A Newsworthy Day (Lois)

Participants: Ryan Choi, Lois Kent-Lane, MSP NPCs
Open/Closed: Closed
Location(s): Metropolis Science Police HQ
Time of Day:
10:45 AM
Weather:
A bit brisk, but sunny. Not a cloud in the sky
Summary: After it being found out that the previously closed Metropolis Special Crimes Unit was being remade into the Metropolis Science Police, Director Ryan Choi calls for a press conference and a special 1 on 1 interview with Lois Lane

~~~

It wasn't a big crowd, but still bigger than Doctor Ryan Choi was used to, or even expecting. The Director of the newest special crimes unit in the country, the Metropolis Science Police, Ryan Choi felt it necessary to call a press conference to answer any questions that might have arisen from the news of a new government organization in the middle of the city. He hadn't overly prepared however. This wasn't like his previous job, professor of physics at Ivy University. No, there was no course curriculum he could come with ahead of time for something like this. At most, he had prepared a small speech, as well as raced his mind for potential questions he might have been asked.

Stepping out of the completed-but-yet-to-be-filled MSP HQ clad in a simple grey cardigan emblazoned with a simple yet stylized MSP over his heart, with a plain black shirt underneath and a pair of dark blue trousers, Ryan was flanked by two individuals. The first was a larger African-American woman, her age hidden by the shade offered by her ball cap and her sunglasses. Clearly a women with a military background, this woman was Angela Parker, Head of Security. On his other side was a very young Caucasian man, dressed in a typical scientist outfit. This man was Cedric Seguin, Head of IT and Cyber Security.

Ryan made his way to a small podium place in front of the crowd of reporters before giving a small wave. He shifted in his spot briefly, adjusting the mic to be better level with his mouth, causing a small amount of feedback to echo over the speakers. "Oh, oh...Sorry about that" he said quickly into the microphone before once more giving a small wave. "Uh...Thank you all for coming out here today. I'll try to make this quick so you can all go enjoy the Sun" The small scientist gave a small cough after he spoke, raising a finger to motion one second, leaning over to grab a drink of water.

"Sorry, again. Alright, so, I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, but hopefully for expediency, I can just answer them with this following little piece. My name is Doctor Ryan Choi, former Professor of Physics at Ivy University, hand picked by the great Doctor Raymond Palmer as his replacement there. I know I do not look like much, but I am fluent in a multitude of languages, have numerous PhD's in many different fields of Physics, and a drive to help all that I can, the best that I can. I was approached a couple of months back about a new development, a new organization, that wished to offer safety to Metropolis. As I am sure many of you are aware, a few years back, the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit was disbanded and shut down. It was seen as an unnecessary drain on public resources. It was deemed unneeded, as Superman would be enough to protect the city, amongst the other heroes who call Metropolis home. But heroes cannot be everywhere at all times. Heroes cannot be awake for every moment of the day. It is because of this, numerous backers and government officials have decided to pool resources together and rebuild. Thanks to the likes of Wayne Enterprises, Kord Industries, the Department of National Defense, and countless others, Metropolis is proud to reinstate their special crimes unit. Ladies and gentlemen, I, Doctor Ryan Choi, Director of Operations and Lead Scientist, would like to welcome you all to the new Metropolis special crimes unit; The Metropolis Science Police. We are here, dedicated to protecting Metropolis from any and all threats. We are not just here to stop small time crimes, we are here, tasking ourselves with taking on Superman-level threats. Specially trained and specially equipped, we will Metropolis' first, and last, line of defense. Welcome to the new age of protection, Metropolis; The Science Police have arrived"

Ryan's small speech was met with some murmuring as well as clapping and cheers. It was an expected result, given how little time Ryan had been given to prepared a speech.

"I will open this floor up to some quick questions, but it will have to be quick, as I have a scheduled appointment with Miss Lois Lane as she is the one who came to us first with questions"

"Yes, Francis Georges, Channel Five News. You said you're Doctor Ryan Choi, correct? Doctor Ryan Choi from Hong Kong correct? What makes you think you deserve the job as head of operations in America's largest city? Shouldn't that job go to an American citizen?"

"What? What kind of que-...? No? A job helping to protect America's largest city, and one of its most diverse cities, should go to the person most capable of filling that role. This was deemed to be me. If there were someone more suited, I'm sure they would have been found"

"Nancy Knightly, Channel 7. I think what Mr Georges was trying to ask, outside of his clearly skewed views, was; do you truly believe a Physics Professor is the best person fit to lead a special police task unit?"

