[19th March 2011]
[The Docks, Brockton Bay, Maine, United States of America, Earth Bet]
I really wasn't the best ninja, or scout really, but my magic, and the tech in my suit, gave me versatility and, more importantly in some ways, meant I was in a sealed environment. I also came with my own bodyguard, in her own similarly sealed suit, even if it was Jade Nyugen rather than Paula...Jade being more an acceptable loss to SHIELD and the Irish government than Paula. Sure we both had Recall Runes, but I had priority, and all the talk of training her into Paula's job, even from Paula...I could follow why my request for Paula was turned down despite waiting back on the Gotham side of the portal.
Despite that I the first brief incursions under heaving wards against scrying, followed by immediate recall by Doctor Fate, had been successful, and we'd placed cameras on the rooftop of what seemed to be a warehouse in a harbour city as best I could tell. Once we'd set those up it'd been recall time, followed by more testing for potential diseases or foreign bodies for half-an-hour to an hour, before it was back into the breach once again, night having fallen wherever we were.
'On the bright side, they are alive, human, and not vampires or werewolves in human disguise judging by Mister Security Guard and the people walking below' I thought as I crouched on a rooftop under a spell of invisibility, Jade in her Cheshire landing behind me. All in all this appeared to be an alternate universe American city, an active if badly rundown one, at least in the sense of Gotham had been before the giant earthquake and sudden vampire infestation, then martial law. At least on the surface anyway; rule one of inter-dimensional travel – don't assume everything is the same as what you know. Even close realties could be very different as my own differing past lives had shown me. Still...
"English, Japanese, Chinese...English dominant though, I'm seeing what seem to be US flags..." I spoke softly into my helmet, transmitting the video feed as I panned slowly and careful along what seemed to be a night-time tstreet filled with shops, restaurants, and pubs. It wasn't exactly bustling, most businesses closed up for the day, but it was active as cars passed by on the street along with people going into the pubs or takeaways, or like a young couple opposite going into a corner store to buy beer "...as you can see, I'm also seeing what I suspect are drug dealers"
"Yes, copy what Enchanter said, there definitely dealers and junkies..." Cheshire's voice came across our closed network "...I've got a couple round the corner shooting up"
"Copy that, continue observation, we are considering options" came back the voice of grumpy Amanda Waller, who was more grumpy than ever now her favourite people in the world, the Justice League, had arrived in the shape of Mr. Zatara and the Bat to monitor her operations. Not that I'd complain, as having a few heavy hitters like Superman and Wonder Woman on standby was a good think in my mind, as this place...had odd vibes to my arcane senses. For now though we needed some basic information on this places development level, and their political makeup.
"Well, so far I'm seeing something similar to our world..." I sub-vocalised Jade as she came over to crouch beside me in the darker part of the roof as the roof mounted cooling units hummed and clattered be "...no Nazi America, or reign of the werewolves, in this area at the least"
"Did you really expect that?" she hummed back as we studied the area, then relocated by jumping and climbing up a taller building for a better view "It seems normal"
"Seems, can't trust that is beneath the surface..." I replied surveying the roof and finding it empty, then coming forward to the edge and spotting something useful, touching my mask and zooming in "Command, I've got a Cash Cow Scenario. Permission to engage, then proceed with Stage Two investigation"
We needed to do several things to figure out, and getting some of that information meant likely breaking some local laws to get those things detailing the political, and geopolitical, situation here. Of course both myself and Jade knew well how to do that as we moved to stalk our prey, avoiding the few security cameras scattered about the place. Sure we were using invisibility, but that wasn't a catch-all, and you could easily give yourself away by being sloppy and using it as a crutch instead of a tool.
"Confirm Enchanter, permission granted, strictly adhere to rules of engagement"
"Copy Command, will do" I replied gesturing with my hand for Jade to follow and guard me as we descended the building carefully, making our way over to the alleyway bellow, then through another side alley. Not that I wanted to say something about Batman and his view of criminals being all a superstitious and cowardly lot, but it seemed there was some overlap here. Like ghosts the two of us ascended into the 'abandoned' building, passed the 'guards' more interested in drinking than guarding the merry band of drunks and junkies drinking and shooting up inside.
"...she's got dem humoungous titties man"
"Squealer kill ya...here ya...say...ughh...ughhhh..."
"Yeah man, she is ughhhh, wat ah' woman"
"Nah, ya want Alexandria ya...I had the best story bout her an' some chains and..."
"Ughhh...ughhh..."
"Hey! Hey! Johan, yo'kay man?"
Talking shite apparently in this filthy cesspool that was apparently a local gang crack house we found as we very, very, carefully explored around the band of idiots, ensuring there was nobody else here. Seeing though Jade's invisibility I caught her good to go signal, summoning my magic, and making a gesture to catch everyone in the room but her "Sleep"
See that was the thing about alcohol and narcotics mixed with weak minds; they never even noticed as they all went in soft snores as the spell took hold. Probably only speeding up the process of the night really, but I motioned at Jade to keep watch as I started to carefully pick through pockets and wallets. The key was not in taking all the cash, just a little from each as I didn't need much, along with magically copying the ID cards I found in two of the six unconscious people's pockets before putting the originals back. It wasn't a great haul, but I wasn't expect much cash from a bunch of doped up twenty something's in an abandoned building...though the youngest was surely a boy under eighteen.
'Well I'm robbing him, so not for me to criticise life choices' I reminded myself taking up the copies of drivers licences and other ID's along with...ninety-six dollars and spare. With a gesture, myself and Jade exited the building, out a broken window in the next room, then up to the rooftop thanks to the joys of point and shoot grappling hook in my case, and super ninja athletics in her case. Like her sister she was a nimble and flexible thing, just with extra bloodlust, and murders under her belt.
