ArchivedLogs:Informant

Informant
Dramatis Personae Cage, Mel
In Absentia	2013-08-20 Mel guards more than just Alison's body.
Location <NYC> Heroes for Hire - Midtown East
It is Tuesday afternoon. It's so /pleasant/ in New York. And, in the Heroes for Hire building, a phone rings. Luke stares at his desk phone a long moment, trying to remember the last time he used it. Janice is out running errands. He leans forward and picks up the cordless receiver. "Cage here." The voice on the other end is deep and rumbly, and probably not immediately recognizable to Luke. "Mister Cage. This is Mel Sharpe. Alison's assistant?" "Oh, hey Mel." Luke sits back in his chair. "Sup?" "Mister Cage," Mel's voice is suddenly weary, and he sighs heavily into the phone. "Why do you hate me?" "Wait... what?" Cage sits forward, baffled. Mel sighs again, and there's the noise of his considerable weight shifting in his chair. "There are exactly two things that Alison hates, professionally," he says, in that same weary tone. "One is the Daily Bugle, and the second is getting scooped on an exclusive." Another sigh, this one ending in a small growl of irritation. "Do you know how hard you've made my life?" "Oh..." Cage moves the phone slightly and clears his throat. "Oh shit." "Yeah, 'oh shit'," Mel says, exhaling in a rough breath. "You think dealin' with angry divas is hard on the day-to-day, try doin' it with one who can fuckin' laser blast your ass." There's an inhalation, then, and Mel drops the shoe. "She ain't happy with you, man. She's a little mad at the Bugle, but you are in the /shit/, buddy." "Yeah, fuck. That makes sense. I really put it sidewise this time..." Cage takes the cordless with him to pace his office. "I'm sorry you got the first shots fired, man. Whats my first move here? I wanna make it right. I mean, I /still/ got a serious scoop for her. That's gotta count for somethin', right?" "Eh," Mel grunts. "I've gotten worse from her. You should have seen her the day that a guest cancelled thirty minutes before taping. I didn't think I'd get her out of the studio before she went nova." He chuckles into the phone, and one can almost see him shaking his head. "Honestly, dude, she'll get over it. I wanted to give you a heads up, in case she called you. And having a serious scoop for her /will/ go a long way to soothing ruffled feathers." "Ok, thanks man, really. And what about you? I'm used to paying informants for serious tip-offs. Got a case of something in mind?" "Just don't fuck it up, man," Mel says warmly. "She don't do a lot of serious dating, 'cause of the mutant thing. So, don't fuck it up, and we'll call it square." Luke blows out a breath. "Yeah man, you got it. I'm no player, or nothin. Trust me. Thanks again." "My pleasure," Mel says. "But I wouldn't do it for just anyone." This is a serious sentiment, above and beyond professional bodyguard courtesy. "I'll talk to you again soon," he promises. "Before the end of the week. To firm up the details on the show." Back to being professional, it seems. "Oh. Yeah. Do /not/ try to win Ali's forgiveness with any kind of present, unless you want to eat it. She /hates/ that." Then his tone is warm, and there's a smile in his voice. "You have a good day, Mister Cage. Speak to you soon." "Thanks Mel," Cage says. "Seriously." "Hey, it's what I do," Mel says. "Don't get all sappy about it." Then the line goes dead. Call ended.