15762/A Set Price

A Set Price
Date of Scene:	03 November 2023
Location:	Coliseum White Plains, White Plains
Synopsis:	Logan makes a decision about X-Force and he meets Psylocke on her turf.
Cast of Characters:	Wolverine, Psylocke

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Wolverine has posed:
Bass beats thrum through a large room. In various corners are small elevator platforms with steps leading up to them. Along walls are archways, circular and with faux columns. Nearly every chair, table and bar top are white same with the walls. This is how Coliseum White Plains likes it.

It's like old architecture shoved into a club and finds itself among modern decor. Monitors bearing the club's logo are strategically placed here, there and many places. Everyone is dressed in white. A modern take on Diner de Blanc. Basically, an "All-White" where each and every person dresses in white. Nothing else.

In some of the archways is VIP seating. These ones are set back a little bit, slightly hidden and room for plenty. This is where Betsy Braddock's metaphorical perch is placed. One of the bouncers, a man with onyx skin and an alabaster suit leans down toward the purple haired woman. "We have a situation. A small runt of a man. Bad bomber coat and haircut. He gave your name and not in English," he says. Betsy would know what this means. People can learn about her name. However, she will often use her name in Japanese and other languages to throw off fake friends. People wanting to use her to get into places. Also, it take a bit to say the words -properly.- It's a deterrent created by the language.

"Should we stop him?" the man asks.

This warning alone would immediately tell her that someone knows their tricks. From her perch she can see the crowd of people looking at the -one- person wearing color. And behind him are two downed security guards. They're alive, but a black eye and nasty headaches are in their futures. No claws. Just a pair of blue jeans, a worn bomber coat, cowboy boots that go undetected thanks to the loud music that bounces off the walls.

Betsy doesn't own the place, but puts enough money into the place people know to treat her as if she -was- the owner. Especially if the actual owner isn't about, which they are not tonight. It's the joys of cash and clout in action.

Logan's going to keep moving. It's all up to Betsy how this unannounced visit would go.

Psylocke has posed:
Outside of the teaching she does for Xavier's and the work of the X-Men and X-Force, Betsy doesn't often have a lot of spare time. But what there is, is often devoted to a complex mix of charities and events that at face value, appear to be random, but are generally rarely anything but. There are people and companies she wishes to maintain close ties with -- either because she knows or suspects their help will be invaluable, or their opposition crippling -- to future potential projects.

And Betsy Braddock is always thinking about the future, these days.

Tonight, she's wearing a white dress that that, with its lapels and the gold buttons, looks like it could be a suit jacket, though the lengthy split at the bottom of her dress that extends above her knees would quickly dispel that appearance. She's paired a gold-leaf belt with a gold necklace, her purple hair half pulled up into an elaborate braid.

One could be forgiven for thinking this is Betsy at play. But the meetings she has progressively through the night suggest otherwise. Mostly other figures in white suits, a few in white dresses. All breathing money and power and the kind of clout that gets them into this kind of club without a second look.

The new arrival is... none of those things.

Betsy doesn't try to read his mind, but she doesn't need to. She can feel the familiarity of him. His choice to be here, of all places, is a curiosity she can't resist. "You can let my next appointment know there will be a delay, with my apologies. Send him up," she says. "Along with a bottle of Karuizawa Vintage." Even if her visitor doesn't indulge, she rather suspects she might need to. And she knows him too: Logan's got something on his mind, and he's coming to talk whether she wants it or not.

Wolverine has posed:
When Logan's waved through, he will make his way to the booth. "Wanted to meet on yer grounds. You've got homecourt, I'll respect it now that it let me in," Logan says honestly. He sits down happy that the booth absorbs much of the noise, but the music acts as a filter. He'll nod to the drink when it's offered. "Two glasses," and he'll wat for a second glass to be brought.

"I don't trust yer thinkin'. I don't trust a lot of things 'bout it right now. 'Least when it comes to some of the company ya keep," this is nothing new between them.

"I said I'd come wit' a price, if I came at all. Here it is, yer Nathaniel's handler. Anythin' he does to betray the team falls on -you-, too. Make no mistake 'bout it, if he turns on the team, I'll get my hands bloody again. I won't stop until every coroner on the planet can make the same claim 'bout whatever's left of him," he's going to make that abundantly clear.

"And then I'll come after you, too," Logan is careful with the wording here. Betsy is a friend. He has lost too many of those already, but they both know there's many ways to get a pound of flesh when an empire is involved.

"End of the day everyone's trustin' ya. Ya ready to live wit' his choices?" Logan's voice hardens and the gaze stays on her. For now, he knows she would. "Even I'm trustin' ya. I ain't trustin' you now, but trustin' our past. Got it?"

Logan's view on Betsy is a little questionable at the moment, but she has done right by him before. So, he'll lean into -that- side of their relationship rather than any of her current thoughts. "And I can get others. I just see this like a Sword of Damocles. I just wanna see you two take the brunt before it hits everyone else," Logan does believe Sinister will do something to cause problems. On the chance Logan's wrong, or the damage is manageable, he wants assurances. This is his.

Psylocke has posed:
There's an immediate furrow of Betsy's brow as she takes in Logan's words of greeting. She watches him seat himself, and his request for two glasses earns a smile, and while it has Betsy's usual warmth, there's a wariness in her gaze. He's putting himself out a lot to make her feel comfortable, so of course she feels anything but.

Regardless, he has the entirety of her attention. Not even the return of the waiter with the bottle and drinks pulls her attendant gaze from Logan. When he names her as Nathaniel's handler, she doesn't look surprised. Nor that surprised by his promise of what he will do if things go wrong. "Agreed," she says, with barely a beat.

