2019-10-11 - Sold Out

Summary:

Daredevil calls in help when Maeve has a meeting

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Fri Oct 11 01:43:00 2019
Location: Hell's Kitchen

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

maevedaredevilkian-allard-liaoranna-pryde

The fog washes in off of the river, sweeping over the coastal neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. Just enough of a haze to make driving dangerous and to lend a feeling of foreboding to the streets and accentuate the halos of light provided by the street lamps. The distant clang of a buoy in the river lends its own atmospheric affect upon the late night and makes it seem rather severe when the SUV rolls up on the old apartment building.
"Alright, this is the place." Edward Dietz leans forward to pat the driver on the shoulder and then he turns to look at Maeve. "This is where the meeting is supposed to take place. But I don't know much about these people, Miss Brennan."
Ed leans to the side in the back seat, the leather creaking as he peers over and upward, as if trying to look through the walls and into what secrets might be hidden within there. "Supposed to meet in about 20 minutes, I need you to go inside. Tell them I need some assurances."
A small envelope is handed to her, "Hand this to them, if they agree then great, meeting is on. If not then come on back and… we'll go get some dinner." At that Ed smiles his closer's smile, the one he uses for all his deals. But for tonight it might have a different reason for being there.
Meanwhile, above the street another meeting of a sort is happening. Daredevil says over his shoulder to the others, frowning to himself. "Alright, this is the place."
He turns, "This is where the meeting is supposed to take place."


Something stinks and it isn't the air from the fish market. Maeve knows this. It's screaming like a claxon in her head. Between her current boss acting completely unlike himself the last few days in addition to suddenly want to have a meeting with unknown individuals at an apartment building that has seen better days, something stinks in Denmark. Or Hell's Kitchen.

As she is handed the envelope, she doesn't open it. She does grip it to see if it feels like paper or money inside.

"Sir, I am going to ask once more, who are these people and why are you meeting with them?" It's about the fifth time she has asked and she doubts she'll get any proper answer, as she hadn't the previous attempts. His smile and comment are ignored. She's in business mode which means she is as serious and severe. She's dressed in her work clothes, a charcoal gray skirt suit. The skirt is an A-line with pleats, allowing full movement if necessary. A white button up shirt tucked in, tailored jacket over it all. A pink tie finishes it off. Her red hair is pulled up in a tight bun at the back of her head. The finishing touch are a pair of black gloves covering her hands, made of a very thin leather.


It's easy enough to get in touch with Ranna to tell her where to meet. It's Ryoshi who shows up, dressed in loose dark clothing and a scarf that covers the lower part of her face.

The leather braces with metal scales aren't visible, but they're there under the sleeves of her sleeves.

"What is you want us to do, exactly?" She asks Daredevil, sparing a glance for the third of their number.


The last arrival to the other meeting, the one involving a man in red leather, is silent at the moment. He's here of course, in costume and normally quite chatty but he's concentrating right now. Ranna has asked thequestion he most wanted answered so he'll wait to see what the answer is. And in the meantime he's trying to suss out what kinds of machines he might… borrow. Oh hey. That car might be good if things go wrong.


"Foreign investors, Miss Brennan. I can't say more than that without jeopardizing the deal. Just smile, bow sometimes if you think it's appropriate. Hopefully you won't have to do much talking. I know it's not your strong suit." Ed Dietz smirks at her and then hits the button for the sliding door to open.
"Now do yer job." And with that he sends her on her way.
Up above them, however, Daredevil turns to face Ranna, his reflective lenses casting hers and Kian's reflections back to them as he says, "We stay. I listen." His head cants slightly to the side, "If they break into multiple parties at the conclusion of their deal we split up and track them. Despite my talents even I can't be two places at once."
He turns back away and then adds, "And if we need to bust in on them, then I need someone to applaud while I take care of all the fighting." His lip twists slightly. Deadpan delivery like most of his comments. Though at this point… they might have a hint as to his sense of humor.


The frown on Maeve's face gets darker as she opens the door and steps out of the vehicle. She looks up at the apartment building, slipping the envelope into the front left pocket of her jacket. Her hand is removed from the pocket to hang at her side as she starts toward the building with a click of the short heels on her dress pumps.

