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xp_logsMore plans are set into motion, but for this idea Hope will need some significant outside expertise.
"Hi Marie-Ange, I do hope I was not interrupting anything ." Hope poked her head around the door, tablet firmly in hand.
"No, I rather cleared my schedule when you texted. You ask for favors so rarely." Marie-Ange waved Hope towards the visitor chair and stood. "Tea?"
"That would be lovely. Do you still have that lovely blend we shared the last time? I am sorry, I cannot quite remember the name." Hope took her seat just a little hesitantly, fingers thoughtlessly playing with the closure of the tablet cover. "Though it was a little while ago."
Marie-Ange nodded. "It is one of my favorites, and Clea and Topaz are quite fond as well." She busied herself for a moment with the little tea drawer on her sideboard, and the electric kettle she'd filled earlier. "I will text you the shop I get this from, it is over in Soho."
"Good tea and an excuse to visit Soho. Those I would never say no to." Sitting up just that little more straight. Hope firmly unsnapped the button of her tablet cover. "The favor I come for might not be the smallest though..." She paused for a moment. "... or maybe not that bad. Frankly, I know far too little to know if it is a big or a small favor."
"Well, lets us start in the middle, medium favor, and adjust from there." As she spoke, Marie-Ange set two cups on her sideboard, filled two tea strainers with the loose leaf tea and poured the water over both. "Everyone always seems to think my team does some sort of trade in favors but really it is more that we just do the horrible jobs so no one else has to. What is the phrase, lay it on me? What sort of thing might you need me to do?"
"Down to the very bones? Create a fake assassination attempt on a pro-mutant state level Pennsylvania politician with evidence it is linked to this website. With enough evidence I can use it to get the website shut and its presence on the dark web shut down." Hope activated the tablet and pushed it over, displaying the official 'Humanity First' website on one side, the associated forums on the dark web on the other side.
"Oh, that is almost not even a medium favor." Marie-Ange laughed a little. "I would guess Doug and Sue have put their adorable blond heads together, and can get me the necessary information? If so, I can make this happen for... well, not quite a song, but it will not be my first faked contract killing. How realistic shall we get? Blood packs, artfully missed shot? Legitimate medical issue?"
"My main goal is to get this website and the associated forums shut down. So how realistic do we need to get a nice package of evidence to the Attorney General and get him moving to take care of that? If 'planning an assassination attempt' gives us enough evidence, I would be satisfied with that, but I will not hesitate to go further if I have to. But if we can manage this without potentially traumatizing a pro-mutant politician, that would be better. They are a rare enough breed as it is and I do not want to risk losing one over a fake assassination attempt."
"I can have the attempt seem to be stopped before it has even begun." A sketchpad was pulled down off a shelf, and Marie-Ange started scrawling notes. "I think for realism sake, our politician will need to have a little trauma, but in this political climate, what pro rights politician has not had a few attempts on their life? You know those forums will likely go underground after this, yes? Harder to find - but also." She grinned, a flash of amusement and danger. "Also so much easier for our adorable blondes to ruin. I do not know exactly about your Sue, but Doug gets positively gleeful when he finds and destroys bigots hiding in secret dark web holes and I can make a level guess Sue does as well."
"If a little trauma is what is needed, then that is what we need to do. And while they will go underground, getting the public website taken down might just provide some precedent to get in the inevitable clones taken down in the future as well." Leaning over she peeked at Marie-Ange's paper curiously: "I have to admit, I am curious what you are thinking here though?"
"Uncertain, so far." The notes on the paper were a mix of shorthand and long looping cursive, mostly names and arrows. "You know I know people in the business of death, professionally speaking. I either owe them a very large favor, or they owe me a large favor, or both, but rather creative favor to ask. Staging an attempt is rather a more fun thing than actually killing someone. Perhaps even useful as a training exercise. The real work is in making everything look legitimate, and not tied to anyone except your targets." She tapped her pen on the paper, leaving little teal ink dots. "So a paperwork trail is in order, a patsy who can disappear or never existed in the first place... guns or bombs? Because one is going to also put this on the stage of gun control, the other requires a specialist."
