11046/City Fall: Weakest Link

City Fall: Weakest Link
Date of Scene:	11 July 2020
Location:	The Hillary Gardens, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Shredder, Doctor Octopus

---

Shredder has posed:
    Hillary Gardens is not known for crime. It's known where respectable people find a place to live. Respectable people with money. Which is why it's where Bits McCoy wanted to live, despite his history of petty crime. Siding with the Foot was the best move of his career. Bits may be small, only standing 4'10", but it doesn't mean he hasn't been an absolutely savage individual. He built his small crime ring through brutality, and a willingness to take things to levels that other people would not, even most criminals were afraid of him. His gang has made even more money, and under the Shredder, he's taken up the mantle as one of the Dragon Warrior's enforcers. He makes sure those who defy the Foot are shown to a pine box, along with anyone they hold dear. It's been very effective.

    And so, he lives in this apartment on the 31st floor, overlooking Manhattan. Safe. Secure. Away from the bustle that he grew up in. Away from the crime he commits, and comfortable.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
With the Tri-State area underworld in a state of civil war at this point, Doctor Octopus is a well known figure in the 'resistance' by now. Fighting in the shadows for months now to break the Foots hold, intel has been gathered, even as Enforcers on both sides of the war continue to fall or be disabled.

Tonight, Otto is going solo, with Fisk mercenaries and some Octoboys taking care of security for Hillary Gardens elsewhere so he isn't disturbed. He's making an effort to be a bit stealthy as he moves up the side of the building, to get to the balcony.

By the time he's at the 31st floor, he's adjusting his overcoat again from the wind... and once he lands, a tentacle reaches out, and silently checks with the tip-camera for alarms or traps.

Shredder has posed:
    The scan shows that there aren't any traps, but there is an alarm on the sliding glass door that leads inside. The shades are pulled this evening, though the light from within would reveal that there is some light inside, likely the glow of a TV screen given the shifting nature of the light being shed.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
Taking out the electronics kit he uses for these sort of jobs, two tentacles come up, grab the tools, and begin to work on disabling the obvious alarms.

The tentacles are capable of fine manipulation... to a point, but wouldn't be able to handle precision circuit hacking... but still, this shouldn't be too hard, and Otto's actual eyes continue to watch where that light is coming from.

Shredder has posed:
    As the glass is cut through, there seems no response from within. Given that it is a standard commercial alarm system, there's not much that is out of the ordinary for Otto to need to deal with. Soon enough the alarm is disabled. So far, it seems he's gone unnoticed.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
Slowly but surely, the glass is dealt with, and a tentacle snakes through to the other side to check for clasps or latches. In a moment, the glass slides open with Otto's own hands, and inside he steps, all four tentacles retracting back into his back harness.

There's a quiet sneer as Otto looks over the inside briefly... before he heads towards the light of the presumed television, readying a tentacle to lash out and grab the fool that is presumably within.

Shredder has posed:
    The place is both upscale and a mess at the same time. Nice furniture, nice decor, and littered with pizza boxes, needles, and cocaine peppers several flat surfaces. Across the main room, Bits sits on a leather couch, next to him a rather overly dolled up woman, possibly a hooker, lies on the couch passed out. As he turns, Bits seems to be far more controlled than most people would be when they suddenly have an intruder in their house.

    "You usually enter people's houses like this? Or is this a special treat?" he asks with a tone that says that he's ten feet tall, rather than less than five. He takes the remote casually, and clicks off the TV.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"I do what I need to do to accomplish my objective." Otto sneers back as two tentacles snap out to just above Bits, the pincers snapping at him like restrained attack dogs. "I take pride in my work... where you seem to only take pride on your brutality."

Otto starts to walk inside, those tentacles staying in place above Bits for now, "Being a lapdog seems to pay well for you, at least.

Shredder has posed:
    Eyes shift up at the tentacles as they snap above him, and he sits there in his boxers, a firm scowl on his face. "So you're sayin' you think I take pride in my work, too," he answers. "Nice to hear. I'm not one who cares about my pride as much as what I can get. Call me what you like, it /does/ pay well," he agrees. "And I'm really good at it. Better than you've made out, struggling to drum up your resistance, like a sad little kitten taking on a tiger. What exactly is it that you get out of all of this, anyway?" he asks. Oh, he's aware of who Otto is. As one of the primary enforcers, Otto has not been off his radar. "Just someone who always likes to buck the system? An ego trip that says you're independent?"

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"What I get... is to not answer to some egotistical wannabe who thinks he knows best, but all he wants to do is enforce some ridiculous system invented for fools and lackeys." Otto replies as he examines the room, "I came here to do some research, initially... but I've seen all I need to see."

