5346/Look up from your phone - Danger is Lurking!

Look up from your phone - Danger is Lurking!
Date of Scene:	26 February 2021
Location:	Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	A few moments of silence for the lost Nintendo Switch
Cast of Characters:	Madigan Belle, Frank Castle

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Madigan Belle has posed:
It's dark, and it is Hell's Kitchen. Not the best combination of things for a young woman who happens to be walking alone down some alleyways. She's looking down at her phone as she's walking, the screen could be useful for directions but instead, she's doing ... Pokemon Go?

As Madi gets to the center of this alleyway, where exits from nearby establishments are, she's walked past homeless and others. Well, walking isn't her best ability. Those leg braces on her make her so she has to sway her hips a bit more almost dragging her legs along as her leg braces lock, each step, and allow her to do the same with her other leg. Between practice and her crutch, she seems to be getting along fine but she's also moving her phone about as she's looking for more Pokemon and doesn't see the 5 men who have been following her for a bit.

When they realize that she's no longer surrounded by anyone, not even homeless, and she's even stopped to catch one of many Pokemon she still needs. That's when they circle her, and she is still somewhat oblivious until she gives a loud-ish, "Yes! Lucario. Oh, my god, that took forever. Well, now it's time for steps to level him up." She says to herself, or to whom she thought would be herself.

That's when one of the men kind of clear his throat. He's tall, has a few scars visible on his body, wearing a tank top and a leather jacket. She pushes up her glasses and grins, "Oh, hello. Sorry, am I in your way? I'll just... is there a gym here?" She questions, looking around, checking her phone, as her lips kind of frown a bit.

"No, there's no gym. You think we need to work out?" The guy asks, gruffly trying to be intimidating.

Under her breath, Madi says, "Not that kind of gym." But lets him carry on with his posturing.

Frank Castle has posed:
"Leave the kid alone. Now." Comes a grating, flat voice from above.

Looking up, anyone can clearly see the white skull on the vest armor, and the black trenchcoat and black pants of the man above, who stands on the edge of the rooftop, staring down at the group.

That isn't the intimidating part though... what's intimidating... is those eyes. If that gruffly speaking man tried to be intimidating... the Punisher has it down to an /art/. Anyone but the stone willed would shiver looking into those icy eyes. Icy like death. He's looking for an excuse... and anyone who pays attention to the news will know who Frank Castle is by sight, immediately.

His arms are even crossed, with no gun. The confidence? The confidence is solid in his voice, even so.

"I won't tell you twice."

Madigan Belle has posed:
The men look up, and one of them points, "Oh shit, is that the guy from the news?!" Hell's Kitchen should know him, by name if not by the imagery on his armor. Sure enough, that's The Punisher and they are criminals. No way they are getting out of this one.

Three of the thugs just turn and start running. 1 one direction, the other 2 another. Whatever was closest. That leaves two of them and a red head who is taking the opportunity to hold up her phone and snap a photo. Then she exclaims, "Eeeek!" As an arm goes around her from one of the two remaining thugs a knife to her neck.

The one who doesn't get a human shield starts to pull a gun, definitely going to point it at the woman. He speaks up, "Yeah, big man didn't think. Did he? We got all the cards, all the chips. And we've got this chick. You try anything, blam blam. Head goes bye bye."

Desperate to hold onto her phone, Madi can't do anything but be pulled back a bit into the violent, dangerous embrace, of the guy with the knife. "Oh... my god. Is this a real robbery? What do I do? Give up my wallet? Try and fight? No, that's dumb." She is about to shake her head, when the knife's edge grazes her skin and she gets a big grimace on her face. Eyes a bit wide, "Wow. That -is- sharper than you'd think." She seemingly can't stop talking, and though she looks worried now, she will continue to speak should she be given the time to do so.

"Shut up, bitch!" Says the guy with the gun, as he starts to raise the gun up as if he'll hit her in the face with it.

Frank Castle has posed:
"Morons." Punisher mutters, and he quickdraws a Beretta from a holster at his waist. A split second later, and a round goes right through the trigger finger on the man pulling a gun. Another gun is pulled, and that one goes right through the hand holding the knife on the one with the human shield.

There little time to discuss the sheer audacity of those shots though, because he's already aiming both pistols right for the knees of those two, preparing to kneecap them.

Madigan Belle has posed:
Madigan Belle can't very well get out of the way. So, instead, she's got bullet exploding from one gun and going off to hit the person in his hand. She's looking right up at that hand, squinting as she's getting ready to take a hit to the face from the pistol coming down her, but instead. There's blood. An explosion of thug blood, and that guy starts to scream.

It's like it is all happening in slow motion, and then there's feeling of the weight dragging her backwards being suddenly a lot looser, and blood warming up her neck and shoulder from the person pulling back his wrist, but without much of the hand and definitely no more knife that goes clanking onto the ground.

The red head's eyes are big and wide. Maybe afraid? Well, in this moment not so much as she brings her hands, covered partially by the long sleeves on her flannel, up into a clap and - the start of giggling? The thugs were woefully unprepared for The Punisher to show up, and they are about to lose their knees.

Frank Castle has posed:
Once the two are sufficiently still, two more rounds are fired from both pistols, blowing out the knees of both at once. Then, rounds are fired into their wrists. Their elbows. Their feet.

