Scene #6262: Cold Grave 2: Snowy Peak

Owner	Pose
Spider-Man	It's been snowing on-and-off. The thick flurries sometimes lighten up and let rays of light through. Sometimes they don't, and they turn to a much heavier storm. Hibernation weather hasn't dissuaded the city that never sleeps, though. People are often driven off the snowy streets, but then surge right back on. Driving is spotty for anything but emergency services. Train service still works pretty well, though, and interior heating is going fine. Though, maybe the power has been strained, recently. L. Thompson Lincoln, a "well-liked" Legitimate Businessman of the city, had already scheduled an annual charity event. A fancy dinner, an odd show, some silent auctions, and other usual features make it a public event that those with money or public connections can get an invitation to easily. Bit of a black tie sort of thing, though. Those who choose this option will be able to head to the event center, where they can begin the search for Mr. Lincoln among the well-to-do crowd however they like. He is, allegedly, quite easy to find, though why exactly isn't clear unless you decide to google him. Getting a private discussion with him doesn't seem to hard, he's apparently a surprisingly accessible businessman. And quite a big spender, if the fancy adornments of the venue are anything to go by. It's high-up on a skyscraper, taking up several floors with a very large ballroom-style event center with tall, wide windows exposing the chilly storm outside. Finding Mac Gargan is more difficult. He's best found around the Bad Side of town, quite clearly, and only by appointment. Underworldly types or the Watch can easily make contact with him, though for the Watch it's more because it seems Gargan doesn't actually object to association with them. For reasons yet unexplained, Gargan seems more than willing to meet with any group as long as it has a Watch-member or two in it, even if it has a Paladin or two. Though the run-down office-space at the back of a conspicuously empty restaurant has plenty of men with sickly-green gang colors sporting unusually numerous firearms shows that he doesn't immediately trust anyone; there's plenty of guards, and odd crates half-open gleaming with strange metals show that more dangerous sorts of weapons may be on-hand. Aaron Davis, the man Reyes met earlier, left a message to the Paladins through him. He's gently asked to be unprosecuted for his small-time crimes (none of them seem to have been lethal), but seems unable to stomach the weight on his conscience of some kind of tremendous gangland war brewing. He says he's gathered a lot of information about what's happening on the streets, about the magic issues, and about the other parties of the conflict, and wants to help authorities calm it down and get the magic off the streets. He can be found around Harlem, and seems to want to meet in a public space, though the visitors can pick a particular spot. Not like he's got much money to designate any place to meet.
Nova Terra	Nova has chosen to not don her usual outfit for the party today. Hostile environment suits aren't very fashionable. And the large Canister Rifle might scare people off. Not to mention tip off her target. So for that reason, Nova is currently wearing a nice silver dress with heels, her hair free instead of up in its typical ponytail. The Ghost can dress up nice on those rare occasions where she has to. Though the slightly sour look on her face suggests she's not entirely comfortable this way. Nova edges her way through the crowd of socialites that have shown up for the party this evening. She occasionally pauses to rub the side of her head in pain. Too many people here. Too many thoughts. It's making her objective harder. She'll need to get closer to the man of the hour if she wants to find out everything he knows.
Ryouma Sakamoto	It's hard getting Oryou to dress up, sometimes. She's not really one to understand the meaningfulness of clothes, so getting her into anything resembling formal wear for an auction took a lot of explaining. And promising frogs, in the end. While Ryouma can get away not changing - his Japanese navy officer's uniform, while slightly out of place in America, is still Formal Enough - he's managed to get Oryou into a matching white dress, giving entirely too much visibility to her incredibly long black and slightly red hair. Her high heels appear to be giving her difficulty, causing her to frequently rely on Ryouma's arm not to fall. "Oryou thinks this is stupid," she says to him. "Ah, please bear with it just a bit longer, we'll be out in no time. Still, you should practice walking more often," he answers. "Oryou can't think of a good reason to wear these shoes in battle. Or ever," she replies. "They do look inconvenient," he laughs. Arriving at the CHARITY EVENT is easy enough; spotting the VIP is even easier, courtesy of Oryou showing Ryouma how to use a phone. Yes, that's strangely backwards. Now it's just a matter of waiting for Thor, and for the right lull in festivities to take the man aside.
Thor	Thor is not meeting an informant or a criminal type. He is, in fact, at the charity event, dressed in a nice three-piece suit (which he thinks is super stuffy) that was fitted to his chiseled physique by tailors once the invitation was confirmed. The type of party this was also wasn't familiar to Thor, really. He was used to big Asgardian parties with a lot of booze and loud people and occasional fighting. But the muscular blonde with medium-length hair thought he looked pretty good, at least, and the mission was to find out what they could about Lincoln. Some of those at the event might recognize Thor, a known Avenger and hero, as he's not exactly keeping hidden. As he moves through the party, shaking hands with anyone who would do such to him and sipping at a drink that is way too weak, the Asgardian hates how indirect this is. So, hopefully, pushing through the crowd and coordinating with allies, moving up to Ryouma and Oryou, the group will be able to find the Big Man and learn what they can. For now, Thor talks to Ryouma and Oryou. "Ah, miss Oryou, you look nice. You as well, Sakamoto." Thor downs his drink in one gulp. "So, what is the plan?" Please be something Thor can work with.
Ryu	If there's one thing anyone can appreciate, it's a man willing to heal anyone without charge. Ryu was not picky about who he provided his healing services to, and had this habit of ending up mingled in the criminal underworld because of it. He wasn't good with his connections, but it gave them a reason to want him around. Which is why he shows up to where Gargan is in human form, with his satchel at his side. The scruffy blue-haired young man shows up and stops when the guards would stop him. "Here to talk to your boss," is all he'd say to 'em, making fearless eye contact and waiting for his chance to have an important chat.
