Summary:The Silver Samurai has an interesting way of stopping a group of Triad, or is that just a trio? Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
  |
The Silver Samurai is not having the best night. That would possibly explain why he is standing in the road with his sword out watching a large black sedan bear down on him. It's difficult to tell behind the mask but he doesn't look worried. More… focused.
The car? Well the car looks as though it's set to try to run him over. And that SHOULD have The Samurai diving for cover but it doesn't. He just reaches behind him and thumbs one of his blades so that the ricasso clears the scabbard.
"Do you have popcorn, Oracle?" Batgirl asks her VI as she watches The Samurai from the rooftop she's just landed on.
I do not, Batgirl. Comes the reply through her comms.
The black clad Bat watches for a moment longer, before rising, taking off at a run and leaping. Her cape snaps out, forming a sail behind her - letting her glide towards the ground as the samurai squares off. "Get access to the cars security system, Oracle. Shut down on my mark."
The VI has hooks into all sorts systems, getting access to the sedans vehicle management system isn't hard.
You don't want me to shut it down now, Batgirl?
"I don't. Samurai looks like he might be enjoying this."
The car barrels down on Samurai. At the last minute he jumps to the side and his blade sweeps out. There's a gleam on it, a glow or almost a field around it as he swipes it at the car. But rather than the blade shattering or being torn from his hand it slices through the car as if it were made of butter. In two swipes, both wheels are off and the car skids away and slams into a light pole before flipping over.
There isn't a scratch or a sign of strain on the Samurai.
"See what I mean, Oracle."
Batgirl's feet touch the ground just as the car swerves to the light pole, she has to leap herself to avoid a flying wheel.
"That's a nice trick." The bat earred woman says to Ken as she lands next to him in a three point crouch. "Do you have others and are you available for parties?" She doesn't wait for an answer, straightening up and stalking to the car.
"Oracle, plate check please. Who do you think we're dealing with?"
The woman wrenches a door but it's stuck tight. "I don't your sword can be used as a can opener, can it?"
"The car is registered to a local businessman known to have ties to the Triads." Chinese organized crime. Interesting. Samruai looks at Batgirl as he stalks over and in one swipe cuts the front door clean off. Two of the four passengers are unconscious and the other two are bleeding. Not in any condition to fight.
"I don't do children. Parties, depends. I definitely do groups." Groups of enemies presumably. Though who knows. Maybe he means something else.
"Did you enjoy the show? I presume you were watching rather than helping as a sign of confidence."
"I had a back up plan." Batgirl steps back to let The Samurai open the car. "You looked like you were having fun and if I've learned anything from my brother Bats, is not to interrupt. "Want to tell me why you're interested in business with ties to the Triad?"
Checking over the two that are bleeding, the redhead waits for an answer. "You gentlemen seem to have upset a colleague of mine. Want to tell me what you did?" Without asking, Batgirl rummages in their pockets "Don't get any ideas, you're not my type …" and finds their wallets. "Let's see who we have here …"
"Parties? And you like groups, that's good to know." He probably didn't mean it quite like that.
There's another slice and the Samurai peels back part of the body work. Then he hauls someone out of the car and just tosses them aside. Then another. This one looks Japanese, not Chinese. "They inconvenienced a friend of mine."
The ID's that Batgirl has are that of a noted Triad boss and two of his advisors. The last one Oracle ID's by facial recognition. It's a noted Yakuza fixer. So three triad's and a Yakuza.
None of them seem to speak English or at least none of them are answering Batgirl. They just kind of stare up at her, dazed. Maybe it was the crash. So that means she'll juuuuuust have to talk to Ken.
"
"Hey… don't do that." Now she's got the id's and Oracle's imaged them, Batgirl turns to look at the Samurai. "Who's your friend?" She'll try the direct route. "You keep interesting company, Mister Samurai. Did you ever hear that joke? Three Triad, a Yakuza and a Silver Samurai walk into a bar?"
"How long before emergency services respond, Oracle?"
"I think, Mister Samurai, you have a story to tell me." There's a pointed look at the sword as he sheathes it.