"As I stated, I was hand picked by those backing this project. I'm sure if there was someone more capable than myself, they would have hired them instead. I do not bring just my intelligence to the table, I am a skilled negotiator as well being fluent in countless languages. I assure you, I do have other qualities as well that I am sure helped in picking me to lead this department"

"Doctor Choi, Gina St. Baptise, The Bugle. Who are these two people out here with you?"

"Ah, well. This powerful looking woman over my right side is Mrs Angela Parker, our Chief of Security, and this young man to my left is Dr. Cedric Seguin, our Chief of Cyber Security"

"Doctor Choi, Nancy Knightly once more. Do you, yourself, truly believe you are capable of protecting Metropolis from Superman-level threats?"

Ryan paused for a moment, looking over the crowd, He gave a small nod and looked back to Angela and Cedric, before looking back to Nancy. "I don't believe anyone could truly do what Superman does, but I believe in this group and what we are doing. I will guarantee on my name and life that we will do everything in our power to deal with any and all threats that come to this city. And I say this not just on my name, but on the name I carry with me" As Ryan spoke his last words, his arms stretched out and soon an iconic blue and red suit covered his body. Now in his Atom suit, Ryan shrunk down to the size of a childs' doll and once more adjusted the microphone. "I promise you all on the name and legacy of the Atom, I will protect this city with every fiber of my being"

As Ryan did so, many others stood up and began shouting out questions and snapping pictures. The doctor had just outed himself as a hero, publicly revealing his identity. "Now I'm sure this has raised more questions, but we can all discuss this more later. For now, Mrs Kent-Lane has an interview with me scheduled. Mrs Kent-Lane, if you may? Mrs Parker, please escort her into the building"

Ryan turned and hopped off the podium, growing back into his full size, as well as his MSP gear coming back over his body. He waited at the door for Lois, to guide her to where they would conduct their interview.

Lois had mixed feelings toward press conferences. They tended to be crowded, flashy, and more for show than anything else. She didn’t like the podiums the speakers often positioned themselves at—too much of a barrier between her and her subject; made them feel too protected, like they could turn away from any question they didn’t like and just call on someone else. On the other hand, she appreciated being in a room full of her fellow journalists: plowing forward and asking the hard questions, sometimes ones even Lois hadn’t thought to ask.

That was right when Francis Georges opened his big mouth, though, so maybe scratch that. Her eyebrows rose at the man’s brazen words—his subtlety was apparently just as lost as his hairline—but really, what else could be expected from a Channel Five hack? She felt a familiar spike of pain in her temple. Bad journalism always gave her the worst headaches.

While Lois was still waiting for someone for just give Francis a really good fist sandwich, she was impressed by how Dr. Choi answered the question and then marched on. Her eyebrows were almost back to their resting position when Dr. Choi suddenly had the Atom costume on and was shrinking and huh, didn’t see that coming.

Of course, at that point, everyone else was jumping to their feet and shouting out questions. Lois calmly slipped her notebook and pen into her bag and adjusted the strap over her shoulder before standing. She made eye contact with Dr. Choi as he addressed her and couldn’t help the smirk that flashed across her face. This was going to be more interesting than she thought.

As she shifted through the crowd, she passed Francis and gave him a pat on the shoulder as he glared at her. “Don’t worry, Francis. Now you can go back to covering that Girl Scout conspiracy of yours.” He sputtered and she was already walking away before he could respond.

She gave the Chief of Security a polite smile as she guided her, turning it toward Dr. Choi as she reached him. She held up her recorder briefly, the blinking light indicating that it was recording and they were already on the record. She then held her hand out for a shake.

“Dr. Choi, pleasure to finally meet you.” Then, as they slipped through the door, she went straight to business: “I know you just dropped a big bomb of ‘holy crap,’ in there, but let’s start small for now: tell me what exactly are the duties of the Metropolis Science Police and what makes them different than, say, the CSI?”

Ryan wasn't sure if outing himself as The Atom was a smart move or not. He knew why many heroes remained anonymous, and while he was sure he and his family would be safer with that anonymity, he was also sure this would help his cause going forward. It was, it Ryan's mind, a calculated and necessary risk. Only time would tell however, which was something Ryan didn't like. If there was one thing he was unable to control, it was time.

Turning to greet Lois as she entered and spoke up, Ryan clasped her hand between both of his and gave her a bow. "The pleasure is all mine. I greatly enjoyed your piece on my mentor Doctor Palmer years back" Ryan greeted, a wide smile across his face. He gave a small nod when she continued on and he gestured down the hallway. "Oh, I see what you did there. Start small, heh" Ryan chuckled lightly. Whether Lois had meant that as a small joke or not, Ryan saw some levity in her words. Hopefully this interview would have some of that in it, Ryan wasn't sure if he could take a full grilling-styled interview.

