2013.05.06 - Dockside Delivery

The Clocktower - Oracle's Operation Center

The entire top floor of the Clocktower has been engineered to be Oracle's  lair, her operations center. The ceiling is a good thirty feet up, thanks  to the giant clock window that makes up the wall opposite the elevator. Cantilevered beams create a maze of rafters and catwalks overhead --  accessible by ramps and winch lifts.

In the center of the room stands a semi-circular technology  console that faces the window. A number of displays hang on moveable arms,  the biggest one in the center of them all. There is no chair because  Oracle always brings her own. Keyboards and peripherals cover the surface  of the workstation, all within easy reach.

Other workstations stand at the ends of the room -- a crime lab, a  forensics analysis center, and a de facto clean room for the creation and   storage of delicate technical systems. Additionally, a simply furnished  lounge sits in a corner, is a large flatscreen tv and a mess of video game   consoles within its confines.

Standing not so far from the shrouded lift leading down to  Barbara's apartment is a dark mannequin garbed in the dark cowl and   formfitting uniform of the first superheroine to claim the name Batgirl,   protected by a glass dome -- a little piece of sentimental nostalgia in   what is otherwise a monument to the future.

Gotham city. The sun has set -- though there's still a purple band across the horizon. The docks are actually fairly quiet, for once... insofar as the day shift is long over and the night shift is light. Very light. In fact, it almost feels like, aside from the brave... or nervous (or brave and nervous) security guards that perambulate about the perimeters of warehouses and quays, there's just about no one about.

But looks can be deceiving.

A camera swivels, the lens adjusts. It focuses in on the archer that surveys the unusual desolation. And, presently, her cell phone begins to ring -- or vibrate... whichever -- indicating that someone is calling her in the middle of her night's work.

The call appears to be via the YAL com app.

As per her usual standard operating procedure when she enters Gotham, Hawkeye makes sure /NOT/ to tell any of The Young Allies where she's going. Or what she's doing.

Especially considering just what she's after.

And yet, as Hawkeye stays inbetween warehouses, her bow held in one hand, she pauses. That is before she reaches for her phone, and answers it.

"If this about the black box in The Terminal, just leave it be. I don't know who keeps taking the note, but I'll deal with it soon."

Yeah. There's no way the female archer would /ever/ expect the person who is calling to be the one calling.

"Hawkeye, isn't it?" Oracle says, the digitized voice androgynous in a speech-recognition-software sort of way and doubtlessly one she's never heard before. "I'm sorry to contact you out of the blue, like this. But, I could use a favour, if you don't mind. My name is Oracle. I help crime fighters and law enforcement catch the bad guys by passing on key intelligence when I see it. Right now, you're the closest crime fighting type I can find in the docks area. I've received intelligence of a rather... unique shipment arriving at Berth one-four-oh-nine, tonight. If you're up for it, I'd appreciate your help in intercepting it..." A beat, she adds. "If you need my references, feel free to call Batman or Superman."

"It is. Unless you're looking for the /male/ Hawkeye." is said in an /almost/ joking tone by the female archer, before she reaches for her bluetooth and slips it on.

"If I had either of their numbers, I would. Best I can offer is Black Canary or Axiom. But I kind of doubt you've worked with Ax. He'd of blabbed about you to me already."

And yet despite all of that, she's actually heading for the berth in question.

"But lets cut to the chase. Give me the rundown. If it sounds like something I can do, I'll help. If it sounds illegal, I'll hang up, and try to find a new app for the Allies. Maybe Dr. Richards could help with that."

"Deal?"

"Deal," Oracle agrees easily enough. It's not like she can't hack a new app, after all. Even one made by Mr. Fantastic. She hacked Stark's satellites, after all.

"Three days ago," the digital voice now begins, "a shipment left northern Europe from Denmark. It's a cargo container -- ID number 2265-23. It should be arriving at berth 93, this evening. The manifest says that it's technical parts from Belarus. But, my intelligence says its cargo is actually human beings. The people receiving it are affiliated with the Russian mob and, if my intelligence is accurate, the people inside this cargo container represent an profit of several million dollars for the mob, once they reach their final destination. Personally, I think I'd sooner see that profit in the loss column. Don't you agree?"

"Human beings...?" Hawkeye repeats with a scowl. "When this is over... If you're right, I may have to slip you my notes from an old cold case."

Or at least that's as she tries to sort of rush towards the berth. Oh she tries to stay out of sight. To not draw a lot of attention to herself. But is that ever easy?

