Burning the Midnight Financial Reports from the the SEHK

[Thevshi]

"I think you were just underestimating just how much I have always felt the need to try to measure up with the accomplishments Samantha and Jason have achieved, despite my parents assuring me that I did not need to."  Megan commented as Amir mentioned how badly he seemed to be doing at trying to convince her not to accept the transfer Ms. Van Cleef had requested.  She then gave a small smile.  "But I am not sure how much it will really raise my profile.  After all, I am just the intern."

 

She then paused a moment as Amir asked her what she thought about Summit's assets in India and the market there generally.  "Well, I feel that a lot of what is available, and being bought up, in the market there is a bit overpriced.  Given some of the infrastructure and social issues facing India, it does not seem likely that the long term returns on a lot of those stocks justify their current prices."  The blonde young woman began. 

 

"As for the assets Summit currently holds, well, in some way, they are a bit more aggressive than what your normal investment criteria, being microloans.  However, given the low cost of investment to potential return, along with the wide diversification among the many microloans, that risk has been reduced about as well as could be hoped for.  For certain some of the loans will fail, but a massive loss would likely only happen if there is a total meltdown in India’s markets and economy.  Given the investments Summit has made in improving infrastructure, the chances of such a complete meltdown happening have been reduced."

[TheAbsurdist]

"The first one she has ever asked for, believe someone will notice, and the jackals will descend."  He grinned a little bit at her comment.  "Oh I know about sibling rivalry.  My siblings have probably debated about hiring hitmen, I imagine."  A smirk on his face still as they walked down the street.  

 

"Mmm, it is part of the reason we invested in infrastructure, that and honestly if you look at the things they are trying to develop there, infrastructure is a growth industry.  Pretty much always."  Laughing a little, at a very bad joke the he had made.  "Realistically investment beyond too much then... well there is a lot of movement there despite the issues, and I figure that the microloans there are a good place to test before we roll them out to Central and South America.  Though on a different note I am looking into the local sports team.  Though I don't know if that will be involved in our Apex Entertainment subsidiary, or if I am just going to get it myself.  I have a team mulling numbers."

 

Once at the Chinese diner, he pushed open the door for her and held it for her.  "Though I imagine some paparazzi are snapping photos right now.  I did tell your father I was going to take you out to talk after work, in case a news story hits."

[Thevshi]

Megan looked over to Amir with a slight look of surprise on her face as he mentioned her being the first intern Mr. Van Cleef had ever specifically requested.  "Really, the first?"  She asked, not quite believing that fact. 

 

She was not quite sure what to make of Amir’s comment about his siblings possible considering hiring hitmen to send after him.  "Well, I am not sure I would call it sibling rivalry."  She simply replied.  "It is more just my insecurity associated with feeling I had to prove myself something other than just the 'pretty one' or something similar."

 

As he talked a bit about Summit’s current investment plans in India and potential plans elsewhere, the blonde young woman just listened and nodded.  As they entered the restaurant and Amir commented on the possibility of paparazzi taking their picture right now, Megan simply gave a small grin.  "I am not sure it's my father that you need to be concerned about as opposed to Angus.  She and I have yet to be able to arrange for me to go visit her studio, and I would hate for that to start off with her mad at me."

[TheAbsurdist]

"And she does punch like a soccer hooligan."  Said offhandedly, as he smiled at the owner.  "Of course she takes things with a grain of salt on this level, as she experienced with the UK tabloids, and that is a new, fresh circle of h*** the likes of which you have not seen  But given my proclivities and history, it would not do to just assume that your father will take this in a bland fashion.  Especially how much he likes to make jokes about it whenever we meet up."  Glancing to Megan then, and smiling apologetically.  "Excuse me a moment."

 

Amir moved to the woman at the counter, and murmured a few words to her, before coming back and gesturing to a booth for them to go to.  "Mm, speaking of Agnus, did you get her number?  Or give her yours?"

[Thevshi]

"Well, I have done my best to avoid being punched by soccer hooligans in the past, and don't really plan to change that practice anytime soon."  Megan replied with a bit of grin.  "As I mentioned during the holiday party last month, I had my little run in with the British tabloids a year ago when I was dating Robert Harrow."

 

When Amir excused himself, the blonde young woman waited near the entrance for him to return.  Once he was back, he directed her to a booth, and Megan took a seat.  "Yeah, we exchanged numbers."  She replied to his question.  "Our schedules have conflicted so far."

