Michael
Nue entered the pier a little before sunset. She waited within the shadows by the long strip for someone to copy. She didn't need much, just someone with a fishing rod. She found one, an older scruffy man with a bucket hat and a tacky floral shirt. As the man left she hopped into his shadow and emerged while his back was turned, taking his form without so much as turning around.

 As she walked out into the pier she tested out the fishing rod she had emerged with. It was nothing fancy, just an ordinary fishing rod, and testing the string seemed to work just fine, but the reel itself seemed off. It didn't really wind properly, but it worked enough to probably cast out. 

The view of the sunset over the water made for a scenic view and seeing that orange hue glow over the city felt nostalgic somehow. At the very least having this fishing rod would give her something to do if the contact took a while to show up, if they did at all. For now she looked out at the ocean, the reflection of the rather calm water being enough to occupy her thoughts at the moment.
Robbie
A man walks along the boardwalk. This projection of self is pretty far from how Vex is inclined to identify and the moment, but he can make concessions for the sake of efficacy. He's an older man, with a scruffy beard. Vex adopted the clothing to something more his own style, with slacks, leather shoes, and a slightly rumpled off-white dress shirt. He trims the scruffy beard close, and quaffs the hair back, transforming the old man into someone who exudes confidence and self-assurance. That feels better.

Vex approaches the pier, and immediately identifies his contact. Not because they stand out, quite the opposite. He recognizes them because they are a man who he had just seen and studied the details of walking the other direction less than a minute ago, a man who couldn't stand out here if he tried. The same man Vex himself currently looks like.

He approaches the man on the pier and gives an exaggerated sigh. "Well, wearing the same outfit to the clandestine meeting, one of us will have to change." He adjusts the cuff of his shirt, steely-grey eyes glancing down at himself, then at the old fisherman who could be his twin. "I think I wear it better, though."
Michael
Once Nue heard the sigh she straightened up and turned over to face the other old man. His expression was unconcerned at first though after scanning him up and down and finding that it was the same disguise she had been using with a different outfit she couldn't help but let that expression morph into a smirk.

"So that's the kind of stranger you are. Well this certainly makes things simple for both of us. Makes me wonder how many times we've met already."
The old man adjusted the collar of his own shirt. A similar gesture to the one his twin had made with just enough difference to be something new. "I happen to like this shirt. If you don't then you shouldn't have worn it."

Turning back, the man leaned over the railing of the pier. "So, do you still want to do introductions or is this enough? It's public enough to be safe, and private enough to have a nice chat. So we don't need to double speak anymore, even if it is fun."
Robbie
Vex shrugs. He starts to step towards the fisherman, but decides against it. Something about this person's demeanor, how casual they are, makes Vex inclined to feel comfortable, which in turn puts Vex on edge.

The fancier of the two men is suddenly holding Vex's cane, twirling it in one hand. Now visibly armed, Vex is a little more comfortable, and walks up to the railing to gaze out at the ocean, standing next to the fisherman. "You can call me Vex." He says, wondering if the man he's projecting himself as is affecting his normally painfully professional demeanor. Worth noting. "Why did you bring me here?"
Michael
Nue looked over at the more refined looking twin, the smirk on the old man's face ever present. 
"You're as tense as your messages imply. What's wrong? Sea sick already?" He shifted, taking the fishing rod in his hand and mostly playing around with the string on it. 
"Oh, you're Vex. Right, it's good to see you again." The old man held the rod out over the water and let the string fall down to the water slowly. His eyes went between the reflections of themselves on the water and the lowering string and hook, despite there not being anything on the end of the hook.

"Oh yeah, I'm Nue. The reason I brought you here. If you mean the pier specifically, then it's like I said: there's enough people to notice something going wrong if something does, but enough space to have a nice chat like we are. That, and I wanted to see this view for a while. If you mean the reason for this meeting, well, that changed a little since you got here. Originally I was just going to be an ordinary client with a job for you but now that we've skipped past pretending I'm no one important I guess I don't really have to be so roundabout." 

