1376/=Chinatown Dodge

=Chinatown Dodge
Date of Scene:	26 April 2020
Location:	Chinatown
Synopsis:	A misunderstanding.
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Drew, Robert Marksman, Mason Tavner

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Jessica Drew has posed:
Evening stakeouts. Crime films and TV series devote considerable screen time to them. Two bored, tired people staring straight ahead while they exchange desultory conversation. Spider-woman certainly feels the ennui hanging above Atlantic and Pacific Pets, to be more precise, hanging around the dark alley behind the business on the busy street leading to the famous Pearl River Mart. She decides to shift her weight, hanging head down gives her a good view of the alley but makes the blood rush to her head. Wanting to get the kinks out, after a careful look up and down the alley, she does a flip which puts her feet down, back to the brick wall.

"Ah," she murmurs to herself as she gets a different view of the dumpsters that line the narrow street. "When are these people coming out?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman has come by the pet shop to make an order of more white mice, but it seems he did not make it quite in time. He sighs a bit and rubs a hand through his hair. He looks around the place and tries to find a place to eat, if he came out here might as well grab something to eat so it is not a total waste of time.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Even over the evening traffic noise, Spider-woman catches the sounds of footsteps at the pet shop's door. Sighing to herself at the prospect of having missed the people she is surveilling, she matter of factly makes her way around the outside of the building about twenty feet above the ground. Chancy in a busy section of town but the building across the street has no windows, she counts on the long vertical signs in Chinese to cover her. Once over the entrance, she peers down, her black and red form fitting armor a shadow on the brick building.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman seems pretty normal maybe a bit of a thug to his look, but nothing overly odd, except maybe the sunglasses he still wears. He does look around a bit and he will look up into the area she is, but he does not seem to see her, perhaps it is the heat from the signs or that he aint using his powers right now, but after looking for a few moments, he will head to the place just under where she is.

Jessica Drew has posed:
It's what she does for a living, spying on people, following their movements. The man below her, certainly looks like he could be on her list of suspects. A bit on the thuggish side, especially with those dark glass. The only problem with high up surveillance is getting a look at a person's face which is going to oblige her to slip back around the building to the fire escape where she left her backpack with a light spring coat, a stylish tunic dress and shoes. She does not have the phone booth of Superman to change her garb in. She readies herself to do that when he places himself just below her. Hmmm.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman comes walking towards the restaurant, and stops. He looks around and will feel like there is someone watching him. While most people don't look up. Robert lives in New York, and he can fly himself. He looks up and seeing the woman with the spider motif and the backpack, his brow will raise as he softly says "Well figured Jameson might have some things wrong, but not that wrong."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Well, damn." They must make a strange tableau, a shadowy figure of a woman ostensibly glued to a building between two floors staring down at someone on the sidewalk wearing sunglasses at night.

There are several options, one, pretend they don't see each other (they do, they are looking straight at one another), two, jump down and knock him out (complicated and why escalate when there are other avenues), three, wave.

She finger toodles to him, choosing option three. After the wave, she hold up a finger for his attention and then the palm of her hand in the universal sign of wait for me or stop. Spiderwoman zips around the corner to the fire escape and emerges at street level not three minutes later walking towards the man. Her mask and long dark hair hopefully being recognizable as she now has put on street clothes and a camel hair coat over them.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman will have stepped over tot he side of the entrance and waits. The big man is leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed. He looks over to her as she comes around a brow raises again as he looks her over and says "Spider lady?" He asks of her as she nears him.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"And here, I thought I might have a criminal on my hands and you call me a lady," Spiderwoman answers in a polite, decidedly Oxfordian accent. With two fingers she peels back the mask, shakes out her hair and stuffs the mask into her pocket though she has the backpack slung from one shoulder. "Spider/woman/. Call it intuition but I don't think that you are among my list of usual suspects. And you would be?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman offers her a hand "Robert Marksman." He tells her as he has no reason to let her know he is a hero at least not yet. "Dr. Marksman, but you can call me Robert. Yea, I might look a bit like a hoodlum, but I try to keep my nose clean." He offers a grin to her "Care to grab something to eat?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Quick on your feet, aren't you?" Just a moment, she holds up her hand and walks to the storefront he had tried to enter before. The lights are off and it looks closed for the night. Returning to him, she frowns and then points to the corner of the block opposite them. "They have the best handmade noodles in Chinatown and there is no line. Miracles of miracles. Want to go there?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman offers her a smile and says "Hey we are in New York, I work in a building that has A guy who claims to be a god staying in the building beside me, I have learned to be quick on my feet." He wil head with her to the building

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Do you say?" Jessica doesn't refute the possibility of there being a god in the building next door to his office, having met one in New York recently and knowing there are more where he came from but doesn't elaborate on it.

