Summary:Trying to get information on the Pharma projects in Staten Island brings the Bats face to face with the annoying Ninja. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The Batfamily are aware of a suspected drug operation in Staten Island. Information on it is patchy though. Whatever's going on, is happening very covertly and avoiding the normal means of detection. Unless you include the Ninja brawls that seem to occur in the streets at least once a week lately.
Oracle has forwarded information to those that have asked. Companies that seem to be 'silencing' ex employees through legal action when those same employees speak out on Social Media. On such company is Trinidad Incorporated, another pharmaceuticals company whose offices are in the CBD of Staten Island.
Batgirl is perched on top of a neighbouring building in a three point crouch. The only defining feature about her as she blends in the shadow is the peaked 'ears' on her hood. "Alright Oracle, have you got access to the computer systems yet?"
Not yet, Batgirl. Give me a moment.
There might be some others about tonight, who have shown some interest in all this - at least some of them will know that she'll be here.
Red Robin is always interested, and he's out perched on a rooftop with a good view of the Trinidad building. Not the same rooftop as the red-haired Batgirl, but one nearby. And certainly within communications range. "Have you run into any isolated systems yet? If they're careful enough to be hushing anyone who even uses a Twitter tag, then they might have some air-gapped systems on-site. And do you know if there's any connection between this and Vincentia?" Another pharmaceuticals company which Batgirl had recently been investigating.
Batgirl, someone is accessing the building's security systems. The oracle network informs the Bats. That probably means that Batgirl's… acquaintance has found this place. She may or may not have reached out to him but she knows he's been working on this to begin with. If he's already accessing building security then that mean's he's close if not IN the building.
"Red Robin. You might want to go and greet our visitor. Roof access, north side. I'll meet you there." beat "Thank you Oracle. Same protocols as previously, just keeping locking the doors."
Batirls rapple girl is fired, sending the redheaded bat swinging across the gaps in the buildings and allowing her to flip herself to the roof.
Shiranui. She's sure its him and it doesn't surprise he found this place. It was one of the companies that had regular complaints on social media - at least until they were shut down. The complaints that is.
"To answer your question, Red Robin." Batgirl talks as she executes this move. "Yes. The system we raided at Vincentia was offline and highly encrypted. Shiranui was going to cut the drives out. I didn't need to be so barbaric." If the ninja is near, he might hear that.
"As to Vincentia. Yes. They all end up with a holding company called Fujikawa out of Japan."
Red Robin's brow furrows behind his cowl. It's not often he runs into someone unaffiliated, yet chasing the same leads. "On my way. Friendly visitor?" It would be nice if they could all just get along. He fires his grapnel and uses its retraction to pull himself across the street, and onto the rooftop. "So it all comes back to Fujikawa. I've been looking into some of those social media complaints, to track back to the source — maybe find people we can talk to in person — but no progress so far." He heads to the access door on the north side, but just before he heads in — "Cowl, overlay map of known security." And guided by the map showing over one eye, he starts his entry.
The door has been breached. The lock as been sheared and it is no longer responding to inputs. The Oracle system says a moment later.
"You're barbaric." Comes the ever so slightly flippant response as Batgirl and Red Robin get closer to their destination. On Tim's cowl the security map comes up showing the locations of cameras and guard patrols as well as alarms. If Tim is hooked into what Oracle can do he'll see the electronics cycling on and off, like two people arguing over a light switch. Which is sort of what's happening.
The figure on the rooftop, right by the sliced door is holding a sword, clad in a hooded leather overcoat and clearly armored. Any skin that would be exposed is covered in a black fabric with a gold or orange hexagonal overlay. Definitely not from around here.
"Should have known you'd be following me, Batgirl. Who's your friend there?"
"Oh ho. Is that right?" Batgirl is amused and slightly annoyed "Mostly friendly, Red Robin. Just watch out for his light saber. Shiranui is the name he uses and he reminds me a lot of you and Nightwing." Which is saying an awful lot really.
Red Robin certainly has an Oracle feed and that being feeds the younger Bat all the intel they have to his cowl.
