9/20 Instance: Update the Insurance Policy

[Svartfreja]

Shortly after [Instance]Uninvited Guest.


<Shaw> Once he was fairly certain Yukio would follow the lackey to the exit without further incident, he leaned against a wall and ran his hand through his hair. The day had taken a strange turn and, while he was pleased his assassin had completed her task, he also knew this was simply the beginning of a new phase of a long plan.

<Shaw> Sebastian watched Sarkissian's minions bustle through the halls, tracing his tongue over his teeth as he thought about his options - and his next move. It wasn't one he could make alone.

<Jessica> Jess frowned at the mess of broken electronic equipment at her feet and wondered whether she had to clean it up now.

<Viper> Viper looked up from her work, "Feel better?"

<Shaw> He focused on his link with Jessica, though he didn't delve too deeply beyond her frustration, and followed it down the hall to find her.

<Jessica> Jess nodded, glancing over at her, "Actually... yeah. Got any more things you need smashing to bits?"

<Viper> "Break anything you want to in that corner, except that one under the sheet." Viper offered a smile and went back to her work while Jess started breaking the rest of the poorly functioning items.

<Shaw> She was frustrated, and violent. He sighed, realizing by the direction he was heading she was also apparently with Sarkissian and not Farnsworth. A pity, that. He would have preferred spiders.

<Jessica> "So what's under the sheet?" Jess decided to ask while she destroyed things.

<Viper> "A personal project that isn't quite ready for unveiling," Viper replied evasively, "But, when it is finished, I will show you... it does concern you in some small part."

<Shaw> Arriving at the lab, he paused outside the door and ran his hand through his hair again to settle it. Likely, Sarkissian knew he was there, and Jess would, too, if she was paying attention. So, he didn't bother with knocking and just went in, his attention immediately drawn to the debris.

<Viper> Viper glanced up at him, "Ah, should I leave you two alone?"

<Jessica> Jess dropped her latest victim and looked between Sebastian and Viper giving a helpless shrug.

<Shaw> "I would like to speak to my wife, but if you would prefer not, Jessica, I can occupy myself elsewhere."

<Jessica> "You can talk to me while she's in the room, you know." Jess pointed out with a frown, he was not doing himself any favours.

<Shaw> "I was talking to both of you," he said, crossing his arms and looking from Viper to Jessica.

<Viper> Viper raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure that's not up to me. I can hardly stop you talking to someone that is right in front of you."

<Jessica> Jess went back to smashing things.

<Shaw> Sebastian watched her for a moment, looked back at Sarkissian, then turned around and walked back out of the lab.

<Jessica> Jess rolled her eyes, throwing something so hard at the wall that it embedded in the plaster. She glared at it, "I'll get that later...." then she turned and followed Sebastian out of the door.

<Shaw> In the hall outside, he was attempting to calm his temper when he heard the hard thump and swore. Turning, he saw her and cut himself off.

<Jessica> "Are you just trying to get to me today or what? Because you're doing great." Jess folded her arms across her chest.

<Shaw> "I wasn't trying to do anything today, point of fact." He took up pacing a short circuit in the hall, his own arms crossed. "I didn't ask Shingen to come here."

<Jessica> "No but you do have control over your actions and the things you say or the way you choose to take things other people do or say. Right?" She cocked her head on one side, both eyebrows raised in challenge. "Because there was no need for that just now."

<Shaw> He kept up his pacing, but looked up at her sharply.

<Jessica> "If you're not going to talk why did you come all the way over here anyway?"

<Shaw> He made a full turn of the short hall, counting to ten in at least three languages before he responded. "I did come here to talk, yes."

<Jessica> "Then talk. What is so hard? Why do you keep acting like you have to ask Viper for permission? Or like she's going to bite your face off for wanting to maybe talk to me in private?"

<Shaw> "I wasn't asking that woman for anything - you left and when I find you, you're smashing electronics to pieces." Un, deux, trois, quatre...

<Jessica> "It's therapeutic! And she wanted that stuff broken to pieces anyway." She pushed a hand through her hair, "I'm frustrated, Sebastian. Do you think I enjoy being stuck inside all the time and all this safety crap? I hate it. I hated it when I was a kid and I'll never stop hating it so I'm going to break things and I'm going to get upset. It's the price we pay for a healthy baby."

