#i mean they confirmed now in an interview Order did take a copy of Agent 4's data to copy and put into SO

[splatoon-confession-box]

glad folks have recovered from "wahhh agent 4 got no lore" and moved onto parallel canon angst the way nature is supposed to be

[sherrybaby14]

Blue Spiders - Chapter 2

Summary:  Fear pushes your relationship along.

Warnings:  Light horror, background alcohol, (I have not warned for everything possible, please read at your own risk)

Words: 2k

Pairing:  Therapist! Steve Rogers x female reader

Part One

She lived in an apartment.  That was problematic.  Houses were much easier to break in to undetected.  At least it wasn’t in a great neighborhood and the locks on her doors were pathetic.  All he needed was a credit card to break them.  He accomplished that task this morning.

Steve in no way wanted her death tied to him or the New England Butcher. The kill would be a quick one.  Gunshot, he hoped for a mugging gone bad, but it appeared she never left her place after dark.  

Ten days he had been watching her, observing, waiting for the moment to strike.  But she was always home before sundown, never to retreat again.  He wouldn’t risk a daytime public murder.  Too many loose ends.  

It looked like the next option would be breaking and entering.  Doable, but not ideal.  Look like a robbery.  Bullet to the head and the world would have one less awful person in it.  

Under normal circumstances Steve felt nothing when preparing for a kill.  Sometimes a mild rush of glee during the act and then a bit of euphoria after, especially if it was a victim he intended Agent Barnes to tie to the New England Butcher.  

But this felt different. Personal.  The few times he spotted her during the day he felt betrayed.  How could she lie to him about her identity to get a profile for some dumb blog?  And why did he feel a connection.  

His watch beeped and he checked the time.  Three thirty in the morning.  She would be fast asleep.  It would be over soon.  Then the euphoria would come just as it had with the others.  He was certain of it.  

The sound of his car door slamming echoed across the empty street as he began his walk in the shadows, four blocks away from his destination.  

~~

   You didn’t believe in a sixth sense, or you didn’t want to, but something was off.  Wrong.  You were being followed.  Could it be him?

   You finally felt somewhat safe here.  Comfortable enough you followed your passion and started to make a name for yourself.  Sure Miranda’s Museum of the Macabre wasn’t a big deal yet, but you were growing a following and you loved that type of reporting.  

   The last few days you were cursing yourself for even starting the thing.  Today when you got home and saw the locks weren’t working your paranoia vanished.  

   Whoever broke them was subtle about it.  If you hadn’t been paranoid you wouldn’t have noticed, thought that the chain was shut tight when a light tap would drop it.  The deadbolt hole was splintered and pressed back into place.  Anyone with a driver’s license and a shoulder would be able to break the thing down.  

   The right thing would have been to run, or call the police.  Neither option was intriguing.  So you sat next to the thing, waiting in the darkness.  Every time footsteps sounded outside the hall you steadied the shotgun, blinking away the tears that you might have to blow someone’s head off.  

   Maybe you were going crazy.  The locks had always been broken and you only noticed now?  Maybe nobody was following you.  Just the ghosts of your past.  

   Then, at almost four in the morning after standing guard for eight hours footsteps stopped in front of your door.  

   Your adrenaline flared.  You cocked the gun right as your knob started to turn.  It froze.  Fuck! They heard the noise.  

   The handle fell back in place.  They were leaving.  All the shaking you were feeling came flooding back.

   You needed to open the door.  Find out who they were, what they wanted.  But instead you collapsed, hugging the shotgun as the footsteps retreated.   Would you ever be safe?

~~

   Loss of sleep was an understatement.  Tonight you would get a hotel room.  Then decide if you wanted to call the cops, fix the door, or flee.  Life was exhausting enough and it felt like you’d only just started living.  

   The door to the office opened and you rose to your feet, pinning on your best smile as Dr. Rogers walked a patient out.  

   His face looked cold, but his blue eyes widened with surprise.  

   “Hi.”  You gave a nervous wave.  “I have something for you.”  

   His patient waved goodbye as you stepped forward, article in hand.  

   “What is this?”  He grabbed the pages.  

   “The article.  I said I would send over a copy, but I thought with the way things ended I should drop one off in person.”  You fidgeted, thinking about your run in with Barnes the last time.  “As promised, a glowing puff piece.  It will be in the weekend edition.”  

   You watched as his eyes’ scanned the pages.  His brow furrowed in confusion.  

   “Is something wrong?”  You rocked on your feet, hoping to see what line he was at.  “I taped the interview, but if I messed up a fact or misspoke there is time to correct before it goes to print.”  

   “So the article was real?”  The Doctor looked up at you with wide eyes.  “It wasn’t a ruse for your blog?”

   “Ah.”  You bit your lip as you looked away.  “I am sure Agent Barnes gave you an earful.  Yes the story was real.  I write human interest pieces,  Miranda’s Museum doesn’t really pay the bills.”  

   “So this is your real name?”  Steve squinted.  “Rachelle Miller?”  

   “No.”  You blinked.  “I write under multiple pen names.”  

   “So what is your real name?”  Steve folded his arms.  

   “Friends call me Vee.”  You shrugged.  

   “That’s not what I asked.”  His eyes locked on to yours.  

   You hadn’t spoken your real name in years.  Legally it was changed, and with all the pseudonyms you used you hadn’t spoken it outloud in years.  

   “Well, um, I will get out of your hair.  I am sure you have a busy day.  E-mail me if there are problems with the article.”  Your blood ran hot and you regretted coming here.  

   “No.”  His hand reached out and grabbed your arm.  

   You glanced at his fingers and then turned to see his intensite eyes bearing into your own.  His fingers slipped away.  

   “I mean with all do respect, but you look a little rough.”  He nodded to his office.  “Come in and have a drink.  I owe you an apology.”  

   “Me?”  You blinked and shook your head.  “Did Bucky tell you I am just a gossip columnist and was lying to you?  Using you for Miranda’s nefarious purposes?”  

   “Doctor-patient confidentiality.”  He made a playful shrug.  

   “Yeah.  I bet he left out the part where he asked me out nonstop for over a year until I was forced to write something nasty about him on my blog.”  You thought about the person at your door last night,  could it have been Bucky?  He didn’t seem the most stable.  “I may have crossed a line, but what I wrote wasn’t wrong and he,  well I think anyone who has met the man isn’t afraid to use the word obsessive to describe him.”  

   “I cannot confirm, deny, or discuss Agent Barnes.”  Doctor Rogers walked over to a small liquor cabinet.  “What would you like?”  

   “Bourbon?  Scotch?”  You took a seat.  “I’ll settle for anything brown with a nice burn.”  

   “Multiple pen names?”  The doctor came back over and handed you a drink.  “How many?”

   “Three I use on the regular.  I do a lot of freelance writing and they each have their own specialty.  Then several one offs.  I have used them one or two times and let them die.”  You took a sip and let the liquid hit your tongue, wanting to swirl it around your mouth and wishing it would numb your mind in the same way.  

   “Care to share why?”  He sat down and crossed his legs.  “That seems like a lot of compartmentalism.”

“Not a patient.”  You laughed as you leaned back.  

“Let me guess, they are all as generic as Miranda Balfour, Rachelle Miller?”  Dr. Rogers leaned back in his chair.  “You want a legitimate digital footprint, but not one that can be traced back to you.  Why?”  

“You sound like Bucky.”  You tilted your glass toward him.  “Only he has decided Miranda must be my real name.  I would not try to do a deep dive on me Doctor.  I am not interested in opening up.”  

“I am not your Doctor.  Please, call me Steve.”  His eyes scanned you up and down.  “You look very tired.  Late night?  I hope it wasn’t on my behalf.”  

“It was and it wasn’t.  In that order.”  You let out a sigh.  “Since you’re not my doctor Steve, and you can’t think I’m crazy since there is no medical relationship. I think someone, no, I know someone tried to break into my apartment early this morning.”

“Did you call the police?” A look of horror crossed his face as he leaned forward.  “You should not wait on that.”  

“I am not a fan of cops and they are not my fan either.”  You gritted your teeth before taking another sip.  “I cocked my gun too early.  Someone had been following me, all week.  I felt it in my bones.  And then I noticed my locks had been messed with.  So I waited and I felt so paranoid, but then the clock hits 3:44 and the handle jiggles.  I should have let the door open, blown their brains out without asking a single question.  But they heard the noise.  Ran off before I had the chance.”  

“There is a lot to unpack there.”  Steve reached out and touched your knee.  “Are you safe?”

“No.”  You smiled at him.  “Never.  I’m going to get a hotel room tonight.  Figure things out from there.  Get some sleep, a clear head.”  

“If you think someone is targeting you, you shouldn’t stay alone.”  His hand dragged away.  “Friends or family you can stay with?”  

“What was the line you used?  My work doesn’t leave much time for personal relationships.  I’m either writing a freelance story of working on the Miranda project.  Hoping someday it takes off and I can do that full time.”  

“I apologize for being so forward, but I can be your friend, or else your colleague in the work horse force.”  Steve set his glass down.  “And I have plenty of extra bedrooms.”  

You didn’t mean to display the cringe, and tried to bury it down, but there was a pain on his face.

“That is a very kind offer.”  You slammed the rest of your drink.  “But you are not my doctor, or my friend, you’re a stranger right now and I wouldn’t feel comfortable imposing.”  

“I understand.”  Steve grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled as you stood up.  “I would like to take you to dinner, are you free Friday?”  

“Now you’re really going to think I’m crazy, but with the strange feeling I was being followed and the incident last night, I have been scared to leave my apartment after dark.”  The liquor had relaxed your tongue too much.  “Well, now hotel.”  

“I will pick you up at your door, we can go to my place and I’ll cook for you, and then I will drive you home.”  There was something in his voice, this was the first time he had made this request in some time.  “You will be safe the entire time.”

“Alright.”  You couldn’t explain it, but there was a feeling in your heart, like it was drawn to his.  Not mental, like a strange string was pulling you tigher.  “I am staying at the budget in on Wilcox.”  

He opened his mouth, but shut it right away and nodded.  You started to walk to the door and he followed.  Being in his office was the most relaxed you’d been in some time.  

“Friday then.”  He slipped you a piece of paper, you opened it up to see a phone number.  

“I can’t remember the last time someone didn’t just text me their number.”  You smiled eat him.  “You are old fashioned in all the right ways.”  

“Feel free to put that in your phone and use it.”  Steve looked serious.  “Any time, day or night.  I don’t approve of your distrust of law enforcement or wanting assistance, but I respect it.  Never hesitate to call if you need anything.”  

“Thank you.”  You looked at the ground, not wanting to face those blue eyes again, scared if you did you would end up being a roommate at the man's house.  “And thank you for believing me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”  He was taken aback.  

“Sometimes I’m not even sure I believe myself.”  You blinked away tears and squared your shoulders looking him in the eyes.  “Anyone else would have told me it was late, I was tired, I almost killed a delivery man.”  

“I look forward to continuing this conversation on Friday.”  Steve gave a boyish grin.  “Or sooner, if you need anything at all.”  

“Friday then.”  You folded up the piece of paper and put it in your back pocket.  

It was odd to find something to look forward to and for a moment you wished you were crazy and not thinking about fleeing and starting over yet again.  

A/N:  Thanks for reading!  This is turning into a bit of a slow burn, but I think the next chapter will heat up! 

Tags:  @toozmanykids​

[lunanightingaleart]

Quite The Unexpected Outcome

Synopsis: Abigail Lynn, an agent from the information’s district of S.H.I.E.L.D., was given the important task of watching over an important demigod who was not allowed to leave, especially after the stunt he pulled in New York City. While The Avengers try to find a solution to what to do with say demigod, she is meant to watch him through the night. Yet his mannerisms seem familiar, how?

Chapter 1: The First Impression Is Always Important

“You Can NOT Be Serious!” Tony Stark slammed his hands down on his table, staring at the group called The Avengers, who all sat at his large table all somewhat content eating Shawarma.

“It’s rather simple, we’ve defeated my brother and after eating I shall take him, and the tesseract, back to Asgard,” Thor spoke in between bites.

“So you’re wanting us to just let you take him and that danger cube into space, without any of us having any eyes on this fucker?” 

“Well what are you wanting to do? Keep him on earth in a jail cell? In case we forgot that already proved to be worthless.”

“That was in the sky and he had backup. Now the guy is powerless, without his army, and currently behaving himself...as best he can.” 

“Not to mention that stupid scepter is as far away as possible from him. And that portal is dealt with.” The Avengers continued to argue in this somewhat destroyed building, food scattered across the table as they spoke loudly about what they should decide to do with the currently handcuffed god sitting in a special prison cell. One put behind several doors in S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ and currently holding several agents at each door. Arguing amongst each other, Tony finally turned towards the other side of the table.

“So what do You think about all of this??” The entire team finally looked to their extra guest who was sitting awkwardly at the table. A young woman in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, hair up in a tight ponytail and arms crossed as she was suddenly remembered through all the arguing. 

“Well, I’m not entirely sure. To be honest, the only real reason I’m here is because I was on the job of gaining any info on the one called Loki. And then I was brought onto that ship that almost crashed and killed us all. Only for Fury to put me on the committee in which I basically have permission to offer solutions involving all of this. If I had to guess what they want me to say is that we shouldn’t let him leave after all the damage he’s caused. I think the best option at this point would be to...:” She sways her head in a manner of weighing their options.

“Probably just leave him in his cell, make sure there’s security watching him. The information I currently have on the Asgardians, mostly from Thor, is that they definitely react to electricity. God of thunder or not, so if it makes things easier, I’d say keep a few tasers nearby.” The woman looked to Thor.

“You have an extra set of those cuffs don’t you? The ones that were Asgardian built and magically linked to whoever gets cuffed with them?” At his confirmation she hummed and tapped her foot.

“Tony, you're pretty skilled in making last minute technology. If we had you take these cuffs and toyed with them to add perhaps an electric shock to them? For security purposes, just how long would that take?”

“Depends on a few things. My lab luckily wasn’t destroyed in the chaos, and if I have Banner here assist me we’ll probably divide the time by two.” He sighed and thought about it. 

“...I’d say a day, if I start to work on it now.”

“So what are you planning to do...?” Steve looked to the girl who sighed.

“Lynn, Agent Lynn.” Steve nodded.

“Right, you were part of the teams sent to talk to me when I awoke.”

“Yup, I’ve also been part of Shield long enough to recognize...well, all of you really.” She looked across the table with her arms crossed.

“You know the way you sound makes you seem older than you look.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, but I’m still younger than all of you.” 

“So they sent a child to babysit a god?”

“I’m 24, I would suggest not calling me a child.”

“24?? Oh you’re definitely a kid.” Agent Lynn rolled her eyes and sat up. 

“If I’m not mistaken there are two other agents nicknamed Lynn.” Hawkeye commented while leaning on the table.

“You’d be correct, those are my parents.”

“So what do you want us to call you so we’re not basically calling you three the same name?” She narrowed her eyes towards Widow and Hawkeye, sighing and leaning back.

“Abigail.”

“Right, Abigail.”

“Miss Abigail, what do you honestly expect to gain for keeping Loki here of all places?” Abigail looked to Thor. 

“Honestly?? Keep my boss from being pissed. Most of the world organization wants Loki to pay for what he did, the world is pretty much waiting for an update after everything that happened, as this is the second time he’s come to New York and done damage.”

“Not to mention, killed several people.” Abigail hummed, looking to her drink she had been sipping. 

“...If I’m to be completely honest though, I do have a question we’re not seeming to ask.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“...Who sent Loki?” The room grew silent, all eyes locked on her now.

“What do you mean? Loki came here himself, this was his plan all along, right?” They all seemed to nod amongst themselves, aside from her.

“Then where did this army come from? Or the other one from before? I’m mostly information down at Shield, and I noticed that both times he didn’t come alone. I imagine none of those creatures were from Asgard, Thor?”

