Grind (part 13)
- Location
- Hampden Park
2nd November
13:47 GMT -5
"…base themselves here, but the Justice League do virtually no policing within Washington DC itself. And intervening when the Hall of Justice is attacked feels… Strange."
I had rather assumed that a former Roman Centurion would be less sociable than this, but Marcus is actually quite pleasant company. And.. now I'm.. feeling mildly guilty for putting him on the 'low priority' Justice League membership list, more useful for the Pax Romana than for himself. His ship has FTL and some weaponry, but it's designed as a mobile infantry command post rather than as a ship of war. If it had been an actual warship, I'd have prioritised him a little higher.
"Trust me, their internal defences aren't that impressive."
We land in front of the office building which the Alliance are using as their head office. Budding superheroes aren't expected to come here in order to register, but apparently setting up an organisation dedicated to supporting pro-social law-breaking is easier from the capital city.
"So… How does the training work?"
"Some are online affairs, but I understand that they want to run on-site seminars as soon as they get enough interest." He leads the way through the revolving rooms and into the lobby. "I've told them that I'm willing to act as a tutor."
"For active superheroes or people thinking about starting out?"
"Either. Though personally, I'd wait until they'd been active for a few months before inviting anyone." He waves at the receptionist, who picks up his phone. "I think that too many journalists and other such rubberneckers would turn up otherwise."
"Maybe they could just give a discount. 'Five dollars off per scar'?"
"Would it not be better to reward those without-? No, that unfairly benefits those with superhuman resilience or regenerative abilities."
"So they do charge?"
He nods. "At cost. This organisation is a charity, but things must be paid for-" The lift doors open. "-somehow. Ah, Vincent!"
"Marcus! Always a pleasure." Mister Edge walks a little awkwardly out of the lift, visibly putting weight on his cane. "And Orange Lantern. What brings you here?"
"When the leader of a crime syndicate starts hiring superheroes, it sounds like a trend I should monitor."
"Ah." He nods. "Batman send you?"
"I'm not formally affiliated with the Justice League at present. However, if I had to guess how he felt about it…"
Another nod, then he turns towards the reception desk. "Patrick, hold my calls for an hour, will yah?"
"Sure thing, Mister Edge."
Mister Edge looks up at me. "We should probably have this discussion in private."
"As you wish."
Marcus and I follow him as he leads the way down a side corridor and into a small meeting room. He gestures to us to take a couple of seats, then closes the door and activates an instrument panel. Ring?
ECM field detected. Ring function not impaired.
"Can't be too careful." He makes his way over to the opposite side of the table and-. I push the chair out with a construct for him. "Mm, thanks." He sits down very carefully, putting his walking stick across his legs. "Welcome to my offices. Only moved in last month, so things aren't quite fully set up yet."
"I… Had understood that you were fully recovered. If you're not up to-."
He shakes his head, waving his right hand dismissively. "I'm probably better than I think I am. You have one heart attack, you never want to have another. And that's kinda why I'm doing this. I know it looks fishy as all get out, but..." I turn up my empathic vision. No, that would be too easy. "You met an angel, right?"
"I've had that… Happen."
"And you met a demon right outside the Hall of Justice. And I had a heart attack." He shrugs. "I know a man having apprehension about his own mortality isn't the best reason for… You know… Some of the things…"
"Some of the things you're alleged to have done."
"Yeah." He looks away for a moment, then shakes his head. "Ah, hell. No point lying about it now. I've done more than enough for God to damn me. And I don't think I've got all that long to make up for it. It's a-" He lightly taps the left side of his chest with his right hand. "-warning. A reminder. I've got money, my wife's dead and my son's companies are all legitimate. I want-. No. I need to give something back."
"Why superheroes?"
"I bought off dozens of police back in the day. Never bought off one guy crazy enough to come at me with his trunks on the outside. Someone crazy enough to fight like that could do anything."
Marcus smiles. "With proper organisation."