"Hmmm... we very firmly need to tie those blasted forums and websites to this. Maybe as a medium?" Hope tilted her head, trying to picture various scenarios. "So say you went looking for someone, finding a skilled gunman is more likely a bomb maker, because like you say, that requires a specialist. And if we can help the anti-gun lobby... that is an extra bonus. So yes, guns."
"I can certainly arrange a missed shot." Marie-Ange offered. "And I think between the people I intend to ask, and Doug and Sue, we can make sure this looks the way we want. It is just a matter of setting the stage and making sure everyone is on the same script." And a ring camera and a few amusing selfies, but that would be between her and Daniel Bourdreaux.
Hope folded her hands, leaning her chin on them as contemplated the offer. "Might it be possible to keep the actual failed shot as a second option and see how far we can get with just setting up the attempt? I also have some concerns about involving Sue and Doug. Sue will be on the road for a bit and Doug is running back-end on various other plans. Both have other important tasks to complete and I would rather keep them focused on that. I was thinking X-Force might have some resources, but I ultimately trust your judgement in that "
"Perhaps just a found sniper nest, and a questionable abandoned vehicle. I am going to rather leave the actual stage direction to my expert on call."
"Oh, I can see how that might work for evidence building." Hope narrowed her eyes in thought. "Honestly, Marie-Ange, the most important thing here is that Humanity First and its forums are implied loudly and clearly here, with enough material we can drop it in the authorities laps. What would you need from my side?"
"Just names." Marie-Ange pushed the sketchpad towards Hope. "You write down who you want me to blame this on, and between myself and my contact, they will look quite guilty. I think we are likely to end up with a stopped attempt and a fleeing gunman. A long rifle with serial number filed, off, a suspicious bag, a broken open roof door, easily planted evidence. The rest is just money that looks like it has changed hands. Perhaps a nice tip sent to local police. A little drama, enough for a nightly news report, but not so much to risk our poor faux target needing secret service afterwards."
"Just names are not going to work here though..." Hope objected, lost in thought just a little. "We specifically need it to tie it to a forum identity and the website." Reaching into the pile of paper, Hope drew forth a print out. "How about..."
"Hi Marie-Ange, I do hope I was not interrupting anything ." Hope poked her head around the door, tablet firmly in hand.
"No, I rather cleared my schedule when you texted. You ask for favors so rarely." Marie-Ange waved Hope towards the visitor chair and stood. "Tea?"
"That would be lovely. Do you still have that lovely blend we shared the last time? I am sorry, I cannot quite remember the name." Hope took her seat just a little hesitantly, fingers thoughtlessly playing with the closure of the tablet cover. "Though it was a little while ago."
Marie-Ange nodded. "It is one of my favorites, and Clea and Topaz are quite fond as well." She busied herself for a moment with the little tea drawer on her sideboard, and the electric kettle she'd filled earlier. "I will text you the shop I get this from, it is over in Soho."
"Good tea and an excuse to visit Soho. Those I would never say no to." Sitting up just that little more straight. Hope firmly unsnapped the button of her tablet cover. "The favor I come for might not be the smallest though..." She paused for a moment. "... or maybe not that bad. Frankly, I know far too little to know if it is a big or a small favor."
"Well, lets us start in the middle, medium favor, and adjust from there." As she spoke, Marie-Ange set two cups on her sideboard, filled two tea strainers with the loose leaf tea and poured the water over both. "Everyone always seems to think my team does some sort of trade in favors but really it is more that we just do the horrible jobs so no one else has to. What is the phrase, lay it on me? What sort of thing might you need me to do?"
"Down to the very bones? Create a fake assassination attempt on a pro-mutant state level Pennsylvania politician with evidence it is linked to this website. With enough evidence I can use it to get the website shut and its presence on the dark web shut down." Hope activated the tablet and pushed it over, displaying the official 'Humanity First' website on one side, the associated forums on the dark web on the other side.
"Oh, that is almost not even a medium favor." Marie-Ange laughed a little. "I would guess Doug and Sue have put their adorable blond heads together, and can get me the necessary information? If so, I can make this happen for... well, not quite a song, but it will not be my first faked contract killing. How realistic shall we get? Blood packs, artfully missed shot? Legitimate medical issue?"
