Flushing Security

June 11, 2019:

//Flushing Meadows Park //

Flushing Meadows is a public park in Queens, the fouth largest in New York. It's home to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the New York Hall of Science and Citi Field. It also hosted the World Fair of '39/'40 and '64/'65.
The park itself features wide open expanses between the various facilities on it along with footpaths and, as is necessary in the summer, shaded areas.

Characters

NPCs: Arielle Reynolds Umoja Security Detail

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Appearing from one of the hiking trails in the public park is Arielle Reynolds, CFO of Umoja International, she is followed closely behind by Morien. Arielle pauses for a moment to peer over her shoulder to speak to Morien. "I think we will be a great location to host next year's Veteran's Day celebration."
Morien raises his arms in shrug as he glances towards the New York Hall of Science, "It seems we will be able to gather a lot of people here, but now I want to host a Science Expo at the Hall of Science… Overly dramatic pleads to Arielle, "Is there anyway my CFO could perhaps manage to get that done…
Arielle smirks. "It depends would her boss give her his tickets to HadesTown this weekend? Morien rolls his eyes and pouts. "Sure, you and your wife enjoy your selves."

New York Hall of Science. There's some interesting things there. Stephanie had a day off from work and so prowled around in her civilian clothes, just another face in the crowd. Now she's stepped from the Science building, into the park, with her hands in her pockets, contemplating both what she'd seen and what she might want for lunch.
Arielle Reynolds, "Speaking of my lovely wife, we have a lunch date this afternoon, since I already blackmailed your for your Broadway tickets. Arielle jokingly pats herself on the back, "I think I am going to take my leave." As she gets several yards away from Morien, a keen observer would notice an auburn haired woman sitting on a bench near the hiking trail.
As Arielle Reynold is about to leave her sight, the auburn haired women lowers the newspaper she was reading, and casually tilt her head sideways as if she is speaking to someone before going back to reading her newspaper. When the woman puts her newspaper back up to her face, a couple sitting on pair of benches quickly get up and begin to follow Arielle out of the park.
Morie watches the whole interaction and mumbles. "We really need to be smoother than that." Morien walks over to an empty bench in the shady area.
."
Stephanie is one of those keen observers. It's a matter of survival. She slyly watches the exchange pausing to 'take a selfie' to do so.
Security, her experience tells her. The woman is likely in no danger from them. But it's curious as to why she would even need security to begin with. That selfie? Stephanie snapped a picture of Arielle, and under the guise of posting her selfie to Instagram, she transfers it from her bejeweled Hello Kitty Phone to her black work phone safely tucked away in the inside pocket of her jacket. The hashtag on the pic triggers a run of that picture against the Batcomputer's data base while deleting the text conversation where the picture was sent from.
Stephanie makes her way toward the bench Morien is sitting on, 'playing' with her Social Media.
While relaxing with the memories of previous World Fairs that took place in the park as he tries to recall how the landscape was during that time, he doesn't notice Stephanie until she is a few feet away. Morien blinks his eyes a few time as he regain some level of focus on what is currently going on around him. "Oh, am I sitting at your bench?"

Morien laughs softly, "Perhaps sounds a bit weird, but I have a favorite bench in Central Park that I sit at, and it really disturbs every fiber of my being when people sit there. So I am almost willing to move from other people's favorite spot." Morien mumbles, "Yeah, it evens sound a lot weird now that I hear myself."
Stephanie looked up as she was addressed. Her blue-green eyes almost innocent and bright, her thumbs hovering over the screen of her phone, like the millenial she is.
"what?" she asks. Her voice is high, airy, youthful, making her seem so much younger than she is.
"oh. no. No. not at all! If this is your favorite bench, I can go somewhere else. It's just… that red-head with the paper gives me the heebees and well.. this one's in the shade," she explains, not so coyly turning and pointing over her shoulder at the security agent that signaled 'the bird is on the move' earlier. Hello Kitty phone gets butt-pocketed.
Morien grins slightly at the comment without glancing over at the security officer with the newspaper and leans his head towards Stephanie. "It is all right. She doesn't bite, and to be honest she is probably super nervous right now. This is her first security detail that she has taking the lead on, and her mother heads our entire physical security division." Morien winks at Stephanie. "Can you do me a favor and just sit here next to me? I would like to see how she reacts." Morien bites his lips. "Okay, I know this might sounds like an elaborate pickup line, but believe me I am not that clever.