"What else can you tell me. Security? Anything else...?"

"Satellite scans suggest a small, but well-armed security force. I'm seeing eight around the perimeter. There are six, however, approaching the cargo ship docked in the berth. If I'm right, one of them will be Viktor Rasmussen -- a notable lieutenant of the Sokolev Family. I'm interrupting the video feeds with recycled footage so you should manage to bypass that without difficulty."

One archer? Alone. Against that?

Should be interesting. Then again, considering what Oracle just said she was doing, Hawkeye starts to get a few ideas, even as she arrives at the berth.

"Got it." is said as she tries to stay out of sight, while sizing up the ship, trying to judge the best way to get onboard.

"Stupid question. But just how good of a hacker are you. I have a few crazy ideas..."

Oracle smiles behind her console. "Pretty good," she says casually, understating it. "Try me. Crazy ideas can be fun."

She scrolls through satellite feeds. "If you can give me two minutes, I may be able to arrange a diversion at the opposite side of the compound, but you'll need to move fast once I have."

"I'll take what you can give me." is said as Hawkeye readies her bow and starts to reach for an arrow. One of her trick arrows to be exact.

"When I get onboard though, if you can hack their fire system, try to set the alarm off. Not any sprinklers, just the alarm." is said as she then gets ready to run. That is once she gets 'the signal', what ever it is.

"Oh, and how long would it take the cops to get here once I get these people free?"

Oracle nods. "Fire system? Child's play," she tells the vigilante woman. "Getting the cops here, not too difficult, either, depending on the numbers you'll need. First responders can be there in 5. Larger force in 10 to 20."

Her fingers start dancing over keys. She watches the satellite, zooming in on the archer as she approaches the cargo ship. A bit of cybernetic hocus pocus later and a transformer blows outside the far side of the compound, throwing the docks into darkness. Simultaneously, she triggers the building's alarms to alert for an intruder in that same vicinity -- completely opposite to the side with the ship and the archer.

"In other words, too long for what I have in mind." is muttered as that transformer blows, and Kate rushes up the gang plank, onboard the ship. She doesn't wait for people to clear. She doesn't pause. She just rushes. Hopefully they're busy. But if not, and any notice her, there's an arrow with their name on it. One that Hawkeye will not hesitate to use.

What is it? A taser arrow.

"If you can, directions would help." is said though once she gets a moment to glance at a container for identifying marks. Sure she knows that it's a long shot, but still.

"Oh, and if you want... Do you think you could cause their cell phones to ring in about oh... two or three minutes? I'm talking all of them. Not at once, but as close as you can. Bonus points if you can get them to use what ever ring tones they have set for their wives or mistresses."

"The container you're looking for is at the stern of the boat. Watch yourself. There are two men at the base of the gangplank, another two at the top. Rasmussen is in the wheelhouse with the captain and two other men. Aside from those four, every other patrol on the boat is a single man. They have automatic weapons." And it's fairly guaranteed they're already itching to use them, given the ruckus up by the warehouse. "If you can handle the pairs on the gangplank, I can keep the wheelhouse isolated. But you'll then have to handle the other patrols - there are four of them. Two aft, two forward."

At the gang plank, one of those two thugs gets that taser arrow fired at him. The other gets a second arrow aimed at him a moment or two later. Likwsie it's a taser arrow, but it may very well be the last one Hawkeye has on her right now. If she gets past them, th guys at the top by comparison have a different set of issues to worry about, as she fires off a pair of pair ordinary sharps. One at each of them.

Neither are aimed at spots that should do any real lasting harm. Well, not killing harm anyways. More like towards their arms...

"Got it. Patrols. Single men. Automatics." is repeated as well, as she tries to find the stern. Or to be more exact, the container at the stern.

"And that bit with their phones...?"

As the arrows pierce the bodies of the men at the top of the gangplank, they stumble backward, shouting out in pain -- and fear. The last archer that went after them was less considerate than Hawkeye, killing them without a second thought. That they're still alive, now, surprises them, even through their pain. Nonetheless their guns clatter to the deck, one actually sliding over the edge to splash into the water.

"Phones? Yeah. I can make something happen, anyway," Oracle promises. Meanwhile, her fingers click over keys, scrambling cell signals in the waterfront area in preparation.

"Lemme know when you want it."

As she makes it up the gang plank, and hopefully past those top two goons, Hawkeye tries to get around various containers. To keep moving. To find the one that she needs to find.

