Tales of the Parodyverse

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killer shrike
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 01:43:30 pm EDT
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Threat Level: Grey
Originally
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" Part Seven
In Reply To

killer shrike, mourning his computer
Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 11:47:35 am EDT
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Threat Level: Grey


Rex Regent rode the elevator down eighty feet into the chamber that was the hub of the greatest conspiracy on Earth. All the while subatomic sensors analyzed him and his belongings, searching for any discrepancy from what the other legions of security devices had determined. This close to the heart of the One, True Government, chances could not be taken.

The nondescript man in the brown suit exited the lift. The room was small. The only furniture in it was a utility table, three folding chairs, and a large recliner which Regent once jokingly described as “what Bill Gates would use as a throne.” There were keypads covering both arms, and wireless dataports that let the man who sit in it observe and contact his numerous cat’s-paws with little fear of detection. Lining the room were dozens of screens that displayed information as diverse as the current numbers of the Paradopolis Stock Exchange to grand jury testimony involving corruption charges of a California congresswoman to a Zoxxon shareholders meeting to a Taliban member negotiating the purchase of 150 TOW missiles from a BALD arms broker. Each view offered just a peak into the mission (some would say empire) of the Grey Eminence.

“Rex,” the desiccated figure creaked out a greeting.

“Sir,” the two shook hands. Regent was one of Aldrich Grey’s most loyal subordinates. Very few men had ever been in physical contact with the chairman of the conspiracy. A feat made more astounding when one realized how long Grey had been pulling the strings. Several decades had passed since he had helped establish this group with the twin purposes of broadening America’s values and interests throughout the world, honestly believing such an agenda would bring peace and stability to all.

“What you got for me, Rex?” Grey assumed it was especially important, as most news could be sent through encrypted channels. Any face to face meeting between the two would imply something key to the conspiracy’s operation.

Regent handed the old man a disc he could view at his leisure, but immediately launched into a summary of its contents, “A CIA agent named Gordon Schlumler was doing background checks on Dominic Clancy. He got caught when he tripped over the security clearance of Katarina Allen.”

The Grey Eminence knew both names. Dominic Clancy was Mr. Epitome, a powerful metahuman who for a time worked for the US Government as an agent of the Office of Paranormal Security, and more importantly, the Grey Eminence. In fact, he had held Regent’s position as the point man in the cabal before a still unexplained attack caused him to lose 15 years of his memories. This event wiped out all knowledge Clancy would have had of the Eminence, denying the man of Epitome’s significant talents.

“Schlumler told his supervisor when caught he was running the check as a favor to an old army buddy of his, who happens to be Master Sergeant William Allen, Kat’s father. Apparently Allen doesn’t know about his daughter’s relationship with Epitome.”


Aldrich Grey shifted in his seat but said nothing. Rex went on.

“I think, sir, we can use this. We’ve been looking at ways to bring Clancy back into the group and this might do it. Clancy refused to accept the retcon of the Hooded Hood to return his memories-“

“Don’t remind me,” Grey spat, “the whole reason I allied myself with that cape wearing weirdo was to get Dom back. And Winkelweald reneged.”

Regent wisely did not bring up his earlier misgivings about the alliance with the self proclaimed archvillain, but instead offered, “Our Psych Division thinks Clancy is concerned about learning his past because it will affect his current relationships with the Legion and especially Miss Allen. They also feel if those ties are lost, he would be far more amenable to getting his memories returned, or at the very least a more viable operative for us in his current state.”

“So?”

“I suggest we give Schlumler some data on Clancy to give to Sergeant Allen. Not that there’s much, but he should be able to figure out who he really is. Which is obviously something his daughter doesn’t want him to know.”

The old man tugged on his bathrobe, “And you think this could lead to enough crap that Dominic and this girl might split? That’s your plan? Christ, Rex, this isn’t The Guiding Light!”

Rex Regent nodded awkwardly, “It’s... a bit fruity, I know. But the costs to us are negligible. It might not work, but if it leads to us getting Epitome back where he belongs, I think its an option to pursue.”

“Hurm,” the Grey Eminence stroked his bald scalp as if he were trying to rub an answer from it, “All right. I suppose its not the dumbest thing we’ve ever tried. And you’re right, the upside to this is too good to not take a chance,” he squinted at his protege, “Who we’ve got doing Dominic’s work now is not a long term solution to our problem.”

“I agree, sir,” Rex replied. In reality, the Conspiracy’s newest field agent scared him, and he knew he scared the old man as well.

Next: Threat Level (Blood) Orange


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