12697/The Mekanik (except he's just a mechanic)

The Mekanik (except he's just a mechanic)
Date of Scene:	06 September 2022
Location:	Battery Park City
Synopsis:	Felicity and Bart have a close encounter with the Punisher.
Cast of Characters:	Frank Castle, Felicity Smoak, Bart Allen

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Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle only lets a very few people handle his equipment ever. He gets his weapons from particular buyers or from his own salvage, and he gets provenance and records on any weapon he confiscates to see if it's clean for use. He doesn't care if it fucks up someody's DA case or whatever, the system's rigged anyway.

He's dropped the Battle Van at the mechanic, getting some computer upgrades that he won't fucking understand on the surveillance gear, along with the satellite link and the lockdown mechanics. Whatever. He'd find out which buttons to push and, in the meantime, he got a reuben from the deli and a couple of beers and would see if anybody had the game on the TV at the mechanic's office...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Everyone needs a mechanic some time. Even vigilantes. Or hacking geniuses who couldn't tell a manifold from.. well, anything really. In this case, it's double duty- both vigilante and hacker genius needs work done, on the van only. The interior is off limits!

It's a burp of black smoke that exudes from the tailpipe as the panel van jolts forward in something approximating a buck, but it's only sporadic. It's enough, however, that it requires something more than a lift of the hood and a 'huh..' before closing it again.

Rounding a corner on the city's streets, Felicity is driving, the blonde softly cursing at the other drivers on the road even as she makes her way down the side-street now. Parking is at a premium, and it's pretty questionable as to whether or not she'll be able to fiiiiiiit her van in beside another .. likely, unlikely looking other.

She manages it, but only; the side mirrors only giving a couple of inches of clearance. Of course, there is no way Felicity will be able to open her driver's side down without putting a dent in the other van.. and she looks across to the passenger seat, and sighs.

"This.. this is why I'm not going to the 'Belly ever again." There's a pause before she adds wistfully, "Even if they do have the best fries..."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "Best fries, and they have the Sonic toys in their kids meal, I went out to Smallville recently and actually found two of the Sonics, and my cuz got two Amys." He tells Felicity "And Yes I maybe a bit old for kids meals, but they are collectables." He informs her, but does smile "Well next time, we can take my vehicle, but it is a bit different than most." He offers. He does climb out and holds the door for her to follow him on that side.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle is heading back towards his Van, now parked to the side of the mechanic's to indicate a job well done. Well, other than the dame and the dude with her getting a little nosy at the side. Still. No need to call attention to himself. He'd just wait, taking occasional bites of his sandwich and let them take whatever time they need to get away from the van so he can be on his way. He's tired, he's a little cranky, he has a seeping wound on his left thigh currently being held together by staples from a guidance counselor's office (don't ask)...yeah, yeah, he would just...wait. Being patient. He was always patient. Right?

Felicity Smoak has posed:
There is patience, and then there is 'patience of a Saint' which is sometimes required when it comes to Ms Felicity Smoak. When the driver's side exit is abandoned, she sits in her seat for a long second, brows rising before she shakes her head, "In 20 years, they might be collectable. Now? Now, it's just called being a geek." Nerd. Whatever.

Pot, hello kettle. You're looking very black today!

Still, she scootches towards the passenger side, maneuvering herself up and around the center console, before she half-falls out of the door, thanks to one high heel making it a touch difficult.

"I am not wearing.." is huffed softly before she smooths out her dress and recenters herself with a quick smile. "Thank you."

Once the door is closed, Felicity can start making her way out and around, but.. like does know like, and something on the other van catches her attention. Pausing at it, she looks briefly puzzled and then casts a glance back to her/their van.. and back. Peering at it a little closer, Felicity shakes her head and whistles softly, "That'll get you some serious HD..."

No sign of her having noticed the owner of said van, lurking..

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will move to help catch Felicity. Did that young man move that quick? Na couldn't have. He looks to her and smirks a bit "Everything is an antic to me." He teases back a bit to the woman, and adds "And what can I say, I like games, even the retro ones." He is wearing a T-shirt that says "Red Arrow is the Best Arrow." , jeans and tennis shoes. "I could maybe call Wally, he knows a bit about cars." He offers.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle can't abandon the van. He just put fifteen K in the van and, yeah, he could take that hit, but it was a real pain in the ass of a hit and would probably cost close to a million to replace the whole damn thing from scratch. And it looks worse if they notice him and he runs and then...fuck...fuck it...

"Hey there, folks, take it easy now, I just got the darn thing back now," he says. He has sunglasses on now, his face covered with salt and pepper scruff. Accent's hard to place. Midatlantic somewhere? "Don't let me interrupt now, young fella, she's a fine filly there you've got."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"You could. But I'm pretty sure trips bore him," Felicity smirks. She won't be swayed from the van beside them now. One camera spotted, the hacker begins to slowly move around the vehicle and stops short right in front of Frank. She sees shoes, hears a voice, and looks up.. and up a little more. Adjusting her glasses, Felicity takes a half-step back, an apology perhaps on her lips.

