7201/City Fall: A Clown's Errand

City Fall: A Clown's Errand
Date of Scene:	11 April 2019
Location:	Washington Heights - Manhattan - NYC
Synopsis:	Julia tracks down one of the mysterious coins that have been handed out, request of the Joker.
Cast of Characters:	Shredder, Stockholm
Tinyplot:	City Fall

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Shredder has posed:
    Karai had a meeting tonight. The Chuunin of the Foot had started to become far more known than she was a year ago. Another criminal leader under the agreement with the Foot. Charles McGhee. His operation has been somewhat small time, not a big cog, so he wasn't high on the list of people that the Foot was enlisting. At this point in the game, bosses are chomping at the bit to have a place in the order.

    Charles flips the coin, heading back to his car as Karai disappeared into the shadows, his cheap suit trying to make him look bigger than he is.
    "All right boys, we got it," he holds the large golden coin out, flashing it at the two friends of his with him as he reaches the car. "We're the big time now, one of these, we're practically invincible. Nobody is gonna mess with us. This neighborhood is ours, she said. Long as we don't step on anything they ask, we can do as we please." Here in the parking lot of the laundromat, it isn't the most hidden location, but then, the only witnesses are a few bored souls who read books and play on their phones while waiting for their undergarments to dry.

Stockholm has posed:
Well Julia is not versed yet in the Foot or any of their plans, still she has a job. The Joker hired Stockholm to learn everything she could about the organization handing out the coins, what they want, are they operating in NYC and Metropolis not just Gotham. The works.

The clown prince was not really happy about these coin people muscling in on Gotham, even if some other lower level crime bosses might be. The cowls and laughs crowd operates at different angle than them anyhow and everyone in Gotham usually knows their place.

So yeah here is Stockholm, being a good little subcontractor for the last several weeks. Driving up to the Big Apple, casing out various criminal organizations, trying to figure out the score.

The job would be easier if The Joker had let her just use criminal implements on the person she took the coin from, no he had to make it much more difficult by saying she needed to make whoever is handing out the coins think it was law enforcement.

Honestly Stockholm figures it is some sort of Joke that just hasn't played out yet. She at least hopes it is on these coin people and not on her.

On any regard the blond woman slips out of the shadows at the edge of the parking lot, and leans her hip on Charles's car. She has on an outfit that most people would recognize in a pinch in New York, the Black Eagle jacket and fatigues denotes SHIELD. A strange pistol is in her hand held down at her side, idly tapping against her hip.

"I mean.. I wouldn't say you are even practically invincible Charles McGee, did you know behind your back people call you Mr. Magoo.. something about you being shortsighted." there is a shrug from Julia. "I have some questions for you and your associates." and yes of course she is ready to ICER some idiots if they go for their guns.

Shredder has posed:
    McGee turns around, a smile on his face still, though he looks a little bewildered. "Who're you?" he asks. He's still young, maybe mid twenties, strawberry blonde hair and a slick combover. "You comin' for some trouble?" he asks. He slaps his buddy on the breast pocket of his own jacket. "You make it, and there's people seconds later to test it," he laughs, they don't go for any weapons at the moment. "But if you wanna hang out," he gives a once over of Julia, and gives a wink. "I mean, we can probably work somethin' out, can't we boys?" he asks. They chuckle, but it's clear, this one likes to do all the talking himself.

Stockholm has posed:
There is a roll of her eyes from Stockholm, though she does it without taking her eyes off McGee and his two associates. "I love how you assume all government officials are bribable. I mean you are probably not wrong, everyone does have their price." a roll of her shoulders. "I'm totally fine asking you a few questions, working something out, and not bringing you in." there is a gesture with the hand without the gun to the three individuals. "You are small fish in one neighborhood. I want information on the people who made the neighborhood yours and gave you that fancy coin you have there."

There is a pause and then she asks "Do you think we can come to some sort of agreement or are we going to do it the trouble way as you so eloquently put it?"

Shredder has posed:
    The smug grin still on his face. "Small fish," he echoes. "And so what do you know about bein' small fish?" he asks. "Yer a cop, get the run of the town, do what you want," he shakes his head. "Cops don't need a price when their boss got one, yeah?" he says. "So go ahead, ask away, can't lead to anything," he says with a smug laugh. He opens his hands, as if to show his lack of fear. And...he really seems to mean it. He thinks he's untouchable.

