7731/City Fall: A little tall for a stormtrooper

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City Fall: A little tall for a stormtrooper
Date of Scene: 04 June 2019
Location: Minor League Boxing Ring - Manhattan
Synopsis: The Defenders play dress up and impersonate the Foot Clan to shake Shredder's hold on some of the crime bosses.
Cast of Characters: Shredder, Daredevil, Elektra, Iron Fist, Winter Soldier, Melinda May
Tinyplot: City Fall


Shredder has posed:
    Rick Jasten runs a lucrative high stakes gambling ring. However, the currency is often not money. It is things of far more significance. Property, people, and power are often the subjects of his gambling events. Dues are high, and as such he can afford a more prestigious spot with Shredder's willingness to accept the group. They bring in a lot of money, and Shredder has been putting it to good use. Meanwhile, Rick reaps the reward of being able to be a little more bold, even to use venues that would never be possible under the complete cover of secrecy.

    The rain is coming down tonight, but it hasn't prevented the turnout for this evening's main event. Deathmatch. It isn't a cute saying, the fighters tonight literally are fighting for their lives. One leaves alive with a $15,000,000 pot. Meanwhile, several of the higher ups are looking for a new business partner. The winner will certainly want to put that money to good use. Not only this, but there are plenty of wagers. Wagers of trafficked people, wagers of political office, wagers of entire companies. It all depends on what you are willing to lose, and what you want to gain.

    The setting is an actual minor league ring tonight. It isn't a fight night on the books, and the security is tight. Anyone who isn't part of the invite list is quite forcibly removed, quite quickly.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt had been focused on the plight of mutants and one Adam Brashear lately, but tonight brings his other crusade into sharp focus. The blatant way Jasten was going about his buisness made Matt feel sick, that this sort of thing could happen in his city disgusted him and it made him remember why the city needed Daredevil, why it needed the Defenders.

Though neither would be in evidence tonight. Assembled a short distance from the venue, Matt and the others have on forged Foot shozoku, made by Melvin Potter off the descriptions provided by the Defenders. They look the part, though face to face with someone intimately familiar with the garb they might not pass.

Matt pulls on his mask covering the fullness of his face.

"Alright, should be a pretty packed house," he says. "Given some of the word on the street might be an idea to film the people running out of there, something tells me there will be some names," that comment is directed to the SHIELD agents in the group. "That is if they slip the dragnet that follows."

He cracks his neck. "As for the five of us, we do this like a smash and grab, beat up the guards, rough up some of the guests, basically ruin Jasten's night before we lay into him and give him the Shredder's regards."

Matt's masked face turns to take in the group. "Work for everyone?" he asks.

Elektra has posed:
Their disguises were, to her sensibilities, repulsive to Elektra. Still, it was a job, and given her rising frustrations these past days over other matters, she was rather looking forward to releasing some tension and cause trouble for her nemesis all in one shot. Even if it took wearing an ugly costume.

"There's something I need to attend to once we're in," She tells Matt, nodding at the plan. "No worries, I'll leave a trail of pointed sentences behind. However, I think we'll all enjoy what else I have to say."

And more importantly, Jasten and Shredder were going to exceedingly unhappy. Most exceedingly unhappy.

But really, that's what happened when you left important things like money lying around like that.. she really couldn't be blamed, could she? Not that she'd told Matt her intentions. It was, however, something she expected would get their point across.

Iron Fist has posed:
    There might be a fraction of annoyance in the tone of a certain blonde haired male individual as he holds up the black mask of the Foot. "not much for asthetics. Looks like a praying mantis, with the large eyes and the mouth area." The words are murmured, loud enough to be overheard by the individual's compatriots, even as Danny slides the mask on. "I mean, really, how cliched can we get?"

    Once Matt starts speaking, though, the jokes are put aside. Time for one Danny Rand to get serious.

    There is a nod given as Danny cinches the mask in place, tugging the outfit to get a better fit. "Smash and grab works for me. Nothing too fancy but certainly doable. More than happy to work this over." With a breath, the black-clad figure gains his focus. The words clear and cool as Danny speaks once more...all humour aside.

    "Ready when you are."

Winter Soldier has posed:
So, tonight's representative from SHIELD is their pet maniac with the tinfoil arm. Buck's got his hair bound back in a low knot, and he's slipping on that mask, carefully. Just like old times, even if this gear is a lot comfier than the HYDRA gimp outfit.

To Matt's senses, there're still those bizarre scents, the tiny sounds that betray him as no longer wholly human. His heartbeat's still zombie slow. "Ready," he says, simply.

Shredder has posed:
    The security team is watching all of the normal entrances, but there are a few fence hopping locations that are available. Nobody can watch everything all the time.

