15028/An Unusual Request: Digging Deep

An Unusual Request: Digging Deep
Date of Scene:	04 June 2023
Location:	Breekon Apartments
Synopsis:	A trio of the Bat Family track down Deanna Clay to ask her some questions, trying to figure out why Inque would have a vested interest in her.
Cast of Characters:	Inque, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Phoebe Beacon

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Inque has posed:
     For the past several days, members of the Bat Family have been staking out the Breekon apartment building out in Queens Street in Gotham, where Deanna Clay happens to live. She has something of an erratic schedule, seeming to come and go whenever she pleases. She hangs out with her boyfriend, Gerry, a lot, and they seem to hang out in the seedier parts of town. They also seem to have something of a business of selling drugs. Anywhere from pot to minors to the harder stuff for the adults.

    Upon looking digging into Deanna's past, she doesn't have much of an internet presence herself. She doesn't have a Facebook or a Twitter account, and the one Instagram account she has was used mostly to take selfies and of random things of interest.

    A mor thorough background check will show that Deanna has been bounced around in the foster care system for most of her life after being booted out when she turned eighteen. She had a steady home for the first six years, and then from there the amount of time she stayed with a family became less and less until she just ended up spending most of her time in a foster care home for her latter teens.

    She also has something of a record. She's been arrested as a teen for no less than four times. Once for drunk and disorderly, and the rest for assault. Some of these match up with Instagram posts of her giving a huge smile while she has a black eye and some bruises with the title "You should see the other guys"

    Her school record is just as bad. Starting fights at school, getting caught with pot on more than one occasion, that kind of thing. Her grades were abysmal. Clearly she didn't care for school one bit.

    However, the most *interesting* bit of information that you could find was that she has a rather sizable trust fund set up for her, that gets regular deposits of money. Enough so that she and whatever family who could have adopted her could live comfortably and without worry for a long while. Somehow, Deanna blows through all this money, spending it on frivolous things, and rarely has anything real to show for it.

    So, it's late afternoon. Cass has been stalking Deanna and has determined that the young woman is at home, alone. It might be time for a talk.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
So, there's Cass. Yawning, as she sits on the rooftop above Deanna's place. She has an earbud in, listening to what's going on below, and looks as if she would really like to be doing something else. She pauses to scratch a small itch on the back of her neck and chases off a mosquito, but she doesn't really have a lot on the go.

She's waiting. Just gave the team a heads-up, that the girl is alone and ready to be stopped in on, so she's ...wait, this is the part where we actually drop in on her?

So, yeah. O.o

A moment later, when folks arrive, Cass motions to the window below. Then opens it with a finger, leading the way in! Sorry!

Tim Drake has posed:
    Everyone has something to hide. It's just human nature, and if Tim knows anything, it's human nature. That's the only way you can learn to predict people.

    That or you just have the stealthiest person you know shadow your target, as Cass has done in this instance. It's not that Tim hasn't been on-location doing his own investigative work, but Cass's ability to follow someone while remaining unseen is unparalleled. So Tim put his skills to better use elsewhere:

    A rap sheet, her history in foster care, and a middling social media presence is not really what Tim would call a wealth of information to go off of, but the trust fund was certainly a point of interest. The only thing that might explain why Inque has an interest in this young woman, if it isn't some kind of romantic interest. Which he's not ruling out, just yet.

    "<<Copy, we'll be there shortly,>>" he says over comms, and then soon enough Red Robin is, on a line rappeling down from the rooftop. He follows Cass in, not as silent as she is but still careful about his foot placement and the way he settles his weight as he moves.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Oriole had been standing by, almost half hoping to call it an early night and monitoring the bands of both Gotham and New York City as she ran her normal patrol; her own search hadn't turned up anything, but she was confident in Orphan's ability to remain unseen -- she knew herself how hard Cass was to *track* let alone catch sight of without her wanting you to.

    So when the alert comes up, she swings up from another block, landing in a crouch with her hood over her hair, and follows Orphan and Red Robin into the home of their target.

    Three might be a little overkill, or it could be very convincing provided Gerry doesn't join them mid conversation.

Inque has posed:
    So far Deanna hasn't left her apartment. If they've got ears on her, they can tell she's popped on the TV and has started watching some true crime drama on Netflix. Also, judging by the sound of the lighter, she just lit up a joint, since it doesn't seem like she smoke cigarettes.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
In Cassandra's reports, since she's (sigh) supposed to give reports...she's mentioned that 'they be bangin'. Not in those terms, but that's the gist of it. Deanne and Gerry, or 'the guy'. No other reference to guess who she was referring to, and she barely explained more.

