[h2]New connections [/h2][hr][sup]A collaborative post between [@Chulance] & [@Xandrya][/sup]

Jace was irate with the event with Adam that just took place. He thought today would be a breather compared to the day before but it seemed the universe hadn’t agreed with that assumption. No, not in the slightest but perhaps the meeting with this Russian agent could fix that. At first he’d assumed sanzhar was the one behind the call he’d just received only to be confronted by a voice he’d never heard in his entire life. But now a small minuscule part of him pondered if anya herself was connected. After all it was a bit strange that the first day he agreed to work with her people he was being threatened with extortion. 

The irony in all of this was that he was in the process of going after Lionel for Nikita’s mother when that agonizing call was made to him. If he didn’t comply with the demands, just like in the opening words of will smith fresh prince show his life would indeed be turned upside down.  Regardless of all the potential or her to be involved he showed up. But he wasn’t happy maybe she wasn’t tied into this, hopefully that was the case. But perhaps if she wasn’t she could be of some use to resolving this situation. In which case she’d have his undying loyalty & co-operation.

“There he is,” Anya added with a smile as she saw Jace approach. They were approximately two blocks away from one of the safe houses they used for bringing new sources in, “just in time as we agreed on. In our line of work, timeliness is something we take very serious.” Once he was next to her, Anya began walking in the direction they were heading. She had noticed that Jace wasn’t in the best of moods. That could have been due to a number of things, but as long as he hadn’t changed his mind, they would still proceed as normal. “Everything alright?”

In the past, Anya had asked that same question of a potential source. During their walk, he went on and on about his current life and how everything seemed to be turning upside down. Anya was attentive and engaging, even going as far as offering some advice to the guy, but in the end, he just decided not to pursue the deal they had agreed on earlier that week. And in a rather rude manner, she may add. [I]”No, fuck this shit, and fuck you!"[/I] He had then pushed past her and walked back to wherever he came from. But that didn’t look to be the case now, not with Jace. She got the impression that he was upfront for just about anything.

Jace didn't share the bubbly energy Anya as she mentioned him being on time. "Yeah well I try not to live up to the stereotype of black people being late." Jace responded plainly showing that he was indeed not in a good mood due to the events that had just transpired prior to meeting up with her. " And no it's not, I'm hoping your not involved." He simply took out his phone clicking the private youtube link that showed footage of his encounter with the nine foot mutant in the streets. The clip ended with him throwing the creature into a parked SUV and rushing over to his backpack to slip his Shade mask on.  At the conclusion of the video he slipped his phone back in his pocket and sighed. "That's a private youtube video and unless I kill some people for the owner, he's going to release that footage to the world so you can see I'm not having the best day right now." Jace muttered fully explaining why his mood was dampened.

Silently glancing over at him, Anya’s expression changed. She looked over the video and realized why he wasn’t in the best of moods. Whoever had captured the footage was now framing him, and disobeying the demands came at a high price. “I can assure we had nothing to do with that. I’d actually offer a hand, but the way this person operates, I’m guessing they want [i]you[/i] specifically to carry out the killings.” Anya had mentioned helping him as a sign of good faith, but she was afraid there was a lot to lose on the line. Whoever the individual was that recorded Jace might not only go after him, but her as well, and given she was already handling a few other sources, she did not want to get involved too deep in their business. “Nonetheless, if you need anything from behind the scenes, you’re more than welcomed to come to me for help.”

The two arrived at the safe house. It was a townhouse identical to the neighboring homes, and nothing about it stood out. “Come on  it, maybe we can figure something out after your meeting.

Jace eyed Anya to gauge her reaction to being shown the footage to try to determine if he was going to maintain the idea that she might be associated with the recording. However he'd already agreed to work with her without any sort of manipulation or blackmail so he partially presumed her innocent. "Yeah you don't gotta get involved this is my problem to handle, I'm hoping at least the targets he has for me are people whom I can justify killing at least." Jace replied hoping the targets weren't innocent people that he was being blackmailed into killing. Being able to justify the killings as people whom he would normally slaughter would at least clear his conscience on what he'd most likely have to do in order to protect himself.

