31 Plays in 31 Days, #22 - “Recon Mom”

[breakinglight11]

Another bit for continuing “His Part to Play,” following shortly after #21 - Lost Cat. I like the idea that Steve has recognized a kindred spirits of sorts in his neighbor Rishun, who also appears to be an ordinary suburban spouse and parent, but actually has experience that makes her good backup in a siege situation.

OH SOMETHING VERY FUNNY I NOTICED. I mentioned yesterday that I conceived of the character of Rishun, maiden name Morikawa, years ago as part of a theoretical all-women’s WWII superhero-ish team for I think would have been a radio play idea, which I was calling Bombshells. I was glancing over the scenes I sketched out for it in a previous 31P31D, I realized in this scene #10 - Pinching, there was a mention of Gertie having stolen an M1911 off a guy who was supposed to be keeping track of them— it doesn’t explicitly say it, but he was supposed to work in the quartermaster’s. Turns out I named that guy Hayward.

Then, last year, when I was integrating Rishun into my take on the Marvel universe, I decided after the war she’d married a fellow soldier who worked in the quartermaster’s office. Whose name, completely without remembering the detail from that 2015 scene, also happened to be Hayward.

HAHAHA I GUESS THAT GUY GERTIE GOT IN TROUBLE WAS RISHUN’S FUTURE HUSBAND. 🤣

Day #22 – “Recon Mom”
From Forever Captain
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

STEVE ROGERS, now retired to the midcentury, living as Grant Carter, 46
RISHUN HAYWARD, his neighbor, formerly an Allied special agent, 34

Schenectady, New York, 1954
~~~

(STEVE waits in his kitchen, lights out, attempting to watch the front walk. RISHUN emerges from the darkness. He twitches but grabs a hold of himself.)

RISHUN: Grant. It’s me.

STEVE: Oh, thank God.

RISHUN: I knew something wasn’t right— nobody calls at two AM about a nonexistent cat. But you have an entire strike team reconnoitering your house!

STEVE: Yep. Five operatives.

RISHUN: Six operatives.

STEVE: Two in the car, one in the hedges, two at the back fence?

RISHUN: And one in the tree in the side yard.

STEVE: (blowing out through his teeth) Damn it, missed that one. You managed to slip past them?

RISHUN: (chuffing) I’m a bit out of practice. But recon used to be my specialty. Do you know what they’re after?

STEVE: No. But I’m not going to waste any time trying to find out.

RISHUN: What do you need?

STEVE: The kids. We have to get them out of the house. But I don’t know how to get past the strike team without them noticing.

RISHUN: Understood— leave the children to me.

STEVE: Are you sure? Getting a little girl and her baby brother out of bed and keeping them quiet?

RISHUN: Grant. I have two toddlers. Compared to a church or a toy store, this is nothing.

(STEVE can’t help but laugh.)

STEVE: Fair enough.

RISHUN: But what are you going to do?

STEVE: I’m going to draw out the strike team.