Zero Hour MUX: "Chase-ing Secrets" or "Who Watches the DEO?" Logged by Impulse, 11/18/99 Starring: Agent Cameron Chase, Robin (as Alvin Draper), Dolphin, and Impulse Metro: Midtown The Midtown area of New Troy is located in the southern central part of the borough and occupies roughly one third of the island. Midtown is the glamour and shopping center of Metropolis. The bank of the West River (to the south), on which the neighborhood sits, is lined with summer homes on private beaches. Expensive condominiums, high-rises, and luxury apartments overlook Metropolis Park on the north side of Midtown. Some of the world's most expensive department stores and shops line Midtown's famed Fifth Avenue, which bisects this exclusive neighborhood. It's about five o'clock - twilight - in Metropolis. The sun is glinting off the tops of the highest buildings, but the streets are already shadowed. The Midtown Starbucks is brightly lit and unthreatening. Everything about this city is fairly unthreatening, actually; it could almost make you feel like you have nothing to worry about. What an astounding concept. Once you enter the well-known coffee establishment, you're hit with a wall of warmth and sound and the smell of coffee. "Alvin," laughs a lanky teenager sitting at a table by his friend; he's facing the door, looking for people coming in and looking lost. The kid shakes his head, then pushes back his hair, grinning. "Grife." ---Bart Allen The tallish, lanky kid in front of you slouches and looks preoccupied, amber eyes distant and very likely unfocused, until you deliberately try to catch his attention. His hair is longish - kind of, oh, Ramones-length - and thick, sticking out a bit in wiry waves. It generally behaves badly, finding its way back into his face whenever he pushes it away. It could definitely use a trim. He has a calm, careless face, features pale and sharp. The boy wears a pale green bowling shirt, made of a shimmery polyester-like fabric. Across the front, and edging the collar and short sleeves, is a bold black and white checkerboard pattern. His black jeans are relatively baggy: long, lazy folds go from the bunched-up hems to his pockets, making a couple of stops along the way - they offer him freedom of movement. His shoes are relatively understated, as quiet as size 13 Docs can possibly be. And, of course, trendily enough, his wallet is connected to his belt with a long chrome chain, making a wide arc down the side of his leg. --- Alvin Draper laughs too, checking out the coffee house behind his shades, like he was trying to pick out whose head to bust. The laughter is totally at odds with his posture. Quietly he says to Bart, "You ought to try a disguise once in a while. It's a kick." ---Alvin Draper This kid is a typical Gotham City youth, probably a high-schooler. He's five feet tall give or take an inch, wiry but not frail. His face is round and his black hair is slicked back. When he lowers his dark glasses his eyes are blue. A toothpick juts out of his mouth. He's wearing a rumpled denim jacket that's almost too big, with the sleeves rolled up over a red oversized long-sleeved T-shirt. Baggy jeans flow over his legs to sneaker-covered feet. His hands are usually in his pockets. He slouches and looks around like he's waiting for trouble. --- Cameron Chase steps through the door into the brightly lit coffee shop, running a slender hand through her wind-touseled blond hair and shrugging out of her long, beaten up trenchcoat. She looks around, obviously attempting to pick out one certain someone amongst the crowd. In a few moments, she has him. Making her way over, she nods to both young men. "This seat taken?" she says, the slightest of smiles quirking at the corner of her lips. ---Cameron Chase Blonde hair slides against her shoulders, framing a face filled with contradictions. Her skin is fairly pale despite the amount of time she spends out of doors. Large eyes of emerald green watch the world with a sort of detached wariness, keenly intelligent. They darken to a grey-green depending on her mood. Her features are almost angular in cast, save for the fullness of her lips - cheekbones high, pert nose in an oval face. Today she is dressed in a dark green blouse, modest and comfortable, black pants, a thin dark green belt cinched about her slender waist, and serviceably scuffed black boots. She carries no handbag or other carrying case. She wears no jewellery at all. No earrings, no necklaces, no bracelets, no rings, not even a watch. What she *does* have, is a gun (serviceable .45. She likes her weapons hefty) and holster hidden from direct view by the dark grey trenchcoat she wears on a regular basis. And her badge. That's in the left pocket of her pants. Not that she shows it around often. --- Alvin