16210/Track Down the Sixth

Track Down the Sixth
Date of Scene:	01 November 2023
Location:	Burnley - Bleake Island
Synopsis:	The Outsiders, Rook of the Batfam, and new friend Flux investigate an operation. Saif slips through their fingers with a magical teleport.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Conner Kent, Gabby Kinney, Damian Wayne, Kiden Nixon, Tim Drake

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Bleake Island lives up to its name most nights. The afterwards of Halloween hangs around the residential areas like a miasma of forgotten revelry; orange and black crepe paper streamers and smashed pumpkins dot the landscape. The odd skeleton or witch decoration, along with decor for Dia de los Muertos hanging for the residents of Spanish Burnley, with the occasional bright orange spray of marigolds hanging around in the drizzling rain.

    Night has covered Burnley like cold, wet wool. Sticking to its darker corners as one of the unofficial leaders within the Outsiders is hanging out under a steep overhang, providing some relief from the rain. Down below there is a Brimston eand Hellfire breacher barking on his bullhorn that those who celebrate ancestor worship were going to feel the burning fires of Hell.

    <So, here's the deal. Saif is definitely a metahuman and, from what the police reports state, four out of the five who were captured in the last operation state he's magical." 'Balm' states. She has warned the others that a new recruit may be coming in -- which means the use of code names was in effect.

    Her blue lenses glow dully as she looks over the warehouse that used to be attached to the Monarch Playing Card factory. The warehouse had been subdivided into a bunch of smaller offices and rented out, and now was deerelict -- and apparently occupied by a couple of gang types.

    "Powers are currently unknown, other than he was knowledgeable enough to jailbreak smartphones and program custom apps for them."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner came with Flux, the new recruit / possible recruit. Did they even tell her the name of the team? It is probably important! Although it is more important she wants to help to catch this super-criminal.

There is some muttering about him not liking magical bad guys. But that is per course. <Should I stay in the air or try to go sneaky with you guys?> He asks through the comms. He is not very sneaky, but if he is flying no one is going to confuse him with a bat.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"ACTUALLY magical or just 'he does shit that we consider magic because we can't explain it otherwise'?" Gabby, aka Honey Badger, aka Badger (it's shorter to yell in a fight), asks of Balm as she joins up on the rooftop. A glance up toward Conner is given with a flash of a grin as she starts to open her mouth---Then stops. This wasn't her op tonight. She merely tips her head toward Balm so that she can make that call.

It's been awhile since she's been fully kitted up in her suit but she is tonight including the night vision goggles over her face, and the half-mask covering from nose down. Bodyarmor, weapons that would make Batman scowl, and a single sword slung over her back. Just in case. Sure she had other, more built-in weapons, but more weapons was better sometimes.

Damian Wayne has posed:
If it's happening in Gotham, there is going to be a Bat involved.

It doesn't matter that there are already two of their number present. With his older brother and older sister as well as his girlfriend down below, the recently renamed Rook had taken position on a nearby rooftop. Dressed in a new costume, one a mix of a couple of older custoumes, it's a mix of grey and black with red trim and a yellow inner lining of his cape.

https://heroesassemble.mushhaven.com/images/6/66/DamianBlack.jpg

<Rook in position. For those of you keeping track at home. The youngest Robin, former Batwing.>

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden, aka Flux, has offered to help out with whatever is needed for this particular mission. She's definitely the 'new kid', looks nothing at all like a superhero, or even a masked vigilante. She's actually just hanging out down on the street, milling around and scrounging like any other of the homeless that can be found in every city. In other words.. invisible. She wears no costume, or mask, just grubby clothes that smell like they've been lived in for far too long, and look like they've been worn to the edge of their lifespan.

<Clear on the street level... just got the last of the street folk to head over to Robbinsville for the night. Also, this place has the creepiest alleys. Just sayin'.>

Tim Drake has posed:
    The scrape of boots on rooftop gravel announces Red Robin's arrival on the rooftop that the majority of the others are gathering on. He tips his head in a nod towards the group gathered, coming to stand next to Gabby as they're read into the situation. Once Phoebe has explained the metahuman encounter potentially waiting for them, he takes a few steps towards the edge of the roof and scans the facade of the warehouse.

    "Well, you know how it goes: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arms crossed, his fingers tap-tap against his bicep as he frowns, expression thoughtful. "So conceivably he could just be a very talented hacker with some tricks up his sleeves."

