CHAPTER 3: Meet & Greet

The hooded man chose the open seat next to Crew Leader, making a motion towards the bartender. “Give me your best whiskey, a clean glass, and this lovely lady will be paying, thanks.”

                Crew quickly turned to the newcomer with a glare. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I do know I won’t be paying for your drink.” She turned away. “If you can’t afford it, don’t order it.”

                “You won’t spot me just one drink?” the man asked, acting hurt.

                “No, I said already.”

                The hooded man sighed before trying again. “What if I told you quite a few relationships began over drinks?”

                Crew turned once more to glare at him. “Then I would tell you I’m not looking for a relationship.” The mark over her right eye flared slightly. “How persistent are you, Mr. Hood?”

                Statik leaned around Crew to add her two cents. “I wouldn’t mess with her much if I was you.”

                “Oh?” The man looked at Statik then back to Crew Leader. “I’d be quite interested in seeing what would happen.”

                “Then I suppose you’re an idiot,” growled Crew.

                The hooded man chuckled. “I’ve certainly been called worse, but please, call me Reever.”

                “When then, Reever,” Crew began,” what is it you want?”

                “I’m glad you asked! As you probably realized, I have no money.” Statik rolled her eyes. “All I want is lodging for the night, and then we’ll probably never see each other ever again.”

                “Only for the night?” asked Crew Leader. “How do you even know we have a room here?”

                “Are you telling me you don’t? I find that hard to believe.” Reever looked around Crew and at Statik. “Can’t imagine you’d let her get so hilariously drunk unless you had a place to crash.”

                Crew glanced at Statik who was keeping a wary eye on the newcomer. “I’ll admit, you have a point: when she’s drunk, she’s not good for much of anything.”

                “Hey!” complained Statik.

                “But,” Crew turned back to Reever, “what exactly am I getting out of this?”

                Reever sat a bit straighter as he motioned towards himself. “Why, you’ll get the skills and talents of yours truly �" something a clever person would be wise to keep around.”

                Crew placed a hand over her face. “Great, you were a hero once, weren’t you?  Always so smug and full of themselves.”

                “Hero, villain, isn’t that all meaningless in Renard? However, I can truly be useful. My specialty is information gathering and intelligence.”

                Her head resting on her hand, Crew pointed over her shoulder at Statik. “Got all my information gathering right there. Crude but effective.”

                Reever chuckled. “You speak down on her quite a bit it seems. Yet in Renard, I’m sure you’d agree some … finesse could be helpful. Leaves fewer bodies in the alleyways.”

                “True,” Crew admitted. “Still, I’m retired. Don’t all these glasses just scream, ‘I’m retired and have nothing to spend my money on otherwise’?”

                He glanced at the impressive collection. “I will admit, it more has a mid-life crisis look about it.”

                “Why’d you even pick us to mooch off anyways?” Statik asked. “There are plenty other people in here.”

                “Other people yes, but I tend to have a knack for telling what people are like, and something told me I’d have the best chance with you two fine ladies.”

                “Turned to flattery have you now?” Crew reached a hand into her coat and pulled out a lone key on an old ring bearing a battered tag with the number three. She waved it in front of Reever as Statik tried to figure out what she was up to. “We managed to get a room with two beds. I… don’t sleep, so the other bed is empty. You can have it, if you can use your supposed information skills to find out something about Statik that I don’t know.”

                “Wait, what?” asked Statik as she realized she’d been volunteered. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

                A grin was visible under Reever’s mask. “Deal. Allow me to switch seats with you then.” Crew stood up as Reever took her seat, facing Statik. Crew remained standing, arms crossed as Reever began. “It would help if I already knew what you do know about her, but I’ll probably still manage it. Now, dear … Statik I believe? Simply sit still.” Statik flinched as Reever placed his fingers on the side of her head. He closed his eyes and seemed to have frozen until a moment later he began to move again, apparently out of breath. He glanced at Crew Leader.

                “Do you know her true name?”

                “Yes.”

                “Do you know where she was born?”

                “Yes.”

                He sighed. “Would be easier if I knew what you didn’t know.”

                Crew thought for a moment. “Who was her first kill?”

                Statik paled as Reever looked a little surprised.

                “Somehow I doubt it was as epic a battle as she wants me to believe, yet I’ve never gotten the truth out of her.”

                Reever glanced at Statik. “Her first kill was when she was fourteen. She was fighting against some larger kids; they’d said something she didn’t favour.” He closed his eyes. “It happened in the parking lot behind their school. She punched one of the boys straight in the face. In that moment, her full power of electricity connected in her fist, frying the lad’s brains in the process and killing him.”

                Crew looked to Statik. “Why did you never want to tell me?”

                Statik looked away. “You were the great Crew Leader, I wanted to impress you. Besides, I hadn’t even done it on purpose.” She glanced at Reever. “How did you do that?”

                He waved a hand. “Trade secret, I’m afraid. So, did I do well, miss…?”

                “I suppose so. As late as it is now, we should probably head up to the room now. Come along. Call me Crew.”

