The Seed Unplanted

[Alumette]

NORTH KOREA, ONE MONTH AGO

Dominic lay in his cell. He closed his eyes and went to Provence. His escape. They had almost broken him last time: in his despair he could not conjure up Grace in his mind. It had been like that for days, or perhaps weeks--in the darkness he had no way of being sure of time's passage--and his fear of forgetting her gave way to the bitterness that had served him well in his life so far.

But she was coming back to his consciousness again. It started out small. A bit of broken glass in his food tray glimmered momentarily in the light as the guard passed the sludge into his cell. In Dominic's state, he thought he saw Grace's engagement ring. And suddenly he could picture their odd mutual marriage proposal as clear as day. He held that image in his mind for the rest of the day. When they took him in for another round of painful, demeaning questioning, Dominic gave them the same obstinate, bitter bastard he'd given them every other time. But this time Grace was there with him, in his mind, and it didn't hurt as much.

He was soon able to recall memories of her that he'd long forgotten--small things like the way she tilted her head when tasting a recipe, or the sound of her laugh. He kept her constantly in his thoughts.

And in that small pocket of memory, a seed of hope was planted. She'll come for you, Tom, he thought to himself. She'll know. And she'll come for you.

[Alumette]

"I know you're retired, sir," Grace began tentatively, after the pleasantries were out of the way. "And I know Shan is now Field Commander. But I just felt like I needed to talk it over with you first," she said, looking up at Major Britain.

Her former commander and good friend smiled. Retirement seemed to have taken years off his demeanor. "Of course, Grace," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should go find out what happened to him. As long as it's in an unofficial capacity, of course."

Grace nodded, procuring some papers from a nearby desk drawer. "Of course," she said, handing the papers over to him. "This is what City Hall, the State Department, and US Senator Filburton were able to get for me. It's completely unofficial. I'm going over there as Genevieve DuPont, an international arms dealer. Apparently there's a combat-tech conference there next week. They're having me travel as a French citizen, and I will have no support from hero infrastructure while I'm there."

The Major looked at her gravely as he listened, scanning the falsified visas and documentation. He handed them back to her and breathed a heavy sigh. "Grace, there's a lot of risk here," he said. She nodded. The Major continued on. "I realize why you can't have any association with the heroing community while you're there, and why you can't go over there as a heroine. But...you're really going to be on your own." He placed a protective hand on her shoulder. "You sure you're ready for this?"

Grace nodded. "I have to do this, sir."

"I understand. Here..." The Major fumbled at his belt and procured a small device that looked somewhat like an iPod. "Take this, at least," he said, pressing it into her hand. "Unofficial mission or no, I can't just let you go all the way out there with nothing." Grace looked at the small device in her hand. "It's a cloaking device," the Major clarified. "Standard issue to all Patrollers ranked Leftenant and above." Grace nodded, remembering hers from when she was a Leftenant. Except she could never get hers to work, and looking at the one the Major had just given her, they had significantly improved the design.

"Thank you, sir," she smiled. "I'll bring him back to us." She gave him a proud salute, even though it was no longer necessary.

"Take care of yourself out there, Grace," he said.

************************************************** *************

Grace looked around her apartment. Everything seemed in order. She went through her checklist once more. It was beginning to become clear to her why Dominic took such care to go through such regimented rituals when preparing for an assignment. She examined the high-caliber pistols and clips once more, as well as the knives, hooks, recording devices, stealth activators, cameras, and gadgets that would accompany her on her lonely journey. Dominic had long ago taught her how to use these items, for her own safety, he'd said; but she had never before put them into practice--particularly not in such a place as North Korea, and not without being able to count on additional hero support.

Still, everything seemed in order.

*Ready to go, Grace?* Alex asked, inside her head

*Warn a girl next time, King* she smiled.

*Sorry. Lara and I were just out for a walk in the area, and I wanted to say hello*

*I appreciate it. Yes, I'm ready as I'll ever be* she thought back.

*Good. You'll find him, Grace. I know you will. Be safe.*

Grace nodded slowly, zipping up her duffel and patting the small gold bunny pin that adorned her jean jacket. Chain Lightning had said it would bring her luck, and knowing the story behind it like she did, she was honored that he had given it to her for this mission. She sniffed the single iris that bloomed in a vase on her kitchen counter and smiled, heading out the door towards the elevator.

The cab was already waiting at the curb. She glanced up at the sky before settling in to the back seat, and saw the energy signature of a teleportation device. It reminded her of Torrance, and she smiled. Watch your ass out there, sister, he'd said the other night. She was going to miss him a lot.

