"The Metropolis Story..."
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, . You might want to take a gander at the Cicelyverse page to get a handle on the Cicely Addams material...
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: Poet/Champion turned reporter/Champion (the vampire thing was involuntary) for the second least respectable news organization in Metropolis, William Soames Walthrop is assigned the job of uncovering the mysterious silence of a famed, deceased silent film star of the great film inspired by the greatest city on Earth. Both the other reporter/Champion and other reporter/seedy investigator of things mysterious in town hate his guts.
Part VI...
INS, Noon...
A somewhat unusual hour for the brightest star of the INS firmament, William Soames Walthrop, but given their departure time for London and the need to settle all final arrangements, he'd decided it was a necessity. Besides, he wouldn't be out and about at night tonight, probing the dark alleyways of Metropolis to sound and scour the city's underbelly, he noted to Margaret, carefully adjusting dark glasses as a staff member opened blinds at her desk. Carefully stepping behind her desk and pulling at his gloves...
A...uh...Slight accident in his apartment the other night...Doctor wants him to keep them till the burns heal in a week or so...
Just hope I put enough of this special sunblock on. It's worked every time so far but Wolfram-Hart has a nasty way of building special surprises into the little gifts it bestows on its underworld clients. And I doubt Angel has the QC science staff left to check every item they left behind out thoroughly...
An eager Margaret bubbling at her desk...London, Berlin...My goodness...Even Geneva. She'd never thought a chance like this would come her way, at least at INS. If only she could find a few documents or photos back at her place to bring for reference in tracking her family down while in England. There surely must be a few cousins, etc left...
And of course, she happily noted...Only the slightest hint of coyness in her glance at the object of her affection...A wonderful chance to travel with her two favorite men...Coworkers.
"Well, no one deserves it more, sweetheart." he smiled at her.
Probably wouldn't do harm at that to help her find a few relations. Stability and all that... And the Waverlys must still have a few branches Angelus or Dru didn't track down and rend limb from limb. Angel could provide any covering docs needed.
Assuming this gunk works and I can move about to any extent by day. He winced as another window blind was raised, jumping as the whole rotted thing came loose at the staffer's pull, leaving the window wide and sunlight flooding in...
"Will?" Margaret came out of the clouds to regard his stricken face. Gloved hands instinctively raised...
"Anything wrong...?" Kolchak, coming out of his office, peering at the two.
"Not used to the daylight from all the night hours." Margaret nodded sagely at Will who sheepishly felt his unburned face.
Ok...No need for a mad dash to the decrepit washroom...
"I guess so..." he shrugged, smiling. "But I'll readapt quickly. It's my nature..."
"I hope so..." Margaret, sternly but eyes twinkling. "I'll need a chaperone around town. And Karl doesn't like museums and such...Oh, Karl..." she happily picked up the tickets on her desk. "These just came in." she handed them to him.
"Great...So we're set to go to the airport by three? You two have your luggage?"
"Packed, repacked, packed again..." Margaret sighed. "William though has practically nothing..." she frowned at the small travel bag by his desk.
"The hallmark of a good reporter...Travel light, pray there's an iron in your room if you have to chase someone down at a ritzy establishment." Kolchak nodded approvingly. "Mine is even smaller..."
"You two..." she shook her head.
"But when milady needs an escort to the ball, we will be ready, eh, Will?"
So long as Angel continues to barely keep O'Connor-Wolfram-Hart afloat to pay the bills, yeah... William nodded, smiling.
"I still can't believe these are first class." Margaret shook her head at the tickets.
"INS has its priorities in the right place..." Kolchak, sagely. Glancing over to where Tony Vincenzo, standing by his office door, was in turn eyeing him.
"His Master's glare...A moment, kids..." Karl patted Margaret on the shoulder and headed over.
"Don Vincenzo, what can I do for you?" he addressed Tony. Vincenzo waving him into his office, smiling benignly at Margaret and Will.
"You could turn those tickets in for coach and donate the proceeds to INS." Vincenzo, low voice, sourly. Closing door...
"If Connor wants to make his cousin happy, it's his business, to your considerable profit."
"Fine...Ok, have you two got a plan?"
"Hit London, determine what we can there, hit Berlin. Maybe try the Lang estate and any of Ms. Helm's German relations if we can. Then Geneva and to the ancestral stomping grounds..."
"Good...But remember..." Vincenzo frowned. "I want my star reporter back intact. Once all's blown over there's a million stories just waiting in the underground for the taking..."
"Stories I put you on to, lets remember that Don Vincenzo." Kolchak frowned.
"Sure, sure...You boys make a great team. And I want both of you back and on the job asap here. So do what you can but don't take any unnecessary risks...Meaning...No crazy risks for some crazy story, ok?"
"I'm touched Tony. And I understand. After all, we wouldn't want that golden river from LA to suddenly dam up. I understand it's just about the only thing keeping us up now..."
"Just get him back in one piece, Karl...Ok?"
"He'd dissolve, not break, Tony..."