The man looked back and to Vex while still leaning on the railing.
"It'd be nice to have friends like us, right? So I just want to talk for a little while. It's tough to really work with someone without knowing where they stand. Then depending on if we think we can work together, then maybe we can pull off something notable. So here, I'll start. What is it you want out of being a cape anyway?"
Robbie
Vex turns around, leaning back against the railing and facing the pier. "The same things any of us want, I suppose." He frowns, still unnerved at how inclined he is to share. He waits until Nue looks away, then the next time they look, he's presenting more as himself, adjusting his ruby tie. He's pale, with sharp features and a tailored black suit, his black ponytail draping over one shoulder, his emerald eyes cold. He closes them and takes a breath. "For now, I suppose I intend to see what I can do, and demonstrate my capabilities to others. Long term, I'd like to improve things." He looks at Nue from the corner of his eye, the beginnings of a smirk dancing across his lips. He seems more comfortable. "Yourself?"
Michael
"I wouldn't say everyone, but that is a pretty common belief for heroes. Pretty interesting you consider yourself a villain, then. At least that's what you implied in your posts. Though the line really doesn't matter all that much." The smirk on the old man's face grew wider at noticing his doppelganger becoming more and more like someone else. Despite that their smirks were alike, as if they were still in sync despite their differences.

"Me? Well my motivation is as simple as it can get. I just want to have some fun with some friends, that's all." They shrugged with a smug demeanor. "We could create a utopia or burn the whole city down, it doesn't make any difference to me so long as getting there was fun. I just like seeing the look on people's faces when they see my handiwork. You get that, right?"
Robbie
Vex shrugs, his matching smirk settling in full. "I don't trust the existing authority to allow for any real improvements, disparity and tragedy are far too profitable for that to be incentivized."

He raises an eyebrow at the second part of what the old man says. "I suppose I can see the appeal, though I personally prefer to leave the accolades to others." He winks. "Easier to be underestimated." 

He's quiet for a moment, then speaks again. "It seems to me that we could, potentially, aid one another. I could offer you direction, or perhaps more accurately, diversion, opportunity for fun, and allow you the publicity, the reactions. Is that sort of partnership what you had in mind when you organized this meeting, or am I being too forward?" 

He glances at the other man, trying to convince himself that his stiff posture is professional, rather than awkward and anxious. He's not comfortable with interactions that aren't negotiations, but he feels something more genuine is appropriate here, and he's trying as much as he can let himself. "I am not typically one for friends, but I am not opposed to trustworthy allies."
Michael
"What can we say? Tragedy is the way the last world evolved, and thus became the way this world had been founded. If you want to change that you're going to have to kill just about everyone else. Yet another tragedy."
Nue looked back over to the fishing rod and pulled the empty hook back up during that quiet moment. It seemed like he was having a hard time reeling the line back in, with it getting stuck halfway through each rotation, but paused and perked up at Vex's words.

"Underestimated?" He looked the other stranger up and down before chuckling, "Well there's not all that much to estimate in the first place. Although, strangers in general get overestimated regardless, so you chose the wrong power if you wanted to be underestimated. People naturally fear what they don't know and can't see after all."

It seemed like Nue was starting to have some fun, as the next chuckle was a little less subdued. She finally pulled the hook back up to the rod. "Did you even hear me right? I didn't say anything about publicity. Here, I'll just say it more clearly: I'm just following my nature. Honestly, if you wanted to negotiate a partnership or whatever you should've just pretended nothing was wrong and you would've gotten what you wanted." 

With a little whip of her arm, she made a showy motion to point at Vex, "Nope! Not you. You're just too clever to let it sit. So now you're on the fast track to be my friend! So how about it?"
Robbie
Vex rolls his eyes, but his smirk stays planted, taking it in stride. "Overestimated, underestimated, both are fine, so long as few know what I can actually do." He pushes off the railing to stand upright, heels together, back straight, resting his cane on the ground in front of him. "As for friendship, I suspect I could use something like that, as unfamiliar as the dynamic is to me. I can promise nothing more than an honest effort. Do feel welcome to offer feedback on how I'm doing in the meantime?" He says, his tone framing the invitation as a question, perhaps worried that Nue would have changed her mind about being friends already. "Perhaps we could find someplace even more private or secluded to..." He pauses as though looking for the phrase. "Get to know each other? I believe that's something friends do. And if things go well, I have an upcoming task that I could use some friendly assistance with, if you find yourself so inclined."
Michael
"Feedback? We're rating our friends now?" Nue's own smirk faded, like the energy from earlier suddenly went away. "I guess that's fine. Honestly I've never really had friends before either, so I wouldn't know how to rank you very well."

