11497/Tracking A Thief

Tracking A Thief
Date of Scene:	07 June 2022
Location:	Alleyways - Mutant Town
Synopsis:	Dealing with a proble, Bella Donna runs into an interesting youth in June Connor
Cast of Characters:	June Connor, Bella Donna

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June Connor has posed:
    "Bastard, we agreed on fifty a pop," June spits angrily at the three guys across from her in the alley. She shakes the bag. She pulls out the small packets. "You got ten right here, that's $500." She's dressed the part, the thin young woman looks like she's about fifteen, but the tattoos indicate she has to be at least 18. A loose black tank top, shredded with a Metallica logo, a black sports bra necessary underneath to keep her decency. Her shoulder has a red handprint tattoo'd on it. The top reveals another winding tattoo around her midsection of a japanese dragon, or snake, or something. Her cut off shorts are complimented by black fishnets, and her head is crowned with a fire-engine red undercut, and gemmed by several facial piercings.

    "No, we said $50 a pop, and we needed at least 20," the man who is several feet taller than her answers. He's flanked by two other men, who have an equivalent attire to June's, punker trash to the core.

    "So what? I could get these, so take'm, maybe I find others later, how hard is that?"

Bella Donna has posed:
Needless to say, June looks very interesting comparatively to the typical riff raff about in this alley. June, was not the reason a 2nd in command of the New Orleans Assassins Guild was present. It rather had something to do with the items traded, or their connection to one particular mutant of interest.

It's hard to tell Belle is even there, wrapped up in her dark cloak, keeping to the shadow, and nearly blending into the walls, eyes peering at the exchange with intent.

June Connor has posed:
    "Look, you wanted it lifted," June says, counting on her fingers. "I got the fuckin' shit, you pay like $200 for this normally. You don't get traced to the fuckers makin' it, right?" Second finger. "And I put my ass on the line to do it," she counts to her third finger. "Sonsubitches would kill me dead if they found out, and you know that's true." Clearly, June should be charging much more for this deed. Business isn't her strong suit.

    "No, you give it to us, and we don't leave you with a black mark on the guild, how about that?" comes the answer.

    "Bitch I had a death mark from the Hand, think I give a damn about your black mark with your two-bit bullshit?"

    Apparently the man is done talking. His fist snaps out, cold cocking the much smaller woman. It doesn't quite have the instant knockout that he was hoping for. She catches herself against the brick wall of the alley, dropping the goods to the ground.

    "Now just you get out before we make this uglier," he says, his hand turning to what appears to be wood. Not everybody can get a stone mutantion. June's face contorts, one of those that looks like there is an inherent complaint in her face. She bursts forward, into the air, and grabs the man's neck in a clench, headbutting him to the ground in a single blow. Of course, she has two more people right there, and she's still outnumbered two to one.

Bella Donna has posed:
It's unfortunate that the hand turns to wood, giving Belle a chance to intervene, firing a plasma blast right right at that wooden hand. It may be a while before the hand would heal from that.

Stepping out of the shadows, smoke rising from her left hand, Bella Donna steps closer to June and the hapless man accosting her. "Speaking of making it uglier...I'm of a mind to make sure people dealing with MGH cease to exist.

"Ever heard of the New Orleans Assassins Guild...?" She asks ever so innocently, the voice almost masks the threat the name was supposed to carry.

June Connor has posed:
    The second guy doesn't waste time, immediately grabbing June by the throat as she finishes her attack. She goes for a knee to the groin, but he blocks, squeezing tightly around her throat as the third man comes up to join him, grabbing hold of her left wrist, then her right.

    The incoming shot takes the poor guy already down and he yelps in pain, being brought fully back to a conscious state by the pain. He starts swatting the burning hand desperately, and it causes all three of the others, June and her two attacks to freeze, and shift their attention toward Bella's violent announcement of her presence.

    "This in't New Orleans," the man holding June's throat answers. "Who'n youse?" He puts an agressive front up, but the look in his eyes is clearly intimidated, given the power that was just demonstrated before him.

Bella Donna has posed:
"Oh, no it isn't..." Belle muses at the immediate retort, "but the claim tells me you haven't learned to fear the name, allow me to make introductions," she keeps her tone none threatening and quiet. With a flourished sweep of her cloak, two blades fly out, one at each of the guys still on their feet. "I'd be sure to go to the local clinic, these may have been poison tipped..." a sword is drawn from out of the cloak, "wanna dance?"

June Connor has posed:
    The guy holding June by the throat is quick enough to move to keep from taking the dagger, though the other catches it in the ankle. It causes enough of a distraction that June bursts free of the grip on her hands, and kicks the man holding her throat in the chest, clearing him back. She turns to the man who was struck in the foot, and unloads a series of vicious strikes at him. Knees and elbows quickly bringing him to the ground by sheer force of speed and agression. She doesn't have the best form, she just has the fire needed to fight.

