15650/Maps and pizza- grease marks the spot!

Maps and pizza- grease marks the spot!
Date of Scene:	19 August 2023
Location:	Safehouse #16, NYC
Synopsis:	Domino hosts Monet and Cable at one of her safehouses to discuss Madripoor and tactics in general. Pizza and beer are served.
Cast of Characters:	Neena Thurman, Monet St. Croix, Cable

---

Neena Thurman has posed:
The engraved invitation had arrived the other day, or at least it should have been engraved given from whence it had come. Through channels and channels, underground and then a few more channels the request had come, all ultimately finding its way back to the current 'governor' of Madripoor. (Mind, just because it was reasonably easy for Domino to trace it back doesn't mean every shmo could..) As a result, true to form, Domino's been preparing. There are a great deal of considerations beyond simple 'load out'. Particularly when having to take a team along, though one could argue that the rest of the team IS load out.

Still, one of her more favorite ways to prep, and this is something that Cable may be very familiar with, is a pizza, a case of beer, and a good supply of Hoppes 9. So, in one of her more 'public' safehouses, the pepperoni was in a showdown with the scent of gun cleaner, with the cleaner possibly becoming the winner. On a table in the main area of the basement studio apartment is a map of the current Madripoor, thanks to some satellite feeds coupled with her memory of the Danger Room of the night before. On that map are small, differently colored pins that mark several different items that could be in play:

'Safety' patrols, mostly, though the red pinheads are the hotspots where smaller, potential attempts to get a grounding for the coup happened.

Domino, herself, is in her black, skin-tight leather suit, the zipper dutifully pulled down to a comfortable but not 'girls are going to jump out' sort of level. Pistols are on a table in various levels of disassemble. No fear, however; the albino could put them together with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back. Just to the side, a half-eaten slice of that pepperoni pizza.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Ah, Madripoor, a wretched hive of scum and piracy. When one needed somewhere to put Hub City and Bludhaven to shame. For somewhere more dangerous than the Narrows or Atlantic City. Monet has come in wiht anyone else that's going for the pizza (and beating) run. "I hope that we can make this quick. This place needs to be burnt to a crisp, then have a large meteor impact along it. On the way here I saw seven muggings, three ninjas, one ninja delivering pizza, two pirates, three aliens, and a Chinese knockoff of Stilt Man."

Ugh, Madripoor. Can't it ry and at /least/ be a respectable hive of villainy? Monet kept on grousing. "If I look up onto the skyline I'm going to see a skyscraper with a giant dojo o top of it that has a horde of idiots in pajamas." Someone went by crass cultural stereotypes.

Cable has posed:
There is never any shortage of things on the go in their particularly shadowy realm.

For the most part Cable is past worrying about the whole 'good' and 'evil' thing. It can get a little complex and everyone has their own little twist on it. What counts. What doesn't. He's not particularly interested in debating the matter. Talk is cheap. Talk is easy. He has his own lines that he won't cross and whenever he can he tolerates the same in others.

When he can't, well, that's where things can get a little messy.

No, Nathan Summers is more concerned with 'them' and 'us' these days. There are a host of threats out there these days. Most of them will be picked up and handled by someone. And those that aren't? Well, that's why he keeps an eye on things.

He is a firm believer in multi-tasking. Sometimes there are a few too many balls in the air to focus on just one thing and while he might have spent the bulk of his time as of late trying to track down and put an end to John Sublime and his Transhumanist agenda of murdering mutants for body parts that can then be grafted onto his human followers, well, that's not his only ball in the air.

It's one reason he was happy -- well not happy, it's questionable just what can actually make him happy -- to make time for this. Domino is one of the rare people that he truly trusts. With few or any questions. It's rare. At least for him.

Then there is the fact that it involves Madripoor. While he certainly has no love for the place it has its uses to be sure.

Either way, the air fuzzes in the safehouse for just a moment and suddenly the mutant they call Cable is there. Even coming to a 'friendly' get together like this he seems loaded for bear, multiple weapons clearly visible on him including one of those huge plasma rifles slung over his shoulder.

"Madripoor isn't so bad," he comments to Monet as he appears. "Good place to get info. Lot of people always willing to talk. With a little persuassion."