                Crew helped Statik to her feet as Reever stood to follow them up the stairs. They paused at a door with the number three written in a decorative font. Crew opened the door, motioning Reever to step through so she could lock the door. She then slid her fingers along the wall, searching for the switch to turn on a few dim lamps. Reever leaned against an old worn desk as he took in the sights: wallpaper peeling, the wooden floor worn and creaky, two small beds that looked about as soft as cardboard with sheets to match, and a wobbly bed stand sitting between them. Crew placed Statik on one of the beds, more gently than Reever would have expected.

                “You can take the other one, I don’t need it,” Crew reminded Reever.

 He turned away from the window to glance at Crew. “Fancy that, I don’t either. I just needed somewhere to stay during the night.”

                “Then you’ll be on your way?” Crew asked while she watched Statik roll over and begin to snore. She glanced back at Reever as her eyes began to glow a dim red.

                A smile grew under his mask. “We’ll just have to see.”

                Crew gave Reever a strange look. “And what do you mean by that?”

                He was silent a moment before speaking. “I’ve had an idea in my head for a while, but I’d yet to find the right people to help me.”

                “Oh?” Crew crossed her arms. “And just what would this plan of yours be, exactly?”

                “We all know the Tide controls Renard, right? Well, I’ve been thinking, what if one were to take over the Tide, or get rid of it completely?”

                “Do you have a plan for any of that?”

                Reever shrugged. “There’s already a resistance set up somewhere, I’m sure they’d be willing to have a few extra hands.” He kept his eyes on Crew as she went to a corner of the room and sat against the wall for the night. “Surely drinking away your fortune is not what you want to do for the rest of your life?”

                Crew sighed. “I would like a great many things �" that doesn’t mean they’ll happen. Say we went to the rebels �" do you know where they are? Would they welcome us? Who’s to say the Tide wouldn’t come upon us and wipe us out as soon as we moved?” She paused. “You may be a loner, but some of us have others to consider. I earned my name by earning the respect of those who followed me �" I will not lead those who still follow me into dead ends.”

                Reever looked over at Statik who mumbled something in her sleep as a spark traveled along her hair. “She seems plenty capable. I wouldn’t worry about her.”

                A laugh came from the corner. “Yes, seems capable. She’s good at acting tough. She can act up a storm, but when you break her focus, it all comes crashing down and you realize she’s still that young girl with a knack for electricity. She grew up on a continent, in a decent middle-class family �" bluffing is a major skill. Acting bigger than you are, more experienced than you are, wealthier than you are.” Crew stretched out her legs. “When you were in her head, did you learn why she left all of that?”

                “I was more concerned with trying to impress you, to be honest. Everything else wasn’t worth focusing on.”

                “I didn’t know about the boy she killed, but she told me every time she got in a fight, her parents would try keeping the other kids quiet by paying them, try keeping the staff quiet so she could stay in the fancy school, even though she was a thug. In the end, she put her family in debt trying to keep others from knowing she had powers and sending her off. They wanted their little daughter to stay with them �" surely she’d grow out of it, right?”

                Reever sat on the floor along with Crew, trying to get comfortable on the hard floor with his back against the sharp-edged desk. “I take it she didn’t.”

                “They tried to keep it secret from her. She found out. She’s by no means stupid, though she’ll never hear me say that out loud, and she ran. She left them in their debt and hid on a ship on the way to the Isles, since young little Statik had romanticized villains, and had always wanted to be one. The rest is history.”

                There was silence, broken only by the creak of the bar and the occasional snore from under Statik’s hair. “Why are you keen on moving against the Tide?” Crew asked, keeping an eye on Reever.

                Reever looked up at the ceiling for a while before replying. “Why not?” He turned to her, “Maybe I think it’s time the Tide washed out to sea. Renard could be so much more if under the rule of anyone other than Tide.”

                “When I first arrived, I intended Renard to be my retirement. A way to get out of everything. Who would think to look for the infamous Crew Leader on an island that puts powered people to death as soon as they look at them? Except the Resistance, way back then, when their numbers could be counted on two hands, tried to get me to join. Somehow they knew I was in town, and searched me out.” Crew raised her hands, “The Great Crew Leader! Surely I could lead them to glory! Surely I could destroy the Tide!” She lowered her hands. “I sent them away. I had no interest in what went on outside the little cave I had made myself. For all I know, they probably died long ago. But do I feel bad?” Crew shrugged.  After a moment she continued. “If you were to get rid of the Tide, what would you put in its place? An island as large as this is going to need some sort of government and police force constantly. The Tide currently fills both roles, if it’s gone, you better have some damn good plan ready to step up immediately.”

                The hooded man shrugged. “There are some things you just have to figure out once you get there. It doesn’t pay to plan and scheme only to never reach your goal. Too much work, only to have it fall flat. Any other questions?”

                “No. I’m ready for this night to be over.”

                “Heh,” Reever chuckled as he pulled his hood further down his face. “You aren’t the only one.”