7971/That Good Old Irish Hospitality

That Good Old Irish Hospitality
Date of Scene:	20 June 2019
Location:	A Nameless Warehouse In The New York Docks District
Synopsis:	Some of Fiona's ex-comrades from her IRA days grab her for some payback. The Shadow intervenes - and extends a job offer.
Cast of Characters:	Shadow, Fiona Glenanne, June Connor

---

Shadow has posed:
    One immutable rule of tradecraft is that every mistake may be your last. Tonight, Fiona's mistake was to not keep an eagle eye on her drink while chatting with her old friend Maury o'Leary about their mutual past history with the IRA...

    As the drug-induced haze starts clearing from her brain and eyes and she finds herself tied to a chair in the center of a warehouse with just one dirty lightbulb illuminating the area from above her and a pair of scuffed workman's boots standing just outside the pool of light, hiding their owner in the shadows, she has to wonder whether this one might be it...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona's mentally kicking herself. She let her guard down and now she's here. A warehouse. Bound and tied to a chair. Drugged. Fortunately.....she's alive. For now....but she's in it. Fortunately....she's coming around to the idea of getting out of here. Still, Fiona's got tricks up her sleeves of her blouse...as Fiona shakes her head to clear the drug haze.

"Alright, who are you and what do you want with me?" Fiona asks, the chair rocking as she is doing her whole 'getting free' thing. She's well aware of the boots and that somebody's put them there....most likely with feet in them. Fiona quits rocking the chair and changes tactic.

Shadow has posed:
    And the owner of the boots leans forward, showing his face into the light, but unfortunately smart enough to stay well out of headbutting range, because he knows her. And she knows him. Granted, there's a few more scars since the last time they'd met, but that sneering hatred is unmistakable, even if it hadn't been aimed at her the last time.

    "'Ello, Fi," David 'Davey' Nolan sneers at her. "Thought you'd seen the last of us, did you?"

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona sneers, "Davey" she says and recognizes the voice. "It's been a long, long time hasn't it?" she asks and looks Davey dead in the eyes. "I figured you'd be in prison, Davey. What happened. Ya get let out for good behavior, or did ya snitch and turn in your friends? Ya know they rounded ya up like cattle after Carrickfergus and Enniskillen. You tried to get me to bomb a church. You guys did, and ya got caught when Padrraig snitched. I heard he got killed in prison and did ya in from the grave" she sneers. She's kept up to date, remarkably well. "So how bout this. You let me out of this chair and I promise I won't punch ya. It's been years" she says. "I went soft."

She's bluffing, of course....Fiona's dangerous, but she's right. She knows the IRA got rounded up after trying to bomb a church in Northern Ireland at the end of the Troubles. She wasn't involved but knew what happened.....and she's willing to use that against Davey.

Shadow has posed:
Davey's face contorts with rage -- well, even more than his default expression already is.

    "Bloody Loyalists didn't get all of us. Stinkin' bastards, thinkin' they're so much better than we. Thinkin' they had us beat. Not not all of us gave up the good fight, and some of us still remembered you."

    He grins, and it's not a nice grin, it's not a grin that even bothers pretending he's ever been nice. He's already savouring every moment of what's about to happen. "You of all people should've known better than to think you can just walk away from us..." and there's that ridiculous fold-out razor he always did love to keep on hand "for the style of it" despite the fact that it's cliche and inefficient...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona actually....laughs. "You should try it Davey. It's been nigh on 30 years since you lost. Give it up" she says and gets back to rocking the chair over and over for a few minutes...then smiles. "Tell you what. I'll work with ya Tel me whatcha need" she asks and sits still. She's baiting, after all.....and.....stuff. Still she's figuring a way out of this. She's got contcts. Her friends knew she was out the previous night, and her phone's still on. She's hoping her friends....or allies, will track the signal. There's desperate. Then there's Fiona. She's crazy enough to try anything to get out of this damn chair.

Shadow has posed:
    ... That probably wasn't the best point to bring up. Davey's scowl deepens even further, and the sadist's grin briefly gives way to a murderer's bloodlust. "Oh, it isn't over yet. Not while any true-blooded son of Ireland still walks free."

