14995/What Lies beneath

What Lies beneath
Date of Scene:	26 April 2023
Location:	St. Mary's Clinic - Queens
Synopsis:	So there is a threat that would be right up Sigourney Weaver's alley. There's consultation to a degree and some observations made regarding Lucifer's feathers.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Phantasm (Drago), Lucifer

---

Sinister has posed:
It is a wet and overcast April day out there in the world. The rain hammers on windowpanes, makes people nostaligic - bringing back sweet memories, etcetera. It also drives anyone that dislikes the wet, the cool and the damp, indoors.

But rainy days are also days when you get on with things you've been working on, without the distraction of sunshine and other activities and let it not be said that there is idleness in hands that are used to work. Doctor Essex rarely just sits on his hands and does nothing and when he does it's usually to a purpose.

Someone asked him what he's been up to and some of that is another matter, but some?

So, a text got sent out with a 'status update on the Arm of Doom from Central park - meet at St Mary's in Queens.'

The place is a former mission, an old church and grounds that was converted to a 24 hour walk in clinic and small outreach program serving the community. People come, people go, they walk in, they walk out. It's reasonably well stocked, but it's always the underprivaleged that walk through the door. Discreet as it may be, there's a small Diamond and 'EC' etched just under the roof lintel at the front door. Nothing ostentatious, but Sinister has his hands in a lot of pies. In a lot of places. All over the world. This particular place seems even to be doing good in the community, for a shocker.

But where it might be all normal and busy and full of human beings, 24/7 to protect against random acts of violence perhaps (Think of the children. Think of the elderly pensioners! Think of the underserved minorities!) beneath is accessed through the managers offices and through a retinal scan and key code lock. There is a lab 'neath, perhaps. It's here Sin waits, dressed and looking like a middle-aged, harrangued and fatigued GP. He glances at the clock.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
It appears that Lucifer and Sinister have more in common than where th-

Let's back that up.

It appears that Lucifer and Sinister have one more thing in common. And that is the ability to send confusing text messages.

Annnnd that is how Nick ended up at St. Mary's in Queens.

Or at least in the upstairs lobby, glancing around to those hanging out up there and then to the desk.

Ok when someone says meet at St. Mary's, doesn't that mean the person sending the invite should be visibly present?

Nick glances to a clock. Is he early?

...More to the point, what's considered just on time?

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is fashionably late. Which means he's right on time. It also means he's entered the building -after- Nick and therefore spies the man and gives him a smile. "Ah. Nick. Figured you would show up for this...I don't know if anyone else will though." He stops by Nick's side and then gestures. "Please. Follow me."

Lucifer knows, because it's Lucifer and he knows shit. Maybe not where ALL of Sinister's labs are (the man has so many) but at least this one and a couple others. "So, what do you think this is about? Honestly sometimes even as powerful as my mind is, I get lost in all the things Sinister can be doing...so I almost feel blind walking into this." Admitting that much while leading the man around this corner, down this hallway, through this bypass...no no, this way not that...and then down this hidden set of stairs into a room that likely smells of clean and sterile.

Sinister has posed:
It does indeed, smell of such things. There's a transition point in the descent, where the old and slightly well-worn of the clinic above, translates to state of the art and nearly white-room anti-static clean. The lights have a very slight blue-purple edge to them that tells the story of them likely being anti-bacterial and anti-viral 'solar' lights. There's a waiting room down here and oddly, a receptionist. She's currently very busy with her computer, a young woman with half-moon spectacles that looks with her hairdo and her white fold-down hat, like she should be from the 50's or 60's. And yet here she is. The doctor looks from the clock to the screen she's typing on, only looking up at the last when the sounds of footsteps herald the arrival of Lucifer and Nick.

"Ah, you've arrived. I was wondering if I'd been a tad -too- cryptic this time..." he chuckles, stepping away from the desk to a very heavy 'psyche ward' level of door, which opens with a click-clunk of a maglock. "This way. I've had to ahhhh... evacuate most of the rest of this lab's contents." That doesn't bode well, does it?

