Late Shift Sandwiches (IC)

[TheAbsurdist]

October 5th, 2011 1:48AM

So Asad was learning that this whole hero thing made him hungry. No scratch that, ravenous. Maybe his ability to fly burned calories, he didn't know. He did know that it certainly was killing his nightlife. Not that it was all that fulfilling. On the upside, he ingested massive amounts of caffeine.

Tonight, he cheated, stopping by a restaurant he had bought in the Theatre District, he had grabbed some food, and coffee to go, and now was about ten blocks down, seated on the roof of the Beaudrie. He liked this part of Freedom City. But then he liked the Bohmemian artist types. They were fun, when they weren't pretentious. It was a lively stretch of town, the clubs were busy, and often times there were plenty of things to do. Considering he put put up funding for various plays he found himself in this stretch of town a lot. Now, he was enjoying his coffee and food. Snagging up four brown boxes, one laden with garlic cheese fries, that he was digging into now, the one of the others had a steak sandwich that he was tearing into with gusto.

"I wonder if using one of those camel back water thingies would be worth it... could load it up with coffee..." He mused, between mouthfuls of sandwich and coffee. "I wonder if everyone else gets as hungry as me... I'd think so..." Pausing a moment and looking around, realizing he was talking to himself... "That was me talking into my comm, yes."

[Ari]

Coincidentally, another hero happened to be nearby, and close enough to hear the other man's words over the rushing wind between the tall buildings. Marceau Suvou, AKA the King of Suits, had been perched on a heavily-eroded gargoyle that once had been fearsome indeed a century ago, but now mostly provoked well-meant calls to the ancient building that it adorned over its apparent transgression of public decency standards. Marceau was almost used to the lumpy thing by now, and had grown oddly fond of it. Mostly because its stone was worn smooth and thus he could take short naps on it, hidden from eyes below by the ornament's bulk.

He had just left a group of spies for a villain called ''Recall" tied to a street lamp a few blocks down. They had put up surprisingly little of a fight, he had had to admit as he scanned the streets below, and he knew for a fact that was a very bad sign. But for the moment, he had pushed such thoughts aside; there were wrongs to be righted, after all.

Whipping his trusty grapple gun from its holster on his right hip, he had fired a line just over the lip of brick that marked the edge of the Beaudrie, tested the tautened line to make sure he wouldn't break himself on the ground below, and swung off the precipice of rock. Swooping past the windows of one of the busier theaters, he caught a brief glimpse of a man on stage, wearing pale gray and holding a sword-stick, his eyes gleaming redly in the floodlights as he sang something beyond Marceau's hearing. In a flash he was gone, and the King's outstretched legs crouched upon meeting the wall of the grand old structure that he had grappled onto. With rapid movments, he climbed up the window-studded wall and went nimbly over the red-gray lip. As he straightened, he heard

"I wonder if using one of those camel back water thingies would be worth it... could load it up with coffee...I wonder if everyone else gets as hungry as me... I'd think so...That was me talking into my comm, yes."

Blinking in surprise, he turned and saw a burgundy bodysuit sitting on the roof, apparently talking to itself, and possessing sandwiches. Marceau's stomach reminded him casually that he hadn't eaten anything for the last ten hours. Well, no time like the present he thought, and strode up the figure. "Hi there!" he called pleasantly as he came up, his voice thrumming and reverberating in the very stones of the Beaudrie, "If you have any to spare, would you toss me a sandwich? I'm famished" he sat down next to the other man and held out his hand, saying brightly "King of Suits, at your service!"

[TheAbsurdist]

To Asad's credit, he did not jump. Much. But he was startled by the King. Nothing to replace the need for caffeine like a sudden spurt of adrenaline to the old system. Taking another bite of his sandwich, he looked at the other guy, and blinking a little behind the lenses of his glasses as he tried to recall who this guy was, with his recent research into other heroes. He frowned a little bit and gestured to the brown boxes beside him. "Still half of this sandwich, and some fries in this one, and two more unopened sandwiches. Help yourself, just leave me the pickles" He reached into the grey fleece vest he wear wearing tonight, and withdrew a can of soda and set it down by his things.