    The other man pulls a gun from behind him, pointing it at Bella, "Never bring a sword to a gunfight," he says. "Get the fuck outta here before you have real trouble." He hesitates, he may be a bad guy, but clearly there is a certain delay on the idea of murdering someone. He may not be that level of bad guy.

Bella Donna has posed:
The fact the man dares pull a gun seems to decide the course of action of Bella Donna, a glow can briefly be noticed as her cloak shifts, before her hand shoots at the armed one and a beam of plasma sears its way through his weapon if not his entire arm. Needless to say, she's no hero, and has little care about killing people. "If you gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."

June Connor has posed:
    The gun explodes as the gunpowder is ignited, and the beam continues through his bicep. He screams in pain, dropping what remains of the weapon from his mangled hand, and bgrabs his bicep that's been set on fire.

    "Holy shit!" June hops backward, looking back at Bella, raising her hands. "Look they ain't friendsa mine," she says, her green eyes wide in terror. "Just was doin' a deal, I don'ts got no beef, right? They assholes anyway," she says, backing up to the brick wall, and not having much further to retreat.

Bella Donna has posed:
"I would suggest leaving before I end you, if you're not already dead from the poison in the blades..." Bella Donna says in an irate voice, clearly annoyed she had to waste her talents on people without a contract on their heads. "I did mention the posion, right?" She shakes her head, and returns the sword to its place beneath her cloak, turning to face June. "People should know better than trash talk when they hear the name Assassin's Guild...so, where do you get your supply from...?"

June Connor has posed:
    June glances down at the three seriously wounded opponents, and back to Bella, keeping her hands up. "I uh, don't have a supplier," she says, clearly cautious regarding exactly what she should reveal. She's not certain if Bella is coming to collect on the stolen goods, or if she's coming to stop the supply chain. The latter she could care less about, if it's the former, she's the one this woman is looking for, which is not who she wants to be.

Bella Donna has posed:
"I very much doubt you produced these..., so a source perhaps?" Belle tries a different approach, her hood granting a perfect shadow for her face, making it hard to note any features, though from the voice alone and flashes when the cloak shifted from her motions, it's at least clear she's a woman. "This thing drives a narative of mutants being dangerous, uncontrollable, and it needs to stop..." Belle lets the words linger at this point, studying June's reaction, at the very least, the girl seemed to have properly identified Belle is a threat. Unlike the wouldbe thugs who paid a price.

June Connor has posed:
    "No no," June answers, "Look I don't got a source, these guys wanted somebody to pick some of it, that's all. They were scared that somebody was gonna lab rat'm or some shit. She takes a single step backward, clearly not wanting to close any distance. "I mean, youse /is/ dangerous," she points out. "Not that I got beef about it, but let's be real, you totally shit all over these poor assholes. ell ya what, don't melt my face, and I'll take ya to where I lifted it, sound fair?"

Bella Donna has posed:
"So you're nothing more than a courier for them? Go to point A for pick up, give it back to them?" Belle asks in a firm tone, still giving June the benefit of the doubt that she has nothing to do with those hapless men she just dispatched. "They brought it on themselves, when a sensible person hears the name New Orleans Assassins Guild, they don't scoff...our rep is we complete contracts to perfection, and there are no survivors. They made their death beds, they get to lie in it." Zero remorse about anyone she's hurt, as Belle continues to observe June, and while carrying a fearsome air with her hooded cloak, looking like a character out of Assassin's Creed or Bloodborne, she has yet to actually inflict harm on June. "I will take that deal, better not be a trap, I have 50 assassins with me in the area..." she might be fibbing, but judging how she handles herself on her own, why try her?

June Connor has posed:
    "Gotta eat, right?" June gives a wince. She still hasn't lowered her hands. Of course, her own assassin marking might lead one to think she's with the Hand, given her red tattoo of a handprint on her left shoulder. Of course, why would the Hand care about doing petty theft jobs like this?

    While the teenage ruffian is skeptical about fifty assassins, she surely isn't going to question it. "Right, well, uh," she slowly lowers her hands. "So, they were just outside of Bushwick. I guess that's smart, if you're sellin' in Bushwick to keep just out of the neighborhood if you don't want peeps to find ya. Gettin' it delivered from shit if I know where, but meatheads like those stupid chester molester vans to move their stuff. Guy parks his in a parking garage, acts like it's all normal and shit."

Bella Donna has posed:
"It is an essential part of staying alive," Belle concurs with June, though her tone doesn't sound as mirthful as her sarcastic reply suggests. The mark doesn't go unnoticed, as the a sudden question out of the blue would reveal, "which Finger do you serve?"

Listening to details offered, she nods, "I will have my people visit those parking garages, and I may visit their place outside Bushwick myself...give them a little house call, let them know what I think about their operation."

June Connor has posed:
    June knows what the question means immediately. "That's... complicated," she answers. Though a light seems to come on inside. "You really don't wanna get mixed up in the Hand politics, trust me, they are all a bunch of assholes, but I never said that if anyone asks. Way too bloodthirsty." She glances down again to the men suffering. "Then again, maybe that's your speed."

