7048/Turtles and Trouble

Turtles and Trouble
Date of Scene:	26 March 2019
Location:	An abandoned subway station (no, not THAT one) in NYC
Synopsis:	Punisher meets the Turtles in an abandoned subway station. An accord... might be reached?
Cast of Characters:	Punisher, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello

---

Punisher has posed:
There was a whole world under New York most didn't know about, let alone know. Somewhere deep, deeper than even this abandoned station, was The Armory: a massive cache of weapons, vehicles, and gear the Punisher uses in his war. Tonight, a very small amount of explosive and trap equipment was taken and used to rig up quite a few bombs and explosives for this meetup. Entries, vents, lamps, lights, the abandoned subway car in the middle, the pillars... plenty of ordinance was used for them alone, let alone the shotgun and multiple pistols the Punisher has stashed under his trenchcoat.

The Punisher himself sits down on a bench right in the middle of the main platform, dead center. Debris and dust litters the floor, and cobwebs coat the car in front of himself. One arm is casually over the back of the bench, while his other holds the M1216 in it, the stock pressed against his elbow as he waits.

The infamous white skull on his vest is plain as day... and Microchip is watching through the various hidden cameras just installed in the station. "This whole thing smells, Micro, and not just because the sewers are nearby." Punisher grouses into the transceiver in his ear.

Leonardo has posed:
The Turtles went over this meeting more than once, and to say Leonardo was suspicious of what they could be walking into was an understatement if there ever was one. There was enough to study about the Punisher online that he knew if they encountered him face-to-face, they'd be dealing with a wild card, someone who could be just as prone to shoot first and ask questions later, if at all, but while he was a stone-cold killer he also operated by a certain code when it came to innocents.

With that in mind, Leo had more than his share of reservations when it came to Donatello's contact with this 'Microchip,' along with the planned meeting point. "Guys, we go in here, and we have to be prepared for anything. The good thing is we know these tunnels. Donnie, if you're going to take point on meeting him, you have to be as careful as you've ever been. We don't know what he wants, and we don't know what he's going to do. Expect that he's going to have some surprises up his sleeve. Mikey and I will be around, but we don't want him to see us. If anything goes south, you know the quickest way out. Hopefully he just wants to talk and we don't have to get violent, but I don't trust him."

He's also gone with a disguise, an oversized coat and hat worn low over his head, meant to help obscure as much of what he is as possible, yet easy enough to discard if trouble finds them. After leaving their Lair and making their way through the maze of sewers and tunnels beneath the city, they come toward the meeting point. Leo motions for Michelangelo to go one way, while he breaks off in the opposite direction. A flanking move, to provide coverage on either side of Donatello's target, which appears to be the run-down subway car. Already, as they enter, evidence of something being planted there stands out to a ninja looking for such things. This could be quite the trap, just waiting to be sprung. He sticks to deep shadow, slowly on the move for a better position.

Michelangelo has posed:
Mikey is crammed into a side tunnel with his feet up on the sloped side across from him like an invisible hammock playing his 3DS. This isn't to say he's not overtly concerned about Donnie's wellbeing because he absolutely is, he just trusts his slightly older brother to be smart and do smart. Leo's got plans on plans, things are taken care of, the youngest turtle's job is to wait. So he does so.

He does so in the only way Mikey can wait..

Playing a little Sonic the Hedgehog.

His tongue jankies out one side of his mouth, big blue eyes squinting as he bodily twists and turns his hands as if this will somehow make the avatar do what he demands more readily. Mouthing, when it does not, Oh come oooooon.

Donatello has posed:
     Donatello was clad in the traditional undercover turtle uniform, tan trench coat and brown fedora. "With the way he handled everything, I'm not sure he would harm us. But I know what you say, Leo."

  Once the others leave him he starts making for the meeting bench, he wasn't armed, but of course, he was always ready to rumble. "Hello." He offered, attempting to obscure his higher timbre to sound more gruff than nerdy. "I'm the one from the computer." He offers up, keeping his three fingered hands out and in the open.

Punisher has posed:
When Donatello starts to approach, the Punisher doesn't shift at all... except for his eyes. There's a keen intelligence behind them as Donatello comes over. "Huh. Thought you'd be taller. The drone caught a glimpse of something back at the cafe, but you ain't anythin' like what I was expecting." Punisher grouses some more as he shifts forward, getting a good look over Donatello.

"Microchip tells me you wanted to meet after seeing me cleaning up the trash in the cafe. What's your angle, son?"

Microchip in his ear is watching, and reports in, "Not seeing anyone else with him yet, Frank." Punisher gives no indication of having heard his partner, instead keeping his eyes on Donatello. That auto-shotgun in his arm? It stays where it is. "I've been at war for years against the scum of the world... but I don't know you or yours. New players in the game?"

He isn't shooting anyone yet. That's a plus.

Leonardo has posed:
Were he closer to Michelangelo, Mr. Blue would give Mr. Orange a smack for having his game out. Who knows if the screen glare would cause his position to be given away? This time around, what Leonardo doesn't know won't hurt anyone. Besides, they have bigger things to be aware of, and only they know if Raphael is even around as an extra fallback option.

