2013.07.15 - Explanations

It was late afternoon, three days after the 'incident' with the dark elves, where John, and Jocelyn's secret identities were both revealed to one another through circumstance. Before all the wounded had even been seen to, John had disappeared, leaving his car parked where it was, and not in his hotel room. If Jocelyn had gone back looking for him the next day there, she would have been informed that Mr. Snuffy Stirnweiss had checked out that evening, but left an envelope for a Miss Jocelyn Stream. In the Envelope was an address, that said merely "The Scrap Iron Club" and given a date (today's date), and a time (roughly 15 minutes or so from now), as a post script it said: "You can find me there, and leave any messages for me with the staff. I'll understand if you resign." signed simply "J"
So, here John sits, in a mostly empty club. Only a few older people (and by older, I DO mean older, almost geriatric in fact) scattered about, and a bartender behind the bar, chatting to the single waitress, who looks a bit older herself. They're both smoking while standing at the bar, as is John, while he sits in a booth nursing a glass of something brown.
Really, why would Jocelyn resign over something like that? It wasn't like she didn't keep her identity secret herself. So Jocelyn had decided to head down to the club and see what was up. The girl doesn't approach John right away, however, as she gets a read on the club. She heads up to the bar and gets herself some root beer. She wasn't old enough to drink, and while she was positive she could probably fool the bartender if she tried (one of those Detroit skills she had picked up), she didn't really feel like it.
Her drink in hand, Jocelyn heads over towards John and slides into the booth. "You know, Snuffy, it takes a whole lot more than that to scare me off," Jocelyn comments as she takes a drink of her soda.
Carmichal just chuckles and looks slightly abashed. "Sorry, toots, I honestly have no idea how people react to things these days...." he says "Since I woke up in the rubble two weeks ago, I've been smashed in the head, told I'd died, been mocked by a kid who calls himself a god, saw the mother of all hot tomatos show up claiming to be some kind of empress, and had a weird voiced....something named Oracle try and intimidate me, for doing what a dick does, all because I just happened to be in Gotham at the time." he says "Not to mention having to reveal my big secret to about the only new friend I've got, and one of two people I know well enough to trust, who are still alive." he says and takes a breath, then takes a drag off his smoke. "Fact is, I can't afford to lose what friends I can make now...you're all I got left." he says, and then shifts gears "On the upside, I ran into an OLD friend, found out this place was still open, and may even have been offered a real job that's right up my alley with the government....so it looks like I might be going legal after all." he chuckles
"Right. And you don't think mine is a bit of a secret?" Jocelyn comments with a chuckle. "Trust me. I've seen way, way weirder stuff than that," the teenager assures him. "Hmm. Oracle. Yeah, I've talked with Oracle. What'd you do to get her, or him upset? Only heard Oracle's digitized voice. They're kind of this all-seeing type, especially if you're hanging out in Gotham. I don't know how she does it," Jocelyn admits.
Another drink is taken. "So, what is this place, anyway?" Jocelyn questions casually. "How free are we to speak here?" It's a reasonable question, in Jocelyn's mind. She didn't know what all they could say. "Might be worth explaining a bit what we each do. I suspect we're both on the same side of things, so I don't foresee any conflicts there".
Carmichal has the good graces to look even more abashed. "Sorry, Jocelyn, fact is, everything's so new it's a little overwhelming still." he says "You said you were a mutant...I didn't really understand what that could mean, fact is I'm still not entirely sure." he says and frowns about Oracle "Oh..." he shakes his head and sighs "Just asking some dirtbag some questions. I had to rough him up a bit. He tried to shoot me, so I kneecapped him. Some bunny with a crossbow thing jumped me from behind about then, and then tried to kick my teeth in, until she realized she couldn't. She tried threatening me too, and when I figured out she had a two-way radio and was taking orders from someone else, I told her to put her boss on the phone. Turns out 'boss' was this Oracle thing." he says "While I was tete-a-tete'ing with the crossbow dame, I saw the dirtbag pull a derringer, and aim it at her pretty head, so I shot him again...that really made them made...Oracle, and the crossbow dame I mean." he says "accused me of infringing on their turf..." he says and snorts "as if I wasn't rambling those streets before any of you kids were born..." he shakes his head. "Anyway...this place...." he says looking around and grinning.
