20067/The Doctor is In

The Doctor is In
Date of Scene:	26 February 2025
Location:	A conference room somewhere. Oh you want to know where? Tough.
Synopsis:	Dr. Phosphorus joins the Mutant cause for... rea$on$!
Cast of Characters:	Dr. Phosphorus, Trevor Fitzroy, Fabian Cortez

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Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
The conference room was rented and chosen for the anonymity and discretion its owners provided. It is blandly corporate. At the agreed on time, a man enters the room. It is Brian Cranston or more properly, Walter White, enters the room wearing a black hoodie and dark wraparound glasses. He surveys the room then pulls his hands out of the hoodie's pockets.

He sheds the thick gloves he wears, revealing burning skeletal hands. Barehanded he removes the glasses and what it now a silk screened mask, covering his burning skull face.

"Forgive the theatrics. Breaking Bad is one of my binges. Welcome, have a seat, coffee or tea if you like. I'm Dr. Phosphorus. Forgive me, but I know very little about you Mr. Fitzroy. This is not a mark against you. I like a low profile myself."

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
Trevor brushed some ashes from his crystalline hands, leaving something of a mess on the conference room's carpeting. "No reason you should know me. I, however, know of you." he said simply, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Odd considering the other man was literally a (probably) radioactive glowing skeleton that could reduce him to ash were he likely so inclined. But image was of the utmost importance in their lines of work. "I felt it useful to respond to your invitation." he said as he looked around the room.

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
Dr. Phosphorus pulls out a chair and sits in it backwards. He links hands and rests his chin in them. There is no expression to read in his flaming face but the krackle above his head increases in size. Glowing eyes regard Fitzroy for a beat. Then the skeleton responds, "I hope you heard good things. You're here at my request so if you have any questions about me, please ask." The creature removes a pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth, lighting it with his thumb. He extends the pack to Trevor. "Cigarette?"

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
"Yes. It is." he said drily as he took one and the offer of a light to get his own smoke going. But his inexperience betrayed him and he looked a little green as he took his first drag. He did, however, manage to refrain from embarrassing himself with a coughing fit. "The history books were a little vague, but they do mention you." he said. "Perhaps you'll indulge my curiosity. Ah, but one moment..." he said as his phone rang. A quick listen to whoever was on the other side, then a thin line appeared in midair, rotating and sparking into a tunnel to ... somewhere else. Then a man stepped through the portal, which closed quickly behind him.

Fabian Cortez has posed:
Fabian Cortez sweeps in from the portal, his business suit lined with red, gold accents hugging his shoulder in a cape more fitting his Acolyte get-up, but at least communicates that he's doing professional villiany of a more personal nature at the moment. There is a brief glance around the room, a mildly annoyed expression landing on Fitzroy, "Trevor, you could have picked me up at my house, is that not what-"

He stops and visibly reins in a hair-line temper and smooths over with an offered a smile to the stranger and takes a seat to the right of Trevor, "Fabian Cortez, thank you for having me-" A glance at Fitzroy, "Us. Surely I haven't missed anything important being fashionably late?"

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
Dr. Phosphorus nonchalantly puffs on his cigarette, offering the pack to Fabian. "Not at all, constable. I've always tried to have good relations with the law. Thank you for coming. That portal is a neat trick. I am Dr. Phosphorus. Call me Doc if you like. Alexander Sartorius is my dead name."

"I take it Mr. Fitzroy, you're from a time in my future. I'm rooted in the here and now. Specifically I want to create a shield of money to protect us from humans. I intend to do this by extorting money from other organizations, money laundering from those who would do business with me, and taking on the odd contract. I would certainly welcome Mutants. You're labeled criminals due to your genetic code. For my part, I'll work with anyone I can trust. If you have questions about me ask."

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
Trevor settled into an easy parade rest. "A future. A possible one." he clarified. Doc had just filled in one of the blanks, one of the differences between his (and Bishop's) time and this one. "Fabian's the one that is vested deeply in mutant causes. As for me, Doctor, my concerns are more ... temporal." he said with a slight smile, then brushed his curly and in perpetual need of a trim green curly hair out of his eyes. "I believe our interests for the moment align."

