4723/Building Better Soldiers

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Building Better Soldiers
Date of Scene: 22 June 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Shredder hires Taskmaster to train an elite team.
Cast of Characters: Shredder, Taskmaster




Shredder has posed:
    The Family House is not unknown amongst ruffians in the area. Usually it is crawling with delinquent youth, a few oddball mutants and mutanimals. What is unknown to almost all of these is that the basement of this warehouse is one of Shredder's bases for Foot recruits. That's why they are absent this evening. The place is empty, and the first floor of entertainment lies silent except for one TV that was left on with an XBox menu screen up. There are several Foot headquarters throughout the world, this is the one for New York City. It's not flashy, and a casual observer would expect the operation to be a small time outfit with a low budget.

    This is all a deception. The Foot have been silent on mercenary grids. They haven't hired a single merc in over a year since the Shredder was cut down. Karai, his granddaughter took over the operation, but never his title as the Shredder as was traditional. The door was unlocked, and inside stand two horribly powerful looking mutants, an eight foot tall wolf and equally tall snapping turtle. In front of them is an almost comical contrast, Oroku Karai. Not quite twenty yet, her permanent scowl shows her sincerity as she waits.

Taskmaster has posed:
It's been some time since Taskmaster had worked in New York. Lately he's been in Mexico, training a powerful drug cartel's sicarios. Now, however, he's back in the States and ready to work.

When Taskmaster arrives at the predetermined meeting place he's five minutes early, almost to the second, and armed to the teeth with his pistol, sword, lasso and shield. The mercenary moves easily despite his arsenal, his white cape billowing out behind him as he walks towards his destination.

Taskmaster knocks before opening the door, looking around the inside as he crosses the threshold. He closes the door behind himself and addresses the young woman that waits there, nodding to her before saying, "Konnichiwa." It's hard to tell what he's looking at behind his skeletal mask, but Taskmaster's head turns slightly from mutant to mutant,

Shredder has posed:
    "Konnnichiwa," Karai answers with a bow that seems forced out of obligation more than given out of respect. "Thank you for coming, Taskmaster. Allow me to show you where our meeting will take place."
    The two mutants tilt their heads, watching, and one of them, though it's hard to say which, lets out a small whine. They seem curious about the masked man, but they stay in their place, and the wolf scratches behind his ear.
    Karai leaves them behind, moving to a door that is hidden under a graffiti'd tarp. She unlocks it, and moves down the stone stairway to the basement. She unlocks the door there which opens to a basement the size of the upstairs. Racks of weapons are present along the walls, the dampness from a recent rain lingering below ground longer than it does on the surface.

    A stage holds a metal throne, and upon the throne is the believed dead ruler of the Foot. His armor is clean, the dark cape with a crimson underside covering his body. His stance is relaxed upon the throne, leaning on his right arm, face shrouded by his mask and iconic helmet.

Taskmaster has posed:
"You're welcome. I'm always excited to meet new clients," Taskmaster says to Karai as he follows her towards their destination, face turning between the mutants again as one of them makes a noise. "I like your pets." While the young lady moves she gets it is as if the mercenary is studying her. He might very well be.

As Taskmaster enters the basement his attention seems to be immediately captured by the man on the throne. He inclines his head towards the figure and greets him, falling easily into Japanese, "Greetings. I heard you were dead. Glad to see that it's not true." Taskmaster approaches the throne, stopping a couple of meters away.

Shredder has posed:
    Karai moves as one who is an exceptionally competant fighter. There's never a move that she makes that wouldn't allow her to turn and engage a fight. Granted, she's not as capable as Taskmaster, but she'd likely last far longer than most in a fight. She goes to stand next to the throne, and remains silent.

    Shredder casually straightens his seated position, then stands to his feet. "I do not die without a reason," he answers. "It has been a calculated strategy. I know a man of your talent can appreciate that. For myself, I appreciate your acceptance to meet, for I would consider few for the employ which I have in mind, and you are the preferred candidate not only for your skill but for your discretion."
    An exhale comes from Karai, who looks unhappy about the statement, but she remains quiet.

Taskmaster has posed:
As the Shredder speaks, Taskmaster remains quiet and still, closely examining his potential employer. "It's nice to meet someone who understands that good tactics can triumph over raw power." His body weight shifts slightly, perhaps to get more comfortable where he stands.