On the invitation to go somewhere else the old man looked to his fishing rod and back to Vex, "You don't like fishing?" He wiggled the rod a little, "And after I brought all of these hot dog chunks too. I guess I'll just have to work on my patience some other time. Yeah, I'm fine with going wherever, but you should probably work on your wording. You sound like a killer or a creep saying it like that."

With a little shrug, the old man turned, miming putting the fishing rod into one of his pockets while it was out of view, just dismissing it from the disguise. Now no longer holding one, he showed his empty hand with a gesture back out of the pier with a small smile. "I didn't really have any other plans today, so death trap or not, I have nothing better to do. Lead the way."
Robbie
Vex's smirk actually widens when he's likened to 'a killer or a creep,' but he makes no comment. He also seems to take the old man putting a whole fishing rod in his pocket in stride. He does notice that his new companion hasn't dropped the disguise in turn, but again, says nothing. There are many things about Nue's apparent disposition that Vex doesn't care for, generally falling under unprofessional conduct, but their experience in the cape scene, and Vex's need for an ally right now, warrant them respect for the moment. It's only after Nue finishes speaking, and then after a moments thought, that he speaks. "Very well." He begins walking. He doesn't have a proper base of operations to bring them to, but he knows this city well enough to be aware of the quiet, undisturbed spaces. "It's not far." He states, heading up the pier towards the shore, cane tapping with every other step. "Would you rather discuss business first, or personal matters?"
Michael
Nue looked over as Vex passed her. The image of an old man put his hands into his pockets and casually followed the man back to the shore. "Anywhere's fine, lead the way." It was true that Nue didn't drop the disguise, but even so the way she was acting was a bit more spry than a man the age she looked would usually be. Breaking character in a way was dropping the disguise, but despite not feeling that she had anything to hide in the moment she still kept that guise up. It was comfortable.

"The personal matters will affect the business stuff won't it? I mean, I know you really want to talk business and all, but maybe we should get a grasp on what we're good at before you shove some kind of mission on us." 
She went quiet for a moment to think about it, "Yeah, I get you're a stranger but what exactly is it you do? You know, enjoy doing. Any gaps that I can maybe cover if we pair together?"
Robbie
Vex sighs. He falls behind Nue, but projects himself as walking right next to her, so that he can watch her more thoroughly. This causes his shadow to invisibly fall over her feet as they walk away from the sun, but Vex doesn't know any significance of this. "Right to it, hm? The Big Question? Well, my capabilities primarily manifest as functionally shifter, I suspect not unlike at least an aspect of yours, though perhaps a bit more subtle. You'll understand if I don't show my whole hand right away, yes?"
Michael
As the two were talking, Nue had been looking to her side to talk to Vex. She listened but couldn't help but feel as if she was stepping in a shadow. It was strange, there wasn't anyone near them a moment ago. Regardless she kept the conversation going in stride. "You're the one who wanted some serious talk. So we'll be a little more serious for a minute. Now, I thought that shifter went without saying at this point, but wanting to change yourself is fine too, but personally I prefer to keep things close to the original."

 She turned a little further to check over her shoulder. Upon seeing no one there she put two and two together and flashed a smirk to that 'empty' space right behind her as if to let them know she 'sees' them and turned back to Vex at her side. "And I prefer the real thing over a fake." The old man let that last statement linger for a moment before picking the conversation right back up.
"I get it, I won't tell you much of anything here either, aside from the obvious at least. So there are some differences, but we are pretty similar, aren't we? It's like: those times you imagined having two of yourself to get a job done can now be a reality."
Robbie
Vex's projected face doesn't waver, even as his actual eyes narrow. Unsure of exactly how he was detected, he sidesteps to be behind his projection, for good measure. His projection gestures up and down to the guise of the old man. "This is closer to your original then, the real you?" He asks with a knowing smirk. His projection leads the way around the edge of the pier, heading down below the structure. "There are issues with such a strategy, I worry. I can offer you this about my abilities: I lack effective offense, any sort of brute or mover abilities, beyond what I can effectively lie about. A large reason for my secrecy. If you are also lacking in similar departments, I suspect we will be... Unrounded, as a team." He pauses, eyeing Nue. "I expect some sort of reveal of your own nature or weakness in return for that morsel of information." He states bluntly, unsure whether Nue isn't picking up on his quid pro quo implications or if she's just pretending not to notice how much he's already revealing.
Michael
With the side step, Nue can no longer feel the invisible shadow of Vex, though that move at least meant that one behind them got the message, whether it really was Vex or some other third party if this did turn out to be a sting operation. The old man had a satisfied smile plastered on his face. "The real me? Only my one true love will know for certain." They shrugged, following the figure underneath the pier. Standing in the shadow of the pier she couldn't help but laugh. "Is that it? You make a big show of going somewhere better and then you take me here? Ha ha ha! I'm letting you know now I'm not buying any drugs from you." She listened whilst calming herself down, the old man adjusting his bucket cap. 

