2014-06-16 - Kasumi is Born

Red Hood is waiting in Summer Set, having dodged the ninja a couple times tonight already. His face is almost healed up from the beating it took before, thanks ninjas! Least he heals quickly, he can be thankful for small favors. In either case, he used the communication method that Black Bat gave him to summon her, and is currently waiting for her now.

Black Bat appears with the clicking of heels, landing from a grapple line. She has on a grey bodysuit, no mask, and a rather annoyed expression as she crouches in the customary gargoyle posture. Not her normal outfit. She makes a 'mmm' sound, raising her chin towards Red Hood. She looks healthy, and has what appears to be a katana on her back.

"Nice sword." A pause, then, "Oh...rrrright!" Red Hood pointedly looks at the sword with the direction of his hooded gaze, and nods in approval toward the sword. But he then makes a motion toward the warehouse he has been staking out and points to the cover that hides a number of very, very nice cars. He offers binoculars to Black Bat to let her get a closer look.

Black Bat actually takes the binoculars, mumbling something under her breath. She looks through them and gets a look at the people and the vehicles, then makes a 'money' sign rubbing her fingers together like playing with cash. "Target?" she asks in that gravely voice.

Black Bat does not have her utility belt. Just the grapple she used to get in, and she removes that and stashes it nearby, behind a brick that she literally yanks out of the wall with brute force. "Explain," she says as she rolls her neck, limbering up just enough. She hesitates a bit. In anyone else, it might seem that she's a bit nervous.

"Information," Hood states simply and directly. He then says some names that Black Bat may recognize, "Roulette, teleporter device. Talia al Ghul, ninjas." Like ninjas are a super power or something, seriously! Though Red Hood makes a point to keep his explanations short and straight to the point.

Hood watches Black Bat curiously and soon hands her a small device, and motions for her to slip it down her cleavage. It's a special mic transmitter. He then points to an entrance door off to the side, and punches in the air, "Fighters." Roulette runs fighting rings, so not unusual. He isn't dictating how Black Bat does her job, but he is letting her know what he knows. Which sadly isn't much. Talia working with Roulette? Seems far-fetched!

Cassandra Cain rolls her eyes when Red Hood mentiones ninjas. She has a particularly low opinion of ninjas, and she actually visibly relaxes when he mentions them. Her internal monologue, whatever it may be, isn't really affecting her outlook; she looks like a statue with anger issues. Slipping Red Hood's device into its hiding place, she waits for Jason to finish.

She just kind of crouches there, looking vaguely like a ninja herself, and checks her climbing tools. Apparently she's planning on doing some climbing while inside, and has affixed claws to her fingers. "Not...planning to...fight them."

Red Hood nods, "Information," he agrees. He only needs that, not to fight. Thus the listening device as he spoke to Batman and well, Black Bat doesn't talk much! He hrms quietly from behind his metal hood. "Wait, did you just fit five words together?" He shakes his head. "Wow..something to brag about to the old man and rub in his face." Hood sounds amused. But he then pulls out a piece of paper. He unfolds it. It is a drawing he did of what he remembers of the inside, the stands with people, the fighting ring, Roulette's 'throne' area, one of the areas that the fighters hang - there are two.

There's been many changes to the Black Bat of late. None of them relate to her attention span, and she generally doesn't pay much attention to the briefing. Never has, especially if there's those stupid-looking squiggles on the paper. Words, bah. She says, "Call me Kasumi," and coughs, her voice catching roughly as she covers her mouth with her climbing claws.

She assumes that she has enough information, or that Red Hood will get back to her over the microphone if she needs to know anything desperately, and starts forward. If he stops her, that's fine too but she's in the mood to move.

After showing the map, Hood is finished and it is all he has. He will find Black Bat with the summon device or via the mic which he has a tracer in. The goal is not to lose her, and hopefully no one will be digging down there for the goods! Wait a second....ugh! This is why Batman thought he was hunting for dating advice with Cassandra Cain!

Red Hood watches Kasumi move away and nods in approval. "Finally, something will go right." He then is heading out of here, before he gets caught by the patrolling NINJAS!

