Message to Myra

[evillurks]

((Following this.))

The elderly Shadow may seem, at times, to have mellowed. His social graces tend to vanish when it comes to work, however. Myra's PINpoint flashes a message around dawn, the day after their brief chat in the Nexus.

Scout mission successful. Report in as soon as available.

Whatever he has found, apparently he wants to discuss it. Urgently.

Comments

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Myra tabs the page in her book as she hears the PINpoint beep, and grabs it out of her purse. Sitting down at her table, she accesses the message and quickly punches in a reply.

Reporting in.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Ming's window may have shut. The void is filled. I approve. Meet in person to discuss further?

The Shadow is sometimes brusque, and he is all business, but he certainly draws the line at dropping in at a lady's apartment without warning. That could lead to a situation in which even he would be embarrassed.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Available now if it's convenient.

And here Myra wonders if she should make some tea.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

He considers this invitation enough, and within a minute he is PINpointing into her living room, still clad in black. From the reading glasses and the other items in his hands, he has stopped in the middle of things to come see her. Notebook, pen, and reading glasses are all being tucked away along with the PINpoint as he speaks.

"I leave Ming to your discretion, still, but things are already progressing in the right direction without her. The gangs are disbanding, quarreling amongst themselves. A couple of men have siezed some power now that... 'Khan' is gone, and they're encouraging his followers to drop crime or leave town."

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Myra's dressed in loose clothing, a book sitting on the couch and the radio is turned low, almost impossible to hear and providing little more than quiet white noise. The room itself is fairly dark, with only a couple lights on that cast shadows from the few pieces of furniture weirdly around the room.

"She's just as cooperative as ever. It might be better to keep her away from that world." Myra rubs her arm meaningfully. "Who's disbanding them?"

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow has not been to bed yet, and as usual he seems oblivious to the oddness of the hour. He takes in the state of the room in his peripheral vision, and stands where he's arrived, fixing his gaze on her. "It might... especially now. I'm still willing to speak to her if you want me to, but her future lies in your hands." It always has, to his mind, but he wants to make it clear. Once the criminals are either apprehended or dead, The Shadow has little more to do with them. Reformation is the work of those with better social skills.
"The new name on the streets is that of Cliff Marsland. His second in command is known only as Hawkeye." The Shadow smirks faintly, with just a trace of pride. Before his turn to crime, his alternate must have chosen and trained his agents just as well.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

Myra's eyebrows raised up. After her experience with her double, and The Shadow's, she's hesitant to accept this news at face value, even if The Shadow appears confident. It's nothing against him, but one could say after being shot by herself, she's become a bit distrustful of alternates in general.

"Cliff and Hawkeye? They pack a punch, but I never pegged them as the kind to rise to power like that. Have you had a chance to observe them yet?"

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

She is not the only one to take a bullet from an alternate. The Shadow's shoulder has been slow to heal, the damage deeper than what shows on the surface. The trace of a smile is very quick to fade, leaving his face a heavily lined mask again. "I haven't, but I intend to. Tonight was gathering information, and my time ran out with the dawn, but tomorrow night I'll be going back. From what I can tell they're genuine in their efforts, but I can't be sure until I see them myself." The idea that the breaking up of Khan's gangs is merely a prelude to starting their own has certainly crossed his mind. He wonders what they think of the lingering rumour of his appearance in the battle.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

"I'm hoping they are. It would be a good mark on that world if they're genuine." Myra pauses for a moment, seeming to recall some information. "I remember some vague opinions that Ming was one of their rivals. I may just try to keep her here then. I don't know what I'm going to do with her though if she's beyond help..." Myra seems a bit reluctant to admit such a situation, but she has considered it. She's not sure she could find someplace to keep the woman. It's almost a liability having a double in her own world. Should she escape, Myra might find herself charged with murder or treason.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"...There's still Farrow..." He leaves that aspect of the conversation there, as he is equally uncertain what to do with Ming, but less willing to express that.
"They're former agents, but I can't be sure if they knew any more than she did about who Khan really was. I suspect not." As he scowls, his gaze fades away from hers, sliding to some other point of focus. "I doubt he would have let anyone live that knew. They'd be too much of a liability." Although he does not voice it, his longering thought is that were he in that position, he would make certain there were no loose ends to expose the trick.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

She nods at his suggestion.

"I'll bring that up next time. Farrow is his connection and the circumstances are definitely...special."

"I agree. If there were any weaknesses, it would have been agents who knew the truth behind the swap." She had never heard word of many other members of 'Khan's' gang, and so now she wonders, if Burbank, Harry, Farrow or the others she knew of had met some ill fate, possibly knowingly at the hands of their former master. She bites her lip gently, trying to will away the thoughts.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow makes a very soft noise of annoyance. "He was mine, and I forget that it's not exactly my own resources I'm offering." It is frustrating to be so close to home, and yet out of place.

As The Shadow's most loyal agent, Harry would have been too persistent after his chief's death not to be eliminated. Having had such acts of violence drilled into his brain by his alternate, The Shadow certainly knows. "This still doesn't mean we can be sure of their intentions, but it seems likely they're a force for good. I thought you'd want to know, since it concerns Ming's future..." In a sense, he is reporting to her, which is a unique situation.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

"The Shadow knows that I have Ming in my custody, and he asked to be kept aware of any progress. I can at least ask, and if he refuses, I'll think of something."

Now she nods and smiles, realizing the reversed situation and is genuinely appreciative. He could have simply updated her after the fact, but instead he's informing her before he acts.

"Thank you, very much." She nods her head to him. "It certainly helps me figure out what options are still available to us. I only hope their intentions are as they appear to be."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

He is privately uneasy hearing himself referred to in the third person, particularly after his last alternate experience.

"If this turns out to be on the level, we couldn't have hoped for it to resolve itself any better. With any luck I'll contact you again tomorrow morning. If I don't... then things probably haven't gone well." He allows a wry smile, envisioning falling prey to some trap or gunfire from Cliff himself. He's escaped traps and gunfire before, of course, but it could cause a delay.

[myra-reldon.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep my PINpoint close, then." As if it ever strayed farther from her than across the apartment.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

With a nod he draws his PINpoint out again, his mind already on the work ahead. "I'll know something by early morning."

He'd like for things to have worked out with the alternate Ming, for her to be easily reformed and glad for Khan's death, but he doesn't know how to say it. Instead he teleports away, assuming the best he can do is let Myra deal with her own alternate while he ensures she won't at least won't have to worry about anything else.