[Handset - Video - Encrypted to Foreigners]

[highprofilerichkid]

Weird question, but has anyone else been contacted by any of the kedan out of nowhere? Asking about your work, or anything like that?

[Technically the saying goes 'two is a coincidence, three is a pattern,' but any scientist knows that sample size is dependent on the question being investigated. In this case, Tony thinks that n=2 is significant.]

Comments

[highprofilerichkid]

I don't think all the city's big players would get together and decide to suddenly become our best buds for no reason.

It doesn't sound like it's something bad – but it definitely sounds like it's something.

[backwordscompatible]

Maybe they need our help with something? But want to see if they can really trust us first.

[Considering that was one of the main reasons they had all been brought to Keelai in the first place.]

[highprofilerichkid]

That's... actually a good theory. And it can't hurt to help out more around the city while we wait for them to tell us what's going on.

[backwordscompatible]

Exactly.

And if we look overly suspicious of them, there's a chance that might make things worse. So...stay on guard, but also play nice.

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony makes a face.]

So, lying to them, basically. Which means we're trying not to look suspicious because we don't trust them, because they're acting suspicious because they don't trust us. [That all wraps itself up quite nicely in a self-defeating bow, doesn't it?]

Man, I hate this kind of stuff. I wish they'd just be up-front with what they want.

[backwordscompatible]

[She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his response, and instead settled for a discreet, inward sigh.]

I never said anything about lying.

All I said was to play nice until we know more. Not all of us are that suspicious.

[highprofilerichkid]

It's not really being honest, though, is it?

[Potayto potahto, Zatanna. Tony gets that they're just closing the stable door at this point, but that doesn't mean he has to like where the horse has bolted.

Well. It is what it is. Tony shrugs.]

I was already planning on playing nice. Most of what they've asked has been things that will help the city no matter what happens.

[backwordscompatible]

I mean, that's like say just because you have some few secrets you keep to yourself, you're not being honest.

[Was she thinking about Secret Identities? She was absolutely thinking about Secret Identities.]

Do you know what else they've been asking out?

[highprofilerichkid]

[Hm. He'd never really considered if keeping his superhero identity secret – especially from Roberta – was dishonest, but, yeah, technically, it kinda was. (Especially since he'd been dragging her son into all those life-and-death shenanigans with him...)

But he gets the point.] You mean it's important to keep some secrets secret. I guess you're right. [Yeah, it would be pretty hypocritical of him to argue against that.]

They've been asking about all kinds of stuff. They asked some people about healing, or their opinions about things in the city. It sounds like a lot of people got questions about their jobs and their work, or work they might be interested in doing.

[backwordscompatible]

So, basically, they're just taking more of an interest in who we are and what we do around here.

[On the surface, it really didn't sound so bad.]

[highprofilerichkid]

...Pretty much.

[It does sound innocuous when you say it like that.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Perhaps a slightly oversimplification, but did they really have any more information to complicate matters yet?]

Yeah, I think I can live with that.