Blood in the Water - CSI: Omega
| Blood in the Water - CSI: Omega | |
|---|---|
"This is some serious MiB shit." | |
| Players |
Start with the body, of course. |
The coroner's investigation was quick and to the point: an exsanguinated body with no signs of blood was obviously the work of foul play. An investigation was opened, one that will likely never even get off the ground, and the body quickly shunted off to a funeral home for arrangements. The Cruz-Sojka funeral home is a classic three-story affair that looks like in a former life it might have been some sort of little shop-with-apartments-above-it where a family might have spent the vast majority of their lives. Now it's where quite a few people with very little money spend a good amount of time right after death, the sign proudly displaying, "Cruz-Sojka Funeral Home -- Parking Lot Across the Street. 313-666-2673." Inside, the bottom floor has been converted into a space that looks about as church-like as one can get without being in an actual church. An elderly woman in glasses powerful enough to turn her face into an owlish caricature sits at a small table inside the entrance, slowly pecking away at the keys of a computer, a scowl on her face as she hunts the letters down one by one. The word "subtle" was most certainly /somewhere/ in Lucius' playbook, but after a bit of research on the location of the funeral home, the income bracket of the surrounding neighborhood, and the price of an average quote for services rendered, Shaw decided that the most efficient approach would be the straightforward one. Four SUVs pull up outside the parlor in tandem, each one sporting dark-tinted windows and some other minor security features. Several doors open at once, and a team of three Omega security officers sporting sleek, but relatively simple suits pile out and move to create a vague perimeter of implied force around one of the middle SUVs. Out of that one comes a muscled and intimidating woman who holds the door open to allow Lucius himself to finally exit. He is, as ever, on his phone, unwilling to lose a even a moment of potential progress on the endless tide of work that constantly barrages him. However, this was important -- this was... Well he wasn't entirely sure what this was, and apparently none of his highly paid supernatural consultants knew for sure either. That still annoyed him slightly, but there wasn't much he could do about it. With a final tap of his thumb, he slides the phone into the inner pocket of his jacket and looks around to take in the sight of the Cruz-Sojka Funeral Home. "Jesus," he murmurs, clearly unimpressed with what he sees as he lingers a moment to give the rest of the band of merry monsters a moment to assemble. Lucius isn't the only one playing on their phone. Kasandra spent a good deal of the car ride to the funeral home just tapping away on hers and making various faces at the screen. Business doesn't stop; being away from the office just means managing it remotely, which can be a giant pain in the ass. When everything comes to a halt and bodies start to pile out of the vehicles, she slips her phone into a clever pocket in her skirt and follows. There's some adjusting of jacket and skirt when those severe, expensive glossy red heels of hers land on the ground, but she doesn't give nearly the same unimpressed exclamation about the place they are visiting as Lucius does, her expression cool and schooled. Seen one funeral home, you've seen them all--cheap or not--as they get the job done one way or another. She steps forward and then does a silent headcount, noting where everyone else lands. Noa, on the other hand...is playing on her phone. Because did y'all know that there are GAMES that you can play now, on phones? And they're FREE. She's doing some kind of 3-D match-3 game. She's not paying much attention to anyone. Besides, they're going to see a dead body. Not her preferred method of spending an evening. She's still wearing the white, backwards tank top, the wine stain hidden beneath the black blazer. She gets out when other people start getting out, but she doesn't stop playing yet. Ethan gets out of the car having pocketed a squiggly ear thing in case it seems like a good idea to him to have one. He had not played on his phone; had in fact looked out of the window, lost in thought. He arches an eyebrow at Lucius' reaction to the place, but he just sort of falls into step with the group, ready to head inside and see what they can get done. "This is some serious MIB shit." Elias mutters under his breath, with a look to Noa and Ethan before he's sliding out of the SUV behind them. He must have dug deep in his closet