    He leans in closer, bringing the razor up to glint in the light. "And don't think I don't know you're stalling for time. Do you seriously think we'd trust you to make another bomb for us and not have it explode in our faces, you backstabbing coward?"

    The razor glints very menacingly. That's probably why Fiona didn't notice the backhand coming until her head is rocked back from the slap. "There's exactly one thing we want from ye, and we'll get that when they find your corpse and everyone realizes what happens to people who think they can walk away from us."

    He smirks again. "Of course, if you'd like to start begging some more it'll be more fun for us..." His remark triggers a scattering of sniggers from what Fiona realizes are the others present - hard to tell how many given that she's directly under the light, three or four...

    "This has been a long time coming," Davy growls as he brings the razor in close. "So you'll understand I'm going to enjoy this..."

    And then the light goes out with a suddenness that quiets the sniggers -- except for a low, sinister chuckle that seems to be coming from a bit further away.

Davey jerks back, looking around wildly. "What the f--?"

    "Oh, David, David... You never were bright enough to know when leave well enough alone," The voice echoes off the warehouse walls as the others - and Fi starts to make out vague figures in the gloom - look around for its source, holding weapons but not quite sure where to point them...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona blinks several times and looks around, the light's out....and Davey's being talked to. Fi just stays quiet and listenss. Now her eyes adjusted to the dark, she can watch what's going on. Weapons, and a lot of people, and somebody's come in to join the fun. Shaking her head again, Fi grits her teeth, that backhand really did hurt....a lot more than she expected. She's wondering if Davey's been out....aside from drinking pints that is. Narrowing her eyes Fiona looks on edge then shakes her head. "See, See, the light went out, then......yeah" Fiona says with coldness in her voice. "So who are you guys?" she adds and looks uncertain.

Shadow has posed:
    The guys themselves don't answer, entirely preoccupied with looking for who's laughing at them from the darkness -- but the darkness answers in their stead, sounding almost amused. "John, Brian and Mickey like to think of themselves as the last of the patriots, the only true rebels remaining who'll fight the... 'good fight', such as it is..." they reply almost mockingly. "But David here... Oh, it was never about the cause for David, was it?" Fiona can see David jerk, turning to where he thinks the voice was coming from.

    "David just liked to hurt people. He never cared much who, as long as he had someone to blame for his failures, his shortcomings, the fact that he couldn't keep a girl..."

    "SHUT UP!" Davey yells, slashing at the air, but the voice continues without mercy. "But it was never enough, was it? No amount of screams or fires or blood could drown out the voice of your father telling you what you already knew - that you'd never. Amount. To. Anything. Good..."

    David's incoherent scream of rage almost but not quite drowns out the mocking laughter, and Fiona can see Brian's hands trembling as he tries and fails to hold his gun steady...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona looks over watching all this as she's staying put....shaking her head not saying a word. Whoever this is....they know Davey too well. They're right, Davey never would amount to much, really. He hated the British. Hated the Loyalists....and hated snitches. Fi opens her mouth and finally speaks. "Davey" she says. "You're in trouble"

It's sort of obvious, but.....Fi shakes her head. "I mean. You're in trouble now but you're screwed, so....let me go." she adds....hoping Davey would get shot. Or. Or something like that, anyhow. Fiona's got her mind working still, and watches Davey then stays quiet. Fi's thinking what to say to get under Davey's skin....and get him to fight the wrong people.

Shadow has posed:
    "She was always smarter than you, David" comes the voice. "Not just how to make bombs, but when /not/ to use them. She warned you that a church full of families on First Communion was a step too far, but you didn't care. You wanted blood, and blood you got... And you showed /everyone/ that things were going too far. That it was time to stop. Your own leadership gave you up, David, as a show of good faith, and even though you got away it was enough. The war ended, David, because /nobody/ wanted to be like you."

