Inviting Trouble

Steven Blane clenched his fists in frustration while he looked as his fellow member in the Y.P.S. The Young Planetary Saviors were supposed to be the back-up in-training replacements for the actual League of Planetary Saviors. Here he stood watching the woman he looked up to, respected even, trying to explain her attempt in tracking and interrogation. Red eyes searching the floor for an excuse Steven knew didn't exist as a striped hand awkwardly rubbed at a hoodied arm. It was almost impossible to believe she'd ever been promoted to the League of Saviors proper let alone before him.

Closing his eyes in sheer irritability even Steven couldn't excuse her this time, there was no attempt at any kind of secrecy. After blasting the entire city of Voltham with a mental search twice, causing no small amount of alarm, the most she had to show for it was a name and a contact. One that was likely fake, the only thing they had accomplished was giving their target every single advantage on a silver platter.

"You were in over your head," Steven couldn't help himself, shaking his head as he finally voiced his disappointment, "so far over your head Psy. What the hell were you thinking?"

"What was I?" Psyis looked up at the lesser half of the equation that had ruined her talk, defensively attacking their own attempts. "Yes, I was rash, fine Steven. How were you planning on finding him, weeks of camera tracking while you trying and calculate the perfect little fixed schedule or path? Waiting and trying a reactionary plan that locks down a portion of the city with Constantinople's help which by the way he probably be providing."

Arms held out in exasperation Psyis threw Stan's most likely plans in Steven's face. Izime hadn't acted the least bit concerned about her beyond being mad she was interrupting his meal. Psyis figured the odds were the man stood firmly on a hill of evidence that supported those actions. Either knowing Constantinople would help him or Izime was already prepared to counter any of their powers. Something that was entirely possible considering he stocked gear from Dark Night himself.

Any moves they might make were probably already considered and stonewalled by the man.

"I don't work on probable's" Stan Blane leaned forward in his chair, the chill air of the Dark Cave sharpening his mental focus, "I want to go back to the conversation you had, the little details. Izime knows there's a connection between Dark Night and Blane Enterprise; he knows our secret identities."

Stan looked at Steven meaningfully. Their secret identities were of the utmost priority, their security ensured any friends or family stayed safe. It kept rival moguls like Lux Winthor from making moves on both fronts. The tech reliant philanthropist villain already gave Radiation Man a run for his money, let alone literally attempting to do so with Blane Enterprises.

"He knew we were a thing." Psyis glanced at Steven before agreeing with Stan's issue, Izime's knowledge was invasive to say the least. "Even if he did scavenge some of your things, personal levels of information like that bothers me."

"If he knows I'm Dark Squire it's not a surprise he made the connection." Steven waved away the alien's concern, there wasn't any issue with the man knowing they were an item or had been just a short while ago. "We weren't exactly subtle."

"Our best move right now is to check the black market starting with Constantinople. We've got a name so let's see if that even clears." Stan quickly pressed a few buttons, the massive computer screen uselessly flipping to display a prompt in 167-point Arial. The words scrolling repeatedly as the phone rang throughout the cavern.

CALLING Constantinople...CALLING Constantinople...CALLING Constantinople...CALLING Constantinople...CALLING-

A rattling click came as the call was answered, a heavy British accent coming across as the screen flickered over to a video feed. A shaggy crop of blonde hair and 12 o'clock shadow rimming dark eyes as Constantinople face filled the screen.

A moment of worry flashing across the British man's face before he smiled snarkily and greeted the trio, "Well I should be off to save the queen then! It must be a true emergency for my favorite Dark, cowled and gloomy to call while the suns still up... the sun is still up there, right? No daemon ecli-"

"Constantinople." Stan cut the mouthy exorcist off, wanting to try and sidestep his way into the main topic quickly, "how's the demon dealing business going?

"Still got five takers on my soul Dark and a few new off-" Constantinople laughed as he recalled the usual jibes people made about him. Sure, there were some deals made but they were beneficial to others not just himself. The chuckle turning into a cough as Stans voice came through again, the tone heavy with Voltham gloom and a promise to come and share it.

"Let me rephrase Constantinople, how's the fear toxin dealing going." Stan leaned forward his dark lines creeping in around his eyes implying that the question was only going to be asked once.

