Dawn of the Zobos (IC)

[Supercape]

December 9th, 2011, 11pm...

'Tis the season of goodwill to all men...

Synth sat on an abandoned, rusting freight carriage, that was in turn, sat on an abandoned rusting railway.

Greenbank was not "the face" of Freedom City. It wasn't that attempts were not being made to rejuvinate the area, it's just that so far, they had not had much luck, just like the down and outs that squatted there.

She was wrapped in a simpled blanket, although she didn't particularly feel the cold. Not like human's anyway.

So wrong... she thought, surveying the broken landscape.

She had come here with the mobile soup kitchen, to do a bit of voluntary work, see the city. The kitchen, run by Diedre McManus, a fierce Irish Lady who washalf revolted by Catholicism and half embraced it like a lover, was parked only a hundred or so yards away, and had a small queue of the hungry and needy.

Synth was disgusted with the poverty and situation of the Hobo's here, amidst such wealth. The burping and snoring of a drunk asleep in the carriage with her reminded her that, sure, some parts of the situation were self induced. But the whole situation seemed so inhuman to her.

She smiled slightly to herself at the thought. That she should be judging what was human or not.

[Aoiroo]

From any angle, Greenbank was depressing.

As it happened Catalyst had an excellent angle on top of an abandoned warehouse. Her binoculars scanning the area around the soup kitchen truck. The whole area was decriped, the city didn't really make as much an effort as it should to fix up the area. For a lot of reasons, a cynic might just think that mafia were supressing the redevelopment to leave the places open and available for hits and shady deals. But then again, there was also the fact that the city relied heavy on tourism in the main aspects of the city, as well as money spent on the rebuild after the many disasters that had recently fallen upon the city. Still, the disrepair of the area was not a pretty sight, and neither were the homeless likely squatting in these buildings without heat or electricity. It made her wince at the thought, winters in New Jersey were definitely not forgiving. In fact she wouldn't be surprised if the disappearances were simply that of homeless dieing because of the colder climate setting in, though alternatives like them being kidnapped or killed off in secret wasn't much a comfort. She really should try to put in some hours in redevelopment when she had the time, she had work off soon for the holidays, but, darn it wouldn't help things fast enough to make things better.

She shook her head, she needed to focus at the task at hand. She couldn't solve the homeless problem, but she could possibly solve the recently missing homeless problem. That was something at least.

[Supercape]

"I saw it, I saw it I tell you!"

One of the men in line for the Soup Kitchen started shouting, having an argument with the other men in line, who treated him with disbelief at best, contempt at worst.

"Shut it, Jake!" said one man "last thing we need, spreading your mad stories..."

Synth pricked up her ears at the disturbance. What was this?...some kind of problem?

She wrapped the blanket around her and hopped off the rusty freight carriage, with a speed and balance that looked unnatural if one observed it - or maybe just very lucky.

She was wearing loose jogging clothing, trainers, and some athletic wear underneath. Quite ordinary, practical and scruffy, in complete contrast to the perfectly designed body underneath. If anyone studied her, she looked beautiful despite the vagabond look, completed by a messy scruff of short blond hair without any style whatsoever.

Synth really didn't get style.

She walked over to the Soup Kitchen Van, nodding to Diedre as she did. The middle aged woman just shrugged her shoulders and raised her eyes to the heavens in despair, but kept dishing out the soup.

"Jake, is it, what's the matter?"

The men where getting a little rowdy - Jake, a particularly scruffy (and, Synth noted, smelly) middle aged man was ranting about the "kidnappin's", and four other hobo's where trying to restrain him.

"Mad Jake, they call 'im" said one of the men "he get's all crazy like...Jake, you shut up now, or I'll floor ya!"

[Aoiroo]

Shifting her binoculars onto the scene she zeroed in on a conversation taking place with a woman who looped quite out of place in the crowd. She seemed interested in what was being said, and honestly so did Catalyst, not that she could just jump down and ask questions (there were several flights of stairs in the building afterall). She kept her gaze as the word kidnappings came up,

"So they do know something about that."

