Summary:Batgirl is ambushed. The Silver Samurai helps out and finds out some interesting information. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It's late at night. So late it's nearly morning. Batgirl has been patrolling Staten Island. Tonight has seen her stop an attempted robbery on an all night diner and a mugging of a group of young women making their way home from a night out.
Nearing the Clocktower, she hears the plaintive mewls of kitten - somehow it's got itself caught in part of the superstructure of the building next door. "What are you doing there …" she says as she reaches for the creature, intent of freeing it and deciding on what to do with it.
Her action is halted as shots ring out, bullets impacting all around her.
Diving the redhead barely makes it to cover, as the bullets hail down around her.
Staten Island has been a 'hot mess' since the dome came (mostly) down. And while not a vigilante for the sake of the people in it, the Silver Samurai has been dealing with elements of several organized crime groups as they have made plays on properties or people connected to the companies he is overseeing. It is pure chance that he is in the area when shots ring out.
It is, however, pure skill that when an arrow whistles silently out of the night from somewhere high up, it finds an mark unerringly.
Batgirl already has the feeds from the area displaying on her hud as she shelters there. "I can't see them, Oracle."
"Neither can I, Batgirl. They aren't registering on my sensors."
Which leaves the redhead nearly blind with her usual methods of tracking. She's going to have to do this old …
Thunk Thud
The Samurai's arrow takes out one of the shooters, that leaves two on opposite sides of where Batgirl shelters. Had they been waiting for her?
"He's doing it again, Batgirl." Oracles voice comes over both their communicators.
"Samurai. I might be glad to see you. They aren't registering on my sensors." He can hear the bullets pinging around her. "Split our focus. I'll go left, you go right."
She doesn't wait for his answer as she times a roll, using her cape to provide some level of protection, to the next piece of cover she can find. As she comes to a crouch, a batarang sails forth - embedding one tip of a wing in an airconditioning box near the location those bullets are coming from. A light blinks and Ken can hear Batgirl count down "Three, two, one …"
A small explosion with lots of light occurs around that area.
"Your right or mine?" It's a real question but by the time he asks it she's already moving so he knows which direction to focus on. The explosion of light occurs off to the side but he's already tracking movement in the shadows. Unlike Batgirl he doesn't rely on tech to acquire his targets. And soon he has another one. He snaps off two arrows before turning to relocate to a higher place. There's a machine house on top of this roof and it's a good ten feet more elevation. That will help.
How had Batgirl known that would be a question he asked? "Yours, Silver Samurai." Comes Oracle reply.
The small explosion of the batarang has damaged the airconditioning unit and the light disorienting her attacker. They're still firing though as she moves agilely across the roof and up onto a stairwell housing, "Can you see them now, Oracle?" She asks as another batarang flings out, this one flies directly at the barrel of the rifle the shooter is using. It hits, sending the weapon skidding across the roof and the shooter scrambling after it - as Batgirl leaps and tumbles to get in from of him.
"I can not, Batgirl. Yours or Samurai."
Kens arrows cause the shooting to pause, giving him time to relocate higher. "What the fuck…" he hears in the dark of the roof, he knows where they are now and yes, from his vantage he can see the black clad figure who trains his weapon in Kens direction and opens fire. He wasn't expecting the Samurai to be up so high though and the bullets ping on the metal of the machine house.
Samurai acquires his target with frightening speed, holding the bow in that odd way that the Japanese do, a third of the way up the bowstaff, and knocking the arrows actually slightly over his head. In this odd way he proceeds to snap off another four arrows, quick as rifle shots and just as accurate.
For a moment he thinks to call for the man to surrender… but then he realizes, no. He's not going to give him a chance to get off another shot, and fires off another arrow.
The arrows break the stream of bullets but whoever this is, they're good. The bullets track up the structure that the Samurai is perching on. They ping at his feet as the Samurai pauses.
That last arrow arcs out, catching the light in the zenith of its flight. It falls, piercing the dominant shoulder of the shooter, causing him to drop his weapon.
The Samurai can see him try to slip into the shadow.
Samurai sends out one more arrow for good measure and then hops down from the machine house in case the shooter has another weapon. He DID almost hit him just now. Looking for Batgirl he instead leans out to see what he can see below him. He knows the general direction they SHOULD be in but Batgirl's got that zipline and that tends to make her show up in unexpected places.
The second arrow pierces the other shoulder, from the back now as the black clad figure melts into the shadow. Ken can't see him but he doesn't seem inclined to try and shoot him again.
