Forums » General Roleplay » A late Refuelling

Black Chariot started the bike, the rumble of the engine deep and purring, as he kicked it into gear and drove them out of the parking lot. As they left, it seemed the homeless man was coming to. He was growling, snarling, and moaning "BRRRAINS...?"

But he was not getting out of those cuffs, Chariot was certain of it. And as they pulled out, he saw flashing red and blue lights several blocks down. He grinned in his helmet, before driving them in the opposite direction. A few swings around the block, as he took the long way to where they where heading.

Eventually, Chariot pulled the bike in behind a long, old fashioned silver side diner, hiding the bike in the alleyway. He killed the engine and dismounted, removing his helmet and hanging it from the handle bars once more. "Right, here we are."

Roosevelt sighed when they left the flashing red and blue lights, having tensed up when he saw them.

He dismounted off the motorcycle, and grinned. He knew the diner. "Alright, I could use a bite to eat." He offered his hand to AJ, to help her out of the sidecar. "Do you come here often?" he inquired of Black Chariot.

(I have no idea what kind of good luck to give Roosevelt...)

AJ grabbed his arms and used him to help her up - and stole a kiss at the same time. So much had happened since this morning, "So, uh. It's official then I guess?" She murmured as they headed towards the diner, crutched wedged under her bruised and abused armpits.

Black Chariot raised an eyebrow, not that they could see it behind his mask, but he was rather...skeptical about how they were all lovey-dovey. "Uhhh...Yeah, you could say that. I stop by time to time to eat. Someone here helps me grab a bite without drawing...attention." He lead the way, around the corner to a small backdoor where the food supply would be brought in. Black Chariot cocked a look back at them, "Young Couple? No offense meant, but she's kinda not too good at hiding it." He shrugged softly to them, before he knocked on the door six hard times. There was a moment, before there was a metallic sliding and a grey-blue eye stared at them from a peep hole. Chariot flashed a smile for the orb.

And like clockwork, the door swung open, revealing a short, hunched old grey-haired woman in a blazer and apron. She gave a small croak, "Blackie!" She immediately grappled the vigilante in a tight hug about his waist. Black Chariot patted her on the back, "Hullo Agnes." With the greeting done, Agnes stepped back, "You are much earlier tonight. I wasn't expecting you till midnight like usual. Come in, come in. OH!" She gasped noticing AJ and Roosevelt, "You brought friends, well, I'll just have to get the table ready for more." And she shuffled off...

Black Chariot turned back to them, and it looked like he might've been blushing. "Sweet ol' dame. Come on..." He lead the way into the restaurant's back pantry. It was a fairly typical short order kitchen, staff busily moving about, preparing and fetching orders. No one seemed to pay the masked vigilante any mind as he lead them to a back room, this one with a wooden floor and wood planked walls. The room was a Break room, but it seemed old, like the diner had from the outside. Perhaps when they renovated the kitchens, they had left the old-timey charm of the old break room.

There was a dining table set up in the midst of it, and a pair of waitresses and Agnes worked to make it ready for three.

Surprised by the kiss, Roosevelt was slow to return it, but he did. He carefully made sure that AJ was set to go before releasing his hold on her. "Seems that way," Roo murmured, feeling proud.

He eyed Black Chariot warily at his comment. "Perhaps, but age really doesn't matter..."

Of course, when Black Chariot was hastily attacked in a hug by a woman much older, a smirk couldn't help but cross Roo's face as he nodded in the woman's direction once she had scurried off. "Lemme guess, young couple? No offense, but she's not too good at hiding it either."

He whistled though impressed as he followed Black Chariot and AJ inside. "I've never been back here before. Good thing you don't come here often; I'd hate to think that, well, vigilantes plague this town." He couldn't resist the slight jab, as much to see what 'Blackie' thought and how he would react.

AJ frowned as they went in, repeating what Roo said, "Age doesn't matter." She looked at the masked man, 'Take strangers out here often?" She shivered, frowning. Why had he chosen to take them there. Why them? why now?

He didn't know them. Why did this only occur to her now?

"Hey, some people are just nice. Agnes...I used to work here for her. Then when I pulled her out of the middle of gang fight, she recognized me and offered to help me keep my belly full while I wore the costume." Black Chariot took his seat, there was a menu in front of him, but he didn't pick it up. "Vigilantes do plague this town. But you know, that's okay...cause for every man in a mask doing something to clean up the city, there's three or four people who just want to use their gifts to take whatever they want from society." He rolled his shoulders, till one popped loudly. He fixed AJ with a small neutral grin, and casually answered her question. "Nope. You two I guess are blessed by the fact he seems to want to keep up the conversation we started in the park." He swung his head in the direction of Roosevelt. "By the way, don't remember if I caught your name. I know she's Anna. But you?"

It was then that Agnes came back, the old woman piping in, in a practiced waitresses tone, "You know know what you would like? Perhaps I can just start you on with some drinks? Blackie, what do you feel like?"

"A pepsi would do me some good." The menus in front of them showed a collection of traditional English pub food and american favorites. Nice little blend, food seemed large portioned and low-dollar for the amount.

Roosevelt nodded at Chariot's words--noting that he would probably be labeled as one of the latter. Though he smiled easily enough when he introduced himself. "Name's Roosevelt. Whatever the case, you've taken advantage of what life's dealt you."

He looked at Agnes. "I'll have an iced tea, please." He glanced briefly at the menu and then sagged back in his chair. When was the last time he had sat at a table that didn't involve hashing out a plan? Too long.

