I need someone and...you're it (Crow/Open)

[jacquelyn]

Location: Metropolis City, Ringsworth Hotel
Time: 11:34a.m
Overview: Everyone wants answers to things, even Aviary Eves of the FBI. She'll stop at nothing to find a name to the man she's convienced killed her sister in cold blood. [/size]

Tired eyes stared at the well-drawn picture, no a sketch of a man that was held to the wooden board with a thumb tack. Her tiredness didn’t take the anger from her eyes. The glow of the computer monitor and the old news article didn’t put her to sleep any faster than they had the last week and a half ago. The picture was of a man…a man she didn’t know a damn thing about, nothing at all about him. How she got his picture was something that was hard to explain when people asked, even harder as it wasn’t an actual picture taken from a camera, she had drawn him from her dreams, from a memory…a memory that hadn’t been hers.

What you going to cry now? Still have tears to shed?! Av’s get a damn grip already; You were supposed to put this all behind you! This was supposed to be a shut the door, done deal no going back.

The several open files on her computer would take you to an old newsletter, a report about a tragic, heart wrenching accident that happened in San Diego, an accident that ripped Senator Julian Eve’s heart wide open and sent his daughter’s life to a halt and extinguished the fire of another daughter’s life all together. A few other files were the public files, things such as fundraisers’ and other legit businesses. The name of the young woman in these was Allista Cray and she’d been looking for her since she realized she was in over her head. The young rich queen owed her something, a little bit of a favor. The time on her computer read 3:43 in the morning and around her laptop computer was two open case files; both active and both deserved more of her attention than what she was looking for in a cold case. This little man hunt was beginning to interfere on a dangerous level with her day job, her real job. The job she’d worked hard to get too.

Her team, those under her were noticing the change and because there was no real connection with those she worked with, to them it was a chance to show their stuff, to show her boss that she was incompetent couldn’t do her job and that they could. People will step on anyone to further their own ends, their own careers. That should upset her, it did but on a level and for reasons she wasn’t sure she had any right to feel. She worked with them for two years going fast on to three and knew more about them, and then she felt she needed too. This was her job, not a social call, she had their back, but she was beginning to realize no one had hers. She was exposed, alone and a liability, a stepping stone.

“Who are you?” she asked aloud, as her hands pressed flat against the desk as she stood up from her chair, her apartment was in disarray nothing was put up, it wasn’t normally this messy, this disorganized, it was a small sign that things weren’t as ok as she was playing them off to be. The files she’d gotten of the accident, the witness statements everything was scattered from her desktop table, which held her laptop to the rich dark oak coffee table that sat in front of her TV that was on low with the channel 4 news playing in the background. Her hazel eyes looked at the man in her sketch and then her gaze flickered down to the screen where Miss. Cray’s image lay. Who was she talking to, it was hard to tell? Everything she had right now the real cold case files, everything had to be off the record, or else her boss would really find a reason to hand over her job, claim she was suffering from some mental illness, it didn’t matter she was good at her job, she was at the top, but this was a man’s world. The files may or may not have been swiped while she was off duty and merely just visiting San Diego’s local department, chatting with a young man who so happened to have a crush on her, something she had used to her advantage.

She hadn’t read much in the files of her Mother’s suicide or her sister’s vehicular homicide; she hadn’t thought to look at them until a few weeks ago when those dreams started. She would fully read them, it was just it would take a little bit more time. The files sat opened along the coffee table so she would read them, but she just couldn’t do it. She moved away from the computer from her living room to past her strikingly lovely furnished kitchen to the short hallway in the back, that lead to her bedroom and her small bathroom. Her bedroom was the very last room in the hallway and the closet was on the left and the bathroom the first door on the right when you entered the hallway. Her apartment was small but it worked for her, for what she needed it for.

Aviary looked at herself in the mirror and wondered just who was staring back at her. Who had she become? Turning on the cold water she let the water run before cupping some of it in the curve of her palm as she pressed the water over her eyes and ran her hand down her face. Watching the water droplets fall as she put some thought into what she was going to do. “You need to read those files, figure out what really happened and then find the bastard.” her words sounded a little hollow even to herself, but it was a plan, it was something. Her fingers tangled in her hair and she felt how her hair was in tangles, the grease that settled on her locks. Her nose wrinkled slightly and she turned to start her shower, starting the hot water.

She slipped into a pair of jeans and a nice long sleeved blue sweater. She let her hair air dry after running a brush through it. She went through the files with a little help from some coffee. She was able to read through her sister’s report, up until she got the photos and the information that said she’d been shot in the head. The file fell from her fingers and she pressed fingers into her eyes to try and lessen the tears that were welling up. She knew in her heart that everything was connected; somehow her dreams were connected with this file, with what really happened. But that wasn’t what hurt the most, why had no one told her the truth, told her what really happened?

She picked up the file and closed it, her mind running through a few scenarios of what she could do as she tried to think of who she could go to for answers. No one in her department could know and her father had hidden the truth from the get go, and she was starting realize the number of people she could count on was next to nil, in fact it was a big fat zero. That wasn’t very comforting to know that when the chips, when her chips were down she couldn’t rely on anyone…

She owes you a favor…why not see if she can give you a name, just a name and from there you’ll figure out what to do…you haven’t gone rogue, you’re merely finding answers…it’s not like you can’t dig a little.