or at least gone clothes shopping at some point, since he's dressed at least somewhat presentably, but it's also clear he's not sure about being here. He frowns up at the funeral home as his feet hit the sidewalk. He hooks his thumbs into the pocket of his black chinos and tries very hard not to attract any attention to himself at this moment. He totally belongs here. The entourage piles out toward the door, but Colt stops the small army from going inside with a look. He's in a similar suit, equipped with earpiece and everything. But there definitely isn't a need for ALL of them inside. The five-or-six already setting eyes on the place are probably sufficient. To the rest, he just says, "Wait here. Nobody else comes in until we're done here." As if he has some right to tell them anything at all, really, but the tone he says it in is one of pure, expectant command. Pushing open the door, he waits for the others to head inside, nodding over to the woman at the computer -- who looks up, jaw dropping a bit as she sees what's happening outside the window. Hands flap anxiously as she hurriedly stands, moving around the desk. "Oh. Oh my," she whispers, growing concern on her face. "Are you the B-F-I? Or the C-L-A?" She clutches at her skirts. "All of our bodies are American citizens, no drug mules. We respect the rules of Homeward Security." The old woman probably predates the formation of most of the agencies she just butchered. "Should I call a lawyer?" It's a testament to the command in Colt's voice that the security doesn't simply ignore him and go about their business. Instead two look to the most senior member who then looks to Lucius who just waves at them with some mild impatience. Taking that to mean that Colt was in charge of the security detail, they each nod once in an affirmative and quickly and efficiently go about the task of forming a human barricade to dissuade and disallow entry to the funeral parlor as ordered. The large woman at Lucius' side ignores all that and steadfastly /remains/ at Lucius' side which he seems to be content with. "No, Ma'am," Lucius remarks as he strides in past Colt and offers the older woman a sad but polite smile. "My name is Lucius Shaw," he offers, stepping towards her as he offers out a hand, looking to initiate his warmest, most personal handshakes as the other hand comes up to layer over the back of hers and hold it there if she accepts his offer. "One my employees has unfortunately passed recently, and I wanted to pay my respects. Sasha Gray?" he asks, as if trying to politely remind her of something she should already know. "Would you mind showing us the way?" It was, after all, a foregone conclusion that she would help them out. She may not have even realized it yet, but Lucius did, and he was happy to enlighten her with one of his friendliest smiles, touched by a perfectly measured note of somber melancholy. Headcount finished, Kasandra slants a look toward Colt as he starts to take charge of the situation. Her lips quirk into a smirk, but she lets it go as she adjusts the one addition to her person: an oversized pink Louis Vuitton tote-style bag dangling from its perch on her right shoulder. It's glossy, shimmery pastel pink with those familiar symbols loudly decorating its body. And definitely out of place for anyone familiar with the Wolfblood. Still, she carries it like any fashion-forward woman of style as it simply /belongs/ with the rest of her black-and-red blouse and skirt ensemble. She grins at Elias as she catches his murmur, "You'll get used to it." Kas then watches as the security detail falls into line before she makes her way to stand at her boss's side, crowding that muscular woman that also gravitates to that space. The pair seem accustomed to the other, so there's no friction sensed. Instead, Kasandra's schooled expression melts into one of sincere sympathy as Lucius greets that fretting woman. There are some nods and soft murmurs of agreement to what the boss says, but she lets Lucius lead the way. By the time they go in, Ethan has put his earpiece in, having decided that this is indeed the role he wants to play for the first phase of this operation. He shoots Elias what he hopes is a reassuring look, but it doesn't take long for most of his focus to settle on the flustered old lady. And all that focus is dedicated to feeding right into Lucius' narrative. He allows a look of more personal sadness to pass his face, as if Sasha was a friend moreso than just a co-worker, shooting earnest eyes at the lady, just adding to all the reasons why it's a great idea for her to let them at the body, and not to question it. And to be utterly unalarmed