6435/Crown Jewel: Investigation Begins

Crown Jewel: Investigation Begins
Date of Scene:	10 February 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Hawkeye (Bishop)
Tinyplot:	Crown Jewel

---

Jessica Jones has posed:
After hearing for the first time just a shadow of the beginning of the story behind Jewel from Jessica, Matt had seen her reaction, and decided to investigate. What better help than Jessica's own protege (don't tell Jess that) Kate Bishop, a P.I. in her own right.

If Kate listened to what Jessica had to teach, she'd know that most of a P.I.'s work is boring, and not at all fun, such is investing hours of looking into police report database and locate a registered incident report involving a costumed meta identified as Jewel, and a chaos at a restaurant. Turns out the restaurant was a fancy upscale steakhouse. The name was The Royal Grill. According to the incident no less than 6 police patrol cars were destroyed, several cops injured heavily, 3 died. There's a note mentioning the incident was resolved when the Avengers were called, but no villains were on scene for them to deal with. There's an attached link to Jewel that states this is her first known villainous turn, before several months of performing super crime in various spots in the city. Looking into Jewel's supervillain history, there's several more listing of places struck by her, banks, restaurants, movie theatres, car dealerships, companies, the incidents spanning a time frame of several months before they stop.

An obvious lead would be to investigate any of those places, though the only one of them Matt would know anything about is the Royal Grill, the restaurant Jessica told him about. Even if not mentioning its name directly.

Daredevil has posed:
When Matt reached out to Kate he was very clear about one thing, 'Jessica must never know'. They were just checking up on things, no reason to bring up bad memories for that, at least until they find something.

The best place to find things, where things started: The Royal Grill.

"Based on what she told me, this should be the place," Matt says as he and Kate arrive outside.

He turns his head her way. "So, you're good with this?" Matt asks outside the place, his gloved hand wrapped around the handle of his cane. "Because it's not too late to back out." Because he had to admit hiring Kate to investigate something this personal about Jess was definitely dick move.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Jessica must never know.

Like this was Kate's first rodeo. Did he remember who she worked for? Did he think KATE was going to tell her? Hey, boss, guess what.. Riiiiiight. Not going to happen in a million years. Besides, what Matt should really worry about is JJ finding out on her own that Kate was doing this (hell, that Matt had asked her to).

For that matter, /Kate/ should be worried about that.

However, Kate has a healthy disregard for personal danger, so that one is covered neatly.

"Looks pretty upscale for JJ. You're sure this is the place?" Because there were days Kate was certain Josie's was pretty upscale for her boss. But then again, this was a past Kate didn't know about. And besides, maybe JJ reverse slummed it when the need arose. She was a pretty decent PI, she had to be able to hide her disdain when the chips were down, right?

"And what do you mean am I good with this? I'm here, right?" Okay, Kate wasn't sure why she was doing this, other than that really weird evening at Josie's where JJ had flat out said she approached the Avengers, Kate could kiss her job goodbye, and then later that uncharacterisically harsh tirade - the very tirade that had led to Kate's disastrous Club Lux experience.. but that was a whole other story, one Kate wasn't talking about either.

"I'm thinking if you come in with me, you stand out like a sore thumb. Me? Enh.. my father would look down his nose at it, but if I used his card, he'd likely semi-approve."

Daredevil has posed:
"Just checking, Kate," Matt confirms when she tells him she's down for this.

As for the whole sticking out thing? Matt couldn't really argue with that, blind guy was sort of a distinctive look. "So, what? Come in a bit after or before, but not with you?" he asks, giving the reins to Kate on this one, this was her world after all and given Matt's luck with the little job at Xavier's he wasn't looking to mess up /another/ job.

"Or should I just stay out here and keep the hottog guy company?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate eyeballs Matt. "One, blind guy. Distinctive. Two, blind guy in the news as having inherited a fortune. Three blind guy in the news as having inherited a fortune and having the dead girl return to life to reclaim it in a big news splash. Oh, and did I mention Four? Your name plastered all over two through three?"