It wasn't too hard to think they'd notice, someone had to of filed those missing persons report. She kept an eye out onto the scene to see if more information would come.

[Supercape]

The homeless where busy discussing, and in some case, arguing, what Jakes ramblings meant. Synth watched and tried to reason with a couple of them, with varying responses.

"Get out of here 'gal" shouted one, a huge bald man with an equally huge, but very hairy beard. By the two scars over his face it looked like he had seen his share of street fights.

"You don't know nothing about the streets!" he said, giving her a push - to the consternation of some others.

"Leave her alone, Shank" muttered one "she just trying to help..."

He gave Synth another Push, a bit harder this time, keen to make his point by pushing her over. Synth was quite tall, but this man was still double her weight and a several inches taller. This time she caught his arm and held it, showing him her strength.

"No need for violence" she said, shoving Shank back. "Let's hear what Jake has to say..."

She turned to face Jake. The two men holding him had been momentarily distracted by the altercation between Shank and Synth, and with a desperate shake, he threw them off and backed away, pulling out a small knife.

"Let go of me!" he yelled "You'll be sorry when you get caught..." he said "But 'ol Jake's perpared, yes, and I ain't getting caught like the rest of you!" with a manic laugh, he ran off.

Synth sighed, and turned to run after Jake. The man may have been crazy and unreliable, but he seemed to know something.

[Aoiroo]

Pulling back the binoculars she glanced at the crowd then the runner. She grimaced a little, he may not be the best person to approach, but then again he knew something or another. Heading down the stairs she went over to where she parked her van. Walking inside she started brewing some coffee while she geared up. She would not go around Greenbank unarmed, that was just stupid. After she was finished the coffee maker beep she grabbed the pot by the handle and a little stack of disposible cups and headed out into the crowd of hobos and said from her position at the top of the stairs,

"I have hot coffee, and blankets for anybody who has information on the disappearances."

She pulled out her paintball gun and held it to her side,

"As well as mace filled paintballs for anyone who tries to mob me. So if you would line up nice and orderly I'll get you all set up."

[Supercape]

Synth easily caught up with Jake, and took a firm grip of his coat.

"Take it easy, if there is something that you need to say, then say it..." she said, putting on an honest smile.

"What are you doing, hanging around with us?" replied Jake, honestly surprised. He looked at Synth curiously.

Pretty lady, in rags, in a soup kitchen? he muttered to himself, making no sound but moving his lips.

"I'm ladling out the soup" replied Synth, honestly "and it looks like you could do with some. Here, come back to the kitchen, and don't mind that big guy, he is all mouth..."

Synth took Mad Jake back to the Kitchen, and ran into Catalyst as she approached.

"Coffee too?" she asked.

The homeless, about a dozen of them, were eager for the coffee to wash down their soup with. Perhaps not so keen on the mace, as they made clear. Shank made his normal show of barging in before the others, using his elbows freely.

"Dunno much" came one voice "I just know old Karl, he knew the streets like the back of his hand, and one day *poof* he went, leaving all his belongings, that old cart he had. He would never do that!"

"Yeah and I saw you help yourself" sneered another.

"Calm down, everybody..." said Synth as gently as she could "Has anyone here actually seen anything?"

Jake muttered a bit under his breath.

Synth held out her hand to Catalyst, as she knew humans did as a greeting. "Thanks for helping, its good to know somebody actually cares about what happens to these poor souls..."

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst passed out the coffee to the homeless who lined up, though she held it herself on the stairs so they couldn't come at her more then two at a time. She finished filling another cup before turning over and looking at the women much more regularly dressed among the homeless in rags,

"Sorry, hands are full."

She smiled and slightly shrugged with the coffee pot in one hand and the gun in the other. She wasn't putting down either that was for certain,

"It's not problem though, and I'm sure most people care, it's just out of sight out of mind really."

She didn't come down the stairs until she had emptied the pot and there were just several dozen with the foam cups of coffee,

"I'm Catalyst by the way. I'm investigating the disappearances. There have been formal reports of missing homeless in the area, and I don't think it's just the cold."