    Inside the main corridors outside of the ring are mostly empty, save for the straggler who wishes to use the restroom occasionally the entire surrounding corridor entering to the ring at several points. There are several hundred in attendance, and up on the ring, Rick Jasten himself stands, a red suit coat and a white shirt, His pale face and Elvis-inspired hair identifying him to the crowd.
    "Okay gents and ladies. Sergio Cortoshgi here has been fighting his whole life. An enforcer under Vlad over there, he wants to make his own play to be a big dog." He motions to a mountain of a man, bald, ripped, and covered in tattoos. "How ya feel about that Vlad?" The blond haired smaller Russian man shrugs with a smile.
    "If he can do it, then he deserves it," he offers, "If not, either way I am out a good man, what can I say?"
    "So supportive!" Rick announces. "And over here, John Travels. That a pun going somewhere to happen or what?" A mild chuckle comes from a few that feel like being polite, but not from the african American young man, easily half the age, but smaller than his russian opponent. "But here we have the final fight, the last few months have been leading up to this moment. Your bets are taken, and their bets are clearly taken," he gestures to the well displted cauldron used to hold the cash, piled stacks in the black vessel. "And remember, anyone who goes within 5 feet of that if you aren't the winner, gets gunned down, I don't care how big you are."

Daredevil has posed:
"Are they really that bad?" Matt asks Elektra and Danny his tight smile coming through in his voice.

There's a nod given when Elektra mentions something to attend to. He doesn't need to ask what it might be. "Have fun," he says. "But when we get in there, do your best to cover each other, it's going to get messy in there."

When everyone gives the ready sign, Matt leads the way, skipping around the guards and the traditional means of entry, to slip into the corridor to the ring. The straggler though gets the surprise of his life. Five Foot Soldiers striding down the hall towards him. As they reach him, Matt throws two quick punches one to the face one to the gut then shoves him back into the ring area, following right behind him into the crowd.

"Attention everyone!" Matt shouts. "Tonight has been cancelled by order of the Shredder!" then pointing a gloved hand at Jasten, he says to the others, playing his role. "Take him and make an example of this place."

Elektra has posed:
"Please," Elektra intones of the hideous things. "They're exactly what I'd expect of someone of Saki's fashion sense. Though that isn't the only reason I find them repulsive."

She doesn't really need to say more on that, though.

Finished dressing, and the gang moving forward, there's a terse nod from the woman. WAtch each other's backs. Make noise. Be careful.

Iron Fist has posed:
    There is little that Danny offers in way of commentary. Oh, he could. He so could....but....he's in his working mindset. And that doesn't leave room for fun and games. Instead, he only offers one word, echoing Elektra's sentiment and answering Matt all at once.

    "Very."

    And then, it's showtime. There isn't even a second glance offered as the straggler finds his trip to the bathroom cut short by a couple of punches, though, judging from the darkening patch somewhere in the vicinity of the crouch, that trip is no longer needed. There is a short nod given by Danny to acknowledge Matt's order, then an instant shift to a defensive stance, the head cocked to regard at least a couple of the guards situation about the ring. Somebody's ready to go...

Winter Soldier has posed:
What's the old saying? It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye? .....what about until someone loses an arm?

But is it fun for Buck - he liked violence well enough, during the war; never a reluctant warrior, not like Steven. Or if not Buck himself, than whatever little fossil imprint of Winter that Loki left in him. There's some part of him that's frankly thrilling at the prospect of violence, especially of the hand to hand kind. So he's already wading in, aiming at Jasten himself, though he may not be the one to get to him.

Melinda May has posed:
May, appearing effortlessly at ease in her getup, sticks close the others with butterfly swords for once on open display and a chain whip somehow remaining silent on her hip. Less readily visible are the throwing knives hidden in her sleeves and the sash whip tied over the top of her outfit's normal belt. She's easily the shortest of the bunch, and fully expects to be overlooked because of it.

Hanging back from the others by just a little bit, she is quickly taking mental stock of their adversaries, biding her time until the perfect and most intimidating moment to use the skills she's honed over decades. Unlike Winter, she's NOT thrilled with combat. She sees it as a necessary evil that she does so no one else has to.

Shredder has posed:
    Jasten gives a rather quizzical look. "Oh, the Foot has come tonight. Master Shredder is of course welcome to be part of the event if he wishes to join. We would be most honored." The other bosses look over at the five brazen ninjas, and a few brows are arched as they glance between Rick and the fake Foot.

