4838/Germination: Mexican Holiday

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Germination: Mexican Holiday
Date of Scene: 06 July 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Clark and Jessica go undercover to do an interview.
Cast of Characters: Shadow King, Spider-Woman (Drew), Superman
Tinyplot: Germination


Shadow King has posed:
    Their goal is staying at an expensive hotel, the Las Ventanas al Paraiso, located in a clump of luxury hotels in San Jose Del Cabo. It is a seaside hotel, beautiful large guest suites and villas.

    The man, Paul Dannon, is seated at poolside, stretched out and relaxing in some odd dark blue shorts. He is tanned but overweight, some sunglasses on. His hair is a short dark brown and thinning, mustache a bit large; he is perhaps late forties in age. He is having a huge drink with an umbrella in it.

    Some research proves that that is indeed Paul's real name. He sells vacation and travel packages normally. He's also probably a mutant, but it has never been confirmed.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
The bar inside the hotel just up from the pool is open-air, with a crossbreeze that whirs gently through, carrying cooled ocean air. The floors are terracotta tile, with a fine silt of sand tracked in by barefoot tourists. Jessica sits on a stool at the bar, where a very attentive bartender named Sergio has been giving her free drinks.

"So, we know he's the guy, right? No chance we could be wrong?" she asks Clark, her distracted gaze wandering nonchalantly out over the pool and the man known as Paul Dannon. She's trying to forget how skimpy this tiny black bikini really is.

Superman has posed:
"No, it's definitely him," Clark says, trying to forget about how skimpy her black bikini really is.

He sits slouched, keeping his gaze safely riveted on the TV above the bar, showing some football match or another. He has been nursing the same non-alcoholic beer for almost an hour, now. He's dressed in tan shorts with a gaudy unbuttoned patterned shirt and blue baseball cap.

"He got here early; no visitors and no calls," he adds quietly.

Shadow King has posed:
    One of the waitresses brings Paul a new drink, but doesn't ask him pay for it. She smiles at him and treats him very flatteringly, like one would a powerful and/or rich man. Maybe they know who he is and he has a tab open. Paul now has two drinks, and is having both of them off and on. He doesn't have any tech: no laptop, just seems to be staring out, or daydreaming.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"So I guess all I have to do is play dumb tourist, ask questions, and hope he bites. Any ideas besides that? Like...compliment his head, or something." Jessica looks back to find a completely oblivious - looking Clark, staring at some....football match or another. Typical man. But then she notices. "Hey, you're really ripped for a mild-mannered reporter." The drink outside didn't go unnoticed. She's just briefly distracted by something shiny.

Superman has posed:
Clark pushes his glasses up with one finger. "Um, I run, run a lot," he says and clears his throat, without glancing over at her. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat under her gaze. "Looks like, ah, Real is going to win."

He lets out a breath. "Well, we can try that, maybe it'll put him off. But I think he knows we're here," he says barely nodding to the two drinks. "And I think he wants us to know it. But try softening him up and I'll pretend to recognize him. See if he plays along."

Shadow King has posed:
    The man appears to ignore them or not be aware. He is just having his drinks. He also scratches himself.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica slides off her barstool and takes off the wrap around her waist, letting it move at will in the breeze as she turns toward the pool. "How do I loo--" She peeks over her shoulder at Clark, and sighs. "Nevermind. You wouldn't know."

Jessica pads barefoot out to the pool and reaches down to feel the water. It feels divine....With a blissful vacation sigh, she moves to the lounge upwind, and nearest Paul, and takes off the floppy straw hat covering her long dark waves. "Is this taken?" she asks coyly as she pauses before sitting.

Superman has posed:
Clark does look for just a moment after Jessica turns away, then immediatley wishes he hadn't, his face burning crimson. He takes another sip of his drink. He was not looking forward to the plane ride home. The one there felt like it lasted an eternity.

