Potential threat (Marshall // Carter)

The organization was nothing he had ever seen before, a magnificent island filled with wondrous marvels, both natural and technological. Marshall had been in this organization for an entire week, getting settled into his new quarters and trying to figure out his niche. Being the least experienced of all the members, Marshall often tried to get noticed and assigned certain duties, however due to his powers, he was often passed up with smaller assignments. It wasn't until about a week in when he was finally commissioned with a task, a potential alien entity had been spotted on the west coast of the united states. He was put on the assignment, given that the potential threat was unknown and Marshall was one of the more durable of the Blackguard. Within the week, Marshall was halfway across the world, being dropped off on the west coast within a few kilometers of the signal.

The city was just as Marshall had read about it; warm ocean breeze, beautiful woman, much like where he grew up back home on the eastern coast of Australia. Within an hour of landing in L.A. he was already lost in the mesmerizing sights and sounds of the great city, finding it all too appealing. The young hero soon found himself wandering the streets, trying various street vendor's food, peering into shops with unique knick knacks and other pointless possessions that were exuberantly over priced. Marshall would spend the next hour wandering the streets, belly full of street food before his wrist watch would indicate the alien life form was close by. There was no intel on this being, only that their physiology was not similar to that of other humans or even meta-humans. He would just have to hopefully spot something out of the ordinary, something unusual.

California wasn't the usual place for Carter, at least from what he could remember, anyway. The flight from New York had been brief, but still easily the most relaxing part of his trip to the west coast. Getting through customs had gone off without a hitch, presenting his IDs and retrieving what little luggage he had brought. Even though he was not entirely human, there was little to stop him from looking the part. After arriving, the next step had been setting himself up somewhere with cheap rent; a sleazy looking hotel in the more undesirable streets of Los Angeles. If any of his possessions were stolen, so be it. He didn't plan on staying long, anyway.

Now out on the more active part of town, Carter made his way along the sidewalk, casting sideward glances at those who caught his attention. In a straight line he went, not paying the slightest of attention to any of the stores or vendors he past by. There was only one thing he had come here for, and he was determined to find it. In the middle of the day, dressed in blue jeans, a blue turtle neck, black work boots and a dark grey jacket, Carter stood out more than he would've liked to. Though his attire was unlikely to give him away as an alien, he did walk with a purpose, making his stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Marshall has had no training or experience prior to this mission, so the Blackguard sending him in was more of a test rather than an actual mission. Being that way, he felt as if this were not as important to the group as initially mentioned. Regardless, the young hero-to-be would pass this test and head back to his group with a story of victory. He was near a somewhat busy intersection when his wrist watch began to buzz again, giving light pulses to indicate the distance between him and the target. The pulses would grow more intense the closer he got to the potential threat, up until the point where he felt he was right on top of it. This was when he changed his focus from his watch to the people. There were so many....

Perhaps this was far too complex a task for him.... after all his skill set did not include any tactical thinking, espionage, or even basic recon.... he was just really strong. Plus, he was fairly immature, mentally speaking. Perhaps the group thought the alien would feel less threatened by a guy who appears much younger and perhaps even smaller than the alien, given whatever their appearance may be. As he focused on different people, trying to figure out which person may be the alien, Marshall soon found his tummy tingling lightly. It may have been the food he had eaten earlier, but for some reason he felt it wasn't that.... and it began to get even more intense, numbing the feeling of his wrist watch as a gentleman walks past him. The gentleman had a turtleneck on, and for reasons beyond Marshall's conception he reached out swiftly to stop him. The young man was wearing a simple button up, with a charcoal grey vest over the wrinkling material, stone washed jeans and a pair of black shiny slip-ons.

"Excuse me sir....." He paused for a moment, a clear Australian accent lilting in his voice. "..... I was wondering if you'd like to talk about our mother earth for a moment?" He had come up with a fairly competent ruse, at least an attempt to speak with the anomaly for a moment, and try to at least get a reading on him. All the while, he hides the fact that both his tingling tummy and his pulsing watch were causing him some minor discomfort.

How was Carter to find that which he sought? He did not have a high tech detector watch, only the word of the mysterious individual that had instructed him to come to Los Angeles. What Carter sought would eventually find him, and he knew it. The sudden and powerful grip upon his shoulder that stopped him from walking away brewed a subtle anger within him, it was a confirmation of all he had been told. There were others out there, and Carter would have to prove himself worthy in order to survive.

Not a concept he had investment in, or genuine belief for that matter. Still, Carter was aware that there were certain ways the world worked, and this was just one of them in the end. Turning after hearing the man's question, Carter feigned a quizzical expression before speaking. "What of it? Are you an activist of some sort?" Nothing seemed off about this man on the surface level, but that pulsing and buzzing watch was beginning to irritate him.

The young man gave an equally feigned nervous chuckle, swiftly clicking his watch off to avoid anymore discomfort from it. This however did not settle the tingling in his tummy, something he could still not quite explain. His hazel eyes peered to the already somewhat defensive person. Perhaps it's the way he chose to approach him, or perhaps he was indeed hiding something. Marshall now had him face to face, and he had to think up something quick, something clever. A thought then crept into his young head, giving him a potential direction for the conversation.

"Uh, yes I am. In a way. I'm trying to raise awareness and gain support about the possibility of extra terrestrial attacks. Are you aware that our borders remain in danger, for the threat to the human kind is not just each other, but those of which come from the endless vacuum of space? Aliens, I tell you. Aliens are dangerous and pose an imminent threat to the very fabric of humanity and it's standing in the universe."

