Gurl, yous in tha wrong 'hood

[Scotch]

It had been more than a week since Scotch had seen Crow. Less than that since he'd met Danika. It never occurred to him that two small things like that could essentially mess around with his life and cause him to have to adjust this swiftly. He'd spent more time in his Manhattan condo. The biggest reason for this was that he felt if he was going to bring Danika back here more often, the question of why it wasn't 'lived in' would come up, and that was a small detail that needed to be flattened before it became a problem. It probably wouldn't, the place had a 'lived in' look after Danika had been there anyway.

Still, with the new engagements he'd taken on, this house was closer to everything and everywhere he needed to be. There were also enough rooms inside to be able to conduct any kind of business. Two out of three of the rooms had been converted into armories and were always kept locked. Even though the condo had been paid for in full and there was little chance of anyone coming in that he hadn't invited, he wanted to make sure those rooms were safe. If nothing else, than for the strange feeling he got in the back of his training that told him it might be necessary.

The day had started out fairly ordinarily, Scotch had woken up, given a few non-verbal threats, gone to lunch, and then headed back to the condo. He was getting ready for a larger assignment and had a few new pieces of intel to add to the pile. It was when he got into the lift that he stopped and sniffed for a moment. Something smelt off. Predatory. A few more tests sniffs. Familiar. He was still trying to place the scent when the elevator got to his floor and he stopped in the elevator doorway. Nooooo. That couldn't be right. One corner of his face started to twitch angrily. What the fuck was she doing here?

[Crow]

Even if Crow spent barely any time in her houses, it was good to have one again. If only so she had a stable place to shower. Granted, a nice penthouse condo in the middle of Manhattan was hardly just a stable place to shower. She could take company here. Do business with people that she didn't particularly like. Intimidate the poor SHIELD agent that would undoubtedly be bugging the place in a week or so. It was the most she'd ever spent on a place. By several million. Still, it wasn't a price that Crow was about to complain over; she had more money than she knew what to do with, and not needing to bother with rent was nice. Whoever said that crime didn't pay was sorely mistaken.

Besides, she was starting to like the place. It was very...clean. And quiet; that was nice. No pets, and the place was too well-run for a rodent or cockroach problem. The only animals close enough to pick up on were a pair of pigeons nesting near her balcony. She didn't mind them; pigeons made for good neighbors. As for her human neighbors, she hadn't found anything to complain about there, either. One stupid young socialite who was barely here, and a middle-aged couple. No kids. They'd brought her some cookies when she was first moving in, as either a gesture of goodwill or an attempt to poison her. Crow had fed them to the pigeons. Supposedly the fourth condo was also occupied, but she hadn't noticed any sign of anyone living there. Smelled unused.

As much as she liked her new condo, she'd spent the last few days away from it. Business—and furniture shopping—had consumed most of her time. As usual, she spent her nights sleeping far away from her supposed 'residence'. Thankfully, she hadn't seen that assassin after her for several days; maybe she'd finally managed to shake him off her trail. Or he'd realized that she'd track him down and blow up everything he owned if he continued. Either way, he wasn't following her, and she could go about her business as usual. It was lovely.

Crow was busy storing away her latest purchases—clothing, to replace everything that had gotten blown the hell up—when she felt it. Ugh, he was back. She gave a quiet growl, and dropped the jeans she was holding. He better not blow this place up, too. This place was nice. He was getting closer, obviously; probably coming up the elevator. Too fast to be anything else. It would only take him a few more seconds to reach this floor. At least Crow had some advantage to getting away; he couldn't fly. Crow stalked to the door, shoved it open, and glared out into the hallway as the elevator opened. Huh, he looked surprised to see her. That couldn't be right.

[Scotch]

They were staring. He was staring... or glaring, he couldn't tell. But she was in his apartment (building), on his floor. What was she doing on HIS floor? Even if she'd chosen one lower down, he might be a little frustrated, but this was far too close for his liking. Now he would have to look up who had their apartment first, though he presumed that it would be him. The scent of new clothes and furniture drifted from Crow's apartment and Scotch tilted his head lightly to one side. Was she actually thinking of staying?


What if she was thinking of staying though? Buying furniture certainly seemed to make this her permanent residence of some sort. He'd blown up most, if not all, her others. Well, now he would have to bug her place... and she would have to bug his. The elevator doors started to close while Scotch stood there looking at her. He reached out quickly to punch the button that opened the doors again and stepped into the hallway, turning sideways slightly while still keeping his eyes fixed firmly on her. For a moment, his gaze shifted to look behind her, but quickly returned.