Systematically, they are being ruined by bullets, disabled and limbless.

Once that's dealt with, he casually reholsters those pistols, and he start's to climb down the side of the building in bursts until he's in front of the trio as he drops to the ground. He glances to one. Then the other. Then, he looks to Madigan.

"Now's the time to leave, if you don't want a good chance of nightmares."

Madigan Belle has posed:
There's more exploding pieces, people being dismembered right before her bright blue eyes. Some of the blood even splatters onto her glasses, her face, contrasting with her pale skin. She is wide-eyed, and grinning?

As the men scream, then don't anymore, Madi is standing there in the midst of blood and limbless would-be robbers. And she looks around, when everything has sort of died down. "Nightmares?" She questions, as she looks up at the man who just climbed down the building, "Why would I have nightmares, this is like the greatest night I've had in a long time. First, I'm almost killed, and then? Then I get to see like the results of a real life zombie flick. Though..." She quirks her mouth a bit to the side, and tilts her head a bit, "It didn't end up with anyone getting eaten. Just the... limbs, and blood, and whatnot." Specificity seems important, even in this situation, for her. "Oh god, sorry. Unless you meant you, having nightmares? Wow. I didn't think of that. I mean, your like a gruff hunk with a few guns. /The/ Punisher, wouldn't really think you'd have nightmares. Do you take anything for the nightmares?"

Frank Castle has posed:
"I've had nightmares for a very long time, kid." Punisher flatly states... like it's the most casual thing in the world. "Afganistan does that to you, if you're there long enough. Nasty piece of shit place." Then, he's turning to one of the bodies, and taking something out of his gear web. "I meant you. Not many kids can handle seeing screaming punks."

The thing on his gear web.. is a bottle of kerosene, which he begins to liberally shower over the two disabled thugs.

Madigan Belle has posed:
You call her kid, and Madigan blinks a few times. She does see you pulling out a bottle of kerosene though and she grabs at her crutch's handle before she makes her way a few steps away from where the inevitable fire is going to be. "Kid? Jeez. I'm totally legal already. Okay?" And then she looks over more curiously, peering at the kerosene dump and her mouth opens some, "Oh oh oh, before you light them up. Could, I ask you, uhhhhgh you probably get this ALL the time." She lets out a breath that causes her lips to flutter and make a sound as her hair gets bounced a bit from the exhale.

"Gonna do it. Gotta ask. Can I totally get a selfie with you? I mean, we could put the fire in the background, I can do one of those cute V for Victory things, and you can... well, look ... you know. Like you. Big, grumpy, you know. You. It would mean a TON to me."

Frank Castle has posed:
"I don't really care either way... except I have most of the underworld after me, and more from the bounties on my head." Punisher notes as he finished with the showers of Kerosene. "Taking a picture of me might invite people to screw with your life, thinking it'd get to me. Anyone remotely connected to me becomes a massive target." Punisher glances back to Madigan. "This isn't a game, kid."

Madigan Belle has posed:
Once you say you don't care either way, and continue to work on the showers of kerosene, Madi has her phone out. She's got the camera app up and she's getting a big grin on her face. Making sure that her hair isn't in the way of blood splattered on her face, showing off the wet soaked parts of her clothes, and getting The Punisher in over her other shoulder. She brings her fingers up to her lips and does a quick V with them, kissing the back as she snaps the picture just when the kerosene lights and The Punisher is glancing back over her saying it isn't a game.

"Perfect! That was great." She says and then tucks her phone away into her back pocket, and grabs her crutch again. "So, isn't lighting them going to make it harder for the cops to know who they are? Or is it more, like, a threat to other criminals? You know, mess with me, and I'll burn your corpses." She tries to stand up more, and shakes her head back and forth a bit, trying to look intimidating but just looking like a teenage girl being goofy.

Frank Castle has posed:
It's almost scary how quickly the pistol was pulled out... and how loud it is when fired right at her. Or, in this case, right at the phone she just took a picture with. The bullet goes right through the center.

"You have a pretty selective set of ears." Punisher grates, then holsters the pistol as he tosses a match over both disabled thugs, setting them on fire. With that, he begins to walk off.

"I'll send you a replacement later. If you're lucky, no one will find out about this."

Madigan Belle has posed:
Allowing The Punisher to walk off, is actually probably her best solution. She drops her phone with the bullet coming her way, and it clatters to the ground where she drops her backpack in shock at the same time! Looking down, her mouth opens wide, and though the bag is over where her phone fell and she's shocked and stunned, its like she can see it broken in pieces on the ground. And well that's that. Isn't it?

"Mister Meanie is what they should -really- call you. Jeez." And she gets ready to head off. A woman in leg braces and a crutch now has to go and try and find a taxi without a phone, in Hell's Kitchen. Good thing she's nearby a bar, probably has a phone.

After Castle is long gone, she pulls out the very same phone that had seemingly fell from her grasp when shot. Being able to move faster than human eyes can perceive has some advantages at times. Though she did lose her Nintendo Switch in the process. Had to make something shatter and clatter on the ground, right? Picking up her backpack she takes a moment to mourn her Switch before moving on.