Doctor Strange	No one can be in two places at once, and technically, that applies to the Sorcerer Supreme. Today, there are two in New York. The first one, the Strange of the Present, has graciously offered the use of his portals to those who intend to question AARON DAVIS. He's suggested Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park as the meeting place, owing to the fact that, as a park, it doesn't get much more 'public.' Those who aren't used to New York's grid system are offered a portal straight to the park, free of charge. This Strange has but one pleasantry to get out of the way. "Hey," he says. "Before we get started, I wanna say I'm glad you stepped up to the plate here." The sorcerer attempts to make eye contact to drive the point home. He really does mean it--so, perhaps it's not a pleasantry. Either way, he gets right to business. "Tell me about..." Strange breaks the sorcery out right from that point, weaving energy with practiced, fluid hand gestures until it dissipates and forms a hovering projection: one of the JAMMING BACKPACKS he'd found all over town. "This. What's it for, and why?" The other Strange, pulled from the Future, steps out of a portal behind RYU. "Yeah, hi, same thing here, really. I'm... with him." He nods towards the dragon.
Spider-Man	The (Big) man of the hour is surprisingly not too difficult to find. This is because he stands out easily in a crowd. A man closer to seven feet than most people get, his hair is a shocking white and his skin is pale to the point of going somewhat blue. His eyes are a shocking red tone. Some kind of albino? His nature is just on the artificial side of boistrous, a good-natured tone with his conversation partners that rings only distantly hollow. His suit is impeccably tailored and his speech on a variety of business topics is terribly articulate. He notices Thor. "Excuse me a minute." He says to the man he's speaking to at the moment, then turns with a wide smile to Thor, baring just slightly unusual teeth. "Ahhh, now there's one hell of a guest. I've got to give you my gratitude. I love this city, and seeing someone willing to fight for it like you and your Avengers do gives me faith." He says, moving to shake hands with the man, having one hell of a grip. His eyes have a surprising gleam. He must have heard about what Thor did to his underboss, Hammerhead. "As long as people like you are... on our side, we can all sleep a little better." His voice is strong, deep, and powerful; for a man whose teeth look uncannily sharp, somehow it manages to be the most intimidating factor. Here's Ryouma's chance to bring the meeting aside, and Nova's chance to get close.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone had hooked up with Reyes, Doctor Strange and anyone else who was going to hook up with Davis. She had sen the message and if his info was a lead to something far bigger she would consider his price to be reasonable. Given the man's desire to stop the magic drug alone has left her fairly receptive to the man as she now goes to look. Kotone's clothes are a bit on the high end but not beyond the realm of possibility. Kotone thanks Doctor Strange for the use of one of his portal and to meet at Garvey Park. She will let Doctor Strange take point, while she keeps an eye on any odd wireless signals or anything like that around them. While the drug may be magic related the makers may not or may use whatever tool for the job is best. She takes a look at the backpack as well the idea of a drug that can induce magic powers in people is quite alarming and why she's got involved in this investigation. She waits till Prowler is done answering Strange's question before she speaks up. "Also after there is there anything else you might have for us in regard to what's been occurring lately Mr. Prowler? Also, any leads on where this drug might be coming from?"
Reyes	Reyes has shucked the power armor he wore last time, which means he steps out of Doctor Strange's offered portal wearing... well, he looks like a pilot straight out of the World War 2 era, complete with the period-style flight goggles, currently worn over his eyes. Mystical senses might well detect that this man's no mere aviator - he's drenched in magical energies. Some of it comes from him, some of it from tools on his belt... and definitely some from his goggles. On closer inspection, the goggle rims have tiny gems set into them that thrum with magical energy... "Hrnh?" He's here to meet Aaron, and the backpacks on display have him sticking his hands into his pockets. "Hi. Last time I was in the power armor." He explains for whoever cares about such. Aaron might since he met him already once! Kinda. It's immediately obvious that Reyes is no fan of, or comfortable with, social outings. He keeps a few steps apart from people and seems very uncomfortable. But here's here.
Ryouma Sakamoto	"Ah, I was thinking--" No time to answer Thor. The man of the hour is so indimiatingly strong, deep and powerful that he takes charge of even the investigation on his person. Unknowingly, but still. "Ah, Mr. Thompson Lincoln, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Ryouma answers, extending a gloved hand for a firm handshake. "I'm Ryouma, this is my wife, Oryou." Oryou stops wobbling long enough to look at the pale man and respond, "Oryou would rather be sitting down to eat," she says. Ryouma laughs nervously. "Ah, it was a long flight." They do both use an old Japanese dialect, so it wouldn't be hard for Lonnie to guess they came from there. "I was just asking Mr. Odinson if he could introduce us. Might you mind a few minutes aside for a drink?" A balcony or some side-room would suffice. Anything relatively isolated, really! It's not necessary, but it's a precaution. There'd be no sense causing a scene in the middle of the event floor proper, if things go south.
Spider-Man	Ryu gets a short nod. "Boss, one of the ones from the New Year's party is here for ya." Says one of the goons, tapping an earpiece. After a moment, there's a short nod. "Go on." All eyes are on the pair, but in the back room, there's only a small number of guards, and one man: Mac Gargan. A light beard and a buzz cut make for a practical look, and sickly green street-wear completes it. He's got a handgun on the table on one side, a drink on the other, and a laptop between them. A map of New York City on the wall, written over with coded markings, shows this is a bit of a nerve center. "So, you're some of the ones who helped me out with the Tombstone family. I don't know why, and I only care about as much as I need to care to get his bullshit off the streets a little quicker. You planning to shut his little magic show down?" He asks, narrowing eyes and looking quite focused, leaning forward. Past and present Strange likely essentially match up on this topic in knowledge of the dangers of magic in the streets.
