Participants:
| Scene Title | Lesson Plan |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Elisabeth asks Hana to help improve her fighting skills. Hana has a different subject of education in mind. |
| Date | February 13, 2009 |
A small, nondescript Italian restaurant
Elisabeth offered a place to meet when she contacted Hana, and now she sits in the small Italian eatery with a soda in front of her while she waits. She's dressed casually, a pair of jeans, boots, a black sweatshirt. She's not entirely sure who she's actually looking for.
The woman who walks in the door supplies a familiar face to the names of Wireless and Hana Gitelman — someone met previously in passing, under far less than casual circumstances. The fact that she's wearing the same leather jacket aids recognition. Her jeans are blue, for once, and the shirt beneath the jacket is pine-green; Elisabeth is apt to spot the handguns holstered at either hip. For her part, Hana has no doubt of whom she's here to meet; the technopath crosses the room directly, inclining her head politely as she approaches Liz's table. "Elisabeth. Good evening."
Looking up as Hana joins her, Elisabeth gets the lightbulb over her head. "Hello, Hana," she greets the other woman quietly, her blue eyes taking in the weapons. Her own is holstered in a front-pants holster, though she doesn't flash it. "It's nice to finally get the chance to speak with you face to face." She gives a half smile. "With a name to go with the face, I guess. I should have realized."
Sitting down across from Elisabeth, the Israeli woman smiles faintly, an asymmetric twitch of her lips. "We all had… other concerns, last time." Spoken as though 'last time' were something as inconsequential as a meeting on the bus. But then, Hana wasn't really involved in all that. Shifting her attention to the waitress who stops by, the technopath accepts a menu but demurs on a drink, content tonight with water. "What can I do for you?"
Without looking at the menu, Elisabeth rests her elbows on the table. "I know my request to meet is contrary to everything I asked in terms of laying low… so I appreciate that you came over to talk in person. I'm told that you're teaching some hand to hand, and I think I need some training with it. There may come a point where I need to go to Staten Island, and I'm kind of figuring that firearms aren't going to be all I need. I have basic law-enforcement training, self defense stuff, but not much more."
Taking a sip from her glass, Hana lowers it just enough to where the rim is level, and looks across at Elisabeth. She's quiet for a moment, a single dark brow arching. "What will you be doing on Staten Island?" she asks, rather than giving her companion an actual immediate answer.
"There've been any number of reports of what's going on in the underground over there. Although NYPD is completely overwhelmed at this point, there's going to come a time when Staten Island's going to need to be … shall we call it 'reintegrated'? And in the meantime, it's possible I'll be undercover over there off and on," Elisabeth replies easily. It's perhaps not the entire truth, but it is possible. "Homeland Security's on the warpath regarding getting Evo criminals under lock and key, and Staten Island is apparently crawling with 'em."
"I wouldn't call it crawling…" says the woman who spends more time there than not, albeit on her own and away from public areas. "But it is a refuge for criminals of all types, yes." Including, in most official eyes, Hana herself. The technopath takes another drink of water, dark eyes flicking over the cop across from her, gauging. "You sure you're up to going undercover there?"
There's a long pause, and Elisabeth says with a faint smile, cloaking the table behind silence. "Not even close." She shoves a hand through her hair and says, "I'm not a superhero. I'm a friggin' cop. And sometime vigilante, I guess. But I gotta do what I gotta do, Hana. We all try to help in our own ways, right?"
In response, Hana shakes her head. The flavor of the action, however, is not one of negation. "A lifetime of lessons in hand-to-hand won't save you if your cover's blown," the ex-operative replies. Okay, so they might. But it isn't likely. Never mind whatever they could fit in between now and when Elisabeth goes; definitely not a lifetime's worth. "Do you know what cover you'll use?"
"No, a lifetime of hand to hand won't. But it could make the difference in getting loose so I can run like hell," Liz replies softly. "And no, I have no idea what cover may be used. For all I know, I may wind up going in as myself, looking for a friend. As you know, a number of people are missing these days."
The technopath nods slightly. "Can you go in as yourself and not look, move, react like a cop?" is her next question. The waitress comes by, and Hana places an order, handing over the menu she barely even glanced at. She waits until the woman is gone before returning her attention to Elisabeth. "As you say, people have been going missing. Being made is a good way to join them, and not what I think you want to achieve." Her tone isn't critical so much as clinical; you're sure this is what you want to do?
Elisabeth considers the question carefully. "I spent two years in this town as a teacher. And I've spent the past several months being far more vigilante than cop. If you're asking me am I sure? Hell no. I haven't really decided much of anything on the actual 'going in there myself' part. But that doesn't negate the need for some additional hand to hand training — even just being on the streets right now is pretty deadly, Hana. If you'd rather not take me on as a student, that's fine. But I'd hoped to do the training with you both for the hand to hand, and so that perhaps if I do make this call…. you might be able to help me prepare better for it than I could alone. You live over there most of the time. I don't even know what I'm looking for if I go there."
Hana sets her glass down, carefully, making little noise. Her gaze is level upon Elisabeth. "I'll teach you," the woman says simply. "But we're not starting with hand-to-hand." There is no room for discussion presented; Liz can take the lessons she offers or have them not at all. "We'll start by seeing how well you can act."
Elisabeth looks surprised, but she nods very slowly. "All right. You're the expert." She doesn't seem inclined to argue, since she would very much like to SURVIVE if she does do this.
Hana inclines her head, in assent and agreement. In short order, their food arrives; what there is of conversation turns to less weighty matters as they eat, though with Hana, it can't ever be said to attain the level of small talk. Thence to departure, and Elisabeth's first lesson — walking home.
 February 13th: It's Enough |
 February 13th: Grand Nationals of Backroom Illegal Gambling |