Stockholm has posed:
Stockholm continues to watch them all, though notably she keeps an eye on her surroundings. She is fairly sure these are the only thugs with this two bit crime boss wanna be but one is never too careful. Also she can work with his overconfidence.

"Well maybe you are right and I'll be told to shelf it. Maybe I'll end up dead on my next assignment mysteriously." and Julia narrows her eyes a bit. "I still want to ask some questions and you ..well I am glad you are being so reasonable. Tell me about the people who gave you the coin." a shrug. "Maybe being forthcoming can be the start of a good working relationship."

Shredder has posed:
    "There," Charles says, "Ya asked your questions, feel better?" he asks, pulling out of his pocket a joint. Bold enough that he'll smoke it right there in front of her. He pulls out a lighter, and the musky scene of marijuana fills the air before he pulls it out from his lips again. "Want some?" he asks, offering the blunt in the direction of this apparent SHIELD operative.

Stockholm has posed:
"No thanks." declining, and well she doesn't seem at all worried about the smoking a joint. Let him be relaxed. Let him continue to have impaired judgement about the actual trouble he is in right now.

"I've asked but you haven't answered, and honestly that is only one question." yeah she can't resist a bit of sass. "So the answer?"

Shredder has posed:
    Charles gives a mock frown, "So? I didn't promise I'd answer it," he says, giving a slight gufaw to his own humor, and he takes another drag. He passes it to one of his friends who likewise takes a hit. He starts to wander back to his car, a black Chrysler 300. He opens the driver door. "See, that's one question I can't answer. You say I'm a small fish? Well, maybe that's true in a couple ways, so I ain't gonna make mad the big fish I'm ridin' to the top."
    He gives a dismissive shoo of his hand toward her, looking away. "So go on now," he instructs. "You don't wanna play with this level, girly."

Stockholm has posed:
Before he gets to finish opening that door though a few things happen.

Stockholm is not what one would call exactly normal. Not even remotely. She may not be superhumanly fast or gifted but she is Hawkeye levels of great when she starts to move. Peak Human thanks to the quirky metahumanity in her genes and a killer shot.

On the bright side for his associates she is pretending to be law enforcement right now. So she took a 'borrowed' ICER out of her stash along with the other gear.

So when she just whips the pistol up like a striking snake and fires two shots with pin point accuracy into the bodyguards, they are just going to be taking a nap, not dying with brains all over the place.

In the same motion she is leaping up, sliding over that shiny black Chrysler 300 and kicking to try to slam the door closed and out of his hand. "I did not tell you that you could leave Mr. Magoo."

Shredder has posed:
    It was so fast. Thump, one friend hits the hood, the other thumps against the rear door, falling unconcious. Charles turns to the first friend, causing him to not even realize Julia was closing the distance to slam his door shut. He leaps back away from the car in surprise.

    "Whoa whoa!" he holds up his hands. "This is escalating a bit fast, I didn't attack you, you're a cop, you can't just shoot. Jimmy, oh damn, Jimmy, you killed him! Randall, hey Randall, you okay?" he looks past her, but then back to her, motioning helplessly at his friends. "Not called for!" he exclaims desperately. "Thought you cops aren't supposed to do that shit! What is this?"

Stockholm has posed:
Julia just sits on the top of his car at this point pointing the ICER at him, it has a blue glow on the side where is is charging the dextrotoxin. "Does the little black bird on my jacket mean nothing to you motherfucker!?"

She taps it to illustrate with her hand. "Yes I am a cop in the way a pug is a god damned german shepard." the gun is waved menacingly, which she has some experience in. "We deal with international terrorist organizations and much like James Bond we have a license to do whatever the hell we need to when arresting idiot terrorists Magoo."

The gesturing gun stills, aimed right at his face now. "So how about we try again and you answer my fucking question before we end the interview and I go ask someone else in this town who is more talkative?"

If Charles doesn't know they are just out cold, this is all the better, and funnier. Joker better appreciate the footage she is getting of this as well.

Shredder has posed:
    The young would-be crime lord seems to not really know much about higher level government indications. "Uh, no?" he asks with a nervous laugh. "I ain't no terrorist," he says, "I just run cars, that's all, nothin' overseas with Pakistan or anything like that," he promises. He bumps into another car in the parking lot during his slow retreat, finding his back against a silver suburban, hands still raised.

