Plans for the meta-scanner

April 30, 2015:

Partisan and May retrieve plans for the Metascanner, Mystique tries to destroy data, The Fox provides backup and Oracle… hacks systems

Gotham

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Though the really sleek and shiny tech companyies in the Tri-City area are largely in Metropolis, the Gotham Tech Sector is not to be overlooked. There's some big names there. Wayne. Queen. It's no surprise that, if one digs far enough, one of the suppliers for parts of the purported 'meta scanner' (which even its own propaganda admits won't come even close to detecting all metahumans, mostly conventional tech based ones and mutants) is in Gotham.

The building itslf, belonging to a 'Hyperstate, Inc' is fairly innocuous for downtown Gotham. Large high rise with multiple secured levels. Shiny in the way the buildings of the rich often are and decked over with neo-gothic architecture and gargoyles. They love gargoyles here. Somewhere, in this building, lie answers to two pressing questions. One: Does the damn thing work? And two: How?


Very pressing questions. Mystique thought about just killing the Metroplis Chief of Police and Captain of the SRD but figured it was worth checking on on this horrible technology first. Maybe it doesn't work. Maybe it is a Hydra front. Maybe it does work. Who knows! All that said Mystique wants to know. To that end she killed a poor security guard in his home and showed up to work as him.

The mutant terrorist is whistling to herself o/~ swinging on a star o/~ as the young hispanic gentleman Mystique is posing as badges in for the night shift tonight.

Bodycount 1.


They'd done the drop perfectly, and lets make no mistakes here kids. Landing a parachute on a building in the real world, is absolutely not easy. Luckily for May and Part, the two have a rather extensive amount of experience. Part stuffs her chute back into it's stuff sack, before skulking across the roof to take a knee next to the roof access door. "May, I'm going to need a moment here this is a fairly serious lock here."Part's dressed for the occasion mind you, no she doesn't own a sneaking suit but her kit does a pretty damned good job. A quiet cloth cut GORKA in a mixture of dark greys and black, knee pads, skate tape trimmed skate shoes, minimalist chest rig, small backpack, thermal goggles. The whole nine yards. "Cover me."And with that Part pushes her goggles up out've her warpaint covered face, unzips her chest rig to reveal a veritable cornicopia of lock picks, bypass tools and so fourth. Then she goes right to work, delicately working the lock. "Hey I forgot to ask you May, you wanna go for dinner after this? I found a pretty incredible Kim-chi at this little hole in the wall, if you like it spicy."


Melinda May is wearing, you guessed it, her usual black-on-black attire. It's not her SHIELD combat garb as this is technically moonlighting, but close enough. Letting the Partisan do the lockpicking, she makes sure no one has a chance of sneaking up on them. "All right. I haven't found proper kim-chi this side if Istanbul." She then touches the comm link in one ear. "Oracle. May. Entry in two minutes."


When this operation was planned, Oracle spent time…. hacking certain systems and making sure the team had access to floor plans and schematics. Those plans and schematics are displayed on her monitors along with the screens for the systems she's hacked and of course, every camera she can get her digital hands on.

"Acknowledged, May. Rerouting security feeds in that area on your mark, they won't know your coming." The redhead will supress any alarms that the lockpicking inadvertantly triggers.

The young hispanic security is noted, nothing out of the ordinary there. His schedule is right on time.


The building's alarms don't go off for Mystique. Of course. And a moment's investigation will show that the labs are up on the twenty third floor. Behind some… kind of unreasonable security precautions. Plus the place is shut down for the night, so the alarms are all on and… well, one false step will bring every cop in twenty miles down on the place. Probably not a deterrant to the Mother of Mutants… but also probably something that she wants to avoid if she wishes not to tip off whomever is responsible for all this.

Part and May get the lock. The outer security is kind of shabby compared to what's inside. Once in, well, that's real tactical voodoo. Cameras. Trip sensors and biometric access controls. And they can't just mimic someone willy nilly like the shapeshifter can.


The mother of mutants spent several interesting hours with that poor security guard getting his routines, the layouts, and the usual plans. The security guard stops by to stow his lunch, snag his radio and gear "Heading on rounds Frank." is said in perfect tone and pitch to the guy manning the security room. The mutant in disguise (transformers!) boards one of the elevators and swipes his security badge and goes through the biometric checks, which aint no thing, to head on up to the secure floors. Honestly is is like cheating. They call her a ghost for a reason while she scares intelligence agencies.


