Brief Title:
Newbs
Characters:
Hawkette and Topaz NPC: Monkey
Scene Runner/Watcher:
IC Date:
04/30/2013
Location:
The Bar With No Name - Hell's Kitchen
Summary:
Hawkette and Topaz do their best when trying to get Monkey to talk
Social or Plot:
TS:
No
Log:
-----==[ The Bar With No Name - Hell's Kitchen ]==----------------------------
A dark, dank, and dingy place. This isn't a place for the uppity-up's to come for a brew and a laugh. The air is musty and the stench of cheap cigars loom in the air that resembles a foggy haze on the bay. The far left wall of the room is a large fake wood bar with many tattered bar stools always occupied by the mercenary and bounty hunters that fill up his place. In the center of the room large tattered pool tables cover up most of the rotted out wooden floor.
Over to the right of the room, several old tables wobble around as chipped wooden chairs seat men and woman alike of the crooked kind. The very back of the room hosts a large caged area. Within the cage a phone, fax machine, and computer are constantly on the go as jobs for the Mercs come pouring in. There is a small window on the front side, and this is where Patch hands out the assignements and snatches his cut.
The atmosphere is low and grim, shouting continues through the day and night as 'naughty' words splash against your ear drums. Large amounts of people come and go here daily, large and small, skinny and fat. Dressed in dingy and grungy clothing, packing large weapons and looking grim and gritty. This isn't a place for the weak of heart or the good of soul. If you don't fit in...run NOW!
'Places' are in effect.
==========================================================================
An hour ago, American Dream gathered Topaz and Kate Bishop together over at the Voodoo Lounge. The situation was explained as simply as possible: she believes an undercover cop named Patrick Pines who goes by the street name of "Monkey" sold the location of the MGH sample to ULTIMATUM. Dream can't question Pines - he tends to hang out in Hell's Kitchen and she'll stand out like a sore thumb there. Kate and Topaz, on the other hand - yes, they'll stand out, but their unique skillsets might allow them to get the info out of the undercover cop. After all, it isn't like Topaz's bar is populated entirely by the angels of the supernatural world and Kate's one tough cookie who can hold her own in a fight.
So, that's the mission. Go into the Bar With No Name. Talk to Monkey. Find out whatever they can about "Monkey" selling the information and see if it can lead the heroes to the source of the mystically enhanced drug.
Kate Bishop makes her way into the bar, fake ID at the ready. She's decided to stay out of costume but she also feels the need to fit in with the environment and the mission. Her typical purple has been subdued with more black. She continues to wear her purple shades, but she wears a black laser cut leather jacket, opened with a purple t-shirt showing underneath. Text on the t-shirt displays 'I *heart* Hawk---', the rest of the message obscured by the jacket. Matching leather pants and a short pair of boots finish the ensemble.
She's not used to investigation. She's more of a 'shoot the bad guys, get outta Dodge' kind of girl, but when Dream asked for her help, she couldn't say no. She takes a look around the bar, looking for tactical advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully this will be quick and quiet, in and out, but you never know in NYC.
Even though Topaz has fought demons, monsters, and all sorts of nastys, even the thought of going into the Bar With No Name, is enough to make her pause, mostly out of caution. There isn't a demon or monster alive that can be as cruel or well, monstrous as a human. And that's the type of people that tend to hang out at that place.
Because of the nature of thier mission and where it is, Topaz has passed on her usual skirts and opted for a pair of faded jeans, paired with a pale blue poet blouse and gladiator sandals. She follows behind Kate, sans ID, she doubts they care about things like that. >>>Do we know what this Pines guy looks like?<<< she sends to Kate, her eyes going directly to the bartender, whom she gives a respectful nod. the kind one bartender would give to another.
The Bar With No Name. Filled to the gills with minor super-villains, professional henchpeople, and mob enforcers. In any other bar? Topaz and Kate might have gotten the thrice over. People would have noticed they were female and attractive and gazes would have lingered. Here? People pay attention to their own business. Eyes glance up. Eyes glance down. People ignore them. The last time someone tried to hit on an attractive woman here, he ended up on fire. Literally.
Patrick Pines is sitting at the bar, slowly sipping from a microbrew. He's easy to recognize because he's bald and there's a monkey tattoed to the back of his skull. Which explains the street name: Monkey.
Kate Bishop looks to Topaz and nods in the direction of the bar, indicating the man with the monkey on the back of his head. >>>Could he put a larger target on himself?<<< She makes her way up to the bar on one side of Pines, leaving the other open for Topaz to take in. "Buy a girl a drink?" She asks the bald stranger.
Topaz follows a step or two behind Kate, scanning the bar on an empathic level in an effort to determine who would be the most trouble should things get sticky for them.
"Or two." Topaz, thickens her accent just a bit to sound more exotic. She leans against the bar on the other side of Pines, facing him instead of the bartender, making her position just so that he has a good view, so to speak. Her empathy focuses itself then on Pines, right now just to read him and his internal reaction to the two of them.
