7088/Red Red Redemption

Red Red Redemption
Date of Scene:	26 July 2021
Location:	Roof - Renovated Theatre - The Roost
Synopsis:	June and Isabella meet on a rooftop, and they discuss teamwork, the Hand, and how to trust. Then, an ambush!
Cast of Characters:	Friday, June Connor

---

Friday has posed:
"Whoosh. Swish, swish-swish. Tumbleroll, jump and hold, and..."

Acting on the words, Friday lands on top of the roof of the theatre. She holds her last purloin in her hands, over her head like an olympian finishing a floor routine.

"Pose, and...duck!" she pulls back, her head getting out of the way of any attacker who might have been waiting for that moment. The instant when an assassin would have thrown something, for her center mass or her head. She's wearing bright red, she's so visible it's ridiculous.

She's poised and perfect and the grin says that she's already won. She did steal the item, though, so there's that.

June Connor has posed:
    There's another red present. This is that of June's fire engine red hair. She's eating a hoagie, legs dangling over the edge of a rooftop not far away when she catches sight of the red clad thief. She chews, casually, completely uninterested initially. Not her problem.

    She grabs her plastic water bottle, and takes a drink, watching the antics the way a person would watch a commercial, waiting for a TV show to continue. As she grows closer, though, June feels something tugging at her memory. She knows who that is, doesn't she?

    June takes another bite of her hoagie, and suddenly it dawns on her. Leaping to her feet, she grabs the old knapsack that sits next to her, and slings it across her chest. She gets a running start and leaps to the next building, and then down a level. She is coming from the wrong way to be a pursuer from wherever Friday came from, and she vaults once more to drop to the rooftop, rolling forward in a less flashy display.

    Her outfit is less stylish. A cut black tank top that reveals most of her mid section with a grungy indie band name on the chest. A pair of shreddet black jeans that reveal more leg than they cover, and enough piercings to open her own store. On her left shoulder might be the most noteworthy image, though. A red handprint tattoo.

Friday has posed:
"Of course we did it, what were you expecting to happen?" She's talking to someone, some thing, or to herself if we're allowing the possibility of personalities. Of course without further investigation there's no real way to tell.

"Hm. Going to have to turn you off, Player," she says as she reaches up for her earbud. "No, it's not you. I might have a bit of personal history going on, and I don't want you involved." Pause, then, "You're welcome. I'll drop it and call."

Then she lowers her hand, reaches up to the top of her fedora, and...pulls to the left, until her neck cricks audibly. Standing there, no attempt to vanish into nothingness or to hide. The trainees said she'd be like this.

~"She's arrogant to the point of stupidity. With her fighting skills, you'd definitely expect otherwise but expect a hyper-evasive duel. Not a fight, she's got a distorted sense of honor.."~ The rest of the lesson was boring, perhaps even dull. Blah blah blah, can't fight, can't punch. No issue.

Why would she be standing there, when she clearly knows that she's being hunted?

"Hey." She speaks to the air, to whoever might be coming. No more than that. Aside from the grin.

June Connor has posed:
    June...is still holding the hoagie, though it is a little worse for wear. She gets up from the crouched roll, and takes another bite of it. She looks...confused, and takes several seconds to chew the dilapitated lunch. When she swallows, she continues with a cynical stare for a moment before speaking.

    "So...you're that lady the defected like a year ago, right?" she asks. "Bailed on the Hand and said fuck it all. Know we're still supposed to be keepin' an eye out for you in case you turn up." She gives a green eyed glance over the red outfit. "And if you dress like that all the time, I'm not really sure how you didn't turn up earlier."

Friday has posed:
Still far enough away to get some warning if one or the other were to attack, Friday scowls a little as she glances down to her outfit. Or seems to, she keeps June in the corner of her eyes.

"I like red," she says. As explanation, as if it explains anything. "Does it make me look fat or something? I didn't get fashion help on the fit."

It's a good act, but she keeps June watched. A stretch, with her hands -behind her back-, leaves her exposed. The on-alert is there, but you'd have to know how to see it. "And defected is a bit of a misnomer, really. Is that good? I haven't tried the local shops yet."

The hoagie? That's what she's focusing on?