    Then his head tips to the side, slightly. "Or he could be magic. Guess we just have to be prepared for whatever," Tim adds, as he returns to stand in his previous position, his head turned to Phoebe. His stance is at the ready, but he's clearly waiting for her go-ahead.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It's definitely happening in Gotham, and there are certainly Bats involved. Even if one of them is going by Balm this evening.

    Balm gives a wry smile towards the Badger and Red Robin. <Arthur C Clarke had the right of it, but my money is on metahuman rather than magic. I'm not picking up on anything with my senses. And they've gotten decently sharp. Also, everyone on comms -- Flux is the 'New Kid'. She's going to be lending us a hand tonight.>>

    The doomsaying street minister passes by Kiden, and delivers to her a withering look, before he continues walking forward, shouting in proper Spanish about how everyone celebrating holidays venerating the Dead will burn. He may not be a happy fellow.

    <<Should be safe for you, Superboy. Good to have you with us, Rook. There's a back entrance that needs to be covered, it's accessable from the alley and up a fire escape. The front leads into two small offices that we'll need to clear, and the back is three officess and a basement-strage access that has a simple security system attached to it -- card reader from the registry. The place is supposed to be closed down, but still has power and water, so their fire supression system should also be active. Stay alert. This guy manage to evade Oracle for a good while in spite of being on Cupp's payroll. Don't know what tricks are up his sleeve.>> she states, and then she raises her arm, and motions for 'onward'.

    <<Be safe.>>

Conner Kent has posed:
<Hey, I am here to make it safer for -you-> protests Conner. He is just a 'little' allergic to magic, seriously! <I don't hear anything odd coming from the building, but let me touch it and I'll try to map it> he adds. He looks for cameras, but even in the worst cases, it is not hard to find a way to reach the building itself. And touching a wall, he can try to scan it with tactile telekinesis.

Damian Wayne has posed:
<<tt. Safe.>>

If Rook were safe, he'd be at home right now, making newbs cry in Call of Duty.

Instead, he glances over, catching a sight of Red Robin and Badger. He tips two fingers against his domino mask before leaping from the rooftop. On his way down, he grabs his grapple and fires a line to catch the building opposite of the warehouse. With a swing, he launches himself into the air again as he gracefully falls with ease to land in the new position.

<<Back entrance covered. Let you know if someone heads this way.>>

And he's already looking down to scout the area. If there's anything down there that looks like a getaway vehicle, it's getting a Birdarang into a tire.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
<I'll trust Balm on the magic front. Her senses are better than mine. ... Just hoping he's a really good hacker and not one of those technotelewhatsis guys.> Badger had known a few. When the talk comes of protecting from Conner she glances up giving a grin, and then spots Rook taking his new position. A hand lifts to waggle fingers at him as he swings on by.

<Let me get in there and I can sniff out where he's hiding. Let me know when we're going, Balm.>

A hand raises to give Red Robin's shoulder a friendly little fist-bump, too.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
<<If he's a technomancer, it won't help him. Not sure what I can do to help, but I'll be here if you guys need a hand. Otherwise... you know, just keeping the streets clear.>>

The doom preacher is given a dull-eyed, apathetic look. She's quite good at it. Then Kiden is moving along, double-checking to make sure there are no random people on the street around the building. The doom preacher gets another glance before she adds in.

<<Anyone know what this Saif guy looks like?>>

Tim Drake has posed:
    Onward is the signal given, and onward Red Robin goes, but not before offering a quick salute Damian's way and, as he tips over the edge of the rooftop to begin plummeting down to the ground below, a quick wave and smile to Gabby. Then he disappears.

    It's a short fall, and his cape flares out dramatically to slow his descent, so that when he tucks himself into a roll at the bottom of the drop there's hardly any impact to absorb.

    He's still in a (yes, pretty creepy even for Gotham) alleyway, but he pops out at street level after making sure the coast is clear, and he makes a quick dash across to get close to the front entrance. But then he ducks down behind a parked, possibly abandoned, car and toggles his domino mask to infrared to scan the front offices for potential inhabitants.

    <<Holding at the door>> he reports, waiting for the final go-ahead from Balm.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Superboy's tactile telekenesis shows a layout: the first floor has three offices, one of which is broken down into smaller rooms. The back has the stairways leading up to the upper three offices, and down to the basement.