Kate patiently waits for Matt to walk himself to the conclusion that if JJ got even a whiff of something rotten in Denmark, his name would be written all over it. As it was, while Kate didn't hide her identity, the society pages didn't care about Hawkeye, and the restaurant didn't either. Odds of her name being attached to anything were a heck of a lot smaller, and more likely to be chalked up to how can we get her to convince her father to use our services at his next company Board Meeting.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt rolled his eyes behind his shades. "Fine, hotdog guy it is," he says with a shake of his head.

"Good luck," he adds before he wanders off down the street behind his cane, while he adjusted the focus of his senses to let in what was going on inside.

Jessica Jones has posed:
The Royal Grill looks worthy of the name, the decor is made to remind people of a Royal Dining Hall in one palace or other. Everyone is dressed to the nines and there is a strict dress code enforced, hopefully Kate showed up dressed like she can when she wants to wow. Would they have let Matt inside? Probably, the news of his inheritance was all over the place.

The maitre d would be the first person Kate would encounter coming in, ushering waiters to tables, welcoming guests as they come in, and leaving the appearance that nothing ever goes wrong. Everything is smooth, fast, and handled as luxuriously as possible.

"Madame...," he greets Kate politely when she does come in, "have you a reservation for tonight?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"That's what I thought," Kate smirks, getting out of the vehicle and making her way to the restaurant proper. Sure, she's not really *dressed* for the place, but she grew up in society. She knows exactly the degree of 'tude to carry herself with to negate the outfit.

Girls gotta slum from time to time out of boredom, right? Right?

"No," Kate says, casually pulling her father's black card out of her purse, praying he hadn't cancelled it yet (the same card he'd given her when she'd gone clubbing and he'd entertained some small hope she was about to return to her rightful place in society's fold). "Though I'm sure you could find me something, couldn't you?"

She waits for the card - black and blank as such things are, with only the embedded data chip to identify the user - to be noticed, the thing dangled negligently from her still perfectly manicured fingertips. "I hear you make an excellent chef's plate. My father is reluctant to commit himself without a tasting, but you know how it is if you're seen somewhere. People assume the oddest things. So, here I am."

Her voice practically drips with the bored obligation of it all.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt for his part has less trouble getting a 'table' at the hotdog cart. Five bucks gets him a hotdog with all the fixings on it, from there he circles around to the back of the restaurant wolfing down the street meat. Once it's gone and he's checked the surroundings for lookie loos he climbs up a fire escape to the roof, to perch there and listen to what's going on inside.

Hey if he was going to wait outside he was going to have some fun.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Oh, forgive me, I was unaware," the maitre d apologizes for not immediately foregoing the dress code when he checks the card Kate pulls out, and realizes who she is. Or more importantly, who her father is. "Madame Bishop, you are always welcome at the Royal Grill," he then turns to take a quick look, "are you with someone? A table might be lonely, I can offer a place at the bar? But of course, if you prefer, we can find a table for you."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Of course I am," Kate says with a benevolant smile. One that says he's already pleased her so much, and she's going to remember this. "And you would be..?" Because, of course, when one remembers such hospitality, one always wants to attribute a name to it.

She pretends to consider. "Oh, make it the bar. There's only myself, and I'd hate to take up an entire table. You do bring food barside, don't you?"

Many places didn't, but she's the one with the black card. Exceptions can be made.

"Everyone has been complaining that the fare is always the same at the Mardi Gras revel. I keep telling my father that it's impossible to find a venue willing to do 200 guests on this sort of notice, but he has this bug in his ear that it will get him a seat on the Coutry Club's Board, and now he's all about a prime rib dinner.. But you're not interested in that, are you..?"

