A Meeting of Minds

Vigil’s gallery was located in one of the quieter parts of the city. It wasn’t because Eli, the owner of the place, liked to be away from the hustle and bustle, but rather the quieter sections of the city provided a nice sort of cover for his operations. It wasn’t devoid of people so that his place stood out, but there was a lack of prying eyes here who would notice anything out of the ordinary should something out of the ordinary occur. It overlooked the street and from the window on the second story, from his office, Eli could look down and watch people go about their day.

Occasionally, his eyes would flash with his ability and see if there were any metas among them. There rarely were, but it was still fun to check. Sometimes, very rarely, he did find one and that would be useful for later. He would sometimes learn the identity of specific heroes or villains by doing this and that would be later pull for him to use over them.

Today, however, his eyes didn’t flash with his ability as he looked down at the street. Now, he quietly watched with a smile, knowing full well of what to expect. A new client, someone who was searching to start connections, to really dip their hand into the world information, and he couldn’t disagree that he was a good person to come to for just that. He wasn’t sure exactly what kind of info the client would be after or if they even wanted info, perhaps they just wanted connections, but…he had his own plans for tonight, his own sort of agenda and soon she’d be here.

The gallery below him would be a nice and clean place. Several framed photographs of the city, different heroes in their work, and of nature hung on the walls. Price tags were, of course, labeled onto the bottom of the frame for any potential buyers. Working a gallery like this was a good front, after all. If a criminal wanted to pay him for information they would pay a good amount of money for one his photographs as well. The gallery was also worked by several of his own men. Doppler was a security guard who stood by the elevator at the end of the gallery and Polaroid worked at the main counter, welcoming guests and selling photos should anyone wish to actually purchase one.

The info that his new client would have been given would’ve been clear and concise. They were enter, go to the back elevator, and tell the security guard there they had an appointment, then to say the phrase “e4”. Meaningless, probably, at least to anyone else but Eli himself. He had an…interesting mind, something would surely have been known by criminals who did know anything about him. They would say he was…different, but useful. He had his uses, but beyond that no one knew all that much about him other than his strange demeanor. Though, from saying the phrase Doppler would lead them up and rest would be left up to them and Eli.

Three individuals walked into the gallery, each splendidly beautiful. In the lead was the only male in the group, a tall man with bright yellow eyes. His hair wasn’t blond; no, it was vibrantly yellow, the sides shaved and the top gelled in a sweeping style common among young folk. Despite the splendor around him, he was dressed casually, in jeans and a white button shirt with yellow buttons. A black leather jacket covered this, the symbol of a wasp stitched into the right breast. An observant passerby might notice the two large handguns inside said jacket, but if they did, he would only smirk; Lax could not care one iota what others thought about him, and their fear were simply fodder for his power.

”I hate this dress.”

The speaker was from his immediate left, a breathtakingly beautiful woman with ash-colored hair and eyes that glinted gold and the cold iron of a warrior. A soft-looking yellow sundress hugged her body, matched by the flats she wore with them. The common, ‘casual’ clothing was at odds with the tattoos etched into the womans skin. Her bare arms were covered in ink, runic figures telling a great story of a warrior who lost her greatest love and fought the world to get it back. Etched against her skin, they stood out sharply against the milky whiteness of her countenance; they even seemed to glow slightly, as if by some inner light.

The woman opposite her was her complete opposite in form. Tall and slender, and clad in equally brilliant, but crimson, robes, her skin was even paler than her allies; so pale she seemed almost unhealthy. Etched against her skin were red marks; not tattoos, per se, more like brands, curling around her eyes and marking her high cheekbones. Red eyes rolled in frustration as the yellow-eyed beauty plucked at the uncomfortable cloth, as if it itched. Her hair was as red as her robes and rippled slightly, despite there being no wind, like the heart of a great fire.

”Oh, hush, Amalia. You look fantastic.”

The two women bickered back and forth, the bulk of the conversation unimportant but boiled down to the impracticalities of human clothing, but Lax ignored them. He was here for a singular reason. Yellow eyes stared upwards, ever upwards, as if piercing through the glass and concrete to see the person with the kind of reputation that made even Lax impressed. However, all this cloak and dagger stuff? That was Johnathon’s department, not his. He hated it. Why sneak around when you can get the message done face to face? Bah. He’d jump through the hoops, for now. Vigil was an important asset, a vital chess piece in his plans. He had to jump through these hoops.

