| Douglock's Serenity Data Download |
| Summary: | After Serenity spends the night at Nelson and Murdock, Douglock comes by to give Matt Murdock the info he's collected on her. Serenity learns she is a mutant for the first time and has trouble believing it. |
| Date: | 2016-08-17 |
| Related: | http://marvelreborn.wikidot.com/log:2016-08-16-cyber-gumshoeing |
| NPCs: | None |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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Early in the morning, 8:45 AM, the front door to Nelson and Murdock opens with a click and the slight jangle of keys. Stepping through, Matt Murdock moves quietly through the door, though his cane clicks faintly upon the floor. He tilts his head to the side for a bare moment before he smiles faintly to himself. The young runaway who told him her name was Marie was still there, and luckily she was awake. So knowing that he lifts his voice, "Good morning." He calls out, loud enough to be heard over the morning traffic outside.
Into the room he walks, cane clicking as he goes. He reaches the front desk and the rustle of a paper bag is heard as he reaches into it and begins to unload a carafe of coffee, a few mugs, and a handful of breakfast sandwiches from the corner package store. Once that's done he balls up the bag and tosses it in the garbage beside the desk. "Brought some breakfast if you're hungry."
It's been a very long time since Serenity felt safe enough anywhere to sleep all the way through the night. Unfortunately the noise of traffic made sure she woke up early. When Matt calls out Serenity jumps and her heart races for a moment before she tries to settle down. "Not used to someone providing breakfast for me."
Moving further into the room, he turns his head to face where she is, but he pointedly does not step into the room she had slept in, giving her her 'space'. He lifts his head slightly, his 'gaze' somewhere over her shoulder and to the side. "I'd offer to make something, but I'm a lousy cook."
At that he smiles openly, and moves over with a few clicks to the chair opposite the desk, sitting down in it carefully and placing his cane over his lap. He reaches out with one hand, seeking the carafe he set out and the begins to pour some into one of the mugs, using the tip of his finger to gauge the level. "Someone was going to stop by who might be able to help us, in a bit. Hopefully we'll find you a place where you can relax."
Serenity brings her guitar case with her when she comes out to look at the breakfast. "Thanks for letting me sleep here last night, but I am beginning to think it might have been a mistake to call you, Mr. Murdock." She picks up a breakfast sandwich, not caring what kind, and begins to eat it.
Doug walks up to the door of Nelson and Murdock having driven back down from Westchester County again after Matt's call earlier in the day. This morning he has chosen to appear to be wearing a suit - black with subtle yellow highlights at the collar and pockets of the coat.
He politely knocks on the door.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Marie." Matt Murdock pushes the mug towards her if she likes, then takes the carafe as he feels for the other mug. He claims it and then tilts the carafe to its side and fills it slowly, waiting for the level to touch his fingertip. Once that's done he starts to unwrap one of the breakfast sandwiches, even as he settles into the chair. "If you do choose to leave without accepting help, then I do hope you'll be able to accept help from someone soon."
As he says that he tilts his head to the side as the door is knocked upon, though chances are he heard him a touch earlier. "One moment." He starts to rise and heads to the door to open it.
Serenity jumps at the sound of the knock. "It's not that I don't appreciate your kindness, I just… I don't think I can talk about myself."
When Matt opens the door Doug steps into the office. ":Good morning, Mr. Murdock,:" he says to the lawyer and then he nods to Serenity and greets her as well, ":Miss.:"
He seems to be standing just off from the door to allow Matt to close the door but he is also reaching out to see if there are wireless signals specific to the office to be ready to connect to them to use the printer he expects to find here.
Serenity backs off when Doug enters the office and you don't even have to have enhanced senses to see her anxiety level skyrocket. Luckily she's eating which prevents her immediate desire to bolt.
