9311/Bright galas and dark dealings

Bright galas and dark dealings
Date of Scene:	27 December 2021
Location:	Wetworks Bar and Distillery
Synopsis:	A black market auction has taken place; the Crime Bible has changed hands for a great deal of money... And three different people all know exactly who.
Cast of Characters:	Kate Kane, Natasha Cranston, Felicity Smoak

---

Kate Kane has posed:
Evening, midway between Christmas and New Year's, the Distillery is lit up for the season. The venue has been rented out for an expensive charity event to benefit the Gotham Children's Hospital, and is sponsored by several large corporations in the city. Remarkably, Wayne Enterprises and Kane Capital aren't among them, though they both support the hospital liberally. Thus, they were certainly sent invitations. And, even if they hadn't been, Kate would have wrangled one somehow -- in this case more because of the underworld rumours  she's heard swirlling around it than because of the cause itself, for all that it's a cause she'd generally support without question. She simply prefers to do so through her own Foundation, simply because she *knows* it's honest.

Regardless, a tumbler in her hand with a whiskey sour in its bowl,  she's wearing a stylish Izabel Goulart pantsuit that has a well-tailored, feminine cut, silk lapels, a slim legline. Her green eyes scan the crowd, watching the ebb and flow of people as they mix and greet one another.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
            Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Man?

    'Tis the season to be jolly - and to hold big charity galas to get the most out of that Christmas Spirit charity out of wealthy donors. Personally, Natasha dislikes all the glitz and glamour, but her PR department frowns at her until she gives in -- and normally it's a good opportunity to play the ditzy dilettante to the hilt among people who need her money too much to object to her coming back.

    This particular charity still is, but it's also an investigation opportunity: her Network has traced a particularly elusive stolen prototype to a black market auction taking place using this venue as a cover.

    Benny is standing by with her gear, but she'll need to find the location first.

Which means socializing.

Blech.

    She sets her disdain aside for now, letting her expression melt into 'vapid socialite' as she crosses the treshold, exchanging pleasantries with her peers as she makes her way to the drinks table...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Why is it that the Queens aren't here? Even Moira Queen, the matriarch, would jump at the chance at a 'see and be seen' affair such as this. And it's for the CHILDREN. It would tie philanthropy up with a little red bow.

Nope, instead there's the request for Felicity to go, represent Queen Consolidated, and send back information as she can. Thus, the tech geek is cleaned up, and comes out on the other side as rather pretty in green evening dress, the stones around her neck shiny enough, as are the earrings that dangle. In hand, a glass of wine that was so happily placed there by one of the passing waiters, and red-lipsticked lips leave that telltale pattern on the stemware.

She talks, she laughs, she tries desperately not to be too terribly awkward, channeling her inner movie star. It's all an act.

As she passes a table, she does murmur into her glass, "Okay, I'm here. You owe me big."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate doesn't overly lean into the socialite persona. Most people don't expect it of her. Party girl? Yes. But still, she's never quite been able to hide the intelligence in her eyes or the acerbic nature of her wit. She sips her drink and moves between groupings of conversations, occasionally pausing to respond to some sort of smalltalk. But, truthfully, she's not remotely interested in any of it. And she's never been great at pretending.

It's when she sees certain figures -- business men and women she *knows* aren't nearly as legitimate as they claim (it's Gotham, this is normal) -- moving toward the rear of the bar, that she starts threading her way that way, herself. Her eyes scan the check-in routine and the various ways people seem to be getting in. Kitchens. It's tough to go wrong with a tray of alcohol in your hands.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Getting a bit of privacy in a public gala like this is trickier than it seems; but one benefit of her vapid obnoxious idiot act is that people quickly start making excuses to find someone else to talk to.

    Better yet, no one is taking too much notice when she accosts yet another waiter for a fresh drink -- and to his credit, a brief widening of his eyes is his only reaction when he recognizes the blue girasol on her left ring finger as she lifts the glass, followed by an even more minute nod.

    As she passes by him, only she can hear his murmur, "North hallway. There's a false cabinet that opens to a stairway."

    Natasha nods minutely in response -- and the next moment she stumbles, 'accidentally' tripping into the waiter, sending his tray tumbling, spattering him and herself with wine... And covering for the handover of a key from his hand into hers.

    There's some awkward silence as Natasha makes a retreat to the restrooms with what dignity she can spare and no regard for the poor waiter who has to clean up the mess she made...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
A laugh here, an eyeroll there, a giggle and a hand set out to rest upon a forearm of a speaker, all are within Felicity's ability to act. She's seen it a million times in the movies, watched all alone in her apartment with a pint of ice cream. In her ear, there's obviously a smart retort, because her reaction is a cough when the wine goes down the wrong pipe. A hand rises to her chest, and she taps the flesh there in an effort to get some of the liquid out. Ha.

The gathering, however, is noticed, and with that same murmured complaint, "It really shouldn't be me, here."