Nova Terra	Through the chaos of drink orders, false pleasantries and so many bold-faced lies, Nova does pick up on some commotion regarding her target. And after shouldering her way through a particularly thick group, she manages to catch sight of the somewhat tall man over the heads of others. Excellent. Target in sight. Nova begins moving closer and closer to Lincoln. She's taking a more sedate pace, trying to avoid being spotted and intercepted before she can reach the target. She's also trying to concentrate on his thoughts, but they're still drowned out by so many at this party. She just needs to get closer... Oh crap! It's that guy from the incident a few days back. Plus those other two look familiar. They could blow her cover! Nova stops her approach, hanging just outside obvious detection range. She pretends to be admiring a piece of art while trying to come up with a means of approach that will go unnoticed.
Thor	Well, it wasn't that hard to find Lincoln. When he comes personally to Thor, Thor straightens up, not intimidated by the gleam, but understanding that this is a gesture of power. As his hand is firmly shaken, Thor makes his own tight grip, showing his superhuman strength, but not hurting the man. And then... The Asgardian smiles, and nods. Good spirits, it'd seem! "I am glad, then. While it is not my home, this city is one to protect...especially from those who wish it or the people in it harm." If Lincoln is strong and deep and seems like a predator, Thor is confident and trying to be charismatic, unwavering. As Ryouma speaks up, Thor nods. "Ah, yes. The drinks are...quite interesting, so that would be nice. To share a drink with such a well-respected man would be quite fine by me." Thor would probably want to have a talk with the bartender if he wasn't busy. Hopefully Lincoln is willing Luckily for Nova, Thor doesn't notice her. He's too fcoused on his immediate surroundings, so she might be able to go without getting detected if she's careful.
Spider-Man	Aaron Davis is wearing a lot of layers for this meeting. He nods to Strange. "I got family around here. I don't want the streets dangerous for them." He says, plaintively. He looks a bit uneasy about magic, considering the magic that his alleged-affiliation has been fighting, but he holds out a hand for the jamming device, and turns it over in his hands if he's given it. He points a bit at Reyes. "Guys like him. Gargan's got these... friends of his gang, they got all kinds of weapons. Weird stuff. There's a couple guys, it's like Iron Man. They fly around, they shoot lasers, they..." He makes dismissive gestures. It's all a bit over his head. "I dunno, they blast you back in time or whatever. It doesn't matter. The backpacks mess with them. One guy, he calls himself 'Shocker', the rest I don't know. They deal guns." He gestures off to the east, in a vague way, at Kotone's question. "Tombstone, he got his own weird friends. Some kinda cartel, I think. Gargan says they're actually SHIELD fucking around with us, but man, I don't know anything about who they are. But they've been usin' Tombstone's family to test some crazy magic thing." He rubs one side of his face a little. "Problem is, Tombstone's been using it to make tons of money. And Gargan says, Tombstone's gonna make a move to get that cartel instead of work for them. He thinks he's gonna go for everything all at once, and he thinks everyone else on the streets like us is gonna get stuck with it too, so he's fighting Tombstone now." "It's gonna get bad. Gargan's setting up for doing something big when the storm gets bad. I dunno what, but man, that guy's chemistry is nuts and Mac is crazy. He might blow some big... I dunno, some big bomb or something, he's like that." He looks terribly worried, even under the obfuscation. He glances around nervously, though nobody's going to be out in a park in weather like this, so there's not a listener for a while around.
Ryu	Ryu smiled briefly to the guard and stepped into the 'nerve center,' where he took stock of each guard's location, and of anything worth looking at. He looks at Gargan after being greeted, eyes fixated on that man almost unblinkingly. Then flicking to the nearby gun, to note that it's there, before he speaks. "Why do /you/ need his magic bullshit off the streets, anyways?" he wonders, "Competition?" He doesn't trust Gargan to want to deal with the magical drugs out of the goodness of his heart until the dragon hears it right from the man's mouth. "I'll be working on the problem either way, it just helps to know where you stand on all of this," he adds, lifting both his hands and both of his brows in a defensive way.
Doctor Strange	GARGAN'S NERVE CENTER "It'd be nice," admits Strange. Streets free of rampant untrained magic would be a great New Year's Resolution to work towards. "I'm gonna be honest, I'm new to the whole... legwork... side... of this." He gestures a heavily scarred hand in a vague circle and lets it fall to his side. "So, just bear with me. Uh... let's see..." The Sorcerer Supreme lifts a hand to stroke thoughtfully at his goatee. A question forms in his mind, and he appraises Gargan with an inquisitive squint. "How much do you know about how he gets it? I'm guessing if it was as simple as... 'oh, he's got a stereotypical warehouse full of guys in jumpsuits loading and unloading boxes all day' you would've already firebombed it or whatever." He strokes his finely-trimmed facial hair a second time, and tilts his head slightly. "Do you... do that? Or is that just in the movies?" MARCUS GARVEY PARK Strange listens to Davis' explanation, nodding, following his gesture to look at Reyes. Turning his attention back to Davis, he nods. Noting Davis' apprehension, he rephrases what he's been told. "Okay... Gargan thinks Tombstone's gonna try and seize power in this cartel, who I'm guessing is giving him the drug to peddle. So, he wants to stop Tombstone because he thinks it's gonna get messy. And, apparently, so do you." "What I wanna know is, you're talking about the storm like it's something you can't control. But... it was preeetty clearly magic. Do you... not know who made it?"
