Scene 2: Dinner and a Show

Elysium takes up the top two floors, 59th and 60th, of The Franklin Building. It has become The Spot for heroes and those that want to be seen with heroes to eat. The owners have has hired the best in security, both mundane and super powered. The restaurant can be accessed from either the garage entrance or the ground entrance leading to an express elevator. Or from above for those heroes inclined to that mode of travel. The paparazzi constantly swarm the entrances and monitor air traffic for any gossip they might glean from who comes and goes and with whom they do so. Unauthorized drones that get to close to the sky doors are shot down and confiscated. Press that get to eager are detained by security until their credentials are verified. The restaurant has been open for a few years now so everyone has learned to follow the rules. There hasn't been a villain attack since the fourth month of operation. There are rumors however that a super-powered individual with mind-control abilities is on the premises and is the reason no one gets out of hand anymore, but the owners have never confirmed that and the city authorities don't seem interested in telling either.

Inside the restaurant is a classic fine dining establishment. Plush carpets, crisp white linens, a full bar and dessert cart. The food itself is not actually prepared in house. The owner employs 8 of the finest chefs from around the world and each of them prepares their own meals in their professional kitchen. Three world class teleporters wait in the back room for a signal when the orders are ready and retrieve it, then passing it to the wait staff. Of course all the kitchens are monitored for proper decorum at all times.

Patrons wishing to dine must choose either the more public 59th floor, into which the press can see and potentially ask questions of heroes, or the 60th floor which is closed off and far more intimate. The menus are the same, but the prices are different for each floor. The owner takes kickbacks from allowing press onto the 59th floor, so the prices there are lower, downright affordable even on a lower tier hero's budget. The price of admission is allowing the press to have at you if they want. On the 60th floor, the prices are a bit higher, to pay for the modicum of privacy.

The maître d′ seats you on the 59th floor as requested. He leads you to a table near the middle of the room. It is set for four as you approach, but the empty chair and extra setting are quickly removed and the rest evenly redistributed by a pair of young waitstaff. The maître d′ pulls out Echo's chair and offers her menu first.

On the menu tonight are the following options:

Beef Tenderloin - Roasted with a spicy chili infusion, served medium rare and topped with chimichurri salsa; with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

Coho Salmon - Oven-roasted wild salmon with chervil kumquat pesto; with Creamed Baby Spinach

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese - Gruyere, Irish Cheddar, and Cotija cheese, bay shrimp and chunks of Maine lobster baked with heavy cream and penne pasta; with Fresh Herb Risotto

Bombay Tarkari Tawa Pulao - Market fresh Vegetables, basmati rice, home ground spice mix; with Raita

Risotto Sottobosco - Lemon-basil Acquerello risotto, stracciatella cheese, garden vegetables

Chef's Choice Sashimi Sushi Vegetable Maki Combo - An assortment of the finest seafood with avocado, cucumber, asparagus, sweet potato

Emperor's Palace - Miso soup with mussels; Tofu with crab sauce; Chirashi sushi; Miso glazed black cod with sauteed broccoli

Tri-Tip with Chimichurri - Grilled steak with chimichurri sauce; with a fresh salad

As you peruse the menu, press stands some 30ft off snapping photos of your trio, and you assume other patrons. You feel you can speak without being overheard, but you never know. A waitress named Colleen shows up to take drink orders.

Vitrius nods, not breaking his smile. "It's your choice of course." He would have been shocked if El Toro had accepted the script, given his actions in the fight. Still, the mere suggestion might have annoyed him into a fixed pattern of action. That can be prepared for as well... As long as he didn't just act at random... Which he seemed to like to do... Vitrius was beginning to get a headache as the possibilities spun out in his mind, all stemming from El Toro

The waitress comes back for Echo's refill, "Is there anything else I can get for anyone? By the way, I saw some of what happened to you today on the television by the bar. It was impressive watching you work, up until they got away... She realizes what she ust said and turns bright red with embarrassment. "Crap," she whispers under her breath. "I mean it happens to everyone starting out. Bad guys sometimes get away...well, not from The Warden...but you're all low ranked, people expect it sometimes." Her words might sting a little, but the are true enough.

With dinner over, you head over to the studio where the evening Hero Report is filmed. You arrive and are almost mobbed by fans and paparazzi asking for autographs and snapping pictures. You hear several shouted questions asking for comments about the day's action. "Are you all teaming up?" "Care to comment on your failures today?" "Why were you three first at the scene? Are any of you dating? Is romance in the air?"

Two men in with ear pieces sticking out of their collars and dark sports coats emblazoned with the network logo come out the front door with flanking a woman with short dark hair in a cream power suit (the business kind, not the hero kind) and a deep plum silk blouse come out to speak to you and the crowd. "Sorry folks, we get them first. They can answer your questions, if they want to, AFTER our broadcast. We've got half an hour to air, so I don't mean to be rude but we need to get you on set and screen test your costumes." Her tone is curt but professional. She turns around and enters the building while the two security guards stand aside and hold the doors for all of you.

Inside the lobby you turn several heads and get stares as you pass. Some mild hero worship seems to be taking place. A third security guard holds open an elevator door for all of you to enter. Once you do he reaches in and presses the button for the third floor then retracts his arm as the elevator doors close, leaving him on the first floor.


The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to reveal a studio set. You see four cameras, several monitors, all the various technical equipment that you expect to see in a television studio...except seeing it in person it diminishes it somehow. On television it seems like such a big open space, the background is usually an abstract geometric pattern of light and color, but now you can see that it is all green screen trickery. The "set" itself only about 10'x15' total.