“Well...no, but my brother is very persuasive. He’s always been known to convince others to do his bidding if they have sharing interests.” 

“That’s fair, but it seemed almost...like he wasn’t completely in control. The security footage shown when he first arrives doesn’t show the face of confidence. It shows...confusion. Like a moment of coming up with a plan on the spot. Granted, he could have just not realized where the tesseract would open and land him, but his mannerisms seemed a bit different from most others who purposely plan to destroy everything.” 

“Good note, but also at this point we don’t really need to worry about that. They were cowardice enough to send their army and Loki, so it’s most likely they won’t be coming here any time soon. In reality this meeting is more or less to decide whether or not we let Thor take his brother with him, or if we punish this demigod by keeping him here on earth.” Tony stood from his chair, most of the others following. 

“Give me until tomorrow to finish those cuffs, I’d say Banner and I will work on it, while you keep a close eye on Loki. If he tries to escape...well....if the taser doesn’t work, I’m sure the big guy wouldn’t be against throwing him around a bit more.” He patted Bruce on the shoulder before they walked out. As everyone began to separate, Abigail glanced at the table a bit, hearing her stomach growl but ignoring it. She’ll just fill up on her drink. She picked up her bag and started to walk out.

“Hey, Abigail. Are you hungry?” She stopped, but didn’t turn around.

“Oh, no I’m fine.”

“Well that’s bullshit. We did just hear your stomach growl, didn’t we?” Clint and Natasha walked to each of my sides, seeming to read me like a new book in the library. 

“Okay you caught me, I just don’t like...shawarma?” 

“Well there’s other places around here that haven’t been destroyed, what’s the matter? Waiting on your next paycheck?”

“You’d think they’d pay her well enough. Obviously you’re hungry.”

“Guys.” She sighed and glanced towards Steve that approached them. 

“...I’ll buy you lunch, come on.”

“You don’t have to, I can pay for it myself.”

“Well let’s say it's on me today. You can get it next time, come on.” She had absolutely no idea how in the hell these three convinced her to go with them. She was supposed to go right back home and report to her parents after the meeting. If they find out she’s out socializing…

“So what do you want on it?”

“Huh?” Abigail blinked back into reality only to realize they had dragged her all the way to a sandwich shop. 

“Your sandwich, do you know what you want on it?” Abigail looked up at the menu and hummed. After a minute or so she ordered what she wanted and got it to go. 

“Thanks, I didn’t need you to pay for it.”

“I said you’ll get it next time right? Don’t think anything of it.” She nodded with a slightly relaxed look.

“...Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow for the next meeting.” She took her bag of food and started to head back. Her parents are gonna be pissed when she brings food. Shit. Maybe she should stop somewhere and scarf this? Or a homeless person could cross her path and she just hands it to them. As she thought of a plan she almost didn’t hear her phone go off. It was in its final ring when she answered. 

“Yes?”

“Agent Lynn, we need you to return back. We have an assignment for you.” Oh, good.

“I see, I’ll be back as soon as I can. Should take about ten minutes.”

“Copy, report to me when you get here.” She hung up. Report to Fury? She had a sneaking suspicion this wasn’t paperwork about the attack. Looking to her food, she gripped the bag and headed back towards work. On the bright side, this kept her from home for a little while longer. Walking the streets was utter chaos at this point. People were being interviewed by every tv station in the city. Reporters everywhere were asking anyone they saw their opinions of The Avengers. Ridiculous, to think that the stations would all go such different lengths and directions to get different possible conclusions of the same group. Some say they feel safer, others feel they are scared now knowing they aren’t alone. Did they really think that before? Perhaps it was her job, but she didn’t believe it possible a planet full of people like her had to be the only life. That an entire planet of people like her parents...were the only signs of life. She could never accept such...a disappointing idea. Finally making it to where she needed to be, she found herself standing in front of Fury and his second in command. 

“Sir.”

“Agent Lynn, we found something interesting in our security footage before our…” He glanced over to his second in command before back to her. 

“Unfortunate experience in the aircraft. It seemed you were one of the ones watching over Loki before Agent Romanoff entered the room.” She nodded.

“That’s correct, is something wrong?”

“Not...entirely, but I did want an explanation.” He led her to one of the computers and pulled up the footage. She watched as her image walked into the room and sat at the chair in front of the seemingly ignoring Loki. Abigail watched the footage, remembering back to when the footage was recording. 

“Hey there.” He didn’t seem to want to chat, it made sense, but at the same time, she noticed the look on his face when he got here. He was smiling when he was brought here. 

“...Are you thirsty? Maybe you want some water?” No answer once again. Abigail accepted that and took a notebook from her bag. She sat in silence just scribbling in her in the pages.

“..What do you think you’re doing here?” His voice caught her off guard, her eyes looking up towards him.

“...Um...I’m sitting...chilling, I guess?”

“No, I mean, that really was a poor attempt. You spoke twice to me, and then gave up. What is your business here? To watch me? Get answers from me?” He paced around his cell with his arms behind his back. Abigail stared at him the entire time. 

“....You know it's almost interesting. I didn’t expect you to talk to me at all. I’m just here to watch you. I offered water because you admittedly look really thirsty. Tired too, like you haven’t had something to drink in days. No offence though.” He stared her down with a suspicious glare. 

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t expect anything really? I’m merely a watcher. Plus you look bored. I think I have a book in my bag you can read.” She spoke so calmly, staring him in his eyes while speaking. He looked her up and down with almost a look of disgust.

“You really must be stupid to underestimate me. How do you expect to get me water, or a book for that matter? Unless you’re wanting to open the door~” 

“Hm, you have a point. I guess I could go get Thor, or Iron Man, or Cap. They could get you water.” He stared at her with a suspicious look.

“Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Funny? No? Am I funny?”

“No, strange is more like it.” 

“I get that a lot.” 

She went back to her notebook, pulling out coloring pencils and continuing to doodle. He had very bright eyes, they looked a lot like his possessed team. Maybe that’s what that means, that he’s in all of their heads. She wasn’t sure though. The more she stared at him the more he seemed to notice it, giving her perplexed looks and glares sometimes. She always replied with a smile, going back to her drawing. He really did look tired. If she focused long enough she could almost have sworn he had bruises under his collar. And a few scars peaking out that almost made her stomach tighten. Burn Marks, she knew them well. Her eyes stayed downward for the rest of the time that they sat in silence. Then he finally spoke.

“What have you been doing in there?”

“Hmm? Oh, this?” She looked at him and pointed at her book.

“I’m drawing. Your outfit is quite stylish, so I decided to draw it.”

“You’re...drawing me?”

“Yeah, you have an interesting look to you. I love the color scheme too. Did you want to see?” 

“...I suppose.” She stood up and showed her notebook to him through the glass. It was mostly profile based, with an outline of his outfit on a separate page uncolored. The profile image of him however, was fully shaded and she had begun coloring his hair and skin, He hummed.

“So that’s why you’ve been staring me down. I almost wondered if you had fallen for my charms already~” She cracked a smile, rolling her eyes.

“So smooth~ Do you often try to flirt with your wardens?” He chuckled.

“I’m not often caught, miss?”

“Oh, I’m Abigail. Sorry I should have said something before.”

“Abigail, and you’re an agent here?”

“Well, I’m here. I think you already know that. You aren’t dumb, Loki.”

“That is true, I’m not~” He looked down at the notebook once again, before looking back up at her. 

“Water sounds lovely, is there a way you can do that?” She looked up at him for a moment, giving him a patient smile and closing the notebook.

“You’re not dumb, but neither am I Loki. If you really want water I can talk with the others to get you some. I don’t think it's a good idea for me to…” She heard the door open and turned towards it, seeing her mother who glanced in with a darkened glare. She felt her chest tighten.

“Your time is up, we need you elsewhere.” 

“Yes Ma���am.” She glanced over to Loki, who seemed to stare in her mother’s general direction. She left with her mother out of the room.

She watched Fury pause the footage. 

“It seemed you somehow got Loki to talk freely with you, without any real interrogation.”

“Well I wasn’t trying to get answers out of him. I don’t know what he was thinking, but it seemed he was quite bored waiting for something.”

“Probably the fact he was waiting on the possessed Hawkeye to break him out. He probably thought you might know something as you are an agent here.”

“It’s possible, but it’s also possible he wasn’t expecting anything from Agent Lynn and unintentionally let his guard down.” She watched the two discuss her right in front of her. Eventually the two looked back to Abigail who sat politely silent. 

“...We brought you here to watch him again.” With a tilt of her head she stared up at the two.

“You need a night guard? Or a babysitter?”

“Consider it a little bit of both. Perhaps you could get some information out of him, try and figure out if there’s anything else he has planned. Stark has already made it aware to us that you vocalized an idea. Something about keeping him here with some upgraded alien tech?” She nodded.

“Yes sir, but I also think we should tell the world organization that Loki was sent home.”

“Excuse me?” She watched the second in command cross her arms. 

“The world organization wants the tesseract for weapons, if they can’t have that, then they’ll take what they can get. No offense sir, but you know as much as I do about how the world deals with powerful beings. Most of them are vigilantes that roam free or are villains who get locked away if they can’t be persuaded. What happens to the villains that are persuaded?” He glanced over before returning eye contact with Abigail. 

“...Just how much information do you have on that?”

“I’m in the information district sir. I know as much as they allow me, and considering my parents’ position here, they allow a lot.”

“That’s fair. Well, what is your plan here?”

“I have no plan. Truth be told I think the smartest idea would be to leave him under the eyes of those who defeated him. He’s broken out of Shield technology before, and while we now have more info of what he can do, I have a feeling it’s not everything he can do. My statement for now is that we wait on Tony and Banner to make the cuffs, and tomorrow we discuss where would be a safer place to hold him, since the world organization would immediately come here, and considering we had two jets go rogue, it’s not a stupid assumption that they have more spies in your agency.” 

“Hence why it's just us three here. So, will you be taking the night shift?” She hummed and looked around, thinking for a moment. She’d get more time away from home. 

“Sure, I’m gonna need some water though.” They gave her a strange look, she lifted the bag she was carrying. 

“I have a sandwich which is going to be my dinner. Lots of bread, I’m gonna need some bottled water.” Seeming to understand they allow her to go to the break room for the agents on their lunch, and she grabs quite a few bottles of water and a jar of pickles. She had no idea who’s jar of pickles this was, but she didn’t care. Once she had her stuff she had them lead her through the several doors and intricate pathway to get to the center of the cells. They stopped at the last door.

“This is it, as of today you have access to the lock, but we also recognize your fingerprints, so don’t fuck up.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it sir~” 

She smiled softly, before watching them leave down the hall and listening to each door close behind her further and further away. She took in a slow breath, looking at her watch and humming. Alright, don’t panic. You’ve been in a room with him before, and nothing happened. Well, except the whole ship almost crashing. Then the thought went through her head. Whatever he could do to her...couldn’t be any worse than she’s already experienced. And if he killed her, that would actually be better than what waits at home. She had to admit that sounded so edgy, but she didn’t really care. Taking in a deep breath, she prepared herself and placed her hand on the scanner. The doors opened and inside she found a large see-through glass cell, glancing up she noticed a familiar lining of metal wires. An electric fence. She hummed in thought and seemed to grab his attention. He turned on his heels, seeming a bit more skittish than before. Their eyes met, one pair of dark hazel eyes, and other a rich combination of blue and...green? It was mostly green, which almost confused her. Her eyes read him like an open book as fast as she could before he’d slam said book shut and hide it away. He was covered in bruises now, even quite the goose egg right on his temple. It made sense, he did go hand to hand with The Hulk. She took steps forward, watching him build his walls as fast as he could, a defensive stance forming in the process. The closer she got the more she noticed, and the more her heart seemed to tighten. Why did this body language seem so familiar? Like he was almost prepared for the worst. Then it hit her…

“...Abigail.” She stared up at him, before a small saddened smile formed on her lips.

“Hey Loki…” She tightened her grip on her bag. He looked just like…

Herself.

Chapter 2:

[phcking-detective]

5. Bad Habits

Fic Title: First Blood

Rating: E

Length: 5/33 chapters, ~128k

Tags: Slow Burn, Idiots to Lovers, Trans Character (gavin), Autistic / Asexual / Non-binary Character (nines), BDSM, learning to use good etiquette and safe words, Dom Nines / Sub Gavin, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort

Chapter Tags: Gavin acts like a sleazy corrupt asshole to get another sleazy corrupt asshole to drop his guard, (it’s kind of hot), banter, so much banter in this one, Nines says Creepy Things, dumb idiots flirting without realizing they’re flirting, Nines saves pictures of Gavin’s dumb cute face when he laughs

Link on AO3

***

Senator McAshlynn Dernham [CEO: Synergy Paradigm] acquiesces to an interview with Detective Reed, but his heartbeat picks up to ninety-one BPM when Nines steps into his office as well.

Downtown view, fifty-second floor. Eight hundred and sixty-five square feet--nearly a hundred more than Reed's apartment. Minimalist furniture, a display of signed sports balls, and a jade paperweight shaped like a turtle valued at over four thousand dollars.

It would make an excellent bludgeoning tool.

"Detective Reed." Senator McAshlynn stands up from his desk and meets Reed halfway in the room. "Come in, have a seat."

They shake hands. Reed exerts an estimated fifty-six pounds of pressure on the handshake. Senator McAshlynn's grip strength does not exceed thirty pounds. He tries to hide a grimace, but the one facial expression Nines can reliably detect is pain.

"Sit down, sit down. What can I do for you, detective?"

Nines is not offered a greeting or a seat. It would hurt all zero of his feelings, except no talking and no physical contact is how he prefers to interact with humans. He stands behind Reed while the detective sprawls out in the offered chair.

"Just have a couple of financial questions for you, Mr. McAshlynn," Reed says.

"Oh no, McAshlynn isn't my last name," Senator McAshlynn replies. He grips the back of his chair with an estimated thirty-two pounds of strength. "Senator McAshlynn is my first name, both of them. My last name is Dernham."

"Right."

Detective Reed performed fairly extensive research on Senator Ashlynn Dernham (limited as he is by his lack of neural connection to the internet) before their arrival. Despite being fully aware of the not-senator's two first names situation, he lets the silence drag on for thirty-six seconds before clicking his tongue and continuing.

"I only need to confirm a few things about Mr. Russell's finances, and then we'll go."

Senator McAshlynn's BPM ticks up to ninety-four. "I'm not sure why that would interest you or be relevant to me. Russell personally made those investments with money given directly to him by his … investors. Although he did found this company, I can assure you, Synergy Paradigms remained completely uninvolved and unaware of--"

"Yeah, yeah." Detective Reed waves his hand. "Relax, I'm not here to bust your balls, and I don't care. I just gotta make sure Russell really did have plenty of motive to commit suicide."

"Is there something questionable about shooting himself in the head?" Senator McAshlynn asks.

Reed shrugs. He pulls out his phone and scrolls through a takeout ordering app. Nines can hear the other human begin to grind his teeth, and pinpoint the exact moment he begins inhaling in order to speak again. Even with his limited human senses, Detective Reed somehow senses this precise moment as well.

"Look, the media's making this into a big shitstorm out there, all right?" he says. "Didn't think I needed to tell you that. I just wanna make sure I'm covering my own ass, and I get that you want to do the same. No problem. Like I said, you answer some questions about <I>his</i> finances, and we leave."

Senator McAshlynn considers. "All right. I may be able to do that."

"Cool. Like I said, I'm not here to bust your balls." Reed's reflection in the wall-to-ceiling windows in front of him gives a smile even Nines can recognize as sleazy. "Guy's already dead. If you work with me here, I don't mind working with you."

Senator McAshlynn's BPM begins to fall, and he smiles back at Reed. "I'm always happy to assist the DPD, but. As you said, Russel is already dead. I'm not sure what's left for you to work with."

