TV Multiverse 113 (Patreon)

While waiting for Amy to call him, he trawled through the Gossip Girl website, checking every picture Damian had. The public nature of the website meant that, regardless of its dubious sourcing, it would be acceptable evidence.

Then, he had done his best to use those pictures as starting point, and compare them with other public sources, including pictures other people had posted on their social media.

Technically, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Ordinarily, it would have required a dedicated team. Master Photography and Master Investigation combined meant it was a five-minute job for him.

He sent them to Amy as well.

They were not enough to actually justify an arrest, but enough to justify why Damien was treated as a person of interest despite diplomatic immunity. Luckily, Damien was arrogant enough, and after carefully crawling, he found multiple pictures of him exchanging stuff in dark corners.

Nothing conclusive, but more than enough to explain why undercover officers were following him.

Amy called him soon. “Ethan. What kind of mess are you in?” she asked immediately.

“Pure misfortune, I promise,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not my fault that Manhattan people are too blase about drug dealing. I was helping a friend interview an intern, only to notice her date showing some suspicious traits. You know I’m attentive.”

“You are,” she said, her fascination obvious even with the seriousness of the situation. He wasn’t the only one with a serious competency kink. Amy’s case might be even worse. Then, her tone shifted. “The tricky part is the diplomatic immunity. It’s not something I can do anything with. I need to check with Captain Holt.”

“Of course. Captain Holt is incorruptible. But, I can’t say the same for the rest of the bureaucracy. Is there a way to keep it hidden?”

She sighed. “Very difficult,” she said. “Unless we have federal jurisdiction—“

He hummed. “That’s easy. I can call in a favor from a field agent,” he said. He already did, but putting it like that looked better.

“You can? Just who are you—” she said, curious. Then, she sighed. “Not the time, but we’ll talk about it later,” she said.

“As you wish, Detective Santiago,” he whispered, knowing it would drive her arousal to overdrive. Then, he shifted his tone, and gave her a bit more detail, including the fact that Jenny’s stepmother was almost a billionaire.

“It’s a fine mess,” she said.

“Amy. Talk it over with your Captain. If he thinks it’s politically untenable, I’m sure the DEA can run it as an independent operation. I don’t want to cause more trouble than it’s worth, alright?”

“Don’t worry. Captain Holt will not allow politics to get in the way of our job.”

“I know,” he said, then paused. “Actually, I also need a favor,” he said. “Do you mind arresting us as well? We’ll probably have a few people there. Jenny is a good kid, but she needs to realize that money can’t shield her from consequences, and the others learning that lesson will help as well.”

Amy chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

&&&

The rest of the day had been surprisingly complicated. Blair handled the party, unaware that he was arranging a little drug bust behind her. Naturally, he didn’t want to ambush her fully, but he revealed that at the last minute.

“What do you mean there will be a drug bust that would be going on?” she said. “Can’t we change the location?”

“Well, I wanted to ask a friend to work as a fake model, and she’s working for the NYPD,” he said. “When I asked her to come to the bar, she immediately called and explained.”

Blair reached her phone. “Let’s change the location. It’s not too late,” Blair said.

“Nope. We can’t, because the target is a part of our little scheme. Apparently, Damien is being a naughty boy.”

Blair’s eyes widened. “He’s using?”

“Nope, dealing. As in serious dealing.”

“Jenny…”

“Exactly. So, I promised my friend that I would buy drugs from Damien, which would be solid evidence, enough to kick him out of the country at a minimum. While I’m doing that, you’ll conveniently disappear.”

“That’s nonsense!”

“Is it?” he said. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to watch Serena getting thrown into detention for a day?”

Blair sighed. “And I thought I had a scheming problem,” she said.

He chuckled, then kissed her. “Trust me.”

She paused. “It’s not the whole plan, right?”

“Of course not. What kind of schemer I would be if I didn’t have a third-act rug pull? I can tell … if you admit I’m the superior schemer.”

That made Blair gasp, offended. “Never. I’ll decipher it,” she said.

“Fine. Just don’t forget to disappear when I give you the signal. Ideally, to have a chat with Nate. I have a feeling he’ll panic at the detention.”

“Good point. We don’t want to give Tripp an innocent reason to help.” Then, they arrived at the bar, and Carina was already there, undercover. “That’s our model,” he said, pointing at Carina.