    Davy is well past hearing now, and just howls again as he takes another swing -- but this time, instead of hitting only air his arm impacts something it's too dark to see, and the next thing Fiona makes out is the sound of a fist hitting flesh and Davy's body being flung backwards...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona snarls now. "You were warned Davey. You were warned. How many did you rat out to get away with it? Your house got burned down, Davey. Your kids got shot in cold blood, gunned down for your crimes. Your wife married Toby" she says. "Father Evan married them and you weren't invited"

Fi's done her homework. "You ran away to hide in Spain, didn't you?" she spits,"You ran away from there. ETA bombing gone wrong. You were behind a bombing that killed several Basque activists, weren't you? You screwed up again. ETA sold you out. You got given up again, you fled back home and made a deal" Fiona says....matter of factly, coldly, just stating facts like a school recital. "You killed families at First Communion, David" she says. "You wanted blood, like our mysterious friend points out. You wanted blood. Nobody phoned it in. Did they?" she asks, watching Davey with disappointment and she shakes her head.

June Connor has posed:
    While Davy is distracted, by punches from the Shadow, June has been waiting for the right moment. She darts forward from the shadows in her shozuko, hood over her head and mask on her face. She slips up silent and low, and reaches out to put a hand over Fi's mouth.

    "I like trash talkin' as much as the next girl," she whispers from behind in a nearly inaudible tone, "but this is the part where you can get away." she whispers, then releases her hand over the mouth, and a blade cuts the cords on her hands, then another cuts the cords on her feet.

Shadow has posed:
    Meanwhile, the sudden violence has drawn the - understandably freaked-out - attention of the others, who rush towards Davy's fallen form, only for Brian to suddenly jerk back as his gun is yanked out of his hands before a blurry shape sweeps his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor as laughter echoes off the walls again...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fi leaps to her feet with a nod "Thanks" she whsipers whispers with her hair on her arms and neck on end. looking over Fi wonders if she can make it to the door.....she'll try. She'll try running away. If they're idiots (which Davey certainly could be), he'd have wanted to show off how much of a 'real IRA man' he was. Fi looks around then pauses for a moment, beginning her run to the door. She catches sight of a duffel bag, though and runs to itt. There's a bomb in it....it's not wired up but it gives her an idea for some nice, karmic justice. "Typical" Fiona grunts. "Can't even make a bomb right, can ya Davy? You wired it up all wrong you idiot. Battery's wired to itself, the timer's broken. Well gentlemen" Fi says slowly. "I've a mind to wire this up then give ya a taste of karmic justice" she offers, then pales. "Oh God, there's nails and things in here. I'll just put it under the chair and wire it up. You gents aren't going anyhere, are you?" she asks then looks around. "Should I?" she asks. Sure, it's /technically/ murdering a bunch of IRA thugs...."Run" she whispers to her savior. "If I know Davey he's got wires and detcords laying around" she adds and digs in the bag. There's detcord....that Fiona trails behind her. She's not going to detonate it.....not with that mysterious voice and her new friend in the room. She'll make sure they're clear first. Or, she may just call it in. Just like old times. After all, the cops get a goldmine with this...IRA members. Bomb. detcord. Fi's only touched the detcord, the bag was open when she found it....and she glances around, as if weighing her options.

June Connor has posed:
    "Aw fuck," the whispering voice answers her claim. "Not again." That might clue her in to who it is that just cut her free. She hits her communicator, "Shadow, this stupid bitch is about to blow the whole building." In reality, she has no idea how powerful the bomb is, she just knows she's preparing to set it off. So she is getting out. She abandons full stealth for full sprint, making for the exit door.

Shadow has posed:
    Davy grunts again, even less coherent now that he's trying to talk with what sounds like a broken nose, and tries to get up, angrily slapping John's attempt at assistance away. "Fuck you! Come out and fight like a man, you spooky bastard!" he yells, eliciting another peal of that unsettling laughter.

    Meanwhile, June's comm registers an incoming text from the Shadow, just two words. "she won't"

    Meanwhile, Brian is dazedly pulling himself to his feet when a blurry hand grabs his neck and slams him face down on the floor.

    "And how would that be, David? By placing bombs in civilian places? By ganging up with half a dozen of my mates with knives against an unarmed target? You've never fought a fair fight in your worthless life, David. Why do you think you'd get one /now/?"

    David twists around as the last word seems to be hissed from right beside him, but all he accomplishes is present a perfect target for the gloved fist that blurs into visibility just long enough to deck him again...

