12897/Tracking down one who can't be tracked

Tracking down one who can't be tracked
Date of Scene:	26 March 2021
Location:	Bushwick (Mutant Town), Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Jeremy has been tracking an anomoly in the Mutant Town security for weeks and finally caught up with a runaway. He made him an offer and got turned down. Trust is hard to find on the streets.
Cast of Characters:	Gray, SpyderByte

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Gray has posed:
It's easy to lose track of time when you're living on your own. Oh, sure, it's pretty important to remember whether it's Monday or Wednesday or Saturday, just because then you know when the good stuff is put out for trash pickup, but the actual date? Completely irrelevant. That's probably why Gray completely forgot that yesterday was his eighteenth birthday. Congradulations, man. You are officially an adult. Which means that getting picked up for stealing or panhandling are much more serious, now... Not that this stops the scraggledy looking young man from sitting on a piece of worn cardboard up against the side of the building, out of the way of most foot traffic, with a sign reading 'Homeless. Hungry. Anything Helps.' Most of the evening crowd ignores him, though, every once in a while, someone stops to drop a handful of change into an empty paper cup in front of him or offers a buck or two. If things go this well much longer, the dark haired kid will be able to legitimately afford a hot meal at the diner!

SpyderByte has posed:
As he heads through Mutant Town, Jeremy Statton is walking with a slow, sluggish pace. The Goth is wearing a long black trench coat, black bondage pants with blue straps and chains hanging off the ends. His black hair is long and shaggy now in his face. He has on a pair of thin glasses upon his nose and what appears to be a phone strapped to his arm in a protective case.

As he passes by the young man restinga gainst the building, he slows down and tilts his chin over to stare at him, giving a few slow blinks. He studies him for a long moment, blowing some hair away from his face.

Gray has posed:
Heh. Goth boy. Gray self-conscously hunches in on himself a little, like he's trying not to be noticed. Instead, he just nudges pointedly at the cup by his knee, not even really looking up at the Goth guy, as he unconsciously pulls the backpack holding all of his worldly posessions just a little closer. He's sort of 'Goth', himself, actually, every stitch of clothing he's wearing was once black, though his jeans have started fading to a sort of yellowish-gray that is a combination of both exposure and filth.

SpyderByte has posed:
As he stares at him, Jeremy has a unemotional blank face, stoic and subdued. He just slowly blinks at him for a few moments, then glances upwards and to one of the cameras connected to the building nearby that faces the sidewalk. As he tilts his head to one side, the camera moves with him, red light blinking. Reaching to his shoulder, he slides the phone off and into his hands, then stares down at the screen as the camera view flicks on. He draws his fingers along the glass to rewind a few hours, then scrubs forward.

At times, he glances back towards Gray, then back to the phone, then furrows his brows a bit. Finally, a voice can be heard coming from the speakers. It's a soft female voice that resembles SIRI.

<< Hello. How are you doing? >>

Gray has posed:
Gray's expression is anything but unemotional. He looks cautious, wary that, whoever this guy is, he's about to grab the cup that's a third full of change and sprint off down the street. The faintest hint of a tremble starts in the panhandler's left hand as he glances up through the ragged fringe of his hair, licking his lips nervously. Looking back through the camera will find that the shaggy haired youth has been sitting here for a couple of hours, avoiding eye contact and offering a word of thanks to anyone that donates to his dinner fund, periodically dumping the money he's gathered into a pocket on the backpack he keeps one hand on at all times. He startles a little at the electronic voice, eyes widening and looking directly at the other teenager for a moment before quickly looking away, "Um... I'm okay." Just hungry, as demonstrated by the audible growl from his stomach, "Got any change?"

SpyderByte has posed:
As he gives another glance down at the phone, Jeremy studies it for a moment before he slides it back on to his arm as it locks into place. He flips one end of his jacket back, reaching behind him to pull out a wallet attached to a chain. As he flips it open, several bills can be seen as he fishes out a pair of twenties. Crumpling them, he leans forward and drops them into the cup.

<< You have been sitting here for six hours and fifteen minutes and have accumulated probably eight dollars. >>

The phone continues to speak, though his mouth doesn't move as he blows some more hair away to the side.

<< That does not seem very effective. Are you on drugs? >>

A blunt question.

Gray has posed:
"So what if I have?" Gray's voice takes on a defensive tone and he scowls, clenching his left hand into a fist to hide his shaking. His eyes widen at the sight of fourty bucks being put in his cup and he quickly snatches them out to shove into the pocket of his jeans. Better safe than sorry, "Thanks." Seriously, man. That'll get him a hot meal AND he can score a hit later! The scowl returns at the next question and he quickly shakes his head, "No, I'm not." It's been at least six and a half hours since he took anything. By now, it's probably out of his system. He's certainly not feeling it anymore, anyway! The full intensity of that silvery blue gaze falls on Jeremy, "Would you rather I go out and break someone's legs to get money? Or knock off that convenience store?" Not that he hasn't done it before, but still... "Ain't like I've got many choices here, man."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< Everyone has choices. It depends on your level of willpower and motivation. You're a mutant. >>

Jeremy is rather blunt about it all, even though the soft voice of SIRI is mechanical and robototic. There is no vocal inflection outside of how it was programmed.

<< I have now followed you around for the last thirty-six hours on my phone and downloaded every single camera feed from every angle. I have seen you disappear mutliple times in thin air. Twice when those two other homeless men were trying to steal your shoes and your money. You ran thirty yards, cut into an alley and you disappeared. >>

He runs a hand back through his black hair, his fingernails painted black. He gives another slow blink.