Once she is out of earshot of the vehicle, she mutters low under her breath. "Foreign investors my lily white ass." She just knows this is going to go sideways. Whatever it is. No way this ends well. And she has never met foreign investors in this sort of setting who were not dirty.

The question was, how to get herself out of this? She couldn't afford to have another mark on her record. It would be doubtful her lawyer could pull off the defense a second time and she'd be back in jail or prison.

If it weren't for bad luck, Maeve would have none at all. She headed to the front door to open it and enter.


Ranna blinks slowly and nods before breaking off the from the group and finding a perch, with an assisted jump to a low roof, she crouches in the shadows.

She doesn't call her weapons to her, maybe they won't be needed. Also, maybe Shiranui *won't* use his abilities and cause her seering pain.

Maybe she'll win the lottery too.


As Maeve begins to make her way into the apartment building, she'll likely see the old 1950s era elevator with its iron cage has an 'Out of Order' sign on it that looks almost as old as the elevator itself. The stairs beckon, third floor up those flights where there's only a single door for whatever awaits her there.
Outside on the rooftops, the Daredevil frowns as he turns his head to the side, his senses reaching out and interpreting what he's able to glean from the exchange between Maeve and her boss. Though as she moves inside the building he frowns further.
"Dietz is outside," A possible contact for the Hand, "He's sending his bodyguard inside."
A deep breath is taken as he frowns and turns his head the other way, as if looking at Ranna and Kian. "Seven inside the third floor apartment."
That said he gives a nod to Kian and then breaks into motion, saying over his shoulder as he moves, "I'll take the northern vector." That said he plans a hand and leaps over the side of the building…
As Maeve makes her way up the stairs they're definitely dusty, decrepit, creaking with the complaint of old wood. Then the door, the 3-13 on the front of it missing the middle 1 but the paint outline is enough to make sure it's the right place. The door opens before she has a chance to knock and within she'll see those 7 figures in their masks, standing in a vacant loft apartment that has no furnishings within it save for a card table upon which rests a long straight-bladed sword, and a closed briefcase.


As the door opens, Maeve's expression is unreadable. She is not who they will have been expecting. She's also twenty minutes before they are supposed to meet her boss.

The sad thing is, how the hell is she supposed to ask for reassurances when she has no idea what's going on? If she lives through this, she might kill Mr. Dietz herself. It'd be worth the prison time after putting her in this situation.

She shifts her pale blue gaze at each figure in the room, hoping to gauge them by the only thing she knows. Stances, movements, even calluses on the hands might give her some clue. She steps further inside.

"My employer is uncomfortable and would like some assurances that this deal will be worth his time and effort." It was scary how easy it was to fall back into the henchman role.


"Great." Ryoshi mutters as she shakes her head. "Does that mean we go… or stay?" There's nothing to respond to at the moment. Seven inside could be legitimate and even if it's not, it might not be what they're looking for.

Still… the dark haired woman makes her way to the edge of the building and eyes the window of the apartment, the cogmium scales from one bracer to form a hooked chain.

The end spirals out, directed by Ryoshi's mind, to hook to the ledge. It's going to take a moment but soon, she'll be perched like a bird on the windowsill.


"I've got the south then." Shiranui says as he gets into motion himself. Out come both gun and sword but he sticks to the shadows and is remarkably good at doing so. He's looking up at the building. Two leaps, maybe three, and he can make it up there.

Knowing that there are people inside the tech-ninja COULD kick things off but he isn't and hasn't yet. Partly because that could endanger people that the others need safe and partly because while he is good at many-on-one fights they're always dangerous and he's really rather not go toe to toe in a room full of angry gunmen alone if that's at all possible. Plus the Hand is around here somewhere.