"Paragon City Airport, please" she told the driver, a nervous smile at her lips.

[Alumette]

"Right this way, Mademoiselle DuPont," the slender cadet said in heavily-accented French. It was difficult for Alumette to understand him. Clearly the learning of a Western language was a rare privilege. The young officer must have had a relative in a high-ranking government position. He took her arm and led her through Sunan airport, towards the baggage claim and customs. Alumette's throat tightened as she handed her false passport and visas over to the customs agent. Her heart pounded as she tried to remember the cover story and legend details that Senator Filburton had managed to procure from the CIA on her behalf, to go along with her phony documentation. She had called in every favor she had to get to this point, and those from whom she requested favors had called in favors of their own. Failure was not an option.

The customs agent glared at the documents she handed him. He proceeded to question her through the sketchy interpretive skills of Goh Heunsul, the cadet who now accompanied her.

“Your reason for being here?”

Alumette swallowed hard, her voice cracking, “Arms…conference…region,” Cadet Goh looked at her skeptically, and Alumette tried again, “The arms dealer conference in Kaesong Industrial Region,” she said. “I have an invitation here from the SAC.” She handed him another official document with trembling hands.

The agent scanned the document, taking his time as he did so, glancing from the papers back up to Alumette and back again. After what seemed like several eternities, he stamped her passport and gave a wooden smile, "Welcome to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mademoiselle DuPont." He handed her her documentation, and Cadet Goh led her through to baggage inspection.

As the baggage handler questioned her on the several pistols, rifle, boxes of ammunition, smoke grenades, and other unconventional traveling items in her luggage, Alumette was put through the paces of reciting her cover: she was Geneviève DuPont, government liaison for Giat Industries, a French arms manufacturer. In truth, most of the gear in her bag belonged to Dominic. They were mostly prototypes he’d picked up from Intel or Watchlight; souvenirs he’d “requisitioned” during the course of his career. Few if any of them would be registered on Giat’s inventory lists. She was counting on their unique prototype status to be able to pass them off as new models, adding credibility to a story that was clearly beyond her experience. Still, saying the cover details out loud gave her confidence, and helped her believe in them more strongly herself. An official stamp and seal later, and she was on her way.

“If you’ll excuse me, Cadet Goh,” she began, “I need to visit the powder room for a moment.”

“Of course, Mademoiselle,” he said. “I’ll wait near the car.”

Grace nodded politely and stepped into the ladies’ room. It was sparse and in disrepair. Sunan airport had been built in the 1950s, and hadn’t been maintained much longer than its first week of operation. Grace picked her way through the litter scattered about the floor, taking care to avoid chipped floor tiles and exposed pipes, towards the rearmost stall. She reached behind the running toilet tank, feeling around for what she hoped would be there. Her fingertips brushed past a crisp scrap of paper, which she carefully removed, her heart pounding in her ears. Allowing herself the tiniest indulgence of hope, she turned the paper over in her hands and examined it, nearly crying out in tearful joy as she did so.

Goddess bless Torrance, she thought to herself. He had come through. Or rather, an old acquaintance of his in South Korea had come through. Torrance had told her about a contact he used to rely on during his days as a NATO Peacekeeping soldier. Before she left, he had given her the contact’s name and how to contact him, “in case things go sour,” he’d said through the ubiquitous wad of chewing tobacco in his lip. He had also offered to see if this contact had any helpful information, and it was clear he had. On the slip of paper was a list of names and map coordinates. Grace wasn’t sure what they were for exactly, but it was a piece of the puzzle. She slipped the note into her sleeve and stepped out to the sink to splash some water on her face. It came out brown. She didn’t bother.

Before stepping out, she caught sight of herself in the wobbly, moderately-reflective unbreakable mirror. It was strange to see herself without the necklace that had adorned her throat since she’d learned to control her powers all those years ago. A sense of fear washed over her: she was utterly alone, in hostile territory, without her powers. All she had was her struggled-for high school education, and whatever she’d managed to glean from Dominic’s insistence that she learn at least the basics of his trade, “for her protection, just in case.” He was always one to have plans A, B, C, and D thoroughly detailed and prepared in advance, whereas Grace acted on what her heart told her. It struck Tom as impulsive; it made him crazy, gave him grey hairs. “Well, here goes,” she said under her breath, and strode out to meet Cadet Goh.

