you better run for your life if you can little girl

[redhairring]

WHO: Freddie Lounds & Power Girl
WHERE: A coffee shop!
WHEN: Sometime after the two talk.
WHAT: hello there potential new bodyguard, I am scared of cannibal serial killers and legless serial killers
WARNINGS: possible eventual talk of violence

Freddie was starting to wonder if her blood would eventually turn into caffeine. Between unintentionally meeting Gideon and Danger in a coffee shop, to purposefully meeting Kate Bishop in a coffee shop, to meeting this Power Girl character in a coffee shop, she had a feeling she was single-handedly funding the production of the syrupy overly sweet monstrosity she drank. But Freddie liked coffee shops. Coffee shops were public, they were neutral and (most importantly), they consistently had people in them. People watching others as they wait in line for their drinks, people watching others as they drink their drinks, not like a restaurant where everybody was wrapped up in their own mind. Coffee was different.

Freddie sat at a table near the window, coffee monstrosity in her hand, thinking about Power Girl. She knew next to nothing about the woman, just that Chilton had listed her as a superhero and possibly someone to be a bodyguard. Normally, she wouldn't even consider a bodyguard and would just go about her daily business. But, with the arrival of Hannibal Lecter, the idea of getting more powerful friends suddenly sounded attractive.

Because it wasn't just Hannibal Lecter that worried her. Oh no. Who knew what would happen to poor, easily swayed Will Graham now that Doctor Lecter was here? She had let Will tell her his side of the story, after he had attempted to kill Lecter, but some of the pieces were still worrying her. And, she still had Gideon to worry about. Freddie had partially been working on assuaging that worry of hers by befriending Danger--after all, at the moment? His scary robot girlfriend worried her more than the not to able-bodied Abel Gideon.

Heh. That was kind of funny.

Still, the truth was unavoidable: she needed stronger friends. Or, at least, she needed stronger people that she could coerce into being something like friends. She was all too aware that nobody would let her hire them as a bodyguard, especially since Tattlecrime was up and running. A half-assed attempt at friendship seemed to be the only option. So, sipping her drink, Freddie's eyes scanned the coffee shop, looking for obvious superheroes.

Comments

[redhairring]

"He is and he has," she tightly responded, trying her hardest to seem rattled. Because here was a good opportunity. She was perfectly fine casting Abel Gideon as the villain, the reason why she had sought out Power Girl. Better him, who had essentially became a public villain, a public nuisance, than Hannibal Lecter, who Freddie was certain would slither out of any sort of trouble, or Will Graham, who seemed so annoyingly normal at first glance that hardly anyone would pay him any mind.

"I won't lie, it's tough on the nerves."

[boobwindow]

"Has he threatened you?"

And more importantly, why hasn't she gone to the police with her concerns? There's got to be something they can do from Peej's perspective, though her UNSETTLED status may make it difficult to get their full cooperation if it's ever necessary. She's been fortunate enough so far to avoid the police getting on her case.

[redhairring]

"Not yet." Though, from the tense tone of her voice, it's pretty much implied 'and I have no idea why.' Freddie idly tucks a strand of hair behind her ears, accidentally flashing her 'unsettled' tattoo at Peej while she does so. Here's another one who doesn't entirely trust the government.

"I don't want to be up a creek without a paddle when he does."

[boobwindow]

Bright eyes flickered over the glow of the tattoo for a split-second before settling back on Freddie's face, watching for any strains at the corner of her mouth, the tightening of a muscle in her temple, involuntary twitch of her nose... anything.

Freddie Lounds may be a tabloid reporter with a sketchy request or at least an unorthodox method of gathering protecting for herself, but she was acting like most people would whenever they felt threatened. Someone who had nearly turned Frederick Chilton into an organ salad was someone to rightfully fear.

"And have you spoken to the police yet? Or did they say they can't help you until Gideon's done something."

By then it could be too late. She rarely railed on the police when she got along swimmingly with them back in New York, but they weren't perfect and the system wasn't either as much as she liked to pour her faith into it.

[redhairring]

Time to lie.

"There's no proof that Gideon did anything against me. He attacked Chilton, but he hasn't made any overtures towards me yet. The police said that once he did something-sent a threatening letter, attacked me, something like that-then they'd protect me. But at the moment, it's just our words."

Yet another problem. Tossed in a new world, she had no records. No Jack Crawford and the FBI to back up her assertions that Gideon was dangerous. Even if she did talk to the police, what could (or would) they do for her?

[boobwindow]

"He hasn't attacked the doctor here, has he?"

That would help build a case, if not grant Freddie the protection she needs from someone as dangerous as Abel Gideon.

She could always drop by Gideon, wherever he is, and warn him that if he were to lay a hair on Freddie or anyone in this world she would personally see to it that he would be stuck in a body cast for a month or two.

But being Unsettled means she may not be able to risk it. Besides, if he's got a "clean" record here, she's threatening an "innocent" man. Peej knows better than to provoke the authorities without good cause.

[redhairring]

Freddie shrugged, frown on her face. "I don't know. Chilton and Gideon both have been here longer than I have--for all I know, Gideon might have attacked him here or back in the City." She absolutely had no idea herself.

"But if he has...I doubt Chilton would talk about it." The good doctor, at least in Freddie's mind, didn't want to appear weak, to appear helpless. That was one of the reasons she was so shocked that he had told Peej about Gideon's first attack on him. That was weakness. That was a sign that you had failed. Never mind the fact that she was essentially kidnapped by Gideon as well.

[boobwindow]

"I understand it's not easy," she began solemnly, "But it's hard for people like me and the police to do their job without people stepping forward."

She may be a living lie detector, but she's no telepath. She had an over abundance of abilities, yet telepathy was not one of them. She doubted she would have enjoyed a power like that anyway.

[redhairring]

It didn't hurt to at least mention it to the cops. Freddie was certain she'd be shoved away in a filing cabinet somewhere, never to see the light of day again, but at least then she would have told them. And plus, if she ever did end up with her throat slit or her organs sitting pretty on her chest, the cops would have an idea about where to go.

"You're right. I'll go to the police later today and file a report, or whatever it is." Plus, it would win Peej more over to her side. Win win situation.

wow that icon sure was sincere

[boobwindow]

"Good," she rapped her fingers along the surface of the table. "They may not be able to do anything yet, but they'll have a heads up about Gideon."

She had fought a lot of murderers over the years, but she often dealt with the superpowered sort who were after something more. Power, land, annihilation of mankind... the sort of criminal Abel Gideon apparently was was not something she dealt with on a regular basis. It seemed more up Batman's alley.

But once brought to her, she couldn't turn the other cheek. That wasn't what a superhero did.