19916/In All the Exploits, She Hacks Mine

In All the Exploits, She Hacks Mine
Date of Scene:	23 January 2025
Location:	Last Stop
Synopsis:	Cinque and Barbara meet for the first time as civilians. Barbara helps Cinque win some money in a hacker contest for his shelter.
Cast of Characters:	Cinque Evers, Barbara Gordon

---

Cinque Evers has posed:
Gotham is rarely on Cinque's list of favorite places to visit, but tonight was an exception. Through his dark web contacts, he had caught wind of a special hacker contest taking place on this cold night at The Last Stand. Always eager to sharpen his hacking skills and with the added allure of The Last Stand?s reputation for serving the best food in both Gotham and New York, Cinque decided to make the trip.

As he steps into the restaurant, he finds it completely transformed for the impromptu contest. The space?s slightly offbeat industrial vibe provides a fitting backdrop for the gathering of hackers. Edison bulbs hang from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over an array of electronic equipment: computers, laptops, servers, and cameras scattered across the room. The hum of machines and low murmur of voices create an electric atmosphere, and Cinque can feel the excitement buzzing in the air.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs was a 32 year old redheaded woman, attractive features, and still young enough to pull off being here without any real issues. Or, at least, that is what she told herself.

The redhead was another face in the crowd, standing near a bar where drinks were being served. She was wearing a black hoodie, with a white skull pattern drawn out in 1s and 0s, a binary skull logo. Her red hair was draped out of her hood, laying down the right side of her chest. She had on torn knee blue jeans, and black boots that went up to mid calf height. The redhead had a backpack on, but it seemed to be only half full, as it sagged on her shoulders.

She sipped a drink near the bar, and let her green eyes roam over the place's interior.

Cinque Evers has posed:
A goth male with a nose piercing weaves through the crowd, handing out burner phones to everyone. His dark clothing and silent demeanor add an air of mystery to the already charged atmosphere. Once he?s distributed all the phones, he strides over to a woman standing near the center of the room. She?s dressed in high-end streetwear,the kind of clothes that look like they?ve been picked up from Goodwill and meticulously refurbished, but with a price tag north of $5,000.

She exudes confidence, her presence commanding attention. With a quick adjustment of the sleek headset perched on her ear, her voice suddenly booms over the speakers set up around the restaurant.

"Greetings, and thank you all for braving this cold Gotham night,"she begins, her tone a mix of charm and authority. "We?re here to have a little fun tonight. Seven companies have anonymously volunteered their security protocols for us to, shall we say, stress test. But let me warn you. these aren?t your typical, off-the-shelf security measures."

The room hums with anticipation, and a ripple of laughter erupts from a few cocky hackers in the crowd. The woman?s smirk sharpens. "To make things interesting, we?re imposing some limitations on your capabilities. Think of it as a handicap to even the playing field."

More laughter erupts, this time tinged with disbelief and mockery. Some hackers exchange amused glances, clearly unimpressed by the idea of being held back.

She presses on, unfazed. "Your burner phones are synced to our system. They?ll introduce random hurdles into your hacks to slow you down. Oh, and one more thing...you?ll be working in teams."

A cheer goes up from a few groups of friends already seated together, but their excitement is short-lived as the woman adds, "And your partners have been chosen at random."

Before anyone can protest, all the burner phones in the room begin to ring simultaneously, their shrill tones cutting through the air. The woman raises her voice to be heard over the chaos. "Your phones will stop ringing once you find your new partner and press your phones together. Once the ringing stops, grab a computer or laptop and start your hack!"

She pauses, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Oh, and just so you know, not all the computers and laptops are created equal. Some are better than others, so move fast!"

"And one last thing," she shouts above the din, her voice dripping with excitement. "The winner takes home $50,000 and, more importantly, the bragging rights of hacking all seven companies. Good luck!"

With a wink, she steps back, letting the frenzy take over as the contest officially begins.

The crowd erupts into motion, a chaotic scramble as hackers begin pairing up, their burner phones chiming into silence one by one.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara wasn't here to win this thing. She was here to watch talent in the Gotham area, and see who was the shining youth of the future of the hobby. She was here for research purposes. But, that isn't to say she's not interested in checking things out, and seeing how this was setup.

When the woman spoke of the rules, and the lay of the land... so to speak, Babs just smiled faintly, and glanced at her assigned burner phone.

