Interlude: Player

Rory shouldn't have been surprised by the scene waiting for him in the break room. But, he was. While it wasn't unusual to see Ethan smirking while sitting next to Samantha this was the first time he'd done so with a black eye. For her part Samantha had an annoyed look about her tinged with embarrassment as she made inroads into a bowl of oatmeal with her head down.

Next to him, Hannah seemed just as taken aback as he was as she looked over the scene.

"Are you alright, Ethan?"

"Puppy hit me," he replied proudly in a tone that just screamed he was begging for an audience.

Samantha winced, seemingly to shrink a bit into her seat.

"She's always hitting you," Rory noted, playing along. "But, she's never blackened your eye before."

"She hit me really hard."

"I said sorry," Samantha mumbled.

Sighing, Hannah asked, "What did you do this time, Assault?"

"Well, it started yesterday…"

"Wait; is this going to be a long story full of things you did wrong that will fully justify the damage she caused you?"

"It's a good story," Ethan countered immediately. It was telling that he didn't bother to deny the rest of the charges.

"I'm sure it will be, considering how eager you look to tell it," Hannah said tiredly. "However, if it's going to be a long story, I want coffee and to sit down. I was night watch last night."

"I can wait," he said with an evil grin.

Rolling her eyes, Hannah huffed, walking to one of available coffee pots. Likewise, Rory nodded, heading for his own cup.

Ethan's stories, while usually exaggerated, were always fun.

Taking his seat and making no attempt to hide his smile, Rory waited for Hannah to finished sweetening hers. Ethan wasted no time in starting once she pulled back her chair.

"So, I come across Uber and Leet over on Industrial Court," he started. "I almost missed them but caught a glimpse of that flying camera of theirs."

"Shiny Object Syndrome finally paying off?" Hannah needled from behind her cup.

Ignoring Samantha's not so quietly mumbled, 'squirrel', Ethan continued, "They were running some kind of spy theme. No idea what they were actually planning on doing though. It looked like I found them before they really kicked it off. But they spotted me so then we started fighting. That was when the weirdest thing I've ever had happen to me, happened."

"They surrendered?" Rory guessed knowing better.

"Don't encourage him," Samantha groused, swirling her breakfast.

"No, Circus shouted at us from an adjacent rooftop," Ethan revealed.

"That isn't so strange," Hannah said. "He, or she, whatever, they are always shouting vulgarities at people. Half the reports of them are exactly about that."

"That was the weird part," Ethan smirked obviously loving the attention. "They weren't cursing. They asked if we were hungry."

"Hungry?" Hannah asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah hungry. For food," Ethan clarified.

"Well, that's not random," Rory muttered shaking his head.

"Not just any food either, specifically if we wanted Louisiana style creoles, gumbo, and pot roast."

"Okay," Rory chuckled. "Oddly specific, but still random."

"It gets better," Ethan said. "The second Circus said that, Chubster walked around the corner of a building."

"Bullshit," Rory laughed.

"No, I'm serious. Not only does he walk around the corner, but he's holding up his hand. His hand! And says, 'I do'!"

"Now I know you're full of it," Rory said rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, you can't make up this stuff," Ethan said, obviously holding in his own laughter. "But that isn't even the crazy part of the weirdness."

"Go on, you incorrigible child," Samantha sighed. "Just tell them."

"No, this is the best story I've had in months," Ethan argued immediately. "It's even better than that crazy fan girl that was stalking Gram. You know the one I'm talking about. The one who somehow found his home address then snuck into his bedroom while he was sleeping and crawled into bed with him. Yeah, that one, and my story is better. It demands to be told right."

Hannah sighed, saying dryly, "That has yet to be seen as we have yet to get to the part where Battery felt the need to hit you."

"I'm getting there," Ethan chuckled. "So, the crazy part, after asking if we're hungry, Circus says that they'll take us to food, if we agree to 'The Arch Understanding'."