Most of them were masked. All of them were in shadow as the only light was a single halogen bulb above that folding table. But there was one that was in a plain business suit, an Asian man with fine perfect features but with eyes as dead as a corpse bloated on the beach.
"I am sure he would." The man speaks in response to Maeve's statement. He cocks an eyebrow, then smiles a smile that does nothing to illuminate his features. "Is that for us?" He extends a hand forward for the little envelope she holds.
And when she presents it to the man he tears it open with a small blade about the size of a letter opener. The note is unfolded, and he tilts it to the side to catch that halogen lightbulb's light. His eyebrows raise and he looks at her again with curiousity.
"Are you aware of what this says?" Though he doesn't wait for her to answer. He presses on in a voice fit for public speaking, "The Bearer of this note is responsible for Toshiro's death. She is yours as a sign of my willingness to work with you and your clan."
He looks away from the note, "What do you make of this?"
Outside, however, Daredevil scowls. But he doesn't move until he hears the whisper of a blade being drawn. So quiet that Maeve might not even hear it. But he does. The vigilante breaks into motion leaping across the way toward the building where the meeting is being held, giving a wave to Kian and Ranna, and if that isn't seen he'll make a quick bird trill as he rushes toward a window to leap inside.


Well Shit.

Maeve knew it was going to go poorly. This crossed the line. Someday she was going to learn not to listen to bosses. Maybe she should go into business for herself. Sell tacos from a food truck. Anything but get herself into these predicaments.

She doesn't hear the blade. She can sense the tension in the air now, the change palpable. "No idea who Toshiro is and I'm being set up. And my boss needs to get a knife in the throat but I'll leave that to you guys if you let me walk out of here."

Calm as can be but she is already tensing a bit, preparing for the worst. Cause really? There's no way this is going well.


The window shattering emphasises the end of Maeves words, Ryoshi tumbling through as two chakrams form in her hand. She doesn't speak as the first one is sent, with startling accuracy bouncing around the seven in the room.

It spins towards Maeve but *goes around* her.

Was Maeve a little tense?


Shiranui crouches and then leaps. There's a puff of purple smoke at his feet. And then a second when he's about thirty feet in the air, and then a third. Ryoshi will feel the quick activations as a sharp pain and to be honest he feels a bit bad about that but this is how he gets around and he's got to do it.

He slams through the window with a crash, rolling to his feet and swinging a blade that quickly separates into a bladed whip. It snakes around the legs of one unfortunate who gets yanked off his feet as the ninja fires telekinetic bolts from a futuristic looking machine pistol into the room mostly to keep anyone else from shooting at him while he gets the lay of the land.


"Well, far be it for us to spurn a gift." The man without the mask says even as in that moment the blades to well and truly come out. The men on either side of her move in to secure Maeve, one each going for her arms as they hold their short tanto-like knives at the ready. "But trust he will suffer for his transgressions."
And then the world explodes.
No less than three windows shatter and explode inwards as the trio of ninja warriors leap into battle. The chakram whirls around in a blur bouncing from skull to skull to skull, then around the ex-con and back toward Ranna with a blur of light. The ones she struck reeling clearly, one dropping his blade as the others stagger.
Then the whip-blade chimes almost ethereally as it swirls out and lashes across the ground to snarl the feet of another yanking him off balance and flattening him to the ground with the impact as telekinetic blasts connect cleanly with those staggered henchmen sending them rocketing back into the wall where they smash into it, slide down, and fall still.
And then that figure in red lands slamming a shin into the side of one man's knee cracking it loudly and then grasping him by the shoulders and flipping him hard into the man without the mask. It's all a whirling gyre of chaos that already has several of them down, but leaving four of them turning toward the new arrivals, their blades rising as they charge.


As the windows crash in, Maeve uses the chaos to get clear of those coming from either side. A back flip to her hands then continuing over to her feet, coming up with her fists at the ready. Which is when that chakram comes right for her nad she prepares to have her noggin hit like everyone else only to have it dodge around her?! Maybe she already got hit on the noggin and she's seeing things.

The four are more worried about the newcomers. She's isn't even an afterthought for them. Which was their mistake. The one closest to her that was heading toward the devil in red was her target. She grabbed the arm he carried the weapon in as she stepped around him, bringing up her free hand. A sharp blow to the side of his neck with the blade of her hand, a split second of cutting off the blood flow from his carotoid had him stumbling and falling like a drunk. She followed the movement down, keeping his weapon hand trapped, then giving him a wicked right cross which was backed with a lot more muscle than was visible in her suit.