    THe basement is occupied. There is one person moving around inside there, calmly going back and forth between a large mechanical set up for the creation of gel-filled medications.

    The preacher keeps walking, he doesn't seem to pay Kiden any mind.

    <<Presumably in his mid to late twenties. The name puts him in Middle Eastern, probably either Persian-Iranian descent maybe, but it's also a growing popular name in Egypt. Or he could just have picked a cool name. He didn't have a p hysicaly picture on Phillip Cupp's campaign staff website, and he's a 'remote worker'.>>

    And that's when the building gives a low rumble. Mechanical sounding, grinding. The street around them dulls in its exterior lights for a moment as a massive drain on the grid occurs.

    <... that wasn't me.> Balm states.

    <Let's go.>

    The front offices don't seem to have any inhabitants.

Conner Kent has posed:
<Someone in the basement. Some large machinery too.> Then the lights go dim for a second. He notices the surge through the building, although not the destination. Busted? He moves quickly, heading for the front door. <Stairs are on the back. Possibly closer to the back door.>

But he picks the front door. If there is anything dangerous in there, he will draw its attention. In consideration to some degree of stealth, however, he doesn't kick the door down, but attempts to open it without breaking anything using the telekinesis again.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney glances down again to the street watching the newbie below, along with that doom preacher. Her head tilts a bit, watching how he marches around with a small growing frown. <... Since when do doomsday preachers preach against Dia de los Muertos? Plus this place is abandoned...> It was perhaps a bit paranoid of her. Perhaps spoken up a bit too late, as everyone has started to move in.

<Couldn't possibly be a lookout, by chance? Is he working alone?> Details that were nice to bring up but maybe too late now. She was in Gotham again though so her paranoia was up there. Trying to keep it in line with 'shit happens in Gotham' more often than not.

They're moving in though so she leaps from the roof she's on down to the next, and twists to claw-out on the wall so she skids down it to the alley below. <At street level, East side of building.>

Damian Wayne has posed:
When he hears the ominous rumbling and feels it crawl through his ankles and into his legs, Damian realizes that things are going sideways. As the Outsiders start to deploy, the one non-Outsider drops down from the rooftop onto the roof of a delivery van.

<Heading in from the back, please mark as ally.>

With that, he drops down onto the street and makes his way to the door, but first observes from the shadows to check for cameras or anything that suggests the door is rigged to be nasty or alert others to his presence should he open it.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
<<What doomsday preacher preaches to an empty street? He should have followed the 'flock' when everyone else started to leave..>>

Gabby is not alone in suspicion of the preacher, but barring actual evidence of anything, Kiden just keeps shuffling around at street level, checking garbage cans, bins, poking at grates... verifying that everything is what it seems to be. She keeps up appearances, just a grungy street kid scrounging for food in the garbage and checking grates and vents for a warm place to sleep.

The rumbling has her bracing against a wall until it passes, glancing around when the lights dim. <<That's not totally ominous.>>

Tim Drake has posed:
    The infrared vision in Red Robin's domino mask toggles off, and just in time too, so that he can look up and see the lights dim. He frowns, but there's no time to dwell on it now: his attention is drawn back downwards as Superboy passes by, and Tim straightens from his crouch so that he can slip past, towards one of the nearby windows.

    Like Damian, he does a first check for potential traps (or more mundane alarms) before he even tries to wriggle the thing open, but given that Phoebe has given the go-ahead, he tries it...

    ...and it's locked. Nothing that a quick consult with the utility belt can't solve, though. Soon enough Tim is able to push it open, careful of the broken glass in the window, and then he's slipping inside.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <<This street has some residential on it, Flux. That's why we've tried to keep this a little bit quieter.>> Phoebe states as she moves into place, and then follows Red through the window.

    The back door is opened with a quick jimmy of the lock, letting those coming through into a short hallway with three office doors. One is ajar. There doesn't seem to be anyone on this floor however.

    The first floor is similarly cleared in short order. Old office furniture, a couple of broken camp stoves from homeless using this for shelter.

    The mechanical humming kicks on harder with a whrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRR -- and the lights flicker again.

    It smells like burning oil and mildew in the building in short order.