A hand is lifted before Douglock can fully enter the room, Matt stands there with himself interposed between Serenity and this fellow who supposedly seeks to aid her. "Hello, it is good to meet face to face." The tall man in the glasses adjusts the hang of his tie as he stands there. "You told me you were inclined to aid this young woman, Marie, I believe you said." Yes, this is the one, the source of that curious scent, the observation. The familiar yet alien rather clearly… abnormal. It does set him a touch on edge, yet he has known the curious in the past.
And if he is there to aid Serenity, then his presence is a good thing. If he is not, then he (perhaps mistakenly) feels he can also protect her if needs be.
":Yes, Mr. Murdock, that is correct,:" Doug replies to the implied question. Then, not entirely clued in on her discomfort, he turns his gaze to Serenity and says, ":I wish to apologize, I was looking in on you to be certain you were still okay when you called Nelson and Murdock. So I took the initiative to provide you both some assistance,:" to her in his odd, quasi-synthetic voice.
Serenity's heart is beating frantically now as she silently backs away until she bumps up against the wall. Whatever she might have been going to say to Matt is not firmly locked up again by the presence of the Doug. She may not be a lawyer but she knows there's no privilege if someone else is there.
Holding one hand out towards Serenity, as if to stay her flight, Matt continues to speak to Douglock levelly. "Please tell me who you represent, and how you would aid my client, please." He rests his cane down upon the floor with a faint click, resting his hands upon the grip of it calmly as he offers a small smile. "I felt it best to hear your point of view on this matter, so I can present all her options before her and then let her decide."
Doug turns back to look at Matt as he addresses his questions. ":I am with Xavier's Institute in Westchester County. While the school could offer 'Marie' a number of benefits, I am here to provide you information she told you yesterday she was unsure of… possibly more if she would rather me provide you information for her.:" He pauses and gives Serenity a sympathetic look, as he imagines he can understand some small amount of what she is feeling. ":The institute could provide her a residence, the opportunity to complete her education from where she left off - we're a fully accredited college but can provide grade school education as well, I myself am a graduate. There are other opportunities available if she wanted to explore them.:"
Serenity stares at Doug when she realizes he is saying he's going to give Matt information about her. Her fear is so strong now that it is actually a scent in the air. Slowly her hands go to her ears and she shrinks down against the wall. Whatever she's hearing neither of them can hear it.
Turning towards her, Matt frowns. This man is speaking the truth, and the lawyer has some inkling as to why two such unique individuals might have some things in common. He holds his hand towards Douglock and says quietly, "Please, wait outside for a moment if you would. I need to speak with my client." He steps forwards and opens the door for the man, holding it for him to make his departure. And if he so does, he'll close it behind him.
Once they're once again alone, Matt turns back to Serenity and closes the distance, this time not using the cane. In fact he sets it down on the desk as he walks back towards her rather smoothly. He kneels before her, pulling his glasses from his eyes and 'looks' directly at her as he says quietly. "Marie. I think I may have an idea why you're worried and why you're upset. I was going to tell you I feel this man is not lying nor trying to trick nor trap you. But for you to trust my word, I am going to have to tell you something else."
He perhaps waits a moment for her to give some sign of acknowledgement before he continues. "I am a person who was gifted with abilities that most people do not have. As a child I lost my sight, but because of an accident, or something to do with my genetic background, or a combination of both I was able to compensate for that loss of sight. I can hear really well, can smell really well, even feel the bumps on a piece of paper and read it. One benefit of those things… is I can tell when someone is lying. And this fellow… I don't believe he's lying."
":She's eighteen,:" is all Doug says, speaking very softly, as the blind man shows him out the door.
Once outside he wirelessly connects with the office printer, deeper in the office than the room Matt and Serenity occupy. After confirming it has nearly a full ream of paper in it he begins to print documents to it.
A summary document first along with a birth certificate, then records from a school, about a home in Brooklyn, and other documents.
Serenity keeps her hands pressed over her ears as Matt approaches her. Unfortunately she does not seem to hear a word he says. Her shoulders begin to shake. Yep. She definitely is hearing something that Matt can't hear which means it is no doubt entirely in her head.
