15087/Ninjas and Assassins

Ninjas and Assassins
Date of Scene:	05 June 2023
Location:	Midtown - Gotham City
Synopsis:	The Shredder shows up in Gotham to make Talia an offer. Talia declines. For now...
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Shredder

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia has been very, very agitated as of these last few weeks. Her father coming out of nowhere to Gotham to speak to her, then vanishing again. Despite lal o fher attempts, no trace of the League at all that she can track. Have they once again left Gotham? Do they still have ehr under constant observation in ways she cannot tell? She's at a poin tin her life where she can either stay permanently in Wayne Manor.. Or she doesn't know.
    No matter where she hides, her father has shown he can find her. That alone has taken away her preferred option and almost broken her some. The brief visit having done far more damage than anything else. So as the sun rises, she sits on a rooftop staring into the distance.

Shredder has posed:
    It's always easier to track someone trying to evade a different tracker. The Foot Clan's presence has hardly been noteworthy in Gotham, which is part of how it can succeed. Not on the radar of the Bat family, not on the radar of the rogues. A dip into the city for what they need and then a dip back out. Adolescent criminals rarely gain superhero attention, which makes many Foot operatives excellent at staying under the superhero radar.

    However, when The League's presence spiked, but Talia did not relocate out of the city, that made the Master of the Foot Clan curious. It meant that he owed a visit to Gotham himself to learn more about what the demon's daughter may be up to, and why she would stay where she is.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
The Foot Clan may not have wanted to pick a fight with the Bat-Family. Or maybe ther'es just enot enough to interest them in Gotham at any point beyond teh occasioanl token operation. WHatever it is, Talia hasn't noticed them at any point during her stay here and thus isn't paying attention to him.
    Talia's reputation is nowhere near that of her father's - she's surprisingl,y soft for someone high ranking in the league. And this morning she's sloppy. Very, very sloppy as she just sits and watches the sunrise.

Shredder has posed:
    "Sunrises happen every day," says a hard sounding voice from behind. "It's not worth the risk you take to watch this one." The Shredder, for all of the metal that can catch light upon him, has always been unnaturally adept at arriving unannounced. He's not far away either, only perhaps ten feet behind Talia. A definite threat range.

    All the same, he makes no movement to assault, nor takes any sort of ready position as if he has need to defend. Finally, he gives no indication of why he would arrive on the rooftop with her now.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
There's a sudden -snap- and rise to her feet by Talia, going to snap out with a blade from her back and her other fist rising and glowing with electricity - a shock gauntlet. "What b rings the Foot to Gotham?" She doesn't particularly care, honestly.
    But the Shredder being htere in person was something that was a complete surprise to her. She curses herself for being sloppy - not only walked in upon, but not knowing the Foot were there.

Shredder has posed:
    "Ms. Al Ghul," the Shredder answers. "If you must ask that question, you are far too distracted." He doesn't offer further explanation. "A far more intriguing question to me is what keeps Talia Al Ghul IN Gotham. Particularly with your father's recent visit. You did not exit with him, and I feel there's been no change of standing between the two of you. Something of that unique nature seemed to warrant my attention."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would go to keep her hands down to the sides now that Shredder had made no signs of attacking her. ready to fight but taking his presence as non aggressive. "My father and the League are not currently on association terms with me." She would keep that vauge - but Shredder probably already knew that by himself.

Shredder has posed:
    "I'm aware," the Shredder answers, walking past her to look passively toward the sunrise as it reflects off his armor. "What I don't know is why you would remain in Gotham when he has shown an interest in your presence. There's really only one explanation, and that is that you think the Bats would protect you from him for some reason, though I think we both know that would be tenuous at best. Their clan leader is usually rather immutable on his standards, and we both know that you would not make the ideal permanent ally to them." His steel eyes shift toward her while not turning his head.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would keep her weapons down, "Because he mostly stays out of here. If there is anywhere that he does not particularly care for, it would be here." She chooses her words very, very carefully. The League is likely occasionally active in Gotham in spikes.. But, it does not often seem to have more than a subtle presence. They tend not to be welcome after all and Ras wants the heir to his traditions from here.
    "So long as I am quiet they t olerate me." Spoken imprecisely - but o fthe Bats.

Shredder has posed:
    "Tolerate." That singular word is repeated with a little gravity. "And the leader of her own splinter faction is content with that status?" he asks. "The sparrow may be safe from the hawk while hiding in a thornbush, but she cannot spread her wings there. I can't imagine that you wish to stay in a thornbush indefinitely."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would look at Shredder, "And what then are you suggesting?" She would muse over. "I have had enough of these back and forth games. Merel ystate what you would request, and in turn I will be direct in my response if appropriate."

Shredder has posed:
    "An instability within the League of Assassins is valuable to me. Gotham isn't the only city in their sights, and wherever they can be weakened, it makes it easier for the Foot to operate. We don't go on absurdist crusades to decimate cities that don't meet our personal criteria," he points out. "The Foot has the power to offer you aid, to remove the watching eyes on your shoulder. In return, I need access to the movements of the Bats. Their patterns of behavior are difficult to predict at times, and their methods vary. If I am to expand within Gotham, I need to have a better understanding of their ways. I have no interest in removing them, only to move in the stream in a way that we will disrupt each other as little as possible." He wants to actually stay in the shadows of Gotham, unlike so many other criminal organizations.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would fold her arms together, "That is not on the negotiating table. I have no contacts with them beyond their willingness to tolerate my presence. I will not share waht little information I have on them. If you wish to make some kind of arrangement with them, you'll have to speak with them yourself and make contact." She's up front over on that. Her son would never trust her again even as she tries to mend some small things between the two. But still, crossed arms indicative she is not reacting to his presence hostilely.

Shredder has posed:
    There is a fire behind the look of the Shredder. He's not known for appreciation of dissention. "I find that unlikely, or else you would have little issue at the low price I ask to gain quite a bit. My offer is more than fair to you," he says. "Unless you have other staked interests with the one or more of those wearing the bat's cowl. I can respect that if it is the case."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shrug, "I have other stakes in the matter. I appreciate your offer and shall keep it in mind. I do however warn you that the chance for my taking you up on it is rather minimal. If I have a possible alternative I feel that has some potential, I shall reach out to you with it."

Shredder has posed:
    "Consider it carefully," Shredder says, his tone somewhere between an encouragement and a threat. "I am much more beneficial to you as an ally." He doesn't seem interested in giving counter arrangements or negotiating other terms. Instead, he turns to leave.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
There's no attack from Talia at his back, no reply back. But she's also made no outright denial of his offer, no telling him that under no circumstances will she.. And no statement that she'll pass it along to the Bat-Family. A parley - of a sorts.