Gretchen Wagner (indigogirl) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2011-01-02 00:10:00

Entry tags:

inactive - braddock lebeau, inactive - gretchen wagner

Mapping Out thoughts.
It had been great seeing Rose and Ana and Mina and Alt-Dad, and Alt-Aunt-Jimaine over the holidays, but there was something Gretchen had on her mind now.

In some out-of-the-way corner at Xavier's, she drew Braddock aside. "Hey. Can we talk about stuff?"

(Post a new comment)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-02 05:39 am UTC (link)
	Braddock was a little nervous about Gretchen wanting to talk. He'd spent the holidays alone, but he was happy that Gretchen got to be with her family. "Sure, Princess. What's going on? Is everything okay?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-02 05:51 am UTC (link)
	Gretchen pulls out some papers but doesn't unfold them yet. "What are your plans for the next couple of months, barring, of course, a new breakthrough in our getting home?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-02 05:58 am UTC (link)
	"I can't say I'm sure, Princess. I've been looking at my options, but...I don't have any truly marketable skills except, well, you know. My father would dislike it if I marketed those skills, so I'm stuck for now." Braddock says. "Do you have a plan I can help with?" he asks with a grin. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-02 06:11 am UTC (link)
	"Just a few ideas I've been kicking around. And... until such time as it might somehow become truly necessary, obviously, I'd rather none of this get back to Mina and Alt-Dad and Alt-Aunt Jimaine." A breath. "You know how I look at lot like my Grandmother Darkholme?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-02 06:47 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, I remember a few comments on it." Braddock says, which is a mild understatement. A few people back home hadn't taken that well, just a like a few here hadn't. Apparently, Mystique wasn't much cared for in a lot of circles. "Did you run into her while you were away, Gretchen? Did she try to talk to you?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2011-01-02 07:06 am UTC (link)

"No, I haven't met her version here. This has to do with an idea, because I totally understand your alt-Dad's point of view, but we can't just live off the Institute." And even if she could get used to the place long-term Braddock was not cut out for X-Men methods, and Gretchen was still intent on throwing her lot in with him.
"And I was, admittedly tossing around ideas with myself about people who... well, people who, if they were scammed out of a lot of money, would decidedly have it coming and wouldn't be in much position to cause trouble with the authorities about it." The light might dim just a little; there's something embarrassing about discussing this already.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

princeofthieves
2011-01-02 07:16 am UTC (link)

For the first minute of Gretchen's words, Braddock isn't sure what she's getting at. As she explains her idea, however, Braddock's expression changes from confusion to shock.

Gretchen was actually suggesting that they start their own enterprise and she was asking if he wanted to be a part of it. Something about that really touched him.

There really was such a thing as honor among thieves.

"Princess, this is great idea, but...are you sure? I know I've talked about somethin' like this, but I don't want you to feel like you have to." he says.

"Sure, there are a lot people we could go about liberating from their ill-gotten gains. Did you have any ideas on where you wanted to do this?" he asks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2011-01-02 07:58 am UTC (link)

"I know you're no-pressure, Braddock, but... I love you."

"Well, what we'd want are moderate-time crooks who want to be big-time. Some resources at their disposal, but with their intellectual reach exceeding their grasp, you know? Manhattan is definitely not the place for it; too infested with the well-informed on the superhuman set. But there are sections of New Orleans that could work -- your sister's team does a great job at what they do, but they haven't accentuated understanding of the mutant presence that much, and there's a lot of issues they've just got nothing to do with. Places like Chicago or Baltimore would also be worth considering if we could find out more about their criminal populace."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

princeofthieves
2011-01-02 08:11 am UTC (link)

Braddock smiles at Gretchen's admission. He'd felt the same way for a long, long time.

"I love you, too, Gretchen, and I want us to have this." Braddock says, moving closer to her.

"You're right, Manhattan is a bust. I talked to a few people there recently and that place gives me a bad vibe. As much as I'd like to use New Orleans as a base of operations, the chances of runnin' afoul of Lyta and her people are still really good, even if we don't do anything really bad." Braddock says.

"So, I vote that we look at another location. Chicago and Baltimore both sound great, as does New Jersey. St. Louis might also be an option." Braddock tells her, thinking this over.

"First two things we need to outline, though. One: What is our code? What will we allow and not allow our organization to represent? What business will we do and not do?" Braddock asks.

"Second question: How are we going to fund this operation? I don't think we can exactly ask for a loan from anyone around here. We'll need to show people we're serious and get them to listen, my love. One they know we mean business, we'll have people wantin' in." he says.

"And I guess the third question is...what happens if and when we can go home?" he asks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2011-01-02 08:30 pm UTC (link)

"Those are all places to consider. Jersey would have the advantage of giving you a chance to get us some startup money in Atlantic city, but I'll get to that in a minute."