Batgirl and her shooter are engaged in hand to hand - something that Batgirl usually tries to avoid. Her shooter is highly trained - much, much better than she, even with the bata-bola she's managed to tangle about their feet. He can see her drop, to sweep the feet, as her escrima stick comes down from above to land on their shoulder.
Ken will see the moment that the black clad figure takes advantage of her weakness, snapping out a series of moves designed to knock her down and out, if not worse.
Kennuichio raises his bow and takes careful aim. Normally that is not his style. He aims and releases almost in the same motion. But now he wants to be careful. He doesn't want to strike Batgirl while he's doing this.
After what might seem like a long time - but is only actually seconds - he lets go, the shot aimed right between the shoulder blades.
Batgirl is quick but the Samurai can see that hitch her in back. The way she leaves herself open on that side. The one he's warned Bab about.
The first blows from the figure land about Batgirls head and shoulders - the suit and the hood taking a lot of the pressure but it's still got hurt and Batgirl is slow to get up.
Which is when Kens arrow hits - driven between the shoulder blades by the force of the shot.
The black clad figure tenses and then drops to the ground. Are they dead? Hard to tell - it's possible that arrow just disabled them.
Batgirls head comes up, looking in the Samurai's direction. "Thank you." She says as she crouches there.
The thank you is punctuated by a second arrow whistling down from on high and landing what might assuredly be a fatal shot to a human, if the first shot had not already proven so. Are they dead? Well the odds are better now at any rate.
"You are welcome." The Samurai says and then disappears from view, but only for a moment as he comes down from the heights and makes his way over.
Though that will take up enough time that she can probably get up. She has to know he's seen how badly hurt she is though. And WHERE she is hurt.
The last arrow pierces the body as Batgirl slowly straightens.
By the time Kennuchio joins her, she's managed to stand up, he knows she's hurt - he told her about the weakness the other day - she might be going to try and tank this..
"What were you doing here?" Batgirl asks, forgetting the kitten she had been going to liberate.
After looking at the body on the ground in front of them, she tugs the arrows out and turns the body - starting to catalogue the armour. "Have you seen anything like this before? They didn't show up on Oracles sensors at all."
"I was passing through after paying the Russian mafia a visit." Ken says as he makes May's position. He folds his arms watching her work, watching blood ooze from the puncture wounds. Is that human blood? It appears to be.
"I've never seen anything quite like that no. Designed no doubt to be invisible to electronic eyes. Not much protection from longbows as it turns out, though." Which means it's not rated for modern firearms either but if you know you're going against a Bat that's probably not a huge deal.
"I see." Batgirl says, turning her face in Samurai's direction. It certainly seems to be blood that oozes from the wounds and Ken won't miss how Batgirl moves just a little more carefully.
"No doubt. I'm interested your arrows pierced them." There doesn't appear to be anything to identify them, either. Though something catches the light as Batgirl rolls the body. It's a flat embossing on the collar of the armour. A symbol that the Samurai knows well. Yakuza.
"I am as well. It must not be intended to be armor. Otherwise the arrows should not have done that." Well, perhaps if it's just kevlar with no backing. MAYBE then.
Ken kneels down and peers at that symbol and grunts. "Ah well that makes my night busier. This one was with the Yakuza. I cannot think who among them might have this kind of material to gift to their operatives, nor why they might be using it against you, Batgirl, but I know at least where to start asking questions."
Batgirl is silent as finishes her examination. "I'm going to call this in to some contacts. Get the bodies picked up and put in the morgue. Oracle will want to examine the material of the suits and maybe an autopsy will reveal more."
Yakuza. It has her frowning under her mask. "Why indeed. It's not like I've done anything to upset them…" Much. She has helped the Samurai a couple of times, but it's not the way of that organisation.
Or is it?
"Where are you heading now?" It's well past midnight and Batgirl had been returning … home. Not that she'll tell Ken that.
"I feel like some Sushi." At this hour? That probably means he's going to go ask someone some pointed questions. The Samurai slings his bow over his body and glances out toward the street where his bike is parked. "Crunchy roll perhaps. And what about you?"
Well she's not telling him she's going home now, is she? He might decide to see where home is.
"Sushi?" That has her blinking for a moment before she realises he's probably going after whoever that is.
"I was going to rescue that kitten and finish my patrol. But before I do that, I'll call this in." It comes so easily. She's not exactly lying either.
Has it occured to Ken to wonder why the ambush was set here? Probably not. But it's not like Batgirl keeps a regular route when she patrols.
"Maybe I'll see you later, then."
"I am sure you will. I will contact you if I find any interesting… sushi." The Samurai says. He takes one more lingering look at her back - almost pointedly - and then heads on out. A few moments later she hears his bike fire up. He's gone.
And she is safe. For the moment.