[TheAbsurdist]

"You have?  Hm, sounds dull."  Smirking a little b it as he sat across in the booth from her.  "Though, I do not recommend people attempt my collegiate years.  Sophmore was a bit fuzzy, but I was at Oxford.  Though I suppose you are not surprised by how hard the upper crust can party.  But I do remember at some point breaking my nose that year, though I think it was because I was making fun of a rugby player at a bar."  Saying that with that smirk still in place, as the woman came by and asked them if they wanted anything to drink.  Amir asked for some tea and hot and sour soup as he looked over the menu.  

[Thevshi]

"Wow, you're just a bit too late with that advice, seeing as I am almost at the end of my time as an undergrad."  Megan replied with a small smirk of her own.  Of course, she had only rarely over indulged in alcohol at parties and the like.  Though, given that she had had her powers during all that time, it took a fair bit for her to really over indulge anyway.  But the blonde young woman otherwise added little more, not planning to compare partying history with Amir, her ultimate boss and someone who knew her parents well, not that they were oblivious about that or anything.

 

When the waitress came over, Megan also ordered some tea and egg flower soup before glancing at the menu for a few moments.

[TheAbsurdist]

He laughed then, a deep rich sound as he leaned back in his seat.  "Mm, it is a token effort.  It would be the height of hypocrisy to do otherwise, and besides your father made it a point, as apparently the interns and junior staff at my offices are known to party hard, apparently.  Really I am floundering for a topic of discussion with you Megan, knowing your father as long as I have it is... odd to consider his children in a new light as adults."  A grin on his face as he looked at her then, and he shifted and settled, before taking off his jacket, and setting it down on the seat next to him.

[Thevshi]

Megan looked at Amir with a slight frown.  "Really?  I thought my dad had learned his lesson about trying to clandestinely butt too much into my social life back when I was a Junior at North Bay.  And I will spare you the embarrassment of having to hear the story behind that."  She grinned slightly with the last.  The blonde then gave a small nod.  "Yes, the interns and junior staff do like to get out when they can."

 

Her grin broadened as he mentioned having difficulty adjusting to her being an adult now.  "Again, you're a bit behind the curve there, seeing as Samantha is in her residency in Seattle and Jason is half way through law school at Stanford.  Never mind me."

 

Megan then paused a moment, before she continued.  "Well, maybe I can ask you a question.  What is it like being a publicly known superhero?"

[TheAbsurdist]

"Yes, well, the last time I really talked with him scotch was involved and he made me swear that I would not flirt with you, or your sister."  Amir made a face then and rolled his eyes as he craned his head back, before grasping as his sleeves and rolling them up from his wrists.  "This gets a little ridiculous at times, truth be told.  Everyone assumes I lack any sense of control around women.  Notwithstanding the sentiment that somehow I never am told 'no,' I would take umbrage, if I cared."  He let out a short laugh and then thanked the woman as she brought their soup and drinks.  Amir politely asked for water, with that patent smile of his that had the woman's late-night-wait-staff-of-stone expression melting a little, and she assented.

 

Then addressing Megan, he shrugged.  "The last decade of my life has been in the public eye.  Considering that the paparazzi is incredibly invasive, and from the numbers I ran I just could not feasibly hide the hero thing, balance being the CEO of one of the largest corporations on the planet, especially with the lack of subtlety of my powers."

[Thevshi]

Megan had a neutral expression as Amir talked about his promise to her father.  The young woman was starting to feel rather annoyed with her father.  Not only was his demand for such a promise from Amir insulting to Amir, it showed a distinct lack of trust in her.  She just might have to have a talk with him sometime soon.

 

But she did not say anything more on that subject, taking a sip of her tea a she listened to Amir’s answer to her question.  "Well, being in the public eye is one thing, and I am sure the paparazzi are incredibly annoying.  But there is a considerable difference between someone trying to get the perfect picture at any cost and say…Dr. Stratos.  I mean, while you can certainly take care of yourself, it still must be hard to constantly be on guard in case someone comes after you.  And what about the possibility of someone going after your family?  Or Angus?"

[TheAbsurdist]

"To be fair, I have a reputation, and it is more a lack of trust for me to attempt to hit on you more than a lack of faith in you."  He grinned just a little.  "And he had quite a bit of booze in him, so there was that as well."  Shrugging a little up as he looked at her.  "My family are already targets, my father is worth billions, and all my siblings have either inheritors of his wealth or worth their own money, and I have had at least two attempts to kidnap me, since I have gotten my powers.  And one successful one.  Though we do not really talk about that."

