Los Angeles, California
The Vanguard Extraction Team, Richard Weinkauf (aka "The Artisan"), and Theo Ashbrooks-Benn
Theo walked out from the subway station, whispering under his breath while walking aimlessly, "Ok, time to go to... Where is his dorm? Let's see here, I'm on campus right now, and his dorm is in a building that I know has a Starbucks on the ground level in that village of dorm halls not on campus, which means it's on the other side of the campus from the station I walked out of, goddamnit." So with that Theo started to trudge off. Trying to keep a low profile he took out his phone and pretended to play with it while he walked to the building. Otherwise, he blended in with all the college students as he was only a year younger than the freshmen.
The extraction team drove through the streets of Los Angeles, tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Quill pulled them up and parked across from one of the pedestrian entrances. "Alright Paladin, whats the plan?"
"We need to avoid calling attention to ourselves, with what's going on in Chicago CADMUS is sure to be on high alert. Arsenal and I will remain behind for backup, You three, " He said looking at Richard, Quill, and Nate, "Split up and search the Campus. Look for people wearing suits and earpieces, and for our mark. Nate, do you have any pictures from the file about who we're looking for?"
"I think there was a few in the file." Nate took out his phone and tapped on the screen for a few seconds. "Yeah, here." He let everyone have a look at the screen. "This is our mark, Theo Ashbrooks-Benn."
Richard looked at the picture of the young man on the phone. He looked awfully familiar. It wasn't a former student of his, that much he knew. And it didn't seem like some other non-art student who might have just been passing in the Phoenix high school halls. No, he had seen this. Recently. And then it dawned on him. "This guy! He was at the gas station! Coming out of the men's room when I went in, and who was standing right in front of me in line!" Richard couldn't believe it. The person they were looking for was within two feet of him, and he just didn't know it.
"You have to be joking!" Paladin let out a grim laugh. "That is fate for you. That doesn't' matter now, you three hit the streets, and call us if you need assistance. He could be dangerous, so don't approach or engage him or CAMDUS without backup."
The three nodded and prepared to exit the van when Nate's eyes burst into blue flames, and he fell to the floor clutching his head.
In the vision, Nate was standing in a blue tinted reconstruction of the USC campus, but it was in ruins. Bodies littered the ground, and CADMUS agents rushed past. His vision flickered and he was standing in the epicenter of the destruction. Paladin had his shield raised, fending off energy blasts from a ghostly red assailant. Explosions erupted near a group of CADMUS agents and the vision faded, and Nates vision refocused on the inside of the van.
"Are you ok?" Richard asked Nate who suddenly looked like he had a migraine.
"Yeah. I'm alright." He took a minute and steadied himself. "I have visions; glimpses of the future." He looked at Richard and smiled. "Hence the name, 'Prophet'. We have to hurry, This could go very bad. I saw... The college in ruins, lots of civies dead, and what I guess is the manifestation of Theo's powers. Paladin, the vision seemed to focus on you, so don't provoke him."
"Noted," the man said in a firm voice. It was unwise to ignore Prophet's visions; they weren't always accurate, but it is dangerous to tempt fate. He turned to Richard, "Take this" He dropped a small earpiece into his hand. "Welcome aboard Richard, call us on the earpiece if you need anything, now you three hit the street."
Richard took the earpiece and put it in his ear. With his age, it might pass for a hearing aid. It would work. Plus, he could always pose as a grandfather of a student here, or just an exercising retiree who liked to walk in the evenings. But keeping in contact with the Vanguard officials was needed.
It had been a long day already. Hard to believe that he had started in Phoenix, with just plans to go visit the Phoenix art museum and stew in bitterness at being fired. And now, here he was, trying to track down a mutant he literally bumped into just some hours earlier, in California, who had almost destroyed a whole street block. Richard decided to head off to the student union, wherever that was. Once he got there, he might be able to find the room assignment for this Theodore Ashbrooks-Benn's friend. Better to go where he at least had a clue.
