2012-10-16 - It Goes Bump in the Night

Two weeks later.

Before Roy left St. Roch, a bit of recon work was done. The house of the corrupt cop with ties to Nadal was visited, bugs planted. The goal was to allow Oracle to perform surveillance on the place and hopefully catch him talking to Nadal or otherwise incriminate one or the other somehow. More than that, a little intimidation was planned before too long if nothing else came up. They already knew there was a connection, but if they could get something a jury would convict with it'd make the whole thing that much better - even if they had to put a little pressure on the guy to use the bugged phone.

Kendra agreed to try it this way first, a promise made to both Arsenal and Oracle that she'd give the idea a chance first, but that didn't mean she liked it a whole lot. Conversations with Roy were often stressful, as if she was worried that now that they knew who was behind everything, something might tip him off and he'd skip town on her again.

The job Oracle had so far had been fairly boring. Most of the calls were of the mundane variety, but a couple times in the second week there was even a mention of Redtail herself. Seems at one point along the way, one of the drug rings she broke apart ended up having a tie to a few crooked cops. That led to some grumblings from said cop about how she was getting too close to one thing or another, that she was more trouble than she was worth.

Either way, by the time Roy came back to St. Roch, Oracle had a few things for them to look into - but it seemed intimidation would be on the menu after all.

The text messages never stopped this time, Redtail would get at least three a day or more if she responded back. Roy made a point to keep in contact with her, asking her about her day, sharing her an antic that KF (likely meaning Kid Flash) did, and how Rob (likely Robin) stalked off to go punch something, but it was really funny. And then there was that text story about how Roy got Gar to change into a miniature pony after all (how that came up in the first place, who knows for Kendra), and he has the photos to blackmail him with down the road! (Course his daughter was riding poor Gar. And Roy was snickering so bad, he could barely talk.)

In either case, he is happy to text O gave the go-ahead, and he was coming to town tonight. Be ready. Of course, Roy had to get Kara to babysit again, Rose seems unusually busy lately. The explaination? "That case, in St. Roch. It panned something out. So I get to go play hero. Tonight, you will likely need to read Lian her bedtime story." A bit of a mysterious smile, and then Roy is off to the airport!

Roy is of course there with the special designed carry-on that Cyborg developed for him, holding his arrow case, bow, and weapons. And of course, a backpack holding his uniform and a change of clothes, and a few overnight items. He goes to knock on Kendra's apartment door.

Oracle has given Roy and Redtail some info on Vercetti which hopefully they can hang him with. Figuratively, not literally. Apparently part of Vercetti's income has been 'supplimented' by money shaved off the top from drug busts. First thing Oracle did? Hack into Vercetti's accounts and change it from deposits to transfers from known drug kingpins. And while she was at it, a few terrorists who are under watch by Homeland Security. Next? Put a warning up on the FBI's list about suspicious financial activities, and a 'misfile' to Internal Affairs from the FBI as well about it. She gives Roy and Redtail all this information, if for no other reason than to make it easier for them to back Vercetti into a corner of confessing.

Then comes the psychological aspects. She's hacked into the power grid. And fortunately, Vercetti made this easier for her. He has one of those 'home internet' deals where all sorts of things can be controlled online. It's almost not a challenge to simulate a poltergheist when you can control the heat, the lights, the TVs, the phones. But then when you add being able to control the radio, and have cameras already IN the house? Hah.

Much of the information Oracle has provided them has been a real eye-opener. In fact, that drug bust? Intentional on Redtail's part once a clue was sent to her about where to find them. That it drew a reaction was all they needed to know in order for Oracle to set things further in motion. Roy's arrival is met with a few words of welcome, but when he's allowed in he'll find she's already in half her costume, a shirt mixed in with the leggings and boots. "Go get changed. Work before play."

"Wait, I'm going to get play?" Wow, does Roy's face look hopeful! And boy does he speed to start opening his items and pulling his shirt off, and kicking his sneakers on off as well. He is more then ready to intimidate some corrupt cop ass, not that he wasn't willing before, but now there is a chance for some play! Redtail may want to face palm now that she realizes what just flitered through Roy's male brain.

"If you're a good boy," Kendra answers, shaking her head as he hurries off to change. "Only if this works and I'm in the right mood, though!" she adds. Why not add a particular incentive? Before long they'll be on their way to the house in question, in talk with Oracle about their plans for this. It seems a few old-fashioned scare tactics along with the personal visit will be on tap.