"It takes all kinds."

Fast forward.

The two of them are seated in one of the escapee Japanese ramen restaurants in a booth with a view of the four cooks moving behind a counter in the quick ballet of ramen making. Jessica who doesn't even look at the menu knowing what she wants waits for Robert to make his choice.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman gets a beef based broth with plenty of fixing and some spices. He will look over to her and says "So, I take it this is an area you work out of regularly? May I ask, what your working on?

Jessica Drew has posed:
"No, you may not." The refusal is said politely enough, she even smiles as she shakes her head. "Not yet. I have a question for you, first, if you don't mind. What were you doing at that pet shop?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to her, and says "Well as I said, I am a doctor, I work with cybernetics, and I have to work with lab animals at times. It is not the most pleasant thing but it is one of the truths of science. I have found that shop has a good supply of lab mice, and raises them properly without over breeding on in breeding, so I like to get mine from there.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Alright. Erm. Research on live animals. What fun!" This said with a rather heavy dose of sarcasm. The noodles arrive and Jessica occupies herself with them for a few minutes, remaining silent. "To answer your previous question, I was watching the shop because I think they traffic in more than just mice. Good to know they take care of them and don't in-breed them though. High standards. I guess."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman hmms and nods a bit to her, and says "I hope they are not involved in it, but It maybe you never know for sure. I have been able to make some interesting advances though I believe I have a much more sensitive controlled grip for cybernetic hands." He tells her. He does look over to the shop, and lets the glasses hid the glow of his eyes as he looks through the walls and into the back for what type of animals are there.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The muffled vibration of a phone comes from Jessica's bag. She watches him curiously as he looks so intently at the shop across the street and takes the call. A smile lights her face as she types something into it then puts it away. "I have a friend coming to join us. Wasn't sure we were going to meet up. Tell me about the cybernetic hands when he comes. He might be very interested in that."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman hmms and nods his head a bit to this, he will say "Sure, your friend interested in the field, or someone who needs help with it ?" He will ask before the other gets here

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Hmmmm," Jessica says, laying her chopsticks at a precise angle across her half finished bowl. "Good ramen here, right? I think he'll be interested but it's hard to know what he'll run with. Besides, cybernetics is a hot topic."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods, and says "I might have to make this a weekly visit, it is a nice bowl yea." he admits. He looks her over and says "Yea, there is a lot of cybernetics that is out there that is not public options and hoping to help change that.

Mason Tavner has posed:
    Mason's arrival isn't exactly a ground breaking thing. It's heralded by the jangle of the doorbell and the sound of a shoulder thumping lightly into the door itself jostling it open in time for the tall man who arrives to hold it open for the departure of a few other customers who had finished their meal.
    Then the man himself steps on through, wearing his grey suit and opened collar white shirt, looking like he'd just gotten off work an hour or so ago and it was Friday evening. Even though it wasn't. Then blue eyes sweep the room finally falling upon Agent Drew and her comrade there at the table.
    A hand lifts in greeting, "Heya." A few steps over to the table and he extends a hand in greeting to Robert Marksman, "Mason."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Agent Drew watches him with barely disguised suspicion as he does his down-home act. A subtle head shake abrogates that cattiness. He is a nice guy. "Heya," she returns copying the Americanism. "Mason Tavner, this is Robert Marksman. We just met across the street. I was," she purses her lips a bit primly, "watching the exotic pet store there whilst Mr. Marksman missed being able to buy some white mice. White mice, right?" She asks with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Want something to eat?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods, and says "Well I do buy some across froms the white mice but mostly them yes, for lab mice." He shakes the hand says "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Tavner." He offers a smile. Robert is sitting across from Jess still wearing his sunglasses inside.

Mason Tavner has posed:
    "Good ta meet ya, Marksman." The other SHIELD agent says to the fellow, giving a firm nod and then takes a seat in one of the side chairs between the two of them, equi-distant.
    The answer that Jessica gets to her question about food is a simple and calmly offered, "Sure," As he sits down and without even a by your leave pulls her bowl over towards himself, scoops up the chopsticks, holds them expertly in his hand and starts to push around some of the noodles to sop up some of the broth before twisting them into a biteful.
    He takes a bite and chews for a time, then manages to talk a little between chomps. "Did you..." He pauses to look at Robert, then hedges his words a little as he asks, "See anything you were hoping to see?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica's mouth opens in silent protest. But, Mason for all his bonhomie is a noodle stealer extraordinaire. Shaking her head at him, she lets him have his way. "White mice for experimentation in cybernetics, if you will." Frowning slightly, Jessica takes another set of chopsticks from the holder, peels them out of the package, breaks them apart and grabs a piece of pork before it is all gone.