Unhelpful though it is, he leads past store rooms and an MRI and CT lab, past a small but well outfitted pathology lab and samples bank, to the 'ward'. Looks ordinary, except that the doors to the rooms are the same industrial strength doors as the main entrance to the facility here. "Remember the alien queen?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
To Nick's credit. He did not jump this time. Perhaps it was the use of a stalling word. The ballcap wearing musician turns his head, looking to the devil beckoning him to follow. If Hellequin were here, he'd have a fit as there's no protest to the suggestion from the musician. Instead, Nick simply does that, following Lucifer into his descent into -

The basement.

But as they take the road down, they are left to determine the intentions that paved the path there. Why have they been invited. "...Well, I've seen a lot of weird things happen in Central Park. But I never met Doom there. So, removing the theatrics, I assume it's the arm he got in Central Park and took for walkies into my apartment."

As the scent of sterility hits the nose, Nick frowns slightly. There's not really a HAPPY context that goes with that smell. Mostly bad ones. Some that average out. The happiest would probably be the Make A Wish visits but even those have a hint of sadness to them.

Nick looks to the woman typing at the computer. When she speaks of the text message, the realization of who it was starts to register. "I wasn't sure where to go." He admits, "But fortunately Lucifer knew."

Partly due to curiousity, Nick doesn't really hesitate when Sinister prompts for them to follow along. Although considering past experiences with labs, one WOULD think the musician would be more hesitant.

"I remember that entrance into the park." Nick confirms, "And you made people think that arm was a dog."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is otherwise silent in the moment, just leading down to the basement lab and then further when Sinister asks them to follow him further within. The sex-cretary (which isn't what shes used for but DAMN) is given a once over and a wink before he makes his way further in. "I did wonder what you did with that arm after that night... and I forget why the arm is important. If it truly is important in some way." This is said as he takes up the rear and then shrugs.

"Ugh. Clean rooms. Right when I want to have a nice dose of nicotine. "Anyway. I believe I remember the alien queen. Maybe. But you might have to jog my memory a bit. There's been a few things in Central Park..."

Sinister has posed:
Laboratories are none too pleasant to those that have memories of their tragedies. Mind, there's not that horrible edge of formaldehyde here and there's some aromatic air freshner that lingers just a little on the nostrils, also.

"This was the one where you incinerated a lot of body parts and made sure that there wasn't an ... extra... from the Aliens movie just lying in the middle of the grounds of the great lawn. That would have been problematic, my dear." Sinister replies, with a sigh, gesturing to the samples containment. "It's in there, I've sectioned off tiny slices to work with. But that's the other thing I've been doing with my time, sometimes at the same time as other things..." He steps up to one of the doors and looks inside, gesturing.

Inside, is a woman that looks like she could be someone's grandmother. She's probably in her sixties, looks to be orthodox jewish by the looks of the specific kind of clothing and honestly, looks about as harmless as someone that often writes to her MP and sends money back to Israel can look, which isn't very. She looks confused, miserable and upset at the same time. She's mouthing 'hello?' and pacing inside the room.

"I unfortunately found several individuals that had encountered the queen, following her particular micro-radiation trace and biosignature." -- He gestures to five other rooms, one of which has a vagrant in it, one a chinese businessman and two just have a couple of teenagers within.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick pauses, mind jogged a bit. Right... Essex mentioned brood before, didn't he? "...My understanding of the Brood is limited." Nick admits, "I know they're bad news and are extremely invasive. But, a basic summary of what they do might be needed beyond that."

He pauses, "Are they all..." What's a good term for this? "-Infected?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Is it more wide spread than we initially thought? Like are these only a handful of many more victims that could be out there?" Lucifer asks this as he walks right up to the window where the Jewish Bubbie is pacing and mouting 'hello'. Would she recognize the Devil in his current form? Of course he wouldn't torment her by actually changing his face, but these women are often known for seeing beyond.

Despite what family or friend may try to convince otherwise.