Ryoshi stumbles as Shiranui's powers activate, a trickle of blood coming from her nose. The chakram does indeed miss Maeve, but wobbles a bit before the dark clad woman plucks it out of the air and regains her balance.

After the briefest of pauses, Ryoshi tumbles again, right up to the guy nearest her. Lashing out with her hand, the serrated edges on the Chakram tear at his neck. He won't be long for this world as she slams him to the ground.


Shiranui is caught with his blade extended as he's charged by a blade wielding madman. There's the briefest flash of a small forcefield that lasts just long enough to block the overhead blow of the charging man and give him time to retract his blade into a proper blade.

Then he goes on the offensive. A series of blows delivered from the shoulder draw his opponent's guard higher and higher until.

CRRRRACK!

Oh. That's right. He still has a gun, doesn't he.


The one closest to Maeve gets grabbed right before his charge. There's a brief instant of a blurred wild slash aimed at taking her out across the throat which she's able to avoid then slams the knife's edge of her hand into the ninja's throat, stagginer him and then knocking him out cold with that rough right cross.
The others leap toward Ryoshi, Shiranui, and the Devil. Though in his haste the one rushing toward Ranna finds itself greeted by the grim edges of that chakram, the weapon tearing through his throat even as he tries to bring his blade down heavily into her shoulder, as if trying to impale her heart from above…
Only for him to be left gagging as he hits the ground, /slammed/ hard and with his body twitching as it struggles to draw breath through a ruined throat. Already black smoky wisps of vapor begin to swirl around the corpse as the body begins to self-destruct in the Hand's most notorious way.
Against Shiranui his opponent is drawn into the seductive call of blade against blade. Standing properly, striking cleanly, he lashes out with such precision and after that strike against the force field it almost seems as if he might be the better swordsman…
Until the pistol barks and tears into the abdomen of the warrior, smashing him back into the wall where he sliiiiides down it slowly leaving a bloody smear and then keeling over to the side.
It renders them all down, all of them either dead or unconscious, or… with Daredevil's shin on the side of the neck of that one man without a mask as he practically stands on the leader's throat. Outside there's the roar of an SUV accelerating abruptly, Maeve's ride likely leaving her behind. Inside, Daredevil grabs his captive by the hair and threatens to hyperextend the man's neck as he growls, "What's the deal you were working with Dietz?"


Hearing the engine outside, Maeve makes a mental note. She knows where he lives. She even has a key to his penthouse. She'll be able to find Dietz and deal with him personally.

She releases the arm of the man she'd been fighting once he is out, grabbing the blade he won't be needing anymore and coming up at the ready. Only to find everything is over. Done. That was brief. And exhilirating.

She shifts the blade in her hand, moving it from a ready position to more relaxed as she looks at the trio who helped save her butt and the carnage left behind.


There's a strangled grunt from Ryoshi as Shiranui uses his power again. Her nose starting to bleed more freely.Dashing at her nose, smearing the blood a bit, Ryoshi stutters again before moving.

"All down." One chakram dissolves into metal scales that flow up her arm, the other she holds onto as she starts to check bodies.

"You ok?" That's to Maeve, though her eyes meet Shiranui Dietz?

Not a name she knows. Does he?


Dietz isn't a name that he knows either, and Ryoshi's implied question gets a shake of his head. The techninja smoothly sheathes his sword and holsters his weapon and turns to look toward Maeve and Daredevil. Whatever he's wearing underneath the hooded leather coat he has, it covers all of his skin. Some kind of black… something with a golden hex pattern on it.

"He gets that way sometimes." Shiranui notes in Maeve's direction. "What did you do to upset them? They seemed like they were going to take the conversation in a pointed direction when we arrived."

Also is she okay? But Ranna already asked that.

"Need a hand there, Daredevil?"


Despite Shiranui's offer to help it seems that the leader has made the decision for them. He laughs under his breath and tries to shake his head only to have Daredevil pull on it, straining the spinal cord. It's then that he does speak, "Depths of cold. Unfathomable. Ocean roars."
And as the last words leave his mouth the smoke is already swirling around him, foam billowing up from his mouth as whatever poison he must have imbibed is somehow ravaging his system. It leaves Murdock but moments to get clear and to pull back three steps, scowling at the horrors of it all but maintaining the mostly dour look to his features.
Then his attention shifts to Shiranui and Ryoshi, "Businessman. Had some dealings with the Hand in the past." Then he pointedly looks at Maeve and says, "Her boss."


