2012-09-08 - Invader Skrull: Help Me

This time when Kitty shows up, she's more nervous, though working to hide it. She opens the door quietly, closing it behind her, and works to wear a big smile on her face. She drops her duffle bag, and she be picking it back up except to grab a few items from it which are hidden within the clothes...one of said few items won't be the cell phone.

It's on the late side, perhaps 9:00 at night. It has been a few days since Kitty McGee has been by.

Richard has not long returned from a night dealing with some trouble that he'd heard of in the area. For once he's actually listening to the radio. The charts playing as he washes up after dinner.

When Richard is not found on the first floor, Kitty goes ahead and removes the items she needs from the bag. The first is a knife which she slips into one hiking book. Another is her wrist grapples, which she slips on beneath the loose white tunic she wears. She then slips her sleeping dart gun inside the jean waist band of her pants at her lower back, and puts the belt of extra ammo about her waist beneath her shirt and above her jeans. She drops the shirt and rezips the duffle bag before she heads for the stairs.

Kitty a.k.a. C.A.T. keeps her hiking boots on, stomping them a bit as she heads up the stairs. "Richard?" Her voice sounds questioning, like she is working on a simple visit. She is glad her first smile was not seen earlier, she feels more confident with her gear on even if she has to be careful how she moves to not reveal it too quickly to Richard.

Richard makes his way to the door when he hears it open. He dries his hands on a towel as he comes down the stairs his expression neutral. "Good evening." He offers a faint smile. "You should be careful in this part of town at this time of night. It's less than friendly."

"Ah, well, there are worse things in the world," Kitty says with a lop-sided grin. Her senses have extended to check for any bug-like signals, anything transmitting a signal rather than normal household items. Kitty backs down the stairs when Richards is coming down, hands behind her lower back cutely. "Actually, that less friendliness is something I wanted to speak to you about." Yes, there is a strain to her expression that hasn't been there at such a level previously even when she was injured. The cut is healing nicely on her cheek however.

It's the body language Richard reads best. He can tell when someone's nervous, he can tell when someone's anxious. He studies Kitty for a moment, his expression thoughtful, yet hard to truly judge, there's that almost unreadable serenity of his. "I see. What's the matter?" He motions down the stairs. "And would you like to speak of it over tea?"

"Ummm, not tea." Kitty stares at you, then says very quietly, "Listen. I'm...in trouble, the real kind. The kind that gives you nightmares and makes you want to just throw up. I /need/ your help, because I can't really trust anyone right now. I don't have anyone I can trust," other than perhaps Captain America...but she was forbidden to contact him. Surely he wouldn't have been replaced, right?! "Will you trust me with a leap of faith? I don't want to hurt anyone really or be hurt."

Richard arches an eyebrow as he studies Kitty for a moment. "I see, how about you tell me what's going on and then I can at least make a somewhat informed decision?" He pauses a moment as he makes his way down the stairs. "What I find curious, you say you have no one you can trust... Why me?"

"Because...," and that is when C.A.T. realizes, she trusted Fury instictively. She didn't think to question his judgment, and the expression of shock on her face would be priceless if Richard knew her. But she then shakes her head, to jerk herself out of it, "You are an outsider. Just...follow me, alright? We can't talk here." Fury told her to grab Richard and drop off grid. "Grab what you absolutely need, nothing with a signal. You can always tell me to go to hell if you don't want to get involved, I won't blame you," she admits. "I just...hope you don't say that."

Richard frowns as he looks at Kitty. "Who are you and who do you work for." Richard pauses for a moment as he studies Kitty. "I get the feeling you're not just a travelling martial arts student?" He still speaks in a calm tone. He nods slowly to Kitty, he doesn't make a grab for anything. "I'm ready to go now."

Kitty says dryly, "I figured as much. You scare me sometimes with your simplicity." But she then says quietly as she leads you toward the back door, "Well, I like to pretend I work for myself, but I lost that right a while ago." That is when her sleeves slip a bit as she moves, revealing high tech wrist grapple hooks...but she knows there are no bugs or trackers in them, or in the rest of her clothing and boots. Sometimes, she loves her mutant powers with glee. She then smiles wirly at Richard, the nervousness still there. "Well, time to get lost for a bit." Off grid.

Kitty then heads on down the back alleyways. "Listen, you know Gotham City at all well? We need to get seriously off grid for a bit so I can explain some things," and go on to her next task so she doesn't piss off the one guy that can make her life a living hell. "I don't think your place is being watched, but rather be safe rather than sorry at this point. To hit a number of organizations radar when the world's merged and you showed up in Gotham City." She keeps things general, but she leaves tidbits trial about to hopefully keep you intersted that she is speaking truths.

Nodding Richard smiles faintly. "I have things I want, but nothing that I keep in the dojo. I have a dead drop with my travel supplies." He shrugs a shoulder. "I happen to know somewhere as far off the grid as it's possible to get. Though it would mean leaving Gotham." He frowns faintly. "And the country." He seems to consider the question for a moment. "India would be the easiest way there, but for now I know somewhere in the city that we can talk."

Kitty gives you a dry look, "The city." She pauses after getting herself completely lost and makes a muffled sound. "You lead, I'm already lost." Definately not a Gotham City local, and likely from the other Earth with the way she was speaking earlier. But she will go to follow you silently this time. She is thinking on how to go about this. Sly manipulation is one thing, but this type of manipulation is not her thing.

"Cities are always on the grid, you can only lower them somewhat." Richard shrugs a shoulder as he heads for the door. "And simple's always best. The simpler a thing the less to go wrong." He walks the streets with his usual casual confidence. He doesn't seem worried by anything. "I suspect talking on the move is as safe as we're going to get. So now for answers. "Who are you, who are you working for and who is after you?"

"You are kidding right?" Kitty keeps her power extended, and someone's phone cuts off as they walk past them and they have to call their friend back after they are past the two of them. The woman is silent for a bit, then says, "You ever hear of the Skrull? Anyway, they and the Kree are enemies and had a big fight or war over Captain Marvel from our world. This is when the public learned of aliens, me included. Anyway, during this time, a number of heroes were replaced by Skrull and so were some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but that part wasn't really public knowledge. There is a report, it has happened again. S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised, and it makes the world is screwed if an organization with access to heroes, government services, and information on terrorist organizations becomes completely controlled by the Skrull. I mean, even I know that!" Kitty then quiets down.

"Anyway, I work for S.H.I.E.L.D., well, more for the Director of it," Kitty explains. "I was contacted by the Director with directions. Disappear off grid, don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore, and gather two individuals that would have been considered too low-key for Skrull to bother replacing. That means you and some other woman we need to find."

Kitty then looks directly at you as she walks, "Will you help? I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. I'm a thief, not a spy, not a combatant. And considering the small list the Director provided me of trusted individuals, we are out-numbered, and it may be sucidial...but...," well, Fury scares her shitless. "Let's just say, who wants to live under a Skrull rule, and you are supposed to be some awesome ex-secret agent or something."

"And how do you know you can trust the Director?" Richard nods. "We'll need to set up somewhere truly off the grid. I would be tempted to head to Nanda Parbat. I know a few people who should be trust worthy. They're off the grid to a much greater degree than I am." Richard offers a smile. "I'll do what I can. We'll discuss your original objective when we're somewhere off the grid."