3346/Watching For The Hand

Watching For The Hand
Date of Scene:	12 September 2020
Location:	Chinatown
Synopsis:	Shadowcat is staking out a factory that had connections to the Hand, when Jessica Jones jumps her and Grifter offers some advice. In the end, no Hand were capture in the making of this scene.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Jessica Jones, Cole Cash

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
There had not been a lot to find on the warehouse where Shadowcat had stumbled across a group of heroes fighting the Hand. Stumbled across them, and helped the Defenders escape the building when it was set fire in a trap meant to burn them alive.

But there had been a little bit. Kitty had hacked some of the package delivery services in the area, and found one had made a number of deliveries to the warehouse. The originating location of those packages? Owned by layer after layer of shell corporations, which was usually a good sign something nefarious was up.

Her programs were continuing to delve into the multiple layers of ownership. But tonight Kitty was going about it the old fashioned. The small factory sits across the street from the rooftop where Kitty sits. Just watching. She already had a quick look through the place, but hadn't found anything obviously illicit. And so she settled in to watch for any comings or goings. So far, it was quiet. It was the weekend, when regular workers were off. She was hoping non-regular workers might make an appearance though.

She's in costume, with a domino mask over her eyes. Lockheed is curled up in her lap as Kitty sits there leaning against the edge around the rooftop. A small collapsible cooler has a pair of sodas left in it.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica tries her very best to avoid all business relating to the Hand, or any other form of magic karate that the Defenders seem to draw, thanks to Daredevil, Iron Fist and infamously Elektra, who isn't even a Defender. Unfortunately, every now and then, there's no hiding from it.

Recent investigations into Hand shipments into the New York City Piers had lead her to stakeout a specific factory.

One thing about Jessica Jones, she's meticulous, and knows to look for sentries from all directions. Particularly when dealing with the Hand, which leads her to spotting Kitty Pryde in her own little stakeout spot. Not aware of Kitty's affiliation, Jessica drops from the firescape on a cross building she was using as a scouting spot, and comes from the back of the building Kitty sits atop.

Landing just behind Kitty, Jessica starts to quietly sneak up on her, meaning to grab her in a headlock and then ask some questions...

Cole Cash has posed:
Who needs magic karate when one knows space karate?

Right. The Coda are not as well-known ninjas as the Hand. At least not in America. Which is a good thing for America in Cole's never humble opinion. Not that the Hand doesn't suck. And Cole already shoot a few of them not so long ago. Which put him into a death-list. Fortunately not anywhere near the top, but the Hand eventually got to Grifter, as they always do.

But Cole is not easy to kill.

Getting stabbed is still not fun. Which brings him here. Tracking leads. Sneaking around. Watching how two young women are about to fight? That might be a Hand thing.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The X-man fails to hear the footfalls behind her, a noisy truck rumbling along the road below her, and Kitty's attention on the factory. She whispers to Lockheed, "Sometimes I wish bad guys kept bankers hou-!"

It almost sounds like she says 'ow' as incredibly strong arms go about her head, an arm cinched on her neck where it can control her, even choke her out.

One moment Shadowcat is there in the headlock, and then next she's rolling back behind her attacker like she smoked right past her. Shadowcat comes up crouched on one knee and throws a hard punch at the back of the leather-clad figure who attacked her.

It seems like she might as well have not even bothered, Kitty's hand seeming to hurt worse than the person she punched. "I thought you were called the Hand, not the Bricks," she grumbles as she backs up to get some distance. Lockheed has taken flight now, circling around the pair, ready to help.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica feels all kinds of confident when she manages to sneak out on what she thinks is a Hand Ninja, but the moment of elation from ensnaring Kitty in a headlock is short lived. Because true to form, Karate Ninja happens, and the woman fades like she was mist. Only for Jessica to feel a hard punch striking her from the back, causing her to stumble forward, as she hisses, "fucking karate magic!" Whilring around in anger, she glowers at Kitty, "I thought you were called the Hand, not the Ghost Squad," Jess retorts, snapping right after, "wish I had the Ghostbusters' number..."

