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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 2:21:10 GMT -5
It's been about four hours since they picked up that vigilante, but given the circumstances that works out to be pretty quick compared to the speed it could have gone. It's starting to get late in the evening when Agent Stevens finally finishes going over the information collected on the woman they caught, and the verifications of verifications that it's all accurate and that as far as they can tell the woman is who she said she is, as unbelievable as it seems. Even though that woman disappeared 60 years ago and doesn't look any older. And there's the woman's record as a vigilante to consider.
But finally she finishes reviewing the documents, pages the holding facility to move the woman from her cell to an interrogation room, gathers a small portion of the papers that she wants to bring into a folder, collects Phoebe, and heads to the interrogation room herself. The only door in or out is flanked by guards holding rifles, and inside there's only a large table with a folding chair on either side, and the wall opposite the door holds a one way mirror so that the recording equipment can remain hidden from view.
Zinda Blake is already in there when they arrive, alone. As always, Agent Stevens ordered the guards to allow anyone she interrogates to be unhandcuffed. Phoebe isn't about to let anyone hurt her, and Agent Stevens is one who would rather have the person not feel so confined. On the other hand, she well remembers the fight that the woman put up, so just before they go in she reminds Phoebe, "Keep an eye on this one."
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Last Edit: Nov 9, 2011 4:52:42 GMT -5 by zinda
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Post by zinda on Nov 9, 2011 3:33:14 GMT -5
Being photographed, fingerprinted, being given a number and sitting for the last few hours on the wrong side of iron bars didn't thrill her but the fight was out of Zinda Blake for now. She had too much to think about. She had not killed anyone since the end of World War II so they had no serious charges they could nail her with as far as she knew. She was positive she wouldn't be locked away for long. It was a humbling experience however and though she felt a huge weight on her shoulders internally, outwardly she was calm, cool and collected as she sat dressed in orange. A cocky smile on her lips while Agent Stevens and her pint sized partner waltzed into the interrogation room.
Her eyes looked upon the folder of documents Stevens held under her arm, turned back to Force for a moment then leaned back in her chair, eagerly anticipating questions she had no intention of answering no matter how many times Stevens would repeat them. Inwardly she was sweating bullets but her emo display earlier had been the last time she'd let them see her sweat. She'd been through too much to get shook again.
"Let's just get this over with, little missy. You know yo aren't going to get anything else out of me other than what I have already told you. I only agreed to leave my cell for this to find out why you are dogging me. You have me locked up just like you wanted, what are you after here?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 14:32:27 GMT -5
Agent Stevens is nothing but serious as she enters the room and takes the chair across from Zinda. But since the last time they saw each other, the woman has lost her anger and aggression. Partly because she knows that, to put it mildly, she's firmly in charge of this situation. Though another part is that she actually knows who she's talking to now.
Phoebe, on the other hand, is in a very quiet mood. She's only met two actual vigilantes before and is coming to realize that she doesn't enjoy catching them. Mostly because they don't think like bad guys. Partly because she's worried that they are, in fact, good guys just like the Question said - not that her interactions with him helped clarify anything much in the end. But she comforts herself by telling herself that all she needs to do here is let Agent Stevens know if this vigilante lies, report any important-seeming thoughts she has, and make sure she doesn't hurt anyone. Then she doesn't have to worry about this anymore. She finds a spot behind Agent Stevens where she can lean against the wall since the chairs are taken and says nothing.
Agent Stevens doesn't directly respond to Zinda's question, but comments, "I've been over your case and discovered a few things you need to know, but first I have a few questions." As she talks she flips open the folder on the table in front of her and starts sorting through the contents a little. "Can you explain why you disappeared 60 years ago and the fact that you're rather young for your age now?" she asks, only looking up from the paperwork when she's asked the question. Said paperwork is an interesting mix of official-looking government documents - some appear to be copies of documents created around the time that Zinda disappeared, while others are more recent.
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Post by zinda on Nov 9, 2011 15:00:59 GMT -5
You've got Einstein jr. over in the corner, why don't you ask her since you have been making her do your dirty work the whole time from start until now." Zinda shook her head, glance alternating between the two until she finally stood, be it reluctantly and with a mighty shove from the sole of her right shoe, send the chair sliding across the floor until it come to a stop in front of Phoebe. She could sit if she wanted, Zinda didn't really give a hoot.