Gaining his feet in front of Serenity, Matt frowns and looks over towards the door. "Something is wrong," He says loud enough for the other man to hear. He steps away and reclaims his cane, placing the glasses on his brow. He moves side towards the phone and picks it up, most likely getting ready to dial an emergency number.
Doug comes back into the office, taking the comment as an invitation, as he makes sure that two copies of each document are printed - one normal and one in brail format for Matt.
":I've seen this in some of the CCTV footage I've viewed,:" he says, ":I'm not sure what is going on but she'll come out of it if we give her some time. She has plenty of options as you'll see when you review the information I gathered for you.:"
Serenity shakes her head back and forth and begins to cry as she tries to blot our the memory. Finally though the trauma releases her and Serenity's gaze snaps up. She whispers, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a problem."
Daredevil turns his head back towards Serenity and says quietly, "Marie, I recommend you listen to this gentleman." He rests his cane back upon the floor with a faint click, turning his head towards Douglock and then shifts his attention back in the direction of the young woman. "Do not be afraid, I will protect you if needs be."
":To be honest, I may have gotten a bit too enthusiastic in my investigation, Miss,:" Doug says addressing Serenity now instead of Matt.
("A bit! You practically documented her whole life, boss,") urRamsey says to his primary in their shared mentalspace. Doug does not answer his fork but he nods outwardly at the comment before continuing to speak.
":How much would you like me to share? Its not to late with the print outs, I can destroy them better than any shredder Mr. Murdock has in there,:" he nods towards the office where the sound of the printer continues.
Addressing Matt he says, ":You have more paper in there, right? The printer will be running out before the jobs finish printing.:"
Serenity frowns, "That stuff is about me? How? Why? Are you from that school those women were talking about?"
Moving across the room, Matt turns towards Douglock for a moment, surprised at this ability. But he stops at the door, opening it with the turn of the knob and stepping back. He hms quietly, then addresses the other man. "We should have another box of it in there…" But then he gets a small smile, "I'll be sure to include it in your bill."
Doug addresses both of their questions and comments, not quite in order. ":Yes it is,:" he says to her. ":Of course, just send the bill to Xavier's, Mr. Murdock.:" Then, ":I am with Xavier's. I'm an alumni from when it was called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngers rather than Xavier's Institute actually.:"
Why? Well, that's a great question. To answer he it says, ":You needed help and that is something my friends and I do. We help those in need.:"
Inwardly, he emulates a portable cerebro. This changes the uniform homogenous nature of his body in a way that Daredevil is likely to notice but the techno-organic man doesn't know this. With it he scans both of the people in the room wit him… One mutant signature detected: Serenity.
":How? The same way I am printing out the information on you. I have a way with computers.:"
Serenity looks a bit overwhelmed. "I haven't made up my mind about going to that school. I don't know what to do about anything anymore."
"Marie…" The lawyer steps back into the room, taking a seat upon the edge of the desk before her and letting the lenses of his glasses mirror her reflection back to her. "I do feel this person has positive intentions for you. It is definitely a better option than your parents, or foster parents, or to be begging on the street. I would advice you to take it and at least give it a chance. I will check on you in one week's time and if it is not to your liking then I will see about getting you clear of it."
Doug decides to stop the 'Miss' and 'Marie' things at this point, because saying her name might make this have more believability. ":Serenity, you are under no obligation to attend or even visit Xavier's Institute. It is just an option.:" He then adds the fact he shared with Matt earlier, ":I hope you'll be happy to hear that you are eighteen now.:"
Serenity's eyes go wide at the sound of her name. She hasn't been called Serenity for years. "Does that mean no one can force me to do anything I don't want? They can't force me to go back into the system?"
":I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that's what it means,:" Doug says, keeping himself from adding 'that is what it would mean in my world' at the end of his simple statement.
Daredevil gives a nod as he rests his cane upon the floor lightly, "That is correct, Serenity. You now have control over your own destiny."
