5469/OPERATION HARD RESET, Stage Two: Dark Horse

OPERATION HARD RESET, Stage Two: Dark Horse
Date of Scene:	30 September 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Khanata recruits Ash for the Howling Commandos; Johnny Blaze is dragged kicking and screaming.
Cast of Characters:	Derek Khanata, Ash Williams, Ghost Rider (Blaze)

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Derek Khanata has posed:
"So, look: it's easy. You're going to walk in there cool, confident, and in control. You hold all the cards here, while he'll be on the defensive. Don't spook him, just play it casual--we're having fun."

"This guy's bio reads that he's been a loose cannon since he and his playmates decided to read some spooky stories on a cabin trip; problem was, they were reading from the Necronomicon."

It's sunny, mid-day, a run-down commercial strip. Khanata is behind the wheel of a black '65 Impala, top down with dark red interior, with Johnny Blaze riding shotgun. They're both smoking and wearing sunglasses.

"He was the only guy to make it out alive. Since then, he's been a drifter, working low wage jobs and getting himself into and out of supernatural scrapes. A dark horse to be sure, but he's supposed to resourceful and tough as hell. We'll see if he plays well with others."

Khanata exhales a cloud of smoke as they turn into the pot-holed parking lot of an S-Mart, "I think he'll take a shine to you; both have that 'rebel without a cause' vibe. That means I'll be counting on you not only to keep him disarmed today," the car comes to a stop in front of a dust-caked window display of sun-faded dresses, one wig askew, "but to make sure he stays in line when the rubber hits the road."

"That is," Khanata smirks as he straightens his jacket, "if you think you can hang."

"Now, if my intelligence is still up-to-date," he adjusts his mirror and indicates to Blaze, "That busted Oldsmobile in the shade is his, let's say, 'mobile base of operations'. This time of day," Khanata checks his watch, "He should just be waking up."

Ash Williams has posed:
There's also a dented and yet heavily reinforced airstream trailer that waits behind the glorious marvel of American engineering that is the Delta - And the door is kicked open by a man who looks to be on the wrong side of middle aged, and although there's still a lot of power in the frame of the man who stumbles out of it, there's definitely some age there. His mechanical hand is at least attached.

Ash staggers a few meters away from the trailer, until he can reach out for the side of the building, bracing himself and turning away from any witnesses before he begins to relieve himself. Not that the trailer doesn't have a bathroom, but there's something quite 'hungover morning' about taking a piss outside. A sigh of pleasure follows.

    So... To say that they have the advantage over him is an understatement. Although if there's one thing to be said for Ash, he's at his strongest when he's vulnerable.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny is simply walking with shadow-man Derek Khanata as he looks over whatever file he gets. "Look, I already fucking told you I ain't good at this shit. So don't you be expecting anything to go smoothly, got it?" Johnny was //not// happy, and Derek could see that hellfire glow in his eyes. Either way, he seems to just listen to the report.

He kows god damn Derek is enjoying this way too bloody much.

Johnny seems to look at Khanata. "I'll burn you alive." when Khanata questions Johnny's ability to hang with the big dogs. But he eventually smiles. "Fine, fine. Let's see how this goes..." Putting his hands into his pockets and approaching Ash, Johnny seems to give a little wave. "Hey friend." Johnny doesn't even wait for Ash to stop pissing, if he is, but Johnny would keep a safe distance juuust in case. He //does// like these boots.

Derek Khanata has posed:
"There's the man of the hour. C'mon," Khanata claps Johnny on the shoulder, "You're a secret agent now, Blaze, time to act like one--you're supposed to be enjoying yourself."

The two of them stroll across the parking lot and Khanata smirks at his new partner's introduction, "Excuse me, we're here about the Craigslist ad. I understand you're a bit of a handyman."

His smile broadens and he nods towards the prosthetic, "I'm guessing you must be pretty good, friend. Not a lot of one-handed... handymen. What're your rates?"

Ash Williams has posed:
"Gimme a sec, I gotta finish bleeding the lizard." Ash mutters blurrily, shaking his head rather than even look at the people. Shake one, twice, three times... One more for luck. El Jefe zips up, and turns to look at his new guests. "Huh. Well, you guys aren't part of the center management." So there's no need to apologise for taking a piss against the side of the building. What a relief.