"A very good question, but I believe we should find a place to sit before discussing anything" As the small scientist spoke, he guided himself and Lois towards his two-leveled office, opening and holding the door for her. The upper room, which they were entering, was a large office with the walls displaying a fake serene outdoor environment. This was done so that, despite being in the middle of the complex, one would not feel trapped in doors, and this was even supplemented by a fresh air filtration system piping into the room. Other than that, the upper level seemed much like any other office, but with also including four separate whiteboards all with different equations and information sprawled along them, and what could be seen as a small adjacent bedroom in case Ryan needed it. Below them, connected by a metal stair case, was Ryan's own private lab, with even more whiteboards and specialized equipment.

"Please, take a seat. Would you like anything to drink while we get started?" Ryan questioned, pouring himself a glass of water (and one for her as well if she requested), before taking a seat. Getting comfortable, he adjusted his glasses and gave a small nod. "So, sorry, you asked what makes us different from a Crime Scene Investigation unit, and what our main duties are?" Ryan reiterated her question before looking to his whieboards, and thne back to the reporter. "A fair few things, I would say. Mainly, outside of protecting Metropolis, our main goal here at the MSP is to research and study hyper-age tech. We've been using that name for it, at least. Hyper-age tech would be things above our current understanding of how things work. A good example would be alien technologies that end up on our planet due to visitations or an invasion. If Superman, for example, had any sort of technology from his homeland, it would be vastly above our current understanding, but we could learn so much from it. Or, even something like what Booster Gold owns. Whether or not he is actually from the future or not, much of his gear seems above what we are currently able to make. We are here to study any and all technology that can help us better the world, and potentially better defend ourselves if the need arises." There was a brief pause after he spoke and his face scrunched a little. "I would also like to apologize in case I end up rambling, I tend to do so occasionally"

After his quick apology, Ryan continued. "We aren't just here to look into a crime scene and find out who did it, like a CSI crew would, but we're also here to find out how, and if it's a how that we don't understand, seeing how we can understand it"

She waited patiently—or as patiently as she was capable of—for her question to be answered as Dr. Choi guided her to his office. It was impressive, she’d admit that, and there was no doubt that this place was high-tech. She’d definitely be asking Dr. Choi for a full tour later.

She took a seat across from Dr. Choi, placing her recorder on the desk between them. She nodded at his question. “I did.” He launched into a spiel then and she listened, nodding in acknowledgments at certain bits. The longer the explanation went on, the harder it got for her to keep a small, amused smile off her face. He was passionate about this project, that was already clear, and she’d always had a soft spot for people like that: those who couldn’t help but pour their heart and soul into what they did.

“No worries, Dr. Choi.” She raised her eyebrows, offered a slight smirk. “The more I get out of you, the better the article.”

He finished his explanation and she nodded thoughtfully. “So your group combats meta-level crime using the cutting edge technology of today, and maybe even tomorrow.” She tilted her head. “Speaking of ‘group’: you introduced us to several members of your team earlier. Any other names you want to mention? There’s been rumors of some well-known people seen around here.”

While Ryan had some anxiety issues, many of those issues easily fell to the side when he got to talk about the things he enjoyed. It was why he had taken to teaching at Ivy so easily despite his issues. Just like becoming the Atom, though it scared him, it involved a project Ray had thrown his life into, and because of that, Ryan had as well. Outside of his family, there were few people Ryan respected and admired more than Ray Palmer. If there was anyone out there to work through his anxiety for, it was the great Doctor Palmer.

Ryan smiled as she responded, letting him know how she saw his rambling. He had to remember he was talking to a journalist for a few reasons. One, this wouldn't be someone to make idle chit-chat with. Two, they could gleam and sift through every word with ease so he had to be careful to not let anything out that needed to be kept private. Three, they would be asking, not conversing. At the same time though, even if Lois Lane was here just to drill him with questions, these were questions Ryan wanted to answer, to let people know what he and the MSP were all about.

