1679/Troublesome Interview

Troublesome Interview
Date of Scene:	15 May 2020
Location:	Penthouse in New York
Synopsis:	A perfectly.. alright a sorta good interview is interrupted by lightning, flying knives, and assassins. Felicity gets an unfortunate view of the mayhem including Shen summarily executing one of his assailants. She flees in terror, but Shen rather politely loans her cab fare anyway. What a gentleman!
Cast of Characters:	Shen Kuei, Felicity Felix

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Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen Kuei presently maintains a variety of apartments which function as safe houses. His requirement to continually move around to avoid the attention of his former associates with the Ministry of State Security requires such accomodations, along with creative accounting practices, and the need to hire proxies and go betweens.

It just so happens on this evening, that a headhunter has arranged an interview between Mister Kuei and Miss Felix at one of these alleged sanctuaries. It is a high-rise penthouse apartment and wonderfully decorated with a combination of modern accents such as glass surfaces and black leather furniture, and a taste of china, with various photographs from the cities of his homeland. A few weapons are also mounted as a personal touch and as contingency in the event of home invasion.

Mister Kuei, himself, is dressed in a a business suit, a very expensive affair made from a blend of silk and cashmere. Hand tailored, it neatly accentuates his broad shoulders and athletic physique. While he waits for Miss Felix to arrive, he operates a wok, flawlessly executing the procedure for stir-fry, a few pyrex containers on stand-by to be filled. He was evidently making meals for himself.

When Miss Felix does arrive, building security will be aware of her appointment and escort her to the correct elevator, which will lead to the foyer of said apartment, a door, quite securely locked and barred from the other side her only barrier between her and the interview.

Felicity Felix has posed:
There is a message ding from security, denoting an arrival, and the distant sound of thunder outside at the same moment. Seconds of stir-frying pass and the lights in the apartment flicker, dim, and briefly go out. Then they are back on, with the sound of various rebooting electronics. Another ding from security. And another. The elevator starts to move, if sensors are set up to monitor that. Another ding from security, and the enormous battle-axe hanging on the wall suddenly slumps an inch on one side. The left mounting hook is coming loose from the wall.

The messages read: 'Appointment here.' 'Appointment refuses to be frisked.' 'Jackson sv wound, need to call ambulance or drive to hospital. Advise.' 'App in elv, advise on Jack.'

A bolt of lightning strikes a building in the distance.

Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen raises an eyebrow at the incessant dinging and then glances toward his axe on the wall. He purses his lips and then sends a message to security. "Thank you for letting my appointment up, wish Jackson the best." He wasn't responsible for building security, he's just a tenant. Though he did like Jackson, he seemed like a good boy. He hopes it isn't serious.

He wipes his hands off on a hand towel and adjusts his blazer before walking to the door. He opens it and waits patiently for the elevator to arrive. The lighting bolt causes him to look over his shoulder. "Huh? I did not recall bad weather this evening. How strange."

He shrugs and resumes his waiting, occasionally glancing down at his phone.

Felicity Felix has posed:
Moments pass, and nothing happens, until suddenly there is a knock at the door.

Felicity Felix has posed:
The elevator rumbles quietly, slowly ascending the entire length of the building to the penthouse. From behind there is a sudden *creeee* sound and the hook pops loose, sending the battleaxe slamming into the console table below. The wood shatters, and an ornamental knife is flipped from its stand, sent rocking across the apartment like an angry hornet, and the spinning blade whisks past the side of Shen's head, the breeze touching his ear.

The elevator dings, and the knife slams into the smooth, brushed steel doors with a relatively harmless clang, clattering to the floor. The doors open and a curvy young woman wearing a maroon-and-black blazer buttoned tightly over a low-cut, silver dress steps out. The silver dress cuts across the lower third of the blazer's v-neck, showing several inches of pressed cleavage and swishes above her knees, with dark stockings and black heels. She's carrying a briefcase, and appears to have a bit of blood flecked across her lapel.

Blinking down at the knife curiously, she stops to crouch down and pick it up, momentarily tipped forward, with her figure reflected in the open elevator's mirrored walls behind her. "Um...I think you left your knife out here?" She isn't looking up yet.

Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen's eyebrow raise abruptly in horror as the knife emerges into his field of view. He turns around to see the havoc and frowns deeply. When the elevator arrives, he does his best to regain his composure. He approaches with a smile and his gaze remains professionally trained upon the woman's face, despite the temptation to gaze upon her neckline. His brow furrows as the notice of blood on her lapel.

He extends his hand, not for a shake, but to accept the knife. "Ah, apologies. You just missed quite the freak accident. Apparently a decoration fell off my wall and flung this past my head. You are.. very lucky that you arrived no sooner."

Assuming the knife is deposited safely in his hand, he will then gesture further into the penthouse. "I am Shen Kuei. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Please make yourself comfortable."

Felicity Felix has posed:
Offering the knife over with a smile, her expression suddenly changes to one of shock when he mentions a freak accident. "Oh my god, you wouldn't believe what just happened downstairs. One of the security guys was trying to frisk me when he suddenly tripped and fell, hitting a vase of roses on the way down. I wanted to stay and help but the other guy told me to get in the elevator!"

Walking around into the apartment when it's offered, she adds, "Hope he's okay... And thank *you*!" She turns and smiles excitedly, looking like she would be rocking on her heels if not for her elevated shoes. "So, I brought my resume, a CV, some references..." She's holding her briefcase down at her waist with both hands, twisting from side to side slightly in excitement. Outside, the storm is getting worse.

Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen smiles with amusement. The woman seems a fine combination of attractive and adorable. Nothing wrong with improving the decor with pretty people. He follows her inside of the apartment and closes the door behind them. He gestures to a small round glass dining table with a pair of chairs. "Please sit and layout your documentation on the table if you wouldn't mind."

He slips behind her into the kitchenette and opens a cabinet.

"I'm sure he will recover.. And yes, the storm is very strange. I was expecting clear skies this evening." His accent is very good, only slight hints of his Chinese heritage on the spoken English. He pulls down a couple of bottles of wine, one red and one white. "Can I treat you to a glass of wine? White or Red? I also have beers if you would prefer." He seems like a gracious enough host.

There is an sudden 'mew' as a black tabby rubs up against Shen's leg. "Ah, excuse me. The mistress of the house wants dinner." He is preoccupied for a moment as he retrieves some prepared cat-food from the refrigerator.

Felicity Felix has posed:
Taking a seat after quickly smoothing her dress under and around her hip, Felicity clicks open her briefcase. "Yeah...it's going to be miserable going home. I just sold my car and didn't bring an umbrella. Plus there was a subway derailment the other day and apparently it caused a second crash which is still not cleared up..." She picks up a stack of papers and leans across the table to set it on the side opposite to her. Then she sits. And tilts forward with a rise again to flip the stack of papers back around so they would be facing Shen instead of her, when he returns. Then she sits again, forgetting to smooth the dress under her, and looking silently surprised when she sits with a noticable difference in texture below her. She clears her throat softly, to cover. "...So I'm probably waiting for a cab tonight."

At the half-shattered table, the battle-axe shifts with a creak of wood, listing away from the wall an inch or two, wedged between two pieces of broken wood. The table seems precariously balanced.

Shen Kuei has posed:
Considering Felicity's string of bad luck, he decides on the white wine. This poured after the tabbi is fed and left purring on the tile floor. He approaches the dining table and sets the two wine glasses down beside the papers. He then strolls over to broken ornamental table and fetches the battle axe from the wall. He inspects it briefly then tilts his head as he looks at its related mount on the wall. He shrugs and then carefully sets the axe on the floor. Everything in the apartment was ultimately disposable, so his attachment to anything within is next to none.

He returns and sits across from her, offers her another amused smile and then reaches forward to slide the papers closer to him. He reviews them quietly, while sipping from his own glass. "It seems Wayne Enterprises lost a fantastic employee. My needs are.. somewhat unique I must admit. I need someone with excellent organizational skills who is also willing to be very discrete. I deal in very confidential information. I need someone who can manage my calendar, proxy for me during certain conversations, and also manage a number of accounts."