"I don't make friends without booze of coffee, so I hope you've got one or the other." He finally declares, patting his trademark blue shirt until he finds a crumpled packet of malboro's with his good hand, and then plucks a crinkled cigarette from it. It's lit, drawn upon, and he leans heavily against his trailer. Heroic, absolutely.

"Handyman ain't quite the right term. Exorcist ain't right either. I hunt down and kill Evil." Exhale of smoke, and that winning smile appears for a moment, "I charge by the head, big ones are extra, and if I have to shove my shiny magic knife up something it's an extra charge."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny looks to Ash as Derek does some of the talking, tossing Ash some Jack Daniels. This better be god damn worth it if Johnny ahs to give up his jack daniels. "Well, there's some booze for ya. Lets be friends." he smiles then as Ash tells them about what he does to make a living.

He glances to Derek. "Well, I think he might fit right in then." before his eyes shift back to Ash.

"Well then, we'd like to discuss a job offer for you. See, our line of work is to hunt down and kill evil. So, why not do it with others for double the pay?"

Derek Khanata has posed:
"We're looking for a few subcontractors to save the world. Pay's good and in unmarked bills; no paperwork, great benefits. Perhaps we could discuss the details in your, ah, office?"

Khanata gestures towards the Airstream, "Quite a mobile fortress you've got yourself here."

Ash Williams has posed:
Ash takes the alcohol, and in true style, takes the lid off with his teeth and swallows a large mouthful of it. "I've got a posse for hunting down Evil, and they're pretty good at it. If I can find out where the hell they got to." Another mouthful of booze, and he shoves off the trailer, "But until I do, can't hurt to shove some evil into it's own backside. Maybe I'll figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do about those big guys in their cloaks. C'mon in." The door is still open, and there's a few loose beer cans sitting in the footwell that leads into a trailer that has seen better days... And odours.

It mostly smells like lived in and alcohol, with a touch of smoke and pot. Inside looks... Well, worn, but normal for an airstream, with his chainsaw mounted above the kitchenette, sawn-off on the dining table and shotgun beside it. Ash falls heavily onto the couch, and takes another mouthful of Jack, before he gestures opposite. "It's pretty well armor plated. Gotta keep the deadites out, since they've got a smell for me." Too true.

The only truly bizarre thing sits on the bench, beside a half eaten bagel smeared with cream cheese and jam - A dagger with a handle carved out of bone, the edge still stained red. Far from blood, though, it's the same colour as the... Jam.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny simply lets Derek speak as he copmliments Ash's home and offers to talk business in the...ahem...office of Ash Williams.

Following Ash inside, it seems the man already knows at least somewhat about the predicament, but Johnny doesn't want to assume and thus, look like an ass. Nay, but Johnny //does// respect a man who leaves his weapons where he can easily grab them. You never know when you'll be attacked by all manner of creature after all. "Thanks for allowing us into your home." Johnny doesn't mind the smell. Smelt like pretty much everywhere else he's ever gone, so....

Plus nothing beats the stench of Hell. Master that scent, and nothing will faze you.

Johnny simply leans against one of the walls, looking at Ash. "so, best get down to it so we don't waste your time. But, remember the fungus that was trying to take over the world a month or so ago? Well, now we're huntin' down the guys who started that mess."

Derek Khanata has posed:
Khanata picks up the blade with bemusement as he squeezes into the bench, turning it over in his hand. "Good blade, nice heft. Bet it slices a mean bagel."

He passes it to Blaze for inspection, "Blaze is right, no reason to beat around the bush. My name is Derek Khanata and I'm an agent of SHIELD. We're putting together a crew of the meanest bunch of supernatural SOBs on the planet for an insertion into Central Mexico and the fate of the human race hanging in the balance. You'll be walking in there with almost no intelligence to take out a target that might be a psychic fungus from outer space that's taken over the Avengers."

"There's a bad guy we're calling the Visitor who's been turning everybody into those sleepwalkers you've seen popping up all over the place. We've got GPS coordinates and an astral signature for what the WAND boys are calling a 'server'; current intel indicates that it powers the whole network, allowing this Visitor to possess the whole damn planet."