It wasn't wearily that he eyed the other guy, he just hadn't expected this. Not that he was complaining, hell, he kind of found it funny to be sharing his food with another hero. But it was something A commonality. Noticing that there was a decided lack of time to get a bite to eat. And while he was listening to the police scanner this part of town was fairly dead. Apart from what the King had just done. "A turkey avocado, and a chicken foccacia. If that makes a difference."

Asad was flexible on his costume. He wore the basic same thing. Well similar color schemes. But he had variety. If just because he wanted to perpetuate the idiot playboy image. And if he rarely stuck to the same costume that would help. But tonight the vest, with it's zip up pockets, had been essential for carrying around snacks and other things. He definitely was going to keep something like that on him. Maybe even a utility belt... Asad blinked and stopped his mind from wandering too much. "My 'name' is Asad." Nice to meet you King of Suits. Park it, and grab a bite."

[Ari]

The King of Suits neatly picked up one of the bags with his long fingers, making sure not to get any dirt on the contents from his(rather dirty) gloves. Unwrapping one of the sandwich specimens, he removed a glove and set briskly to the task of eating. Nodding to Asad, he said brightly "A pleasure to meet you yourself, Asad! You new to this business, or have we never been around here at the same time?" he bit hungrily into the concoction, going through it much more rapidly than was usual for him. He'd had to spend a substantial chunk of last week's earnings that would have gone towards lunches repairing damage done to the roof of the apartment by a supervillain, who had clipped the building after a truly massive punch from Captain Thunder. The good captain had offered to repair the damage himself, but had been promptly swamped by requests to fix other minor construction issues in the Fens, and by now still hadn't been able to get to Monkey Towers. After several seconds he stopped abruptly and looked with an embarrassed look on his visible face.

"Sorry, I'm really hungry. This a great sandwich" he said earnestly, slowing his eating noticeably. Turning his gaze back to the street he asked(when his mouth wasn't full) "Much action tonight?"

[TheAbsurdist]

Pushing up his glasses as he looked at the King. Oh, this man is getting a nickname. "Mm, well I am new to the hero business, but I've been around town for a couple years, before then all around." He nodded a little as he looked at him and finished that half of the sandwich before tearing into the other half, between sips of his coffee. "I am that rich guy who thinks he can be a hero." He said it in a self-deprecating tone, and a bit of a grin on his face as he looked at King.

Chuckling a little as the other hero's apology for tearing into the sandwich. "It's okay, I bought the place because they have good food, so my story is more embarrassing. But I am an eccentric wealthy guy. These things happen." Waving at the town with his sandwich he shrugged a little. "I came over here from Southside, I stopped a couple muggings but it's been quiet otherwise, or I wouldn't have grabbed the food. You?" Asad found this a little funny, but then this sort of thing was good. He wanted to meet more of the heroes out there. And bumping into them during a late night food run was about as normal as you could expect for a guys in a funny outfit sitting atop the Beauderie.

[Ari]

At hearing Asad's explanation of what 'kind' of hero he was, King nodded, mostly to himself. He was quite used to the idea of people with obscene piles of money using them to embark on a crime-fighting expedition, and had none of the reservations about it that many of those in the House of Suits had held about the idea. By his thinking it was a better way to spend money than on things bought simply to flaunt wealth, which seemed from his perspective pretty much the only thing most of the wealthy people he'd read about had bought. Smiling cheerfully at Asad he said "Well, let me be the first to assure you that what you're doing is worthwhile. I've been working in this world since I was about fourteen, and I have absolutely no regrets about doing so" taking a sip from the can of cola placed nearby he added "Of course, I've hardly had an easy or pleasant time for the most part, but it was worth it for the fact that it helped so many others"

He looked quite surprised when Asad said he owned a restaurant! "Wow, really? I'll have to stop by it sometime, the food's quite good" when I can afford it he thought ruefully.