Mister Edge nods. "No one can say I don't know the law. Or how crime works, how it pays. This is my… My expertise. And you're all in favour of rehabilitation, right?"
He's probably talking about Thomas and Tuppence rather than alluding to Jade… "Of course. What's the point of putting people in prison if you're not going to try and straighten them out?"
"God…" He looks away for a moment. "God handled the 'straighten out' bit for you." He takes a deep breath before returning his gaze to me. "So." He manages a small smile. "You going to haul me off now, or is there something else you want to ask?"
"One thing. Could you please take off your ward?"
"What, this?" He takes a small metallic plate out of his jacket pocket and lays it on the table. "That any better?"
"Yes."
I'm seeing a genuine desire to redeem himself, and as he said it's built up around an imprint of a very Old Testament sort of God, glaring down at him while he lies weak and helpless. Not.. unusual in itself, but fairly unusual amongst violent career criminals. I'm not seeing anything else that would cause him to change his mind, it's literally just fear of Jehovah's retribution.
But I'll take what I can get.
"Thank you, you can put it back on now."
"Thanks." He slides it back into his pocket. "Do I want to know what you just did?"
"I used.. 'exotic' means to confirm your story. And I see that you were telling the truth."
He nods, managing a small smile. "Glad to hear it. You know, I'd ask for your input in all of this, except I already know what you'd say?"
"Really?"
"I don't think classified Justice League reports just 'happen' to get posted through our doors."
"It is not Justice League policy to comment on leaks."
It isn't, coincidentally.
Marcus' smile broadens. "I read it as well. You argued intelligently for the League to improve its command and control capacities. Has your view found any favor?"
"I don't believe so."
Mister Edge raises his eyebrows. "We could always use new trainers, if you can spare us the time? Or any information you've got on supervillains that you're allowed to share. I know.. normal crime. With super crime I can't tell what stuff online is true and what's nonsense."
I do need to check out the rest of the organisation as well…
"I can share my own records with you. Not Justice League records, but my own observations." Two nods. "And in return? I was wondering if you could help me track down some thieves."
13:47 GMT -5
"…base themselves here, but the Justice League do virtually no policing within Washington DC itself. And intervening when the Hall of Justice is attacked feels… Strange."
I had rather assumed that a former Roman Centurion would be less sociable than this, but Marcus is actually quite pleasant company. And.. now I'm.. feeling mildly guilty for putting him on the 'low priority' Justice League membership list, more useful for the Pax Romana than for himself. His ship has FTL and some weaponry, but it's designed as a mobile infantry command post rather than as a ship of war. If it had been an actual warship, I'd have prioritised him a little higher.
"Trust me, their internal defences aren't that impressive."
We land in front of the office building which the Alliance are using as their head office. Budding superheroes aren't expected to come here in order to register, but apparently setting up an organisation dedicated to supporting pro-social law-breaking is easier from the capital city.
"So… How does the training work?"
"Some are online affairs, but I understand that they want to run on-site seminars as soon as they get enough interest." He leads the way through the revolving rooms and into the lobby. "I've told them that I'm willing to act as a tutor."
"For active superheroes or people thinking about starting out?"
"Either. Though personally, I'd wait until they'd been active for a few months before inviting anyone." He waves at the receptionist, who picks up his phone. "I think that too many journalists and other such rubberneckers would turn up otherwise."
"Maybe they could just give a discount. 'Five dollars off per scar'?"
"Would it not be better to reward those without-? No, that unfairly benefits those with superhuman resilience or regenerative abilities."
"So they do charge?"
He nods. "At cost. This organisation is a charity, but things must be paid for-" The lift doors open. "-somehow. Ah, Vincent!"
"Marcus! Always a pleasure." Mister Edge walks a little awkwardly out of the lift, visibly putting weight on his cane. "And Orange Lantern. What brings you here?"
"When the leader of a crime syndicate starts hiring superheroes, it sounds like a trend I should monitor."
"Ah." He nods. "Batman send you?"