Spider-Man	"Hmmm. Remind me to introduce you to my friend, Mr. Fisk." Mr. Lincoln gives a positive-looking nod to Oryou. "He's a fan of beautiful Japanese art." If it weren't delivered by a man who looks like he bites steel for a hobby, it would be surprisingly flattering. "But for now, I'm sure we can find a good spot to find something interesting to talk about over a drink." He says, turning and signaling to one of the wandering servers. "We'll take a side-room." That'll get Nova Terra some space for her mind-probing! If she can evade some of the guards that not-so-subtly form up on the end of Tombstone's signal, a two-sided note. They keep a friendly distance, but they're there. He heads off to a side lounge, one where they're relatively undisturbed. "I didn't know Asgardians went much further than Europe." He says, smirking a bit as if they're not there. "Where'd you pick up a pair like that?" He gets his own drink, and dismisses the server, letting the others order whatever they will and taking a seat. "Now, Mr. Odinson, Ryouma, how can I help you?" His eyes lock a bit more with Thor, because of what he knows, which means Ryouma might have a better chance of socially catching him off-guard. Nova will have to evade the attentive-looking guards who wander around the area just near the lounge. If she can, there's a good chance she can get a mentally clear signal. Not a guarantee, but a good chance.
Reyes	"I'm not like thoose guys." Reyes quietly but firmly protests. He might see what Aaron's getting at, but feels compelled to say such regardless. "We get our hands on some of this stuff, I can maybe figure out more about it though." Something or another draws him to glance oddly at Kotone, as iof she's distracting him. "... Dang that's a fancy outfit." He murmurs. "Wonder if power armor can work that way...!" Yoinking his attention back to the guy at hand - without explaining anything he just said - Reyes declares. "So let me see if I understand this? Tombstone's getting his new goods from some unknown cartel. He's planning on taking 'em over once he's ready. And then he'll go after rival groups out of... I dunno, greed and powermongering? Even if that's chaos in the streets for normal people. Gargan's not having this, and is gearing up to do something big, drastic, and equally messy for bystanders rather than wait for Tombstone to get bigger than he is now. Do I have this right?"
Spider-Man	Gargan makes a brief "heh" sort of noise. "Ohhh, yeah. Gotta be a selfish reason, huh? Well, sure, I got friends of mine who want to be the only game in town for biiiig explosions." He makes a little "boom" motion with his hand. "But you know what? I know them. I know they come from real roots. Real men, working men, who got fucked by the system. They got ideals. They got dreams. They got people they want to be safe. So you know what? If they wanna pay me to make them the only game in town, I'll take it." Then he leans forward much more intently. "But I'd do this pro-bono if I had to. Because I sure know a lot about those suppliers." He smiles in a cruel way to Strange. "I know they're powerful men who run the system. I know the only dream they give a shit about is more power. And most of all, I know they flash SHIELD credentials to get what they want and to make people look the other way when they do. Whoever's giving him this hocus pocus shit, they're the kind of guys who're only here to take advantage. And I'll kill 'em. And I'll kill Tombstone if he gets between me and them, too. Him and his fucking 'Maggia ambitions' can go into a cold grave." He sneers a bit, but his voice has taken a driven tone that almost edges into being principled.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone starts to see why Arron Davis is so spooked about this state of affairs some sort of weapon dealing group with some pretty high-end hardware She makes note of the name Shocker as well. The name SHIELD is also noted she's not heard it before either. She also takes note about Tombstone and Gargan s well. This sounds like to her it is going to be bad. "I see why you have been willing to stick your neck out." She sits back to think on this she's got some things to look up and will look into the local internet to start running some searches on the term for SHIELD. She knows she might not get much but maybe she can get an idea behind this, she'll also check out information on Shocker, though she knows she'll have to do some serious digging later this is just her doing some early research. Reyes and Strange ask several more questions while Kotone does her search and she looks a bit sheepish to Reyes. "Oh sorry, we can talk later about that." She's back on task while she leaves Harly (A non sapient support AI she has) to oversee the searching of information for the moment. "Sounds like a power play though there is the possibility he also thinks the mess he'll cause will be less than what happens if he doesn't act against the other cartel? Or am I wildly off base you know more about these two groups than I do."
Ryouma Sakamoto	"Oryou isn't art, she's--" Oryou begins, when Ryouma puts a finger on her mouth, disallowing her from ending the phrase with something such as 'a dragon' or 'a divine snake'. Though, with Thor, it might not be an issue? It seems the pale-skinned man already knows about other species, but maybe it's best not to push it. "Ah, she means she's very appreciative of the compliment. She's not used to receiving them," Ryouma corrects, all smiles. Oryou just sort of huffs. With the lounge secured, seats given and drinks provided, Ryouma and Oryou order fancy cocktails since sake is unlikely to be available. Ryouma takes a sip, once served, and looks at Tombstone thoughtfully. "It's quite a long story. You might call me something of a detective on the side, though I've dabbled in trading and shipping before too. Lately there's been word of magic being out on the streets, and we've reason to believe some people might seek to implicate you, or worse. A person with your fame and visibility is needless to say going to attract plenty of unwanted attention. We're concerned for your safety, in summary." It's not wrong. They need him alive for plenty of reasons, but Ryouma in particular simply wouldn't want people dying even if they were guilty.
Spider-Man	Back at Marcus Garvey Park, Davis explains further, answering Strange and Kotone. "Not just messy. I mean, Gargan thinks messy. This guy-- he's a murder kind of man. He doesn't care who he kills when he gets what he's doing. But he thinks the cartel, or the evil government or something, whatever, he thinks they'll do something worse if they go with the Maggias, and..." He shakes his head. "Look, I don't want Tombstone owning anything more than he owns, 'cuz that guy's insane in his own way too. But Mac would probably kill a whole lot of people who just wanna live their life to take Tombstone out." He nods to Reyes. "He wants to take them over. But doing that would mean having more heat to pack. He's been spending all that money on something, and I think he's gonna do whatever he's been spending it all on when the storm gets bad too. Didn't tell Mac, because if I did then he'd get more guns on the street for the blizzard." He puts a stressed hand to the bridge of his nose. "They're both gonna do something bad. I don't know what it is, but they're both killers, they'll both... do something that killers do, you know? All I know is..." He checks around again. Making doubly, triply sure that nobody's nearby listening. "Tombstone's got another garage. Usually he makes a show when he kills one of Gargan's guys. But one guy, he told me he was gonna go check it out, then he disappeared. No corpse, nothing. And Gargan, he's got a lab, he does all this... /weird chemistry/ and stuff. Poisons, I think, something like that. If he's got anything crazy he's doing, he'll be cooking some of it there. I can tell you both of them." He offers an address for each. "You gotta get this stuff figured out. Man, I don't care if they kill each other, but I got a newphew out here man, and my brother's a cop, and, you know." He actually looks a bit strained. He's probably been worrying about all this alone for a while.