"No wait, you want answers? It's the oil of olay. Seriously, the drug you people call wrinkle cream is a miracle cure able to take the wrinkles off anyone or the bark off a giant redwood." She smirked again, wondering what part of I'm not giving you any answers Stevens was incapable of answering. "You think if I honestly knew the answer to that question I wouldn't have reversed it as opposed to staying another second longer in this cesspool you people call the new millennium? Nothing makes sense here, I'd be on the first train out quicker than you can blink. It was just some freak of nature. One minute I was huddled with my teammates the other I was in a place i didn't recognize after a blinding flash lately. Why don't you find someone to explain it to me then we'll both know. It had to be a time distortion of some sort." She gave in to the question just to shut the woman up. "4 hours ago you were all too eager to lock me in a cage and now you act as if you're my last hope of salvation I'm not sure I know what the hell is going on but I'm positive something stinks. As far as I know I was probably discharged after disappearing. You know more than I do." She asked, firmly pounding her fist upon the table and glaring at the woman. "Why don't you try telling the truth for a change?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 15:57:54 GMT -5
Not really caring whether she's sitting or standing, Phoebe ignores the shoved chair and remains against the wall - only paying attention to Zinda's thoughts and not really anything else. Agent Stevens likewise ignores Zinda's movements for the most part; she does have an understanding that the people taken into custody have something to be upset over, so as far as she's concerned Zinda is free to rant and rave all she wants as long as her actions remain peaceable. After all, people have a tendency to say a lot when they rant, and Zinda is no exception.
But when Zinda starts talking about time distortions, Agent Stevens glances back at Phoebe even though she knows that the girl would speak up immediately if it wasn't true - it's just that unbelievable. But Phoebe simply nods to indicate that it is, and Agent Stevens knows that she can trust the girl since Phoebe's ability to detect lies is nearly flawless. And another reason she trusts Phoebe so much she says when Zinda ends with a question. "For the record, I don't lie. Force would refuse to work with me if I did," she says wearily as she shifts the papers around again, "And you have yourself in a bit of a situation here. But that brings me to my other question: why is it that when you found yourself in this 'cesspool' you decided to become a vigilante instead of something more... legitimate?"
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Post by zinda on Nov 9, 2011 23:56:37 GMT -5
"Tactical decision. To help try and clean it up in my own way, naturally. I wasn't exactly loaded with options I don't work for the government anymore remember?" She frowned, hands on her hips as she now started pacing the floor. Her eyes turned yet again toward the child before turning back toward Stevens. Zinda still couldn't figure the little one out. Someone like her should be in school not chasing people trying to tap into their minds. Yeah Zinda saw her as a freak, like she saw everyone else that had weird powers in this day and age.
Back in the 40's she had been acquainted with the original mystery men, the Justice Society of America. She was never a member, the Blackhawks were her first love though she had met them. Nothing or noone from that era could have prepared her for the costume wearing types of this generation. Up up and away?: Sometimes she wanted to stop and ask herself what kind of drugs Superman was on.
"My reasons for doing what I do will remain mine, Trying to help and being a fighter is in my blood so I took the first route available to me. Right or wrong, the reasons will remain confidential." Zinda whispered, her tone of voice seeming to indicate she wasn't so sure anymore she had made the right decision in siding with the vigilantes. Alot had gone through her mind in the last four hours. "I assume since you said that was your last question that we're done here? I'll be heading back to my cell now but do let me know when bail is set, thanks a bunch." She scowled and waxed sarcastically.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2011 0:32:21 GMT -5
"No," Agent Stevens says quite calmly to Zinda's last question, "Like I said, questions first, and now I need to tell you what I discovered while I was pulling your records." She pauses for a moment to verify that she has Zinda's attention before she says, "When you disappeared, you were simply listed as 'missing'. You were never officially discharged. Given that, the present situation between the vigilantes of this city and the government, and the fact that you've been helping them..." She pauses there for a moment to let all of that sink in before she adds, "We have enough evidence to try you for treason."
She looks directly at Zinda now, her expression empty of pity, but also empty of any sort of malice: she's simply stating the facts. Phoebe is now looking at the floor with her brows furrowed in thought, though she says nothing and doesn't so much as move a muscle.