"Ahhh this place." he says "Jocelyn Stream, welcome to the Scrap Iron Club." he says "This was THE place to go if you were a cape, back in my day." he says "started out as a speak-easy in the 20s...became a hangout of the 'masked' types in the 40s..." he says "and yes, we're free to speak here. This place respects secrets. What's shared in here stays in here...." he says and looks across the bar "Aint that right Mikey?" he says. 
Mikey, the bartender nods and waves "Sure is, Ghost! It's the way it's always been, aint it?"
Carmichal nods, and looks back to Jocelyn "Over there on the wall's a lot of my old friends pictures...every one of 'em used to come here to blow off steam, or just relax, after a big bust or just because they needed other heroes to socialize with. Heck I ran into Nick Fury here just the other day!" he says.
"Nick Fury. I've heard that name before, but I don't know much about him," Jocelyn offers with an easy shrug. Heard it in whispers here and there. Not someone she'd run into, but she wasn't sure she wanted to, either. Sometimes whispered names were such that you weren't interested in getting to know the whispers.
"Well, as to what I do, I manipulate energy. Any type of energy. I absorb it, I can shoot it, and I can use it to enhance my physical abilities. I can also see energy and use it to fly or heal people". That was really the basic summary of what Jocelyn could do. "Most of my fighting skills, I learned back when I was growing up on the streets of Detroit". Which she's guessing John can figure out some idea of her past based on that information alone.
"You, obviously, have some sort of intangibility skill," Jocelyn comments as she takes another drink. Her voice has been low the entire time, and anyone not in the booth would have a hard time hearing them. A nod is given about the place. "Nice. Didn't know about this sort of place, but there isn't really such a place that I know of currently," Jocelyn offers to the man with an easy shrug. It just didn't exist. "I'm afraid I don't know the woman you're talking about. I don't spend a ton of time in Gotham, honestly".
Carmichal smiles and nods "Yeah. I can go through solid stuff, like a ghost." he says "The newsies back in the day called me "The Silver Ghost", I can go invisible too if I have to." he says, and then looks a bit confused, and shakes his head "I got a very nice, but strange girl tellin' me I died, and got better too a couple days ago...but..." he just shrugs "I don't buy it." he says shaking his head, and by the look on his face, is heavily in denial about that possibility. He picks up his glass of Scotch, and downs it, and then lifts the empty up nodding toward the bar indicating he's ready for another. "I was a soldier, Jocelyn." he says "I spent the majority of the war...." he pauses, and shakes his head "I mean what you folks call World War 2, in France, behind enemy lines, working with the resistance." he says "I was military Intelligence, assigned to the OSS." he says
His eyes go distant for a minute as if reliving some of those experiences. His momentary lapse into memory is interrupted by the waitress who picks up his empty glass, and deposits a full one in front of him "Want it on your tab, honey?" she asks. He smiles at her and nods "Sure thing Flo" he says "Thanks doll...." she grins and winks at him before turning and walking away. "I can fight, but nowhere near with your skill." he says "Actually feel kinda washed up since I woke up in this era..." he says "My skills are obsolete, my gear is obsolete, and ineffectual..." he says "and let's face it, my natural abilities do not a hero make." he sighs.
"Gear can be upgraded. Fighting skills don't go obsolete. They just become less common," Jocelyn offers easily. "And you'd be surprised. I know someone who can just do the insubstantial thing, and does just find at the heroing thing. Doesn't have the invisibility to go along with it," Jocelyn points out. "You just need some gear upgrades, and if you're working with the government, I'm guessing you're going to get plenty of that sort of thing". Jocelyn takes another drink. "But everyone has something that gives them trouble. Only reason I had any idea about what those things were and how to deal with them is that I've run into them before".
Well, that and Jocelyn was friends with Thor, but that was a whole different story.
"Fact is, you were a soldier. You were part of the Intelligence division. That alone means you've got plenty of raw skill there. You just need some updating with information and getting acquainted with things".
The girl takes another drink of her root beer. "I go by the codename Channel in the field. Though I never bothered to get registered. There's a lot of mutant hate out there, and so I keep it under wraps," she explains.
