14631/Workshop Art and Antics, Inc.

Workshop Art and Antics, Inc.
Date of Scene:	08 April 2023
Location:	Caleb's Workshop, The Narrows
Synopsis:	Wanda comes visit Caleb's workshop, same for Coulson, who comes asking odd questions, which makes Caleb defensive.
Cast of Characters:	Caleb Dykstra, Wanda Maximoff, Phil Coulson

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Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Gotham, The Narrows. And whaddya know, it's daytime.

Huh.

There's a little corner of the Narrows where a mechanics garage lies, and next to it, a workshop. In this workshop - really just an extension of the garage, but working as a different business altogether -, is a young man, a teenager in his later years, going about working some machines. More specifically, he's forging and welding, and cutting some metal.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The Narrows even at high noon are more dangerous than the OK Corral when Wyatt Earp wandered by, and probably comparable to an active warzone a lot of the time. Not somewhere real estate agents can pretty up by claiming it's a work in progress or undergoing growth or expansion.

Not so many years ago, the wasteland swallowed the living whole.

How different then to find herself walking through the mismatched buildings, still avoiding the cratered potholes. Wanda doesn't bother with her usual red attire; jeans and a hoodie help her blend in well enough and if she needs more than that, it's not an issue to bring that to the fore -- magic, after all. Her purpose for being in Gotham, in the worst part of the city, isn't clearer either. She searches for graffiti markings on the walls, specific shapes buried among the years of slathered paint covered over by fresher designs and new tags. Her path wanders around the perimeter of a building, close to where another stands.

Easy enough to hear the machinery. That alone turns her head, ceasing the hunt for a mark. For now.

Phil Coulson has posed:
A quiet car floats above as Coulson opens a shield file and reads through it. "humm.." he says as he looks at the screen in his car. "Yea I am there.. I will check him out. You sure he is still who he says he is." he is quiet for a moment then nods with a sigh. "Yea have the response teams on standby. If something happends classify it as a rank 50 threat, and act likewise.". As he looks down he pets his flying car. "It is alright Lola, just another ride in the park." he says though he grabs a smaller then hand sized pistol looking weapon. "Just incase.." he adds, before tossing over a rope from the side of the car.

He maybe getting up there in age, but he can still repel as he slides down the rope. He slides down quietly as he enters the narrows, wearing his fancy suit, and tie though other then confront the welding person he stands in the shadows waiting. He will watch for now as he always liked to see what was going on before acting so for now he waits and watches.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Aside from the sounds of the machinery, there's also the sound of music - no, not classics, nor the 80s, nor the 90s, but alternative metal stuff. Inside the workshop, Caleb welds some metal pieces, places the resulting billet on the furnace, and takes a moment to stretch himself.

And that's when he notices Wanda. Now, Wanda is a famous face - one which he has met himself, even if in passing -, so he tilts his head, adjusting his eyesight as he pulls the welding mask from his face.

"Wanda Maximoff...?", he says to himself. "Oh wow, Sheila would go nuts right this moment."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Nothing like a man zipping down a line from a flying car to cause someone to double-take. Worse, to shoot at. Always a good chance of that in the Narrows, where yahoos and gangers taking potshots at anything that moves happens practically every hour.

Hence Wanda not bothering wearing red, since playing 'Redcoat' here wouldn't go over well. Just a better target that way.

As it is - not much to see, not exactly. Her hands slide into her back pockets, a comfortable slouch to her posture deceptive. Almost like she belongs. Almost like she's just another flittering shadow in a neighbourhood full of dangers.

Her name on someone's lips normally gives pause, though not today. Not exactly. Caleb isn't loud and therefore gets a pass. Mostly because she's looking up for a moment to see if that's really someone or a something up there. Car? Probably.

"Ah. That's..." Briefly she looks away, gaze likely crossing the younger man's. Only a quick smile, but it's there, proof she isn't from around here. Wisely she flattens to the wall, a habit long-practiced in bad places.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Thankfully no-one takes pop-shots at the agent or the car today as standing in the shadows Phil takes out a notepad, and writes some notes. Seems to be able to recal other names, and looks up as he approaches closer coming out of the shadows. "Humm... I see, And when did you meet this.. Sheila?" he asks, he has a device in his hand that he pushes, and the car where it is at seems to float away to find a good parking spot until he calls it. He approaches the two putting the remote away, and pulls out a card. "Good evening.. Phil Couson. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." he says though it is a mouth full.

Instead of his remote he retrives his pad of paper, "I had a few questions for the gentleman, though I am glad to see I am not alone," he writes wierd meetings with Avengers on the paper in short hand. He was a bit suspicious of Caleb already, though the tone of his voice, and face looked calm.

Looking over at Wanda he asks, "Do you two know each other?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Miss Maximoff", Caleb says, "Good to meet you again, though you likely won't remember me." He smiles. "Which is, of course, natural when famous - everybody knows who you are when you have no idea who they are..."

"But anyways", he shifts subject, "what can I do for you?"

And then, Coulson walks in, his car hovering out of view to find a parking spot - and that's when he sees it, landing right across the street. He finds his jaw dropping. "Uhm... That's a nice anti-theft system. I'd keep it turned on, though. Not the nicest neighbourhood in Gotham, you know?" He looks at Coulson, neutral and professional look, "Mr. Coulson, pleased to meet you." He quickly narrows it down to the acronym. "I've met her the day she was born, under the rubble of Gotham, when it was nothing but a no man's land." He puts in in other words, "She's my kid sister." Beat. "So, what can I do for SHIELD?"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
"Did you ever being involved with that... play, was it?" A brief pause colours the inquiry as Wanda searches her memory, caught on the spot by no less than Phil Coulson. She very well knows something of who the man is, and he earns a nod of greeting. Hardly anything outright provocative. "A passing acquaintance from New York. And unfortunately that is the nature of being in the spotlight. People know of me more than the other way around. It wasn't always that way."