He eyes from across the table, eyes darting to the window as lightning cracks once more. "And regardless of the success of this interview, we can certainly arrange you a cab."

Felicity Felix has posed:
The first two pages are her resume, and it is a very, very good resume, all told. Then there are two pictures of a 2020 Wayne Motors VT7 High-Frequency Edition musclecar, four pictures of Animal Crossing, and a copy of her Facebook page. "Wayne Enterprises was a great place to work at, but after the meteorite, they couldn't afford to maintain my position and I was let go early, with a severance gift. Just sold it to a reporter, actually!"

She smiles and crosses her legs demurely, hands clasped upon her knee. Her stockings have garters on one side. "And thanks, I'd really appreciate--" A crash of lightning, a shake of the building, and the lights go out. "--Um." The sound of helicopters can be heard over the hammering of the rain.

Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen raises an eyebrow at the other documents and seems a little less amused by this lack of organization. He gazes over at the woman across the table and sips from his glass once more, listening to the story. His gaze shifts just momentarily, acknowledging the movement of her legs through the glass table. He nonchalantly separates her actual resume from unintended additions and slides those across the table back to her. And then the lights went out.

Shen audible sighs and rises from the table. He steps a few feet away, reaches over the bar of the kitchenette and retrieves a mag-lite flashlight which he clicks on, casting a quick scan of the apartment before returning to the table but remaining standing just beside Felicity. His brow furrows at the sound of helicopters. "Well that's odd, I wonder what they are doing out in this."

He retries to restart the conversation. "A meteorite, you say?"

Felicity Felix has posed:
She is right there in front of him, right when the mag-lite flicks on, and she *immediately* says with wide eyes, "Oh my god!" Then she smiles faintly, a hand on her chest. "That startled me!" Then there is a loud, heavy thwump, and she glances sidelong off to the side, "Um...what was that? That didn't sound like your cat."

If investigated, the battleaxe has fallen over, laying flat on the floor. Outside the window, a flash of lightning reveals black cables being dropped from above. The helicopter sound is very close.

In the darkness, her voice answers, "So, yeah, the R&D server was struck by a meteorite. They'd just installed a new one, too. It really sucked for everyone."

Shen Kuei has posed:
Shen is evidently un-phased by Felicity's proximity, composure seems to be something he has a significant amount of. He switches off the mag-lite immediately once he notices the black cables. He tucks the mag-lite into pocket and slips off his blazer, tossing it over the back of the nearby chair. His hand is then abruptly brought over Felicity's mouth. He draws an arm around her waist and brings her to his chest as he walks toward the bedroom. If it wasn't the cables outside, one could assume all sorts of terrible intentions, and Felicity maybe not being the most aware might just jump to that conclusion. He closes the bedroom door and then gives her the universal symbol for 'Shhhh' as he removes his hand from her mouth.

He then immediately turns and opens his closet. He retrieves a brief-case and then slips a large black trench coat over his shoulders before he slips over to the bedroom window to inspect what is happening outside.

Felicity Felix has posed:
"Mrf?!" Illuminated only by flashes of lightning, Felicity's curves tuck up against him with her back to his chest. When they are in the room and she makes out the shushing motion, she nods, looking very confused.

Outside, six figures are descending down the ropes that appear to be fastened to the building. The helicopter itself is already flying away, uncertainly, as the winds of the storm buffet it. One, two, and a third rappell will have the men at the balcony.

Then lightning flashes. There is an audible *chink*, and one of the men screams as his line goes slack above him, sending him falling past the balcony. Muffled through the glass, someone is saying, "Go go go!" and the five remaining men drop onto the balcony, brandishing machine guns.

Shen Kuei has posed:
The trench coat was pulled on because it contains an assortment of very useful tools for situations like this. Shen waits for the balcony door to be opened, it wasn't locked, no need for it. The invaders are likely very surprised when their intrusion is responded to with very familiar tactics. The bedroom door is cracked open and a pair of canisters are tossed into the main room. There is a concussive pop and a violent flash of light. One should always keep a few flashbangs for circumstances like this. A lesson that Shen learned a very long time ago.