 

He shrugged again and had some of his soup as he glanced at her.  "I really do not have an answer.  Of course given my connections and such, I can levy the full extent of the one, true, force of darkness in the world against someone who slights against me.  I will use the media against them.  Commercials, viral, even billboards."

[Thevshi]

"Well, whether my father lacked faith in you or me or both of us, it still was rather uncalled for."  Megan replied, still planning to have a talk with her father at some point.

 

She then listened as Amir talked about the possibility of his being a hero being a threat to those he cared about (beyond just himself).  The blonde young woman certainly had no intention of bringing up his kidnapping, so instead focused on his last comments about his possible response to any such threats.  "Well, I am sure the bad PR will deter some, but not sure about a lot of supervillains.  I mean, they already get bad PR as it is, not sure how more would really matter to them."

[TheAbsurdist]

"You fail to understand how humiliating I am willing to make it.  I can be pretty petty when I set my mind to it, billboards proclaiming them to be idiots and losers is quite a different sting to the ego than being called a criminal or evil."  He grinned at her, clearing having a bit of fun, despite his seriousness over the matter overall, and then he got more serious as he looked at her.  "I am who I am.  If I kept my identity a secret then the people I care about are still at risk, and I have to either lie to them on a day to day basis, or include them in subterfuge.  Where are my ethical and moral obligations in this scenario?"

[Thevshi]

"So are you suggesting that all the other heroes out there that do keep their identities secret, whether or not those they care about are in the know, are all morally and ethically bankrupt or at least compromised?"  Megan asked.  "Even if they do not have the means for providing the same sort of ‘shield’ from reprisals that you could bring to bear?"

 

"After all, there is a reason the law allows a hero's identity act as a separate legal entity and not require their true identity be reveled if they testify in court or a sued in civil court."  

[TheAbsurdist]

"I think a lie is a lie.  Intention doesn't matter, and will never matter on that.  And there are moral and ethical implications from that."  He raised a hand expecting something of an argument, and he continued.  "I am not saying a hero should tell the public who they are.  I am saying they owe it to their loved ones to do that.  Otherwise, you are assuming a reaction from them that is negative.  That idea is grounded in certain assumptions that would infer a lack of faith in those persons.  And that is... bad, especially considering that choices you make impact others, especially those close to you.  If you are a superhero and you do not tell them, then you are involving them without them knowing it."

 

Frowns a bit, and shrugs as he looked at her, smiling a little bit.  "But it is not like I go around trying to convince other heroes to follow my lead."

[Thevshi]

"No, I do not suppose you do."  Megan responded in agreement to Amir's last comment about how he was not really going around trying to change the behaviors of other superheroes.  The young woman was then rather quiet for the short time it took for their soup to arrive, taking several sips of her tea in the silence that had followed.

 

After swallowing the first bite of her egg flower soup, the young blonde spoke up once more.  "So Mr. Al-Misri, have you added any new cars to the collection at your private track recently?"

[TheAbsurdist]

"I am prideful, I am not arrogant. Considering there are kids who saved worlds, it isn't really my place, I suppose. It is in the tenets of the Quran, I am be righteous. I may be lax on somethings... anyway..." He laughed a little then had a few spoonfuls of his soup, then pausing, and frowning a little at it, before he pushed it to the side as he smiled at her again.

 

"I got a 1976 Asten-Martin Vantage V-8. It had been something I've been wanting for sometime. I would like to drive it everyday, but... that is kind of a pipe dream, to be honest. It is expensive, and realistically I live in the thick of it, so my little Fiat or flying works the best. Or occasionally jogging." Him showing up having ran from his spacious Parkside townhouse was nothing new. Though he could sleep comfortably in his office. "What about yourself? Seems all the new staff get Audis, not that I have an idea why. I tried to convince others for us to buy Saab, but that was a hard sell. But I have gotten some of their engineers for a private venture."

Edited March 29, 2013 by TheAbsurdist

[Thevshi]

"I would not say your being prideful."  Megan responded.  "Particularly if you are following the tenants of your faith."

 

"Hmm, that sounds like a nice car.  If it is as rare as it sounds, probably best if you don’t drive it all the time anyway."  Megan commented, before giving a small shrug.  "Me?  I'm still making do with the X-5 I have had since my Junior year at North Bay.  It's been useful for hauling stuff between here and New Haven, and back."

