Alison Evans

Dialogue

Ted Granger leans back into the comfortable black sofa in the League of Superhero's lair. The swoosh sound of the door brings in many busy superheroes, mutants, and other do-gooders. Ted can't be bothered with trivial things like fighting crime and saving cats falling from trees though, for he is….The Tipster.

Another swoosh from the door and Chief enters. Tipster had been warned about him.

"And just what are you doing sitting around?!"

"You know…just making myself at home." Tipster was also the newest member of the league.

"Get up! There's a huge fire in New York!"

"I know, I told them. That's old news. You're a bit late. They left."

"Well, what are you still doing here!?"

Tipster motions to the TV, angled directly in front of the sofa. On the screen the news is showing the fire.

"Wait, wait, what are you the new kid?" Chief says, trying to seem apologetic.

"Yeah, I guess that's me."

"So what is it you…uh….do?"

"I know when bad things are going to happen?"

"Bad things? Are you some kind of psychic?"

"No, I only see when bad things are happening right now, not in the future…..ROBBERY, TOKYO!!!" he yells over his shoulder, as the doors open and a team clambers out.

"How? How did you do that?"

"I don't know; how did Aqua-man talk to fish?"

"So, what you're telling me is… you can't do anything? You can only tell us when things are happening?"

"That's right. I can only tell you when things are happening," he mocks, "What were you expecting some sort of bomb-sniffing dog?" he adds indignantly.

"Well, there are lots of people who can tell us when things are happening right now!"

"I suppose that's true, but can you find someone who can do it better? I can do it on a global basis."

Chief shakes his head and sinks down into the squishy sofa.

"So what's your name?"

"Ted."

"Don't you have something more…heroic?"

"Tipster? I don't really need a heroic name; I don't plan on pulling anyone from a burning building, that's a suicide mission." He flips the channel from the news to some other show completely carelessly.

"So just what is it you…do?" Tipster asks indifferently. It didn't matter to him what this guy did. It seemed clear enough he wasn't going anywhere. They needed him.

"I'm your boss."

"So, you just tell us all what to do; you're not in a line of danger either? CAT IN A TREE! DOWN THE BLOCK!" A disgruntled, sleepy looking hero tumbles out.

"You know, I was out all night tracking that murderer down. I could train a monkey to pull a cat from a tree," he mumbles as his bright pink fuzzy slippers shuffle him out the door.

"You don't need to worry about what I do," Chief continues, "Just know I make the rules."

"HAHA!" Grumpy-slipper-hero roars as the doors smoothly glide to a close again behind him.

"They seem to disagree with you." Ted says, instigating the chief's reddening cheeks.

"Yes, and some of them have super- strength, they ability to read my minds, freeze or burn me to death, or have their animal and ocean friends to it for them. You on the other hand, can only know when these things are going to happen, and won't be able to do anything about it."

"Touché. We would make a better team…if you doubled my pay."

"Done."

"I see a bright future for this friendship," Ted says. From the corner of his eye, he notices a hand reaching for the chips he had been eating.

"MAN BEATEN TO DEATH!"

Chief jumps, taken back by surprise,

"WHERE?!"

"I didn't offer you any snacks."