"Mmm." Reed puts his phone away and tilts back in the chair until the back of it rests against Nines' abdomen. "Well, my partner here has done some digging into Russell's finances. Did you know his bank account has been hemorrhaging money this last month?"

"I was not aware of that, no."

"Yep. And here's the really interesting part--he pinged the IP of some other android messing around in there."

That is so inaccurate Nines almost corrects him on sheer principle. He deactivates his voice box though, both to halt that immediate impulse and to prevent interrupting in a conversation that clearly won't involve him.

"Again, I'm not sure how that's relevant to this company," Senator McAshlynn says.

Reed shrugs. "Doesn't matter. You and I both know the media is going to drag Russell's name through the mud and into the spotlight for as long as they can milk it--and they're going to keep mentioning Synergy Paradigms while they do it. Makes for a better story."

"Well, I would certainly like to avoid that." Senator McAshlynn smiles at him again. The action barely involves his lips. "I don't suppose you know an especially talented PR agent?"

"I know large sums of missing money plus a mysterious android equals a damn good story," Reed replies. "So if there's anything you know about that, now's a good time to let me know."

"Is it?"

"I'm not looking to arrest anyone in a suicide. And if some unsavory shit comes up--you know, the kind that would stay on the ten'o'clock for the next month--maybe my partner here deletes some stuff. Maybe I let you know about it, so you get some closure on your dear friend's death."

Senator McAshlynn stays silent as he considers it. Detective Reed lets his chair drop back down to the floor with a loud thunk in the quiet room.

"But in another minute now, I'm gonna go interview that reporter who broke the story," he says with a smile that only serves to show his teeth. "So like I said. Right now is a good time to start working with me."

Senator McAshlynn takes a seat. "What can I do for you, detective?"

Nines saves the smile Reed gave to his most encrypted folder. It shares several points of similarity to his own facial expression categorized as [hostilesmile-murder]. He places the file next to the zoomed view of Gavin's nipples he attempted to delete two weeks earlier.

"Do you know where Russell's money disappeared to this last month?" Detective Reed asks.

Senator McAshlynn sighs. "No. If Russell got into escorts or red ice, I never saw any of it. And even if he did, there's no reason for his indiscretions to drag this company down with him."

"Sure," Reed says. "My partner and I are going to do some digging. See what we find."

"I don't suppose you could be persuaded to … take a holiday?" Senator McAshlynn asks.

Reed clicks his tongue. "Not how this works. And I might not know any PR agents, but I have heard it's better to get ahead of stories before they break. Know what shit stinks in your own house 'n all."

"I might like to know what the hell Russell was doing," Senator McAshlynn admits. "But maybe I'd like it better if no one knew. If we all just, dropped this whole matter?"

"Mmm."

Reed takes his phone back out and takes his time choosing from the menu of the Chinese restaurant closest to the precinct. Nines adds a side of fried vegetables and rice to his order of Chicken Kung Pao (spicy).

While Gavin works at increasing the CEO's stress levels, Nines continues syncing with the smart desk. As soon as Senator McAshlynn rested his hands on its surface, the handprint scanner activated and unlocked the interface, although it stays resting on the set screensaver of mahogany wood.

Nines doesn't alter anything or open any files. He doesn't need to. Senator McAshlynn's calendar, contacts, and social media feeds are set up to sync automatically with all of his devices.

It's simple enough to copy the handprint from the scanner and convince the "smart" desk that he himself is one of those devices.

"Oh, yeah. See." Reed says when Senator McAshlynn begins tapping his twelve hundred dollar pen. "The money? Yeah, maybe that's old news. It was all a Ponzi scheme anyway. But the android …"

Reed lets out a long sigh and tips his seat back again.

"What android?" Senator McAshlynn snaps.

"The one messing around in Russell's finances," Reed says. "Traces of it in his loft too. Can't just let that go."

Senator McAshlynn lays both hands on either side of his desk. Human body language is as chaotic and individual as every human, but this gesture clearly reflects a threatened animal attempting to look bigger than it really is. The motion also places his right hand closer to the portion of the desk's touch screen devoted to summoning security.

Nines tells that particular program to begin an update. The entire smart desk will now need to be restarted in order for the program to function.

"And why not?"

Reed reaches up and taps backwards against Nines' chest. "Say something creepy."

"Jade is porous."

"What are you talking about?" Senator McAshlynn asks, very firmly maintaining eye contact only with Reed.

"Your paperweight would make an excellent bludgeoning tool, but jade is porous," Nines says. "The blood would absorb and stain. Useful for a murder itself, but a liability afterward."

"God, you never disappoint," Reed says as the other human's face pales. "They gave him all this info and programming on solving crimes without ever stopping to think about what reverse engineering means. Takes a special kind of hand to manage him."

Nines deactivates his voice box once more. The problem with custom-building a social module is that he can only learn from his environment. The second problem is that the only human he regularly interacts with is Gavin Reed.

[dialogue options: AVAILABLE]

:Yeah, I bet your hand is real special to you.:

 :I gave a special hand to your mom last night.:

 :You can catch these special hands in the parking lot.:

"Are you threatening me?" Senator McAshlynn demands.

His finger presses down on the incognito security alert. A dialogue box pops up on the table informing him of the necessary restart, ruining the illusion of real wood.

Reed scoffs while he scrambles to close the notification. "I don't care about you enough to do that. It's only the android we're after. Any LM one hundreds, PJ five or six hundreds, or WB five hundreds you seen around Russel?"

"LM—a personal assistant?" Senator McAshlynn looks up from his desk. "No, Russell didn't have one of those. I don't even know what the other two are."

"University lecturer and financial accountant."

Senator McAshlynn huffs. "No. And for the last time detective, this isn't relevant to me or my company."

"All right." Detective Reed stands up. "Thanks for your time, Mr. McAshlynn."

"It's Dernham. Please leave or I will have my security team escort you out," Mr. McAshlynn informs them.

"Two GJ five hundreds and a refurbished GS two hundred." Nines nods his head toward the desk. "Is that paperweight for sale?"

"Get out!"

***

"God that was great. You really fucking asked him if it was for sale."

Gavin is still so pleased about getting kicking out of Synergy Paradigm, he lets Nines control his truck from the passenger's seat. Nines keeps the speed a steady five miles over the limit like his partner prefers and passes him a pack of the regular, non-marijuana cigarettes he smokes while on duty.

"Did you get a picture of his face?"

Nines sends the file to his cellphone. Gavin checks it immediately when it dings, then shoots him a wide smile. Nines saves a picture of that too before he's aware of making the decision to do so. He now has fifty-four pictures of Gavin saved for purposes other than building a databank of facial expressions. Anything more than three is a pattern.

A habit.

"Anything else?" the detective asks. "Wait, if you fucked with his table, don't tell me. Anything you got from that is inadmissible in court, and if there's any chance you might get caught, don't do that shit anymore."

"If there is any chance I might get caught," Nines repeats back to him. "Hypothetically, what if Senator McAshlyn's cell phone--"

He tries to put the right amount of emphasis in his voice to imply air quotes. It is difficult to preconstruct which syllables to stress and in what order. Gavin stares blankly at him. He tries raising his volume by ten percent.

"His cell phone."

Gavin suddenly huffs and rolls his eyes. "Jesus, yeah, OK. If his cell phone did …?"

"Connected to his smart desk and automatically synced to his calendar, contacts, and social media feeds."

"And anyone looking into the like, syncing history or whatever, would confirm his cell phone was the only device to connect to his smart desk about ten minutes ago?"

"Correct."

"OK, hypothetically speaking," Gavin says. "If there's no chance of getting caught--and keep in mind that would mean our whole case could get thrown out and lots of lawyers and Fowler screaming about privacy violations and IA jumping on the chance to fuck over their very first android …"

"Understood."

"If there's no chance of getting caught, that shit is still a slippery fucking slope and you shouldn't risk it."

Nines stares at the human's face, trying to determine if he is being that aspect of [sarcastic] that is not meanly saying the opposite of what he really thinks, but is still saying the opposite in order to [cover his own ass].

"Anyway." Gavin clears his throat. "On a totally unrelated note, do you have a hunch about anything?"

"A hunch."

"Yeah. Like, a gut feeling you can't really explain to me in--"

"Oh."

Gavin clears his throat again.

"I do not believe Senator McAshlynn Dernham was close friends with Maverick Russell," Nines says. "I do not believe the two planned to meet with each other within the last two weeks or the next fortnight."

"You fucking had to say fortnight. Pull over, I have a dance I want to show you."

Nines locks the passenger door. "My 'gut instinct' is that Senator McAshlynn has in fact been distancing himself from the victim for several months now and likely thought Russell was a bad investor, desperate to be liked, and only got lucky mooching off of his co-founders' talents and his father's inheritance when founding Synergy Paradigms."

"That's all your gut instinct, huh?"

"Social media accounts are public knowledge, and I have the processing power to review literally everything Senator McAshlynn has ever made publicly available online. He has not been discreet about his feelings. That is my assessment of them."

"You remember what I said about staying out of my life?" Gavin asks.

"Yes, detective." Nines does not sigh, because that would be redundant. "I am not to access your medical history or background information."

"Just keep that in mind."

"I am affixing a permanent post-it note to my field of vision right now."

"Fuck off. Is there anything else I need to know about?"

Nines considers. "Do you need the video and audio I recorded?"

Gavin actually does sigh, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "What the fuck did you record?"

"Technically speaking, I am always recording."

"This whole fucking conversation is justifying every bit of my goddamn paranoia about androids, you know that, right?"

"Humans may also acquire go-pros."

"So you admit that's what you are."

"Do you wish for me to upload the video and audio recording of our walk through the interior of Synergy Paradigms to your terminal or not, detective?"

"Yeah, sure." Gavin takes a long drag of his cigarette while he thinks. "I mean, I was right fucking there with you though. I saw everything you did."

"True," Nines admits. "You did see everything I did, but you do not possess the ability to review that video with perfect recall. My hearing is also significantly more advanced than yours, and I recorded audio from humans on the first and second floors, as well as the fifty-first, fifty-second, and fifty-third, within an approximate three to five office radius."

Gavin nearly lets the cigarette drop from his open mouth. "Holy shit. Uhhh, yeah, sure. Fuckers in a company like that gotta be gossiping about what happened. Maybe we'll pick something up."

The majority of the audio is, in fact, gossip. Nines has already processed and reviewed it of course, but he is also aware his lack of a social module and general understanding of humans must necessarily limit his ability to determine the relevance of what he's heard.

Personally, he would declare it all irrelevant. "Petty gossip" does not even begin to describe how asinine and crude the humans' dialogue is. It's all about who has been fucking whom, who is climbing the corporate ladder, and who is fucking whom in order to climb the corporate ladder.

The entire experience of walking through one [1] human corporation has justified every bit of his disgust for humans.

Still, Nines will transfer the files to the detective's workplace terminal via direct connection once they arrive back at the precinct. So far, there is nothing currently illegal about his advanced hearing and "privacy violations." And technically, anything in plain sight or said within hearing of an officer may be admitted in court as evidence.

It just so happens that Nines's sight and hearing have a bit wider scope than current laws predicted.

Gavin works on nursing his cigarette down to a nub for the next several minutes without speaking. When he taps the backs of his knuckles against his window, Nines rolls it down for him. They're moving slowly enough through the city traffic for him to ash his cigarette out the window. The cold air whipping through puts a red flush on his face as he smokes and blows it out the window.

"But seriously," the human continues after a few minutes of quiet driving. "If I ever get like that for real, knife me in the back of the neck. Straight through all of that good brain-spine stuff."

Nines runs several preconstructions. While monitoring other police officers isn't part of his mission, he was created to serve as a form of Internal Affairs. RK800s to track down the deviants and RK900s to monitor the eights.

(His [pride] pushes the idea that he is more akin to Military Police, but that is irrelevant to the preconstructions and possibly a deviant thought pattern.)

Still, Nines is aware a not-insignificant number of police officers commit errors ranging from abusing their authority to planting evidence to outright working alongside criminals for profit. Even Detective Reed has shown a propensity to skirt right along the edge of what is legal--or not technically illegal.

His assumed persona at Synergy Paradigms seems to have illustrated crossing the line however, so Nines categorizes those behaviors as [unacceptable] in his system and updates his own action-paths accordingly.

The preconstructions of killing or permanently disabling Detective Reed still fail.

But his partner is designated as his [human partner] within his system, and there may be dormant programming preventing Nines from causing serious harm to him.

"I will inform you that your behavior is no longer acceptable," Nines tells him. "If you continue after my warning, then I will neutralize you."

Gavin takes a long drag off his cigarette and gives him the facial equivalent of the :eyes: emoji. Not an apologetic look as Nines originally interpreted, but an expression known as "side-eyeing." His extensive collection of saved images focused on Gavin's face has given Nines a much higher rate of success at interpreting his partner's nonverbal signals than the average human.

"Didn't take you for the type to give warnings," Gavin finally says.

"Well." Nines practices shrugging. "It takes a special hand to manage me."

Gavin snorts out smoke. "Fuck. Did I really sound that stupid?"

[dialogue options: AVAILABLE]

"I estimate your hand is very special to you, detective."

That earns him another snort. Eighty-three chance of [amusement].

"I gave a special hand to your mother yesterday evening."

"Hope you didn't bother paying for that shit."

"You may receive these special hands at a Denny's parking lot of your choice."

That finally makes Gavin laugh, long and loud enough that he starts coughing. He flips Nines off around a wheeze, still grinning. Nines watches him keep smoking and adds to his collection of saved images.

It's a very bad habit.

***

***

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33

I also have a Patreon for this fic, if you want to support me! $1 gets you access to chapters a week early, $2 gets bonus content and deleted scenes, and $3 gets short chapters from two AUs I’m writing: an A/B/O heatfic and reverse!AU

[croik]

The TEW series timeline

is efffffffffffffffffffffed.

Which is nothing new.  The series has never had a consistent timeline from one installment to the next, or even in the very first game, when many people pointed out that the dates listed in Seb’s journal didn’t match the dates printed on the newspapers.  Then in the DLC we were treated to the major contradiction in event order of whether Juli joined KCPD before or after Myra disappeared.  The notes in TEW2 confirmed that the first game takes in 2014 but otherwise don’t have many dates listed, and deliberately tiptoe around any mention of Ruvik’s time with Mobius, and how long Union has existed.  But using the journal, the flashbacks, and Jimenez’s notes, I did my best to come up with a decent timeline.

It only illuminates more plot holes but OH WELL LET’S DO IT.

So here are the dates as given by Seb’s journal and other documents in the first game:

Roughly 1986 - Ruvik and Laura burn in the barnfire

Nov 2004 - Seb makes detective

Dec 2004 - Seb is partnered with Myra

Feb 2005 - Myra is injured on duty and Seb confesses his feelings for her

Mar 2005 - Seb proposes to Myra, is partnered with Joseph

Sep 2005 - Seb and Myra get married

Jul 2006 - Lily is born

Feb 2012 - Lily dies in fire

July 2012 - Myra admits she thinks the fire was not an accident

Aug 2012 - Juli joins KCPD

Sep 2012 - Myra disappears

Mar 2013 - Seb interviewed by IA

Oct 2014 - The Beacon Incident

So Seb was 28 when he made detective, Joseph was 24 when they met a year later.  Lily was almost 6 when she died and at the time of TEW2 would be 11.  Juli is 24 in the first game so she joined at 22, which kinda fits with her saying she joined Mobius “just out of her teens.”

The DLC contradicts this timeline, saying that Myra disappeared “way before” Juli joined KCPD.  That’s not just a number flub, that’s a direct change in the order of events (/salty).  So do we just push back all those events in sequence, or do we assume that Lily was younger than 5 when she died?  Her appearance in STEM suggests we can’t just age her down, so the whole thing has to move back.  

