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]

[ The files contain transaction records. Shipping manifests, purchase orders, and the like for lab equipment. The equipment purchased and the employees contracted all seem to suit a pharmaceutical and technological research lab; it's up and up, according to the hard copies. Precisely what one would expect, with no financial inconsistencies whatsoever. Almost too clean. ]

[fistpump]

[She's fairly familiar with what it takes to make something look like it's on the up and up. It takes a careful amount of precision to fake something that looks so official. She definitely has her doubts about its validity.]

[telepathy]

[ It's only once they leave the facility and start towards the car that Emma speaks up. ]

His surveillance has all of our faces. Whatever we do find, we'll need it to be airtight. [ She turns to Felicity. ] When we get you access to their systems, start with whatever's been recently removed. Mr. Luthor was already planning on calling ahead before I suggested it: he must know there's something to hide, and I intend for us to find out what that is.

We should divide into two teams. Someone will need to run back-up for Felicity in the event that they're precisely the monsters we believe them to be, and the other should tour the facility and draw information out of the employees.

[theterminator]

[Before anyone else can volunteer to run back-up, Oliver steamrolls the decision by asserting--]

"I'll stay with Felicity."

[Mostly because he doesn't trust anyone else to keep her safe, even if he's more than capable of running infiltration.]

[telepathy]

Very well.

[ She nods to them both as they pack into the car, then turns her attention to Brantley and Bo over the vehicle. ]

Sir River, Sir Dennis-Gatewood, why don't the two of you join me on a tour?

[succubestie]

[She gives Emma a nod.]

You got it.

[fixyourproblem]

[Brantley also confirms with a nod.]

My pleasure, Sir Frost.

[telepathy]

Splendid. We'll see if they can't show us some of the darker corners of the laboratory.

[ The drive is long and uneventful (drive 14), taking them beyond the outskirts of Metropolis and onto one-lane roads lined by rows of corn. The city dwindles out of sight in the distance behind them before they even draw near the laboratory.

Farmhouses pepper the landscape every few miles, in various states of upkeep, and finally, on a hill rippling with wheat and grass, a grey concrete laboratory building stretches out, overlooking a lake. The whole affair is surrounded by fifteen-foot fencing with barbed wire and warning signs, easily spotted from the car windows (spot 18+).

Emma eases the car up into the driveway of the building, slowing on the dirt drive as they approach a gate. ]

[fistpump]

[Felicity spots the signs (spot 21) and takes note of the gates too.]

They either want to keep everyone out... or everyone from leaving. [aka that's a tiny bit excessive.]

[fixyourproblem]

An bit unusual place to build a lab if you ask me.

[With a spot check of 12, Brantley can't clearly see the signs. But he does look outside the window and probably see the countryside ambiance.]

Let's just hope we can actually leave, preferably in one piece.

[telepathy]

Well, it's lovely to know we've brought a couple of optimists along for the right.

[ Emma's sarcasm is, well, frosty and biting. Rolling down her window, she leans out to talk to a loud speaker. ]

Yes, hello, darling. We're with the Karthur Institute. You'll have received a call from Mr. Luthor. Run along and open the gate for us, will you?

[ She sits back. Static crackles. Then the gate slides open. After Emma pulls forward to park the car at the top of the hill in front of the large, metal doors—akin to some kind of airlock—of the laboratory, the gate rattles shut on its tracks behind them. ]

[succubestie]

Look, I'm all for being optimistic, but that seems a little overboard.

[Airlocks on the doors? I mean, come on.]

[telepathy]

Pharmaceuticals must be a messier business than I'd previously believed.

[ Apprehensive too tbh. She glances back at them. ]

If you choose to bring a weapon, do keep it hidden. I'd rather not be escorted away by security.

[fistpump]

[Wait, so Oliver is probably not in full Green Arrow mode, right? because, lbr that shit would've been hilarious.

Anyway, Felicity has no weapons. She just plans on going wherever they tell her the main computer archives are and then sticking to what she knows.]

