Thursday, March, 14, 2015, 9:07AM.
This morning Mr. Britt Reid was a man of many labels: celebutante, owner/publisher of The Daily Sentinel, masked vigilante-Green Hornet, and gunshot victim. Of course, the entire world believed The Green Hornet attempted to murder Britt.
A day after surgery, Britt recuperated in a guarded, windowless hospital room. Visitation was restricted to three: Editor-in-Chief Mike Axford, Chief Executive Associate Kato and Executive Assistant Lenore Case. At this moment Lenore entered the room carrying a bouquet of get well flowers. Then after a thorough search from the officer outside, a delivery man carted in giant arrangements from acquaintances, employees and friends.
"Good morning, Mr. Reid," Lenore cheerily greeted while directing the distribution of the gifts.
"Good morning to you, Ms. Case. Wow! Looks as if an assassination attempt gained me surprising sympathy," Brit sleepily exclaimed. As he was unaccustomed to his dual identity, Britt used finger-quotes.
The middle-aged delivery man was too preoccupied with arranging flowers in the room to notice Reid's gaffe. Lenore noticed and closed the door after his departure. Brit elevated his bed to its sitting-position. The beautiful, slender blonde, clad in white jeans and teal shirt, jaggedly scoffed.
"Are you fucking kidding me? If either that man or this cop saw your nonsense with the fingers," Lenore angrily pointed at him, a silent thought-completion.
"Ms. Case, I'm not terribly concerned about what strangers may think. Besides, I'm relieved to see you," Britt alleviated her anger.
"I'm equally relieved you're recovering. Are you feeling up to discuss business this morning?" Lenore responded with a grin.
"Conducting business while I'm bedridden in this gown is kind of awkward," Britt slowly inclined his bed while glancing at his limited attire.
"Very well, then," she retorted and turned on her heel to leave.
"No, no, please, distract me from this horrible place. Is it Sentinel or…the other business?" Britt halted her.
"Both, sir. Firstly, Kato switched the bullet and retrieved the cloth." Lenore pulled up a chair beside his bed, close enough to not be overheard by others.
"I'm sorry, cloth? What cloth?" The young publisher looked baffled; a habit that she and Kato felt needed to permanently cease doing
"The bullet's penetration pushed in a tiny piece of your Hornet coat. Forensics would've examined its color with your blood and infection soaking it. Their findings may have been traced to you and Kato didn't want to risk that." The former secretary sighed.
"We're going to have to work on making my coat bullet resistant. This won't be the only time I'll get shot. At least Kato also pulled off the bullet switch," Britt triumphantly pumped his right fist in the air.
"Yes, the used one the doctors currently possess is untraceable." She assured Reid.
"Don't bullet wounds still have to be reported to police?" Britt noted.
"Dozens of bystanders witnessed the Green Hornet shooting you. A police case was opened right then and there."
"Before anesthesia I overheard the doctors say my wound wasn't fresh. They noticed that infection you just mentioned," Britt announced.
"Well, that's because they're doctors, sir. But they still have to exercise doctor/patient confidentiality." Lenore answered.
"I'll trust you two on that." Britt uncomfortably shifted up in his bed again
Lenore was visually taken aback by his faith. After a knock, a shapely nurse entered the room, sauntered beside him and checked the morphine drip.
"Are you comfortable, Mr. Reid?" the attractive African American woman politely asked.
"I most certainly am," Britt answered with a voice he thought had charm but she obliviously left. Lenore rolled her eyes after which Britt smiled. The door was closed; back to business.
"The late Frank Scanlon," She continued her informational input by saying
"My father's killer," Britt whispered through gritted teeth, and shut his eyes.
"I…I know. I'm so sorry." Lenore quietly responded, and lowered her head in shared grief.
"Scanlon deserved his violent death, Ms. Case. God knows how many other people he destroyed. But The Green Hornet and Kato will be wanted for murdering a beloved D. A. Well, shit, it puts a damper on our attempt at heroism," Britt said with surprising steadfastness.
"Britt, before you start getting all The Punisher on me, let me-"
"How in the hell do you know about the Punisher?" His demeanor suddenly lit up like sunshine.
"I minored in Criminology and I believe he's a superb study of vigilantism." She reminded him.
'Wow. She's hot, intelligent, and a comic book geek," Britt thought.
"Now please listen. Scanlon's insatiable hunger for power made him careless. He was nearly caught with your taping, but…"
"Good Lord, don't remind me. I had him cold."
"Damn it, Britt, do not interrupt me again!" Lenore disciplined enough that he literally bit his tongue. "Scanlon neglected the security cameras in constant use all over the building!"
Her announcement sneaked past his morphine. After Kato crashed the Black Beauty into Scanlon, ensuring his death, Britt felt emptier rather than better. The fact that Scanlon was sloppy did not change circumstances for The Hornet, but the law might be less excessive in chasing him.
"Scanlon was even stupider than I was?" Reid asked incredulously.
"You aren't stupid." Lenore literally waved off the label.
"Do you mean that, Ms. Case?" He beamed. The good news just kept on coming.
"You're ageist, egotistical, hypocritical, juvenile, obnoxious, and sexist but you're not stupid," she concluded.
"Thank you." He answered, and they both chuckled at that conclusion. Britt sighed and said, "So Kato was wrong about only one thing. There's minimal justice."
"Don't kill the villain before they confess their evil plans. No, just refrain from killing any people. You're both above that. You're supposed to be heroic," she noted.
She poured a glass of water for him, but he turned it down.
"I'm in a diaper again. I think I'm either regressing to infancy or progressing to elderliness."
"You and those criminals inflicted intensive damage to The Sentinel. Our offices will be temporarily relocated to determine if the building is up to code for reconstruction." Lenore continued.
"Look, I'll spare no expense to cover whatever insurance doesn't," Britt Reid responded with conviction. His attitude about the news staple of Los Angeles had shifted considerably since Scanlon revealed himself to be dirty, and that James Reid had not caved into such corruption.
"Good to hear," she tapped her iPad.
"Listen, Ms. Case, while I do appreciate the visit, I'm starting to feel vulnerable in this attire, or lack thereof," he said, while he shifted in his bed yet again.
Lenore could not help but laugh. Britt was curious as to why, and his expression asked the question for him.
"Based on your exploits documented in The National Enquirer, talking business in a diaper should be second nature." she announced through giggling.
Britt momentarily pondered that and then joined the hilarity with his laughter. The Green Hornet evolution continues.
THE BEGINNING