The second video included footage of Sanzhar, but he didn't seem like the ruthless type. He seemed to have already accepted being turned into a fugitive, so that alone meant he probably wouldn't be down to murder people to keep that from being a reality. He'd rather accept Anya's help with this task then him but it was day two of there partnership so he wouldn't ask her to move mountains for him. "Perhaps we can but if not like I said I'm gonna do what I gotta to keep my life." Jace's demenour partially changed as they arrived, he was the type of person who didn't allow situations from his life to interfere with anything business related. Right now the primary focus was ensuring he secured this alliance with Anya & the FSS, not whatever Adam wanted to use him for.

“Alright, essentially it is up to you, of course.” Anya then approached the door, knocking three times in a certain pattern before inserting the key and turning it. “Right this way, please.” She went in and held the door open for Jace. Inside the home, not much could be described in detail. The walls were an off-white color, and the furniture was kept to a bare minimum. After Jace stepped inside, she closed the door behind them and motioned for him to follow her into the living room which was immediately off to the left from the main door. “Mr. Williams, I’d like you to meet Ivan Morozov. He will be conducting your interview today and thus asking you some questions.

Ivan stood up, offering a hand. He had been sitting on a plain gray couch right across a coffee table with various equipment on it. Ivan was wearing a black suit and tie over a white dress shirt. The other man standing by the wall was dressed in a similar fashion, though he remained quiet with his hands crossed in front of him.

"Hello Mr Morozov pleasure to meet you." Jace said in his most professional voice and extended his hand to take the one Ivan offered. He wanted to be cordial, there was no sign of any anoymsity or frustration he had when he first met with Anya. True to his character he had put that to the back of his mind to make his first impression to Anya's people a good one. There was no need to let issues from one problem in his life spill into another sector especially to the russians whoo could prove valuable allies in the trying times ahead for altered humans in America. "So what's the first step sir? " Jace took notice of the other similary dressed yet quiet man who hadn't spoke. Usually he'd initiate contact but it seemed he didn't want to speak yet for a reason that he decided not to pry about.

“Please, sit,” Morozov motioned for Jace to make himself comfortable; the thick Russian accent unmistakable. It was then he nodded to the man standing by the wall before looking over at Anya, and she knew it was time to go wait outside. 

“Well, we’re going to have a conversation while attached to this little machine.” The unnamed man then took that as his cue to start the process. First, he fitted Jace with a head strap, that which had a camera attached to it. The camera focused on the right eye, leaving the vision from the left eye unobstructed. The man then moved on to the next piece of equipment which was usually what one would be strapped to when taking a lie detector test. It included a chest wire, a sensor for the pointer finger, and a pressure cuff which was placed around his upper arm. Lastly, the man placed a small microphone on Jace’s collar. After Jace was hooked up, the man pressed some keys on the laptop on the opposite end of the coffee table. After a few moments, he nodded to Morozov.

“Alright, let’s get started, shall we? First, were you coerced into working for the FSS in any way?"

Jace noticed that Anya had departed from the room, and figured this portion of the process would involve him only without the perso who recruited him. [i]Huh all me now, what they got going on they acting like this is an exam and she might help me cheat to pass [/i] These thoughts occupied Jace as he was hooked up to the machinery. "Alright yeah let's go, and naw I wasn't coerced I'm here on my own free will."

"Perfect," Morozov responded, looking over at the man who quietly nodded. "Do you currently hold less than desirable opinions towards our organization or Russia or its people?" He went on, studying Jace.

"Nope no anonymity towards your organization, or Russia or the people who live there." Jace answered truthfully having no ill towards any of the above he was questioned about.

Once more, Morozov received another nod. So far, Jace was being truthful. "Okay Mr. Williams, so far so good. Next question, are you going to take advantange of [i]any[/i] of the resouces the FSS is willing to offer you for your own gains?"

Jace raised an eyebrow at the phrasing of the question, wasn't the point of every partnership for the mutual benefit of both parties. "Only to the extent that I'm allowed to without making my relationship with the FSS parasitic, or in violation of the terms i agree too." Jace answered after a few seconds of careful considerable thought, he wasn't here to outright manipulate them of course but Anya had peaked his interest in collaborating with them in exchange for Liberty intel intertwined with occassional financial compensation.

The man sitting across from him stared at the screen and then back at Morozov. For the first time, he smiled slightly. Jace had been honest during his very brief questioning as the software hadn’t picked up observable or non-observable changes in response to the questions. 