"How long have they been here? Do they have family that may be looking for them?" A glance to Nathaniel then. "Are you able to work up a cure maybe? Or are they fucked and not in a good way?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister exhales. "She can't see you. The window is one way, which is good, it means that there's ... a measure of humanity in this." Coming from him, that's saying something. He looks at Lucifer, then to Nick and sets his lips grim. "Honestly, it's best to see, first off. The businessman annoyed the heck out of me and kept threatening the staff with money or pleading and whining." He moves to that window and glancing to the side, turns a small dial in the wall.

It might be a sonic attack that happens in the cell, but there's nothing audible on this side. The man inside starts to look panicky, then a bit pained, looking at the walls and starting to yell in ... well, probably mandarin. Then abruptly, his jaw parts wide, enormous amounts of fangs protrude and he sprouts wings and two extra tentacular limbs, skin on his arms becoming chitinous and he goes ballistic on the walls. THAT can be heard, even through the thick steel. "I'm trying to find a cure. But yes, they're all infected. Different stressors bring out the fight or flight. The brood can't reproduce on their own, they do so by a kind of aggressive retroviral dna package, which the queen injects into the host. The host's DNA is then systematically converted, until the original is mostly subsumed. But that? That isn't a guarantee, either. Sometimes, a very terrified human being will pop out from time to time, when the brood consciousness gets... too tired."

He looks back at them both, then at the thing in the cell. "He's being converted to a drone. The vagrant also, I think because she needed scouts."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick considers the situation. Being that there's not an active attack going on at the moment, he can afford to do that. "Until one wins out...Is the human side aware of the other side or is it kind of like a split persona where that terrified human is more reacting to the sudden change of surroundings or gap in time?"

Lucifer's question about family gets Nick to look over to the devil and then back to Sinister, nodding in agreement.

That.

Answer that one first.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer listens and nods, then steps back only to see what happens when Nathaniel messes with the room where the Asian man is. Seeing what happens when the transformation hits has him wincing because he can only imagine what sort of pain and torment that could be.

He'll wait for the answer about families, but will also add in a question of, "...do you think my feathers could help them? I know it's not really a disease or sickness but..." Compassion, Lucifer? Likely an odd thing coming from the Devil, for those who believe one side of the stories over the other.

Sinister has posed:
Another long exhale. "I am sure that some of them do. And I am reasonably sure that these are not the only ones. She wasn't here for long, but it doesn't -take- them long. I've been hunting, but they go to ground quickly and the signature radiation tracers don't last. They're extra-planar, in that they come from... I think it's a collapsing universe, some of them. I've not had a chance to measure more than a little of the energy before it decays."

Pause, beat. "I had one of the lab staff trace ID's and at least this lot have been traced back to whomsoever they are connected to. But there's the crux of this situation, exactly what lie do you want to tell the families of these victims, that will make it remotely more understandable, or promote any less panic or desperation in them? I would love to know. I would say I had a crisis of conscience, but in this particular instance... I did not. The importance, is in regressing, inhibiting, or restoring the host. I don't much care to play nanny to the humans they're connected to, which... perhaps is a motivation for you seeing this, Nick." And you, Lucifer. He looks back and forth between the two a few times, then dials down the knob on the wall, jerking his head to the victim in the room.

Maybe a minute goes by before the brood side calms down and shortly after that, the metamorphosis reverses, leaving a very disoriented human being. "Most have fugue moments. I think some ride that consciousness, it varies, just like human reaction to other stimuli. I'm willing to try a feather, but there's a catch -- it could combust both the host and the victim, because of the nature of the conversion process. I don't know."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Lucifer's suggestion about using his feathers gets a hurm. "Retroviral ..." Nick repeats from Sinister's statement from earlier, "Would you consider this it more like HIV or Cancer?"

The possibility of the feather possibly killing the host is a point of concern. Hmm. Would Raphael's Flask help? Could it even be done without unnecessary risk? "...Did any of them end up as queens?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Speaking of the Queens...." Lucifer begins, pacing back towards the room where the Bubbie is pacing. "Did we take out the right one? It's brood, so are there more. Or one that took over after we took out the queen we were facing?"

