03 23 11

Location: Roof of the Stark Building
<The_Paladin> "Are we clear to go, Niles? And where exactly are we going?"
<The_Physician> Away from here, quickly.
<The_Physician> I do not care where.
The_Physician places his hand on the Paladin's shoulder.
The_Paladin lays a hand on Adisa's shoulder in turn and begins hopping, being very conscientious about choosing places where the three of them will all be able to fit comfotably
<Adisa> "So where are we going?"
<The_Paladin> "Just taking a tour of places and monuments mostly. Places I have worked in the past and know well enough to target."
<The_Paladin> "we cannot keep this up though, so how long as we trying to scramble our trail, and will it really do any good?"
<The_Physician> It should, so long as I am not doing it.
<Adisa> "Well, hopefully this Warlock joker can only track Niles' 'ports. If he can track any teleport… but he would still need a way to identify them as yours…. This is probably okay."
The_Physician waits until the Paladin has taken them to 10 different locations.
<The_Physician> oK, that should do it.
<The_Paladin> "Alright, now what?"
<Adisa> "Good question."
The_Physician sighs
<The_Physician> I lose track, where were we before we decided to speak to Bianca?
<The_Paladin> "Preparing for the end of the world? Getting our allie slined up?"
<The_Physician> Ah, yes. That.
<The_Physician> Then I suppose the question is, what next?
<The_Paladin> "Now though we may want to explain to the Artist why we had apparently kidnapped his daughter."
The_Physician blinks.
<The_Physician> Are. You. INSANE?
<Adisa> "That would be a good idea. Or at the very least confirm that Warlock was working for him."
<The_Paladin> "No? How would you feel if it were your daughter and it was as innocent as it truly is? He deserves an explaination."
<The_Physician> Are you forgetting about the time I mentioned he always had the feel, magic wise, of someone not as righteous as myself or Dr. Strange?
<Adisa> "Bear in mind that /if/, and I have no opinion either way, Warlock works for the Artist, then he is party to the Warlock's actions."
<The_Paladin> "So what? He still cares for his daughter, and a misunderstanding like this can only come back to bite you in the ass later. After that, Andre has bodies to identify, so either man up and come with me, or we part ways now."
<The_Paladin> "Excuse me if I am a little brusque, but my neighbors died today, my business may have too,a nd I am currently homelss.""
<The_Physician> Sure, why not? Maybe we can run into Warlock and get our posteriors soundly kicked. I always enjoy that. Adisa, are you game?"
<The_Paladin> "Nice, Niles. You meet and greet him not even two months ago like an old friend, call him 'my friend' even, and now you get cold feet because you might get your fingers slapped?"
<Adisa> "Consider this Niles, if Warlock does work for the Artist, then most likely he know where Warlock's body is. I'm assuming what kicked our asses was a projection."
<Adisa> "I think the word you're looking for there is 'snapped' not 'slapped'."
The_Physician scoffs at Paladin.
<The_Physician> I held my judgment on him until I knew he was in league with my former master.
<The_Physician> However, Adisa has a point.
<The_Physician> Lets follow this lead, maybe it will lead to something of import.
<The_Paladin> Andre shrugs, "So we can't extend apologies to villains now because they are bad guys? Isn't that what separates us form them. along with the who world domination thing."
<The_Paladin> 'are you taking us there or do we do this in jumps?"
<The_Physician> Jumps please.
The_Paladin jumps them to the Artist's residence, or as near as he can remember a clear land mark."
<The_Paladin> "Do you still have his phone number, Niles?", he looks at the gelato long and hard before deciding that it would have too many calories.
<The_Paladin> "I don't really want to go into the building unless I have to."
<Adisa> "Ain't this that one warded building?"
<The_Paladin> "Yes, and if your suit reacted like mine it shut down a lot of the systems."
<Adisa> "Yeah… best of luck to you Niles. I'll wait here and see how it goes."
The_Physician dials the number and hands the phone to Paladin.
->Andre: "Gentile."
The_Paladin avoids rolling his eyes through sheer willpower.
<The_Paladin> "Ah yes, hello, may I speak with The Artist?"
->Andre: "You are. Make it quick."
<The_Paladin> "This is the Paladin, and I would like to apologize for something, may I see you sometime today to make it?"
<Artist>: "Don't waste my time. You are speaking to me right now. Make it quick."
<The_Paladin> "Miss Bianca has a way with languages and I asked for her help today. She was brought here by her own free will to assist with a related task. I am sorry to say that I was not familiar with the international law prohibiting bringing a minor overseas. She has been returned safe and sound, and I again apologize deeply for my ignorance of the law."
<The_Paladin> "Further, do you know of a man who goe sby the name Warlock, and doe she work for you? if so, I have a message for him."
The_Physician rolls his eyes, not even trying to use willpower to stop it.
Adisa facepalms, not even trying to use willpower to stop it.
The_Paladin ignores them both.
<Artist> sighs. "You are an ignorant savage who had one of the most dangerous tools currently in existence drop into his lap. I weep for this world."
<The_Paladin> "Funny how savagery differs from person to person depending on their morality, isn't it?"
<Artist>: "I understand you need to trade jibes as part of the 'heroism' thing you feel you espouse. Are you done wasting my time?"
