Flat Packed Business (IC)

[Aoiroo]

October 2nd, 2:46 PM

Carrie only liked to visit City Center on Sunday afternoons. It was the only time it wasn't really that crowded. Sure there was still traffic and cars on the street, but foot traffic was definitely down. Most businesses that weren't closed were already closing but there were a few stores still open that she could peak into for supplies or maybe some seasonal work, twas the season for seasonal work. Keeping her hand on her purse she kept her eyes ahead of her, the person about twenty feet in front of her was more focused on their phone. Sort of a business type man wearing a suite. He was constantly looking at his watch too. Bet he was late for something, though it didn't concern her any. She just kept up the pace taking in the sights, the sounds, the loudest being a crashing sound and skidding and that was too damn close. Carrie craned her head to the side and saw a truck going about forty up to the stop light getting cut off by a small blue car, this clearly surprised the truck driver who veered just slightly enough to hit a street post on the side wheel and turn awkwardly in a way that sent the front of the truck one way while the large square cargo started ramming forward with a screech. She was already moving by then the business man seemed to be a deer caught in the headlights didn't seem to have much resistant as she shoved him about twenty feet in the other direction as the truck moved in and pinned her to the building behind.

[Supercape]

GM

"No! No! God NOOOOO!!!!" screamed the Businessman as his impeding (perceived) death dawned upon his paralysed body.

As Silhouette slammed him to safety and her form morphed into its protective flat shape, she could see his eyes had squeezed shut as he held his briefcase to his chest tightly, mumbling some barely coherent prayer.

The sliding Truck followed both Businessman and Heroine, and after crashing into another car, a lamppost, and finally the corner of a building, it conspired to pin them against the cold concrete wall of a financial institute.

Her heroic actions did indeed save the man's life, and he dared open one, then two eyes to examine the truck that was inches from his face, and the curious form in front of him. Carries two - dimensional morphology was not only protective, but had allowed the two of them to squeeze into the small gap between building and truck. It was rather intimate, in a curious way. The two of them where shielded from outside view, even though they could hear the screams and distant sirens beyond.

"I....I'm alive....!" yelled the man, astounded at his fortune.

"Sweet Sufferin' Souls!" he exclaimed at the sight of Silhoutte.

"You...you are Silhouette!" he said, gazing straight into Carries unmasked face.

[Aoiroo]

"Say it louder, I think the people in Colorado didn't quite hear you."

The response was quick and snippy and the first automatic thing that snapped out of her daze. Her whole body felt like a giant bruise. It was not pleasant being pinned to a building by a freaking truck. She didn't break anything though, really, it was probably physically impossible, but it hurt to move, hurt to breath too. Still she managed to slow down her breath as she pushed against the wall. The truck didn't budge much, but it didn't need too, she was absolutely flat, and even with the forces at hand there was no force keeping the truck actively bearing down on the wall except gravity and even that was off set at a strange angle that let her exploit the leverage to push it out to a degree where she could move freely in her alternate form.

When she got out from the truck and into the alley she kept her form as she did a once over of the man. He wasn't dead as he had earlier assessed, he didn't even have a bruise. Small blessings she supposed. Still flat, she pressed her hands on the sides of the narrow alley and pushed her fingers in the cracks before she looked at the man,

"Not a word, to anybody."

Before she pressed a foot on the other side of the alley and climbed up to the top of the building in a hurried rush.

[Supercape]

GM

"Wait...Wait!...Who are you? What's your name!!!" splurted out the businessman, as he started to regain the first vestiges of composure.

"You are! You are her, aren't you...that's...that's..."

he struggled to find the word briefly.

"thats...awesome! I can do so much with you, with me, I mean together, I mean whatever...call me...here's me number...no wait...don't go!...here, I'll call you!"

As Silhouette scrabbled upwards she could just hear his trailing voice.

"I'll call you...don't worry!..I never forget a face...." he said, in what could only be described as a friendly manner...

[Aoiroo]

Carrie didn't get that last bit. She wasn't paying attention as she scattered to the rooftop and started running. The full scope of it slowly pushing into the back of her mind as she went.

October 4th, 2:14pm

The old video store stood on it's spot with in slightly better condition then it started in. The windows were now boarded with plywood the door was painted over the glass and it looked like another abandoned building waiting to be bought. Except when the owner opened the door and walked out with a cheap MP3 hanging out of one of her ears. If you glanced inside you could see the flash of comfortable furniture, and a TV still glowing from just being lit. The space just a bit bigger then her old appartment with a slight bump in rent and some modifications didn't make anyone seem to look in otherwise since it was completely dark and covered as she headed down the street humming to herself.

