Summary:A chance encounter between a former villain and a merc leads to conversation and the promise of drinks. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It's another chilly winter day in the Big Apple. Steel grey skies, little wind, and a light dusting of snow wherever it's allowed to stick. Out in the Disaster Zone that happens to make up most of the area, the ruins left undisturbed by the passing of millions. It's quiet here despite being amongst the remains of such a populated metropolis, serene and beautiful in its own special way.
It also makes for some prime spying opportunities where Domino can get situated almost anywhere she pleases without having to worry about getting caught. At least until there's the sound of a helicopter overhead..and getting closer to the DZ. Occasional patrols still occur with the area being quarantined. Getting caught alone out here without a very good reason and proper clearance can't be good.
This is what leads to the scrambling. A light misting of powdery snow from above. Boots and gear scrape across massive chunks of concrete. Then they slip.
"Shi—!"
Bits of stone and debris rattle across the rough terrain an instant before a body comes tumbling down, the lone woman landing hard with a "Guh!" before sliding into a small cavern right as the chopper passes by overhead.
Safe!
"Aaaaaow…"
*
Pamela Isley was, coincidentally, near where Domino sneaking about, though she didn't really seem to pay much attention. The redhead is bundled up rather warmly, as she doesn't look terribly pleased at the weather, but considering her background… that can't be too surprising.
However, while most plants are dormant in winter, they do tend to notice things like women falling and crashing near them. Tilting her head as Domino makes her fall into the cavern, Ivy then meanders over towards the area.
She does, however, not mind the helicopter, as… well, the government knows she's here. The government is really the reason she IS here, after all. She then crouches down by the entrance to the cavern, peering in a bit as she says, "Hello, anyone there?"
*
Similarly bundled up against the elements is a shadowy form best picked up either by the bleached white face or by the help of the local plants. "Ah—no, nobody's here!" the voice calls back with a clear note of surprise that someone -else- happens to be in the area!
The chopper continues to follow its path uninterrupted. Domino crawls her way back to the narrow gap she had slid through (talk about a narrow window…) and hangs onto a twisted piece of exposed rebar and proves that yes indeed, someone else is absolutely there.
There may be something of a blank stare following eye contact. "Hang on, you look kinda familiar…" she thinks aloud with a squint before her eyes start to widen. "..Holy shit. -Ivy?- Like -The- Poison Ivy? Haven't heard about you since … What the hell happened?"
*
Well, the green skin and red hair does give her away. Since she doesn't need to blend in around here, and all that. She chuckles a bit, "Government parole, actually. I'm working out here in the Disaster Zone to try and undo some of the ecological damage. Slow work, but it keeps me out of orange jumpsuits." She quirks a grin, "Which is horrible for my skin tone."
She pauses, and narrows her eyes towards Domino, "And what brings you out here, exactly. It's not precisely… safe, for most people out here. But you don't seem to be most people, are you?"
*
A low whistle escapes the albino before she suddenly looks suspicious. "What's the surveillance like around here?" she pointedly asks. Yeah, definitely either on the run or doing something she knows is illegal as heck. Or both!
A little more effort brings her fully out of the cavern and out into the open, leaning back against the ruins to swipe the hat off of her head and dust off the concrete chips it had acquired. "Normal's not interesting enough" comes the initial distracted thought before looking back to Ivy with a smirk. A thumb hooks back over Dom's shoulder in the direction of the RESCUE headquarters comfortably situated within the Disaster Zone. "Architectural discovery."
That might explain the powerful pair of binoculars looped around her neck. Was she ..SPYING?
"So the G-men finally caught up with ya, huh. That's a serious kick to the teeth. I'm surprised you've been playing their game, I mean they've left you out here unsupervised right?"
*
Ivy snickers, "They're not that dim, I have minders around, but for the most part they let me be. Works out the best that way, particularly as it looks like in some cases I was actually correct." She gets a bit of a rueful grin at that, "If I could have marketed that #IvyWasRight hashtag, I would never have had to resort to criminal activity in the first place."
