We're getting job interviews.
"Carver Malone."
Son of 'Matches' Malone, eh? Nice to see a family tradition continuing. Wonder if Talia's ever used the Malone name yet.
"Education?"
"I was in High School."
I'd comment on American high school curriculums, but...
The man doing the interview glares at me. "I've been 'in' a bank vault. Doesn't mean I'm a banker."
That doesn't-. Oh. Right. These guys aren't actual recruitment people. These are people who got on the wrong side of the boss, and know it, and are doing the minimum they have to so they avoid getting on his wronger side.
...This guy made the point just as well for me.
As for staffing, I guess they have to take whatever they can get, eh?
Or her. I mean, it's usually not, but I've been tied up by Poison Ivy before.
"Well, what exactly do you want to know? I got good grades, but I'm a sophomore. And school kinda got shut down when-."
...Some young men would probably
like to be tied up by Poison Ivy... Until they actually
are, then the
screaming begins.
"Can you read and do basic math?"
"Yeah?"
I suspect they're not looking for rocket scientists here. So you're good.
"Fine. Do you have any long term medical issues?"
"No?"
...Danner enhancements
might make surgery tough to perform on him.
"What, you don't know?"
"No, I don't have any long term medical problems."
Although a Danner Enhancile wouldn't likely
need surgery for all but the most severe injuries anyway.
"Or allergies or whatever."
"No, no allergies."
Could be awkward. Then again, it's also not uncommon to have an allergy you've never triggered, or develop one as you age.
"Immunisation injections?"
Working with Batman means that I've been exposed to some really interesting micro-organisms. I actually had to opt out of the school program because it would conflict with something else I had. I'm more than up to date now, but at the time I got people asking if I was afraid of the mercury.
...Do I
want to know
why mercury would be involved in an immunisation injection?
He's working through a checklist with no idea why. What kind of organisation has a way to open portals to parallel universes and then doesn't pay attention to what they got out?"
"Any job training?"
An organisation that doesn't really have any options for who they recruit on the local end, Robin...
"I used to be a circus acrobat."
He drops his tablet on the table between us. "If you don't take this seriously, we'll dump you in meat processing."
Do you mean as part of the
staff, or as part of the
product?
"No. Seriously. My family were the trapeze act. Do you want me to demonstrate?" I make a point of looking at the ceiling. "Doesn't look like you've got one set up."
"Ah. Okay, I guess. Not heard that one before. Any other skills?"
I suppose not many locals remember the Flying Graysons, and if this guy
isn't local...
"I used to have a paper round in Blüdhaven."
"We don't need a paperboy."
Bitch, have you not
played the
video game? And in
Blüdhaven?
Holy shit, was this
before or
after Robin was bullet resistant?
"Blüdhaven used to narrowly loses to Hub City as murder capital of America. Then the Sheeda killed everyone in Hub City so there's no more competition. My paper round took me through the territory of five different gangs. I saw one to two shootouts per day."
It was for a case. And okay, I didn't keep it up for long. But it was an eye-opener.
...I'm guessing the delivery services have a
high rate of turnover...
"Rough neighborhood. Could be useful. Okay, last thing. Do you have superpowers?"
If we were infiltrating this place for a long time, I'd say 'no' and keep them as an ace in the hole. But we still need to get back and work out what Mannheim wants with Mistress. So, it looks like honesty is the best policy.
And superpowers may be a
bonus for these people.
"Yes."
"Being circus-folk is not a superpower."
I mean, better-than-average agility... But no, that's not what he means.
"No, but super strength is. Right?"
He frowns, leaning away slightly. "You're super strong? Like, tear-through-steel super strong?"
Since there are different
grades of superstrength. People who take part in 'World's Strongest' competitions could
technically qualify as a low-grade superhuman.
"I haven't ever tried tearing steel, but I can bend it pretty easily."
He glances out of the booth, off into the distance. I can't see anyone for him to be looking at, but I guess his supervisor is over that way.
Trying to decide whether to buy the story or pass the buck, I bet.
I smile. "Want me to break something?"
"Okay, kid? That sounds great, but if you're shitting me we're both in the shit. You understand me?"
And given how tall Dick is compared to you, I assume, he's going to be
deeper.
"Yeah, no problem. It's not like I'm saying I'm psychic or something, right? Strength is easy to test."
"I suppose. Okay." He stands up. "Get up. Follow me."
True, demonstrating psychic powers might be a
bit hard to manage, especially if they're not flashy (like psychokinesis) or projective (like telepathy...)
He leads the way across the warehouse, and I get a momentary glance at Artemis and Mitchell going through the same thing. We're heading for the exit, and he nods at the door guards before leading me to the back of the lot. Not much around. Looks like… An abandoned airfield, so that's a hangar and not a warehouse. Easier to fly things in, I guess. He leads me over to a pile of packing crates, piled up haphazardly out of the way after they took out whatever used to be inside.
Ah, the kind of thing Robin could have broken
before he got buffed.
"Break them up."
I walk up to the closest and pick it up. "You know this isn't hard wood, right?"
Best to leave
some stuff intact. No doubt other folks get the same run-down f they claim to have superstrength.
"I just need to check you're not completely full of shit. My boss can work out how strong you really are."
I shrug and close my hands into fists, the wood splintering and cracking as my fingers move through it with no real effort. "Like that?"
That sounds just a little
worrying. What's the likelihood that his 'boss' has an
actual power-sensing ability?
"Yeah, but try and make it look impressive. It's my boss and his boss you got to convince."
"And… Then what?"
Ah. Just put on a good show. That's something Dick understands
easy.
"Then you get a decent job instead of whatever they got the rest of you people doing. And I get a finders fee."
"Who's your boss?"
Heh. So there's a little sumthin'-sumthin' in it for this guy. Of course. No wonder he's being so sceptical.
"His name's Jimmy. Jimmy Dawes. It's his call whether you're worth his boss's time. And she's the one who you gotta impress. So make sure it looks good."
I pick up a crate, toss it into the air and the jump up and bicycle kick it into the ground! My foot basically goes through it, bits of wood exploding outwards in all directions!
The question is, is
that a local guy Robin would recognise, or an out-of-towner? Because 'she' is almost certainly Mistress...
I land in a crouch, looking at my interviewer.
"That okay?"
"I dunno. You said it wasn't strong wood."
...Do you
want a plank where the sun don't shine? It can join the stick already up there.
I shrug, pick up the next with my left hand and then punch my right fist through it.
"Yeah, that should be okay. Come back inside and I'll talk to Jimmy."
Well, nicely done. Let's hope Jimmy is as easily impressed.