"Oh.. um.. I know I didn't hit it. I mean, it would have been obvious. I didn't even try and squeeze through the door, even though I bet I could have." It's a point of pride!

The words jumble from her, and she continues, "That's yours?" Finally, and she points, brows rising. "It's.. um.." pressing her lips together, she tries to take the moment not to spill everything, ".. very nice. A very nice van. Looks good. Doesn't look stalkerish at all."

As if realizing what she's just said, Felicity tries to make things just a little better, and her head flickers back to Bart, and back to Frank. "Not that it would anyway. But you know how vans can be. It's the first thing people think when.." Beat.

"Never mind."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over to Felicity, "But aren't those supposed to be white, with Free Candy written on the side?" He asks, trying to help her out of her foot and mouth. He looks over to Frank, and notices the leg and says "Are you hurt, do you need a place t sit, I can get you a chair or something." He offers.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle inclines his head simply to Bart, "No, thank you, kindly. 'fraid I've got to get used to it. Bum hip at least got me a few extra benefits. Worth more'n the shrapnel they'd have to pull out to fix it," he says. "I'm a big boy, son, don't you worry, you and your lady have a nice day now..."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity glances back to Bart again, his words filtering down and she nods slowly, adding slowly, "Right. They are. Usually."

The offer of a place to sit to the man gains the polite refusal, but it's pretty obvious that the gears are moving behind those coke-bottle glasses of hers, trying to reconcile the owner of the van and the gear that she has a brief hint of what could be inside. That is no backup camera. It might look like it to a glance, to someone //not// in the know, but she knows.

"Oh, we're not.. um.. No." Could that have been any more awkward? Probably not.

"I've never used this guy," and Felicity gestures towards the garage bay. "He's been recommended though." Felicity just isn't a spy. Not in the slightest. "It would be really embarrassing if I broke down in the middle of Starling."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen isn't the stealth type either, he says "Na, we are closer to inlaws, but not quite there either." He admits. He frowns a bit at the man's leg and says "Well, if you need anything let me know, you got shot in it?" He asks, as the man mentioned shrapnel "Or is shrapnel only from explosions?" He asks, yea Bart can be blunt.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle had been more than prepared to just brush past, get in his van and let bygones be bygones. But the girl mentions his mechanic and if they're using the same mechanic, then he needs to be aware of who they are. So he turns his head, now resting a hand against the side of his van. "George'll do you soiid."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
In-laws?!

Felicity's only just //started// kinda dating Oliver, but sorta.. and it's still in that very, very new car smell stage. Blue eyes widen at the very idea of it, and she shakes her head quickly, the blonde pony-tail swinging before she raises a hand to thumb over. "Ish. Sort of." Felicity stares briefly at Bart before adding, "Not really." Kind of.

All that positive and negative, roll that into a ball and one has the hacker genius that is Fel.

Stepping back another half step to give the man a little room to get in (he has it on //this// side!), Felicity nods her head slowly. "George. I'll.. um.. tell him that he comes recommended." 'by you'.. is unspoken, but she really doesn't need to actually say it. "By, you know.." just in case she feels that she's tiptoeing into deeper waters, "people." She'd actually been asked to bring it here by Oliver; he has his own connections, after all. BUT!

"I'm sorry. We should let you go. You probably have places to go, people to wa- see. Things to do."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over, and says "Well what else would you call someone who are dating brother and sister, I mean, in law is the closest I could think of. Neither of us are married, but there is not a word for dating in laws. " He hmms and says "Din Laws.... step does not fit, maybe preinlaws, or in laws once removed? How does that whole removed work, is it when someone is kicked out of the family?" Yup. Ramble ramble.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank Castle ignores the rambling of the boy, pegging the girl as the smarter one. The girl usually was, in Frank's experience. The boy was still too young, all balls and bullshit. Frank opens the door to his van and reaches in, carefully, keying in the code he'd requested and then rapidly cycling through five different changes. He can do it by heart, with one hand, the other holding open the door while he looks back over his shoulder to make sure the two youngsters are leaving. An innocuous, placid, middle-aged dad smile plastered on his dumb Italian face.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity looks confuzzled at Bart, and drawing a breath, all she really can say on the matter is, "We need to talk about this," before she looks to Frank. "I will give your regards to George."

Another step back is taken, and she reaches for Bart's arm to lead him towards the garage and the owner that is undoubtedly beyond. For her van, she too has levels of security, from the mundane to the 'will cut you to take a DNA analysis from the blood' level, but she doesn't have to go too far with it.. so a double *beep* is good enough confirmation that the doors are, at the very least, locked.

"Come on," is muttered softly, "Let's drop off the keys. I have things to do tonight." First is to look up that van!

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and will follow along with her, and says "I can get ya back home, when your ready so don't worry about how long it will take to get home." He offers to her. He does watch the van a bit "So, something odd about the guy and his van?" He asks softly once they are a bit away.

Frank Castle has posed:
Maybe that's something. Maybe it ain't. Frank Castle makes a mark in his journal, just to remind him. Hopefully for them, they won't see the Punisher again.