The comic tells us that Lily died 5 years before TEW1, in 2009 (protip: don’t bother reading the comic, it’s not relevant to anything).  I’ll buy that for a dollar, so adding in the details from Jimenez’s documents in the DLC, here’s the adjusted timeline with extra info:

Sometime before 1986 - Jimenez joins Mobius

Roughly 1986 - Ruvik and Laura burn in the barnfire

Nov 2001 - Seb makes detective

Dec 2001 - Seb is partnered with Myra

Feb 2002 - Myra is injured on duty and Seb confesses his feelings for her

Mar 2002 - Seb proposes to Myra, is partnered with Joseph

Sep 2002 - Seb and Myra get married

Jul 2003 - Lily is born

??? 2004 - Juli runs away from home

??? - Sometime in here Ruvik is recruited by Mobius

Feb 2009 - Lily is kidnapped by Mobius via housefire

July 2009 - Myra admits she thinks the fire was not an accident

Sep 2009 - Myra disappears - joins Mobius 

Aug 2012 - Juli joins KCPD

Mar 2013 - Seb interviewed by IA (this could be anytime now)

??? - Sometime before TEW1 Ruvik sabotages STEM and is imprisoned in it as a brain

Oct 2014 - The Beacon Incident

???? - Lily becomes the core of Union

Oct 2017 - The Union Incident

Five years before the game is a good number because it’s kind of in the middle between “recent” and “a long time ago”, which are both used to describe the event by different people/notes in TEW2 (because words don’t mean things).  This means Seb was 25 when he made detective, Joseph was 21 when they met (just about the youngest he could be), and by the time she leaves STEM, Lily is 14.  It took 3 years for Myra to become high enough in Mobius to be recruiting agents herself.

There’s no indication at all of how long Union has been functional, as far as I’ve found.  Most of the notes talk about how much they learned from the Beacon incident, as if STEM 2.0 was created from scratch only after the first one fell through.  But if STEM 2.0 didn’t exist until sometime after Ruvik’s, what did they do with Lily for the five years before then?

If you line up the timeline to Jimenez’s notes in the DLC, at the point in which Lily was taken by Mobius, Ruvik was working on STEM alongside Mobius, while Jimenez was stealing pieces of his work to publish himself.  This is around the same time that Jimenez handed Ivan over to Ruvik, to punish him for snooping around.  Ruvik’s audiologs around this time talk about the many victims he’s connecting to STEM and too each other, and how much he’s fascinated by and enjoying their suffering.  But at this point, STEM does not have a core.  Ruvik talks specifically about connecting and disconnecting to his subjects so that he can experience their terror and also observe from outside.  There wasn’t a single person sustaining the machine - this was even before they were aware of a shared universe inside the STEM, because it’s not until Ruvik is in the machine that patients start sharing their experiences of the STEM world with Jimenez, explaining that certain geographies and even “souls” persist inside after someone’s been connected.  Ruvik doesn’t mention this at all until he himself is trapped inside.  

And yet, in the TEW2 notes, it notes that Lily was chosen/kidnapped because they specifically knew already that only a psychopath or a child could function as the core of STEM.  Five years before STEM first gained a “core” Mobius had already picked Lily to be the core, at a time in which Ruvik was using STEM exclusively to torture mental patients.  

(The fact that they refer to Ruvik’s STEM as stable or successful in any way already cheeses me a little, because no, it never worked as intended, NO ONE SURVIVED IT EXCEPT LESLIE even before Ruvik toasted Beacon).

An argument could be made that Mobius was always making two STEMs - that they were copying Ruvik every step of the way with their own machine.  But then why the desperation when Ruvik sabotaged his so that it would only work with him?  After that point, everyone who entered the STEM ultimately died.  They had no way of seeing inside STEM and could only depend on what the patients were able to describe after they emerged, before they went into comas and perished.  So why not just scrap Ruvik and the Leslie option and continue forward with their second, if the had a viable alternative?  I can’t really rationalize a scenario where STEM 2 exists alongside STEM 1, especially given the tone of the TEW2 notes.

And I especially can’t picture that Mobius, who Jimenez described as “archaic” before he and Ruvik came on board, took and perfected Ruvik’s research before he did himself.

But then why kidnap Lily when STEM is still so young and more or less completely non-viable to them, and what did they do with her for five years while they waited for Ruvik to complete it?

The other possibility is that Jimenez’s logs are just bullshit, and Lily was kidnapped after Ruvik was put into STEM, so they could start working on a 2.0 before having fully given up on 1.0.  Basically, that no shred of canon within the franchise can be trusted, because nothing is true everything is permitted and subject to retcon at a moment’s notice.  But that raises the question of why did they keep Ruvik’s brain in a jar for five whole years while the machine was not viable?  That is a long time to be putting patients into the machine only to have them die.  Why not just scrap it if you have another option that’s not killing all your guinea pigs?

To say nothing of the other children that came before Lily.  Lily is described as “the most stable core we’ve had” and by the time she’s in place, there are already contingencies  to handle a core disappearing or escaping.  A core can only be missing a few hours before Union starts to break down, so once Lily was in place, she couldn’t leave.  How long was she in there?  And if she wasn’t in there, what were they doing with her while Ruvik was having his tantrum?  In all that time, how did Myra not find a way to get Lily out until after she was plugged into STEM, even when Mobius’s attention was on other children?

Mobius has always been the worst “we control the whole world” evil organization I’ve ever heard of, but I can’t wrap my head around this contradiction.  They kidnapped the daughter of two police detectives because she was just *that smart* so they could put her in a machine that a psychopath was using to torture mental patients with.  And they thought that would help them rule the world.  I’m trying really hard to find a train of logic that makes sense and it’s just not working, unless I toss out everything that anyone tells us and pretend canon says completely different things.

I mean, that’s what Haaga and Johanas did already, so I guess it would be well within my right :B

Anyway, that’s the state of the timeline.  If there’s something I missed or a logical explanation to be found, please let me know :<

[shirlleycoyle]

‘Frankenstein’s Monster:’ Images of Sexual Abuse Are Fueling Algorithmic Porn

Content warning: This article includes firsthand accounts of sexual abuse.

A collection of thousands of photographs of naked women that is being used to create machine learning-generated porn includes images from porn production companies that have been accused of lying to and coercing women to have sex on camera. 

The dataset, which is circulating in deepfake porn creation communities online, includes images scraped from Czech Casting, a porn production company in the Czech Republic that police have accused of human trafficking and rape, as well as still images from videos produced by Girls Do Porn, which was ordered to pay almost $13 million to 22 women who appeared in its videos, and whose founder is currently a fugitive on the FBI's most wanted list. 

Much like thispersondoesnotexist.com, which uses a machine learning algorithm and thousands of pictures of human faces to produce photorealistic images of people who don't exist, the dataset is being used to generate photorealistic images of nude women who aren’t real and don't look exactly like any one person. One person using the dataset is creating what he describes as "a Harem of millions of actresses" that can be inserted into deepfake porn, while another is using the dataset to create what he describes as "porn generated entirely by AI."

Motherboard has downloaded and viewed the dataset containing images from Czech Casting and Girls Do Porn, as well as several others being used to create machine learning-generated porn. 

The people who anonymously use these datasets say that since the final algorithmically-generated images they create technically aren't of real people, they don't harm anyone. In fact, they argue that their creations are a step towards a future where porn will not require human porn performers at all. But legal experts, technologists, and women who are included in the datasets described these creations as uniquely dehumanizing.

Motherboard has written extensively about how deepfakes and internet platforms' inability to sufficently curtail the spread of nonconsensual pornography upends the lives of and continually traumatizes women. This new form of machine learning-generated porn and the datasets it relies on introduces a new form of abuse, where the worst moments of some women's lives, captured on camera, are preserved, decontextualized, and spread online in service of creating porn whose makers claim to feature people who don't actually exist.

Honza Červenka, a lawyer at McAllister Olivarius law firm who specializes in revenge porn and technology, is originally from the Czech Republic and has been following the case of Czech Casting, which is owned by Netlook, the country’s largest porn company. He told Motherboard that the idea that images are less harmful because they're run through an algorithm and "anonymized" is a red herring. 

"It's mad science really, and completely and utterly re-victimizing to the victims of the Czech Casting perpetrators," he said. 

"It feels unfair, it feels like my freedom is being taken away," Jane, a woman who said she was coerced into shooting a scene for Czech Casting, told Motherboard.

The casting couch trap

Jane, who asked to remain pseudonymous to speak about a traumatizing incident, remembers her hands shaking as she read over a contract for Czech Casting. She was there to support her friend, who needed money for rent. They'd answered an advertisement for a modeling gig, and decided to go together. They'd both just turned 18. They didn't know what kind of modeling it was; the ad was vague about details. Someone picked them up at a metro stop and took them to a house on the outskirts of Prague.

(In an interview with Czech bodybuilder Antonin Hodan posted to YouTube, a male performer in Czech Casting videos named Alekos Begaltsis admitted that the women who show up for shoots sometimes don't know what they're in for because of deceptive advertising. 

"The girls get here through agencies as well with the help of private agents or through friends, anyone can recommend," Begaltsis said. "We can't control every piece of information in the advertising. It can happen that a girl gets here thinking she'll do an underwear photoshoot. Which sucks because we are powerless in these situations. We are trying to push them to write the truth [in the ads]. Unfortunately it's not always the case. But once she gets here, we inform her about everything.")

Once at the studio, a woman at the reception desk took Jane's ID. 

"We sat in a waiting room and got up to leave two or three times, but someone would always come up and tell us to stay, to not be afraid," she said. "We were scared to leave so we stayed." 

A woman called them one by one into a room with a white sofa where the filming would take place, and handed them a contract saying the videos wouldn't be accessible to anyone in the Czech Republic. This part of the arrangement is similar to the lie Girls Do Porn told women about how their videos were only going to be distributed to "collectors" in New Zealand. In reality, Girls Do Porn videos were published and sold in the U.S. and promoted on Pornhub. 

Czech Casting does indeed block users trying to access it from the Czech Republic, Motherboard confirmed by trying to access the site using a virtual private network. But people within the country can also easily circumvent the block using a VPN, which is free and easy to set up. Additionally, as women who accused Czech Casting of wrongdoing have said, their families and friends quickly discovered their videos, which were reposted to popular free tube sites, where sometimes their real names were doxed. 

"Weeks later I started getting messages…These were mostly from men saying how beautiful I was and if they could have sex with me," Jane said. "I got so many of these messages and keep getting them. I even changed my Facebook name because of this."

After she signed the contract, a man came in and asked her if she was a virgin. She said that she felt like she had no way out, and that she couldn't leave without her ID. 

"After I said yes, he took the camera and told me to get naked," Jane said. "I was told they were going to film something soft. . .I was scared to speak out."

Jane said they put the money into her hands as she was leaving. She wasn't given a copy of the contract she signed, or any proof that she'd been there at all.

"My friend found the room we were in on a porn site," Jane said. "I realised this was a massive fuck-up. I kept thinking we should have left even if it means not having our IDs on us."

In another Czech Casting video, a woman, who Motherboard was able to confirm is included in the dataset, starts crying while having sex and asks the man to stop. The man stops, and the camera zooms in to show that she is bleeding. He hands her a towel and tells her to clean up the blood.

Jane's story about Czech Casting isn't unique. Multiple women have accused Czech Casting of coercing them into having sex on camera. Czech police have charged nine people involved with Netlook, the company behind Czech Casting, of human trafficking and rape. Daisy Lee, a woman who went on to a career in porn after her Czech Casting scene and who is now friendly with Begaltsis, said the site has ruined lives. 

"I was 18 and didn't know what I was getting myself into. Most girls do not. The majority of them stay, but some leave. It ruins many lives," Lee told Motherboard.

In a statement published in July by the adult entertainment news site Xbiz, Netlook denied the accusations and said it is cooperating with the police. Netlook did not respond to Motherboard's request for comment. 

GeneratedPorn

In September, four years after Jane shot her scene for Czech Casting, a PhD student opened a new forum to show off his latest personal AI project: algorithmically-generated porn.

The person making these videos goes by the username "GeneratedPorn," and named the r/GeneratedPorn subreddit to post about the technology (we'll refer to this user as "GP" in this story). He said he started the project because he wanted to improve his machine learning skills. Like some of the earliest deepfakes that were posted online in 2017, what he shared were glitchy, spasming facsimiles of the images they're trained on: thousands of porn videos and images. Unlike much deepfake porn, the images GP is producing wouldn't fool anyone into thinking they are real porn. The final result barely looks human, let alone like a specific person. 

Do you have experience with “casting couch” producers, or knowledge of how non-consensual porn spreads online? We’d love to hear from you. Contact Samantha Cole securely on the messaging app Signal at +6469261726, direct message on Twitter, or by email: samantha.cole@vice.com

But much like early deepfakes, they're rapidly improving in realism. GP has posted several experiments in the past few weeks featuring increasingly accurate naked human bodies, and even some slightly animated images, showing that convincing "porn generated entirely by AI" is not impossible.

"This all started as a quest for me to learn how all of this cool tech worked but then I ended up pivoting into the porn generation stuff as I thought it was a cool concept, especially after watching the movie Her," GP said in an email to Motherboard. 

GP explained his process to Motherboard over email, as well as in detail on Reddit, posted in the popular r/MachineLearning community. He used a Stylegan2 model that's available on Github as open-source code, but loaded it with datasets of porn. It's similar to how any other face-swapping deepfake is made, but instead of using a dataset consisting of many expressions of one person's face, he pulled from multiple datasets found online. 

To create the videos, GP trained the algorithms using datasets from around the web, including one that primarily consists of images ripped from Czech Casting. The datasets, which are hosted and are free to download from popular file sharing sites, are compiled by users experimenting in deepfakes and other forms of algorithmically generated images. GP found the Czech Casting dataset on one of these file sharing websites, but said that if he didn't he would have written a web scraper to collect the images from Czech Casting. 

This is because of the scope and uniformity of the porn that Czech Casting has created.

A censored sample of the Czech Casting dataset.

Creating algorithmically generated videos of a full, naked body requires many images and videos of real, nude people, and it's hard to imagine a more suitable resource for the task than Czech Casting. 

Czech Casting, much like Girls Do Porn, specialized in casting couch-style porn, and has posted thousands of videos of women over the years. Its production style was almost algorithmic to begin with: Each video of a woman also comes with a uniform set of photographs. Each set includes a photograph of the woman holding a yellow sign with a number indicating her episode number, like a mugshot board. Each set also includes photographs of the women posing in a series of dressed and undressed shots on a white background: right side, left side, front, back, as well as extreme close ups of the face, individual nipples, and genitalia. In recent years, Czech Casting also started including 360-degrees photographs of the women, where they pose for interactive VR-style content. 

"The main reason people opt for a data source like this, is that the generative adversarial models (GAN) people use, are trying to learn a general structure of an image for the class of objects you're trying to generate," GP said. "If your images are structurally similar, the model can learn more about the finer/granular details of the item class, like dimples or freckles on a face. Which leads to a higher quality result."

GP sent Motherboard a sample of the dataset he's using, which also included images from Girls Do Porn videos. Other datasets that GP is using, which Motherboard has viewed, include images that appear to be scraped from across the internet, including other porn sites, social media, and subreddits where users post selfies, like r/roastme, a subreddit where people post images of themselves for other people to judge.

Gigabytes of questionably-sourced images

In a post to the r/MachineLearning subreddit explaining how his algorithmically generated porn works, GP pauses halfway through the explanation to address "a potential ethical issue."

"I wasn't sure what to do with it, other than it being this cool thing I'd created… I'd contemplated making an OnlyFans and offering personalised AI generated nudes that talk to people," he wrote. "But someone I knew frowned upon this idea and said it was exploitative of Males who might need companionship. So I decided not to go down that route in order to avoid the ethical can of worms." 