Stockholm has posed:
"Magoo.. I know what you do. I know how little your racket is. I have files on you, your friends, and your family. Also your shitty little organization. I am not saying you are a terrorist you idiot I am implying you are working with some and I want fucking answers before I blow your head off and move on." during this tirade Stockholm slides off his car landing like a cat and stalking closer to him.

"Now how about you tell me about who gave you the coin and everything you know about them." okay she definitely sounds like she is fine shooting him in the head. Part of her wishes this wasn't a stupid ICER.

A big part.

Shredder has posed:
    "The girl," he says, "Dunno if you just saw that little Japanese girl, she speaks for them. The Foot," he says with his hands raised. "But you can't tell'm, I just got in, if you aren't with'm, they walk all over you, and if you stab'm in the back, they kill ya. I don't wanna die miss," he says, suddenly a lot less cool than he was a moment ago.

Stockholm has posed:
"Good start Magoo." she wiggles the gun barrel "I appreciate your survival instincts. Now do you know anything else about the Foot. Something besides their name dumbass?"

Serenity now. Serenity now.

Well honestly it is Julia's fault for picking such a low and easy fish to bully who just got into the organization.

Still Joker is paying a lot for just a coin and anything extra is icing and surplus capital.

Shredder has posed:
    "Uh, they got people global, their boss, calls himself Shredder, some goofy name I know," he says, "But this guy, he ain't a joke," he says. "He means business, got operations all over the place. The tri-state," he continues to hold his hands aloft. "Some say he's got stuff all over the planet, guess that'd be true if you're lookin' for him. But most is just rumors, tells us to jump to his tune, and we get off if things go south. He doesn't try to control too much, so, I mean, it's a win win, y'know? Just, he likes to keep the streets clean in a way, no muggings and stuff. Muggers, they get a little SOL, y'know? But they're bottom of the food chain, so what they gonna do?"

Stockholm has posed:
"Well...what a good samaritan... running organized crime in the Tristate area like a god damned saint or something." and Stockholm shakes her head. "Do you have some way of getting in touch with the little Japanese girl, or is this more of a they get in touch with you thing?"

The gun does not waiver during this exchange. Really things are wrapping up with her questioning but she has to see if he has anything left to squeeze.

Shredder has posed:
    "They," he stops, as if he really isn't sure. "Y'know, we drop off our dues, like church and all, each month, and they leave us be. They call us if they need somethin' we're supposed to call them if somebody is..." asking questions, that's the part he doesn't say. "I won't say nothin," he promises, "Just don't kill me, okay? I never saw you." Charles smiles weakly. "They got a system, like a remote app," he pulls out his phone. "Called the Family, real touchy and stuff, right? Please don't shoot me."

Stockholm has posed:
"See I am now glad I didn't shoot you Charles." and then she shoots him in the neck with the ICER. Mostly because she wants to see the look of betrayal and surprise from him.

Delicious.

She is already moving in to catch the phone before it hits the ground.

Not Charles though, she has zero care if he bangs his head as his lights are knocked out.

Then Stockholm frisks him for the coin. "I wonder how Japanese megamobs kill weak willed idiots..."

Shredder has posed:
    Charles' eyes go wide as he takes the round to the neck. He doesn't have the chance to answer anything else before he falls to the ground helplessly, lying limp on the concrete the way his friends do. The phone isn't even locked, the arrogant little cuss didn't think anyone would dare steal from him.
    The app is there, 'The Family' emergency line, information line, you could even pay your bill through it. Welcome to the 21st century. Someone actually wrote this app, and whoever did, it seems they had the money to make sure it was written well.
    The coin of course was in his jacket pocket, larger than a silver dollar, and maybe twice as thick. By itself it's probably quite valuable, and has an emblem that looks somwhere between a three point cross, or maybe a three point flame, it's hard to say which, the same on both sides.

Stockholm has posed:
Stockholm rolls her eyes and fiddles with the phone, removing the SIM for the moment before tucking it into her inner jacket pocket safe. "Oh Mr. Magoo..." she shakes her head as she walks away. "Though you did save me time getting someone back at the lab to hack into your phone.. what an idiot though."

Before tucking the coin away though she pulls out a small device as she walks, a bug/tracker detector and holds it up against the coin. She is definitely leaving the scene now though.

Keeping up her routine as she does, no reason to give up the game even as you exit stage left.