Description: Confounded by the strange incursion of Ninja on her turf, Elle calls in an expert witness. The Devil Ninja reveals secrets about this mysterious order, and Blackjack begins to make its move. Is it not said, only Ninja can kill Ninja?
There's always a sense of calm about Elle when she's in her office. It's not really a sanctuary, since she constantly has people wandering in and out of it through the day, getting her the reports she wants and supplying her with the endless train of food and caffine that gets her through the day. But the important aspect of the office is that it's a nerve center. This is where everything happens, and where all the moves are planned and all the thinking takes place.
Everything that happens out there starts right here, and there's a kind of certainty about that which makes Elle calmer somehow.
So, despite all the madness that the latest news has brought, Elle sits in her chair, tossing back handfuls of what appear to be small candies from a dish. In front of her is all the information on the latest news on the street. In a few short weeks since the end of the debacle in Thailand, brand new things to investigate have popped up.
None of them look particularly good for Blackjack either. Between the suspicious activity in Jinchuu and the new drug 'Burn' chewing up the market she established with Glow, profits are down, expenses are up, and her client list is drying up as a massive part of the underworld starts to dry up.
The lights are on in the office, although most save a few late night processors have gone home, leaving Elle mostly to herself in her brightly illuminated office. Once upon a time, the people in shirts and tie were Mad Gear stragglers. Elle eventually smashed them into something useful.
Elbow grease and ingenuity. Elle's got no shortage of it. But what she sometimes needs is expertise. Raw ability only takes you so far, and when you're largely dealing with an unknown element, it helps to have a member of that element in your camp. So Elle's called Marise. Whether or not the woman will appear tonight, however is questionable. Nevertheless, Elle has time. For now.
Blackjack's troubles are further compounded by another issue.. The question of said dark element on the payroll and her lack of usefulness of late.
Initially, the Devil was certainly the brightest of the founding members of the group. Filled with the most dark intent and promise.. However, attendence at meetings has been sporatic at best. Having no contributions to the team coffers nor any useful information to barter or use.
Perhaps the nail in the coffin, the Devil has not shown herself or contacted another Blackjack member for the last two weeks. Completely off the radar and unresponsive.
In this business, one usually assumes that means they picked a fight with the wrong person or a double-cross in the works.
Thusly, the Devil's timely appearance is more than a little off-putting. Hardly a few minutes after the call went out, the dark maiden stands in the corner of the Office. Simply being noticed inbetween the shuffling of papers and clink of candies in the bowl.
While the pale creature has never looked particularly healthy, she has clearly seen better days. Her long tresses worn down, haggard bangs hiding her face completely.. Her arms dangling at her sides in her limp, lifeless stance. Normally, she takes pains to present herself in a much more formal light in such meetings.. And to her, tradition and circumstance is whatever passes for life's blood in her quasi-living carcass.
"Miss Elle."
The Devil murmurs quietly. Ready to listen to whatever business the woman has for her. Acting as if there's nothing out of the ordinary and its business as usual.
"You look like hell," Elle says offhandedly. "Sit down. You have work to do."
Her tone indicates some displeasure at Marise. However, not as much as one might expect. Marise hasn't been the only one slacking. Leilani has been on leave since the Rugal incident, and Tran is taking care of his Glory Hound business. Naerose has been off training, and Reed hasn't reported back in since Elle sent him out to investigate potential robbery targets.
Due to this absenteeism, plans have slowed, and this upsets Elle more than the individual disappearances.
It's time to shake the box a little and see if anything falls out. More importantly, Elle needs things to get done. Things that she doesn't have enough hands to do on her own.
"Two big things, and I want you on one of them," Elle says. "The Ryouhara ninja clan. I've met one. I don't like her. I don't like her a lot. Who are they, what's their angle, and why are they making my clients nervous?"
"Keh."
The Devil responds to the first assertion.
If only she knew.
Without a word, snappy retort or exhibitionary preamble the Ninja gracefully shifts forth. Slipping bonelessly into her seat before the woman. Sitting just a fraction off-center, her head danging to the side as a glimpse of gold between the shadowy locks implies she is, infact, paying attention.