<Shaw> "Well, it's over now, or nearly so," he said, shifting his weight but keeping his distance from her. Despite himself, he looked at her belly, swallowing and clenching his fist when he realized what he was doing.

<Jessica> "But it's not though... there's still months of this left... there's one person off the list but there's probably a whole bunch left on there that we haven't even met yet."

<Shaw> "None quite as dangerous as him, and by the end of tomorrow every member of the Lords Cardinal will know his fate."

<Jessica> Jess put her face in her hands, "It's not just them, Sebastian! It's everyone else out there that's attacked us in the last three years or before then when I wasn't even living in the real world. People hate mutants and you're not exactly unknown and we're having a baby and it's scary because we can't protect ourselves properly without hiding literally underground."

<Shaw> He sucked in a surprised breath and moved closer to her. "We can't stay here forever." The very thought was appalling. "Nor would I want to."

<Jessica> "Well we need to work something out because now that the prospect of moving back home is more than just some intangible idea in the future, I'm freaking out."

<Shaw> Eins, zwei, dri, vier, funf... "That is what I was attempting to do, but you left before we could start." He'd tried to start the sentence in a neutral tone, but had quickly lost the battle.

<Jessica> "More assassinations is not what I was getting at."

<Shaw> "Neither was I," he ground out.

<Jessica> "Well what were you getting at? You don't need to be all cryptic with me, in fact I'd rather you weren't... and I'd rather not argue in the hallway... if that's what we're doing."

<Shaw> Sebastian glanced up and down the hall and moved closer. "I didn't intend to argue at all," he said more quietly, then sighed. "And I wasn't trying to be cryptic."

<Jessica> "So can we go back inside?" She gestured to the door to the lab she'd just followed him out of.

<Shaw> "I would prefer if we were alone."

<Jessica> "What does it matter? There's security in our room anyway..." she sighed, "But if it bothers you that much... let me go pull the thing out the wall first...."

<Shaw> "While I'm beyond thrilled at the confirmation that Sarkissian observes us in bed, I think I would prefer the illusion of privacy.

<Shaw> " Frustrated again, he paced away and ran his hand through his hair.

<Jessica> "You've known there's security in there since you moved in..." she rolled her eyes and turned for the door, "I'll be right back..."

<Shaw> "There is a difference between security and spying," he muttered, following her to the door. He gave Sarkissian a glare for good measure.

<Jessica> "She's not spying. You're paranoid." Jess shook her head as she pulled the thing out of the wall and tossed it onto the pile of other broken bits.

<Shaw> His eyebrow quirked, since she had no room to criticize his mental health.

<Jessica> "Viper, tell him you're not spying on us..." she looked over at the woman who was watching them with mild curiosity.

<Viper> "I can tell him whatever you want me to but he is unlikely to believe me.... however, I am not spying on you." Unless of course they were talking about Shaw Industries.

<Shaw> "Of course." He smirked, but as his temper was still at a low boil it spiked at Viper's knowing expression. "Very well, we can do this here. The Lord Imperial was an American, but he'd lived so long in England I think even he came to believe he was a native. Gordon Phillips was ruthless enough to rise, but naive enough to believe he was infalliable. He will not be missed by most, but those who will miss him will of course continue to be a problem."

<Shaw> Sebastian looked at Jess. "Oyama Kenji still wishes me dead, and I would have had him killed as well, but unlike Phillips I do still have something of an ace up my sleeve in regards to Oyama since he does not yet know about Shinobi."

<Jessica> And that was another headache she could have done without being reminded about today. "What has he got to do with the Oyama situation?"

<Shaw> "He's my clone, but not only mine. Shinobi seems to be Essex's very own blend of my DNA and Oyama Yuriko." His eyes cut to Sarkissian as he let this tidbit slip.

<Jessica> "Right, I know... but isn't he in prison or something?" her nose wrinkled, "How is he supposed to help?"

<Viper> Viper continued to work on her project without looking up.

<Shaw> "No, he's not. He's in SHIELD custody, but he can't stand trial, because while he appears to be an adult, he isn't. As a ... created lifeform, his legal status is hazy." He licked his lips. "As of my last report, Oyama is still unaware SHIELD has a clone of his favorite granddaughter."