Either Morien is brilliant or his an idiot, for his words have Stephanie's eyes going wide. The wink and the lip bite have her curious. How is this security going to react. Please, let it not be in a way that will force Stephanie to have to play the 'I took a self-defense class' card. it's a really bad card. She is no where NEAR as good at faking being BAD at martial combat as the others are. The nervousness helps make this more real.
"Um.. sure. No.. No problem, Mr….?" well, maybe she can get SOME bit of intel out of this. The blonde turns and settles herself on the bench by Morien's side, keeping tabs on the red-head out of the corner of her eyes and making it clear that she's doing that. It's meant to have an air of looking like she's trying NOT to look over at this head of security. Most of her attention is most noticeably on Morien himself, and she gives a rather poor attempt at a winning smile.
"How's this?"
"My name is Morien Washington." Morien extends his right hand to Stephanie inside his hand is a 100 dollar bill, and he whispers. "Typical rate, we pay an hour for independent contractors for consulting us on various matters. Morien chuckles. "See, you get to sit in the shade, and you get the added benefit of being able to say you made some quick money with a side hustle. It is better than having to drive for Uber."
The auburn woman tries to casually rustle her newspaper, but in her excitement it makes a loud enough noise to startle the old lady next to her. The old lady glares at the woman and scoots away from her.
The rustling does its job by alerting a nearby street performer to "accidentally" let go one of his balloons. A few seconds latter, some joggers come running through the park and passed with a few feet of Morien and Stephanie's bench before disappearing down the hiking trail.
A keen observer would have noticed that all the joggers had some small pieces reflective wear somewhere on their clothes; eventhough it is still not close to being dark.

Morien Washington. Stephanie files the name away for later homework even as she looks down at the extended hand. The money is a surprise, and it shows on her cheeks as they tint pink ever so slightly. Her eyes come back up to Morien's, and she smiles again.
"Stephanie Brown," she replies, accepting the hand (and the cash because while she works with Bruce Wayne, she is not at all Wayne Rich), and settling in to the 'side hussle'.
"So. What do you do that you've got a head of security?" Steph asks softly, just as the ginger rustles her newspaper. Stephanie pretends she doesn't notice until the street performer lets go of the balloon and the joggers rush by. Stephanie's eyes catch the 'marker' that reflective thing they are all wearing. Her smile flickers toward a puzzled frown at what that might mean but only for a moment. By the time she's turned back to Morien, the 'still don't know what's gonig on here but shade and quick cash are good' smile is back in place. Though she's playing dumb, the joggers and their suits have Stephanie just a bit on edge.

"I wish I could say it was because I am famous musician with dozens of platinum records." Morien laughs. "That would be so cool if that was true, but I am afraid the truth is incredibly boring. I am own my own company, Umoja International." Morien slowly grinds his teeth. "Unless you have an interest in finance or news about civilian support given to super heroes than you probably never heard of me. I am one of the low profile billionaires. I think even TMZ refuses to follow me because I am so boring." Morien pulls his sleeve back and looks down at his expensive watch. "She is cutting close with the time…' Morien peers over from his watch. "What do you do, Stephanie?"

Umoja International. The name, coupled with Morien Washinton, rings a bell and Stephanie recalls that among all the things he's done, he an that company helped supply the Justice League.
And Stephanie probably shouldn't really know that. So, she smiles and nods, seeking to protray the 'I have never heard of you'. She watches him check his watch, glancing at the ginger now that she has the excuse to, before answering his question.
"I'm… I'ma law student at Gotham U. I work as an intern here in New York though," she replies smoothly.