"I didn't hear that..." Vincenzo insisted. "You remember our agreement. So long as he does his job and keeps out of trouble. As in mass murder, anyway...I don't want to know."
"Your compassion for the victimized is limitless, my Don. As is your capacity for spicy Italian..."
"Get out...Bring me that story...And Walthrop back safe. And show the kid a nice time..."
"Why Tony Vincenzo..." Kolchak grinned.
"What? She's a nice girl. The rest I don't want to know. Treat her like that or you'll lose that new office."
"Goodbye, Tony..."
....
While there's something to be said for being able once to sit quietly in a coffee shop and watch Lois at work, Kent thought, sipping coffee in the little café across from the rather less than magnificent edifice of the grubby office building in which INS currently resided.
This could be a long wait, given what I know about Walthrop's nature. Even if Lois had established that the "man"(?) had left home and shown at work at a surprisingly early hour for him.
"My sources...You don't need to know more..." she, still in hotdog vendor garb had hissed to him at his questioning stare when she'd insisted they'd need to head over to INS earlier than planned.
I don't need to know more? I'm supposed to be running this operation...
"Mr. Kent?" young Jimmy across the table, in for "consultation" as to his work on following the alien possession story to its conclusion. Consultation as in "what the heck do I do, Mr. Kent?"
"Hmmn...Oh, sorry, Jimmy. Well, I want you to keep close by the hospital, get any information on the nature of the creatures you can from the staff. I mean people like the nurses, orderlies, techs...Folks who may have seen something not reported to the public. And of course be ready to get a statement and photos if either or both of the ladies come out of their comas. And if they do, call me..."
Especially if they turn out still possessed and insist an alien battle fleet is enroute to Earth...
"You know how to do this...You're a fine leg man." He beamed at Jimmy who returned the smile.
"Thanks, Mr. Kent. I'll do my best. Are things goin' ok over here?"
"No action so far if that's what you mean, Jim. I think you really have the choice assignment on this one..."
"Well, I'll be on my way, sir. Thanks again, Mr. Kent."
"No problems, Jim...Jim?"
"Sir?"
"Camera?" Kent pointed to Olsen's camera on the table...
"Oh, golly...Sorry, Mr. Kent."
"Just call in to me at four, Jim. And any time you think you need to..."
"Thanks...Give my best to Ms. Lane." Olsen scooped up his camera and headed out.
Probably does have the better assignment at that, Kent sighed to himself, scanning the INS building. Well, the building they occupied two floors of...
I suppose though, really, I should give Walthrop more of a break. The man...Unman...Is a hero, after all. World-saving league...
Even if all too well aware of...Hmmn...
More activity than I thought, soon than I thought. He eyed the office tower, his super and X-ray vision allowing him to see into the lobby where INS famed reporter and new minted assistant editor Karl Kolchak and his protégé, Walthrop, along with a rather sweet-looking young brunette...All carrying bags, Walthrop a bit loaded with them...Stood, chatting.
Looks like they're heading somewhere...I wonder if Walthrop's bound for his stomping and former killing grounds in California?
Well, a chance to really use my expense account...
Best to get in position and alert Lois. He stood up, leaving some money for his coffee, and headed out quickly. Crossing the busy thoroughfare quickly, he was upon Lois as she tended to a customer who wanted to know why she didn't understand the concept of double relish...
"I gave you double relish, pal." she told the man. Eh, the man groused at her, stalking off. Eyeing the tall fellow with glasses who'd come their way and was now giving him a rather startlingly stern look..
"Lois?" Kent addressed the "middle-aged" hotdog vendor. She glaring after her patron...
"What?" she hissed. "Are you out of your mind? Don't use my real name..."
"I think Walthrop and Kolchak are going somewhere. They're headed out..."
"What?" she stared. Looking round...No sign of them...
"How would you know that?"
"I've my own sources...Can't go further, you understand..." arch look.
"Uh-huh...So where are they headed?"
Stare...
"Well, that I don't know. I guess they're keeping it a secret..."
"Uh-huh..." sour stare.
"Look, there they are..." he hissed.
"For God's sakes don't point them out to me..." harsh whisper. "I'm supposed to be a hot dog lady. Let's go..." she put cover over her boiling pan. Waved to a man seated on a beach nearby and eyed Kent.
"Well? I'm following you, fishbait. Better make for the subway..."
"Actually, Lois...I think they're taking a cab."
Kent unable to repress a slightly smug smile as they raced for a cab in pursuit. Avoiding Lois' glare...The cabbie eyeing them as they got in.
"I'm with him...You gotta problem?" Lois frowned at the driver regarding her.
"Do I ever, Ms. Lane?" the driver sighed. "Hiya, Mr. Kent...I suppose you want me to follow someone?"
"Hello Jamal. Yes, please...That blue and white just pulling out..." Kent pointed.
"It's only that he's driven us before." he noted to Lois' annoyed yet clearly crestfallen face. "It's a great disguise, right Jamal?"
"Aces, Mr. Kent."