 

"I probably should be thinking about replacing it though, but have not thought too much about what I might want in its place."  She then added.  "Right now I don’t have any particular needs for a car, other than convenience when I want to go over to my parents' house."

[TheAbsurdist]

"I am a moderate Muslim, at best.  Let us be honest."  He still smiled as he sipped at the tea carefully, and he leaned back in his seat, glancing to the window.  He shrugged a little bit.  "But I am a prideful person, people like me are.  Otherwise I would not have bothered to do what I have done with Summit."

 

Another sip, and he shrugged.  "I like to drive.  I like flying too, but there is something to be said for steering a car.  So it is not about the practicality of it, though I think your day to day vehicle should be practical."  He waves a hand.  "If you do not really use then just keep it until you want something or need something else, especially if someone lives downtown, makes no sense, and parking places can be ridiculously expensive.  There is a reason I threw down all that money on our parking garage, and why I will subsidize other methods of commuting."

[Thevshi]

Megan smiled slightly as Amir mentioned enjoying driving.  "Well, that is something I have never fully understood I am afraid."  The blonde young woman commented.  "I understand the ascetic that some attach to particular cars, and I appreciate the practicality some cars provide.  I have just never really felt strongly about any ‘thrill of driving.’  I'd say it's a bit more of a 'guy thing,' but certainly not exclusive, after all, I know Jen certainly feels similar to you on the subject." 

 

Megan then gave a small nod in agreement as Amir mentioned how expensive parking places could get.  "Yeah, I think am paying more just for the parking space with my apartment here in the Wading Way than many pay for an entire apartment in other parts of the city."  She gave a small shrug.  "Still, I like the convenience of having my SUV there if needed."

[TheAbsurdist]

He smiled a bit as she explained, and he nodded as he laughed a little, it was a deep rich sound. "Well contact HR, while you are an intern, you should qualify for some subsidy for the parking at least.  Or maybe see if we have an opening in one of our garages."  He folded his arms behind his head and he laughed again.  "You should come out to the track on a day it is not open to the public.  You need to drive something completely mad, probably a Lamborghini or a Koenigsegg.  There is a world of difference between them and what you drive, trust me."

[Thevshi]

Megan smiled as Amir suggested she contact HR about a parking subsidy or for a spot in one of Summit's garages.  The young blonde gave a small dismissive waive of her hand.  "Oh please, I was not complaining or anything, just stating a fact.  I would hate to take a parking spot from someone at the office that really needs it.  The place I am renting is within walking distance."

 

Her smile broadened at his suggestion that she come to the race track sometime and drive one of the high performance cars he had there.  "And who says I haven't driven a Lamborghini or the like before?"  She asked with a small arch of her eyebrow.  "Just because I did not choose a car like that for myself, doesn't mean I haven't dated guys who have."

 

"But, I certainly would not be opposed to the idea of visiting the track someday."

[TheAbsurdist]

"Did you read the orientation handbook at all?  Did anyone?  The one for interns state we have some set aside for you, I mean quite literally we only have twenty spots open a year.  Though we are looking to add a west coast branch here soon, so we might divide the prospects up a bit, as that might be in Vancouver."

 

"Dear, I know the type of guys you have dated."  Smiling crookedly as the waitress came back and he orders his entree, a spicy chicken dish of some sort.  "The thing to note is how far to the redline are you willing to go, and a Lambo is... well it is trying to kill you."  His arms folded across his chest as he looked at her, and smirked still at her.  "But I wont really gainsay your experience.  But the track has a very large oval, and you can cut loose with the Veyron or the Agera, both are happy enough to melt your face off."  Grinning still, he shrugged a little at that point.  

[Thevshi]

Megan smiled slightly at Amir's slight exasperation about whether anyone bothered to read the orientation handbook.  "Yes, I did read the handbook.  I just did not focus on the part about parking as I had already found my apartment nearby." 

 

The young blonde smirked slightly at Amir's comment about knowing the "type" of guys she dated.  After ordering a tofu entrée, she replied, "see, that right there tells me you don't know as well as you think you do.  'Type?'  You need to stop listening to my dad so much, as I am sure he pretty much lumps any guy I have ever dated into one category.  I have dated a number of different types of guys."

 

She then gave a little shrug of her own as Amir talked about the power of some of the high performance cars he had.  "Well, I guess I won't know until I get out there and give it a try will I?"