Summary:Ranna messes up *again* as she tries to find food Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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In the days since the attack by Shadow Stalker, Ranna has found her support from The Order has dried up. There's no more money and no more resources available to her. Combined with Alex's perplexing admission, the Order Ninja is at loss, VERY hungry and soon to be homeless if she can't change her fortunes.
It's late in the evening, the streets mostly empty in Staten Island, as a shadow of figure slips to the back door of the local convenience store. Smallish and slight, the figure is shrouded in black and mostly silent - as a yowl of startled cat breaks the night.
Order operatives are expected to perform but they're not usually disposable. The Order has to invest a lot of time in training and tech to make them effective and it's usually cheaper to discipline an underperforming minion than just cut them off. Why Ranna has been is an open question. Perhaps it's a ploy to motivate her. Or perhaps she really, really pissed someone off.
Either way a hooded and full-face-masked figure drops down to the street level and peers through his optics. Yep. That's her. Unlike Ranna, Shiranui has seen his opponent without a proper mask and he can identify her quite easily. But he pauses first to make sure that there's no one else around. After all. This could be a trap.
Jason Todd has absolutely no idea what The Order is. He just lives near here. He stifles a yawn as he moves down one of the aisles of the convenience store, carrying a 24-pack of some local beer under one arm, and a box of donuts in the other. The handsome, rugged looking youth is dressed in a pair of dark jeans, battered boots, a faded Bauhaus shirt and a leather jacket. A Padres baseball cap is pulled down a bit low.
He steps up to the counter and flashes the server a grin, setting it down. "Hey, Jane. Usual, please?" She nods and sets a carton of Marlboro Red's on the counter.
"Just about to close. That's good timing." Jane answers, handing over the cigarettes and ringing up the total. Behind Jason, the lights are being dimmed and the doors locked. The yowl of the cat can be heard from inside "Hmm, don't hear that often. Here you go … Maybe I should check that out…" she doesn't look keen to, Jason can hardly blame her.
Why has Ranna been cut off? That's a very good question. One that she herself can't answer at the moment.
Shiranui see's her startle as the cat yowls and bolts, knocking a box of empty cans over and sending them flying. It's a terrible noise. She's not seen him yet as she works at the door - looks like she's going to jimmy it open.
To the other ninja's vision there's nothing and no one else there. No sign of a trap can be seen. It's just Ranna and that cat.
Jason furrows his brow as he hears the cat yowl. "Yeah, you don't have a bodega cat, right?" He hrms as he tucks his beverage back under his arm and takes his donuts and carton in the other. He steps back and glances about. "…Want me to check it out for you?"
"You're giving us ninja kind of a bad name? Just saying." Shiranui says from a safe distance behind. "We're supposed to be swift and silent and better than pirates by all accounts. Not knocking over boxes of empty cans and startling alley cats."
The voice is modulated of course but by the time he's speaking it's loud enough that Jason can probably hear it. And Jason Todd knows what a voice modulator sounds like, for sure.
"Only if you have cat-like tread." Ranna shoots back to Shiranui, turning to look at him over her mask. Her voice isn't modulated but it carries as a womans voice does. It sounds tired and resigned though. "And I didn't know the cans over…" Her voice trails off. "… but you know that."
"What do you want, Shiranui? Come to shoot me like you couldn't the other night?" There's so much bitterness in the statement and tone, it would make a lemon wince.
"Would you?" Jane nods in the direction of the door and heads into the store to finish close up.
When Jason gets to the back door and opens it, he'll see the back on one tiny woman dressed all in black with a face scarf, facing the other more techie ninja.
"If I'd wanted to kill you I'd have left you for Shadow-Stalker to deal with. Or actually shot you. You don't think I took a shot and missed did you?" The amusement comes through the modulation. When the door opens the masked ninja facepalms.
"Aaaaand now you've been caught. That's it. I'm revoking your ninja card."
Jason chuckles softly and nods. He sets the bags down and turns to make his way on back to check on things. He doesn't expect any trouble, but a Beretta -is- holstered under his jacket, and a knife IS sheathed in his boot. He idly adjusts his baseball cap as he pushes open the door.