The Devil's head then tilts once more, "..Ryou.. Hara.." purple lips working over the name like a thing distantly remembered, "..Ryouhara.. Well now.." The woman slowly begins to regain a fraction of her previous faculties. The mental exercise distracting her from.. other things. "What was this Ryouhara's name?"
First things first. The Devil needs a little more information before she can devulge what she knows. That, and she needs to stall for a moment as she tries to filter through the.. cacophony of noise in her head.
"Seishirou," comes the answer. "Riko's his little sawed off sycophant. Reed told me that he got abducted by her a few weeks ago. Said that they attacked him with a robot panda, and that they had a dojo 'in the middle of nowhere'."
"Now, I've checked satellite maps, and I can't pinpoint any dojos I don't already know about, and none of them are infested with any real ninja," Elle continues, "so that means that either Reed's hallucinating, which I doubt, or they've got a dojo underground... which is pretty absurd."
The mercenary shrugs, leaning back to brush hair from her forehead. "Although I dunno. It could be underground, under water, or flying in space somewhere. I don't know what modern ninjas can do nowadays, other than make me miserable and make a fantastic crunching noise when you smush them."
At the description of said kidnapping, the Devil can't help but laugh once more. A rasping, scratching sound as she compulsively adds, "..That sounds like the Ryouhara Clan.. alright."
The name Seishirou is met with a slight narrowing of her gaze. Contemplating the name for a moment, finding it fitting enough for that man's heir, "I see."
At the Rock Tyrant's attempts at finding this location the Devil shakes her head slowly, "You will not find the Ryouhara in such a manner. Unquestionably they know more of your satelittes and electric visions than most you could hire. The Ryouhara were 'modern' when Colonials first crafted your cars and telephones."
The ghost then settles in her seat a bit more, reclining in her chair as she begins to tell a story. Her words slow, occasionally hesitating in places.. but never pausing,
"For generations the Ryouhara Clan has been the core of the Leaf Shinobi Group. Secretive even for my trade, the Ryouhara did not bother themselves with politics or petty intrigues many of my kind were.. regretably fixated upon. Mercenaries not unlike ourselves, but mostly as means to fund their own interests. Which was, primarily, development of their unique brand of Jutsu they refered to as Ninkoujutsu.. Science in a fashion, it would seem to be called now. They were its chief proponent generations ago. Using these techniques they crafted weapons.. of legendary power even in those days."
The Devil lifts an eyebrow, then considering the further rush of questions, "Their angle is simply to advance their techniques and trade.. by any means possible. As for why they make clients nervous.. That would entirely depend if their rivals are paying the Ryouhara significantly more than they are.." The Devil smiles slowly.
They depend on science.
Anything that depends primarily of a set of logical rules means that they operate with series of sequential strategies. And when it comes to logic and strategy, Elle's mind works on part with some of the best masterminds out there. Or so she likes to think.
Brown eyes lock with the Koga Ninja's own, and her unpainted lips settle into a thin line. "So what we have in an enclave of ninja scientists? Swell. Now, you bring up a couple of good handholds for us to grab on."
"It looks like the Ryouhara have been hitting a Russian mob pretty damn hard. That tells me that they've been hired to take them down, that mob has something scientific that they want... or maybe they've got some kind of..." She rolls her hand in thought. "What do you guys call it? Vendetta of honor? Something? Those have got to be the only reasons they're doing what they're doing, or a combination of the three."
The mercenary eyes the Devil of Koga once more. The Ryouhara are people of science and logic... which means that if they're anything like her, have a tough time with the less predictable and mystical. Certainly, they can rationalize the basic tenets of mysticism as pure bunko, but if Marise is any indication, there's some level of credence to the idea of the spiritual.
They may be well prepared for Marise's capabilities, but not what she represents. More importantly, they're not equipped for what she knows.
"So, how do you go about 'stopping' a Ryouhara ninja?" An accent on 'stopping'. By any and all means available, of course.
As Elle begins to go and explain more current circumstances of said clan, the Devil is certainly attentive but curiously not all that fascinated. Almost.. dismissive of the Leaf Ninja as her gaze is borderline distracted as mention of Russian Mobs is spoken and vendettas. Clearly nothing too out of the ordinary, the idea that someone hired a Ninja Clan to deal with rival Mobsters is fairly cut and dry, even if said clan would be on the pricey side for such a common hit.