    Rick pulls his coin. "We all know this one," he says, garnering for agreement of the crowd. "It was coordinated with other members of our illustrious alliance. Following all the rules. Besides, all of them are ready for this," He looks over at the crowd. "Aren't you!" He gives another smile.

Daredevil has posed:
Behind his mask Matt is frowning, this is not how he imagined thing going. Jasten is way too calm.

"Careful,," he warns the others. "Something is up."

His senses on high alert, he follows after Bucky, attention on the croud seeking out the unexpected and any signs someone is going to make a violent move against them.

To Jasten he says, "The coin doesn't matter here, the Shredder says you fall, so you fall."

Elektra has posed:
Elektra has her trademark sai on her, but they're not pulled yet. Instead, she's bearing paired wakizashi, much as she first did when she'd first been reborn as Black Sky. Either she's cultivating a persona, or the message is 'I don't even care enough to draw my preferred weapons on you'. It really doesn't matter which of the two is true - or perhaps it's both - she's holding only long enough to assess the situation based on Matt's warning, and to ascertain where her target is: the money.

Iron Fist has posed:
    The only reason that Danny himself hasn't shifted from his defensive stance is that he had the same sense that Matt had. Granted, Matt expressed it first, which means that he, understandably, clued in on it first. But...as Matt follows in behind the disguised Winter Soldier, Danny follows, too. But...not immediately. He is providing a rear guard, of sorts, while scanning the room for possible attack points. Which...being 5 to a whole room, potentially, is a lot.

Shredder has posed:
    Rick seems to keep the external air of confidence as he speaks, but Matt might notice that there is a certain speeding of his heart that begins when he is told that the Shredder has dictated his fall. The crowd seems to continue to quietly examine, as do the two fighters, uncertain what the situation is.

    "Clearly the prankster," he says, "But Oroku Karai herself said that the event was approved," he tries to defend. He's lying, but doesn't know what other card to play. There is the click of a few pistols throughout the audience, cautious crimelords are always ready, but they don't seem completely alarmed yet. "And what do you mean, fall?" he asks. He starts to back up a little, as if the two fighters might be used as a means of defense, though he hasn't asked them for such help yet.

Melinda May has posed:
May had given Barnes what was likely one of the rarest of instructions expected from SHIELD: don't hold back. She's in no way expecting him to even think about going easy on these people.

For her own part, May's training was to take people down and make them stay there as efficiently as possible, and that's her goal here as well. If anyone makes it past Barnes or the others, they don't get past her. With that in mind, she keeps pace with her agent, slightly behind and to his right and seems entirely okay with letting him barrel straight in.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra's goal is a near mirror of May's - her training is to take people down and make them stay there as efficiently as possible... only she's a lot less concerned about them ever being able to get back up again. And here, her goal is to get to that pile of money.

To be frank, those who would run interference between herself and that goal are really only a mild inconvenience, and not anything she'd consider a true hindrance. They might have guns, but they don't have her skills, and disappearing into even this crowd isn't beyond her abilties.

While the others start their course of determined chaos, she uses that as a focus cover for her own actions, slipping into shadows, and using even the scant cover of the place to get closer to her goal.

She has to admit, in a fairly poorly lit room of people not wearing exceedingly bright colours, the Foot clan unforms lend themselves to becoming part of the scenery quite nicely.

Winter Soldier has posed:
What's up is Buck, black-shrouded, rolling on like a Sherman. Let them come, if they dare. He's out there to draw attention, and if they want to try and dogpile - well, there hasn't been a party like this since Berlin, 1987. HE hasn't even drawn any of the blades he carries, let alone the Walther down at his ankle.

Apparently he'll be dishing out hand-crafted and personalized beatdowns.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt strides through the crowd, resistance is met with swift surgical punches and kicks, meant to take them down quick but leaving no lasting harm.

Passing a guest with a bottle of Scotch in his hand, he rips it from the man's grip as he shouts to Rick. "The Shredder says otherwise." Then he hurls the bottle at the man trying to knock him out. "Fall as in you're through," he says as the bottle flies.

Shredder has posed:
    "No!" Rick says, ordering his men. "Stop them!" he says, pointing at the money. That's a lot of money to be letting even a Foot operative near. "Show us your coin!" he calls out desperately, holding his up. "If you are from the Shredder, you will have come with an ability to prove it."

    Vlad, from earlier, pipes up, "Jasten, do you think anyone is foolish enough to impersonate the Foot?" he asks.

    As Bucky gets up to the ring. "Gentlemen," he says, "If either of you wants to win that money tonight, you might want to spend a moment working together to stop these guys."

    The two men turn toward Bucky, look at each other, then charge forward. Neither is a slouch in a fight, having come ready to lay down some death. One takes a swing at Bucky's head, while the other brings a Muy Thai knee forward to strike at his chest.