The muscled youth pauses and blinks, glancing between the two. He tenses briefly, seeing the ninja look, and his hand lingers closer to his holstered and hidden weapon.
"You had better not be with the Hand," he growls softly.
"It's been revoked. And why didn't you shoot me or leave me to Shadow-Stalker. With me gone, you'll have the run of the city." Ranna grumbles as Shiranui facepalms, turning so she try and see both men.
"Do I look like with The Hand?" She finally asks, trying to give herself room in case she needs it. Where the hell is that cat - knowing her luck, it will be behind her and trip her up.
She *might* look like she's with The Hand except the colour is all wrong. No reds for Ranna - just all black. "I don't know about him, though …" Yes Shiranui, the number plate on that bus was RANNA.
"The Hand are a bunch of assholes." The techier of the two ninja says. "But it's not every day you run into someone on the street who knows about them. From your tone, you don't like them much either, Mister?"
There's a short pause. "Oh, how rude of me. I'm Shiranui. That's trouble." He points to Ranna. "Noisy trouble, from the looks of it. And the reason I didn't kill you, Trouble, is because I didn't particularly want Shadow-Stalker to go home with a win. I don't much like you, but I don't much like him either. Must have been your lucky day."
"It's not like they can't change colors," he grunts. Jason laughs a bit and nods to the other ninja. "Oh, they absolutely are." His hand lowers again, leaving his weapon behind for now. He leans back against the doorframe, glancing between the two as his other hand adjusts his baseball cap a bit.
He realises he's stumbled on some kind of private affair, so he doesn't interject just yet.
"Of course they are." Ranna sighs, dark eyes shooting a foul look in Shiranui's direction. "Not Trouble. Ryoshi." She says in a resigned sort of way. "Well, I suppose I should thank you, Shiranui for not shooting me." she doesn't mention how uncomfortable the subsequent discussion with Alex was. Though the other ninja might ask her about the assistance she had.
"So you know them?" That's to Jason as she takes another step back. Neither man will miss the way her stomach rumbles. For a little woman, that really is quite loud.
"And I told you, it was the cat."
Shiranui folds his arms and waits to see what Jason says about knowing the Hand. He's quite curious himself. Also he didn't get the guy's name but he doesn't blame the man for not sharing it. He doubts he would give up his name to some random masked stranger. Too much risk and well, Shiranui IS sporting a sword even if it's not drawn.
"You're welcome for not shooting you. So, Mister Back Door of the Seven Eleven, you know the Hand now do you?"
"I do. Wish I didn't. I figure everyone who knows them wishes that, though," Jason grunts. He doesn't volunteer any information on how he knows them, though. He pauses when he hears that stomach rumble, and he hesitates for a moment. He vanishes through the door.
A few moments later, once he tells the clerk there's nothing to worry about, and he returns to the two with his beer, cigaretts and donuts. He unceremoniously tosses the donuts towards Ranna before he pulls a pack of Marlboro's from the carton. He fishes one out and lights it, leaning back and taking a long pull.
And still the man doesn't give his name. It makes Ranna chuckle "Looks I'm not the only one you rub the wrong way, Shiranui. Have you ever tried to be … you know … more likeable." This from the woman that tries to kill the techie ninja each time she sees him.
Well. Not lately.
Catching the donuts deftly, Ranna eyes widen in surprise darting between the two men. She's cautious but it's not long before she has the package open and is stuffing her face. "Thanks…" she manages around mouthfuls of food. "It's better the devil you know, don't you think? I hear they're the go to guys if you Pharma though." Her eyes dart to Shiranui, to see if he'll pick that up.
She's fishing. She owes the tech ninja one. She'll try to repay it. Failed loyal daughter of the Order she is.
"It's like you WANT me to shoot you next time." The one called Shiranui mutters before focusing on Jason, or rather focusing on the young man of no name who has run into the Hand before.
"Sort of. They're the go to guys if you want to enroll in an unannounced clinical test." Shiranui nods out toward the streets. "Starting to see it out there now. The cops and hospitals will blame it on bad meth and heroin. They'll say it's a lesson - don't do drugs. And hey they've got a point, but all that's doing is covering for whatever they're testing here. All three of them."
Them. Does he possibly mean 'THREE' ninja orders?