"Command, checking local currency, looks similar Presidents, though a variation in the design..." I sub-vocalised after we found a 'safe' spot on a nearby roof and Jade took up watch and survey duty again as we prepared trying to buy local newspapers and other such things "...ID's say United States of America as well, though I can't attest to the similarity of those, and it seems to be multi-cultural to some degree, considering gang make up, and people on the street. I think we can pull off a brief entry and purchase from the shop on the far end of the street"
"Proceed with caution Enchanter, Cheshire, but permission is granted"
"Copy Command, now Cheshire lets go buy some beer and newspapers shall we" I replied turning to where the ninja masked girl nodded, making thumbs up motion and nodding at a fire-escape down from our current location into dark alleyway. I nodded back, motioning her to hold as we hit the bottom, and once confirmed was clear, dropped the invisibility with an illusion spell on both of us turning us into a...well, similarity to both of our natural forms.
I'd opted for mildly tacky based on what we'd seen so far of the local teenagers and twenty-somethings, though making us appear clearly in our twenties, then handing over an 'ID' to her that was an modified illusion of our junkies one with her face on at twenty-four. Buying beer seemed to be thing tonight in the local shop, so I figured a 'couple' in jeans, shoes, and t-shirts seemed the best bet as that seemed a commonality; all very plain and hum drum, even the baseball cap on my head. Local sports team I was guessing, but I made it a bit faded so as not to stand out.
"So, Paddy, we are getting some beer lover?" I heard come into my ear as Jade came up and slipped an arm around my waist and I moved my arm around her shoulders as we came out into the lit street, people walking back not even glancing in our direction as we fell in behind a cluster of drunks, walking passed an actual couple making out while a friend smoked beside them "Trying to get me in the mood? Eh, Eh?"
"Gods you are a bad influence Yoko..." I muttered back, and Jade gave an amused grin, near sneer, as I focused on turning into the shop as three people exited just ahead of us. A blond girl froze, looking at me, then Jade, her body language momentarily screaming fear, flight or fight instincts...
"Lisa, problem?" one of the two teenagers, an African-American boy, asked curiously as the blond girl froze, and I felt Jade tense up to fight, or perhaps kill, as we both smile back politely at the potential enemy blocking our way. Psychic bad feeling? Eyes of True Seeing? We look like someone she'd rather not know?...could be any of the above, but one could tolerate that if...
"No.., no, we're leaving...Now" the girl replied smiling back, a fake thing, as she rapidly grabbed the shoulders of the two boys and almost pushed them ahead of her "...just lost in thought. Now, let's get to that party on the Other Side of Town just like we planned"
'Dammit, we've been made, but let's get this over with' I thought pushing forward with Jade so not to seem strange, acting nonchalant as the girl and her posse moved up the street. Separating from Jade I picked up a few newspapers, some beer, some crisps, gum, a state travel guide, and what appeared to be three magazines on...crap...local superheroes. Well, it wasn't a masquerade world from the looks of it as Jade rejoined me seconds later as we both placed our various goods on the counter before the bored looking clerk, a white male in his thirties.
'Ah, apathy and disgruntlement employee...give payment and get out. Good, good' I thought as we put everything in a bag and let the establishment without any problems. Now all we had to do was walk up along the street and find a spot to vanish out of the crowd without be noticed and into a secluded spot before Teleporting back home. Once we got some basics down I'd try use my magic laptop to hug into the local internet, if any based on the info we got, and see about who we needed to approach for First Contact. Metas...made that harder, as we couldn't simply try brick up the portal with stonework or a giant steel door and...
"We're being followed..." was whispered into my ear as Jade made like she was nuzzling my cheek "...four, no five, look like gang members. People getting out of their way, but they've turned our corner again"
"Command?"
I'd whispered back as I rested by head into Jade's as we walked all sunshine and joy, completely unaware as I reached out carefully and felt the approaching lifesigns as the voice a world away came bac "Can you lose them?"
"No, they've seen us, but look like local thugs..." Jade started to say before a surly voice came from behind us.
"Hey you! Gaijin! You think you take our women! Walk our streets! They be toll here"
"Deal with them, avoid revealing your true forms and abilities if possible"
"Thank you Command" I replied softly as we both stopped in our tracks, separating, and noting as people got out of the way of the walking stereotypes. What yakusa game did they step out of, as that was a lot of tattoos and bling really?
'And that one just starts spray-painting the graffiti on the wall?' I wondered idly as I watched one of the group, who clearly didn't take us as a threat judging by body language, separated to do that task "...this place really is other world Gotham isn't it?'
"Hey, pretty, you want real men! We'll show you a good time..."
"Oh, let me..." Jade told me swatting at me as she stepped forward at the burliest man's words "...I've some stress to work out"
"Yes Dear, whatever you say Dear..." I called out sarcastically as she strode forward, holding the plastic bag of shoppng and readying for any other dangers "...call me if you need..."
"Arrggghhhhh"
"...help. Guess not" I finished as Jade moved forward in an easy dance, blocking the clumsy grope or grab, twisting the wrist with her armour enhanced strength before kneeling Thug 01 in the balls with a sickening shriek resulting as I muttered "...wow, undercover gone bad here"
"Bitch I'll giiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
I winced at that, that leg was clearly broken, as was the wrist of the woman who tried to pull a gun. Gods sneaking away after this was going to be damned awkward "Well this is a clusterfuck, well, free guns and knives I guess..."
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