"I'm not the one who used a light saber to cut a lock." The redhead points up, imminently reasonably. "This is Red Robin another of my colleagues. His guac's not as good as Nightwings, though."
"Red Robin. Meet Shiranui."
"As long as he doesn't remind you of Robin," Red Robin says. That, at least, suggests they can get through this without unnecessary stabbing. He perches over the roof access hatch, like a bird ready to take flight. "Hopefully, nice to meet you. Nobody's following anything but breadcrumbs. You're after the ninja behind Fujikawa; so are we. This was the next step. So — work together on this? Better than playing it like Hardison and Chaos." Someone likes Leverage. "And I may not do good guac, but my dim sum is to die for."
"You vigilantes and food." The man in the odd mask says. The blade is still in his hand but it's not 'up'. It's not in a fighting position, it's just held at his side. "I think you maybe need to eat more. I know a good chinese place. They'll feed you until you can't move. Which may or may not be a good thing but hell, maybe that'll stop you from introducing yourselves with your favorite home recipe."
His tone is dry and amused even through the voice modulation.
"So you want to work together again. A guy might get a bit suspicious about how willing you people are to help. Though it's not like I'm drowning in options so…"
He gestures.
The social media complaints all centered around the company's drug tests so there are two locations to hit. This particular facility doesn't have a lab, but it DOES have a medical facility that does work that two local clinics refer to them. The records there might have something. The OTHER place is legal. People who make too much noise get served. Legal might have records on why. And evidence they don't want anyone seeing.
"Anyway Red Robin. Batgirl. Bluebird. You guys like flying things, don't you?"
"At least they eat." Batgirl quips as she joins the others on the rooftop, cape billowing behind her and then settling. "We believe that food is a way to humanise ourselves and see, it's working." No, Shiranui doesn't remind Batgirl of Robin but that doesn't mean the ninja won't make with the stabby-stabby.
"Actually, no. We prefer to work alone but you're here and I prefer not to fight more than I have to. You know, enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that."
Cocking a gloved thumb at Red Robin "You're the one that wants to stop the Ninja. I want to shut the drug operations down. That might mean stopping the Ninja's but I plan on doing something a little more permanent."
Like draining bank accounts and financially ruining people.
Shiranui can't see the cheeky grin the redhead shoots in his direction. "If you're very good, you can come with us. We're heading to the medical facility. It's on the sixth floor. Oracle, make sure the security is disabled as we move. We really want to avoid a fight tonight."
Oracle is good - they'll loop video camera's so there's not downtime for the security guards to get suspicious of and when the trio makes certains doors, they'll be unlocked.
"Lead the way, Red Robin."
Red Robin snappoints to Batgirl — or he would, if not for how the glove mutes the actual snapping sound. "Exactly. Every living being eats. It's an avenue of connection, of getting eye-to-eye with someone and being more than the cowl. You'll have to give me the address for that Chinese place." And then he'll have to wait at least 2d4 days, possibly 1d3 weeks, before actually going out to eat there. Otherwise, someone of Red Robin's build showing up at the Chinese place Red Robin just heard about? Bad idea.
As bidden, he leads the way. He walks with full confidence: a moderate pace which gives Oracle time to operate, but doesn't slow down and wait for each bit of progress. He knows Oracle can be trusted. "The way I see it, if the drug operation is backed by the ninja, we'll have to stop them at one point or another anyway, or they'll just rebuild." Heading from the top level to the sixth, he prefers the stairway. There isn't enough room for his cape to actually glide, but it does slow his fall so he can just drop a few levels down the stairwell. "Working solo is her style. Me? Sometimes it's good to have friends."
"You know the seventh century prince who coined that phrase was killed by his 'allies' right?" Shiranui observes somewhat mirthlessly.
"Jade Dragon out in Chinatown. If you go there after seven the cooks start making the good stuff. Authentic recipes for the late crowd. And they're quite good." Maybe Red Robin could get takeout to tide him over on those long, long nights on patrol.
"You just have to make it too expensive. Ninja are all about risk versus reward. They won't try something that's been taken apart once already. Not unless the reward is really good and usually it isn't."
Down to the sixth floor it is. Avoiding security guards and all that. At least until they get close to the lab because when as the first person in line tries to step across a particular hallway a barrier just appears long enough to halt all forward progress - possibly painfully.