Carmichal nods, and sighs "Well, that's the thing, doll..." he says "See...." he looks like he's deciding whether or not to tell her this, and finally seems to make a decision "Thing is, I can afford gear...." he says "Heck that's why I was in Gotham. I was looking for the floating black market, figured if anyone would have the kind of gear I could use, it'd be the dirtbags trying to gain an edge on the masks." he says "So I figured I'd kill two birds with one ghost as it were." he shrugs. "As for this government job..." he says "You ever hear of SHIELD?" he asks. "I never heard of it. It didn't exist in my day, but that old friend I mentioned...well, he kinda runs it, and told me to call him if I needed a job...so I called him." he says "But I don't want to be dependent on Uncle Sam for my gear. Uncle Sam has a tendency to want something in return, and the debts tend to keep growing." he says "Not that I don't trust my friend, mind you...but I know how politicians are, and if this SHIELD agency is part of the government, then it's ultimately controlled by politicians." he says "And I won't believe that THOSE have changed much in 62 years." he chuckles
"So, what's the difference between a mutant like you, and say...some guy who claims he's a god? Or an alien? Or...whatever the hell I am?" he says "Why hate you because you're a mutant, but not hate you because you're an alien? That doesn't add up."
"Black Market is the same as it's always been, I imagine. Not the worst idea, to try and get some stuff from there," Jocelyn agrees. She's not so dependent on gear, really, but she can see the need. "Bits and pieces here and there," Jocelyn adds with regards to SHIELD. "I've never, to my knowledge, really interacted with anyone from their organization, but I know people who know people. Stuff like that". Jocelyn was good at meeting people, and that tended to give her some information that was useful.
"Good. Can't say I trust the government overly much," Jocelyn admits as she takes another drink. "A mutant is an evolutionary step up from a human. An alien or a god or a metahuman usually either has their powers given to them or isn't human themselves. People see mutants as a threat because we were born to humans, but are an evolutionary step forward". That was Jocelyn had figured out, at least.
Carmichal makes a face. "Personally, I don't see a difference." he says "You were born with your abilities, but for all I know, so was I." he says "but then, for all I know maybe I'm a mutant too..." he shrugs. "Doesn't matter to me, and I'll sock anyone in the kisser who throws any hate your way, Jocelyn." he says "You've been good to me...." he shakes his head "check that...you've been good FOR me..." he says "I don't think I could get through the last week without you helping me, and I know I wouldn't have survived those Svart...Zfart..those elfy looking fellas the other day." he says "Whaddidja call 'em? Azgardeners?" he says. "You fought really well, by the way, and the way you took charge made me proud." he says "Not that I got any reason to be, of course, but I was proud of the way you came up with a battle plan right out of the gate." he says "and how! That was the bees knees...." he smiles "Smart, Pretty, and knows how to fight...that's Miss Jocelyn Stream. Boy oh boy would you have made Rosie jealous..." he laughs softly before a sad look flashes over his face, but is quickly hidden. "Need to go see Rosie pretty soon."
"Before my mutant power manifested, I was actually training to become a professional athlete, so I'm pretty good at the whole fighting thing. You spend enough hours in the gym, you pick up a trick or two, you know?" Jocelyn figured she would ease him into the idea that there was a professional women's fighting circuit out there. "But the fact I can enhance my abilities so that most people can't actually hurt me and I can break their arms between two fingers made me feel like that wouldn't really be sporting".
The girl smiles a little bit. "Thanks, though. I've run into enough situations and worked with a variety of capes that I'm not bad at figuring out a plan based on limited information. Though I've worked with Captain America a couple times, and he's far better at that sort of thing than I am," the teen says.
"They're from Asgard, or that area at least. I could give you a basic primer on those Realms, but they're unlikely to be an issue for you unless you regularly work with Thor," Jocelyn offers. "I just happen to know him fairly well, so I recognized where they were coming from".
Carmichal grins at the mention of Captain America. He was -the- hero of John's day. Everybody knew about Cap, and every soldier in the war was glad our side had him. "I would love to see Cap some time." he says "if for no other reason than to thank him." he says "I never met the guy personally, saw him after we liberated France, but then right after that....poof. No more Cap." he says "it was a sad day for us all..." he says "So, there are gyms that actually let you go in and train?" he says "In my day, most dames who knew how to fight had to train on their own, or with a fella who didn't mind getting knocked around by a skirt." he says lightly, and shrugs "Personally I always thought dames were tougher than us fellas. I mean...childbirth....need I say more?" he asks with a chuckle.
"Jocelyn, you're a tough little girl. I don't suppose you'd help me dust off some of those old skills you say aren't obsolete would ya? Show me a few moves in the squared circle? I mean, if you promise not to snap my arms between two fingers that is. I'd rather not have to try gumshoeing with my arms in slings. Makes drawing iron a little difficult, if it comes to that."