Shadow King has posed:
Paul slurps his drink loudly and obviously while staring at the new arrival. It does look like he's reacting to the pheromones immediately, he's watching her with full attention. "Give me your name," Paul says, but waves a hand in a gentlemanly way to the long lawn chair at his side.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica's expression changes in an infinitesimal way. She feels a compulsion to answer him, and she knows very well that it's not something she'd ordinarily do. Tricksy hobbitses. "Jess-andra," she replies cheerfully, as she lies down to let the sun warm her skin and fragrance the place like popcorn in a theater. "What's yours?"

Superman has posed:
Listening from the bar, Clark frowns slightly at Jessica's slip up. It was the first she had made in all the people they had talked to, and it was bad timing. He pulls a bill fold out of his pocket, drops a few for Sergio, then stops to drain the last of his drink.

Shadow King has posed:
    "Paulie," Paul says to her promptly. "No relation to any other Paulies. I'm my own thing," the man says, continuing to sip his drink. It's more a gulp than a sip. Any mental pressure has faded away or disappeared. Surely she imagined it. "If you want to sit in my lap, you may," Paul says, as if offering her a great deal on a new vacation.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I'm kinda...shy," Jess replies, but she is leaned a bit more his direction. "Just came down from the States for a little vacation between business trips. Are you here on business or pleasure?" She asks, biting her lip flirtatiously. "I bet your lap is crawling with pretty girls, all the time," Jess offers with a nerdy smile.

Superman has posed:
Clark shakes his head imperceptibly as he walks over. Jessica seems to have the man's /full/ attention.

He stumbles slightly when he scuffs a foot on a slightly uneven tile, looking back at it accusingly. As he passes by the two, he glances at Paul then does a double take.

"Hey, wait, aren't, aren't you," he says and snaps his fingers. "Bannon. Paul Bannon, right?" he asks, coming over.

Shadow King has posed:
    "If you want to get more familiar with my lap later, that's fine too. I'm feeling patient. Always pleasure, even if it's business."
    Paul doesn't WANT to look off away from Jessica, but does. He answers the grin. "Yes, exactly right! I must've sold you one of the Tahiti packages?" Paul asks brightly back at Clark.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica looks between Paul and Clark. "Ohh so he's already familiar with your package!" She furrows her brow, then, trying to figure out where that came from. "Tahiti package," she corrects. "You sell vacation packages?" She giggles, a little more flirtatiously.

Superman has posed:
Clark blinks at Jessica and gives her an uncomfortable half-wave in acknowledgement. It's easy to fake feeling embarassed around her like this.

"Hmm, I don't, I don't think so. It was something else you were selling," he says. "Cost a /lot/ more than vacation packages."

Shadow King has posed:
    Paulie laughs loudly: overly so, at Jessica's joke. "And other services. He's on the right track." But, since Clark ruins things: "Aww, are we done playing? Fine. You know, I have other things to do if you don't /really/ want to play, so let's speed this along. Present to me what you want to say to me," Paulie says, looking down into his drink, enjoying it. He doesn't change tone or get forceful. It's that same weird pleasant, and even word choice.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
If he can compel, there's a better than even chance that he can read minds. But there's always a chance that he can't, right? "Playing? Are you two playing?" Jessica pouts, visibly. "I kinda thought you were into me. I can find someone else to keep me company while I'm here y'know. I just kinda..." Liked your head? It's the only thing she can think of. Damn you for even making that joke, Jess. "...y'know, thought we could have some fun. But if you two are anglin' for something else....I can tell you I don't play THAT game..."

Superman has posed:
Clark watches the man carefully while Jessica banters with him, seeing if he is reeled back in, but assuming not he has a seat on the next chair.

"You have information about how to stop the mushrooms, and what can be done with them," he says. "That's what you were selling."

Shadow King has posed:
    Paul sits forward to attempt to pat at Jessica's arm to quiet her worries. "You know, the real trip isn't the actual going on the vacation. Lose your luggage, get a sunburn. It's all a mess. The tan is nice, but. Really what you take from it is the /memories/. And those, depending on what you remember, are so priceless. How do you put a price tag on experiences?" Paul asks, as if launching into a sales pitch. There is a sinister quality under it, as if a low key threat was in play, though his words are clean and nice enough. "But that's life, made up of the things that rattle around in your head, and how those experiences shape you." Paulie goes back to his first drink, but both are empty now and he puts them down, double-fisted, and wipes condensation off onto his shorts from his hands.

