Thorn in the Garden of Life

[losthunter]

Hunter paced his apartment, his phone in one hand, and a list of phone numbers in his other hand. He just got off the phone with Marcus, one of the six other people who had been given a gift by Kendra. And had learned that Marcus had been attacked by Austin.

Luckily, Marcus was able to get away, without any major side effects.

But Hunter was now worried about the others. And so he was making calls to everyone else who he had talked to, and warned them about Austin so they could stay safe.

And he knew it was time to face Austin again. But even though he felt like it was an emergency, Hunter knew that it would be better to make sure someone else came with him. He also knew exactly who he wanted to have by his side.

Jim. Austin attacked another person. I feel like I need to deal with this. Are you available to come with me?

Comments

[losthunter]

"I have to go talk to him. Make sure he is okay." Hunter lifts his head slightly. "Make sure Austin hasn't tried to hurt him."

"I believe they were talking about doing a live interview, tonight," Marcus mentioned.

"Where?"

"With the Mayor at City Hall." Marcus answered.

"That is where we will find my dad." Hunter nods.

[boldygoing]

"Hold on," Jim says, trying to think this through. "We've got to be careful about this. What if Austin is doing this to lure you in?"

[losthunter]

Hunter sits back, staring at the roof for a moment. "You think that might be it? That somehow he knew that it was my dad on the TV?"

"Fuck... if my dad is in danger now, because of me..."

[boldygoing]

"I'm not saying that's definitely the case," Jim says carefully, "but we need to be cautious. Consider all the angles. It could be a coincidence, or it could be deliberate action, but either way, it won't hurt to be careful."

He's learned firsthand the consequences that can come from rushing in, blood running hot and critical thinking turned off, assuming he knew what was going on. He doesn't want to see Hunter have to learn the same lesson.

[losthunter]

Hunter nods. Listening to the points that Jim is making. And then he takes a moment to consider his options.

"We need to still check on my dad, but we have to consider that this might be a trap and go into it with all eyes open. Rushing into the situation would not be the best scenario."

"You know, Austin doesn't know who you are. We could use that to our advantage." Hunter points out.

[boldygoing]

"You mean use me as a scout." Jim's onboard with the idea. He can imagine just how upset Bones would be if he knew, though, and decides not to mention this to the doctor anytime soon.

[losthunter]

Hunter reaches into his backpack, and takes out a sketch book. In a matter of seconds, he has sketched out a portrait of how Austin looks. He then gives the drawing to Jim.

"This is what he looks like. You scout ahead, to see if he is laying in wait. And if he is not around, I can go in and check on my dad."

"But be careful... just because he doesn't know you, doesn't mean he won't try anything." Hunter adds.

[boldygoing]

It's a good thing that Hunter is an artist, because the drawing is definitely going to be good enough to identify Austin, if he's there. "If I do find him, what's the plan?" He's not intending to confront Austin on his own, unless that's part of the plan.

[losthunter]

"I think you sort of have to find a way to get close to him. Maybe by voicing your support for the same things he wants to support, and be just as angry at 'Rob' as he is. Maybe if he trusts you, then you could give him that watch without anything being suspicious." Hunter suggests.

[boldygoing]

Jim nods, and puts the sketch of Austin into his pocket. "That's the plan, then. Let's get moving."

[losthunter]

Hunter calls them a Uber cab, deciding against using his PINpoint to get to city hall. And he thanks Marcus for his information, before they leave.

The cab ride allows Hunter to slow down his mind, and just think about the situation. He doesn't like this one bit.

As they reach City Hall, there is a small crowd of protestors outside. The cab has to park a few blocks away, which suits Hunter just fine. He leads Jim to a small alleyway, where they can talk, before they split up.

"I expect if Austin is here, he is among those protestors."

[boldygoing]

"What's the protest about? I didn't really catch all that, back at Marcus' place." He hasn't wanted to ask right then, aware that it'd probably seem odd if he didn't know already. But if he's going to pretend to be part of the crowd, he should know how to act.

[losthunter]

"My dad, during his TV commentary, had made some comments about why he opposes transgender rights to use the bathrooms of their chosen gender identity." Hunter tries to explain. "We still live in a society where there are society-driven rules and regulations based on bathrooms. And most public restrooms are assigned as 'men' or 'women'. There are very few gender-neutral bathrooms."