<<'It can't be me. Too recognizable. Besides, you look great.'>>

Mollified, if only a little bit, Felicity pulls her phone out, and begins to hit a couple of keys. At the same time, however, she's making it seem as if she's checking herself, checking her makeup in the phone's camera (so totally believable, actually!) as she maneuvers her way back towards the bar, ostensibly to get another glass of wine.

The trip and almost fall, with wine going everywhere has Felicity half-jumping out of the way to avoid the splashzone, resisting the urge to help the poor waiter in picking up the now shards of glass on the floor.

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate slips into the kitchen. When someone looks at her in surprise, she wiggles her fingers, gives a small smile, and lays a finger against her red lips. Slipping by them, she picks up a white towel, a tray and, off the back of an abandoned chair, a white jacket of the sorts sported by the servers. Her black jacket is shed, left draped over a broom handle in a corner.

By the time she enters the back of the auction, she's slicked her hair back with some water, to darken it and change it's usually spikey look into something less eye catching and the white jacket acts a signal to all the 'important people' that she's to be ignored. The towel is over her arm and the tray is lifted high enough to make her face harder to see without seeming strange.

There's the murmur of voices as the auctioneer steps up to the podium, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Floating Market. You all know the rules. So, let's begin..."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Once out of immediate sight, it's a relatively simple twist of will to bend any remaining perceptions away from her. Natasha makes her way back to the foyer where Benny has left her gear in an inconspicuous briefcase. It's only a minute to change, and a shadow flickers along the wall down the north hall until the staircase opens, following one of the market's clients down...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
The most wonderful thing about technology is it's ability to be hacked by anyone who knows and understands its strengths and weaknesses. Take Felicity, for example. She can hack into almost anything, given time and resources, and have it dance if that's what she so desired.

People honestly believe that their phones are a bastion against such endeavors, but surprisingly (or not so), they have larger holes in their security simply because people don't expect their phones to be .. repurposed.

Felicity does just that.

Once she helps by some of the larger shards, she finds that she has to make up for lost time, and quickly gain access to a phone, making sure that the signal jumps every minute to another phone, just to keep it from tracking. All this? On her phone.

Resources.

So, as some of the people pass by, Felicity is 'on the list' (she made sure of it!), and is escorted in, given a glass of champagne, and has absolutely no need to look suspiciously at her phone. Most of the others are doing the work for her, sending the information back to, well.. her current 'handlers'.

Kate Kane has posed:
The auctioneer begins his patter. The first lot is a piece of security tech purported to be on par with SHIELD's latest tech. Anyone in the know, however, will recognize it's probably two or three generations old by now. The second is a formula for a docility gas that still needs tweaking to be truly effective. And so it goes. Some lots are genuinely useful -- weapons and technology that no one really wants to see on the streets. Some lots are pricey because of the prestige -- artworks created by celebrity Arkham residents, classic pieces whose forged replicas hang in prestigious national galleries, and weapons used in particularly notorious crimes.

The lot that attracts Kate's attention is an old book that is purported to be the oldest known copy of the infamous Crime Bible, a book of biblical proportions legend says was written by Cain the original Murderer. Her eyes narrow as she studies it, as the wealthy crimelords in the room bid on possessing it.

"I said," someone at her elbow repeats, grabbing hold of her bicep, "I was told I was the only one working this event."

Kate looks at him and blinks. She gives him a sharp smile and pushes her tray against him. "Hey," she says, "you want all the tips, knock yourself out. I just go where I'm told." Not like these people tip at all.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    So many criminals, great and small, grand and petty... Sadly, this is neither the time nor the place to bring them to justice -- entirely too great a risk of collateral damage to the gala above.

    For now, the Shadow will have to resign herself to keeping an eye on who purchases what, and... Reclaim it later.

    She sticks to the walls where her shadow fades more easily into the ones already present, pulling out a slight camera to collect evidence...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Wait, wait.. SHIELD tech? That makes sense, considering HYDRA had access to all their little hidey-holes. How to impress a major Agency in one swell-foop, right there.

The bidding starts and finishes, and Felicity takes a look at the person winning the auction. Doesn't look very smart, probably couldn't use the tech to get out of paper bag. Still, the dance of the transmitting cellphones makes its waltz nearer to the winner of the bid, even as the next goes up.

Docile gas?

Felicity can't help but let out a soft snerk, followed by a furtive glance around with her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she mouths to the man next to her. "Could have used that for my last date." That does elicit something of a chuckle from the man sitting next to her, and the eyes go back to the stage, and the auctioneer.

Paintings, statues, works of art taken from museums, dig-sites in the Middle East and Africa, and some odd animal mineral.

Not from any animal Felicity has ever heard of on Earth, either. Brows crease, and there is that moment of confusion before she fixes her face to look a touch bored, all while checking those around her to see if they saw her.

Nope!