At the blank looks Ethan received, he clarified, "The Lords Ruling?"

"You guys need to get out more," he said shaking his head at the blank looks he was still receiving. "Seriously, I know for a fact the Lords Ruling is specific to the Bay."

When it became clear none of them knew what he was talking about, Ethan sighed. "It's like neutral truce rules."

"Why would you agree to something like that?" Hannah asked confused.

"A better question, why do did you say that with specific names as if they were actual things?" Rory asked just as confused as Hannah.

"Seriously, haven't any of you ever gone to a cape party?" Ethan asked.

"Not with villains," Samantha answered tartly. "Some of us have standards."

"Hardliners," Ethan grumbled, shaking his head. "Not all villains are like Kaiser and Lung you know. A lot of them actually fairly decent people. Just made a bad call or are in a bad way."

Sighing at the age old argument between them, Samantha didn't reply.

"Well, Uber and Leet are more a menace than an actual threat," Hannah hedged. "Their rap sheet is mostly destruction of public and private property and subsidiary crimes depending on the skit they are doing that week. No body counts on their records, true, but that doesn't make them the kind of people I would want to socialize with."

Nodding Rory added, "And Chubster's about as low key a villain as they get. Just runs that protection racket out of the old Tioga Apartments. But I still wouldn't want him at my house for a barbecue. Much less Circus."

"Right, but you're missing the point," Ethan said exasperatedly. "Indies on both sides of the line don't have what we have here. Or what a structured gang can give them. So socializing as a cape, is kind of a hard thing to pull off without either joining someone or making their own gang or team. And some people just like being independent."

Nodding, Hannah motioned him to go on.

"Well, trust is an issue and these kinds of things are almost always by invite only. If a cape wants to do whatever as a cape they ask under these specific kinds of truce rules. Other capes either go along or don't depending on who it is."

"What would be the purpose of something like that? Just for fun?" Rory asked.

"Sure, but it's also a good way to network," Ethan explained. "Make connections. New capes in the know might throw a barbecue or a party of whatever they're into. Invite some the local indies over under truce rules. Capes show up. People talk; sharing experience or brag depending on the moment. Like minded capes might agree to alliances, trade favors for stuff from others, things like that. A lot of stuff can happen during one of these things. I've seen teams even form from one of these things just because all the capes hit it off."

"So, a casual setting for capes who either don't have or don't want a more organized affiliation?" Hannah asked curiously.

"It's usually part of it. I got at least a third of my clients that way when I was Madcap," Ethan agreed, not bothered with talking about his past with his friends and team. Rory nodded feeling grateful to be part of the few who knew though if anyone wanted his opinion, it wouldn't be a secret. Success stories like Ethan's were what made the Protectorate something to be proud of.

"Also these things are usually pretty fun too," Ethan continued. "I mean, it's all about making an impression. Capes in general are pretty flamboyant and indies really don't have people they can show off to unless they're playing to a crowd of civies. We know better than most that capes are just like everyone else, just with powers but you have to be a cape to really understand the life."

"But heroes and villains?" Rory asked, having a hard time getting over that particular point.

"Sure," Ethan answered casually. "At one event I was at, an indie hero and indie villain who hated each other at the start were laughing about it later just because they got to know each other and realized that what they hated was mostly a misunderstanding. Most events I've been to had a mix of both. Support is support no matter where you can find it. It's a great way to settle disputes or just talk things out in a civil way without drawing gang attention."

"But what happens when they can't get along?" Hannah asked.

"General rule is to be civil, and if you can't be civil to someone, ignore them or find yourself on everyone's blacklist. Like I said, these things are pretty unique to just these kinds of capes. No one who plays the line wants to be on the outs."

"So, getting back to the story. Circus invited Uber, Leet, Chubster, and you, to a cape party where there was food under these weird neutral truce rules," Rory asked, trying to make sense of the story.

