2020-06-11 - Cold Snap

Summary:

Another disturbance another mystery

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Thu Jun 11 05:55:26 2020
Location: New York

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

barbara-gordonken-harada

Motorcycle motors roar as a powerful Japanese made bike uses a convertible classic Chevy as a ramp, sailing over the inhabitants who stare with awestruck and somewhat angry expressions. Only after he has sailed over do they notice that between the time the masked rider charged them and the time he sailed over them something has sliced the engine block vertically in two. That's when the panic starts.

And with the panic comes gunfire.

"Batgirl, he's doing it again." Oracle says. Oracle tracks Kennuichio Harada very closely and today he is in the downtown area of Staten Island, a run down former business district that is very dangerous after dark.

Though tonight it might not be dangerous for him. On the other hand, that IS a lot of bullets.


"So I can see." Says the dark clad woman who is sitting on her bike in the shadow of an alley. She had been patrolling herself when she had seen his bike and had decided to watch the show.

Since their madcap run through Staten Island several weeks ago and their subsequent return from the 'dome', they've seen little of each other - which might be partly her doing.

"What bought this on?" The redhead includes the Samurai in the communication. "Those engines aren't cheap to repair, you know."


There's a hollow sounding thump as one of the former occupants of the car produces a single shot grenade launcher and fires at The Silver Samurai. Rather than exploding the cannister begins to belch an whitish cloud which makes the ground begin to frost over. Moments later it envelopes a lamp post which falls over as the suddenly frozen metal is made brittle.

That's one cold cloud.

"They stole something from an SIPD evidence warehouse. Well, I say stole but it doesn't particularly look like they broke in." SIPD has that kind of a problem in a way that the rest of New York simply does not. It seems endemic here and it makes vigilante work much more difficult. And also much more necessary.

Rather than firing the various automatic weapons they have, one of them pops open the trunk and they take out a heavy duty case of the kind that's used to transport things that need shock proof transport.

"Batgirl." Oracle volunteers. "These individuals are known Maggia affiliates."


Batgirls eyebrows rise beneath her mask as she sees the belch of cold spread out. "Oh, that's not good. There's a couple of people who make tech like that and none of them good." She's still enjoying the show though. "And you're trying to get it back? How do you know they stole it?"

As she's talking, Batgirl fishes some batarangs from her utility belt. With a deft flick of her wrist, they spin out, not aimed at the people themselves though.

One embeds in the car near the trunk. The other in the case they just pulled out and a third - yes she managed to throw three in that time - in a wall between a group of the gunmen.

That one, the last one, emits a high pitch squeal - it will cause vetigo in the gunmen and make it extremely difficult to fire their weapons.

The other two? They explode.

"Maggia … hm. Can you get access to their vehicle management systems? Let's make their lives extremely difficult. When you do, put them into diagnosis mode - test all the accessories. All together."


"Something like that yes…" Ken is busy taking cover and his cover is being eaten away around him.

"Working Batgirl. I have access." That took almost no time at all. Maggia are organized crime but even they use commercial systems and while standard commercial systems have much better security than they used to since the companies that provide them will suffer if their systems are too sub-par, Oracle was not programmed by just any hacker either. An instant later not only the vehicles involved in this action but a number of them across the city begin to flash their lights, sound their horns, play their stereos, roll down their windows and so on.

The cacophony is deafening. And it very nearly covers the noise of Batgirl's batarangs exploding. It DEFINITELY covers her locations and the only return fire she gets is wild and unaimed.

The noise gets Silver Samurai a window to lunge and close the range which causes panic fire. The melee is impressive but being distant Batgirl will see someone else a. A masked woman in a black and white catsuit with long dark hair.

She's got a gun. Silenced pistol from the looks of it. She isn't a vigilante. In fact she's been affiliated with the Maggia though she hasn't been seen in these parts for some time. Madame Masque.

Odds are she's not there to help them.


That's what comes of using open source software in your setup, particularly when that software is written by the hacker herself. "You didn't tell me how you knew they stole it…" the redhead retorts, smiling to herself under the mask at the confusion she's created.

The sight of Madame Masque has her sighing. "We have a guest, Oracle. Trace her movements over the last few months, if you can. I want to know as much as we can." beat "Watch yourself, Samurai, the Masque is known to be a crack shot." Judging the distance between them, Batgirl considers her options quickly. More batarangs are pulled from her utility belt and flicked in the womans direction - aiming predominantly for the pistol as the redhead fires her grapnel gun to allow her to swing the distance and drop down on the woman.


"Because criminals talk and I know criminals. The Yakuza are quite happy to spill on what their competitors are doing because if that gets to the authorities well, better for them. The same is true of the Maggia. They'll happily tell you what everyone else is doing in the hopes that you'll prioritize that."

And Ken knows how to talk to the Yakuza. How to appeal to obligation and honor and all that.

Batgirl's warning comes just in time. Masque raises her weapon and fires on the Samurai, issing only because he'd already been in motion when she did so. Moments later the pistol is torn from her grasp and glatters to the ground with a razor batarang embedded in it.

Masque pulls another, managing to avoid being kicked by the vigilante. "There you are. I was wondering why he was flying solo. Convenient for me." Now Babs has to worry about that crack shot.

"You know that this is pointless don't you? Why piss off the Maggia? It's just going to make your life more difficult and they'll get what they want in the end anyway."


"Of course. How stupid of me." Batgirl is going to have get Oracle to listen more carefully so she doesn't miss this type of thing. Clearly.

"I'm not sure why you would think he does anything but fly solo. It's the disturbance to the peace of the city that interests me." She says watching that weapon. She *hates* guns - and with very good reason. "And why would the Maggia risk pissing the Bats off? They've never been successful in Staten Island before and they won't now."

