And Behind Curtain Number Two...

[Nina]

They had beat the racist murderer. It had taken all of them, Renata, Evo, V and the hockey girl who turned out to be Beckett, not a Stormer as far as they could tell but still possessing extraordinary skill and luck. The cost had been heavy. A historic frat house destroyed, a dorm building nearly burned down multiple injuries, luckily no more deaths.

 

They were hero's with Evo and V catching most of the attention while the two masked vigilantes faded into the background. In the end the attention proved to much. Evo found it impossible to return to his studies and decided to move to the big city to capitalize on his Nova status, while Velma who had come to escape her fame, realized she had simply been running away from a different challenge. After a call to her ex she decided to return home to try to work things out with him.

 

 

And that left the two masked vigilantes, they continued to patrol the city masquerading as a collage. Students needed protecting crimes the police missed needed solving and the two hero's were on the job. But even hero's need a day off.

 

Beckett stirred her coffee, and leaned across the table toward Renata, “I'm just saying it's not going to take much for the media or the police to come looking for me. I mean come on I'm wearing a freaking Hockey mask and using a stick for a weapon. And you in a ski mask? I just think we should look more, professional.” She picked up her coffee and took a test sip, grimaced and added another heaping spoon of sugar, “I'm just saying, is all.”

 

It was Saturday morning and the two met for breakfast and would probably spend most of the day together doing something, after all it was hard to lead a normal social life when you were masked vigilantes. But it was also another Carlyle dinner party night and that was a good source of socializing and dare they say it fun.

 

[SalmonMax]

Renata shrugged at Beckett's badgering, mollifying her stab of irritation with a bite of the apple fritter she'd treated herself to.

 

"We're not professional though, is the thing," she said. "Because professionals get paid. I'd love to get something better than a ski mask and an old jacket to fight crime in, but there's a reason I went with that stuff before. It's what I didn't have to pay for. Spare clothes I had lying around."

 

She shook her head quickly and added, "And I know what you're going to say, but getting money from Dad to buy costumes is a no-go. He only acts doofy. Anything I buy on his dime will be..." Renata tapped the tabletop as if typing on it. "...scrutinized. He'll figure it out."

 

"I'll tell you what though. Lets...do some window shopping, alright? Maybe we can work out how much money we need to get the costumes of our dreams, and that'll give us something...you know, solid. To work towards. We can have a fucking bake sale or something." Renata grinned at this, imagining Beckett in an apron, making cookies.

[Nina]

The day was spent with the two secret heroes being collage age school girls out for a day on the town. That evening the both skipped their usual getting ready for a night of peace keeping and looking for trouble to getting ready for a dinner party.

 

Carlyle had seemed distracted through out the dinner party and after supper had started the conversation, this week a discussion about the Sumerian myth and it impact on following cultures, but had steered it in such away that his other guests carried the conversation.

 

Renata and Beckett had both noticed and shared looks. They had been attending these parties for almost two months and usually Carlyle tied his mythology topics to today current fascination with the media's immortalizing the Stormer's and their deed. Neither of them had ever contributed much and had assumed their continued invites came from their friendship with V. This weeks invite had been a surprise, but even more surprising was their hosts not bringing up the Stormer phenomenon.

 

Once the talk and the drinks had been finished and it was obvious that the party was over Everyone said there goodbys and started making their exits, Carlyle approached the two girls and requested thy stay awhile after the party,something he had never done before.

 

As the last guest left Carlyle poured each of them a glass of wine and started gathering glasses and straightening up. Beckett immediately felt guilty she had assumed her had domestic help clean up. She grabbed some of the dishes off the table and soon all three were in the kitchen washing dishes. He didn't even have a dishwasher.

 

Beckett was washing and Renata drying, both had a second glass of wine, and both were sincerely hoping that the Proff wasn't going to make a pass at them. Renata glanced over her shoulder and saw Carlyle leaning back against the kitchen counter arms folded watching them. She stopped and shook her head, "What?" It probablly came out more sharply than she had intended. Maybe not.

