February 15, 2018:
Still in Madripoor the Black Widow gets unlikely saviors
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
Madripoor
The call through the Unternet went out less than 72 hours ago. Reported: A SHIELD Operative with a bounty on his / her head in excess of quarter a million+ dollars for destruction and murders surrounding the toppling of Crystal Sky. A hotel, skyscraper and casino that had become a pride and joy for several powerful criminal elements that call the island territory their home front, a money pit that didn't see it's full cycle to return it's investors what they are due.
The gathering is a sectioned off location on the far side of the south east proper. Stone walled and outpost sections with cameras on tripods, multi angle for all vantage points to be accounted for. No eyes allowed beyond to see the black armored security personnel, cars, helicopters, advanced hover cycles and high speed boats alongside impressive yachts have been arriving for the past four hours.
It appears, someone or something or many things are drawing a turn out Madripoor underworld royalty showing in full show. The idea that a SHIELD operative is supposedly responsible for the crash down and destruction of the Crystal is a novelty alone, the fact an operative of the UN's peackeeping superforce worked beyond Madripoor lines during the full on 'open fire' hostility season an added plus. Lesser known and leaked to a few, the more wealthy and important is the true name of this spy / assassin, the Black Widow. Although this info managed to leak once beyond the guest list it was deleted, erased entirely and blasted off every net outside of the Unter within milliseconds. That alone is a sign.
With the night hours cresting high and on full dark, the skies are lit up by a brilliant moon, fireworks and lights from inside the 'compound' there is a buffet, scantly dressed waitresses serving trays of drinks around and a poolside layout that has the auctioneers standing by, weapons, paintings, old world relics, deceased superhero costumes and paraphernalia, its all being put up on show, hands rising up through the party waving 'paddles' with snakes on one side and numbers on the other showing interest. Security here is on HIGH alert. There is no weapons allowed within that is more than a three inch blade or very carefully concealed.
The mysterious Domino is very carefully concealed or not very carefully concealed, depending on your point of view. She is talking to one of her boss's henchmen amongst the party goers, who has become her de facto henchmen too, so there. She points something out to him because she's so helpful and swarmy, and the guy nods like a kiss ass and walks off to get back to his red shirt duties.
Domino wouldn't describe herself as a red shirt, although she's head bodyguard for a well-known rich man, a sleazy piece of crap that pays well, but annoys the shit out of her. He's the kind of Japanese asshole with slicked jet-black hair, who thinks he can invest in everything and buy anything, apparently even Domino's skills and experience as a badass. Mr. Morimoto is currently in the dining area, so Domino is in the dining area, with her arms crossed looking smug, so her usual appearance except clad in leather. All the right people known Morimoto and his business, but probably not the mysterious Domino.
Its been a long week for Natasha Romanoff. She'd completed her mission, but everything after that had essentially gone as south as south can go. As for now? She's dressed in a black robe, silk by the looks of it and her hands are bound by some black cuffs at the wrists. She's being brought out onto the 'stage' as it were, pulled along by her right elbow.
Nat's eyes look out over the collection of those who are here, she's not apparently injured or in any poor condition so how they managed to catch her is anyone's guess.
The short redhead is delivered to a side of the stage where she pulls her arm free of the big guy tugging her along and then glares up at him before just exhaling heavily, annoyance clear on her face.
This is the motley cluster of who is who in the underworld this side of the world, the ugliest the south pacific has to offer up. China White, the Serpent Society, Taskmaster and countless crooked wretches, costumed and non-.
Private as it is intended not all parties are here in person. There are monitors being brought out, projection displays set up before them. With silhouettes of buyers visible and nothing more.
Drug forth past Domino and Morimoto is the prize of the night, one SHIELD operative, supposedly.
Taskmaster in full combat regalia minus any real weapons beyond blades leans on one booted foot, staring across the growing gathering directly at Domino. A drink clutched in one hand that has yet to be touched.
From the Widow's position she can make out half a dozen of the Serpent Society, the most obvious and known to her Cobra.
China White sits lounged to one side, a leg over the other, bored looking, irritated and berating a servant in a full black tux.
"BIDDING begins at two hundred thousand American standard dollars." A robotic voice announces. "This is a confirmed and registered SHIELD operative, allegedly responsible for destruction of the Crystal. Name yet undeclared but will be revealed upon purchase. We assure you, this is likely a top rank espionage agent."
"Place your initial bids… NOW!"
Domino has flexes her arm idly as people pass by, come and go, but she's keenly aware of her boss eating a lil shrimp and tilting his chair like an arrogant jackass so he can look at a monitor but not seem like he's looking at a monitor. Domino moves slightly around Morimoto's table, perhaps trying to scout out who would bid on an imprisoned SHIELD agent. As she does, Johnny Oregano, the jackass mercenary with a cowboy hat winks at her from a nearby table, but she smirks doesn't let him distract her from her job. Her eyes do all the talking-Johnny Oregano is a jackass. Stupid ass nickname. Hey, is that Taskmaster? Oh, is thatWait, what's Morimoto typing into his lil communications device? Maybe offering a few million for the SHIELD agent?
90 years on the planet, a good majority of those years spent as a spy and as a killer and she's got a starting bid of 250,000 dollars?
Natasha snorts when the bid is announced. "Please." She says, since they didn't gag her. "I'm worth twice that!" She shouts out at the audience. "I've probably killed at least three of your favorite cronies! You should buy me, so I can fight you in hand to hand combat, winner takes all glory!"
If the Black Widow is going to die tonight, she's going to do it having a little bit of fun anyway. Her green eyes wander past all the faces, she sees Task out there, sees a few more faces she recognizes.
"Some of you were even on my 'to-do' list coming up in the next few weeks!"
And then the guard gives her a slap on the side of her face, not too hard, but hard enough to get her pipe down.
(log being added)