How things change as time evolves. An admission made in a murmur of recognition and a bit of rue. She smiles a bit. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Phil Coulson has posed:
Phil only nods, as he knows the security on his car can stick up to bad neighborhoods. Thankfully most were non-leathal so if the kids tried to mess with it they would just go home a little shocked, or frozen but overall shouldn't even need a hospital visit. Phil listens, and nods writting again in his little notebook, He smiles a bit as it was a good sign that he remembered the story so vividly, and the scans from the satalites shown as human so he was begining to worry less. "Please... lets not use the S name. People get all worried about govement stuff when I am just trying to have a discussion with two new friends." he explains with a smile.

They didn't need to know about the Shield teams on standby waiting for his order to come in hot, as it would just worry them, and he was beginning to think more, and more he wouldn't need them. He looks at Wanda first, "Oh it is nice to meet new people isn't it." addressing her connection with Caleb, "And I am just checking in as there were some... reports that seemed to worry me." he waves a hand "Nothing you need to worry about of course, as I don't want to start a witch hunt over nothing. You know Avengers is my first call!" and chuckles a bit.

Then turning to Caleb, "It is also a pleasure to meet you." he holds a hand to Caleb, and grins a little. "And where is this sister now?" he asks curiously as he did not see her with him.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"I did get involved in the play, very recently", he chuckles. "Really got snagged into a part as part of a crew man on a ship. Didn't even see it coming." He shrugs, "It paid well for the job." Too bad the money was taken by the mob boss he's forced to work under. Thank you very much, Bazilio Vittorelli.

To Coulson, "I'm sorry... 'This' sister?" Yes, that's a strange way to put it, and he's fast on the catching up. "You'd mean 'my' sister, surely." He's not shaking Phil's hand - something doesn't quite add up. "'Witch hunt'?" He looks at Wanda, and back to Phil. "Am I under suspition of anything?" Defensive, right there.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The thrill of welding and flying cars may just require Wanda to take a detour home, bothering with the hyperloop instead of teleportation. Portals are hell on cell phone reception, after all.

The jotting of notes in the notebook or the casual exchange doesn't leave her ill at ease. Her expression stays open and calm, for all that she's dressed like an everyday person roaming around Gotham, most certainly no kind of bat.

"Life's all about the other people you share it with," she replies to Phil, lifting her shoulders in a slight shrug. "Reports that worried you? I hope nothing too serious?" Her eyes widen a tinge, and that pained smile lasts for a moment. "Witch hunts were never a good idea, not even back in the sixteenth century. I do hope we're beyond that in this country."

It's a point she gently makes, and steps back lightly. "Congratulations upon the play. I hope it all went well." Her expression turns distant for a moment, and her phone starts to ring. Always a pain, that.

Phil Coulson has posed:
At the suspesion, and the lack of hand shaking he just chuckles, taking back his hand. "You know I can't tell you that even if you were." he notes to asking if he was under suspistion. He shrugs a bit, and looks at Wanda, "Do I look that sketchy?" and chuckles a bit. "Do not worry Mr. Dykstra my job is to protect the world from threats above class ten. Do you know the classes?" he sighs a bit, "Lets say Hulk, and Thor got into a fight again in New York.. That would be a two.'

He lets that sink in for a moment before continuing. "Just know I am trying to keep you and your sister safe as well as everyone else." he takes his card out, and hands it to him. "If you start running into people who look like you or your sister. Or people acting strange like knowing things they shouldn't or not knowing what they should... Call me. I won't laugh or think your crazy." he explains.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb takes the card, committing the numbers to memory, "Well, did you ever face a Crowd before?" It might sound like an awkward question regarding social anxieties on interviews or press conferences, but the question stands. "Because lemme tell you, a Crowd can and will do a lot of damage over time."

Phil Coulson has posed:
Noding as he at least took the card turns to walk away. He then stops, "A crowd huh.. If your refering to that flash crowd I did read the report" talking about the second one. "Though it seems to be more of a villian messing about then an invasion itself." he sighed, and looked at his car hitting a button. The line of Yellow that had been sprayed on it at some point in the background slides off as it drives towards them slowly. "Still... If you like I will look into it, and if you run into this again, or end up stopping him yourself let me know and I will properly detain him, and take care of any.... police interactions. Given you don't go too far of course."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, I did face it", Caleb replies. "/Twice/ now." He explains. "On both occasions I barely made it out alive, if it wasn't for a quick wit and some available help." He continues, "The first time, I faced it here in Gotham. The second..." He points, "All the way out in New York."

Phil Coulson has posed:
With a chuckle, Coulson gets in the car, and puts his sunglasses on. "Keep up that quick wit Mr. Dykstra maybe we will meet again." he fixes his mirrors and then looks up. "That number isn't to be played with, no drunk dials please." turning on the car to a low rumble he smiles again as he loved Lola truely. "Keep in mind what I said. And when your sister is older let me know. We are always looking for inspired people to help us at SHIELD. It pays well, and has benifits." he waves, and takes off again. 'until Next time!" he says as the car is moving away through the air again!

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Actually feeling like he's about to be listened, Caleb is preparing to say something, but he's talked about drunk dials and the next thing he knows, Coulson is leaving.

Deadpan while interrupted.

"But... But...", he stammers, "...no information?" He wonders if there's any way to speak M.I.B. where it doesn't seem like he's being put off for another time or outright ignored. "...I guess bye."