As the bodies go up in smoke, that tension returns to Maeve. The Hand. She's not dealt with them personally in the past but she knows them by reputation and through various criminal contacts she's had over the years. Not good at all. They are insane and well connected. If they were to share this information, despite it having been a lie, she was probably not going to live long.

She eyed the unconscious ones, considering crossing that line she shouldn't. Their questions get her back in focus and she looks to Ryoshi first. "I'm fine." Flat. Emotionless. Then a look to Shiranui. "They think I killed someone named Toshiro. My boss sent them a letter saying I was his killer and offering me in exchange as a sign of good faith." She motions to the letter which is on the floor still.

Then she looks to Daredevil, her expression as cold as he tone of voice. "He has paid for bodyguard services through the company I work for, yes. I was assigned to him. With this information, I'm certain the contract will be cancelled by my true employers."


Ranna's head hurts though the only indication is the way her eyes are slightly unfocussed, as she finishes checking the bodies. "Nothing on them. Didn't expect there to be but had to look."

"Toshiro? That sounds familiar. It was on that data I lifted recently, Shiranui… I think." The woman straightens and looks at Maeve. "Did you kill him?"

There's no accusation in it, it is just a question. "I'm Ryoshi, that's Shiranui. I take it you know Diabl—- Daredevil."


"Bodyguard. Interesting. Most people want to keep their bodyguards happy. Unfortunate things tend to happen to those who do not." Shiranui nods his head as he's introduced. "A pleasure. And yes, Ryoshi I do recall a name like that but hard to say if it's the same person."

"The fact that the HAND showed up to kill you isn't a good sign though. Although… are you an especially GOOD bodyguard. They might not have wanted you dead… per se."

Which is always a WONDERFUL way to start a conversation, isn't it?

Daredevil's now deceased charge gets a look. "That wasn't even a proper haiku." Everyone's a critic, it seems.


"I'd recommend destroying that letter." Daredevil says as he stalks around the room, trying to take stock of what may be present. There are plenty of rat droppings, old newspaper clippings, some discarded garbage and empty alcohol bottles. But the only thing of real remark are the two items on the table.
"And finding a new boss." The vigilante in black and red says as he runs a gloved hand along the side of the weapon, frowning to himself as he takes its measure. Then he picks it up and tilts his head toward Ryoshi and Shiranui, as if asking a silent question. Then he tosses it to Ryoshi, perhaps to get their observations of the weapon.
Next is the briefcase which gets the same treatment. A hand run along its edges, his head turning to the side as he seems to consider it, fingers light over the surface. Whatever he detects doesn't deter him from opening it, so he does so with the click-ka-click of the latches coming undone.
The case opens revealing hundred dollar bills in neat bundles, several stacks. Perhaps several hundred thousand dollars.


"No. I did not," is the answer to Ryoshi by Maeve. "I don't even know who it is." Then the words droped by Shiranui has her frowning anew. "I don't believe they expected me."

She walks over to pick up that letter in question, folding it back up. A moment is taken to find the envelope as well. Letter inserted into envelope, envelope into pocket.

She turns in time to see what was in that briefcase, frowning again. "Mr. Dietz did not give me any details. He wanted to be on good terms with these folks and I think I was just a convenient pawn." She glances over at them again. "Though I am an exceptional bodyguard, I don't think this had anything to do with me on a personal level."


"Might not be, but a bit of a coincidence if it is." Ryoshi answers quietly, rubbing her temple and then catching the weapon that's thrown to her. It's a blade, slightly curved about 24 inches in length. When the dark haired woman looks at, there's a sharp intake of breath.

In one deft movement, there's a faint clicking sound, and the blade becomes two - dual Katanas - that she hands to Shiranui to examine.

He might recognise though. Similar have been used on him before - not by Ryoshi but by others of The Order.

"Burn the letter. Words like that with this group tend to stick."