And Cable does like his persuassion at times.

"Nice place Dom," he comments with a tight smile for their host. "Very homey."

It's really not. Safe houses never are. But Nathan didn't really grow up in a convention environment. Maybe this really is what he considers 'homey'.

It's not bombed out. That's a plus.

Neena Thurman has posed:
It may be a wretched hive of scum and piracy, not to mention villainy, but it's Domino's hive of scum, piracy and villainy! Blue eyes lift, one couched in pale white skin, the other surrounded by the harsh, black tattoo set there in her youth. She shrugs as she picks up her lose barrel, spinning it as it seats into the receiver with a *click*. It feels right; nice and tight.

"I don't mind it. It's-"

And there, there is Cable appearing in that shimmer. Just as suddenly, Domino's got a throwing knife in her hand and she tosses it //through// the light just milliseconds before Nate fully materializes. There's a grin on those black lips, what with a knife embedded into the wall just beyond someone who, yes, she trusts. That doesn't come easy, nor does it come cheaply. Still, it works for them oddly enough. Not since Milo had she even considered being at least vaguely open. To anyone.

Damn time-surfer. Even worse, a Summers! (At least not as scrawny as the others...)

"...got a good view from the mountains. Might try and parlay it into a hacienda with a view." Of the tin and wood ramshackle shacks. Plant a couple of trees, it'll be fine! Really!

Domino's hands have gone back to putting one of her H&K pistols back together, and as a new, good natured grouse rises, Domino is setting her pistol to the side on her table, completed. "You know, there is a door, and you know the sequence." Of grenades, yes. The quirked, crooked smile is given towards the newly arrived before gesturing towards the pizza box. Pepperoni and Hoppes. Mmmmm.

"I put Tabs through her paces last night. It's been too long since I saw her moves without her blowing things up. She'll need a hand here and there." Literally. "We'll have to keep her center so we can point and six."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would turn over to face Nate. "So, what are we going to be doing here while we stay? Hopefully not too long." She could respect at least that they had business here, and that here made foa n excellent long term operating facility. They could get almost anywhere they had to go instantly after all thanks to the teleporter. Even with them not being -in- Madripoor yet she was already not liking the idea.

"And are there any upadtes over on our enemy?" Sublime. One of many at the moment. with the mutant 'cure' afoot, with all the other threats.. IT could never just be one thing after all. Monet goes to sit down on a chair.

"Someone gave me a business card for 'Landau, Luckman, and Lake' on my way here. I think they're lawyers. I wasn't aware that Madripoor had any sort of legal offices. So even here needs lawyers it would seem." She goes to slide in.. Taking a glance of the pizza. Debating.. She was hungry, but was she desperate enough to eat pizza hungry? Decisions, decisions..

Finally, going out to grab a slice and letting out a quiet mutter over to herself while resting her hand over on the table. "And can we go and smash something soon?" She was getting stir crazy. In space, in Madripoor. Cable had to smooth things, Tabby had to explode them, M had to smash them.

Cable has posed:
Look, sometimes certain nicities are rare lost on Cable.

Some of that is again, a matter of his unconventional upbringing. The future is clearly not a very nice place where he comes from and that has definitely helped to shape him. It is also an issue of efficency. Sure he *could* teleport outside of her place. He *could* knock on the door and wait to be let in.

Or he could just skip all of that and bodyslide directly into the safehouse. Being polite. Respecting some measure of her privacy? Pfffft. Who has time for all of that?

Of course it might get him one of those knives buried in his chest one of these days. But that seems to be a risk the soldier from the future is willing to make.

"I have a teleporter. Who needs doors?" Cable retorts with the faintest of smirks. There's not many that he's willing to banter with. But then there aren't many that he's known as long as Domino either, so perhaps that's a given.

Slipping that plasma cannon off his shoulder and leaning it against the wall nearby, the half man, half metal mutant doesn't exactly stand on ceremony, planting himself at the table and retrieving a few slices of pizza from the box casually. He is apparently not concerned about the quality of food. In war, you eat where you can. And you learn to do without sleep entirely.

"She's pick it back up. She's been good in the field as of late. We've admittedly been a little heavy on the assaults or the undercover work lately. Not a lot of chases," he says, taking a bite of the pizza before glancing towards Monet.