Shen then springs into the room, remaining low to be beneath any potential machine-gun spray. The distance closed, one leg slips behind the other, plants, and the other is launched in a side kick which impacts a man center mass and catapults him back onto the balcony and over the railing to join his compatriot.

Next, a machine gun arm is grabbed, wrenched around to point at the remainder of the squad and trigger pressed. A long burst of automatic fire peppers armored vests, potentially saving lives, but hurting like hell. Shen then sweeps the legs out from underneath his grappled opponent and slams his head into the concrete patio.

Machine guns are kicked aside and the attackers are left groaning. Shen, now drenched from the downpour outside, returns to the bedroom to announce. "We are leaving."

He gathers up his briefcase, scoops up the black tabby zipping her up in his trenchcoat, and then heads to the stair entrance near the elevator.

Felicity Felix has posed:
Felicity shrieks when the flashbangs go off, holding her ears even behind the safety of a door. The armored men shout, automatic fire rakes the room, and one even stumbles over the wreckage of the table from earlier, his legs locking around the axe and sending it flying as the momentum sends him crashing down into the smaller glass table.

It's over as soon as it began, and Felicity looks horrified as she is told to leave. Her jaw hanging open and her eyes wide, the lights suddenly flicker back on as pass through the room, she gingerly picks her way through the...wreckage. But it seems to be smooth sailing. They're in the clear. Until there is a chuckle. One of the men has lost his helmet, and he is holding a pistol, pointed right at Shen.

"Mr. Xiaotong sends his regards," he says with relish, and pulls the trigger.

*bang*

Just a tiny bang. Enough to send the slide back, but not enough to let the casing clear. A dud, followed by a jam. The assassin just blinks in disbelief.

Shen Kuei has posed:
This is a very unfortunate turn of events for the would-be assassin. He has made quite a few mistakes. First, he invaded Shen Kuei's temporary home. Second, he pointed a gun at Shen. Third, he dared to pull the trigger. Fourth, he mentioned a name that Shen holds in great disdain.

The reprisal is swift. The pistol is grabbed and wrenched, trapping the finger in the trigger card and twisted it until a joint dislocates. The damaged hand is then twisted to lock the joints of the rest of the arm and raised. Shen's leg raises and the end step is slammed down onto the man's knee, inverting it with a very concerning crunch. Finally, the gun is pulled completely from the hand, the slide drawn back, the chamber cleared of the dud, the barrel pointed to the man's forehead, and the trigger pulled, sending a red splatter across Shen's apartment wall.

Casually, the weapon is discarded. The animal trapped inside Shen's trench coat flails. He opens his trench coat and allows her to flee. "Fine, I'll send someone for you later."

His green gaze then snaps toward Felicity, he gestures for her to follow him as he resumes his original trajectory to the stairwell exit.

Felicity Felix has posed:
Felicity is a ghost. She's ash pale and covering her mouth with her hand. She looks like she might be sick. Her wide eyes turn toward him, then back to the...bodies. And the red. She takes an uncertain step backward. Then another, more quickly. Then she is turning and running out the door.

As she crosses the threshold of the apartment, the battleaxe that got lodged in the ceiling falls just shy of trimming off the back of her silver dress, or her heels. She doesn't even seem to notice, running right up to the elevator and rapidly pressing the call button over and over and over again.

Shen Kuei has posed:
"I sincerely apologize for this turn of events, Miss Felicity.. and that you had to witness that." He reaches into a trench coat pocket and retrieves a small wad of twenties. He will toss this her direction. "That is for your cab fare. I assume you will not be joining me, and I wish you the best. The apartment is under an alias. If questioned by the police, please refer to me as Mr. Chen. I would greatly appreciate your compliance."

His insistence is probably somewhat menacing considering he just killed a man. He looks her over once more and shakes his head, thinking it was a waste of a perfectly good evening. "We wish you the best."

He then slides past the door to the stairwell and very rapidly descends to make his escape.