Template:Featured Articles/21-2025

Moment of Awesome - Hope Abbott/Trance: Quentin Quire has plans for Hope and is typically upfront about it. "We're both busy, so I'll keep this short." Quentin handed Hope a negroni he had assembled from the small bar at the other end of his office. He sipped his own as sat at his desk. "I need you to get a damn PI license." "Talk about coming straight to the point." Hope remarked, surprise flashing over her flash for just one moment. She took a sip from her cocktail before putting it down and studying Quentin, her eyes thoughtful. "That is quite a change from your earlier opinion. What has brought on this sudden change?" "You organized the takedown of a vast criminal flatscan enterprise," he answered, leaning back casually in his chair. "You discovered it, brought it to us, and took the lead, coordinated with the other teams, and poof, no more. This agency needs more PI's than just me, and you've proven you're more than capable." "Arthur has his PI license." She quietly pointed out. "Or is at least well on his way to do so." He shrugged. "Still not there yet, and even if he were, we have enough going on that we still need more than two. I'm sure Sammy will go for one some day, he's so eager, but that's a ways away." Hope was quiet for a long moment. "I need to look into what requirements might be needed first, but my first question is how you would be envisioning my future role in XFI. My experience is mostly in doing research, with only a little field work where needed." "It would involve a shift to more field work," he conceded, "But we could make it so Arthur and I still are the primary people people, and you head the research. You could accost city officials on your own, without me," he offered, thinking back to the time they pulled records from the Manhattan Register's Office during an investigation into questionable real estate sales. Kind of crazy to think how they had been at each other's throats then, just two and a half years ago, and now here he was, all but begging her to earn her seniority. "It is quite the offer." Hope shifted a little, sipping from her cocktail. "But I have to be honest. I am really going to have to look into what it entails and how much time it will cost. I have my own business that is slowly, but steadily growing. That business is a major part that furnishes my contacts and the leverage that I have. Plus, it has allowed me to help DX in my own way by employing people from around here when possible. I was just able to send two freelance assignments to a graphic designer who is a visible mutant at the same time." Not exactly the answer he'd wanted to hear, but he couldn't say he did not expect something like that from her. It would be a grievous loss for X-Factor, their clients, and most importantly Quentin himself if Hope ended up an independent contractor instead of his employee. But short of mind controlling her, he could not force her to acquiesce to his plea. So he just nodded and drank. "Well, I put it out there. I want you to think about it. You'd help a lot of people." "I will give it some serious thought and I do appreciate the chance to help people in this way as well. It is very grounded, so to speak. It is more a matter of... seeing how all the pieces might fit together. Both the street-level work and the big picture work." Hope replied after a moment.