[Supercape]

"I'm Catalyst by the way. I'm investigating the disappearances. There have been formal reports of missing homeless in the area, and I don't think it's just the cold."

"Pleased to meet you, Catalyst" replied Synth, slowly. "You can call me Synth..." she continued, debating if another name would be more appropriate.

"I guess you have heard about the dissapearances?" she asked, looking at Catalyst directly. She couldn't read her. "This guy, Jake, he seems to know a bit..." she looked around at the other homeless.

"Although he seems less than popular, I imagine it is the fear. They don't want to get rattled. "

She moved a bit closer to Synth and lowered her voice.

"DO you have anywhere else we can speak to him, to avoid a brawl?"

[Aoiroo]

Gathering the rest of the leftover cups, she glanced over at the hobos,

"Yeah, sure, follow me."

She went back into the warehouse closing the door behind them. It was pretty much empty, except of course with the big white van sitting in the middle of the warehouse. Catalyst walked over and opened the back setting the coffee pot back onto it's stand and locking it in place before reaching into the mini fridge and pulling out the pitcher of water to fill it back up again. Once she got it set up to make another round, she sat on the edge and looked at her companions for the conversation,

"So, what do you know about these kidnappings?"

[Supercape]

GM

"I hear things" said Jake, tapping his head. "All sorts of things, you know? The CIA, the FBI...I pick em up, in my head...world is a dangerous place..."

He was sitting down, tapping his foot and generally being restless. He looked nervous.

"Well, we all know that the guys that live on the street, they been going missing. Government behind it, I know they are. Anyway, I saw Old Karl get pinched. Four of them, there where, in gas masks, black gear, Man, it looked like they were fifth column Nazi's. They were professionals, you know. Didn't spot lucky me, lying down under some prize cardboard..."

He coughed, a rather filthy cough, with a handful of sputum at the end.

"Ahm a survivor. Always have been. Always will be. I know things, I do..." he trailed off briefly.

"Can't say for sure where they took Old Karl. Looked like they were heading to the '66. You know? the abandoned rail signal station? Keeps you warm but plenty of rats their. Some of the stuff there still might work too, use to be plugged in, till the fuses blowed..."

[Supercape]

Synth studied Jake quietly, wondering about what he was saying. She leaned over to Catalyst and spoke again in a deep, quiet voice.

"What do you think? Sounds like he knows a lot of stuff. He can even pick up the FBI and CIA in his head? what is going on? do you think its a government conspiracy?"

She paused, concerned.

"I know this country is cruel with its treatment of the poor. But actually cleaning them off the streets...literally...that is horrible!"

She clutched her ears and bent over, horrified by Jake's story that she completely believed.

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst's expression couldn't be seen but her eyebrows are raised. Still she kept her voice and her tone calm and business like,

"Well Jake,"

She grabbed a fleece blanket it from the back and poured him a cup of coffee,

"Stay warm, thank you very much for the information,"

She looked at Synch and led her to the passenger's side of the car. When they both closed the door she let out a sigh,

"Alright, for the record is incredibly unlikely that the government is in fact behind this, or that they have actually anything to do with Jakes current state. Mental illness is something usually heavily present in homeless populations and malnutrition does not help. He likely suffers from accute paranoia which is why people consider him crazy. However, he was the only one with a clear answer, so checking up on the area he suggested might be a good idea. Would you like to come with, if not I can drop you off wherever, Greenbank really isn't the safest place to go anywhere on foot."

[Supercape]

Synth looked at Catalyst with a kindly smile on my face.

"I can take care of myself" she said evenly. "I am afraid I don't know much about mental illness, but thanks for informing me". She let out a quiet sigh.

"So much to know. Stranger in a strange land..." she whispered to herself. It had been one of Dr. Nyberg's expressions.

"Acute paranoia? Shouldn't he get treated?" she asked Catalyst with genuine curiosity "It sound's horrible for him. We can't let him suffer like that..."

She looked at the door through which Jake had departed.