Serenity wraps her arms around her legs and nods. "I just don't know if it's the place for me. I know Xavier's is a school for mutants and I'm not one. I'm just normal with an ability to sing."
Having just scanned the room Doug raises his hand with his index finger extended…
Anticipating his primary's next words, urRamsey says, ("If she's sure she's not a mutant now might not be the best time to tell her that, sir.") but Doug does not reply.
… and then lowers it, not saying what he intended. Instead he says, ":It is quite the talent also, Serenity,:" and asks, ":Can you 'just' sing then?:"
Matt Murdock leaves the conversation to them for now, his attention mainly upon Serenity. Though if she looks over at him she'll see he's offering her a somewhat sad but supportive smile, as if trying to conjure up the best well-wishes possible so she will not be so afraid amongst people who only wish well for her.
Serenity rubs her ears for a moment, "What do you mean can I just sing? I sing and I play the guitar. I make enough money to survive that way so I guess people like it." She looks at Matt, "You've heard me sing. Do you think it's okay? I know some people didn't that night."
Deciding to drop the M bomb on her, Doug does what he can to soften the blow. ":Before I became like I am now… before I was a student at Xavier's even… - and no, the two aren't directly linked - I was just a kid who was good with computers and languages, Serenity. Not all mutants are flashy powers and bulging muscles.:" He pauses a moment and says, ":You register as a mutant to a device I can emulate which was developed at the school. And before you try to compare it to those EMF meters created by the Ghost Hunters on television, this is a real device.:"
Folding his arms over his chest, Matt Murdock looks towards her and lifts his chin. "You do sing well, Serenity." He takes a deep breath and murmurs, "But I believe this man is speaking the truth, as far as he knows it." He stands up from the edge of the desk to take up a place near the printer, gathering some of the printed papers and starting to peruse them with the sweep of sensitive fingertips.
Serenity looks back and forth between Matt and Doug. It might be a little too much to process. "I can't be." She scrubs at her face for a moment, "I'm legal. I don't have to go back to school. I can say who I am without getting sent back."
":That's right. Although, I think you'll find that having a degree, or at least a GED will be helpful, Serenity,:" Doug says to her. Then, to Matt, he says, ":I included my personal number and contact numbers for Xavier's at the bottom of the summary page." He turns to the door and says, ":Give her my number please, if either of you need me or the Institute don't hesitate to call.:" and then he departs the office to remove his potentially disturbing presence from the picture for the girl.
Once Douglock departs, Matt Murdock turns his attention back upon Serenity and says quietly, "I understand you might be reeling, Serenity. It is quite a lot to take in. But with your being of legal age, and with your information now available to us, the world has opened up for you. You have many options available."
He steps back into the room, carrying the information that Douglock was so kind to give them as he murmurs lightly. "You could get help in getting a job and a place to live and pursue your GED or a degree. Or you could consider his offer."
Serenity looks at him for a long moment, "So you can tell when someone is lying? I must sound like that all the time."
Daredevil says, "Oh you heard what I said?" The man sets down the pile of papers but then gives her a nod. "Yes, I can tell the change in their heart rate, it helps."
Serenity closes her eyes for a moment and focuses. She repeats back what Matt told her word for word, in his voice. In fact so accurately his voice that even his enhanced senses cannot detect that it's not his really voice.
The tall man gets a small smile and gives her a nod, "It seems that you may well be a mutant, then, Serenity." He takes a breath and then reaches a hand over for the pile of information. He lifts up a part of it, brushing his fingertips over the surface and then in turn hands it towards her. "I believe our friend was on the up and up. I think you should consider this." He extends the paper to her and there is the information for Xavier's.
Serenity pulls the card Rogue gave her out of her pocket. "Lots of people can do voices. That doesn't make me a mutant does it? I can't be."
Spreading his hands a bit, Matt tells her, "I'm afraid it may be so. He was not lying when he said that he had a device to tell him so. But ultimately it is your decision."
Serenity gives it some thought then leaves the number of the cellphone Peter Parker gave her with Matt before going out to wander the city in thought.