2013.04.22 - Probationary Membership

Central Park.

As the sun sets over the 'garden' of new York City, it is almost as if the very nature of the park changes. For as the tourists and other usual visitors to the park vanish, so do /most/ of the criminals one would associate with them, such as pick pockets, petty thieves, and deep fried spam taco salesmen.

Instead, more hard core drug dealers, and... Worse slip into the park.

But so do some heroes.

Of course right now there is one hero in the park who isn't exactly hunting criminals. Instead, Hawkeye is searching for... Someone else. Someone she ran into, in this very park, just a few short days ago.

While Kiden had her moment of getting Hawkeye's attention, which lead to an impromptu outing with the Young Allies, she left that battle in a rather unglorious fashion after burning her foot. This lead her to believe she doesn't have much of a chance to join up with the Young Allies and hasn't bothered to try and check, so she went back to life as usual.

Just so happens that part of life as usual for Kiden is hanging out where the less reputable are, because whether she admits it or not, she does have something of a drug habit. She also keeps good contact with some irreputable sources, which helps her survive in the streets. Right now she's walking around with a cigarette in her mouth, smoke swirling from it as she moves slowly about the grass. Her head is hanging low, and her hands are dipped in the pockets of a raggedy jacket that doesn't looks like it needs an immediate visit to a washing machine. She's fairly easy to spot because she's not trying to hide, but she's also lost in her own thoughts it seems, and not very alert at the moment.

And it may even be the cigarette that gives Kiden away. because out of the blue...

An arrow goes zooming right by her?!?1

Possibly. probably.

Heck, it's even possible that this arrow comes so close that it cuts the death stick in half.

Then again, maybe not.

Either way, it lands not too far from Kiden, and if she were to look at it, she'd find a note tied to the arrow?!?

The arrow flying through the air is nothing that Kiden was prepared for, especially in a state of complete relaxation. Hawkeye's skills are proven once again with a remarkable shot that cuts Kiden's cigarette in two, ruining her smoke. But more than that, it scares the heck out of her. After all, she doesn't know that the arrow wasn't aimed for her head to begin with.

A split second after the poison stick gets cut in half, Kiden is just not there. With time frozen, Kiden storms out a rain of curses while walking back and forth nervously, grabbing the part of the cigarette still in her mouth to study it. "I could have been killed," she notes to herself, taking some time to ease her breath and take a look around. Whoever shot her must still be around, but as she begins her search, she finds a note is attached to the arrow and moves to take it. If the writing on the note would suggest she's not facing a death threat, she'll soon reappear, crouching by the arrow and reading the note.

What does the note say?

Just a few simple words really.

'Still want to join The Young Allies?'

As for the person who fired the arrow, she's in the shadows, around a group of trees as the sun sets.

Kiden reads the note and blinks, that was an even better way to get her attention then her attempt to get Hawkeye's attention when they met a few days ago. Rubbing the back of her neck, Kiden folds the note and slips it to the pocket of her pants, turning her head on a swivel, trying to look in the direction the arrow should have come from. She's no tracker though, and has a hard time spotting Hawkeyee.

Kiden starts to walk in the general direction she thinks the arrow came from, announcing, "thanks a lot, not like it's easy for me to get those you know..." clearly meaning her cigarette which was killed viciously by an arrow.

"And between those and the drugs you tried to buy the other day, I have half a mind not to bother with this." is said back to Kiden as Hawkeye watches the other girl approach.

And yet...

There's a slight pause, before she reaches up and rubs her temples.

"With how things have gone down in the past few months, we need the help. So if you still want in, consider yourself in. On a trial basis for now."

Kiden rolls her eyes, "it's just a cigarette, what are you? My mother?" She can't believe that someone into the whole Superhero act can be so uptight about stuff like smoking. Then again, where she was raised, it was more or less the norm. Albeit parents were still very adamant against their children smoking, it just didn't really matter much.

Kiden keeps a direct approach towards Kate, or towards where she assumes Kate is if the archer is still hiding in shadows. "I told you already, I did that the last time to get your attention, that's all." For some reason, Kiden isn't the most believable, could just be her nature. "But come on...why hate on me because I smoke to numb the tension?" Was that the reason? Maybe at one point.

"Wait...did you just say I could join you guys?" Kiden stops her approach and stands there, dumbfonded, a bit confused. She was sure Kate was going to grill her in a boring meaningless lecture like her mom used to do. "Hell, nobody wants anything to do with me, I'll take trial basis over nothing! Awesome!" Putting on a bit of a sheepish grin, she mumbles, "guess I'm not getting a cigarette back for the one you killed, huh? It was a great shot, by the way, I thought I was dead for sure."

Part of Kate wants to say, 'That's the idea', but she doesn't. Not as she instead pulls out a smart phone, and offers it to Kiden.