"Oh. That's kind of unexpected."
There's no system like that on the security diagrams and it isn't on the network either.
"I do and it's good you do too." Batgirl casts a 'look' in Shiranui's direction. Jade Dragon. After Seven. The redhead notes this. She'll get Oracle to tap the surveillence cameras in the area - she's patient and eventually, it sounds like Shiranui will go there to eat.
"Too expensive is a good move and as for the companies here? I'm going to ruin their Board of Directors. It will be a long time before any of them are funding another operation like this." she murmurs.
The barrier is made of energy - solid enough to be painful when they hit it. Batgirl winces as she hits it, the suit doing little to numb the sting. "Ow…." beat "Oracle, trace this and find out where it's hooked in, I want it disabled." She looks at the other two though. "It's energy. We might be able to short it out. But it's likely to raise alarms if we're not careful."
Red Robin, as the one taking the lead, is first to encounter the energy. He hisses from the sense of shock, stepping back to shake out his hand. "Knew it. Can't expect everything to be vulnerable from an online attack." He taps the side of his cowl, switching his vision to an electromagnetic-scan mode to try tracing wires back to the power source. "Could also find where it's controlled on-site and see if we can beat that, but that would take significantly longer. I'd suggest one of us" Toned to indicate one of either him or Batgirl. "break off and be ready to short it, while the other two stay ready to breach as soon as it's clear."
There are devices, projectors of some kind in the ceiling and floor, Red Robin can see them easily. But they're not hooked up to anything visible on the EM spectrum. No lines, no power, nothing.
Shiranui has been peering up and down the hallway, frowning.
"If it isn't electronic then it might be mechanical. Or…" He tries the crossing and the barrier appears again. That makes him frown.
"Psytech. That's not possible though. The Order's Psytech isn't this advanced."
That might need some explanation.
"There needs to be something or someone nearby controlling it with something approximating thought. See if you can find a heat signature. The cameras shouldn't be working right now so they can't be observing us remotely. Whatever it is needs to be close."
And it is. There's a heat signature about right for a small person two rooms over. Unfortunately that is BEHIND the barrier.
The barrier doesn't cover the walls though, or it doesn't seem to anyway. They might be able to go around the problem but they're going to have to make a mess.
Well, unless they want to try Batgirl's plan. They might be able to short out the barrier by pushing on it really hard. But that… that might hurt. A lot.
I'm not detecting anything unusual, Batgirl. Oracle responds. If it's Psytech, that makes sense. the Information Goddess of Staten Island can only really detect 1's and 0's and the projectors its using look like normal electronic devices.
"Psytech. You're weird." the redhead asides to Shiranui and switches to the I/R vision. "Up ahead. Signature large enough to be the size of a twelve year old." Her gaze plays over the walls though and she nods to Red Robin. "Go through the wall? I'll cover you, but once you're through, you'll need to be move fast."
"And you, Mister I can jump on air with purple puffs of smoke - be ready too."
Red Robin follows suit with Batgirl, shifting to infra-red and looking over the small signature. "Looks like a kid." There's a slight hint of the uncomfortable about that; he'd rather not go beating up an undeserving 12-year-old. But there's plenty more information to find along the way, so there may be another possibility.
He sets to the wall with something from his utility belt: a small hand laser, slowly cutting a square from it — just big enough for him to get through crouching, and then work his way farther through from inside the wall until he reaches the heat signature. Once closer, he tries to get a better look — at the very least, a sense of whether the figure is looking his way.
It isn't in fact a twelve year old child though it is a woman. She looks malnourished and her head is covered in a full face helmet that leaves only her black hair showing. The helmet is connected to a number of large conduits that extend into the ceiling. The moment that Red Robin reaches her location she stirs slightly, and then resumes sitting absolutely still in the lotus position.
Babs can also see her from the location that she's covering. But she doesn't have a whole lot of time to think about it.
Batgirl, Robin. A security patrol has deviated from it's path. I estimate a 74% chance that they will pass by the area you are currently in.
That can't be a coincidence. They'll have to be dealt with or diverted in another fashion. And quickly. Their eta is one minute.