"Bingo, we're in."Part takes a moment to shove a plastic wedge in the door as soon as it's open, just in case they need it to stay open. She pops a neat little magnet over the door sensor, before taping the little door sensor shut and proceeding fourth. She reaches back to produce that strange bullpup of hers, tugs her goggles back down and gets going. She moves like a cat, sliping as silently and smoothly as the human skeleton permits. Pausing to attach a remotely actuated jammer behind a fire extinguisher, before proceeding foreward. Slipping down the staircase towards the target floor, before taking a knee beside the door and peering back towards May silently. Offering just a thumbs up for confirmation, before she begins her inspection of the door. Putting on a display of a very different set of spook skills, who knew the Partisan was capable of doing stuff without screaming and explosions everywhere?


Melinda May figured that Partisan would have learned how to be subtle, just simply chose not to do so until now. So, when the door is popped open, she tells Oracle over the comms, "We're in." and then starts toward their destination, watching the surveillance cameras as they go to make sure they're cutting out at the proper times. Security camera companies really ought to learn to stop putting those little red LEDs on everything.


As May tells her they're in, Oracle hits a key on her keyboard. The video feeds flip to a prerecorded segment that loops every 12 minutes or so. No one will know that Part and May are in the building "Loops running, you're clear to go."

She's conferenced the comms in to another listener, someone sitting, in the shadows somewhere near. Backup for the two women in building, if it's needed at all. "Fox, be ready. They're in."

The security guard(s) are under survelleince, to ensure they don't get in the way of well laid plans.


"Just fine me an open window or something." The Fox murmurs into the comm, standing by on a nearby high rise astride a horse sized glowing hawk. Yeah. Gotham can be odd like that.

Security patrols are good. There aren't many gaps in the coverage. The trick is that there are gaps. And these Oracle can guide her team through like… well like a kind of twisted game of marco polo. The cameras are less of a problem. What might be more of a problem is the biometric access denial barriers. Hopefully May or Part will have something for that.

The secure labs are now before Mystique. One final barrier. Her mimiced guard doesn't have the access levels to get in. Which means either she needs another guard or… well, another option. Like one of those data spikes.


Mystique considers her options. Dataspike. ECM Options. Ah. She leans and looks through the window to the labs and then raps lightly on the window and points at one of the workers who happens to be at their lab station working much to late. The guard has a very serious expression and then raps again and points right at him and does a two finger get the hell over here gesture. The metamorph is very convincing, body language, posture, eye contact. Flawless as usual. Of course worst case it goes to shit and she has to remove the door explosively. Also the patrol routines … there is a one 'guard' on the same floor the perfect operation is headed to as far as Oracle can see.


Ever wonder what a sixty nine thousand dollar saw sounds like, well it humms and faintly at that. The thing was actually designed for UXO, cutting open bombs and so fourth. Part presses the saw's skids against the door frame, setting the starting depth before lowering that ceramic blade into the door frame. Yeah she's not picking the lock, she's cutting her way through the door's stop and the latch beyond. Whilst the whole process is, well spooky sorts of quiet it's hardly swift and it takes a minute or two to slice her way through far enough that Part can slip that magnet and tape into place to fool the security system into thinking the door is still shut. Even as she slithers through and onto the secured floor beyond. Taking a moment to tuck that very rare, and very vintage, and very not supposed to have property of the CIA saw back into her pack. Don't ask what sort've hell she has to go through to keep batteries and blades in the thing.


Melinda May waits while Partisan slices and dices her way through a door, watching for anyone approaching in the hallway. After seeing some of the vehicles that this woman has squirreled away, a fancy saw doesn't really register as all fantabulous. Really. She looks around the new section of the building they've just entered and says quietly for her comm link, "We're in the secure area now."


"Acknowledged May" Oracle smirks a little from her perch in the Clocktower "You have the floor plans." the redhead watches the two move through the building… she's appropriated the video feed for her own use. "One security guard on your floor, keep going the way you are you'll miss them."

"Fox, I'm opening a window for you, top floor, southwest corner. You'll see it. When you're in, I'll guide you down."


The scientist working late comes on over as Oracle guides May and Partisan up to the floor. The late worker cracks the door just as they're approaching. "Hey there. What's up?"

The hawk soars though not for long. Circling the building once it tilts to let Kane jump through the window. He lands with a muted thud that the others might be able to hear. The scientist glances over for a moment. "Huh. Pipes are banging again. Was there something wrong?" Oh if only he knew.


