metropolis ♔ has it gone for good? or is it coming back around?

[wynn]

Fireside - Arctic Monkeys

WHO || Oliver, Felicity S., Emma F., Bo, Brantley, Lex Luthor
WHAT || The Knights investigate a connection between Luthorcorp and Sarandis' experiments on Andres
WHERE || Metropolis Kansas
WHEN || April 23rd, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

Metropolis is a bustling city even during these cold winter months, but they have no trouble finding the Luthorcorp building - because it literally towers over the skyline, dwarfing the Daily Planet nearby. It's still daytime when they arrive, working hours, and employees in well tailored suits hustle in and out towards elevator banks, past the front desk.

Comments

[telepathy]

[ If LuthorCorp Plaza was impressive, the inside of the corporation's main office is staggering. Sleek and modern, the decoration is all minimalist glass and steel. The receptionist at the desk wears a power suit and a pixie cut, and when they approach her, she sets it all aside, clearly expecting them. There is no sitting area, but they don't need one. The receptionist sends them directly up to the executive offices.

They ride up in the executive elevator, a glass cylindrical lift that looks down over the complex, peering through glass walls at the company's inner mechanics. The steel pillars of his employee elevators, the cables drawing them, and many labs and cubicles are all visible through sheet glass as they ascend. Total transparency.

Emma holds her chin high, peering down at it all with critical distaste rather than wonder. When they reach the top floor, the executive assistant offers them water and assures them, "Mr. Luthor will be with you shortly." ]

Well, if he had any notion to hide his dirty laundry, he's certainly picked an interesting architect.

[fixyourproblem]

[Brantley nods in agreement.]

Sometimes, the more you hide, the more you reveal. Conversely, likewise.

[It's not unusual to see glass-based architecture but the place gives more sense of enigma than the translucency it reveals.]

Nevertheless, it looks like a white-collar sweatshop where the warden can keep watching their human resources than a modern office if you asked me.

[fistpump]

[It's uncanny how no matter where the tall skyscraper gets built, it's always the same look. Cold steel and thick glass. It reminds her a bit of Queen Industri-- Palmer Technologies main offices. She doesn't glance around too much, mostly just focused ahead and on the group she's with. If you've seen one billionaire showing off with a building, you've seen them all.]

[telepathy]

All the same, I suggest we determine what he's willing to divulge before resorting to sundry other methods of discovery.

[ Mostly, she's just indignant at being kept waiting. That's 90% of this scowl. ]

[succubestie]

Do you think it's smart for us to all question him together?

[He might just get ultra-defensive immediately.]

facility tour ♔ brantley, bo, emma f.

[telepathy]

[ "Before LuthorCorp acquired us, we were a small lab. We've been expanding our facility since they took a chance on us, upgrading security, broadening our spectrum of research, upgrading equipment ..." Dr. Janik sounds enthusiastic about it all. "He's been very good to us. Ah, the labs are just down this way."

He waits for them all to be rallied together, then points down the hall to lead them off. Emma steps up to follow as soon as she's done sending Oliver along with Ernie and Felicity. ]

[fixyourproblem]

Indeed, Mr. Luthor is one of the guy you could call a striking figure, isn't he?

[Brantley follows Emma toward the labs as Oliver and Felicity leave toward the archive. He takes a quick scan of the hall ahead and checks the security features of the place to measure the security level, in case they need to do something illegal or plan an escape route or something (spot 17).]

Does he come here often?

[telepathy]

[ Dr. Janik looks sharply over at Brantley, as if she can't quite figure out why he might ask that. Brow furrowed, he shakes his head, clearing his throat, "No. No, he's a busy man, and we're only one of many labs that LuthorCorp has acquired in recent years. I can't imagine he has time for every lab."

Tilting her head, Emma fixes Janik with a curious look of her own, but she makes no comment on whatever she finds that's interesting there. Up ahead, there are no emergency exit signs or fire evacuation charts that'd give an indicator of where they might sneak out to quickly. There are, however, large double doors that lead into a lab.

Janik pushes the lab doors open to invite them in.

Inside, long white tables have impressive backlighting and top lighting, making for quite the clean workspace. All the equipment is stainless steel, and there are microscopes and touch-screen, glass-only computers at each work space. There are no drawers at the work benches themselves, but rather plenty of complex filing systems snug against the walls. All the storage is stainless steel like the equipment. Spot and knowledge (tech) or knowledge (sci) checks to learn more about the specific equipment. ]

[succubestie]

[Bo takes her time to glance around the room as they pass through the doors (spot 21), and apparently she did her homework on some of the stuff they might find here or something (know tech 20 total).]

[fixyourproblem]

[Brantley looks around the lab (spot 18) and finds lots of things he doesn't even know what they are, he probably recognizes some basic ones but not the cutting edge de-atomizer or something (knowledge 10). That's what you get for skipping science classes.]

the records department ♔ oliver, felicity

[telepathy]

[ Guiding Oliver and Felicity aside, Ernie drops some of the tour-guide chic in favor of a more comfortable appearance. It gives the impression that perhaps tech was once his department. ]

Did Mr. Luthor find something he was dissatisfied with in our records? I ordered our analysts to print him a complete copy of all acquisitions and purchase orders. I'm surprised to hear he wanted a closer look.

[ But not so surprised that Ernie doesn't move them smoothly down the hallway, away from their friends. ]

[fistpump]

[Don't think that Felicity isn't amused by Oliver being her intern here.