"Greymalkin is still running through leads but Sublime has avoided popping back up on the grid since the mess in Gotham. He must have figured that we survived his little trap and decided to go to ground," Cable admits with a small shrug. "Another decent reason to stop by Madripoor. This mission started there. Maybe we'll pick up a fresh lead there," he says.

In regards to the real reason for them to head back to that cesspool, Nathan just nods to Domino, seeming to defer to her on that.

Neena Thurman has posed:
"Just take a slice. It won't kill you. In fact, when we get to Madripoor, you'll be dreaming about that oil slick that is cupped so lovingly in that sliced bit of heaven." Domino too, apparently, doesn't have a keen sense of haute cuisine, given her own background. Nope, like Cable, it's eat what won't kill you, and even if it tries to, eat it anyway because one never knows when and if the next meal will come.

As the larger than life man passes by, Domino raises her head with that quirked smile at him, watching he take hold of a couple slices. Or, it could be that she's glancing at that lovely armory that he carries with him. Nothing announces Nate's arrival like those lovely weapons.. mmmhmm. She knows he gets the whole 'eat while you can thing', so she doesn't mind picking up things that he can at least vaguely appreciate.

"You're gonna forget how to knock if that thing ever goes on the fritz." Domino shifts in her seat, turning around so her front is at the back of the chair, arms rising to rest there on the thin wood. "Only had to give her one hand up. She does grunt, though. Almost gave us away." And then she just diverted attention in a way only Domino could. With a single flicked bullet thrown in exactly the right direction, landing exactly as it should to roll in a very Rube Goldberg sort of way.

"So, Monet." Domino returns her attention to the younger woman, "we can. And, I swear, if I see green behind those ears, I am going to turn you over to the Avengers. I will not accept 'Monet smash' coming out of your mouth." Of course there's curled lips in that as she finishes, "Do I make myself clear?"

Shaking her head, Domino finally rests a chin on the back of her hand as it lies across the chair. "No. I've got skirmishes marked, shootouts that could be traced back, and kidnappings. If you take a look at the map, they seem to be confined in one spot. I'm going to guess that we want that center."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod over at Neena and go to slide to her seat, taking a slice of the pizza and going to eat it with a glower - apparently pizza is really *not* her thing but this is going to be liek being stuck in Tabitha's van and all there is edible in it - that, weed, and beer. Monet goes to grumble over as she would look over at Nate. "Lovely. That means that his network is rather substnatial." She would frown and tap a hand over on the table. "So is he operating on his own or might he be working with someone else? We've not seen anything so far that indicates his henchmen are anything related to any other groups beyond the normal gutter trash." She resists the urge to call them something more insulting, even in mixed company.

"I don't /plan/ on it. Merely note that oftentimes a focused, frontal assault before an enemy can rally sufficient defenses to resist a breach in their perimeter is quite effective at shattering thier defenses, and then letting the remainder of the infiltration group breach while the frontal defenses have been broken to achieve the primary mission objectives." There, she said it all in words for why 'M Smash' was good! Though, she wasn't Guido who had a lot more style.

As Domino goes to speak over on the recon she's done, Monet goes silent. FOr all the snap that she was given so far, she yielded to Domino - the other woman knew what she was doing and had far more experience than M did. And even if it meant admitting she was not the best at /everything/.. Well, one could not be perfect at all things.

Cable has posed:
One of the many nice things about Cable is a willingness to share his coolest toys.

He might lack -- or at leasat be uninterested in -- certain social nicities, but the whole sharing is caring thing he's got down cold. At least when it comes to his allies. To his enemies he usually only brings chaos and destruction, but at least he brings plenty for the whole class to share in.

He's nice that way.

"When I can't teleport I'm usually just as good blowing a hole in whatever wall is convenient and entering that way," he says with a shrug of his shoulders. But that mechanical eye gleams a little more brightly. He's kidding. Probably. "Aren't you glad that I went with the old unnannounced drop in now?" he asks archly, taking another large bite out of one of his slices of pizza. In short order it is devoured and he is moving onto the next one.