"Listen, Dark Night! I'm think I'm going through a tunnel yeah, bad reception in purgatory and all. Gonn'e have to let yo-" Constantinople started to put the phone away, cheekily rubbing it on his shirt just to give Dark the finger. Not even planning to stick around for further black and white justice-y tripe from the American.

"Izime. Constantinople I've got a name from it." Stan threw his first big face card on the table; one he hoped wasn't a joker in disguise. Not quite willing to hope yet even as Constantinople kept the line open, "Does it happen ring any bells because it mentioned you by name, friend of yours?"

"Call it an alternative amusement we've supplied beyond popping topside. Why bother coming here to spread fear and terror only to get their horns tossed back below when Izime can deliver it?" Constantinople quickly stepped up wanting to take control of any direction Dark Night might be taking this immediately, as well as defend his drinking buddy. "The bloke keeps my workload down, beyond the odd ball demon relic or mummified what have you I call him for, and stop calling Izzy an it, bloody rude mate that."

Constantinople gave a laugh as he considered Izime's range of stock giving a nod towards the overprotective Dark Night, "Hell next time you need something to give a Zexxian a round of fist'e'cuffs you should ask him. Wankers probably has a glowing green rock lying about someplace, might be at the ass end of the universe but someplace."

"Any actual information?" Stan narrowed his eyes, unwilling to reveal just how much Constantinople had just confirmed. This Izime was a massive threat, not only knowing his identity but having access to Zexianite?

As long as the exorcist was still talkative Stan was willing to try and force him back onto the floor. Constantinople scratching at the stubble on his cheeks as he considered just what tidbits of info to part with. Somethings the caped crusader just didn't need to be worried about when it came to the knickknack dealer.

"He showed up maybe four or five years ago, bird showed shortly after your Zexxian friend sent that invasion packing. So, say a year into the first rumors of the gray market he found me, not seen hair or feather of either of the fuckers in two years." Constantinople tried to remember when he had started hearing about the oddity salesman, the King of Knickknacks. Before adding a bit of his own private information, he had collected while dealing with Izime in hell. The man gave Lucifer a double take and the king of hell had requested a private talk, something Constantinople certainly hadn't allowed.

"Apparently cursed with knowledge of some sort according to my own sources and not the fun kind. It didn't excite the demons; they were genuinely curious and that was new to see. So," The exorcist shared the reason Lucifer had given for the request, "there a problem Darksie?"

"I thought you dealt with him." Stan watched as the computer finished transcribing the words, Constantinople own conclusions matching his dive as well, an entire nothing-burg. Zero facts with the addition of some demonic superstitions? Stan's frown only deepened as he quickly hit the backspace, removing the annoying nickname from his archives.

"Deal yes, talk and have a pint not so often as I'd like..." Constantinople regretted he was adding that part, Izime was a pretty fun chap in the mix. Izime lived for business though and that's how Constantinople had met him so there their friendship had stalled, "If you'd met the man, you'd know you don't need to meet him Dark. He delivers and collects as needed, literally as easy as snapping your fingers mate, least for anyone stupid enough to try that spell of his."

"He knows our secret identities," Leaning forward to make sure Constantinople heard him clearly, Stan revealed what had pushed him to make the call. Revealing his final card and the issue he was going to settle regardless of Constantinople's easy-going nature, Stan wasn't going to be swayed by the con's mouth. "Frankly I need a countermeasure."

"That's a bugger but, well it's a you problem mate. Like I said, he is cursed with knowing things and that's not just some shite." Constantinople recalled the absolute zero surprise Izime had given any of their deal, acting like he'd seen more terror on a random Tuesday than in the depths of actual hell, "I'd suggest trying to cut a deal bloody fast like, so he doesn't get tempted to just pop in and clean you out quick haHA!."

"Can you schedule a meeting?" Stan took the joke as a warning, ever serious as he glanced at all the tech and gear around the Dark Cavern. The risk Izime was posing growing by the second in the sleuth's mind. The rouge thing was using powers unknown by science to warp reality, it could avoid almost any security measure aside from very dedicated devices. Those Stan had slated to stop the man on the other end of the line.

"Not sure I want too Dark, Izime's not hurting anyone and frankly, ya' sound a bit pissy." Constantinople leaned forward hearing the threat in Dark Nights tone, holding his own phone a bit steadier as he eyed the man and his growing number of sidekicks. "Sides there a problem already standing right beside you. Izzy has few rules but among the top? No Psychics." 