 

Beckett stopped and looked at Renata then over her shoulder at Carlyle.

 

Carlyle took a breath and set the wine glass on the counter, "I was just wondering how long you two thought you would be able to get away with the Batman and Robin routine?"

[SalmonMax]

Renata gave Beckett a glance, then focused on Carlyle. She had a notion that he thought he knew something, and was trying to bait them into confessing more.

 

"That is...I don't even know where to go with that? You mean because my parents are rich and I hang out a lot with Beckett that makes her Robin? Or she's a little older than me so I'm her youthful ward?"

 

She shook her head. "You're gonna hafta give me more to work with here. I'm not really a comic book fan, so if it's some kind of really really overspecific reference, it's going over my head."

[Nina]

Carlyle shook his head, "I originally invited you two, on a whim. I didn't know you were friends or would become friends with V. I really just wanted the stormer, but over the months, I have been able to put two and two together.

 

I will admit that it was harder to pin you down Renata. Nothing about your ... costume points at you but it also doesn't do anything except hide your face. The way you stand, your body language. It's just a matter of time.  And Beckett, come on hun, a hockey mask and goalie stick, why even bother hiding your identity if your going to be so blatant.  When V and Evo were around they drew the press and they were the photo op, but they moved of and you are both starting to get noticed."

 

He pours each of them a glass of wine and motions them into the living room.

 

Beckett stares into ther glass, "Okay say what your implying is true."

 

"Beckett!" Renata hisses under her breath.

 

"What is it you want? Cause you know, we are not going to sleep with you just to keep you quiet. I mean if we were what you were implying we were."

 

Carlyle laughs, "No your both attractive young women, but that is not the purpose of this. My whole life has been built on the idea of the myth. And this is the perfect opportunity to help build the mythology of our time.

 

You two need guidance, support, and resources. All of which I am prepared to provide."

 

[SalmonMax]

Renata folds her arms, feeling a stab of annoyance that cut unexpectedly deep. Yeah, she and Beckett were shoestring, but they were doing fine. Who was this guy to tell them what they needed?

 

"Yeah," she said slowly, keeping her temper in line for the moment. "You say that, but what I hear is 'you need control, dependence, and debt.' I'm sure you've got a persuasive case, but once we've signed on the line then it's pretty much over. Yeah? We'd be working for you. Doing what you think is best, with your gear, and your money. And once we're hooked on it, once we're used to it, it'll be ten times harder to walk away from it than it is just not to sign in the first place."

 

She shook her head. "I don't even really know you, and you want to just swoop in and buy us out? I don't see that happening. We'll get by. It's not always easy, but we'll figure it out."

[Nina]

Beckett sets her glass down, "Ren..."

 

"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of an Alfred type role, to use the comic book analogy again."

 

Beckett shot the professor a dirty look, "Ren lets not be hasty, lets hear him out, okay?"

 

[SalmonMax]

"Alfred was Batman's butler. He worked for Bruce as an employee. Not to mention..."

 

Renata stopped though, when Beckett urged her to listen. She rubbed her hand over her mouth, then nodded and held it out.

 

"Okay. Okay, sure. We'll hear you out."

 

She glanced around, seeing if this was a safe place to talk. At the moment at least, there wasn't anyone else around. She was fairly sure if anyone else came close enough to hear, she'd be able to sense their...their brain electricity. As creepy as that sounded even inside her own head.

 

"What's your pitch?"

[Nina]

“Renata,” Carlyle uses his ‘Im on your side’ voice, “ that is what I am saying, I would work for you. I don’t have powers but I want to be a part of this. And you two are the best way to do that.

 

I can get you into places you normally can’t go. I can get you information, you would be hard pressed to get yourselves. I can do research, give you a place to work out of that’s off the grid.”

 

“Like the batcave, wow,” whispered Beckett.

 

“I can help you keep your identities a secret, which you are both obviously trying to do and not doing well. I can be an asset.” Carlyle folds his warms across his chest and looks questioningly at Renata.