"Well, if I ever get a chance to arrange it, I'll let you know," Jocelyn responds with respect to the question about Cap. "And yeah. Gyms are gender neutral now, though there are some female specific gyms for those who are intimidated by guys lifting weights or whatever". Jocelyn shrugs at that. "Pretty much, at this point, women are allowed in any field, though we have a harder time advancing in careers than male counterparts do, but that's changing". Slowly. She wasn't going to get into that debate right now though!
"I could show you some stuff, sure. And I don't have to boost my physical abilities. I just did against those because, well, I know how tough they are to hurt. Without using my abilities, I'm perfectly normal on that front". She takes another drink. "Though I might have to knock you down for that 'little girl' comment". She grins at that. She was six and a half feet tall. Little didn't usually apply to her.
Carmichal takes a swig of his Scotch, and lights another smoke, having let his burn out while conversing. He then takes a long drag off his cigarette, and blows a smoke ring, smirking at her, as she chides him for calling her 'little girl'. "Well, to me, doll, you are a little girl. I mean I'm what...probably your great grand-dad's age...." he says "Grand-dad at the very least..." he says "you might be tall, and pardon me if this is too forward for your generation, but dollface, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've noticed those stems you got. They do go on for miles...." he says "Not that I'm complaining, but lord almighty how you kids dress...in public no less." he says "it's downright distracting some times." he says lightly. "Huh, what exactly does 'gender neutral' mean anyway? You gotta be a butch dame, or a little light in the loafers fella to use 'em?" he says straight faced. Two beats pass, and then he just laughs "I'm yankin' your chain, doll...I copy you. Coed gyms. Showering's gotta be a real adventure after a workout. The peeping toms must have a field day!" he chuckles
"Times have changed with regards to clothing. Just don't stare or oogle or anything and you're going to be fine," Jocelyn says with a shrug. She wasn't positive what stems meant, but she could guess easily enough. There's a pause as she's about to explain gender neutral when the man points out he's kidding. She smirks and shakes her head. "Seperate showers and locker rooms," Jocelyn offers to the man. "At least the ones that are any good". Because privacy was important!
"So. What sort of fight training do you have? What do you already know?" Jocelyn questions, taking another drink as she speaks with the man.
Carmichal stares at her blankly for a moment. "What? You mean fashion, which seems to change several times a year, and always has, has CHANGED in the last 62 years?" he says straight faced, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm "I'm shocked and amazed." he quips, and then chuckles as she mentions seperate showers, and locker rooms. "So...not so gender neutral after all." he points out and winks.
When she asks about his fight training, he just looks at her blankly for a few moments, and blinks "Uhm. Fist, face. Knee, groin. Hit 'em where it hurts, as hard as you can, and pray they got a glass jaw, or you get in a lucky shot." he says "Give me a rifle with a bayonet, and I can stab the stuffing out of a dummy." he says "give me just the bayonet, I can drop a fella real quiet from behind. Give me a sap, and you get the same effect without the blood, or death." he shrugs. "I grew up in Hell's Kitchen, doll. It was the 1920s, the market had crashed, and everyone was starving, scraping, grifting, and fighting to survive." he says "if you didn't learn how to feed a fella his teeth, he was likely going to feed you yours." he says "Does that answer your question?" he says, basically admitting he had no formal martial training. He was a brawler. A dirty fighter. A street fighter, little more.
"So brawler. I grew up in Inner City Detroit, which is comparable to what you're talking about, though I got some actual martial arts training in there," Jocelyn offers to the man. "Can't do a thing with a gun myself, but I don't generally need to". She doesn't like guns anyway. They're loud. They're obvious. And once they come out, things go from nasty to lethal real quick. "That's perfectly servicable in most situations. Just means you have to get into practice. We'll do a bit of practice next time I'm in the office, see what all you have," Jocelyn tells the man. "Though you'll promise to not hold back when we do this. I can't train you if you won't give it your all".
Carmichal listens, and shrugs. "Sure, I can brawl." he says, and then looks blank again when she mentions 'martial arts'. The word was not part of his anachronistic lexicon. "What's 'martial arts'?" he asks tilting his head, and taking a drag off his smoke. At her request that he not hold back he practically chokes as he laughs "After what I saw you do to those Az...az..Asgardians?" he says finally getting the word right. "You're off your nut if you think I'm worried about smacking YOU around." he says "Kinda doubt I'll even get close enough to slap your pretty backside." he admits
"You realize the only one I actually engaged in a fight with was the Sorceress. I didn't end up really doing much against the swordsmen or the archers". But she was probably the best equipped to deal with the magic user, so that was where she had focused her attention. "But, yeah. I'm fairly tough to hurt".