Fabian Cortez has posed:
The cigar is accepted and lit, Fabian seeming far more familiar with them than Trevor and humming a light thanks and dismissive wave of a hand, "Trevor's trick, lovely to meet you Doctor"

He nods in agreement with Trevor, "I'm very invested in the mutant-cause, thank you. Speaking of, I'd be interested in knowing what 'other organizations' you mean. I am a member of the Brotherhood and run the Acolytes and have a vested interest there." A very clear vested interest in Magneto anyway, not so much other mutants, but Fabian smile is polite and without worry, "At least, limited interference with the Brotherhood would and always will be appreciated."

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
Dr. Phosphorus takes another puff and blows a flaming smoke ring. "Intergang, the Magia... I believe these organizations are running various goods through Happy Harbor. It's a lovely little town and an easy drive to New York and Gotham, slightly longer to Metropolis. These thugs pay other gangs who control territory they pass through a tithe. Why not an organization I set up in this promised land. There's a small matter of the High School. It is a sanctuary for meta and Mutant students and others. I will be very glad to extend protection to them if we align or not. I think an attack on that school would draw all kinds of attention. The Principal has worked with the Avengers and is married to one. So yeah, the school is not to be fucked with."

"Now even if you decide not to join or work directly with me, let me point out that I spent nearly two decades in Belle Reve. There are many of you people there and I have connections. I can make their stay much easier. I was one of the labeled non-humans too dengerous to allow near the regular supervillains. In any case, once my money laundering operation starts up, well I'm sure you could use untraceable funds. I'd even set up some safe houses for Mutants, in return for funding." He blows another flaming ring, watching for Trevor's reaction.

"Where'd you get the ashes from? Did you burn down a puppy and kitten orphanage for kicks?"

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
Trevor smiled thinly. "Darn. You caught me." he said drily. He then took another experimental drag on the smoke the good skeletal Doctor had offered him, then decided it was very different from the intoxicants he recalled fondly from his own time. He resolved to just hold it and not try to enjoy any more of it.

"Two decades. My." he said flatly. "However did you manage to survive?" he asked. Personally, he thought he might enjoy this Bella Reve. Lots of fuel for his power there, unless he wildly missed his guess.

Fabian Cortez has posed:
"Funding is easy to arrange, but I'd ask I provide some of the staff for whatever mutant-centered work you do." Beyond this, Fabian is willing to stay quiet and let Trevor do the talking, this sounded like more his show anyway. Nice of this Doctor to pander to mutants as Fabian asked, but as Trevor avoids the question about the ash, Fabian smirks.

"Before real negotiations can happen good Doctor, how opposed to casualties are you? One school can be avoided, sure, but the general population of Happy Harbor or the surrounding area? Is maybe, -mass- casualties a problem for you?"

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
Dr. Phosphorus lets his question go unanswered, for now. Fitzroy will certainly sho off for him at some point. "If you do a search on me, you'll see I took over a major criminal organization on Gotham from Rupert Thorne. Extortion, protection, loan sharking, hijacking. It had it all. I ran it all and pretty well. I can run an organization. I am recruiting superhumans right now. I have feelers out for... very high caliber individuals. I won't name them right now before they agree. But their muscle will insure my organization's future."

Fabian's words sink in. "Mass casualties? I would avoid this in Happy Harbor. Over the city limits? I give zero fucks. Que sera sera. I'd need to know more about these casualties? You plan on murdering normals for your manifesto? There are better places. As for casualties due to operations, things happen. I would like to avoid them. As long as we're being honest Cartez let me just say... I can care less for Mutants. Mutants, humans, synthetics, whatever. But there's opportunity to be had in helping them I feel and I'm not a bigot. I'll work with anyone. It's sort of like the old mobsters in Atlantic City hiring African American musicians to play because they brought in people in droves and the gangster could care less what the sheeple thought. I'd like a list of Mutants you want for a liaison."

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
Trevor glanced over at Fabian before returning his gaze to the good Doctor. He almost looked ... disappointed. "Cortez isn't the one who kills. His MO is more augmentation and manipulation." he said. While he and Cortez were hardly friends - Trevor only vaguely remembered what having a friend felt like - he was in no real hurry to antagonize the touchy Spaniard. "But that's not to say that if bodies need to hit the floor, he's incapable." he added after a moment, as a sop to the man's ego.

