((Collab Post between NarcissisticPotato and Letter Bee))

Carrying herself with a gentle hum, Scarlett crossed the square facing the looming Stucorp building. Her violet hair had been carefully organised so it was pinned up and looking a lot more professional than before-hand and she had traversed deep into her wardrobe to find an outfit that would create a more business-woman look so getting through the reception would be easier. The appearance paired with the confidence made her fit into the part very well and we she strode into the reception with a hint of a smile, she approached the receptionist without a second-thought. "Hello. An appointment for Miss Evermore." She told the woman, giving her a quick nod to show it was official.

The receptionist hurried about her job - she seemed to like it, strangely enough. "Ah yes, Miss Evermore. If you just go to the elevator and go to floor 38, you should be guided to where you need to go!" After thanking her, Scarlett kept her educated posture and approached the elevator, waiting for it to arrive and carry her up to where she needed to go. After she had joined the small crowd of people inside who parted and left a sizeable gap for her, she ascended up through the wolf's den. Finally getting off on the right floor, she was guided to a waiting room where she did just that for almost ten minutes. When she eventually was instructed to go on into Ghost's office she felt surprisingly relieved - she could finally get to work.

"Who's there and why do you want to see me?" Ghost said coldly, the paranoia in his freezing tone evident.

"A Miss Evermore, sir." His secretary answered on the phone, just out of ear-shot of Scarlett. "It doesn't say much on the system here but it seems she was contracted upon Mr Stuart's instructions." The small woman shrugged a little and when she looked back in on Scarlett, she smiled a little. "Real pretty, she is!" They had all tried in some sort of way to try and normalise Ghost but it was nigh-on impossible!

"I see," spoke the Metahuman, still cold, but less so now. "So, Ms. Evermore, what are you here to talk about, if Gary is trying to set us up on a date?"

At this point, Scarlett had already entered the room and took a seat in front of him after shaking his hand. After letting out a soft chuckle, she shook her head, her curls bouncing as as he called down her powers, lacing her next few words with subconscious power. "Unfortunately not but I would definitely clear my calender if I thought it was the case. No, sir, I'm here to talk about mind-security. Mr Stuart has informed me that he has made robots to do that but his employees need these skills as well. That's where I come in."

"I see," spoke Ghost with a note of confidence. "That...is actually a good idea. Are you a Meta?"

She could already see him loosening up with her, which was good! "Yes. I'm a private contractor but I mainly work with very rich businesspeople or the government. I go into your mind and help you identify when there's an alien consciousness in there. A very tricky task but I'm sure a man of your calibre should pick it up in no time!" Her words were encouraging, edging him closer to agreeing flat-out with her. She was occasionally throwing in a few compliments as well, he would warm up to her eventually.

A flash of paranoia showed in Ghost's face, but the man suppressed it; the lure of a new weapon - or defense - in his arsenal was too good to refuse. And so, he said:

"All right; do I have to lie down?"

"No no! Just relax back into your chair." She murmured as she got to her feet and pulled her coat off before moving around to him. Slowly kneeling down so she was on eye-level with him, she made sure to not make any sudden movements like she was working with children. "Sleep." She whispered, her hand passing down past his cheek as she loaded her words with unconscious commands.

As Ghost slept, he remembered the old days, of being the only Albino kid in a school filled with...non-albinos. Obviously, this made him unpopular, with people of every color bullying him with beatings, spitballs, acts of harassment, and even being flashed with gestures and amulets against the 'Evil Eye', a phenomenon that made him skeptical towards 'superstitions' in general. It was a sad time, but eventually, he managed to get into college, where people were marginally kinder, and then into StuCorp, then run by Gary's father, Martin Stuart.

Then, Metahuman Powers just had to ruin, and enhance, his life. When his 'abilities' surfaced, he faced ostracism from everyone at work, ostracism that only stopped when Gary, now heading the company, promoted him to be part of his new 'Superhero' team. For that, he was greateful, eternally grateful...

A short while later, Scarlett was splayed out over his desk with a small smirk plastered to her face - no job was too big, apparently. The blinds were closed and the door was locked so she had room to grab some information from Ghost. By this point, he was completely wrapped around her little finger and would more than likely answer most questions she put forward to him. With other, more difficult questions, she would have to be more convincing. "So. I'm sure Stucorp has some secrets that they wouldn't want anyone to know about; care to share?" She appeared almost innocent, nibbling down on the edge of her finger.

"Well," spoke Ghost, "there's the Power Armor they're building. In Gary's own words, the 'Adult' model is only minimally computerized, having basic filters and sensors, as well as communications. However, aside from that, its ability to interface with other devices is, well...basic."

She quirked an eyebrow at that - she had already called up Ruby and the technopath was currently recording every piece of information Ghost supplied them with. "That is pretty good information. I'm sure you must have something else though... right?" She smiled softly and sat up, sitting on the edge of the table as she settled her feet in his lap. "It would be *very* helpful for me."

"A 'Child' model, with somewhat more computerization, allowing it to operate a cloaking device, as well as more advanced scanners, filters, and sensors, as well as communications. But its most powerful capability is that it can amplify one type of Metahuman power, the ability to wield any tool in existence."