Again, she waits for his name, hoping the dangled prospect of catering that will encourage everyone to please her, and brush any other oddities of her visit aside. While simultaneously hating herself for the conversation she was likely going to have to have with her father convincing him he wanted a prime rib dinner for the gala...

Daredevil has posed:
Matt hears it all from the roof, snorting, "Lonely?" he says. "Try it from up here."

"Should have stayed rich," he mutters to himself.

Though really he's enjoying being up on the windswept rooftop. Settling in out of the wind he continues to listen, trying to cut out more and more of the noise from outside to get a better image of what was going on downstairs.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Bernard Williams, the Maitre D," the man says with a jolly smile, he is hoping that Mr. Bishop will indeed hear of how courteous he has been to his daughter. "Madame Bishop, for you, of course," he is more than happy that she elected to sit at the bar, he really didn't want to occupy a whole table just for her. "Please follow me," he instructs, as he leads her to pristine bar, with well dressed barmen in tuxedo, a far cry from Josie's. "May I please take your order in person?" He will naturally want his praises sang, not the waiting staff.

"Madame Bishop, I am always interested in what you have to say, and I do believe you can tell Mr. Bishop that we can accomodate 200 guests on a two day's notice for him."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Of course you can," Kate says enigmatically of both the order.. and the two days notice. "You know what would be most delightful?" She looks pleased with herself like she's *just now* thought of this marvellous idea. "Why don't you pretend that you're wooing me with the dinner we'd be serving at the Gala. Then I can give my father an honest report on what to expect."

The best lies, as it happens, are also truth. As much truth as possible. And were it not for the fact Kate was hoping the bartender had looser lips than Bernard here, she'd have taken that table.

"Bernard." Kate repeats the name to herself. There might be police records with that name attached to them she could hunt up. "I think that's what I'd most like. How wonderful of you to suggest it!"

Pumping the man's ego. Happy men - men who think they've just got their boss a Bishop Gala deal - like to talk. And frankly, Kate did't care what he talked about. Anything could be a hint or a slip. Besides, she had tidbits of an incident to frame things in. If she dropped her disappointment and questions in the right places, this could almost be painless. If.

Jessica Jones has posed:
The Maitre D listens most intently to Kate, already tilting his head to show how invested he is in what she has to say. Though her words seem to leave him uncomfortable, "I can serve you such a meal...but, it would be unprofessional of me to woo you, just so we're clear." Bernard seems to like keeping it professional, and looking Kate over, he notes, "Oscar will see to all your needs, I will go place your order Madame."

Oscar turns out to be a dashing fellow, looking sharp in his tux, and leans in towards Kate, "what's your drink? I bet you I can make the best you've ever had."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"No wooing?" Kate forces her tones into disappointed registers, totally playing up the whole play on the word woo. Though she's quick to let her disappointment disperse into an interested and pleased consideration of Oscar - who is, indeed dashing, and already pegged by Kate to be a giggilo, but that was the point was't it? and lets her voice drift into an appraising and flustered sounding, "Ooo, ALL my needs? I really do have to come here more often."

Kate slips onto the barstool, and in a move that might surprise those who actually know the girl well (other than this whole escapade), she orders a scotch. "Though you can still make me the best I've ever had."

Oh, she so hated herself for this.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Baby, I can take care of needs you didn't know you had," Oscar whispers in a rather practiced sexy tone of voice, one can tell he's far younger than Bernard, and likely doesn't fear for his livelihood as much, taking risks like that. Than again, he read Kate, she looked like a girl looking for fun, and he's sure he could get a very nice tip or more if he plays his cards right. Oscar laughs when she orders a scotch, "that so...? Well, not very difficult that one, doesn't require any mixing skills...but, allow me to ignore your order? I'll pour you the damned best whisky you ever tasted," Oscar seems pretty sure of himself to speak in such a manner, he waits a moment to see permission in Kate's eyes, before proceeding, giving permission, he would walk to the back of the bar, only to return with a glass of the finest golden liquid. He placed it infront of Kate without telling her what it is, "try it, you will thank me later."