Marshall was really trying to lay it on thick. He had no idea if an alien would even feel insulted or provoked by such words.... it could be an extremely advanced race where emotional hang ups have been all but eradicated from their culture. Regardless, speaking so bluntly about aliens in the vicinity of an alien anomaly is bound to, at the very least, react even slightly to his somewhat public display.

Now that the grip had left his shoulder, and the buzzing watch had been turned off, Carter began to calm, still ever-aware of the strange man's movements while keeping solid eye contact with him. It was fairly obvious to Carter that this was man trying to provoke him, or at least get him to somehow confirm his identity. This was due to the fact of how blatantly mad it sounded, yet stranger things had happened before in the world. Straightening himself out and looking up at the older man before him, Carter spoke calmly in response.

"That's an interesting viewpoint, sir, if not slightly depressing. I like to keep an open mind. I'm sure there are aliens out there, as weirder things have appeared in the world," Carter began, pausing as he cast a quick glance to the area around them. The sidewalk was still in function, people walking back and forth as cars cruised along the roads. Carter had tempered his mind years ago through intense meditation and training, there was no way he would fail now by lashing out with his power. His words however, were another thing. Right?

"I am curious, though. If you think these 'aliens' are so dangerous, what makes you think you can stop them?"

Damn..... he's good. Marshall was in a tough spot, his mind racing itself to find some sort of response that wouldn't make him so obviously a super. Perhaps that would be the best approach though.... well... he's in a group that grants him certain immunity. Plus, he was on a mission, and his gut was telling him that this particular gentleman was not what he seemed to be. Giving a soft sigh, he nods and actually musters up a soft blush on his cheeks, as if growing embarrassed about the man's sudden confrontation. Good thing he wasn't really an activist... this must be really hard on them to deal with people like this.

"Heh, you're right. However, you seem like a smart guy, so I'll let you in on a secret." He leans in a bit closer, beginning to whisper so that other street goers couldn't hear what he was going to say. His face was soft and innocent, of a younger gentleman, seeming younger than even Carter perhaps. "You see.... I'm a hero, and I'm undercover, looking for an alien that may have already infiltrated our borders. He has yet to do anything, but I was sent to investigate, like a detective, you see?" The young man seemed to act even younger now, speaking of detectives and acting as if hes a secret agent. One would assume he was just an actual kid, playing make believe. Marshall was the furthest thing from that.

Carter was confused momentarily, noting the tall 'kid' and his reaction, before listening to what else it was he had to say. Leaning in hesitantly to hear the whisper, Carter's face remained stoic throughout it, despite how others might have reacted. It wasn't entirely far-fetched, from Carter's point of view. Those that walked on their way along the street had no idea what was happening, blissfully minding their own business.

Whoever this person was, he clearly had some sort of strength. Carter wasn't sure how much power and momentum had been behind his walk earlier, but it certainly was unusual. Leaning back, Carter remained silent for a moment after all was said and done. He couldn't help but smirk incredulously, scanning the area briefly before taking a step back.

"I don't know what to tell you. I haven't seen any aliens as of late, so I can't really help you, can I? Unless you are insinuating something, of course."

Marshall had grown somewhat concerned, given how confrontational the young man seemed to be coming off as. Perhaps he was reading the situation wrong, however Marshall still felt a bit funny about this particular gentleman. His watch had been switched off, so he was no longer feeling the pulsing from it, however his phone began to ring off in his pocket. The tone was a rather up-beat pop song, something akin to a young teenage girls tastes, although Marshall felt no shame for his taste in music. The young man would raise a finger after being asked about his potential accusation, dismissing himself from the conversation for a moment to answer the phone.

"Hello.... no I'm still in L.A..... well I only just got here. Oh, I see.... well in that case I'm needed back there more so then here. No, it's all right I'm happy to help, really. Thank you, I appreciate that.... cheers, bye."

Marshall would turn back to the gentleman and simply give him a smile. His face was somewhat lit up, the young man trying to hide his excitement from the random pedestrian who was, undoubtedly, confused about what was really going on here. Lucky for Marshall, most street walkers in L.A. were more than odd and allowed him to play off said odd behaviour well.

"I really do appreciate your time mister, however I am being called away for work now. Would you believe this is my hobby? Just remember... keep an eye open for those aliens, they might be everywhere, we'll never know."

Marshall gave the man a polite handshake, a somewhat firm grip before releasing and making his way across and down the street. Soon enough the young gentleman disappeared into the carious turns and dips of the complex streets of L.A.

Carter himself was not concerned for the most part, for he could tell the man before him was very... Professional, despite what had already been discussed between them. Carter was only reacting how he believed any other person might, hampered by a tinge of aggression that was likely to give him away. It was something he struggled to keep under wraps, even with the help of the most extreme disciplines out there. He would be fine, for now.

Marshall stepped away to take a call from his ringing cell , and Carter remained quiet, waiting for the man to finish his chat before resuming their own. It was hard for Carter to describe the man before him, suddenly unsure whether or not he was in fact a government agent, or just another crazy on the streets of Los Angeles. Either way, he was pretty good. The firm grip of his handshake hurt Carter's hand, though he had managed to suppress any outward reactions.

All he could do was stand there, watching as the tall figured disappeared into the crowds. Soon afterwords, in a sudden whip of wind, Carter too was gone.

End of Thread.