    "Take, for example, the fungus thing in the tennis courts here. It would ruin everyone's pretty vacation if they knew it was there. No sense ruining anything, is there? Not when it's perfectly safe. And that's for sale." Paul meets Clark's eyes finally. The smile isn't really in his eyes. There's a distance, a daydream there. The full focus isn't in front of them. It's like Paul is talking on the phone to them, but looking elsewhere.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Wait...there's fungus? Here?? I thought I came here to get away from that." Jessica seems vaguely but genuinely surprised by the news. She gives Clark a 'Did you know about this?' look, but then she sighs. "Well NOW I know. How much is it to forget about it? And how do I know it's safe?"

Superman has posed:
Clark meets the man's look levelly. His jawline tightens.

"And how do we know you can really make it safe or not?" he asks. "Nobody can control the fungus... Can they?"

Shadow King has posed:
    "Earlier today you KNEW there wasn't any of that stuff here. Now you know otherwise. Or do you? Do you believe ME? Imagine what you'll KNOW tomorrow. Peace of mind is so much better than reality." There's a touch of that the man is just bullshitting or having fun with talking. "Forget what I just said about the fungus," he suggests softly to her. If she wants to forget, she will. He attempts to touch her arm again. Her scent is nice.
    "Urgh. Yet another person wants proof. I'm getting bored of constantly proving this." That is perhaps the most honest thing the man has said: there's a presence that returns back to his eyes and face when he says it, as if actually giving them more of his attention finally. "Why should I bother proving this to /you/? What does this get me?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica seems utterly perplexed by the question, as if it had never occurred to her before that someone would need something beyond the knowledge that they've done something to help his fellow man. "You can get money this way right? Assuring people everything is okay...but if you can control the fungus, too? Think of the global recognition that could get you. Think of the people you could save. It might even be yourself," she urges softly, resisting her desire to forget about the fungus, and giving up on the ruse completely. "If you can help us get rid of it, then you can keep the world from being taken over by whatever's up there planting it. If the world goes, Paulie...you go with it. What's money gonna get you, then?"

Superman has posed:
Clark watches Paul consideringly as Jessica makes her pitch, waiting to see how Paul responds. He fishes through the pocket in his shirt, then the left pocket of shorts and finally the right before seeming to find what he is looking for.

Shadow King has posed:
    "You're very persuasive," Paulie says of her, as if proud of her. "But the thing really is, if I'm as great as you think I am, look at it from my view. They don't threaten me. And why should I do things for free? But you've warmed my heart. I'll do my proof. Come along," Paulie says, stretching, and getting to his feet. He adjusts his shorts up a little and starts to walk towards the tennis courts. There IS a mushroom out near them, if they actually look for it. If they don't look for it, it's just easy to overlook. There are about two dozen of the little creatures eating away at the pretty landscaping, dragging pieces of it back.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica tilts her head as her gaze settles finally, on a twelve-foot mushroom stalk, and the creatures feeding it landscaping. "But...why isn't it attacking anything? Those things can take a leg off if you give them a chance...Or so I've heard. These guys are just keeping to themselves? I don't buy that. You're just messing with my mind again, aren't you?"

Jess adjusts her bikini, now selfconscious, as if in a dream where she came to work naked. But the fabric only stretches so far, and covers so much.

Superman has posed:
Clark walks along with them, with the telltale rounded shoulders of a man that spends too much time in front of a computer. He sees the mushroom and watches the little gatherers at work.

He looks at Paul, politely not noticing Jessica's discomfort. "It's not very old yet, is it?" he asks noting that it has not done extension damage yet. Which seems odd given its size.

Shadow King has posed:
    "That IS a problem, isn't it. Do you believe what you see, or do you not. Is it illusion? I guess there's no point in proof. If you think of a way it's provable, let me know. Wish you'd said so before I got UP," Paul grumbles. He shrugs some. And starts to turn away.