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fi's playing the long game, setting it up for the police to find. The bomb's not touched. The detcord's leading to the door. Any cop who is smart....they'll piece it together. "Hey, come help tie these guys up and make sure they don't do anything" Fi calls. Then she uses Davey's phone to call it in. "Hello, police. I'd like to report finding a bomb in a warehouse" she says and looks over to June. "Address" she mouths, then begins looking for the address. She's still on the line with the police, too....telling them what she's found....how she was kidnapped and threatened with a razor and is sharing a warehouse with wanted terrorists. That last bit's just to sweeten the pot. NYPD loves their big PR stories, busting a bunch of IRA guys with a bomb.....that'll make anyone happy. Fi though can't see the address then holds the phone out. She's got a trick up her sleeve. She's listening. "It's near the docks. I heare birds and a ship horn and I hear a forklift" Fiona says. True, there's a forklif right outside moving things...though /what/, Fi isn't sure of. She hangs up. Given she's got a record, Fi's not sure of the police will send a cop too check it out....or hopefully the words 'bomb' and 'terrorists' will bring the entire, frigging, NYPD?

June Connor has posed:
    June reaches the door, and looks back, then pulls the comm out to look at the text. "Really?" she says, "She already almost blew me up once," she says. "Didn't know we were saving a lunatic when we got started." She glances back, and closes her eyes to hone her senses on the positions in the warehouse. She's still working on that skill, but she gets an idea. She dives through the gloom, reaching one of the knocked out IRA members. "Shit, I dont' got rope," she says. Hey, you can't carry everything. She pulls her kunai, and slices up the back of the shirt of the thug, then peels it off him, winding it to make a makeshift wrap. In other context it might be considered a little kinky. In this context, it's just what she has available. She begins using it to lash the guy's arms together. Should hold long enough for the police to get there at least. Horray for creativity! "This fucker works out, he weighs a ton," she grunts.

Shadow has posed:
    To be fair, Davy does his best to put up some kind of fight. But it's nowhere near enough, and probably still wouldn't have been if he could see his opponent. As it is, he's almost scientifically taken down by blows he never sees coming, swinging at nothing until a final kick sends him crashing back into John, knocking them both senseless at the suddenly visible feet of a dark-clad almost formless figure.

    "I'm sure the police will arrive promptly now that you've called them, miss Glenanne," the figure intones as it walks toward Fi and June -- and the back entrance June had used to sneak inside in the first place. "It would probably be best if none of us are around when they do. It would only lead to questions I have no intention of answering -- and I have a proposal to make to you. An employment offer..."

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fi grits her teeth. "I told you that was an accident" Fiona calls. "And I said I was sorry for that one. The door wasn't even my fault" she pouts and helps with the binding of arms and legs. She though isn't stupid enough to get caught here. She's ready to leave with her savior then shakes her head. "You freed me?" she asks June. "C'mon, I remember you" she sighs and looks amused, trying not to laugh though she does smile as a compromise. She's all ready to get going....but she's no transport. Instead she looks around. "Okay. I'm all ears" Fi says and looks pleased, then turns to face the back entrance. "Let's go!" she calls, then spies a second duffel bag. Quickly she rounds up all the guns and ammo, stuffing it in the bag as she hauls it over her shoulder. "An employemnt offer? I'm listening...but let's discuss this elsewhere" Fiona says. She's sounding like she's done this before.

June Connor has posed:
    June sighs, grabbing Davy and cutting off his shirt to make the next restraint. "Shadow!?" June says, exasperated behind the mask. She glances back at Fi. "Yeah, yeah, you know me," she says, using the cut shirt to make another binding for Davy. "Let's just get the hell out of here and talk about it later. She gives another look at Shadow that behind her eyes indicate her skepticism of trying to recruit the bomber. As if she had room to talk.

Shadow has posed:
    The Shadow's expression is difficult to read, between the hat and the scarf, but the look they give June has distinct 'I know what I'm doing' overtones readable even to Fiona, who has little time to ponder that interaction as the door opens and the trio walks out into an alley where, of all things, a battered yellow taxi cabis waiting at the curb, the passenger door already open.

    "As you say, a discussion of that kind of import is best held elsewhere, where we won't be disturbed," the Shadow replies to Fi as they reach the cab and hold the door for the others to get in. "I do promise that regardless of the outcome, Benny will take you wherever you'd like to go afterwards..."