"Why don't you leave?"

The redhead doesn't try reaching into her utility belt - this time, she 'clicks' the release on her grapnel gun instead.

The cable, which had been taut up to that moment, lets loose and 'flings' back towards Masques face.


"Depends on how you define success." Masque smirks as she circles. She's trying to open the range and make it safer for her to fire her weapon. Batgirl has stolen a march on her in that she's already in range and it's much easier to stay there than it is to get there under fire.

And then the woman has to throw herself to the side. She doesn't make it entirely and the cable catches her shoulder and sends her into a spin which will put her on the ground if only for a moment. She fires, aiming for a join in Batgirl's armor but her aim is spoiled by the impact. As she hits the ground she fires twice more.

"Temper! I was here first." Scoff. "Redheads…"


Batgirl snorts. It's rare for her to lose her temper even if her hair is a fiery red.

As Masque falls, Batgirl moves again - like Ken has taught her - tumbling in and drawing her escrima sticks to bring them down in an overhead blow - aimed at Masques forearm - intent on breaking it.

"I think you're mistaken. I was here first. This city belongs to the Bats and we will keep it safe." Maybe Ken has finished playing with the other thugs and is hearing this. "What does Maggia want, anyway? Lots of competition in Staten."


The escrima sticks land and the Masque screams in pain. She is armored but it's anti-ballistic armor not armor designed for close in combat. She never wants to really BE in close in combat.

"Why don't you ask the devil, bitch, because you're going to hell!" Madam Masque grabs her weapon in her off hand and opens up on Batgirl and point blank range, emptying her clip.

At virtually the same time an arrow sails in and hits her in the ribs. That one IS deflected by her armor, and a good thing for her too. That may have killed her if it had landed. Yes, Samurai is done it seems.


"Temper." Batgirl quips, even as she keeps moving. It doesn't matter how much she pulls her back, keeping moving will give Masque difficulty to get a bead on her and right now, that's very important. Because …

Ow … bullets hurt. Several actually manage to hit Batgirl, knocking her backwards with the impact. They don't get through to her body because the armour she wears deflects or absorbs them - but she's winded and now in a lot of pain.

"I believe, I was asking you. Now, enough with the bad words and name calling, what does Maggia want here anyway?"

She doesn't say anything to Ken and the pain in her voice is well hidden by that modulator. What isn't is Oracles report of her condition.

Damn VI.


"Recommend you disengage Batgirl." Oracle is a very conservative VI, she's programmed to be the voice of reason and being the voice of reason means saying the obvious thing even if it is going to be ignored. Samurai approaches having dispatched his opponent, blade in hand. Masque doesn't get a chance to reload, she takes one look at him and knows he'll use it if she tries.

"Tech. Tech that certain individuals were kind enough to provide us. The sort of thing that lets you put a deep freeze on your opponents."

The Cryotech that had been deployed in the fight. Why does the Maggia think it needs hyper-tech?

"Planning on taking on any super humans?"

"Welll you never know." Masque smirks through the pain of her arm.

That's… probably a yes. And that's worrying.


"Thank you Oracle." At least the VI hasn't ratted her out to Ken. That's something. She'll be able to limp home and lick her wounds later.

"Ah yes. We just saw that in action. We'll be sure to pick up a sample before we leave. Very kind of you, really." Super humans. That Maggia wants. Possibly in Staten Island. Probably New York.

"It's a pity you'll never find out how it goes. You're going away, Masque. We've a list of outstanding warrants for your arrest and the boys and girls from SIPD will be looking for a chance to nab you. I'm going to gift wrap you myself."

Moving gingerly, the redhead decides to check that catsuit, see if there's any hidden pockets and the like. Masque may well have something on her and if not, there's still the other cars to check.


"We just picked up something on order from their warehouse." Masque laughs. "You're delusional if you think I'm going away for any length of time at all." She says as Batgirl confirms that she does indeed have no pockets.

"That's why you're always going to lose, Batgirl. Because no matter how good you are, the people here just aren't up to your standards. Toss a little money their way, or rough 'em up a bit and they'll fall all over themselves to be useful."

Silver Samurai rolls his eyes. "Shall I shut her up?"

It's up to Batgirl if they want to take more than just a sample. If it goes back to SIPD it may very well get out again. Of course if someone else in the NYPD gets it… might be another story.


"I think so. We've got all what we need and I doubt she knows anything more. The minions rarely do." Batgirl answers. That's a deliberate prod at the woman.

She'll take a sample for herself, after Oracle gets the footage of everything that's here including markings and serial numbers.

Without saying much more to Ken, she does place tracking devices on each one. If they move from SIPD, she should know. Well, Oracle will and therefore her.


Samurai knocks out the downed woman and quickly trusses her up, a gesture to Batgirl that he doesn't simply 'remove the problem'. That's a thing between them but they have so far managed to compromise.

"I was given the address of the person who was to receive these goods. Care to pay them a visit? Or were you going to withdraw like Oracle suggested."

Yes. He heard that. And yes he's probably going to prod.


"Thank you." Batgirl says as she sorts through the equipment. The police will be here soon and she needs to get out here.

"We can visit. We should." Her bike is just over there and she's not going to admit to be badly hurt.


"I think he may be particularly happy to see you." The Samurai smirks. She can't see it though the mask but she can hear it in his voice. She's getting to know what his 'amused' voice sounds like. He goes to his bike and kicks the stand up.

"Especially given you busted him a few years back." That's a long list and clearly he's out again but hey, nothing like seeing an old friend right?

There's an off chance that even Batgirl herself might enjoy it if the pain isn't too bad. And so with a roar of engines, the two vanish from the scene leaving behind the sound of wailing sirens.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License