A drink was set down beside her, and the bartender said it was on the house, ordered by another patron for her. Babs smirked, and glanced at the glass, before she accepted it in her warm palm and fingers. She felt the transfer of heat and chill, as she raised the icy beverage up for a sip, while her opposite hand was already working away at her phone, before a glance was given up in Cinque's direction...

Cinque Evers has posed:
Cinque?s accelerated perception allows him to cut through the chaos of bodies weaving and darting around the restaurant, phones in hand, each person desperately trying to find their match. His sharp eyes scan the room, picking up on the subtle movements and patterns of the crowd. The first person Cinque encounters doesn?t match, and their phones emit a dull buzz before he moves on without a word.

As he navigates the confusion, Cinque?s genius mind is already racing. There has to be an algorithm, a quick calculation to maximize his chances of finding his partner. While his thoughts whirl, his ability to multitask keeps him acutely aware of his surroundings. His focus shifts momentarily when he catches someone staring in his direction.

It?s Babs. Under the Edison?s light of the place, Cinque is able and will always remember the red-haired woman, with attractive features who is definitely young enough to be here. As long as he lives, he remember how cool he thought her hoodie with black with a white skull pattern drawn out in 1s and 0s, a binary skull logo was when he saw it at this moment. Her Her red hair was draped out of her hood, laying down the right side of her chest will remain in his forever mind such is the nature of his powers.

Cinque doesn?t let his train of thought derail, though. He steps closer, his phone still in hand, and places it against hers.

For a moment, the world narrows to a single sound the shrill ringing of their phones stops abruptly, signaling a match. Cinque?s eyes flick to her drink before his lips curve into a friendly smirk. "I?ve either just found one of the best hackers in the room," he says, his tone light but edged with humor, or the most confident. Not everyone tackles a hack with a drink in hand."

He extends his right hand toward her. "Shall we find ourselves a set of laptops that work? I?ve got to confess, this whole scene it?s not really my style. But hey, who knows? Maybe we?ll make it work."

His words are easy, but his mind is already calculating again, sizing her up, wondering if fate, or perhaps the organizers had just handed him an edge in the competition.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
When Cinque approached her, and they were a paired team, Babs showed the man a small smile. "It would seem to be the case." She quietly replied back in her soft feminine voice. She glanced over to a set of laptops on a corner table, and motioned toward them. "those might just do the trick." She indicated, as she offered him her hand, having put the phone in a pocket of her hoodie. "Barbara." She introduced herself, at least her first name anyway.

"Yeah, i mean, the drink helps loosen you up. Gets the coding jitters out of the fingers, right?" She asked, as they walked together to the table. She let her backpack slide off, as everyone else was hurriedly working on the assignment, she seemed oddly casual about it.

"So, if this isn't really your typical scene, what are you up to here tonight?" She asked, as she slipped in to the chair, and let her green eyed gaze go over the computer interface. In truth, Babs' had a neural chip implant in her brain. She was already connected to the devices in the room, actively scanning them with her mind alone. The tech is why she is walking again, and no longer bound to a wheelchair too. But over the course of the past several years of having the brain computer interface, Babs has upgraded its software tremendously, and is able to operate a number of devices with the use of her mind alone.

She took another sip of her drink, and shot him another soft smirk. "Unless you're down playing the nerdy side of this, to sound cooler. Which I'd totally understand."

Cinque Evers has posed:
"No, I mean I normally do this solo. I mean it is kind of odd to have this many people watching me hack." Cinque eyes scan the room at the other people hacker and really not paying attention to him, but their screens anyways. A sheepish grin appears on his face as he turns back to Babsm and quickly adds, "And I rarely also try to go to Gotham either."

Cinque quickly begins working on trying to find an exploit and continues, "I normally have some tools that help me with my hacking, but I worry that using them was making lazy, or dumb." Cinque grind his teeth as he first attempt to find an exploit doesn't work and he quickly starts over, "I just trying to improve my skills, so I can modify my tool and be able to hack faster."

Cinque says, "Oh, I am Cinque..(pronounce Sin Khay) It is a pleasure to working with you. So what are you going to do with the money we win, if you don't mind me asking?"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Everything that he says, causes Barbara to feel a bit of guilt. In truth, she didn't know they would be pairing off with others tonight in this little game. Thus, at his last question, about the money, she has the assumption that he must really need it. She doesn't.