Asad's report of general quietness put him obviously at ease "There were some guys snooping around one of the opera houses a block or so down. From what I gathered they work for some guy named 'Recall'. Didn't put up much of a fight though. Only disturbance I've found all night so far" he began to take a larger sip, but changed his mind and turned it into a swig. Savoring the mingled tastes he turned to Asad "Nice costume by the way, very distinctive"

[TheAbsurdist]

Asad chuckled again, King was friendly. Was a nice change of pace, at least the guy wasn't immediately assuming he was a putz for him being wealthy hero, or, more accurately, by his reputation up until now. "Well I am glad to be aboard to this. I already had a bit of fun, of course I did do a press conference announcing. But when you are the head for a Fortune 100 company, what do you expect?" Slowly he pushed himself to his feet, leaning from the edge in a weightless way at an impossible angle. Asad hung there, looking down at something in the street as he ate his sandwich. Eventually he shrugged his shoulders as he leaned back to standing on the edge.

"Thanks, I have got a couple different ones based on the basic design." Asad shrugged a little, flashing King a winning smile. "Glad you did not have too much a trouble, but if they working for Recall, I'd be a little concerned. Oh, heh, yeah Theriot's Sandwiches, they are in the phone book." He fished a card out of the breast pocket of his jacket, and offered it to King. "Just flashed the card to them, they'll take care of you. Least I can do for a fellow suit wearer."

[Ari]

King whistled appreciatively at Asad's power display. Stuff like that was one reason he had loved his time with the various super-teams across Eurasia, as it meant he got to see things like that more often than was the norm even in Freedom City. That aside, there was other stuff to think about, like how to keep from inadvertently discovering his secret identity. He knew from experience that most supers who got into the hero business liked such things to be kept a secret, even from close confidants. He figured there wasn't much he could do to keep from learning it, as it was likely to be at least temporarily the subject of conversation at the place. He was quite pleasantly surprised when Asad gave him the card and told him the name of the restaurant. "Thanks for this Asad, I'll be sure to go there as often as I can" he said brightly, taking the card politely and putting it in one of the pockets that lined his cape. He made sure not to read the card, assuming it would pretty blatantly spell out who the owner was, perhaps even what he looked like though for all I know 'he' is a woman going for a double disguise. Then Asad mentioned that if the thugs worked for Recall it would be a problem.

Looking up from the sandwich he had begun to chow through he asked Asad "You know about Recall? I must admit, I've never heard of them before. Could you tell me what you know about, uh, him I guess?"

[TheAbsurdist]

He looked at King for a beat, his expression amused. "Just so you know, I held a press conference Saturday announcing that I was becoming a hero. So you do not have to spare my identity any." And then he flashed his winning smile, on others it might seem practiced and forced, but it was natural. "Amir al-Misri, if you see me in public. CEO, Summit International, or is it COO? Hm. Well I hold the majority stake, so I suppose it does not matter too much."

Then smile dissipated, as he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Recall, real name George Mitchell, he has been in and out of prisons, professional assassin, who uses different tactics every time, and likes to use the weapon his foe does. I do not have any specifics given to me. He is dangerous. He is lethal. And if you have run into goons working for him, he may target you. My number is on the card, I always have my cell on me, or my comm is patched into it. So call me as needed. I will be there. Or, you know, if you are bored, lonely or... hungry late at night give me a buzz. I know not every hero has my budget, well yet anyway." Again that smile brightened up his face, as the topic went to the less serious.

[Ari]

The King sighed and gently faceplamed "Right, right. You did say earlier you had held a press conference and revealed your powers. I guess the sandwich's deliciousness held too much of my attention then" he then abruptly got to a standing position, putting the sandwich wrappers back into the bag as he did so, taking the occasional sip from the cola as he surveyed the nearby rooftops. You never knew when someone would show up in this town, or who(/what) they would be, either. Anyway it had been an uncomfortably long time since he had actually read a newspaper, and he had felt a nagging sense of isolation relying on word of mouth and brief snatches of news playing on storefront TVs. Back with the House, he had been practically three steps ahead of almost every news outlet with regards to Eastern Europe. Now, in one of the most famously news-hungry places on Earth, he had no idea beyond casual hearsay what might be going on in the next county. He deeply hated the irony.