Damian Wayne has posed:
As he opens the door and makes sure it's secure, Rook starts making his way down the hallway. His ninjato is pulled out, flipped around so the blade is placed against his forearm as he moves from door to door, a quick check to make sure that they are clear.

Noticing the ajar door, he makes his way along the ground in a crouch, he starts to move on the door that's ajar, but stops and peeks his head around the corner.

There may be no people up here, but he's still erring on the side of caution.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner moves quickly towards the stairs, pausing a second to try to identify the noise. He is not bothering with telekinesis, as he is moving too fast anyway. <That is no hacking, makes no sense he is drawing so much power from the grid> He murmurs to the communicator.

He can hear Tim and Phoebe upstairs, but he is pretty sure there is no one in that floor. The sound comes from the basement, right? He pauses again to make sure. Yes, down. Where are those stairs?

Gabby Kinney has posed:
<I remember we stopped someone a couple years back trying to make some kind of multi-location super computer for porn hosting and it drew a ton of power.> Badger recalls... Possibly incorrectly. HER guess was 'for porn' but it had been for data mining. The rest of the guess was spot on enough that Tim and others were able to figure it out though.

Now that the building had been breached, and her suspicions on that preacher were voiced, Badger moves along the wall till she reaches the back door where Rook had been replacing him as an outside guard temporarily.

Then, cautiously, she enters. <Coming in from back door, all clear on your rear, my dear.> Hey give her a break, she was new at this girlfriend with a teammate thing.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
<<I'll keep eyes on the exterior. Yell if things go sideways.>>

Kiden is... efficient. She can watch both entrances easily enough, and if anyone/anything slips past the group of admittedly scary individuals invading the building just now... well... she has a few tricks up her sleeve. She may also still be keeping an eye on Doompreacher. Maybe he's just a guy, maybe not. Either way, he could end up as an accomplice or as collateral damage. Neither is a good option.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Tim remembers that whole super computer plot a little differently. Thankfully the strangled noise he makes at Gabby's suggestion for what its purpose was doesn't transmit over the comms, so it's just Phoebe (and maybe Conner) who hear it. He shakes his head, but it's only a minor distraction that doesn't pull his focus.

    From its place magnetically locked to his leg, Tim retrieves his staff and snaps it into its full telescoped length with a flick of his wrist. The stairs are also where Red Robin is heading, though he's taking it several paces behind Conner, steps light and careful. <<Could be anything still. Be careful,>> is the only advice he can give in the moment.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <Stay on Target Badger!!> Balm protests over the coms.

    The Doom Preacher has begun to expand on the theme -- pretty much any ancestor veneration is repungent to The Lord, and those who continue these practices will be cast into the fire.

    The building shudders, and the street also gets in a bit of that rumble action. The preacher looses his footing and falls into a pile of trash.

    As Bats and Outsiders make their way, clearing the place that smells like oil and mildew, they come to the basement.

    And the basement is large; extending under the street and lowering into a section of sewer that has been hollowed out for their use.

    And there is indeed a large amount of machienry down here. Chemical composition for makingmedication. No supplies yet, no labeling, but it looks like it's ready to go.

    And there is a short, thin man. He has a thin mustache, dark hair and tanned skin.

    And as the heroes come down the stairs to the basement, he doesn't move to interrupt, his hands held in front of his stomach, folded, as if he were waiting for a scolding. Dark, watery eyes look over everyone as the computers within the machinery hum to ever-growing life, slowly coming up to temperature.

    "Oh no. I've been found." he states, and raises his hands in surprise.

Conner Kent has posed:
Oh look, that is illegal construction right there. Conner had noticed the basement was large, but not the access to the sewers. <Oh crap. Not computers, but some kind of breeding pods.>

He tried to keep his voice down, and given the noise of the machines, how did the guy realize he was there. There must be hidden cameras, or sensors. On the positive side, there is no mystic hocus pocus after all. "Yeah, you have been found. Would you just turn off the machines? Spare us the usual last second evil ploy."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Here's the thing. Damian cannot correct Gabby's comment. After all, if he did, it gives away that he's the one she referred to and she's an Outsider. When a certain untrusted person learns her identity and sees her with Damian, then... that's a house of cards falling that he doesn't want to explain to his Father.