<< Am I right? >>

Gray has posed:
A mutant?! "W-what makes you say that?" He thought he'd been so careful not to be seen. Heh... not be seen. The irony. Gray shakes his head a little at that. He pushes himself to his feet and picks up the cup to dump the rest of the change into the appropriate pocket on his bag, eying the weird dude out of the corner of his eyes as he sticks the cup in the pocket of his thin jecket and rolls up the piece of cardboard he's been sitting on. No sense in leaving a good piece of cardboard sitting around to go to waste, after all. He freezes in place, half bent over to pick up his sign, when the last two encounters with some older thugs are described and slowly straightens, slinging one strap of the bag over one shoulder. He takes a step back, fully prepared to sprint off down the street until he can vanish, "... So what?" So what if he's a mutant?

SpyderByte has posed:
<< I'm talking to you out of my phone without touching it. You're in Mutant Town. >>

Jeremy makes a motion with his hand around the neighborhood. The chains jingle and jangle along his body with his movements.

<< If you want to earn more money and do it honestly, Club Evolution is hiring for two dishwashers. It's minimum wage but you also eat for free. The owner's name is Samuel Guthrie and he is a friend of mine. He is also a mutant. Club Evolution is a mutant dance club and bar. For mutants by mutants, but all are welcome if they come in peace. >>

The gothic kid rocks side to side on his feet a bit slowly as if he was being rocked by the lightest of breezes, playing with his fingers a bit as they wind together.

<< You have cool powers. >>

Gray has posed:
"Yeah, well..." So what? Gray has almost gotten used to the weird of people in Mutant Town. And maybe he is still just a little high, since it didn't even occur to him that the Siri-like voice was weird. He slow blinks a couple of times at the mention of a possible job, giving him a wary, confused frown, "... Thanks." Not that he'll ever get hired on anywhere legit, "Gotta have an address for that crap, though." At least for most legitimate, legal employment, "'Sides, I've tried gettin' a real job and nobody wants to hire me." Dear GOD he wants a hit right now. Anything! He blinks a couple of times at that last before looking back at the other boy, "Uh... thanks?" He gestures with his free hand to all of the Goth guy, "You, too." Apparently it's something to do with electronics? "Like the coat, by the way."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< I like my coat also. >>

Jeremy says with a smile on his face as his lips twitch upwards.

<< I can get you a real job. Only if you want to make it work. >>

He shuffles towards the side of the building and leans against it, placing his foot behind him to rest his weight.

<< Yes, I am a mutant. I am a technopath. I can link up with any networked based machine and communicate with it as if it was a person, and extract terabytes of data and digest it within seconds. >>

He tilts his head over towards him, staring unblinkingly for a few moments, then offers him a small twitch of his lips upwards. << And Sam Guthrie is my friend. >>

Gray has posed:
"Why would you do something like that, though?" Gray frowns, gripping the strap on his bag hard enough that his knuckles turn white, "You don't know me." That someone would go out of their way to help a complete stranger is just baffling. Then the explanation of what the other boy can do and there is more blinking, "Huh... That is cool." Not that the homeless kid has much experience with computers, himself, "So you can see what any security camera sees, huh?" That would be useful, actually... Teh unblinking stare has him shifting uncomfortably, somehow managing to juggle his load to scratch absently at his arm, "Your 'friend'." He closes his eyes for a moment, breath coming just a little too fast, "Thanks, but I'll pass." Nope! Not falling for THAT again.

SpyderByte has posed:
<< Yes, I can talk to them as if they were people. Machines have their own distinct personalities. >>

Jeremy gives a few curls of his fingers, then slips them into his pockets.

<< I want to help because it's the right thing to do. I know what it's like to feel like everything is stripped away and you have nothing left. Sam Guthrie is a great man and an influential leader here in Mutant Town. Club Evolution has brought a lot of joy here. >>

He tilts his head to one side.

<< You'll pass? You don't think you can wash dishes for five hours a night? >>

There is finally a blink from the passive young Goth.

<< Well, okay. Good luck. By the way, three members of the Blood Dragons are two blocks away and heading east bound. They plan on robbing the 7-11 based upon the text messages they are sending back and forth. I'm going to stop them. >>

He says as he pushes off and starts down the sidewalk.

<< Bye. >>

Gray has posed:
"Yeah, I've heard that before..." About 'friends' being 'great men' and all that crap. Gray isn't going to fall for that again, "It's too easy for people like that to make people like me disappear." He blinks at the mention of the planned robbery and clutches his stuff just a little tighter, "Uh... good luck, I guess." There's a slight pause, his voice actually sounding a little concerned for someone other than himself, "Don't get killed." And thanks for the warning, or something. He turns to go the opposite direction, slipping down the nearest ally and vanishing once he's out of sight.

SpyderByte has posed:
<< Sam Guthrie is an X-Man. >>

Jeremy's voice comes out through the phone. This time, /his/. Not SIRI's.

<< And he wouldn't make you disappear. He'd give you a paycheck. >>

He gives as glance over his shoulder for a moment, then continues on down the sidewalk. He slides his phone out of his pocket, tapping away at it before he brings it up to his ear.

<< Yes. I'm enroute. We'll make sure Miss Jenkins doesn't get robbed again. I have a plan, I'm going to execute it. Spyder Byte, out. >>