"A law student at Gotham U that is pretty impressive, and is good to know that Gotham still actually has laws that people have study." Morien extends his right arm in front of him as his sights fall to his hand. He glances at his fingertips as he continues to speak to Stephanie. "I thought at this point that people in Gotham were just following the law that only the strong survive, or in Gotham the case the biggest nutcracker survives." Morien frowns in disgust, "Feckin Gotham!"
Motien pulls the same right hand back to his ear and back at his watch. "Background check down in a timely manner."
Morien pulls out the earplug. "Great marks for not going overboard. Don't tell your mother, but when she led her first detail she actually called in our snipers. Morien casually turns to Stephanie to again talking to her as this quite normal behavior. "Will you be a civil or criminal lawyer? Do you have any suggestion for the detail captain."
As Morien starts in on her precious Gotham, Stephanie's back stiffens. She knows the city is rotting from the inside, but having someone like this just up and SAY it like that is just.. it's upsetting. But any being upset is waylaid when he comments on a background check and Stephanie has a moment of something like an out of body experience. Normally, she's the one running background checks on people, not the one having her background checked. Her eyes go wide as for that heartbeat there's the fear that he'll somehow figure her out. It makes the character of Stephanie Brown, not used to this, far more believable.

"Uh.. Cr-criminal. Su-suggestion? Um.. Ummm…!"
"Criminal law, I have always those who take up such a profession very interesting." Morien passes his ear bud between his fingers, "Do you become a noble prosecutor and follow a belief system in which:The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that take.." Morien bobs his head from side to side. "Well, I mean your case if would be blesseth she that gives, but I hope you capture my meaning.
Morien throws the earbud up with his right hand and catches it with his left hand as he continues to speak without pausing, "Or do you become a righteous defense attorney. One that can proudly declare that:"But there is one way in this country which all men are created equal-there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man equal of an Einstein, and an ignorant man equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court." Morien lets out a sigh, "I have always loved Atticus Finch, but I digress. Perhaps I should have just ask you if your were going prosecutor or defense attorney, instead of rambling on." Morien peers down at the ear bud,
"Yes, do you have any suggestion to my security captain. She is the red-haired woman with the ripped newspaper a couple of benches down from us.

Morien goes on into a poetic description of the debate that's waged in her for a year now. Defense or Prosecution. She had originally started as prosecution, working with the DA's office. Then she worked for Murdock, on defense cases and things got harder for her to sort out for herself. She fronws lightly at Morien.

"I'm… still sorting that out. I've been working both so far, just so I have experience on both sides…" she says after a moment, her gaze trailing toward the red head as she's pointed out again. Suggestions? For the captain? Well, where do I start?

The newspaper was way too obvious. Talking to her com was way too obvious. The guy with the balloon was a signal for the joggers. The joggers moved in a neat pack that obscurred her view of her mark for three seconds, long enough to put one in his forehead. With a silencer, no one would have heard a thing. And the two that tailed the woman were following too obviously, both moving in unison. It marked her. Can't comment on the background check since I'm not sure what you now know about me.

"Umm… she rattled her newspaper?" Stephanie offers hoping to sound super ultra lame. Just another dumb blonde.

A slow chesire grin appears to form on his face as he tilts his head towards his left shoulder. "The paper rattling? Morien turns away from her and cast his gaze towards his security officer, but continues speaking to Stephanie."Interesting, I don't expect people from Gotham to notice the obvious. Seriously, a series of toy cars could be filled with deadly laughing gas."
Morien taps his left index finger on his knee and speaks into his earbud. "I think she could use more training overseas. I think of a couple of years protecting some high profile targets in some unhospitable places will sharpen her skills more. Her mother came to us after retiring as a Master Sergeant with 30 years of services, and she still needed to learn how to operate in places where threats are hidden behind expensive gowns and tuxedoes. @RMorien speaks on his earbud. "Stand down our security detail, but please make sure my normal detail is still in place. Morien furrows his brow again. "My board gets extremely upset when I lose them."
You know, they really could. Stephanie's eyes cut to the guy with the balloons.

