Speaking Without Talking

January 25, 2019:

Grifter tracks down Lena while she's out and about with Neon. Dinner is ruined.

Chinatown

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Sionis Joker

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

*

Another night in the big city. What made this one special? Well, for Neon it was quite simple: food! She wasn't one to turn down the offer of a catchup and a free dinner, and best of all Chinatown was relatively close to mutant town. With the promise of pork buns, noodles and other delicacies the girl with the icecream colored hair was happily following along as they headed for a restaurant at the edge of the district. During her time as a street kid? She'd stolen from this place to feed herself.

It was nice to just go back as a customer!

*

"They never came back, did they?" Lena asks, walking alongside the girl, her hands in her pockets and eyes following after Ne, waiting for her response. Stopping at a crosswalk, she watches the lights shift in hue, only then starting to cross with Ne in toe. "They'd be stupid to do so, but if they do, and you're being messed with, you'll tell me, right?" She smiles now, a split between considerate and sly.

*

New York is not Cole current hangout, but actually he has more contacts and friends in the big apple than in Gotham. Actually that some people that remember him live in New York quite well is a good reason to settle in Gotham.

But it comes handy sometimes. Like when she is trying to track down a certain ice girl thief that has stolen from Black Mask. And technically also from Grifter, but that stealing from Grifter is fine, he is quite tolerant with fellow scoundrels.

Still, he did some research, and found her hideout in New York, and now has followed the young woman to this part of China Town. And that is bad because Lena has not noticed him. Admittedly he is pretty good in this training thing, but it has been too long and the woman is too careless for his taste. Not the kind of lady that should mess with Black Mask.

So he follows Lena and Ne into the restaurant, this time not trying to be sneaky.

*

At the moment, Neon seems happy enough as she shakes her head at the question, grinning and taking her fist before thumping it into her open palm with a wink at Lena. She remembered the encounter quite well, if not just for the fact she'd been guilted into calling for an ambulance for people who had been wanting to lynch her and kill her… at least the recovery time for that level of frostbite wasn't exactly small, maybe they'd ahve time to learn not to be an ass!

Approaching the restaurant, Neon does seem to pause on the walkway for a moment before she continues, lifting her hands to make a few quick gestures.

*

Lena giggles, smiling at the girl. Blinking, she watches her fingers move before offering a nod. "I know." Is all she says. Once inside, she motions out for Ne to pick their seat, her icy gaze glancing over her shoulder, perhaps even waiting for something. Following after, she removes her coat and tosses it into her booth by the wall, her face forward and watching the door pointedly.

At length, she eyes Cole, giving him the once over before she asks bluntly, "What's that? A few blocks now? What do you want?"

*

Cole is forced to drop his smoke at the door, intercepted by a quick-witted waiter. He groans and tosses it out. Then goes straight for Lena and Ne's table… only to receive that glance form Lena. He stops, arching an eyebrow, then smirks briefly. "It was most of the day, but good for you to spot me." He steps close, but not too close. "Remember me? I was wearing a red mask last time."

*

Neon? She shakes her head…it didn't matter that the question wasn't really asked of her. She does however make another little sign-gesture before tilting her head towards the direction of the wait staff. Was this guy a criminal? A hostile? That would be her luck to have her meal ruined before it even got there. They'd have to place their orders fast, before the bullets and ice-bolts start flying!

*

"Aww, thank you." Lena mocking smiles his way, her eyes squinting up with the annoyed expression. "Remember you? Hardly, I've ran into a few people that wear red these days." She shrugs, placing an order for hot tea from a lingering waitress. Smirking Ne's way, Lena makes a sigh of her own, winking. "Regardless, I'll ask one more time. What do you want?"

*

"There were ninjas jumping around," adds Cole, reaching for a chair and sitting down, uninvited, at the side of the boot. "And you stole something I was looking for. Which is okay, I won't make a fuss about it. It wasn't mine anyway. But you got me curious, and I asked around." He shrugs, pulling back and gesturing to the place. "And found you. Although not in Gotham, which I hope it means you know Gotham."

*

There's a frown on the silent girl with the strange hair's face, but she doesn't speak up. Instead she simply leans forwards, elbows placed on the table and head tilted to one side at Grifter sitting himself down. Whatever was being spoken of, she clearly didn't know anything about it. But Ninjas? That was new.

*

"Oooh. You were the one ruining everything with how loud and unprofessional you were. Now I remember. I'm sorry but 'curious' isn't a good enough answer for someone like me." Reaching under the table, she rests a hand on her thigh, under the folds of her skirt and pulls out the oddly shaped weapon that he's seen before. Triangular barrel pointed in his direction, she smiles sweetly, her lashes batting playfully. "I'm feeling nice today, so you get one last shot, Curious." Her fingers rests on the trigger.