"And the protestors are voicing their support for transgender rights."

[boldygoing]

Jim has heard stories about the historical regressive attitudes of old Earth, but seeing it in action is a little different. He will never understand why anyone would care what another person does to their own body, especially something as harmless as using the restroom. "Shouldn't be much need for me to act, then." Which should make things easier to play along, if Austin is on the side of the protestors.

[losthunter]

"No. You should be able to blend in with the protestors pretty quickly." Hunter pulls out his PINpoint.

"I will wait here. Until you give me the all clear, or send a message that Austin is among the crowd."

[boldygoing]

Jim nods, and makes sure that his own PINpoint is secure in his pocket. He gives the sketch of Austin one last look, and moves out of the alleyway, walking over to join the protesters.

Maybe he's a little out of place without a sign, but he's not the only one, and he pretends to turn his attention to the building that they're protesting outside of, watching out of the corner of his eye for Austin.

[losthunter]

It takes Jim a few minutes of scanning the crowd, but he does soon see Austin. The young man is on the edge of the protestors, watching city hall intently. He is not holding a sign either. And seems to be nervously shuffling his feet back and forth, as he is undecided if he should try to connect with some of the other protestors.

[boldygoing]

Jim casually pulls out his PINpoint, as if he's getting a text message on his phone. His communicator looks similar enough to older style flip phones that it shouldn't draw too much attention, and he quickly types a 'response' to the imaginary text: a here standby

He slips it back into his pocket, and drifts along the edge of the crowd towards the other man."Not gonna join the crowd?" he calls out, not quite loud enough to draw attention from the rest of the group, but hopefully enough to get Austin's attention.

[losthunter]

Austin turns to face Jim, when he calls out to him. And he laughs slightly. "Not sure man. I have been to too many of these events, and despite all the people protesting, it doesn't change things."

He glances back to city hall. "It would be better if we could actual change things. Actually make a difference."

In the alleyway, Hunter reads Jim's text, and just sighs to himself. All he can do is lurk in the alleyway until the coast is clear. It feels all too familiar.

[boldygoing]

Jim takes a few steps closer, so they don't have to shout. It's like making small talk with a stranger, and Jim makes sure to stand at Austin's side, rather than directly face-to-face, as they look at the city hall building.

"Maybe, but that's not a reason not to try," he says, shrugging.

[losthunter]

Austin has a good vantage point of the guards who are assigned to city hall. And he must have been tracking their movements for some time. Because he nods his head, and smiles. "All the better reason to try something new."

"Come on... quickly." There really is no good reason for Austin to ask Jim to follow him. In fact, the only thing running through his head right now is that it would be good to have someone else there as a 'patsy' in case something bad happens. And Jim has unfortunately fit the bill.

[boldygoing]

If Jim had been one of the ordinary protesters, alarm bells would still probably be going off in his head at that. But he needs to stay close to Austin, and if he's planning on doing something harmful, Jim might be in a position to stop him. So he does follow, wary of hostile action by the other man, or by the men and women assigned to guard the city hall.

[losthunter]

Austin leads Jim towards a side door of city hall, pausing for a moment to check around for anyone that might spot them, before opening the door and stepping into the hallway. There are no guards around. He has found a moment when there is a change in shift times, and there is not enough relief security to cover every area of the city hall.

He crosses the hallway and enters into a room, that is empty. He grins at Jim, a little bold right now since everything is going according to his plan.

"It is difficult for anyone to listen to reason, when there is some pompous idiot on TV informing everyone that they should think the way he does. And that idiot is here today. We are going to go talk to him." His smile is not a very nice one.

[boldygoing]

Jim can't pretend well enough to look like he's in complete agreement with Austin, uneasy with the man's implied plans. And so far, he hasn't seen much opportunity to try to get the watch on Austin. But he can be patient, at least a little longer. "How are you going to get him alone? He's bound to have other people around."

[losthunter]

"In about five minutes, a make-up crew will be arriving to help the TV anchor get ready for the live interview." Austin smiles again. "And we are those people."

He puts his backpack onto a desk, and pulls out a make-up kit, a couple of white smocks, and fake identification cards.