"You didn't say anything, Shiranui." Where is the man anyway? Batgirl covers Red Robin, observing that room. The woman is tiny and clearly 'wired' into the system. "Can you disconnect her, Red Robin? I don't want to leave her here." Because of course, Batgirl doesn't.
There's a glance to Shiranui "You seen this before." beat "We've got company inbound. Move quick."
"Oracle if there's a high enough probability they can be diverted, do that. Create a disturbance elsewhere to buy us time." This isn't what they came for and as Red Robin is working is working, Batgirl looks around. Is there anything in this area that's of interest?
"Won't know until I try," Red Robin says. He doesn't want to leave her there any more than she does. He approaches carefully, working on the helmet — unplugging just one cable from it at first, to see what happens. If it were just electronics, he could disconnect it easily, but getting the brain involved makes things altogether more questionable.
Well it doesn't arc or shock Tim but each unplugged cable makes the woman twitch. When the helmet is finally disconnected she slumps forward. The headpiece opens up and clatters off revealing a sunken-eyed asian woman. She's alive and conscious but not in any way responsive. There are several spots on her head that were clearly connected to probes. They're… leaking kind of fluid.
Affirmative, Batgirl. One of the cameras goes out four floors above them and the security team peels off to go investigate it in a hurry. They won't be back for a little bit. Meanwhile Batgirl's own investigations have yielded something. A number of the social media complaints revolved around an experimental drug called 'RestoRx.' And lo and behold there is a tray of it in one of the cold storage units. The fact sheet on it says that it's an experimental counter-neuropathy treatment meant to be taken as part of one of several clinical trials. And the trials are named and listed so she should be able to get data on those too.
"Something like that? No, I haven't. But let's say that given whom we are dealing with, I'm not real surprised."
Shiranui meanwhile has found a security terminal and accessed it. He's pulling a lot of personnel data onto some kind of a pre-programmed stick drive.
"Well well… Hello Shadow. It's been a little while…"
The image on his screen is that of a bulky and strong looking chinese man wielding some kind of a fighting chain with stunning expertise.
Batgirl keeps a wary eye on Red Robin as he disconnects the girl. "We're going to have to take her out with us and get her into one of Oracles safehouses." Shiranui will think that Oracle is an entirely seperate entity - Red Robin knows differently. "Are you able to carry her and what's her condition?"
She can't see that fluid leaking from the womans head.
"Oracles bought us some time. Move quick." The redhead says as she starts to download the data she's found onto a thumbdrive of her own and collects the samples into the refrigerated padded bag she's found in one of the units. "We can review the information at our leisure but there looks to be good stuff here."
"Who's Shadow?" She asks, not yet turning to look at the screen.
While concern for the woman's safety is paramount, Red Robin can't let a potential for evidence pass. He gets a vial from his utility belt to capture some of that fluid, for investigation later. He nods gravely to Batgirl. "And we'll want Oracle to analyse this." He checks over her vitals: a hand on her neck to be sure of pulse, then in front of her face for breathing. "Alive and stable, but not responsive." He gathers her up. Benefit of her being so small: he can hold her weight more easily, just one arm keeping her cradled to his front and supporting her head. "How long do you need before we start getting out of here?" He peeks over Shiranui's shoulder to the image on screen. He can guess that the man in the image is Shadow, but there's certainly more detail than that.
"He's an assassin in the Order of Si Fan's employ." Shiranui says. "Martial artist. A good one. I've run into him before. Looks like he was here as recently as two days ago." That means he's likely in town. "Shadow-Stalker is the name he goes by. He's… unpleasant."
Data dump done Shiranui unplugs his stick. "I'm ready to go."
Somethinig briefly materializes around Tim. A force bubble of some kind. It's only there for a second but it might be a problem if he's moving and that happens.
"Uh, she's still trying to manifest her barriers but now she doesn't have the system she was hooked into for control. That might… happen a bit."
And who knows what else. They should get out of here before they're spotted.
Oracle will need a chemist to analyse that. Batgirl nods to Red Robin though. She'll address that. Maybe Shiranui might be willing to share his chemist.