about doing so. Noa puts her own earpiece in, and shoulder bumps Elias as she walks past him. She finds herself patting the old woman on the shoulder as she passes by, following along with the crowd. She puts her phone reluctantly in her purse, it was fun playing for the short time. To Elias, she mutters, "I'd say I have, but its my first outing, too." Elias returns Kas' smile with a faint one of his own. It's not nervousness, not really, just a touch of uncertainty about what he's even doing here as he follows into the funeral home. Stepping inside he can't help but wrinkle his nose a little. Only then does he remember to dig out his own squiggly ear doodad to set in place with a little unfamiliar fidgeting. He tries to keep his own expression blank as he keeps to the rear of the group. "Well, we can learn on the job together, I guess." He murmurs back to Noa. The old woman is clearly overwhelmed. She has no idea what to make of this. When Lucius starts talking, she glances to a door beside her desk, nondescript and otehrwise boring-looking. But given she looked there at Sasha's name, that must be the way to the mortuary proper. She turns, looking like she wants to say something back, but trips over her own words, flustered into incomprehensibility as she practically falls back into her chair. Colt just gives her a nod, moving to the door. He reaches out a hand for the knob as she starts to interject, "Wait, you need the --" The door handle opens easily, and he looks to the others, nodding down. There's a flight of stairs that leads into a basement area, the air from the door cooler and smelling of chemicals and cleaners, the familiar smell of hospitals and death. It's a short flight down, and then a quick jog to the left, bringing them into a room with a steel table in the middle, coolers lining the walls, various cosmetics and other preservation agents in their respective containers. Sasha, as it happens, is currently on the table, the incisions from the autopsy revealed in all of their crudely-stitched glory. There's a dress laid out beside her, and some personal effects, but they're far from ready right this moment, the woman's pale skin naked and waxy in the harsh flourescent lighting. Colt takes a step to the side, waiting for the others to arrive, already starting what appears to be a visual inspection of the body. Lucius' job is... Well, not /done/. However, he'd gotten them through the door and put his experts in front of the body. Now it was time to ask questions and let them work while he kept a close eye on them and figur- "Who the fuck are you?" Lucius' hand goes out in front of Elias as he finally realizes that one member of the entourage was unfamiliar to him. Eyes narrow momentarily on the man, then he looks over to Kasandra in irritation and confusion, "Who the fuck is he?" He doesn't sound /angry/, really. Just... annoyed. Someone had made an adjustment to his staff and hadn't told him. Or someone had brought a friend along on an investigation into the mysterious supernatural death of an employee. Either option was an irritation. "Why the fuck is he here?" The older woman gets a flash of that sympathetic smile from Kasandra as she topples into her chair, and the entourage starts their way after Colt. "Thank you. So kind. We'll be careful." It's all said in that patronizingly sweet way one speaks to a doddering old person who might be in the way. Yet, even Kasandra somehow manages to make it not seem entirely fake. A touch of something real at the end as she makes her way after the rest of them down, down, down as those chemical smells wash over them. It's only when Lucius starts in about Elias that she slants a glance toward her boss and then back at Elias. "Oh him? That's Elias. Your newest secretary." It's said like Kasandra was giving Lucius the weather, pleasant and evenly, as she stared at Elias. "Isn't that right? Figured we'd break him in real good because of the talent. Also doesn't hurt to have a talented secretary, too." That said, she starts shifting her bag around, ensuring it's safe and secure as she heads toward the body. There's a scrunching of the nose as she looks Sasha over. "Bad way to go." There's room though as Kas isn't about to dive into the body examining herself. Not her field of expertise. When they all file in Ethan just takes a position near the body, completely ignoring Lucius' annoyance over Elias' presence. That's not the task at hand, and he can be remarkably task-focused. He also just often pretends not to notice certain uncomfortable social instances as a matter of course. The King of Polite Fictions. His eyes go a little unfocused, and he goes very