“Ah, I was almost sure she would be an undercover agent, but clearly not,” Blair said.

A mistake, but he didn’t blame Blair for it. Carina was too beautiful to be an ordinary undercover officer.

“Hello, sugar,” Carina greeted him salaciously, her posture suggesting she was yet another empty model willing to throw herself into the lap of a rich man if it meant business.

He still enjoyed the view. He had missed her. Unfortunately, she was even busier than the rest, even occasional messages a rarity.

While Carina kissed his cheek, she also whispered. “The two at nine o’clock?”

“Ours,” he said. It was Amy and Terry, chatting over beers. They were decent actors, but nowhere good enough to avoid Carina’s attention. Luckily, Terry’s extreme muscles made him look more like a bodybuilder than a cop, making his cover surprisingly effective.

He nodded at them as he sat down.

“So, what’s this new fashion line about?” Carina asked, excited.

“The creative identity is still not set, but…” Blair started explaining, thinking that she was speaking to a real model. Carina had used that disguise enough to actually keep up.

They chatted for about ten minutes before Nate arrived with Serena. He wanted to like Nate, but the way he wilted next to Serena like a puppy made it difficult. For a rich and handsome guy, he was too much of a bootlicker. Maybe he would warm up once he spent more time with him, just like he did for the science gang.

Serena’s eyes brightened when she saw him, which Nate was annoyed about. "Ethan, Blair," Serena said happily, then looked at Carina. "And who's this? I don't think we've met."

"This is Carina," Ethan said smoothly. "She's a model. I’m thinking of launching a new fashion line, so we’re interviewing for the face of the brand."

“We can join, right? Nothing confidential?” Serena asked, but she had already pulled a chair without waiting for an answer.

“Sure,” he said. “Nothing confidential, but please don’t spread around. I don’t want to get buried in enthusiastic models.”

“Really?” Serena asked.

“It’ll be a big business, with an experimental style. We want to build the whole brand around one face. For two years, that face will be on every billboard. Maybe even a movie or two,” he said, then winked at Carina. “Assuming, of course, the model is willing to go above and beyond. We have some really scandalous ideas for marketing.”

Serena’s smile widened, her supposed love for Tripp immediately forgotten, which was no surprise. Even in the show, it was obvious that it was yet another rebellion. And, seducing Blair’s sexy boyfriend while becoming a model trumped the scandalous affair.

He would have truly disliked Serena, but he could see that she wasn’t actually plotting like Blair or Georgina would have. It was a coping mechanism, almost subconscious. She was talented at lying to herself.

“Oh, honey. You don’t have to worry about it,” Carina said with a moany tone. “My body is my canvas.”

He gave signs of attraction, which Serena jumped on. She already disliked playing the second fiddle for Blair, but to be dismissed for a random model was even worse.

"A whole brand built around one face," Serena repeated, angling in. “You’re very brave giving such an opportunity to a completely unknown model. Blair, do you remember how much I struggled during my first shoot?”

“Oh, I remember,” Blair responded, but her smile was fragile. After all, it was an opportunity she had taken from Blair, despite the company belonging to her mother.

What followed was fun, with Serena using a lot of reasons to disqualify Carina, all while managing to disguise them as innocent chitchat. The interesting part, she did that without being overbearing.

Serena was truly charismatic. Ironically, what she was saying was still true. She was actually a very good model for the kind of campaign he had described, combination of her identity, her looks, and her natural charisma devastatingly effective.

Then, Blair spotted Jenny, who had just walked in with Damien. He suddenly regretted the whole plan. Seeing Damien’s smug face, and the fear Jenny was trying to hide, he was suddenly tempted to teach Damien a lesson in the back alley.

Putting him in a trash can with his teeth in his hand would have been better. Creepy asshole.

Blair stood up to chat with Jenny, and a minute later, they joined at the table.

Jenny looked at Nate with wounded eyes, then leaned against Damian to prove she was over Nate. Damien pulled Jenny closer. That wasn’t the only complicated gaze Jenny threw. Serena and she shared a long look, considering they were stepsiblings, but neither said anything.

Jenny’s gaze at Blair was even more complicated, filled with admiration and resentment in equal measure.

“People, this is Jenny, our little genius fashion designer,” Blair introduced.