As the subject of 'dealing' with them comes up.. The Devil suddenly interjects, "Miss Elle. If you would humor me a moment. Please expose your shoulders and turn your back to me, if you will." Lifting a pausing hand..
First thing's first. Certain precautions, no matter how redundant they may be to one as paranoid as the Rock Tyrant, must be observed rigorously.
Elle doesn't, for the most part.
Everyone she deals with is kept at arm's length. All the people she interacts with have their backgrounds scoured like pots before she even thinks about seeing them.
Her teammates, however, are a little different. While all people are equal in her team, some people are simply more equal than others.
In short, Elle doesn't trust Marise. But she does trust her expertise. Wordlessly, the mercenary leader complies. "I've already checked for electronic bugs," she informs. Nevertheless, Elle's ready to unleash a torrent of chi if Marise does anything less than intelligent.
The ninja normally wouldn't... but ion her current state, who knows?
Trust is a precarious thing for people such as they.
There is the very accute concern of the Rocker essentially exposing her neck and turning her back to a creature that, by any western definition of the term, is a blood sucking vampire. One who does not even make false promises of loyalty and had once literally fought the tacturn woman for dominance of her very organization.
However.. There is another notion at play. As Elle, infact, complies to the Devil.. At once it proves to her that she has value. That for as annoyed as she is at the Devil's recent indiscressions.. Marise is still counted on.
After all, if Elle was just looking for a way to get rid of her.. She certainly wouldn't be baring her throat.
Similarly, the Devil is demonstrating something of her own. Rising from her seat, the woman very carefully reaches out .. running her chilling fingertips along the woman's shoulderblades. The unnerving sensation likely raising goosebumps in its wake. If the Devil was, infact, looking to double-cross and betray the rocker.. there will never be a better moment than this.
"Mmn.. She did not even try to plant a scrying seal.." The Devil kyehs to herself quietly as she draws away, "..How insulting."
As the Devil regains her seating, she allows herself to make a shifting fabric sound and signal that Elle may redress, "They do not use 'electronics' as our NESTs allies would consider them.. per se. The Ninkoujutsu is using the energy of breath to provide motion and function. It is a .. 'science of magic'.. You may as well consider it." Sniffing dismissively at the very concept.
"Forgive me for checking for myself. If we are to discuss dealing with them.. You can appreciate I prefer to make absolutely certain we are not being.. monitored. It is a common Ryouhara tactic to know as much as they can. They are similar to us in a fashion.. They fully appreciate the power of knowledge."
Though not immune to fear, Elle is hard to shake. Nevertheless, marise is a difficult person to get used to. Elle still gets unnerved every so often at the woman's behavior; she just can't demonstrate whn she is.
The burdens of leadership are funny that way. Still, when Marise explains what exactly it is she's doing, Elle gains a slight understanding about this 'magic', or at least a better realization as to what they're up against.
She turns around, adjusting herself appropriately. "They don't think much of me. To them, I'm a stupid thug. She thinks our orginazation is just a play club where the only thing that's going on is mindless brawls and partying. Can't say I blame them. Most of the things we do are covered up better than they cover themselves."
The marcenary grabs at more candy, popping them into her mouth. "So we've got that going for use. Arrogance has a price, and the only ego I'm guilty of having is just enough to keep me from having issues with my self esteem. So, that aside, back to the original question: how do we hit these yahoos? I don't like them. They're a threat I didn't think of, and I hate it when thathappens."
The Devil considers this information, clearly pleased as she nods after a moment, "Good."
In Marise's circles, most would kill to be considered so lowly and harmless. Especially by a Clan as well researched and clinical as the Ryouhara. Not only does she consider this no problem, the ghost considers this position to be entirely ideal.
Of course, this raises the question of Elle's mandate. The Devil pauses after a fashion, considering this as she looks to the woman beneath her living veil. No idle figiting or shifting limbs betray the thinking processing behind those eyes, looking for all the world that she may have fallen asleep with her eyes open.