As she walked down the street she thought of her next job, simple work setting up halloween decorations for a couple of stores in the Theatre District. She had her notepad out as she walked with the music playing down the street a few blocks, she didn't notice as she moved passed her old appartment complex the nice shiny lexis sitting in the run down neighborhood, not until the door opened as she passed.

[Supercape]

GM

"Its you! I knew I would find you!"

There he was. Dressed in a finely tailored business suit as before.

The man was of average height and weight, with dark hair just flecked with the tiniest flicks of grey. He wore thick rimmed black glasses which looked of weak strength. He had a thin, but rather good looking face, with olive skin and features that spoke of some partial occidental heritage.

"Tobias Oshima" he said, excitedly, half-holding out his hand, retracting it, and then extending it again with a gold-painted business card trapped between two fingers in offer.

West and Oshima

Specialist Deliveries, Installations, and Prefabs

All needs catered for!

Total discretion!

"Wow, its just awesome, I finally get to do business with a real life Super... totally awesome...you and me we can do real business together, please, call me Toby..."

He grinned. He was almost hopping from one foot to the other in excitement...

[Aoiroo]

Carrie stopped for a second, the music still blarring in one ear. She looked the man up and down, looked down at the business card and the the car then promptly walked around the car and continued down the street. Her face was blank, her stride was even but her mind of buzzing,

Specialist delivers, mercanaries? Total discretion is a red light. Great, how the heck did he even find me. Well he found my old appartment which is probably still listed. This is just great.

[Supercape]

GM

"No no...don't go" blurted Tobias, in what was probably a fairly astute sense of Carrie's caution.

"Look, I really appreciate you saving my life and everything. Must be karma, eh? we must have been destined to work together...hehehe..." he chuckled, looking carefully at his quarries face.

"..anyway, here's the deal. My firm, we set up all sorts of stuff, pre-fab buildings, furniture, and..other stuff, you know for businesses, security, military, and, ahm, other people, when people need bases and offices and...stuff...quickly..and discretely. With all sorts of modern conveniences. Like phones, internet, communications, bugged lines, that kind of thing, you know, modern stuff that an up to date agressive business need... you understand...?"

He looked at her hopefully.

"Well, with your talents, we could make a killing, you know installing really, um, specialist stuff, for really important people..."

[Aoiroo]

Carrie stopped and raised an eyebrow,

"Mr. Oshima was it?"

She gave him another once over like she was looking for something,

"I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for or really how you know me, but I don't think I have any talents or experience in the field your talking about."

Professional experience at least.

"Are you sure you have the right person or that you aren't just confused? I really don't go around the city a lot especially around what might be your end."

She said end with air quotations, there was the slight inclination that she stayed out of businessy areas though she didn't push it past the quotations.

[Supercape]

GM

"Hey" said Oshima, for once his face souring slightly. "I am dead sure. I got contacts. People in the right places, people I know, computers, information, possibly illegal hacking, you know...information! Gimme a face, and give me time, and I can locate somebody. You just need to flash the cash a little, ya'know?"

He pulled out his mobile phone - a flashy smart one, full of gadgets and processing power, and touched the screen a few time.

"Here...Caroline Wendle, date of birth April 20th 1986, Current residence blah blah, Driving licence etc etc, Parking ticket on January 7th, Mini Cooper, blah blah, its all here..."

He looked at it a few moments.

"Man, what a *!?@*tty life!" he said to himself, without realising what he was saying.

"But hey, we can solve that! look, I got the perfect little job for you!"

[Aoiroo]

Carrie looked at the man with a mixed expression on her face. She pushed a hand through her hair and gave him a sideways look,

"So, you" pause, "have been stalking me?"

She tapped a finger on her chin and let out a breath,

"You have been stalking me because you think I'm, who was it again? No, it doesn't matter. I am just curious, what about my shitty little life do you think makes me any more likely to be this person then anyone else."

She put another hand through her hair and let out a breath through her nose. Whatever he did have, she doubted he had anything really damning. She always checked, always before changing in public, always entered rooms outside a cameras view when she was in costume, disabled anything, chose unusual entrance ways to enter a place in costume. There was a lot of precaution in what she did even if she did throw it away to save one rather annoying life.

[Supercape]

GM

Oshima reached and and gently poked Carrie, carefully looking at her.

"Go on, do it!" he said. "I know you can. I saw you! I remember. Hell, I ain't going to remember that day for a long time, I can tell you. I remember that squashed up face in front of me as clear as my own!"

Whatever doubts he had evaporated.