Black Bat a.k.a. Kasumi as she shall be known for the rest of the night slips around the cars like a shadow and into the darkness. When the door that Red Hood noted cracks open it's hard to even see anyone there, even watching with the binoculars and knowing where to look. She actually goes behind a guard without him knowing that he's there, steals an ID card, and goes inside the building where she's lost from sight.

The structure was detailed on the very good sketch. There were two ninjas that needed to be slipped by, but otherwise it was quiet as Kasumi entered. Which is the strange part. At least until the whispers are head, and then suddenly lights glare bright and the rich folks on the stands start roaring and stomping their feet a good many of them, while others clap and still others look bored. The pit is below, and from the rafter it gives a good vantage point below.

The throne area is upraised from even the crowd below and has stairs leading up to either side of it with bodyguards rather than ninja. Bodyguards with guns, like the ones outside in the more public area that the fighters and rich folk saw.

Kasumi is a bit more on guard with bodyguards. Ninjas make her yawn, always have. Tonight though, she's taking no chances. Staying above the cameras, watching for detection devices up here, she moves out of sight of the guards and heads to where she can get a good look at the place. She knows she needs to identify the areas. Where the money is kept, who's running the place. Who exactly is fighting would be nice, but not really as necessary. Any possible opportunities to gather information on this ring.

So she creeps along, actually going under a rafter to avoid one craftily hidden camera that's designed to catch people doing exactly what she's doing, but who are likely less able to hang upside-down at a whim. She is having problems figuring out what people are doing by watching them though, so she needs to get close enough to actually HEAR them. A big problem, but not impossible.

There seems to be enough chaos at first glance to cover Kasumi's tracks as she moves downward to more 'ground level'. Roulette is on her throne eating some grapes of all things from a bowl. She tosses a grape down at one of the men below and bops them on the cheek! "Give more of a show!" Though her voice may not be clear down below with all the other noise.

The ninjas are well hidden and not currently visible as they remain still within shadows and watch for Red Hood and other potential Bat Family members. Talia al Ghul is around, moving about within the crowd, blending with as she subdues the body language of her predator nature until there comes a time to wield it. She smiles, she coos, she flirts, and she feints as she works the crowd into making higher bets and taking more risks in the house's favor. Still, her vicious eyes are always alert, watchful for Red Hood's next trick. He always was a difficult one...

The money seems to be made by cash primarily, Roulette doesn't like to deal in promise notes or credit, easier to get away with the goods that way. It is well guarded by bodyguards actually behind Roulette's throne.

A shadow slips down the wall and pauses behind a ninja. Normally the girl in the shadow would reach out and put the ninja to sleep, but she has no idea if it would work right now, so she just moves on. She slips into a curtain and out of her grey outfit, stashing the katana as well, and steps out into the crowd with barely a ripple.

Under the stealth gear she wore a punker outfit; spiked blue hair, black mini-dress with black leggings, and spiked silver wristlets. She has nothing in her hands, and starts to mingle with the crowd. NOW she can hear what's going on well enough, and occasionally slips her fingers into the pot to pull a few dollars out of the betting pool. Primarily though, she's just trying to move closer to the throne. Anything that ostentatious has got to be important.

Except the style of dress makes her stand out like a sore thumb! It is likely how one of the guys catches wind of her, a guy that is a bit on the high side. "Kasumi!" He's a regular at Penguins. He walks up to Kasumi, and not thinking much of it, goes to loop an arm about her and leans in much too close for comfort. "How about I grab you a drink baby? When did you show up? I didn't know you liked things rough," his tone suggestive.

And that is when Talia al Ghul appears on the other side of Kasumi, her side almost brushing Kasumi's as she moves past with a wicked little smile and an exotic scent of perfume...

On this Asian girl's head is the first thing anyone sees: spiked blue hair! Her eyes are heavily made up in dark blues and near-blacks, with a deep blue lipstick. Her eyes are a dark brown, with a very definite Asian cast and a visible scar crossing her left cheek.

A long-sleeved black dress adorns the girl at the moment, tight enough to show her figure beautifully. It doesn't cascade down her so much as it clings and begs for mercy to what she has in the way of curves, ending sharply at her mid-thigh. Below that are black leggings that leave no skin for the eyes but also no secrets; she wears the outfit like a second skin that shows off her very athletic figure.