    As the bottle comes flying at Rick's head, he sees it nearly too late, knocking him in the face. He falls to the ground, his nose bloody, moving still, but clearly stunned by the impact.

Iron Fist has posed:
    It doesn't take enhanced senses to know that someone is a little nervous. It certainly helps, but, for Danny, it isn't necessary. The empathic sense that he has developed is more than enough to give Danny the impression that Rick is anxious. Which translates into realization that Rick is lying. Again, he knows Matt already is aware, so there's no need to announce. Besides...that sudden desperation just seals the deal.

    Before the order is even finished departing from Rick's lips, Danny is in motion. A sudden leap shifts into a flying sidekick that catches one of the armed guard in the chest, even as Danny's hand clasps upon the barrel of the gun in the guard's hand. As the guard falls, the ninja shifts, wrenching the gun free before landing solidly upon the chest of the now disarmed (and unconscience) guard. In the same fluid motion, the weapon is hurled at another guard behind Danny, hurtling towards the head. It...should be quite a surprise, considering there was no indication that Danny's attention was upon the second guard at all.

    However, it does appear that Danny's attention is upon the two glory fighters going after Bucky. There isn't an immediate rush to help....yet. But, there is definitely a split-second moment of decision, before Danny allows Barnes to do his stuff.

    Besides, it doesn't look like the man wants any help.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt for his part skirts the two men rushing Bucky in an effort to get to Jasten. As he does, he reaches into the belt of his shozoku and pulls out the coin that Elektra gave him before the fight.

Approaching the dazed Jasten in the ring, he says, "Is this the coin you mean?" he asks him practically shoving it in his face. "Take a close look, we are here on orders from the Foot," he says the punches the man /hard/ in the face.

Then standing up he holds up his coin. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"

Melinda May has posed:
The two fighters rush Bucky and May sidesteps to let them close in on the larger man before ducking past the one who aims the Muy Thai kick. She uses their ignoring her to catch said kick before the man can release the attack's momentum aimed to hit Barnes and twists his leg into a viciously abrupt Aikido throw. If she's timed it right, she's taking him to the floor and likely also dislocating that knee. She follows the throw with a punch to the man's sternum of the style that has been known to shatter slabs of stone.

Elektra has posed:
While this is going on, and hopefully while the others, including Jasten, are focused on the coin Matt produces, Elektra calmly finishes her approach to the pot. She has items on her person specifically geared to set the money ablaze, and to keep it burning. As far as she's concerned, a $15,000,000 message is worth at least as many words as Saki has already ignored from her lips.

To put it plainly, she's still unhappy about the children, and this is personal.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Once upon a time, even before the war, before HYDRA, Buck was a boxer. And the guy who comes at him aiming for his head - Buck simply weaves to the side, just a little, and strikes back with the alloy fist. If the guy isn't made of metal in turn, it's likely a killing blow, crushing the temple like an eggshell.

Apparently he's of the same mind as Elektra. Selling people, trafficking in other human beings - that's very, very personal indeed.

Shredder has posed:
    A few in the crowd exchange disconcerted glances. Several just stare at the coin. Finally, one older man with a white shock of hair remaining speaks up. "Yes, so that we might not upset the Foot," he says. "May we please know what his offense was."

    There is a general nodding from several who think that is a fair question. "We were all under the understanding that this alliance was a safety for all of us. If someone has breached the agreement against the Foot, he has breached it for all of us."

    Several alarmed sounds come from the crowd as the money is set ablaze, shocked at the display. It raises suspicions to be certain. The Foot is not known to destroy such a crop of resources as a statement, they'd be more likely to confiscate them.

    The man Bucky strikes goes down, clearly not the winner of the death match as he is unable to withstand such a powerful blow from the metal arm. It wasn't a fair fight, really.

    As Melinda comes in behind the jab to the sternum catches the man's chest, and as he was focused on Bucky, he goes down into a crumpled grasp of his chest. It all serves to intimdate the crowd sufficiently. Sufficiently enough that a few of them start to call their other contacts. Some of them are calling contacts within the Foot, trying to understand what is happening.

Iron Fist has posed:
    It doesn't take long for Danny to see that Barnes really does not need any help. That simple sidestep is enough proof that the man can handle himself just fine. Which suits Danny just fine. With that concern void, the dark figure takes a moment to make a quick assessment of the area. It really comes as no surprise that weapons are being drawn and trained on the 5 Foot-cladded fighters.

    And...it should be no surprise that those that start drawing their weapons gain a problem. A 180 cm sized problem with blazingly fast reflexes. Some guards start to take the hint and leave their weapons holstered...but those that don't may soon wish that they had.

