916/To Kill A Latverian

To Kill A Latverian
Date of Scene:	12 June 2017
Location:	NYC, NY
Synopsis:	X-23 is hired to eliminate a Dr. Doom political opponent, Domino happened to have had the same target, they meet.
Cast of Characters:	X-23, Domino

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X-23 has posed:
Gustav Frazen, a Latverian dissident who has been openly speaking against Victor Von Doom, has been constantly mobile. Spreading his anti-Doom tirade, and he most recently got a stage to spew his propoganda in the UN floor. This would no doubt serve as a chance to eliminate the nusance for Doom.

But more surprisingly, there are others invested in his impending doom, not for political reasons so much as the guy couldn't help his gambling addiction amidst political activisim. They were looking for the best assassins at the Lux, and lucked into contact with the notoriously efficent X-23. Not much is widely known about her, aside for the fact that until recently to win her services one had to win ludcirous bidding wars held by the Facility every so often. Another tidbit, anyone who won such a bidding war, was quite impressed with the ruthless effcency with which she had gotten the required results.

Today the sorry Mr. Frazen is about to witness first hand what happens to someone who happens to be a target. He gets through his speech with no trouble at all, and even won a rare photo op post event. A young Latverian girl, a refugee from her homeland, wanted to meet him to thank him in person for his efforts leading to saving her family's lives.

To avoid too much commotion, as this is mostly an issue relating to Latveria, Mr. Frazen set an minimal press event with a handful of reports and the young girl.

The young girl, who is introduced as Katerina, is ushered on stage, wrapped in a cloak and looking like a young scared little thing. No older than 13, she looks quite fearful of the reporters in the room, as Frazen prods her by hand towards the podium, "go on dear, tell them your story..."

Domino has posed:
Elena Vladescu hadn't been seen in some time, not since a dinner dance at a Russian embassy where a member of the Duma ended up dead. Today she's attending the presser on behalf of Russo-Latverian relations. The elegant woman is seated in the front row in a black dress with white jacket, her long black hair neatly coifed into a bun at the back of her head. Sunglasses reflect the face of the man at the podium and the little girl coming up to speak.

A hand under Miss Vladescu's purse is holding a single shot deringer.

X-23 has posed:
What likely wasn't part of the event, at least not according to the schedule Gustav Frazen must have planned it, is how the young girl responds to his attempt to usher her by pressing a hand against her back.

In lightning speed, she latches on to his hand, lifts herself by it, her leg seemingly arcing towards his neck for a kick. Only there's an odd *snikt* sound which may or may not be familiar to a certain someone in the crowd. A flash of blade is just barely visible extracting and retracting in a flash, as Gustav Frazen's throat gets sliced open and blood gushes out. The cloak the young girl was wearing is thrown at the first row, accompanied by a release of smoke on the room.

The young girl doesn't linger with Gustav, she proceeds to leap directly at the reporters, under the cover of the smoke, that *snikt* sound heard again by those of sharp hearing, as the young girl goes to work to ensure there are no wtinesses to tell anything.

Domino has posed:
The first thought going through Domino's mind is, 'Oh you little [CENSORED], *I* was supposed to kill him!'.
The second thing going through Domino's mind is, 'So much for this alias.'
The next thing going through Domino's mind, beyond the level of consciousness, in the primitive, responsive part of her brain, is 'Duck.'

Mutant powers kick in, and "Elena" immediatelly throws herself onto the floor, onto her side, as claws whizz through air and smoke at the level of where her neck would have been. Old training takes over. She thrusts out her right leg in a heel kick towards what the edges of her perception make out to be the middle of an attacker's body, to thrust them away and offbalance.

X-23 has posed:
While Domino has the powers, and training to help her out in situations like this, the other actual real reporters are nowhere near as lucky. Blood gets splattered all over the would be Katerina, who turns out to definitely not be a refugee, goes on a spree that can only be described as a blade ballet. Blades shot in and out of her hands and feet, slicing and dicing while she whirls in the air in feats of acrobatics, before a well places kick from Domino hits her unexpectedly and knocks her back on stage.

The reporters are dead, or dying from severe loss of blood, the man of he hour Gustav Frazen is most definitely dead, leaving X-23 and Domino.

The fact she was kicked, suggests to X-23 that one of the reporters, wasn't a reporter, and she hisses, "what's your purpose?"

Keeping courched on the stage, claws drawn, she waits before pouncing, figuring it's best to goad the other person into revealing more information first.

Domino has posed:
Domino strips off her jacket, gun still held in one hand, tossing aside the useless, empty purse that sheathed it. "Funny question from a kid that just murdered ten people and is sprouting blades like she went to Chicago cutlery for a mani-pedi." As the smoke begins to clear, the concealed shoulder harnesses for two handguns on either of Domino's sides become visible, as she draws a second gun with her left hand. "Who hired you? That was -my- tag."

X-23 has posed:
X-23 keeps a blank expression, though she does note how casually Domino treats this situation, which means she's no stranger to mayhem. Of course the fact she has weapons of her own suggests she might have had similar intentions, which she does wind up disclosing. Asked for the person who hired her, X-23 replies coldly, "a weapon does not divulge information, a weapon kills." But recognizing there's no need for her to actually eliminating Domino, one for her not being a target, and second because there's no way she goes out telling stories when she wanted the same end result, she offers, "you can take credit for the kill. I don't care. You don't have to die. Agree to part peacefully?" The smoke starting to scatter, does make X-23 consider an exit as soon as possible, for now there's still confusion. But soon enough people will come to investigate.

Domino has posed:
The way X-23 talks is completely incongruous with who and what she appears to be - a young girl. A girl that should be taking selfies and going to high school and complaining homework and foiled dating prospects. Not someone referring to themselves as a weapon and asking about purposes.

She holsters the gun she drew and flicks the safety onto the derringer. "No, no," she sighs, shaking her head. "Bladed weapons aren't really my M.O. and neither is something as sloppy as a mass killing... but you're fairly new to this, aren't you. That, and you don't seem to have the gear to kill cleanly at long range. That's really the safest way to accomplish a hit, you know." She then pauses and asks herself, "Why am I giving you advice on mercenary work? You're a kid."

"Look, if you need the cash for the kill, you take it, but ... this isn't right. You're talking like you've been programmed or brainwashed."

It dawns on Domino that her words are likely right. "... You have been, haven't you."

X-23 has posed:
X-23 is unflinchingly focused, emerlad green eyes beset on Domino as she remains frozen in her crouched position. She could attack, but just as easily withdraw, true to her words, she waits to see if Domino might choose to part peacefully. She honestly doesn't care if the other Merc for Hire takes the credit. She achieved her objective, that's the only thing that would matter to the man who hired her.

X-23 listens to Domino, but makes no comment, if she considers her tips she shows no signs of it. She also doesn't seemm to take offense at being called a kid. All descriptors don't seem to bother her.

The assumption made about her, however, makes her glower at Domino, before she announces, "I am a weapon. Designate X-23." Yup, even her codename is like the serial number of a weapon. Then again, if Dom has been in the know of mercenary circles beyond her own jobs, she no doubt would have heard about some crazy bidding wars for the services of X-23. So, maybe the kid is not a rookie after all. Regardless of whether Domino shows an inkling about who X-23 is or not, the young girl notes, "terms accepted," before diving for an air duct and making her getaway through the ventilation system.