"A few … more … seconds …" Batgirl flips the thumbdrive from the computer she's working on and slings the padded bag over her shoulder. "OK. I'm good. Let's roll. Oracle, we're leaving. Make sure we've got a pathway out."
The bubble that appears around Red Robin gets her eyebrows rising. "That's … annoying. Becareful."
And then she's leading the little band out.
Red Robin starts to take a step, but the bubble pops up around him. His brow furrows. Well, that could be dangerous. He lifts her up higher; perhaps if he has her farther from the floor, the force barriers are less likely to get literally underfoot. "Then it's all the more important to get out of here now. You're the expert; are these bubbles static, or do they move with her?" Because if he's moving and carrying her, then the latter should keep them from tripping him up. He nods to Batgirl. "You lead the way." Better for the one not carrying the civilian to take point, even though he has an arm free; he follows close behind.
"They're probably not static but I don't entirely understand the tech they're using so I can't say for certain. It'll be less an issue once we're out of this building." Because they'll be able to slow down. Or put her in a car. Or something.
The bubbles happen a couple more times. They're not always the same size. One is just a little pea sized thing to the right of Red Robin's face. The other is huge. The size of a whole room. The barrier goes through a wall. They do eventually make it back out though. Back to the rooftops with security SEEMINGLY none the wiser.
"Well. That was exciting." Shiranui says. He looks down at the woman. "What are you going to do with her?"
"Well, first you're going to tell me all about Shadow and why him being here is a problem." The redheaded batgirl responds as they make the rooftops. Batgirl looks to Red Robin to see if he's got transport, if not, they'll get Oracle to organise it or maybe Penny Two if she's about.
"As for the young woman, Oracle's got safehouses and she's arranging one as we speak. And a doctor to come by and see her." beat "All ok there, Red Robin?"
"And then, we've got samples and data to decode and analyse. As I suppose you do too."
Once they're out on the rooftop, Red Robin brings his free hand to the remote controls on his utility belt. Down on the street, a sleek red car approaches. "And once we can get her healthy and cognizant again, she could answer some questions. Whether there are more in her situation, for one. There's more to this than just shutting down bad Yelp reviews."
"Assuming she didn't get lobotomized." Shiranui says grimly. Clearly he thinks that's a possibility.
"Shadow-Stalker is an elite assassin. He's a martial artist on a level that makes it seem like a super power and the ONLY reason he's in town is because there's someone the Order wants dead that they haven't been able to kill yet." That could be him but Shiranui is not dumb enough to think that's the only possibility. They could be after someone else. They could be after one of the bats or one of the social media leakers.
"He's here to make a statement. With a tombstone. That is, if he hasn't already made it."
He takes a breath. "You take the girl. I don't have anywhere to put her. Nowhere safe."
"We were going to take the woman." Batgirl answers simply smiling to herself as Red Robins vehicle draws near. "Oracle will send you the details, Red Robin. I'm going to deposit these samples somewhere safe and I'll join you as soon as I can." It's so matter of fact the way things are organised.
"Good work tonight, by the way." she adds as she turns to regard Shiranui "The Order of Si Fan?" He's got a lot of explaining to do or she's got a lot of research to do to bring herself up to speed. "There's not a lot known about them here in America. What I do know is 'nothing good'. Is he here for you?"
They need to be off and if this interaction goes like the last one did - Shiranui isn't going to be answering anymore questions.
Red Robin figures he'll get the information from Batgirl later; there's no need for him to stick around and try to get answers out of Shiranui. Instead, he heads to the roof's edge and jumps down. The glider cape is calibrated best for his body weight, but the allowances are enough for a safe descent down to the Redbird. He gets the woman strapped into the passenger-side seat, and then away he goes, heading for Oracle's safehouse.
"Hard to say." Shiranui replies. "But possible. If he's not you'll know in the next couple of days. Whomever he came for will be dead."
Something lights up on the ninja's back and he takes a crouch. "Contact you if I have something interesting." Beat. "And stop following me. It's rude." That last is dry and full of humor. He leaps fully thirty yards and as he descends into empty air he kicks off of something and leaps again to make the next building.
Well, that's him gone then.