"No, I know its you, and I checked you out. Silhoutte! the flattest superheroine in town!" he said punching his palm in excitement. "Dang! what a stroke of good fortune. Look, honey, I wont beat about the bush - I need you, my business...it's in some trouble. I needed a lucky break, and looks like the fates delivered. "

His face was momentarily serious. "Now, this is your meal ticket too, honey. But the truth is, I can't let you say no, and you don't want that pretty face splashed over the tabloids..."

[Aoiroo]

"Tabloids?"

She raised an eyebrow,

"No offense, why would the tabloids give a flying fart in space about me? You're so convinced that I'm this person, but how do you think you'll convince anybody else. I don't even know how you know me, for all intents purposes I'm a nobody and you come up in a shiny car which I'll be honest I'm surprised is still here sitting in the Fens this long."

She grabbed his finger and pushed it back at him,

"I don't really know what you think you need me for, but I can not help you, not that I will not, I cannot. I am not this Silhouette person, not even close. I'm a borderline homeless artist who has a real job to be going to."

Turning around she started down the street once more.

[Supercape]

GM

"Damn you" shouted Oshima, shaking his fist at Carrie's back.

"I'm about to go under! I owe some serious money to some serious people! I'm gonna be ruined, I'll lose my house, my car, my kneecap's too, I guess..."

He started running after Carrie.

"So you listen here! I only got a few weeks to turn this all around. And I am desperate. And so I am going to desperate things... do you understand? I still got resources... how do you think I tracked you down? I can get evidence, easily enough...you want to chance that? don't you walk away now...this is your last chance... we can do this the easy way, you walk away rich...no more homeless person, or I go and make sure I get evidence. "

He stopped, panting.

"Because I have only got one way out of this. And its flat-packed..."

[Aoiroo]

She turned on her heel and met him at his eye level with a cold glare,

"You know what I hate about people like you,"

She pushed a chipped unmanicured finger to his chest,

"You equivilate happiness with wealth. That you can't live without having nice things. You say you have resources, but if you're really in trouble why are you wasting them on such frivilous things like searching for supposed heroes on the streets. Why would you waste so much money on something as stupid as tracking down saviors thinking they can clean up whatever mess you've clearly gotten yourself into. You owe some serious people some serious money,"

She did air quotes around the word serious,

"Then you have it, you have that shiny car you can sell, or the big house you're about to lose. This is the only city in America not suffering a realty crisis and you can get a house just as big in Southside for a fifth of the price as that the big fancy house you probably own in the nicer part of the city. I'm sure you can sell the big fancy things in that house like that big screen that could be replaced with a twelve inch for the same result or that fancy laptop that runs just as well as a two year old desktop. You want me to pity you, to help you, help your own goddamn self first and stop trying to make it my problem that you messed the hell up."

[Supercape]

GM

"Well aren't you full of wisdom, sweetcheeks?" spat Oshima, quite furious now. "I tell you what, why don't I just go and buy some cardboard boxes and go sleep rough with the other scum...not me, missy! I didn't get where I am now to go throw it all away, and I'm gonna do what I can to stay there. Sorry, that's how it is in business, its wolves, lady, wake up and smell the coffee and keep those little ideals to yourself. No wonder you are such a loser. Its dog it dog here, and don't forget it!"

He actually sneered, now laughing at Carrie.

"I don't see how you have the balls to be a Superhero, but I guess you must have something going for you. Now, I guess you ain't gonna play it easy are you? I'm gonna have to do this the hard way. Well, so be it...don't ever throw this back in my face. I gave you a fair offer. I could have made you rich, lady. Real rich. You could have been one of the players..."

He turned, and walked back to the car.

As he opened the door to walk in he called over.

"Now, I'm just gonna have to get some proof. Then, you work for me, just like a schmuck..."

[Aoiroo]

Carrie raised an eyebrow and walked away at an even pace as she moved. She walked down the street, looked around quietly and went to the newest pay phone. Putting a few quarters in she let out a breath and spoke into the piece.

"Hey D, can't give specifics but I have a trace on me so I can't say anything really specific. Other then, congradulations on getting a new place, maybe other people won't stumble in by accident. Anyway, I need info, everything you can find on Tobias Oshima, O, S, H, I, M, A. Look anywhere you can, this dudes dirty and I need leaverage."

She spoke into the phone softly, with a hand over her mouth to cover her lips,

"Now, how have you been, I haven't seen you in forever?"

She spoke loudly this time, like she was faking a casual conversation with a bit of a valley girl accent on the edge.

_________

October 8th, 7:39PM

Sun was going down, Carrie's MP3 player buzzed as she jogged quietly in the night. She looked like a normal jogger except her place of jogging and the fact she carried no valuables on her except for the cheap little MP3 player in her pocket. The headlights came up from behind her was no surprise, but there was a sinking in her stomach as it happened because of how bright they were. Probably a newer car.