still. After a moment he's frowning a little at the area just over the woman's body. "Well. All the spirits are spirits I'd expect, but the gauntlet looks kind of messed up. Almost...watery. I've never seen anything like it before. Slow-moving. Not a big effect. But...worth making a note of. Following up on. Unless you know what watery-gauntlet means, Colt." Noa starts poking around at Dead Ms. Sasha Gray. Poor woman, to be subjected to indignities after death. She finds something and frowns at it. "Ethan, come hold her up, there's something back here," she says, trying to push up on the woman's shoulder so she can get a better look. As soon as it's available, she takes a few pictures of the area with her phone. (They have CAMERAS!) "Anyone know anything about something that looks like a vampire bite, but it's three punctures in a triangle? There's a bruise around it in a circle, too. Doesn't look like anything I've ever seen." Oh yeah, Elias does not like that smell at all. He's making a sour face, his nose scrunched and bit and his brow furrowed. He has to pull his hand down from under his nose from the reflex of blocking it as he heads down the stairs after the others. The curse of having a good sense of smell. His reaction to the body isn't as strong as it is to the smell of chemicals. He looks almost apathetic when he lays eyes on it. As that arm goes out across him, he looks over to Lucius, bowing his head a bit as Kasandra introduces him. "Elias Kirk." He adds a touch more formally. "I look forward to working for you, sir." There's a certain crispness in his speech and stance as he addresses Lucius that he has to this point lacked with anyone else. Almost militry if a little on the looser side than someone who was actually former military might be. He can't keep his nose from wrinkling slightly. "If I may, sir." He asks Lucius permission, might as well set a good precedent. "This whole place smells like blood. Not old blood, fresh blood, very fresh. It's like its just coming out of everything." His eyes shift to the body again, then back to Lucius. Colt looks at Ethan, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah," he says. "It means taht you've got shit in your eyes and you aren't seeing it right." He spreads his hands to the side, shaking his head. Whatever it is that Ethan is seeing, Colt isn't seeing it. The woman's body is cold to the touch, skin waxy and very-obviously-dead. Dealing with partially prepared corpses is sometimes even worse than dealing with the fresh ones -- these seem less human than the recently deceased, and things *move* uncomfortably. And don't spring back to place when it shifts in that weird way. Colt looks over at the wound that Noa shows them. He gives a shake of his head. "Not a vampire. Unless the vampire was a newborn. Too small. And there's three of them, not two. If it's a vampire, it's the we--" He doesn't get a chance to finish the sentence though. Before the words are even out of his mouth, Sasha's eyes fly open, and the woman sits up, a rattling scream escaping her chest as she scrambles around on the table, cloudy eyes coming back into focus a bit. "Wh--" She gives a trembling start, nearly falling off the table. "Wh-- what?" Lucius frowns faintly at Kasandra as she explains who Elias is, then he turns that look on the man himself, eyes flickering over him once before he seems to relax a bit. "Fine," he breathes out with a sigh. Another look shot towards his Personal Assistant makes it clear his lingering frustration is for the lack of notification he was given that his previous secretary had been replaced. Yet all the same, that irritation fades rapidly enough as he adjusts to the new change in staff. "If you haven't gotten them already, get all my contact details from Kasandra," he tells him quickly, adjusting easily as his attention turns back to the body. "Blood?" he asks of Elias, curious even if his gaze still remains on Sasha, "Probably a few diff-" He doesn't get to finish his thought. "Jesus fucking Christ," he snarls in an oath as he takes a step back from the suddenly animate and speaking corpse, his hand going out like a reflex to his large bodyguard who has already stepped in front of him with a gun in hand. "Capture it if you can," he hisses in a low voice to her and any of the rest of the Supernatural Scooby Gang close enough to hear his whispered command. Then again, it didn't seem hostile, so much as... scared? A squeeze on the bodyguard's shoulder causes her to slowly lower and hide the pistol behind her hip with a wary glance back to her boss as Lucius steps around her -- or at least, to the side of her. "Sasha?" he asks, his voice