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Oct. 13th, 2005 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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septembervirgin
A super-heroine in a city plagued with super-villain gangs, working in liaison with a federal organization that is occasionally crooked but usually honorable.
"You have to give the budget back to the State Senate."
The Golden Joker rarely visited Mr. Warren, so when she walks into his office and sits down, he almost forgets to ask if she wanted a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the uniform. Whereas Mr. Warren wears a standard gray suit (he never cared for business casual), the Golden Joker was still in gold-colored spandex, high purple boots, and a gold and purple jester's cap. She was tall and muscular, with blonde hair, and catlike hazel eyes. She looked ridiculous in the office; in Las Vegas, this could be just a gaudy costume to lure the tourists in.
No one thought much of her when she came on the scene, Mr. Warren remembers. There were bigger, stronger, faster, and brainier heroes than this 'gold geek'. She proved herself in her first stand-off.
A few low-level thugs thought they could put her out of commission easily. However, after a few punches that didn't land and a few bullets that miss their targets, the petty thieves start to wonder if she has got more up her sleeve.
Then the Golden Joker pulled out old cards and chips, flinging them in no set pattern. Then people noticed that they landed in the most inconvenient areas--a tire that still needed to be changed, the trick knee, and that part of the mass hypnosis machine that wasn't tested yet. When someone can manipulate probability and find areas most affected by entropy (i.e., weakest links) they can get away with shiny spandex.
However, the Golden Joker isn't talking law enforcement matters, she's talking budgets. That's just not her department; Mr. Warren thinks she needs to be set straight. First though, he mentally corrects himself in addressing her. She's not Jim the croupier anymore, and he is not going to use her new name. Electronic bugs and remote viewers might pick it up. Nothing he can do about telepaths, however, and it's been tried.
"Ma'am, the Secretary, Senator Chapelle, is currently the center of an ethics investigation. Now, everyone and everyone's mother assumes Reno natives are involved with the Taurus Gang. I don't need to repeat gossip about the senator's taste in perfectly legal solicitations. I know you're not talking about that.”
The Golden Joker shrugs. "I don't care what he does with his time, but I draw the line at money laundering. It's bad enough that Nevada has more super-villain gangs than slot machines. Are they going to put politicians in their pockets too?"
Mr. Warren allows himself a chuckle. "Hey, look at Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Nano, agribusiness and the Strip. They must think they ought to get into the action too."
Mr. Warren coughs, signaling that the jokes are over. "Golden Joker, whatever Senator Chapelle has done, the budget increase he authorized was above the board. It was approved by the Subcommittee on Super-Powered Law Enforcement. You, out of all of us, understand we run on a shoestring. With the increase, we can pay you a full-time salary, rather than rewards and consulting fees."
The Golden Joker sighs. "I know, but Mr. Warren, budgets are rarely cut and dry. Everybody's got their agendas, and slides in their own amendments. Remember Sub-clause 35?"
"Those two Mormons wanting to make sure super-heroes we consult take a pledge they only have sex within a marriage? I mean, their intentions are good, but I know super-heroes who don't have a spouse due to the dangerous nature of the job. Some of them, well, they're young, they're super-powered, and they meet some folks who just got out of harm's way and are real grateful and well, you know how it . . ."
"I know how it goes but I'd rather not." The Golden Joker thinks that she didn't have to be a super-hero to worry about putting a loved one in danger, just have people find out her birth sex wasn't the same as her real sex.
Anyway, she's tired of the consultant's digressions. "I suggest you look at Amendment 45 of that budget. You'll find it has a lot to do with Senator Chapelle's alleged connections. Look into the author, Marty Baptiste. You might want to ask him why he is setting the budget for forensics and undercover much lower than the LVPD and the FBI requested. However, you might find your answer without him."
"Just how can you be sure of this?"
"I find the weakest part of a gestalt. Persons, places, things, and ideas--everything breaks if you get at the right spot. I found the weakest spot of the budget. Who knows--push hard enough on Baptiste, and you might find the weakest spot of Senator Chapelle, and the fates willing, the Taurus Gang."
septembervirginA super-heroine in a city plagued with super-villain gangs, working in liaison with a federal organization that is occasionally crooked but usually honorable.