*

Cole smiles pleasantly and raises his (empty hands a little). "In my defense a crazy Japanese lady jumped on top of me. Also, you had stared a shootout with Sionis' thugs when I kicked the office door open. I'm afraid the time for stealth was way gone. Don't blame me. You shoot first!"

He is weirdly unconcerned about having an odd gun pointed at him, too. But curious, yes. "Say, I think I saw one gun like that once. Can't remember one. That is definitely not Mr. Freeze tech, right?"

*

Well crap…Neon actually looks like she was about to run away. How quickly could she place an order to go? Mute, and in a chinese place? Yeah no…seems her long-awaited meal was going to have to be another night if this goes any further south. Blank faced and not truely part of the discussion, she does however cover her eyes with her hands. The petite mutant had seen how damn bright that freeze gun was the first time, even to someone with her namesake and abilities. It was basically her…but a gun!

*

"Excuses." Lena quips with a roll of her eyes. "But you are right about one thing. I shoot first." Gun leveled and smile on her face, she squeezes on the trigger, the barrel glowing with a brilliant light and firing off in Grifter's direction.

*

Cole always has a lot of excuses. But yes, she shoot first, so he expects her to shoot first. Kids nowadays have no respect for the usual banter. It is not as if they are in a hurry, they could have had dinner first.

Ne looked hungry, he noticed!

He kicks that table hard, sending it flying against Lena, and pushing himself away and down. The cold blast misses for a few inches and he crashes hard against the floor. But rolls away very quickly. "Tsk. I only wanted to talk. You like picking fights, hmm?"

*

Well, crap. The flying table at Lena and the sounds of gunfire were probably going to result in two things: cops being called and food no longer being made. A silent sigh, the mute girl doesn't make to intervene, intead she reaches under the takeout counter while staff flee and take cover, retrieving a small wrapped packet containing a fortune cookie and sitting herself up on one of the tables to watch. She didn't really need to intervene just yet and clearly, she thought she could escape if she needed to.

*

Lena guards her face from the table, feeling it hit against her with a solid edge. Growling, she moves up and away from it, gun still in hand and pointing in Grifter's direction. "Picking them? No, only when I have to. I gave you the chance to 'talk', and you refused to answer my question multiple times. How would you react, Curious, when someone admits to following you only to dodge what you ask of them?" The gun hums once more, her finger resting on the trigger. "Talk, or get the fuck out."

*

"I did answer," protests the blond man, "not my fault you didn't like it," he adds, keeping moving. Startled customers jump out of the way. Some run, some duck under tables. Some go for their cellphones while running or ducking.

Hey, he is talking. If there is something Grifter won't do even when being shoot at, is shutting up. "I am still curious, but I gotta admit the urge to just put a few bullets into your pretty face is rising." Although he has yet to draw a gun.

*

The sharp crack of her cookie, Neon seems more concerned in her lucky numbers and the promise of 'finding new opportunity for excitement' given by the small strip of paper before she stuffs the remainder of the sweet into her mouth and swings her legs lightly while watching. Hands resting on her knees, she tilts her head the other way and just continues to watch for the moment. Lena has things under control and Grifter didn't seem too much of a threat yet, certainly not to herself anyway.

*

Lena makes a face, her lips bunching up to one side before relaxing back to their natural shape. Slipping the gun away, she reclaims her jacket and slips it on, zipper up and buttons set. "You're not worth my time, Curious. Maybe next time." A pause, "Actually, don't make it a next time, hmm?" Moving closer to Ne, she holds out her hand in offer to the girl. "I promised dinner, I'm a woman of my word. Com'on."

*

"You stole from Black Mask," comments Grifter. "Not a good idea under most circumstance, barely better than stealing from the Joker," he adds, coming closer now that Lena has holstered her gun. "I'm Grifter, if you want to talk, icegirl, I am not that hard to find in Gotham. Watch your back for the other ninjas. Doubly so in Chinatown."

Then he is gone. Ninja-like. Just as the wailing of police cruisers can be hard in the distance.

*

Sionis? That has Neon blinking a little and leaning forwards. She was from Gotham originally after all, but people were already doing their fleeing and it was probably for the best they did the same. Still, there was a little bit of a pout. She'd probably have to cloak herself if she wanted to eat here again without staff panicing and wandering if there were going to be gunfights in the lounge! Hoping down from the table, Ne nods her head to Lena and makes a few more signs. Perhaps they should try Japanese instead?

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