There are people milling about all around you apparently getting ready for the show. The woman leads you to a far corner near the edge of the stage. You can see a series of slightly darker green "X" markings on the floor showing as many as six people where they should stand so they appear on camera and in the proper place once the virtual set is overlaid by the computer. You are shown to three directors chairs with your hero names written on them, which are also placed next to vanity mirrors.

"Alright, Echo, honey, and Mr. Rodriguez...I mean El Toro, if you could step onto one of the x's there for me. Vitrius, you are fine, your costume won't offer any problems to the computer. DAVE! Camera 3!" Across the room you see a man sitting at what looks like a giant switchboard. He presses some buttons and a red light turns on above the camera pointed at Echo and El Toro. All the monitors in the room now show the pair standing in the familiar background. It might come off as a little disorienting to see.

[b]"Ok, great. Didn't think there would be a problem, but you gotta check. MAKEUP! We are ready for you! Echo, babe, you look great, we won't touch a thing. Gentlemen, it's just stage makeup. Trust me you, want to look your best. We broadcast in 4K theses days. The fans will pick up on the slightest flaw and your popularity will plummet if you don't let us work our magic." She leaves without waiting for a response. Suddenly, a man and two women appear pushing what appear to be tool boxes on carts, except instead of tools, there are pallets of makeup and brushes and hair-styling equipment.

They set to work without a word. Even though the other woman said they wouldn't do much to Echo, she is the last one out of the chair again. They applied heavy foundation, rouge, eye shadow, lipstick. In the end you still look like you did when you came in, but they have really pushed your features around. Your cheekbones have been contoured and your eyes have a really good smoky-eye. It's you, just more flat and washed out. The men are in similar if more bland in appearance. The makeup artists whip out their phones and snap a picture of each of you, then wheel their carts back to the other side of the room.

A moment later a young man with a clipboard and a headset places himself next to you. "I'm Kevin. I'm going to cue you when it's time. Seconds later the lights go out and the stage lights up. Standing in the center of the room are the show's hosts, Candy Briggs and Ray Jarvis. Somebody starts counting down from ten and then the anchors get into their script detailing the super events of the day. Several times they stop to remind viewers to log on to their website and vote for the rankings. After 9 minutes they cut to their first commercial, teasing the appearance of special guests when they return.

Kevin then directs you where to stand. He arranges you in order with Echo flanked by El Toro and Vitrius , then seems to listen to something through his headset, then rearranges you into a different order. This goes on until you have been arranged in every other possible order at least twice before apparently settling on the order he had the first time. With seconds to spare your makeup is touched up and the cameras for live again. Cindy and Ray cross the green screen set and start the interview.

"So, Vitrius, El Toro, Echo! It is a pleasure to have you on. In'it Candy."

"It is, it is Ray. Some real rising stars, bright shining stars, on our set today." Her tone seems a little dead, like she doesn't mean what she's saying exactly.

"So, what happened out there today, guys? I hear it was wild." Ray arches an eyebrow looking at no one in particular for a response.

"That is true, that no one got hurt and you deserve praise for that. Any word on what was in the armored vehicle that was attacked? asks Ray.

Off camera there seems to be something happening. The crew start milling about and Candy cocks her head and seems to be listening to someone through her earpiece before she smiles real big. Ray's eyes dart off camera, but he doesn't break his focus on you for more than a moment, but you see one eyebrow twitch.

"Well, I suppose we can't cry over spilled milk, can we?" Candy interjects.

"Indeed," Ray says, "but let's shift gears to the backlash of today. Putting aside the missing criminals, 2 out of 5 isn't so bad, but Echo, do you have anything to say regarding your...slip up? And El Toro Caliente, you destroyed a city utility box with your antics. Care to comment?"

With the stage lights in your eyes, it is hard to make out exactly what is going on off camera, especially if you aren't looking away from the news casters. However you can see a large figure standing next to the current active camera that was not there when you came in. It appears to be a man of hulking size. He is standing there with his arms crossed, passively watching the interview play out.

Ray gives Echo a once over that comes off as a little pervy, but it seems he will get away with it as the monitors switch to showing the heroine explain her costume. When El Toro responds Candy answers with a hearty titter and looks to the camera and winks, as though sharing a secret with the viewers.

Then Ray takes center stage again. "Well heroes, that's all the time we have for tonight. We'll be watching your rising stars though. Viewers! Stay tuned after these messages. We have a surprise guest who has decided to accept our standing invitation and joined us in studio just a few moments ago. You won't want to miss it!"

With that the director calls commercial and the monitors show advertisements overlaid by a timer that starts at 1:45 and starts counting down the seconds until the broadcast goes live again. Ray and Candy walk away without another word. They approach the hulking figure standing in the shadows and speak to him for a moment before heading to the other side of the stage where three leather easy chairs have been placed. It seems they are going to have a more lengthy interview segment next.

Kevin comes back and ushers you off stage. "A moment please." the deep voice you all recognize says as the large man approaches you. It is Valor, the top ranked hero in Nova Gail.


Kevin absolutely wilts at the presence of the hero and stands there shaking. Valor puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him. Kevin seems to calm down. You all also feel a warm sensation of calm flow over you. You aren't sure why exactly, but any anxiety or concerns you had before now just don't seem that important.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you all, but I was hoping to have a word with you three, and well...I wasn't sure how to approach you outside the studio. Now that I am here, I really need to give this interview. I've been blowing them off for so long, I can't say no while I'm here. Would you mind waiting in the green room for me? I have some questions about what happened today. I think it is connected to something I've been working on."

The timer on the screens reads 36 seconds and everyone is looking a little anxious at Valor. They don't approach though, giving the hero time to speak with you.

Rolling.... (and wow)