8379/City Fall: Family Matters

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City Fall: Family Matters
Date of Scene: 17 July 2019
Location: Bushwick - NYC
Synopsis: Scott talks with the Family about their protection of mutants.
Cast of Characters: Shredder, Cyclops
Tinyplot: City Fall


Shredder has posed:
    The Bushwick Cultural Museum. A relatively new development in Bushwick, wedged in a storefront space of a two story building, so tightly packed with the rest of the street that there's no space to walk between it and its neighboring businesses. It's not unlike a house in some respects. Bushwick isn't known for having an incredibly high level of presentability.

    Scott had received a text on the burner phone, they had some information for him. The Family would like to meet him at the cultural center. The museum shows the history of mutants, their discovery and the evolution of advocacy and oppression. The center was set up with a donation by Oroku Enterprises, a conglomerate that announced its support for mutants by creating a staffing agency which paid mutants for use of their powers in ways that benefitted various industries. While there was skepticism at first, so far that staffing agency has made placements in fairly normal jobs for mutants, Oroku Enterprises and LexCorp being among the most prominent of utilizers of the services.

    The second floor is where he was told to meet the Family at 3:00pm. His contact will be 'hard to miss'.

Cyclops has posed:
Scott parks his bike a few blocks away in a public parkade. Despite the heat, he is in a leather jacket, Harley Davidson t-shirt, jeans, boots and his ubiquitous shades. He strolls the short distance to the building and looks it over before making his way up the steps two at a time. The coolness inside is a welcome reprieve from the heat.

Scott arrives on the second floor on time to the minute. He begins looking at the exhibits while checking out any other people on the floor.

Shredder has posed:
    Indeed, the figure is obvious. He's about 6'8", has a rather jagged look to him, and a short blonde buzz cut, his skin tanned. small spikes stick out of his skin on his shoulders of his tank top, a few more on the backs of his hands. He's built in a way that would make most body builders jealous. "You Scott?" he asks, looking a little uncertain. The cultural center seems mostly empty at this hour, save for one or two other people on the first floor.

Cyclops has posed:
"Yeah, I am," Scott says when he turns to face the man. He looks way up at the man. "I got a text, was supposed to show up here? They said you'd be... obvious."

Shredder has posed:
    "That bitch," the large young man shakes his head. "Yeah, I guess I am though. Name's Rocko." He holds a hand out to shake. "So, he gives a nod of his head indicating to a door that says employees only. "Let's talk, we found some stuff out for you." He starts to walk over to the door, and opens it. The chairs inside are simple. New but probably bought at a discount from the look of the space. "You want coffee or anything?" he asks, indicating the pot that's already brewed, the red light on the base indicating that it's being kept hot. Powdered creamer and sugar packs sit near by with simple styrofoam cups.

Cyclops has posed:
"Scott," he says and shakes hands. Then he stuffs his hands in his pockets and follows Rocko through the door.

"Sure, thanks," Scott says and contrives to look eager. He pours himself a coffee and empties a sugar packet into it. He offers to pour one for Rocko.

"You found something out? That's great! What did you find out?"

Shredder has posed:
    "Nah, I'm good," Rocko says. The coffee tastes as if it's been sitting there for a while. Probably from somewhere mid morning.

    "Yeah, so..." he looks as if he's not certain how to say it. "We couldn't figure out this Jean girl of yours. She didn't live in the building, but we did have an attack we found out about there." He walks over to a metal filing cabinet, and pulls out a robotic spider leg. "So, looks like these things have made a few appearances. Not sure what they want yet, but given the locations they have hit, we are triangulating the likely positions."
    He tosses the metal leg onto the table. "That's a piece of one of them from the attack you mentioned. The folks in the area say someone fought them off, though, they didn't see anyone end up getting kidnapped. Nobody is missing." He looks uncomfortable with the conversation, much less like the potential imposing force that he could be at his size and appearance. "So I don't mean to be questioning you," he gives the apologetic preface, "But there's stuff in your story that we just can't get to add up. You know about the attack, we can't figure out who the girl is, and somebody also was there during the attack and was able to stop it." He gives an expectant look, as if waiting for the holes to be filled.

Cyclops has posed:
Scott looks disappointed and slumps a little with the coffee cup in both hands. He sighs. "Well, I didn't know she was there for sure, I just heard she was staying there. I..." he shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. "I'll just have to keep looking. But thank you, I mean it. I could never have found out she wasn't there by myself."

"That's creepy, you ever seen anything like it?" Scott asks as he looks over at the robotic leg. "I hate spiders."

Shredder has posed:
    "Hey, don't you apologize because you are trying to find her," Rocko says in a mildly stern voice. "You didn't know what to do, you came to us. Take of the shades, it's hard to see your eyes, if you got a mutation, you don't gotta worry about it in here." He flicks one of his shoulder spikes. "I'd be one to talk, right?" he gives a friendly smile. "If she's missing, we find another way to look. The Family isn't gonna leave someone behind. We got people that will find her. You have no idea." He glances down at the spider. "I hate'm too. Too many legs and eyes. Creepy bugs. So give me the real story, okay, everything you know. No leavin' stuff out, all right?"