On her wrists are bracelets that have silver spikes, a very punk fashion statement that goes very nicely with the black silken choker with the diamond in its center, shining brightly. On her feet are serious punk boots, black and up to the knees with multiple buckles, rivets and seams. They look almost combat-boot meets emo fashion, since they actually have decent grip on the bottoms and allow her to bend her ankles a bit.

The punk girl takes the money she's stolen so far and waves it in the air, calling out "Wha'ev uh got on the lef' one!" and stumbles under the guy who is leaning on her, actually having serious trouble getting him off of her. She kind of stops acting at that point and has to struggle, saying "uh, o...kay" a lot more silently to the guy.

She doesn't look at Talia too much, kind of glancing her way, and probably gives away the fact that she's not drunk with the state of her eyes. Talia would be good enough to spot that, but whether or not she's clued to the game yet is uncertain. Kasumi still wants to get closer to the events, so she tries to draw her 'date' into telling her about the fighters. "Who's...better?"

Talia does look oddly at Kasumi, but otherwise doesn't interfere at this moment. Though suddenly one of the bodyguards seems to be watching her more closely.

The high guy nods, "The one with the bald head." Wait, they are both bald! Oh, the other one has tattoos, he must mean the one without tattoos on his head, right? He smirks, "He won last three fights. Not much of a show off though," he slurs. "He don't start showing off...the ninjas be sicked on him. That gets the crowd going. They loooove the gushing blood!"

Kasumi slips her hand into the guy's pocket when she thinks nobody is looking. Most notably, when she thinks that Talia isn't looking. She doesn't take much though, a suspicion stopping her from doing any more than identifying what she's dealing with and taking a couple of bucks. No gun, money, plastic cards of some sort.

She coos amusedly, making a smile that looks kind of forced, and pushes the guy off of her finally with a "Personal space..." and a pat on his cheeks with both hands that looks nooothing like anything her alter-ego could ever have done. But she doesn't dash off, giving him 'her' money and telling him to bet it on the guy he chose for her, with a wink. And she slips off at that point toward the 'ladies room', suddenly feeling like she's being watched.

The guy looks about to throw a stink when pushed off, but when handed the money and told to bet? "Oh yaaaa!" He dashes off for the betting table! He is very happy to spend someone else's money and indugle in things he loves, like betting! Least he really does spend it on the bet.

As Kasumi heads to the rest room she will see that behind the betting area and past the rest rooms looks to be a staff only area. Break rooms, offices....who knows! But it doesn't seem heavily populated right now as someone leaves after slipping a mic into his ear and heads on away, leaving the door swinging slowly closed behind him...

Kasumi approaches the betting room. Technically she's approaching the ladies' room but it's really the same thing. On the way, she lifts somebody's hat the same way she's been lifting money. Something small, like a beret. She's been scouting for one since she got in the door and plotted her path and timing to coincide with the person's movements, and now she has a hat held quietly at her stomach like a purse.

Onto her head, and she slips into the back room while pulling the simple thin gloves over her fingers that roll into her bracelets and suddenly she's black from head to toe again. Looking in, she spots the cameras wherever they're visible and into the offices, looking for anything that's interesting but more importantly for a way out. Should probably have listened to the briefing, can't remember the layout.

It's a break room, though there is a hallway to the back that reveals an office. The cameras are easier to dodge than inside the main club. No money here, though there is a laptop in the office. Likely wouldn't do Kasumi much good. Paperwork is minimum, but there are some sticky notes.

There are no windows in here, no seeming escape route. It's...nerve wreaking inside these narrow confines...

Kasumi completely ignores the laptop. She glances at the stupid squiggles on the sticky notes and rolls her eyes, snagging a few of them and stuffing them into her pants on the off chance they make this trip worthwhile. Probably say 'order more post-it notes' or something.

She thinks 'screw it' and takes the laptop on her way out, and tries for the door as she honestly wonders if she's gotten anything of worth tonight.

And....

...very dramatically....

...nothing happens!

Wait, that's not right...the door should open! And after a bit of a grunt of a push, it does with a squeal and drag! That...isn't right....

Kasumi isn't an idiot. She can't see what's behind the door or what's going on, but she assumes that she's in trouble. Going around the corner, she sees...nothing. Considering the roll she went around the corner in to minimize exposure, she feels kind of like an idiot.