She then looks curiously at Domino, "Wait, the RESCUE headquarters? I never really dealt with them myself, but honestly I'm a little surprised they never asked… what were you doing over there?" One eyebrow arches, as she regards Domino with a healthy mix of curiosity, suspicion, and interest.
*
"It's never too late?" Dom suggests with a smirk. Some careful glancing around follows, she's probably looking for any such surveillance measures. It wouldn't be good to miss the chopper's scan only to be picked up while making small talk with a former villain extraordinare.
"Hmm? Oh—I really wasn't over there," she lies. "But don't you find it curious that such a massive and expensive facility can sprout up out of the ashes of freaking New York City with barely anyone noticing? Seems pretty suspect if you ask me. I mean, even the name of the place. It's an acronym! Nothing good ever comes out of complex acronyms! The whole deal seems way off point."
Nevermind that she might be scouting out potential exits if she ever winds up inside of those highly secured walls a second time.
*
Ivy hmms, "Fair, but they seem to be on the level so far. I've been keeping a bit of an eye on them myself. Since, well, there's not a whole lot else to watch out for around here." She chuckles a bit ruefully, then leans a bit against the ruined wall, looking speculatively at Domino.
"Besides, this area is pretty well regulated, so I'd think if they were able to put something here, they'd have jumped through a lot of hoops. Or knew which wheels to grease." She hrms, looking a bit more thoughtful as Domino definitely seems to have planted a seed.
Metaphorically, anyway.
*
Neena's not quite done pointing out speculation and potential conspiracy. Her smile may seem amused but some consideration has gone into her thoughts. "SHIELD has the Triskelion, everyone knows about that place and they're a freaking spy organization. But that one?" she again motions toward the RESCUE compound. "Nada. Totally off the radar. I wonder if they're aware of you being stationed out here. Seems kind of dull but I guess you were never much of a people person."
This all leads to another observation. "Hey, I'm not seeing an abundance of nature around here… Figured they would have thrown you into the ice box until spring."
*
Ivy chuckles, "This is a bit of downtime for me, typically. I do have a place not too far away, as my grove is a little… chilly, this time of year." She smirks, "But the Army Corps of Engineers were delightful, and managed to refurbish a place out of the way. And nicely hidden to boot." She makes a face, "I've had a few villains show up to try and take me down to 'make a rep' for themselves." She smirks, "Which goes about as well for them as you'd expect."
*
The albino slowly smirks. "Nice to hear you haven't lost your edge." And Neena hasn't lost her opportunistic motivation! It's not every day someone gets to have an off the record conversation with one of the more notorious names on the superpowered criminal roster. Why let such an opportunity go to waste? At the very least there's some serious street cred potential here!
"If those boys set up shop for you then odds are that it's still lacking something. The Army's not known for creature comforts or personal touches. Is there anything you need? Space heater..water filter..grow light..? There's a good chance that I'll be passing through here again, could make a side trip."
*
Ivy hms, "Well, to be honest, a heat lamp would be delightful. I hadn't had a chance to really get too much this winter, as it was a bit chillier than I expected. But I have had some success in making it much more… homey, for myself." She smiles over at Neema, "That's very kind of you to offer, though now I'm wondering what's the catch?"
*
Domino slowly rolls her shoulders, bringing about a slight wince from her earlier fall. "I'm not a fan of anyone having to live in a cage. Even if you have a chance to go outside."
Smiling lightly, she adds "Though to be fair, being on good terms with you would be pretty cool. Seriously, when the weather turns nicer I'll bet you could have this whole place lookin' real green again. You're like..transversely destructive!" And, she's willing to bet, Ivy won't be stuck in this situation forever.
*
Ivy grins, "Yeah, it's a pretty gilded cage, but… well, better than prison." She then chuckles, "And yeah, I do tend to keep my areas of the Zone pretty well cared for. Though you should have seen the Christmas Tree I had up a few months ago. That was something special." She trails off a bit, then coughs.
"Anyway, I suppose proper introductions are in order." She extends a hand, "Pamela Isley, though you can call me Ivy."
*
A Christmas Tree… Eco-terrorists are on a whole different level sometimes. Where others would be talking about bombs or heists this lady is talking about growing a -tree.- Neena has to laugh!