"Someone who helped me in another life." Samurai says without giving the mans' name. Not that this actually prevents Batgirl from learning it, she has Oracle after all. "Honor demanded that I return the favor."
He seems quite serious about that. Honor, that is. That might make sense, the man is FROM Japan and apparently subscribes to the samurai ethos rather literally. But it's still possibly quite curious to a western mind.
"Emergency Services will respond in approximately ten minutes." Oracle offers up to Batgirl.
"As to a story, perhaps. But I might expect a story in return."
A strong sense of honour and no humour it seems. Batgirl sighs inaudibly as the demon masked man misses the joke. She'll have Oracle work out the 'friend' later, it's possibly not important at the moment.
"We have ten minutes before the authorities arrive, get what you need and we'll go somewhere else. Depending on what story you expect, you might just get it."
"I know a good one about a girl and wolf …"
His sense of humor is very… dry, the Samurai. And his focus when he's 'working' is significant. He simply ties up the triads and kneels by the fixer to try to wake him up. Once the man is awake and moving away he rises and nods to Batgirl.
"My business is concluded here. Shall we?" His bike isn't far. Her's probably isn't either. It won't take them too long to vacate the area.
During the ride Samurai falls in behind Batgirl, letting her pick where they're going. As she's in costume she probably doesn't want to be anywhere especially public, he figures, but he has no idea what her preferred safe grounds are.
He … let the Yakuza go. Now Batgirl wants to know who that is and the information is stored away for later. "Oracle, we'll head to Safe House 13 to talk."
The ride doesn't take long and Batgirl leads them through the back streets of Staten Island, to a dimly lit street. The bikes are parked in a secure garage before they make their way to a ground floor apartment.
The apartment is sparsely furnished, but serviceable and there's power on. Batgirl gestures for the Samurai to enter.
"You let the Yakuza go. He was your friend? Or a friend of your friend?" She's aware, peripherally of The Siler Samurai's dealing with the group.
"He was a friend yes. As I said he helped me long ago at great risk to himself. When I heard the Triads had taken him honor demanded that I aid him in his time of need." The Silver Samurai - it's odd calling him that when there's no silver on him - shuts the door behind him and looks around. Interesting place. Clearly more for function than form but a decent play to lay low. He knows that having this kind of property available takes money, though.
"And yes. I let him go. It is hardly a rescue if I save his life only to turn him in."
"The Triad were kidnapping him?" Batgirl asks as she takes a perch on the table, not removing her hood or any accoutrement. She's trusted him to show this, but that's as far as her trust goes.
"Are we going to play twenty questions, Samurai? Or will you tell what you're doing, what the triad wanted with your friend …? And … about that sword. That wasn't the sword made by Muramusa, of that I'm fairly certain."
Outloud, so Ken can hear, "Oracle play back the footage of what the Samurai did. Frame by frame. I want to see it. Project it from suit."
"Yes, Batgirl."
"That's some special sword you have there." Does she suspect it's not just the sword?
The Samurai smiles. "Would you limit yourself to just twenty then? I do not know why the Triad wanted my friend. I do not follow the wars of their syndicates closely. That they had done violence to him was enough."
Enough apparently even without knowing exactly what the feud was about. The swordsman shifts his weight slightly as he watches the footage replay. That's a hell of a capture ability. He's not even sure where the camera was. Batgirl can see the glowing aura surround his sword as he swipes. The material of the car doesn't even really seem to contact the blade. It's split by the field.
"Every sword is special, Batgirl. Every sword is an extension of the mind and the soul."
Okay. Now he's just putting her on. Or, well, he probably believes that but still.
The camera could be anywhere in the cities network of surveillance. Oracle, or Batgirl rather, has fingers everywhere. "Hmmmm. Oracle, do you have the footage of the other night at the shipping yard? I want when The Samurai opened that door."
Of course Oracle does but the retrieval isn't instant. Not that the delays is all that great in the scheme of things.
"I'm sure each sword is an extension of the mind and the soul, Samurai. A metaphysical connection between the wielder and the weapon, right?" Her modulated voice hides any inflection she might give that. The footage starts to play of his entry to the office.