Quill fanned out from the group and started walking towards one of the student common areas. He almost looked like he fit in, he wasn't much older than the college kids. He had wanted to go to college, but his powers got in the way. He caught a glimpse of a suited man to his left. Quill's eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses as he gave the man a once-over. Quill put his hand to his head like he had an itch. "Head's up, CADMUS is on site." Quill altered course and started following the CADMUS agent and his partner who had met up.
Richard heard the warning, and responded, "Ok. I'll keep looking where I'm at. Heading to the student union." It made sense that some CADMUS presence would be on the site of a college. After all, they had to get recruits from somewhere. At least a few were present on each campus at all times simply to recruit students. But Richard doubted that there would be more than a handful. The presence of gun-toting CADMUS agents on campus willing to shoot at mutants was not the kind of thing college deans looked on too fondly. Students getting shot (no matter if they were mutant or not) really hurt the chances of the average high school senior wanting to go study there. Fewer students means less money. So, while there were many people who were afraid of mutants, there were just as many college presidents and deans who were equally wary of any kind of gunfights, even if they did come from authorized government agents. Plus, there were usually some in the social sciences who spoke out in favor of mutants. All in all, Richard liked his chances at a university. It seemed more even.
Passing several class buildings, Richard saw a welcome sight. The Gwynn Wilson Student Union was right in front. The picturesque yellow and red brick arches over the ground floor windows and doors beckoned him to come in. He entered the student union, looked around for an information desk, and wandered over. As he walked, he saw a handful of students - probably upperclassmen by the looks. Having spent the last several decades around high school students, Richard could tell the relative ages of young people. Also, there were some older professionals - staff of some kind, it looked like - and a few tour groups as well. Finding the desk, Richard began to ask for the room of one Arthur Bradshaw, friend of the young man they were looking for. Theo. Getting the information from a bored looking woman with gray streaks in her hair behind the desk, Richard wrote it down, asked for directions, and then politely thanked the middle aged woman.
Nate strolled through the campus, keeping a keen eye out for Theo. He was half-heartedly trying to trigger a vision; he wasn't too keen on going through it again so soon, but he didn't really get a choice. His vision flared electric blue, and he stumbled barely managing to stay on his feet. He snapped his head up and looked out in the crowd. Then he saw him. Nate altered course and tried to catch up, but it wasn't any use. The crowd was too dense. "I see him, he's headed your way, Richard. I'm going to try and void walk to get closer." Nate slipped out of the crowd and into the seclusion of an empty lobby. He made his way to the bathroom where he opened a breach and slipped through. When he exited, he was standing in the middle of a floor of dorm rooms, and two CADMUS agents were staring right at him.
Theo was walking down the pathway, not completely unsure of what dorm Arthur was in, opened up a map on his phone, "Let's see here. Yes, that one looks right, now let's check on the name, I think he's there. If he's not he's definitely nearby." Theo said under his breath. He started to increase his pace, unaware of his surroundings and what the people around him were doing. Nemirovsky and Bohnett Residential College (UVE) was where Theo would be checking first and hopefully last. He still had a bit of a way to walk through, so he keep up his pace and looked around himself every so often, as to try and make sure he wasn't being followed.
Upon hearing that the young man was approaching, Richard decided to sit down and wait. He decided to get out his journal book with his prints in it, so he could blend in the background. Undoing the leather clasp that kept his satchel-bag bound, Richard pulled out his journal. And that's when he noticed the suits. They stood out. First, they were the only ones in suits here. One blue, one black. Most others were wearing t-shirts and jeans or shorts, though occasionally a group of students passed by looking like they had just come from the latest punk rock concert. The second thing about the suits that stood out was their haircut. Conservative, but practically cut the same way. The clinching point, however, was when the one put his hand to his ear and started moving his lips, though he was facing away from his friend. Earpieces. That meant CADMUS. After the earpiece conversation was done, the two men were talking to each other, and observing the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, Richard could see one glance at him before he turned away. They didn't look armed, but Richard knew better. So while he was here to meet the young man, Theo, before he came to his friend Arthur's dorm room, Richard thought he wouldn't be the only one. And that made things a little more hairy.