[Alumette]

“Would you mind meeting for a drink later?” the handsome ValorCorp representative asked, leaning casually on the edge of the table in Alumette’s booth at the arms conference. Grace smiled with a nervous graciousness, regretting the necessity of having to leave her engagement ring behind in addition to her necklace. “I hear there’s a nice place near the river with a killer martini,” he added, giving a sharklike grin. That was the phrase she had been listening for all day, and the nervousness behind her smile softened a bit. “Can’t be better than the martinis at Hudson’s in Albuquerque,” she replied, confirming the contact with the scripted line from her legend.

“You’ll have to find out for yourself,” he grinned and turned back to his booth.

Across the room, a janitor observed the exchange quietly for a few moments before pushing her cart further down the hallway into a storage closet, muttering quietly to herself as she did so.

************************************************** **********
“Here, let me get that,” Trevor Dalton said as the waitress set their bar tab on the table. He reached into his wallet to pull out the ValorCorp company credit card, and in so doing, palmed another slip of paper.

“No no, let me,” she said, reaching for the bill. Their hands met over the check, and Trevor surreptitiously passed her the note in his hand. “No, I insist, mademoiselle,” he said rakishly. “It’s the least I can do for the delightful company you’ve provided this evening.”

“All right. Merci. C’est gentille, monsieur,” she said graciously, slipping the note into her handbag.

“You know,” he began as the waitress disappeared with the credit card, “Kaesong is a great place for business. It’s an experiment in capitalism for them. But if you really want to find what you’re looking for in North Korea, you have to go northwest, towards Chongju.” He fiddled with the olive in his glass. “That’s the best place to go to experience the real country.”

Grace nodded. “Merci, Monsieur Dalton. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Je vous en prie, mademoiselle DuPont.”

************************************************** **********

Grace peered through binoculars at the prison camp several kilometers below. She was having a hard time not just rushing the door and asking, with her fists, if Tom was inside. It had been several hours since she’d taken up her position in the foliage above the camp, and she was getting antsy. It always mystified her how Tom could do his job—just settling in somewhere and remaining absolutely still for hours, hidden and waiting. It was so not her style. But it was the style the situation called for, and getting him out required her to discipline herself to it. Besides, without her necklace, her fists weren’t going to be terribly convincing to anyone. Here, she was just a petite Française, nothing more.

She checked the slip of paper that Dalton had given her against the slip of paper she’d found in the bathroom at Sunan airport. The map coordinates were the sites of the known prison camps where Dominic, if he were alive, would likely be held. Dalton’s information confirmed the existence and location of the camps, and also included other details like how many prisoners each camp likely held, and who some of the more high-profile inmates were. One, at the camp Alumette was currently observing, was listed as “The Shadow.” It was her best lead so far; and the date listed for his incarceration was a few days prior to the official date of Tom’s death as reported to her by Watchlight.

If he was alive, he was most likely here. But Grace had no idea how to find out for sure. She activated the stealth device Major Britain had given her prior to her departure and crept through the brush for a closer look.

>SNAP!< The stick crackled noisily under her foot. Grace froze, her heart pounding as the spotlight swung around in her direction, sweeping over her and back in wide arcs. She could hear voices from the camp carrying over the still night as the guards went on alert. Just stay still, they’ll settle down eventually, she thought to herself. The spotlight settled right over her, and her breathing grew fast and shallow. OhgodI’mdeadI’mdeadI’mdead…. she thought, panic washing over her like the pale blue-white mothlight of the spot. Her translucent silhouette shimmered against the terrain, making odd lines in the landscape, although for all practical purposes she was invisible.

A dog barked fiercely somewhere in the camp, picking up her scent, amplified now by the fear that coursed through her. Grace could do nothing but await the inevitable.

[Akamaz]

Geebus, didn't Dom teach her anything about sneaking??? Mikoto thought as she slowly crept up on Grace.
PREVIOUSLY
With all the hubbub over at Dawn Patrol headquarters with the Major stepping down and Shan taking over it was easy enough to slip out with none the wiser. after that, following Grace was simplicity itself. Dominic had shown her how to deal with the security system at his place, and since she didn't need sleep as much as others ,she could keep 24 hour tabs on Grace and her location.

After what the Jade Lotus Society had put her through, following the plane to Korea was a snap. Keeping close enough to the plane meant that she didn't even show up as a seperate radar entity, and the cloaking technology and training took over after landing.

Staying cloaked though the arms conference, she had dogged Grace's trail, until at last, it all came down to Grace trying to sneak into what was obviously some kind of Prison Camp.

Present Day

With the snap of a twig, Graces fear pheremones started to shoot through the roof. Even a Noseblind greyhound would be able to pick that up, something had to be done, and quickly.