"I found nothing. I think Mr. Marksman didn't either."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods to Jessica's words mostly has been implants to see how well they can control extra tail or such, but the research we have done has given some ideas on how to set up for more fine control." He does not speak on the seeing things, as he figures he is talking to Jess on that one.

Mason Tavner has posed:
    That answer has Tavner raising his eyebrows as if surprised at the answer, then looks over at Marksman and quirks an eyebrow, listening to the other man's words. A small nod is given, steady and clean as he murmurs. "Hnh, that'd be a good thing to get out and about."
    He stabs at the noodles and continues to loop them up for another bite, looking thoughtfully between the two of them. "We have a few friends working on things like that who might be interested in taking a gander at your research. Unless funding isn't something you're pursuing, Mr. Marksman."
    That having been said he ever so casually knits his brow and frowns, looking back towards the door and gestures in that direction with a nod of his head as if someone else was walking through. And if she bites on that gesture he'll lean in and steal a drink from her soda.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The nefarious agent sitting at the end of the booth receives a wide-eyed innocent bat of her long eyelashes. His feint nearly pulls her eyes away from the soda that she casually wraps a hand around, the slurp of soda through the straw is subdued, even lady like.

"That's very true. Cybernetics being a subject of some interest for the people we work for. Do you..." Jessica searches for the polite way to ask if he has cybernetic prothesis and plunges ahead.

"Do you have use cybernetics, Mr. Marksman?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman shakes his head, and says "I have not needed any luckily they thought I might needed after an accident a few years back, but the doctors were able to keep me in one piece. Funding is not something I am overly worried about perhaps you have heard of Marksman Inc." He tells them "But I am willing to work with others as long as they are ok with working on patents being at a cheaper access to those who are helping low income communities

Mason Tavner has posed:
    "Still," Mason chimes in despite his foiled attempt at stealing soda, he offers toward Robert a comment of, "Collaboration can always be good. But I can understand if you want to keep your intellectual property to yourself for now."
    That said he tilts his head toward Jessica Drew, "Is this something you're going to want to report to R&D or just let it go for now?" As if deciding what possible angles they can play for this particular case. He does, at the least, have the wherewithal to smile a little over at Robert as disarmingly as he can.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Pooching her lips out, eyebrows upraised in query, Jessica shrugs. "I hadn't intended on it. I'm sure the head office knows about Mr. Marksman's work. But, I will mention it to them." Indicating the now empty bowl with a raise of her chin, asks nonchalantly, "Finished? Want some soda?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to them and says "And who do you work for, if I may ask." He asks looking at the two for a moment, not having expected a superhero to be working for anyone in particular to be honest.

Mason Tavner has posed:
    Crinkling his nose, Mason tells her levelly, "Nah." Since really, stolen things taste better. That said he does nod at her agreement about home office having a grip on the situation that might well elude them. He then straightens up in his seat against the edge of his table and starts to button up his shirt collar, as if getting set to go back into the office.
    But when Robert asks who they work for he cocks an eyebrow at her, letting her make the decision to either confide or give the name of the shell company they sometimes use.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Triangle Industries. I sub-contract for them, Mr. Tavner is a solid nine-to-fiver hence the 'look'." Jessica looks down her nose at him and slurps the rest of the soda. Searching in the backpack at her side, she extracts a card printed with the name, number, address, all very official. "Give us a call, if you'd like, Mr. Marksman."

Raising a finger to the server, she signals for the check. "Are you ready, Mr. Tavner? Would you excuse us, Mr. Marksman? We'd thought of grabbing a late showing of an Avengers movie. "Avengers, right? With that jerk, Thor."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman takes the card and says "Thanks I will look into it." He tells them both. "I am sure we should be able to find some way we could work together.

Mason Tavner has posed:
    "I'm all set," Mason says as he flattens his hands upon the tabletop and pushes himself to his feet. He takes that chair he had pulled over and turns it back around, sliding it under the nearby table he had initially stolen it from and then giving a nod to Robert in departure. "Until next time, Mr. Marksman."
    That said he turns around and starts to walk towards the door, pushing it open with one hand and holding it for Agent Drew to precede him before he wanders after as well.