Here's my first try at some re-writes. I'm gonna try and tackle the meet up with Riley later, because I want to try that one a bit more from scratch.
Tell me if anything seems OOC for anyone else's characters or just klunky.
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AUTHORS NOTE : These are some re-writes of previous scenes involving Agents Hawkins and Pennsbrook. Consider these the canonical versions, as has been agreed upon in the forum.
LOCATION: In their car, after meeting Muriel and giving her the pager.
Cecilia looked out of the window, contemplatively. "Y'know, despite how messed up the situation is, the kid's pretty cute, if kinda spacy."
Hawkins kept a firm grip on the steering wheel as they drove to their new hotel, having decided to not press their luck in Hedgeton any more.
"She's an impressive child. She overcame her "Programming" so to speak, and refused both to kill the innocent and to die, despite only "existing" for a scant few hours. I have a feeling she'll accomplish some extraordinary things in coming events."
Cecilia shrugged. "Still, I can't get over what they tried to do to her It's just. awful."
Hawkins made no apparent change in expression. "Awful does not begin to describe it. They create an innocent child that has barely any preconception of its own existence, thrust it into the world and expect it to act as their weapon, and then attempt to destroy it when it becomes an inconvenience."
His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "If any human being did that, they would be considered a monster, depraved, evil and deserving the highest level of punishment. But this "other" lacks any apparent humanity. It is without mercy, sympathy or any understanding of basic human emotion. Although I asked the child to tell her previous kind that we are not enemies."
He slowly pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.
"I will not hesitate to be one if necessary."
+++++++++
THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE AGENTS AND LUCAS AND CASS:
"Hello. Are you Cassandra Wilkins, and, I presume, Lucas?" - Said Agent Hawkins.
"Yes...?" - Said Lucas - "And you would be?"
The shadowy man raised his badge, while giving a polite nod.
"I am Agent Hawkins, from the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Investigations. You've just recently posted an article online. "Conditions for Ease of Exploration and Access to the Moon. " Correct?"
"Yes." - Said Lucas, her voice growing more pointed - "May I help you?"
"Is it true then? You've found a way to, not only travel to the moon, but also make the moon habitable? Likewise, you are expel people from your location on the moon at your leisure as well?" - Said Agent Hawkins.
"If you must know, we can talk about it somewhere with people." - Said Lucas.
"Very well." - Said Hawkins. The four walked silently to a street with enough people walking around, but outside earshot.
"We didn't do anything untoward. Your companion found out the page, I take it?" - Said Lucas.
Cecilia nodded, grinning. "One of my routines is investigating "situations of interest." "“ AKA crazy stories that may just be true. That and funny cat pictures."
"And I suppose taking away the abilities of countries to do certain very-evil things in exchange for help in scientific research qualifies as such?" - Said Lucas - "If you wanna dissuade me, you're wasting your time. Do you know how long I've waited to be able to twist the arms of anyone who'd use that power like a club? Do you know how much pain I can and will prevent with this? How much oppression will be averted..."
"By the fact that you posted this online..." - Said Hawkins - "I imagine you planned to go public with it? If not your method of accessing the Moon, which you've yet to reveal to us, but the fact that you have it and your conditions for "using" it?"
Lucas shrugged. "I won't tell anyone ever how I got the access to it. But yes. I do plan to go public about the fact that I have said access, as well as about the conditions for me to grant said access to others. Oh, just imagine the looks on some people's faces..."
"And you think those who would, as you put it, oppress people, and sponsor the oppression of people wouldn't have the means and motivation to attack you, and worse, until you give them what they want?" - Said Hawkins.
"Is this a threat?" - Said Lucas, her hand going to the hilt of her sword, but not yet drawing it.
Hawkins backed away slightly, raising his hands in a sign of non-aggression.
"By no means." - Said Hawkins - "I understand, truly. I have love for neither tyranny nor tyrants. And I have no plans to emulate their methods."
It's why I made sure for Cecilia to hide your site for the moment, away from the prying eyes of those that would try and obtain those things by force. There are plenty of tyrants in this world, and unfortunately, they likely now have a number of "extraordinary" individuals still loyal to them in their employ.