"You?" Was all he eventually managed to get out, contempt and confusion heavily lacing the word. It was all he could think about, but it conveyed almost everything he needed to convey. The only other question he really wanted answered was she she chose this building. Surely there were more squalid apartments that she would be more... comfortable, in.

[Crow]

Crow's heart rate increased as Scotch came into view, and her shoulders tensed. He'd tried to kill her. He'd almost succeeded. She should be turning and fleeing. But he was on her territory now, and she damn well wasn't going to run now that she'd gone through the effort of settling in. She should be afraid. But she wasn't She was pissed. Crow could feel the anger radiating off him as well, coloring her own emotions. If it came down to it, she would start a fight here, in the middle of an upscale apartment building. It would probably get her killed. Still a better option than running.

Worse, she was picking up a distinct feeling that he was being...territorial. Shit. He lived here. Maybe that place across the hall wasn't vacant, after all. This was far worse than him simply trying to kill her again. If they lived near each other, the assassination attempts would probably become a near-constant thing. He'd tried to kill her repeatedly. She'd succeeded in killing him twice. She'd finally found a new place to stick her stuff after he'd blown up all of her apartments, and he was still here. Crow's head lowered slightly, but her eyes never left his. She growled. He might have moved in before her, but she was completely willing to drive him out.

He spoke a single word, cementing the fact that their meeting was an accident. A very unwelcome one, but at least it meant he wasn't intentionally out to get her. Right now, at least. “What, were you hoping that you could blow up my next place, too?” she snarled back. Dammit, that meant that she couldn't blow up his, either. And so much for using her house to pass information, either. He'd probably hear it. Getting SHIELD to bug his when they were in working on hers wouldn't be too difficult, though. So that was one bonus.

[Scotch]

About the only thing that made Scotch feel any better about the current situation was that Crow's heart rate was increased. That could mean many things, but he was taking to mean fear. Combined with her tense muscles, he doubted that he was wrong. Still, she wasn't running and that was confusing him somewhat. She must have some kind of attachment to the place. Or she was just worried about him throwing a knife into her back the second she turned around. To be honest, Scotch was thinking about just throwing one at her face right now. Killing her would be the easiest way.

Crow was starting to get what Scotch would call defensive. Lowered head, growling. In response, he felt a rumble in his own throat. There was no way in hell he was giving up this flat. Even if she destroyed it he'd probably still live there on principle now. Hell, if she destroyed his place, he'd probably move into hers. He might just do that anyway.

That wasn't such a bad idea that Crow came up with. How contained could he keep a blast? Scotch was about to say 'Hoping' but then remembered the deal he'd made. He wouldn't attack her if she'd given him his phone back. Which she had. His lips curled angrily for a moment before the hatred was back in his eyes. "No. We had a deal."

[Crow]

Scotch returned Crow's growl with one of his own, and she tensed a little more in response. He wanted this fight just as much as she did. Why wasn't he attacking? He was probably aware that he'd come out on top, and he had a healing factor. He had little to lose. His response, a second later, gave a little more insight into the lack of action. Right, their deal about his phone. Still, his word choice was...worrying. Had. Not have. Past tense. Crow decided it was best she not point that out, just in case he changed his mind. From what she was picking up mentally, it seemed he wasn't about to attack her. Even if he wanted to. Hell, she wanted to, even if she knew it was a fight she'd probably lose.

There were any number of things she could have said, but none of them would have any impact on the situation. One of them needed to move out? Well yes, but neither one would do so without a fight. She knew instinctively that he'd be just as territorial as she was. How long had he been here? Longer than her. Any period of time beyond that didn't matter. She already knew how he'd owned the place next door without her noticing earlier. He hadn't been there. Like her, he had several properties. Unlike her, they hadn't all gotten blown up.

Which also meant that he probably wouldn't spend too much time here. After Crow moved in, she'd probably only spend a few hours a week at her place. It would be fairly easy to avoid him, considering she could sense his presence from outside the building. If he was willing to keep his word about leaving her alone...well, maybe compromise was possible. Peeing on her door later would definitely be necessary, but maybe they could solve this problem without violence. Like civilized people, or something.

Crow straightened up slightly, letting a little tension out of her shoulders. She wasn't about to like Scotch's presence—or trust him in the least—but she wasn't going to start a fight. Granted, if he broke his word to attack, she'd be more than willing to defend her territory. Finding blackmail on him would be necessary. Keep him from trying anything in the future. Crow tilted her head slightly, eyes still narrowed. “Did the couple in D give you cookies as a housewarming present, too?”