For now.

”I have a meeting with your boss. E4.”

His voice was cold, so cold, no warmth there at all to these peons. His right hand twitched, where he normally had his weapons, but not today. He felt a bit naked without them. ”Stay here.” This was directed at Amalia and Scarlet, who both mirrored the same curt nod and busied themselves with the artwork. Lax couldn’t imagine it was in any way entertaining, but to teach their own, they were grown ass adults. They could entertain themselves. At that, he was led up to meet the man oft described as different.

Guess he’d see for himself.

He was shown into, and promptly out of, the elevator to the grand loft. In the second he left the elevator, his outfit changed with a snap of fingers. His grandmother had always taught him to never conduct business meetings in your street clothes. A black suit had taken the place of his tee and jacket combo; it was black all the way through, with yellow trim, a bright contrast that made him look quite dangerous, if a bit like a wasp. As he walked, his lips curled into a cruel grin.

”Vigil, I suppose.” He held his hand out, perfectly manicured nails painted a bright gold. ”Pretenses aside, I am Lazarus Parallax. My father was Toshihoki Yoshinori, head of the Yoshinori crime family in Japan before his murder.” A bit of a sardonic hint came to the same cruel smile. ”Some circles call me Abaddon. Lets get this meeting started, shall we?”

The man who had shown the group their way up and through the elevator was, well, somewhat one would expect from a security guard. He was gruff and with a sort of dull look in his eyes. There was certainly muscle to his form and he was not lacking in any strength, though compared to these empowered, maybe not that impressive. Still, he didn’t seem to even bate an eye at any of the group, not the attractive women, not the leader of the trio, he just did his job seeming not to even pay them any mind.

Upstairs, the office would be modern in its design. It was wide and open room. The main room was a wide and open one. The left wall was covered with a bookshelf, entirely filled with books of all different origins and makes, a few folders and binders mixed in with them. To the right of the room there was a staircase that led up the second floor, which had a balcony that one could look down into the main room from. Upstairs there seemed to be three…maybe four doors, all closed off, leading to who knows where. The main area at the center of the room held Eli’s desk, near the window at which he had looked down from, a soft cushioned computer chair. Also in the center area were two long thin couches, met at their edges. It was a cozy and casual office, though certainly one that displayed some wealth at the same time.

Eli, when the group had made their way to the elevator, had moved to the computer desk and was busy working. This was, however, not an attempt to look busy or an attempt to try and hide the fact that he had been looking at them as they entered. He was shameless in those facts and never really had anything to hide. As an info broker secrets were important, but your own secrets were things that others would seek and be used against him. So, he kept those very close to his chest and was open with about everything else.

The computer screens had all been filled with files and info on the recent murder of the Yoshinori, info about the family and their recent dealings, and even a few investigations involving the family. There was certainly leagues of dirt on them and even more secrets than he could keep track of. Well, almost. He’d be a bad info broker if he couldn’t, but it certainly was a lot he had to admit.

When the man approached, Eli’s eyes didn’t flick over to him until he finally reached the desk and extended a hand. With a slow motion, Eli slowly minimized the windows, stood, and met the man’s hand. Eli himself was casually dressed, not seeming to see the need in dressing up for these people, regardless of their status in the world, both above and under the ground. He wore a dark green shirt, simple black pants, and a black coat with a fur lining. With the jacket, one may have noted that the room was particularly cool. His grip wasn’t too firm and he seemed quick to pull away from it, though the motion itself was fluid and calm. His grin was something else, though, at the surface it was pleasant, polite, and maybe even a bit charming, but there was something else there beneath it, though what…it was hard to say.

“Lazarus, yo, welcome.” Eli said, moving away from the desk and over to the other side to join the man. He motioned to the couch area before moving over to it, his movements all very fluid and easy, a casual sway to his step. He let himself fall back into one of the cushions before leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees and looking over the coffee table. At the center of the coffee table there was a chess board with a game already in play. Eli reached over to the board and moved a piece as the others came to join him.

Once the group was seated, if they did in fact take a seat, he smiled that polite and charming grin, his eyes still glowing slightly as he tried to read their abilities, powers, weaknesses, and anything else he could about them. “I wasn’t told all that much about the meeting, so tell me…what can I do for you? Or is there an offer you have for me?"

”You could say that.”