Babs frowned, and lightly shook her head. "Cinque. I'm going to be honest with you... I didn't come here tonight to win this." She admitted, keeping her voice quiet, just for him. Her green eyes glanced to the side, before she looked back over at him. "I had planned to just observe those here. I'm... hiring talented computer artists, which is to say, whomever might show great ability in the work being put on show tonight here. I thought we'd be let loose alone, and not ... I didn't think I'd have your winnings on my hands." She told him, as she showed him a soft frown, her eyes on him now, as she looked at him across the table.

Cinque Evers has posed:
An honest person in Gotham. Cinque chuckles softly, shaking his head. "I was told honesty was an endangered species around here."With practiced ease, his fingers fly across the keyboard, and he finds the first exploit in the program. A sly grin tugs at the corner of his mouth as he winks. "It?s fine." His tone is casual, but there?s a hint of pride in his voice.

"I was going to use the prize money to help with my shelter" Cinque continues, his voice lowering slightly as he concentrates. "Always looking for donations to keep it running, you know? And if I can improve my hacking skills in the process, well, that's even better."

He tilts his head, studying her with genuine curiosity. "So, are you in marketing or animation?"he asks, his words carrying the weight of someone who rarely makes idle conversation.

As the competition heats up, Cinque begins to realize he?s not going to win outright. But where others might accept defeat, he sees an opportunity. His focus sharpens, and with quick, deliberate movements, he starts covertly using the computer to hack into the system. His goal shifts: instead of winning, he?s determined to upload all the security protocols to a hidden server he maintains back at his shelter, a treasure trove he can study later to hone his skills.

Glancing around the room, Cinque ensures no one is watching him. His eyes dart from person to person, a calm intensity masking his quick calculations. Satisfied that he?s in the clear, he leans back slightly in his chair, the faintest smile on his lips.

Turning to her, he lowers his voice. "I can let you get back to headhunting, but if you?ve got a card or something, I?d love to stay in touch." His grin becomes slightly sheepish, though there?s a warmth to it. "There are people at my shelter who might be able to work with you. A lot of folks with unique skills....just had a string of bad luck, that?s all."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The joke about there being honest people in Gotham, drew a smile across the redhead's face. She still had her hood up, but it wasn't concealing her visage at all from his eyes, since he was directly across the table from her. "I'm in... preservation, you could say. Of everything." She stated softly, a look giving around the room, at all the people rapidly typing on keyboards, and moving mice around on track pads.

When she looked back at him, she nodded once toward him. "Look. I can help you win this thing, if you need to. But... again, it'd interfere with my situation." She didn't know what caliber of a hacker he was, but maybe she was about to find out. "How much do you need the winnings from this contest?" She counter-inquired of him.

"If you're actually good at this, well, maybe I can extend you an offer." She implied a job opportunity.

Cinque Evers has posed:
"I am happy running my shelter, and also have other situations that keep me from pursing others jobs." Cinque raises his arms in a shrug, "I am going to be in Gotham for another few days I might try to hit the Wayne Foundation for a donation while I am here. I am sure that if I succeed it is going to be greater than prize offered here. Cinque watches as his download the security protocols while he goes to try to hacking the program to hide what he is doing. "I would never want to interfere with with anyone's situation unless they wanted me too."

Cinque laughs softly, "That sounded less like I was flirting in my head. Really, it did." Cinque stops typing to clearly his throat to move from his own embarassment, "I realy don't want to keep you from your work." Cinque takes a moment to glance at Babs and her outfit as another soft smile appears on her lips, "Barbara, I have enjoyed meeting you. Meeting you is really been something that I will never forget."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara sat with perfect posture in her chair across from the man, as he spoke of his shelter. Truth be told, she wondered if it was a cover story, as such a thing tended to have the hallmarks of such an angle in a shady lifestyle. But she took it for his word, in the now, as she had little reason to do otherwise. She just nodded her head gently, and flashed him a small smile.

"I get it." She quietly said, before she glanced toward the other contestants in this little game. When she looked back at him, she leaned across the table ever so slightly, before she lowered her voice again. "I already finished the test, around the time that you met me at the bar." She quietly whispered to him. "that other team, across the bar, in the corner. The green haired girl, and the guy who looks like he could use a sandwich? They're getting closest, but the asian couple in the middle are closing in fast on the last blockers. I think they're going to win in about five minutes, unless I submit my results..." She hovered a finger over the Enter button. "How much does your shelter need that money?" She asked him, a glint of mischievousnness in her eyes.

Cinque Evers has posed:
Cinque's download is complete and the file has been transferred to his hideout. Bab's words cause Cinque to let out a soft sigh, "Umm, I have a had cash flow problem recently. It is a long story, but I use to do be able to tap into more donations to help keep the place afloat, but I am a lot busy doing other stuff, so it is hard getting donations. It is a very tedious and boring story."