[Scotch]

Good, Scotch could pretty much hear her muscles tighten as he held his position. She would do well to remember that he was the Alpha here. However, neither made a move beyond the vocal disapproval of the other, which meant that either one was going to make a surprise attack, or they would hold off until hostilities reached a peak. That could mean anything from seconds to years. Scotch could probably hold a few millenia if he really had to. Luckily, he doubted Crow had the kind of age range.

While Crow relaxed a little, Scotch kept his stiff composure. Now was no time to let his guard down, or appear like he was enjoying any part of this arrangement. Maybe he would be more relaxed later, but for now, he was prepared. When Crow spoke though, he wasn't expecting what she said and his features shifted to display the appropriate amount of confusion as he looked briefly in the direction of D apartment. He hadn't even done a background check yet. That was sloppy. Scotch looked back at Crow and shook his head lightly. "No." Even if they had, he probably wouldn't have eaten them.

Had they given her cookies? Had she done her research and given their records a once over? Fuck him if she had. There was no way he wanted her to know more about his neighbors than he did. "Do you know much about them?" He kept his voice flat, only raising slightly at the end to indicate that a reply was optional.

[Crow]

It seemed that Scotch wasn't about to have any part in this standing down. He didn't want her here. Which was, granted, perfectly reasonable. She didn't want him here, either, but neither one was the type to back down. Crow didn't tense back up again, but she kept a very careful watch on everything about him. His pose, his heart rate, his smell. More importantly, his surface thoughts. She didn't think he'd attack, but she'd been wrong before. Besides, she didn't want to give any indication that she knew what he was thinking. That would be less than ideal for several reasons.

Her non sequitur seemed to confuse Scotch for a moment, and Crow tilted her head slightly in response. Interesting. It was the first real sign of emotion she'd seen from him. Other than anger, of course; he was a pro at that. For just a second, she saw him break eye contact to look behind her, presumably at the apartment of the couple in question. That was...encouraging, even if she wouldn't count on it as a sign of anything. Eye contact was everything for this type of stand down, especially between ferals. Crow twitched slightly, as if making a move towards him, but didn't move beyond that. But she could have. He'd know that.

“Yes,” Crow replied shortly to his question. If he asked nicely, she might even be willing to tell him what it had turned up. She'd done a full background check on everyone on this floor, and checked over a list of everyone in the building to see if there was anyone she recognized. Stupidly, she'd assumed that the resident of the nearly-vacant apartment across from her was simply an incredibly boring individual, and not a fake identity. No way it was a real name, considering Scotch's skills. No one on his level didn't have records. She just...hadn't found them yet.

[Scotch]

Damn her to a torture room. Scotch's priorities just rearranged. His night was now going to be consumed with finding out every minute detail about the occupants of the other two apartments. He already knew that Crow didn't have very many files, and the only way he was going to find out more on her was with a DNA sample... a blood sample preferably. At her twitch, Scotch readjusted his position slightly into a more offensive posture. No-one else would have noticed, but it was probably enough for her.

A smirk wanted desperately to escape him as he thought about her doing research though, and coming across his name, that the corner of his mouth twitched upwards for a second. "And B?" Whether she responded in the affirmative or not didn't matter to him. It was just a bridge for him to ask if she'd done any research on him.

[Crow]

As Crow twitched, Scotch shifted his position slightly. Crow smirked in response. He didn't like that, did he? She settled back more, shifting her weight to one foot. Almost relaxed, but not quite. Enough to show exactly what she thought of his threat. Granted, if he did attack, she'd be at a slight disadvantage, but she was fairly confident now that he wouldn't. She could feel some frustration coming off him—presumably because of her answer—but it wasn't enough for her to consider it a larger threat. That was good. Crow's glare softened slightly. He was a threat, yes, but probably not an immediate one. Provoking him further was...tempting...but probably a very stupid idea. Just because he'd failed to kill her several times now didn't mean he'd never succeed. She wasn't about to start being nice, though. She wasn't nice to anyone that wasn't an awkward teenage feral, and even then she was only nice when no one else was looking.

“Yes.” Crow replied, once again. The girl in B was an idiot; she posted her entire life on Facebook and her only criminal record involved public intoxication and traffic violations. Completely normal stuff for an overprivileged white girl. Really, he shouldn't have needed to ask. Of course she did background checks on her neighbors. What spy didn't? Just because she'd slipped up and missed that his was a fake identity didn't mean the other background checks were sloppy. They were fine. And she wasn't about to mention that she'd screwed his up, either. She just...hadn't realized the fake identity was attached to him. Yes. Far less embarrassing.

