Interview with A E Lawless' Z and Night Angel

Transcript of an interview between Chip Cooper, Z, and Night Angel.

Chip:  “I’m Chip Cooper, and this is a Channel Nine Exclusive!  I’m here today with Z and Night Angel, Grand City’s very own heroes!  They’ve graciously agreed to do an interview with me after their work catching the men responsible for poisoning Albert Grand Memorial Hospital earlier this year.  Thank you both for coming.”

Z:  nods

NA:  grunts

CC:  “How long have the two of you been working together?”

Z:  “Since the poisoning.”

NA:  exchanges a look with Z.  “Z was kind enough to help me out of a sticky situation and I was smart enough to realize he was a good ally to have.”

CC:  “You two certainly seem to have quite a report—some might even call it chemistry.  Is there any truth to the rumors of a romance budding between two former rivals?”

NA:  snorts “We were never rivals.”

Z:  “And this is not that kind of exclusive.”

CC:  “But you don’t deny that there are certainly some sparks flying between you?”

NA: growls “Let it go, mate.”

CC:  coughs “Why did you start acting as vigilantes?”

NA:  “That’s a rather personal question.”

Z:  puts a hand on Night Angel’s thigh “He’s just doing his job.  He’s got to ask all the probing questions, suck as much life out of us as possible for all the emotional vampires viewing at home.”

NA:  laughs “Too right.”

CC:  “Was there some defining moment that started all of this for you?”

Z:  sighs  “For me there was.”  Extended pause  “I lost someone very close to me.  Well, lost isn’t the right word.  She was murdered, so I guess ‘taken’ works better.  Anyway, the guy responsible got off on a technicality and so I fixed it.  And then I just kept fixing it.”

CC:  turns to Night Angel  “And for you?”

NA:  shrugs  “No defining moment.  Just a lifetime of watching the powerful make the powerless suffer.”

CC:  “Do you have any regrets about your actions, or about choosing this life for yourself?”

Z:  “I think hard choices always come with regrets, that’s what makes them such hard choices to begin with.”

NA:  “I regret the way things shake out sometimes, but I never regret the choice or getting results.”

CC:  “There are some out there who are critical of your actions and methods.  The police in particular have promised to catch you, saying you’re no better than the criminals you purport to catch.  Do you see yourselves as heroes?  Do you think you’ve got the moral high-ground here?”

Z:  laughs  “Definitely not.  I know what I’m doing isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be done.”

NA:  “I’m no one’s hero.”

Z:  smirks at Night Angel  “You’re mine.”

NA:  “Shut up you nutter.  You know you’re always the one saving my ass.”

Z:  “Well that’s because I’m usually safe at home in my desk chair and you’re the one out there taking chances.”

NA:  “There is that.”

CC:  “How many people know your identities?”

NA:  “Two.”

Z:  “Just one.”

CC:  “Who?”

NA:  “Well, we know each other’s, but if I told you the other one that would be cheating.”

CC:  “Do you find it hard to hide your secret from your friends and families?”

Z:  “I don’t have friends and my family is all either dead or dead to me.”

NA:  “I don’t let people close for a reason.”

CC:  “But you know each other’s identities?”

Z:  smiles  “Yeah.”

CC:  “Since crimefighting isn’t a twenty-four hour job, what do you do during the day?”

Z:  “I’ve got a day job.  The better to blend in with.”

NA:  “I also spend my days riding a desk.”

CC:  “How intriguing.  Speaking of intriguing,”  waves a hand at Night Angel and Z  “how did you come up with this look?”

NA:  laughs  “He stole it from me.”

Z:  “Well I had never had to actually go outside as my alter-ego before that first time, so I was looking for a few pointers.  I’m a smart enough guy to recognize a good idea when I see one.”

CC:  “Well, I think one thing everyone wants to know is—what do you do with the bad guys after you catch them?”

Z and NA:  in unison  “Hastings.”

CC:  looks confused

Z:  “Detective Mike Hastings.  He can’t stand either one of us, usually curses our mothers every time we call him, but he’s a good dude.  We usually just bring them to him or send him the evidence he needs to make an arrest.”

NA:  laughs  “You remember that one time we dropped that guy off in front of the department?”

Z:  giggles  “With the… the gold gift-wrap bow on his forehead?”

NA:  “Yeah.  Hastings was pissed at us for weeks after that one.”

Z:  “Worth it.”

NA:  “Yeah.”

CC:  “And how long do the two of you plan on keeping this up, this vigilante thing?”

Z:  “Until there’s nothing left for us to do.”

NA:  “Or until Hastings puts us behind bars.”  Shrugs  “Either way it ought to be interesting.”

 

End of interview.