5366/Rhodey and Lytton in Brooklyn

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Rhodey and Lytton in Brooklyn
Date of Scene: 27 February 2021
Location: Empire Glassworx
Synopsis: Rhodey takes notes on Nick and Ginny's encounter with their doppelgangers.
Cast of Characters: Nick Lytton, James Rhodes




Nick Lytton has posed:
    Ultimately, thanks to Vorpal, Nick had been found in a coma in a nearby hospital, and once they stopped trying to reduce what they thought was an out of control fever, he began to recover.  The stab wound from his doppelgänger was terrible, but that was more straightforward to deal with.  He's only just started coming back to the studio, mainly because lying around his apartment recuperating was driving him up a wall.
    The report forwarded from the Titans to SHIELD was pretty complete: Nick himself is a thermokinetic who uses his power to make art glass, and has avoided superheroing (or supervillaining, for that matter).  Ginny, the office manager, is gene-normal, but that didn't stop her from beating seven kinds of Technicolor snot out of her own doppel, and then rushing back with a fire extinguisher to take out doppelNick.
    If one were to observe the studio before entering, a woman matching the description of Cinny is at the front desk; it's a little harder to see what's going on in the back.  Both agreed to be interviewed, debriefed, whatever it is that needs to be done to have all this over with and get back to normal.

James Rhodes has posed:
Not in armor today -- at least not visibly so, who knows what Tony has cooked up lately for how he carries his suit -- but rather a crisp suit and tie, with a SHIELD badge clipped to the lapel pocket of the coat, James Rhodes walks through the doors to Empire Glassworks. While he is not kitted out to know what is going on inside the studio, those familiar with SHIELD protocol would not be surprised to know there is a surveillance team that has been watching the shop for the past couple of days. He looks at some of the work for a few moments, enjoying the art that Nick has created.

After a few moments of browsing, it seems that Rhodes is ready to get to what it is that he's actually here for, he angles his approach to the woman in the front of the studio, and introduces himself, "Hi, I'm Senior Agent Rhodes, from ARMOR. You must be Ginny, right? We spoke on the phone," with a genuine smile, "I gotta say, I like the stuff on display here. Maybe after the interview I'll pick something up. That vase over there," he motions to one of the pieces, "would go great in my apartment I think."

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Ginny looks up, glass tea mug in hand, and then she sets it back down.  "Oh, hey, yeah," she says, automatically getting to her feet and coming around the counter.  There's no evidence of the fight that took place here a few weeks ago, when Ginny threw her evil twin into a wall -- 6th /dan/ black belt in judo, it turns out.  Either her doppel wasn't one herself, or if she did forgot that her twin probably did too.
    The sales professional takes over as soon as any appreciation for the work is expressed.  "Believe it or not, that's one Nick made the traditional way, with a blowpipe and tools.  He mostly works directly with his hands, but sometimes he does normal glassblowing, just to keep his chops.  I think that was a piece he did just before teaching a beginner class to refresh himself... not that he needed refreshing."  The glass has an almost liquid flow to it, sweeping upward in a gentle curve, with a spiral of color embedded in the clear glass in the sort of fresh green of a well-tended lawn.
    In the back, visible through the large window, a man matching Nick's description is working at one of the furnaces, teasing out a glob of glowing molten glass between his hands.  He must have just started whatever he's working on, because the piece has no more definition than that.
    And then she draws a breath.  "But yeah, other things first I guess.  Let me run back and get Nick for you."  When she opens the door to the back, there's an audio assault -- Nick apparently likes his music turned up to eleven.  o/` DID HE DOUBT OR DID HE TRY / ANSWERS APLENTY IN THE BYE AND B-- o/` and *BAM* goes the door, returning quiet to the lobby.
    When she returns with Nick close behind, the music has been turned off and Nick's project returned to the furnace.  It's not like he'd gotten a real start on it anyway.  "Agent Rhodes," he says, offering his hand.  "Ginny told me to expect you.  Nice to meet you."  He's friendly enough, but in a subdued way.

James Rhodes has posed:
Subdued seems to work for Rhodey. He shakes the man's hand firmly, replying, "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Lytton. I wish I were just coming by to shop, you've got some really nice work here." He then asks, "Where would you like to discuss the events that happened a couple of weeks ago?" It's not his shop, so he's more than content to let Nick and Ginny lead at this point.