Mystique leans in "Sir we have a problem and we need to be discrete." the young hispanic guard leans edging the door open a bit more open and then strikes like a rattlesnake. A dose of hydra class, shield stolen, dendrotoxin right to the jugular and the scientist is caught before he hits the floor, quickly pivoted out of view of the camera, and settled. A very fast moment later the scientist heads deeper into the lab, Mystique wearing his form as she heads for a computer she can dataspike for the answers.


Theres a pause there, Part flashing the "wait" signal to May as she settles down on a knee to listen. At first it was Fox's arrival, but then theres something else. A discussion followed by a rustling, before somone heads not out an exit but back into the secure area. Tapping gently at her ears, before mouthing "Not alone"back to May. Then very slowly, with that bullpup swung up to her shoulder she begins her advance on the secured area. Hoping the door hasn't shut all by itself, because well that'd be super duper convient. Sniffing curiously as she goes, and well without that gas mask her sense of smell is actually supernaturally sharp.


Melinda May stops at Partisan's gesture, then nods an acknowledgement at the silent communication before moving to follow while tapping her comm link three times lightly. A pre-arranged signal indicating they're running silent. She finally pulls a weapon as well, but instead of choosing a blade or soft weapon of some sort, she opts for the ICER pistol. Maybe it's quieter than a normal handgun? Certainly less messy.


Oracle watches the scientist move into the lab, frowning, that's not been the procedure previously and she's been watching. She's also fairly certain, from what she's observed during the day, there's nothing that this particular scientist has done that would warrant them being there now. "One scientist, heading to a computer on the south wall of that room. I'm a little suspicous, be aware."

The redhead then turns her attention to The Fox. "Fox, they're on the same floor, two rooms over." Directions provided as she watches his Avatar move on her screen.


As Partisan and May approach a… man in a linen and leather outfit, hooded cloak and a Fox masquerade mask… with a sawwed off break open shotgun comes around the corner moving at least relatively sensibly. Though, compared to May and Part his dress might be a biiit… outlandish.

There's banks of computers inside. One of them is on, clearly the one the now out scientist was working on. Speaking of said man, he's collapsed just inside the open door wihich is a sure thing that something's wrong. Oracle will need access to the computers to get data. So will Mystique…

Will either have time?


Well Mystique did let the scientist slump down by the door there out of the immediate camera view before moving further in. Entering the room though yes it will be blisteringly obvious something is wrong with that. The scientist looks over the computer and then fishes out a dataspike, and carefully inserts it into the USB port where it aggressively starts to extract the data on the scientists computer. The pillaging of the secure network has begun.


Part offers over a passing glance before sweeping past the fallen scientist, Laying the sights of her carbine on Mystique as she creeps up ever so silently. Pausing a good fifteen back, and giving May plenty of time to get into position. "Evening sweetheart, now stay very calm. Keep your hands where I can see them, You're obviously not under arrest and I'm not here to stop you. Now turn around slowly, and lets discuss this like adults shall we?"The Camo, yeah not standard at all. Chest rig, even that funky carbine are all clearly not official issue from anyone. She's got a balaclava pulled halfway up her face, and decorated herself with war paint. The motif would be that of a cat's skull, so no. The patch slapped onto her chest rig? A pair of bolt cutters snapping a chain, the flash of the CCU. "Do me a favor sugar, plug us in?"Sweeping her right hand back, to toss Mystique another wifi'd thumb drive.


Melinda May checks the downed scientist to make sure he's alive, then looks at the fox-masked man (oh, great, him again) and tilts her head to the side to indicate that he enter the room. The impostor scientist is hopefully less likely to do anything if there are more people here to fend off any sort of untoward behavior. She lets her comm and Partisan's pick up the conversation going on over there — if it indeed becomes a conversation and not just the Partisan talking at the doppleganger scientist.


The Fox just kind of stares. "Are we seriously just talking to… whomever that is?" He's not sure but his keen vigilante senses are sounding the 'All is not well in whatever the hell town this is ville!' alarm. He glances first to May (rather nervously, she's punched him before) and then to Partisan as he levels the weapon at Mystique. It… does look like a sawed off. Though… something's not quite right.

Actually something's not quite right on two levels. Oracle can sense some activity in the computer, targeting the very files that Mystique is trying to get at.