She gets up from her crouch, slipping the laptop up into the ceiling through the drop ceiling tiles, and looks around for problems. With that done, she reassembles herself and heads for the doorway, slowly poking the door open to check and see when she should emerge, an eye peeking into the reflection of her own wristlets so she doesn't expose her head around the corner, not even through a crack.

Most of the rafters are left exposed, thus giving Kasumi a good look down, but also everyone a good look up should they look up. That, and there are cameras and hidden ninjas to deal with, oh my!

This isn't Wizard of Oz, the threats are very real here.

Anyway, the ceiling tiles are likely by the bathrooms...

As the young woman moves through the crowds, there is suddnely a yell out from that annoying high hug! "We won! We woooon!"

While he makes a scene....it draws attention back to Kasumi, except there is that itching feeling it might have always been there because dropping from one of the rafters is none other than a ninja. That sends those nearby scurrying out of the way! They like watching the ninjas in the pit, not having them close by!

Kasumi takes a little bit too long to realize that the ninjas are converging on her. It's probably due to the distraction of the guy who's hugging her. Not a normal action in her life. She pushes him off again, giving him some kind of word of congratulations, and heads for her hidden gear and her exit point where she can get into the roof.

Kasumi moves through the room too swiftly for her persona, aware that she's probably busted, and suddenly makes a break for it! Fast, a sprint, she reaches her exit point, finding nothing waiting for her, and runs up the wall into the rafters, vanishing into the shadows like some kind of ...I refuse to say it.

The ninjas in the rafters however have her effectively surrounded. She growls audibly at the embarrasment of the situation, and looks for a way out of this.

There are two ninjas by Kasumi's stashed goods, and the one following behind her. Not only that, but they are blending out of the shadows to reveal themselves about the rafters, and the bodyguards are covering the exits.

Roulette is calling from above, "It's alright! Just enjoy the little show of a little thief on the run!" There is a mic to pick up her voice this time and project it.

Talia al Ghul is no where to be seen, and the boy Kasumi left behind looks a bit dazed and stares at the cash in his hand from the win. Ah well, his now! He tucks it away!

As Kasumi leaps up into the rafters, small lights brighten up there and chase the shadows away to reveal the ninjas moving about on the rafters with her. There are two near where she stashed her things, blocking a direct path to them.

There is one down on the ground that was chasing her earlier and he remains there as he peers up at Kasumi.

The crowd is getting a little panicky at all the ninjas moving about, and one being down with them, but Roulette speaks up, her voice getting picked up by the mic, "Be at ease, a little thief is about to give us a show.

The man she shoved earlier off her appears a bit dazed and looks at the cash he won in his hands for the bet earlier. He then shrugs and tucks it away, considering it his now.

Bodyguards are on ground level and cover the exits there, leaving Kasumi's only hope being up.

The thief shows up on a monitor, a remote camera picking her up held by a guard down bottom with a really good set of eyes and heat sensors so he can track her movements. The screen shows her as a flashing figure running along the rafter, hard to track, with ninjas following her movements. For a moment she passes in front of a light and can be seen as female, even, heightening the crowd's interest! A girl dared to try and steal from Roulette!

Kasumi leaps off of one rafter, catching the next with her fingertips and goes UNDER a ninja in a classic parallel bars move you see in the olympics, landing and getting a slash along her arm for the efforts as she lands on the run. Doing a 90 degree turn at a corner, the camera loses track of her for a moment, then finds her again as she runs and dives into the air over the pit, grabbing hold of a metal bar in the ceiling thirty feet in the air!

The ninjas are moving about, teasing and taunting Kasumi. They aren't actually trying to kill her, but they really are making a very dramatic show. The fact Kasumi is good, only makes them work harder. One slips and curses at her when she slips beneath him on the rafter, something in Arabic.

The ninjas though are converging above Kasumi, but one actually looks about, shrugs, and pulls something out of one of his many pockets. He then tosses it at the bar where it goes ZAAAAPPPPPP!!!!!

That...was not a pleasant feeling, and spreads numbness down the airs, knocking air out of the human body. Metal, a very, very good conductor.

And those thirty feet are quite a drop...