Although as satisfying as it may feel, taunting your opponents and forcing them into powerlessness, will only serve to give them a target for their frustrations. I'm sure, given the time mull it over, you would prefer to reach your goals safely, without endangering it to the hands of knowingly vicious entities?"
"What are you offering?" - Said Cass.
"A way for you two to get what you want, without those who would force you to surrender the Moon finding out. Your options are as follows. Option one: You go to the news and tell the world about your discovery. This might force some countries to respect that agreement - under penalty of having their scientist groups removed from the Moon and so on. However, by telling the world, you risk forceful action by other, less nice countries or other less nice people within the 'nicer' countries.
These people may attack you or Miss Wilkins in a myriad of ways until they get what they want, and you may very well end up forced to give it up, regardless of your conditions.
Option two: You lay low with this knowledge, and I put you two in direct - though secret for the time being- contact with people that would listen to you and your conditions within the friendly countries and even a few within the unfriendly ones. It may or may not appear so, but I am truly trying to help you."
"What guarantee do I have that you'd follow through?" - Said Lucas.
"You'd still be fully able to send back the scientists should any country fail to honor the agreement. And you could even go to the media about it then. This fact would not be lost on those people. I would like some proof of your claims, though."
Lucas and Cass looked at each other. Cass nodded. Lucas made a gesture. A portal appeared.
Cecilia boggled at the sight, but quickly got to scanning it with her sophisticated sensors. "Estimating the distance and nature of the destination..." - Said Cecilia - "Honly crap she's for real! Aside from their being, y'know, air, that really IS the Moon!"
The portal closed. Lucas smiled.
"Now." - Cass said - "Any deals we make are to be made in public places. No need for it to be heard, just seen..."
"And we're still charging money for the access as well..." - Said Lucas.
"It's of no bother to me." - Said Hawkins - "So do as you please. And yes, Miss Wilkins, we'll see to it that the deals are conducted in a safe manner for you... You two truly don't trust the feds, do you?"
Lucas shrugged. "I'm from South America. I am beginning to trust you, Hawkins, and Cecilia there. But no, in general, I don't. I admit it's wrong to paint with a broad brush, but... Let me put it this way. If you saw a man made out of shadows step out of nowhere, say he's from the government, and start asking you big questions, how trusting would you be?"
"Touché." - Said Hawkins - "But you shouldn't let the bad blood between institutions tarnish the people from them... The same goes for you, Miss Wilkins."
Cass shrugged. "Lucas has a personal issue with regards to this, and she'll be the first to admit it. Me, I am sure most of you guys are fine people and doing a fine, clean job. But considering what I and Lucas are trying to do, it makes sense that we'd be a bit distrustful."
"Fair enough." - Said Hawkins - "Well, it matters little. Do you two have free time? I might introduce you two to a scientist I heard of. His house is within walking distance. We can discuss the details later on, but suffice to say he'd get the access on the government's dime and with the government following the conditions. Other such deals will follow, I'm sure. As I am sure Cecilia has your list in her memory for ease of access once I put you through the proper channels..."
Lucas nodded. "Lead the way..."
Before the parties left, Cecilia moved closer in, giving Cass' anime field a try. "Hah! Check me out! Can make my mouth go huuuuge!"
Hawkins remained stoic as ever. "Please try to take our assistance to heart Ms Lucas. We aren't all trying to be Lord Vetinaris in the government."
Lucas raised her eyebrow. "That a Pratchett reference?"
Hawkins shrugged nonchalantly. "It felt appropriate."
Lucas shot him a smirk. "Careful there G-man, I might start to like you."
Hawkins seemed to smile. "Well then, just call me The Guarding Dark."
*____
THEIR CONVERSATION BACK AT THEIR HOTEL
Agent Hawkins reclined back on his bed. "What a day..." he whispered to himself.
It wasn't really all that much of a whisper, and Cecilia didn't even need to go into detailed analysis to pick it up. "Lemme guess," she chuckled. "Ms Queen of the Moon?"
The masked man nodded. "What a story. Using the Moon for political leverage! Despite it's flaws, the idea has merit. It boggles the mind that such things are possible."