He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a pack of cigarettes, "Damn it, the wife's going to kill me." He fumbles through his pockets for a moment and grins guiltily, "Got a light, friend?"

"Ah, thanks. Now, here's the good news: you're going to be working with an all-star lineup here, a real monster mash. We're talking demons, vampires, the works, so you're going in loaded for bear. The bad news," the African taps his cigarette onto a battered and blackened Hotel 7 aluminum ashtray of vintage make, "is that we've got a crowd of eggheads back at HQ that you'll have to coordinate with. They're going to try and bottle this genie--not a real genie, far as we know--and dispose of it in Dimension X, and will need you to knock out this server when they're ready to make their move."

Ash Williams has posed:
Ash shakes his head. "Yeah, yeah, that whole mess." He dismisses it pretty easily. "Hell, could be worse than working with you guys. Might be that I can do my job without getting accused of murder at along the way." And Derek manages to get his attention sharply, his hand grabbing his shotgun by the handle but not moving it yet. "Careful what you touch ain't yours." The warning is quiet, but met with a narrowing of his eyes.

"Me? I'm human. Might be I've been sent back and forth through time, met some people who are pretty far from it, but I'm an American and proud of it." El Jefe nods to his shotgun, "But me and my boomstick? We've come through." His hand leaves his shotgun, to toss a zippo over to Derek,

"Right. Well, I can't say I'm much for co-ordination. See, a plan is good until you start following it, and then you've got to go with your gut, your gun, and whatever else you brought with you. If you're paying me, I'll play along, but if things go tits-up, I'm getting the job done."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny seems to just stay silent as Derek gives all the details. Johnny didn't sit down, but rather stayed next to Derek with his hands in his pockets. At Ash's statemtns regarding his own humanity and mortality, He seems to chuckle a little bit before he nods. "I like him already." he glances to Derek.

"He'll fit right in." and that's all he seems to say, going quiet since Derek has decided to take over the conversation...not that Johnny was complaining.

He was never the social type anyway.

Derek Khanata has posed:
"Easy, friend, easy." Khanata sets the blade down lightly on the crusted edge of the cream cheese container, "Just don't want to explain the jelly stains to my dry cleaner."
    he African nods in agreement as he listens to Ash's terms, "That's what I'm counting on; I need people who can think on their feet and outside the box. Don't discount the think-tank too lightly, though--we're talking some serious heavy hitters. They'll handle their end."

"I won't mince words: we're talking high stakes, little chance of survival, everything on the line. They say you're the man for the job--from what I've heard, you might still be human but you've seen your share of hell. I figure you won't spook at the sight of a few ghouls and ghosts."

The agent jerks a thumb at Blaze, "Bashful here is Johnny Blaze; when he's not a full-time wallflower he's a crack stunt driver and lands somewhere between a ghost and a demon. Lot of mash-ups in this business, turns out."

The lively sounds of a Tejano accordion drift through the open camper window and Khanata flips open the blinds with two fingers, "Looks like a taco truck just pulled into the lot; good. I don't know about you two, but I'm starving. How bout it, boys--breakfast on me?"

Khanata reaches into his jacket, producing a crisp stacks of hundreds. He hands one to Johnny, "Do me a favor--go ahead and order, give our new friend and I a chance to discuss business. We'll be right along."

Ash Williams has posed:
"Last thing worth saying. This kind of thing has a habit of ending up with people turning on one another, or getting in the way. If that happens, I'm not expecting anyone to pause, and I ain't going to." Ash shrugs - The kind of shrug that's trying to sort out SOMETHING that doesn't feel right in his lower back, before he lets out a sudden, loud chuckle. "SHIELD. Hell, I've saved the planet often enough to be a superhero, but if you've done your lookie-lou on me you'll know I've got a habit of getting out of the shit with a long trail of dead people behind me."

Taco's bring him out of his reverie immediately, "Derek! You've managed to find the way to my heart, there's nothing like a mexican breakfast. Hah! So, you wanna hire Ashy Slashy to save the world again? Figure I might be up for that, for now at least."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny was listening. Everything was fine. Yep. Peachy.