Gretchen checks again to make sure no one's around, speaking quietly.

"I want high standards of behavior here, and if that means we get less people involved in our operation, well that's just fine; I like exclusivity sometimes. Obviously, anyone remotely tied to human trafficking or child-kidnapping schemes goes on the target list, not the potential associates list. I'd say the same for pushers of heavy drugs, too. I think we can definitely agree that if Uncle Logan didn't allow it in Madripoor, it's something we should have a lot of fun taking down, not put up with."

"As for funding, I'd like to get a bit of our startup capital before anyone knows who we are and that we're serious. I want to find the stupidest well-off wannabe supergangsters we can and fleece them before anyone has any idea what we're about."

A long pause. "As for home... if we can go, we go. This is...what we're coming up with if we can't get our lives back. If we can, home wins hands down."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

princeofthieves
2011-01-02 09:23 pm UTC (link)

"Your plans sound just like my ideas, Gretchen. I can't be involved with child-kidnappers and people pushing stuff like Mutant Growth Hormone need to be dealt with." he says.

"That being said, I think we can make a lucrative enterprise out of smuggling and gun-running. Maybe extortion as well. But let's not get too many super-smart people in on this. Otherwise, we'll be trying to keep them from taking us out in short order." Braddock says.

"If you like Jersey, I can probably work out a scheme. We might even be able to find someone around here willing to help out." Braddock says, having a certain someone in mind already.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

indigogirl
2011-01-02 09:42 pm UTC (link)

"If there's going to be extortion, we need to find the via media between shaking down defenceless storekeepers and being dumb enough to blackmail criminal masterminds. Offering well-off people to not exposure minor dirt in exchange for modest fees, so that it's most convenient to throw a little money and get rid of us, that could work." Pause. Snicker. "Heck, I've heard stories about the more annoying but innocuous private habits of the man who in this world is the King-Consort of Ruritania, for instance."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

princeofthieves
2011-01-02 09:54 pm UTC (link)

"That idea makes a lot of sense. I say we use to get some inside people with the cops as well. A lot of cops probably use some less-than-savory methods to pump up their arrest records. We offer to help cops take down the worst offenders in order to let our operation get a foothold." Brad says, stroking his chin.

"We'll have an uphill battle with the established types, though. We may need to find the worst of the worst and forcibly remove said person and their command chain from the equation." he says, thinking it over.

"We could pick a target, find the nucleus of their operation and cripple it a bit. An organization with no money is quickly out of business." Brad says.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-03 04:15 am UTC (link)
	Gretchen listens and nods. "So...preliminary expedition this weekend to Atlantic City?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-03 05:32 am UTC (link)
	Brad takes Gretchen in his arms and kisses her. "I will go wherever you lead, Princess. I'm really happy that you came up with this and that you're taking a chance on me. I won't make you regret it." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-03 05:33 am UTC (link)
	Gretchen happily kisses back. "I love you," she says again. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-03 05:46 am UTC (link)
	"I love you, too." he says in German. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-03 06:12 am UTC (link)
	She'll stay in his arms a few minutes. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-04 02:59 am UTC (link)
	"I thought of you the whole time you were away, Gretchen. It was a little quiet around here without you." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-05 02:26 am UTC (link)
	"I missed you too, liebchen." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-07 01:01 am UTC (link)
	"Did you get the earrings I left you in your room? I saw them and they reminded me of you." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-07 01:29 am UTC (link)
	She kisses his cheek. "They're beautiful. You know I'm a sucker for Elphburg Red." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-08 03:42 am UTC (link)
	"I'm a sucker for Elphburg Blue. You combine the best of both, Princess. So, we wanna hit Atlantic City this weekend so I can show you off? Oh, and work on our little enterprise, too, of course. I'll have to check and see if there's any place that does hush puppies the way you like." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-08 03:56 am UTC (link)
	"That sounds like a wonderful plan." A pause, another kiss, and then, very quietly. "And we'll..." the room gets darker. "Have to stop at the ...pharmacy." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	princeofthieves 2011-01-08 04:07 am UTC (link)
	Braddock returns the kisses and smiles at Gretchen until she mentions the pharmacy. "Everything okay, Gretchen? Are you feelin' under the weather?" he asks, noticing the room growing dimmer... Oh. "Oh." is all Braddock can say as he realizes what she's getting at. He just smiles. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	indigogirl 2011-01-08 04:15 am UTC (link)
	The room gets all the dimmer as she holds him. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	the_other 2011-01-14 02:08 am UTC (link)
	-(END)- (Reply to this)

scribbld is part of the horse.13 network
Design by Jimmy B.
Logo created by hitsuzen.
Scribbld System Status