Kasumi lands like a wet sack of sand in the middle of the pit, fairly well centered as the cameras get a really good shot of her bright blue hair and makeup. She fights to get up with no air in her system, identifying no bones broken mentally, some small damage, nothing important, and pushes herself to her hands and knees. The stun took more out of her than the fall did, but her system isn't functioning at 100% and her brain seems slightly offline, as her vision fades in and out and she takes a blind swing at the pair of dark feet that seem to be walking up to her limited senses, a slight concussion making itself known as well.

The door opens to one side and a woman walks in. She is tall and slender, deadly appearing in her black cat suit. The gating closes behind her and says coolly, "I was hoping for a challenge. Did my little Jaybird send you? I really should have clipped his wings tighter, he has become quite rebellious." Talia al Ghul presses her mouth in a thin line disapprovingly.

She moves forward and lifts a foot to kick Kasumi's right shoulder roughly, to send her backwards. "Surely my love wouldn't choose such shoddy help."

Kasumi gets kicked back with barely any attempt to dodge. Actually, she did try but busted as she is, it's really barely noticeable as an attempt. "Who?" She rubs her face, smearing her makeup as she does, and says, "Actually...thought I was doing well," as she throws her best punch. It's strong, slow, and poorly aimed, but she actually tried. And she has absolutely no chance of landing it.

Talia doesn't even bother dodging it, she blocks it confidently and then raises a hand to smack Kasumi's face like one would a highly disobedient child. "Shameful."

Talia then turns to the crowd, daring to turn her back to Kasumi. "A thief, to take what is not hers! To ruin our fun! What do you think we should do with her?!"

"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" The crowd jeers and chants!

The girl gets a bloodied lip from the smack, landing back on her rump again. She turns to try and run up the cage, getting yanked back down by the scruff of her neck and slapped to the floor, her attempts being predicted by a master. Trying to sweep Talia's leg, she leans back and tries one last trick.

Kasumi fights dirty. She takes the blood from her lip in her hand and flings it at Talia al Ghul's face, trying to blind her, and makes a move to kick the woman between the legs. Again, not fast, not powerful, but something the heroes don't use as moves. Which is why, once in a while, they actually work.

Talia grunts slightly as she yanked Kasumi back down, "At least attack my back coward," she growls.

The crowd is going wild when Kasumi actually starts to put up a fight!

Though Talia is toying with her. There is a curse though when her shirt and skin is bloodied, but she jerked her face to the side to avoid the eyes even as she lowers an arm to block the kick aimed for her. "Oh, this is just pitiful," she sighs.

Something that Cassandra Cain likely never believed she would hear of her own martial arts and fighting...

Talia then says, "I will question you later, in quiet," and she seems as if she is about to retreat. However, at the last moment, Talia spins and lifts her leg in a flying kick toward Kasumi, an action meant to knock her out cold.

...Elsewhere...the wireless signal doesn't go far, so Hood is about a block and half away hiding. It is a little staticy, but he can hear, and when he hears Talia's words ringing through, and the power of the attack...., "What the fu....," and them BOOM!

Red Hood is soon dealing with ninjas himself...with chemical bombs...

Kasumi watches the foot come at her face. It slows down a bit as she tries to think of what she should do about it and comes up a complete blank. Too many blocks, not enough blocks...what am I supposed to do? I can't...I'm ...aw crap. Just before the foot connects, she has a moment to think, and some prophetic words come to her mind.

"This sucks."

When Kasumi comes to again, it is with a bounding head, a sore and aching body, hungry, thirsty, and stuck in what looks to be a cafe and hanging from a dining room ceiling like a chandelier.

Roulette and Talia are arguing beneath her, being generally loud.

"You should have killed her Talia! She is dangerous, especially if that damn pupil of yours comes sniffing around," Roulette says.

"Enough Roulette! We had a deal. You make money, I draw out Jaybird to get him back! I need him on my side right now, and he won't come without a fight, so you are to set it up. Otherwise, I will just let the Bats have you," Talia warns.

"Don't you dare threaten me! She tried to steal my laptop, my post-it notes even!" Roulette is still very angry.

"Oh yes, because goodness forbid she get your self-note to wash with the lily cleanser this time," Talia states dryly.

Roulette turns about and stomps away at that, leaving Talia to snort lightly. "Oh, and it looks like my new little bird is awake..."