The Framework

The Lower East Side of New York City could be considered the quiet part of the city. It wasn’t the cleanest part of the city, and it wasn’t the safest either. It certainly was not the part of town some of the more ‘refined’ people of the city would want to find themselves in the heights of the night. It was in such a part of the city that it would be surprising to find those small spots that could actually be considered nice, a pleasant place to relax. It almost seem as though it was worth the trip out to this part of the city.

Still, few would find themselves here on purpose, and it was for that reason that Eli had made this his base of operations.

Vigil’s gallery was in the quiet part of the city, but in one of those surprisingly pleasant places. It overlooked a nice little nook of a park that was cradled between two surprisingly well-kept buildings. The people on the street looked nice enough, younger students who found less expensive lodgings to make their commute from…well…less expensive being relative to the city.  The others who lived here were nice enough, quiet and tolerant people, they had to be given the college students and the antics they could get into.

In other words, it was a good cover. Not only was the photo gallery a good enough cover, a guise for the true business to function under, but also the quaint and quiet neighborhood where the only real crimes that occurred were noise complaints and the occasional drunken fight. If he put himself in a nicer part of town, he’d stick out, anyone who was poking their nose around would notice that there was something more to his operations. For the opposite, if he made it in a shady part of the city, well…he’d always be under suspicion and be the target of the other criminals here. No, this was the best place for him, somewhere nice, but not too nice.

Being a photographer, he knew that looks could be deceiving and he was one to capitalize on that ideal.  It was something he always kept in mind, and it was that idea that was running through his head now. Looks were deceiving, even when you could understand and read someone on a more personal level, there was always something more to them.

It was rare for Eli to invite anyone over to his gallery, usually people came on their own accord. People wanted to know something and he provided them with the means while they provided him with something he needed. In the rare case like the one he was in now, he needed something. He needed to make the first step and try to cut a deal, he needed to reach out and convince someone to give him a favor, and he needed to be so cunning with it all that it wasn’t obvious that he would be at the disadvantage. Needing something always put you in that place.

He gleamed what he could from all the info he could gather on the man he had invited over, trying to discern whatever it was that could give him an edge. But, as he knew all too well, those first looks were deceiving and there was nothing truly that could be known about this man from simple files. It wasn’t that there was nothing, but…he wouldn’t act on that information, not outright. No, no…he would play this with a subtle cunning.

That would all be soon enough however, soon enough…

When Dr. Reginald arrived, he would find a gallery, a rather unassuming one, but one that could overly be identified as “quaint”. It was nice, clean, and there was certainly a quality to the framed pictures they put on display for the public to view. You always put some of your best out to pull people in after all. That was the lure. Should the building be entered, Reginald would find a large and wide room, several displays with more skillfully taken photographs of both people and nature shots. Right at the front of the entrance there would be a desk, a small petite woman idly scrolling through a computer, although she looked quite content in the peace and quiet. At the center of the room there would be an elevator, where, standing in front of it, stood a man in a guard uniform.

It appeared to be a quiet day in the gallery, not a single customer had been there. Should Reginald have entered, the desk clerk would nod her head, smiling at him and then motion towards the elevator, where the guard would already have the elevator’s door opened. Another guard, perhaps unnoticed who had been right next to the entrance, just out of sight, would move and turn the gallery’s open sign to closed.

The empty gallery would not be receiving any other guests today.

Doctor Cornelius Reginald was a very busy man. Not only was he a scientist, both a geneticist but also a psychologist. He understood the human mind and body better than perhaps anyone else on the planet. That amount of knowledge, and the boast, took careful study, practice, and patience. As well as patients. When he wasn’t busy unlocking and mastering the secrets of humanity he was expanding upon them. Gifting those who had the means of paying for the gifts he gave, whether that be through monetary channels or favors. Never IOU’s. In his line of work you could not trust someone to come when called or give up something at a later date; whether they considered themselves ‘good’ or ‘evil’. They could not be trusted to hold up their end when he came calling. That and he might be too busy and forget that they owed him, even if he left himself a reminder.

A reminder, quite like the alarm currently going off on his cellular device. He had been so engrossed in his current study of the DNA samples he retrieved from a rather curious individual. They could heal themselves from practically every injury or disease known to man, except a peanut allergy they had before their power manifested. It fascinated him, and when he learned of the man’s passing knew he had to get his hands on their genetic makeup. To see if he could understand better how their power worked, if the Peanut allergy was so ingrained in their genetic make up that the healing couldn’t counteract it, or if there had been some other factor.  All his current tests had come back inconclusive and he was loath to stop his current line of research but of course he had a prior engagement. One he could not simply ignore. It would not look good for his reputation.