"I'll speak to Diedre, perhaps she will know what to do. She has really helped, in her own way" she said quietly.

"And yes, I would love to help you, Catalyst. We must find out what's happening to these men and women, and stop it. I could do with your brains!" she laughed, wholesomely. "But I think you will find me helpful. If there is any physical conflict required, I am very strong and fast..."

[Aoiroo]

"He likely should, but in his state unlikely to seek such treatment on his own. Such things like mental illness we cannot force people to seek out help, especially full grown adults, which even if he's homeless he still is."

Catalyst looked at her as she said the last words,

"That's very helpful then, honestly I was just hoping to have an extra pair of eyes, and maybe hands. Always useful."

Which meant she was likely going to ask the woman to stay in her van and drive it in if she needed a quick exit. She didn't always plan for that, but it was possible.

"Now, let us get going then."

She started up the van and drove out the warehouse and down the roads using the GPS to find the location Jake had specified.

[Supercape]

GM

Station '66 was perfect for the homeless. It was completely run down, disused, and abandoned, but just in good enough repair to keep the cold wind out.

Several tracks ran into and out of the large station, which had been boarded up but still had enough holes to squeeze through, and a few doors that looked poorly secured. It was made up of a mixture of corregated iron, concrete, wooden pannels, and large glass windows, most of which where smashed to a greater or lesser extent. Still, it kept the rain out.

Mostly.

There was nobody in site, at least outside, but then, it was the early afternoon and the sun still warmed the earth - the sky was clear and the temperature mild for this time of year.

[Aoiroo]

Station 66 was, a dump. Not even a well managed dump but she could see homeless hanging around such a place and it was really quite sad. Still she saddled out of the van and started searching through. Honestly she was very glad she was wearing gloves cause a lot of it was just gross. Discarded wrappers, old dirty clothing, broken bottles, there really wasn't much to be found. However, after going though the fifth or sixth pile she did find something of interest,

"Hello, what is this?"

She picked up the discarded cartridge from what she recognized from a syringe gun. It wasn't broken, and there was some sort of chemical in it. A drug? That was likely. It might not of been related, but she wouldn't know for sure until she properly analyzed it. She pocketed it before glancing around to see what else was around.

[Supercape]

"Found anything?" asked Synth, stepping outside to watch Catalyst at work. She was studying the building herself, finding the whole wretched condition of the station horrible. The thought that some people had to scratch out a home sleeping there was almost to much to bear.

She scratched her head. She still had a lot to learn. "Sheltered upbringing" was the understatement of the year. But she couldn't help feeling that things had to be better than this for humanity.

"What's that?" she asked at Catalysts discovery. One of the few thing's she did know was some biomedical sciences. "Syringe gun? looks out of place here, I've seen that before...well not that model, but similar. I imagine its good quality. Surprised it hasn't been scavanged..."

Catalyst was heard the sound of some dislodged tins being kicked over accidentally. Turning around, she saw the culprit - a hobo, peeking out around the corner of Station 66, was spying on them. She even recognised him... Shank, the bully from the Soup Kitchen who had victimised poor Jake.

[Aoiroo]

She looked at him for a good half second before she sprinted from her spot. She was a lot faster then she looked, and she cut off his escape route.

"Now, what are you doing here?"

She tried to keep her tone even, and didn't reach for her weapon. Still she was a bit, well irritated, here's the person saying that Jake was full of it and here he is was in the place Jake had sent them.

"Looking for something?"

[Supercape]

Jake turned to run, but the large man faced Synth.

She had run right around Station 66 to cut him off. Nobody could run that fast!

He took a swing at her, but she moved with impossible speed, caught his arm and brought him to his knees with a flick of her wrist despite being half his size. She was clearly a lot stronger than she looked. And she looked pretty strong.

"Please, let me go!" mumbled Shank, caught between the two women.

"What were you doing here?" demanded Synth, angry but in control "haven't had enough of persecuting Jake or anybody else?" she asked.

"No...no...just...looking...." he mumbled.