"I see..." She murmured, frowning in thought despite not actually thinking about it at all - why should she when Ruby was already elaborating on the phone. "Cedric. He's this young meta that can use any tools like an expert. A bit stuck-up; thinks he could get past a technopath with some computers. Keep it up, Scarlett." Scarlett smiled softly and got to her feet, slowly circling Ghost like a lioness closing in on a wounded animal. "So, is there any limitations to this suit? For the young master Cedric, correct?"

"Yes -" responded Ghost, before three people came in, their left hands covered in blood. Before Scarlet can react, two were firing what seemed to be Paintball guns at Ghost; when they hit, it was evident that what they were shooting was blood, too. The female Meta would then remember that one of Gary's crew was called Bloodrune, whose powers were that anything splashed with his blood is immune to Superpowers. And with that, Ghost snapped out of it, roaring in rage.

"You fucking little bitch!" he shouted, his hands glowing with green energy. Meanwhile, one of the three figures, a redhead, responded:

"Ruby was a special case. After her, I do background checks on anyone trying to enter [i]my[/i] company without permission, and even those that do. Besides, Ruby was a fine conversationalist, you're not. Plantmaster," he spoke to someone clad in tweed clothes, "do your thing." The tweed-clothed man then tossed out several seeds, which then grew into vines that tried to engulf Scarlett. 

Scarlett was confused at first, then a tad embarrassed as she realised she wasn't wearing much but the fear that overtook her when Ghost was set free was something new. He was terrifying, like a wild animal with that look in his eyes - of course, Scarlett was no damsel that was about to roll over and be captured. Lifting the small phone, she threw it at the far window and Ruby must have got the message as it self-destructed. Turning, Scarlett lost focus for a millisecond as she faded into dreamspace, constructing something snappy to even the playing fields. She didn't know Bloodrune's powers so for all she knew, the Dreamstate would work like normal.

Quickly coming back to focus, she nimbly hopped back two vines and turned, sending her hungry mind screaming forward and trying to drag at their consciousness. She was powerful and definitely lived up to the rumours about her as she swayed her enemies for a moment but it wasn't enough. "This is hardly fair. So, I'll take you on first Ghost." She reasoned that maybe their sense of fair-play would help her out. Probably not but she still bended down into a fighting stance as she dodged another vine.

Ghost launched two beams of green energy at Scarlet, beams set to 'stun', trying to herd her into one of the room's corners. He was also floating, in order to derail any attempts by Scarlett to take him off his footing. Not merely that, but should she try and counterattack, he had some judo moves ready...

The two beams of energy did precisely what Ghost intended for them to do - she was forced to slide into the corner in order to avoid them but that didn't mean she was completely defeated. He might have known Judo but she had mastered Judo long ago, along with a whole host of other martial arts. Advancing hard, her blows were light, intending for him to dodge a particular direction before she landed a heavy kick and slid back again, preparing for a counterattack.

Her opponent rolled to his feet, before he fired a series of short, quick bursts of light at her feet to distrupt her footwork, before shifting to an attack on her legs themselves. Then, he would turn intangible and sink into the floor, before reappearing at the cieling and literally dropping on her.

Scarlett was quick but he was pretty damn fast as well. Forced to dodge the shots aimed at her feet, she was backed into a corner where her footwork was limited. Focusing down on him, she tried to decide what he was doing but ultimately, she wasn't very prepared for when he fell on top of her. "This will be the only time you'll hear this from a girl but you were a lot nicer when you were staring at my chest." She growled, attempting to raise her knee and hit him where it hurt as he pinned her down.

Ghost was wearing a codpiece, thankfully for him. He then spoke one word:

"Surrender."

"Fuck you." She spluttered, her breathing limited by his heavy presence atop her. Eventually though, due to a lack of air, she pinched hard on his leg and settled back a little, her head falling to the side to hide the darkness of defeat in them. Scarlett didn't take defeat very well.

"Sorry," spoke Gary as he pulled out two manacles from a portal, and bound the woman's wrists with them, before having Ghost get off her and, getting a proper gun from his holster, pointed it at Scarlet's head, before saying:

"Look, I'm an honest, trusting man who gives second chances away like candy. I understand too that I'm somewhat naive, and that I mostly skate by on innately superior products. However, threaten one of my employees and I have no compunction of making the alternative to a second chance a bullet to the brainpan. Do you get me?"

Her eyes fell away - she hadn't lost this hard in quite a while and although she could see a deep sense of anger and shame burning in Ghost's eyes, she was now in enemy hands. Of course, that didn't mean she just ignored Gary Stuart the entire time. Eventually, she looked up to meet him with small tears shining in her eyes. Her odd giddiness from earlier was gone, replaced by a deep loathing of these men. "You're not going to shoot me, Gary Stuart, in fact you're going to treat me like a princess and hope that when we do go visit daddy, he doesn't rip your beating heart from your body. I have seen your dreams, do not insult me with pitiful lies." Turning, she eyed Ghost for a second before smirking a little, she wasn't defeated just yet. "Pity. Your guilt will gnaw at you until you're nothing but a shallow husk. You don't know what you told me and I'm never going to tell them."

"Doesn't matter," spoke Ghost, "we've got you, and that's all that matters."