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Post by zinda on Nov 10, 2011 1:12:16 GMT -5
Her blond hair waved as Zinda turned on her heels, strode toward the door and came within inches of pounding on it to request to be taken back to her cell. She dismissed alot of what Stevens uttered, listening but giving no response until the ultimate bomb was dropped upon her. The dreaded T word.
Sonofabitch She grunted under her breath as the seriousness of the whole situation finally dawned on her and it felt like she had just been hit in the stomach with a cannonball. The expression of calm faded and she turned to face both agents once more, scowling yes but with a face that became pale as she weighed the words she'd just heard.
Silence thicker than fog, so thick a knife couldn't cut it fell in the interrogation room for several moments. She was still in the military. You'd think they'd have the common sense to write her off and count her for dead after 60 years, give her an honorable discharge and all that. She was a Blackhawk and had been before the Air Force became it's own branch of the armed forces in 1947. Then she had the rank of Captain and would hold that rank until a few months before she disappeared, finally being promoted to major.
And Major Zinda Blake aka Lady Blackhawk most definitely did not see this coming. She was numb while snagging the chair she'd kicked away and brought it back to the table before squatting. She knew full well what it all meant and where it would all no doubt lead. Treason - trial - court martial = one dead Blackhawk.
"How much time do I have before the trial or am I going straight to a firing squad?" She asked in a more solemn tone than any she'd used since her capture.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2011 2:18:52 GMT -5
Knowing what a heavy statement that was, Agent Stevens is silent and merely waits for Zinda to absorb all of that. She certainly hasn't the slightest clue how she'd take it if that happened to her. Then again, given her absolute loyalty to the government she wouldn't figure on ever getting into that situation in the first place even if she did get pulled through time. When Zinda finally breaks the silence by taking her chair back and asking that question, Agent Stevens replies, "That depends, perhaps never."
Knowing that she's finally got Zinda's full attention, she continues, "If you've been hanging out with vigilantes, I'm sure that they've been telling you that we're all absolute monsters over here. But as proof that we're not: the reason why you had to wait so long for this meeting is because I've been checking around for another answer for you, in the event that the circumstances of your disappearance put you into a position where you couldn't be expected to understand the full significance of your actions now. Things have changed in the last 60 years, and you weren't around to see it. It isn't exactly fair for you to be so severely punished for picking a side in a fight when you didn't have all the information you need to make that choice."
She pauses there for a moment while she retrieves a particular document among the various paperwork. "As I'm sure you can imagine given the time gap and all the restructuring since, it was difficult for me to track down exactly who your current superior is, but after discussing the situation with him I have new orders for you here," she says putting the paperwork in front of Zinda to look at or not as she will. "To summarize the official-ese, are being reassigned under the PROTECT Act to work with the FBI under the orders of Agent Tiff, who is heading this little operation in Gotham. Agent Tiff, in turn, is willing to not press charges against you - if you cooperate with the FBI's investigation by telling us everything you know, and are willing to commit your skills, resources, etc. to our assistance. On the other hand, if you refuse to follow these orders either now or in the future, then we can start talking about setting up a trial date," she explains, before adding, "Any questions?" Because she's pretty sure that Zinda will have some.
Despite all of this important information flying around, Phoebe still hasn't moved much. She had, after all, eavesdropped on her guardian's thoughts the whole time she was investigating this so none of it's a surprise to her. Even if she isn't sure that she understands all of this exactly. She does, however, relax just slightly as Agent Stevens starts to talk and looks over at Zinda when Agent Stevens asks for questions.
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Post by zinda on Nov 10, 2011 4:28:17 GMT -5
One of Zinda's eyebrows slowly raised when this Agent Stevens mentioned the possibility of not having to take further action against her outside this room The truth when you get down to brass tacks, the cut and dry truth is that Zinda still maintains her innocence. Innocence by ignorance. Sure it doesn't excuse her for coming down on the wrong side but when she first arrived in this time from the past she had no idea the government was cracking down on the vigilantes yet as well as the heroes. All she knew was that the vigilantes were out on the streets night and day, mostly night, trying to catch criminals the same as they were. She was clueless at first that the government saw them in the same light as the villains they tried to catch. Zinda was in fact, as Stevens so bluntly put it, severely misinformed.