But Jessica quiets down when she spots the tiny-sized mother flipping actual dragon flying next to Kitty, "....are you fucking kidding me? You're taking that Game of Thrones cosplay way too seriously..." she looks suspiciously at Lockheed, "that thing is going to burn me to ash if I touch you? Because this shit ain't worth it..."

Cole Cash has posed:
And of course that is when Grifter shows up with the guns out. And look, he is wearing a red mask, like a ninja. Of course, he also has handguns, like no ninja worth his ninjitsu would.

Still. The ladies are not the most observant New Yorkers around, so he clarifies: "I am not in the Hand," before even saying hello. "I don't think you two are either, so maybe you two should stop before the real ninjas spot you?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Cole's entry causes Shadowcat to divide her attention. She follows, to Jessica, on the heels of what Cole said. "Yeah, I'm not the Hand. You're the Hand." Ok maybe she wasn't listening fully. Though Kitty gets a better look at Jessica. Cute brunette, leather jacket, jeans. Not exactly ninja attire.

Though, that's what the ninja wants you to think.

Still, Kitty seems to doubt Jessica is one of the Hand at this point. "I do like Ghost Squad though. I might have to use that later," she muses, slowly lowering her hands from the combat-ready position. "Yes, he does tend to burn people to ash who attack me. He knows where his Cheesy Poofs come from," she says. Lockheed flies over to land on Kitty's shoulder.

She turns to look at Cole more closely then, eyeing the guns he has in hand. "So, already called dibs on this roof for a stakeout. But, since you're here... who are you guys?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
Of course Jessica wouldn't be observant about Grifter, he wasn't the one engaged with her using Karate Magic. Living over dying is always the biggest focus of attention. She registers his words, however, and so knows he entered the field. Still, her immediate attention is on the one who thinks she's the Hand. "Lady, do I look like the Hand?" Jessica snorts, gesturing her at her distinctly non-ninja type wardrobe choice. It couldn't be further from professional, jeans, leather jacket and tank top that make her attire. It definitely isn't ninja, let alone Hand.

"Feel free, wouldn't mind if you spare me some royalties along the way, I come up with the best names..." Jessica brags, while being very happy none present are aware of just how terrible she can be. Her gaze then shifts to the dragon, "cheesey poofs? That's low maintenance, I could keep a dragon like that...sure it comes in useful, burning down your enemies."

Jessica looks up at Grifter, and quips, "I bet you that's Space Cop, I'm just Alias Investigations, working out a case...nothing special about that. P.I. is a thankless job, but this is ridiculous."

Cole Cash has posed:
"She is not Hand, they don't headlock like TV wrestlers," offers Cole, addressing Kitty. "Okay, she could be Hand, but not with a dragon, and she is a kid. Plus you surprised her easily." That goes for Jessica.

"Now I could be Hand. But I have not shot you yet, so probably I am not," beat, "unless I have a really clever and devious plan. Which of course I will have. Later." The blond man puts the guns back into their holsters. "I am Grifter."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Shadowcat's wearing her black and yellow X-man uniform, though not a lot of people know of the group to recognize it from the X on the belt. "They work well. Nests of alien eggs even better, but those are harder to come by," she says. After a moment's pause, she adds, "Thank god."

She looks back and forth. "Alias lady and Grifter. I loved Jennifer Garner in that, by the way," Kitty says. She moves over to look towards the factory. "And none of the non-existent people in the empty factory seem to have noticed," she says, moving back so she doesn't cast a big silhouette above the building.

Kitty's eyes go to Grifter and back to Jessica. "And she didn't supply me /easily/. There was a loud truck," Kitty says, crossing her arms. "Ninjas aren't superhuman you know. Not all of them. So anyway... seems like we all have the same interest. What brings you guys here?" she asks.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"That's right," Jessica concurs with Grifter's observation about her, "the Hand wouldn't hire someone like me." She shrugs at the dismissive take on her headlock, but adds nothing to it. Until Kitty ghosted, it was effective. "I don't know, dragons fit with Kung Fu Magic," Jessica notes. "Hey, I could have surprised her because I'm damned good, you know?"