"They've talked already, in person." Stan gave the alien a tense look as the situation was currently her fault, if she'd just stopped the thing there then none of this would have happened, "She's the one he told about the toxin."

"Yea? Didn't she get his number then?" The alien in question looking down as the voice played, Constantinople raised brow daring her to give an honest answer. Curious if he'd known Dark Night would throw a fit or if Izime had just running his mouth to fill the time. The man was a chat-box just like his bird, still Constantinople was having trouble believing he'd have a chinwag with the psychic of all people.

"He didn't look like he had a cellphone." Psyis looked back at the exorcist not quite willing to hang the word homeless around Izime's neck, not wanting to insult the man. Izime's attitude not being so destitute but an altogether different odd kind of rough, "Izime looked like was struggling a bit."

"So, you have met Izime." Constantinople raised his brows as Psyis revealed she had actually had a conversation with the man, making the connection between her words and Izime's usual outfits. Nodding, Constantinople agreed as Izime really often didn't, maybe if he'd scrounged a working one but those were usually gone with a week tops or however long it took for Cradle to find it.

"Hés probably got a handful of broken ones, that or his bird ate it. Ahhhaha!" The exorcist slapped his thigh while thinking of that mouthy shits bird devouring his phone casting another look at the alien who had been looking aside. Obviously wanting to avoid demeaning the man, wondering exactly what it was that made the purple Thessian avoid just saying homeless.

"You really can't find him?" The exorcist narrowed his eyes not quite believing one of the most powerful psychics in the world couldn't find a single man. Had she really been looking for him and then just let him slip away? Now acting with what... a touch of respect, a sense of guilt, or something else? Izime had made Lucy blink so leave it to him to mess with the psychic's head as well, man had a knack for the impossible.

"I don't want to disturb this time," Stan interrupted Constantinople's focus on the alien wanting to bring the conversation back to solving his own issue with the man, "I want to schedule a meeting."

"Why, and I'll need something better than the tripe issue you've both got." Constantinople nodded towards the two humans. He did have a way... if Izime hadn't broken that damned magical mirror or fed it to his bird. Enchanting the damned thing to taste like chili pepper had cost him a few thousand pounds, only to learn birds didn't even taste bloody capsaicin.

"I could sell him som-" Stan nodded taking out a small clipboard he had prepared, wanting to use his business empire to lure the man in. Glancing up as he heard a derisive snort, his intentions obviously falling short someplace.

"Dark you run an actual business empire on earth, what better deal can you offer besides free?" Constantinople cut him off instead knowing Izime's methods, as well as his constant stock of Dark's things, "Besides he's already got No'bloids with stalls stocked full of your gear on some super-earth someplace I promise."

"I actually wanted to apologize to Cradle." Psyis interrupted, wanting to earn a bit of her place back after messing up earlier. Thinking of the fight she had nearly caused in the noodle shop, "I upset Izime's bond with my psychic probing, we... started threatening one another."

"The stupid bird?" Steven looked over in dumbfounded shock at the alien who sounded honestly worried about some not even real animal. Just a complicated imitation that was serving to interfere in the whole investigation, and she wanted to apologize to it for hurting its feelings?

"No no lad, that could actually work and Cradles hardly just a bird," Constantinople looked as Steven and admonished him on Cradles behalf. The two were a pair and if the alien had started something with the raven it was best to see the air cleared, "Izime cares a great deal for that mechanical beast-y. Enough that if it was upset and Miss Psyis genuinely wanted to make amends he might just meet. Here's the rub though, you two would get spotted from bloody orbit and that is the whole point of this call Stan."

"Something that's already happened once today." Stan nodded recalling how they had arrived to find Psyis floating over an empty alley. Smelling of spicy noodles and in street clothes, their target obviously giving the psychic the talk-around before slipping away. "I don't want to disturb this time, but I'm not completely opposed to it Constantinople."

"Aye? Good luck with that because Cradle eats technology and its had Izime feeding it since he hatched the bloody thing." Constantinople didn't want to mention that some of that had likely been Blane's. Instead, quickly moving this painful trolley of a conversation along, "The aliens got a reason, so I'll help. Shes had a cock-up with the killer fucking corbeau, pardon my French Miss Psyis. You might want to resolve that issue quickly, regular ravens carry grudges, let alone one that can empty your bank account with a thought. Things right terrifying in a real scrap."