Cyclops has posed:
Scott shifts in his chair. "I just don't want to waste anyone's time," Scott says apologetically.

When he is asked to take off his glasses, Scott shakes his head. "I shouldn't take these off. I really wish I didn't need them, but I do, they make my mutation safe," Scott explains, sounding nervous. He is not, but he is watching the big man very carefully.

"I don't know what else to say," Scott says and sits there for a bit.

"I..." he sighs. "Look, I always liked her. Always. She's... smart, and gorgeous, and just has this thing about her. We've been friends for a long time, but she went this whole other life and it doesn't include me. I try to keep in touch, but... Well, I don't know what she does anymore. Last time I saw her was in a bar, but she left after all of five minutes," Scott says, truly bitter in front of this total stranger. "I just want to find her again, try to make things like they used to be when it was easy to be friends. I'm guess I'm glad she wasn't in a dump like that place... But, I guess I don't know where she's at. Maybe I should take the hint and let it go."

Scott shrugs and sips the coffee, seeming to stare into the distance. "I think I loved her once. Or could have."

Shredder has posed:
    Rocko sets his jaw forward a little, and one finger taps the table quietly. "Okay," he says. He doesn't push the shades any farther, but the warm demeanor mutes a little. "So are you saying you came to us to help you track down a girl, and you don't know what she even does now? That's kinda stalker-ish, bud. You probably should have taken the hint." He doesn't look enranged, but his face reveals that he's not really pleased about what he's been told. "We don't get involved in lovers' quarrels, or unreturned affections, or none of that. We protect mutants. When you said she was in danger, we came running, but if people cry wolf like that?" He gives a direct stare of his brown eyes into those shades. "It makes it harder. Stuff like that can get more mutants in trouble if the people that help us have to do more checking on whether a complaint is legit. And trust me, you don't wanna piss off the people who help us."

Cyclops has posed:
Scott shrinks back a little and looks at the ground.

"Sorry, I... Sorry. I'll stop, I promise," he says miserably. "I don't want any trouble. I didn't think... I wasn't even sure you were /real/. I just wanted to know she was safe from those robots."

Scott looks up again. "You guys really are out here protecting mutants?" he says after clearing his throat. "That's... Noble. Somebody has to. I don't get trouble, but a lot of people do. I don't know how you do it, but thanks I guess?" he says, appeasingly.

Shredder has posed:
    The response comes accompanied by a shrug. "For a long time, nobody stuck up for us. Hate groups would come in, attack mutants. They were better organized than us. You got some people out there, like X-men, they are organized, but let's face it. They take the fight on bigger scales. They aren't gonna always be around the corner when something happens," Rocko says. "I live two blocks from here. Everybody in the Family lives around here. The staffing group started with Oroku Enterprises, and a few of us met at the job fair. Started something." He shrugs. "Got a few connections that..." he stops. "They get stuff done. Some are mutants, some ain't. You sure as hell don't wanna piss them off though. So you got a real thing, you let us know. Got some pull outsid'a the neighborhood now, too. So don't think it's limited to Bushwick no more. Way things are shaping up, we may have a tri-state watchgroup forming. Before long, be nation wide, then /nobody/ is gonna want to mess with a mutant." He looks a little smug, an edge of vindictiveness against oppression in his face.

Cyclops has posed:
"Wow, that's huge," Scott says sounding impressed. "Someone has to stand up for us. I feel like a bit of a dick now... I'm really sorry I wasted your time. But if I hear anyone need real help, I should send them to Rey?"

Shredder has posed:
    "Yeah, Rey is a pretty good guy to talk with," Rocko answers with a nod. "Just make sure they know to keep it for real. Even if it's out of the neighborhood. If it's in the Apple, it'll get handled by us. Even those damn Sentinels can't stop us from protecting each other."

Cyclops has posed:
"Sentinels? Geez, you guys must be serious. Those things are terrifying," Scott says, both eyebrows up. "I'll make anyone I send is legitimate before I send them."

Scott rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. "I'm not going to catch a beating or something for this, am I?" he asks jokingly. Sort of. Maybe.

Shredder has posed:
    "We don't do the hate groups any favors," Rocko says assuringly. "Just go get some help or something. Hit Club Evolution tonight, get your mind off her." He stands up from the table. "We good?"

Cyclops has posed:
"Very good," Scott says and holds out a hand. "Thanks for what you do."

Shredder has posed:
    Rocko takes the hand in the giant hand of his own. He could probably break people with that pretty good. He doesn't seem to feel the need to prove himself by an extra firm handshake, though. "No problem, see ya round."