Nova Terra	Nova gives up on her extremely brief career as an art critic when she notices the target head off into a more private area with those three. The sudden manifestation of security personnel doesn't go unnoticed too. Which is going to make it more difficult for Nova to go unnoticed. Watching the security guards patrolling the party floor and guarding the lounge, Nova has to give them credit. They've got the area locked down pretty tight. Of course, Nova is a professional. She always has a Plan B. And often times C, D and E. But let's see if B works before we try any of the others. Nova quickly moves to leave the party, heading away from the guards and towards a more remote part of the building. Beginning to navigate through some empty halls, Nova starts to change a little. She removes her heels between steps, dropping them into a bin she passes on the way. A shame, she just bought those. She pulls a scrunchy out of seemingly nowhere, reaching up to tie her hair back into a ponytail just as she rounds the final corner and spots her objective at the end of the hall: Any airvent near the top of the wall. The building plans Nova memorized suggest the vent system will lead close to the lounge, though it might be a tight fit. Nova reaches down, pulling up the bottom of her dress up above her knees, before tieing it off. A little telekinesis easily rips off the vent grating with a minimum of fuss and noise. After which Nova takes a few quick steps, jumps to plant a foot on the wall to her side, then pushes off it to grab the vent edge and pull herself in. Hopefully the vent system won't be too hard to navigate. She has to move quick. Hopefully not too dirty either, it's a fairly nice dress.
Thor	"Ah, I actually met them fighting a gang in Japan. It was a good time." Thor says, sort of idly, not realizing that might be harmful to Ryouma and Oryou's attempts to sidestep Lincoln. As the server comes, Thor just asks for 'the strongest thing you have'. And then, the Asgardian lets the pair talk. When Ryouma's done, Thor speaks up. "Your city is dangerous, Mr. Lincoln. Things happening in the alleys between buildings...we want to protect it." He's mostly just accentuating against Ryouma, because Thor is not a face type of person. He's the muscle.
Doctor Strange	GARGAN Gargan's cruel smile is perhaps not as effective as he'd like it to be. It bounces off of Strange's deadpan. "As a citizen of this fair city, I am /completely/ shocked to hear that a government agency might be corrupt." He's a little out of his element here--his mind doesn't go where an Avenger's might, upon hearing 'people flashing SHIELD IDs.' Even having heard the theory from Davis in the past, he only thinks 'oh, so someone in SHIELD's got a side hustle.' He pauses, looking briefly at Ryu, who might not be familiar. "It's an acronym," he explains. "Strategic... Homeland... --they wanted it to spell SHIELD," he abruptly and exasperatedly utters. "So, you got names for us? Faces?" Strange gestures with a nod towards the map of New York behind Gargan. "Another one of those, with some... pictures, pinned to it, and little..." He makes a motion with his hands like straightening a rope. "Lengths of yarn leading from one to the other?" Countering Gargan's tin foil hat theories with dry upstate sarcasm, he frowns thoughtfully. "I mean, I don't even know if it'd help, really, I just kinda wanna see it, to be honest." Strange shrugs. Having painted himself as a sarcastic douche, he attempts to throw Gargan off-balance with a fastball. "Oh, one other thing... You're not... pushing any superdrugs of your own, are you? Couldn't help but notice the chemistry project on my way here. Don't bother having anybody killed--it's my job to see things." MARCUS GARVEY PARK Strange takes a brief look around at his allies. "Both is good... we'll take both, yeah." Despite being here in a roughspun tunic and a red high-collared cloak, when Davis gives out the addresses, Strange pulls out a smartphone and enters them in. It takes him a minute to do so, bordering on awkward, but he manages, and stuffs it back into... the ether. "So, Gargan's got the little-guy narrative, but cranked up to 11. We're gonna stop this, but it'd help to know what Tombstone's angle is. You said he's insane 'in his own way.' How do you mean?" "Is he... into necromancy, dark magic, that kinda thing? Just a... shot in the dark, with the magic drugs and the fact that we're calling him Tombstone."
Spider-Man	Mr. Lincoln raised an eyebrow. He closes his eyes and spends a brief moment arranging words in his head, before he speaks more plainly to Ryouma. "Mm. Men with any sort of power have responsibilities and risks." He says. "We always have them both. It doesn't matter how much power you have, you always have a responsibility and a risk. The risk is always that other people with power will try to use you. The responsibility is always to make sure you put your power to work for people. And to make sure others do, too." He takes a deep sip of his drink, and lets out a heavy sigh. "There are people bigger than me. Hard to believe, hm? And they're the kinds that have always been bigger. About eighty years now, something like that." He narrows red eyes. The glass in his hands cracks slightly. "And when you have power, you have a responsibility. I know about people bigger than me, Ryouma. Much bigger. But if I have power, then I have a responsibility. I could live a quiet life and shelter in the storm. Or I can go out there into the storm, and bend that power until it fits people, or until it snaps." His glass shatters in his hands. The shards pierce nothing at all. There's not a single drop of blood. "I know you've got some good intentions, trying to make sure I'm not implicated in anything." He says, nodding tensely. "But I've seen the risks. I've seen powerful people try to use me. And I've got a responsibility to make sure they learn to be used instead. So that the city works the way it always has, even if strange things happen in the shadows." His words are a subtle, firm stand, and a warning that he doesn't intend to back down even if they know who he is. He seems intent on telling them that all of this is to ensure something awful, something about his suppliers, is put to... less awful use. Not good use, but at least less awful. As for Nova, it looks like she can get into one of those vents nearby. She can evesdrop on this for a fairly long time on her way to the lounge, and eventually it'll cross over the space above the lounge itself. She has to deal with a few precarious vent-navigation situations, but she ought to be able to maneuver them if she's creative!