"Hm? Oh, I already said earlier. I was just talking twice again. But I guess now that we're, *Snrk,* In a safer location I'll just say it more directly. I can't really edit what I copy. Not exactly. Hence, I'm closer to the original." The old man made a motion with their hands as if it was an obvious conclusion and expected their partner to say it with them. "Then there's the fact that the copy is real; At least as much as I'd like it to be. If you're worried about rounding then I'll just go out and say it: my ability is to follow things. I can disappear at the drop of a hat and follow a person. If I'm following them, I can copy them. It's pretty simple, and it's not a massive amount of strength, but I bet the person who invented locks didn't account for people to just walk through the window. That's not even including the fact that numbers gives validity. Two disguised people is more convincing than one."
Robbie
Vex rolls his eyes. "I don't typically bring strangers home on the first date." He says wryly, by way of explanation for the location. He nods along as he listens to the more serious topic. "That seems reasonable. We'll want to avoid direct altercation then, but that sounds pretty doable. At the very least, we will each only need to worry about our own exfil." He nods. "In that case, I suppose I can share the broad strokes of the mission with you; a low to mid level infiltration of the Tophats, focused on intelligence gathering. You in?"
Michael
"Oh don't worry, I get it. You're looking more for movers and shakers for your bed." With a snicker, Nue in turn listened to Vex's mission and plan. "If it's just intel you want, then I'm your guy. You can hardly get any better than me, and if you're copying me, then it'll be easier than a long walk on the beach. We'll just get in, get what we need, and then leave without anyone even knowing any better. I'm in. What do you need to find?"
Robbie
Vex stops a ways beneath the pier. He holds up one finger. "Primary objective:" A flick of his wrist produces a printed photograph, which he hands to Nue. "Locate this Sophia Lindberg." The photograph shows her, next to a figure which has been blocked out. "She likely has a new alias, and is thought to be involved in Tophat drug manufacturing. More than simply finding her, we need to identify her new alias, avoid notifying her of our intent, and ensure that the information we pass along to the client allows them to physically find her in turn. Oh, and not harm her." He holds up two fingers now. "Secondary objective: general intelligence. I personally want dirt on the Tophats, useful information that can be leveraged. I will compensate you fairly for anything you obtain and turn over to me. Information specific to leadership is prioritized. Should you find yourself captured with information worthwhile to me, your rescue will be part of your payment. Should you find yourself captured with nothing I want, I will not come back for you. Use discretion, stay safe." He leans on his cane, it making a soft *Tak* Sound as it strikes the sand, as if it were still on wood. He glances around, to ensure they aren't being surveilled. "You're more experienced, so I open the floor for plans to you now, though I have something in mind if you haven't got anything."
Michael
Nue listened, but seemed relatively disinterested halfway through the explanation. She didn't say anything but her demeanor spoke all about it. The old man took the picture, looking it over and noting the figure blocked out. They put the picture into their shirt. "Alright, alright. I get it, some friend here wants to find someone who went off the deep end into the Top Hats and now she might not even realize she's being played. So, what, we're gonna bust into random crack houses and scan for her? Or do you already have a place you suspect to be the right one?" 

With a shrug it seemed she had more to say, ignoring the jarring disparity between the sound of the cane and texture of the ground. "It's the Top Hats, they aren't exactly hiding. You could probably just look them up online and get a bunch of information already. Howeveeerrrr... You won't have to worry about rescuing me. Even if things do happen to go wrong, I'm something of an escape artist, you know. And now you're also making it sound like you're not going to go in at all. It kind of makes me wonder what you'd do if you hadn't met me."