Cecilia laughed. "I know right? So when do you think she'll open up the gift-shop.
Hawkins chuckled. It always seemed a bit odd coming out of a blank expanse like Hawkins' face, but Cecilia was used to it. "And this is where mine would just sigh and shake her head. Well, we'll hope that Ms. Wilkins can keep her a bit more grounded. She seems pretty level-headed."
Just then Hawkins's phone rang. He smirked inwardly "“ a busy day never ends does it? - and quickly answered the phone.
"Hawkins speaking," he said. "Yes? Wonderful, thank you for your assistance." Hawkins committed the information to memory, his newly keen mind holding it in with ease. He flipped the phone closed. "That was Mr. Avery," he said. "The one who generated the Hedgeton incident."
Cecilia brightened. "He got permission to share?"
Hawkins nodded, then paused. "Well, it seems to be 'she' now, but yes. Apparently the person who helped put things right is the daughter of a Mr. and Mrs. Toby Cooper. I've got the address, we'll drop by there tomorrow."
The gynoid frowned, looking something up in the back of her brain. "Is that the same...yeah, it'd have to be, they're the only Coopers in the area. That's the station director at Channel 7, the one Anderson Collins conspired to assault."
Hawkins raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
"You think there's any kind of connection there?" she asked. "I mean, there's a number of unusual things Collins' been involved in..."
The masked man placed his hand to his chin in thought. "The Coopers. A family already tied in with two previous events. One, someone who had recently had a big connection with them is caught up in the bomb situation. Second, the Wife and Husband are caught in the very epicenter of an event, from what our friend Jenny has told us.
The fact that they are proceeding to be a part of events is no great surprise. In the end, everything is connected."
Cecilia nodded thoughtfully. "True about the number of incidents. Other teams deal with one or two things in a state, and here we are in this one town with..." She didn't actually have to pause to tally, but it was one of those ingrained habits from human life. "Five. And that's not counting stuff like Ms Holy-Warrior from Brazil visiting the Moon..." She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder if this place isn't some kind of nexus for this stuff..."
Hawkins nodded. "I've suspected so from the beginning Cecilia. But for now, I think we've earned some rest."
Cecilia nodded thankfully, but paused as she prepared to turn off most systems for the night. "Hawkins?"
"Yes?" - Said Hawkins as he prepared as well.
"Do you think Lucas will have any luck?"
"Though she may be zealous in her aim," - Said Hawkins - "I believe - with a small degree of assistance to prevent things getting out of hand "“ We may well have a literal new frontier in the not too distant future."
"Near somethin' AD~" Said Cecilia. " Sorry, reflex."
"I did some cross-referencing with her name and looks. She was born in 1981. That's close to the end of the Brazilian dictatorship. She shouldn't be that focused on these things, by all rights. No data came out on any member of her family suffering or any such events."
Hawkins shrugged. "Read the discourse. How many times has she spoken words related to 'freedom' or some such in our conversations?"
"Twenty-seven if we count 'free-lance'." - Said Cecilia.
"There you go. Its plain to see that she cares a bit about it. She also seemed intent on going to the media about it for very little visible gain. So it's not merely about personal or general freedom. It's also about rubbing it in. Laughing at her enemies. Visibly messing up the plans of, and infuriating, those she sees as, to borrow her own words, Lawful Evil."
"That's from D&D.; The tyrant alignment, so to speak. Think Darth Vader."
Hawkins chuckled. "I'm familiar enough with the terminology."
"Aren't her plans a bit... dangerous regarding international politics? What countries do isn't always pretty, but many would argue it's necessary, 'for the greater good' and all. "
Hawkins shrugged. "I think she'd be genuinely offended at the notion that it's 'necessary', and I don't think she'd care if she believed it is. Nonetheless, I have a feeling that helping her as we've done is the right course."
"I see. Well, here's hoping none of us regrets It."
"Oh, I doubt we will. I'm certain Lucas and Miss Wilkins have some more cards up their sleeves, and we're certain we have some cards up OUR sleeves."
"Point." - Said Cecilia.
"Goodnight Agent Pennsbrook." Said Hawkins.
"Goodnight Ink-face." Said Cecilia.
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