Topaz follows a step or two behind Kate, scanning the bar on an empathic level in an effort to determine who would be the most trouble should things get sticky for them.
"Or two." Topaz, thickens her accent just a bit to sound more exotic. She leans against the bar on the other side of Pines, facing him instead of the bartender, making her position just so that he has a good view, so to speak. Her empathy focuses itself then on Pines, right now just to read him and his internal reaction to the two of them.
It isn't hard for Topaz to get a reading on Pines. He's wary because two strangers just sat next to him. Intrigued because they're two gorgeous women. Concerned because he's always worried his cover's going to get blown. As for who will be trouble if things go south? Everyone in this room is trouble.
"Sure." Pines says. He motions to the bartender. "One for each of the ladies. Whatever they want." He looks from Topaz to Kate and back. "You two new here?"
Kate Bishop nods to Pines. "Could say that." She looks around. "The girl and I got tired of SoHo. Figured we could find someplace... dirtier." She says with a smirk. She orders a Heineken from the bartender. Hey, it's all for work. "You look like someone who knows what's going on around here. Like maybe what kind of fun there's to be had?" Yeah.. Kate's still a newb at this. She looks to Topaz to take a try. >>> I've got no idea how to approach this. I only hope that you can find something that we can use if I get him to say something stupid. <<<
"A girl can only handle so many hipsters before she starts craving a real man." Topaz runs a hand from his shoulder to his wrist, "And there are plenty of real men here." her eyes once more scan the bar as if she were trying to determine which one would be suitable should the current one not be enough. Her hand remains lightly on his wrist "I'll have whatever he is having." she tells the bartender, then leans toward Pines "So what do you do for a living?" she purrs at him. The touch is crucial, without it her magical gestures would be necessary. She begins to build up a need in him, to please these two attractive woman, a need to tell them things, to impress them.
And instincts war inside of Pines. He's being played. That's obvious. But he's being played by Miss Jailbait and her partner the exotic stripper chick. Throw into that some psionic magic abilities and the blood flow from one part of his body to another begins interfering with his ability to think. "Yeah.." He says, standing up. Trying to extract himself from the situation before it gets worse. He yanks out a wallet and throws two twenties on the bar. "Good luck with that."
Kate Bishops' eyes go wide as she turns to Topaz and tries not to panic. She attempts a new tactic and rises. "Wow. Didn't know we presented such a challenge that a big bad man like yourself would cut and run at first chance." She shrugs, taking a swig out of the beer and trying to hide a cringe at the taste. "Your loss, Buddy." she says dismissively.
Topaz senses the hesiatation in the man and his natural mistrust of anyone, especially anyone approaching him in this bar, where everyone has an angle of some sort. "Oh, I'm sure a man like him loves a challenge. Don't you." as she speaks she once more touches his arm, assuming he moved away from her touch when he got up and begins to push down the mistrust and replace it with curiousty, if he is being played, shouldn't he know how, why and report back to his superiors, kinda thing. Shoving a bunch of trust down his throat immediately wouldn't be effective, not with this guy.
Monkey narrows his eyes. He looks from Kate to Topaz and then back again. He jerks his arm away. "Look, ladies." He lowers his voice. "I don't know, exactly, what scam you two are pulling or why you're doing it here but this is NOT the right place, alright? The guys in this bar will do things to you that will make you weep for death if they catch you grifting here. So, take my advice. Get the hell out of here." Oh, my. He thinks they're con artists trying to scam him.
Kate Bishop looks to Topaz and can't help but chuckle. "As if there was anyone in here we'd want to scam." She waves it off. "You're a bit skittish, guy. Like you're running from someone?" Still standing, she places the Heineken onto the bar and makes her way closer to Pines as he edges to the door. "Piss off the wrong people, perhaps? Maybe... pass along information that was meant to be kept quiet?" >>> New tactic. He's already scared. Perhaps we can boost that and get him to talk? <<<
A genuine look of puzzlement greets the man's words. Grifting is an englishword that Topaz is unfamiliar though she is able to figure out quickly with the context it is given. Kate speaking up confirms what she thought. She laughs then at his mistake, "Truely sir, if we were going to scam people don't you think we would do it at one of those posh clubs in the upper east side? Where people have money and don't smell of old cigarettes and stale beer." >>>I'll follow your lead.<<< a brow furrows at Kate and her razing of Pines "That is not good. Especially here. Rumour has it that the people that hang out here do not take kindly to.." she pauses thoughtfully "What's the word, is it NARC or SNITCH?" she may say that last bit louder.
Monkey's eyes go wide as the words are mentioned. He lowers his voice even further, hissing through his teeth. "Are you nuts? Do you want to start a riot? Then he raises his voice. "Okay! That's it. No one grifts the Monkey and gets away with it." He grabs Kate and Topaz, one hand on each woman's bicep. "Let's go. Outside!" He lowers his voice. "We'll talk there. Okay?"
Kate Bishop smirks to herself and waves to the patrons who look up to see what the commotion is. "Don't worry, fellas. He just wants to know where he can buy his salsa in New York City.." She's not too fond of being manhandled, but allows it for now as she makes her way to the door with the others.
