capeandcowl | 032 → Voice

Well, it's funny how quickly time flies when you're having fun, isn't it? [ Oh there's so much sarcasm there. He's had such a great week. Actually, there's a pretty annoyed edge to his tone. ]

I want to thank eveyrone who's stayed calm over the past week and a half. The way the community's pulled together has been really inspiring. I know I can't speak on a national scale, or even a state-wide scale [ :( ] but I can assure you that as a city, we're going to make sure that we have procedures in place, and that we can do everything we can to ensure both the safety of both the natives, and you. If anyone has any suggestions, my brand new communicator's on, and my door's open, so I'd be happy to entertain any ideas.

That being said, please remember that the authorities are out there to help you, and if you suspect something shitty's going down, I'd encourage you to report it to the people you trust the most, as well as the police.

[ A small pause. He taps a pen on the table. ]

Stay safe out there, and let's pray we're overreacting.

[ ENCRYPTED TO JAMES BOND ]

The song from the fucking bodyguard, you shithead?

[ /End encryption ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, I figured that part out. We need to be careful, Jack. I want check-ins for the cops, and I want any suspicious behavior investigated.

Already working on it. I've been putting some new protocols in place, they're supposed to make it harder for officers to be abducted. This isn't the first time we've had to deal with a threat like this. [Jack's thinking about the brainwashing scheme from 2010, about Yusuke shooting Elisa and the station almost being blown up by Jaime Sommers. He can only hope that this won't get as bad.]

Ordinarily I'd suggest some kind of password system, to tell who we can trust. But they're supposed to imitate memories too.

Shit. We're going to have to do everything we can, Jack. I don't know if it'll be enough, but we need to make sure we look at every avenue. If this is going to get as bad as they say, I don't want us to have left any possibilities unexplored.

I agree. I know we don't want to start a panice, but we also need to start thinking about worst-case scenarios. Things beyond what everyone's already worried about.

She-Hulk said there's no guarantee the Skrulls would just target the City. Whatever's happening here, it could be happening in other places too, right now. [Welcome to paranoia world, population Jack]

[ A PAUSE. Oh Jack, he knows how you feel. ]

Jack, I don't think it's a good idea to let them in on the idea that they could be replacing anyone. That's just a recipe for disaster! It's like a fucking golden ticket in DC to let loose.

[JACK'S TURN TO PAUSE]

Sir, I know we can't trust the federal government in this world, not while they're backing Vulcanus. But these creatures could be aiming to subvert the President as we speak. Can we really afford to do nothing? We should at least be able to warn them.

[ There's a distinct frown in his voice. ]

I will. I just want to word this carefully. I don't want them getting a whiff of this and working themselves into a fucking hysteria. There are ways to do this right.

[Deep breath]

All right. I understand.

We might also want to go over the chain of command around here, in case they do manage to get the people in charge. [But that information becomes more dangerous the more it's shared. Jack doesn't say it, but he's thinking it: in the wrong hands, a chain of command is a target list.]

I agree, but I think we need to keep it hidden. Obviously, after me, it's Edward. I'm sure that's pretty fucking obvious, beyond that, I'm going to keep it locked. Certain people will have the code [ Including Jack ] and if it's disturbed, I'll know.

Sounds good. For the police, it goes the Commissioner, then me, then Sergeant Victoria. And frankly, any Skrull that manages to get the drop on Seras deserves to kill us all.

There's something else we might be able to try if things get worse. If we convince them that we have a way of detecting them, there's a chance they could panic and come after whatever they think will expose them. We could set a trap.

Interesting.

Shit, that's very interesting. Do we have anyone who could build something like that?

We would just need to make it look like the real thing. The police have a few tech people we can call to make a mock-up. Then we post something on the Network that looks like a Skrull being revealed. We use an illusionist or a shapeshifter, tell everyone we've got a way to expose them all. And then we make sure the location gets leaked.

It's a long shot, but if it gets them to come at us instead of us chasing after them, it could be worth the risk.

If they'll go after it, it's worth the trouble. Make sure the shapeshifter is someone you can trust, and make sure they keep their head down until this is all over after this. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of help they've done for the City.

Understood. I'll take care of it. [He doesn't trust-trust the force's shapeshifter, but he's got options]

Let me know if you notice anything suspicious around City Hall. Native employees as well as Imports. I'll keep you updated on things around the station. [As long as he's sure Mitch isn't one of them that is.]

Please do, Jack. I'll keep you updated on City Hall as best I can.

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