Issue 1 Downtime

After getting de-loused de-probed, Will came back to Natalya.

He was two and a half feet tall.

Natalya opened the door and immediately looked down, "Everything okay?"

"He's fine. Just shrunk a bit in the wash."

"Lost some mass. I'll eat a big dinner. I bounce back fast.

You wanted to see me?"

"Come on in, both of you. Have a seat." She gestured, closing the door behind them when they'd done so. "We're still ironing out some of the details, but we've had an offer from Wisdom's people."

Sara makes a face at Wisdom's name but doesn't say anything about it.

"What kind of offer?"

"They're offering to house Will and shield him from the UK government until we can finish clearing up this passport nonsense."

"Wait, what?"

"I hope you told him where he can shove that idea."

Natalya held up her hands, "We have evidence, but it's all circumstantial. We're running out of time. There's only so much longer that they'll play ball with us before they start deportment proceedings. I've got a lead, but it's going to require a full assault and I need time to run that op. I don't much like the idea either, but our options are a little low unless we want to get into a legal stand off with the government."

"There has to be SOMETHING we can do, right? We don't know if we can trust these guys, and I'm not going to run and hide from this. There has to be SOME kind of status you can do, right? Can't, I dunno, X-Corp do something or something?" Will said, a little desperately.

"You said options were running low. That doesn't mean we're out! The X-people have always been like a family -- we help our own. Surely, there has to be something we can come up with to paper this over."

"What's that lead anyway? I mean I'm not the biggest expert but how much time to prepare could we possibly need?"

"We have schematics for a Black Air facility that is spinning back up in the Savage Lands," Natalya said. "This was information that was provided, but not provided, by Wisdom's people." She sighed, "That isn't exactly a drive down to London. There are no reinforcements there. You have to take what you need with you."

"What do you mean, provided but not provided? Are they helping us or not?"

"They're helping us, but they can't officially help us. It's how this sort of thing is done."

"Well, you know more about that than I do, I suppose," Will muttered.

"I hate shadowy agencies. I really, really do."

"They're not going to storm in here and drag him out, right? I mean hell, if they do we can just hide him and they'd never find him. Buy us some time to get some freaking evidence."

"They could do that. This isn't an embassy. We're still on British soil. They've been pretty understanding as it is."

"What do YOU suggest then, Natalya? What would YOU do in my shoes? Because I'm afraid if I turn myself over, no one here will ever hear from me again. It's sheer luck you guys found me the first time."

"I'm not letting that happen. He has every right to be here any anyone who tries to drag him off and make him disappear is going to have to go through me."

"I'm the wrong person to ask, Will. I don't have a family. I would probably go into hiding, but I'm aware of the risks and I share your concerns. Ultimately, the decision's up to you. Either way, we need to tell them something soon, and if that answer is no, then we're going to need to prepare for the fallout."

"Can...can you give me some time? I wasn't prepared for this..."

"Well they're looking for Will Stanton, right? Guy with green hair, married to me. They wouldn't be looking for, say, Hank the brown-haired guy with glasses. Or Hannah the blond girl. Right? I mean it's not like it's particularly hard to make him look like someone else."

Will shook his head. "Then rather than being Will with no paperwork, I'd be some OTHER person with no paperwork. Might be worse, as they wouldn't necessarily 'know' where to deport me."

"I'd talk to Sam before you make any decision one way or the other. Get her opinion." Though I already know what her opinion will be.

"Please do. She's...we've had our differences, but she's one I trust."

"No, I was suggesting you should talk to her."

"Oh. Oh, right. Of course."