June Connor has posed:
    June shrugs, "I don't know, it looks red," she answers. "You think I'm a fashion guru?" she indicates her rather grungy style. June doesn't attack when given the opening. "I mean, it's fine," she says, looking at the hoagie. "But I didn't just jump from another roof to talk about sandwiches. What do you mean it's a misnomer?" she asks. "Look, how did you survive this long with the Hand against you? Did you skip town or something then?" While she maintains a level of cool, she looks mildly agitated at the evasive style of Friday's conversation.

Friday has posed:
"Look." Evasion over, Friday looks directly at June now. Her smile is gone, but she still looks taller than her height. Odd how she does that. "There's a lot of world out there. You're right, I left the Hand. You obviously aren't here to swing on me either, so I'm going to guess that you're...confused."

Beat.

"And that means that you're finally thinking for yourself. It's the first step to realizing that you're a real person, not some appliance they can turn on and off. The Hand finds me from time to time, sure."

She spreads her hands, smiling lightly. "Still alive."

June Connor has posed:
    June's lip curls a little. "I already think for myself. I just do what makes sense for me." Not entirely true, but sounds good. "Someone handed me a shit card to play and I didn't know it until it was too late. And I'm not a real person, I am a fucking commodity. Hand thinks it, cops think it, court thinks it. Must be true. Just need to know how you do it, how you kept them off your ass cuz I'm about three steps from a bullet these days.

Friday has posed:
The Lady in Red steps forward. The step is significant as a sign of trust, she's coming into range of any sword or hand weapon that June might be carrying. What she herself has in her coat is anyone's guess, but that might be the bonuses of longcoats.

"Well, first you find people that you can trust." That has to be the SHIELD training talking, it certainly isn't the Hand. "I don't do things without help. I'm Friday, what's your name? Can't keep thinking of you as Ninja Pizza Girl, that won't fit on a card."

She's not dropped her guard, but she's allowing a lot.

June Connor has posed:
    "Okay, so I'm screwed," June answers. "We going with days of the week for names now?" she asks. "Fine I'm Monday then. Everybody's least favorite day." She drops the sandwich onto the nearest air conditioning unit, and wipes her hands on her jeans. She is several inches shorter than Friday, but postures as if she's a threat anyway.

    "People you can trust don't hang out with people like me," she confesses. "Gotta make my own way. Hell if I thought they'd take you as a trade on me, I'd kick your ass right now." She doesn't make any move to attack, though. Clearly she doesn't think it'd be a winning play.

Friday has posed:
"Monday." She says it like a bond, a promise. "I guarantee you that people you can trust are out there. Sometimes they're closer than you expect." Then she does what a good hero does, which is totally off-whack given that she's the bad guy.

She takes off her right glove, then extends the hand. "It all depends on what you plan to do with your life. Don't take the hand if you aren't sure yet." too close, too easy to hit. Is she that good? or is this a real offer?

Probably both.

June Connor has posed:
    June doesn't extend her hand back. She doesn't even look like she thinks about extending it. "Yeah, well, you seem a little more likeable than me," she comments. "People don't like me. I usually have rather transactional relationships at best." Regards to what she plans to do with her life? It doesn't seem that she has a comment to make on the matter.

Friday has posed:
Friday nods. Not a smile, not a frown. "I can't make you. We both know that." She lowers her hand, but doesn't put the glove back on yet. "So far I see someone who's scared, and for good reasons. So here's something you can do."

She grins. Not a smile, a planning grin with evil behind it, and she leans closer. "Keep the new name. Nobody knows it but you and me. Hire someone to get you past security, it's not the way that the Hand does things so they won't be looking for it." She lets that idea sink in, that the Hand looks for certain types of deceptions. But not others. It's a loophole she can exploit.

"Then, just go find out for yourself. It's what I'm doing, and it means I'm never sitting in one place, waiting to get caught. It's a big world out there."

June Connor has posed:
    Clearly not the too proud one, "Damn straight I'm scared. My life is shit but it's not like I get a second one," she says. "What do you mean get past security? I do get past security. Whose security?" she asks. "The Hand? For what? To find out all about how they have a political disaster that can rival Washington? I already figured out that part." June unzips her backpack, pulling her water bottle out of it and unscrewing the top. "So what are you doing? You go around in a fancy dress and..." she shrugs. "Just steal shit for fun? Go help the down and out? Sleep around? What /do/ you do?"

Friday has posed:
"Mostly airport security, really," Friday answers, not having her day ruined by the aggressive nature of her conversation partner. "If you use the normal methods, you'll get flagged. It's how they track us. So don't."