However, it appeared there was work to be done keeping watch for a man named George Mitchell, AKA Recall. First of course he needed to figure out some basic facts. "Sorry to harp on an unpleasant subject Asad, but have you heard anything about this George Mitchell guy's movements?" he asked bluntly, pretty sure he wouldn't be able to bring it up smoothly, out of practice as he was with some of the deeper intricacies of conversation's art. I have got to start trying to make more friends again he thought sternly, And no excuses this time, this restaurant place will help

[TheAbsurdist]

"It is alright, you are hungry and sandwiches as good." Asad shrugged as he looked around. "I get to do research and keep up to date a bit more than most. I am trying to compile information..." And he sighed at this, and shook his head. "I just know general information, I am working on getting contacts on the police and AEGIS. Though he is a planner, and if you saw his men, it means something is stirring. Maybe something with you. He likes to go after heroes. I think a healthy bit of wariness and suspicion is warranted." Starting to pack up his garbage.

"I wish I could be helpful about that specifically. But if you something else I can help with, let me know, King of Suits. I am planning on putting my formidable resources to back several heroes."

[Ari]

Marceau nodded slowly as he listened to Asad, feeling simultaneously the gratitude of being given sound advice and the annoyance at being told something he had anticipated from the start of the sentence. That aside, he told himself grimly that he would need to start keeping track of what was going on in the city with far greater care than before. Hero-hunters were renowned for being obsessive and lacking in scruples of any principles other than the 'If it works, use it' style of pragmatism. Besides, it'll give me a good refresher course in investigation work, he thought drily not to mention the workout I'll likely get. Aloud he said "I'll be sure to keep a close eye on the road and my ear to the ground, thanks for the heads-up" he quietly lent a hand gathering up the refuse from the impromptu meal on the roof as he spoke, draining the last of the can of cola as he did so.

What Asad said next however, greatly surprised him. He wasn't ignorant of history, he knew all the stories about rich philanthropists who brought together some of the world's best and most memorable teams of heroes. What he had never fully understood until now was that such things had often started almost as off-the-cuff as this. His response was, he thought, appropriate "What, really?" recovering from his startlement he added "Who are you thinking of backing, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

[TheAbsurdist]

"It would be for the best, wish I could give you more. But Recall is not necessarily a flashy fellow. So it is a bit hard for me to get more information." There was a pause, and his voice hardened slightly. "Yet." His thoughts clearly went elsewhere for a few moments as he looked down at the streets eyes narrowing.

After a few beats, he blinked and looked back to King. Can't bring that up without explaining. "A few. And ones I meet. I am trying to assemble a diverse group. People who can get along together. Some people with foreign ties if possible. And offer them jobs." He lifted his head a little and grinned. "I can front the facilities and such, but I know some public heroes simply cannot find work, and that some mask wearers need some help with money as well. It is not a perfect plan, and it is more complicated than that, but I am recruiting." It wasn't a question, and he didn't look like he was asking, but Asad was still looking at the King of Suits.

[Ari]

There was a brief quiet as Marceau weighed the implied offer(or inferred, he kept getting them mixed up and nobody ever seemed to know which meant which). On the one hand, being on a team had boundless benefits, with a ready source of aid in case of danger, the ability to do more good fighting the various supervillains in the city, and having someone as wealthy as Asad seemed to be as a backer would enable a team to have truly vast resources at their disposal.

On the other hand, being on a team meant that he would need to be on call at all times to assist them(as I would expect others to do for me he pointed out to himself), and it would mean that they would as a group be easier to target than if they were isolated. As well, the threats he would be likely to face would increase appropriately, and he had no desire to end up out of his depth fighting the likes of Omega and Mastermind and Overshadow.