Daredevil has posed:
Oscar gets a laugh out of Matt at the very least. Okay maybe Kate was right, best he did stay out of this. At least this was going to be amusing.

"I bet she will," Matt murmurs shaking his head already hearing the sound of arrows hitting knees in his head.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Oh, is that so, Oscar," Kate murmurs, dipping a finger into her whiskey, and sucking it clean. "I think this will do quite nicely, thank you."

Her cheeks pinken just so. She's hoping it looks like the measure of very pleased, and flattered patron, and not the subtle scream of ~what the heck, Kate?~ going on in her brain. Thankful, not for the first time (and not likely the last) that she'd been, out of necessity, a chameleon all her life, and well, she'd already made all the kinds of fool of herself at Club Lux. This was tame in comparison, and would totally fit in with the reinvented Kate story everyone seemed intent on hearing.

"So, tell me Oscar, I bet you see all sorts of things here. What's the most scandalous story you have. Just between us. After all.."

She grins coquetishly while taking a proper sip of her whiskey, which, as it happens was beyond incredibly smooth. She just wasn't its target audience. Her father should be pleased when he gets the itemized bill, though.

Jessica Jones has posed:
By the way Oscar looks aghast when Kate dips a finger into her whiskey, she might be able to deduce he truly did pour her some top shelf whiskey. Heck, he went behind the bar to retrieve it, is there such a thing is more than top shelf? But he recovers nicely, and doesn't say another word. Though Matt may have picked on Oscar's heart stopping for a brief moment in horror.

Once recovered, Oscar is all smiles at Kate, "what's the verdict goregous?" He asks with an extra helping of flirt.

Oscar just laughs at her question, shaking his head, "oh, hell, I can't even...you'll never believe me. You'll think I'm making it up, none of my friends believed me. None of my coworkers believed me. I mean...it's so crazy it sounds made up, and there's no recording to back it up. It's really not fair to ask me when you'll never believe it."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt can't see what's going on there but by the voices he has a good idea. "Where was all that when we were 'dating'?" he murmurs to himself, not sure how he'd have reacted. All of that had been a weird time.

Then at Oscar's response. "Oh come on, Oscar, you can't wait to tell her, why leave us all hanging?"

Matt shakes his head, he should have skipped the hotdog and scored some popcorn.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate just laughs at the man's horror. "It's my money. Well, my father's money. I'm sure he'll be horrified too, which is the point isn't it, Oscar? Otherwise, why would I be thinking about using your number later?" ..To hunt up things on him, of course. D'uh. "But go ahead, try me on the story. I've been to a lot of parties. I bet you can't shock me."

"Tell you what, if you shock me, I'll give you *my* number. Fair deal?"

And just to show the man she does know how to appreciate an expensive drink, she savours a sip while she waits for Oscar to take the bait.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"If you say so...I just so happen to be a Whisky man, and that, was sort of sacriliege..." at least he says it with an endearing smile. He was teaching her a lesson in a subtle way, don't do that to fine whisky. Just hearing her suggest she might be interested in his number, Oscar reaches to his pocket and hands her his card. "Well, now you have my number, if you choose to use it," he winks at her and leans closer, voice turning hushed. "So...you're intrigued? You have to promise to respect the fact I'm being truthful, and not call bullshit on me, because I don't tell lies to ladies."

The added incentive seems to get the job done, "deal," he calls out and extends his hand for a handshake.

"So, you probably heard all kinds of stories, maybe even some involving those crazy metas...but you haven't heard this one." He sure knows how to work a crowd, delaying so much in sharing actual details.