She'll leave Shiranui to explain why Maeve was a good 'offering'.


"Someone thinks they've found a way to condense fighting skills into drug form." That sounds kind of ridiculous and Shiranui knows it kiiiiiind of is but the Hand and their sometimes allies the Order of Si Fan and the Snakeroot Clan are deadly serious about it. It may or may not involve a bit of necromancy? That's not clear. Either way, getting people that have fighting skills which may be extracted from them appears to be a rather high priority.

"Well…" The ninja says looking first at the stack of money and then to Daredevil, and then the two women present. "Someone was willing to pay quite a lot, weren't they?"


"Mmm," Daredevil steps away from the case of money and he says, "Heck of a severance package." There's a tilt of his head as if he were considering Maeve, but then he adds. "Though never a good idea to take the Hand's money. They tend to hold a grudge." Forever.
That said Daredevil starts to move away but pauses to turn his head first in Ryoshi's direction, then to Shiranui. "She might know something." Just a statement. A fact declared.
Then he turns back toward Maeve and says, "Going to need a way to contact you." If… they're going to let her go.
"If you're going into hiding. Which I'd recommend." For now. Though Daredevil frowns a little. "And if you're thinking of taking matters into your own hands…"


Maybe Maeve did get hit in the head. Or the man in black and gold did. Cause he's talking the crazy talk right now. "Okay…" Said in a way that lets him know she's positive he has been smoking the local foliage.

She gives a negative shake if the head. "I've told you what I know. Mr. Dietz was very tight lipped and didn't give me information." She looks at that odd weapon. Extracting fighting skills? No, insanity. But what if it was possible and that thing…

The warning came and she give a terse nod. "I will take your recommendations into consideration." Translation: Mind your own business.


"Take the money. These ones are dead. If The Hand comes looking for you, at least you'll have lived a little." Ryoshi adds. She's taken enough from them lately.

"Do that. If you need to get a message to any of us, leave at the market. Might take a day or so, but we'll get it eventually." She'd told Shiranui that it was useful, working there.

"I'd probably visit your Mister Dietz and ask some pointed questions, as well."


"In the mean time, figure out what you're going to do with the rest of your life." Daredevil says, perhaps rudely, perhaps judgmentally, but also somewhat truthfully. That said he moves towards the shattered window through which he entered… and then makes to depart.


"If they wanted you dead badly enough to try this they probably won't stop." Shiranui says but he doesn't press it too much. She just had a close call and now three strangers are saying how it'll probably get worse. He'd be reacting largely the same… and has. At least none of them tried to kill her?

"Do you have a place you can be safe? I have a few boltholes I'd be willing to let you use…"

They're not incredibly NICE places but they're warm, dry and secure which as Ryoshi has discovered… is something when you're on the run.

"Otherwise, yes. Leave us a message at the Market. Especially if you think you're being shadowed. This was not their A-Team… but it is in town."


If she takes the money, that gives The Hand even more reason to be looking for her. "Keep the money. Do whatever you do with things like that." Maeve is finding her life spiraling out of control, something she cannot stand. "I have a few contacts of my own. I will reach out. But I'm not going to run from them. I still feel like this wasn't about me." She hopes. "If it was, they will find I'm more than they bargained for." It sounds as flat as everything else she's said so far other than that little 'okay' that got away from her a moment ago.

Maybe she'll freak out when she gets home. Probably. Once she lets the walls down. But never in front of others. Ever.

"Thank you for your help. I will be in touch if necessary."


Ryoshi has met the 'A Team' and it's horrifying. The dark clothed woman just nods to Maeve. "Then I hope you live."

It's not rude but it is blunt. "You look like you can handle yourself, but don't overestimate yourself or underestimate them. They aren't human, they don't have the same … values … as we do."

"I must go."

Before Shiranui uses his powers again and drops her unconscious to the ground. Well, he'll do that - but she'll away from here.

Then she's heading out the window and leaping.


"Good luck then." Shiranui will head down the normal way, leaving Ryoshi to get away before he really puts some distance between himself and this place.

"And if you see a heavy set chinese guy with no shirt and a pair of fighting chains… run."

And with that, he's out the door and gone.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License