-
With a small dismissive wave towards Vex. "Okay, okay, don't worry. I can get anything you want on anyone. Again, I can follow people for however long. You want an address? A daily routine? What they do when no one is looking? I can get that for you pretty easily and they wouldn't even realize it." She leaned forward a bit, "As for a plan, nothing better to open the floor than floor plans, but if we don't have that we can play it by hear just fine. You can probably make yourself look like a known Top Hat member and then I can follow you until we find some real gang member to follow. From there I can either use them as a disguise, or, if it works out that they're going the same direction as us, I can just follow them further in and jump around targets until we find the one we're looking for. As for you, well, you'd probably know what works best for your disguise. Oh maybe a known member of the Top Hats or maybe someone who's on good terms with them. You can figure it out yourself, I'm sure, but I'll see if I can find something as well, I think there's one cape that fit that... But I can double check if you'd like."

She leaned forward "So... About that payment. How much exactly are we talking about here?"
Robbie
Vex, in contrast, listens attentively, interjecting occasionally.
"She's believed to be involved in drug manufacturing specifically, such people are generally well guarded."
"I will be coming with, I'm just informing you of my intent and priorities."

He lets Nue finish the rest of what she has to say before responding. "I, personally, don't even know the location of the Top Hats headquarters, much less any floorplans, unfortunately. That will be part of our reconnaissance- er, information gathering, I imagine. I have some reservations about imitating an existing person, I'm not terribly interested in disposing of whoever I replace to avoid detection, at least on my first job. My plan was to pose as a new member, then work my way up the chain of command over weeks or months." He pauses, having put off the question of money long enough, he supposes. "Splitting it half would be one thousand, seven hundred fifty pounds each, to start. Any bonuses I give you for information obtained would come out of my share." He leans more heavily on his cane, brow furrowing in frustration. This Nue person is so cavalier, so impatient. He finds himself wondering how they managed to get their supposed expertise in espionage briefly, before reminding himself that he decided to defer to the more experienced villain. "In any case, I suppose your plan would work well enough, so long as we are careful. The last matter that makes it more difficult than you're alluding to is not so easily bypassed though, the fact that we have a face and name, but no location. I'm sure if she could simply be looked up online, the client would have already done so. We'll need to locate their primary manufacturing facility, infiltrate, and visually check for the target."
Michael
The old man couldn't hide his surprise at the projected time and amount, he covered his mouth, at least trying to be a little professional but he just couldn't help it and the amusement showed in his eyes. "Months for that? What, are you just doing this for fun?" They cleared their throat to get their composure again. 
"Ah well, we can do this in a night or three, no need to throw weeks of your life away being a guard dog or whatever, so that price might actually be worth something. Anyway, making a new Top Hat is a decent idea in theory, but if any of the guards actually pays attention to who's working with them, under them, whatever, then you're pretty much out of luck. Even if you're convincing I doubt you'd really be able to start that work-your-way-up plan if you didn't have some kind of 'in' in the first place. Also, you don't need to, what, "Dispose" The people you're copying. That's just going to bring a bunch of extra attention. Just make sure they aren't going where you're going and they aren't going to double back. It's not that complicated. I mean, you don't even have to be around the person you're thinking of to copy them, do you? If you have the memory to do it, then remember what they look like and use their appearance in another area. Act like you're in a rush, like you gotta pee or something. I really don't have to explain this to you, do I?"

Now it was Nue's turn for her own expression to show a certain bit of judgment towards Vex. It was a look of slight confusion as if they were the stupid one out of the two of them.
"Anyway, I get what you mean now. So we're just going to have to do some detective work and start from square one. That should be easy. The Top Hats already aren't exactly shy about the areas they tend to work in, so there's already some areas you can look into. I have a couple leads off the top of my head too." They cross their arms, thinking.

-
"You don't mind if I keep the photo, do you? Or should I just take a picture of it if you haven't already?" 
They took out the photo again, looking over the details of the girl in the picture. 
"Now I have some more questions for you regarding this search. Have you already looked into their presence online for any clues? Any former addresses? How long ago did she disappear? Where was she last sighted? What led the client to believe it was Top Hats and drug manufacturing specifically? The more we know about our target, the more likely we're going to find them so every bit of information is important, and we can't assume the client has done anything. Even if they did look, it's possible for them to overlook something we might be more privy to."
Robbie
Vex lifts one eyebrow haughtily as Nue talks. "No, you don't need to explain how to do things for me. My original plan was more invested in information on the Top Hats, I don't mind waiting for things. That said, I suppose your plan will be more efficient in the long run."