    The behavior very abruptly changes. The squid creatures orient on a couple playing mini-golf nearby. Screaming begins, as if suddenly everything snapped into reality, and the mushroom promptly begins to create more creatures, and the squid-monsters fly in every which direction. One of them rushes towards Paul, Jessica, and Clark.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh God - HE was controlling it..." Jessica utters to Clark. "All right! Paulie! I see your point, now. Why didn't you just SAY so?" She laughs nervously. "Please? C'mon, let's make this right, whad'ya say? A guy's gotta eat, right?"

Superman has posed:
Clark starts to run away, after Paul, and tries to grab him at the elbow to turn him around.

"Okay, okay, we belie..." he starts to say. Then he seems to stumble badly, and if he latches on to Paul, pulls back too much, making Paul reel back right into the path of the squids.

Shadow King has posed:
    Paul didn't expect to be manhandled at all, so there's surprise there. He's hit first; one of the squid grabs onto his arm, but then all pursuing squidlings all drop to the ground, writhing. Paul clearly reacted to them, instantly making the squid drop. They shudder, flat on the ground, tentacles grasping at nothing. Paul regains his composure and checks his arm. There's a big red welt.
    "Or is it all illusion?" Paul asks, with some teeth in the tone.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"You let them all go now, and you're liable for deaths and damage they cause," hisses Jessica through her teeth as she grasps his arm with a superhuman vice grip. "And you're -not- going anywhere anytime soon, so I suggest you make sure they play nice. With some cooperation, you can make things a LOT better for yourself."

It's hot. So hot. So much sweat. So much humidity. Jessica's starting to get the evil eye from a group of older ladies adjacent to their squabble. She looks to Clark, arching her brows, the question fairly clear in her sparkling green eyes and full lucious lips.

Superman has posed:
Clark picks himself up, dusting off his shorts. He checks his arm to see if he scraped it, then opens his mouth to speak when he looks at Jessica. His words hang in this throat for a moment and he is /aware/ of her. Then he shakes his head a bit.

His eyes go wide at the sight of the twitching squidlings, looking between them and Paul. "I, I, I have to go....."

What follows is the most undignified scramble back past the bar. He snags his shoulder bag from where he left it by the bar and is gone.

Shadow King has posed:
    Paul looks at Jessica's hand on his arm. He doesn't seem strong, or anything other than what he appears. "Sure, let's go this route, then. Just a minute." Paul orients back onto the mushroom, and the golfers now hiding behind a golf cart. The squid-vine monsters get up, and start back about their business. The golfers laugh and come back out to finish playing, walking right past a squidling that ignores them as well. It's back to similar of how it was, except that the golfers can't find where their ball went. They are very confused.
    Paul shrugs. "You asked for proof. What more do you want from me? New shorts for your friend?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica furrows her brow, watching the grab-bag scramble that ensues when Clark sprints off. "No, I think we're beyond mercantile purchases," Jessica says dryly. "I already told you. If the world goes, you go too. So it seems to me, YOU made that choice. And I've made mine." She's certain Clark hasn't just abandoned her here. He's calling someone. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent they spoke with before, peraps. Or maybe it's someone from their headquarters. Either way, she's certain that help is on its way. At least...she hopes so.

Superman has posed:
There is a /bang/ in the air above and then Kal comes floating down towards them. He takes a deep breath and lets the twitching squidlings near them have it, as cold as it goes. Then he is on the ground, walking up to Paul and Jessica. If squidlings are frozen crusties, he walks right through one, crunching it under foot.

He nods to Jessica, not saying her name, but raises the slightest eyebrow when he looks at her.

Kal turns to Paul. "You have my attention," he says evenly. "And a choice to make. Come with me to talk to some people I know, or continue to enjoy my /undivided/ attention."