[SalmonMax]

Renata felt her jaws starting to clench as Carlyle went on. On some level she was aware she was hearing everything he said in its worst possible connotation, and that it might not be entirely fair of her. On the other, she couldn't stop. It still sounded like someone who wanted to weasel in, grease the wheels, get them dependent. Then the sly bit at the end, where he mentioned their identities. Was that a very oblique threat? Served up with a side of negging?

 

She didn't trust him.

 

"We'll talk about it," Renata said. "Beck and me. We'll talk about it, and let you know."

 

Then she held out a hand. "Got a card? So we can get back to you."

[Nina]

Carlyle looked annoyed, "Alright ladies, I know when I'm beating a dead horse." He showed them out.

 

As the two girls headed back toward the dorms, they were silent for a good ways, then Beckett glanced over at Renata, "So what's your deal here? Why are you so opposed to having help?"  

 

She looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone listening and at this late hour there wasn't. "Look I get the not wanting to give up control, but it sounds like he doesn't want to tell us what to do. And to be perfectly honest, what he is offering sounds good to me. I'm not a stormer, Ren, I don't have any powers. If I get caught I'm going to jail, there arn't any Stormer laws to protect me."  They walk on in silence Beckett feeling Renata's eyes on her, "Plus a batcave would be cool, just saying."

[SalmonMax]

Renata shook her head. "Too many red flags. I've seen guys like Carlyle before."

 

She ticked a finger. "First, he never said what he wanted out of it. Not really. He wanted to sell us on the cool stuff, then when we were invested he'd hit us with what we owed him. It's like...'asshole investor 101.'  Look at all this cool shit! Batcave, awesome gear, sweet costumes! Now, if you want to keep it, here's what you gotta do. Monetize. Brand. Public appearances. The whole...fucking shitburger."

 

Another finger. "Maybe I'm just paranoid, but he was being a real dick about our identities. Did you notice how he kept reminding us that he knew who we were, and that he'd 'help protect us' if we worked with him? Which implies that the opposite is true if we don't? Kept trying to imply that we couldn't do it without him? These guys...politicians and CEOs and rich assholes, they all talk in fucking circles like that. Like Mafia godfathers. You always have to read between the lines."

 

"And finally? He gave up too fast. The second I didn't just agree, started asking questions and wanting time to think, he folded. That says to me he never had a winning hand. He knew that if he couldn't hook us with swag, we'd never go for the full deal. If he'd been on the level, he'd have been willing to work with us over time, develop trust and a relationship, you know?"

 

She nodded. "I admit, I wasn't a hundred percent sure of myself before, but seeing that...I'm pretty sure now. This was a scam. What sucks is he might still out us, just out of spite."

 

With a sigh, Renata looked at Beckett and reached over to put her hand on her shoulder. "Look, you're not wrong. We...could use some help. Just not that guy. There's gotta be somewhere we can go for this kind of thing. We just haven't really looked before. We'll find something."

[Nina]

Beckett pursed her lips as they came up to Ren's dorm. they stopped still on the sidewalk. "Well you were kind of being a bitch, which is usually my job. I mean we've been going to these parties every week for the last three months, and you asked him for a business card. Yeah that was kind of a burn, Ren."  She shrug.

 

"Okay, we don't go back and we do it ourselves. But he does know who we are now." She shrugs again.

[SalmonMax]

"I told him we'd get back to him, I basically asked for his number," Renata says defensively. "And I wasn't being a bitch, I was...expressing concerns." She paused, then admitted, "...in maybe bitchier terms than I absolutely had to. It's just..."

 

She hesitated again. "He just reminded me of my dad, okay? It's the same bullshit. Offering the world, as long as you play by his rules. And the fact that he was being so coy about what he wanted...yeah no. I didn't trust him, and he didn't try very hard to change that. We can do better."

 

"And as for knowing who we are...yeah. I dunno what to do about that. Any ideas? Because I have an idea...but it's not a very nice idea."