Introductions? Didn't they already… Oh. Oh right. She knows Ivy but it doesn't happen to go both ways. "Well alright then, Ivy" she says while shaking the redhead's hand. "I'm Domino."
If Ivy here didn't happen to be caught and on a very short leash then a proper first name might have been offered as well. The albino's feeling a little cautious.
"Is there an easy way to find you around here? I'm guessing the Army didn't set you up with a phone. I can get those too, by the way."
*
Ivy chuckles, "This is 2020, Domino, of course I have a cellphone. My own, for that matter. I have some degree of privacy, don't worry about that. I have a few friends that check things out, that I trust." With that, she offers a card to Domino, "After doing a few guest lectures and teaching classes for the local universities, the faculty felt a little… uncomfortable with the idea that I might have a government-provided phone." She chuckles, "Nothing like the ACLU to go to bat for you in that regard."
*
There's a point to Ivy, Dom's looking to be caught off guard. "They -let- you have your own phone?" And privacy? AND keep in touch with friends?! "Captivity's a lot different from what I remember…" she mutters more to herself in disbelief while taking the offered card. (Ivy has personal cards!)
"I was wrong, you've got yourself a good setup here. As far as these situations go. Someone out there must be a fan" she jokes.
*
Pamela snickers a bit, "With everything happening to the climate… well, I'm looking a bit more like a martyr these days, so that's always nice. I think I have a few fans in high places, but I don't take anything like that for granted." She chuckles, "And it's mostly a 'work release' program at this point, more than a prison."
*
Domino 'huhs' softly at the thought of climate change actually playing to Pamela's favor. It's a good point and helps to put her situation into perspective. "Talk about a lucky break. Ah..hey. How good are you at keeping secrets?" she asks out of the blue. "Because I'd really appreciate my being out this way staying on the down low."
*
Ivy gives Domino a bit of a wry look, "Hey, if I rat you out, you won't bring me a heat lamp, so I'm not going to do that." She chuckles, "Besides, you seem more interesting than most of the people I find around here, so I can keep your secret. Promise." She grins, "I have no problem keeping things quiet."
*
Ivy's promise brings a black and white smile to the mercenary. "Thanks, Red. Appreciate it. So…" she trails off then rolls her eyes with a chuckle. Arms fold together against the chill while using the ruins to block the wind.
"I'm a twit, but I have to ask. Do you 'talk' to plants or is it more of a subconscious thing, like an extension of your will? Then you're able to make them move and grow and all, that's some kinda trippy."
*
Ivy grins, "It's more of a subconscious thing, really. But everyone talks to plants, so it's just a habit to do it that way… plus, well, it seems rude not to." She chuckles, "But they don't tend to be too responsive this time of year, with a few exceptions."
*
The idea is given some thought as Neena looks down to the frozen debris strewn ground. 'Everyone talks to plants?' Sheesh, she might start to feel bad the next time there's a shrub caught up in the middle of a gunfight.
"There is that. I'd bring you a fern or something but I don't know that it'd survive the trip."
Shaking her thoughts back in order she quick glances at a watch then looks up to the sky, probably in search of that chopper from before.
"You've got a nice neighborhood, Ivy. Low crime, light traffic, plenty of privacy… If you ever get bored maybe I can swing by with some of that premium triple-filtered water or something. Unless you're good for something a little stronger," she adds with a lopsided grin. "I hear that Russian water packs a bit of a punch."
*
Ivy laughs softly, "I do tend to prefer my water with a Mexican worm in it, but Russian water is good too, Domino." She tosses Domino a wink, and grins, "But I'll look forward to you swinging by again. Come around anytime." With that, she raises one eyebrow towards Domino, her grin growing just a bit.
*
Bullseye! Neena only grins further once some common ground is established. "I'll aim for an assortment, we'll see what sticks. Stay green, girl. I'll be back with some boredom busters. Maybe then you could give me a demonstration of your party trick, too."
*
Pamela chuckles, "Sounds like a plan, then. I hope to see you soon." She smiles over at Domino, "Stay out of too much trouble, and I'll see about poking around these RESCUE folks." Because that is a bit weird, now that Domino mentioned it.
*