“Very well, Mr. Williams, we just wanted to verify your intentions were good.” 

During the next few moments the man removed the equipment, freeing Jace to do as he pleased. “From this point forward, you’ll be briefed by Ms. Donovan prior to each and every mission as she’ll be your point of contact. If for some reason you don’t ever hear from her again, expect the worst. At that point, the relationship between you and us is severed. Anything else can be clarified by Ms. Donovan herself. Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Williams.”

After standing up for a brief handshake, Morozov left the room, adjusting his suit jacket as he went. The man stayed behind to put away the equipment and Anya walked back into the room.

“See, that wasn’t so bad; guess he was in a hurry today."

Jace breathed an internal sigh of relief that he’d passed the testing or whatever, but like Morozov said it wasn’t really that bad. It was them being cautious in who they did business with which made sense for spies. It was just the whole thing made him recall memories of job interviews which he always got a bit of butterflies before doing.

“Oh is it usually worst” Jace joked the first time he’d done that since waking up today, especially since Adam soured his mood with talk of extortion & blackmail. “So then whats next “Miss Dononvan” Jace replied in a cheeky tone using the name he’d heard the men refer to Anya as.

“Next...we wait,” Anya added, walking away to the kitchen. "Let me offer you a drink, take the edge off. We don’t need to rush into anything, but I have a feeling we may need you soon."

Jace followed after Anya listening to what she was saying. "Yeah I'll take you up on that offer I need a fucking drank." Jace replied between Adam's threats & Lionel pressing Nikita's mom he needed to sip something before he hit something. "By the way can I ask a favor,  yesterday I got into a fight with a 9 foot mutant monster thats when that footage i showed you earlier got took by the dude blackmailing me. I had a...friend who jumped in to help me out, he threw on a mask early in the fight but at first he didn't have one one. We ended up getting chased by the cops & national guard after killing the mutant, is there any way you can access that footage or find out if the cops or liberty managed to get his face without the mask hell mine too might as well ask since i got some nut tryna extort me with his own personal recording." Jace added remembering Sanzhar's request & the reason he let him stay at his safe house.

“Well, I don’t see why not. Let me just make a phone call.”

Anya finishing pouring some vodka for Jace and then she did the same for herself before putting the bottle of Russian Standard away. “Here,” she added, sliding the glass over to him. After a quick toast, she pulled out her work cell phone.

“Matthews, hi, it’s Donovan. Listen, I need a favor...” Anya took a sip as she turned around to lean on the counter. “Yesterday’s fight with the mutant, does the footage from that block show any faces? It’s my understanding that there two Altered fighting the thing.” There was a pause. “Yeah, sure, I can wait.”

She had called one of the analysts at Liberty, one who she made friends with in order to be able to ask favors of him.

“No? You sure? So there’s no footage anywhere?” Another pause. “Okay, thank you.”

Anya then hung up the phone and turned around. Well, you heard it for yourself, they have nothing,” she smiled, taking another sip of the drink.

Jace was relieved at the news Anya had delivered, it removed a great deal of tension from him. "Thanks, I can toast to that." Jace raised his glass to hers before downing some of his drink.  Usually he went for dark liquor but he wasn't going to turn down what she offered. Instead he used his powers to weaken the strength of his taste buds to the point they were almost non-existent allowing him to take sips of the russian standard with no discomfort. [i]Oh yeah, I'm starting to like this power more and more everyday [/i] Jace thought to himself in satisfaction. Now Adam was the only thing jeopardizing his privacy, once he got rid of him & Lionel he expected to life to return to a much more manageable state.  In the mean while it paid to have friends in high places, as well as russians in secret ones. "Mhmmm thanks for the drink, it really is just what I needed." The vodka served as a deterrent to te swarm of negative thoughts that soured his meal & morning earlier today.

“Glad I could be of help,” she added with a little smile, gulping down the remaining liquid. Anya then went ahead and pushed her glass aside, looking over at Jace. “I should get going now, you’re welcomed to stay and finish your drink. Dmitri there will hand you a key to this place as this is where we’ll meet from now on unless I specifically say otherwise. As always, pleasure doing business.”

Anya then headed out, not wanting to be late to work.