w o r s h i p e r

OPEN LOCATION: Neutral

She needed something stronger than the coffee she had gotten from the overpriced ‘indie shop’ that was a few doors down from her rented apartment. Vought fucked her up, but she’d never been rash in her spending, meaning even after they kicked her out she still had a nest egg to keep her – even without the salary of her professorship. She doesn’t regret joining the church. She knew the shit she was sticking herself into. But, well – they were very good with words and promises and there was a reason why they are called ‘cults of personality’. 

Anyway, that loving phase was fading quickly. Carol wanted her to interview for The Deep’s bride. She hadn’t wanted to. She wasn’t dumb. Guys like the Deep were almost worse than Alistair. At least Alistair saw her as a useful tool (admittedly less so since she wouldn’t use her powers and had made the point clear). The Deep no doubt would only see her as a source of womanly comfort. As if she didn’t have a brain and a life of her own. Besides, as much has she wanted the spotlight, marrying the disgraced ex-seven member was not her ideal way to do it.

As she walks past, she makes a mistake, glancing up at a large billboard, the smiling faces of Payback shining back down – larger than life. Her hand clenches tightly around the styrofooam cup, squashing it and sending hot coffee all over her. She takes a steadying breath. “Not here, Andy.” She tells herself, willing the panic rising in her throat and head to calm itself. She really could not deal with this today. 

Which means she’s left staring down at herself, coffee cup still squashed in her hand and what was a mocha latte with extra peppermint all over her coat and herself in the middle of a New York Street. 

There was something a little familiar about the woman that caught his eye. It wasn’t that he had met her before but there was some bit of a familiarity. Quickly he put it down to that he might have seen her around a few of the places he frequented but there was something about how she looked up at the Payback poster and squashed her coffee. “Bad day?” he asked putting on a warm and friendly smile. “Or was the coffee just that bad? I get it. The cafeteria in my work sucks so bad I get close to just throwing it or squashing it like you did. I promise there is a nice place. Serves this Brazilian import. Makes getting up worth it.”

He shouldn’t be drinking, but he needed a break from everything. While not drunk, he was a couple of drinks over the typical amount of alcohol he consumed, and it was started to get to him. Glancing at the man besides, he gave a tired smile. “Sure, why not?” He said with a sigh, straightening his back a bit from his slumped position. 

Thomas was a very slow drinker and could easily nurse the same drink for longer than other people. It wasn’t on purpose, he was just slow and enjoyed the setting over the drink itself. “Got a lot on your mind? You look a little down.”

“He’s glad he’s gotten that attention, but he honestly wanted to take A-Train’s position in the Seven. Well, wants. He’s set on his goals.” He shrugged and gave the other a slight amused smile. “That’s a nice way of putting it.” he joked a little. 

"Aiming for the big guys. I wouldn’t have the balls or the know how to do that so hats off to him. They say if you’re going to have dreams you might as well make them big, right? What’s that saying, shoot for the moon and at least you’ll hit a few stars? My brother says shit like that but I think applies to your kid.” 

“Yeah, being in the limelight for a bit gave him a huge boost in popularity.” Richard nodded, only knowing because Ben told him. He didn’t check himself at the time, but he was getting more involved in the supe industry now. “More like young and stupid. Runs in the family, unfortunately, I would know.” 

"Is that what he wanted?” Young supers seemed to want that but he couldn’t imagine a life of trying to be in the spotlight and having every move watched and scrutinized. Not a life for him. “Still brave even if it was a bit..” he didn’t want to say stupid, “...a bit misguided.”

One thing after another in his position in the CIA and he was finding the stress a little hard to disassociate from but knew that it would all be worth it. He would give everything he had to help and he felt like he already has. “Another, please.” He said to the bartender and then noticing the person next to him with an empty drink. “Do you want one?”

She smiles warmly after he answers the question. “Oh, no, no. It’s no bother. I was going to offer to show you the way or offer some directions if there was a certain place you were looking for.” She nods slightly and her smile waivers slightly before she recomposes herself. “Yeah, I guess not.” 