"Are you saying the Hand are the Devil you know? Yeah, well…I will break the hands and legs of any Hand member I come across. Period. Six months back and it wouldn've been two in the chest, instead. Not that it would matter in the long run. Not with what they can do. Nothing they can offer is worth allowing to continue what they are." The man grunts softly at that and then finally pauses, shrugging.
"Jason. I'm Jason." He peels up the front of his shirt. This reveals insanely toned abs and all that of course, because…he's the buffest of the former Robins…but it also shows numerous scars. Bullet wounds, knife stabs, etcetera. "They brought me back once. It…wasn't worth the price."
He lets his shirt drop back down. "Or are you talking about someone else?"
"Might be." Ryoshi shrugs, managing to stuff more donut under her scarf. "Two in the chest probably isn't a bad idea. No need to leave them alive. Though you've noted that doesn't do much anyway." Oh, she's not going to get on with the Bats very well at all.
At least he gives them a name. "Are we comparing scars now?" She's too little and slight to be playing this game, right?
"I still don't know I believe, Shiranui. But what I saw in The Orders office that day might implicate them." The Order? Does she mean the Order of Si Fan?
"Maybe I want you to shoot me. You've already ruined my life."
"A lot of them aren't alive to begin with." The masked ninja notes. "But they brought you back you say? That's interesting. They don't do that for just anyone. Usually it's high ranking members. I take it, then, that you were IN the Hand? What brings you to New York?"
It's curiosity really which is certainly what it sounds like. Shiranui isn't honestly sure how many answers he's going to get but hey as long as Jason is answering…
"Ruined your life? You spent the last several months trying to kill me and you may or may not be responsible for the deaths of all my friends." THAT is directed at Ryoshi and it is MUCH less casual than his questions to Jason.
"I don't care what kinda scars you have. Just showing I know 'em," Jason grunts. He nods to the male ninja's comment about the Hand not being alive. "Well. They…not exactly. I came back and then -they- made me…not a zombie." He furrows his brow, as he is unsure how to explain waking up in his coffin, and then later being found by the Hand and…changed. He shakes his head, though. "Forget it."
"Born and raised," he replies in reference to the question on New York. "And I wouldn't say I was in the Hand so much as I was a tool of it."
Ryoshi nods to Jason, looking a little sheepish for her ingracious reply. He had just given her the donuts after all. The donuts that are all but gone! She can eat a lot. "Why did they do that? As he says, it's only really the highest that get that type of treatment. And they usually don't get away to kill or maim their members." beat "A tool?"
That gets a frown.
"I didn't kill your friends, Shiranui, I told you. But thanks to you … I'm broken, cut off and there's a contract me on. Next time, don't miss - right between the eyes and put an end to it."
"The Hand doesn't like loosing it's tools. Are you…" Okay, is what he was going to say Kian is wondering if this guy is on the run. Possibly not. He seems too relaxed for that.
"Well you should know that they're in town, then. As mentioned, in a big way." A big and problematic way. With a designer drug on the streets.
Ryoshi gets a sidelong look. "Don't be such a drama llama."
"I'd prefer not to talk about it," the muscled youth says softly. He flicks the butt of his cigarette away and kneels to pick up his case of beer and his carton of cigarettes. "I should get back. Nice meeting you, ninjas." He's oddly non-chalant about it all, but if he has seen what he has seen, it makes sense.
"Yeah, I heard they were around," he grunts and glances back over his shoulder. "They better hope I don't find any of them."
With that he heads out into the night.
"Later. Thanks for the donuts. Jason." Ryoshi watches the youth as he goes shaking her head. "What is it with boys these days?" She asks herself, but Shiranui might think that's directed at him. Boys. Plural.
"I owe you." She finally says, backing into the shadows again just in case. "For the other day. Be careful though, he's still out here and he won't forget you interfered."
"No, but he's also not going to forget that you're still alive and until you're out of the way I'm just a target of opportunity." Shiranui points out. He doesn't try to move up on her. He's got no interest in trying to trap her.
"Stealing food isn't what I'd expect of an Order Operative. Or at least that's what I presume you were going to do given how hungry you are."