Prophet summoned the void suit and prepared to blast the agents when a high pitched whistling could be heard before the agents acted like they were struck by something. They staggered and almost turned all the way around before they dropped to the ground. Both had one of Quill's spines in their back; the tranquilizer effect knocking them out. Nate looked up and Quill was standing the hallway, still with his sunglasses on, holding another one of his spines. "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, remember? Help me move these guys."
Richard, looking down at his art print-book and leafing through the pages, glanced at the two CADMUS agents he had spotted. They had now been joined by two more suits, with similar haircuts and the same detached, yet observant, focus. Where there were these agents here he could see, there were probably others waiting to shoot or rush in if the situation turned deadly. They were on the lookout for the mutant Richard himself wanted to talk to, a high school aged youth named Theo. And speak of the devil. There he was, walking somewhat briskly and trying to make time. But the agents saw Theo and began to intercept. Richard tried to pay as much attention as he could, while at the same time trying to keep unobserved, seated on the nearby bench. Glancing down at the two prints that he had in the open journal before him, Richard slowly nodded to himself. Yes, either of these would definitely do.
Theo, seeing the suited men coming at him whispered, "Shit." Before b-lining for the dormitory entrance. But, it was too late, Theo wasn't fast enough and the agents were faster than him. One of them grabbed him by the arm and said, "Son, we're going to have to talk to you." Before motioning over to one of his companions who looked around quickly. With one sudden and swift motion, the companion gripped the side of Theo's throat. Theo felt a surge of electricity cover his whole body if it wasn't for his tactile telekinesis he could have died to the current. To an onlooker, it would no doubt be a sight to see, rays of electrical current bouncing on and off of his skin until it all converged back into the point of contact. The current bounced back into the man's hand device that shocked Theo in the first place. It caused the device to blow up. When the smoke cleared the agent didn't have a hand anymore, just blood splatted over a passed out body.
The agent that originally grabbed Theo formed a fist and aimed for Theo's noise. The tactile telekinesis once again saved Theo, the force caused him to bounce back but, because of that, he was now free. The agent on the other hand, well most of the bones in hand now have several fractures and it would be unlikely that the man would ever have full control over his hand again. Theo got into a fighting stance and taunted the agents, "Do you really want to deal with a mutant right now, in a public space, full of youth? How the fuck do you think the media and public would spin that? I can see the headlines now: CADMUS starts a fight in Downtown LA, Lots of People Killed." Theo was ready to fight.
Looking up, Richard was impressed at how the electrical charge didn't consume Theo. He was a little less impressed with the bloodshed. But as the agents had started this, and Theo was just trying to defend himself, Richard decided it couldn't be helped.
Just then, about five more men rushed in where their ally had fallen, and where their other ally was nursing a fractured hand with scowls of pain on his face. Holding handguns with silencers, they aimed at Theo and tried to order him to stand down. Richard began to look down and concentrate on the art print in front of him when he heard the definite sound of a shot. His mind racing, Richard knew he had to do something to help end this. So he put all of his mental energy into focusing on the abstract print before him, a well-known work by the first recognized abstract artist, Wassily Kandinsky, who began in the early 1900's. As Richard concentrated, suddenly the agents who had surrounded Theo with their guns vanished, as a doorway of light began to patch together on one of the campus building walls. It was a gateway into a pocket dimension made up of the abstract art, and the doorway was a window and a one-way trip inside. The agents who had been brought there were unable to escape.
(Composition no. 7 by Wassily Kandinsky)
The six agents, including the man with the injured hand, were surrounded by a disorienting scene where nothing made sense. Colors flooded in, unsettling the eyes even more. Lines were stretched, but did not join where they should. As each second passed, the agents began to slowly lose all connection to reality. Their weapons became a mix of colors and lines. Their bodies were stretched, pulled and twisted, encolored with bright shades and lines that did not connect as they should. Each began to scream in his own distinct cry of alarm as one by one, the agents' minds also began to warp, being bent and stifled into the bizarre confines of the abstract art. A pure psychological horror, each agent began to have hallucinations of things they couldn't explain, sweating, and becoming more aggressive without any way of releasing it. It was as if each had been overdosing on PCP, and unable to control themselves, were throbbing violently as they became more and more diluted into the background of that pocket world. A few moments more to make sure they would not be causing any more violence, and Richard stirred, broke concentration, and the doorway to Kalinsky's Composition no. 7 vanished. The six agents all lay on the ground, incoherently mumbling, their eyes blank, and drool running down their cheeks. A telepath would have a field day trying to explain what each was thinking, as if their minds would be able to think at all after this.