At the question of martial arts, Jocelyn considers. "It's a broad term to describe various styles of fighting that have developed. I'll show you when we do the training". It would be far easier to show than tell.
Carmichal nods. "Alright. You know, I never asked, but....I hope you're not having to travel too far to come see me for these little meetings." he says "I'd feel terrible if you're having to commute from Jersey or somewhere outside the metro." he says "But...I suppose you fly huh?" he says as though he just realized she could do that. "Hey, by the way..." he says pulling out an envelope "I hope that's enough for the time you've spent on me this last week...we never really discussed pay or anything. I hope cash is okay." he says. If she looks inside the envelope, she'll see it's full of $100 bills, and there's easily $2K in there. "Just a fair wage, and a bonus for being so patient with me. Oh, and I got this...." he says pulling out an iPhone. "It came with a bunch of chords, but I'll be damned if I can even figure out how to make any calls on it. I tried getting an operator, and this strange beeping sound came out and this strange woman said "I'm sorry, if you'd like to make a call, please see a representative, and start your service today!", and hangs up on me." he says having mimicked an automated message, which happens if you've purchased a phone, but not a contract.
"I went back to the store, and they wanted me to fill out all this information, but...you know, I don't actually exist on any books, so I had to thank the fella, and decline. He told me until I do my phone isn't gonna work...any ideas?"
Taking the envelope, Jocelyn takes a glance inside and nods. "That's fine," Jocelyn offers. Cash was perfectly acceptable to her. "And no, it isn't much of a trip for me," Jocelyn tells the man. "I get around pretty easily anyway, as you said, so don't worry about it". She finishes off her drink and smiles at the phone. "You'll probably want a pay as you go type of phone," Jocelyn muses. "Until you get something of a legal identity established. Won't be as fancy, but it'll work for your purposes. I'll pick one up for you, set it up, and bring it by," Jocelyn explains. That wouldn't be too hard to do. "While I don't trust the government, if you registered your masked name, you'd be able to use that to sign up for one of those phones," she adds.
Carmichal looks from her to the phone, and sighs "But I don't even have an address...." he says "I've been living in my old hideout since I left the hotel." he says "it's familiar, and all my stuff is still there." he says "But, you know being a secret hideout and all, it doesn't have an address..." he says "So even if I register, what address do I put down? Metropolis hasn't had general mail delivery since well before my day, and you have to have a home address to give the post office in order to rent a post box." he says and sighs "More money than God, and I can't even buy a house."
"If you register your caped name, you won't have to put all that down. You could go in wearing your mask and do it that way. They have some system for processing it," Jocelyn says. What it was, she didn't know. She wasn't registered herself. "And yeah, secret hideouts don't tend to have public addresses you can go giving out," the teenager agrees with a laugh. "Of course, a lot of that would get taken care of if you end up working with SHIELD. Say what you will about the government, but they do take care of their own".
Carmichal nods. "Yeah, I told Fury he'd have to fast track me, if he wanted me." he says "Hadn't seen him since the war...." he says idly shaking his head. "Anyway, you should come by my place some time, if you're a history buff, I could show you some pretty keen stuff. I'd left a bottle of 10 year old scotch in my desk drawer, and found out now, it's probably worth a few C-notes now." he says "Of course, now it's 72 year old scotch." he says with a chuckle. "Haven't even looked to see if I've got any wine laying around, but I'd bet, if it hasn't turned to vinegar, it's probably worth some dough now too."
"I don't suppose you know any sciency types who could be bribed to outfit me with some updated supplies by any chance?" he asks hopefully "My hunt for the black market keeps getting derailed by some young buck or dame mistaking me for a dirtbag every time I start nosing around.
"I don't know any real scientific types personally," Jocelyn admits. "I might have some contacts who can get some things for you, depending on what you want," Jocelyn offers as she thinks that over. "I'll swing by sometime, or rather you'll probably have to escort me, given the whole secrecy thing. Though I'm afraid I need to get going," Jocelyn says. "I've got another appointment I need to get to".
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