She meant what she said earlier and still does, she loves this country as much as anyone can but even an old war horse can learn something new. Things were becoming clearer to her in a new light the more she thought about the differences between the FBI and the costume wearing types of this city the more she begin to change her way of thinking. Zinda was hellbent on playing the game the same ways she always had, a gun toting, limousine riding, jet flying, copter piloting fighter she'd always been with the skills to handle herself in hand to hand combat a well, only now she was ready to start playing for the home team again.
She was a simple country girl from San Antonio, Texas and she still had her pride. She wasn't about to apologize for the mistakes she'd made but as she looked at the files Stevens had given her to glance at regarding her new superior officer and her new assignment she nodded a few times and looked up with a cocky arrogant smirk on her lips once again.
"Like you said 60 years is a long time. Lots of things have changed. With the government and the world at large. Believe what you will but I only last week found out about the country's space program. Imagine my surprise when I heard man had been on the moon? There's alot of things I don't know, all the progression in government police in the last several decades for one. I'm a fighter, a pilot and a soldier but I don't know alot about the current rules and regulations. I assume I'm going to require training or will it be on the job training? I can change the side I am on but I can't change who or what I am. You have my full cooperation though. What other life altering changes are you going to expect me to make?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2011 21:11:25 GMT -5
Nodding easily to those questions, Agent Stevens says, "Well, with the city on lock-down our ability to provide you with extra training is limited, but with the level of experience you already have you shouldn't have any trouble learning it on the job. You'll be partnered with one of our more experienced agents so that you'll have someone solid to learn from and - lets be honest - so that they'll be able to keep an eye on you. Given your recent activities, I'm sure you understand it will take some time for us to trust you. As you've noticed, we don't exactly like vigilantism around here."
She pauses there for a moment with a thoughtful frown before she leans back a little in her chair and adds, "I should probably explain our position on that a bit better - speaking of things changing in 60 years. I suppose the biggest change since is that there were so few people running around in masks, and those who did and claimed to be on the side of justice were obviously exactly that. But over the past few decades more and more of these vigilantes appeared. Sure, they say that they're essentially doing the same thing as the heroes, but they go too far; they've decided that they're essentially above he law, breaking it at will even as they attempt to hold others accountable to it.
"And what's worse, the heroes are on their side - they support and help them even if they don't do the same thing themselves. They allow vigilantes to join the Justice League - Batman, one of the first vigilantes, was one of the founders of that organization. What's more, each generation of heroes seems to be more powerful than the last - the League is an entity unto itself now, accountable to nobody. 'Don't worry', they tell us, 'You can trust us. We're self-regulated.' But how can we turn a blind eye to the danger of such a large group of such powerful individuals? Especially if they support vigilantes, we have no idea who most of these people even are, and they have enough combined strength that nothing the government, chosen by the people, has can stand against them if they decide we need even more help than we want?
"And not only that, but the number of metahumans increases day by day. But do they sign up for the police academy? No, they put on masks and think that they can fight crime on their own without even having a basic understanding about what it means to follow the law because of the example set by these 'heroes'. Bit by bit the country is slipping into a state of anarchy. And that's what we're doing here - putting a stop to all of this before it spirals completely out of control. A simple line in the sand: you either follow the law and help us, or you don't," she finishes with a frown, obviously troubled by some of the thoughts that she's brought up.
Almost a mirror image of her guardian, Phoebe is also frowning to herself, but looks somewhat more uncomfortable again as she keeps her own silence. She used to believe all of that without having any questions about it, but now she has questions - lots of questions - and she can't think of anyone to ask them to who wouldn't want to know why. She's sure that Agent Stevens would know all the answers since she trusts the woman's judgment more than anyone else, but she's afraid that if she shares her doubts then Agent Stevens will figure out that she talked to the Question.
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Post by zinda on Nov 11, 2011 0:04:33 GMT -5
And again she found herself inwardly flipflopping a bit. She gave her word just now to Agent Stevens and she intended to keep it. She'd play ball and comply with their wishes out of duty and because she had to, as well as considering that doing so was better than the disgrace of a court martial and eventual execution, both of which she was positive awaited her at the end of the other road.
Some of Agents Stevens points Zinda agreed with, some she didn't. She certainly had questions but she wasn't even going to dare thinking about them any further in here. However there was one question she had that weighed heavily upon her and she would indeed ask it before she left this room. For now she continued listening, leaning back in her chair as well, twisting her hair with her fingers and wishing like mad she had a beer. First chance she had for free time off the clock of her new job, getting hammered was on her agenda to try and help her forget this nightmare for awhile.