[Scotch]

Sarcastic bitch. What Scotch wouldn't give to put her up on a table and rip each layer of skin off individually. Her posture changed again, to something he was more at ease with: her submission. He also would have accepted a defensive stance. Anything that wasn't her thinking she could take him on... because she probably couldn't and he'd hate to have to break his word just to teach her a lesson. Okay, no he wouldn't.

In response, Scotch settled down a little but didn't otherwise move. An affirmative to his question came quickly and he bit back a snarky grin. "And A?" Which was his apartment. Scotch didn't even need a look to signify what he thought of Crow doing a background check on his alias, his tone said it all. She didn't find shit, and if she had, she certainly wouldn't be here right now. As he assumed she would do when she got back into her apartment, Scotch was also going to be running the most thorough background check on her alias that he could. He doubted he'd find anything too interesting though.

[Crow]

As Crow's posture changed, she could feel Scotch's attitude shifting slightly away from aggression. Good. As much as she wanted to murder him repeatedly, this wasn't the time or the place. She'd just poison everything in his apartment later, and hope that large enough quantities of botulinium would override his healing factor. Granted, he'd just come back to life again, but would just give her another satisfying opportunity to murder him. Mentally, Crow began to run through a list of ways that she could kill him, quickly ruling out anything that would get herself killed in the process. Unlike him, she wouldn't come back. Not for the first time, she noted how much easier her work would be if she had a healing factor.

And then he asked the question that she'd known had been coming. The background check on the owner of his apartment. She really should have noticed it was a fake identity, and he knew it. He had already won. Worse, he found this funny. At this point he was just mocking her for it, and she wanted nothing more than to make him pay for it. And then she'd get her ass handed to her. Dammit. Crow replied with a quiet, frustrated growl, her posture shifting back towards aggression. One more reason, and she'd be doing her best to rip that carefully blank expression off his face. Why did he have to have an apartment here? This was a nice neighborhood. He had absolutely no business living in it.

[Scotch]

There was no need for Scotch to show aggression anymore and he relaxed almost the point of complacency. What could she really do that he couldn't heal from? Her response to his question was nearly perfect. Rather than actual words, she admitted her defeat with a quiet growl and he huffed out a quiet chuckle. More of a derisive snort. Of course she'd found nothing. He'd used a barely used alias with very few jobs attached to it; and those jobs had been legitimate. Or, as legitimate as an assassin could fake.

The absolute best part of all of this, according to Scotch, was that she couldn't even ask if he'd run a background check on her. As far as he was aware, her apartment had still been up for sale the day before. Not even her newly collected aggression could take away his smug satisfaction. And, just to prove it to her, he smirked. Openly.

[Crow]

He thought this was funny. He was mocking her. This was the worst. He was relaxing now, but it wasn't because the situation had diffused. He'd decided she wasn't a threat. This was pretty much the exact opposite of the way Crow had hoped this situation would go, and any thoughts about coming up with a peaceful solution were set aside. Oh, she was going to murder him. Repeatedly, in exciting new ways. And then pee in his apartment to make sure he remembered. Sure, it would only continue the fight beyond this—and possibly get her killed—but even that was better than watching the assassin consider her a nonthreat. Without at least some measure of respect, there was no ways he'd be able to live near him. Or anywhere in the same city, for that matter; he was a threat, and he needed to either stay the hell away, or decide there wasn't a price high enough to be worth the effort of killing her.

Growl deepening, Crow took a step towards Scotch. Her muscles were bunched, head low, and her eyes murderous; this time, she meant business. Still, she didn't attack immediately, instead giving him a chance to react. It was possible he'd back down, but that was no longer her first choice. She wanted blood.

[Scotch]

This situation couldn't be going any better for him if he tried. Well, yes, it could. He could have known everything about her all the way back to when she was still in the womb, but life wasn't always perfect, was it. Scotch wondered how Crow would react if he turned his back on her. It was, in their circles, probably one of the most disrespectful things someone could do. He would have to try it when he got bored with her. It wasn't like she could do anything to him that he wouldn't heal from.

The smirk remained, fixed, as Crow continued to growl, deeper now, and stepped towards him. It was the step that set his face back to the typical deadpan slate it usually was. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath in, puffing himself up to his fullest height as he took a step forward to match her. If she wanted a fight, she would get it. He might not even kill her. She was an interesting enigma.