"Well, it's good to hear my reputation precedes me. In my line of work someone's ability to be keep a secret is important." His hands shift so that they rest on his belt buckle, "I like knowing that I'm a professional. My livelihood depends on it."

Shredder has posed:
    Shreder nods, looking down at the stage. "My decoy is exceedingly adept at strategy, and is good at covering the actions of the Foot. Even other clans are scarcely aware of our activities thanks to her. But she falls short in the ability to properly train my soldiers. They are weak, both in will and in technique, like her." Perhaps a brutal thing to say to a stranger directly in front of her. Her face turns red, unable to mask her anger, but she remains silent.
    "It is very rare that a warrior impresses me," he continues, "but what I have seen from your record does, in fact, impress me."

Taskmaster has posed:
"You'll be impressed with the results I deliver," Taskmaster says confidently, his head turning slightly from Shredder to Karai and then back again. "I'm looking forward to training your men. I'll make them into the most lethal warriors they can be. And then some." He takes a step, angling slightly to the side, starting to pace.

"You know what I want from you, but I need to know what you want from me. I can make your soldiers into true warriors. Arm them with the skills to handle anything from kunai to shoulder fired rocket launchers. Teach them to kill with more techniques than most people know exist. Train them to accomplish any goal you set before them." He's probably smiling under his mask, based on his tone of voice and the easy way he moves

Shredder has posed:
    "I want exactly that. My soldiers fight from the shadows, and when they do their job properly, there is not a fight at all. Some recent undertakings have put them at greater risk, and the world is not what it was twenty years ago. The increase in mutants, Kryptonians..." he gestures vaguely upward, "Lanterns...they are far more formidable foes than is a natural capability for your average warrior. I have thousands, and I find it unrealistic that you would be able to train all of them to your level. My current attentions prevent me from engaging the matter myself."
    He lets himself drop from the stage, and casually sits down upon it. "I want twenty warriors who can fight as close to your level as you can accomplish."

Taskmaster has posed:
"Everyone and everything has a weakness. Even gods," Taskmaster says easily, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Exploiting weakness is a specialty of mine, comes with being able to read people's body language. I can train your men to fight better than anyone else, yourself excluded."

The masked mercenary thinks for a few seconds, "I'll need some of your best, most adaptable, soldiers. My training is as tough as it gets. There may be injuries, possibly fatalities." He pauses for a moment, "But when I'm finished with them you'll have warriors who will put all others to shame. This will be a special project, I'm not sure how long it will take."

Taskmaster takes a breath before he goes on again, "We're going to focus on the practical side of things, nothing for show. When they're training with me they won't be available for regular missions most of the time. They're going to be run ragged every day, broken down and built up again until they can do everything I demand of them." His head tilts back slightly and he crosses his arms in front of his chest, "You'll like what I can deliver."

Shredder has posed:
    The eyes might be smiling behind the mask, when Taskmaster excludes him from being someone they will learn to fight better than. "You will have them," he answers. "If they die, they were not worthy enough at the start. Their duties can be replaced as they are now. If you deliver as you say, then they will be irreplacable //after// they are trained."

Taskmaster has posed:
"Excellent," Taskmaster says evenly, nodding his head slowly. "I'm looking forward to providing your soldiers with the best training anyone in the world can offer." He looks around the room they're currently in and says, "I can do some of the training here if you want to monitor their progress, but I'll need to take them outside of the city for some of the lessons. Gunfire and explosions attract a lot of attention otherwise."

Shredder has posed:
    Shredder waves his hand dismissively. "If I felt the need to hold your hand I would not be selecting you for this," he answers. "Take them to outer space if you feel it's necessary, How long will you require them?" he asks. After all, he knows that it takes a little time to train perfection.

Taskmaster has posed:
"That depends on how fast they learn and how skilled they are at the beginning," Taskmaster says. "I anticipate at least eight weeks of training. Could be longer. I don't want to hand your soldiers back to you until I know they're ready." He stops to consider things, "My usual lesson plan takes a month and that takes nobodies and makes 'em capable of putting down marines. I'm expect more from your troops and I'm going to train them a lot harder, longer, with more difficult lessons and cover more ground faster."

Shredder has posed:
    "That is good. If any of the recruits are not adaptable, please inform me at once and they will be replaced, but those who I have in mind I expect to be to your liking," the Shredder says with a nod. "I look forward to viewing your results."