[h3][i]The Dillinger Room (Boardroom H-409) Floor 43 Stark Tower Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA July 4th, 2023 10:05PM EDT (Tuesday)[/i][/h3] The meeting momentarily adjourned, but one member of this evil cabal wasn't entirely convinced that their plan of framing the children will work. The FBI may have been completely unreliable, but they weren't idiots either. When Victor, Vanko and Osborn stepped out Nathaniel made his move. He walked over to Sterns. He could sense the air of nervousness around the old doctor. He may have tried to hide it, but he was concerned that everything was going to fall apart. They probably would have if he wasn't there. [color=fff79a]"You're right. There are a few holes in the plan."[/color] Nathaniel said with a disappointed look. [color=fff79a]"But I've decided to fill them for us. We'll still send someone after the children. In fact I already have someone in mind. We can discuss that in tomorrow's meeting, but as far as framing them that part of the plan is doomed to fail. We give the FBI a target that they wouldn't possibly be able to do anything against. And I have just the one. They'll likely be here with a warrant within an hour. Let me handle everything."[/color] His disappointed look turned into a sly, devilish smile. Sterns wasn't sure if he should trust him with this, but Essex wasn't the type to let people down. Especially when he could be brought down as well. The man was without a doubt a narcissist, but he needed this to work just as much as they needed it to. Sterns sighed and relented. "Fine. Do what you need to do. This better not fail." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [h3][i] Floor 43 Stark Tower Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA July 4th, 2023 11:22PM EDT (Tuesday)[/i][/h3] Samuel and Nathaniel were planning to leave for the night when agents flooded in from the different entrances to the floor. The two were surrounded, but at the same time unnerved by their guests. It seemed that Agent Castle had finished with his interrogation of Caty as he was the one leading the charge. He approached the two with warrant in hand and lifted it and stopped directly in front of their faces. [color=fff79a]"I'm Agent Castle with the FBI and as you can see we have a warrant to search the premises. If there's anything you want to say in regards to any certain allegations I suggest you do so now or wait until we're back at the station."[/color] Nathaniel spoke up in response. [color=fff79a]"There won't be a need to wait. We can discuss things in our conference room while your agents conduct their searches. We have nothing to hide."[/color] The two scientists led Agent Castle to the Dillinger Room while the remaining agents scurried around trying to find any substantial evidence to use against them. Nathaniel didn't hesitate to start once they entered the room. [color=fff79a]"Before we truly begin I want to state that we are not denying that we've been conducting research on Terrigen Crystals under Project Terrigenesis, but we deny all responsibility for the tragedy that took place earlier tonight."[/color] [color=fff79a]"Is that so?"[/color] Castle asked not believing that in the slightest. [color=fff79a]"Your intern Catherine Davis is convinced that you are. She claims that she along with two others listened in on a meeting you had. I'm guessing in this very room."[/color] [color=fff79a]"Ah, yes. We did hold a meeting here tonight. I was getting to this point, but recently our facilities suffered a break-in and a number of our crystals were stolen." "Stolen?" "Yes, stolen." "A hi-tech building such as this doesn't seem to be the kind that's so easily broken into." "Meetings here also aren't so easily spied on, but we both now know that it's possible."[/color] Castle wasn't amused. [color=fff79a]"If the crystals were stolen how did they know exactly where they'd be released?" "In the meeting we were discussing possible locations where they might attack. We figured that it would have to be somewhere with many potential targets and those that were preferably young and fit. Today being Independence Day made it the perfect day to release such an attack on the populace. So with some deductive reasoning we came to the conclusion that it'd be at one of the Independence Day concerts. With a few more deductions we figured out that they were targeting Hyde Park. Miss Davis and her friends must have heard us mention it. Are they okay by the way? We haven't heard from them since this all happened." "More or less. Assuming that everything that you said is true why didn't you report the break in or your suspicions earlier?" "We simply didn't trust the authorities to handle this. And we weren't ready to reveal the existence of the crystals. Your agents will find that everything we've said to be true. And if you don't have any further questions I would like to go home. It's been a really long day." "Just one more. Do you have any idea as to who might have stolen the crystals?" "No one for certain. Anyone who found out about the crystals would want to get their hands on them, but not everyone would want to attack on a holiday celebrating the beauty of our country more than a terrorist. The Ten Tings Terrorist Organization may be the ones behind it."