"And this? Is a credit card an extension on your mind and soul, as well? I don't think I'll limit myself to twenty questions. Though, I'd rather have a proper, adult, discussion."
"Then perhaps you should not be interrogating me." It's hard to say without seeing his face but the Samurai might be grinning when he says that. "And I know many people for whom their credit cards are an extension of their soul. Pretty much everyone on 5th Avenue for example." All those expensive places to live…
"You are aiming for something though. If you want an adult conversation perhaps you should tell me what it is."
"You seem to enjoy me interrogating you." The redhead answers. There are many who would complain about being interrogated by her but this version might indeed be enjoyable. "And you're correct in that but that's what I meant…"
The video pauses showing the field around the card as well.
"I want to know about you and whether it's your weapons or something else that's lets you do that. I want to know about that sword you used at the fight club the other night and in the shipping yard and why it feels so wrong to someone like me."
Babs doesn't have a magical bone in her body, she knows that, and yet she can feel it all the same.
"I want to know about … you."
"Mmmmm. And what would you be prepared to give up in return?" Samurai's arms remain folded and his posture relaxed. "The Bats are notorious for their secrets and it is not often that someone has one that they want. If I am to allow you to learn about me then it is only fair that you reciprocate, is it not?"
At least he hasn't asked for anything specific, like her identity, but he's doubtless curious about 'bat stuff'. Like for example the Oracle. Or maybe where she funds all of this from. And he's right. The Bats are notoriously secretive.
"We are, yes. And we have secrets that people want, just ones that are non-negotiable." Like who she is. "You can meet Oracle and ask about them. I will answer as honestly as I can. You can ask personal questions that don't give up my identity."
She does smile behind that hood of hers, not that he can see or even hear it.
"You can ask how much I know about you. I will give you as many honest answers I can and those I can't, I will say that I can't answer them."
"Very well. I am a mutant. My ability allows me to surround any object I can hold with a field of energy capable of cutting through nearly anything." Nearly but not quite. He's not going to say what he can't cut through, though.
"Now. How is it that you have so much access to the city infrastructure." Oh dear. Yes he's probably going to pick the good ones. Not 'who is she' but 'how the hell are you pulling this off?'
"Nice Power to have." Babs nods and glances over the shoulder at Kens sword. "The blade of muramasa is more than that though? Eurayle indicated there was something about it …"
There's a chuckle from the redhead at the question he chooses. "Oracle hacked them of course. It's taken them years to do that and get the access they need. Once they got in, they put in code to make it easy to reaccess." She lifts a shoulder. "You've heard of Oracle, I take it? They've been around for six years or more…"
"I have heard of them yes. Something of a mystery, almost a digital ghost story. Seems to like you well enough though. I'd say you either know them personally or you're paying them a lot of money."
The swordsman shifts his weight again and she can see from the way his eyes tilt that he's frowning.
"The black blade, yes. It is not just a sword. It is a very old sword made by a very skilled swordsmith many hundreds of years ago. And it is not something that I dare leave laying around."
He knows she's felt it's presence. It is pretty obvious and not at alllll nice.
"My turn. Who is the Orphan. You seem very protective of… well, based on Phobos reactions, I'm going to guess 'her'."
"We've known each for a little while and we work well together. Oracle has a soft spot for the Bats, really." Batgirl answers. "They are the ears and eyes of the city. We are their arms and legs. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. So you might say we're paying them, but not in money."
"They don't just work with Bats though. They might decide they like you and want to work with you too."
"Why are you frowning? Is it because I asked about the blade or are you in pain?" The redhead prefers direct questions when she can ask them. "There is more to that blade than just being very old, Samurai. It feels … cursed."
Yes, yes she has felt its presence and she didn't care for it.
At the question on Orphan, Batgirl pauses, her hooded face looking into his. She has to be careful here - Babs has spoken on Cass and if she gives too much here, he might make a connection. "You met her, Samurai. At that building. The one who does not speak. She came to my side with no family to speak of and took the moniker Orphan for herself."
Ah. That was the girl who signed Orphan. He'd taken that for a different kind of identification. That makes a great deal more sense. "Interesting. She has a way of moving that's…"
The Samurai pauses and trails off. "Highly unusual." It's more than that but he hasn't seen her fight yet. He might have other opinions after he does.