"If you aren’t busy I’d love a look around from someone on the inside.” Vought sometimes did tours for business types and as much as he wanted to go, he never could. Going to Believe was one of the biggest risks but he had to go. “What’s is like working here?”

Butcher shook his hand in return. “Met him at a private dinner, before Mallory’s retirement, he was chuffed about you joining the ranks. You must be really proud,” he commented. Not that it mattered but he knew he couldn’t charm his way out of this one. Having the CIA on their side came with a cost, the Uncle Sam wasn’t known for giving money away out of pure generosity, it meant having a babysitter, in this case Agent Raynor, watching over them so events didn’t repeat themselves. They couldn’t go after the supes like in the old days, the rules of the game had changed.

“Bigger stuff?” Butcher asked incredulous. Bollocks. What could possibly be bigger than going after Vought and whatever the hell they were planning next with the V out there in the open? “You got any experience dealing with ‘em supes, agent?”

"I’m proud of everything he does. There’s been some real hardships in his life but he’s always overcome them and remained truthful and loyal to his country and his family.” The same could be said for Susan. “Everyone back in the office keeps asking Mallory to come back. With this whole group being set up and funded through us it might just be the thing to bring her out of retirement but I don’t think so after everything that happened. I don’t know much about it other than Lamplighter was involved.” Experience with dealing with supes, no. “Not in the same way your group has. I’m fairly knew to this team but I’ve spent a lot of time researching them and getting to know them. I know you lot got rid of Translucent, bold and brave. Dangerous but brave. I’m here to help plan and get approval from the higher ups on your next move. I’m here to help not hinder and all I’m asking is for your team to be an open book. Susan tells me your main issue is with the Homelander and that you won’t stop until he’s behind bars or dead and that you will give up anyone and everything to ensure that. That true?”

“Quaint.” Alistair remarked, hard to tell if the assessment was a friendly comment or an backhanded compliment. Likely both. “I of course, know you as well, Mr. Raynor.” A pause, looking over the carvings closer, then turning back, moving over to the fire. “I do not doubt this whole ‘Compound V’ business has you feeling unsettled.” He sighs, softly. “It’s very tragic. My sister, she took it hard. She’s very into the heroes.” His eyes cast down at the flames, a soft sigh, “Needless to say, I don’t think such things were by accident.” An exhale. “I take it you are familiar with Mr William Butcher? Given your sister’s interactions with him?”

"It isn’t much but it is all that is needed.” So much time had went to getting the place just how he wanted and to get it right for worship. The location had to be private and near a water source but out in nature. “It did. I learned about it a while before it leaked but it doesn’t change things for me.” If anything, he felt a deeper need to support the Gods and defend them. “More familiar than I would like to be. What can I do for you?” He knew that he should feel awkward being so exposed but he was strangely comfortable with it. 

   Interesting. Not that it mattered now. Marvin Milk, and Kimiko were now just as wanted as the other three. Regardless of who was actually at fault for the death of Translucent. Not that Stan particularly cared for the supe, but he wanted a message sent that if anything happened to their heroes ever, you would pay for it tenfold. Smiling when the CIA agent mentioned a direct line being helpful. That was the exact reason Stan had suggested it. “Do not worry, justice will be served to all the members of this so called organization just as justice was served to Naqib and to Kenji. With your help Thomas, justice will be swifter, and far more decisive. Vought is very appreciative of your efforts, especially Homelander and the Seven.” 

"Anything that I can offer or anything that I can to help then I’ll do it. Without hesitation.” There was a fierceness to his voice and a kind of dedication that he had kept secret to every person in his family and every friend. Until now, nobody else had known about his worships or his secret life. “I’m trying to get more information, anything I can, but I need to build trust up with this group. They don’t seem to trust anyone outside of their team even though the CIA are bankrolling them. The CIA haven’t been involved since everything went down with Lamplighter. I’m digging around to find out what happened but all I know is this team might have had something on them. Right now, my focus is trying to see if they have a mole or any link to Vought that we don’t know about. Whenever I find anything, you will be the first to know Sir.”