Otto finally moves in front of Bits, though keeping his distance, in case the man tries to lunge. "You've profited like a parasite off of the misery of others. I have no interest in this continuing... so I offer you a couple choices." Otto crosses his arms. "Renounce the old fool and his Foot clan, and I will get you away from him. I will get you out of the region with a new identity, since I highly doubt you want to fight him." He frowns, "or, I can deal with you right here, right now. You disappear in a shower of gore, and I go after your friends. Anyone connected to you? I destroy them for associating with a tyrant hell bent on controlling things he has no right to control."

Shredder has posed:
    "And you call me brutal," answers Bits. "So you come bursting into my home," he says with an accusatory tone. "You threaten me in my own house because I don't do what you want, and say if I side with you, you won't kill me, and you have the balls to tell me you're any different from the Shredder? Well, you're right, you're a little different. He's the one winning. What do you promise? To squirrel me away from everything I know and hide out in a hole instead of continuing with..." he gestures with one hand, "This? You don't know how to bribe really well, do you?"

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"Good. You're not a fool and recognize the similarities." Otto grins at Bits. "That was a test. I have no interest in destroying you. Another will simply take your place." The tentacle pincers stop snapping at him, and sit there. "I /could/ send you to the ground floor the hard way... but that will accomplish nothing except a brief vacuum of muscle."

Otto moves to sit down on a surface, Bits easily seeing himself reflected in those safety goggles Otto wears now. "What is it you desire, Bits? You have to realize that Shredder can't keep this control forever. The nature of the underworld is to fracture as people get fed up with being underlings."

Shredder has posed:
    "I have what I desire, and that pressure only applies to those on the bottom of the stack," he says. "What is it that you desire that makes you think it's worth life and limb to fight back against him? If he falls someday, then I just take the power I have made and find a way to make me more. Everyone wants to rule the world, or at least their world. The Shredder is my best bet right now to make that happen."

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"You're a parasite, but you're a useful parasite." Otto reasons out, "I desire a world that embraces science and logic, not some ridiculous outdated caste system of alliances, with anything being done only by /his/ approval." Otto informs Bits. "The war against the Foot clan isn't going away. You can pretend he's going to remain on top... but considering that everyone wants to rule their own world, by your own admission... do you really think he's gonna keep this level of control? I'm working to break that control, and so are quite a few others... and yet..."

Those pincers above Bits snap at his head, barely missing him.

"... I continue to survive. I will continue to fight until he loses his grip, or I die... and if he could easily kill me, he would have done so on the roof of the Casino."

His hands lay in his lap, "I won't ask you to risk yourself for me... but I do want information. Would you be interested in a little extra money on the side to give me intel on Foot movements and operations?"

Shredder has posed:
    "A little money..." There's a reflexive recoil as the pincers come close, just in case it was an attack, but he maintains his composure. "The Foot seems to always know," he says. "You want me to play that game? You'd have to do a lot better than a little money, because that. That is a big risk."

Doctor Octopus has posed:
With that, Otto takes out a device from the kit in his satchel, and holds it up briefly, checking for surveillance signals first.

Shredder has posed:
    There's a certain readiness that comes to Bits' face as the device is pulled from the satchel. "You wanna bribe me or...what is that?" he asks, a finger motioning at the device. "You want a fight, I ain't gonna go down easy," he warns. "So what's your offer that you think will be so irresistible that I would turn on the Foot?"

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"Quiet." Otto orders, "I'm working." As the device doesn't pick up anything immediately, one of his tentacles comes around to grab the device... and begins a sweep of the entire floor. That device is gonna go through the entire apartment via his tentacles as he himself turns back around to talk to Bits.

"Nothing in the immediate area for surveillance. He must have a robust spy network... or the devices are remotely activated." Otto muses aloud. Then, he brings up a free hand, waving dismissively, "If I wanted to kill you, I could have just tossed out of the building by now. I gain nothing by doing that."

Shredder has posed:
    "They're ninjas," Bits smirks. "They are the definition of a spy network," he reminds. "They have somebody in every office of this city, you can take that bet." Naturally, there are wi-fi signals and cell phone signals and several other things that could be surveillance around the room. One of them is in his pocket. "And just what do you think you're gonna gain here now?"

Doctor Octopus has posed:
As they talk, Otto is already moving to each device in turn, examining it completely for bugs. Using other signals for cover to piggyback is a classic hacker trick, after all.

"You have a few options here, Bit... depending on what I find as I sweep for bugs."

For now, Otto focuses on testing for surveillance, his tentacles keeping up with checking for bugs as he himself tests if they're actually bugs... or simply false positives.