"This has an app that encrypts all voice and text messages between our team mates. You'll also find information on how to get into our base on there. Protect it like your life, and don't loose it."

"Any questions?"

Kiden moves even closer to Kate and looks a bit confused as a smart phone is held out for her, "so...I never had one of these," Kiden says, looking at the device with a level of suspicion and an obvious lack of familiarity.

Taking the phone hesitantly, Kiden looks like even holding it in her hand is weird for her. "Oh, so it's like a membership card? Only far more expensive? Don't worry, I won't flip it fro drugs or anything," she jokes, while likely not easing on Kate's prior hesitation. "Yeah, I guess one question would be what do I do with this thing?"

And here's where Hawkeye has to fight back the urge to rub her temples again.

She's not exactly trying to be rude. Or short tempered. But well, as of late she hasn't had the patience that she use to.

"Let me see it." is said as she glances at the phone. If she gets it back, she'll quickly press a few keys, and then go through a few menus quickly, before handing it back.

"To unlock the phone, swipe the screen with your finger. Then type in the numbers 5, 3, and 1 to unlock it. from there you'll have three little tiles. Phone. text. And YAL. if you want to call someone, use the phone tile. Once you press that, you'll be able to put a number in. Similar with Text. YAL is automatic when ever you do either to someone with the app installed, so you'll never have to worry about it."

"Any other questions?"

Kiden hands the phone back to Kate without question, trying to peer at what she's doing with it, but the pace is so fast by Kate's expert fingers that Kiden really doesn't understand a whole lot.

But once Kate explains how simple everything is, after whatever magic she's performed, Kiden flashes a thumbs up as she takes it back. "Awesome, I think I could pass that course with a perfect A+!" From her tone of voice, one could easily assume that was not the range of grades she's accustomed too. Then again, judging her age, Kiden must have given up on school altogether.

"I think I just about got it, so pressing that YAL tile, I'll find out where you guys crash and I can come on by? I won't be shot on sight, right? Just want to make sure, I kinda like being alive."

"Pressing the tile won't do anything." Hawkeye admits. "If you want to find out how to get into our base, there's a text message on the phone already that will tell..."

And then well, Kate stops, And motions towards a bridge not too far away.

"Never mind. Follow me."

And then she starts towards it.

"And that phone won't tell you where anyone is. No one has to say where anyone is unless they want to. Just like they don't have to say who they are outside of costume. It's all their choice."

"You'll show me? Coool!" Kiden seems mighty excited at the proposition, especially as despite her act of having no problem, she doesn't trust that damned device to do what she wants it to. Sure it sounded simple when Kate explained it, but from her experience at school anything that sounds simple when explained is just a trick.

Kiden follows Kate quite eagerly, "I don't even have a costume, will I have to get one now?" Kiden asks curiously when Kate brings up the privacy issue with which members decide to keep their true identity a secret or not.

"Only if you want to." is said in a neutral tone as the pair approach the bridge, and even move to walk under it. Then there's a quick glance around as Hawkeye glances about. before finally...

She enters an old, unused storage room. That is before, in turn, she walks right through it and presses against a wall, revealing a stair case she just walks right down?!?

Following Kate closely, Kiden seems rather excited by the entire prospect of visiting the base of a superhero team. Sure, she's only been accepted on a trial basis for the time being, but this is the most exciting thing she's done since her adventure with X-23.

You enter a storm drain near The Reservoir.

[Metropolis]-- Central Park Station - The Terminal The Central Park Station. Something that was obviously built some time prior to the Metropolitan Transit Authority takeover of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, Interborough Rapid Transit Company, and Independent Subway System, it appears to be a forgetten legacy of a time when private companies fought a bitter battle over the underground of New York City. It   may not be as fancy as the City Hall Station, but this long forgotten terminal does have a style all its own that most modern subway station lack. For example as one ends up at the bottom of the stairs of the entrance to this station, they are greated not only with the words 'Central Park' written on the walls to their left and to their right, but they are faced with a large wall that is covered with a faded painting of    what could very well be an artists rendition of what the park may have looked like from the air... That is if one were to overlook the fact that the map is stylized to the point of near inacuracy, and the fact that painting is probably over a hundred years old. On one side of this wall there is a 'ticket booth' which appears to be just as old, while the other appears to be set up to let people out, and not in with turnstyles. Once one is past this entry area, the grandeur changes, for while there is a decent sized platform and station area, one that could even be    considered a bit large by modern standards. Without a doubt, this could be   considered the main room of The Young Allies 'base'. This area has been taken over for the most part with an assortment of old, but still plush looking furniture, a large 72 inch lcd television, a handful of computer monitors on various pieces of furniture nearby (including one or two old     CRT minitors), and even four or five PCs that appear to be everything from old second hand computers, to a positively brand new and custom built machine. Thus this place (which somehow does have high speed internet        access and wifi) could be considered anything from a spot where friends can hang out, watch movies or TV, or use as a sort of make shift monitor room where they can keep an eye out for trouble. And of course, on this platform, not too far from the main entrance there are a pair of restrooms, clearly marked 'Men' and 'Women' that do work, so there's no worry about needing to run far in case there's   a need. Also of note is that there are two subway cars, both of which are of a style that has not been used in decades, stopped at the terminal. Both of them have their windows painted black, and have had cots, sleeping bags, and the like put in them so that they can be used as sleeping rooms if anyone ever needs to crash at the station.

