10172/Good Behavior

Good Behavior
Date of Scene:	24 November 2019
Location:	Undisclosed maximum security prison
Synopsis:	Robert Callaghan is presented with an opportunity to reduce his sentence by engaging in vaguely defined and potentially questionable activities for the US government. He accepts.
Cast of Characters:	Rick Flag, Yokai (Callaghan)

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Rick Flag has posed:
The panel in the door creaks open, and a tray lazily assembled with the day's rations is tossed in the cell, clattering when it hits the floor, bits of food splattering about.

Here in the solitary block, the passage of time is only counted--or at least punctuated--by these non-encounters. The guards' interest in making their distaste with the inmates in the block has long since faded.

That's why it might seem strange that the guard on meal duty remains in front of the door, rapping with a knuckle on the thick window panel.

"Eat up. You got a visitor today. If you're hunger striking in there, you'll pay for it."

Then the guard moves on.

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    It's certainly strange enough to catch the prisoner's attention, who had been laying on his bunk with his hands folded across his chest as he stared up at the ceiling. The meal tray hardly disturbs him, other than adding time to his mental count- the rapping, however, does. Considering how few he's gotten, period...
    Robert Callaghan pushes himself up to a sitting position, frowning as he runs a hand through his grey hair. "A visitor?" he repeats, but the guard has by now moved on. Still wearing the frown, he finishes the tray quickly enough, makes a halfhearted attempt at making himself presentable - unlike some of the prisoners who are here for breaking the rules, he's essentially been a model inmate and as such has been allowed a few privileges - and makes a small mark on some paper to note the passage of time. All the while considering what news stories he's seen lately; nothing in particular comes to mind that would cause a certain someone to visit, which leaves him rather baffled as to whom this could be.

Rick Flag has posed:
The guards wait a considerable amount of time before coming to retrieve Callaghan, but a trio eventually does arrive--one with a set of wrist, waist, and ankle shackles and two escorts with stun batons.

"Back it up, inmate," the one with shackles says, a smirk on his face as if challenging the prisoner to protest.

When everything is secured, the escorts lead Callaghan through a labyrinthine series of corridors and gates before arriving at a small interview room furnished only with a table, to which the shackles can be attached, and two chairs.

Seated in one of those chairs is a man, who looks through a dossier before the guards open the door. He looks up and clears his throat. "I hope you don't mind the interruption of your regular schedule. Hope I didn't pull you away from anything fun." The man pauses on the last word, the corners of his mouth rising slightly to indicate the joke.

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    The rough handling gets nothing but an arched brow and a very mild look. It's not that he doesn't care about the treatment - there's a tension in Robert's shoulders that betray an annoyance - but he's well aware of the situation. Even if he did have a reason to give them trouble, it wouldn't do much, and ultimately? It's not worth the effort needed. So he walks with them calmly, sharp mind tracking their movements out of boredom more out of an interest in escaping. And while his mind may not have perfect recall, the man's been practically starved for new things, lately; anything that breaks the monotony is practically devoured.
    As such, when he arrives? His eyes immediately take in the new figure, noting as many details as he can in a single look before he glances briefly at the guards. "Not at all - they're bad at gossip," he drawls before looking back. "Is there something I can help you with, Mister...?" The questioning tone makes it clear he's waiting for some sort of introduction, or even correction on title.

Rick Flag has posed:
"Yeah, I hear that," the man says, flipping back and forth between a couple of dossier pages. "You all can leave us be. It's fine. Robert and I aren't going to get in a tussle, are we? You don't mind if I call you Robert, I hope."

As the guards shuffle out of the room, securing the door behind them, the man puts the dossier on the table. "Robert, here's the thing. I have a proposition for you. I recommend you hear me out and weigh your options before giving your answer."

"I know what you're initially thinking, too: what kind of $#&% is this who won't even give me his name?" The man nods. "But, honestly, it doesn't matter. Right now, I'm working basically as a puppet. You would be, too. But it would be better than rotting away here ... or however it is you look at it. So, want to hear me out? Or should I go to hell?"

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    There's a slight narrowing of eyes. Interesting. The ex-professor leans back slightly, not giving the guards another look, attention fully focused on the man in front of him. It's clear he's got a few thoughts going through his head, and only so many of them good.
    "I'm listening." That's all he can really promise at the moment. The idea of working as a puppet clearly sits ill with him, but if nothing else, this is a break from the solitary routine. Which means that if he can at least stretch it out...

Rick Flag has posed:
Waiting for a moment as though Callaghan might say more, the man nods again and leans back in his chair, arms stretched out so his palms lie flat against the table surface.

"Alright," he says. "It looks like you'll be here a while. A long while. And even if the guards aren't making you /despise/ each day, there's not much promise for improvement--hell, even for change."

The man sighs. "I bet this visit's probably the most exciting thing to happen in ... weeks? Maybe months?" He drums the fingers of one hand on the table. "But that can change. I can--" he chuckles softly, "--I'm authorized to offer you the chance to reduce your sentence /and/ to change up your surroundings. Get out of this hellhole."

"Into another, sure," he adds, shrugging slightly. "But you get to interact with more interesting people. And to serve your country. You do some work for Uncle Sam ... and you can go home that much sooner."