Shredder has posed:
    The oddest signal is that one in his pocket. "I usually stick with the one where I come out on top," Bits answers. "So why don't you go with why I should be going against the most powerful man in the city as a good way to gauge your pitch," he says.

    The signal belongs to a gold coin. Imbedded inside of it is a very small device which is recording audio only. Even the best of technology can only scarcely detect it. It's quite advanced.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"Oh. Interesting." Otto finally speaks as he confirms the readings. "Effective, and you fools never noticed." Otto sneers, one tentacle moving in to grab the coin from his pocket to pull it up to his eyes, examining it.

"Asking over and over when I'm clearly sweeping your apartment isn't helping you at all." Otto then glances over to Bits, "You yourself are bugged. These coins have audio recorders embedded."

With that, the pincer *squeezes* on that coin, as Otto tries to examine the coin right in front of Bits, adjusting his scanner to determine signal use and strength.

Shredder has posed:
    As the coin starts to come from his pocket, Bits responds far more extremely than he has to anything else, so far. His hand snaps out to grab the coin, tugging fiercely enough that it shaves the gold on the edges as he rips it free. "Now I don't go stealin' your shit," Bits says. "You better back off this." There's a certain primal protection in his voice. Not as if he's really trying to assert himself. More that he desperately doesn't want to lose the coin.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"I wasn't asking permission." Otto sneers, one tentacle coming out suddenly to try to grab bit by the back cloth of his neck, even as the other comes up to try to literally slam him into a wall. Just softly enough to not break the walls of the penthouse, but hard enough for him to definitely feel it.

"I don't even want to keep it. I'm examining it. Stop your trivial possessive streak."

Shredder has posed:
    Bits seems to just intensify. He loses to the superior strength of the tentacle, and then is promptly slammed into the wall. The little man reaches out. "Give it back!" he shouts, his previously cool demeanor suddenly gone. He wants that coin, and he wants it badly. Like a man who is addicted to drugs.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
Of course. Addicted to the power of being a protected pawn. It all makes sense, now.

One tentacle remains to keep Bits against the wall, while his real hands begin to examine the dcoin proper. He can't do an in depth analysis, but he has enough tools to at least get an idea of what sort of circuitry he's dealing with. "Give me one good reason I should have any interest in your addiction, boy."

Shredder has posed:
    "I'm not addicted," Bits growls. "It's mine. It's not a drug it's just mine." The device is extremely small, and almost imperceptible by the scan, giving only the smallest trace. Nanotechnology. Bits pushes off against the tentacle, which is almost comically ineffective.

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"Your reaction is quite obvious, young man. Addiction is addiction. Addiction is not limited to drugs." Otto looks to Bits, "Addiction can also be about power. You like the power being a protected pawn gives you. You don't want to give it up."

He holds up up against the light, examining it naked, before he looks up up Bits. "Keep that up, and I will simply toss you off the tower for being annoying. My patience with you is wearing thin. Your only use to me is as an insider. If you wish to live beyond this night, I need information on the inner workings of this device."

Shredder has posed:
    "You're just a crazy fuck, you know that?" Bits accuses. "Call me addicted to power when you spit on the guy who could have got you all you wanted. Why? Because you're too proud to play second fiddle? So now you ask how to work a coin? Let's see, they put the gold in its cast, all heated up, then let it cool. Even I know that one."

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"You're a fool lapping up the scraps of a another man, that's all. Shredder might be ambitious beyond his ability, but he at least has the vision to try to take control of this regions underworld." Then, Otto is moving over to the balcony, Bits coming with him as another tentacle comes up and grabs him by the leg... then dangles him over the open air.

If Otto let's go, there's no way Bits will survive the drop.

Safety goggles are directly looking at Bits' eyes, "I've survived for months against the Foot clan, and Shredder is far too controlling and stuck in the past for my projects. I have no need or use of being his pawn. You have two choices. Be my insider, or be a splat on the ground as a casualty in our war against the Foot clan."

Shredder has posed:
    The little man dangles over the edge of the balcony, and looks down with fear. "Well, I'm in no position to argue," he admits. "What do you want me to do?"

Doctor Octopus has posed:
"My work has been effective, but stifled by the decentralized and shadowy nature of their movements. With more reliable intel, this war can be brought to a close much faster and without nearly as much life lost. A long, drawn out fight benefits no one, and leaves you open to being killed just as much. Help me to bring it to a close, and you can move on with your life, without the threat of either of us."

Then, he brings the coin up to his eyes, "I'm taking this for study. You can tell the Foot clan you lost it in the toilet or something."