As gruff and exacting as he can be, of the two of them in many ways Domino is the real taskmaster. Might be a little bit scary an idea for anyone who is lucky enouhg -- or really, really unlucky enough -- to be taken under their wing. Cable is a little more willing to work with the tools that he has.

Domino insists they get better.

"Tabby will pull her weight," he says confidently. And chances are she'll be put through he paces until she meets Dom's high standards.

Better her then him.

See? He's not incapable of getting philisophical.

Glancing Monet's way, Cable shrugs once more. "He's a billionaire, has the resources of a company behind him and apparently has a boatload of altered humans with stolen mutant abilities that are cultishly grateful to him. Sublime isn't going to be an easy nut to crack. But we'll get to him. We always do," Nathan insists with that quiet confidence. He might have more then his fair share of impatience burning within, but he generally masks it pretty well.

Looking over some of the details that Domino has already sketched out, Nate nods his head slowly, leaning back in that chair -- that creaks just a little beneath him. "And we think all of this is on the up and up?" he asks quietly. Look, it's Madripoor. Of course he has to ask. Everyhting involving that place seems to be twisty and turney and more then a little slimey.

Neena Thurman has posed:
And that's one of the many(?) things Domino likes about Cable; sharing is caring. Even if she's simply in proximity to its blast, living vicariously is almost as good. But, she's held at least a couple of those other weapons he's got, and it took all she had in her not to pocket it. Not that she could, anyway. That whole telepath thing. And, to be fair, never know if that holdout weapon is the one thing that determines life or death for him.

Consideration!

Dark brows rise upon the pale white canvas of her face, the quirked smile shifting to a smirk. "Jerk." It's a moment where Domino is simply.. Neena. A second in time where there is nothing but her, without that thickened armor so carefully created, and in some cases, callously thrust upon her from her years, brief in comparison to Cable's, but still worn heavily. "Good safehouses are hard to find." That aren't, as previously stated, damaged and sporting craters.

It is true, too. Domino has a great deal less patience than her partner in battle. Too long alone, and unlike Cable, she's learned to move forward and leave the others behind if they can't keep up. Now, at least she's trying to better them so she doesn't have to feel like she's leaving yet more behind... she's making allowances where before, she wouldn't.

"That's why she's coming. We just have to be mindful that her stealth may not be 'all that'." Blue eyes settle upon Cable once more. He may have to do some of that 'you don't hear her' mind-woogying, just in case.

Monet finally gets her slice, and Domino's gaze shift to the other woman. "You're allowed to enjoy it. I won't tell. Besides, they'd never believe me." Heh.

Monet continues on to defend her stance, and the albino tilts her head, brows beetling as she catches the idea. "Problem is, armor is usually the strongest in the front. If you want to take on the thickest armor, go for it. Even if it's a feint. Remember that most people don't think in all dimensions. They think up/down, forward/backwards, all on the single plane. Coming from above, below, diagonal shift.. you have to be //taught// to look up, remember. It's not natural for people anymore, once they stopped being afraid of stuff falling from the trees.

"But," Domino finally unwraps herself from her seat, and rises to her feet, reaching for that half-eaten slice that had been just out of reach from her position, "frontal assaults can work."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Calling M stealthy is like calling Tabitha cultured. Some things don't go together. Monet would sit back and listen. "Yes, it often is. It's also where the heaviest defenses are laid, the most troops are often on alert, and all of the weaponry is pointed. It's the obvious way in and they all expect it. So when you go there it makes for quite a way to make everyone going there rather occupied." Seh would note drolly over while watching over at Domino going to gesture with her sneak-ometry to explain how to get in and out of anywhere smoothly.

"Unless you wish to do something like make them so paranoid of infiltration that they're spread thin to cover every vantage point and entrance, in which case they'll catch almost any attempt at sneaking.. But in turn leave the front door wide open for you to smash in." And was Neena doing the Hadouken maneuver with ehr hands when it came to showing off the way to go about?

Cable has posed:
"Ha," Nate counters quietly. "You wouldn't expect me any other way," he points out. Which is probably true. They do know each other rather well after all this time.

As of late, Cable's own activities have involved a certain amount of stealth, a certain amount of undercover work.

And while that certainly played dividends at the the Sublime Corporation headquarters in New York City, it didn't work so well when it came to the research center.