Then he's told to get tacos. TACOS. for breakfast. While he's extremely happy to have food in his stomach, he is //NOT// happy being chosen as the resident errand boy. "Yeah, yeah." he accepts the stack of hundreds that Derek gives him and he walks out, giving an upnod to Ash in passing.

"Motherfucking pack mule..." he's grumbling a few other things that shouldn't be said in polite company....Hell, he's probably inventing new cuss words.

Derek Khanata has posed:
"That reminds me: you're not just saving the world this time around."

Khanata smirks at the sound of the trailer door slamming shut, "There's an opportunity for a more permanent arrangement. Consider this job a 'pilot project' for something I've been kicking around; an independently-run, fully-autonomous, completely deniable squad of supernatural specialists--the Howling Commandos. We're talking earmarked black budgets, access to the best intelligence and gear on the planet, and all you've got to do is what comes naturally. We point at targets, you take them down; we don't sweat how it gets done."

The African exhaules a plume of cigarette smoke, "Only problem I see, assuming you don't all get killed first time out, is keeping the pack from turning on each other. Take that kid there," Khanata gestures through the half-shaded window at the sulking Blaze, waiting in line, "Raw power like you wouldn't believe. He's had a tough go of it, though; raised in a circus, real sob story."

"He's been running hot since the day he was born, chip on his shoulder a mile wide. Problem is, he's still a greenhorn and likely to get himself into trouble. What he really needs is a mentor, someone with real experience to show him the ropes."

The SHIELD agent smiles slyly as he casts a side-eye at Williams, "Know where I might be able to find such a seasoned veteran?"

Ash Williams has posed:
Ash enjoys another stiff mouth of Jack, and then he considers the offer. "I got some other things on my plate right now - A date with some faceless guys who've been running things for a long time, caught up in a whole lot of bad stuff for you and me. But I'll think about it. Thing you've got to realise is that gear doesn't make the hero. My boomstick? A buck fifty on special, but she gets the job done." An affectionate pat for the weapon follows.

"So, the kid, ghost-demon thing. Don't suppose you know it, but I'm hardly Father of the Year, and trouble follows me like a hooker's perfume. The world doesn't give a shit about that though, it'll chew you up and spit you out if you let it either way, but you wanna know something?" Ash nods at the truck, in the general direction of the boy.

"You want to make him a weapon? You'll make him a weapon. You wanna use him? He'll be usable. Not always gonna work out in your favour, but that's the way it goes - Because all of those costumed freaks you see running around, good AND bad? They were someone, 'fore they became something." Ash offers his own grim warning.

Derek Khanata has posed:
"You need backup for your faceless friends, that's what this team is for. There's a lot of bad juju in the air these days--supernatural threats popping up around every corner, and BPRD is buckling under the caseload. Way I figure it, even if the brass doesn't sign off on taking the project live, you make a few friends, bust a few heads together, the world ends up a safer place."

"As far as the kid goes," Khanata reaches over and grabs the bottle, takes a pull and grimaces, "don't I know it. He's gonna spin out of control one of these days, go out in a blaze of glory--I peg him as dead or in jail before the age of thirty. I ought to just take care of it before he becomes a liability," the African groans as he rises, "But I'm getting old, and I'd like to see a happy ending for him."

He stares out the window, squinting in the harsh light. Johnny's getting frustrated--he and the cook are having a hard time communicating, "He'd take a swing at Father of the Year before he'd listen to a thing the man had to say. No, he's got to blaze his own trails, and the role models he'll need are those who did it their own way."

"Think it over, both of my proposals. I need a vet in the pocket that I can count on."

"Now, c'mon--I haven't eaten in fifteen hours, and I can smell the tongue from here."

Ash Williams has posed:
"Yeah, well, you want my two cents? Keep him away from the guys who lost themselves or he'll follow them." Ash grunts as he pushes himself to his feet, "Stories like his end with dead people. Guess we've got that in common. Now, there's a burrito out there with my name on it, and then I've got a different kind of evil that I'm gonna need to take care of, and not the kind that you'll wanna be here for. Let's go."