In the back of his mind, he thinks how hard it is to explain how not being a mercenary and vigilante that routinly robbed drug dealers, mobs, and corrupt corporations to help fund his shelter and his crime fighting can cause a whole in your finances. A recruit in SHIELD is not as profitable. Everytime he dons his costume now is just to help with this end of world craziness.

These thoughts play out in his head along with thoughts on what food vendors this restuarant buys from, and other scenarios that are really important to what is going on at the moment. Those thoughts do no keep him from noticing that mischieveness in her eyes and that really intrigues Cinque, "We are not destitute, but we could really use the money. It could save me a day from seeking out donations here in Gotham, and I could probably spend my time with someone who likes computer code..

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The response that Cinque provides to Babs, causes her to show him an even smirk. She gently nodded her head to his words, before she glanced at her screen, and then back to him. "I just hope it is a good cause. I haven't looked you up, yet." She replied, before she circled her right hand middle finger over the enter key, before she pressed it with a click.

Babs' code was summarily executed, with stacks of program blocks all combining rapidly together to create a super chain, that suddenly transfered to every computer in the joint.

Collectively, Barbara had been using all of the computers at once, to create the code system, effectively making everyone here do a part of the work for her. With it all coming together, the hack was completed, with the code sent to the mother server.

Babs reached for her drink, and gathered it up with both of her hands, to raise the icy pink beverage up to her lips. she shot him a smile, before she took a sip. "Hopefully you can make the money go far."

Cinque Evers has posed:
moment the mother server acknowledges that all the security protocols have been broken, every computer screen in the room freezes. A tense hush falls over the crowd, but before anyone can react, the phones belonging to Cinque and Barbara erupt in unison, playing Kool & the Gang's "Celebration."

The upbeat tune echoes throughout the restaurant, and the woman from earlier steps forward with a triumphant grin. With a dramatic flourish, she pops open a bottle of champagne, the cork sailing into the air as foam spills over the neck. "The contest is over!" she announces, her voice full of excitement. "We have our winners! Thank you all for coming out tonight. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening here."

A wave of reactions ripples through the crowd. Some of the hackers approach Cinque and Barbara, offering handshakes and congratulations, while others grumble under their breath, clearly disgruntled by their loss.

Amid the activity, the goth who had handed out the burner phones earlier steps up to the duo. "The prize money will be transferred to your accounts through your phones," he explains, his tone calm and measured. "You can do it anytime. We recommend running your own security checks on the phones first, just to be safe."

Cinque, grinning from ear to ear, as he glances at Barbara with a look of genuine gratitude. "I owe you," he says warmly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a simple business card. "I?m Cinque Evers. I run the Jamii Shelter."

He pauses for a moment, his voice softening. "Every year, we host an awards ceremony. The kids at the shelter make the awards themselves for people who?ve helped them. It?s not much, but it?s meaningful to them, and to me. I'd really like for us to honor you. It's just my way of saying thank you."

He hesitates briefly, then covers his grin with his hand, as if trying to play down his enthusiasm. "And, uh, just to be clear, this isn't some shady way to get your number or an excuse to see you again. Especially since it's not for several months..." His grin breaks through despite his best efforts, and he laughs softly. "It's just that what we do at the shelter,it helps a lot of people. And tonight, so did you."

The sincerity in Cinque?s voice is unmistakable, his gratitude radiating through his words. The moment feels genuine and warm, a small reprieve from the chaos of Gotham, and the possibility of the world ending.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara has her elbows on the table, her hands holding the glass of icy pink alcohol in front of her chin. she stares over at Cinque, as the reveleation of the winners rolls out across the other guests. She hadn't quite achieved her goal in coming here tonight, though she had a pretty good idea of who was going to win the challenge, if she even had decided to stay out of it. But, Cinque had a good cause for his winnings, and she was going to let him take all of it home to his personal cause.

"Hey, you just better be telling the truth." She warns him, as she glances to the Host of the event. she cast her a smile, before she looked back to Cinque. "Because my last name is Gordon, and my father is the GC Police Commissioner..." She informed him, a wicked grin showing on her pale skinned facial features.

Babs sampled another sip of her drink, before she set it aside. "Drinks are on me tonight!" The saucy redhead announced to the whole bar, in an attempt to give everyone a bit of a reason to cheer and enjoy the night afterall.