Ryan nodded to her words and thought briefly on her question. Ryan had made it a point to know every worker in the facility; he figured if he was running the show, it would only do him a disservice to not know everyone. "Without listing everyone and all of their achievements, I think two people who truly stand out Dr Cedric Seguin and Miss Martian. Dr Seguin was the young man outside with me earlier, he is just brilliant. A graduate from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, he has more degrees than I can even list, probably second most here only behind me. It's kind of scary though, since he's only, let me think...23. He's so incredible at such a young age, and I'm saying that as a 25 year old" Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the end of what he said. He knew he was young, but Cedric was even younger. It was truly incredible what both had separately accomplished at such young ages. "And Miss Martian is just such a positive person to be around. She's here to give us insight into alien culture and mindsets, and just be an unbridled powerhouse if we ever need one. We wouldn't be too great at protecting this city from the likes of which Superman fights if we didn't have someone on par with his power, even if we had all the technology in the world at our disposal" Again Ryan let out a small laugh. He 100% believed in the MSP and them being able to hold their own against Superman-level threats, but having someone who could match that sort of power level was an amazing asset to have. "Not to mention she's just so nice and polite. She really helps keep everyones spirits up"

There was a small pause as Ryan glanced at his computer monitor, before he looked back to Lois. "There are so many more incredible people here and it's rude to not talk about each of them, but I'm afraid if I did, you'd be here for a week as I gushed about all of their incredible accomplishments"

It was nice to see someone just as passionate about their people as they were about their project. Often, Lois found, those on top quickly lost sight of the little guy whose back they stood on. She’d only ever met a couple CEOs and likewise bigwigs who could name most if not all of the people in their employ, but they were the exception, not the norm. She had a feeling if she brought up the janitor, Dr. Choi would start gushing about them. It was kind of adorable, really. “You can email me a list, if you think of anyone else.”

She tilted her head, eyed him critically. This was the part, had he not already done so at a press conference, where she asked him if he was sure about revealing his secret identity. But he had done so in front of at least a dozen other journalists. “Let’s take a detour for now: it appears you’ve followed your mentor, Dr. Palmer’s, footsteps in more ways than one.” She leaned forward. “Why reveal yourself as the Atom now?” This was definitely what she was most curious about. She knew, personally, the kind of conflict all the heroes usually went through within themselves as to whether or not to reveal their identity to the world. She knew it usually boiled down to the burden of such a secret versus the safety of those around them. Had Dr. Choi simply not been able to live under the burden anymore, or was this maybe a more calculated move?

///sorry for the ridiculous wait! Also, wiki says it's public knowledge that Ray was the Atom, but if that's somehow incorrect just lemme know and I will fix. ;3

"If that would help your article, then I will begin working on an email once our interview wraps up Mrs. Kent-Lane" Whether she wanted that list or not, Ryan's mind was now going through a short list of qualities he could talk about for each and every one of the employees he had met so far. Many were scientists with varying areas of expertise, as well as exemplary officers of the law, and many former soldiers. The young hero was amazed at how quickly their unit had seemed to meld, and despite some minor hiccups, nothing seemed to be a glaring issue. Everyone seemed to be gelling well with one another.

Ryan's already cheerful demeanor grew at the mention of his mentor Doctor Raymond Palmer. Though the man was, only, about a decade older than him, he had been a great inspiration to the young scientist. It was because of Raymond that Ryan even went into the field he did. He had been so grateful that Raymond had put his name forward for his position at Ivy University, an opportunity Ryan was sure he would have not gotten had he not known Raymond. Not for any faults or lack of skills, but Ivy League Universities, though they always looked for the best candidates, were notorious for having a 'who you know' culture. It greatly helped in securing a job.

Her question drew him away from his thoughts of Ivy and Raymond for a moment and he shifted in his seat, his face going from his smile to a more thoughtful look. "A few reasons, many may be apparent from the speech I gave" Looking back to his monitor, the background of which was a picture of him as a young kid with Dr. Palmer, his eyes shifted t a picture of himself with his parents in front of one of Hong Kong's many gardens. "Without causing discourse, or coming off as rude, there are some in your country who do not think like you or I. People who do not wish to see people not born in this country hold any position of power. But the heroes who protect them; that's different. To those people, the heroes who protect this country must be their own. A mask leads to no face, so it could belong to anyone. It could be their neighbour, their local corner store owner, their pastor...I felt that, maybe, if I revealed that I was The Atom that it could soften the impact of having someone of foreign birth running such a lofty position" Ryan's usually cheerful voice had gone slightly quiet. More of a thoughtful tone, almost as if he was talking to himself. He let out a small sigh. He had dealt with some comments here and there when he first arrived in America a few years back, but had always chalked it up to a few bad apples. But over the years, Ryan had heard the voices. It was unfortunate that so few voices were so loud. It was always surprising that no matter how many nice people you could meet, the one loud jerk could over shadow them all.

"Mr. Georges is an unfortunate example of what I mean"

There was a slight pause as Ryan collected himself, eyes still fixated on the picture of his parents. If they knew some of the words spoken to their son, they'd have never let Ryan venture to America. "But..."

