xp_logs | Sooraya, Quentin and Garrison

Quentin and Sooraya search for Kaori and Ray. Unfortunately they don't have to go far...

Trigger warning: Graphic depictions and discussions of lynching.

"This is the area where their friends said Kaori and Ray were going." Sooraya gestured at the street before them. "Apparently there was a mutant who needed help and wanted to meet them here..."

Quentin ran a hand through his freshly dyed hair and nodded. "They know anything about this guy who was looking for help?" Was it a set up, he really meant.

"Not that they mentioned. From what I understood they had met him once before, but he was very skittish. They hoped they could convince him to come with them this time." Sooraya explained. "Have you met Ray or Kaori before?" Hopefully he had and might even have an idea of their psi print.

"Kaori no, Ray yes." But not all that well. For their own safety, he did not keep close tabs on underground contacts. They were risking their own safety by doing what they did, and he owed them their secrecy. "So they've completely dropped off the map? No one's seen them at all since the last time you spoke to 'em?"

"You know how the Underground works... they agreed on check ins. They missed both the first and the second one. And especially Kaori is always very fastidious in making sure that she makes them." Sooraya explained. And she was going to have to be clearer in her request. "Quentin, did you know Ray well enough that you have an idea of his psi print? Would you be able to scan for him?"

There was no need to answer. Quentin stopped dead in his tracks as he passed an alley and saw what was inside, two swinging bodies, partially concealed by shadow. "I don't think that's necessary," he said softly.

"What? Why? We have..." Sooraya's voice died down as she caught sight of the scene in the alley. Even with all she had seen, her legs buckled and she dropped to her knees. "How..."

Quentin stepped into the alley slowly, eyes fixed on the two bodies hanging from ropes tied around their necks. "We have to get them down," he said, his voice trembling. He raised his right hand, extending his index and middle fingers, and made a slashing motion, using the gesture to focus a razor of telekinesis to slice through the nooses. Despite his best effort, though, it was like taking a butter knife to the ropes. "Fuck. Help me get them down. Now!"

"Don't!!!" Sooraya cried out, getting to her feet. "We can't." Her voice broke on that. "We have to call the authorities, Quentin. Kaori and Ray cannot speak for themselves anymore... this is the only way they can... And no matter how... I will make them listen."

A trashcan flew across the alley and smashed loudly against the wall, spewing its contents all over the ground. Quentin turned to Sooraya, baring his teeth at her. "That's the reason you're here in the first place, you dumb idiot. Because they don't listen. They won't. Those flatscan pigs don't care. This is what they want!"

"We owe it to them and to any family they might have to at least try." Sooraya replied somewhat fiercely. "And I am not just gonna be calling 911." She avoided looking at the bodies as much as possible and pushing the feelings rolling around inside her down. "I'll be calling Agent Kane."

Gesturing with his clenched fists, he telekinetically flung the battered trash can back to where it had been. "Like that bootlicker will do anything," he scoffed. He looked back up at the bodies. "Do you know who to call about taking care of their funerals?"

"Better that than nothing at all." Sooraya retorted, pulling out her phone. "And I know who to call for Ray, but Kaori never spoke much of her family. I'll take care of it myself if I have too." She hit Kane's number and lifted the phone to her ear.

Quentin turned so his back was to the two, and he looked out onto the sunny New York day. The crowd was blissfully unaware of what had happened just yards away from them. Quentin had to steady himself against the brick wall as a wave of nausea washed over him. Images of what could have been Ray's and Kaori's final terrifying moments flashed in his head. The force of the blows that crippled them, struggling against the tight bonds that tore into their skin, fighting to breathe as the world slowly went dark . . .

Sooraya clapped a hand in front of her mouth as a surge of nausea came over her, accompanied by various images. The scratchiness of the rope being put around their neck, knowing what was to come and not being able to do anything... the grins of the man who might have been the one to kick away the trashcan from under their feet... She managed to murmur an agreement in the phone, before hanging up and closing her eyes, fighting the urge to throw up. "You're projecting." Sooraya hissed. "Please shield if you can."