"Yeah," Ethan chuckled. "But the kicker was the first set of rules they used. Arch Understanding is what we called it in St. Louis."

"You think Circus knows about your past?" Hannah asked more than a bit alarmed.

"Pretty sure they do, but by the fact they used the truce rules, I don't think they plan on spreading it around," Ethan answered surely. "What I think they were trying to do was goad me into not taking up the invite. Even if I didn't, they were calling me out as knowing about the truce so I'd have to back off."

"So, of course, you fell for it and did accept," Hannah sighed.

"Yes I did," Ethan said smiling widely. "Something was up and I wanted to know what it was."

"And that's why Samantha hit you," Hannah shook her head.

"No, that's why I kicked him," Samantha muttered. "We haven't gotten to the part that earned him a black eye."

"Oh dear," Hannah sighed. "I have a feeling this story is only going to get worse. But by all means, Ethan, continue."

"Right, so, Chubster was in, of course. Uber looked at Leet, and both nodded. Which left me the odd man out, so I agreed. Mostly just to find out what was going on, but also, food."

At the deadpan stares he received, Ethan said, "What? I'm a guy. I was hungry and I told you, the food at these things is usually really great."

Quickly moving on when Samantha turned to face him, Ethan said, "So, Circus jumps down and takes us to where the food was."

"Wait, how?" Rory asked.

"In their jeep."

"A jeep?" Hannah asked reluctantly. "All of you?"

"That is entirely irrelevant to the story," Ethan deadpanned. "And all involved swore never to speak of it in any but the most vagueish of terms. Such questions are not meant to be answered."

Smiling at Ethan's dramatics, Rory promised himself to check online later to see if anyone got pictures. This was Brockton Bay, someone had to have gotten a picture of that. Snickering to himself, he waved for Ethan to continue, which he seemed eager to do.

"Alright, so we get to the host's house…"

"You mean Circus's house?" Hannah asked, interested.

"Of course not," Ethan said, seemingly put out at being interrupted again. "You guys don't know about that either?"

"We were never villains," Samantha needlessly reminded him.

Rolling his eyes but not commenting, Ethan explained, "The host isn't anyone. Just some random person."

"Did they force some random civilian to give up their home for this?" Hannah asked, sounding offended. "And you let that happen?"

"No, of course not, that's not how it works," Ethan said, sounding offended himself. "The way it's supposed to go is that the cape running things finds a civilian and pays them a lot of money to use their home. Usual rules are no fighting or trashing the place. Clean up after, things like that. Common courtesy stuff. The hosts usually elects to go out on the town that night, stay late or just stay out and come back in the morning."

"People actually let capes do that kind of thing?" Rory asked.

"Sure, happens all the time," Ethan said. "The civie gets a wad of cash for bills or whatever they want it for, the capes get a random location to do their thing that isn't connected to anyone, and everyone wins. If something happens and things get damaged, the capes take care of it or word spreads and the offender is never invited to another thing."

"And how often does that happen," Hannah asked.

"Not as much as you would think," Ethan answered. "Most people into this kind of thing have been around a while, they know the rules and keep to basic rules of civility. Also at the start of each one of these things the rules are always brought up to make sure everyone's on the same page. Like I said, it's about connections and fun."

"And this particular host. You are absolutely sure they were consenting?" Hannah pressed.

"Yeah, he showed up around midnight. Looked really shocked we were still there but other than seemed to accept it. He definitely seemed to know who was throwing the party."

"Alright, go on," Hannah said, not seemingly convinced.

"Right so we get there and meet the cape running things and you'll never guess who it was."

When no one seemed willing to humor him, and with more than one impatient look, Ethan leaned forward, smiling, "Gambit."

"Gambit?" Hannah repeated, looking far more interested in Ethan's story than she was a moment ago. "Are you sure?"

Samantha snorted, while Ethan nodded saying, "You can't fake those eyes and I looked into them for a good chunk of the night. Trust me, it was Gambit."