Oracle has been setting up all sorts of stuff for the cop to get him on edge. An email from IA, 'mis-emailed' to him that they're planning on investigating HIM for a drug bust in associating with Nadal. A 'clicking' sound when he picks up the phone so he thinks he's being bugged. He is, but on the network itself, not physically on his phone. She's even had the TV start displaying static whenever he walks by it, so he thinks he's under surveillance.

Arsenal hangs on to Redtail's wrists as she hangs on to his. He rather have princess style! But his shoulders and arms are powerful from shooting the bow all the time, carrying Lian, and of course lifting weights. Oh ya, baby, buff man, buff! Wait, that was in Roy's head. His eyes narrow behind his red sunglasses however. "There, that is his house," and he points a toe toward it. "Just find a good place to land, and you want to bust down the back door, or knock on the front door?" He then grins, "I should ask which you would have more fun with."

They're under cover of some darkness as evening sets in, the neighborhood itself better than most. It helps to be one of the Chief's favorites. You don't end up in a hellhole that way. "I've always been in favor of the direct approach," Redtail says, letting Arsenal down in the front yard, her wings tucking back in place behind her. "Let's see if he answers his door," she says, walking right up as if it was the most natural thing in the world to see, ringing the doorbell a couple times. "Pizza!"

It helps that the 'real' pizza delivery person was sent to a sorority house. He's greeted by a bunch of female college students who have been partying since mid-terms just ended. Long story short, he won't be complaining about being sent to a wrong address. Totally unintentional on Oracle's part though.

The cop heads to open the door, since he really DID order pizza. When he opens it, it's not the delivery boy from Nunio's pizza at all, but instead some winged woman. "What the hell?"

Arsenal stands by the door, bow away for now, but a gun resting in one hand. A gun he specifically made sure had a silencer on it as he knows the cop would recognize that right away. Are they here to do a hit on him?! "Why, hello there. How about inviting us in, before we have to make a scene?" His tone is almost...cheerful? And Arsenal is smiling, grinning almost. He lets Redtail back up his words with anything required physically. He is going to be for the most part her 'silent partner'...this one of his few speaking parts.

Vercetti frowns and attempts to slam the door on their face, growling, "Get lost, I don't want what either of you freaks are sellin!" as he also moves to get one of his guns out of the table drawer near the door.

"Sorry, pizza guy ended up somewhere else. We need to talk, you and I. I'm sure you know who I am." Redtail doesn't even wait for Detective Vercetti to say anything - though he does - pushing her way inside while reaching to manhandle him toward a chair in the living area. To help dicourage him from that gun, a wing lashes out to literally snap at his wrist. "You want to get the door?" she calls back to Arsenal, careful not to identify him just yet before returning her focus to the crooked cop. "We know all about the Craddock Hotel and the Saunders murders, your quick rise through the system. Did you really think you'd get away with it forever?"

Arsenal moves to step inside behind Redtail, closing the door behind him with a distictive 'click'. He may not be the one talking, but each action he takes is meant to enhance Redtail's intimidation methods. He moves a little off to the side of the doorway, scanning the area for anything that could be used as a weapon for the untrained...he can use anything and everything in this place to kill someone. But what can this Vercetti use? Arsenal walks toward a side table with some hard display objects, picture frames...the like, and drags the table with some loud noise off to the side and out of reach of Vercetti from where he is going to sit in that chair.

Vercetti pulls his hand back when it's hit by the wing and he's pushed back into the living area. He frowns at them "Maybe I do and maybe I don't, but I'm sure not talking to either of you! You better both leave before you're arrested!" Okay, weak threat considering his position.

Redtail looms over the man, and that's when Vercetti can see she hasn't come unprepared. There's the mace at her side, fingers lingering near the grip. "What are you going to do, call the cops? You make one false move and you'll never use your gun hand again." The reason for this is the mace now unhooked, held almost casually as she pats the larger end of it into her free hand, making it look like it weighs just a pound or two. "Why'd you do it, Vercetti? Was it because you were a shitty cop and helping set the whole thing up was the only way you could get out of working the beat? What about those drug busts? Do you get a cut of that? What? You didn't think I knew about that? You'd be surprised how much I know about St. Roch, especially when people talk."