As proven by the fact that they ended up in the middle of an exploding building, only surviving because they managed to blow a big enough pit in the flow and take shelter. Anytime the plan boils down to hide in a pit and hope you don't get blown up, something has gone pretty seriously wrong.

It's why first and foremost adaptability is the name of the game when it comes to Cable's school of thought. Oh sure, he favors the direct approach as often as not. The assault. It keeps things simple and more often the not he has surrounded himself with enough firepower to make it a rather viable strategy. But like anything else, he doesn't rely on it exclusively. Tempting as it sometimes may be.

Maybe he does have a little bit of a tendancy to look at any problem as a nail. So it only makes sense to bring the hammer.

Still, he's experienced to usually not fall into that trap. And to be able to extricate himself when he does.

He does fall silent for a moment as the other two debate tactics and strategy, simply watching the back and forth between Domino and Monet as he munches away at that pizza.

"Long story short, choose the best tool for the job and the best tactic for the fight," he says drily, leaning back in that chair for just a moment.

Neena Thurman has posed:
Ultimately, it comes down to playing to strengths. Domino's been around the block enough to know that the Hulk isn't a stealthy creature. Nate, well... he enjoys being a hammer, and when one is a hammer? Most problems look a whole lot like nails! And this is why they work together so well together.

"We," we? "won't set you up for failure, Monet. Stakes are too high. Just like we won't do that to Tabs. That's why she has a spot in the middle. Easier to coordinate and protect."

With that said, Domino makes quick work of the rest of her slice, leaving the crust behind. A basketball toss later to the garbage can, and she's reaching for one of those beers in the case. With a *shkkkkt*, the tab is opened, and the first couple of swallows are taken. There is that genuine, quirked, black-lipsticked smile that rises again, and her tones are a touch quieter. There are actually moments when she's a //girl//. "Wouldn't want you any other way, Nate. You keep teleporting in. If you blow my wall, I'll know something is seriously wrong." There. A (probably not) new method of communicating a problem without having to say anything. After all, their partnership is just as heavy with unspoken cues as it is with verbal, telepathy notwithstanding. It comes from not only working together, but experiencing.. difficult times together.

"Boots on the ground in Madripoor in just under 2 weeks. We're gonna have to finish the recon and make sure everyone is ready for it."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would fold her hands over her lap, "Lovely. So we find whatever we're after and break it in whatever manner best fits. Let's also not overcomplicate things. We're not presuming ourselves to be Scott here." She would glance over at Nathan. "NO offense intended." She would speak that rather drolly over to him while going to glance back around the documents.

"Until then, are there any secondary objectives that we could hit in the interim that might let us shake some more things loose to pursue later? At the very least if he sees us pursuing his external assets he's likely to withdraw them. Which means he leave shimself blind or he makes it apparent what ones he has that he's shuffling about." Yes, M is trying to put on 'go hit someone' in slightly more useful terms there.

"Tabitha is rather useful and creative when it comes to her powers." That and she has more skill than M does and is far, far sneakier and inventive. The girl from the trailer park definitely knew her stuff.

Cable has posed:
Hey, he knows his dad.

While he appreciates many things about Scott, Cable plays a little more fast and loose with most things. It comes from leading very different lives to be sure.

Still, the future soldier shoots Monet a tight smile, claiming another piece of pizza from the box and demolishing it with almost frightening speed.

Table manners are another thing that he can take or leave, depending on the circumstances. Apparently these are not stand on ceremony circumstances.

"This is why you're the best Dom. You get me," Nate says drily, slowly rising back to his feet and almost immediately slinging that plasma cannon back over his shoulder.

"We have some time to prepare still. I'll start lining up any ordinance that you think we need. Maybe a few our special technological touches. It'll all be in place when you're ready to move," Cable promises, moving to stand in the middle of that safe house again.

"In the meantime, if you need additional intel just let me know. We can take a quick peek over there, maybe get the current lay of the land undercover before we go in hard. I can get any satellite imagery or communication taps you want as well," he adds. It's good to be from the future sometimes.

His only good-bye is the up-nod that he offers. Then a simple 'Greymalkin, Bodyslide by one.'.

Again, Cable's form fuzzes, blurs and then is gone.

Next stop: Madripoor.