reasonably level. "Do you know who I am, Sasha?" He tries to sound comforting, but he's also remaining at least a few larger, more well-trained bodies back. The mention of the Gauntlet from Ethan draws Kasandra's attention off Elias toward him instead. If she noted that look of annoyance for Lucius, she's keeping that to herself. She frowns and looks at Colt to see if he can offer any further insight. It's movement from Noa that splits her attention as she flicks a glance toward the other woman as Noa starts to lift the body. It isn't alarm that filters across Kas's features then, but curiosity as she takes a step toward the body and Noa. "Three? That's weird." She nods at Colt's further insight, but before Kas can say whatever is on her mind as shit gets /weird/. Weirder. This time, alarm and surprise suffuse into one living thing on Kas's face as Sasha /moves/. Still, she doesn't scream so much as gasp and then reaches for something that isn't there at her hip as she shoves her purse out of the way. It's a reflexive action that gets her to pause and tense as that alarm and surprise melt down further into annoyance at something. "Fucking hate that shit," she huffs beneath a breath as she looks immediately toward Lucius and takes an almost defensive stance as she keeps her gaze trained on Sasha in her newly (re)animated state. Not certain that Sasha might jump off the table for a snack, she glances toward the Wolves and then Noa and Elias, keeping a mental tally of everyone's placement. Ethan shakes his head at Colt's assessment, stubbornly holding to a sort of nonverbal *I saw what I saw*, but by then he had an armful of body at Noa's behest... Which...is...now coming alive in his arms. Though he pretty much just takes it in stride, like he has some dead woman come to life while holding her up every single day. He tries to steady her a little bit, though he soon releases his grip, figuring some strange dude holding her while she scrambles around isn't going to do her any favors. WIth Lucius doing the talking, he falls silent again, but he tries to focus on projecting a comforting, steady, trustworthy presence, his body language shifting a little bit to make it happen. He exchanges a quick glance with Noa, reflexively checking on her after that one. Noa jumps a little when the woman comes awake but no sound escapes her mouth. She immediately takes a few steps back, to give Ethan some room in case he needs to wolf out. "What the ever loving *FUCK*?" she whispers, barely able to be heard. Then she checks on Ethan, meeting his eyes. She's a little freaked, but not so much so that she forgets that there are other people here, and she eye-checks them after Ethan. Elias opens his mouth to say something, only to practically jump out of his skin once the body starts moving on the table. He stifles a yelp as he backtracks a few feet right into a wall, where he reflexively wraps himself in a bit of his glamour. He seems to just fade out a bit. He's there, but he also looks to be blending into the background, a weird fuzzing effect that just makes it hard to keep eyes directly on him. He would probably be hiding better if he wasn't breathing heavily at least a touch, at least he didn't scream. That would be embarassing, but as it is his eyes are a bit wide and darting between all the people in the room as he tries to keep everyone and everything in sight. Sasha blinks as Lucius starts to talk to her, head turning jerkily toward the man. There's confusion written all over her face a moment. "M-M-Mister S-S-Sh-Shaw?" She's trembling now, color slowly starting to return to features that were just a moment ago washed out and pale, the stitches across her chest straining the flesh that wasn't meant to *move* again. She wraps her arms around herself, rocking back and forth. "It hurts," she pleads, voice trembling even harder. "Oh god it hurts. I want to go home. Please? I want to go home. It hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts." Colt steps forward, taking his jacket off and wrapping it around the woman's shoulders as he glances at the others. "The dead coming back to life is fucking *fascinating* and all," he tells them, "but unless you want the news all over this when that old woman eventually finds her damned keys and makes her way down here, we need to have this conversation somewhere else. Preferably soon." He glances to Lucius, not really *asking* as he reaches up to that earpiece, flicking the switch on it. "Bring one of the cars around to the back alley. Have the rest of the team run interference on grandma." Looking to Sasha -- or presumably Sasha -- he says, "Let's get you out of here." | |