There's more pacing, down to where the beatnick room is at. "I don't want to end up killing anyone... so I don't know if it's actually a risk I'm willing to take. If one of them didn't have family... or ties to a community... I would consider them to be the guinea pig...but I won't rid a family of someone if we can fix them another way..."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister licks his lips, moving to the next cell. It's with a kind of clinical dispassion that he presses other buttons, monitors the reactions. Even of the poor bubbie in her distress. She appears to be a soldier, or will be. There's degrees of transformation to be observed and he does so without a grain of compassion. THIS must be done. And that is also why people hate him. "I'd say if you were going to try and cure via a feather, that the most likely to try it on is the young woman in room D. She has progressed the least of all the infected -- women tend, but not as a full hard and fast rule you understand... to be a little more slow to change. By and large, the immune system in a young woman at least, is hardier. In actual fact, the least rich and entitled the person, the better. They usually have had a life that is richer in the primordial soup of their kitchen germs and dirt consumption than your average rich bitch." He looks back at the pair, at the pacing and at the steady look from Nick.

"If you were to compare it to a commonly known virus, it would be like AIDS. The body does not quickly recognize the invader and it gets to work quickly. Conversion varies by person, but it is progressive and quite swift. The only /known/ cure for it is an extremely high healing factor, which not everyone possesses, obviously. This is because the body encorporates it. Phasing will nto get rid of it, altering the state of being just alters the parasite also. It can convert humans, mutants, mutates, metahumans, aliens, it may even give a full deity a run for their money." He states all this first, before adding. "The treatments I've been trying on them are the infamous triple cocktails, but rather more heavy dosage than usual. It's had some effect, but not arrested the development as you can tell." He looks at Lucifer then, lengthily.

"Queens tend to have only one in a hive. But when they are desperate, who knows. As I said, I've been busy. This part of me has anyway. I haven't slept in about a month and a half." And that's telling. Sin's been splitting his time. Aha. Ahahhaa.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Only one queen per hive. Well that's assuring news. So the odds of one being in here is very minimal. "So, if the queen's the only one that can make more and there aren't any here, that means we could... technically come in contact to try something?" The musician looks towards the cells. There's a soft set frown as he considers the occupants for a few moments before another thought gets voiced.

Nick looks to Sinister "How do we know there's only one hive in the area?"

Lucifer has posed:
"We probably don't know... unless Nathaniel's been able to pinpoint any and all known locations for them to be. There's also the idea that another queen will be given to the one hive we know about.." Lucifer says this as he walks over to cell D. A tilt of his head one way and then the other.

After a moment his wings spawn, white and brilliant, in all their normal glory. He brings one around and plucks a single feather from his plummage before resting his wings back behind him again. They don't go away though - not in the moment.

"I suppose you'll need to unlock the door for me, eh?"

Sinister has posed:
"I would say so," Sinister replies to the devil, placing his hand upon the pad and his eye to the retinal scanner. He also breathes on a little sensor and the door unlocks. He keeps his eyes firmly on the contents of the cell as it unlocks and opens though, revealing to the young woman within, an angel complete with the white-white wings. He then unfortunately, has to simply shrug.

"We don't know. Usually there's only one queen in a hive, but they tend to have a princess that they mentally dominate. If she'd just started to come over for a colony, there's a very good chance of a Queen in the making being out there somewhere. And she would've been one of the first, so the signature would've faded out quickest." We don't want to hear such things, la la la!

"But yes, other than being potentially very dangerous, the ones -here- are relatively safe, Nick."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
In other words, if the theoretical princess becomes a queen here, they're pretty much fucked. Lovely. Last thing they need is for some overzealous Kree commander deciding to zoot over here to try and blow up the solar system because he heard about a brood sighting over here.

"Great." Nick responds, voice not that enthused about the general situation. He doens't approach the opened doorway and instead watches from where he stands. If the feather doesn't work, he can preeeetty much guarantee he's not going to be able to do anything for this situation. The spells and using the Phantasm abilities appear to be an either or situation.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer flutters his wings a bit as he steps into the room, a tilt of his head as he pauses just inside and shuts the door behind him. Just in case. He can handle whatever may come - and perhaps Sin could as well. His concern was more for Nick (hoping the man wouldn't take offense to such a thought.)