Her decision made she pulled on a leather riding jacket and laced up her riding boots stuffing her jeans into them. She tied her hair back in a low ponytail and moved back over to her desk and looking at her laptop screen, scanning down to the page that was up for more information on the fundraiser Allista Cray would be doing today. It was something to help cancer or something along those lines. She was on the people who’d be donating a lot of money to the fundraiser. It wasn’t hard to find the address of the place. It was in Metropolis not terribly far off, it’d take her a good three hours to get there. She’d be arriving around the time it was still in swing, but she’d wait her out and catch her before she left. She stuffed the files and the picture in her messenger bag and clipped it shut, before she grabbed her keys and slipped on her gloves as she snagged her helmet off the table by the door and her guns placing them in the hip holsters on her hips as she left out the door.

It hadn’t taken a whole lot out of her as she arrived at the fancy-smancy hotel. The row of limos and drivers made it easy for her to spot out from where she was. She left her bike in a near by parking garage and made the short trek down the few blocks. She felt like she was standing out a little bit, but she couldn’t do much about this, having gone through all the trouble to get here, she wasn’t about to turn around now. With a shake of her head she leaned against the building across the street, reading a newspaper as she waited watching of the rim of the paper for Allista. She hadn’t called her after that night; she hadn’t made any attempt at contact. She’d been busy, no it was more like she’d avoiding the idea that Allista could be a real friend someone she could count on. It was having that relationship that made it hard for her to know what to do when the offer presented itself.

Her patience paid off and she pushed off the wall with a very minimal amount of effort, she let the paper fall into a trash can as she passed it. Her foot steps taking her across the street, her messenger bag secured on her shoulder, her hand pressing against it, so there was no way she’d loose it, not that she would, but she’d seen things people grabbing other things of value off a person from a motorcycle and all sorts of things.

“All…-Miss… “ she shook her head and scuffed to herself, she wasn’t about to go all nice and play the professional here, let these money-hands look all they wanted. “Allista, I need a favor.” She said leaning against her rear passenger side door. She rolled her eyes at some of the looks she got from these rich folks. They wouldn’t be doing that, if they knew her Father was, but being in the public eye had lost its appeal long ago.

TAG: Allista Cray (Crow)

[Crow]

The night that had occurred over two months ago now had never left her mind. It lingered there like a persistent scratch that never intended to leave. Tobias Whale was definitely one to leave an impression and for Allista it was like a brand, etched forever in her memory and the sole motivator for her war against him and everything that he stood for. The monster that was Tobias had embarrassed her in their last confrontation and had forced Allista to admit defeat and watch his walk away from justice. But it was naught for nothing. She had saved over a dozen helpless girls who were whisked away from their homes and forced into a horrible life of slavery and prostitution. Allista couldn't take away the horrors they had experienced but she did give them a change to live the proper lives they were meant to lead. That was something she could be moderately satisfied about.

Even so, her good deeds were not enough to stop the tossing and turning every night as her memory reminded her of the monster's image. The things that he had done and the things he was getting away with, she couldn't even begin to imagine just how many more lives he was ruining - especially because every breathing moment he was consuming hers.

Despite the darkness that was consuming her, life went on and whatever personal quarrels Allista Cray had going on internally she still needed to maintain her life and image as Miss Allista Cray - owner of Cray Industries. There were still responsibilities that her alter ego possessed that were just as important as her personal war against the underworld. For example, there was that unveiling of the new surgical robot that could perform surgery on a microscopic level. Allista had originally intended to create a device that was precise and gentle enough to work on infants and newborns, but someone the idea went deeper and she was one of the leaders in microscopic surgery equipment.

There were also a few fund raisers that required her attention, specifically the ones her personal assistants had chosen for her to maintain her respectable image. These charities however meant more to Allista than just the picturesque quality they gave her, it meant giving back to the world after all the wrong things she and her entire family had done. These was her methods of redemption and even after all the billions of dollars she had tossed away to these foundations, she still did not feel cleansed of her family's potent poison. She didn't think she ever would. Orphans, the homeless, the sick, the weak, and the helpless - she knew that somehow, someway an individual had caused the befallen and that type of unfortunate circumstances reminded her of the same situations she had forced people into. They reminded her of the sins of her past.

Breathing in deeply, the young billionaire princess smoothed out the dark, sapphire blue skirt and ruffled the hem of her peplum dress. She looked down at her manicured nails, filed down and colored to perfection to hide the heavy turmoil they would otherwise face. What a waste of money. she thought, for Allista knew by the end of tonight's events she would be donning a new uniform that would muddle the perfection of her nails. She looked out the window and yawned, her blue eyes sparkling as the street lights of Metropolis reflected against the tinted windows of her silver A8. Exhaustion looked back at her in the window and she tried to perk up her expression, trying to hide that she had only JUST flown in from Thailand to bust one of Tobias' illegal drug rings. The flight back had been terrible and taxing on her body, but the devil did not rest and so neither did Allista Cray.