Shadow King has posed:
    A lot of things suddenly happen. Superman appears. That upped the ante a lot. Paul doesn't seem to know what to make of it. His first reaction, oddly, is to grin. It isn't so much that he's reacting like a fan, but more disoriented by it. It wasn't in his life plan, maybe. But he gets his footing, as Superman walks through the frozen creatures and kills some.
    "Here's what we're going to do, before all that. I'm going to be the nicest guy: I really don't have to be, but we're the same, you and I. Well, similar. I'm going to give you information, and you're going to stop threatening me with things," Paul suggests, nicely. "See the big mushroom part? Under it is the mind, just below the surface of the ground. In that area where it eats." Paul gestures with his other hand.
    "You can-well, I can-suggest things to it. Or suggest it sense, or not sense, things. It then sends out information or orders to these little pets. That's the easiest way to make them 'safe.' If they don't get orders to attack, they don't do anything. They just don't see you, and the pets don't act without the big one. But it takes time for them to get orders. So you can also influence /them/. To not grab you. But then you're fighting the other messages and its more effort. I like things that are low effort."
    Is Paul stalling? Maybe. It might feel a little bit like that. He isn't rambling, though.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
And suddenly, it's 'came to work naked day' all over again. Jessica does not, however, stutter and stumble this time, when Superman arrives. Any improvement is better than none, right? Instead, she holds onto Paul's arm - she could do this all day. She's taking in the information that he's giving, but it's taking him too long. And why is he spilling everything here and now? "We need to move, Superman. We need to move him. Now."

Superman has posed:
Kal frowns, but moves immediately when Jessica tells him to.

He moves up to the two of them and reaches to take one under each arm around the waist. Then he crouches just slightly and takes off, fast, very fast, but not so fast they can't breathe with the wind rushing past them.

Shadow King has posed:
"You realize when I out range it, it gets freed, right," Paul asks, but he's slow to actually say it. He can't act at the speeds Superman did, and by the time he's figured out what's going on, it's already freed. "That's on you."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Maybe the elevator would have been a better choice," Jessica suggests. "My fault, I should have been more specific..." If she could facepalm, she would. But she's busy clinging to Superman right now, so she doesn't die.

Superman has posed:
Kal presses his lips together and arcs down. He leaves them on the first high, flat rooftop he can find.

"I'll be right back," he says to Jessica. Then he is gone, much higher speed now, but barely subsonic, pushing a ring of condensation around him in a cone shape that wants to snap and boom. Then he lays about trying to freeze and smash the shroom he let loose.

Shadow King has posed:
Paul is set down. Paul is a mix between upset and amused, as if he can't decide what emotion to feel about this. Or sort of dizzy and disoriented. He does sit down on the roof if Jessica lets him.
    The mushroom is active, and sends the small ones to attack Superman promptly. It is a small one, though, and Superman can really just rip it apart without a problem after freezing it. "How long do we wait?" Paul asks Jessica. "Do you want to make out?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Not right now..." Jessica answers distractedly as she searches her bikini for a comm. She could have sworn she stuffed it...somewhere...in here..."

Superman has posed:
Kal trashes the stalk and its minions as fast as he can, then takes off, not even acknowledging the likely bewildered onlookers. Before long he is back with Jessica and Paul, ready to take them to the nearest SHIELD offices.

Shadow King has posed:
    Paul didn't go anywhere. He does watch Jessica search herself. He doesn't ask what she's doing, it's pretty obvious. "Why am I being abducted?" he does want to know.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"At this very moment, you're being held for your own protection. You showed blatant disregard for lives back there, and once people figure out what you were doing, you won't be safe. Also Mr. and Mrs. Horowitz demand a free game of putt putt to replace the one you destroyed." Jessica takes a breath. "What is done with you from here will be left to authorities."

Superman has posed:
That is good enough for Kal. He grabs both Paul and Jessica again and is off for the nearest SHIELD office.

Shadow King has posed:
    "Nobody was harmed. So self-righteous you are; I protected those people better than you, 'Jessandra'. Also. That isn't their names; that's not his wife," Paul says quietly to Jessica, but doesn't seem to be too concerned with any of the statement in general. "What is 'done' with me is exactly what I allow to be 'done.' I have been more than generous. I can continue to be generous. It all depends on you."
    Paul is taken into the office, though, and that is the last of his words for them.