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    He's not wrong. Robert tilts his head slightly as if to acknowledge the truth in his words, but his face is hard to read. He's studying the other, that's for sure - and not quite like a teacher would a student who's giving a speech. There's no real malice in it, per se, but there's certainly an intensity behind those eyes in an otherwise mild face.
    "Government work," he says after a moment. However true that is, that's how it's being parsed. "What's the catch?" Because it's clear that he's not completely sold on it, though he doesn't seem like he's about to tell the guy to go to hell, either. Just that he's well aware there's information he doesn't yet have...
    ...even if the thought of getting out of here and going home is so very tempting on his own. Legally, no less, if what his companion is saying is true.

Rick Flag has posed:
The man offers a long, slow exhale before replying. "Well," he says in a measured tone, "the first catch is that you've got to deal with some other criminals. Ones who aren't all quite so ... civilized? considerate? human? as you and me."

He shifts forward a bit in his seat. "You'd also have to spend your down time in a cell like you do now. You're only going to breathe freely when on the job. But not exactly."

"To ensure that you'll do that job--and not try to run off or compromise the mission or retaliate against the boss--you'll be fitted with a device. This device has the potential to incapacitate you temporarily ... or permanently."

The man clears his throat. "It often stinks. The urge to go AWOL will be high. The missions--well, they usually feel suicidal. But if you really want a way out of all /this/ ... it's your best bet."

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    More puzzle pieces. Robert half-closes his eyes, pressing his lips togeher in thought as he digests that. It is...by far, not an ideal offer. Working with...well, no use beating around the bush, other criminals - and he's certainly familiar with some by the news, though he never thought he'd play a stint as one himself. That's one question taken care of. And a device- honestly, he's not overly worried about that, he's quite convinced he can handle that no matter the design, thank you.
    "What can you tell me about the missions." He's not so naive to think that every action Uncle Sam takes is the sort he agrees with. Though he can't help but wonder if that's really a factor.

Rick Flag has posed:
"Mm," the man intones, nodding. "I can't say a whole lot before you agree. It's not the kind of deal most people would agree to if they knew all the details--and you /won't/ get the chance to opt out of any missions that you're tapped for."

He leans forward onto his elbows, crossing his arms on the table. "I've deposed dictators. I've ... procured important assets. Protected important assets. Avoided atrocity." He shakes his head. "It's not pretty work, and definitely not the kind of work that would ever get you in the front door of the Hall of Justice. But it's important work. It's necessary work. And sometimes it takes extortion--or something like it--for that work to succeed."

The man's watch beeps, and he turns it off. "Time's just about up," he says. "You have some time to think about it, but I need your answer before I leave this room."

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    The mention of the Hall of Justice gets a light snort and a wave of the hand. Seems Robert has no illusions about that, at least, and the man volunteers another answer to a question before he asks it. A couple, actually, which suits him fine. He reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose, and sighs.
    "There's no thinking about it. You knew what I'd say the moment I stepped in to this room." It's a far accusation, but the look he's giving the other man dares him to say otherwise. "I just have one more question - if you're so used to working with people less 'civilized', then why're you reaching out to /me/?"

Rick Flag has posed:
The man pauses at Callaghan's question as he collects his dossier, and he smiles. "It's said that 'when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' It's also accurate that, when all you have is a hammer, you're only able to deal with nails."

The man extends his right hand for a shake. "There's more than nails out there, and we have enough hammers as it is. I'm Colonel Rick Flag." He waves his left hand in a gesture to one of the guards outside. "We'll get you moved shortly into your new quarters. Welcome to the squad."

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    It's enough of an answer for Robert, it seems, who nods. And while what trace of a smile on his own face seems more wry than heartened, he at least takes that hand with his own, shackled as it may be. "I'd say I'm looking forwards to working with you, but if I can be blunt, I'm not looking forwards to any of this." Definitely wry - and maybe, just maybe, with a trace of humor. There's no implication he's about to take back his decision, but apparently, he's been told enough to treat it with what it deserves.
    "You realize I'm going to need some things to work with, Colonel." An offhand comment, but also a probing one. He's not exactly one of those people with supernatural abilities.

Rick Flag has posed:
Flag nods and approaches the door. "Of course. I'd expect nothing less. Just be prepared to have a /lot/ of oversight about anything you claim to need. Start putting a list together in your head, and we'll get it in the system when you're being moved."

He opens the door and begins to step into the hallway. "Get whatever rest you can, because it's definitely going to be ... something else. We'll have things prepared for that transition, too. A new world of possibility awaits."

Flag departs, and the trio of guards enter to prepare for Callaghan's return to his cell.

Yokai (Callaghan) has posed:
    A nod. "Can't be any worse than replacing equipment at the institute," he drawls, at least feeling optimistic enough to make a quip. And really, that was all a trial in itself. Surely justifying some basic tools will be easy compared to such.
    Or at least that's what he's telling himself. He's telling himself quite a few things, really, as Flag leaves, chief of which is the reason he'd sign up for any sort of mission involving people described as less 'human'. Something that feels suicidal. But his lips are turned in to the grimmest of smiles as he addresses his guards; "I only need one thing."
    And that is the picture of his daughter hanging in his cell.