The Relationship Talk
The phone rings just as Matthew climbs out of the shower. Grandfather was out - he had been recruited by several of the older Chinese gentlewomen to join their mah-jongg game, and had been more than happy to oblige - Grandfather could be quite the charmer when he put his mind to it.
Matthew barely manages to catch the phone before the answering machine. "Hello?"
"Hi, Matthew? This is Maria Chow. How are you doing?"
Matthew chuckles softly at Maria's question. "Someone once told me "may you live in interesting times'," he replies, "Well, it's certainly come true."
The phrase was an old Chinese saying, one quoted on occasion by the young man's grandfather. Strangely enough, it was actually considered a curse. Something I didn't fully appreciate until recently, Matthew thinks.
"How have you been?" he asks.
The Silver Avenger continues, "I just got back from a lovely week on the East Coast - Hudson City was a nightmare, though Washington was nicer. I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner tonight? I, well, I have something I need to talk to you about."
At Matthew's favorite Mexican restaurant, across the table from Maria, Matthew realizes as the food arrives that even though they've been there over twenty minutes, she has done a masterful job of not revealing what it is she apparently wanted to tell him. She's dressed conservatively (for her) - a colorful South American skirt and blazer, and she appears to be overly cheerful.
"Maria," Matthew says, "You wanted to talk to me about something, yet I get the feeling we've been avoiding the subject." A note of concern interjects itself into his voice. "What's on your mind?"
How bad could it be? he wonders. Let's see... worst case: she's secretly a Dragon who wants to take away my friend and discard the human me like a used paper bag. Hmm... Been there, done that. Compared to this past week, I don't think it could be any worse.
Then again, he wryly reflects thinking of the most improbable possibility, She could be doing something REALLY surprising like proposing. Now that would be ironic...
She sighs and puts her fork down. "While at the Avenger Games last week, I was summoned to Washington to meet with Colonel Glenn. After the usual small talk and 'you're doing a great job' talk, I was…basically given a reprimand for maintaining 'too close' of a relationship with the Golden Gate Guardians. Especially you. How this matter was brought to Colonel Glenn's attention, I have no real clue. Well," she amends with a thoughtful look, "maybe I do, after all."
Maria continues, "Part of why I wanted to talk to you is to ask you to tell the other members of the Guardians why I might appear to be a little distant in the future - I've been ordered to. But another part of why I wanted to talk to you is that I wanted to tell you that I don't think I want to stop seeing you - but I'm not even sure if we're seeing each other. You know what I mean?"
Matthew nods as Maria explains her predicament. "Yes, I do know," he replies, smiling. "Its one of those awkward times that somehow no one ever told me about." He grins suddenly. "Maybe we ought to check the society gossip column in the Tribune. If they know about us, I'm sure they've already decided."
"Seriously," he continues, "I feel the same way. I wouldn't like it if I couldn't see you any more. 'But are we seeing each other?' Maybe we ought to ask: what do we want our relationship to be? I guess if we want to be seeing each other, then we should consider that to be so."
Maria looks at her plate. "I don't know what I want our relationship to be yet - I just know that I'm not willing to stop it just because I'm ordered to."
"I don't know why they're coming down like this - it's not like there aren't other Silver Avengers involved with paranormals. I know of two who are married to them!"
"Moreover," adds Matthew, "How do they know you're dating a paranormal? I thought my secret identity a bit more secure than that."
Maria looks at the table before looking up, and traces a circle idly with her finger. "PRIMUS has very, very detailed files on all paranormals who have made public appearances," she says. "As soon as there is a sighting, the intelligence network gets going - talking to witnesses, monitoring areas of activity - that sort of thing. It's reflexive - that's why we have intelligence agents - it's their job." She shrugs. "Most of the time they don't have to dig very far - most paranormals aren't very careful, or think they're immune." She pauses, then begins again, "You have to understand, that it's a security measure for us. Three-quarters of all paranormals resort to criminal activities, so it's in the best interest of the public. I can also assure you that no laws are broken to obtain information.
"PRIMUS has known your secret identity for a long time," she says. "The information is highly classified - very few people have access to it - and quite secure. But they do know."
Matthew looks a bit uncomfortable. There goes another cherished assumption, he thinks, I should have guessed after Mark confronted me.
"I'm not certain how I feel about that," he says slowly. "A few weeks ago I might have been upset. However, since Cassandra had her secret revealed, I've done a bit of thinking on the subject. Although it still seems a bit creepy, I think I can live with it." "Not that PRIMUS is who worries me. With the Dragon Queen knowing who I am, I'm sure VIPER does too."
"I can tell you honestly that I'm not dating anyone else, nor do I have plans to... Nor would I want to." Matthew looks at Maria with a serious look, that is broken as the memory of his past week comes to him. "Now the Dragon... he may have other plans."