In a sotto voice Mikoto whispered "Chamberpot" It was one of the "safe words" that Dom made her memorize during her rehabilitation, it should be enough to let Grace know she could trust the voice. It's Me Grace. Don't Move

[Chain Lightning]

SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER….


The two of them stood outside the small coffee shop in Founders Falls. The sun was just starting to set and amber flecks of light danced off the surface of the water at the dock nearby. She had called Aaron earlier that day and informed him that she was going to do it; she was going to go to North Korea, and try to get some answers into Dom’s death.

“There’s just too many questions, too many loose ends for me to live with.” She said. Aaron nodded his head. “I agree, Grace. Based on everything you’ve told me, the whole scenario is, sketchy. Listen, I know you have to a lot of preparing you have to do, so I won’t keep you long, thanks for coming out here to meet me.” He said. She nodded to him as he spoke. “I wanted to give you something before you leave.” He said. He stepped up a little closer and started to unzip the shirt on his costume. Grace’s eyes widened and she leaned back a bit. “Whoa, Aaron….”

Before she could finish her sentence, he had reached inside his shirt and pulled out a piece of jewelry. It was a gold bunny pin. It was obviously a piece of cheap costume jewelry, and in several places the fake gold plating had worn off revealing the cheap nickel underneath. He held it in his palm, not looking at her as he began to speak. “This used to belong to my mother. One day while we were on vacation I had been afraid to go into the water on the beach. She took this off her jacket and told me it was her lucky charm and that it kept her safe, and that it should work for me also. Now, to you and me, we see it for what it truly is, just a cheap piece of costume jewelry that probably didn’t cost more than ten dollars. But when you’re five years old, and you believe in everything your parents tell you, well, you get the idea.” He stopped talking for a moment, cleared his throat. Grace could tell that what he was telling her was hard for him, and that he probably rarely if ever shared it with anyone. “I was still wearing it later that evening when the hurricane hit. It seems she had told the truth after all, it was a lucky charm, at least that day it was, for me, not so much for her.” Aaron’s started to have trouble speaking as he went on, and she could see that he trying to not cry. “For years after she died, I thought to myself, ‘if only I had given it back to mom after we got back from the beach, then maybe she’d……”

Grace reached out and grabbed his hand. “Aaron, don’t think that way.” she said. He regained his composure quickly. “Anyway, I still put it on whenever I’m about to go out on a case that could be particularly dangerous. Under my costume of course, the bad guys seem to not take you quite so seriously if you’re wearing a bunny pin on your shirt when you fight them.” He said. She grinned at him. He took her hand and placed the bunny pin in it. “You’ve already told me that She protects and looks after you, and that She also knows that my mother watches over me even now. I figure, you’re about to go into a hostile environment a million times worse than anything I’ve ever seen, a little extra protection can only help.”

Grace took the pin and held it in her hands. “Aaron, I can’t take this……I….”

He held up a finger cutting her off. “Yes you can. Grace, I don’t have many friends, I’ve always been the guy in the back of the room. The one joining up for a big fight, the one that everyone considers to be a ‘good guy’ but never really spends time with outside of work. Granted that’s been by my own choice mainly, but you’re the one that’s encouraged me to get out here and meet and talk to the other heroes in the city. I owe you a debt bigger than you know. Besides, I’ve gotten used to the two of us kicking asses and taking names.”

She smiled and put the pin on her jacket. “Thank you. I’ll bring it back in as good a shape as you’ve given it to me.” Aaron looked at the street clock mounted on the corner of the building as the sun took back the last bit of light it had lent the city for the day. He finished the last of his coffee and threw the cup into the waste basket. “Be careful out there.” He said before he raced off in his familiar flash of blue and yellow.


************************************************** ************

Aaron sat at a table in the Pocket D, his laptop open and his cell phone beside it. He was hoping that some of his informants had found anything on Arnold Janst after his sudden disappearance the other day. He really wanted to have a solid lead on the contaminated food situation they had been working on. They had managed to stop Crey’s initial shipment, but every day that they didn’t shut it down completely was just one more day that Crey had to start up again. He noticed the bartender waving to him. “You want the usual, Aaron?” he asked. Aaron nodded as he picked up his cell phone. “That’ll be fine, Danny. Thanks” He flipped open his cell phone and accessed the priority Defenders channel. It had no messages. That was either good or bad. He turned back to his computer as Danny set down his order. He turned to grab his drink and noticed his Baileys and a glass of Erath Pinot Noir.
Danny was already heading back to the bar. “Oh no, Danny, Grace isn’t…..” but he didn’t hear him and kept on walking. He sighed, looking at the glass.