Synth gave Catalyst and shrugged helplessly. "I...don't know what to do..." she said pathetically. "I don't fully understand this concept of lying...but I know he might be doing it..." she just hung there, holding firmly onto Shank's hand.

"What do I do now?"

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst raised an eyebrow at the woman, then looked down at her pouch,

"Pick him up, and bring him with it's no use if he bolts before we get any good information. Though you should probably be gentle, we don't want to hurt him or anything."

Pushing out of the station, she led them back to the van, opening the back she climbed in and pulled a chair from under the small desk near the center while she got out the chemical and started examining it. She got several other chemicals from the shelves, examined numberous short tests that no one on looking could probably identify, her expression became even more puzzled the more she did before she held the vial up.

"It's, it's poison, straight up poison. It's deadly, though not painful, there are uppers mixed in along with opiates, so it's an addictive poison. Except, that it's also a stimulant. A very powerful stimulant at that, so it kills the host then, stimulates it, builds it up. That, that's ludicrus, and counter productive, what in the world would that accomplish. A creature being brought back after brain death, it's like,"

Her face paled well not very much for what was seen, but she looked at him,

"Like last October, when the dead walked and were all over the place. Was this the stuff that did that? I heard claims that it was a more magical thing, but this is entirely biological,"

She looked at Shank and held up the chemical,

"Do you know anything about this? Has some friends of yours who have lost their pulse started walking around again?"

[Supercape]

GM

Shank looked crestfallen. His head shifted between Synth and Catalyst, unsure which one of the two women he distrusted more. It was clear they weren't going to let him go. And he wasn't going to be able to call a lawyer. He doubted the police would be much help. They would probably land him in worse trouble.

"Look, I just got to make a living alright?" he pleaded. "It's tough out there on the streets. You broads..I mean...ladies, you don't know what it's like...."

He gave what was actually quite a convincing cough. The man did sound like he had some nasty chest infection.

"So yeah, there are some guys, snooping around, they been picking us off, one by one. Would have picked me off too, but I got to selling my services to them, such as they are. Tipping them off, so to speak. Their ear to the street, if you catch my drift..."

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst just looked at him for a second, then put a hand down she approached.

"Make a living? Are you daft?

She held up the vial to his face,

"Don't you get it, you think you saved yourself by not saying anything. Whoever made this was smart, likely brilliant, and you think they'll let you just walk around forever knowing they're taking people. This stuff is poison, if they are using this on all the other homeless then guess what you're an accomplish to murder, mass murder, and not only that a loose end. You're in danger, you have been since the moment you agreed to help with this mass atrocity, you should of gone to the police or the Freedom League the moment you realized what was going on."

She pocketed the vial then looked over at Synth,

"In fact we're doing that right now, we have both a witness and proof, keep a hold on him and keep him in the back. I'll drive us to the nearest station."

She turned around and headed to the front of the car to get ready to turn on the engine.

[Supercape]

GM

"Hey hey, lady...no need for that..." pleaded Shank, desperation in his voice. He looked at Synth to help him out.

"Look, I'll help ya - Just don't take me to no police. I ain't doin' nothing wrong...technically. Just speakin', you see. Under duress. Yeah, under duress. And its entrapment. Yeah entrapment!"

He nodded at himself, giving himself encouragement.

"Look, I'll lead you to them. They are camped out right here...that's right!!! they found some base under Station 66, or at least converted what was left of the foundations underneath it. I'll show ya. It's hard to spot. Pretty small, too, but it's where I see them drag them. That's why nobody hangs around Station 66 no more..."

[Aoiroo]

She didn't look back at him as she put her foot on the break and shifted to drive,

"You think I'm stupid don't you, you're a liar and a coward. No way I'm going to let you lead us into the lion's den just so you can stab us in the back to save your own skin. Besides, we don't need any more evidence, we have the poison and a witness, we don't need much more to get a proper investigation and back up to this place. Now settle down before I mace you."

Looking back and Synth she let out a sigh,

"Bring him to the front and keep his arms locked, don't want him doing anything stupid."