On the other hand, it would mean he could pay the rent, buy food, and get Jackie her medicine more consistently than he usually could, and increase his own arsenal of weapons.

He smiled broadly "Asad, if you'll have me, I'd be glad to join forces with you. Anything you'd like to go over first, ground rules and such?"

[TheAbsurdist]

He watched the King of Suits ponder over what he offered, and he smiled a small smile as this happened. Another puzzle piece, he'll have training and skills I wont have, and a normal person's perspective will help. Well... more normal person. Er, something like that.

"Well, assuming you want to keep your identity secret, I can work around that. Other than that you will be fully autonomous, as realistically I am putting my money behind the other heroes. I cannot promise the full compliment will be available but this serve as a network that we can rely on and use as needed. So I am not, strictly the boss, I am still new at this, and I know I am getting people with more experience, but I can handle the logistics out of battle, and the press and PR issues that crop up." He stopped then smiled at King, and then he extended his hand out to him. "Which might not be a moment too soon, if Recall is peering on you."

[Ari]

Clasping the offered hand, Marceau shook it energetically "Unlike some of the other costumed vigilantes around, I'm not nearly powerful or connected enough to risk revealing who I really am and where I live and such, so that concession is greatly appreciated, and I thank you again for the info about Recall, if I get any sign or word on him I'll contact you. Who have you approached on this? I get the idea you're just starting to recruit heroes to your side, and I'd be happy to work as your agent and contact the more elusive ones you're thinking of gathering in your stead"

By this point, a definite French accent had crept into his voice, and by the end of his suggestion he had become greatly animate, eyes now a gleaming blue and teeth starkly reflecting the harsh lights cast on the rooftop. He had casually gathered any refuse of the meal that Asad had missed, stowing it away somewhere in his cape for disposal when a conveniant receptacle was available.

[TheAbsurdist]

Asad shook his hand confidently, two firm shakes, and he let go. But then, it was habit, being in the predatory world of big business, you tended to be that. Always the alpha. "That's fair. You are officially the first, though I was involved in something during the Harvestfair, I've made inquiries with the other heroes from that day, I have my feelers out trying to recruit others. I appreciate the offer to help me find them, but I have been working on my list. It will be a large group, I believe that it will increase flexibility. Though we are going to need a headquarters, and that is a little tricky. But not to worry, call me as needed, we will set up a meeting for later. I will give you something a bit more proper. If I get wind of Recall's whereabouts I'll let you know, hopefully you just stumbled across his men."

He walked to the edge of the roof, and looked back. "Though, I may need help later in tracking down people, we'll see how this pans out. And stop by that sandwich shop when you're in the area. I am going to swoop swoop along the monorail line, and head back towards the Park." And then he pushed off the roof, and for a second it looked like he was going to fall, but he hovered in the air. "Glad to have you on board King," Asad exclaim before he went away in a burst of speed, flying parallel to the ground, arms stretched out before him.

[Ari]

The King of Suits called after him "Glad to be aboard! See you later Asad!", and gave a short whistle at Asad's flight capability "Never something to take lightly" he murmered. Glowing with excitement at this new, completely unlooked-for development. Only an hour ago, he had been wondering which one of the apartment's services to cut back on to allow money to fix a hole in the roof. Now an eccentric superhero with gobs of money had offered him a place on a super-team, with vast resources soon to be at his disposal Got to be careful, though he warned himself, I dare say Asad, while rich, still will want his comrades to show a little restraint in spending.

For all that, his head was still abuzz with new possibilities, new plans, and the message he would need to send to the House of Suits' command center in Estonia. Scanning the rooftop for any last traces of debris, he rapelled down the side of an adjacent building to dump the garbage in an appropriate receptacle, and after regaining a higher vantage point, went off towards West End, thouroughly checking every street and alley he passed to see if evil was afoot...