Draper kicks the empty chair out from under the table with a squeak, so it can be sat on by the trenchcoated woman. He shrugs. "It's a free country," he says. He must think he's James Dean. Bart Allen smiles a little lopsidedly, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table, sort of crossing his arms. "Make yourself at home. They love it when you do that here. Agent Chase, I'm guessing?" He glances at Alvin, barely suppressing a smirk. Cameron Chase raises a brow at the youth when he kicks out the chair. But she supposes the outcome is the same. "Thanks, kid." she says as she takes the seat and sets herself down, tossing her coat over the back of it. She could whistle "Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady" but she's pretty sure it would be lost on him. Besides. Her whistling sucks. She looks to Bart as he speaks and nods. "Yup. None other. You're Bart. And this is?" She motions her head towards Alvin while still looking at Bart. "This the friend you told me about?" Let's just make sure of things before anything gets discussed, shall we? Nodding cheerfully, Bart stands, sticking his hand out. "Bart Allen, in the flesh. This is Alvin Draper; you can speak freely in front of him." He keeps his voice slightly lower than normal, not whispering, but also not being bloody obvious about the fact that they're talking about stuff that's, well, /secret/. The cover of the people talking around them is enough - that and the loudasses calling drinks over at the bar. Alvin Draper leans forward on the table as well so no one has to shout. "Yeah, I know what Bart knows. You're talking to the right folks." A cashier shouts 'One decaf venti skim Sumatra misto!' and someone at the coffee bar screams back 'One decaf venti skim Sumatra misto!'. Cameron Chase takes that hand and gives it a firm shake. She's got quite a grip. No nonsense. Just like the rest of her. She turns to look Alvin over more closely when Bart mentions she can speak freely in front of him - and his own words, even if they don't exactly *reassure* her, at least let her know that she's in the right place. Well. Maybe. This could very well mean her job. If there are agents anywhere around taking notes, it likely will. But... she'll be DAMNED if she's going to take someone in that doesn't belong there. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me." she says, looking first to one and then the other. "I thought it was best we get everything out in the open." Oh, good. A loud, crowded Starbucks; exactly the place where Dol most likes to spend her time. No, wait - she hates crowds. That would possibly explain the lost look in her eyes as she walks through the door. Odd how sleek merwomen in very little clothing seem to attract attention - especially in the middle of November. Dol's entrance actually heralds a moment of stunned silence in the shop - at least on the part of the males nearest the door. She scans the room, biting her bottom lip. ---Dolphin Light blue eyes catch your gaze first, eerily off-colour. It takes a moment to realize what's odd about them - they pale to a gleaming white in the centre, alien and unreadable. Her face is oval, an air of elegance given by arched white brows and full, expressive lips. That same effect is marred slightly by an impishly snubbed nose. Her expression is calm, her skin tone lightly tanned - odd, considering she doesn't often see the sunlight. Her hair flows in a platinum wave to mid-thigh, swirling around her. She is wearing the remnants of a white shirt, torn at the sleeves and tied just below her chest, revealing a smoothly muscled stomach. Faded denim cutoffs cling snugly to her hips. That is the extent of her clothing, her arms and legs bare. There is a simple metallic band around her left wrist. She has an ethereal, almost unnatural slenderness that seems fragile until she moves, and the play of streamlined muscles become evident. There is a quiet confidence to her. A final piece of oddity is present - a thick, fleshy webbing that stretches between the strong fingers of her hands, and between her bare toes. She moves with grace and agility. --- Bart Allen waves Dolphin over, spotting her. There's another chair - there's always another chair! He nods again, seriously, sitting down. "It's no problem. Forgive our hesitation about meeting you alone. We, ah," he pauses, "are willing to work with the DEO, naturally." Alvin Draper steps on Bart's foot under the table. Not hard, just enough to get his attention. He clears his throat. "That depends on definition of 'work with'. What exactly did you want to ask us, Agent Chase?" He pulls his shades down briefly as Dolphin enters, like a cat looking over a mouse. "Yowza." he says before returning them to his eyes and looking back at the