"Yeah, you'd be fired for carrying a firearm, that's not a civilized weapon for a more decent age, you know." She squints at Grifter, and quips, "your name is not ninja approved, you're no Hand. Also, it's one of the dumber names I heard, and I heard of Iron Fist. Just an FYI."

Attention shifts to Kitty and her dragon, and honestly, a dragon is where one's attention should be. Those fuckers are spooky scary, and very dangerous. "Oh come on, I know Daredevil, they can turn off their heartbeats and shit, you'd be surprised..."

Cole Cash has posed:
"Everybody is a critic," complains Cole. If only he know Jessica went by 'Jewel' once upon a time, he would have something to say about it. Sadly, he doesn't know. "And my guns are completely civilized," he adds, as an afterthought.

He glances back to the factory, not bothering to comment that if there is any real ninja there, their chances to see him or her are pretty scarce. "So I heard the Hang conducts some secret business in this building. But they must not be very secret if we three have heard about it at the same time, right?" Unless it is a trap. So yeah.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty's feet shuffle on the rooftop as she hears Jessica. "I so wish I was Tony Stark right now," she can be heard muttering to herself. Then in the nearest she can get to a Tony Stark-sounding voice. "Really? Just the fist then?"

She clears her throat and looks at Jessica for a few moments later. "Alias, you know Daredevil?" she asks, pausing for a moment to eye the other young woman. "This place has been sending shipments to a warehouse used in a trap to try to kill him and some friends," she says, with a nod towards the factory. "And it's buried under layers of shell corporations to hide the ownership."

She looks over to Grifter then. "So what's your beef with them? Besides the whole, you use guns, they use swords?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
There are precious few people who know about Jewel, and that's because Jessica killed all of them. Allegedly. Maybe it was Jessica under Kilgrave control? Possibly. We'll never know. "That's what any gun touting douche would say," Jessica retorts at Cole's claim.

"I've been scouting half a day, I'd say they already bailed to a different place if you ask me, they don't like to be comromised." Jessica laughs when Kitty wishes she was Tony Stark, "trust me, you don't want to be that douchebag, not even with all the money and booze that he has..." looks like Tony's alleged train of women isn't something Jessica covets.

Jessica rolls her eyes when Kitty calls her 'Alias' and she explains, "Alias Investigations is the name of my firm, I'm a P.I. My actual name is Jessica." She does nod in the affirimitive that she knows Daredevil, "why? You looking for a date? He's already taken, far as I know." At Kitty's question towards Grifter, Jessica turns to look his way, "yeah, haven't seen you around Hand circles..."

Cole Cash has posed:
"Long story," handwaves Grifter. "Involving stabbing, and the usual ninja fake honor crap that means now they want to stab me." Fixable by killing everyone else involved, or that is his theory.

"In any case, chances are the P.I. girl is right," he has to admit. "If we three knew about the place, it is already too popular for the ninjas. They would have bailed. I am going back to asking questions, only this time I will ask harder. See you ladies around." He heads off.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Shadowcat gives a little nod as Jessica gives her an alternate name to use besides the one that the X-man was obviously happy to stick with otherwise. "Date him? Not really," she says, appearing to stop in thought as if that had never entered into her thoughts, so now she has to stop and decide. Is the Devil of Hell's Kitchen dating material. The kind of guy you could take home to mom, tell her you're hoping to make a bunch of little devils with him?

It's a lot to infer from an expression as the masked X-man looks back to the others. Probably just looked like she was lost in thought. "Yeah, I think this is probably a dead end," she agrees with a sigh, looking over at the factory. "Crap. I could use a drink."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"They can stab alright," Jessica agrees with Grifter's story, even if he may not necessarily be telling the truth. Stabbing is one of the things the Hand does partake in.

She grins as Kitty admits dating wasn't on her mind when asked after Daredevil, "good call, he's crazy. I mean, he's a good Christian, if you believe it, but...poor life choices if you ask me, and I'm a pro."

"Well...I would never say no to a drink, so at least there's that."