Gala Event
As Aislinn went through explaining the various guests present at the event, Red couldn't help but feel surprised at how nonchalant she was about everything. Sure, he cared very little when it came to celebrities, but to just casually comment on being on the same level as a multiple Olympic medal winning athlete and one of the world's richest individuals was something else. Granted, to some degree Red's involvement on the team made him somewhat of a celebrity himself, but to even consider himself as an equal in that regards to those around him wasn't something he felt comfortable doing. As the two sat next to each other at the empty table, Red's ears perked at the mention of the Aveline name. His eyes immediately went towards the aforementioned couple, his gaze narrowing as he watched the two clearly attempting to act as if nothing were the matter.
According to the police investigations that the family had gone under shortly after the true identity of Marionette had been discovered, the two were innocent in everything regarding their daughter's actions. In their own words, they were simply parents busy managing their businesses so much that they had failed to keep a keen eye on their daughter, who around them had never done anything to arouse suspicion. To add to the list, the fact that their daughter had been the victim of a kidnapping incident years prior was never brought up, having been buried underneath cries for pity and understanding that the two made very clear to the press.
Of course, Red hadn't bought their story one bit. While he couldn't say that they were guilty, neither could he say that they were entirely innocent in the matter. Thanks to some help from Wendy, Red had managed to uncover a swath of bank statements showing a tremendous amount of funds being given to their daughter, with many of the expenses labeled as simple clothing or travel expenses. While Red was far from knowledgeable in high end fashion, he knew well enough that a handful of purses and dresses didn't add up to a sum well within the six digit mark. And as much as the couple had claimed to be unaware of what their daughter had been using their wealth for, there was no way Red believed they wouldn't have asked questions on where that much money was really going.
Furthermore, the long list of visits to child psychiatrists and even prescriptions made in Lisette's name made it even harder for Red to believe that the parents hadn't known something was deeply wrong with their child. Red had attempted to get information out of these psychiatrists over what they had discussed and seen from Lisette in hopes of discovering more about her, but every one he talked to flat out refused him. Whether this was out of a concern of cliental privacy or a matter of being paid off with hush money was debatable, but either way these leads had gone practically no where as any paper trail left behind had either been destroyed or sealed away tight.
All together, these two key facts made Red believe that both Mr. and Mrs. Aveline knew that their daughter was doing something behind their backs. And instead of stopping her, they simply ignored the warning signs and continued doing whatever they could to cover up any loose ends that would have possibly tarnished their names. Even if they didn't know the true extent of what their daughter had become, the fact that they had chosen to do what they did made them just as guilty as Lisette.
"Rich assholes", Red muttered under his breath as he finally averted his gaze back to his table. His eyes caught sight of the glass of champagne sitting in front of him, causing him to glance around for a bit to see whether or not anyone was watching him. While as crowded as the place was, everyone seemed to be caught up in their own conversations to pay much attention to him. Suppose that's the luxury of being around other famous people, Red thought to himself as he recalled the many times in public he had been practically swarmed by regular citizens who had been eager to catch sight of the city's most famous group of teenagers.
Bringing his glass up to his nose, he detected a faint hint of alcohol within. After glancing around once more, Red shrugged his shoulders before downing the glass and quickly placed it back on the table in front of him. That will help me get through this hell, Red thought as his attention was brought back to the crowd around him. He still couldn't quite believe that Aislinn had managed to get him to agree on coming to this event. While he couldn't say it was a bad idea, given that they were sure to draw up a buzz with their appearance, Red still couldn't find himself to enjoy being at events such as this. Let alone the fact that the last time he had been at one of these, things had ended in him nearly dying. While he didn't expect there to be as much peril involved here, he still had to force himself to behave in a manner that wouldn't embarrass Aislinn.
With that in mind, Red did his best to put on a good appearance as he waited for Aislinn to finish what it was she had in mind.
Team Jet
Whitney's arrival came with an immediate punch into his shoulder that seemed to do more damage to her than to him, causing Red to roll his eyes with a smirk that only grew when she quipped up about his packing situation and its relation to his supposed mood. "I'll make sure to pack a teddy bear full of lead to cuddle with next mission," he replied sarcastically. A moment of silence passed between the two before Red decided a small amount of explanation was in order. "Look, Whitney, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. It's just a matter of knowing what you need and then figuring out on how you can by on less. 'He who relies on little, achieves more', or however that stupid saying goes."
Red eyed the girl for a moment before continuing. "But I'm glad to see you're coming with, even if it means we get to test out the jet's weight limit. Just try not to lose your lunch when shit hits the fan. And if you do, try and point towards Casimir when it happens," he said with a small hint of sarcasm in his voice.