He also noted in that post that training dataset ethics is something he's concerned about. "Are the images we are training on ethical or have the people in the images been exploited in some way[?]" he wrote. "I again can't verify the back story behind hundreds of thousands of images, but I can assume some of the images in the dataset might have an exploitative power dynamic behind them," noting that some of the images are from Girls Do Porn. "I'm not sure if it's even possible to blacklist exploitative data if it's been scraped from the web. I need to consider this a bit more."

These questions didn’t stop GP from building the project in public, on social media platforms, which means he’s perpetrating harm regardless of whatever ethical quandaries he says he may have. Much of the most harmful nonconsensual content is spread on the internet through surface-level platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, OnlyFans, and tube sites like XVideos and Pornhub.

"So many mainstream porn websites host child pornography and nonconsensual pornography, and does depict rape, and profit from those through ad sales," Červenka said. 

When Motherboard contacted Reddit for comment, a spokesperson said Reddit's site-wide policies "prohibit involuntary pornography, which applies to all content, including deepfakes." Reddit banned deepfakes in 2017. Both r/GeneratedPorn and r/AIGeneratedPorn were shut down after Motherboard's request for comment. 

Generated Porn's user profile on Pornhub was also taken down after Motherboard contacted Pornhub. A spokesperson for Pornhub declined to comment.

Porn tube site xHamster took down GP's user profile pending further review: "These new types of content are indeed grey areas and we will need to review with our own machine learning team and TOS team to determine how to evaluate and where necessary prevent," a spokesperson for xHamster said.  

XVideos, another free tube site, directed Motherboard to a content removal form. 

OnlyFans did not respond to a request for comment. Patreon, where GP was asking for people to fund his project with little success, told Motherboard that while funding nonconsensual sexual content isn't permitted on the platform, if an account does contain nonconsensual porn, the platform works with the creator to bring the account within its terms of use. The project was taken down from Patreon as of Monday.

Twitter directed Motherboard to its nonconsensual nudity policy and rules for sensitive media.

"Now somebody walks up and uses those images to create a baseline for computers to use, potentially for decades to come, to use for computer generated images?”

In an email to Motherboard, GP expressed another ethical concern: that the algorithm might produce something that is recognizable as a real human—a result that would negate the whole point of his project: anonymity. 

"It's quite possible for the algorithm to reproduce fake people who resemble real people, but it wouldn't be a 1-to-1 replication of the data it has trained on," he said. "This presents an ethical problem I'm trying to navigate around, which is identifying the rare situations where it does replicate a person from the ~7,500 images it's learning from. It's something that plagues generative networks… It's possible and I'm not quite sure how to 100% avoid the possibility of this happening. But I really do want to avoid this. I'm not interested in deep-faking anyone, even by accident, it's a bit scummy imho!" 

GP is far from alone in this type of project. The creator of the first deepfakes told Motherboard almost the same thing in 2017: that he wasn't a professional researcher, just a programmer with an interest in machine learning who “just found a clever way to do face-swap,” he said.

These Nudes Do Not Exist and a subsequent project from the same creator called "Harem" most likely draws its data from Czech Casting—the images come out looking unmistakably similar, but the creator of that project hasn't responded to requests for comment on where the images in their dataset come from. Another abandoned project at r/AIGeneratedPorn did the same. 

The real ethical issue plaguing this project is not the risk of parting lonely men from their money. It would take one search online of Czech Casting, and some basic awareness of the concept of pirated content being harmful to creators, to recognize the datasets these non-existent women are built from are comprised of gigabytes of questionably-sourced porn, some of it potentially depicting sexual assault.

On Monday, the night before this story was published and after his Patreon account was suspended, GP told Motherboard that he “decided to shut down the project.”

"It certainly should be illegal"

Jane told Motherboard that she was hoping her video would get lost among so many others online, and no one would find it. "But there is always someone who manages to fish it out from the depths of the internet," she said.

Červenka, the lawyer at McAllister Olivarius law firm who specializes in revenge porn and technology, told Motherboard that because some of the Czech Casting videos were allegedly edited to look consensual from the start, they have always been deceptive and harmful—and churning them through the meat grinder of machine learning algorithms doesn't make them less so. 

"Now somebody walks up and uses those images to create a baseline for computers to use, potentially for decades to come, to use for computer generated images? It's awful, on a personal level, and it certainly should be illegal," Červenka said.

Even for professional porn performers, stolen content is an issue that plagues the industry. Adult performer Leah Gotti, whose images are part of the datasets GP is using without her consent, told me that the problem of stolen content isn't just disrespectful—it's dangerous. She's currently working to stop a stalker-fan from creating fake Instagram accounts of her and targeting her family by stealing her content and reposting it.

"It just goes back to, no one truly respects sex workers," Gotti told me. "All those things are pirated, and that's supposed to be against all the rules, but because we're having sex on camera they're like, well, she asked for it." 

Earlier this year, a rumored OnlyFans leak of a database of stolen porn threatened to put sex workers on that platform in danger of being harassed or doxed.

Daisy Lee, the performer who started with Czech Casting when she was 18 but continued working in the adult industry after, told Motherboard that she blames herself for thinking that the videos wouldn't go viral worldwide. 

"They don't put it on Czech servers but people download it and re-upload it everywhere," Lee said. "Every girl that goes in thinks it won't be visible to their friends and family… 14 days later [my] video was everywhere. It destroyed my reputation and spread around my home town within hours. But nobody forced me to do anything, no drugs, nothing like that."

Many of the women who were targeted by Girls Do Porn also blame themselves for believing the company’s lies claiming that the videos would stay in a certain region—in that case, in private New Zealand collections, on DVD. But the entire system of porn online, and all content online for that matter, is set up to spread videos and photos the harder one tries to remove it. Algorithms are driven by what people feed them. One Czech Casting model lost her teaching job after students found her episode online, and when she spoke out about feeling victimized by the company, people sought her video out more.

Collage by Seth Laupus

"The researcher in me feels like 'if it's been published online it's open source and fair game' however the budding capitalist in me feels like that violates IP in some sense," GP said. "I'm a bit conflicted. I've personally accepted that any data I ever create as an individual will be used by others for profit or research."

GP also said that he thinks the type of abuse Czech Casting has been accused of is "horrible," but that it's difficult to screen for this kind of abuse when creating or using datasets.

"There is no such thing as ethical use of an AI that uses database images without consent”

"Now that the abuse is present I can opt to not use that data and source data from elsewhere," GP said. "Others in the area may not care and may decide to use it anyway. It's quite difficult to screen for this data completely. Doing a google image search for 'female standing nude' gives you a bunch of Czech Casting images. Throwing on the flag '-"czech"' catches a lot of them, but some still get through the cracks."

While GP said that he could choose not to use images produced by Girls Do Porn and Czech Casting, he didn't say that he would, nor is it clear if his project and others similar to it could function without those images. GP also suggested that his project could also somehow help these women.

"I feel bad for the victims of this abuse and I can't say anything that may make them feel better," he said. "My only hope is that technology such as the tech I'm working on, now and in the future, leads to a reduction in harm to others. By making it an economical and technologically inferior choice to commit abuse."

Červenka said that even after three years of deepfakes panic and decades more of nonconsensual porn online, the laws to stop them haven't caught up. Victims could make a legal claim that they've been portrayed in a false light or defamed, especially when content is edited deceptively to make it look consensual. But that's often not enough.

"These laws have been around for a long time, and we are just trying to use them in the current context, because we don't have anything else," Červenka said "The legislature is unable to truly grapple with what people do online, and how to regulate harmful effects of what people do online."

It also becomes harder to go after anyone hosting the content if they're hosting it anonymously, all over the world, where every legal system is different. Even in the U.S., where some states have enacted deepfakes-specific laws, it differs from state to state. 

When the content is buried inside a dataset, the problem is that much more difficult.

Is ethical AI porn possible?  

The abuses the women in Czech Casting and Girls Do Porn endured happened in the real world, but the videos spread online made it worse. Some Girls Do Porn victims were forced to change their names, move states, drop out of school, and lost their careers or relationships with family and friends. Czech Casting victims have similar stories. 

Revenge porn victims—as well as professional and amateur adult performers—spend hours sending takedown requests to websites that host their images. Often, those requests are ignored. And when it comes to datasets used to create more porn, it's hard to know where your images live on, unless you can locate where it's hosted and download a huge set of files, then sort through them to find yourself. Their worst moments are enshrined forever among gigabytes of others.

There have been efforts in recent years to create machine learning datasets that are fully consensual. After the privacy failures of MS-Celeb-1M, a dataset of 10 million photos from 100,000 individuals collected from the internet, ranging from journalists to musicians and activists, there's more awareness than ever toward ethical uses of people's faces. In 2019, for its "Deepfakes Detection Challenge," Facebook launched a dataset consisting of 100,000 videos of paid actors, for researchers to use. One of the sponsors of that challenge was data science community site Kaggle. One of the datasets Generated Porn used is hosted on Kaggle, and appears to be largely stolen, scraped porn content. 

If machine learning engineers interested in creating AI porn wanted to start a fully-ethical project, they would do something similar to what Facebook did with its challenge dataset.

"They would get consent from people who want to be nude models, and say this is what we're going to build it for, and everything's on the up and up," Rumman Chowdhury, data scientist and founder of ethical AI firm Parity, told Motherboard. "And maybe even [models] would get royalties, [engineers] would go build their AI, sell it as a porn, and they would actually do pretty well." But doing things the right way costs money, and when you're tinkering with porn as a side project, it's usually money you don't have. r/AIGeneratedPorn's project died because renting server time and running the training was too expensive, according to a post in that subreddit before it went down.

"There is no such thing as ethical use of an AI that uses database images without consent," Chowdhury said.

"How can a tech that at its core has rape videos be anything but a perpetuation of rape culture?" Červenka said. "I don’t think I would sleep well at night if I were [GP], because he's relying on images of abuse to create a Frankenstein's monster."

‘Frankenstein’s Monster:’ Images of Sexual Abuse Are Fueling Algorithmic Porn syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[bromfieldhall]

“Redwood” - A Mentalist Fanfiction

TIMELINE: Set some time after season five episode, ‘Red Sails in the Sunset’. Goes AU from there.

SYNOPISIS: Jane and Lisbon are forced into a deadly game when they try and catch a new serial killer.

PAIRING: Patrick Jane/Teresa Lisbon - Jisbon

Previous Chapters 1, 2

CHAPTER 3

"Did you think that Cho and Rigsby were acting a little odd at breakfast this morning?" Lisbon asked Jane as they drove to see Hicks at his office in Eureka.

"Odd?" her consultant hedged as he glanced over at her and shifted a little uncomfortably on the passenger seat. "In what way?"

"Oh, I don't know. They seemed on edge and kept giving each other weird looks," she tried to explain.

They had indeed Jane acknowledged to himself as he bit back a smile and gazed out of the window. It had amused him greatly.

"Meh, they probably just got hammered last night and didn't want you to find out they had a raging hangover," he dismissed lightly. "I'm pretty certain I saw Rigsby take a couple of Advil with his orange juice."

Lisbon frowned as she thought his explanation over then finally nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, you're probably right.

"My dear, Lisbon, when are you going to accept that I'm always right?" he countered smugly, drawing the conversation away from further speculation on the two male agents rather unusual behaviour.

"About the time Hell freezes over," she retorted breezily.

"Well, with the ozone layer being what it is and the increasingly peculiar weather we've been experiencing over the past few years, that might become a reality sooner than you think," he stated glibly.

"Oh, please," she muttered, rolling her eyes at his words.

The journey to Eureka only took around fifteen minutes and they soon pulled up in front of the Coroner's office and got out.

"Just let me do the talking, OK?" Lisbon ordered as they entered the building.

"Of course," Jane agreed, far too easily for her liking.

She gave him a suspicious look but when he merely grinned in response, she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. They were directed to the morgue and went in to find Hicks sitting on a stool and writing in a file.

"You're bright and early, Agent Lisbon," he greeted coolly as he looked up unsurprised at their entrance. "I'm afraid I don't have much to tell you."

Out the corner of her eye, Lisbon caught sight of Jane opening his mouth to say something but she nudged him indiscreetly in the side and silenced him with a glare. He raised his eyebrows at her actions then stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and sauntered off around the room checking the names on the large metal drawers that contained the bodies.

"That's fine, Dr. Hicks," Lisbon assured the thin man as she looked back at him with a smile while trying to keep one eye on her wayward consultant. "Just tell me what you did find and let me have a copy of your report."

"Very well," he agreed, watching Jane running a finger under the typed name cards of each drawer as he slowly wandered up and down. "I retrieved three .30 calibre bullets from the chest area. Considering the amount of damage sustained, I'd say two were shot from distance. The third was lodged in the heart and, in my opinion, was taken at closer range. It was also the cause of death, naturally."

"Hardly anything natural about it," Jane commented dryly from the far side of the room.

Lisbon shot him a dark look then turned back to Hicks and queried, "Anything else?"

"Minor contusions to his legs and arms that are consistent with several falls. Other than that, nothing of any consequence to your investigation," he replied, shooting an irritated glance at the blond as well. "All the other details are in my report."

"Oh, you mean like the knife wound?" Jane enquired as he walked back over to stand next to Lisbon.

"Knife wound?" the Coroner repeated, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Yes," the consultant confirmed with a slight smile. "Top of his right arm. It was quite defined, you couldn't miss it."

Nor could Hicks miss the blonds' implication.

"Oh, that," he dismissed with a shake of his head as he let out a derisive snort. "You're mistaken, Mr. Jane, the mark you're referring to was just a scratch. Probably caught it on a branch when he fell."

"No it wasn't," Jane refuted confidently, his face now devoid of any trace of its previous pleasantness. "It was too precise. That wound was definitely caused by a knife."

Hicks sucked in a breath and puffed out his chest as he raised himself to his full height, which was still a good two inches shorter than the consultant.

"What makes you so sure you're right? Do you have some kind of medical training that makes you an expert on these things?" he enquired disdainfully.

"No," the consultant replied mildly. "Do you?"

"OK, that's enough," Lisbon cut in curtly when she saw Hicks turn an almost purple colour with anger. "We can easily settle this by you just showing us the body."

"I can't. It's been released to the family," the Coroner revealed defiantly as he turned away and went back to perch on his stool.

"Already?" the brunette agent questioned incredulously, beginning to feel her own irritation stirring. "Why wasn't I informed first? You should have waited until you had permission."

"I did," he retorted stiffly. "I spoke to Sheriff Newland and he gave it to me."

"Well, that was certainly convenient," Jane interjected caustically.

"And what do you mean by that?" Hicks irately demanded to know as he stood up again.

Jane looked bemused at the Coroner's temper and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Nothing. Just passing comment."

Lisbon mentally counted to ten as she reined in her irritation both at the Coroner's attitude and Jane's antagonism.

"Sheriff Newland isn't running this investigation any longer, the CBI is; so from now on you'll run everything regarding this case past me. Do you understand, Dr. Hicks?" she commanded in no uncertain terms.

The sandy haired man nodded reluctantly, his eyes showing his displeasure at being spoken to in such a way.

Not wanting to see the situation get any further out of hand, she plastered what she hoped would pass for a placating smile on her face.

"Good. Thank you for your time. We'll be in touch if we need further information," she said, trotting out the platitude with practiced ease.

She then turned abruptly and walked away with Jane in tow, the latter pausing in the doorway to give the Coroner a jaunty salute and grin before he left.

"He's obviously covering up for someone," the consultant announced as soon as they were out of the building. "But he doesn't strike me as a killer. That means he either knows who it is and he's doing it because there's some connection there, a relative maybe, or he's being paid a lot of money by someone to keep any trace evidence out of the reports."

"I know," she agreed as they got into the SUV and she started it up. "But without that body, we have no proof of anything."

