Summary:Shiranui searches out Ranna with news Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Shiranui is looking for Ryoshi and doesn't really know how to find her. But he has a way to search areas for her, or at least crowded areas. He hops along the rooftops and lets his abilities pulse. Then he looks for the person who seems to be having a conveniently timed headache. It lets him cover a lot of ground though admittedly, it's not going to work if she's at home and watching Carnival Row or something.
But he suspects it's not. It's late but not so late that everyone has gone to bed. There's still a decent amount of foot traffic out on the streets of Hell's Kitchen. Perfect cover. It means people are unlikely to just start a fight. Not if they don't want to be seen and filmed.
Now… where is she?
Shiranui at least knows what Ranna looks like. Unlike her who knows what Shiranui looks like, but unless Kian uses his abilities, he could walk past her with impunity.
At least tonight, she's not home watching Carnival Row. She's just exiting a greasy spoon down the road from where Shiranui is. Judging by her clothing, the collared t-shirt with the logo of the place on it and the way her hair is pulled up and mussed - she might actually … be working there.
Whatever it is, Shiranui spots her as she stumbles against the wall of the place and clutches her head, only to then glance around, eyes tracking upwards to his direction.
Then she's moving to the alley just over there.
Shiranui pauses to confirm her identity. Yes, that has to be her. Definitely looking like she put in a hard days work. He silently maneuvers over to the alley and then drops down. Without startling a cat like someone he could mention.
"Ryoshi. Or should I call you Ranna?" She's not in costume, which he's only seen once before really. He IS in full costume and eager to not be spotted. People will think the poor waitress is being mugged even if ordinarily the reverse would probably be true.
"Nice night to be out for a walk, mm?"
Did Ranna know Shiranui was looking for her? Or was she going to try and chase him? It's hard to tell but he takes that chance from her as he drops to the ground in front of her.
"Ranna like this. It's not like you don't know who I am…" she says quietly, rubbing her forehead and wincing in pain. "Can you … do me a solid and not use your abilities? Please?" It has to be paining her badly tonight.
"I'm not walking. I'm finishing up a shift. Or was that, you wanted to walk?"
The headache may or may not stop but at least he doesn't make it any worse. He stops using his abilities and she can tell that he has. Shiranui folds his arms and considers the woman before him.
"I did. I took a look at the information you gave me. It had quite a bit about the medical procedures you underwent. I think I know why you're getting headaches."
That might get her attention.
"Do you remember our fight in the Order front building? I think I damaged something in you that was compelling you to hunt me. Every time I used an ability it triggered, and you just went after me. Didn't you? Or do you even remember?"
"It what?" Ranna looks up at Shiranui, into that mask of his, the look of horror and fear so very, very obvious. She knows about the medical procedures at least. She swallows "Thank you for stopping …"
"I … know you did." she says quietly, moving back a little and wrapping her arms about her. "I … know I lost time and would be badly hurt a lot of time. I … they told me I was a Daughter of the Order and I'd been selected to be a Hunter. I … was told we would hunt and return the Project."
"I don't think my return was a high priority. Not alive anyway." His tech perhaps but all they'd need for that is his corpse. Shiranui makes a face but she won't be able to see it.
"Well, Daughter of the Order. Take a look." He tosses a data packet from his systems to her phone. "That thing at the base of your spine? It's an implant that's designed to detect a psybernetic activation signature and fire specific neurons. It probably got damaged when I tossed you around." Which he did. He put her through a couple of walls during that fight and he's sure it had hurt.
"I know it fires when you use your abilities." Ranna admits. "I … I was sixteen when they did it. It was my coming of age. All of us who have the aptitude are given the conversion. It's a great honour to be selected."
She knew about the implant. Had celebrated being selected. Shiranui might want to kill her now.
"When I had recovered from the operation, they tested me. I … didn't know. Didn't realise what they were doing. By then it was too late - it was done and we couldn't escape." Even if they ran, those implants …
It's all there in the medical data, Shiranui's read it. The implants had a fail safe that he shouldn't have been able to break. So has he? Or has set a ticking time bomb off in her spine?
"Then you also know it's supposed to kill you if you try to run. Or at least cripple you." Shiranui's arms remain folded. His look is intense even without being able to see his eyes.
"Which begs the question, why hasn't it? Was that damaged in the fight? Or is something else going on? Either way I do not think you should leave it to chance. You need someone medically trained to get a good look at you."
Which is not a resource that Shiranui has. However they've met others. Others who may well indeed have those kinds of allies.
"I do and I don't know. I think it's because they think they're still working. I mean, they fire when you use your abilities. So something is broken, but maybe not those implants themselves. They did something else to me, though, didn't they?"
They did. They'd enhanced psyber abilities to work with Cogmium. It's why she can use those chakrams so easily. Maybe it's all tied up with that.
"I … don't trust anyone." The Bats might help. Maybe that Diablo character. It's not like Ranna's been winning friends and influencing people though - so there's that. "Why … are you doing this?"
"Because I'd rather not kill you if I can avoid it, either in a fight or on accident." Shiranui says. "And yes. They did more to you. Implanted you with abilities like mine." Like his but somewhat less advanced. Hence the reduced range of capability.
"Well until someone takes a look you're rolling the dice any time you do something even remotely active. You could be on a timer for all you know. Reach out to Diablo or the Bats." He pauses. "Shadow-Stalker has left the city I hear, but he hasn't gone far. Just into New Jersey. He might yet be back. So watch yourself."
There's something that passes behind Ranna's eyes when Shiranui speaks but she nods though. "I don't know why you don't want you, but thank you." What must it be like for her?
"I'll … do something. And I'm watching. I've no desire to face Shadow-Stalker without a plan of action. He won't let me live once he gets me. I'm broken goods." The small woman runs a hand through her hair and glances back to the street. "I … have a phone, if you want to find me." Taking a breath, she holds the device out to Shiranui. He can get her number from it. Interestingly she doesn't ask for his.
Shiranui does take her number and at least for the moment doesn't offer his own. He'd rather not give her another way to find him until her issue with her hunting implant is resolved. Because it might be resolved not in his favor and she could go back to being a single minded killer if the wrong thing happens. Shadow-Stalker might kill her.
Or he might drag her away for reprocessing.
"You're welcome. Now. You should get home before it gets much later or you're going to have to bet up some muggers." Not that she's going to get mugged because honestly… he doubts that.
The techninja pulls himself back up onto a low wall. "Remember, we have a meeting with Diablo. Soon." And then he's headed off. Not using his powers, thank goodness.