"I've learned some things about my friend since we last talked." Matthew quickly covers his conversation with Grandfather and his encounter with Shuk-Wah. Maria's face becomes pale for a second, then returns to normal. She does stop eating, placing her fork down, not picking it up until he finishes.
"...so he may want to be free, and I have no idea what that will do to me. Shuk-Wah seemed to think it was below her notice. Just as disturbing is her connection with VIPER. The thought of someone of her power allied with them..." Matthew shudders inwardly at the thought.
"You know," he continues on a side thought, "I think I know why he acted so violently at our spar." Matthew looks at Maria and smiles. "I think he's jealous."
Maria returns the smile, but her face becomes serious again as she then leans forward, "Matthew, VIPER's Dragon Queen escaped from Stronghold-New Mexico several weeks ago. She was convicted of eighteen murders - she ate people. She hasn't even been tried for her VIPER crimes yet - she allegedly owns four nests in addition to her activities as a member one of VIPER's hit teams. There are DAs in twenty-two cities who are working to get her tried for crimes ranging from grand larceny, not to mention the federal prosecutors."
"Ate people?" Matthew murmured, "The Dragon always said that people tasted bad."
Matthew wears a look of consternation. "The Dragon Queen - Shuk-Wah - of course! Why didn't I make that connection?" He whistles low. "The Dragon Queen. Wow, this is going to be.... trouble."
"I want to help you capture her if possible," he says with some hesitation. "She must be stopped. However, I don't know how far you can trust me... or my Dragon. I know where MY loyalties lie; I am no longer certain of him."
"I think," he continues in a softer voice looking down at his plate, "That he will be free of me soon. I don't want to lose him, but I won't keep him against his will. Better that I let him go than force him to escape." Matthew picks around at his food, obviously no longer interested in it. "A friend of mine is looking into some alternatives. I hope we can settle this peacefully."
"Do you know where she is?" Maria said. "You said that you visited her. I can call in the Sentinels and have this taken care of once and for all."
"I'm not certain I can trust my memory," Matthew replies. "The meeting had a surrealistic feeling to it. I'd be willing to try... But, we don't necessarily need to find her. There is one thing about which I can be more certain: she will seek me out again."
"I just wish I knew whose side I'd be on," he added softly.
Matthew shakes his head once, snapping out of the introspective mood that had swept over him. "Enough of that," he says, and apologizes to Maria. "I'm sorry for getting sidetracked. I didn't mean to dump my problems on you."
"I'm glad you want to continue seeing me, even in the face of an order. That's a terrible thing to be facing." He continues with concern in his voice, "What will this mean for us? What will this mean for you?"
She exhales, and takes a drink from her margarita. "I'm not sure," she says honestly. "I'm starting to wonder whose toes I've stepped on to be given that type of order. My direct supervisor is the Golden Avenger, and DJ couldn't care less who I date. I talked to him afterwards, and he said he'd never even been consulted." She shrugs. "Maybe Colonel Glenn is finally trying to make his mark somewhere. He hasn't been much of a driving force in the organization in the year he's been there."
Getting yourself tagged as a class-one jerk by your subordinates is not the mark I'D want to make, thinks Matthew. Still, some people have different goals.
"It's not like they can officially order me not to see you," she says. "The law suit I could hit them with would be incredible. I'm calling it an order, but it's off the record. I was officially reprimanded for allowing the Golden Gate Guardians to participate as often as I did in official investigations, though, so that's going to have to stop."
Matthew nods. He had expected that last bit. I guess we're not exactly the most reputable company, he reflects. Are we ever going to live down that Museum disaster?
"That's unpleasant," he says, "But I guess we can all deal with it. I wish I could help you figure out the reasons for all this, but I think anything I might do would make things worse." He sighs. "If there is anything I can do, please just let me know - anything at all."
Matthew grins as he finishes this last statement. "Typical Martian sentiment," he quips, then explains, "If you haven't read 'Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus,' its explains a lot about relationship and communication. For example, men typically are solution oriented."
She laughs. "My mother sent me that book several years ago for Christmas - she was very upset that I haven't settled down yet."
"So," he continues, turning serious again. "As far as we go, are you comfortable with things continuing as they are between us?"
She turns slightly pink. "I think so," she answers.
"I was wondering if you might want to try something different next time..." Matthew suggests.
She raises an eyebrow.
"Ever go skydiving?" he asks mischievously.
She raises the other eyebrow. "Only for PRIMUS training," she says. "It was the 'How to cope with flying paranormals' seminar."
"Static-line or free-fall?" he asks with a grin. "I missed my last jump in the yearly cycle, and will have to go to a refresher ground school course. I thought we could do that and a couple of jumps on an afternoon, packing a picnic dinner for afterwards."
Maria grins. "It sounds like a wonderful idea," she says. "Next Saturday? I have lots of catch-up work to do this weekend."