"Hmm?" Quentin turned back, Sooraya's words slowly resolving in his head just like the sight of her off balance came into focus as his eyes readjusted to the dark alley. "Oh, sorry."

She shuddered as the sensations faded, but images remained imprinted in her brain. "Thanks. I talked with Mr. Kane. He is taking care of things... Told us not to disturb the crime scene, call the police and mention the visible mutations so that it'd get noted as hate crime. He is on his way as well."

"Good, not like there was anything I could've done in the three hours it'll take their apathetic flatscan asses to get down here and then decide to do nothing, anyway," Quentin replied with a sneer. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to dispel the headache his accidental telepathic fit had given him.

There was nothing really Sooraya could think of to say to that, so she simply lifted her phone again to call the police. From the corner of her eyes she could still see the bodies dangling, so she turned just a little as she concentrated on transmitting all information to the operator on the other side of the phone.

Kane arrives and they deal with the police.

Trigger warning: Graphic depictions and discussions of lynching.

"I knew Ray and Kaori through my volunteer work that I do." A long wince stole over Sooraya's face as she saw one of the cops set Kaori's body swinging again and she struggled to refocus on the man in front of her. "After their friends came to me and told me they had disappeared, I attempted to report them missing..."

"You both need to get your statements together." Kane checked his phone and tapped a message. "If we're going to classify this as a hate crime, we need it on record."

Quentin, who had been closely monitoring every movement by the police, briefly looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Kane. "Two visible mutant lynched in an alley. How much more hate crime can you get?"

"There's a legal process to it, Quentin. It's not just a judgment call by the cops on the scene." Kane said, holding back a sigh. "If it is classified as one, there's an entirely different set of priorities and resources that will go into the investigation. It's too late for them, but a federally led team has a lot better chance of catching who did this than a double homicide at the local precinct."

"Quentin!" Sooraya glared at him, replying to Kane at the same time. "A statement we can do. Can we do it here or do we need to go somewhere? And is there anything you need from us?" In the meantime she directed a thought at Quentin. ~Just cooperate. We need to make sure security measures are taken at places Ray and Kaori knew about. I don't think they said anything, but we need to keep an eye out. Unless someone is in reach you can contact...~

The telepath made a face at Sooraya but relented, turning back to the cleanup rather than continuing to needle her or Kane. #Dane or Storm or Morse can look into it, probably time for them to do their regular checks, anyway.#

"The officers at the scene will take your statements. Give them your information and one of you at least will likely be asked to give a more detailed account of what you saw." Kane pulled out his phone. "I'm not here in an official capacity, but I'll ask the Bureau to send someone down to the scene. It will be their call whether to advance it."

"Alright, that we can do." Sooraya stepped a little closer as something occurred to her. "I don't know if you're able to make sure they check, but Ray is a reptilian feral. He has fangs and venom sacs. He might have a bite in and the perpetrator would have to go for medical treatment."

Kane nodded. "Officer is coming over. That's the first thing you tell him. I'll make a few calls, see if I can prime the pump a bit for them."

"Thanks, Mr. Kane." With nod and another look to Quentin, Sooraya stepped over to the officer. ~I know you're not fond of the cops, Quentin, but the deck is already stacked against them doing all they can to find who did this to Ray and Kaori. If you upset them...~

"Then they'll be petty and spiteful and not do the job they've supposedly sworn an oath to do," Quentin muttered. "So it'll be our fault their murderers escape."

~Let's just not make it any harder than it already is.~ Sooraya made sure to keep her back to sight in the alley. The images already there would haunt her without taking in the scene once more.

Kane paused in his call to watch both of them approach the officer. The apprehension and the certainty that justice wouldn't come from the police was palpable. There was a bit of an idealist in Garrison and his pride in his badge was real. To see it inspire nothing but fear and contempt showed just how deeply the rot had spread against mutants and how far away from coming back from it they were. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the call. At least this time, he had a chance to help make the outcome different.