“Oh, you’re a designer. How fascinating,” Carina said, sliding closer, which also gave her a chance to play footsie with him. Which was Blair’s signal. “Nate, can you help me with something?” she asked loudly, grabbing Nate, and dragging him away, leaving only five people on the table. Himself, Damien, Jenny, Serena, and Carina.

It would have been a challenge, but there were benefits of dealing with a true professional. Carina managed to drag Jenny and Serena into a little catty talk, which allowed Damien to sit next to him, bored.

“That’s a daring move,” Damien whispered, impressed by his move. “Not afraid of getting dumped. Even I know Waldorf has a reputation.”

Ethan was glad for his acting talent. He waved his hand. “It’ll pass. The only challenge is whether it’ll end in a threesome, or a foursome,” he bragged. “All I need to find some additives to keep her in the mood,” he said, tapping the side of his nose dismissively, then sniffed.

Faking addiction was easy. And, he already had a reputation for being rich and a womanizer. A few distinctive ticks sold the rest.

Still, Damien didn’t make the offer immediately. Instead, he tested him subtly a few times, showing he was very experienced seller. He would have sniffed an ordinary undercover with ease. Once he was sure, he leaned in, the boredom replaced by the smooth pitch of a dealer scenting a buyer. "Actually, if you're looking to liven things up, I have access to good stuff. Whatever the party needs."

"Yeah?" Ethan said, letting the desperate-rich-man eagerness surface, just enough. "What are we talking about?"

And Damien gave him a long list which he recorded, which was enough to justify a warrant to search his hotel room for his stash. The best part, it was unprompted, uncoerced, perfectly legal.

Only problem, it wasn’t enough to truly penetrate his diplomatic immunity. So, he pulled an illegal trick. He stole Damien’s passport and planted a handwritten note about his previous deals and his current stash in his hotel room, which gave solid probable cause for search, which was the benefit of his newly improved calligraphy.

He didn’t hide it in a complicated location, squeezing between the furniture. Without his passport on him, he was easy to arrest.

Then, he gave the signal to Terry.

Terry jumped, his badge raised. “NYPD, nobody move,” he said as he rushed, while Amy moved to their table, her gun drawn.

Damien's face went through several shades of panic. "You can't touch me. I have diplomatic immunity.”

Terry nodded. “Show your diplomatic passport, and we’ll wait for confirmation,” Terry said.

“Of course,” Damien said, only to pat himself, and see that his passport was gone. “My password is not with me.”

“Then, you’re under arrest,” Terry declared, gesturing to the uniformed officers to drag him.

Serena looked shocked; Carina faked being shocked; but Jenny looked scared enough to faint, barely holding on. He couldn’t help but pity her, but it would be a good lesson for her.

Ethan made sure not to act out his panicked state too good, deliberately making some mistakes. After all, it was an official undercover mission, and Nine-Nine team was watching him, as well as Carina.

He didn’t want them to realize just how good of an actor he could be.

The arrest went smoothly.

Twenty minutes later, all five of them were in detention at the bullpen. “I have to make a call immediately,” Damien started. “I want my call!” His panic was understandable. He would not be arrested even if he was caught dealing. But, he would be deported, and his father’s career would be over.

Ethan leaned back, leaving the task of consoling Jenny and calming down Serena to Carina. However, at this point, he didn’t act afraid or catatonic. It wouldn’t have been believable.

Rich men didn’t get in trouble for buying drugs. Even selling was not much of a problem, often covered up by a call or two. The only reason Damien was screwed was that this was actually a DEA operation, and Damien used diplomatic credentials to bring drugs internationally, which made it a diplomatic crisis.

The kind spy agencies would love to swing around for various shady concessions.

Soon, Damien approached him. “Don’t forget. I was just sharing my personal stash, nothing more,” he whispered to him.

“Don’t worry, I know what to do,” he said, but when Damien took a step toward Jenny, he thought about blocking him, but Carina gestured to leave it for her.

He shrugged, trusting Carina to handle him. He didn’t even need to pay attention. Carina destroyed actual drug lords regularly, Damien was not even a speedbump.

Instead, he turned his attention to Serena, who, once calmed down, slid to his side. “Ethan, I’m scared,” she whispered, her whisper too sexy for it to be honest. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course,” he said, letting her do so. Apparently, he had underestimated how obsessive Serena could be with her ‘rebellion’. He thought about refusing her, but he had a feeling she would latch onto Damien instead.