It's a good thing she's been forced to learn, because her reports used to be much, much worse.

Now? She has the window open and is inside, not a sound from her that'd set off even an electronic sensor. Why the intensity? Because she takes these opportunities for training purposes. Not because this seems to be a threat.

Lord, no.

Still, she flanks Deanne and reaches out, taking a look at what's on her netflix queue.

She actually blinks, then looks back at Tim and Phoebe in horror. Steel Magnolias? This girl is clearly in trouble.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Tim had gotten the gist, more or less, from Cass's reports. Easy enough to interpret, in his opinion. So he's glad that it's just the girl in the apartment, so they're spared interrupting anything.

    A few taps at the keyboard set into his left gauntlet, and he's broken through the password protection of her Netflix account. One quick selection and he's signed her out of all of her devices, including the one she's currently watching Snapped (or an equivalent, Timc can never tell the difference) on.

    The black of the blank television screen reflects Red Robin, Oriole, and Orphan standing behind her.

    "Deanna Clay, we need to talk," he says, voice aiming for something more along the lines of concerned than the typical Bat-authority.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Steel Magnolias? Not even The Sound of Magic? What gives?

    The gray-and-orange-highlit Oriole looks as stern as she can, standing next to Red Robin, and carry the concern as well.

    She's also wary of the exits to the room and waits for Deanna to try and bolt.

Inque has posed:
    Deanna throws the remote into the air as she jumps in surprise when the three vigilantes appear behind her. "HOLY FUCK!" She quickly scrambles over the cluttered coffee table, scattering used take out boxes, magazines and other detritus all over the floor, and reaches under it to pull out a hidden pistol. Its of decent size and she obviously knows how to use it by the way she holds it.

    "Who the fuck are you!?" She demands, aiming the pistol at Red Robin. "How'd you get into my fucking apartment? Get out of here before I shoot!"

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra handily catches the thrown remote, managing to keep it from being broken. She has tons of time, what with how long it takes for the girl to respond. The scrambling alone takes a good few seconds, time which she could have...you know, it's not important.

Looking back at the others she came with, Cass shrugs and then bends over to place the remote on the table. Gently. Calmly. Entirely without incident.

When she comes back up, she reaches out and taps the gun. She ejects the cartridge, and catches it just as easily.

Only to tap it against her own cheek, thoughtfully, then offer it back to the girl. She should really learn to handle weapons better than this.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Red Robin's hands come up -- not in self-defense, but placating, so not raised all the way -- and his brow is creased with worry. "We're not here to hurt you," he says, and then Cass demonstrates things in her own way, and he can't help but crack a half-smile at that.

    After Cass has offered the cartridge back, Tim shares a Look with Phoebe, and then says, "We're just here to talk to you." And that's the truth of it, so his hands lower again and he simply waits to see how Deanna will react.

    "Do you know a woman who goes by the name Inque?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Oriole was about to raise her sheilds, her hands coming up in defense as her eyes narrow behind the lenses of her domino. The least experienced Batling preps to defend her team... when...

    Well. Cass is Cass. Phoebe is trying very hard to not laugh at Cass taking the cartridge from the gun, and just gives a momentary snort before she corrects her stance, crossing her arms casually over her chest.

Inque has posed:
    Deanna's gun tracks Cass as she sets the remote down and then blinks in surprise as she's easily disarmed. When Cass hands the clip back, she lowers the gun and takes it with her free hand. "Uh, thanks."

    Her brow furrows at Tim's question. "Ink? Who the fuck is that?" Those who are walking lie detectors can tell that she honestly has never heard of Inque before. "What the fuck gave you the impression that I'd know her?"

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra Cain steps back. She knows that Deanna still has one in the chamber, but she clearly allowed her to have that much. It's like, a blinking neon sign saying, you may as well not bother. Also, you know that Cass doesn't wear a mask? Because she doesn't.

Glancing to Tim and Phoebe, she shrugs. Not lying, apparently. She is said lie detector.

Then, turning her back on the still armed lady, she looks around the apartment a bit. She's already been inside once or twice, but she was hoping that there were cookies.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Another quick glance is shared with Oriole before Red Robin takes a step forward. The shrug from Orphan tells him plenty, and so he decides to return truthfulness in kind with: "Inque herself did. And we have no idea why."

    He scans Deanna's apartment behind the white-out lenses of his mask, his head barely moving. He's looking for something, anything that might indicate why one of Gotham's villains would be interested in this young woman. Any sign of a life that is more than just small-time crime and drug dealing... or any clue as to what that trust fund might be about.