Ryan's head gave a small shake as he glanced back over to Lois. Realizing he had changed his tone, he forced out a smile and gave a slight bow. "But also to inspire the younger people. Many nerdy kids, much like myself when I was younger, feel like we don't have many people to look up to. Sure we have our Einstein's and Edison's, but those men and women aren't flying around, stopping falling planes, projecting giant green constructs, or saving kittens from trees. But now look at the World; your Mister Terrific's, your Cyborg's, your Doc Magnus's....your Atom's." Ryan gave a small chuckle. "There's so many heroes who solve problems with brains and now brawn. It's so important that children seen their heroes as normal people as well. Normal people like them, who can achieve great things"

The pain from the thoughts of the words and leers Ryan had received when coming to America, paled in comparison to the utter joy Ryan felt from the ability to maybe inspire someone; anyone. "I wanted to show those kids out there, kids who maybe felt like I did when I was young; isolated, shunned, an outsider, that they can do whatever they set their mind to. They can be a World class scientist. They can be a professor at one of the most accredited universities in the world. They can be a hero...And I think that is what Dr. Palmer felt as well"

Ryan took a deep breath from having went on a small spiel. He needed to catch his breath. His ramblings may have gotten the better of him. "Also, it probably helped the anxiety a bit. As Doctor Ryan Choi, people just see me as a man of mind. As The Atom though, I'm much more than that. Perhaps the thought of being seen as a hero instead of just some smart man running a pseudo-Government organization eased my mind"

"The Atom is a symbol to people, Mrs Kent-Lane. As many heroes are, The Atom is seen as a protector. And that's what I want the Metropolis Science Police to be. I want to protect this city, this World. If they see it is headed by one of the League's members, maybe people will see us as what we are meant to be; protectors."

Lois visibly softened as Ryan’s speech went on. While she couldn’t completely relate to Ryan or someone like him, she could to a degree. She knew what it was like being told she couldn’t do something just because of who she was. She knew what it was like growing up and clinging to someone who was like you that you could look up to. Her personal heroes were the women journalists who helped pave the way for her, like Ida B. Wells and Nellie Bly. And she kinda knew what it was like to suddenly be a role model like those she’d looked up to. There’ve been a handful of times Lois has run into little girls who call her their hero, even when there were people flying around in capes and tights above them.

“That’s all very noble” she said sincerely. She tilted her head and though her next question was the most logical follow up, her own life wasn’t far from her mind. “Are you scared, though? About the possible new risk this could pose to you and those around you?” She knew that Atom, while not always the most headline-grabbing hero, had no shortage of enemies. It would be typical hero behavior, she thought, for him to not be concerned about himself, but did he have family? Friends? Someone special? Anyone who could be a potential target? If so, did he discuss this with them, or just make the decision himself?

While living with her husband’s double life had of course been an adjustment, she’d always understood it—aside from her initial surprise, of course. She wouldn’t want him to reveal himself. Not just because she knew the danger it would put her in, but she knew in the end, it was easier for him to do his job without having to worry more about her than he already did. Should the need for him to do so ever occur, however, she knew that, if possible, they would discuss it and come to a decision together. So, she was deeply curious as to Ryan’s feelings on the subject.

Ryan softly rubbed his own neck as he thought on his own words. There had been an ever so slight pause between his rambling and Lois' follow up question, but it had been enough for Ryan to think on his own words. His mind raced, as it always had before, over-analyzing every word he spoke. He would continuously question himself over whether or not what he said had been the correct response or not.

Ryan gave a small nod to Lois' follow up. "Oh, I am always scared Mrs Kent-Lane" There was a small chuckle that escaped Ryan's lips as he answered. He was a constantly nervous individual; it wasn't even five years ago he'd still be scared by his own shadow, so to speak. "I am no more scared now for my friends and family than I was the first day I put on the Atom suit" Ryan had been scared for his family even when he first came to America, and all he initially was doing was just coming over to teach, being the Atom was not part of the original plan. Well, it was for Ray, but it hadn't been for Ryan. "But there's a difference between the fear I felt then and the fear I feel now. The fear back then was that I wouldn't be enough to protect those around me. And while I still have that creeping sensation from time-to-time, my fears now lie in not doing enough" Ryan truly wanted to make life easier for anyone he could, and now that he had backing from powerful people, he felt the pressure to do more for more people.

There was another brief pause and Ryan's attention shifted to his hands. "I will always fear for the safety of my friends and family, but I know I have so many people willing to help me protect them. I'm not alone in keeping them safe, and I'm not alone in helping people" Another small pause followed and Ryan let out a small, yet content, sigh. His face lifted and looked to Lois. "It helps alleviate some fears knowing I have help and I don't have to go it alone"