[Supercape]

GM

Inside the car

"There she is..." said the man in the passenger sheet, looking at Carrie and consulting the xerox black and white photograph he had on his lap. The driver nodded silently. Both men pulled out unmarked tasers and left them loosely on their laps.

With a sudden roar of the engine, the car (a black sedan) kicked into life and accelerated, storming down the road and straight at Carrie.

The windows were shaded, but Carrie could make out at least two men in the car, suited and big.

[Aoiroo]

The car moved straight at her and Carrie sort of noticed it coming from a mile away. Still she had to wait until a few seconds to jump out of the way to make sure it didn't serve to try and hit her. She leap about ten feet away, and looked at the car for a few seconds with a raised eyebrow before turning around and sprinting in the other direction,

"Okay, someone just tried to kill me, what the hell?"

[Supercape]

GM

"Damn she got away!" cursed the driver, slamming on the brakes as Carrie jumped away.

The man next to him wound down the window and reached out to draw a bead on her with his taser, but it was too late.

"Fast, too!" he conceded. "Maybe she is...you know...that Superhero..." he whispered.

"Don't get stupid" snapped back the driver. "Stay professional. We take the money, no questions. That fool wants to waste money on a wild goose chase, then let him. As long as he pays the green stuff, thats fine by us. "

He slammed the car into reverse, to try the same tactic, but the time to catch her by car was gone. "You two" he snapped - "On foot... stay in contact... we will follow by car..."

with that the two men in the rear seat jumped out to take chase...

[Aoiroo]

Okay, being stalked by guys in suits and a car. Let's see, I'm not in costume, it's doubtful that they actually know unless. Ohh great.

She rolled her eyes as she ran down the street. She was a couple of blocks away from her house but that wouldn't do, as much as she'd like her security system to fry them she needed better tactics then that. Luckily she knew the Fens way better then the suits.

The Buckeye Tavern was little more then a restuarant style strip joint with a better wine selection then most places. She was a frequent customer during daytime hours when the food was cheap due to the early bird specials, and the girls were mostly part-timers who were just good for conversation in a bad economy. In the evenings though, the waitresses wore low cut blouses and shorts that even Hooters wouldn't touch and it reeked of cigerette smoke. But it was a public place and a frequent customer gave her perks like being able to run past the host to the bar and get herself seated without much fuss.

[Supercape]

GM

The two suits were not far behind, slowing slightly to place their tasers in their pockets before they entered the bar.

"Target has entered bar 'Buckeye Tavern' pursuing on foot.' said one, pressing his finger to his ear as he relayed the information over com-link.

"Roger. Circling around to cover rear entrance. Do not let her out of your sight..."

The two men were stopped as they entered the bar by an enormous bouncer, his arms as thick as most men's legs.

"Gotta frisk ya, guys. Its da policy..." he mumbled.

The two men could spot Carrie in the corner but looked at each other. Neither men fancied having a brawl with the man. The first man started talking to the Bouncer calmly, and Carrie could see him opening up his wallet...

[Aoiroo]

"You know those guys?"

The bartender watched Carrie as he prepared a drink for another drink,

"No, but they're a bit strange though. Who wear's a suit in the Fens really?"

She smiled and ordered a drink though it was probably obvious to anyone with an ounce of sense that she was worried. She didn't let the guys in the suits leave her peripheral vision, so she wasn't surprised as they made her way towards her. She kept calm cause now there were about three dozen witnesses and at least a third of them were armed.

[Supercape]

GM

The two suits were no fools, and realised they were in no position to make a snatch and grab in a busy bar. They also stood out somewhat.

Still, these guys were not your regular thugs - without wits or brains. They took a moment to survey the scene and discuss with themselves. What where they? ex-intelligence? CIA? FBI?

THey did there best - taking off their ties, unbuttoning their shirts, and ordering some beers at the bar. Carrie noticed that they ordered low-alcohol ones. They sat opposite Carrie, keeping their eyes, covertly, on her, and from time to time, subtly, speaking into their comm-link in their sleeves. They supped their beer slowly - but not too slowly, and nodded politely at other bar staff and customers.

[Aoiroo]

Carrie sat in her chair sipping her virgin cocktail. She couldn't hide the anxiety very well, and when she got up to the bathroom she did her best to not look over her shoulder as she did so. The bathrooms were two stalled with a small window at the end, way to small for her to fit through normally and she didn't want to risk using her powers, instead, she slipped to the side and stood behind the bathroom door waiting for them to enter. It didn't matter what the game was, she wasn't going to just be taken.