She shrugs. She pulls on her glove, looking around and picking up the item she's stolen. Nice vase, doesn't look like much. "I'm stealing things because I can. The rest of my life is my business, and you know better, Monday." The tone suggests that she might have crossed a line, there.

Raising an eyebrow, she adds, "How much do you actually need, to live? I needed a challenge. I don't want the vase, why would I? I'll send the money to a charity. It keeps me in hackers, since they wanted some payback for their work. They pick it, I dump the funds. You and I aren't built for being quiet, or calm. But what I do isn't you, you need to find your own way."

A pause, then, "Now. Can I help, or are you going to keep being a bitch?"

June Connor has posed:
    Never say June won't bite the hand that feeds her. She might have made another snarky comment if not for the sight of the vase. She regards it carefully, then looks back up at Isabella. "OK I'll bite, what do you need from me?" she asks, looking for the catch. She looks back at the vase. She does need money. Mugging isn't what it used to be, not enough people carry cash. "I can't get the Hand to stop their search for you," she mentions, in case that's the trade that's being sought.

Friday has posed:
"Monday. No." She puts the vase aside, shaking her head. "You can help me if you want to, I've got schemes I want to do that take two bodies, sure." The look on her face says that it wasn't the plan, and a bit of surprise shows there. "I'll call you if you want to give me a way to do it. But what I'm trying to say is.." She trails off, shaking her head. Then tries again.

"Look. What do you do for money these days? Taking wallets?" The pinpoint accuracy of the guess is probably observational skills in action. "I'm not lucky, get that out of your head. I'm hunted just like you are, and by more people. The big difference is, I don't care if I get seen."

She grins, indicating her outfit. The symbol of her lifestyle. "Let them come. I make enough on one valuable heist to hold me for ages, the rest is for the challenge. Do you not see the fun in ruining the Hand's work, by simply being better and better, every day? By finding ways to get help that they would never use in a million years?"

"The Hand is hilarious, Monday. I couldn't live without them."

June Connor has posed:
    June shrugs non-committally, "I did hit a quick stop the other day," she offers, though in general, yeah, that's an agreement with what Isabella is saying, unconcerned with ther criminal activity being known.

    "I mean, you got that flare, and that's cool for you. Honestly, I don't care about being better." She tosses her hands helplessly to the side, "So maybe I'm shit. I got other things to do with my life than flashing my ass at the Hand to taunt them." Oh, so now she has something to do suddenly.

Friday has posed:
She gives a smile at that. "Well, good then," she says. "Use that, whatever it is. I got my style."

She may have her style, but she's also the most visible target. And a moment later the real reason for it is highlighted, as blowdarts come out of the shadows without warning. Three of them for the Red Mark, and one for June. Friday's act without acting draws away so much attention, that June herself is treated as a secondary act. Less of a target.

Friday is wearing her flag to keep others from being hurt.

June Connor has posed:
    June's eyes go wide as she hears the whisping incoming darts. "Shit!" She hoists her backpack in the direction of the darts instinctively, the dart striking it as she drops to the ground, taking cover with the edge of the roof. She stuffs her hand into the bag, pulling out a kuri-sama, loosing the chain. "Those are probably poison!" she exclaims, and takes a quick shot of a glance over the small safety wall of the roof to try to spot the attackers.

Friday has posed:
Friday does move, the sound of a blowdart as familiar to her as it would be to June. She spins outward, her coat flaring and catching the incoming fire. She grunts, then is picking at her coat to get the darts out before they touch flesh.

"Always are," she suggests as she ducks behind what cover is available. "I'm gonna need you to do something for me." As another dart hits the cover, and the shadows begin to move, Friday pulls something from her ear and tosses it toward June.

"Call that. Tell them.." She staggers a little, which is when June would see the dart that got through, stuck into her shoulder.

"Need...a pickup."

June Connor has posed:
    June catches the small earpiece. There's no point in arguing at the moment, and puts the earpiece in, deciding in the moment that it's unlikely to be a trap. "Hey hey, whoever's on the other side of this," she says. "Your girl needs a lift out of here."

    June grabs the dart, pulling it out, and reaches back in her bag. She tears open a small ziplock bag of charcoal. "I usually use this for my face," she warns, taking the blade from the kurisama and putting it near the puncture wound, intending to cut it open. "But it might be able to absorb some of the poison."