And any patrols that stumble across her? Well... That's what the arrows are for.

"Look... Oracle. If I majorly screw up, place the calls then, and try to get as many cops as you /think/ are needed here, as fast as you can. Otherwise, as soon as I find these people, have their phones go off, and call the first responders, as well as INS. Unless you don't want INS in on this."

Behind her console, Oracle nods. "I'll keep my eye on it," she promises. The cops will call the INS, if or when it's necessary, she's sure. But the cops will need to be called first. "Heads up, Hawkeye. Forward patrol is right outside the crate. You can't miss him. Just be careful opening the crate. Be advised: Police are inbound, but they're still several minutes out."

And no, Hawkeye doesn't miss him. So to speak. She sees him that is. And fires a /PAIR/ of arrows at him. One aimed at his gun hand, and the other at his opposite arm.

All though as she does that she does slow down for a moment or two.

That is before with her free hand she tries to get something from her quiver.

"Any word on where that big boss is?"

"Rasmussen is in wheelhouse, still -- mainly because I've preoccupied him with a bit of a financial 'misunderstanding' with the ship captain." Ah, the joys of electronic transfers. "He won't stay there, though, when the sirens get closer. You need to hurry. I've summoned the marine patrol, too, just so you know." Because you can never have too much backup. "How are you at stealth? If you can sneak forward and lock the doors from the outside, you'll have a better chance of getting those refugees off the ship."

"Unfortunately, I'm more of a rush in shooting person rather than a stealthy one." Hawkeye admits. "All though if you want to have some fun maybe we could rework his phone call slightly? Maybe make it a conference call? After all, if he has a wife and a mistress, and they suddenly joined in on that..."

Yeah. Kate can be a bit evil at times. But still...

Still as she turns and starts towards the wheelhouse, she smiles.

"On the other hand if I can get close enough, I may have something that works better than locking the door."

"I've scanned Rasmussen's phone. If he has either a wife or a mistress, they're not in his contacts list," Oracle notes. "But, the fact the money earmarked for the delivery has gone missing has him well distracted. So, what do you have in mind?"

She keeps her eyes on the other patrols. "Hold where you are for a 10 count. The other patrol will pass."

Almost idly, Hawkeye reaches back and twirls an arrow in her quiver, while she counts to ten and waits for that patrol to pass.

But she doesn't exactly tell Oracle what she has in mind. Instead she twirls that arrow, an epoxy arrow. We're talking an arrow that costs an arm and a leg, but it's not only quick dry when exposed to air, and we're talking it dries pretty much a couple of seconds after contact quick dry, but it's also industrial strength.

"You'll see."

The sounds of the argument between the men can be heard from within the wheelhouse. The arrow will no doubt have its desired effect -- keeping Rasmussen trapped within the bridge of the cargo ship. That will free the archer to take out the last of the patrols and finally open that cargo container. Sirens sound faintly in the distance, drawing closer.

"Cops are 4 minutes out," Oracle notes.

Yeah, as she gets close enough, the arrow is drawn, aimed, and quickly fired.

That is before Hawkeye takes off at full speed yet again. The patrols, as found, get plain arrows, yet again.

That is before the female archer finally comes to the container, and tries to open it up.

"Everyone, come on!"

As the container is opened, and people stumble out, it may be evident that not all of them look entirely human. Some of them have unusual eyes, ears, or other features. They're very likely all mutants, mutates, or metas. They're all also half-starved and highly disoriented. They were very likely sedated or otherwise subjected to control methods that have rendered them very little threat, now. They stumble out, blinking at the purple garbed woman who has saved them, even as the sirens scream closer to the docks.

And as she notices the people coming out, Hawkeye winces. Then she takes a deep breath.

"Oracle... I need you to do me a favor. There's a trio of charities I need you to call in." is said before they're named off. "These people are gonna need special help. The kinds that I doubt INS or the Police will be able to give them."

Especially considering the fact that they're mutants.

Still, the female archer tries to lead them to the gang plank, and down away from the boat. But with her luck, this may be a close call.

"And if those charities give you trouble... Put me on the line."

"Name them," Oracle tells her, her satellites zoomed in tightly enough to show her what Hawkeye sees. "I'll see what I can do."

Mutants. That certainly changes the playing field. She'll have to review her logs for more information on that.

Meantime, she scrambles the police communications just enough to buy the archer the time she needs to get the small contingent of refugees to safety.