"Hello Brandy. There is no need to be afraid. I am here to help you get better..." He takes a step towards her, holding the feather out to her. "I just need you to hold onto this feather. Tightly now. And let it's energy flow over you. You'll be back to yourself faster than you can say hocus pocus." He smiles, because he has a kind smile. Wings flutter again.

Sinister has posed:
"And lo, the consumate actor painted by history and theocracy, steps to the fore..." Sinister muses, sighing softly but nodding to the single word response from Nick. He watches.

The young woman looks awed, but also afraid, as is a fairly standard response. "Oh, thank god!" She hurries forward. "I don't even know what I'm doing here!" the feather is quickly collected, clutched even as she makes to hug the very devil himself. Oh, if only she knew! "Thank you, thank y'..." and her breath stalls as the white light of the holy energy becomes incandescent -- normally it's a blessed and peaceful thing to be healed by one of those feathers, but not this time. Her face contorts in a scream as that white light emmanates in waves over her. A breath is yanked in, seemingly choking for breath as her right arm becomes a talon, a crackle of black chitin forms over her cheek and consumes one eye. None of it takes very long at all overall, yet at the same time it takes forever, as the insectile aspects nearly attempt separation. Her back arches, a rictus occurring, before she collapses against Lucifer, steaming.

She is breathing, but it is very shallow and she looks clammy and nearly spent.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Fortunately Nick isn't actually at the reading minds stage so it's not TOO much a concern that Nick will take offense to something not stated.

The brain is a funny thing. For one thing is that the brain takes in a LOT more information than one realizes in the average day to day. If the eyes were cameras, they're taking thousands of photos in the blink of an eye*** but the brain basically looks to the stacks of photos and goes 'What the fuck is all this? I'm not looking through all this.' And then it just looks at like a tenth of them. Just getting the basic gist of what's going on and just signaling to the rest of the body what to do. But the moment something weird happens, the brain goes 'What the hell?' and then it starts going through each. and. every. photo.

This is where time seems to just slow down. So, with that explanation there's little need to explain much further the end result of what happens when Lucifer introduced the woman to the feather. For that was indeed a 'what the hell moment'.

Now for someone who for SOME reason was watching Nick instead of the show going on in the cell, they may have been treated to a combination of a brow lift, a grimace, and jaw drop. As she collapses, Nick's facial tics settle to one of confusion.

"...did it work?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer watches as the light shines, but there is a moment of inner panic as the cryptid seems to push itself from the host - like it's trying to more forcefully take it over. Then, in the next moment, he's holding a woman who's...alive...but barely. And literally steaming. It's like he pulled her just from the brinks of a lake of hellfire or something.

In one swift motion he lifts the woman to hold her threshold style and walks towards the closed door, realizing he likely can't open it from this side for obvious reasons. Even if Sinister is quite aware of most of what's going on due to the window, he still gives the door a few solid kicks as if to say that it needs to open. Like a minute ago.

Sinister has posed:
Again, the triple lock is disengaged, the hiss of maglock release heralding the swing of the heavy door inwards. A glance at the woman in Lucifer's arms and Sinister nods. "It did. But that's not how it usually works at all..." a WTF moment indeed, but for different reasons for both. He gestures to a hallway bed, of which there is precisely one (they clutter things up don't you know!) and sets about putting some very high tech looking monitors on her. No masses of wires, leads, pumps or anything, just a wrist unit and a little mask to go over her nose and mouth, which seems to do her breathing for her. "Out cold."

