16581/Membership Drive

Membership Drive
Date of Scene:	15 December 2023
Location:	Grant's Gym - Amusement Mile
Synopsis:	A gym video goes viral and it may be fatal.
Cast of Characters:	Ted Grant, Detective Chimp, Caleb Dykstra

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Ted Grant has posed:
Video of Ted getting clocked by a 12 year old girl went viral on the web. this had two effects.

The gym had people coming in to check things out.

Self-professed tough guys, decided the Champ had gotten soft. Not that perhaps he got distracted (he did) and the young Sheila Dykstra got lucky. Shedid not. She was pretty good. Self-professed tough guys wound up getting laid out after swinging on Ted -first. Appropriate use of force and all that being a thing in Gotham and good luck suing. He had the video.

Ted was VERY happy about both effects.

Late afternoon finds Tony Sgrignoli, trainer and book keeper swamped with applications from new members. The front desk is cluttered with them. Another trainer, 6 foot seven inches of Iowan named Stretch, is taking his coffee break at the juice bar.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp comes walking into the place. He has seen quite a few folks coming in and out of the place today and has gotten curious. So, into the gym walks a monkey with an unlit cigar between his teeth, and a suit jacket and deer stalker hat on. He is ready for some smart ass remarks, but curiousity will bring him out today.

Ted Grant has posed:
Stretch is on autopilot and a mug is in his way as he sucks down coffee. Tony barely looks up from the paperwork. "Good morning sir. My name is Tony, If you'll take a membership form I will be glad to give you a tour and discuss a personal fitness plan if you give me five minutes. "Stretch! Get this gentleman a smoothie on the house. Thank you for your patience."

Stretch downs the last of his coffee and turns to ready smoothie ingredients, without really looking at the gentleman. "What can I get ya? We got a fine smoothie ah jest introduced -coconut, banana, lime, mango."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks over to the man and says "Banana??" He raises a brow deciding if the guy is being a smart ass or not." He hmms and says "Coconut, banana combo will work." He says. He does ponder coffee, but hey might as well see if these are any good." Right now, I am just looking but might be interesting to have a member ship near by."

Ted Grant has posed:
Stretch whips up a smoothie. Most people find his smoothies delicious. He's been accused of lacing them with addictive substances, this being Gotham. He turns around to hand DC the drink and pauses a second, Then follows through like he's on auto-pilot while part of his brain is going 'Eeeep!' Tony pauses sensing the change in his work mate and looks up finally. He also hits the button under the rim of the desk. Someone screams. Another patron laughs and another patron screams as the person spotting him backs away.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks over and says "I am not some goon of some villain, or some prank. I aint here to cause trouble, I am legit considering a membership." He reaches to take the smoothie and takes a sip "Not bad, and yes, I am a talking Chimpanzee."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant opens the door to his apartment with a bang. In fact it slams back into him and closes. He opens it again and leaps down the stares. For them moment, he is wearing his uniform because Tony hit the last in a row of six buttons.

"What the HELL Tony?! You had me thinking the Legion of Doom came for memberships! This is the famous Detective Chimp! One a' the good guys! Practically a neighbor. Sheesh!"

Tony heaves a sigh of relief. "I thought he was Gorilla Grodd..."

"I'm sorry sir. I never met a talking ape before."

"Dis is Gotham... they're all over the place. I apologize Mr. Chimp. Coming out in uniform and swinging. I mean you worked with the Bat Family. I'm Wildcat. I'm sure they talked me up. You can call me Ted." He pulls his mask back and extends a hand.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
And quietly enters Caleb Dykstra, and his kid sister, Sheila, a.k.a. the punch girl of the hour. As he hasn't yet learned about this viral video on the web, he's pretty much oblivious, just coming in for a practice session. They come in hoodies over their heads, pulling them down at the entrance.

"Afternoon", Caleb says, duffle bag on his shoulders.

"Ready for another round!", the girl chirps happily!

