8395/Undercurrents: Unto Caesar

Undercurrents: Unto Caesar
Date of Scene:	18 July 2019
Location:	LexCorp Tower, Metropolis
Synopsis:	Lex Luthor gets an update on Hook and the drug situation in Metropolis. He gets a sample of Hook for examination.
Thanks to:	Lex Luthor
Cast of Characters:	Lex Luthor, Aquaman
Tinyplot:	Undercurrents

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Lex Luthor has posed:
LexCorp Tower. Anyone in the know in the city knows this is where the real decisions are made in Metropolis. There are others around... but Lex Luthor does not tolerate challenges to his authority, and has a well earned reputation for being utterly ruthless in pursuit of his interests. The Man of Tomorrow has incredible vision and plans for the long term... and in order to keep those plans sustainable, a hierarchy must be established, and communication must be kept in place.

So when a new drug comes into Metropolis without authorization or even a word to him? Lex was /not/ happy, and had immediately sent One of his fixers to track down the dealers, and follow the chain. One of those chains led to MD12... and Lex has called upon their leadership to answer to him for the potential insult. A representative, along with samples, were requested.

This morning, Nove is being summoned up directly into his office... the Lions Den, as it were. Team Luthor are on high alert for any deceptions, with a team on standby in the express elevator if things turn ugly.

Lex himself stands in the back of the office, looking out into Metropolis proper wearing his impeccably tailored black business suit, while Hope and Mercy stand on either side of the massive desk where Lex runs the LexCorp and Light Empires from. Both are wearing actual security gear for this one, in a show of how serious Lex is taking this meeting.

The representatives are directed up through the main elevator without issue, with a Team Luthor escort of two 'guiding' them along... and when they enter, Lex remains silent as the scanners in the office check for bugs and other equipment.

Aquaman has posed:
Wisely, Nove, Mosca and Tijolo left their weapons in their 700 series BMW. They have their cellpones, which buzz frequently unless turned off. These are what one would expect; Hard, scarred and no-holds barred men. Nove has a MD12 tattoo square in the middle of his forehead, the rest of his face covered in overlapping skulls for each of his kills. Mosca, slimmer than Nove but wiry, has an intricate Supay tattoo worked across his bare scalp and MD12 on the backs of both his hands. Brick has MD12 tattoo along one cheek with a range of others down his neck. The arms and hands of all three are similarly covered.

When they come into Lex's office they are alert and confident. Tijolo stares down the security personnel. Unlike professional security people or warriors, these men are savage in the way only their lives produce. All three did time in South America before coming to the States and are fully committed MD12 men. Nove stands ahead of the two flanking him and looks squarely toward Lex.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The Team Luthor contingent in the hallway coming into the office let them through without issue, but keep their eyes on the three as much as vice versa. Hope, on the other hand, visibly hardens as they come in. She doesn't make any movements, but she does stay on alert.

As the watch on his wrist covertly gives him the green light for obvious potential bugs, Lex finally turns around and looks to the three, his hands behind his back in a formal posture, "Welcome, Nove, Mosca, Tijolo. I trust that we don't need to waste time on unpleasantness, so I'll not waste it."

Lex gestures with his right hand behind, over the window as if to Metropolis itself, "I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. We've had a wonderful relationship in the past, and as you well know, I like to be kept informed of the goings on in /my/ city." Lex looks to Nove, ignoring the other two, "so would you be so kind as to explain why 'Hook' is being brought in into Metropolis, and not a single one of the groups allowed to control pipelines in respected me enough to negotiate a cut?" Lex narrows his eyes, "the Maggia and the triads are known for being wild cards with their own agendas.... but I was given the impression there was more respect between us than that."

"Was I wrong?"

Aquaman has posed:
Nove gestures to Mosca and crosses his arms. "The drug is new heroin, so we give you the same percentage," Mosca reports with a heavy Portugese accent. "Heroin has gone up 25% per kilo in two months, cocaine 30. Your American authorities are making problems at the borders. Hook is cheaper than heroin was last year and more powerful. More addictive. We make up lost profits with volume and new clients. Profits are up 12% a week for three weeks now."

"There is no problem," Nove asserts to Lex once his subordinate is finished. "My suppliers change what they get, we change what we sell. You still get paid."

That is a blasé assessment given how extremely addictive Hook seems to be. It is /very/ early stages, but public health authorities are starting to glob on to there being a problem. And the adjustment in the mix of drugs in the pipeline is causing street level turf battles as groups try to retain or increase their previous profit levels.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"You might not care what comes into any city as long as it sells, but I do. Profits don't matter in the least to me if authorities can't keep a handle on the effects." Lex informs them as he starts to walk over to Nove, "Attention from authorities outside my control means more scrutiny for us all. That needs to be managed, and I can't manage it for the benefit of us all if /I don't get informed about the change/." Lex is visibly growing angry at Nove's assessment.

He stops a few feet away from Nove, his hands still behind his back as he narrows his eyes at the man, "For now, I want a list of all your suppliers selling Hook, and I want the sample I requested for my own assessment. I need to get out ahead of this before it gets out of control. The Public Health authorities are already scrambling over it."

Aquaman has posed:
Nove shrugs and gestures to Mosca. Mosca pulls a double-bagged, vaccum-sealed package of off-white power from his pocket.

"Two ounces, pure, $4000," Mosca says. He gives the bag to Nove who offers it to Lex.

"Careful, big man. One smell and you belong to MD12," Nove says impassively. It might be a joke. Who knows. Nove narrows his eyes though.

"Everyone is selling, it is better than heroin for us. You want a list of everyone?" he asks. Making such a list is anathema to him, Lex would know, because it creates evidence for the cops to finds. "If he is MD12, he sells this now. We are pushing people off heroin for it."

Lex Luthor has posed:
The bag is taken by Mercy, who comes from around the desk for it, and she places it in a desk drawer, before going back to her position to the side of the desk.

Lex, for his part, doesn't move a muscle as it's retrieved. "You'll be compensated well for it." Lex informs Nove. "And if everyone is selling, it'll be easy for me to find them myself. This is new... I originally thought only a couple people would have it, but if it's that big already, this has been in the works for some time." Lex muses aloud, before he moves around the desk and sits down behind it, leaning back into his chair and steepling his fingers, "I haven't made a decision about whether to allow Hook into Metropolis yet, so I'll allow you to sell it for now. Just keep in mind, /if/ I clamp down, MD12 will be expected to follow that order... and I will enforce it with my resources on /everyone/ in my city if need be. Am I understood?"

Aquaman has posed:
For once Nove has an expression. His forehead furrows.

"Clamp down? That is not your decision," Nove says matter-of-factly. "I have orders. This is where we are going. I am told to work with you, I work with you. You get paid. I am told we sell Hook now, we sell Hook. You tell me to stop selling Hook, I sell Hook and we fight."

Nove shrugs again.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"What you do outside of Metropolis is not my concern. What is my concern is the ecosystem of this city and if what you do outside of it spills over here." Lex informs Nove, "For now, this is enough. Tell your leaders that I appreciate your willingness to talk, and that I'll be in touch." Lex looks to the Team Luthor escort that stayed at the doorway, "my men will escort you out."

Aquaman has posed:
Nove's face goes back to simply impassive when Lex reaffirms his realm is Metropolis.

"They will know," Nove says. He looks to his own men and they follow the Team Luthor escort back out of the office and away.