Kit Piper sidled up to Mason Templar, who wore a bemused expression on his face as he watched the "catfight."
"We're not always like this, y'know," Kit said.
Templar did not react at first, but he finally granted a modicum of attention to the overweight African-American salesman and said, "Eh? What was that?"
"I was just sayin' that we're not always like this. The fighting and drunkenness and partying, y'know? That's not what Vanguard International is about. I don't want you as the newest member to get the wrong impression of our little organization or anything, y'know? It's just that, when the guys and girls in the team have a bit of downtime after a major episode like the Mandelovia case or the metahuman battle in Antarctica, they really go all out. It's like they're letting off steam and such. But it's not the way they act all the time, especially during a mission. Well, maybe sometimes they're not exactly the most professional team in the world," Kit Piper paused as he thought about the problems he had recently trying to convince the President of La Perdita not to extradite Grimm to the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague made famous by the ongoing fiasco of the Slobodan Milosevic inquiry and shook his head, "but... well, most times they get the job done in the end. Or at least they do their best."
Kit Piper finished speaking and looked at Mason Templar, who still wore an amused expression on his face and said nothing for a few moments, prompting Kit to think, Man, this guy must think we're a bunch of jerk-offs or something.
Finally Templar smiled and said to Kit, "I can assure you, Mr. Piper, that I had your organisation fully investigated before I first employed your services, and certainly before I took up my current status of employment within this company. And while I hold my own reservations about the team's actual effectiveness, I am confident that Vanguard International holds a much greater potential for effective change for the better in the world than any other organisation I could have joined. I do hope we get down to business soon, though. While I am not particularly averse to drunken spectacles such as this one, having participated in several in my time, I would like to see exactly how Vanguard operates with its current lineup of members.
"And truth be told, Mr. Piper, I am not a patient man. I joined Vanguard International because this organisation held out the promise of constant adventure an old battleaxe such as myself constantly craves. However, I have begun to wonder whether I was not better off working as a full-time freelance agent for museums from around the world than being a member of Vanguard International. Tell me, Mr. Piper -- are there any such adventurous missions on the horizon for Vanguard, or shall I take my leave of this team for the nonce?"
Kit Piper looked somewhat chagrined and scratched his balding head nervously. "Uh... well, we're workin' on it, Mason. Don't worry about that. I have a feeling we'll be back in action come the new year. Yessir, I think 2004 is the year of Vanguard International."
"Indeed? I do hope you're right, Mr. Piper. This infantile behaviour is excruciatingly uninteresting in large quantities."
"Right..."