So it's great that the grumble of the machinery distracts everyone for a moment. <Breeding what?> Rook asks as he frowns and starts to make his way downwards. <Badger, want to hold there or coming down? Sounds like there may be another pair of hands needed.>

Gabby Kinney has posed:
<Breeding pods? Clones?> Suddenly Badger was *very* on target given the topic that had come over the comms. She was still upstairs in the building holding a guard position since the others were more skilled at the whole 'gather evidence' thing than she was. Her infiltration was usually more of a smash and grab or bust someone out skill. Still, she was close if backup was needed. Though 'breeding pods' puts a whole new worry on things as she begins to wonder just what this guy was up to.

The question of coming down though... That just earns a quick, <On my way.>

Still keeping a wary eye out, she heads down toward the basement taking the stairs three at a time because knees? Yeah they work.

Tim Drake has posed:
    As just about everyone begins to descend down the stairs, Red Robin hesitates. That seems to be the way to go, judging by the distant sound of someone... possibly surrendering themselves? It seems awfully suspicious, though, hence the hesitation.

    So he backtracks, nodding as he passes by Rook going the opposite direction, apparently looking to case the place a little bit more while the rest of the team confront whoever is downstairs. For now, Tim will remain on ground level, sweeping the place for hidden combatants.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden will make her way over to the Doom Preacher, offering him a hand up out of the garbage, "Hey man.. seems like pretty much everyone else is gone. You might try your sermon over in RObbinsville, though. Heard some folk were congregating there. Bet they need saving." She'll try to make sure the man is on his feet before starting off again. The chatter from the comms leaving her feeling vaguely uneasy.

<<Do I need to get down into the sewer? Block off that access?>> She's already scanning the area for a way to get down there if needed.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Evil Ploy? Oh, there's no evil ploy. We are going to bring just little drops of sunshine to Gotham City. Make things *better*. Maybe there'll be no need for the Bats after a few years -- wouldn't that be good? Wouldn't that be grand?" he gives a simple smile, and then he takes out a plain, white hankercheif.

    "No? Well then. He'll be seeing *you* later." he gives an uneasy smile, and then raises his hankercheif.

    There's a brilliant light, blindingly and searing hot on any eyes that were not protected. The whole of the warehouse trembles and brilliantly shines throughwindows -- broken, open, or otherwise -- and then fades.

    And when the vision clears?

    Saif is gone.

    But the machinery is still humming away.

    Balm goes over to the machinery, and looks over the control.

    "Pharmacuetal manufacture. I'm taking a listing of the ingredients. I'll bring it back to the Cave or the Core and see if we can't pick out a list of possible combonations for its creation... that is a lot of artificial hormone components in this thing..." Phoebe states, looking to the other Outsiders.

    "Maybe I should have had..." she murmurs to herself, and then she looks at the machinery.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Rook was just about to lunge and grab Safi by the throat and make him talk, when he's suddenly... gone. "Teleport or cloak?!" that called out to Gabby, in case she can smell him still there.

But his attention turns to Balm as she talks about the machine and what it's doing. "...huh." he frowns. "Those are all things that remove inhibitions. It sounds like he wanted them to be high and unimpended." A small hiss of breath. "We should get a sample to draw up an antidote."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney comes down the stairs into the room a split second or two just before Safi vanishes. She pauses, head rolling to the side as her eyes sweep the room and a deep breath is drawn. Rook's question earns a shake of her head. "Gone," is all she staters. "How, not sure, but gone. Balm, did that twig you as magic? It was... a very smooth teleport if an ability."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden is spared the blinding light, but also doesn't get to see the magic trick. Instead, she heads to the back door in the alley and makes sure that route is clear for everyone to exit.

<<Hey guys, if everyone's still alive and kicking... back door is clear for exit. That light was pretty bright even through the windows, might want to grab'n'go.>>

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <<It was definitely a magical teleport. I couldn't even get anything quick enough to try and follow. I don't think I should follow. This is... a pretty heady mix. From these products you can mix pretty much every high dosage antidepressant, anti-anxiety med, meds for treating PTSD, producing acid, MDMA, even Fear Toxin, but it lacks catalyst to give them 'oomph'.>> Phoebe frowns, and she looks to Rook and Badger, <<Flux. I can get you home tonight if Superboy can't. But I'm going to need to take this back to a computer that can analyze this. Some of this just doesn't feel right. They should be manufacturing like, illegal drugs... instead they look like they're set up to do everything... above the board. Except, you know, the actual set up is totally illegal.>>