"Can we pick something up? I am really hungry." you said. "I'll stay in the car. Actually, shoot, can we switch to the back?"
"Yeah, this is a really new model, it's rated for it." Justine said. "Graduation present! Though, uh, why?"
... that was a hell of a graduation present. You were torn between jealousy and a bit of undirected disdain for Justine's parents and their obvious bourgeois lifestyle, before you remembered one of them was in jail for taking a stand. Then again, that just meant the other could afford to get her a car on a single salary, and her dad was only in jail because he objected to that
particular imperial killing machine... urgh. Having a rich friend was already emotionally complicated and it had been ten seconds. This was Norman's dad all over again.
"Well, look, we'll be coming up to Albany soon, and if we're sitting in the back traffic cameras won't be able to see me in costume." you pointed out, shifting over the edge of the seat already. "I don't want your car flagged for carrying a wanted criminal."
"... that's a really good point." Justine said, following you into the back seat. "I didn't even think of traffic cameras."
"Mmhm..." you sighed. "Look, if you're going to do this superhero thing, you need to start taking information security more seriously."
"Keeping my mask on and stuff." she nodded.
"Not just that, but... you're surrounded at all times by technology that is spying on you, you know that, right?" you said, feeling a little like you were talking to a little kid. "Like, your phone is always listening to everything you say, flagging keywords and building a profile of you. Its camera is taking periodic snapshots whenever you're holding it, used by machine learning to build a profile of you."
"Yeah, I know!" she said, "But it's not like people see that stuff, it's all just used by computers to market stuff to me."
Somehow, through your mask and tinted goggles, you managed to express your disappointment, and she managed to pick it up, her face falling. "Oh."
"Yeah, a bunch of security agencies are constantly scanning for keywords in all of that information, all the time, and your location-tracking information can be used to build a profile of where you've been and incriminate you in crimes."
"Don't they need a warrant for that?" she asked, then she sighed. "Of course they don't."
"Well, they
do, but when has that stopped any government agency?" you pointed out. "Just last year, an intelligence agency sent two agents to assassinate me in my own bedroom."
"Holy shit, really?" Justine asked.
Well, you were exaggerating a little... they'd sent two people to assassinate the person who stole a bugged cell phone, and said government agency was so secretive they literally hadn't bothered telling the last two Presidents about it for fear they'd leak the information, but
still. It hadn't been a targeted hit, but only by the smallest technicality.
"Yeah, you have to take this more seriously. And that means you don't take your google phone, or your google car, or your google anything with you on missions. Look... if you're going to do this, I'll get you a clean cell phone, okay? And I'll have my tech guy clean up behind you on this one."
You had already cut the car off from the internet and started managing the information feeds out, just in case.
"Thank you." she said, her voice small.
"Anytime, Justine. But yeah... I'd love some pizza."
---
About thirty minutes later, you were sitting on the fire escape of an apartment building behind Paesan's Pizza & Restaurant, your mask pulled up just enough to eat, letting your feet dangle off the edge of the building while you watched the snow drift down onto the city. By your finely-tuned pizza senses, this slice was
almost acceptable, though you could feel yourself losing New Yorker points with each bite. You'd yell at a pigeon or something later to make up for it.
"This is good. Wow." Justine said. "I didn't know there was anything here."
"There isn't, it's Albany." you said. Other than the headquarters of the most secret intelligence agency in the world about twelve blocks north...
"So uh... how'd you get into the superheroing business, Aranche?" Justine asked. "If that question won't betray too much identity."
===
[ ] Well, I tried to rig the election, and that didn't work, so I figured I'd become a superhero instead. (Focus on Liv's past, ambitions, politics, and methods)
[ ] A friend of mine got killed, and I realized I needed to do more for the world to not let him down. (Focus on Liv's regrets and difficulties)
[ ] Things are pretty bad right now, and last time things got this bad for the US, we had a superman to save us. I guess I wanted to be Captain America. (Focus on Liv's achievements and successes.)
[ ] Funny story, I got bit by a spider? (Talk about your powers)
[ ] Refuse to disclose. Maybe next time Justine?