<The_Paladin> "Oh, I imagine so. Enjoy what little of it remains."
<Artist>: [click]
The_Paladin flips the phone closed and hands it back to Niles
<Adisa> "So, did he threaten to send Warlock after us again?"
<The_Paladin> "He didn't even acknowledge that he know him."
<The_Paladin> (-knows)
The_Physician takes the phone.
<The_Physician> Any other ways to waste our time today?
<The_Physician> Not to be brusque, but as you mentioned, there is very little left.
<The_Paladin> "You know what Niles…", he stops, biting back what he was going to say. "No. Call me is anything comes up."
The_Paladin teleports out
<Adisa> "Well, he's Emo. If you would be so kind to teleport me back to that one Stark Helipad, I'd appreciate it. There's obviously some connection between Stark and Iron Man, maybe Tony knows how to get in contact with him."
<The_Physician> Hmmm, No worries, but how far away are we? Flying might be safer.
<Adisa> "And more easily spotted. I'd like to keep /some/ semblance of a secret identity. I'm reasonably sure Tony's not going to put that I superhero in the newsletter."
<The_Physician> OK, just be careful. I will drop you off and then teleport a few places to try to cover my tracks.
The_Physician places a hand on Adisa's shoulder.
<Adisa> "Sure. Do what you gotta."
The_Paladin drops off near where his apartment used to be in a secluded area and pulls the armor back in after checking for witnesses.
Andre takes a few breaths to steady himself and then proceeds to the rubble and to the police.
The_Physician teleports to the top of the Stark building, as requested.
<shadowmyre> The building stands upright and undamaged, with no police in sight. People walking down the street don't notice any problem.
<Adisa> "All right. Thanks. What will you do now?"
Andre sags to the ground and just sits there staring at it.
<The_Physician> Head home. Maybe try to figure out where Warlock is.
The_Physician shrugs. Probably call Wong and make sure he is aware of what transpired in front of the Sanctum today.
<Andre> "That Mick bastard….it was all in our heads?"
<The_Physician> ((Make that two lines))
Andre leaps up and runs into the building and straight to Tatiana and Tony' s apartment and raps impatiently at the door.
<Adisa> "Okay, then I'll see you later."
Adisa heads on in to talk to Tony.
->Andre: "I'm coming, I'm coming… Yeah, what, where's the fire?"
->Adisa: "Adisa, come on in. Have a seat."
Andre just gathers her up in a huge hug without saying anything.
->Andre: "What..hey..urrg…..air…..air…."
<Adisa> "Thanks. Um… well… I guess there's no graceful way to say it, but I've got to talk to Iron Man."
The_Physician teleports about a mile away from his shop to walk the rest of the way
->Adisa: "Should I ask why?"
<Andre> "I am just glad that you and Tony are okay." He releases Tatiana and steps back. "You two mean a lot to me."
<Adisa> "Oh the usual. End of the world. Vast secret cabals. Mystical happenings. That sort of malarkey."
->Adisa: "Not really Iron Man's thing, but I can get a message to him. Or, is this something your favorite employer can't hear?" he asks with a quirked brow and a grin.
<Adisa> "Well, it will save time, and we don't have heaping piles of that, so…"
Adisa hands Tony the campaign logs.
->Andre: "Yeah, totally fine. Okay, my ribs are sore, but other than that, we're great. Why? Should something be wrong?"
<Andre> "No. It's just that..well…," he sighs, "No, nothing should be wrong. How about you and Tony come up later for dinner? I'll make something Italian. I'm sorry that I haven't been around too much lately."
->Adisa: "This is… Wow." He flips through the first few pages. "Quite a story here. Where's it coming from?"
The_Physician goes to the back of his shop to open it up.
<Adisa> "The story? It actually happened."
->Andre: "Yeah, I think we can do that. I'll have to check with Tony, but we're free tonight. You okay? You seem… off."
->Adisa: "There's a lot here. Might take him some time to go through. I gather… time is of the essence? World in peril?"
<Andre> "It's been a crazy couple of months, and while I have no doubt that the next few weeks will be crazy too, one way or another it will settle down."
<Adisa> "Yeah. Pretty much."
->Andre: "I'm sure it will, yeah. Just.. take it easy, you know?"
The_Physician does his usual checklist. Makes sure no wards have been broken, defenses tripped, etc, while he was gone.
->Adisa: "Okay. I'll make sure that Iron man sees it. If its really big, it might go up the chain, get some Avenger response. How anonymous should the source be?"
<Andre> He smiles faintly and backs out the door, "Now where would be the fun in that? I'll see you two tonight. Just come up anytime."
<Adisa> "I leave that up to you. While I would /like/ to retain some autonomy, if he's gotta know who I am, then he's gotta know who I am."
->Adisa: "You know, its a good thing I sweep for bugs hourly. There are secure channels for this kind of thing. Gotta stay alert about these things. It'll go up the chain, rest assured. And Adisa? Be careful. You're in the big leagues now."
Adisa fistpumps weakly, "yay. And that's why I wrote it down rather than relayed it vocally, and brought it straight to you rather than just put it in your inbox."
Andre heads up to his studio loft
* LOG END *

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