Tonight's fundraiser was being held in the city of the future, Metropolis. As she drove through the rather spacious streets she caught sight of the enormous Superman statue that stood at the center of the Metropolis Park. It displayed pride, regality and a significant symbol of hope and duty for the people. Allista wondered if perhaps some day she might work side by side with the man of steel and anyone else in his league. She believed it unlikely, her wars were more personal than most. As the statue disappeared she looked forward, staring blankly at the back of her driver's head and then tossing her head to the side to stare at the small, ivory colored invitation that invited the young business woman to the Fundraiser for Metaplastic Breast Cancer.

It was laughable that they had issued her an invite, she had pretty much paid her way into an invitation - about $500,000 was the cost of this flimsy little paper. In a way, it was almost like a slap in the face and she wondered if the part of the donated money was being used to host this extravagant event. Probably. she thought as she rolled her eyes. She didn't even want to be at the event, she did after all have better things to do. But, appearances were everything and when you stopped showing your face to the public people began to wonder just exactly who you were. For now, Allista had been crowned the billionaire princess who was akin to an Angel because of her generosity and continued support of infrastructure for the community and development of better neighborhoods. If that seriously made her significantly more kindred than others then there was some severely wrong with world. But Allista knew that better than anybody.

The vehicle began to slow and Allista sat up straighter in her seat. Immediately she recognized the persistent flashing just a few feet ahead of her signaling the paparazzi and the nosey media writers who wanted the latest scoop and trash on the richest of the rich. Was there no such thing as privacy these days? Breathing in, Allista checked her person. She smoothed out her sapphire blue peplum dress that flattered her tiny frame. She inspected the white gold chain around her neck that held single fresh water pearl and made sure to straighten it so it aligned with the center of her chest. And finally, Allista twirled her hair, giving her raven hair curls a bounce and allowing them to hang off her shoulders. This was the image of beauty, grace and on some level: perfection.

The car came to a stop, and her driver cleared his throat as the doors unlocked. Allista felt the corners of her mouth tighten and upturn as she forced the most sincere smile that she could muster. As the driver walked around to open her door, she grabbed her black clutch with silver trimmings and the ivory colored invitation and finally when the door opened and exposed the red carpet and multiple flashing lights she stepped out of the vehicle.

One leg extended out of the vehicle and exposed her pale, white legs and the classic black, suede pumps that adorned her feet. She followed up with the second one and squinted slightly as the crazy flash of cameras overwhelmed her. She threw flash bombs and handled explosions like nothing, but when it came to these damn paparazzi cameras she could never really handle the indecent exposure. Still, the raven haired woman maintained her smile and she waved to the news reporters and cameraman, giving the best performance of her life.

"Miss Cray, is it true that you're currently in a relationship with Anderson LaFaurie?"

"Miss Cray, it was rumored that you are investing in DP's new petroleum program, is this true?"

"Miss Cray, wouldn't this conflict with your earlier standpoint on the movement for green power?"

"Miss Cray is it true that your recent visit to South East Asia was for an abortion?"

The questions hit her like a brick wall and she tried her best not to stare blankly in response at the ridiculous inquiries. Where did they even get their material? LaFaurie she understood because of their recent vacation to Italy together, but that was just another show and tell display for the public. LaFaurie and she were hardly serious about any sort of relationship - well Allista wasn't at least. The petroleum program was true, but how did they even find that out? She hadn't gone public yet. She agreed with the movement for green power, yes but she also strongly believed that petroleum was still the most efficient medium for energy consumption. The technology was just not here yet, not on a consumer level at least. Billions more would have to be spent to be able to provide sustainable energy on that level. As for the abortion, just where the hell did they get that exactly? She tried not to look angry and tried very hard to retain that angelic expression, but damn these guys were pushing it. Not only that, but the shoving of microphones in her face and the constant flashing had her on edge.

She was about ready to punch someone square in the face.

"Allista!"

The sound of her first name brought her ears to perk up and she began to turn, completely ignoring the reporters now. Blue eyes scanned the crowd of unfamiliar faces and then finally she saw her - the girl from that night, Aviary Eves. Allista's eyes open in surprise and she looked around to see if there was anyone else around, was there perhaps some sort of trouble about? She looked to Aviary, slight worry in her face as the young woman approached her. Truthfully, she was relieved to see a familiar face it was a lot better than the inconsiderate camera men and women.

"I need a favor."

Was the next set of words that left Aviary's lips and Allista recalled that she did in fact owe her one. A big favor, in fact. Her brows raised and she looked back to the red carpet and the invitation that was in her hand. Eyeing it hesitantly, she began to feel the pressure of both responsibilities weigh down on her shoulders. Staring at the invite, she heavily considered the circumstances, then finally looked up and smiled genuinely at Aviary.

"Of course, so do I." Allista began, turning slightly in the direction of the hotel. "Join me as my plus one, we can discuss everything inside." She gestured to Aviary to follow her, ignoring the frenzy the media was having and just happy to have someone genuine by her side. Surely whatever Aviary needed was important, but she was sure it could be discussed in the comfort of the warm ballroom hall and with ample free food to occupy them.