Kate Kane has posed:
The pushy waiter by Kate's elbow scowls at her. "Who told you to come down here?" he demands. She grabs him by the upper arm and hauls him off to one side, as people in the back row start shooting glares at them.

"Buddy, are you trying to get us both fired? You're attracting attention. The kitchen sent me down, so here I am. Now are you going to make a scene here or just accept the help and shut the hell up for once?" He sputters, she spins him around and shoves him out the door. "Go get us more champagne before someone call management."

She knows there's a clock ticking, as he disappears furiously up the stairs. She takes the tray and moves along the back line of chairs. As she goes, she swipes her towel over the back of one chair, snagging a pashmina from a woman who hardly misses it as it flutters away -- her coat is heavy enough she doesn't feel it. Depositing the tray on a side table, Kate doffs her white jacket and wraps the pashmina over her hair and bare shoulders. Muttering apologies in French as she pushes into the row, she finds herself an empty seat and gives a flirtatious smile to both the man and the woman beside her.

All of which means, by the time the huffy server returns with reinforcements, she's completely blended into the crowd. Who says all those years abroad weren't educational?

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    The little interaction hasn't gone unnoticed by the Shadow -- and unlike the waiter, she is in a position to see Kate do her little changing trick.

    Interesting. Potential ally, or a player for another faction entirely looking to cause trouble? Either way, this isn't the time or place; keep tabs and confront later.

    She moves away from the wall, taking care to blend her shadow into the crowds, keeping an eye on the woman. The impromptu scarf makes her obvious enough, at least...

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity isn't a trained spy, she's not a trained look-out. She's a tech geek who is currently, undoubtedly, over her head. Luckily there is someone uotside and not too far away with firepower enough for extraction. Assuming there's anything //left// to extract. There are murderers, people who hire murderers, and such down here, and being too curious as to what is going on around her isn't conducive to life.

Sooooo..

The reinforcements, however, are noticed, and brows rise before she glances at the people beside her to check if they're reacting at all to potentially brief interruption of the proceedings. Nerves of jello. That is Felicity.

Rising from her seat, the woman begins the 'excuse me, pardon me' game across the short expanse of seats, passing by the unrecognized Kate before making it to the aisle on the far side.

It's time to leave. She's gotten what she came for, and..

"'Who will bid--'"

Names. A list of names begins; a hit list of some people she recognizes, others only by reputation. Freezing in her efforts to depart, she turns around and watches as the little paper 'flags' rise as the bidding war begins anew.

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate doesn't draw further attention to herself. And the enforcers that came in with the server have no idea what she looks like. Even the server has lost her in the crowd now. They scurry about and start checking exits, but there's no reason to believe the interloper is still there. So, they end up departing without unduly ruffling the crowd.

As the list of names is brought up for bid, Kate's brow arches faintly. She watches who bids and keeps them in mind. But her attention is drawn by a lean man who has moved to pay for that crime bible auctioned off while she was dealing with the server. She studies him closely.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    The Shadow raises a mental eyebrow at the auction items. Some of these have been missing for quite a while; others... SHIELD will probably want to know about them. She'll have to arrange for one of her Network to pass on the information deniably.

    She definitely notes Kate's reaction to a 'Crime bible' -- which sounds almost nonsensical, but given how high the bidding appears to go...

    She watches the bidding go round, and decides to give matters a bit of a push.

    Clouding the minds of men is harder when they're already focused -- but when they're already inclined to do something it only takes a bit of a nudge to push one of them to bid extravagantly -- and the others to choose greed over caution in response. Regardless of how valuable this is, someone is going to spend entirely too much on it.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity has a recording of most of the goings on, which once she's back at the Arrowcave (still have to find a new name for that!), she can do voice recognitions and eventually get identities. She undoubtedly has some conversation of the man bidding for the SHIELD tech, for the gasses, and for that bible, such as it is.

She remains in place for those names before slipping out, grabbing a flute of champagne on her way for her troubles.

Has she got work cut out for her when she gets back!

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate hides her surprise at just how viscious, financially speaking, the bidding becomes. It's telling, though, who wants what and just how badly they want it. Whomever is behind this auction is going to make a mint, today. That's... mildly concerning, but not her focus.

As the bidding wraps, however, she waits until the people in her row have started to rise, before she slips between chairs and makes her way out.

Time to get out of here. She slips past the server she disturbed earlier, up the stairs. A detour through the kitchen allows her to swap her pashmina for her black jacket. Then, its back out into the gala to make her presence known before she's finally slipping out into the night to follow up on everything she's learned.

Looks like she's going to need Oracle's help again.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    The Shadow makes her way out as the auction draws to a close. Tonight has been informative, but it will take some time to digest all this information properly. Luckily, as of late she's not entirely alone anymore -- and her new ally has a repution for rooting out secrets in the digital world.

    It won't be long at all until The Shadow Knows...