remained the mystery that they were going to get to the bottom of. 


"The government identified three survivors, now being housed in nearby Morioka. Safe to say that one of them is our Inhuman," 

Nebula gave Sophie a nod before intruding once more in question, "So when do we leave? I'm assuming it would be quickly, before this Not Human causes any more destruction, or worse." Nebula didn't always get her wording right, but she always made sure that she got her point across no matter the situation.

[Kristi Lynne]

"So when do we leave? I'm assuming it would be quickly, before this Not Human causes any more destruction, or worse."

"You assume right," Sophie affirmed with a nod, and a satisfied smile that Nebula seemed to be onboard. They could debate the ethics of the mission later. "I'll notify my crew at the airport to ready the jet. We'll be wheels up at 0800. Don't worry about having to disguise your appearance; my people are paid well enough to not ask questions. And when we get to Japan, we'll just tell them that you're doing promos for some new anime, they won't bat an eye." She gathered up the contents of the file, shut off the screen, and began to shut down her laptop.

"You're welcome to stay here tonight," she added. "The couch is fairly comfortable, so I've found." She noted the packed bag that had accompanied Nebula upon her entrance. "Does the Grandmaster know that you're here?" 

[Ariel]

"You assume right,"  "I'll notify my crew at the airport to ready the jet. We'll be wheels up at 0800. Don't worry about having to disguise your appearance; my people are paid well enough to not ask questions. And when we get to Japan, we'll just tell them that you're doing promos for some new anime, they won't bat an eye."


Nebula didn't know what an anime was, but whatever it was she would be just that if it meant no questions asked. She figured that a change in scenery where no one would judge her looks or think differently of her would be refreshing, considering she had received nothing but rude stares from those who didn't know who she was, and glares of judgement from those who knew her origin and father.


"You're welcome to stay here tonight,"  "The couch is fairly comfortable, so I've found." "Does the Grandmaster know that you're here?"

Nebula looked in the direction of the couch as Sophie asked her the second question. There was subtle annoyance behind Nebula's features, but more so directed towards the last encounter with her former boss, "I didn't tell him where I was going, other than that there was nothing more he could provide for me in that sorry excuse of a club. He tried to stop me, but he tends to forget about that mean hook I have." Slight amusement bubbled up inside Nebula as she actually shed somewhat of a grin for once. He had thrown everything he had at her, and yet not even his entire staff was a match for her.

[Kristi Lynne]

"I didn't tell him where I was going, other than that there was nothing more he could provide for me in that sorry excuse of a club. He tried to stop me, but he tends to forget about that mean hook I have."

"I see," Sophie said, curious as to the story behind the slight smile that had formed on Nebula's face. It may not have been plainly stated but it probably wouldn't take long for the Grandmaster to follow his champion's path back to Sophie. "Boys don't like when you take their toys. But I suppose I'll kill the troll under that bridge when we get to it," she declared breezily. She retrieved her coat and shrugged it onto her shoulders, then slid her laptop into her messenger bag. 

"Right then, sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning," she advised while heading for the door. "Oh, and please refrain from punching any of the walls. I'd rather not lose my security deposit. G'night!"

*** Sophie exits ***
 

[Ariel]

"Right then, sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning,"  "Oh, and please refrain from punching any of the walls. I'd rather not lose my security deposit. G'night!"

Nebula nodded in Sophie's direction, watching her exit the office. After she left, the room grew quiet and Nebula was all alone. Sitting with herself for a moment, Nebula gathered herself and made her way towards the couch. She sat still, with all of her thoughts in motion. Nebula didn't know what to expect from this new venture, but she hoped to be successful and please her new boss. She felt like an utter failure on this planet. Perhaps a place such as Earth hadn't been ready to receive what she had to offer, until now. The ticking of the clock echoed through the office as Nebula's eyes grew heavy. Putting her mind to rest, she sprawled down on the couch and lay her head on the couch pillow in hopes of getting some sleep before the big trip.

***