[Alumette]

"It's me, Grace. Don't move." Grace was absolutely frozen in her tracks. Her new companion had absolutely nothing to worry about there. "Mikoto?" Grace sounded surprised through her whisper. "How...?"

She was relieved to hear a familiar voice, but scared to her core. The State Department had made it clear that any hero presence in North Korea would not be considered positive by the North Korean government. The delicacy of Alumette's situation, and just how far people were sticking their necks out for her, was made clear to Grace before her departure. She hoped Mikoto had gone through channels to get there, but knowing Mikoto, it wasn't likely.

"What do we do now?" she whispered. The spotlight had swung away from her, but it was clear from the sounds coming across the fence that the dogs had been brought out. The guards shouted to one another, coordinating their search.

[Alumette]

"I see," Agent Yahn said, pursing his lips and ruminating on this new bit of information. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see how she does. Keep tabs on her, and let me know if anything arises."

He should have guessed she'd try to go after him. Grace Courbier was hardly a stay-at-home trophy wife type. That she had hero registration and enjoyed a relatively high security clearance meant it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to assume she'd pull something like this. It made things interesting; but difficult for Yahn. She had already had at least two meetings with him about Fletcher, and now this. Why would she not let them just forget about him? The success of their operation, since Fletcher'd been compromised, depended on that. It depended on the world understanding that he was dead. It depended on him completely disappearing once more.

Still, Yahn was an old hand. This wasn't the first time, and likely wouldn't be the last. Watchlight had the resources to make the both of them disappear for good if necessary. It was all a matter of watching and waiting.

************************************************** ***********
"So, it seems she's forgotten about you, Mr. Jackson," Wing said to Dom triumphantly, tossing a stack of old newspaper articles before him. The articles detailed Grace's work on the Foundation: her recent extended trip to Benin delivering medical supplies, the opening of two new shelters and a tutoring center in Kings Row, and other activities. There were also several pictures of her and Chain Lightning about town, working together on assignments.

Dominic sifted through the articles, skimming them, scanning the pictures. By now he was sufficiently weakened and sufficiently separated from life in Paragon City that he couldn't make too much coherent sense of what he was reading. But the pictures sent a jolt of emotion through him. Wing had intended to use these articles to break him, to make him lose hope. Instead, getting to see her, however obliquely through old news clippings, brought into sharp focus all the wispy memories that had been sustaining him all this time. He chose to keep that to himself. He gazed at the clippings and said nothing, his face a mask of detachment.

"So, we start again," Wing said. "Why are you so interested in Vitriol?"

************************************************** ********

[Akamaz]

"What we do now is the easy part, hold out your hand. feel that?" Mikoto asked as a small lump dropped into Grace's hand. "Take that and stick it in your ear, it's a small receiver so you can hear me without all this whispering."


There was a soft clicking sound as Alumette woodenly did as Mikoto asked.

"There, now I don't have to talk for you to hear me." Sounded from the tiny speaker. "What were you thinking? that you'd just put on a cloaking field and waltz right through?!?!?!?! I don't mind if you decide to try and sneak into a heavily guarded prison camp, but..."

as Grace opened her mouth to speak she was immediately cut off "But this isn't the place to be having this conversation. With those dogs out, we need to get you out of here."

As the spotlight slid away, two grey handholds shimmered into view. "I had Robo install these in case I needed to move some injured people, they're as far from anything sharp on my body as it gets. I can't fly while you're holding on, but at least there won't be your feet clomping around leaving footprints and a trail for those dogs to follow."

[Alumette]

Alumette was in no position to argue. She inserted the comm pod into her ear, listening to the harangue she was due. Truth be told, the answer to "What were you thinking?" was that she wasn't. She actually was just planning to walk in, cloaked. It wasn't that Alumette was stupid; far from it. It was simply her tactical style: try something and see what happens. She was too impatient to spend time analyzing details and weighing what-ifs.

She grabbed onto the handles nervously. Alumette had heard what Mikoto was capable of before her rehabilitation sessions with Dominic, and Grace knew that without her powers, one small glitch in that process would spell the end of her life. Grace had been largely absent during Mikoto's rehabilitation; working on her assignments, seeking out a board of directors for her fledgling charity, and other personal projects. She didn't want to be in the way, and it was clear that helping Mikoto made Dominic happy. As such, she had no idea the extent of the success of the rehabilitation, but she had little choice in the matter now. Mikoto's sudden appearance at a moment of crisis was more blessing than she was willing to question, and she had to have faith in the fact that Dom was nothing if not thorough.

"I'm ready, Mikoto," she said quietly. "Where are we going?"