"You can keep the photo. I printed it out for you, I have a copy on my phone. The client was particularly... Reticent about further details, I only really have what I've given you, but they paid me two and a half thousand up front so..." Vex shrugs. "You contacted me very shortly after the client did, so I've been dealing with things as they come up. If you want to look online first, be my guest, it may be the easiest seventeen hundred you've ever made. Take the picture to a Thinker or a Tinker if you have any friends, I guess, I'm not going to fight you making my job easy."
Michael
"You didn't bother to press them for details at all? Geez. Alright, well to list off a few leads, there's talking to the client again to get the relevant details. If you can't meet up, just ask them online or however else you contacted them first. If you don't mind dipping into your funds there *Is* A rumored fortune teller parahuman that can tell the past of items. I don't know their prices, but it'll probably be expensive to use for a missing person. They might be able to tell you more about the circumstances revolving around the picture, but you might be able to get that from the client too. Those are a couple leads you can pursue off the top of my head. You could probably look for information regarding Top Hat incidents online. It's not that unusual for them to be part of a shoot out because of some kind of territorial dispute; so it wouldn't be too surprising if one of their facilities is within the area that they fought over."

The old man put the picture away once more. "While you look into that, I have a couple of ideas myself. A friend of a friend related to someone I know might have some clues about Top Hats. If you come across important information or find the location you think is right you can contact me the usual way."
Robbie
Vex's eyebrow twitches. "I *Did* Press the client for more details, this is what I got. I trust we can handle ourselves without them holding our hands. I'll do the research and stake out the areas the Top Hats operate in over the next few days, per my original plan, then we can use the fact that there's two of us to accelerate the actual infiltration. I look forward to hearing what you find out." The implication that Nue shouldn't bother reaching out if they can't find anything useful isn't said, but it wouldn't be hard to assume that it's implied.
Michael
"Well you are still new to this, so I guess it's not that surprising your work would be pretty shaky at first. As long as the end result is the same." They scratch the back of their head, and once they notice the strange look Vex started giving them give a little smile. 
"So what I'm getting from this is that you want to find the building, then when you do you'll call me and I'll just walk in, check if you're right, scoop up whatever information is relevant and leave. Is that what you had in mind?"
Robbie
Vex takes a long, deep breath. "If you're going to make me do the first part of this without you, then I can do the second part without you as well. I think we both know the infiltration will be the easy part for individuals with powers such as ours. You are welcome to pull your weight, and if you fail to do so, your pay will reflect it." He breathes out the remainder of the breath slowly. "In any case, I don't think there's anything else to be gained from this conversation. Hopefully we'll speak to each other in a few days?"
Michael
"Oh, right, right. You wanted a business partner. That's right. That's the type of angle you were going for." The old man snapped a couple times in that realization. "Well if that's what you have in mind we can cruise around together, looking for the right spot like a buddy cop show. With my ability, I could really follow you wherever you wanted. Maybe double check things you might've missed? Keep you company in the low points of a stakeout? Someone to reflect the facts to as you come across them? We have just about endless possibilities if you take me along." The way the old man is talking now is as if he got a burst of energy by the mere idea.
Robbie
Vex's lip curls slightly, a barely contained expression of disgust. He's quiet for a long moment, torn between the usefulness of a second set of eyes, and his *Great* Preference for being left alone. "Fine." He says finally. "Once we decide where to stake out, you can join me unless we need to watch multiple places, so long as you don't blow my cover. In the meantime, I expect you to work at finding viable potential locations at least as hard as I do."
Michael
"Well, I hardly see much point of staking the place out if what we need is inside, but if you're a bit uneasy with going in, then I could handle that part. You won't need to worry about me blowing any cover either; but I guess for that you'll just have to see what I can do to really believe it. Also don't worry so much, I'll do what I said I would. My word is good, you know. Ask anyone who knows me." They snicker, 
"So now that we're friends..." They trailed off in the excitement. It really sounded like there was a second half to that sentence but it wasn't coming. The old man just stood there with a dumb smile on his face.
Robbie
Vex pinches the bridge of his nose. He's about a hair's breadth from telling this person to forget they ever met. He *Has* Finally realized that they're just frustrating him on purpose, but that in and of itself is distinctly frustrating. He gives Nue a hard look, folding his arms. "What, you expect a favor beyond looping you in on this job?"
Michael
Nue stands there unmoving for a moment. "I don't remember..." She eventually admits through strained breath, still not moving at all.
"Right!" Life suddenly comes back to the old man. "We're pretty much done with business talk now. So if you want to skip out on the part where we bond like real buddies, now is your chance to run away from me screaming. If not, then would you like to watch the beautiful sunset together? Maybe take a picture together to let this moment last? Maybe exchange numbers in case we need it in a pinch? How about come up with a team name? It's cool to look bigger than you are."
Robbie
Vex scowls, clearly not interested in any of those things, but he leans against the leg of the pier, facing out towards the ocean. "I can stay for the sunset." He says curtly. He figures that Nue clearly isn't the sort able to keep friends, so feeding her craving for validation will subconsciously make her more inclined to listen when he tells her what to do. At least, that's what he tells himself as he listens to the waves and forces his shoulders to relax.
Michael
"I kind of figured with how paran— *Ahem* Careful you are, you'd be a little freaked out if I went ahead and left first, so I'll leave that first move to you."
Nue walked up and stood to Vex's side. She remained quiet for a moment. Just a moment watching the sunset against the softly crashing waves. Even a philistine like her couldn't help but feel a bit touched by the picturesque view.