"I'll just make it expensive to get me. He'll look for easy wins to please our masters." Ryoshi answers. It's hard not to hear the bitterness in her voice. Or the confusion. For a moment, Shiranui might think he's talking to a teen.
"I do a lot of things you don't expect of an Order Operative. You've made it clear I'm not up to standard and they seem to agree. A girls gotta eat and when the money dries up, there's not many options, is there?"
"Get a job? Preferably not one that involves killing me." Shiranui suggests. "You've got to have some kind of talent that someone will pay for." Does she though? She's rather athletic. She might be able to find a job that trades on that. Or she could just try to hustle people betting on darts. Or become a courier. Or… well…
She's gonna have to figure that out soon though.
"'Our Masters' by the way? You still in their corner after they sent someone to ice you?"
"You make it sound like being in this country and finding work is easy." She may not be here entirely legally. But work might be something she can do. "And maybe I will but until that happens, a girl still has to eat. I wasn't going to take much and I was going to repay it when I could."
She could be a dancer the way Shiranui is thinking. Those make good money don't they?
"I … I … They are The Order. I am a loyal daughter … born and raised to the Order." It's a litany and to Ryoshi it sounds empty. "I don't have anything else."
A dancer? She could be. What kind of dancer? Well there's a few kinds. They might make decent money if you can find the right place. Shiranui wouldn't suggest some of them though. In fact it probably wouldn't occur to him.
"They're trying to kill you now. You sure you still wanna be a loyal daughter? Kind of makes you someone with epic daddy issues, doesn't it?"
Mommy issues? Is the Order male or female? The things he wonders sometiems.
It's probably good it doesn't occur to Shiranui so he doesn't suggest it. Ranna might … just leave in a huff.
"It's complicated. Not everything is as seems. It might be a faction that's done this. It might the Councils order. I don't know." Daddy issues works. Not that Ranna addresses that. He didn't ask - but she comes from a long line of Women who serve the Order.
"Why were breaking into The Order facility that day?" She finally asks quietly. "Are they involved in all this … the stuff on the Street? Or do you really think we killed all your friends?"
"Yes and yes. Come on Ryoshi you don't think I just picked a name out of a hat do you? Order Hunters have been all over me ever since the Project fell apart and they were also in our facilities when I finally found them." So yes. He does think they killed all his friends.
But also they're into some bad stuff here in New York.
"They're working with the Hand and the Snakeroot clan. Don't believe me? Check it out yourself."
That might be ever so slightly heated.
"Hunters, Shiranui. Hunters not Killers. That's not what we're deployed for." Ryoshi actually hugs herself as she tries to make him believe that. Make herself believe that. "We were sent out to find you and bring you in. Those were my orders."
But there's the matter of her implants and what they do to her. Did to her.
"If we were working with The Hand and the Snakeroot Clan, why wasn't I told? I was sent here. One of their Hunters. All it's done is made my job harder and … this …"
Check it out. "Did you get anything from the Office when you raided it? If not, I'll have to break in … again."
"Possibly because the Order has a bad habit of not telling it's operatives anything but what they need to know." Shiranui says. He sighs in fact. She's in deep and she can't see. Or… well, maybe she's starting to. A little.
"No. You stopped me before I could grab anything. I've raided other offices without your interference but that one you defended admirably." Beat. "Go you."
"Go me… " In a way Ranna is relieved that Shiranui didn't mention her implants. But why would he? All he knows is she goes nuts when he uses her abilities. "I ended up broken and on a hit list for doing my job." She's so, so bitter. Probably not aided by the fact she's hungry.
She sighs again, stepping back into the shadows. "I'll go looking, Shiranui and I'll find the truth. When I do. I'm going to come hunting …"
"Good luck. And try not to get killed. If you need some help may I suggest that kid who was covering for you the other day." Oh yes. He'd noticed Alexander. He in fact had to bolt from him that day. Clearly it all worked out though.
"Why he'd do that I've got no idea. See if you can get him some counseling eh?"
She seems to be ready to leave and probably to her relief the armed Ninja is making no move to stop her.
"Neither do I but I don't think I'll be seeing him again… " Ranna answers quietly. "… he wanted something that I couldn't give."
If she needs help, she has … herself. Alone in New York. Cut off from her 'family'.
There's a rustle of fabric and she's gone.