"It is cursed yes. The swordsmith who made it poured malice and madness into the blade when he did. It drives anyone who wields it to the same. I have some… protection against it. Any other who picked it up would soon succumb."
"Interesting? Highly Unusual?" Batgirl smirks under her mask. "She does, yes. You wanted to add more to that? Also, your interest is because of what we were told by the Pix?" There's no denial from Batgirl that she isn't protective of the young woman.
"Why would a swordsmith do that? That's beyond … me. Why do you have protection and others don't?"
The woman hops off the table and starts to prowl about the apartment.
"She's come up several times. It would seem that someone thinks she is important. I am not yet certain if that is because she is important or because she is important to you." The Samurai turns and goes to the window to look out of it.
"He did it, Batgirl, because he was insane and evil at the time. I told you. Swords are an extension of the soul. If the soul of the maker is rotten, the blade will be too. Unbreakable. Sharp. Powerful. Empowers he who wields it. But utterly corrupt."
"I don't think it's her, but Kitty, to be honest. It might be her but because of what she means to Kitty." Not Batgirl. Maybe Babs is underestimating herself in all of this. "The Pix spoke of him and his power the other day. I don't like it, Samurai. A man in love will do stupid things …"
So will a woman.
"And the protection you have from the sword? Is that because you are mad or corrupt? Or is there more to you than that? Are you so fundamentally good, you negate it?"
"Kitty. You mean Phobos." Samurai turns back to face Batgirl. "He is actually a greek god isn't he? A greek god somehow wielding one of the imperial regalia." That sort of disturbs him and no mistake.
"I well understand what people will do for love. And no. I am neither mad nor good. I am the fated wielder of the blade. It affects me more slowly. But make no mistake it does affect me."
The swordsman sighs. "So. What is your next move, Batgirl? We seem to keep running into one another. I am wondering how much of that is your doing and how much of it is the simple logic of us both doing the same thing."
"Kitty, yes." Batgirl confirms. "Phobos, Greek God of Fear. Somehow he's tied up in what's going on here but I don't know how. It's what Oracle and I are working on." As for Grasscutter, she gives the man a look through her hood. "That … I suppose that must bother you. I don't know much about it and I've not asked."
And yet, here she is asking about the Black Blade.
"Do you?" Understand what people will do for love, she means. It's a good thing he can't see her face. "FATE. What is it with you people. There's no Fate but that we make ourselves… How long before you become a problem that I'll have to address?"
There's a short laugh at his last question. "Don't you like seeing me, Samurai? I'm a ray of sunshine." She doesn't respond to how much is planning and how much is chance. "My next move is to follow the clues and find out who is doing this and stop them. What about you?"
"Given that should be in Japan in a shine and occasionally presented to the Emperor, yes that bothers me quite a bit." The Samurai says. Where it should decidedly not be is in the hands of a teenage Greek God.
"If I become a problem, Batgirl, I doubt there will be much for you to address. Either I will be cut down by those more powerful than you or I will carve a path through the city in a very literal sense."
That's possibly a chilling thought. What way does Batgirl have to prevent him from simply divesting her of her limbs, after all? "Fate… Destiny. You will run into such words for as long as you continue to investigate this. I suggest you take them seriously though, Miss Sunshine. There are greater powers at work."
"Well clearly the sword is not." Batgirl answers, looking at the demon masked man. "Are you going to do anything about that?" It's not something she really wants to have to deal with. Phobos is already slightly distracted with Cass. Adding to the sword to that … might be a problem.
"Maybe you'll be cut down by more powerful than I but don't underestimate me or my Family, Samurai. Threaten the streets to my home and I will do everything I can to stop you." He should get the impression she means that, even if she dies doing it. "You're right answer, by the way, was I'll never become a problem to you, Batgirl. Just so you know. Did you want to try that again?"
She might be teasing. If this was Ken with Babs, he would know for sure.
"I suppose I will hear those terms while I work on this case but it doesn't mean I have to believe them. All I need to do is believe that those who speak of them believe them."