And, Serena was impulsive enough to chase Damien back to Europe. He didn’t care about it, but Blair would care.

Things got more chaotic when the first person to arrive was Tripp van der Bill. He noticed it before Serena, so angled their body to look like they were kissing. He even touched her lipstick and mussed it a bit. Serena didn’t notice it.

“Serena,” Tripp called, shocked. Behind him, Nate appeared, with a serious expression.

“Tripp? What are you doing here?” Serena asked, surprised and panicked as she pulled back, realizing how it might look. She didn’t realize the full extent.

“Tripp, our very valued senatorial candidate,” Ethan said. “Tell us why you are here? Are you here because you’re involved in international drug smuggling, or your family is?” he asked.

Damien flinched as if he was slapped, and Tripp looked panicked. “Of course not. I’m here to defend a member of my campaign as her lawyer. Right, Serena?”

Ethan chuckled, watching Serena panic; facing her current target, her future target, and her safety choice at the same time. Worse, she was locked, meaning her favorite move, disappearing mysteriously, was not an option.

“Really, Tripp? Still pulling the same tricks?”

That made Tripp pause. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“Really. How about Maria, Elle, or Fleur,” Ethan said. Then, he added. Oh no, I’m trapped in a forced marriage, but I promise I’ll leave my wife for you … but don’t forget to sign the NDA on the way out, and I’ll ruin you if you ever speak. How many have there been? My team found eight, but I’m sure there’s more. Add some variety to your life.”

That changed the mood in the room immediately. “What are you talking about?” Tripp tried to say. Ethan had to admit, Tripp was a good liar, which was a necessity for politics, but the problem was that he was ambushed by several bombs one after another.

As a result, his denial was an obvious lie.

Nate immediately reacted. “You bastard,” he declared, and punched Tripp.

“Alright. You’re under arrest,” Terry said while pulling Nate away. But, Nate managed to kick Tripp while being pulled. Just like that, Nate gained a hint of respect from him.

The rest of the night had passed in relative calm despite … well, everything. Nate was thrown in detention. Serena sat between him and Nate, but whenever Nate tried to approach, she acted wounded and closed off. Meanwhile, Jenny was looking at Nate with stars in her eyes, which represented another problem, but not one that needed to be handled later.

One good thing about setting dominoes perfectly, one just needed to watch them fall. He leaned back as the deputy chief of police arrived, furious, trying to convince Holt to release them.

To his surprise, Madeline Wunch, Holt’s famous rival, arrived as well, yet she was working with Holt. But then, he shouldn’t be too surprised. She and Holt might hate each other, but it was a personal thing. She was still one of the few high ranked cops with actual moral fiber, meaning trying to cover up an international drug smuggling just for political expediency was not something she would allow.

And, she didn’t even know the DEA safety net.

He hummed and leaned back, watching the mix.

Though, he had to admit, watching the deputy chief of police pulling several corrupt tricks, only to bury himself deeper, was fun. First, he tried to blame Jenny, a decision that exploded when Lily van der Woodsen arrived with an army of lawyers. A multimillionaire on a warpath to protect her stepdaughter made his attempts to frame a random underage girl look even worse.

Then, he tried to do the same for him, only for Robert Zane’s arrival to scare him off. Naturally, that left him only one valid target, Carina. In two hours, the deputy chief of police and Belgium embassy, helped by a few personal connections of Tripp did their best to create a fake narrative to send Carina to jail, committing several crimes in the process.

It was ugly, but if Carina was truly a model with a past with drugs, it might have actually worked.

As a result, Carina’s DEA badge landed like a bomb.

Watching their expressions fall when Carina pulled her badge and revealed herself was spectacularly fun.

[Achievement complete. Pull off a heist that shakes things up for multiple spheres of influence.

Challenge: Daring]

[+25 Any Stat

1 Platinum Skill Upgrade

1 Platinum Reward Upgrade]

This time, he decided to select Platinum Skill upgrade, and using it for Illusion. Using it against Damian showed it had even more utility. Not to mention, a lot of his male friends were actually obsessed with magic, and showing off was always fun.

[Expert Illusion]

[Elite Skill: You are an exceptional illusionist. You can pull all core illusionist tricks as well as creating your signature tricks. You’re good enough to perform in Vegas.]