<Jessica> "Right... but how does the help us? I mean... we can't give him to Oyama and we can't threaten him... so what's left?" She frowned.

<Shaw> "The information alone is valuable currency," he said with a shrug. "I attempted to use it last year in Toyko, but instead Oyama thought it more entertaining to pit Yuriko against you."

<Jessica> "And I kicked her ass." Jess was still proud of herself for that one. "But I still don't get it..."

<Viper> "She is new to these kinds of dealings, Sebastian. At Hydra we are usually more direct when we don't like someone and she was raised with similar ideals. Just say what you mean to do." Viper didn't even look up.

<Shaw> He glanced at Sarkissian. "Would you send the boy's head in a box with a bow?"

<Viper> She laughed, shaking her head, "Of course not, it's not his fault he was created. I would simply kill Oyama."

<Shaw> Surprised he was in agreement with the woman, he tilted his head.

<Jessica> Jess was more confused than ever, looking between the two, "So... what are we doing?"

<Shaw> "Oyama was there," he said, turning his attention back to Jess. "When my memories were taken."

<Jessica> She wrinkled her nose, looking away at the pile of broken things again. After a long pause, she looked at him again, "Can I kick his ass?"

<Shaw> "I would be far more inclined to endorse that." Once the man was already trussed and half dead.

<Jessica> "Yay! But I want to wait til after the baby is out of me for that because apparently you shouldn't fly when you're this pregnant...." she patted the bump.

<Shaw> "Yes, most definitely after the baby is born," he said, feeling more alarm than he showed. Sebastian moved closer and despite Sarkissian's presence slid his arm around her shoulder and rested his other hand on the bump.

<Jessica> "So can we save any more revenge until after the baby too? You know... unless they start it."

<Shaw> "Yes, and that was the point to which I was trying to arrive." He pulled her closer. "I'm well known, yes, but that works to our advantage for the most part, and frankly, I have more supporters within the Hellfire Club than Oyama. I haven't been idle over the last few weeks, and neither have Monet, or Tony, or Hope, or Tanaka."

<Jessica> "Then... when we're home we should probably put in some appearances there... just so they know we're still around and together and everything."

<Shaw> "I agree." He turned his face toward hers and kissed her temple. "And I want to go home."

<Jessica> "So do I... but it might be a long time before I feel safe there..." she chewed her lip and glanced at Viper.

<Shaw> "Well, I suspect Sarkissian will keep a wary eye out for our safety," he said, giving the woman a pointed look. He didn't buy her indifferent act for a moment.

<Viper> "Naturally," Viper attached two of the items on her desk as she spoke, "I have a promise to keep."

<Jessica> That did make her feel somewhat better about things.

<Shaw> Sebastian caught Jess' chin with his fingers so she would meet his eyes and gave her a slight smile. "See? You will be safe."

<Jessica> She nodded, managing a small smile, "Okay... let's make plans to go home... it'll be nice to see everyone again."

<Shaw> His smile brightened. "I also thought to keep Yukio close. She's proven loyal and effective, and another set of eyes cannot be amiss, particularly now." Gently, he stroked her belly.

<Jessica> She nodded again, "Okay... maybe... I have to get to know her first if she's going to be hanging around..."

<Shaw> "I believe that's a good idea." Sebastian rubbed her back, watching her face. "I just need to make some calls - to my people, to Monet." He huffed a laugh. "To my maid service to get the house ready."

<Jessica> "Pfft, that's what Widget's for, dummy." She gave him a gentle shove.

<Shaw> That gave him a moment of pause, then he winced. "I suppose I should turn him back on then, yes?"

<Jessica> Jess afixed him with a horrified look, "You turned him off?!"

<Shaw> "It seemed more humane than letting him drift through the house like a ghost, but truly I, ah, merely shut down some of his higher AI functions." He cleared his throat.

<Jessica> Jess wasn't sure if that was better or worse. "But he's a person! You can't just turn his brain off!"

<Shaw> He screwed up his face. "Well, I'll turn him back on now?"

<Jessica> "Yes you will!" She smacked his shoulder, not hard because she wasn't really angry as such but she did see it as an injustice on the robot that had been her companion during a tough time.

<Shaw> "Yes," he repeated, though now he chuckled at her swat. "Ma'am," he added.