"I'm missing something," Rory mumbled. "Who's Gambit?"

"A New Orleans cape Samantha and I spotted a little over a week ago while we were shopping," Hannah answered. "We think she might have been responsible for the Anders robbery. It fits her MO."

"The Anders Robbery? I wasn't aware that had a cape connection. I thought there wasn't any evidence taken from the crime scene." Rory said.

"That's Gambit's MO and why we think she was involved."

Not willing to point out that a lack of evidence wasn't evidence in itself to the more seasoned cape, Rory nodded silently.

"Well, she might have been from New Orleans before," Ethan said knowingly. "But not anymore."

"What do you mean not any more?" Hannah asked.

"I mean she's moved to the Bay," Ethan answered smugly. "Told me so herself. That was what the dinner was about. It was a meet and greet and apparently she knows Circus and asked her to find friendly locals for it."

Hannah looked to Samantha, who sighed, "There goes my peace and quiet. I don't even want to think about what those two could do to annoy the capes in this city. Much less what any of them could do with Uber and Leet helping..."

"So what happened?" Rory asked, being more interested himself now that he could see a point to the weirdness.

"Introductions and dinner once Gambit reaffirmed everyone understood the rules for it," Ethan said. "Once she was sure we were good, she asked if we were interested in relaxing with a game of poker."

"Tell me you didn't," Hannah half begged despite the fact Ethan's smile of stupidity clearly said differently. "Ethan…"

Samantha snorted, "He didn't just agree, my idiot husband ran to the closest ATM and withdrew from our savings account."

"It was a two grand buy in," Ethan tried to defend himself. "I only had five hundred on me."

"Why were you even carrying five hundred to begin with?" Rory asked, trying to keep his chuckles in.

"You mean you don't?"

Not willing to involve himself further into an Ethan argument, Rory shook his head and waved for him to continue but couldn't help asking, "How was dinner?"

"Really good," Ethan said, smiling widely. "I never had cajun food before and Gambit's a good cook."

"I'll make sure to add that to her profile," Hannah snidely remarked.

"It's worth noting," Ethan agreed, not acknowledging her obvious sarcasm. Huffing, Samantha didn't comment.

"So, dinner turned into a poker game?" Rory asked before they got any more off track. Even if he was the one to derail the conversation in the first place.

"Yeah, and I was up a little too until the last hand. Leet's terrible and Chubster got knocked out an hour before," Ethan chuckled. "But, Circus is practically impossible to read. Just sat there looking amused and indifferent. As you would expect, Uber was very good. No tells at all, which I think was him cheating with his thinker power but I can't prove it. But the real kick was watching Gambit work the table. She's damn good."

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"The profile Drummer sent over said she was often spotted in illegal card rooms," Hannah supplied thoughtfully. "Apparently she likes playing cards for more than just easy ordinance. If there was a card game in New Orleans Gambit probably knew about it, and was there."

"Wouldn't surprise me, she was good. Laid back, easy going, quick with conversation but always with her head in the game no matter what was said or going on," Ethan said. "She's cool headed. No doubt."

"What else did you learn while you were there?" Hannah asked.

"She's friendly. Asked about all of us, what we did for work, how we stood on various things."

"She knows you're with the Protectorate?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I didn't see a reason to hide it. It's not like it isn't on public record."

"That didn't bother her?" Hannah asked.

"Not at all. She seemed interested. Asked if the rest were as accepting as I was," Ethan continued. "She's very aware of how her eyes make her look unfriendly and seemed to be trying to go out of her way to show differently. Said she had problems with the Protectorate in New Orleans over that issue."

"I think it was more the high profile crimes she committed that caused that rift than how she looked," Hannah said dryly. "But you believe her?"