Arsenal also still has his handgun out with the silencer on. He rests against the table he moved, gun resting against his upper thigh, pointed toward the dirty cop. Redtail is actually playing pretty nice, but then again, Arsenal was trained by Checkmate.

Okay, he's wide-eyed when it goes from some capes threatening him with words to one of them threatening him with a freakin' MACE. "Hey... HEY WAIT A SECOND OKAY?" He backs up in the seat. "Look what do you want, don't kill me or nothin!"

Redtail's gaze flicks toward Arsenal for just a moment, scarcely leaving the man they've come to spook. "Kill you? That'd be too easy, and the good guys don't kill." Oracle, if you're listening, that was for you. "I'm not even going to break any of your bones, Vercetti. We came here to make sure you understood that we know you were involved with the murders, and you helped cover them up for someone else. I'm going to have my eyes on you and if I catch even the slightest sniff that you're not cleaning yourself up, that's when I'll come after you and take you down hard." A nod to Arsenal, then the door. "Let's fly. I want to grab something to eat and catch the horror movie tonight." The mace is then pointed inches from Vercetti's face. "And you? Don't move a muscle until we're gone."

Arsenal blinks at how....simple a threat that was. Wow, Redtail is really nice! Maybe he shouldn't let her see his darker side...hers is so much cleaner and simple. He moves to follow Redtail, nothing he really has to say. He keeps his gun out just in case though.

Vercetti waits until the two capes leave. Then quickly gets on a phone to Nadal. Not on his housephone - that thing's bugged for sure. Instead he gets on his cellphone.

Of course, that doesn't help if there's a master hacker who was able to hack into the network itself to hear the conversation. Oracle patches it into both Roy and Redtail's headsets so that they can get information on where Nadal is based on the phone warning of Vercetti to Nadal.

It rings for a while...will it go to voicemail? Nadal eventually picks up however, "What you want Vercetti?" The voice sounds vaguely grumpy, as if he isn't exactly delighted to hear from his 'old friend'.

As Redtail and Arsenal fly off and Oracle connects them together so all three can listen in, the winged woman sounds satisfied so far. "He took the bait..good. Hopefully we get something solid out of this."

"Look ... I was visited by a couple of capes. They knew about a bunch of stuff! The drug busts, the Craddock Hotel, the Saunders murders. Plus I think IA is in on it too, they have my landline phone bugged. I'm on my cell though now, and I swept it to make sure it wasnt bugged too. Just thought I should tell you, theres this freaky winged chick and some guy dressed like a fire hydrant, and I think they're lookin' for you!"

"Capes, winged chick?" The man on the other line growls, "Do you think I care if you are on your cell? What if they are picking up the signals somehow?" Paranoid much? Yes. Chief Nadal frowns deeply, "No way...it has to be a hoax about IA." He would have heard something about it, right? "I'll look into that, but you, stay low!" Something bothers the man, about the winged chick. Man, this ex-cop is a moron.

"What did the capes look like? And be specific." He is asking for the ex-cop to act like a cop and get a valid description other than cape and winged. Not that Nadal is going to keep this conversation going on much longer, just in case.

"What do you think, I was taking photos? It was some girl, looks like she worked out, and had a friggin' mask and WINGS. Oh yeah and she had a mace. You know many dames with wings?" He then says, "And the guy looked like... red hair, mask, dressed all in red like it was friggin' mardi gras. And he had a bow and arrows on his back. Tough guy. Whaddyawant from me." He frowns. "I tested my cell with a sweeper, it's clean. And it's not a hoax - whenever I use the landline, there's a clicking sound. And when I take it past the TV there's static. I'm tellin' you, it's IA."

"Describe them like a cop is what I expect!" Nadal's tone is snappish right back. "Hawkgirl or Redtail, two in the area," his eyes narrowing on the other end of the cell. "Other guy...know there is that Green Arrow guy up in Star City."

Of course Arsenal is groaning, "It isn't a red outfit! Maybe I should get a red outfit, and it's Arsenal dumb ass! Arsenal! Not Green Arrow! I don't wear a bloody hood or have blonde hair!" Course, only Redtail and Oracle can hear his bitching.

What was it Gentleman Ghost said about the Hawks? There wasn't any Hawkman or Hawkgirl around that time period, but there was later on, so he didn't think much about it then. In either case he says, "I'll contact you, you don't contact me." He then hangs up.