"Well there must have been some photos taken at the scene," the blond mused. "If they took some of Miller then they should show the cut and as it's not mentioned in the report then we'd at least have enough to pull Hicks in for an interview."

"That's a good idea. Call Van Pelt and ask her to speak to the Sheriff," Lisbon decided as she put the car into gear and pulled away. "In the meantime, we'll go to Blue Lake and speak to Miller's parents."

Jane nodded then pulled out his phone and made the call. Van Pelt was only too happy to help and said that she and the men would go over to the Sheriff's office once they'd been to see Simmons' wife in McKinleyville.

The consultant relayed the message to Lisbon who nodded her thanks. The drive only took around twenty minutes and they soon arrived at the Miller's residence. The brunette knew the meeting was going to be difficult. Talking to relatives of any victim was a necessary evil that she always tried to handle professionally, but sometimes it was harder than others. This was one of those times.

The mother, Kate, was distraught to the point of hysteria and the father, Don, was doing his best, but failing miserably, to console her. Either way, they weren't going to get any questions answered so Jane went over and in that soothing, honey voice of his that secretly sent a tingle down Lisbon's spine, he managed to get the woman to use a breathing technique to finally calm her down.

Don gave the consultant a brief smile of gratitude then wrapped his arm lovingly around his wife's shoulders, trying hard to keep his own tears at bay.

Jane resumed his seat next to Lisbon, who shot him a grateful smile of her own, before he sat back and listened quietly as she began the interview. Usually when faced with such heart wrenching grief he preferred to make himself scarce and go and make some tea, unable to handle the painful reminder of his own personal anguish. In this case, however, as much as Kate would benefit from the calming effects of camomile, it just felt disrespectful.

He marvelled at how Lisbon navigated the turbulent waters of their sorrow with sympathy and understanding but still managed to elicit the pertinent information they needed for the investigation. Most importantly they found out that Daniel regularly used to drive to the northern part of Redwood National Park and turn off onto the Old State Highway then park up on one of its trails and complete a circuit of around eight to ten kilometres. His car had yet to be found.

Don also explained that when Sheriff Newland had visited and broken the news about Daniel, he'd hinted that their son's body would be ready for release as soon as the autopsy was complete.

It was an interesting piece to the puzzle that Jane immediately latched onto, his mind quickly producing and rejecting several innocent scenarios as to why the officer would do such a thing before the initial investigation was complete at least.

Lisbon stood suddenly, breaking his train of thoughts and the consultant quickly followed suit as soon as he realised that she was ready to leave.

"Thank you for your time," the brunette said warmly as she shook hands with each of them. "And, again, I really am sorry for your loss."

Jane saw the way the Miller's reacted to her obvious compassion and smiled to himself. No matter how many times he'd heard Lisbon give that condolence, she'd never once let it sound trite or insincere. It was an amazing feat considering how long she'd been a law officer and one that he admired greatly. It proved she still cared even after all this time and all the horrors they'd borne witness to. She really was an incredible woman.

Also one that was on a mission apparently, judging by the way she was on her phone to Van Pelt the second they left the house. He almost had to jog to keep up with her rapid gait as she strode towards the SUV. She unlocked the car then gestured for him to get in as she did the same. From what he could gather hearing just her side of the conversation and the way she suddenly frowned, the pictures appeared to be a bust. He'd suspected they would be, especially after the Miller's little revelation about the Sheriff.

She then asked whether Cho and Rigsby had found out from Simmons' wife if her husband had a regular exercise route in Redwood and her expression darkened even more if that were possible. She ended the call and put the phone back in her pocket with a growl of frustration before starting the vehicle and driving back towards Arcata.

"No luck with the widow?" he asked quietly.

"No; apparently it was the first time Simmons had ever exercised there. He usually went to his local gym. Only similarity is that his car was never found either."

"I see. And what about the photos? Or aren't there any?"

"Oh, there's photo's," she snapped in annoyance. "Just conveniently none from an angle that show Miller's right arm in any great detail."

"Hardly surprising," he commented with a shrug.

"Dammit," she cursed unhappily. "I really don't want to have go back to the Miller's and tell them that we need to take their son's body for further investigation. It's just not right."

"I know," he sympathised with a soft smile. Without thinking, he reached out then laid his hand on her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But, believe me, they'll understand. They want us to catch the person who did this to their son as much as we do."

Lisbon looked down at his hand then glanced up at his handsome face before staring straight ahead at the road again. She nodded curtly and he pulled back, turning his head to look out of the window. She took in a breath and exhaled slowly as she pushed aside the little jolt of pleasure she'd received from his unexpected touch. He was just being supportive, she told herself sternly. Nothing more to it than that.

Jane clenched his fist in his lap and ignored the way his simple gesture had made him feel. He was used to it by now. The heat, the longing; it was second nature whenever he made close contact. Granted, he didn't go out of his way to touch her as often as he used to. That day in her office just before he'd pretended to shoot her, when he'd revealed how he truly felt, had made him more cautious. He just wished that she would initiate something for a change. Just once. Would they be too much to hope for? Some tiny sign of affection.

"You want to stop for some lunch?" she queried, cutting across his reverie.

He looked over at her and nodded. He hadn't realised the time; it was after one. No wonder he was feeling hungry.

They reached Arcata but just as they were about to go into a diner, Lisbon's phone went off. It was Cho.

"What's up?" she asked. There was a pause where her second in command obviously told her, then she said, "Really? The Miller's said the same. That's great, thanks. We'll take a drive along there now and check it out. Just let me know what you find out from Craig Phillips' partner, OK?"

"Good news, I take it?" Jane asked as he watched her put her phone away then insert the key back in the ignition. He let out a sigh. He'd really been looking forward to grabbing a bite to eat.

"Cho's just finished talking to Lance Williamson's family," she supplied.

"The first victim?" the consultant queried.

"Yeah. They said he used to regularly run along the Old State Highway. That's the same place as Daniel Miller."

"Two out of three so far," he murmured contemplatively as she started the engine. "If the others all exercised in the same area then we can assume Simmons also did on the day he went missing too." At her nod he then added seriously, "It's all starting to make some sense to me now but there's still one vital little thing I need before I know for sure."

"What's that?" she asked quizzically.

"Food. Could we get something to go? I'm starving," he told her with a sudden grin.

She rolled her eyes then smiled wryly and turned off the engine. They went in and bought a burger and fries each along with their preferred hot drinks then got back into the car and headed north along Redwood Highway towards their destination.

The scenery was fantastic and Jane was in his element. Trees gave way to a large lagoon and the ocean beyond drawing a smile of pleasure from the blond before they began to head inland again. Forty minutes later they reached the Old State Highway and turned onto it. Lisbon cruised down the winding road and it soon became apparent that little to no traffic used it anymore. They came to another large lagoon and she pulled over into a small lay-by, staring out across the expanse of blue water.

"Good place to dump a car or two," Jane observed, voicing her own thoughts.

"Yeah, although there are people fishing this end so it would have to be somewhere a bit more secluded," she replied as she drove off again.

"What I don't get is why a rifle?" the consultant suddenly conjectured with a frown. It was the one thing that been bothering him since they'd been handed the case.

"Why not?" Lisbon countered with a shrug.

"Serial killers like to get up close to their victims, Lisbon, you know that. They get off on the fear."

"OK, so is there a particular weapon that a possible serial killer should have in your opinion?"

"No; but it also shouldn't be as impersonal as a long-range gun nor does it tie in with the fact that the men were being kept somewhere," he responded with a shake of his head. "What reason could the murderer have if it's not to take his time killing the victims? I just can't fathom it out."

"Well, I guess…" she began only to be cut off by a loud bang and the SUV suddenly lurching to the right.

"Tyre's blown," the brunette cried out as she desperately struggled with the steering wheel to control the vehicle around the bend they were currently navigating.

Try as she might, the car just wouldn't respond quick enough and she let out a gasp of horror as it carried straight on off the road towards a large tree. It all happened so quickly that they had no time to brace themselves for the fierce impact that threw them both forward towards the dashboard, Lisbon's head cracking hard against the top of the steering wheel, knocking her out cold.

Once the car was still, Jane drew in a shuddering breath, trying to calm the adrenalin that was rushing chaotically through his system. Apart from the fright, he was unharmed and immediately turned his head to seek out Lisbon. His stomach dropped when he saw how her head lulled to one side away from him, a thin trail of blood making its way slowly down her cheek. He quickly undid his seatbelt then leaned across the centre console and reached out to gently cup her face with his hand, moving it so that he could see her injury better.

Although her face was pale, he could see a small cut just above her right eyebrow where the skin was already darkening into what he knew would be one hell of a bruise.

"Lisbon?" he called, gently tapping her cheek. "Lisbon, can you hear me?"

She remained unresponsive and he dug around in his pocket to find his phone in order to call Cho.

Suddenly, the car door behind him was wrenched open but before he could turn to see who it was, he felt something hard thrust painfully against the back of his head. He stilled immediately and drew in a sharp breath. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach like a ton weight as he gazed disconsolately at Lisbon's slack features and the silence of the vehicle was abruptly broken by the terrifying sound of the metallic click of a gun being primed to fire.

They were in serious trouble.

END CHAPTER 3

[oldguardaudio]

Daily Dose of Media Bias -> Mueller tightening the screws on Manafort

FAKE NEWS uncovered at HoakAndChange.com

Barack Hussein Obama and the drive by news media @ HoaxAndChange.com

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  Mueller tightening the screws on Manafort

FBI agents raided Manafort’s home in predawn search

BY JAMES HOHMANN with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve

THE BIG IDEA: Could there be tapes after all?

Two stories that popped overnight suggest that special counsel Robert Mueller is aggressively pursuing Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Trump’s campaign.

— CNN reports that “U.S. investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election”: “The government snooping continued into early this year, including a period when Manafort was known to talk to President Donald Trump. Some of the intelligence collected includes communications that sparked concerns among investigators that Manafort had encouraged the Russians to help with the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the investigation…

“A secret order authorized by the court that handles the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) began after Manafort became the subject of an FBI investigation that began in 2014,” per Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz and Pamela Brown. “It centered on work done by a group of Washington consulting firms for Ukraine’s former ruling party … The surveillance was discontinued at some point last year for lack of evidence … The FBI then restarted the surveillance after obtaining a new FISA warrant that extended at least into early this year. … Sources say the second warrant was part of the FBI’s efforts to investigate ties between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives. Such warrants require the approval of top Justice Department and FBI officials, and the FBI must provide the court with information showing suspicion that the subject of the warrant may be acting as an agent of a foreign power.”

— The CNN story, parts of which were subsequently confirmed by CBS News, raises a host of fresh questions. Among them:

Was Trump himself picked up on any of the surveillance? CNN says that’s “unclear.” But it’s been widely reported that Manafort and Trump continued to talk after the inauguration and after it was reported that Manafort was under FBI investigation.

When exactly did the second FISA warrant start? The reporters couldn’t figure that out.

What did FBI agents find when, as part of the FISA warrant, they conducted a search of a storage facility belonging to Manafort earlier this year?

Four controversial figures Paul Manafort did business with

— The New York Times reports on its front page this morning that, after agents raided his home with a no-knock search warrant this summer, Mueller’s prosecutors told Manafort that they planned to indict him. The story says the feds decided to pick the lock on Manafort’s front door in Alexandria, Va., because they feared he might try to destroy evidence: “They took binders stuffed with documents and copied his computer files, looking for evidence that Mr. Manafort … set up secret offshore bank accounts. They even photographed the expensive suits in his closet.”

Sharon LaFraniere, Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman include these detail in a larger piece on Mueller’s “shock and awe” tactics: “Mr. Mueller has obtained a flurry of subpoenas to compel witnesses to testify before a grand jury, lawyers and witnesses say, sometimes before his prosecutors have taken the customary first step of interviewing them.One witness was called before the grand jury less than a month after his name surfaced in news accounts. The special counsel even took the unusual step of obtaining a subpoena for one of Mr. Manafort’s former lawyers, claiming an exception to the rule that shields attorney-client discussions from scrutiny.” As points of comparison, The Times notes, Ken Starr and Patrick Fitzgerald never executed search warrants during their politically charged investigations in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.

Mueller’s team has shown far more deference to current White House officials than associates of Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn: “At least three witnesses have recently been subpoenaed to testify about Mr. Manafort: Jason Maloni, a spokesman who appeared before the grand jury for more than two hours on Friday, and the heads of two consulting firms — Mercury Public Affairs and the Podesta Group — who worked with Mr. Manafort on behalf of Viktor F. Yanukovych, the pro-Russia former president of Ukraine. Mr. Mueller’s team also took the unusual step of issuing a subpoena to Melissa Laurenza, a specialist in lobbying law who formerly represented Mr. Manafort … Conversations between lawyers and their clients are normally considered bound by attorney-client privilege, but there are exceptions when lawyers prepare public documents that are filed on behalf of their client.”

— Neither Manafort nor Mueller commented for either the CNN or NYT stories. Manafort has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. 

— Flynn, for his part, tweeted yesterday for the first time since December in order to promote his legal defense fund:

Trump on FBI’s predawn raid of Manafort’s home: ‘It was pretty tough stuff to wake him up’

HOW LAST NIGHT’S NEWS IS PLAYING—

AMONG LEGAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS:

— What does it mean that Manafort was informed he would be indicted? On the Lawfare Institute’s fantastic blog, Susan Hennessey, Shannon Togawa Mercer and Benjamin Wittes parse the story: “The Times’ revelation … involves a pretty spare set of reported facts. … The language here is not legally precise. It could mean that Manafort has been formally informed that he is an investigative ‘target’—a designation that means that prosecutors intend to ask a grand jury to indict him. It could, instead, suggest something less than that—a kind of verbal aggressiveness designed to put pressure on him to cooperate…

“The significance of this is that it means that (Mueller’s) investigation has reached a critical stage—the point at which he may soon start making allegations in public,” per Lawfare. “Those allegations may involve conduct unrelated to L’Affaire Russe—that is, alleged bad behavior by Manafort and maybe others that does not involve the Trump campaign—but which may nonetheless serve to pressure Manafort to cooperate on matters more central. Or they may involve conduct that involves his behavior with respect to the campaign itself. Note that if Manafort cooperates, we may not see anything public for a long time to come. Delay, that is, may be a sign of success. But in the absence of cooperation, the fireworks may be about to begin.”

— Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor and partner at Thompson Coburn, tweeted 28 times about the stories. Here are the highlights: “We now know the Mueller probe will likely result in charges. More importantly, the tactic that Mueller is using – telling Manafort that he will be charged – is generally used when prosecutors are trying to get a defendant to ‘flip.’ This strongly suggests what we’ve long expected–that Mueller is trying to ‘flip’ Manafort. What causes a target to ‘flip’? The #1 factor is assembling sufficient evidence to make it likely that the person will be convicted and serve a prison sentence. Mueller’s team is being as aggressive as possible to indicate to Manafort that he should be concerned about that possibility. Subpoenaing Manafort’s aides and his lawyer … shows his focus on Manafort.”

— Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent in the counterintelligence division, explained the process for getting FISA orders in a tweetstorm of her own: “FISAs are sought when you are seeking foreign intelligence information on a foreign power or agent of a foreign power. Because you are not necessarily intending to gather evidence of a crime the standard is not as high as a criminal wiretap … That is, you don’t have to allege a specific crime, but you do have to show that the target is acting on behalf of a foreign power. For U.S. persons … the (standard) is slightly higher: that the target is ‘knowingly engaging in clandestine intelligence activities.’ … Evidence of a crime obtained in the course of a FISA *can* be used in a criminal proceeding.”

— There are two buzzy quotes from outside voices in the Times piece:

“They are setting a tone. It’s important early on to strike terror in the hearts of people in Washington, or else you will be rolled,” said Solomon L. Wisenberg, who was deputy independent counsel in the investigation that led to the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999. “You want people saying to themselves, ‘Man, I had better tell these guys the truth.’”