conversation. Cameron Chase doesn't exactly seem overjoyed by the increase in the amount of people she's to discuss this with... but not having much choice, she'll just have to live with it. She nods to Dolphin as the woman makes her way over, her expression entirely unreadable. Turning back to Bart, she nods. "That's not really what we're talking about here though, is it." Straight to the point. She regards Alvin and once more nods before speaking again. "You know where she is and you're not going to tell me. That's all right. I don't think I want to know just now. But I *do* want to know why the DEO wants her. I mean, why they *really* want her. Not the PR BS they saw fit to tell me." She's a danger? Why exactly? And when she'd tried to find out, she'd been rebuffed. That hadn't eased her conscience any. Dolphin is, in fact, making her way over, having lit her gaze on Bart with an expression very close to sheer thankfulness. She appears oblivious to any stares she's getting, only raises a webbed hand to brush back the unruly mane of her hair, and nods to Bart, as he's the only one she recognizes. Her pale eyes trace over Alvin and Cameron, and she slides into the indicated chair (free chairs are /so/ easy to find in Starbucks, yes!). Bart Allen looks slightly startled, but doesn't react to the stepped-on-foot other than that. He hasn't mastered any sort of poker face, but he's not a dope, no siree. The kid does, however, frown slightly at Alvin, clearing his throat and saying pointedly, "TMS cooperates with the government." The stress is on the last word, but it's slight. He flashes Dolphin a reassuring grin, then glances back to Agent Chase. "What, exactly, did they tell *you*?" Alvin Draper shrugs at Bart's remark. He brings his coffee up to his face to hide a grin. . o O(Good question, Bart. Let's see if this matches with what Secret told us.) Cameron Chase shrugs. "That she was a danger. To herself and to others. That she's not truly a "she"... that whatever "she" is, can take any form at will. And that "she" kills people without provocation and should be returned to the DEO at all costs for her own and the public's good. That was about the size of it. But as I try to find out more, it's getting a bit murky. I thought I'd get to the root of the problem by talking to someone that the DEO said knows her. Find out if what they say is true. So? What do *you* think?" She raises a slender brow as she waits for a response. Hopefully, it's not Dol that Cam's expecting a response from, because the woman from down under is as silent as usual. Her eyes are focused on the other woman's lips, rather intently; possibly she has difficulty hearing in this crowded environment. Blinking in surprise, Bart shakes his head. "Gee-rife. Kills without provocation, huh? What a load've nass." He falls silent for a second, looking at Alvin, then bites his lip, seemingly making a decision. "Okay. Well - you seem reasonable. So /hypothetically/, if such a person were harbored by our group," he says, speaking a bit slowly and emphatically, "I'd have to say that the DEO was either horribly misinformed or intentionally lying. And I'd lean toward the latter. This hypothetical girl is about the gentlest person in the world - and about as naive as I was when I got here." Alvin Draper takes the toothpick out his mouth and pokes his chin with it absent-mindedly. "I agree with Bart for the most part. Although I will point out that while she hasn't shown any of those tendencies yet, she also doesn't act, well, normal." He leans on one elbow. "On the third hand, though, I have a personal problem with kids being torn from their families and being manipulated by adults. She was dropped into our hands by the Justice League for what it's worth. I'm still not sure, Ms Chase, what you want with her or from us. If you don't believe the DEO's story, what do you believe?" Cameron Chase doesn't exactly look shaken... but very nearly so. There's a tightness to her jaw that only the most observant would recognize. She nods. "Assuming that I accept your explanation, why would they lie?" is her simple question. She isn't answering Alvin for the time being. And she doesn't seem to think either of you are lying. But what the hell else does someone do when their entire world view is being deconstructed, brick by brick? And what's more, what's this silent merwoman doing at the table? Nothing, apparently, beyond listening. Watching. Ignoring the various stares that she's attracting. Dol looks to Bart for a response. Bart Allen raises his eyebrows, sitting up straight and reaching back to scratch his neck. "Well...first off, why would we know why the DEO would lie? *We* don't work for them. Have you ever known them to lie before?" He looks dubious, dropping his hands into his