Bella Donna has posed:
"Should I inform Madame Gao you said she's an asshole...?" Belle asks, the name dropping suggesting she may already be involved in their politics more than June would imagine. "You have that right, honor and respect are tantamount, people have died for imagined slights. Fear not, I will not share what I've heard...must be a slip of the tongue."

June Connor has posed:
    "Oh, actually, that one you can tell to suck my dick," June says, a certain mean light of amusement coming to her face. Odd statement perhaps since June is clearly female, but...you get the idea. "That bitch can't touch me cuz of their same stupid ass politics." Clearly, something went down. "Anyway, you wanted to find the cuck that was sellin' the mutie drug, right?" she reminds.

Bella Donna has posed:
There's genuine laughter coming under the hood, before Belle's hand goes to tap June on the shoulder, "you got a set of balls on you, kid, I like it. If you're ever in New Orleans, you can reach out to apply." Belle does 'tsk' a moment after, "I wouldn't put too much trust in political chains, upset her enough, and that one will see your doom through a 5th party you had no clue was even in her circle. She's really good at what she does." Snapping her fingers in lieu of a "let's go" Belle follows June's lead.

June Connor has posed:
    June shrugs. "Imma die by thirty if I'm lucky," she says. "Just what this life is." She starts walking at the snap, seeming to become a little more at ease. "And I'm all hella kinds of /un/lucky." She heads out onto the dark streets from the alley. "So like, if this shit gives you guys more power and stuff, why you wanna cut it off? Innit like, good for some mutant rebellion shit or whatever? I mean like, you got-" she starts counting on her hand while she walks. "Magneto, Apocalype, Black Adam," not a mutant but she counts him. "Uh, like, Mesmero guy, is that his name? I dunno, all kindsa Malcom X fuckers that seem like they'd want it to take over. And even if you don't, you got every KKK member out there that does a hate crime, it'd be like your own super power pepperspray or somethin'."

Bella Donna has posed:
"Some of us know how to prolong life, some of us ever look for shortcuts," Belle muses, having no doubt the girl couldn't care less if she days the very next day, speaking the way she does about Madame Gao. Then again, she does seem to know her, at her age, so likely is more than just an innocent girl who can't look after herself.

"People who can't control little power, would control more power even less," Belle remarks, "it's also a crutch. It brings weakness." Nodding at June's argument, Belle soon notes, "I did say I'm with the Assassin's Guild, didn't I? What good does a mutant lead world does to us...?"
Yeah, Bella Donna Boudreaux isn't quite the activist for this cause or that.

June Connor has posed:
    June arches her pierced brow, pausing to turn around and study Bella. "You're a mutant, right?" she says with disbelieving wince before turning back to continue ahead. "I mean, whatever guild or-" she shakes out both hands. "Or whatever, it'd be kinda nice to have power. I'm ninety pounds soaking wet. Just another forgotten piece of shit punk." There's a jealous glance over her shoulder. "Fuck if I could get some kinda power to level the field? Somethin' so that I could make my enemies shit themselves? I'd kill for that. Don't act like it's nothin' to you, youse fulla shit if you do. Would be somethin' to anyone."

Bella Donna has posed:
"I may be..." Belle replies ambigously, "or I have a plasma gun," a possibility, by considering June just saw the beam come directly from Belle's hand, it's kind of doubtful. "Join us, you'll have power...though it seems you got power from the Hand already," Belle notes, "there many different kinds of power."

Continuing to follow June, taking note of the path, and alert to any watching eyes. "I'll be honest, I wield more power than you can imagine, and all of it is unseen and unheard, what I just used was brute and unnecessary, I just didn't think they deserved the clean kind of end I could deliver."

June Connor has posed:
    "There is a cynical huff of a laugh when Belle refers to the power June weilds, but she doesn't contradict it, lest she tip her hand. She reaches a chain link fence, and takes a short burst of speed to run up the side of the brick building it's attached to, and vaults to the ground on the other side. "It's down here," she says. Van is parked back in this garage," she says, pointing at a garage that is clearly not connected to the apartment complex. "Guy is in 322 up there, usually smashed out of his brains." She gives a thumb up at one of the windows.

Bella Donna has posed:
If there was ever a doubt if the Assassin's Creed game are silly non-sense or slightly rooted in reality, Bella Donna makes easy work of keeping right along June, parkouring about with ease of one who practiced dare devil street navigation since she was 4. "Then I guess I could see if I could shake his memory a bit...it could get gnarly, you don't have to come along."

June Connor has posed:
    "Nah, you do you," June says, hands up as if to wash of the matter. "Can I go now?" she asks. The sooner she doesn't have a human plasma weapon near her, the better.

Bella Donna has posed:
"I appreciate your help very much, maybe we cross paths again, I have to go make someone's day turn real bad, au revoire," she says as she goes about sneaking towards the van.