“They seem to be pursuing this more aggressively, taking a much harder line, than you’d expect to see in a typical white-collar case,” said Jimmy Gurulé, a Notre Dame law professor and former federal prosecutor. “This is more consistent with how you’d go after an organized crime syndicate.”

Special counsel Robert Mueller departs a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in June. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

— Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is heartened by Mueller’s quick pace:

— Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, was in the JAG Corps as an Air Force officer:

— Norm Eisen was Barack Obama’s White House ethics czar:

— A former spokesman for the Justice Department questioned Trump’s continued communications with Manafort:

The fight for control over the special counsel’s Russia investigation

ON THE RIGHT:

— Breitbart is spinning the CNN story that Manafort was being surveilled as validation of Trump’s claim that Trump Tower was wiretapped. Back under the control of Steve Bannon, the banner headline on the site is: “CNN Admits Trump Campaign Was Wiretapped: Breitbart News and Mark Levin Right, Mainstream Media Wrong.”

— National Review’s David French (who is an accomplished lawyer in his own right): “If you read the CNN report closely, you’ll note that there is much that is ‘unclear’ (to use CNN’s words.) The new FISA warrant was allegedly related to suspected contacts between Manafort and Russian operatives, but it’s unclear where his phones were tapped, or if they actually swept up conversations with Trump. … None of this means that Manafort is actually guilty of anything, but only the most mindless, tribal partisan would look at these developments with anything but concern and alarm. Potential corruption that close to the president – especially when connected with our nation’s chief geopolitical foe – is deeply problematic.”

— The headline on the Daily Caller is “Mo Mana, Mo Problems”: “The development is not unexpected, even within the sprawling network of former Trump aides and outside advisors. Several sources close to the president, including veterans of the campaign, told The Daily Caller early in September that they expect Manafort will be indicted for financial crimes like money-laundering or tax evasion.”

ON THE LEFT:

— Slate: “Today’s Impeach-O-Meter: Paul Manafort Appears to Be in Some Pretty Hot Water.”

— Vice News: “Things have gone from bad to worse for Trump officials targeted in Russia probe.”

— Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall writes that “it is hard to know precisely what to make of (CNN’s) revelation”: “Just when the FISA warrant was granted is not clear from the report. But the precise date would tell us a lot. … A key detail to know is whether the warrant was issued perhaps later in June of 2016 or much later in the campaign after Manafort was dismissed in August. By my read the article is not clear on whether the warrant was issued while Manafort was still working on the campaign.”

Facebook says it discovered Russian ad sales from the 2016 election

IS FACEBOOK STONEWALLING CONGRESS?

— “House and Senate investigators have grown increasingly concerned that Facebook is withholding key information that could illuminate the shape and extent of a Russian propaganda campaign aimed at tilting the U.S. presidential election,” The Post’s Carol D. Leonnig, Elizabeth Dwoskin and Craig Timberg report. “Among the information Capitol Hill investigators are seeking is the full internal draft report from an inquiry the company conducted this spring into Russian election meddling but did not release at the time. … A 13-page ‘white paper’ that Facebook published in April drew from this fuller internal report but left out critical details about how the Russian operation worked and how Facebook discovered it, according to people briefed on its contents. Investigators believe the company has not fully examined all potential ways that Russians could have manipulated Facebook’s sprawling social media platform. …

“A particularly sore point among Hill investigators is that Facebook has shared more extensive information — including ads bought through fake Russian accounts — with (Mueller) … Some members of the House and Senate intelligence committees were irritated that Facebook staff showed them copies of the ads but would not let the committees keep the documents for further study. … The investigators’ frustrations follow Facebook’s announcement earlier this month that accounts traced to a shadowy Russian Internet company had purchased at least $100,000 in ads during the 2016 election season. Congressional investigators are questioning whether the Facebook review that yielded those findings was sufficiently thorough. They said some of the ad purchases that Facebook has unearthed so far had obvious Russian fingerprints, including Russian addresses and payments made in rubles…”

The lawyers defending Trump

— The congressional investigations continue to pursue other angles, as well. Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is expected to be interviewed today by Senate Intelligence committee staffers. It is a voluntary sit-down, and he won’t be under oath.

— Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is not ruling out questioning the legitimacy of the election if more information emerges that Russia played a bigger role than currently known. Terry Gross asked the 2016 Democratic nominee on NPR yesterday. “No, I wouldn’t rule it out,” she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is skipping the United Nations meeting to observe a military exercise near St. Petersburg. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AP)

THE BEAR WALKS OUT OF THE WOODS:

— “A revitalized Russian military on Monday sent tanks, paratroopers, artillery, antiaircraft weapons, jets and helicopters into frigid rains to engage the forces of a mock enemy called the ‘Western Coalition,’” David Filipov, Michael Birnbaum and Andrew Roth report: “The barrage of firepower, part of war games that began last week, was an explosive show of force that Baltic leaders said was a simulation of an attack against NATO forces in Eastern Europe. [Vladimir Putin] visited the field Monday, skipping the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in favor of the military exercises held jointly with Belarus. The muscle-flexing, which began Thursday, highlights the lethality of a fighting force that has taken a crash course of reforms and upgrades over the last decade. … [And] the Baltic countries that would be on the front lines of any potential Western conflict with Russia say that the exercises are only nominally about separatism and are mainly intended to leave them rattled.”

Listen to James’s quick summary of today’s Big Idea and the headlines you need to know to start your day:

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A MESSAGE FROM THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL

A family’s income should not determine a child’s outcome Milton Hershey School has been using a whole child approach to break the cycle of poverty for 108 years.

Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost’s morning briefing for decision-makers. Sign up to receive the newsletter.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:

Hurricane season isn’t over. Here’s what you need to know about Hurricanes Maria and Jose.

— Hurricane Maria made landfall in the Caribbean island Dominica overnight. Jason Samenow reports: “The extremely dangerous storm, now a Category 4 hurricane with 155-mph winds, has the potential to cause widespread destruction along its path from the central Lesser Antilles through Puerto Rico. ‘Maria is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous Category 4 or 5 hurricane while it approaches the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,’ the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday … At 9:35 p.m. Monday, the storm made landfall in Dominica, causing widespread damages as it plowed west-northwest at 9 mph. It was the first Category 5 storm to strike Dominica in recorded history. The country’s prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, said in a Facebook post that “We have lost all that money can buy … 

“On Tuesday, Maria is predicted to mostly pass through a patch of the Caribbean free of islands before potentially closing in on St. Croix, now under a hurricane warning, late in the day or at night. This island was one of the few U.S. Virgin Islands that was spared Irma’s wrath, but may well get hammered by Maria.”

— Meanwhile, Jose lost “some of its tropical characteristics” and “is expected to behave like a strong nor’easter along the coast of the Northeast, from near Long Island to eastern Massachusetts. The tropical storm watch was upgraded to a warning for coastal Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts, the areas most likely to be substantially impacted by Jose. A tropical storm watch continues for areas to the south down to eastern Long Island. Farther south, along the New Jersey and Delaware coastline, the tropical storm watch was dropped.”

Donald Trump Jr. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

GET SMART FAST:​​

Donald Trump Jr. has reportedly requested to end his Secret Service protection. The president’s son has complained to friends about the lack of privacy stemming from the protection, but it was unclear whether the request extended to his wife and their five children. (Carol D. Leonnig)

British media reported details of the two men arrested in connection with last week’s London subway bombing. One of the men appears to be 21-year-old Yahyah Farroukh, whose social media pages suggest he is from Damascus. The other man, whose name has not been reported, is an 18-year-old who was detained Saturday in southeastern England. (William Booth)

Conservative activist Scottie Nell Hughes filed a lawsuit against Fox News, alleging she had been raped by longtime anchor Charles Payne and was subsequently blacklisted by the network after coming forward with her claim. (New York Times)

Equifax’s chief information officer and chief security officer are retiring. The news comes one week after the credit reporting bureau disclosed its massive data breach. (Hamza Shaban)

The Veterans Affairs Department reported that veterans are 20 percent more likely than nonveterans to commit suicide. The figure was reported in a Friday news release at the close of business. (Foreign Policy)

Toys ‘R’ Us has filed for bankruptcy. The company’s 1,600 stores will continue to operate normally. (Travis M. Andrews)

U2 canceled a planned concert in St. Louis due to the city’s ongoing protests over the acquittal of a former police officer who shot a black driver. The band was scheduled to play at the Dome at America’s Center on Saturday. (Ellen McCarthy)

Meghan McCain is in late-stage talks to join ABC’s “The View.”McCain announced last week that she was leaving Fox News and Jedediah Bila, who served as “The View’s” conservative panelist, just announced her departure from the show. (CNNMoney)

Stanislav Petrov, a Russian lieutenant colonel credited with helping the world avert nuclear war, died at 77. Petrov correctly identified a satellite signal indicating a nuke sent from the United States to Eastern Europe as a false alarm. (Harrison Smith)

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), right, talk on their way into a meeting at the Capitol. Graham and Cassidy are leading the new GOP charge, which would transform much of the Affordable Care Act into block grants and let states decide how to spend the money. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

HEALTH-CARE HAIL MARY:

— Momentum seems to be picking up for the latest Republican health-care proposal, which would roll back Obamacare by giving much of its money in block grants to the states. Mitch McConnell has said he will put the measure — spearheaded by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — on the Senate floor if it can garner 50 votes and succeed, which is still an iffy proposition. The GOP doesn’t have a lot of time — it must pass the measure by Sept. 30 when special budget rules expire allowing it to rely only on Republican votes.

— The bill goes even further in slashing Medicaid than the failed McConnell measure did. The Health 202 Paige Winfield Cunningham explains: “[The measure would also] aim the cuts more directly at states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It was the governors and senators from those states who were most deeply worried about Medicaid cuts to begin with. In fact, compared with both the House and Senate health-care bills, the Graham-Cassidy measure would more drastically remold the ACA by giving states virtually unlimited control over federal dollars currently being spent on marketplace subsidies and Medicaid expansion. It would also allow states to opt out of virtually all of the ACA’s insurer regulations by obtaining waivers.”

— The state of play, via Sean Sullivan and Kelsey Snell: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) reiterated yesterday that he would oppose the measure, and the three Republican senators who voted against the defeated bill were noncommittal. “[Sen. John] McCain [R-Ariz] warned against rushing ahead. ‘We just need to have a regular process rather than, “Hey I’ve got an idea, let’s run this through the Senate and give them an up-or-down vote,” ’ he said. [Sen. Lisa] Murkowski [R-Alaska] said she was trying to learn more about the proposal’s impact on Alaska and consulting with her governor. On her way to McConnell’s office Monday afternoon, she wouldn’t say whether she was leaning for or against the bill. [Sen. Susan] Collins [R-Maine], who is seen by many Republicans as the strongest opponent of replacing the ACA, said Monday that she worries that millions could lose coverage under the new plan.”

— Murkowski is the one to watch. “A Republican senator who has spoken to GOP leaders said Murkowski is likely the bellwether. This senator said that GOP leaders believe other undecided senators will support the bill if it is put on the floor and that McConnell has begun whipping the bill because he ‘realizes that there’s life out there.’ ‘We are one vote away from doing this thing,’ the senator insisted,” reportedPolitico’s Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn.

— Another complication: the Congressional Budget Office won’t be able to issue a full report by the end of the month, which means lawmakers may vote on the measure without knowing how many people would lose coverage and how much insurance premiums would go up. Those estimates won’t be available “for at least several weeks,” the nonpartisan scoring agency said yesterday. (Elise Viebeck)

— Even if the bill can make it through the Senate, its passage in the House is far from guaranteed. Mike DeBonis reports: “Make no mistake, the pressure on GOP House members to make good on their eight-year promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act would be enormous, and several House Republican aides and members said Monday that they expect members would be squeezed in a political vise of epic proportions until the measure passes. … But none of those Republicans — cognizant of the many GOP health-care missteps to date — would guarantee Graham-Cassidy would pass the House. … [House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark] Meadows, for one, said much depends on how the Senate bill might change in the coming weeks. … But the bigger obstacle may be House moderates — particularly from the states of California and New York, which stand to lose tens of billions of dollars in federal health-care funding under the Graham-Cassidy framework.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) boards an elevator in the Capitol. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

— McConnell’s calculus: The majority leader believes that Republicans will suffer badly in the midterms if they cannot demonstrate progress to the base on getting rid of the 2010 law. Even passing a flawed bill that later fails in a conference makes incumbents less vulnerable to attacks from their right. As Trump increasingly works with Democrats, GOP leaders want to show they can manage their conference. If McConnell succeeds, he will help rehabilitate his image among Republicans. If he fails, though, Trump might be more emboldened to partner with Chuck Schumer, a fellow New Yorker who temperamentally is more like him.

— A great on-the-ground window into the dynamic: “For those in the Party of Trump, the Republicans — not the president — are to blame,” Jenna Johnson reports from Oxford, N.C.: “During one of their usual morning gatherings at the Bojangles’ restaurant in this rural town near the Virginia border, a group of retirees from a local Baptist church shook their heads at the failure of Washington to [get] anything accomplished. But the focus of their blame is not [Trump], it’s Republicans in Congress — whom they view as standing in the way. These churchgoers are at the heart of the dilemma nagging Republican leaders as they struggle to forge a path between the Grand Old Party and the Party of Trump. They … speak of Democratic and Republican congressional leaders with the same levels of frustration and disappointment — while describing Trump as if he were a longtime neighbor. And they don’t expect their devotion to the president to waver, even a tiny bit, any time soon.”

Trump, Macron meet on sidelines of U.N. General Assembly

‘TIGER’ OR ‘TABBY?’ TRUMP AT THE U.N.:

— In his first address to the U.N. today, Trump is expected to focus on creating global conditional advantageous to the United States without promoting democracy on the world stage. David Nakamura and Anne Gearan report: “Amid mounting global challenges, foreign leaders are carefully watching Trump’s moment on the world stage for signals about his willingness to maintain the United States’ traditional leadership role. … White House aides said the address would be consistent with Trump’s foreign policy speeches this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he challenged other ­nations to do more in the global fight against terrorism, and in Warsaw, where he warned that Western civilization was under attack. … Trump, as he has before, intends to emphasize the need for other nations to take up more of the burden of providing for their own prosperity and security, rather than relying on the United States.

In brief opening remarks, [Trump] said the United Nations had not lived up to its billing upon its creation in 1945, asserting that it suffered from a bloated bureaucracy and ‘mismanagement.’ Trump urged his fellow leaders to make reforms aimed at ‘changing business as usual,’ but pledged that his administration would be ‘partners in your work.’ ‘Make the United Nations great,’ the president told reporters when asked about his message this week, riffing off his campaign slogan. ‘Not again. Make the United Nations great. Such tremendous potential, and I think we’ll be able to do this.’”

— The New York Times’s Peter Baker and Somini Sengupta noted Trump’s softer tone at the international forum, where diplomacy reigns supreme. They write that “protocol-obsessed diplomats” didn’t know what to expect from the U.S. president, but “Instead of a tiger, they got a tabby. Mr. Trump, the apostle of America First who has heaped scorn on global institutions, ripped up international agreements and quarreled even with allies, offered a subdued and largely friendly performance.”

But Baker and Sengupta warnTrump might have been buttering up the crowd for a much-tougher speech on Day 2 this morning:  “In a speech drafted by his hard-line policy adviser, Stephen Miller, Mr. Trump plans to challenge the world to do more to counter threats from Iran and North Korea”

The day was arranged by U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who pressed for an end to the Iran nuclear deal, the Times reported.  “Asked by reporters if he would withdraw [from that deal], Mr. Trump said: ‘You’ll see very soon. You’ll be seeing very soon.’ He added: ‘We’re talking about it constantly. Constantly.’

