6397/Punitore al parco

Punitore al parco
Date of Scene:	31 May 2021
Location:	Parco della Musica - Rome, Italy
Synopsis:	Sometimes it's best to just go straight back to the hotel after work. Things happen.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Frank Castle

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Michael Hannigan has posed:
Parco della Musica - Rome, Italy

Located in Rome, the aptly named Music Park is home to several musical venues in a park setting. Small (Sala Petrassi), medium (Sala Sinopoli), and large (Sala Santa Cecilia) concert halls fan around a shared lobby at the base. The odd shapes of the structures, sometimes nicknamed the beetles, provide some shelter for seats in the adjacent outdoor amphitheater (Cavea).

The park is very popular for music festivals where several acts can perform at the same time without disrupting the others because the unique separated design of the buildings provide ample sound-proofing.

There is an odd, additional feature of the park that accommodates for the ruins of a villa that was discovered during the building process along with a small museum that houses additional artifacts that were unearthed.

The park is one of the most visited music facilities in Europe.

It's been about half an hour since the local philharmonic has finished a concert in the Sala Santa Cecilia. For the second night's showing it had a respectable turnout with a number of new faces to go with their usual crowd of supporters. A possible reason behind that would be the list of guest performers that were tapped to recreate music pieces in television and movies that have become synonymous with them. And what better draw to get people to listen to orchestral music than to draw a parallel with other forms of entertainment?

Off to the outskirts of the park, the last traces of laugher from the concert goers can be heard, leaving just those who were performing to make their leave. Well, most at least. Changed out of concert attire, with the violin case slung over his back, Nick Drago lingers behind. Along with his assigned handler for the night, he takes advantage of the night light to wander from the large building towards the Cavea . There's another concert to be held in the park later this week but instead of guest performing, he will be leading. The outdoor ampitheater is perfect for such a production. Currently the pair wander near the overhang produced by the odd shape of the Sinopoli building. Save for some safety lights, it is darker underneath due to the building's cast shadow.

Frank Castle has posed:
Then, there's the darker side of public venues; If you know what you're doing, concerts make for great cover for assassinations.

Last week Frank Castle flew out from the United States on one of his private jets to Italy. A tip from an informant in Europe had given Microchip a goldmine; the monthly schedule of one of the Italian mob bosses. While New York was a center point of his war due to many criminals using the city for being the financial capital of the US, if not the world, one misconception of the Punisher is that he operates exclusively in the US. To be fair, it's one he doesn't try to correct; if people don't expect him outside the US, his war is much easier to conduct.

Frank 'Mikra' is already seated in the concert hall as it is, wearing casual clothing and a baseball hat angled just so. He's here a bit for the music... but he's mainly here for the man in the seat directly in front of him: Alonzo Agosti. It's a prime assassination opportunity, and one he's planned for, escape and all.

Those high notes will be very useful in hiding the pistol discharge.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
There is the light tinkling of music coming from the handler to which a phone is pulled out and answered. "Ciao? ... Quando? Ma sto scortando Drago e-" The handler grows quiet, listening to the voice on the other end. "Ottimo. Verrò." The phone is clicked off before the handler glances to Nick. "I will be back. Do not wander far. Ok?"

Nick glances up from his perusal of the lit stage below and of the rather mezmerized crowd to face the handler. "Hmm? Oh yes. I'll just watch the show."

The handler gives Nick a glance before giving a nod. "Yes yes. Great. We'll meet at the ruins after the show." A gesture is given towards the railing area just out of the way of normal foot traffic as a reminder. Relying on the adult non native speaking musician to act his age, the handler shuffles off towards the smallest of the three concert halls. Away from where they had initially came from.

Nick cocks his head curiously to the direction taken but shrugs it off, turning to look to the stage. Maybe there was another concert going on in that building... Oh well. None of his concern, he takes a moment to enjoy the performance from his birds eye view of the concert, and stadium area as a whole.

Frank Castle has posed:
It's around the point that its gets loud and the man is leaning backwards that Frank leans forward, takes the small pistol... and aims it directly to the back of Alonzo's head, his other hand moving to his mouth to keep him from talking or screaming.

The silenced pistol discharges at the highest note, and Frank keeps him still long enough that only the more keen observers will see the change in pattern. After a few moments to be sure the .22 caliber round has finishes it's work, he leans the head to one side.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
It is a perfect plan. Most people should be looking to the stage at the climax of the musical piece. The odds of someone deciding to look around at that point is pretty much slim to none. But Nick has met those odds before. While others have been waiting to see this particular performance. The musician standing to the top is here more to get a feel for the venue. How well the sound travels. What he should expect, and generally, where people have collectively chosen to gather.

The timing couldn't have been any worse. His skim of the crowd coming across some odd motions. Entranced, the musician squints Frank's direction, eyes widening as he realizes what just happened. "FUCK." Spy, he is NOT.

A couple persons nearby turn their heads to look at him. It seems, this particular selection doesn't come with audience participation.

Frank Castle has posed:
The timing of that fuck couldn't have been worse... but on a silver lining, it's just one more distraction.

Frank stands up, and begins to makes his way silently out of the seating...

Time to find out if he needs to go overt with this. Muttering to himself, Frank speaks over the commlink, "I might have been made. Plan C." Frank mutters to Microchip in the Battle Van... who gets a pair of drones ready to launch.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Seeing the man get up, Nick backs up away from the curious onlookers. "Uh-" He backs up, hoping this is one those times he gets one of the words off the cheat cards right. "Me scusee..."

It seems close enough. The idiot foreigner has apologized no need to glare anymore. As they turn away, Nick starts to move up the steps towards the center of the overhang, opening the one of the double doors to go inside. Sorry Mr. Handler. But, certainly he'd understand.

There's only so much time before someone sitting next to Alonzo catches on to his being dead. A scream errupts and there's a shift in the crowd around the body, rippling out.

Frank Castle has posed:
Frank is already walking up the eastern stairs heading for the exit by the time that scream happens. His jacket is adjusted to keep the holsters under it from being seen. Keeping a covert gear web from being seen in a crowd is easy enough if you're being casual about it.

In the Battle Van, Microchip is already monitoring police and mob channels, "Surveillance online, Frank. Drones are on standby." Frank glances around briefly with his eyes, before he mutters, "Launch the bombardment drone. Keep it near the edge and keep smoke on standby. If any security get in my way and I'm too far for a disarm, hit it."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
A bit further inside the building, Nick gives a cautious glance back. Seeing no one fitting the desciption of the man he saw earlier, he lets out a sigh. Ok. Things are ok. No more threat. Hoo.

Exiting out a side door, he ends up stepping out unto the side of the patio, barely scooting out of the way of several concert goers who were not dealing with what just happened. A line of security officers start rushing around, splitting off to different directions.

"Signor Drago!"

Hearing the familiar Nick spins round, seeing the handler coming from the smaller theater, waving at him, indicating to the larger theater, "This way. Please." Nick glances back to the arena area and then to the handler, giving a slight nod as he's escorted back where he came from.