"So I was almost at the end of my shift, and this guy comes in here...real dapper, dressed in a fancy and very courageous purple suit. Not sure I could pull it off, but he made it work...thing is, no reservation," Oscar flashes a brilliant pearly smile, "it's a rare exception for someone without reservation to get a table. More so when there are no tables...when the Maitre D told him there were no tables, and we're at capacity, he just called out that everyone with a table should fight each other, for the right to give him their table...and the more fucked up thing? They actually did, there was a whole brawl, and no matter what we did, we couldn't stop it."

Oscar then points towards the Maitre D, "Bernard over there had to call the cops, but before they could get here, one of those superheroes just flew in. She had this...erm...sexy white costume, pink hair, and no cape..." he seems to be visualizing this as he talks, as if the fine details would even matter. "She started knocking people unconcious so they'd stop fighting, but then the purple guy asked her to stop and share a table with him instead, and she totally did it. Like...she didn't take him to jail or anything, she just sat with him and they ordered food. And...it gets crazier, but I'm pretty sure I already won the bet, no?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt rolls his eyes, "Yeah, of course you've never told a lie to a lady in your life," Matt was too far to hear Oscar's heartbeat but he didn't need to.

Though when the waiter launches into his story, Matt's commentary dries up and he just listens. Jess' story had been light on details but what details she gave matched Oscar's. When the waiter stops, Matt frowns, "Jerk," he mutters waiting for Kate to press him on it.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate crosses her heart with that previously whiskey dipped finger, "I would never say something like that," she remarks of calling bullshit. Then extends her hand with a laugh, to shake his. "Deal."

Settling back with her whiskey. "Maybe if things turn out the way I think they will, someone will have to be punished for their lack of respect to a fine year." Absolutely wondering where some of this stuff is being dredged up from, other than witnessing like shameless flirtations of too many of her peers.. and worse.. their mothers.. at the Country Club.

"Purple? You don't say." Eyes twinkling. "I like the colour purple. Maybe you'll get to find out how much. Though so far, you're not winning this bet. I have to say, I'm sorely disappointed in you Oscar." Mock disappointment in tones and features, because honestly, candy from a baby so far.

"And we both know reservations are only for those people who can't afford to eat where they want to when they want to. Why I happen to know a little place where unless you know someone who knows someone.. you'd think you were driving by an innocent suburban home. Truth."

Georgian Creeds, of course.

The rest, however, gives her pause. The man in purple going from more money than is sensible to something rather more interesting, and dangerous. "Just like that.. He told them to fight, and they did?" Filing that, and 'sexy white costume, pink hair' and lack of cape away to ask Matt about.

Kate titters a slightly nervous laugh as she comments quietly, "Some people's idea of foreplay is rather more excessive than others. My last date.. But let's suppose I'm not shocked yet - go on, because you can't stop halfway through a story like that."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Yes, purple, see? I told you this story would sound ridiculous, but I swear, I've seen it all with my own eyes," Oscar sounds quite genuine as he stresses the validity of his story. Sure, he expected Kate to scoff at other stuff rather than the purple suit, but he knew women, they always focused on clothes and shoes before anything else. "Oh, I do have amazing purple boxers, I can't wait to show'em to you," Oscar winks at Kate, having pegged her for a girl who is DTF for sure.

Oscar does nods along to tales of the rich and famous, he worked enough affluent places to know what it's like. Oscar nods as she questions what the man in purple said and how the people reacted, "just like that, he didn't even raise his voice, he just asked them politely to fight for the right to give him their table, and they just did. Without a second thought, I couldn't believe it. If I wasn't working I would have filmed it because, as I'm sure you're thinking right now...nobody would ever believe it."

Oscar looks very uncomfortable as Kate actually prods for the rest of it, reddening a bit, "look, I don't know if you want to hear it..." he offers uncomfortably, before eventually Kate tries a second time and wins him over.