"I'm not formally affiliated with the Justice League at present. However, if I had to guess how he felt about it…"
Another nod, then he turns towards the reception desk. "Patrick, hold my calls for an hour, will yah?"
"Sure thing, Mister Edge."
Mister Edge looks up at me. "We should probably have this discussion in private."
"As you wish."
Marcus and I follow him as he leads the way down a side corridor and into a small meeting room. He gestures to us to take a couple of seats, then closes the door and activates an instrument panel. Ring?
ECM field detected. Ring function not impaired.
"Can't be too careful." He makes his way over to the opposite side of the table and-. I push the chair out with a construct for him. "Mm, thanks." He sits down very carefully, putting his walking stick across his legs. "Welcome to my offices. Only moved in last month, so things aren't quite fully set up yet."
"I… Had understood that you were fully recovered. If you're not up to-."
He shakes his head, waving his right hand dismissively. "I'm probably better than I think I am. You have one heart attack, you never want to have another. And that's kinda why I'm doing this. I know it looks fishy as all get out, but..." I turn up my empathic vision. No, that would be too easy. "You met an angel, right?"
"I've had that… Happen."
"And you met a demon right outside the Hall of Justice. And I had a heart attack." He shrugs. "I know a man having apprehension about his own mortality isn't the best reason for… You know… Some of the things…"
"Some of the things you're alleged to have done."
"Yeah." He looks away for a moment, then shakes his head. "Ah, hell. No point lying about it now. I've done more than enough for God to damn me. And I don't think I've got all that long to make up for it. It's a-" He lightly taps the left side of his chest with his right hand. "-warning. A reminder. I've got money, my wife's dead and my son's companies are all legitimate. I want-. No. I need to give something back."
"Why superheroes?"
"I bought off dozens of police back in the day. Never bought off one guy crazy enough to come at me with his trunks on the outside. Someone crazy enough to fight like that could do anything."
Marcus smiles. "With proper organisation."
Mister Edge nods. "No one can say I don't know the law. Or how crime works, how it pays. This is my… My expertise. And you're all in favour of rehabilitation, right?"
He's probably talking about Thomas and Tuppence rather than alluding to Jade… "Of course. What's the point of putting people in prison if you're not going to try and straighten them out?"
"God…" He looks away for a moment. "God handled the 'straighten out' bit for you." He takes a deep breath before returning his gaze to me. "So." He manages a small smile. "You going to haul me off now, or is there something else you want to ask?"
"One thing. Could you please take off your ward?"
"What, this?" He takes a small metallic plate out of his jacket pocket and lays it on the table. "That any better?"
"Yes."
I'm seeing a genuine desire to redeem himself, and as he said it's built up around an imprint of a very Old Testament sort of God, glaring down at him while he lies weak and helpless. Not.. unusual in itself, but fairly unusual amongst violent career criminals. I'm not seeing anything else that would cause him to change his mind, it's literally just fear of Jehovah's retribution.
But I'll take what I can get.
"Thank you, you can put it back on now."
"Thanks." He slides it back into his pocket. "Do I want to know what you just did?"
"I used.. 'exotic' means to confirm your story. And I see that you were telling the truth."
He nods, managing a small smile. "Glad to hear it. You know, I'd ask for your input in all of this, except I already know what you'd say?"
"Really?"
"I don't think classified Justice League reports just 'happen' to get posted through our doors."
"It is not Justice League policy to comment on leaks."
It isn't, coincidentally.
Marcus' smile broadens. "I read it as well. You argued intelligently for the League to improve its command and control capacities. Has your view found any favor?"
"I don't believe so."
Mister Edge raises his eyebrows. "We could always use new trainers, if you can spare us the time? Or any information you've got on supervillains that you're allowed to share. I know.. normal crime. With super crime I can't tell what stuff online is true and what's nonsense."
I do need to check out the rest of the organisation as well…
"I can share my own records with you. Not Justice League records, but my own observations." Two nods. "And in return? I was wondering if you could help me track down some thieves."
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