lap. "We haven't explained anything yet, either. Just told you what we know about her personality and how amazingly /different/ it is from what the DEO's hollering about." Alvin Draper points a finger of his free hand at Chase before placing both hands on the table. "And how would you know if they were lying to you or not?" His posture shifts subtly, and now he's not just some punk kid at the table. There's something intelligent and inquisitive about this kid. Cameron Chase nods slowly. "I've never known them to lie before. At least, not the people *I* speak with. I don't know why there's such a marked difference between what they're telling me and what you're telling me. I wanted to know what you thought about that. You think she's incapable of acting in the way they describe? I mean, is it *possible*?" She turns to Alvin then. "I wouldn't." she states flatly. Honestly. "I was asked to do a job. They've not steered me wrong before. But I haven't heard of this... secret... doing anything since I got out here. Makes me wonder. And there's a lot I don't know about the situation. A lot they wouldn't... or couldn't - tell me. That's why I came to you. If I'm wrong about this, if the DEO is mistaken, tell me so. And tell me *why*." Her gaze is intense. She's noticed that this kid isn't what he pretends to be. But then again, none of you are. Dolphin doesn't actually pretend to be anything. Webbed hands, webbed feet... little conversation. She's paying attention, and yet, doesn't seem to have the urge to contribute anything. The pale blue gaze flicks between the three others as they speak. Bart Allen shakes his head, decidedly negative. "No, I don't think it's possible for her to intentionally kill someone. I mean, obviously, it's possible for anyone to kill anyone else, but we're talkin' psychology here." He crosses his arms, sitting back; there's a look of intensity on his face, but his posture is easy, loose. "Now, I'm not one to go all into conspiracy theories or anything, but it's pretty common knowledge that when the government is scared of something - or even just the possibilities something's capable of - it'll try as hard as it can to get control of that something. Or someone. Is it unreasonable for us to assume the child welfare branch of the DEO isn't exactly leveling with you on this? Secret's powerful." Behind his dark glasses, Alvin blinks unnoticed. . o O (Whoa. Bart's getting sophisticated. Rock on.) "Sounds like we know only what you know." he says. "We'll talk to Secret some more. And maybe the League." From the sound of it, Alvin isn't looking forward to the latter. Cameron Chase lets out a soft breath. "I honestly don't know. As I said, the people I speak with have always been on the level with me." She thinks about that a while. Then, "If she was that powerful though, and I hate to suggest this, but it's something that needs to be considered, might she not be a danger to people in any case? I mean, she should at least be trained how to use whatever it is she's got, without causing more trouble, right? And what *is* it that she's got? Do you know?" She turns to look over at Alvin when he speaks, nodding slowly. "It does sound like it." She considers this some more, her eyes scanning the crowd as she thinks. When she speaks again, her voice is low. "Look. I'm no girl scout. And I know what the DEO told me. They'd like to have her in for questioning. For possible training if they can arrange it. Whatever. They didn't go into details with me. I have no reason to believe they'd harm her. But at the very least, I want to make sure that whatever she's got, doesn't hurt the innocent public, ok? That's my goal here, whether you choose to believe it or not." Bart Allen frowns, posture not noticeably changing, but expression definitely darkening. "Uh-huh. I know what governmental 'training' is like. If the DEO is that concerned, Agent Chase, they can speak with the Justice League. I'd tend to trust their judgment." . o O (In this, at least, even if they have their heads up their noses otherwise.) "She was placed in our care because we have both the facilities and the know-how - not to mention the compassion and, for some of us, the similar backgrounds - to adequately train her and help her adjust to the mainstream." He's positively scowling now. "Kids *do not* need to be locked up away from other people just because they're different and the DEO has a problem with curiosity." Damn. WHat happened to 'TMS cooperates with the government'? Looks like Chase touched on a nerve, here. Alvin Draper doesn't move either except to drink some more coffee. "Again, I agree with Bart. Although we don't want to shoot the messenger now." Cameron Chase is doing some frowning of her own. Yeah. Give someone a bunch of super powers