"Fine...but only because you're actually thinking it's not crazy enough, which, by the way, I really doubt. I think you just want to hear how crazy it gets," Oscar laughs and brushes his hand very gently along Kate's wrist, "so, I'm all the way at the bar, so I don't know what those two are talking about. But when their food is served, he starts eating, and she gets up and starts putting on a strip show for him. Not joking. A fucking honest to laugh superhero, was just putting on a stripper act, right in the Royal Grill..." Oscar himself looks like he still can't believe it happened. He does peek at Kate, making sure she's not disgusted or offended, because he knows how some women get with stories like that.

He quickly picks it up, "don't worry though, before she could take it all off, the cops that Bernard called earlier, remember? Well, they showed up, she just put her costume back on, went outside, and honestly...I never seen any real superhero from upclose, but I'm pretty sure what she did to those cops and their vehicles is what happens to people who piss off The Hulk. So...do I win the bet?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate is all smiles and flirtations until he gets to the striptease, and it's only due to her extreme self control, and years of lying through her teeth in social situations, pretending like she had any effs to give, that she doesn't choke on her current sip of the whiskey - or make it blazingly obvious that she's shocked. Because of all the people in the world to be nominated likely to do a strip tease, Jessica Jones was even less likely to be nominated than Kate Bishop herself, and THAT took doing.

Kate tries to cover neatly by giving a small roll of her eyes like she imagines he's stretching the truth about the strip tease just a tiny wee bit. "Like the Hulk? Just puts her clothes back on and stomps on a few cop cars. While the man in purple... gets away?"

Daredevil has posed:
That confirmed what he'd thought the night Jess had told him the story. Mind control. I mean he could see Jess doing a lot of things, a strip tease was not one of them.

The thing with the cops after that though, that he could believe, but following on the heels of the other, it was pretty clear this guy in Purple was to blame for it.

Matt kept his attention on the inside of the restaurant while he made his way down the side of the building using springing off walls and swinging off the fire escape until his feet hit the alley below. He wanted to be ready if Kate wanted to make a quick escape from her new suitor.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Oscar seems rather sure of himself when he studies Kate closely as he tells his crazy unbeliveable story, he can tell she thinks he's stretching it, but it also seems like she was a little bit shocked. At least a little. He shakes his head, however, when she asks if the hero in the pink hair stomped those cop cars. "It was actually a lot worse. I mean...she knocked the first one out by ramming him into his car. Then she used that one to baseball bat another. Literally lifted it and swung, I mean...she was a legit meta." He stops with the details there, instead summarizing with, "it got a lot worse, the cops were destroyed to put it mildly."

Oscar holds up a finger, "but wait...that's the weirdest part, the man in purple didn't ran away while she fought the cops. He just finished his meal, and then she carried him and flew away...so, I don't know, maybe she wasn't really a hero? Maybe she was in on it? I mean...for all I know, they could have been lovers and that was their sick foreplay." Oscar shrugs, and then extends a hand, "so...I'll have that number, right?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Well, Oscar," Kate says without an ounce of a lie, "You have totally managed to shock me." Though not for the reasons he'd think. "A deal is a deal as my father always says. You can lie, cheat, and steal" all of which she had done in the past, and will cheerfully do again in the future "but when you shake a man's hand and look him square in the eye, you best be willing to follow that up with your integrity."

Which is why Kate gives Oscar her number. Well, what used to be her number up until a month ago when the last of her prepaid account had run out and they'd disconnected the thing. Like all disconnected numbers, he'd get a pleasant message telling him the number could not be reached. And at the end of his shift, or whenever such things were cashed out, there would be a sizeable tip with his name attached - as much as if she were apologizing for being just another socialite teasing the poor riff-raff into believing she were interested..

Kate downs the remainder of her drink in a move that is sure to horrify the man more fully than her earlier attempt at being seductive and dipping her finger into the drink. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to be ill. Lady troubles," she says, looking to leave. "I'll be sure to tell my father.."

Kate doesn't say what it is she'll tell him, merely heads towards the door putting on her best 'I am going to be ill to get out of this party' face.