He looks around silently greeting people with a nod, until he finds Ted and Detective Chimp, "Mr. Grant... Bobo, good to see you again!"

Sheila's jaw drops at the sight of the chimpanzee, "...A gym mascot!?"

Caleb turns to her and says, "Hmm, not really."

He waits for the presentations to be made.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks over and says "Grod's goons are usually a bit bigger, and more stabby smashy." He offers to the guy, and shakes Ted's hand and says "Ah have heard of you, won a few bucks on ya back in the day, so got an idea on who ya are on both sides." He offers. He looks over to Caleb, and nods. As the girl asks about a mascot. His eyebrow will raise and he takes a sip of his smoothie through the straw.

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant shakes his head. "I'll deal with you in a minute, squirt! You saw those videos on the line? Here's your first lesson -do not believe your own press. This is no mascot. This is the famous Detective Chimp. He is famous for being a detective, and a chimp. I was about to give him a tour of the joint. Excuse me a minute Mr. Chimp. Stretch, the box. Stretch!" Stretch snaps out of it and produces a box from under the counter. Ted kneels down to present it to Sheila. "My boxers all get one of these."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, lucky you Sheila... Give the coach a nose bleed for first introductions, and get a present", Caleb comments, smiling. But then, something clicks in his head. Backtrack it. "Wait... What video?" He's now looking between Ted and Chimp, waiting for clarification.

Sheila opens the box, and wows! "A jacket?? Oh cool!"

Caleb continues looking between them, "What. Video?" His look has gotten dark, calculating, worried - a completely different Caleb than the one five seconds ago.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp will reach into his pocket, and pulls out a phone, taping on it for a moment, before offering it to Caleb "Here, you can't see her face very well, and most are more concerned with his face." He nods towards Ted. It seems the chimp can read the worry on the other.

Ted Grant has posed:
Tony says, "There you go, Caleb! Little girl clocking Ted, this'll never get old." He hands him the phone. Then flinches as Ted glares at him. "We kept your names out of it and we'll keep the news vultures from her. I got experience."

Ted finally relents as he watches Caleb take in the video. "Give him a hoodie, a nice one," he instructs Stretch. Tony watches Caleb for a moment... "Caleb, you aren't built for boxing so much as agility. Have you ever considered parkour? I teach that. And Judo. And modern dance."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb watches the video, where Sheila is there, recognizable for everyone to see - she had her hoodie down, after all. He watches till the very last second, eyebrow twitching afterwards. "You...", he swallows the words, face turning red.

And Sheila, enthusiastic up to that point, goes eerily silent looking at him. She knows this is serious.

"Keep the news vultures away?" Eyebrow twitch, and it's by a miracle Caleb keeps his voice from carrying over to the gym, "How about not even posting the video without explicit permission?" He looks between everyone. "There's a reason why we come here with our heads covered. Do you want to attract the attention of the mob on us, on you?"

Sheila shivers at this point.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks between them taking his phone and keeps quiet for now, letting Ted handle this, it is his show after all.

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant looks crest fallen. "I... this wasn't my doing! Of course I'd ask you. This was one of the gym members! Actually a couple had phones. Tony, I need names and need them videos taken down. The mob wants you... we gotta talk. Now." He gets down on his knees before Sheila. "Honey, I'm sorry this happened. I had no idea. But I know a lot of people, who believe me can deal with these mooks and make them leave you alone and I promise no one is going to hurt you in this gym or around me. Or Stretch, or Tony. You guys gotta give me the whole story and... I will deal with this for you. It's what I do."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Oh yes. Yes we do", Caleb says, voice twitching. He glances around, "Where can we talk?"

Sheila seems to be unusually quiet, focusing her attention on her big brother, the clear determinant he's the one in charge; she will do as he says. She looks at Ted for a brief moment. "Mr. Grant", she says, "You, Batman, every other hero in this city... They can't protect us forever! This is why we've been training, my brother and I. To..."

"To survive", Caleb completes the sentence, "And we may've just been exposed."