"I am not yet sure." It is at least an honest answer. It IS a national treasure of Japan. The Samurai is under no obligation to act on that information naturally but honor is very important to him. If Phobos is honoring the blade, perhaps it will not be so bad.
I think…" There might be a wry smile under that mask. "That the question is whether you plan to become a problem for me. You seem to have a very strict code and it is not one I entirely subscribe to. Not the the least of which because trying to imprison a minotaur is an act of insanity."
"Tell me if you decide to make it issue?" That's as much a question as a direction. Is there anything in Batgirls demeanour that reminds The Samurai of Babs, or is her front that good?
She's quiet, taking a moment to stalk the apartment. "It's not our way, to kill, Samurai. The minotaur, the Pix, they are living, sentient, beings. They break our laws, shouldn't they be tried as such?"
"Because your prisons cannot hold them, your police cannot arrest them and you have no laws against things like 'theft of another's soul or free will.'." The Samurai points out. "In short, your legal system is not designed to handle them, and thus cannot handle them. But they are still a problem and not one that can be ignored. Hence…" He gestures to the blades. Two blades. She hasn't yet seen him use both at the same time. She may have heard the rumors, though.
"If I decide to make it an issue I will try to give you warning yes. Now, why are your people so insistent on not crossing that line. That would seem to make you rather… ineffective in cases."
"So you say and yet are you sure we don't?" Batgirl answers as she turns in her prowl, stopping at the window to look out onto the street. There's nothing to see, this is a back street and it's late. If there was, Oracle would tell her there was something.
"It is theft, is it not? That's something that's covered. And if our laws don't cover them, then we have to modify our laws to do so."
The two blades get a look from over her shoulder. If she's heard rumours, he can't tell.
"We can bring to people to justice but we shouldn't be meting justice out. That's what our systems are for and they protect us as much as they protect them. If I take a life, what makes me any better than another who does?"
"Put it in court and see what happens. How will you prove that such a thing was stolen? What are the laws of evidence when magic is concerned?" Samurai points out. He seems confident that it won't work well.
"You may well have a perfect system tomorrow. But you have problems today. The threat you ignore today will be a much bigger problem tomorrow. What is the saying? Do not allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good."
When she stops to look out the window he looks over at her. She's closer and he can tell a lot from her stance. Which… IS sort of like Babs, yes. That and her diction.
"What, Batgirl, makes you think that you ARE better than such people?" He finally asks.
"The legal system is not perfect, Samurai. It is run by flawed beings that uphold laws based on society's expectations. It will never be perfect but this is what we have and I didn't say we were ignoring it, did I?" She shakes her head as she turns to him, catching him looking her over. That might be a problem at some point.
"That's a good question, Samurai and one I've pondered long and hard. I don't have a good answer for that except to say - that I'm not, not really. I can only try to live my life in a way that allows me to look at myself in a mirror and not be ashamed of the woman I see."
"That is a good answer." The Samurai nods in approval. "It speaks of a self awareness I doubt many in your position would have. But it also poses a problem. If your methods do not make you better and they are not suited to the task at hand, why insist on them? And more to the point, why insist on them with others who have more effective methods to hand."
Literally to hand. As in the swords over his shoulder. She can't doubt at this point that those are quite effective when he wants them to be.
"My methods … are my methods. I test, adjust and test again. This is a new type of problem, one I've not encountered before which means I need to do some research. Find ways to uphold my beliefs and still achieve what I need."
There's a glance again at the swords as the black clad woman shakes her head. "There is as much the fact that I don't want to split our focus, the focus of the family, to deal with one who might be our ally. And the Family will seek out and try to neutralise you. That … is not a good use of any of our time or skills."
"I don't have a good answer for that either, Samurai. I can only ask you what the cost is each time you take a sentient beings life. I can only ask you if you wish to pursued by those who might help and waste energy on that. Or if … there's a way we might work together."
"And dangerous for both of us. Your family may be quite skilled and does seem to be quite resourced. That is not a fight I would pick without a reason to do so." Samurai says, looking back out the window. Implied, it's not a fight her family should pick without a reason to do so either. Not unless they don't like their limbs.