So, he set aside his current progress and moved himself away from the work desk. Cleaning his hands with soap and water before moving to remove his lab coat, safety goggles, and dress in a more presentable fashion. A suit and tie, with his favorite fur coat to help keep his ‘old bones’ warm on the drive over to his appointment. The invitation had been rather lacking in details of what he should expect upon arrival, but Dr. Reginald was a curious man. A late night invitation to a gallery, but one in which he would not be there to view any of the art? Instead he’d be meeting with the man behind the scenes. A young ‘businessman’ by the name of Eli Vigil. A collector of information. Information that a lot of people would be very happy to get their hands upon, and he wanted to meet with the good doctor?

Well, he certainly couldn’t say no to that. The Doctor understood the importance of information. Which is why he arrived at the designated area promptly on time. Just as the invitation informed the clerk at the desk greeted him with a polite nod, indicating the elevator in the center of the room. An elevator that was guarded by a single guard, though not the only one as he spotted the second one by the entrance when he walked past. The inside of the galley was empty, a quaint little place with passable artwork and pictures. Dr. Reginald wasn’t one for the high society prim and proper. He enjoyed the finer things due to his money to be sure, but art had never been his focus or passion. That was the human body, specifically the genome and the mind.

However he did give the artwork a passing look as he made his way to the elevator, nodding in thanks at the guard before stepping inside. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he met with the owner of the establishment but it was always best to be prepared. Upon hearing the elevator come to a stop his genetic makeup changed. He gave himself the gift of invulnerability. His outsides and insides would be immune to all harm that might come to him in the next minute. He’d still be susceptible to poisons or diseases, and even mental probing but there was only so much one could do and account for. At least that is what he told himself as he stepped off the elevator and out to meet the young Mr. Vigil.

From the window above, Eli had seen the man enter. He had also thought that his window had been rather convenient here, it was hard to peer into from below, but from the place at his desk, he could see it all. All who entered, all who walked by, and all who tried to look back at him. From the first moment of the Doctor’s approach Eli had been reading him, not just powers, but trying to read a bit more off the man, whatever he could tell. Every subtle breath and every casted glance, the way the man walked and carried himself, what he had been wearing and most importantly what kind of look was in his eyes. Eli would try to read it all, trying to gather every bit of information he could from him before the man even entered.

Working in this industry, Eli had quickly learned that everything you could learn about someone was useful.

He had no doubt that the doctor would come prepared, every Meta-Powered person did. They had an ability at the ready or readied themselves for a game of mental chess as they tried to get more from Eli than they gave. That was always how it went, that was business as usual. What was fun about this case was the fact that Eli had invited the good Doctor over, a rare occasion, and one that presented a whole new variety of defenses and preparations. He wondered what kind of game the Doctor would play with him, what of person he would present himself as.

As the Doctor stepped out of the elevator, he would find himself in a wide, open room. To the right and left of the elevator there was a door against each wall, which lead to…, who knew where? The left wall had shelves built into it and they were lined with books. On the right wall, there was a hanging staircase that lead up to a hallway, which overlooked the main room. The center of the room held two couches with a table set in their center and then across from that against the far, windowed wall was Eli’s desk. The desk was neat, though a few notebooks laid closed, and the computer monitors that rested there were pointed away from the elevator, preventing any curious eyes from seeing what was there. There were a few potted plants here and there, and then some framed photographs of landscapes across the wall. Overall, it looked nice, almost refined if not for the presence of Eli who almost seemed too casual for it all.

Eli, upon seeing the Doctor enter, stood and gave him a polite, smiling in a lax nature. He waved him over, motion to a seat on the other side of the desk. “Doctor Cornelius Reginald, welcome! Thank you for accepting my invitation.” It was hard to read the tone of voice he spoke in, it was casual, nice enough, not at all forceful, but something else was there.

If the Doctor made his way forward he would potentially feel the eyes of another on him. Descending the stairs, a young girl, maybe late teens or early twenties, would approach the doctor, giving him a wide grin. She extended a hand towards him and spoke in a cheerful tone, “May I take your coat, sir?” She asked, almost sounding too polite for the way her grin stretched across her face. Of course, if declined, she would go back up the stairs and then longue on the railing, along with another two that leaned against it. One of these two would be a bald man with glasses, looking almost timid in stature, though at least trying to hold himself high. The other was a strange sight, woman by the shape of her body, but face covered by a mask, no sign of her face of display.

After a short moment, Eli would speak once more, “So, Doctor, are you ready to begin? Any questions before we start?”