— Trump met yesterday with French President Emmanuel Macron, praising for his country’s Bastille Day parade (which he saw firsthand). Trump mentioned he’d love a similar procession down Pennsylvania Avenue for the Fourth of July. “I was your guest at Bastille Day, and it was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “It was two hours on the button, and it was military might and, I think, a tremendous thing for France and the spirit of France. … To a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July Fourth in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue.” The comment prompted laughter from Macron and other assembled officials, but Trump seemed serious, even adding that he has spoken with his chief of staff about the idea to “see if we can do it this year.” (Abby Phillip)

U.S. and South Korea conduct military drills over Korean Peninsula

THE WORLD IS ON FIRE:

— “The Pentagon deployed a formation of 14 bombers and fighters over the Korean Peninsula on Sunday that also included South Korean and Japanese aircraft, the latest show of force in response to North Korea’s missile launches and nuclear tests,” Dan Lamothe reports: “The warplanes were dispatched after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over northern Japan on Thursday, triggering a widespread emergency alert for those who call the region home. Two Air Force B-1B bombers from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and four Marine Corps F-35B fighters from Iwakuni, Japan, combined with four South Korean F-15K fighters and four F-2 Japanese fighters, U.S. defense officials said.”

— Jim Mattis said his South Korean counterpart asked recently about reintroducing tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea. Dan explains:“Mattis … confirmed that he and Defense Minister Song Young-moo discussed the weapons during an Aug. 30 visit in Washington. The Pentagon chief did not say whether he’d support such an idea, however. Song has advocated for the move, calling it an ‘alternative worth a full review.’ … South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said several times that he is against the return of nuclear weapons, but he faces opposition on that point from many conservative leaders in his country[.]”

— Trump’s claim there are “long gas lines” forming in North Korea as a result of new sanctions has puzzled many residents in Pyongyang. Anna Fifield reports: “Although there are reports of price increases, they’ve seen no queues at the few service stations in Pyongyang, a city of about 2 million people that has more cars than it used to but is still far from congested. ‘We are not aware of any long queues at the gas stations,’ one foreign resident of Pyongyang said. Another said there had been no obvious change since the last sanctions resolution[.] … ‘Traffic on Friday was as heavy here as I’ve seen it. Normal on Saturday. Quieter on Sunday.’ In other words, the same as every week.”

— Iraqi Kurds plan to vote on independence from Iraq next week, alarming U.S. officials. Tamer El-Ghobashy reports: “[The U.S.] opposes the move, as do Iraqi rivals and regional powers. They say it could spark new conflicts and aggravate old ones at a time when the nation is on the cusp of defeating the Islamic State. … [T]he lead-up to next week’s vote has already resulted in political fallout and threats of violence, and the United States has shown little ability to persuade the Kurds to delay the referendum in favor of continued negotiations with Baghdad over disputed territories and revenue-sharing.”

— The top security official at the U.S. embassy in Cuba is among at least 21 Americans targeted in the mysterious attacks on their health, triggering in some mild traumatic brain injury and permanent hearing loss. CBS News’s Steve Dorsey reports: “Identified as the Regional Security Officer, the position is responsible for serving as the embassy’s senior law enforcement and … are key members of the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security overseeing the safety and security of each U.S. embassy and their personnel. The development illustrates how far-reaching the attacks have been, affecting one of the most senior leaders of the U.S. embassy that only reopened in 2015.”

— Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi downplayed the violent conflict in her country that has forced over 400,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Joe Freeman writes: “Appearing to cast doubt on claims that the military has burned homes, killed civilians and driven families over the border into Bangladesh, Suu Kyi [said] there have been ‘allegations and counterallegations.’ … Top United Nations officials have described the campaign as ‘ethnic cleansing,’ and harrowing accounts of atrocities allegedly carried out by Burma’s armed forces have emerged from refugees in camps in Bangladesh with a chilling consistency.”

Activists hold a banner during a demonstration organized by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society outside the U.S. Capitol. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

THE TRUMP AGENDA:

— Trump’s Cabinet is at odds over where to cap refugee admissions for 2018, with a final decision due Oct. 1. The Wall Street Journal’s Felicia Schwartz and Laura Meckler report: “The State Department, Pentagon and others are arguing that there are humanitarian and national security reasons for accepting a robust number of refugees, and are pushing to maintain the ceiling at 50,000. They also point to economic benefits. … Homeland Security officials, backed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, are pushing to lower the cap to 40,000, several officials said. They are supported by Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller, a former Sessions aide, who advocated for the cap to go even lower — to as few as 15,000 refugees, people familiar with the process said.”

— Those arguing for a lower cap rejected a recent study documenting the economic benefits that refugees provide. The New York Times’s Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Somini Sengupta report: “The internal study [from the Department of Health and Human Services], which was completed in late July but never publicly released, found that refugees ‘contributed an estimated $269.1 billion in revenues to all levels of government’ between 2005 and 2014 through the payment of federal, state and local taxes. ‘Overall, this report estimated that the net fiscal impact of refugees was positive over the 10-year period, at $63 billion.’ But White House officials said those conclusions were illegitimate and politically motivated, and were disproved by the final report issued by the agency, which asserts that the per-capita cost of a refugee is higher than that of an American. …

“It was not clear who in the administration decided to keep the information out of the final report. An internal email, dated Sept. 5 and sent among officials from government agencies involved in refugee issues, said that ‘senior leadership is questioning the assumptions used to produce the report.’ A separate email said that [Stephen] Miller had requested a meeting to discuss the report. … Mr. Miller personally intervened in the discussions on the refugee cap to ensure that only the costs — not any fiscal benefit — of the program were considered, according to two people familiar with the talks.”

How Zinke is advising Trump to alter national monuments

— Environmental groups are threatening to sue the administration if it implements Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s recommendation to alter several national monuments. But fishing and grazing advocates praised the possible increased access to the lands. (Juliet Eilperin)

— A new DHS report concludes tha illegal crossing of the southern border has become much more difficult. Nick Miroff reports: “The report, published last week by the agency’s Office of Immigration Statistics, estimates that 55 to 85 percent of attempted illegal border crossings are unsuccessful, up from 35 to 70 percent a decade ago. In one telling sign of the difficulty, the number of illegal migrants and deportees who make repeated attempts to get in has also fallen dramatically, because so many would-be migrants are giving up.”

— Mattis has designated two high-ranking Pentagon officials to analyze Trump’s ban on transgender troops. From Dan Lamothe: “Mattis selected Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to make evidence-based recommendations on the way forward, according to the memo released Monday. This memo follows similar ones … giving Mattis until Feb. 21 to establish a plan for carrying out President Trump’s controversial ban on transgender personnel. … Mattis’s new memo … reiterates that the Defense Department will not take any adverse action against transgender service members this year.”

— Two more lawsuits were filed yesterday to contest Trump’s decision to end DACA. The administration now faces at least five lawsuits challenging the policy. (Politico’s Josh Gerstein)

— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has signed the Foxconn deal that Trump praised back in July. The deal offers the technology company $3 billion in government incentives to build a mega-plant in the state, which was criticized by Democratic lawmakers as too costly for taxpayers. (The Wall Street Journal’s Shayndi Raice)

— Sean Spicer now says that he “absolutely” regrets the false statements he made about the size of Trump’s inauguration crowd. It was the first time he acknowledged any remorse over the falsehoods that set the tone for his rocky tenure as press secretary. (Rachel Chason)

Pelosi confronted by immigration rights protesters

THE CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA:

— Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi was interrupted at a hometown event by dozens of immigration activists who demanded a “clean bill” to protect the beneficiaries of DACA. Ed O’Keefe reports: “As [Pelosi] concluded her remarks, roughly 40 people rushed the stage and started chanting loudly while Pelosi [watched]. … The protesters demanded ‘a clean bill’ — meaning that the Dream Act would get an up-or-down vote on its own without any language regarding border security attached. They ‘demanded’ that Pelosi show a commitment to protecting ‘all 11 million’ undocumented immigrants believed to be in the country.”

— The Senate easily passed its massive defense bill but sidestepped amendments meant to serve as referendums on Trum policies, including his ban on transgender troops and tougher sanctions against North Korea. From Karoun Demirjian: “Senate leaders were unable to strike a deal to schedule votes on several proposed amendments, meaning that highly anticipated debates over whether to increase sanctions against North Korea and challenge President Trump’s announced ban on transgender troops never happened on the Senate floor. … But the Senate’s bill does include a few significant policy changes, including a government-wide ban on using Russian firm Kaspersky Labs’ software.”

— Senate Republicans are considering a budget plan that would include $1.5 trillion in tax cuts over ten years – without offsetting the cost by eliminating tax breaks. The Wall Street Journal’s Richard Rubin and Siobhan Hughes report: “Republicans contend that some expiring tax cuts would have been extended anyway and that their plan would boost economic growth and generate revenue, reducing the actual impact on the deficit below whatever overall number they agree on. Still, they may need to make some of the tax cuts expire after 10 years, leaving decisions to a future Congress they may not control. With this latest turn in budget talks, Republicans are gradually shifting away from an earlier stance some took in favor of a tax plan that fully paid for itself in the first decade.”

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:

A GOP strategist slammed Republicans for supporting the Graham-Cassidy bill without a CBO score:

A House Democrat criticized Trump’s call for a big military parade on the Fourth of July:

Former Vice President Joe Biden belatedly responded to Trump’s retweet of a GIF showing him hitting Hillary Clinton with a golf ball:

From the former Democratic senator of California:

A HuffPost political editor made this point about the Republicans’ health-care plan:

A Democratic senator encouraged his followers to hit Congress’s phone lines over health care:

From Hawaii’s Democratic senator:

The founder of the liberal ThinkProgress questioned Sean Spicer’s assertion that he regrets the false statements he made about the crowd at Trump’s inauguration:

From CNN’s media reporter:

And Rep. Steve Scalise wished the Air Force a happy birthday:

GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:

— The New York Times, “‘Friends,’ the Sitcom That’s Still a Hit in Major League Baseball,” by James Wagner: “For at least one generation of Americans, ‘Friends’ endures as a cultural touchstone, a glowing chunk of 1990s amber. But its runaway popularity stretched far beyond the United States, and for some Latino baseball players it is something more: a language guide, a Rosetta Stone disguised as six 20-somethings commingling in a Manhattan apartment.”

— The Atlantic, “How the GOP Prompted the Decay of Political Norms,” by E.J. Dionne Jr., Norm Ornstein, and Thomas E. Mann: “Trumpism has long been in gestation. His own party, sometimes consciously, sometimes not, has been undercutting the norms of American politics for decades. As the traditionalist conservative Rod Dreher has written, ‘Trump didn’t come from nowhere. George W. Bush, the Republican Party, and movement conservatism bulldozed the field for Trump without even knowing what they were doing.’”

— Politico, “Pentagon reporters frustrated by Mattis,” by Jason Schwartz: “In the past, Pentagon reporters have enjoyed an unusual level of access to senior officials, compared with their counterparts in other departments. Journalists who work out of the building’s press center are free to roam most areas of the building and many have worked there for years — if not decades — allowing them to build up strong relationships, especially with the nonpolitical uniformed staff. But the fear now is that the Trump administration’s war on the press has spilled into the Pentagon.”

HOT ON THE LEFT

“Roy Moore includes ‘reds and yellows’ on list of racially divided groups,” from Eugene Scott and Amber Phillips: “[Republican Alabama Senate candidate] Roy Moore, a former chief justice on the state Supreme Court, was speaking against racial, political and other divisions at a rally in Florence, Ala., on Sunday when he inserted two words that have been historically used as slurs. ‘We were torn apart in the Civil War — brother against brother, North against South, party against party,’ he said. ‘What changed? Now we have blacks and whites fighting, reds and yellows fighting, Democrats and Republicans fighting, men and women fighting,’ Moore added. ‘What’s going to unite us? What’s going to bring us back together? A president? A Congress? No. It’s going to be God.’”

HOT ON THE RIGHT:

“Houston, Franklin and Jefferson are among Dallas ISD campuses that ‘require further research’ for possible name changes,” from theDallas Morning News: “Dallas [Indpendent School District] is researching the histories of Ben Franklin, Sam Houston, Thomas Jefferson and 17 other historical figures, looking into whether their connections with slavery or the Confederacy should prompt reconsideration of their names on DISD campuses. ‘This was just a very quick review of looking at the biographies of the individuals,’ [said] DISD chief of school leadership Stephanie Elizalde … [who acknowledged] the difficulty in drawing a line on where to proceed. Some of the schools’ namesakes were involved with the Confederacy, but in lesser army ranks or non-combat roles. As examples, Elizalde mentioned John H. Reagan, the Confederacy’s postmaster, and Nancy Cochran, who according to Elizalde’s research, ‘encouraged her sons” to fight for the Confederacy.’”

  DAYBOOK:

Trump has his U.N. speech today followed by meetings with the U.N.’s secretary general and president. He will also sit down with the amir of Qatar at Lotte New York Palace Hotel before hosting a diplomatic reception with the first lady.

Pence is traveling from New York to D.C. and back today. He has a morning meeting with the high representative of the E.U. and will then fly down to Washington for his policy lunch with Senate Republicans. He’ll return to New York for a meeting with the Pakistani prime minister and Trump’s diplomatic reception.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: 

California Gov. Jerry Brown caught flak for comparing Trump supporters to cavemen: “You should check out the derivation of ‘Trump-ite’ and ‘troglodyte,’ because they both refer to people who dwell in deep, dark caves.”

  NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:

— D.C. may get a stray shower today. The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: “We are living on the edge today as the outer periphery of Hurricane Jose offers clouds and showers to the Eastern Shore and just a few clouds to the Washington area along with the chance of a pop-up shower or sprinkle.  Winds blow from the north at 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts at times. Highs range from the upper 70s to the low 80s pending cloud cover timing with humidity levels in the low to moderate range[.]”

— Two new polls show a virtual tie in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. Gregory S. Schneider reports: “Democrat Ralph Northam has a slight but statistically insignificant edge over Republican Ed Gillespie in one new poll of likely voters and another new poll shows a dead heat. Northam is the pick for 44 percent of likely voters and Gillespie gets 39 percent in the University of Mary Washington survey released Monday. That five-point difference is within the poll’s margin of error of 5.2 percentage points for likely voters. … A poll of likely voters from Suffolk University in Boston finds the race evenly split at 42 percent for both Gillespie and Northam[.]”

— Former Maryland attorney general Douglas F. Gansler told The Post that he will not run for governor of Maryland. “At this point, I have no plans to enter the race,” Gansler said. “I’ve spent 22 years in government service, and I’m enjoying what I’m doing in the private sector and working with nonprofits.” (Ovetta Wiggins)

— And Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D) formally entered the governor’s race yesterday. (Josh Hicks)

VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

During an event to promote her book yesterday, Hillary Clinton discussed the challenges of the 2016 campaign:

Clinton: ‘We were in a different kind of campaign’

The Post’s Glenn Kessler fact-checked the claim made by some Democrats that Medicare has far fewer administrative costs than private insurers:

Fact Check: Does Medicare have fewer administrative costs than private insurers?

The Post’s Libby Casey examined which of Trump’s former staffers have “spun it best” when it comes to their time in the White House:

Who Spun it Best: Former White House staffers fight for influence

Democrat Daniel Helmer, who is challenging Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), released this unusal campaign ad:

Dan Helmer ‘Helmer Zone’ | Campaign 2018

Jimmy Kimmel analyzed the handshake that the president and first lady shared at an event on Friday:

The Love Language of Donald & Melania Trump

A robot in Italy conducted an orchestra:

ABB’s robot YuMi takes center stage in Pisa, conducts Andrea Bocelli and Lucca Symphony Orchestra

And the Cincinnati Zoo welcomed a new gorilla, one year after the death of Harambe:

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