Friday has posed:
Eyes glazing a little, Friday looks at June, then at the three ninjas who are surrounding them. "Later," she suggests. As she raises her left arm into a defensive posture. "Hope you're as good as you talk, Monday."

Then it's too late, and she's evading. Ducking low, kicking herself to one side. Praying that June is as good as she should be. This isn't a fight, it's an ambush.

June Connor has posed:
    "Well, hi," June says with a wince. "You know, it's not what it looks like," she suggests. As Friday kicks herself to the side, June bursts forward, using the wall to launch herself forward. She drops the charcoal, swinging the kuri-sama's weight at the far side right ninja, hoping to catch the other by the leg for a trip.

    "Okay maybe it is what it looks like."

Friday has posed:
They haven't got anything new, these attackers. That doesn't mean that what they do have isn't useful, but Friday's duck and roll put her underneath one of them as the guy tried to kick at her. She grins up, kicks sideways, and the guy staggers. Just enough to create an opening, not enough for her to attack in return.

Friday, with her right arm going kinda numb, proceeds to cheat. She lays her hand on the guy's leg. The sound of a tazer zapping happens, and the guy jerks.

"Cheat better," she says to anyone listening. Then the guy tries to fall on her (being tased will do that to you) and she acks.

Hopefully June's doing as well.

June Connor has posed:
    "There's no cheating," June says, "There's just whether you win or not." As she trips the first with her kuri-sama, she throws the kama, the chain extending to catch the last ninja in the shoulder. It cuts, though hardly lethal. It's more of a hook grab, and she pulls. Yeah, that probably hurt a bit more. The man stumbles forward to be met with a headbutt, and he stumble back.

    The ninja she tripped snaps out both legs, scisor locking her and she finds herself joining her first target on the ground.

Friday has posed:
"Mm-hmm," says Friday as she manages to get from beneath her victim. She looks at June, but mostly she looks at the attacker who's still up...and at the shadows, where anyone who didn't openly engage is likely to be hiding.

Ducking and sidestepping, she avoids swipes from the ninja's hands. The weapons hidden inside those fingers are likely deadly, and she's not an idiot.

"Can't...see," she says, her dodging becoming less effective. Her right arm is a dead weight, and she stumbles.

It's not nothing. It's an opening, and the ninja leaps for her, hands outstretched.

Friday stands there, an open target.

June Connor has posed:
    June growls, "Well don't TELL them that!" she gripes at Friday, just as she takes a punche from the enemy that has her locked on the ground. Her own wingspan doesn't allow her to return the blow, but she grabs the sash on the other ninja, swiping a pepper bomb, and crushing it in her grip, then thrusting the blinding powder at him. It causes him to loosen his grip enough that two quick punches to the groin end his desire to keep fighting, and June rolls away just in time to see the ninja leaping for her. But June isn't to her feet yet, and is too far away to help. "Look out!" Yeah June, tell someone who said she's blind to look out. Smart.

Friday has posed:
She doesn't. She gets hit, and the two of them fall over the side of the building, dropping like a bag of wet sand. Then Friday is gone, and June is left alone. With only the one ninja, who's just been given a facefull of groin punches and pepper bombs, but still there.

Gone.

Then, in her ear, June would hear, "Got her, thanks." The earbud, still in place. Backup.

People that you trust, are never too far away.

Over the side there's a small group of people, an unconscious ninja, and Friday giving a thumbs-up if Monday were to take the time to look.

June Connor has posed:
    June scrambles to her feet, and the ninja she headbutt comes back at her, disoriented, she finds herself locked in a few exchanges before getting enough of an edge to deliver a knee to the nose of the opponent and toss him onto his ally. She grabs the edge of the rooftop, looking down. She spots Friday and other allies, alive and well. She returns the thumbs up, and disappears over the edge, grabbing her pack. If there's a team that found them, she can't stay where she is for long.

Friday has posed:
Below, as Friday is being given an antiserum and a rapid exit, the guy who's driving their getaway vehicle grins. "Not bad," he says. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"You'd have fallen over your own feet," says the team's medic, who's helping Friday out of her coat."

"I would not! I'm a natural."

"You're both wonderful," Friday says as she lets them do their jobs. "I think she got the message." Her words seem to cause the other two to stop babbling, and they wait for Friday to continue. If she's going to.

"And yes, she took the earbud."

The girl whoops, while the guy grins a bit less. "Five bucks, bro!" "Yeah, well. I'll win the next one."

Then, Friday lays back in the chair a bit. Smiling.