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone now has a far clearer idea of what's going on with the two groups, she gets more concerned as Arron gives them more details about the whole situation. Harley reports that SHIELD is a government agency of this particular America and legitly exists. Okay, it seems like some old CIA analog which she makes note of. Given what the OLD CIA and American Empire's CIA have done? It's not beyond possible they are mixed up in this. "Do they make use of any information technology that you're aware of? They might have information on what they are up to or doing in regards to this mess." He gives the Paladin agents information quite useful information. She does not think the man is lying about his family's well being. "This is quite a bit of information. This does need to be stopped before the little guy gets caught up in this anymore." Ideas about the garage form in Ko's head as she thinks she might be able to sneak her way in there. "Necromacy ..." Memories of Kings Mouth comes to her mind and the walking dead within which makes her shudder at the idea of dealing with more. She'll wait for Arron to contiune but she'll be pulling up a city map and plugging in the locations that were given to her by the man.
Reyes	"There's a big unknown in this problem. The source of Tombstone's gear. What's their motives? What are they planning? Do they know what Tombstone's planning to do and how might they respond? We're going to end up slamming right into this if we get involved. You don't know anything else about them?" Reyes asked, reaching up to adjust his goggles with a single finger.
Ryouma Sakamoto	It's with a worried look Ryouma half-reaches out to the man when his glass shatters, but the hand quickly withdraws at the sight of the skin still being pristine. He's either lucky, or more than a man. Given the looks, Ryouma would suspect the latter, especially given the emphasis on power and responsability. But Ryouma is, at the end of the day, a believer in people. "The shadows move, yes. Hostilities are rising. I believe you, mister Thompson, when you say you've seen the risks and are using your power to prevents powerful people from disfiguring the city. I know what that's like very well." Just replace powerful people with warlords, and city with country. Ryouma gets it. He had to become a dragon - not literally - to save Japan. People don't always understand where you're coming from. "But surely working on that alone must be inconvenient. If there's a threat to the city, there are countless people who would help you. But if you make yourself one of those threats in trying to address the others, then... it's problematic," he says, simply. "Will you at least tell us what you've seen? What powers you're having to bend into compliance? We could help, if it's genuine. I believe Mr. Odinson is much better at solving hostile problems than attending charity events." Thor does seem like he'd rather enjoy hitting things with a hammer much more than this. Oryou is quiet, but that's probably because she's fine drinking and not needing to handle ~words~.
Spider-Man	Davis shakes his head, and stares down. "I don't know why he does this stuff." He says, says, to Strange. "Never worked for him. Man, I don't even know his name, like his real name. But he gets 'Tombstone' from killing anyone that crosses him. Even a little bit. I dunno, maybe he just goes nuts anytime someone uses him. Maybe he's got some loyalty complex, or something. Maybe he's..." He gestures plaintively. "I don't know, man. That guy's crazy. Doesn't care about evil cartels or flying laser guys or anything. He just kills and brutalizes and... man, it's a mess." Sadly, it looks like this informant can't give info on the motivations. But hopefully, Ryouma and Thor can later! Kotone gets a shake of the head. "These guys are oldschool. Only place you can get Mac Gargan online is his INTERPOL warrant, and whatever Tombstone does, I don't know. I know Gargan's friends with some guys who are all high-tech like Iron Man, though. Maybe they'll have some kind of information stuff. Sorry, I don't know about that sort of hacker stuff." He actually makes a worried face at Reyes. "Honestly, maybe they decided to mess with Tombstone. Like, cut him off, or maybe they gave him orders he turned down or something. I don't know if they know what he's planning, but, I know they can move all around the world pretty much, so if they do know, and if they care, then whatever he's gonna do could arm his Maggia family way up to international." He shakes his head. "Otherwise, don't know. They don't name their names, so it's gotta be people that shouldn't be doing these things, otherwise they'd have names for it." Presumably whoever has the scepter is doing their best to prevent anyone from knowing their identity. "But Tombstone probably knows. If you can break all this up, I bet you can find out some. I know they're letting him fend for himself out here, so he's not really tight with them."
Thor	Thor believes in people, generally, but he doesn't believe in Tombstone. As he gets his drink, he takes a sip. ...wow, that's actually not bad. Not as strong as he'd like, but the flavor is good. And as Tombstone explains his methods and motives, Thor laser-focuses on the 'they learn to be used instead'. It reminds him of someone. "This is quite an excellent drink. Great flavor, smooth finish...not as great as they are in Asgard, but I can definitely give it props. Mr. Lincoln, though, the way you speak and handle situations like this truly reminds me of my brother, Loki." Aka, Loki, the one they beat up after he tried to take over the world, famous criminal, supervillain. "He was also quite the achiever, trying to use others instead of being used. Thinking you're doing what needs to be done. It's quite interesting." And then Thor finishes his drink. He pauses, before saying something super, extremely important. "Wow, that really was a nice drink. Another." He gestures to the nearest server.
Nova Terra	Nova can indeed hear much of the conversation echoing through the vents. It has her wandering if this guy can get any more self-righteous. She's starting to wonder if she's actually going to find anything in that head of his that will do some actual good. But first thing's first, Nova finds herself coming up on a bit of a problem. A big vertical shaft. Peeking out of her vent, Nova looks around. If she remembers right, she needs to reach that second vent... Upwards. She looks down... That's a fair way down. This could go very wrong. Slowly climbing out of the vent, Nova holds onto the edge with every ounce of strength she has. This'd be a lot easier if she had her suit. She plants her feet against the side of the shaft... And then leaps up towards the other side. Another foot against that and she pushes off again, gaining a little height each jump. Finally she reaches the correct height for her vent, planting a final foot against the shaft wall before jumping and diving into the small opening. Nova takes a few moments to breathe and let her heartbeat settle before continuing to shimmey her way through the vents. She shouldn't be far now, already beginning to get a sense of Lincoln's mind amidst the numerous voices of everyone else in the building.