and see how much the "little guy" means then. If they're not rushing in for the "rescue", there's not much reason to pay attention to your average Joe on the street, now is there? She hadn't planned to get this annoyed. A few deep breaths. Just take a few deep breaths. These guys just don't remember - or maybe never knew - what it was like to be on the *other* side of the equation. "It's my job to make sure that there's no spill over." she says. "There are a lot of average people out there with no super powers that have no way to defend themselves if a powerful being gets out of control. If I have to talk to the JLA, I'll do that. But I was trying to go to you first. People who might actually be her friends. So that this could be resolved amicably. If I've done wrong, just let me know. I'll get out of your hair." Yeah. She's annoyed. Ah, tension. The only thing Dol loves more than crowds, is tension in crowds. A small line has appeared between her platinum brows, and she folds her arms where she sits, idly rubbing webbed fingers over the opposite bicep. And, of course, she watches, though her gaze seems to rest on Cameron a little more carefully now, rather than moving to Bart or Alvin. Making a valiant effort to keep a lid on his reaction, then, Bart closes his eyes and passes a hand over his face; in a moment he seems relatively calm again. "I know. I know there are a lot of average people out there, et cetera et cetera. How can I not know? It's our job to try to keep the innocent innocent, and the defenseless safe. I'm just trying to say that if the JLA - people the government recognizes as capable and benevolent - can trust us with keeping a Secret, then I wouldn't worry, if I were you." He sighs, dropping his arms again; he looks to Alvin and Dol as if to ask if it's worth it to keep going. Alvin Draper slaps Bart on the back. "Nicely put, my bruthah." He looks around the table. "We will look into this more, Agent Chase. I think we all want the same things - what's best for both the girl and for the public. We just aren't sure where those meet yet." Cameron Chase lets out a soft breath. Her eyes close a moment, obviously getting herself under control in much the same way Bart did earlier. Getting angry about this isn't going to solve anything. "You said you have the sanction of the JLA? That's at least something to put the DEO's collective mind at ease." Another slight pause. "Look, we *are* both after the same things. I'm not questioning your ability, ok? If the JLA told you to take care of her, I'm sure you're quite capable of taking care of her. Frankly? I think this was a fact finding mission. The DEO doesn't expect me to get her and drop her off at the nearest headquarters or anything. If they wanted subtlety, they wouldn't use a sledgehammer like me." She smirks a bit, some of the old humour coming back into those green eyes. "I just want to be in the information loop, that's all. Call this an introduction." Dolphin, unsurprisingly, fails to reply. She simply continues to watch Cameron, and though a little of the wariness dissipates from her demeanor as the other woman quasi-relaxes, the merwoman's general air of confusion remains. Bart Allen nods, standing. "All right," he says easily, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. "Then consider us introduced. You have our number, you know my name...and yes, TMS has, as far as I'm aware, always had the sanction of the JLA." He finally smiles. "Since this is a school night, Alvin and I should really hit the road. I'm sure we'll be in touch." He turns to the ocean lady and raises his eyebrows, offering a lopsided grin. "And thanks for showing up on such short notice, Dolphin." Alvin Draper throws his toothpick in the ashtray. "Speak for yourself dude. School is a drag." He gets up too. Cameron Chase stands also. It's beginning to dawn on her why the other woman might be here... And if so, it's a dirty trick. But she can't really blame the guys, she supposes. Nothing going on in her noggin that she didn't tell them straight out anyway. "Thanks for your time then." she says. No handshakes are offered. So. She guesses she knows how things stand. Since when did she become a "necessary evil"? Ah well. They always told her in school that not everyone was going to like her. That makes her smile a little. "I was glad to meet you, anyway. I hope when we meet again, it'll be under better circumstances." She nods and heads to the door. Dolphin's gaze moves over Alvin again, curiously, then rests on Bart, with a distinct air of "why was I here, again?" Nevertheless, she returns the young man's flash of a smile, and nods to Cameron as the woman passes. Rising with everyone else - hey, it's a group thing - she escorts her two teammates to the door, and out.