Nick Lytton has posed:
    "I, uh..." Nick begins hesitantly.  "I got attacked a few days after New Years, and don't really remember anything until I woke up in the hospital.  I never even saw my other self; he stabbed me from behind.  And Vorpal had told me to keep an eye out just the day before.  I didn't figure I was worth replacing, so... yeah."
    Ginny winces at 'stabbed'.  "And I never noticed a difference because there was still a Nick here working in the studio," she puts in, filling in what Nick doesn't know.  "The only thing that was different was that he started working on a new style, but he's an artist, that happens sometimes.  We didn't find out until Vorpal came back a couple weeks later."  She picks up her mug, takes a sip.  "And while they were in the back talking, all of a sudden *I* came walking in the front door.  I mean... that just doesn't happen in real life, does it?"
    More tea.
    "And I came around the counter, and... she charged me, and I don't think I've ever seen that kind of hate in anyone's face before.  And I just... well, Tamashi-/sensei/ is a good teacher."  She glances to her right.  "I threw her into the fu... into the wall."  A really close look might reveal traces of fresh plastering there.
    More tea.  She goes quiet; Nick gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

James Rhodes has posed:
He must have some sort of listening device on him, as he doesn't make any notes of the encounters that Nick and Ginny lay out. Rhodey just nods his head along with the stories, waiting until they've said their part before he speaks up, "I hate to say it, but you Mr. Lytton are the perfect target for this sort of thing. Basically off the radar, not a major public figure, someone where small changes in their schedule or personality or whathaveyou are not deeply scrutinized, so it makes those changes harder to track against previous behavior.

He considers the man for a few moments, and then asks, "Did they leave anything behind? Electronic devices? Tools? A wallet? Notes?" He then smiles just a little bit and adds, "Or, at least, anything that hasn't been turned over to ARMOR?"

Nick Lytton has posed:
    "And I have a meta they could use in ways that I wouldn't," Nick adds.  "Ginny told me my other self attacked Vorpal.  Christ, what an idiot -- going after a professional superhero like that."  That almost gets a smile out of him.  "I mean, I'm no genius, but even I know better than that.  And then Ginny came back and let me... uh, him have it with a fire extinguisher.  I bet that hurt like hell.  I don't /do/ cold."  He glances at a window, at the February sky and the lingering snow.  "I tell you what, when I hit it big, I'm opening my own studio in Key West or Santa Fe or something.  New York may be the hub of the world, but weather-wise, it sucks."
    "Oh, no," Ginny says forcefully.  "You're not leaving us.  You try and I'll take a fire extinguisher to *you*!"  As best as possible, the threat is made affectionately.  "Anyway, I think your people collected everything when you picked up our doubles.  And I didn't find anything I didn't recognize at my apartment.  Did you, Nick?"
    The artist takes a moment to think.  "I haven't really looked, but I haven't noticed anything.  If I do, I'll let you know."  He pauses a moment, obviously considering something.  "What... what did you do with the other me?"

James Rhodes has posed:
"Yeah...I mean, no offense to you Mr. Lytton but...you don't seem the type that would hold up long against a professional regular human, let alone a superhero," Rhodes replies, adding, "It's fortunate your doppelganger isn't as smart as you or I."

At the question that Nick asks he hmms and tugs out his cellphone. He taps a couple of keys, and, well look at that: a video feed of a cell where a copy of Nick is sitting staring at the wall, "We have them in a secure location currently, awaiting some decisions about how we want to return and reintegrate them to their society. I can't speak specifically to either of your doppelgangers, but some have come around to our view of things."

He then nods a little at the claim that there weren't any objects left from the two body doubles. He asks, "Anything else you can think of that would be of use to ARMOR? If not, I'll get out of your hair and let you both get on with your day."

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Ginny shakes her head.  "I just want this over with."
    Nick takes longer to reply.  He's clearly considering something.  "Look, I -- I -- hell."  He reaches around behind the counter, and rummages out a business card-sized rectangle of glass, and then pulls a metal stylus out of his pocket... and then writes his name and two phone numbers on the glass.  Now *there* is a memorable business card!  By the time he hands it over, it's cool to the touch.  "Look, I, I, I've spent my whole life trying to stay the hell out of the whole supers thing.  Maybe I was wrong.  If SHIELD or ARMOR ever needs any custom or special glasswork, laboratory glass, weird stuff no one else can do, let me know.  I'll be glad to help out.  I'm never putting Spandex on, but God damn it, I should do something for the good guys, more than just that fundraiser last year."
    Ginny stares at Nick -- she had no idea he was going to do that.

James Rhodes has posed:
"You and me both," Rhodey replies to Ginny, before he takes Nick's card, and then slides it into his coat pocket, "We will probably take you up on that. There are a /lot/ of scientists doing some real mad scientist stuff in SHIELD and ARMOR. They probably need all sorts of weird specific things I have no idea about, but they can't find anywhere. I'll pass that along. And, if either of you hear or run into any sort of...strange activity, you know where to find us. We are always happy to help." And with that, the man pulls out his wallet, and motions to the piece he was looking at earlier, "Now, about that vase..."