- Kiden Nixon - Minor (0s) Kate Bishop (7m) --- [MR] Multipurpose Room                [BR] Break Room [TU] The Tunnel                       [UP] Central Park --

"Secret passages!? Wicked!!" Kiden looks like a kid in a candy store as she follows Kate down the stair case, "would the secret door close behind us? This is sweet, it's like you're all secret agents!"

"Actually, if you could close the door please.... It doesn't shut itself." is said as the pair head down the stairs into the terminal. And well...

The desc speaks for itself as to what they're entering into.

"Oh," Kiden notes as she makes sure to close the door, "so you guys are not quite at future technology level yet, huh?" Kiden laughs, catching up to Kate after closing the door behind her. Once they hit the terminal, Kiden stops in her tracks and stares.

"Holy shit! This is the sickest hideout place in the history of ever!" Kiden now runs past Kate as she hurries from one spot to the next, taking a look up close at everything she can, constantly letting out whistles, exclaims in wonder, and turning back to make sure Kate is still there. "I could totally crash around here, you won't even notice me, don't worry!"

And at the mention of 'crashing here' Hawleye just points at one of the two subway cars and says, "That's the girls car for when people have to stay here. And showers have been installed in the bathrooms."

All though as she watches Kidens raw energy, she does smile faintly. Even if she still isn't completely sure about this girl and what she can, or will do. Let alone /why/ she'd do what she does.

Kiden rushes up to Hawkeye and holds up her hand for a high-five, but if Kate declines to follow on that, she'll just rush on over to check out the girl's car. "That's so cool! You made housing from subway cars!? That's like my dream apartment!" One might consider Kiden's normal living conditions that she's so excited about a converted subway car as a huge upgrade.

Looking back at Kate after having surveyed the girls' car, Kiden asks, "and I can totally stay here while I'm a trial basis member?"

Yes that high five is returned. And yet as it is, Hawkeye still looks serious.

"Yes. Just remember... No smoking in the base, or near the entrance. Try to keep the entrance, and the base itself, secret. And no drugs in the base either."

Yeah. She's not gonna let that drop.

Kiden seems mighty pleased that she wasn't snubbed on that high five, grinning as she tries to envision where exactly she'll be sleeping, and how awesome it will be to have a more permanent cover from unpleasant weather.

"Don't worry, I'll go outside if I need a smoke," Kiden says, grinning at as Kate picks on what would have been her next spot, "I guess that makes sense...too many cigarette butts would look suspicious. Fine, I'll go somewhere clear from here when I need a smoke," Kiden agrees before cringing as Kate mentions drugs as well. Turning around to lean against the girls' car, Kiden rolls her eyes, "I already told you, I was totally doing that to get your attention...I wasn't really going to buy drugs if nothing would have happened." Can Kate tell when people lie to her face? Because, that kinda, sorta, was a lie. Kiden just doesn't want to give reason to not allow her to join the Young Allies at the moment.

Maybe Kate can. Maybe she can't. But her expression remains neutral even as Kiden says that. Thus it's probably not clear if the female archer knows if she's being lied to or not.

All though there is a bit of a mental note to make sure to talk to the others about this, just in case.

"Any other questions?"

Kiden looks a bit upset as Kate's expression remains unflinching, making it hard to read. It was so easy to read her mother like a book, and Kate, well, she has no clue about what she thinks. Kiden doesn't like it, makes it harder to tell where she stands. She'd offer Kate to search her pockets to prove herself, except that wouldn't exactly accomplish that at the moment. "Nope, I think I'm all set...I'll say hi to everyone I meet while I lurk about. Thanks for letting me joing you, on a trial basis, you won't regret it!"

As Kiden has her say, she slips right into the girls' car to move some things around and find herself a good place to claim for herself. She assumes most would probably not be sleeping here so there shouldn't be territorial issues.

In the girls car? Maybe. Maybe not. At least at the moment.

With that said, as Kiden goes to claim her spot, Kate wanders a bit closer to the computer.

"If things go that way on Wednesday, I'm gonna have to either bring the black box in here... Or worse."


 * Fade to Black