Daredevil has posed:
The sound of the metal hand hitting the man's skull rings in Matt's ears. It make him ill. He was responsible for this, all of this. He needed to bring things to as quick a close as he could.

It takes a second for the white haired man's question to register, but as another question follow Matt lifts his head. "The Foot does not need to explain its decisions, you work for us, you will know our judgements when we come for you as we came for this," he says prodding Jasten with his toe.

"Now, if you wish to keep your lives, leave now. Or else we will not be merficul."

Elektra has posed:
The money ablaze - and truly ablaze given what Elektra's set it afire with, her home made 'napalm' guaranteed to be devestatingly effective and produced specifically for this occassion, Elektra merely heads to the nearest exit, taking out anyone between her and then. She's in a take no bullshit mood, and done what she came her for.

To Jasten and his crew, she's Saki's voice of displeasure, not even deigning to stay long enough to see the roundup or aftermath. Like Gao, Elektra had tsk'd in an unavoidable manner, and is walking away. To do more would be beneath her.

The message to Saki is much the same, and clearer: You want me? Come and find me.

Shredder has posed:
    "We don't work for the Foot," the older man says sharply. "We have accepted the Foot's oversight for the sake of peace and prosperity in our ventures. It is not the same arrangement." A few guns start to be produced, a seeming agreement from the other crimelords present.

    Outside, just as Elektra clears the building, several blue and red lights pull up, and below, there is a whoosh as a tall figure lands solidly on the ground behind her. Guns appear, and several of the boys and girls in blue have their guns trained on Elektra. "Freeze!" comes the order. Behind Elektra, a guard to prevent her from re-entering, stands Koya, the massive mutant falcon, her stance casual, looking down at Elektra as if she were a mouse to be plucked from the ground.

Melinda May has posed:
With the money ablaze and Matt's threat from the Foot to everyone gathered complete, May says to Barnes in Mandarin, "Time to go." You know, just in case anyone's paying any attention to her thinks to find out anything about the 'ninjas'.

She knows that the plan is to be apprehended by the police and then 'remanded' to SHIELD, but she won't complain overmuch if Barnes choses to let Winter get him safely back home. He's probably the only one of this group that she trusts to do that, though only partly because the others are still mostly unknown quantities.

Winter Soldier has posed:
That is apparently Barnes's plan. Maybe it's the ghost of Winter driving, indeed. There's an upnod from him, at that command....and then he's fighting his way out, all the better to disappear. Even with SHIELD's protection, he's in too many law enforcement databases to be comfortable having his face pop up again on someone else's high value target list. No use ending this illustrious career because of an FBI agent with a grudge.

Shredder has posed:
    Koya, spotting the police with Elektra, dives into the doors and makes her way into the ring, taking flight again as she bursts in, taking flight and raising into the air with a screech, searching the main chamber for the imposter Foot soldiers.

Elektra has posed:
None of this is unexpected - the plan was to have them all arrested. She'd planned on avoiding that little detail herself, but since she's walked into an alleyway of police, Elektra choses to go peacefully, knowing full well she'll be released soon as SHIELD sorts matters out.

Unfortunately for Elektra, these aren't May's people, and by the time that's made clear, it will already be too late..

For now, though, the woman allows herself to be taken and arrested 'according to plan'.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt can hear the click-clack of weapons being readied and over that he can hear May's words.

He doesn't disagree as Barnes and May make a break for the exit, Matt grabs Rick's mic and hurls it at the lights above the ring, even as he makes a roll for the edge. Hoping the sparks and the light will confuse the gunmen long enough for them to get clear.

Melinda May has posed:
May lets Bucky blaze a trail out, and doesn't protest when he's suddenly not in front of her anymore. She'd expected it might happen. With a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the other two men are still with her, she leads them to an alternate exit where they're supposed to meet up with the 'police'.

Though honestly, the way they just took down two seasoned prize fighters and several more besides? Simple police officers successfully stopping them is laughably unrealistic. But, this was the plan, so she's sticking with it.

Shredder has posed:
    "Imposters!" screeches Koya, veering away fom the sparking light and then coming down to land in the center of the ring where the injured and dead lay. "How dare you claim the master's name. I will feast on your entrails!" Nothing like visceral imagery to put people at ease. The tall falcon mutant points. "Kill them!"

    Several of the mob bosses look a little surprised at Koya's appearance, but they all hesitate, their confidence shaken a little in this alliance they have agreed to. The result? No one stops the escape.

    Meanwhile, outside, the cops close in on Elektra, cuffing her and taking her for processing at the station.