by Chewy Walrus
Grissom Montag rolled his eyes as he glanced out the window at the slowly graying skies above Puerta Mibela.
"Well, don't that just bugger all?" he muttered to himself as Dr. Henry Quantos looked up from his laptop computer.
"Er... Excuse me, Mr. Montag?" he said. He was a bit uncomfortable with the situation that Shirley Francis had presented him with. The doctor now had to oversee the hiring of a new member in Kit Piper's stead. However, it was a necessity in this case.
"It's bloody gonna rain," Montag said, running his three-fingered hand through his sandy blonde hair. "I thought these tropical islands only got rain durin' hurricane season..."
"One of the many common misconceptions about the Caribbean, Mr. Montag," Quantos said, leaning back in Piper's high-backed leather chair. "Now, about these proposed renovations..."
"A complete overhaul, Doc!" Montag said excitedly, immediately diverting his attention from the window to focus on his audience. "This place needs new security like Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles need some dental work, y'know what I mean?"
"I... fail to see what you mean, sir," Quantos said, fighting the urge to chuckle at the Englishman's joke on the hygiene of his national leaders.
"Check your security tapes from the last two hours for any problems or break-ins," Grissom said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
"Okay." Quantos quickly uploaded the desired files onto his hard drive and began scanning them silently and thoughtfully. After about a half-hour of silent review, Henry shrugged his shoulders and turned to the prospective employee. "I see nothing wrong."
"Precisely my point, Doc," Grissom said triumphantly. "Precisely. Y'see, I snuck in here about two hours ago... and managed to not be picked up by one security camera... managed to not set off one alarm. How did I do it, Doc? How?"
Quantos scratched his chin thoughtfully, milling several options over in his head. "You're a teleporter," Quantos said, not quite a statement, but not quite a question either.
Grissom chuckled a bit and cocked his head to the side. "Not in the way you'd think. I'm only able to teleport non-living organic matter. Works best if I'm either touching it or have touched it before. Can't teleport people, though, mate...
"Truth of the matter is, Doc, that I know security systems," Griss continued after a short pause. "Better'n just about any man alive, I'd say. Know how to get past 'em undetected. Know how to pick a lock, crack a safe, or even evade a succession of laser beams. I'm specifically trained to judge a building's security before I even set foot in the door.
"If Malvan-X or TriVext had taken up my offer for a consultation, I can guarantee you that both buildings would still be standing today," Grissom finished, leaning onto Piper's desk and looking Quantos directly in the eye.
"I can make sure that no more bizarre mystical trolls will show up without your foreknowledge. I am also working on a few precautionary measures, such as telepathic blocks and other such typically metahuman and psionic attacks. Basically, Dr. Quantos, I can offer you the best security the world has to offer."
"What's the catch?" Quantos asked suddenly, after a few seconds of uneasy quiet.
"All of my security," Grissom said, "and even the use of my own personal mechanic, Charley, who should arrive later this week by helicopter, in exchange for your group's services. On a specific mission, I believe?"
"Just one mission?" Quantos asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit of a one-sided trade?"
"Listen, I know what your Piper bloke charges for one of these consultations. Trust me, this is a fair bargain."
"Well," Quantos began, "what happens when your mission is over? Will you stay behind and finish the work you've already started?"
"Chances are, Doc," Griss responded, "my work'll be done before my mission even sees light of day. I know you've all got other things to do that were scheduled long before I show up. When I finish my work setting up the security system, I'll join the mission team full-time. Trust me, this isn't something I'm leaping into blindly."
Dr. Quantos silently ran his hand through his hair and looked up at Grissom. After a few moments of deliberation, Quantos raised his arm toward Montag, his palms inward.
"I've nothing more to ask, Mr. Montag," he said, a smile on his face. "Welcome to MBL Consulting."