Instead, as he doubles back around toward the way they came in, there's another explosive Leo comes across that's set near one of the pillars he's taken up a spot behind. A cursory look at it reveals it's not something he's going to be able to disarm. It looks like the sort of thing Donatello would be better off dealing with, but he's occupied with a more prominent role. Maybe some sort of signal might be required to make it go boom, as there are no tripwires. This tells him something about the setup: the man responsible for it has control over whether they go off or not. Interesting. Still dangerous, but interesting.

Leaving that spot again, he avoids the path of any cameras he's spotted, masking his approach toward the rear of the abandoned subway car. It's used for cover, a spot he can crouch up against and behind, close to the others on the opposite side. Breathing is controlled so as to be all but silent, and he carefully shifts his overcoat to make it easier to reach the katanas should they become necessary. For now, he listens, seeks to learn.

Michelangelo has posed:
With things getting kicked off, Mikey closes his gaming system and spirits it away into one of his pouches so that he is more readily available should the meeting go south. Both hands ease him towards the edge of the drain tunnel above where the pair of Punisher and Donnie are meeting so that he can ease out just enough to make sure everything is still going smooth as silk. Yup

Donatello has posed:
     Donnie keeps the conversation rolling. "We don't operate in the open. Stealth, and secrecy is our bag. We saw your work in the cafe. Your setups were calculated and struck exactly who you were going for. That level of precision is...enviable."

  "Once I connected the dots, it seemed even though our methods are slightly different, you want to clean up the city as much as we do."

Punisher has posed:
"I make sure the cancer can't infect anyone else." Punisher offers in a bit of clarification, "A lot of the metas or supers like to pretend putting people in jail is some sort of solution.. but you don't let cancer grow if you want the body to survive."

He gives a glance over the station briefly, overtly checking for incoming reinforcements himself. Then, he looks back to Donatello, "the cafe was a mob family front. I did my homework; they did a daily family only meeting there like clockwork for dinner around that time. The two janitors were innocents who were just looking for a paycheck, so they left early. Everyone else were foot soldiers." He shrugs, "they're one of the families playing ball with whoever is trying to control the New York underworld." He smirks, a bit of cockiness to him, "I'm being a pain in the ass about it." He nods to the three fingers, "almost thought you were like the animal things I saw a few weeks ago... but if you were, you'd probably have attacked by now."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo frowns. Donatello, jealous of how precise Punisher is with his plans? Well, they wouldn't have that problem if they worked better as a team, and..!

And maybe that's on Leo as their leader away from their training with Splinter. But how does he get them to function as a more cohesive unit more than just from time to time? They're trained ninja, but they're also young. Experienced, but with room to grow and get better.

One thing Leonardo is good at is waiting patiently, and that's key for him right now. Donatello needs the chance to do his thing. Leo can only hope Michelangelo's doing half as good at the waiting game. Another thing he waits for is the pre-arranged signal from Donnie, if and when Mr. Purple thinks it's safe for the rest of them to show themselves.

Michelangelo has posed:
Mr. Orange is just a fly in the oinment up there in his storm drain trying not to pull his game system back out of his pouch for fear that the light might alert those below now that the meeting is in full swing. Not much else he can do, really. Fiddle with his hand wraps, tap his fingers together, and quietly make spit bubbles off the tip of his tongue.

Donatello has posed:
     Mr. Purple nodded slowly at the comments from Frank, before starting to reach for his hat. "What do you mean animal things?" He asks, if the Punisher was thinking he seemed similar, it definitely piques Donnie's interest. If not only for his scientific interest, it may be another mutant like him. "I mean, if they looked like me, it's all good." He says, lowering his hat and showing him full turtle face.

Punisher has posed:
"Some Rhino and some Warthog wannabe. A couple of idiot brute if ever I've seen them. They relied on their strength to carry through on their work. Almost got them twice, but they were using too many shields." Punisher grimaces briefly, before he reaches into his trenchcoat with his free hand that was behind the bench, and pulls out a crystal clear picture of Rocksteady and Bebop. Rocksteady looks very hurt in the arm area, where numerous heavy caliber rounds had gone through.

"Recognize them? I track them after their little stunt and have been staking it out since." Punisher asks.

Leonardo has posed:
He said the words! The words! That's their cue to spring into action and..well, not so much that in Leonardo's case. Michelangelo may well drop down at this point and make a grand entrance that could get them all blown to turtle bits, but the big brother of the group utilizes a much more controlled reveal. In doing so, he intentionally walks around the side of the car with the camera positioned at the door, guaranteeing his shrouded form will be spotted right about the time he speaks.

"That would be Bebop and Rocksteady," Leonardo says, adding, "About as dimwitted as they are tough to keep down." His attire is similar to Donatello's, but enough of his body shape can be made out to show they must be related, both right around five feet tall. The dual katana can be seen behind him, where the coat is left open, also revealing part of his front.

Clearing his throat, he looks on at Punisher through the slits in the blue eye mask he wears. "We've been here the whole time. We aren't here for a fight. I know you have explosives set up, and you control whether they go off or not. Let's keep it nice and quiet and when this is done we can all be gone without anyone the wiser. What do you say?"