"You two...stop getting bloody chopsky every time some wanker knows your names." Looking back to other two displayed on his smaller screen, he tried to bury the hatchet between the two parties on his own. Maybe Izime could cut him deal later for all the effort it'd likely take, though Constantinople doubted it. "There are bloody twenty of us at least now."

"It doesn't make me comfortable adding another name to that list." Stan shook his head refusing to accept that, yet another person had slipped through after years of well not perfection but damn it he tried.

"Izime was already on it, you just didn't know he knew." Constantinople hoped he wasn't digging Izime a deeper hole with his next words, but it would at least give perspective, "Night, he knows James's identity too, knew me. Wanker probably knows the identities of a few of our enemies as well. Cursed like I said, so we should all be very thankful Izime doesn't sell information, he sells stuff, of all kinds."

Dark Night actually felt himself be taken aback by this information, this man knew both James and his identities? Could access the Dark-Cavern and had Zexianite? Stan recalling his worries over the way it'd seemed to be travelling and studying earth's heroes asked Constantinople just how this man had remained a ghost. Such a large threat to the entire planet and he had slipped under nearly everyone's radar, the un-cowled hero reconsidering the value of the information Psyis had obtained.

"Why am I just know learning of this individual Constantinople?" Dark Night narrowed his eyes as the questions and worries only piled further, the gap in his monitoring network seeming to extend to what he knew, "No one's mentioned him or known him aside from you."

Even if Constantinople was right, just why none of the crooks he had dropped never mentioned the man's name. If he was so well established in the black market and held such a high reputation why had neither Skull-Shot, Sword-Stroke, or any of the other mercenaries mentioned the man?

"You don't ever buy used Night. All your gear is new and self-made so why would you know the name of the man who built the second-hand market and Earth isn't that big on welcoming the oddity of Izzy's sales." Constantinople tried to explain, realizing Stan was stuck in his own world as usual where everything was seen in two ways. There was legal and not, the acceptable stores and the black markets in Stan's mind. Even knowing the exorcist, he still refused to believe in magic, the sheer balls on the man. "Black markets you know sure, but Izime isn't selling guns or supplying Crusher with off-world synth-roids. It's all in a gray area, batteries, high-flow air cycling units, zexxian storage crystals, and sure maybe a few odder things but certainly not actual weapons or bombs mate."

Stan Blane sat back a bit, realizing there may be a much larger gap in his information network than he originally believed. The possibility of an intermediary market where the lines of what was strictly legal were being blurred purposefully. Either by reselling in different locals or modifying dangerous devices to serve a different purpose. The entire market supplied off the back of the Earth's own chaos and funding who knew what.

"Like a fear inducing drug to and exorcist that's invested in keeping demons occupied in hell, right then ye'have gotten us! Take us both to the constables Darksie but wait, it's not illegal there and it's doing me a might bit of bloody good here." Constantinople finally relaxed as well waving away the last of his worries with sarcasm, Stan was finally getting the point.

The justice driven man saw everything as a threat at first and in very black and white terms. Not exactly the kind of person you wanted your drug dealer for demons to meet up with. Thankfully it seemed that Stan was at least willing to stand down with the hard-edged Dark Night mentality, at least before they were trying to figure out which Reaver pub Steven had been dumped in.

"What if I wanted to buy something?" Stan wasn't quite willing to let it drop, instead switching gears. He at least needed to see this Izime, meet the man that had been silently picking up his excess and making a living off of it. Unsure if he was impressed, still angry, or both but positive he still didn't trust the man.

"Now that I might be able to work out." Constantinople stood, quickly deciding to intervene. Dark Night wasn't going to let this go and that meant Izime needed someone to vouch for him. "Give me an hour and I'll be there."

"You're coming here?" Stan looked back at the screen a bit surprised to see Constantinople already opening a cabinet and pulling out a container of salt.

"Aye, not seen the fucker in over a year. I should say hi at least." Constantinople tore the box open, looking towards the floor where the couch was still in the way. Proper teleportation spells were a bit more complex than his friends hack job, bit larger too.