AJ was glad that Roo didn't out her on her name. She wasn't certain if she liked "Blackie" yet, or if he frightened her. Or pissed her off. Her chest had stopped hurting from her encounter with Cody, "Uh, water, please. I need to use the bathroom." She slipped out, silently as she could, struggling out of her pants, washing them under the tap. She counted the seconds as the old hand dryer slowly zapped the wetness out of them.

When they were damp she pulled them on. It wasn't the best feeling, but it was nice to be able to say they didn't smell. She worried though - what had the boys talked about in the mean time?

While AJ was gone, Black Chariot laced his hands before himself. He rested his chin behind his knuckles. He considered Roosevelt from across the table. "So, lets get to this. Why you seem so interested in me, Roosevelt. What's the deal with you, and with her." His eyes narrowed behind the mask, as he considered. "What's the angle? Gotta be an angle if you've come as far as you have."

Roosevelt flashed his palms in a short surrender. "No angle. And who's to say how far I've come? I've been in the area for a while, so has she. You know the deal: opposites attract, all that jazz." He shrugged and eyed Black Chariot. "Not that you're so open yourself. I mean what's with your name? Black Chariot? Did you pick that yourself? Not sure I've read too much about you in the papers."

In hindsight, if Roosevelt had been aware of all the vigilantes, he probably would have talked Cody out of moving the Resistance here. But, they hadn't been discovered so it hadn't been too much of a big deal. "Gotta say, seems like the vigilantes are slippin' a bit in their work."

AJ returned, smiling at the pair, "So, what's everyone eating?" She had a wonderful ability to act as though nothing was happening. That nothing was wrong.

"Small wonder there. C'mon, never read a comic book. You never play with your real life on your sleeve. That just gets people important to you hurt." He sighed and folded his hands over his chest, this conversation was turning out truly odd. But he figured he would at least answer Roosevelt's questions. "Black Chariot is just kinda something a associate came up with when they made the costume. Black for the color of my modes of transportation. Chariot because I do most of my work from behind a steering wheel. Simple as that. She put some Tarot card symbolism into the suit, but I've never believed that stuff."

He shrugged nonchalantly then, "The vigilantes, ha. You talk like we are an organization. Or like this is work. Let me enlighten you, while some people with powers might group up, the majority of us are independent and work alone. There's no way to be 'slipping' because there's no quota; we each do what we can, when we can. That's all we can do, working outside the system as we do. That's also why you've never heard anything about me outside of urban myth, I let the police get credit for the captures."

Black Chariot looked over to AJ as she returned, returning the smile politely, "Agnes knows my order already, I get the same thing every time. It's just up to you two."

Roosevelt sighed and realized now that Cody's method was perhaps the best. Independent civilians working alone could not achieve the same things a like-minded group could. "Maybe you should start working together," he murmured to Black Chariot, half under his breath.

To AJ, he replied, "I'm getting a burger." Something plain, simple, and filling.

AJ settled into a spot, looking at the menu for a short while. She didn't want to order something messy, "Uh, just a Cesar salad..." She trailed off, eyeing the other hero, "So, there are others like you? Do you ever see them?"

She knew the police knew about her. They'd be damn daft if they didn't, especially since she spent so much time wiggling out from their fingers. Or in the hospital once or twice. luckily she'd managed to convince a nurse to take straight cash for that one.

She pulled out her wallet, remembering that paid day was the next upcoming. She had used all her money to pay bail for Roo, "Er, actually I'm fine."

"I actually do not, Anna. I collaborate occasionally for the most part. If I encounter another vigilante with a mutual goal, I've no problem working together on that goal. Maybe swap cell phone numbers after if I've had a good time or she's cute." He chuckled, "But that's as far as it goes."

He sighed lightly, looking off in the direction of the kitchen. Agnes was gone, but he knew she was probably listening in. "Go ahead and order the salad, I'll spot you the cash."

He returned to the subject AJ brought up, "I actually work more with the government than fellow vigilantes, reporting to certain individuals that contacted me originally. Sometimes they pay me money to allow them to study my powers."

Roosevelt frowned as he listened. "The government found you? Why work with them?" He couldn't help it; Cody's paranoia had gotten to him as well, even if he didn't show it quite so much.

AJ frowned, "You let the government study you?" Her voice got a little high, wondering what they would do with the symbiote inside of her. She shook her head at the mention of the salad, "Nah, I can handle water for a while. I've been eating junk all day. I won't keep my nice figure if I have a fatty salad."

Black Chariot shrugged, "Because the money to play lab rat was too good. And occasionally, having a government contact can get you out of trouble. Those were really the only reasons. It wasn't so bad, drive to a military base, let them take pictures and scans as I used my powers."

The food came to the table, a younger waitress bringing a tray with that they ordered. She set out fish and Chips for Black Chariot, and Roo's burger is front of him, and the drinks. "Working for them is a strong word, if I am frank. they don't ask me for anything other than being studied." He picked up a piece of deep fried fish and munched it before taking a big drink of soda. "Why so curious about the other vigilante's in the city?"

Roosevelt supposed it did have its many conveniences, but he was still surprised that they would just as easily let Black Chariot walk out of the base. Although given his ability, Chariot could do a lot of destruction if he so chose.

Roosevelt grinned at AJ's joke. "I'll pay for you, AJ. I owe you, after all, and you need to eat."