Michelangelo has posed:
Mikey rolls out of the storm drain and dangles the distance to the sewer landing where he drops in a low crouch, "Sup dude, don't shoot me or some junk.' Said with a raised hand waving over his head at Punisher. "Yeah bro, totally been here the whole time, like.. right up there." Pointing to the storm drain where he very obviously just dropped from.

Donatello has posed:
     "T-that's..." Yeah, the others beat him to it. It was Rocksteady and Bebop. "If those were some more people you have been fighting, we seem to have mutual enemies" His voice isn't even masked any longer, the revelation of the two minions of Shredder were enough to drop that guise.

  "They aren't exactly bad news, just idiots with too much strength. But their boss on the other hand...definitely bad news." He adds in, the whole situation had given him a Wiggins in his back area.

Punisher has posed:
As the Turtles reveal themselves, Punisher doesn't move... but he does look at the newcomers one at a time, and one hand subtly moves to grip the trigger assembly on that auto-shotgun in his hand.

Still, he doesn't fire yet.

"They weren't on cameras, Frank. They're pretty impressive with stealth, much like you." Microchip explains over the transceiver. Punisher doesn't say anything for a few seconds as he assesses the situation. Then, he nods slightly as he looks back to Donatello, "Names Punisher. I used to be called Frank Castle, but he died in a mob shootout in a park years ago."

Then, he looks to Leonardo, "If I wanted to attack you, I've had a flash bomb above this bench the entire time ready to go. All the traps in here are a precaution. I'll be dismantling everything when we're done here."

He stands, and the shotgun is strapped around his shoulder as he looks over the three. "So. Turtles huh. Mutants, or somethin? else? Not tryin' to be an asshole here, but I don't see many animal morph sorts."

Leonardo has posed:
"I wouldn't recommend that," Leonardo says, not just from picking out Punisher's hand moving toward the trigger area, but also at the talk of bombing the room being within the man's capabilities. "And I'm not making a threat. It would draw a lot of attention I don't think any of us wants to deal with." There's a slight shift in his stance, going from rigidly ready to act to something a step or two down from that. Still guarded, still on the alert, but ever so slightly relaxed. There would be no question he stands before them as the leader of his group.

Leo continues, after casting brief glances toward Michelangelo and Donatello, "We're brothers. I'm Leonardo." The other two are given room to make their own introductions, or at least Michelangelo if Donatello's shared his at some point prior to the meeting. "We'll go with 'something else' for now. What's important is I think we want the same things you do in the end, even if you have a much more..direct and lethal way of going about it. We're ninja, but obviously not the kind you'd expect." As an aside to the other two, he quips, "At least he didn't call us frogs, right guys?" The brim of his hat is pushed back enough that, in spite of the dim conditions, a little more of his features can be seen.

Michelangelo has posed:
Mikey fiddles with his mask, making sure it's good and tight before stepping out of the shadows tenatively, "Sup dude." Waving a little as he circles around to front so as not to stand behind the scary fella with all the weapons and explosives. "Not really sure what we are, bro, only that like... We're not bad right? We're ninja, like Leo said. I'm Mikey." Still waving stupidly, "Michelangelo. But like I said, Mikey."

Punisher has posed:
"Why do you think I went with this station?" Punisher replies to Leonardo, his trenchcoat lifted on the left side... showing a gear web with magazines, pistols, grenades, and... is that a short-barrel shotgun on his back under the trenchcoat? "I came prepared for a war if it came to that." The side is released, and he turns to Michelangelo. "Mikey..." He says, as if testing the name.

Then he starts to walk over to Leonardo. "You're the planner?" His tone makes it less of a question, and more 'obviously, you're the planner'. "We should talk more." He takes out a burner phone from a trenchcoat pocket and offers it to Leonardo, "when you're ready, we can talk at a less wired location."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo gives away nothing when it comes to their familiarity with places like this, merely nodding once. "It's secluded, forgotten, easy to cover the ways in and out, and there are working cameras." He singles out each one with a nod of the head, missing none even if he's not yet sure if this man was monitoring them. It only makes sense if he was. Leo's good, that much is clear.

All that firepower is noted and while he makes a face about it, he rolls a shoulder and draws away a little more of his coat, letting the Punisher see the back of his shell and the twin blades. "We favor tools a little more traditional, but I believe you were ready for a big fight, yes." With the skull-marked man now close enough to extend the phone his way, their difference in height, about a foot, is more pronounced, yet nothing in Leonardo's body language indicates any feelings of inferiority or weakness based on size alone.

"If you want to call it that," he agrees. Planner, leader, plain old big brother, whatever fits. A green hand, just like Donatello's with the thumb and two thicker fingers, is held out, palm up, to accept it. "Thanks. There'd better not be any tracking stuff in here." He does not give away that Donnie could figure that out - he'll have it checked before they return to the Lair anyway.

Gesturing for his brothers to gather up with him, he tugs the coat back into place, so it gives whatever extra concealment it can. "If you're working against the mobs, and if you're against Dumb and Dumber, I'm sure we'll have more to talk about soon. Let's go, guys."