    In the meantime, though, he adds, "Maybe if we work together we can figure out why."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Is there anyone you can think of, close to you, who wouldn't approve of your current romantic relationship?" Oriole questions as she steps forward, just a small foot towards Deanna as she tilts her head in concern. "Anyone at all? A close friend or someone you spend time with?"

    As Red RObin scans the apartment, Oriole is scanning Deanna herself, looking for injuries that might prompt concern of domestic issues.

Inque has posed:
    The apartment itself is kind of a mess. Old take out boxes and pizza boxes lay on tables, the furniture has seen better days, and the entire place smells of pot. The electronics, however, look really expensive though. A huge television hooked up to the latest PlayStation, a really expensive MacBook sits on the counter, that kind of thing. Clearly the woman isn't hurting for money.

    There are, in fact, a half eaten pack of Oreos sitting next to the computer.

    Deanna watches as Cass goes for the cookies. "Hey! Those are mine!" Monch monch monch. "Oh, nevermind. Help yourself, why don't you. Me casa su casa."

    Deanna herself is a young woman, 21 years of age, clearly of Southeast Asian descent. She keeps her straight black hair cropped to just about her jaw, and is currently wearing flannel PJ bottoms and a comfortable t-shirt. An initial scan would show that she's free of any cuts and bruises, though she does look a little paler than what would normally be expected.

    She inserts the clip back into the gun, and lays it down onto the coffee table, keeping it within reach. "So who the fuck is this Inque guy? Do I have some kind of stalker I have to worry about now?"

    She shrugs at Phoebe. "Rosie doesn't like Gerry, but I can't imagine her talking to vigilantes about it. But other than her, nobody really gives a shit about what I do."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass only has one cookie! She's seen oreos before, they always seemed fun to eat. So, you know. Try one? Still, she turns and looks back to Deanna, just in case.

Supposing that she's being herself, she shrugs and puts the cookies back. You know, not here to steal. Besides she can come back later when the woman's asleep if she wants to. Not like the security here is any good.

"Girl. Inque girl. Loves you," Cass' voice says as she leans against the counter, her bottom leaving a small, fit print there. She heard, that nobody cares.

Well, clearly someone does.

Tim Drake has posed:
    That tidbit of knowledge from Cass makes Tim's head cock to the side, and he doesn't say anything for a long moment. Processing, processing... he has a theory, but not one he's going to share just yet. Not something he feels will be well-received.

    "I don't think she's stalking you," he says. At least, Inque didn't seem to be stalking Deanna while *they* were stalking Deanna. He has no way of knowing if that's the truth, but in this case it seems like the thing to say, because Tim doesn't think that's what this is. Not any more, at least.

    He pulls back, gives a little chin-lift to Orphan before turning to Oriole. Some more non-verbal communication happens, mostly another significant look that seems to ask about Phoebe's initial findings, and if Tim gets the sense that there aren't any, then there's no evidence of Deanna being anything except a willing accomplice to her boyfriend's (and her own) crimes.

    He stops, however, at the windowsill. "You're involved in some dangerous business. I know nothing I could say will make you reconsider, but... be careful. We're not the only people who patrol the streets."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Oriole gives a small shake of her head. No sign of domestic violence. She's seen much worse with gentle jostling in her own friend group.

    "She does, however, stop to offer a card with the hotline number on it.

    "I echo his sentiment. Should you recall anything, or have details on Rosie, do let us know."

Inque has posed:
    "Wait, what?" Deanna says at Cass's info drop. "She //loves// me?" She looks between the three vigilantes as they move to go. "You can't just drop that on me and //leave//. Who is she? What does she look like? God dammit!"

    She takes the card and blinks at it. "I can handle myself," she grumbles. "Just... God. Give me a clue, why don't you?"

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass looks at the girl. She pauses, running a hand through her own hair, and then shrugs. She literally doesn't know what Inque looks like, so that's a thing. She opens her mouth to answer, and then closes it. And..

She's GONE! She's left Tim and Phoebe to explain, like the coward that she effing is! That absolute ...gah!

So, anyway, Cass has left you two to explain. Have fun!

Tim Drake has posed:
    Nope. Tim falls backwards out of the window, and it's only the *POP-HISS* of a grapple line that follows him out into the night.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Which leaves Oriole. Who GLARES at tim and probably sends a >:| emoji at him through their dominos.

    She then turns to Deanna, and takes a breath, and responds:

    "Unfortunately, she's a shapeshifter. So we don't know either. That's why we came to ask you."

    And with that, she also hops out the window, and with a pop-hiss she follows suit, probably with a call of 'RED ROBIN HOW DARE. J'ACCUSE. THE. AUDACITY. SIR.'