Reyes	"It makes no sense that such a well-off and capable group that can go wherever it wants and not be identified would deal with a gang like this... does it? What can this Tombstone possibly offer them for all the stuff he got from them? Maybe this chaos IS their goal for some reason." Of course, Reyes underestimates just how motivating money is to people who live entirely on the edge....
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone at being told how old-school Mac Garan is. "So smart man then, smart enough to keep good information security." If he has computers they are likely to stand alone, and not networked to anything. She hears about the guy's friends. "I might need to look into those friends and see what I could pull off them. Or I could go old school hunting for information. " She looks to Reyes and to Doctor Strange. Then seems to be lost in thought as she thinks over the possibility of sneaking into this complex to see what she can dig up. "What I have to wonder is what's the end game of this drug? You don't just put all the time and material into something like that to just throw it out willy-nilly to street dealers." She looks to Reyes "A useful agent that knows this region? Which if they lose him they don't take any real damage?"
Spider-Man	There's another half-a-sneer from Gargan. He's used to being talked down about with this. "Yeah, maybe we ought to make some fresh red lines sometime. Sure you could help us out with that. Would look real nice, huh?" He lets out the kind of expulsion of air that sounds like amusement mixed with contempt. "Yeah. I know names and faces. And I'm planning on giving them," He says, looking to Ryu. "To people I know will help me take them out." His look is expectant, slightly hopeful, but clearly not centered on Strange. The look he gives Strange is one that's more hostile. "Don't think you said the right thing if you wanted me to not have anyone killed." That look at Strange is full of building hostility. But he does at least justify himself before it boils over. "That your interest in this? Looking for new products? You wanna take a sample of what I cook? 'Cause I guarantee it'll make you feel things you've never felt, all the rest of your life." It's not drugs, he's saying in not so many words, and it's probably deadly. Mac looks like he could go for his gun any moment with the claims Strange made, though there's still a moment to defuse that. It seems exclusively focused on Strange, though.
Spider-Man	Mister Lincoln smiles a grim smirk. "There is a man named Mac Gargan." He says. "Who leads a group. They call themselves the Scorpios. Lots of ideology and rhetoric. He's going to kill the people who are responsible for certain... market developments. Instead of bending them in line with the city, he'd rather cross them out. I can respect that. He'd rather kill some of my opportunities. I can't allow that. Do you want to help protect the city? Mac Gargan has an Interpol warrant. He's hunted by the NSA and the CIA. SHIELD would like him dead or behind bars, from what I know. He's an uncomplicated target. I can guarantee to you that if Mac Gargan is dead, the city grows calmer by the end of this blizzard and you're a lot of heroes. That's what you want, isn't it?" Nova manages to latch onto his mind, just in time to be able to confirm the truth of what he's saying. He's not lying, though she'll need a few feet to get right into his brain fully. "I know the responsibilities that come with power." He says. "Doesn't matter what the power is. A calm city is a profitable city, as long as certain... release valves remain in place, and the pressure there remains properly overlooked by men who understand their value." She can just about get at his mind now. If she looks from the closes vent, she'll be able to get a mid-depth dive into that cranium. What's she looking for? "The status quo works in its own way, Odinson." He says to Thor. "The city lives in cycles like tides and weather. Sometimes, you need a long time of peace. Sometimes, something happens -- something falls out of the sky and into the mix -- and it needs a moment of violence. Don't fix what isn't broken. There's a chance that the one who breaks is you." In his own way, he blames Loki for what's happening, but seems to think himself canny enough to maneuver just as well if not better, thinking himself fitting a more natural trend.
Doctor Strange	MARCUS GARVEY PARK "Alright," says Strange. "Guess I'll have to ask Gargan if he knows any names, but... sounds like a pretty slim chance. If he doesn't, Tombstone's our best bet anyway. I say we go after him, ignore Gargan. Just... swoop in, cripple his operation here, and snatch his suppliers before Gargan has a chance to make his attack. Make it so that he doesn't even have a reason to make one." He looks from Davis to Kotone to Reyes. "You guys think we'd be able to swing that?" GARGAN'S HQ "Actually," dryly responds the sorcerer, holding up his trembling hands, "This is nerve damage, not the DTs. I get how you'd think I was interested, though--I mean, I did walk in wearing a cape." He gives Gargan a little frown, then lowers his hands. "Seriously, though," he utters after a dry chuckle. "You're just gonna waste your bullets." It's unclear if he means using them to kill subordinates, or opening fire now. Strange's eyes never once dart for the gun, staying locked on Gargan's. "My interest here is as... magical janitor first, Paladin second. I want Tombstone's stuff off the streets, just as much, if not more than you do, because it's my job. Okay? So--and I don't mean to be presumptuous here--if I were you, I'd let me step up to the plate for this one, because I very much want names and faces, and if you won't spill, I'll just have to ask Tombstone while I'm knocking him around." "Yeah. You heard me right. Knocking him around. Reach for that gun if you wanna see what these hands can do." He lifts his hands, showing the scarred palms to Gargan. "Otherwise, I'm out." The hand with the Sling Ring upon it traces a circle behind him, his eyes forward and watching Gargan as he creates a portal to leave.