/And then I'll come after you, too./ Her smile turns a little sad, but she nods here, too. "Agreed," is repeated. "Though you're wrong. Not everyone's trusting me." Betsy says, as she takes a beat to pour the fifty year old whiskey for both of them. "You don't. And you had words with Angelica -- she doesn't, either. Not that I blame either of you. We all have to make our own judgements, our own choices about what we're willing to live with. I've just been in this longer, long enough to know that whatever I have to break to make this happen, I'll do it. Even if it's our friendship. Even if it's my life." There is no doubt as to her commitment. Of course that makes her dangerous, too. Someone that /certain/.

She curls a hand around her glass. "I hope it doesn't come to that, Logan. You, Warren, Scott -- you're the ones I trust in the most. And if anyone should take my life in penalty, it's fitting that it be you." Her smile, still sad, is nonetheless genuine. "I wouldn't be here at all, if it weren't for you." The way she lifts her glass, tilting it towards Logan, is clear toast.

"Nathaniel is complex. He is cognizant of himself, enough to tell me much as you do: not to trust him. There are other versions of him out there, Logan. Versions that don't have his... newfound sense of responsibility. I can tell which one is him -- he let me plant something in his mind. A token, if you will, to recognize him. I accept your terms, but I need you to agree to this one thing: that you take a beat before you try to take his life, should matters come to a head. If you are to kill Mister Sinister, we should make sure it's the correct one."

Betsy has severe doubts it's that easy to kill Nathaniel Essex, given what she's seen. But her intent is still clear. "Kill the right person for the right reasons."

Wolverine has posed:
"I never said somethin' 'bout killin' ya. I wouldn't do that. Make life difficult fer ya? Yeah. In that situation I would," Logan clarifies to Betsy. Death didn't enter his mind when it comes to her. His gaze focuses on her. But he will make sure the drink gets poured into each glass.

"Hence why I'd be willin' to find more people fer ya." Logan doesn't deny the talks. He thinks at the end Firestar would be a good fit. However, he worries about the cost, what it would do to her and everything else. It's a risk he didn't want to take in the end. And so, they had their talk and that lead to the changes.

Rasing his glass in a toast, "You'll always be my friend. Just be a question of how smart I think ya are." Then when they're doing toasting, even if it's wordless, Logan will take a drink before adding. "Let's not talk 'bout the Doctor anymore."

Psylocke has posed:
"I can always trust you to be honest, Logan, even when it hurts my ego," Betsy says with a soft laugh. She'll drink; the whiskey is aged and full of flavor, and she visibly savors it. "And you'll always be my friend, Logan. Even should you have to work against me. That I promise."

Of course, being the friend of one Betsy Braddock doesn't necessarily convey extra protection. She's warm when she needs to be and hard when she needs to be, too -- even to, especially to -- the precious few friends the ninja has.

"Perhaps you should, if it comes to that." Betsy is accepting of the eventuality of death, but she doesn't linger on it. He asks for a change in subject, and she exhales. "I had a dream, recently -- like the visions I had, but different. The end of the world still came, and in it I caused Warren's death. Jean's. Even Scott believed me to be responsible. It wasn't one of my prophetic dreams -- but that of a dreamwalker, we believe. Trying to undermine me. Trying to make me doubt. But I don't. Especially not when Fate himself has made his presence known."

"But.. if nothing else it has revealed to me how certain I am in my belief in those I trust. You. Scott. Warren. If you're wary, I trust you have reason to be. I want you to be at my side, not just because I think I can't do this without you, but because you'll always be honest with me, and try to keep me honest, and that is a gift and a treasure." Betsy exhales a breath, "And, when I get a beat, we might make time to go hunt down that dreamwalker."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan's quiet for a bit. He's giving Betsy time to breathe and speak. Taking the whiskey, he'll take a drink. There's a comfort in her words. No matter how bad things would get between them they would both call each other "friend." The mutant ponders f Magneto and Chuck feel this way. Friends despite any brutality they can drag each other through.

"No. You wouldn't learn," he rejects the idea of her death. He pauses about Dream Walker and FAte. "What do you mean by Fate? And are ya sure it was a dream walker? Magic ain't my world," but he would believe her.

"I know ya got yer own reasons fer keepin' me close n' their good ones," and he nods to her about hunting that dream walker. "We'll talk more 'bout the group when ya got more time." Logan will try to stand even down his drink pretty quickly.

Psylocke has posed:
When Logan declares she wouldn't learn, Betsy laughs. It's the laugh he's familiar with -- warm and full throated and utterly genuine. "Some do say living is the best punishment. I don't always subscribe to that theory." She certainly doesn't with her enemies. She prefers a more permanent solution, given the choice.

Her fingers toy with the glass, as she considers her answer. "A man appeared in front of me and others -- he calls himself Doctor Fate. I touched his mind, a little. There are two people in his psyche. One is a man, and the other is... he is impossible to describe. But I know an alien mind when I feel it. He knew things, and was as vague and evasive as any prophetic might be. On that basis alone I'm inclined to believe him. I do wish he'd use doors, though -- and I'm aware of the irony of that statement coming from me," the ninja smiles, ruefully.

"As for the dream walker -- I'm not the only one who experienced it. And I spoke to an actual dream walker. Doctor Fate mentioned him, also. Magic isn't my forte, either," she confesses, "So I'm inclined to defer to the experts."

Betsy's purple eyes tick upwards as he stands. The smile she gives is a little more muted, but no less genuine for that. "Logan," she says, softly, "I'll always make time for you. Whenever you need it." She doesn't /say/ she owes him, but maybe that's the implication. She won't do anything else to stop him, though.