8573/Villainy! School, at night!

Villainy! School, at night!
Date of Scene:	06 November 2021
Location:	Columbia University
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Madigan Belle, Otto Octavius

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Madigan Belle has posed:
Columbia University, at night. One of the best schools in the USA if not one of the best in the world. Top of her class, and she barely shows up, already working on her Ph.D in studying genetics. She's already turned in some papers that have gotten some backwater renown in the world of genetics. In particular, she's turned in articles that have been published on effects of epigenetics, combinations of genes that work together to express particular traits (with particular interest and theories surrounding mutant genetics), and all sorts of other advanced work. Lazy, perhaps, but work that showcases someone far beyond her peers.

Tonight? This very person is working inside of the labs at Columbia University. People leave them alone, the security stops by every few hours to make sure they don't need to lockup, but otherwise, she's all alone. Work work working. Everyone assumes on some school project or paper, or whatever, but she's just as likely to be working on one of her side projects.

Unknown to many, she also works with the O'Neill Family. A top dog in the American Irish organized crimes syndicates. They are pretty thuggy, but a few years ago started to show up with drugs that altered, temporarily, the genes of some of their 'thugs' to compete with those with super powers. Sure, it's shaky, addictive, and prone to causing some havoc, but it works. It wouldn't take much for a top tier scientist who understands Madi's papers to connect the dots if they knew something of the O'Neills.

Otto Octavius has posed:
It's true, there are few in the world capable of giving artificial super powers to random thugs, even on a temporary basis. That list narrows down even more if you take into account those with the means and motive... and even further if you have a decent grasp of the subject yourself and can connect the dots. People of pride usually like to show off their work -rightfully so- and showcasing that knowledge? It's easy enough to connect the dots... or at least make informed speculation.

So it is Otto had disabled campus security measures and hidden himself inside the lab utility closet until he saw Madigan deep into her lab work. As Madigan has settled, one of his real hands opens the door to let him slip out, and soon he's well within tentacle range for the woman, the noise of his tentacles coming up into a defensive formation around him the first sign of his presence for her. "Good Evening." There's a smug smile to Otto's face as he waits to be replied to.

Madigan Belle has posed:
One of the problems with Madi is how easily she gets distracted. She's got pretty amazing senses, but - when she's eating candy, and working, she's definitely not paying attention to the little abnormalities happening. In this sense, she's been moving around the lab at her slow pace pretty regularly, using her crutch to help her maneuver, and those leg braces to keep her from falling over while she mixes this or that. She's got music playing... which is perhaps the truest sign that she's a villain. It is all Disney tunes, and she's singing along with them! The entire time Otto has been waiting.

"Whoa?!" Madi pauses, jaw dropping, and her eyes get big behind her glasses, "Is it evening already?! Wait wait, what in the world are those?" And she's starting to rotate her hips in the odd walking style she has to do, to swing her legs, let the brace lock, then swing the other side to keep her moving forward. Forward? She's coming toward Otto, "That's interesting, I was here starting in the afternoon, how many times did I hear the Frozen track start playing?" A pause, and big smile, "You aren't you, that guy, who has... wait, can you hold on a second... I think I need to move this sample..." Turning, she's going to try and walk away from Otto as her focus completely derails.

Otto Octavius has posed:
He's done his research on her, so he has... an idea... of what to expect, and he's not the sort of man who gets impatient fits for being ignored.

Still, Otto /is/ curious what has her attention, and has she reaches for the sample in question, one of those tentacles shoots out like a coiled snake, grabbing it with the micro-manipatulators in the head of the tentacle, and pulls back to give him a clear view of it. "And what's this?" Otto asks, the item in question reflecting off his safety goggles in the light.

If she's focused on something else, grab it to redirect that attention. Simple baiting tactics.

Madigan Belle has posed:
It is certainly easy to derail Madi's focus. Though she might be reaching out to grab the sample in question, if another tentacle pops up and does something in her wide field of vision, then boom her head is turned and she's all re-focused, then the sample is grabbed easily enough.

Turning her head back, Madigan looks over to Otto and smiles big, "Oh, that? That's interesting. I mean, not super interesting, well, it depends. I'm mixing samples of genetic material of one particular college student here... in, a uh, safe... um, way... and then seeing what comes out the other side. I'm putting it into my thesis, if I finish it, someday, right? Associated genetics and their role in evolutionary comparative genes across species."