"I will not put my safety, nor the safety of anyone I am trying to protect, at risk for the sake of your morals." It's not a harsh tone but it is a firm one. "However, outside of that rather specific box, we may be able to reach an accommodation."
That's probably expected to Batgirl. She's read of him. She knows he's a warrior and knows he's fundamentally a samurai. Of course he will kill if he thinks it is necessary. But he did offer a concession.
"Yes, dangerous too." Batgirl answers, still watching the man. "I'm not the type to pick a fight, in general…" Isn't she? With that flaming red hair of hers?
Her shoulders stiffen a little at his firm tone and he might imagine the Bat letting out a slow breath. "Then we shall find an accomodation. You and I. As to that specific box, the others might not be as … understanding."
"What do you propose, Silver Samurai?"
"Then they can fight me." Typically Japanese, Samurai is going to be unflexible on this point. "But I might point out that doing so would be immoral. They have no right to risk my safety to satisfy their concerns." Also a philosopher, apparently.
"I propose this. Anyone who is not an immediate threat to life and limb I will leave alive. I am a sufficiently skilled swordsman that I do not have to kill most of the people I fight. In return you will trust my judgement on when a situation has become sufficiently dangerous that I do not think the additional risk incurred by handicapping myself is worth it any longer."
"And they might…" Batgirl shakes her head considering how that might go down if not managed well.
He can't see the green eyes that meet his behind her hood, but he can see her fold her arms and consider his proposition. "I can accept that as long as you don't go lopping legs off creatures I want to interrogate." She hasn't forgotten that and is still miffed by it. She'll admit though, he's acted in good faith for the most part.
"Do we have an agreement then?"
"I did that because the only possible other result of the end of that interrogation would be that someone else would die. Minotaurs are carnivores. He was injured. There is no prison in the city that is capable of holding him and no one in five post codes capable of arresting him. I'm sure that train of logic is not hard to follow."
He can tell she's miffed. Could tell at the time. But it was the best solution he could think of. After a moment the demon masked man sticks out his hand. "We have an agreement yes. On my honor."
From what she's seen he takes his honor very seriously.
"Then we will find methods and places to restrain them." Batgirl says confidently. Surely there are people who can help with that, right?
For a long moment, the black clad woman looks at the hand that is offered without moving. Finally, she nods and takes the hand. "We have an agreement. On my honour and on Oracles." This isn't likely to play well with the other Bats but Batgirl and Oracle don't want to be fighting a war on two fronts.
And she's under no illusion that it could easily become a war with the Samurai.
"Is there anything I, or Oracle, can do for you friend?"
"I would say 'better than you have tried'. But I do not know if they were in fact better than you, so instead I will say 'good luck.'" She's going to need it in the Samurai's opinion.
"He should be well. If he is not I am sure I will hear about it. His part in the Yakuza's business in this city is small. He arranges things. He is, in fact, a good person to know if you need things arranged. Or need to know who is arranging things." That information more than anything else is what Samurai values in the relationship. Well, other than honor for someone who has aided him at great risk in the past.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"I won't know till I try, so there is that." Batgirl turns back to the window and lets out a breath.
"I will remember that, about your friend. As will Oracle." Who has probably got all they need to know on him by now. "Now? I have a patrol to finish, that is what I'm going to do now. Presuming that's what you meant."
Turning and gesturing to do the door "I would appreciate it if you forgot this place. If you meant more widely, more investigation, more research. Build a profile of what we're dealing with and how they operate in this town."
"That should not be difficult. It looks just like everything else around it which I imagine is the point." The Samurai says. But he will remember that the Bats have such places. He's getting the picture of a well financed and coordinated group. That must be held together by something powerful. Common belief would not do it. It must be a powerful personality. But those are all questions for later.
"I shall wish you luck again in that case. I have my own business to see to, one that does not require swords. One that rather frowns on it, in fact. I have no doubt that we will meet again, though."
Business that frowns on Swords? That has Batgirl interested but Oracle will be tracking the Samurai and she does, at this moment, have other things to focus on.
As the door closes behind them, Ken will hear. "Secure the safe house, Oracle. We're vacating."