"You have to give the budget back to the State Senate."
The Golden Joker rarely visited Mr. Warren, so when she walks into his office and sits down, he almost forgets to ask if she wanted a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the uniform. Whereas Mr. Warren wears a standard gray suit (he never cared for business casual), the Golden Joker was still in gold-colored spandex, high purple boots, and a gold and purple jester's cap. She was tall and muscular, with blonde hair, and catlike hazel eyes. She looked ridiculous in the office; in Las Vegas, this could be just a gaudy costume to lure the tourists in.
No one thought much of her when she came on the scene, Mr. Warren remembers. There were bigger, stronger, faster, and brainier heroes than this 'gold geek'. She proved herself in her first stand-off.
A few low-level thugs thought they could put her out of commission easily. However, after a few punches that didn't land and a few bullets that miss their targets, the petty thieves start to wonder if she has got more up her sleeve.
Then the Golden Joker pulled out old cards and chips, flinging them in no set pattern. Then people noticed that they landed in the most inconvenient areas--a tire that still needed to be changed, the trick knee, and that part of the mass hypnosis machine that wasn't tested yet. When someone can manipulate probability and find areas most affected by entropy (i.e., weakest links) they can get away with shiny spandex.
However, the Golden Joker isn't talking law enforcement matters, she's talking budgets. That's just not her department; Mr. Warren thinks she needs to be set straight. First though, he mentally corrects himself in addressing her. She's not Jim the croupier anymore, and he is not going to use her new name. Electronic bugs and remote viewers might pick it up. Nothing he can do about telepaths, however, and it's been tried.
"Ma'am, the Secretary, Senator Chapelle, is currently the center of an ethics investigation. Now, everyone and everyone's mother assumes Reno natives are involved with the Taurus Gang. I don't need to repeat gossip about the senator's taste in perfectly legal solicitations. I know you're not talking about that.”
The Golden Joker shrugs. "I don't care what he does with his time, but I draw the line at money laundering. It's bad enough that Nevada has more super-villain gangs than slot machines. Are they going to put politicians in their pockets too?"
Mr. Warren allows himself a chuckle. "Hey, look at Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Nano, agribusiness and the Strip. They must think they ought to get into the action too."
Mr. Warren coughs, signaling that the jokes are over. "Golden Joker, whatever Senator Chapelle has done, the budget increase he authorized was above the board. It was approved by the Subcommittee on Super-Powered Law Enforcement. You, out of all of us, understand we run on a shoestring. With the increase, we can pay you a full-time salary, rather than rewards and consulting fees."
The Golden Joker sighs. "I know, but Mr. Warren, budgets are rarely cut and dry. Everybody's got their agendas, and slides in their own amendments. Remember Sub-clause 35?"
"Those two Mormons wanting to make sure super-heroes we consult take a pledge they only have sex within a marriage? I mean, their intentions are good, but I know super-heroes who don't have a spouse due to the dangerous nature of the job. Some of them, well, they're young, they're super-powered, and they meet some folks who just got out of harm's way and are real grateful and well, you know how it . . ."
"I know how it goes but I'd rather not." The Golden Joker thinks that she didn't have to be a super-hero to worry about putting a loved one in danger, just have people find out her birth sex wasn't the same as her real sex.
Anyway, she's tired of the consultant's digressions. "I suggest you look at Amendment 45 of that budget. You'll find it has a lot to do with Senator Chapelle's alleged connections. Look into the author, Marty Baptiste. You might want to ask him why he is setting the budget for forensics and undercover much lower than the LVPD and the FBI requested. However, you might find your answer without him."
"Just how can you be sure of this?"
"I find the weakest part of a gestalt. Persons, places, things, and ideas--everything breaks if you get at the right spot. I found the weakest spot of the budget. Who knows--push hard enough on Baptiste, and you might find the weakest spot of Senator Chapelle, and the fates willing, the Taurus Gang."