There's a moment where Nathaniel's eyes are ticking side to side, rapid assessment and thought process occurring before he posits "...I suspect that feather healing has a threshold and she was nearing it. I wouldn't be able to validate that without further feather testing. I think the healing was attempting to decide which of the life forms it was supposed to actually be restoring."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
To the confirmation that the feather attempt worked, Nick gives a slight smile. The musician turns, watching as the woman is set down upon the bed before glancing back to Sinister as he continues his explanation. The smile is short lived as the potential drawback is pointed out. "...So we'd stand the risk of it going to where we end up speeding the switch over to the other form if we tried that for each of them..." The performer's smile is fully gone and is converting more to a frown. "Have there been any other approaches that have gotten results that have been promising?"

Lucifer has posed:
"She was, apparently, the least progressed of them all...and it nearly took her out... The others might not be so lucky if they're any further progressed. It could kill them... or bring out the big ugly within them instead..." Lucifer offers. "It may have worked this one time but...I don't see it working for them all." He shifts gaze to look back between Nick and Sinister. "I don't think anything else has been tested yet. I just offered a feather to test cause I was hopeful that it would work... but it didn't work the way I thought it might, and precisely the way that Sinister predicted. If it has to choose one over the other, it will choose the stronger bonded..." Or so that's how Lucifer's take on it has come about. "So how do we save them? Stop it?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister exhales, rubbing his eyes briefly with the pads of finger and thumb. He then gazes at the young woman for a while, looking like he's looking right inside her. He might just be doing that. Then he looks at both Devil and Phantasm for a lengthy time each. "First of all, we need to be able to do a sweep and search. I have been holding back the notion of going to any authorities, for the simple reason that I know very well what the US government is like. S.H.I.E.L.D. might consider being helpful, but they also may consider a potential to neutralize the threat by a scorched earth method. Whilst I'm not opposed to this in principle, I've a nagging feeling that it would be horrifying to anyone else." At least he'll admit it, right?

"Unfortunately, I'm not the greatest individual that ever existed at making friends, so you may be a deciding factor in this." He pauses, looks at the door of cell A just as a fixture point. "Drugs do slow the process. Suspended animation also works, which I may do with the four that remain here... whilst I work on better pharmaceutical remediation." He pauses again. "There is a cure that definitely works -- amperage of the healing factor, which requires I do unconscionable things, or I exhaust myself. Otherwise, the standard cure for these outbreaks tends to be killing them all and they are pernicious little creatures, rather similar to cockroaches in their ability to infest and resist."

One more pause "But we cannot let it simply be. If it becomes apparent to concerned parties that there might be a potential colony or ... more... Earth may end up in the cross-hairs."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick would offer something up in defense of S.H.I.E.L.D's practices but there's several issues with that. One of which being that the most he's ever gotten in the ranks was consultant for general weird shit and he sure as hell didn't want to try the agent thing.

He also didn't want to have go fighting them again.

"In times like this I figure you'd have to look at what options were available and just figure out the worst case scenario for each of them. And then go with the one with the consequences you can live with."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer furrows his brows a little before shaking his head some. "Well, there's at least one group I know we aren't on the friendliest of terms with...but I wonder what they would do if we gave them information concerning a threat like this. I could also, potentially, make contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. myself, see if I can make any headway with anyone. Course, eventually they'll know your involvement either way. I would fear some would even point the blame at you being the cause of it all in some stupid way they can muster up."

There's a breath taken in and out - even if it's not needed - but it's sort of something that proves he's likely thinking things through a bit. Not that he says much more in the moment while processing thoughts.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister looks at Nick a long moment at his words and can't seem to help the response he gives, which is to laugh. It's quite a hearty laugh, but it's darkling nevertheless. "Welcome to my world, Nick Drago. It has a frequent flier discount -- although I suppose it's only recently that consequence of an ethical or moral bent, has entered my awareness." He smiles, but there's very little humour to it.

"I will try and see if the X-men are at least going to listen. Logan might and he's one of the few, like myself, that can engage them with little to no fear. Most do not have that luxury and they take a lot of damage before they expire, I will note. I'd rather not have a colony, all things considered."