Kimiko stares at the man, tilting her head. There’s something off about this man. She’d heard the others talking about him, but seeing him now? She senses something. Still, she’s been told not to just randomly kill allies, so she keeps her hands by her side. Brown eyes regard him carefully, staring at him for a minute or two before she gives him a nod. From her experience, the government had been sketchy at best–but if the rest of her team are trusting him, she can at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

It takes him a little moment before he remembers that she can’t speak. That could make things very difficult for him so he made a mental note to try and think if there was any way that he could communicate in a beneficial way. “Right. You can’t talk. That’s fine. Can you...I don’t know. Is there a way for us to communicate so we can understand each other?”

“That’s the one. And yes, I went.” Reluctantly, but he had gone to the race. Shockwave hadn’t known he was coming, since he decided to be part of the crowd instead of part of Shockwave’s team. The day was fine, but he had found it painful to look at his son parade around in his orange suit. “I’m not one for those type of events, but I wanted to be there for my son. Good thing too, he was very frustrated after his loss.”

“He lost but just to get that far was a huge thing. I’m sure he’s doing well from it. At the very least it got him a bit more known and that will increase his following. In his line of work that has to be the best to hope for, surely.” Not that he knew, he worshipped the Seven but he didn’t know the ins and outs of them. “So long as you where there for him that is all that matters. He went up against one of the Seven. Ballsy but brave.”

“I’m rather good at finding all sorts of things, Mr. Raynor.” Alistair is dressed for business, suit just as pristine and crisp as ever, smile sharp, even in the faint light. He seems dangerous, though hardly mores than just an imposing figure. His eyes flicker down to Thomas’ nude form, letting out a scoff-like laugh. “Alistair Adana. As I’m sure you know.” He takes a step closer, looking over at the altar. “Did you make the carvings yourself?” It’s a casual tone, an amused tone almost.

Thomas was confident in his body not to be ashamed of it even when he heard the scoff-like laugh from Alistair Adana. He never knew why but when he first heard of the Church of the Collective and saw its leader, he was intrigued. His job and family forbade him to check out the church to maintain his cover but he was desperate to check them out. “I know,” he confirmed as he walked closer to the little fire he made. The air was cold and he appreciated the warmth against his skin but it opened up his little place of worship to the unexpected visitor. “I did. They’re all handmade and I made sure that they where purified in  water before I placed them here.” Before he entered his self-made place of worship he bathed in a nearby lake to ensure that his body was purified before he prayed. 

Richard felt like he was being put on the spot, and hesitated again, this time for longer. “The orange speedster one, Shockwave.” He eventually replied. He wasn’t one to lie, especially not to someone in the CIA. “He’s a solo supe, not affiliated with any team.” He wanted it to stay that way.  

Thomas was a patient man, he understood that hesitation wasn’t a bad thing and more often than not it was more helpful than people talking. He found that, for best results, those moments worked best when remained silent. Silence made people uncomfortable and people wanted to fill it with information. A lot of the time it was information that he could use. “The one in the race? I haven’t heard much about him since then. I actually went to watch that race. Tickets weren’t as expensive as Believe but it was a fun day. Did you go?”

Days and days spent working with the boys trying to get any information and balancing between helping them and helping his own agenda. Having met most of the team, he hoped to get to know the others to build some trust that he could use. Out on a jog near the boys building, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Kimiko, the female. “Kimiko!” he called out as he came to a stop in front of her. “I’m agent Thomas Raynor. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet but I’ve been wanting to.”

The night was late, too early in the morning to call it night-time as the next day creeped in from the dark. The shrine he built was small and private. In the woods away from people but quite a simple place. It was small and just a simple enclosure with an altar and small minimalist carvings of the deities he worshipped. In mid prayer and completly nude, he turned shocked to see someone standing in the entrance. “How did you find this place?” he asked, slightly panicked.