[succubestie]

[Bo is bringing a dagger for sure, which she hides in the calf of her boot, and her Excalibur pistol is effectively covered by her leather jacket (sleight of hand??? 24).]

[theterminator]

[Nah, no Green Arrow costume this time because they are actually supposed to walk through the front door and appear like they are legit. D:

He sho nuff is going to roll in with a manpursebriefcase housing folded up bow and arrows tho (if this needs a sleight of hand check he got 25).]

[telepathy]

[ Two broad-shouldered men stand at the mouth of the oversized airlock door as it rolls open, two overlapping metal circles peeling apart to create the opening. One wears a business suit, a blue badge on his chest identifying him as ERNIE MASTERS. The other wears an open lab coat over business casual, an orange badge identifying him as DR. ASHLEY JANIK.

Though they scan the party and appear to take note of Oliver's briefcase, they don't stop them. Ernie smiles, waving them in. ] You must work for Mr. Luthor; he informed us he'd be sending a team to evaluate our facility in the wake of the acquisition. We'd very much like to show you how we operate. I'm Ernie; I'm the Director of this facility, and this is Dr. Janik, our lead researcher.

[fixyourproblem]

[Brantley quietly follows the team as they enter the facility. He left his Excalibur at the castle, since he was told this is more of brain over brawn mission. Though, he brings a pocket dagger and a couple vials of puffer-fish poison for safety measures (sleigh of hand 18). If that's not enough, he can always throw in some punches.

When the two men show up, he doesn't bother to correct them. If they think the team work for their boss, they might be more open to give out information.]

Brantley River, pleasure to make you acquaintance. [He offers a smile and a hand to shake with his introduction.] And these are Ms. Frost, Ms. Smoak, Mrs. Dennis-Gatewood and Mr. Queen. [He gestures to each one of them as he introduces the rest of the team.]

[telepathy]

Charmed.

[ Emma greets the both of them as Brantley introduces the team in turn. ]

We shouldn't be too terribly long. Following up on the usual acquisitions reports, of course. Our analyst will want to ensure that your electronic records match those Mr. Luthor received. [ She gestures to Felicity. ] While the rest of us take a look at day-to-day operations.

[ Ernie gives a hearty nod, turning to wave them into the facility.

Through the airlock, a glittering white facility awaits. If LuthorCorp's facility was all industrial steel, this looks like an Apple store. The walls, floors, and front desk are all white or clear glass over a white matte finish. The young man sitting at the desk wears a white and blue uniform, straightening as Janik and Masters return inside to put his phone away. He scrambles to pull visitor lanyards out of the drawer as Masters approaches to take them.

"You'll wear these while in our facility, a simple security measure. We run a tight ship here at TLC." ]

[fistpump]

[Felicity nods when Emma mentions her and then puts on the lanyard. She'll probably nervously fidget with the lanyard with her free hand. Might also be feeling for any tracking chips, because she knows how big companies like to keep tabs on their visitors. (knowledge technology 17)]

[theterminator]

[Oliver also puts on his lanyard but he is like trust no bitch so it might end up falling off somewhere by accident whoops.]

[telepathy]

[ Y'all crazy. Emma Frost isn't wearing a tacky lanyard, jesus. She slips it into the pocket of her white coat and follows the director as he guides them down the hall.

With her knowledge check, Felicity will identify that the ID cards at the end of the lanyard are thick and encoded, as if they might bear some kind of chip within them. Whether that's for security access or tracking, however ... Idk man ...

"Ms. Smoak, if you'll come with me, I'll take you to our records department. Dr. Janik, you're welcome to begin their tour of the facility." ]

Mr. Queen, accompany Ms. Smoak. [ Emma gestures between them, then explains to Masters. ] He's her intern, you see.

[ Blinking, Ernie seems to accept that, and waves Felicity and Oliver along to the right down a hallway. Janik, by contrast, steps to the other side of the hallway and waits for Bo, Emma, and Brantley to join him. ]