[/color] Castle stared blankly before finally sighing. [color=fff79a]"I guess that'll be all for now. Don't make any plans to leave the country. Goodnight."[/color] ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [h3][i]The Dillinger Room (Boardroom H-409) Floor 43 Stark Tower Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA July 5th, 2023 10:46AM EDT (Wednesday)[/i][/h3] The mad scientists were once again gathered in the boardroom where they had watched their plans both unfold and unravel at the same time. There was a minor hitch, but things would progress smoothly from now on. They'd make sure of it. They'd first have to make sure that the trio of interns would never be able to stand in their way. Or stand at all. A screen was projected onto the far end wall and the scientists were all looking towards it awaiting for a presentation. Nathaniel finally spoke up from his position to the right of Sterns. [color=fff79a]"I do apologize for calling the rest of you in so early, but I felt after yesterday it would be best to get things rolling rather quickly. Yesterday we decided that the interns needed to die. I took the liberty in finding the one to do them in."[/color] He aimed a clicker at the screen and pressed a button. It revealed a man with tattoos scattered around his body. His body was that of perfection, because that's what he was made to be. [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/86/da/0886dad0af31be707bb9c5f661988ff5.jpg[/img] [color=fff79a]"This is Adam Dawson. Formerly a decorated war veteran, now mercenary and hitman. The US Military used a recreated version of the Super Soldier Serum on him in the early 2000's. After returning home from war he found that taking orders and killing were two things he did best. He has never failed a mission. I think it'll be interesting to test his record and his serum against three bright minds under terrigenesis."[/color] Osborn and the others smiled at this, but he was the only one to speak. [color=fff79a]"Essex, your mind is truly diabolical."[/color] ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [h3][i]Lenox Hill Hospital New York City, New York, USA July 7th, 2023 12:23PM EDT (Friday)[/i][/h3] It's been three days since the Terrigenesis experiment. If anyone had shown signs of powers they were doing well at keeping it hidden. Others seemed to have not awakened anything at all. Catherine seemed to be one of them. She had spent the past few days in the hospital watching over David. He had been in a coma ever since he passed out and the doctors had no clue what was wrong with him, but their looks never inspired hope or confidence. Caty made sure to keep Danny close with her as well. She wanted to be home with their parents, but both she and the FBI felt that they would've been safer apart than together. They were only able to spare a couple agents to watch over their parents until this all blew over. Some agents stayed at the hospital for two days, but after no signs of retribution at the hands of the Stark Scientists they were pulled in to help with the bigger mess on their hands. There were whispers of SHIELD being brought in. Caty was sitting in a chair against the window in David's room. The hospital had given them permission to spend the nights and days there past visiting hours. She was tired of being on alert and started to doze off. The moment she did there was an intense ringing in her head that caused her to keel over and clench her head. [color=0244FB]"What is---"[/color] Before she could get the words out she heard the almost silent breaking of glass behind her. Her head started to clear just a bit. She stood up and looked back at the window. There was a small hole in it almost as if... Someone shot it. Her eyes followed the invisible trajectory of the bullet and noticed another hole in the wall across from it. A sniper, but they weren't shooting again. Was that pain she felt some kind of warning? She didn't have the time to think about it. She needed to get her and her brother out of there. Meanwhile a figure was on the roof of Lenox Hill Hospital. He held a tablet it in his hand that gave him a view of David's hospital room. In his other hand there was some sort of trigger. Likely connected to the rifle that was aimed at the room. He was visibly confused by the apparent miss. He never missed. He was going to have to personally take care of this. He placed the trigger and tablet in a small bag and tossed them over the side of the building. He double checked the weapons he carried on his person and made his way back into the hospital.