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fi nods and smiles sliding into the cab with a relieved look. "Thanks" she says having brought the bag with her....though she's glad of this. It'll teach her to keep her guard up. "So...." she says once in the cab. "Where are we all headed?"^r
Good question. Better question. "Who are you two? I mean, thanks for getting me free, but....something spooked those Irish thugs" she says and gestures back to the warehouse. "It's better if they get caught with all the guns, and bombs and....things" she muses then leans into the seat more. She's just wanting to get an explaination from her newfound friends and saviors. Anyone who can take out an IRA team is good, after all.

Shadow has posed:
    June slams the door after Fi and the Shadow have gotten in, muttering something about not wanting to share a cab with bomb-happy loons as she walks off and vanishes into another alley. The driver, for his part, doesn't so much as blink an eye at the comment as he pulls smoothly out and into traffic.

    About a minute out, they pass several cop cars with sirens blaring going the other way, but none of them seem to pay any attention at the cab or its occupants as the Shadow turns to address Fiona.

    "Where we're headed will be up to you," the Shadow replies. "As to your second question -- As a group, we call ourselves the Birds of Prey. We are a group of vigilantes, working outside the law to uphold justice. Our main targets are those who have, one way or another, be it by wealth or connections or influence, placed themselves above and immune to the law -- Organized crime, paying off police and buying off or intimidating witnesses; those who traffic in human misery while paying the law to look the other way."

    "Each of us has their own reasons for this fight, but we joined up because we realized we could accomplish more if we had backup. Strength and safety in numbers; skillsets complementing one another."

    The Shadow pauses to let that sink in, then continues. "Which brings me to the job offer I mentioned earlier. One of the remaining gaps in our collective skillset is technical engineering; we lack a skilled, reliable, /discreet/ gadgeteer..."

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona listens then nods. "Alright" she says telling the cab driver to drop them at a cafe near her apartment in Holland Township, then she sits back. "So, you're the Birds of Prey, you're vigilantes, okay" she says and looks impressed, "No capes, huh? Well that's reassuring. I'd just trip over them anyhow. You said you need a gadgeteer that's skilled and discreet?" she adds, her words speeding up with a note of humor. "I think I fit that, I didn't detonate the warehouse after all, I felt like leaving Davey and his thugs there to be picked up was the right call" she adds and laughs softly

Settling back in her seat again Fiona quirks a brow. "A job offer with vigilantes huh? I'm interested, but I also know how to use a gun and drive so I can help in the field if you like" she nods. "Alright, you got my interest. I'm in" she says. Just like that. She imagined getting employed would be this formal meeting, negotiations, signing a contract and dealing with what the Birds had for a lawyer. Still, Fi grins. "Bout that cafe, I feel like a cofffee to celebrate. So since I said I'm in, do I sign anything to make it official?" she adds and grins, nodding to the Shadow. Then she glances out the window then back to the hat lady. She likes her already and smiles. "So since you tracked me down. How much do you know about me?" she asks and raises her palms. "You knew bout Davey of course....." she says as a lead into opening herself up for questions.

Shadow has posed:
    The cab driver chuckles at Fiona's question, and something glitters in the Shadow's eyes that might well be amusement.

    "The Shadow Knows," they reply, holding out a girasol ring for Fi to take as the driver opens the door for her. "One of my agents will be in touch soon. But at the moment, I have other urgent business to take care of."

    The Shadow looks at Fi through the window as the cab driver gets back in and revs the engine. "Although I do recommend securing your lodgings. Mr o'Leary appears to have talked quite freely to save his own skin."

Fiona Glenanne has posed:
Fiona takes the ring gently and smiles. "Oh I will, and thanks. I've ways to secure my lodgings. Like....one entrance" Fiona adds with a look and a grin. "O'Leary's just made more enemies though" she adds and looks worried, then she nods to the cab driver and waves to the Shadow, sliding the ring on. She may just have a home and a family of sorts where she belongs. Fi's been yearning for that after all ever since she left Ireland....because her actual blood family and her are on strained terms.

Shadow has posed:
    The Shadow chuckles. "One entrance, and multiple exits. Wise. Until we meet again, miss Glenanne."

    And with that, the cab drives off, merging into traffic and vanishing from sight. New York is a big city; there's always someone who needs rescuing from someone else.

        After all, Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Man?