Lax lounged in the chair as if he owned the place, crossing his thick combat boots over his leg. Truth be told, he was on edge; Visage was one of the most dangerous men in New York and could be a hell of a thorn in his side if it came down to it. Lax prided himself on his ability to read people, but he couldn’t get anything off this man; it was like he was a blank slate, or he was too controlled. Both were problems for Lax. Chaos was all well and good when it worked in his favor, but going into this situation blind was courting disaster. While that was typically part and parcel for the Descendant, it didn’t do to tempt fate in this place.

When it came to Eli, his attempt to read Lazarus was successful. He had a laundry list of powers; construct creation, pain and fear inducement and empowerment, and the ability to cast magical spells. A dangerous foe, if that wasn’t evidenced by the lack of mercy and warmth in his yellow eyes. Eyes like a predator, or worse.

”You wouldn’t have heard of me, or my group. We’re not really on the radar yet.” The Pale Flame were known by some as a sort of mercenary organization, but there performance reviews were mixed at best. Just the way Lax liked it. ”But I have plans. Big plans. See,” And he leaned in to fit Eli with the most intense stare, the type of look of a man who has seen the face of God and laughed. ”I serve a power beyond anything you or I could imagine in our mortal minds. And he wants this world to burn. While that isn’t something I’m inclined to, per se, there are a few people and places that deserve eternal fire, I’m sure you agree.”

He paused for a moment, to give him time to answer, before continuing undeterred.

”So here’s my offer; information. You deal in it, it’s power in our line of business. And I get around.” His eyes grew somewhat shadowed as he reflected on some memory. ”I’ve seen worlds where the oceans are molten glass, worlds where the air is poison and land grows blades of darkness.” He seemed to shake himself from the memory and focused that intense stare on Visage yet again. ”Needless to say, I have things you may want to know.” And he paused for dramatic effect.

”And I need information as well, the lifeblood of our work. On anyone who might oppose me. Or, anyone interested in working with me. Taking over the world is a dangerous business, after all, and I can always use help.”

There was nothing more casual about Eli’s demeanor in the moment. He was leaned back into his chair, gently spinning his chair one way, then another, though never fully turning so that their gaze was broken. With casualness, he didn’t convey it with any malcontent or with a sense of disinterest. There was certainly a spark of something in his eyes to show that this man in front of him had his full attention, and the way his gaze never left the man’s showed that…that and something else. That latter bit would be hard to read, appraisal maybe? Similar to how a person may look at a piece of fruit in a market, trying to make sure it was ripe enough.

Of course, Eli it was hard for Eli to not be interested in a man like this. The first few powers came naturally, but as more began to pile on there was some surprise there. He never liked people with too many powers, but they had their uses and a list of powers like this would certainly have their purpose in the long run. The question was how much this man was willing to give, what could actually be pulled from him. But business first, always business first.

Eli folded his hands on the desk front of him, leaning forward, but not too much, as Lax began to speak. There was a slight narrowing of his gaze as the man went on, speaking of greater powers and agendas and all those common things that all villains like this man spoke of. While it didn’t touch his expression, it was honestly quite boring to find another one like this. At least the man had some free will, some stance against what the ‘higher ups’ and didn’t seek the destruction of the world which was…in some ways, disappointing. He did understand that they meant a literal destruction, but…

There would be time to dwell on that later though, and in the meantime there was an offer now on the table. An offer for…information. Information for information. That was…also boring. This man was growing more and more boring by the moment, yet still he carried that casual and cheerful demeanor, smiling with a lazed ease. What he had said still didn’t interest him. Other words and great powers, they were there, and he was here. He didn’t care for other worlds and other powers and other forces in the universe. He cared about what he could do here on Earth and what that would all entail. But, that put him at an advantage.

He had something that his client wanted. He had the bargaining chips and he would certainly use them.

So, slowly, he shook his head with that grin of his. “Mmm…” He hummed in thought, although he didn’t actually need to think about it. That was more of a pause to build that tension. “As amazing as the information sounds, I don’t need any of that, at least not now. Maybe down the line I’ll have a client who does, but right now that is honestly…useless to me. No offense, but…you do have something I do want, and something I would be more than willing to deal with.” He continued, wanting to make a nice sounding counter offer. “I always have too many small jobs that need doing. Not now, but maybe for small favors, any that you are free to decline, I would be willing to part with information that you need, giving you that lifeblood.”