"I'm ready to get to work whenever as soon as I can leave here. Don't particularly like sitting around in this orange suit, feels like the damn walls are closing in" She spoke up after Agent Stevens finished. "I assume you'll want to know what all of my resources, equipment and weapons are and where they are stashed? I can give you a document on that after I type it up if that's what you like." She added and frowned slightly. "Can we go now?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2011 0:58:56 GMT -5
Nodding once more, Agent Stevens stands and says, "Of course. It's getting a bit late, but I don't imagine you want to spend the night in the prison bloc. I'll take you to where we can fill out the paperwork." She quickly gathers the spread papers and puts them back into the folder, except for the orders for Zinda since that's now hers. Heading to the door, she adds, "Get you your stuff back... Oh, and assign you some quarters. Most of us aren't from Gotham but even those who are have them - it's easier to walk down a hallway to get some sleep after a long or off-hours shift than to have to drive somewhere."
Phoebe is quick to push herself away from the wall and follow after Agent Stevens, but as she turns she glances at Zinda and gives her a tentative half-smile; they're on the same side now, she supposes, so it's okay to like her now? But does she? She's actually not too sure about that one.
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Post by zinda on Nov 11, 2011 7:45:41 GMT -5
After spending 4 hours in a prison cell and another hour or close to it being briefed on her new status and receiving her new orders, Zinda Blake found her life no less confusing or complicated than she did before. Nothing made sense or has made sense sin ce she popped out of the 50's and was transplanted in Gotham And that's another thing. She's from Texas and she was definitely not in Gotham City when she was last seen 60 years ago so why of all places would fate choose Gotham to dump her into. A warm sandy beach with a tropical cocktail in her hand while flirting with every piece of beefcake that passed her eyes would have been just fine.
"I'm not from Gotham either but I am sure you already know that by know." She spoke after a long sigh, her hands shuffling her orders back into the folder and scooping them up. "But before I forget that does bring me to another question. Given the abilities that Force has, why have you not tried to read the minds of these vigilantes or heroes, uncover their secrets and get the drop of them when they are most vulnerable. I am sure they all have secret identities, not that I have been made privy to any of them. They don't know or trust me that much yet either it would seem." Zinda shook her head while following the other two out. She caught the look the kid gave her and returned her half smile with one of her own but one that was seemingly more nervous.
And then it suddenly dawned on her. The one thing about her that Agent Stevens never raised a single concern or question about in all of this interrogation. If she spent the last four hours digging up every piece of Zinda's past that she could uncover then Agent Stevens had to know. Did it not concern hr in the least that the newest agent of the FBI had a split personality disorder? She was so concerned that Zinda had been involved in vigilantism but yet not the least bit so, as far as Zinda could tell, that she had a skeleton in the closet and a criminal background, through no fault of her own but it was still there thanks to multiple brainwashings that led to the split personality syndrome in the first place.
She shrugged it off and kept walking, kn owing the topic would come up at some point but for now she was all the more eager to get her clothes back on, get her weapons back and track down her Blackhawk uniform provided she would still get to wear it. And what about all the friends she had made in the vigilante community. Tracking them down and telling them they were all under arrest wouldn't be easy. Yes this Major did give her word to cooperate with the FBI once more...but that didn't mean she had to like it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2011 12:46:11 GMT -5
"She's with us," Agent Stevens tells the guards as she opens the door, and the guards turn and head down the hallway to return to their station as they're hardly needed to guard an empty room. She turns and leads the group down the hallway.
It's Phoebe who actually answers the question as she follows behind Agent Stevens with a somewhat bored expression on her face at the blank walls in this part of the prison. "I can't read their minds if I can't find them. And anyway - I can't read thoughts unless they think about them," she explains, "It's not that easy."
But without skipping a beat, she switches from talking verbally to mentally. It's not that hard to read thoughts you're actually thinking though. And Agent Stevens knows about that stuff, but that only happened when a bad guy caught you and messed with your head, right? I was listening to her thinking when she was learning about you. And yes, I can talk this way too, she thinks, seeming to be just as comfortable with it even if it seems odd to just about anyone else for someone else's voice to simply appear among their other thoughts.
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