"My main goal is to get this website and the associated forums shut down. So how realistic do we need to get a nice package of evidence to the Attorney General and get him moving to take care of that? If 'planning an assassination attempt' gives us enough evidence, I would be satisfied with that, but I will not hesitate to go further if I have to. But if we can manage this without potentially traumatizing a pro-mutant politician, that would be better. They are a rare enough breed as it is and I do not want to risk losing one over a fake assassination attempt."
"I can have the attempt seem to be stopped before it has even begun." A sketchpad was pulled down off a shelf, and Marie-Ange started scrawling notes. "I think for realism sake, our politician will need to have a little trauma, but in this political climate, what pro rights politician has not had a few attempts on their life? You know those forums will likely go underground after this, yes? Harder to find - but also." She grinned, a flash of amusement and danger. "Also so much easier for our adorable blondes to ruin. I do not know exactly about your Sue, but Doug gets positively gleeful when he finds and destroys bigots hiding in secret dark web holes and I can make a level guess Sue does as well."
"If a little trauma is what is needed, then that is what we need to do. And while they will go underground, getting the public website taken down might just provide some precedent to get in the inevitable clones taken down in the future as well." Leaning over she peeked at Marie-Ange's paper curiously: "I have to admit, I am curious what you are thinking here though?"
"Uncertain, so far." The notes on the paper were a mix of shorthand and long looping cursive, mostly names and arrows. "You know I know people in the business of death, professionally speaking. I either owe them a very large favor, or they owe me a large favor, or both, but rather creative favor to ask. Staging an attempt is rather a more fun thing than actually killing someone. Perhaps even useful as a training exercise. The real work is in making everything look legitimate, and not tied to anyone except your targets." She tapped her pen on the paper, leaving little teal ink dots. "So a paperwork trail is in order, a patsy who can disappear or never existed in the first place... guns or bombs? Because one is going to also put this on the stage of gun control, the other requires a specialist."
"Hmmm... we very firmly need to tie those blasted forums and websites to this. Maybe as a medium?" Hope tilted her head, trying to picture various scenarios. "So say you went looking for someone, finding a skilled gunman is more likely a bomb maker, because like you say, that requires a specialist. And if we can help the anti-gun lobby... that is an extra bonus. So yes, guns."
"I can certainly arrange a missed shot." Marie-Ange offered. "And I think between the people I intend to ask, and Doug and Sue, we can make sure this looks the way we want. It is just a matter of setting the stage and making sure everyone is on the same script." And a ring camera and a few amusing selfies, but that would be between her and Daniel Bourdreaux.
Hope folded her hands, leaning her chin on them as contemplated the offer. "Might it be possible to keep the actual failed shot as a second option and see how far we can get with just setting up the attempt? I also have some concerns about involving Sue and Doug. Sue will be on the road for a bit and Doug is running back-end on various other plans. Both have other important tasks to complete and I would rather keep them focused on that. I was thinking X-Force might have some resources, but I ultimately trust your judgement in that "
"Perhaps just a found sniper nest, and a questionable abandoned vehicle. I am going to rather leave the actual stage direction to my expert on call."
"Oh, I can see how that might work for evidence building." Hope narrowed her eyes in thought. "Honestly, Marie-Ange, the most important thing here is that Humanity First and its forums are implied loudly and clearly here, with enough material we can drop it in the authorities laps. What would you need from my side?"
"Just names." Marie-Ange pushed the sketchpad towards Hope. "You write down who you want me to blame this on, and between myself and my contact, they will look quite guilty. I think we are likely to end up with a stopped attempt and a fleeing gunman. A long rifle with serial number filed, off, a suspicious bag, a broken open roof door, easily planted evidence. The rest is just money that looks like it has changed hands. Perhaps a nice tip sent to local police. A little drama, enough for a nightly news report, but not so much to risk our poor faux target needing secret service afterwards."
"Just names are not going to work here though..." Hope objected, lost in thought just a little. "We specifically need it to tie it to a forum identity and the website." Reaching into the pile of paper, Hope drew forth a print out. "How about..."