Well, Partisian is not the only one with excellent even supernatural senses. Well mutant senses in this case. When Partisian finally speaks up the scientist twists around. Notably he does snap a hand out and catch the memory stick once it is confirmed she doesn't have to deflect a blade or a grenade back at someone. The other hand has an energy pistol that was simply not there a moment ago, sometime in the spin it was drawn from .. somehwhere. Oh, also worth mentioning that the guy pretty much pivoted faster than grease lightning two steps out of the way in the same motion. Not flash fast but not human either.

At that point eyes are narrowed and a laugh is given. "Chain Cutters and Partisian." a tilt of the man's head "And … Agent Melinda May of SHIELD…. though not in uniform and the Fox of Gotham… odd crowd." a click of her tongue. "I do not mind if you get a copy… I sincerely doubt you are breaking in here to give it to Stormfront or Hydra…" he slots the USB stick next to her own dataspike without even looking. Even as she does lets her form ripple and in a heartbeat the distinctive blue skinned form flashes before a young Irish lass in black and red leathers is standing in front of the group. "Are you planning to purge the companies systems after you get the data on their research Partisian?" .. .. yeah Partisian has run into the ringleader of the Brotherhood in the field over the years certainly. Small world in some circles.


"If it's real, I have another solution. I'm not convinced this isn't all an elaborate ruse to draw you lot out."Part slowly lowers her Carbine with a roll of her shoulders. "If this is a real device and not some cardgame to try and make you lot look like you're all domestic terrorists, then I will drop this building. Then I'll murder every single person who had anything to do with any of this, and I'll make it very fucking clear that participating in the creation of tools to bring about a genocide? That's a fatal decision, but theres more going on here and I don't know what exactly."Yeah, that's the Partisan alright. "I had a visit from a fellow calling himself cyclops the other day, I told him to chill until the functionality was confirmed. Much the same as I'd advise you, alright? I don't really want to get wrapped up in your politics, I'm really not trying to play that game. I just think this feels like a potentially elaborate ruse, there are unusual coincidences happening here and strange actions. Someone is running a spook's game here."


The computer activity spikes. That slice… it was expected. Mystique's getting data, but someone's moving in to both cut her off and trace the origin of that Data spike. Real fast. "Um…" Kane leans out the door. "I hear the elevators working. Guys, I don't think we have any time." At all.

Someone quote Admiral Akbar here, for me.


Mystique twists and leans to look at the unusual dataspike, Hydra technology from the look of an expert. She snags it out now. Enough she imagines to piece something together. "Well if you insist Partisan." she flashes a smile and the pistol is shifted away as she steps and becomes the security card once more. "Also it is pretty difficult for me to be more of a domestic terrorist than I already am .. but I appreciate the concern… also Cykes is a boyscout." she sighs. She indicates the computer and the memory stick in it. "All yours and your crew." she seems intent on walking back out of the lab now, purposeful strides "I'll be in touch to see what your odd crew discovers … probably before I decide to kill a bunch of people involved." probably.


Partisan turns back towards the elevators "Yeah, ambush. Fucking called it, honey you wanna extract with us?"Walking cooly back towards the elevators to casually jerk the pins on a few PM-84s and drop them infront of those elevators. "These fucks are playing the purifiers and you lot, I'm betting the machine is a ruse too. This is all a game, and we're playing it."


There's booted feet now. It'll be on Oracle to keep any of this from coming and biting either Kane, May or Partisan. But they have an exit. It just happens to be the window Kane came in. "Hope you like flying." The druid mutters. "Come on. Oracle, please lock the door behind us." Or trigger the fire alarm? Something. They were expected and that's not good news. The one bright spot? They'll make it out without a fight.


Mystique sighs "Sure. Also the machine isn't a total ruse. The tech is in the wild and the SRD and Hydra and others do have pieces of it now. Private contractors componented… so I wouldn't be so fast to assume it is all smoke and mirrors." she waits for the PM-84s to do their job and prepares to disappear to the wind. Turns out she does fine flying as a Raven under her own power.. literally turns into a damn big bird.


Partisan Pulls a single playing card from her chest rig, before delicately wedging it in a door frame where it'll be seen after those landmines cook the fucks playing at trying to Ambush the fucking Partisan. Jogging over to that open window, before glancing back. "Tipped your hand fuckers, You wanna counter revolutionaries? Fine by me."and with that, spoken to really nobody in particular she takes her exit. Via a giant fucking bird, a new one for even the Partisan.

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