Topaz isn't a big fan of it either, though is probably more used to it than Kate is. She puts up a token protest, just for appearances "But my drink?!" she than sighs and allows herself to be pulled out the door onto the street by the larger man "Fine, outside."
Monkey maneuvers both women outside and away from the entrance. He glances around for a moment, then drops his hand from the women. "Okay. Who the hell are you? You ain't cops." His eyes roam the landscape, ever vigilante. "Not SHIELD, either. You ain't good enough. What the hell do you want?"
Kate Bishop yanks her hand out of Monkey's reach and rubs it. "Not good enough for SHIELD?" She huffs, insulted. He's right, but she's not about to admit it. "You turned some people onto an MGH location. They made a big mess. Guess what? They let us know who turned them on. You." She folds her arms in front of her chest. "So, we want to know what you know about this whole MGH business."
Monkey frowns. "What the hell are you..." Then he looks at Topaz. Really looks at her. At her face, this time. "Crap. You own that bar. Jesus. Yeah, I heard about that. Great. Capes. That's all I need to deal with." He slides his hand over his bald head. "Look. I've been trying to crack this MGH thing too, okay? But not just MGH. ULTIMATUM is just using the MGH to fund their organization. The money gets funneled up the line to their leader, Flag Smasher. I want to take them all down. I'm working on getting recruited and they aren't exactly trusting. So, yeah. I borrowed a little data from the department computers and fed it to someone to get their trust."
Kate Bishop sighs and nods. "Great. Well, we're not looking for Ultimatum. You can have that, and perhaps we can even help you get in. But we need to know where the MGH is coming from. That's our angle on this right now. Where did you get this information, or who could we talk to to get further up the chain on this?" She takes another look around the alley. "Well, at least I'm not overly concerned about Ultimatum. My friend here might have a different opinion."
Topaz gives an uncharacteristic smirk to the bald man "Yes, I am that woman. And I do not take kindly to having my bar ransacked by a bunch of thugs." she hasn't pulled from his grip, needing the contact, but doesn't bother with making further contact if he drops it. She doesn't need it just to sense whether he is being honest with them or not, and she is making sure to pay attention to that. A nod is given to Kate, "The MGH first, then time permitting ULTIMATUM.
"No, you don't get it. They aren't buying the MGH and reselling it. They're making it." Monkey's eyes don't remain on the two women for long. He's constantly looking about to make sure no one is easedropping. "Using it to fund terrorism. The same way the Taliban and Al-Queda sell opium to fund their network." He sighs and says. "The woman I gave the information to is named Finch. Anita Finch. She's a social worker her in Hell's Kitchen but that's just a cover she uses to recruit members of ULTIMATUM."
Kate Bishop blinks and looks to Topaz. "How do you think I'd look in one of those creepy berets?" She says with a smirk, formulating a plan. She turns back to Monkey. "You're in luck. Looks like our goals are one in the same. You won't be getting in all on your own." She turns to Topaz to see what she thinks.
A shoulder lifts slightly >>>We should tell Dream all of this before we commit ourselves or her to anything.<<< "If this group is funding terrorists like you say, why isn't Homeland Security all over this case instead of you?" Topaz asks her tone suggesting she still things he is blowing smoke up thier kesters.
"Of course they are. Homeland Security. FBI. SHIELD. Everyone wants this." Monkey smirks. "Including the NYPD. Forget what you've heard about post-9/11 cooperation. Every department wants their slice of the pie. And getting her to recruit you won't work. ULTIMATUM's not stupid. They spend months making sure someone is loyal before they let someone inside. This isn't some game where you play dress-up and the next day you take down the bad guys."
Kate Bishop nods knowingly, whether it be to Monkey or Topaz is anyone's guess. "Alright. We'll look into it." She looks around. "Is there anything we can do to keep your cover here, or are we good?" >>> You're right. Sorry. I got caught up in the excitement. Gotta see what she wants to do beofre moving forward. <<<
Glancing around Topaz looks for anyone who may be paying an unusual amount of attention to the trio then gives Pines a look "I am just a bartender that is trying to protect her staff and her property. I just want the information. I'll let the professionals handle the dirty work."
Monkey looks right then left then right again. "Just get out of here. I need to go inside and try to repair the damage you did to my reputation. Look. The great thing about when the Capes interfere with stuff? They shake things loose. When we're dealing with the collateral damage, we can see anything that's in plain view. Makes a search legal. So, go to it." He shrugs and then walks back into the bar.
Kate Bishop nods to Monkey and then looks to Topaz. "Do you think that'll be enough for Dream?" She asks. "I don't know about you but I'm in serious need of a latte, just to get the beer taste out of my mouth."
"It's more then she had before, and we have another lead for her." Topaz chuckles "I know what you mean. We should move along though. His smoothing over," she gestures with her head to the bar's entrance "May spill over into the street, and we don't want to get caught up in that." she begins to move quickly away.
Kate Bishop Nods. "Agreed." she says, as she sticks with the shadows and exits the scene.
