X-Men Mission: Roller Derby Queen

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

Garrison has a strange request to make of Marius and Kurt.



Garrison poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot in the situation room and sat down at the now crowded table. There were files and papers stacked in neat piles, around printouts and maps and a collection of lurid coloured handbills advertising roller derby through out New York. He’d obviously been there for a while, working meticulously through the information and compiling his own notes, written in long hand on a yellow legal sized pad of paper at his right.

He looked up as the door opened and waved towards the pot. “Coffee’s fresh. Grab a seat.”

Kurt came in and did so, helping himself to a coffee since the invitation was there, and glanced at the handbills with raised eyebrows. "Those do not look like the usual paperwork we see in here."

"You can say that again. But don't. It's too late or early for vaudeville." Garrison said, pushing over a stack of the handbills. "Roller Derby is turning into a popular live show. Give it five years, and you'll start seeing promoters getting more involved, says the leagues. After all, who doesn't want to watch girls in skirts and skates maul each other, eh?"

"Already I find my interest piqued."

As if summoned by incantation, Marius appeared in the doorway. His hair was damp and curling violently in the aftermath of a shower. The young man cocked his head at Garrison and Kurt. "Apologies, I was on a run. I was summoned?"

"Asked. Summoned generally involves a court order and I'm too damn busy to get one." Kane took a sip from his mug. "I mentioned the problem we're facing regarding Tiboldt and his no-holds barred league. Kurt, you mentioned you know this guy. From back in Europe?"

"Know of him, at least", Kurt said with a nod. "We may have met once or twice, and I do recall meeting his grandfather when I was a boy, but I cannot say I know him well. Still, I might have an opening there."

"Well, according to my files, this guy is a real shitbag. He's like a fungus - anything that goes through his 'league' sticks a little to his hands. Drugs, hooking - you name it, he's in for a little slice if you want to run it. Don't get me wrong; he's strictly a small time bottomfeeder, but the way this reads, he sounds like the kind of guy who will flip people and name names to save his own ass." Garrison pointed out to them both. "Word from Interpol is that he's been dangling hints in the European market that he might have a supply of mutant girls he's looking for a long term deal with."

Kane turned to look at Marius. "This is the part where I have to be the asshole, and I apologize in advance. I know you did some spelunking in that world during your tour of Europe with Jenny years ago. You didn't set up shop, but you met a few people and heard a few names before running back into a bout of sanity and getting the fuck out. I need you to be willing to rip the scabs off of those memories and jump back in that role."

The younger man's face underwent an abrupt transition from olive to grey. When he spoke again his tone was slow and precise, almost devoid of its usual exaggerations.

"So my role in this," Marius said, "would be to exploit the most reprehensible few months of my life. In the presence of Yvette." He fixed Garrison with a flat yellow stare. "I agree. Your identification as an arsehole was entirely appropriate."

"These people are looking to turn the US into a protected Kick market while making an extra buck selling mutants off into slavery after their 'careers' are over. You'd be surprised just how many of your sensibilities I'm willing to trample to stop this." Kane held his gaze for a moment; one of those moments that reminded people that the joking X-Man was also a cop.

Marius tried to maintain the stare, but he lacked the other man's experience -- and more, any justification for a rebuttal. He dropped his eyes, and Garrison turned to Kurt.

"Kurt, you think if you brought a friend with a business opportunity to Tiboldt, he'd listen? He's not the main target, but he knows all the players. If we can get him cold on mutant trafficking charges..."

Kurt had given Marius a single concerned glance during his response, but now his attention was back on Garrison. "I think it would be worth a try", he said slowly. "We do have those points in common that might open the door, if he cares at all about his grandfather's legacy."

"There's another twist." Garrison leaned back in his chair. "The only way we're going to get access to the finals is as members of the 'Secret Empire' bike club. The FBI rounded up pretty much all of them a few days ago, including their team. The female X-Men are going to take their place in the competition, assuming they can get up to game shape. That means Kurt and I going in as the gang's representatives. I'm not going to lie. If we get found out, they're going to do their best to kill all of us, and these gangs have mutant members and muscle now."

The Australian looked at Kurt, a muscle in his jaw flexing. He could refuse, Marius supposed, and the older man might even support him in the decision, but beyond his kneejerk rejection of the subject matter there was no legitimate reason to do so. Also, just the thought of pursuing that route made him wonder if it were possible to choke on one's own petulance.

Marius sighed and spread his hands. "All right. So long as death is only a possibility whilst seeing the girls in miniskirts a guarantee."