Prophet and Quill watched the event unfold on the ground below. "Impressive." Prophet looked at Quill with a smirk, "Why can't you be that useful?" Before quill could reply, Prophet continued. "I'll head down there and give support, CADMUS will be on their way. You try and find... Arthur! That's the kid's name." Nate resummoned the void armor and took a running start, jumping through the window. His enhanced speed combined with the void energy encasing his body left ghostly echoes in its wake as he slammed into the pavement. "Paladin, Arsenal, We need backup. CADMUS in en route." Because the gunfire was with silencers, it did not make as loud of a roar in the air as it might otherwise. A few students heard and ran, but most were engrossed in what they doing. Which was good. Prophet quickly closed the gap between Richard and himself and fired a void blast at a lone agent. "I'm impressed Mr. Weinkauf, You're going to fit right in." He then turned to an obviously on-edge Theo. He allowed the void suit to dissipate just enough to show his face. "Theo, we're with the Vanguard and we're here to help."
Quill Gave an indignant huff as Prophet launched himself out of the window. He knew he was right though. Quill was about to walk out and keep looking for Theo's friend when an idea struck him. He walked to the door that the CADMUS agents were standing in front of when Prophet burst in. He gave a short knock and a reply came from within. A young man opened the door, "Yes, can I help you?"
"Are you Arthur? Do you know a Theodore Ashebrooks-Benn?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Then your life is at stake, pack your things, I need to get you out of here."
"I'm sorry, What !?"
Quill gave a sigh and was about to open his mouth again when a few agents rounded the corner with weapons drawn. He didn't want to make the kid think he was a freak so he didn't deploy all of his spines. He grew a few on his arms and launched them in rapid succession at the agents. Quill dove through the door as they rattled off a few shots before collapsing.
"See?" Quill asked the wide-eyed young man. "Get packing if you want to get out of here free; Theo is in trouble."
Suddenly seeing a face appear out of some kind of man with a body of energy, not too dissimilar to what he looked like when Mode has taken over, did not help Theo's nerves very much, in fact, he was so shocked in fact that he fell back down onto the ground. "Oh, Christ!" Managed to fall out from his lips as he fell. He began to think, "Vanguard, Vanguard. I know I've heard that name before, I just can't remember what they were. Well, it's pretty damn clear they're mutants..." Theo started to turn his head and saw an older man over near a bench, "Wait, is that the guy from the convenience store?" Theo stopped thinking when he felt a few bullets graze his hair, to which he quickly jumped up and said, "Well, I don't have much of a clue who the hell you guys are but, I'm currently being shot at so I can't really see how joining you guys for the time being would be a bad choice."
Richard looked up with a concerned look in his eyes. The five who had rushed in were now in la-la land, for which he was responsible. But he hadn't expected to kill them or severely injure the agents. To be frank, Richard had had no idea what sending them to a classic abstract painting would do. He thought before that maybe it would just severely disorient them and mess with their communication devices. And instead, it mentally destroyed them. Sighing, he stood up. There was nothing that could be done now. Since Nate the Prophet had appeared and had approached the young man they were looking for, this Theo, and since eye contact had been made, Richard walked over, his hand still carrying the open, leather-bound art print journal. "Hello, young man. Believe me, I'm just as surprised to meet you again, too," Richard said, noticing Theo's shock. "But I don't know how many others are looking for us. We got some of their immediate backup, and their radios wouldn't work in that abstract world, so it's possible that no others are going to be coming right now. Still, I'd rather not stay and find out. Let's go." So leading Theo, Prophet and Richard began walking back to the SUV.
