Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot! The plot belongs to me; DC Comics basically owns everything else.
Chapter Four
Saturday
July 30, 2005
4:21 PM
The Batcave-Batgirl and Stone's Computer Lab
"What don't you and Vic have in here?" Tim asked as he typed away one of the smaller computers in the large room.
"Other than all our computers, components for building and fixing a lot of different technology, extra printer cartridges, two giant computers with enough memory to hold two billion files, six laptops, eight regular computers, Twelve different types and sizes of printer/scanners, and a mini fridge for Vic," Babs said almost distractedly as she typed away at her computer, "we're missing…a lot!"
Tim just laughed as he continued to type away at the computer in front of him.
Suddenly a new screen popped up on his computer showing yet another symbol for him to look up.
He sighed and changed it to a smaller size and put it in the only other spot left on the outside of his screen.
"How do you and Vic do this all the time?" He asked Babs as he started typing the description of the symbol into a special search engine for known files in their entire system, "So far I've only been able to send three of the symbols back to Dick with all the known information we have on the gangs."
"That's the thing," Babs said as she finally clicked on the print all button on her computer before swiveling her chair around so she was looking at Tim, "we don't just use the system. We use the internet too and hack into other peoples systems. It's not that hard really, plus a lot of people not only gangs but crooks too, have websites about all the weird junk they do.
"Trust me, the stuff you see on those sights is messed up but there's more than enough information on those sights to put them in jail for life."
"How are they able to hide it then," He asked as he opened up the internet connection.
"Like I said," Babs replied with a smile, "we hack. They like to disguise the sights. Most of the time they pick weird…graphic stuff, but once you find the area where you have to 'login' it's not that hard.
"Just find one of their old gang members, or members with a file, and from what you know about them, hobbies, favorite places to hang out, things like that, you just try a combination of passwords from that. Works every time."
"So you guys go to graphic sights?" Tim asked looking back at Babs with a half shocked, half amused expression on his face.
"You think I like going to sights like that!" Babs said in exasperation as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Like I said, some of the sights are weird. Even Vic puts his hand over his eyes when he goes to them."
Tim just gave a low whistle as a reply before turning back to the computer and returning to work.
Babs got up and walked over to the small printer at the end of the table and picked up the maps she printed. She looked them over for a few minutes before heading toward the filing cabinet on the right side of one of the large computers in the room.
She took out a pen from her pants pocket and grabbed an empty manila folder from the cabinet. She put the maps in it before laying it on the table next to the cabinet and labeling it 'Case File: Gang Wars 7/30/05-'.
'Did you send copies over to Dick and Kory?" Tim asked still gazing at the computer screen.
"Yup," Babs answered as she went back to her computer, folder in hand, "Sent it to them through the system before I printed these copies out."
"Cool," Tim said with a smile, "cause I could really use the help."
Babs laughed.
"Uncomfortable now," She said teasingly as she went over to his computer and sent half the files to her computer.
He just laughed nervously.
Meanwhile-Nightwing and Starfire's Office
Dick stared intently at his computer screen as the maps suddenly popped up.
He sighed and printed them out before saving and exiting the screen.
He grabbed the printed copies from the slot where everything he printed on standard size paper came out before getting up and walking down the hall. He reached the third door on the left to see it open and Kory sitting at the wood desk inside staring at three pieces of paper on it.
There was a corkboard in front of her and a pulled out tray to her right where printer paper came out of with details that Tim was sending on the gangs.
"Barb send over the other maps?" Kory asked, her gaze still on the maps in front of her and not losing an ounce of focus.
Dick just came over and set them out in front of her so she could look at them as well.
"Thanks," Kory said as he turned around to head out. He just nodded his head before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
She sighed before focusing once more on the task in front of her.
She stared at each one of the maps, switching them around every once in a while to get a better look at each one.
She would get up and pace every once in a while, thinking about the way each map was set up before sitting back down and staring at them.
When a paper fell into the tray on the wall to her right she would get up and pick it up before going to the corkboard in front of the table, taking a thumb tack and sticking it to the board. Then she'd stand there and quickly read it before going back to her seat at the table.
The process went on for a few hours before she finally sighed once more and dropped her head to the table.
"Not going well," Dick asked from behind her.
"I've spent two hours looking at these stupid maps," Kory ranted, her voice muffled by the desk, "and the only pattern I noticed is there is no pattern."
She lifted her head and turned to him before continuing.
"There's too many missing pieces. They have to have a system of contact to find out where the next fight will be and the only way to find that would be to get inside one of the gangs and work from there.
"With all the stupid initiations gangs have it could take weeks to infiltrate one of them, and that's time we don't have."
"Then we'll have to make time," Dick said with finality, "I'll disguise myself and find one of the major gangs and get in. It'll also be a good way to stop some of their activity. Something goes wrong, I can stop it both ways.
"You have to stay as Starfire because without at least one of us taking command, Tim and Babs might make a few careless mistakes or get into some serious trouble."
"I agree," Kory said as she grabbed each map and put one on top of the other before tapping them against the desk, straightening them out, "plus I have more stealth experience so I could sneak in to get evidence from you during the night and take them to the Commissioner."
"It all works out." Dick said with a nod as he turned around and walked into the hall.
An old warehouse in downtown Gotham-11:48 PM
"…move in at seven," The large man in the center of the group said with a deep voice, "The cops are unsuspecting and it'll be the perfect time to make the kill."
He was tall and bulky, and wearing a dark black suit while the men and few women around him were wearing, t-shirts, jeans, and leather jackets. All there faces were covered by the shadows.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Someone late?" The man growled out.
The others just looked to each other before each pulling out an automatic revolver and slowly moving to the door.
One of them slowly opened it and before anyone could pull the trigger a shadowed figure swooped through the door, which closed behind it, cloaking the room in complete darkness. It suddenly attacked each of them quickly, only leaving one standing.
The man in the black suit.
The lights came on to reveal a young man, of average height, in a red helmet that had white eyes, regular black boots, jeans held by a black belt, a leather jacket, and a gray shirt underneath. On his hands were a pair of black leather gloves.
His eyes were widened in shock at how quickly the young man in a red mask front of him had taken out twenty gang members, each armed, in only a matter of moments.
"Judging by the suit," The young man in front of him said in a deep, raspy voice, "I'm guessing you're the man in charge."
"What of it?" The man in the suit asked coldly.
"Name's Red Hood," The young man introduced himself as he pulled a knife from out of his back pocket. It curved at strange angles, but seemed as deadly as any other knife, "and personally, I think I just made the cut. How bout you?"
The man flinched as the cool metal came in contact with his throat, ready to slice it at any moment.
The man in the suit gulped before his hands came up to straighten his black tie before going back down to his pockets.
"Welcome to the Killer Tigers, Mr. Hood," He said with a nervous half smile, "I believe you passed with flying colors."
A/N: Who is the Red Hood? Place your bets while you can, because it won't be long until he is revealed!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading. Please review.