"Well, between you me and the squirrel, the balloon guy is kinda freaking me out," she admits, falling silent as Morien once more talks to his security detail. Oh, how badly she wants her cowl so she can hack the frequency and listen in. But she's not supposed to know anything about this life, so she just waits this out.
"If I was you, I would be a prosecutor. A prosecutor has a lot of power in how people get punished in the criminal justice system." Morien eyes look over at the guy with the balloons. Morien smirks as his voice becomes more stern, "He seems a bit odd to me like one of those guy thought is was beneath him to work for a rising female star in the company, so he got stuck on clown duty until the park closes; eventhough, the rest of his detail gets to leave. "
Morien blinks his eyes few times and turns back to Stephanie. "So what else do you in Gotham or New York beside deciding where you fit on the scales of Lady Justice."
"Y-yeah." Stephanie says, her eyes following Morien's to the balloon guy. At the word clown, Stephanie shudders… visibly.

"Yeah… He was too keen to let that balloon go," she says faintly, shuddering one last time before turning back to Morian. What else does she do? What else?

Oh… nothing major. The usual. Cruise the rooftops on a flying motorcycle in spandex and kevlar, kicking bad guy teeth while runing intel for Batfamily, Avengers, Titans, and Justice League.

"Um… Just.. stuff."

Morien notices the shuddering and mumbles, "Feckin Gotham." again. Morien reaches into his jacket and pulls out a business card. "Well, I believe I have taking up too much of your time, and you have been more than accommodating to a complete stranger. Morien hands over his card, but "accidentally" loses the grip so the card starts to fall..
Stephanie tries to pull herself together, though her gaze flicks to those balloons a few times. It's because of that that the motion of the card was caught out of hte corner of her eye. What happens next is reflex. The card was just the right size to be anything, flash-bang, taser-bomb… Her head snaps back, eyes focusing on it, even as her hand is snapping out. Two delicately manicured finger snap shut on the card before it gets to the bench between them, and Stephanie freezes.
Blue-green eyes widen a touch and her gaze pulls up to look at Morien. 'umm… crap.'
"Nice reflexes, let me guess you are going to Gotham University on some sort of athletic scholarship?" Morien questions her playfully. ""Obviously, that could be the only thing that make sense. You would have to be some sort of athlete with your keen eye and quick reflexes" Morien raises his left hand and gently strokes the side of his head as he is doing his best to hide his smile, but failing miserably, "I would speak without your body, but I really don't want you to have to think that this has been some elaborate scheme to get your phone."
Morien lets out an overly dramatic sigh, "As I stated before I am not that clever or have that many friends to pull off such a ruse. Anyways keep the card, I have a great legal department and if you want to see how corporate world operates within the criminal justice, especially in host of different countries, just give a call." Morien chuckles softly, "Or do you want to make a quick hundred providing distraction for me, so I can go clubbing that will be fine too. Yes, I am that yuppie who secretly believes he can be in band. Morien leans against his back against the park bench as he tries to commit her form to memory by allowing his eyes to glide over her body from toe to head before they rest gently on her blue-green eyes, "But, I guess we all have secrets.
Color dances over Stephanie's cheeks, making the very very faint freckles she has impreciptibly visible. It's tip toing toward her ears by this point, and leaves Stephanie completely off balance and surprised and- "Did you just offer me a job?" As a lawyer intern AND… an escourt?
She just shocked extremely old man with her question. Morien laughs nervously trying to not show he is embarrassed by while word choice. "Wait, huh….." Morien quickly tugs on his left ear. "Oh, no, I mean not that type of distraction. I mean being an actual distraction so I can give my security guard the slip, not like a sexual distraction…" Morien lets out another nervous laugh, this one a few pitches higher than the last. "I would never do that sort of thing. I am not some guy stuck on balloon duty….Morien takes a deep breath, "Yes, a lawyer intern position, no for the escort.
She… said that out loud, didn't she? The part about the escourt? She didn't think she had and yet…
Dammit Steph!
The color dances a bit more to her cheeks as she looks down at the card again, her sharp mind already moving to get it memorized.
"I'll ….send my resume and… wait for a proper interview then, Mr. Washington…."
This is probably the worst idea she's ever had. Worse than trying to out villain Dad. Worse than punching Bats in the face. Worse than faking her own- Stephanie pushes up.
"Thank you, Mr. Washington," she says before collecting her bag and turning and just walking away.

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