Ryouma Sakamoto	"Of course it's what we want," Ryouma answers. "But chaos isn't the answer to chaos. How do I put this..." Oryou rises from her seat, evidently tired of the beating around the bush. "Magical drugs. Oryou and the others know who the source is. If it keeps being a problem, then Oryou will eat you," she states plainly, though Ryouma presses down on her shoulder to keep her from flying. He doesn't dispute the threat so much as awkwardly scratch the back of his head. "The truth is, we really do want to protect the city. But from what we've heard, you're hurting it as much as your competitors are. This isn't a matter in which we can afford to turn a blind eye. Would you be willing to cooperate with the Paladins and the Avengers to restore order to the city?"
Spider-Man	"Tombstone has bodies and he can keep a secret, I guess. And he's got Maggia connections. I guess I don't know much. Sorry, I just, uh. I stick people up, I don't do cartel stuff, man. Can't really tell you why they do their stuff." Davis says, and then gestures in Kotone's direction. "She sounds like she's probably right, I guess. Maggias make a lot of home court advantage in the city. They know where to sell and how you sell. Stuff like that." He doesn't look like he especially minds them focusing exclusively on Tombstone as per Strange's plan. He wordlessly seems to assess that approach as keeping the issue resolved in some way. It looks like this is wrapping up, though -- and Davis is looking cold. "You got all you need?" He asks.
Ryu	"Go ahead. Kill each other. Then I bring you all back kicking and screaming, and we redo this whole conversation, except with less gunfire and magic. I don't sleep, I can do it until the next Christmas morning." Ryu speaks up in the middle of the posturing, looking unhappy with it overall. "Names and faces. Go." He points at Gargan. "For now, interests are aligned here."
Thor	Well, looks like Thor can be blunt, now that Oryou was. While stopping Gargan is indeed probably just, stopping Tombstone as well is a good thing, to Thor. And so, once Thor gets his other drink, he just holds the glass. "Good, encouraging speech, fitting for one who might break." The general gist of that is 'but not fitting for me'. "You are a large man. A Big Man, even. But I have dealt with men larger than you. With skins of rock, or hair like fur. Listen to the detective. We can work together..." "If you tell me where my brother's scepter is." Thor knows his mission. He must find and stop Loki's scepter from causing more problems. If Tombstone knows where it is, Thor will get the info from him. He might be unarmed...but Mjolnir isn't far away, and all it takes is a raise of a hand to call it to him.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa looks to Doctor Strange for a moment and liusterns as he lays out his plan. "I think we could swing it Doctor. We'll havce to ahsh out the finer details but I think we can indeed do it. Given both of your abilities and my own. I think we can pull it off. We'll nee to hash out the detils but I'm in for this." She looks to Prowler. "Well if there's nothing more sir we need to get to work on this." She'll also give her contact information to Prowler. "Contact us if anything goes down, new comes up or anything happens to your family."
Reyes	The brazen suggestion of Strange is met with WIDE, shocked eyes from Reyes. "... I'm just concerned about the guys backing Tombstone." States the Techno-Wizard. "They're a complete unknown. But without any more info to work with... yeah. Your idea's probably the best shot?" "The drug they're putting out is probably some kind of trap. Not only are they making money on it, they're convincing people to use something dangerous and magical on their bodies without any way of knowing what's in it or what ELSE it does. This gets into the taboo topic of blood sacrifices and distributed ritual spellcasting. Whoever's taking this stuff is probably unwittingly becoming someone else's pawn. It takes a lot of knowledge and planning for such stunts. And they'll KNOW that we're onto them by now."
Spider-Man	"Yeah, I'm not getting into the magician business." Gargan says. "You wanna clean up magic? Fine. No magic here. You think I want to spend all my time ruining junkie lives when I can ruin lives of the people who've been asking for it?" He snarls a little, but seems to accept Strange's intent to leave without intending to shoot him this time. Phew! "Least you people can do is clean up the mess your hocus pocus bullshit makes in our streets." Kind of an ungrateful douchebag about it though. He looks to Ryu next. "Mm. If you're willing to help, then let's get to it. I'll tell you what we're after. When this storm gets bad, we'll go after them." He pulls out a drawer, then retrieves what looks like a folder of information in code, some of which he starts decoding to Ryu. Looks like the Watch have their foot in the door on the gangland matter, even if that foot in the door is an unpleasant jerk with a handful of paranoid delusions.
Spider-Man	"Savvy of you to go for a reward you can put your hands on." Lincoln says, to Thor. "Most people follow impulses. They're insatiable. But you're the kind of man a deal can be made with. I don't know where the Scepter is. The Big Man probably doesn't know either, but he knows who has it, and how to own everything they do. And if it were in his hands, who better to have a favor to call in than Thor Odinson?" He refrains from saying anything self-incriminating, but he's hardly making it difficult to realize the implication. "Right now, it's in the hands of people with special interests. They'll fight you until they're dead, because they don't know about the responsibilities of power." And he does, or so he implies; he's trying to tell Thor that by absorbing the mysterious cartel, he just might wind up helping Thor's interests. He narrows his eyes at Ryouma though. "These things happen." He says. "People get hurt. It can be organized, or it can be disorganized. If there's a Big Man of Crime, then when a drug deal goes bad, when a robbery targets the wrong person, when a mugging goes too far, there's someone to hold them responsible, and someone to put the money to good use. If a Big Man of Crime goes to jail tonight, I can tell you: Before the year is done, weapons like you've never seen before will be on the streets. Don't ask anyone, least of all the Big Man of Crime, to let something like that happen." He seems to be harshly uncompromising. Refusing to self-incriminate, he also refuses to give up what he's doing. Ryouma's run into a brick wall. As for Nova, searching for relevant points in his mind is hard to do when bouncing brainwaves through a vent, but she manages to pull some crucial data. Whatever Tombstone intends, it involves a significant work of craftsmanship, going on constantly at a certain garage in town. She can, at the very least, pull out the address, and a mental image: Roaring engines, explosions, and a gleaming shadow crushing through the snowbound streets of New York City. Something profoundly dangerous.