"You know..." She started again, seemingly unable to just let a soft moment linger. "Ever since we've been cursed with these powers, we've been fated to die an early death. Is being so uptight really that fun for you? I'm asking for real here. It's obviously not really something I'd understand that well."
Robbie
Vex rolls his eyes, reading the first comment as an attempt at manipulation. If he's paranoid and *Smart,* He would prefer to go second, so he can see where the other person goes and they can't see where he goes. That doesn't apply as much here; unless one of them lives in the ocean, they'll be leaving the same way.
He stares into the sunset as well, stern-faced, but seemingly enjoying the moment. He listens to Nue, then responds. "My intent is to create a situation where everyone can live a bit longer, and have fun doing it. Capes fight, it's inherent to what we are, and only with sanction and control can we do so without killing each other or hurting others." He pauses a moment, getting his thoughts in order. "I want to change all of the contention and violence from a battlefield into a game. Dangerous capes can't be stopped or contained consistently. They need direction and outlets, so everyone can play safely. The heroes and 'good guys' are too corrupt or attached to the old system; this makes them unable to do what is required to maintain order, to bring the feral dogs to heel and give them appropriate quarry. If we give dangerous people dangerous people to go after, they'll thin their own numbers and be easier to deal with. Elegant, efficient controlled chaos takes a stern hand, and if I miss out on having fun making that happen, or even *Trying* To make that happen and making a dent, it will be worth it." He's quiet a moment, then scoffs gently. "I suppose I'm just too idealistic." He says sardonically.
Michael
Nue listened, letting Vex speak and finish, taking a moment to let it sit and stew along the sunset before responding to his long explanation. "That's a pretty long winded way of saying yes. That might work on paper in a vacuum, but it's like I said earlier. You'd have to bring about another end of the world to get anything past the thought of that idea into reality. ...But it sounds like you're already aware of that. In the meantime, you'll just have to deal with the natural divide between humans and monsters like us."
Robbie
Vex nods. "That's the idea." He's quiet for a few more minutes, until the sun is out of sight and twilight has encapsulated the city, lights blinking on behind them, then sighs and taps his cane. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Nue. I look forward to working with you, and I do hope you'll continue to indulge my delusions beyond this first job. Allies are so much more valuable than enemies. Take care of yourself."
Michael
Nue couldn't help but snicker at that comment. A pleasure after fuming not too long ago. It must be just formalities. Though at the very least, it did look like Vex was a little calmer than before. Maybe that's the calming effects of a moment that lasts forever. "I assure you the pleasure is all mine. I'll let you know if I can find something that can end the world." The old man shrugged as if used in place of a handshake. "Don't die before I get to see it. See you in your dreams." She turned and began to walk away.
Robbie
Vex rolls his eyes. "I'm sure it was, thank you for keeping an eye out. Same to you." If Nue were to turn around, she would find him nowhere to be found.