Then she takes another look at Otto and quirks her mouth to the side, "Aren't you Doctor Octopus? Did you make those tentacles? Are you sure only 4 are needed? What material are they made out of? Do you have fine motor control, are they attached to your spine? I bet they are, lower spine on the lower end ones to let you off-shift the controls to the same brain functions for walking? That'd be stellar." Rapid fire, quick speaking questions, "So - are you here to... " She looks around, and listens for a moment, "Kidnap me? I mean, I am otherwise confused... not that you have to go if I'm not the right person, just... you know, if that's gonna happen, I'd prefer to be cuffed or something, so it feels really real before you take me somewhere to ... " She wiggles her fingers and widens her eyes, as she continues, "Cut me open, or whatever it is you do as a Doctor."

Otto Octavius has posed:
He listens, patiently, as she rambles. He has a flat look to him as she speaks, absorbing the questions. After he's had his fill of the visual though, he lays the item on a nearby table before he looks to Madigan. "I've taken a look at my DNA after the accident. Now I need some peer review. Are you interested in studying me?"

As Otto speaks, his tentacles retract, two moving to the ground as if becoming support pillars, and two moving to each side of his head on standby.

Madigan Belle has posed:
There's a pause, and Madigan's face kind of lights up. Her eyes get big, her hands come up to her face ala Home Alone styled, each hand palm pressed against that side's cheek, "Really?" Then she nods her head a few quick times before taking her hands down, "I would loooooooooooove to look over your DNA. What accident?" She quirks her mouth to the side, then smiles big again, "Those things are amazing! By the way. I could use me some tracks or something, move around faster, but not a terribly big deal." And then she looks around her college lab and grimaces, "This place is pretty slow. Did you have equipment somewhere? I mean, I do elsewhere, but they may not... let you inside, cause they're probably, prejudiced against you."

She does look over at her backpack though, and starts moving in that direction, "I'll need snacks, and all that. I could do it here, but it'd be waaaaay slow. I'm sure you have equipment, somewhere, or a lab, and besides, then I could see it. A secret base, or just a secret lab, but isn't that a secret base for a scientist? I really need to get myself a hideout, base, lab thing. Have any spares? I could pay."

Otto Octavius has posed:
"Most people want nothing to do with them. Their interface taps directly into the nervous system, which comes with risks of it's own." Otto informs her as he looks towards the windows. "I have a place we can talk." One of his tentacles reaches out and starts to grab for Madigan. "I'll take you there."

Madigan Belle has posed:
With that, Madigan holds up her arms to get grabbed by the tentacle. She's not been worried or afraid this entire time, just super interested. And she watches the tentacle as it comes after her, "Tentacle, meet school girl. Granted, college, but still. Technically speaking." And she quirks her mouth back and forth, having grabbed her backpack to take with her. "Aww, into the nervous system. I figured that may be more of a complete answer. Mine is all screwed up, so no stealing a tentacle, backwards engineering it, and then creating a set for myself." She snaps her fingers, in that Aww, shucks kind of way. "Oh, my, goodness! I'm so rude, I'm Madigan, people call me Madi."

Otto Octavius has posed:
"Your name is unimportant, but if you insist." Otto tells her. "You can call me Doctor Octopus." He informs her as the other three tentacles begin to walk 'up' the wall towards a set of windows. Two tentacles remain anchored as another moves to open the window, and he 'walks' out into the night up to the rooftop, Madigan in tow.

"Without tests, I couldn't tell you if this harness would work for you or not." Otto explains, "I'd need a full workup of your nerves."

Madigan Belle has posed:
"Yeaaaaaaaaaah. Probably not going to happen. I mean, sitting in a chair, being poked, and prodded, sounds fun but after a few minutes is there a new kind of prodding? A new test? No. Not usually, and that's bogus. I mean, why can't tests be gamified? Is that so tough?" Madigan starts thinking, her eyes are looking around, her mouth is quirked to the side, and she's got her brow a bit furrowed, and then, she smiles big again.

"I don't think my name is entirely unimportant. There's got to be another red head woman in glasses somewhere, so how would you indicate you were talking to one over another? Names. Super important, especially if I were a demon." A pause, and then she chuckles, "I'm not. But that's exactly what a demon would say. Oh, right! What was this accident you are so worried about? Why do you think it adjusted your DNA? How so? Are -you- a demon now or something like that?"