"I didn't have a reason not to," Ethan answered before continuing. "Gambit also seems interested in learning how the Bay worked. Who the indies were, who to avoid, and what areas the big gangs claimed. Also asked about them a little. Not much, just looking for basics. Asked Uber and Leet about their website and how it was doing. Talked with Chubster about if he knew any decent places to get certain things. Like I said before, these things are usually about making connections, and that was what it looked like she was doing."

After several long moments of silence, Hannah nodded at the information. "A very unconventional manner to get information, but very interesting. It sounds like she is gathering information in preparation of repeating her efforts from New Orleans here. The Director will not like that. Nor, I think, will the gangs when they figure it out."

"Oh, but you haven't heard the best part," Samantha darkly said, narrow eyes turned to her husband. "Tell them how the night ended."

"Hey, remember you said you wouldn't hit me again."

"No," Samantha growled. "I said I was sorry I hit you the first time. I never said I wasn't going to hit you again."

"Well, that's not very heroic…"

Rory snorted. Unfortunately this drew Samantha's attention to him. Quickly raising his hands he apologized, "Sorry! Please don't hit me."

Shaking her head, Hannah mumbled, "Rory…"

"What?" he asked innocently. "She gave a kinetic manipulator a black eye. I want no part of that."

Groaning at being teased, Samantha put her face in her hands. Next to her, Ethan nodded solemnly somehow saying with a straight face, "Smart man. Puppy's got a mean right hook."

"You would know," Hannah chuckled. "Now, if going to this neutral meet isn't what caused Samantha to demonstrate her pugilistic prowess, what did?"

"Oh," Ethan said weakly. "Well, I did mention that Uber and Gambit were pretty good right?"

"Go on," Hannah instructed slowly.

"Well, it turns out, I'm not," Ethan said sheepishly. "At least, I'm not on their level. I think they were going easy on me, but I kinda got overconfident at the end and pushed a bet I really shouldn't have."

"Oh you poor fool," Hannah sighed.

"Hey, I had a flush," Ethan shouted. "That's a hand to bet on. And in a five man game, that's a great hand. How was I supposed to know she wasn't bluffing! I mean, seriously, a full house? Who could have seen that happening?"

Unable to help himself and half dreading the answer, Rory asked, "How much did you lose?"

"Twenty-five hundred," Samantha answered sourly. "Which was everything he had on him, and the two thousand he withdrew."

"Jesus Christ, Ethan," Rory cursed, shaking his head in wonder. "Seriously?"

Seemingly unable to believe it herself, Hannah just stared at Ethan in shock.

"I had a flush," Ethan muttered, trying to defend himself. "And even Uber thought she was bluffing."

"Which explains why Uber and Leet set up a raid for him to stop to explain why he never came home for dinner," Samantha stated darkly. "And when he told me that, I hit him."

Unable to watch the train wreck in front of him any longer, Rory turned gratefully to the offered distraction that was the door opening. Anything but at the married couple or Hannah's wide shocked eyes.

Gram, or Dauntless since was in full costume, walked in seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere his entrance interrupted.

"Okay, so I got one for the books," he said jokingly. "Just got a call to the hotline that required someone to investigate."

Rory asked, "What happened?"

"Apparently there's a girl scout selling cookies on the back side of Beethoven near Jules," Dauntless answered, seemingly amused.

"Okay," Rory slowly said. "She's not in trouble or something though, right?"

Dauntless shook his head, "Not according to the guy who called it in. Just the opposite. He claims that she forced him to buy her cookies."

"Forced...a girl scout forced him to buy cookies?" Ethan asked, looking as puzzled as Rory felt. "Is that even a thing a girl scout could do? Aren't girl scouts little girls? Like four foot and maybe eighty pounds soaking wet? How does that work? Was he passed out drunk and when she found him she stole his wallet leaving him with a box of cookies?"

"He didn't sound drunk when I talked to him and he didn't specify how she did it. But this particular girl scout is apparently working that street with cape muscle backing her."

Four blank stares met that statement for several disbelieving moments of silence before Dauntless held up the assignment script.

"So, who wants this one?"