A New Brand of Things

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

Returning from Hong Kong, Kane has a meeting with Fred Duncan, and the discovery of a new, not welcome development.



"How was Hong Kong, Garrison?" Kane looked up from his desk in surprise. It was a federal holiday, and only the bare watch group was staffing the field office. Seeing Fred Duncan come through the doors was unexpected, especially since he normally used holidays to visit family in Chicago.

Kane was also unaware that Duncan knew about his trip to Hong Kong, and was suddenly wary about the coincidence. "Busy. Exciting."

"SHIELD is like that."

"They talked to you?"

"After the fact. General Fury recognizes how much overlap exists right now between our department and SHIELD, and keeps me in the loop when he can." Duncan took a seat. "I'm a little surprised that you didn't tell me first."

"I couldn't be sure the lead would pan out, and since it was overseas, I didn't think it would have anything that related to the Bureau."

"Kane, you were nearly killed a few weeks ago in that fire, and then you get tasked by one of the top men in our government and your own legendary father. Can you honestly say you know what might or might not end up in our territory?"

"I get it. I should have told you, Fred." Garrison held up his hands in surrender. "It's over for now. Any more information on the fire?"

"I'm still trying to find our who actually submitted the request to move you on the team. It's convoluted and keeps doubling back between legitimate chain of command stuff and essentially jurisdictional auto-approvals." Duncan sighed. "And, no, there's not a shred of evidence other than your report that it was anything other than arson at the hands of King."

"The Hellfire Club is-"

"Not the most immediate problem." Duncan's tone pulled Kane up short, and he looked questionably at his boss. "Look, Garrison, I'm starting to hear some concerns about your relationships outside of the Bureau, and how significant they are."

"Really? What, some desk executive getting jittery?"

"I wish. You guys have been lucky, you know. Not a lot of the functionaries from the McKenna administration stayed on with Obama's. Which means President McKenna took the opportunity to quietly purge most of the material about the relationship between the Executive branch and Xavier's. I'm told President McKenna and President Obama had a long chat about the role of your team, and most of the details were sealed in a Presidential Finding." Fred pointed out. The relationship between the government and the X-Men had been difficult, especially following Apocalypse, but somehow it had worked, staying out of the mainstream media and away from any solid proof.

"But, the people who have an idea what you've done understand the scale of it. And some of them are worried that the longer you stay independent, the more the US is trusting national security to outside, unelected people. Hell, many of them not even Americans."

"It's an absurd idea, Fred."

"No, it's not. Which is why you should be worried about it. Think about it, Kane. San Diego, Alcatraz, New York City, Hungary, Wakanda, Afghanistan, India - the most consistent shows of force on the geopolitical stage of the last seven years have had 'anonymous' forces involved in all of them, and suspected in a bunch of others. Fury trusts the Professor, but in a week, you got SHIELD knotted up in a potential scandal with a major Asian corporation run by an American citizen, had the agent who was only supposed to pass along information burned to protect them from being tied directly to an operation against an influential legal firm, and got said agent turned and hired by your father."

Kane wanted to rebut Duncan, but he had to admit the man was right. The X-Men's anonymity was always hard to balance, and maintaining the right relationship with governments and law enforcement along with their secrets was as much based on luck and the ability of the Professor to turn turn into willing allies with his leadership and charisma.

"So, what's this going to cost us?"

"Xavier's? Nothing. You still have plenty of quiet support keeping you guys covered for now. But Fury isn't comfortable that the Bureau is exercising enough oversight in managing our relationship through you." Fred said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "They've asked for the same relationship you have for one of their own mutant agents. At some point, the Bureau and SHIELD are going to have to have a jurisdictional discussion, and he wants more information about it."

"Fuck. And there's no way to say no without making it look like I really do have too much sway in how things are run here."

"Bingo. So, you get a partner for the time being. A former NSA lifer who jumped to SHIELD when the agency was made public. Great arrest record, stellar performance reviews." Duncan said, but his tone said he wasn't entirely sold on the new addition yet.

"What will it end up meaning, operationally?"

"Keep your X-Men out of the spotlight as much as you can. The less they look like your personal panic button for the Bureau, the less weight Fury's concerns have."

"Got it, I'll see what I can do."

"Good. Come on. She's downstairs."

"What, she's here?"

"Keen as a green apple, Garrison." Duncan clapped him on the shoulder, and the pair of them headed for the elevator. As the reached the lobby, a green-haired woman rose gracefully from the waiting area sofas. She was tall and spare, oddly reminding Kane of Sofia in her sharply tailored pantsuit. Her look was very calculating as it looked Kane up and down.

"Agent Abigail Brand, meet Agent Garrison Kane. You'll start working together starting this week."

"Agent Kane. It's good to meet you." She held out her hand, and her shake was textbook; firm, short, and sincere, as if she'd practiced it.

"Likewise, Agent Brand."

"I'm going to get out of here and let you both get to know each other." Duncan said, his gaze flickering between them for a moment. "Play nice." It was phrased like a joke, but Kane caught the undertone. As Duncan left, Kane suggested the closest cop bar, and they exchanged completely forgettable small talk about the city and the office on their way there.

"So, you're a Mountie. For real? The uniform and everything?"

"It's only for formal occasions." Kane replied as their drinks arrived. "I haven't had a partner yet as part of my work with the Bureau, so we're going to have to feel our way along what that means, I guess."

"Not until you've bought me at least a third drink, Kane." It was delivered archly, as a joke, but her smile seemed more predatory than humourous to him.

"Uh, yeah. So, if you need anything to get settled-"

"Not really. I've been reading up on you, you know. Plenty of praise north of the border, Equal praise from law enforcement officials in Russia, India, Israel, and here at home. Saved McKenna's daughter from mutant terrorists - you almost got a medal for that one, slick." Kane flinched at her unintentional use of Adrienne's old pet-name for him. "It's like Captain Canuck decided to join the feds. That sound right?"

"What's your point?"

"I'm not a hero, Agent Kane. I'm interested in three things: steady arrests, prosecutions that stick, and cases that once they're closed stay that way. I'm not concerned about justice or changing the world - just that the law is applied and our national security stays secure."

"Good to know what you don't concern yourself with."

"We've both done this job long enough to know that things get murky at the edges when you're looking for justice, I'm happy to settle for doing my job right." Brand said, toying with her jacket collar. "I bet you're thinking that you've just been saddled with the queen bitch, aren't you? A cold rules lawyer who only cares about her closed case ratio, right?"

"The thought crossed my mind."

"Its more complex than that, Kane. And you need to work damn hard before I let you get inside my head." She said, leaning back in her chair. "There are easier ways to get inside me, if you're interested." Her voice was low and almost feral, and Garrison blinked, thinking he imagined the comment.

"I- what?"

"Nothing, Kane. Should we get another round?"

"No, I'm- uh, I'm driving tonight. I need to get home."

"Aw, he's got a curfew." Brand tossed back the rest of her drink. "Like a good boyscout. I bet it involves a glass of milk."

"Agent Brand, don't take this the wrong way, but baiting me isn't a good start to this partnership."

"Is that what I was doing? You sure?" Brand waved him off. "Drive safe, slick. I'll see you first thing in the morning."