He nods to Lucifer. "There's also the possibility of a small visit to Metropolis, to see if there are any there of a Kryptonian persuasion that might be inclined to assist." This is said with a look to both of them. He then, without warning, heads to each of the doors and punches a code, a systematic motion that has some consequence in that the windows into the area soon seem to be cloudy. Stasis fields.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Or I can reach out." Nick responds to the mention of S.H.I.E.L.D. He had been living in one of their dang bases for over a year. He's most definitely gotten a phone number or two. "I've worked with a few people."

Pale eyes glance back over to Sinister as he laughs. "...Wouldn't the fact you're even comparing your options to go with the lesser worst case scenario be considered practicing morality? I mean, "

The musician quiets as Sinister moves over to the panel to punch in some code.

"From a personal stand point, one thing I'd probably value over that is actually being included in decisions pertaining to me. Or if I was unable to decide, someone I trusted to make that choice."

Lucifer has posed:
"The problem is, what's good to the goose might be bad to the gander. Nathaniel used to make a lot of his decisions based on logic and best or middle outcome regardless of the consequence. He's since had an addition of moral intent added to his range of mind and thus now actually considers the true consequences of actions." Lucifer explains. "And the only teacher he's really had for it all is me. But I'm the most amoral being - at least on Earth - so I suppose that makes me the best to learn from."

There's a shrug then. "Or we hit all three at once. I can go to Metropolis and talk to...someone...Nick goes to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nathaniel...attempts to go to the X-Men..." It's not that he's deciding this as a final thing, but he does lay the thought out there to be weighed and measured, and given everything it seems the best options.

Sinister has posed:
"What he said," Sinister indicates Luci with a little finger roll, once he turns from activating the stasis. He remains with his back to the last cell, head tipped just so, in consideration of Nick. "Please do reach out. I /am/ trying. Sometimes, I fail. But I am attempting it at least." With a brief rub of a finger beneath his nose and an automatic reflect to reach for the sanitization station, he rubs his hands clean once again.

"I do not fault -your- logic, Nick, but there is a bigger picture to consider, which makes politicians and military generals good bedfellows. Sometimes, you can only trust a human mind to make the most illogical decision imaginable. But I suppose, you have to give them their choice, even if you have no intention of granting them more than an illusion of it. I will not sacrifice a city, a state or the planet, because one person wanted to 'make a go of it' and see if they could be an anti-vaccination against the Brood champion. Because there's not enough research to justify these drugs that will stop the thing dead. Or that this is an experimental treatment. Or that they don't stand by blood transfusions, but you wouldn't be a murderer, would you? And I suppose, that's what makes me the bad guy."

He looks up, nods to that sentiment then pauses. "If you have success in any front, think loudly and I will hear."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick doesn't speak to some of the comments made by Sinister. But being the doctor's a bit of a mind reader, there's really no point to voice what he already most likely knows. Nick has killed before.

"It's not really my place to judge, is it?" Nick replies, "But you brought us here for our thoughts on what would be considered moral so-" He shrugs, "So. If you want to consider the patient's feelings on the matter without taking in stupid risks, just don't list the things that would unnecessarily endanger the public as options to choose from then."

Nick looks to the fogged up window "You might not be able to give them complete control over the situation but even just letting them pick from a limited list is better than nothing at all. Maybe one of them is daring enough to WANT to try for the riskier treatment option. Maybe another would rather opt to go into stasis until something better is found. Find a balance between controlling the risks and treating the patients like individuals."

As Lucifer divvies up the tasks, Nick gives a nod to the splitting of the duties. "Alright."

Lucifer has posed:
"Alright." Lucifer says this and then takes a glance around. "I suppose we'll get back together once we've gotten some information here and there. This will be interesting...at the least." He says this and then looks to Nick directly. "I wish you luck. If you need me for anything, just let me know. I'm a message away in many different forms." Though, cell phone is likely easiest between the two of them.

Then he glances to Nathaniel. "If you have any contacts in Metropolis, I'd be interested in having them. Then I can set up meetings and see who will bite the hand that offers them a puzzle to solve." Which may separate the two of them for a little while, but that's also not anything they're stranger to. Sometimes work pulls them apart like this. "And if the X-Men give you trouble..." He just lets that trail off. "Alright then. Seems like we're done here."