Felicity knows the level of discomfort that comes from having someone else look over your work. It's never an easy thing to think about, because it's not always 'They'll find what I did.' but sometimes it's just an honest 'What did I miss?' moment.]

I don't think it's a matter of being dissatisfied. It's just a routine comparison. Make sure all the 'T's are crossed and the 'I's and 'J's are dotted. Everyone forgets the j. [She tries with her calm small talk to just keep things moving.]

Have you worked here long? [She also knows that most people in tech have a need for recognition, since they are often behind the scenes.]

[theterminator]

[Oliver is pretty much certain that she enjoyed that. Hopefully she enjoys it while she can.

He follows along, pacing himself slightly behind both Felicity and Ernie because he is just a lowly intern and doesn't actually deserve to speak until spoken to, or take part in an actual conversation between important people. Which is just fine with him. Felicity can handle herself talking tech, and if she starts to stumble he'll be right there to step in.]

[telepathy]

I got in on the ground floor.

[ And he sounds quite proud of that fact. ]

It was just one lab, then, working off a government grant to fund our research with cerebral palsy.

[fistpump]

It must have been rewarding. [She offers, with a genuine smile.]

Trying to make a difference that could actually impact lives for the better. [It really is a noble cause, one that Felicity hopes is the start of a positive outcome to this search she's going to do.]

break room & possibly lex's secret dungeon

[theterminator]

[Oliver does as he's instructed and uses the opportunity to dip out so that he can follow after the guards. He still doesn't like this. The whole point of his volunteering to keep Felicity safe was to ... get this, keep Felicity safe. It's something that's not easily done from the break room but apparently gurl needed her caffeine fix.

He makes sure to walk briskly enough so that he can place himself behind the guards currently escorting Ms. Lane to her doom before dropping pace to maintain some distance behind them. After seeing her in action for all of two minutes, something tells him that Ms. Lane won't be going quietly into the night and he plans overhear anything that might be beneficial before they catch on to the fact that he's there (move silently 15, listen 17).]

[telepathy]

[ The guards wrestling with Lois are definitely being rougher than any hired security ought to be if they plan on, oh, I don't know. Being accountable to the police. They carry on down the hall and shove her into a room with a keycard lock. Inside, there's a security booth. Surveillance of the facility is pulled up on a number of screens, each one flicking between multiple cameras so that not all cameras are visible at any single moment; each screen toggles between three.

A spot check of 20 or higher will afford Oliver a 3-second glimpse of Dr. Janik guiding Emma, Bo, and Brantley through the labs. It probably caught the moment when Dr. Janik dodged Bo's advances. ]

You really should have minded your own business. [ The guards scowl at Lois as they set her loose in the security booth, blocking the door. ]

[loisfuckinglane]

[ lois notices everything (spot 23) but doesn't even know who they are so she has some more immediate problems tbh. that does, however, allow her to also notice oliver trailing them. she doesn't stare or give away his position, just raises her voice to make it all the easier for him to overhear. ] Is this the part where you break my kneecaps?

[theterminator]

[Oliver doesn't notice the others on the security camera because his spot was completely useless. He does pick up what Lois is throwing down though, taking note of the way her voice grows slightly louder to make it that much easier for him to hear (sense motive 19).

He really doesn't want to cause a scene here, with Felicity on her own back there. It's getting hard to ignore the obvious shadiness going on re: the way the lab's security is handling the current situation though. It's a good thing he is a cold hearted snake for now, but there is only so much he can ignore. :/]

[telepathy]

[ Guard A who I'm now naming Ben for a.) convenience, b.) when an inevitable fight breaks out because I know how violent everyone in this game is, gives a fully belly laugh at that. He slaps Guard B, who I'm choosing to name Sally, in the arm. ]

Listen to that. [ He quips, grinning. ] She's worried about her kneecaps.

[ Sally advances on Lois, built about as delicately as Gwendoline Christie, and gives her a shove back towards a chair at the security station. ]

Sit down. [ She moves one hand to steady at her gun. The gun that she has. On her hip. The gun that a private security officer is presently wearing on her hip in the way that private security officers are not authorized to do. That gun. ] You're here until Dr. Janik gets done with the others. Then, he'll decide where we send you.

regroup

[telepathy]

[ Back in the main hallway where the knights had initially separated, Lois and Felicity round the corner simultaneously as Emma, Clark, Oliver, Brantley, and Bo round the opposite corner. While Lois and Felicity are unharmed (though Lois isn't without her bruises), Emma and Bo continue to look worse for wear, and it's obvious that a fight has ensued. ]

[loisfuckinglane]

[ wait for it

lois grinds to a halt, staring at the opposite group. or at one all too familiar face. ]

Smallville?

What are you doing here?! [ cough ]

[clarkfuckingkent]

[Oh, right. He should have expected this.]

Chloe said you were in trouble. I was... in the area. [...He rolled a 2 on that bluff check. So smooth in the presence of Lois, let me tell you. He shakes his head like nevermind that I'm a terrible liar. Time to focus on the important things.]

Are you alright?

[loisfuckinglane]

[

uh huh. with her 14 sense motive she's not buying that, but ukw, she has bigger fish to fry right now. ] I'm fine. I can't believe Chloe let you come here. If Lex finds out you're here, he'll throw the book at you.

[succubestie]

[Bo turns her gaze toward her rescuer.] You know Lex Luthor? Like personally?

[Not sure if bad or good.]