"Your stipulations are understood." he said calmly, almost eerily so. "Speaking only for myself, I find your squeamishness peculiar but it's not a hindrance." he said. "At this time."

Fabian Cortez has posed:
"Good think I asked then. I'm not offering such violence, I just want to know where your line is." Awe, and there comes the problem of split loyalties. Fabian's eyes narrow at the words, 'I can care less for Mutants', but he doesn't make any move to interrupt. He nods once at the explanation, a wave of his cigar mildly dismissive, "I'm willing to be open about who my people are, simply members of my organization looking to settle down in the states once religious protections are in place for them."

The bonus of being an open mutant is that Trevor's words would be easy to confirm, if Dr. Phosphorus was not already aware of what Fabian does. Still, there is the faintest of bristles at his abilities being potentially questioned. This is soothed almost as quickly, the flicker gone the moment it was there, clearly Cortez is an instrument that Fitzroy knows how to play and Fabian doesn't need to voice his opinions on the matter at hand.

"When you are fully set-up and running, what is your end-goal?"

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
The skeleton chuckles. It's more like a death rattle when some smoke catches in his throat. "Squeamish? Hardly. My objections are business related. When it is in my interests, I can get my hands dirty. Ask anyone who did time in Belle Reve. The first man to try to shank me in the showers I flash fried. the screws weren't as good at neutralizing my touch as they thought. Oh, thank you, Trevor. I needed a good chuckle. Here's a tip, you want to know about me... do a search for back issues of the Gotham Gazette. A lot of crime reporting doesn't get out of Gotham and Bludhaven. You let me know when you feel hindered... my door is always open." Phosphorus leans towards Fitzroy to finish speaking that last. The cigarette is done. It vanishes in a puff of smoke. He draws another. "My final goal? Maybe an island somewhere. Meanwhile, having a place where people will accept me... no kiss my bony ass. That takes money and power. Meanwhile, let me say, I don't disrespect you or your cause, Mr. Cortez. I just don't embrace it. If we do business, I will certainly help you and yours and provide any agreed upon services. I will deliver on a job."

Trevor Fitzroy has posed:
Trevor was raised in an environment where the idea of a good time was shanking Mammon and taking his place as the God of the Almighty Dollar. The profit motive - and the often-twin-to-it desire for respect is something he knew well.

At least in the here-and-now they didn't have multi-story murder machines to keep the game at a fever pitch.

"I think we understand you, Phosphorous." he said flatly. "The pursuit of money and power, these we both understood. Fabian and I just have some higher-order concerns and while I do not speak for Don Cortez I do believe he'd agree that what you propose would make an excellent foundation towards the larger ideal." he said.

"If we are to be upstarts in the world of respect and finance, let us be ... Upstarts."

Fabian Cortez has posed:
"I'm happy to offer the same to you. While Trevor is doesn't have the history, much of mine can be found. I'd recommend you start reading Brotherhood around 2010 and Genosha in 2020. I've been quiet the past few years. Civil servant and all" The words are easy, offered with a shrug as Fabian put the butt of his cigar down.

That he's going to put some work into learning about this new ally in both this rendition and the apparent inferior human-life is filed away for later. He had hands who would be able to dig up whatever they wanted to know, and would likely be pleased to hear that this Dr. Phosphorus person was going to be worth the effort.

He will nod in agreement with Trevor's words, standing and walking behind the other mutant, leaning over and gently taking the un-smoked cigarette from him. A very genuine smile to Fitzroy at the action which will be turned to the Doctor as he takes a drag on the cigarette, leaning against the back of Fitzroy's chair, "Welcome to the club Dr. Phosphorus, I think we would be delighted to work with you. I'll wire start-up as soon as we are done here. I look forward what the future holds."

Dr. Phosphorus has posed:
Dr. Phosphorus says, "I'm smiling benignly. Take my word for it. Very good. I'll secure accommodations as soon as possible. I will notify you when we're ready to start up. It will be a pleasure to work with you both, and anyone else you might send my way. A liaison would be an excellent start. I suggest we jointly interview candidates. First I'm going to hire some cannon fodder... thugs... mooks for day to day business. I still have ties in Gotham for that."

Dr. Phosphorus goes to a counter on the side and pops a bottle of champagne. Plainly celebration is in order.