"In previous generations.. conventional wisdom was that.. If one does not interfere with the Ryouhara.. they will not interfere with you. The Leaf Ninja have been historically passive. Why, precisely, need we concern ourselves if they have been comissioned to murder some communist thief lord? They are.. hardly an aggressive institution. Likely they will soon return to sleep after recieving whatever fortunes their Ninkoujutsu requires to develop.."
Which would help explain why the ghost has seemed so dismissive of the Clan. They have always been tinkerers and craftsmen who kept to themselves by and large. Never a mover and shaker as certain other more active, aggressive Clans... But then, things can change.
Perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye..
"..Tell me of these.. Russian Mobsters you speak of.." Is there a motive beyond a simple contract at play?
Now it's Elle's turn to dispsense knowledge.
"The Ryouhara didn't just hit some low-life Russian mob," she explains. "They hit /the/ Russian mob. The big shot. The numero uno. While I guess it's not uncommon for a little guy to go after a big guy now and again," she says, thinking of her fight with Rugal a few weeks ago, "the Ryouhara haven't made a move like ever. I'd have heard of them if they had."
"So basically, they've been dead quiet for however many hundreds of years to the outside world... until now. That means that the payoff for them has to be massive. Otherwise, they woulodn't be sticking their necks out like this," Elle says, her eyes flicking back and forth in the usual fashion. The same thing happens when she fights as well.
Candy is popped into her mouth again in a vain effort to substitute for a cigarette. "So it comes down to... what does an ancient ninja clan want with a Russian mobster's money? What's more, they're holding a tournament," Elle says, her eyes snapping back to focus on Marise. "Probably using the money they ripped from the mobsters."
And then the epiphany, of sorts.
"The tournament's rigged somehow," she says definitively. "They payoff is somewhere loaded into the tournament. It's /always/ loaded into the tournament. Ripping off the Russians is just icing."
"But for them to pulla maneuver like this, the payoff has got to be huge..."
he Devil blinks precisely once. It is the greatest concession a thing such as her would ever make towards a sensation of surprise.
While the idea of the Ryouhara being sent out after a supremely high profile target isn't too alarming, they are filthy foreigners afterall. The Russians were always weaklings. However.. taking whatever resources they've acquired from said target and investing into a public tournament?
That.. flat out doesn't make sense. It follows nothing of the standard modus operandi she is familiar with of the Ryouhara Clan.
Okay. Now the the Devil is intrigued. What in the world are the Leaf Ninja up to to sponsor such a thing? Why would they need so many fighters in one place?
"The arts of Ninpo can obscure many things. Money.. however.. is not one of them." The Devil lifts her perplexed gaze back to Elle's own, "The Russians are the weak link. If we can assertain precisely what resources the Leaf Ninja took from them, and precisely where they invested those resources and into what materials, a more accurate picture will unfold. We also should observe this tournament very, very carefully."
Elle nods. "I'll check with my contacts, see what's going on. You, on the other hand, are going to keep a close eye on those god damn ninja," she says jabbing a finger at Marise. "Seishirou's the brains of the operation, but Riko considers herself indispenseable. Her ego gave that one away real fast. Get you and a buddy to tag and bag her and see if you can't squeeze me some ninja juice."
"If you can't get a hand on her, just keep up espionage," Elle continues. "I want to know how many times a day she takes a piss, capich?"
"In the meantime, the whole damn team is enrolling in this tournament. As long as we stack the deck, there's a damn good chance that we're going to make it to the end of this thing." The mercenary taps her fingers on the desk. "See, normally I'm with you. Leave them be, and don't get involved. But when somethign this big is going down and nobody else has a peice of the action... that's where we need to shine."
The woman's lips quirk into a half smile. "Besides... if we can play our cards right, we might be able to find out where their village is, and science projects have a /real/ nasty habit of blowing up."
The Devil considers these orders very, very carefully.
This isn't the same as the blunt military antics of Shadaloo or the arrogant petty crime of the Syndicate or even the technological arrogance of NESTs. The Ryouhara are cold, clinical and detatched. Everything they do is steeped with purpose and exacting consideration. Ninja are at their most dangerous, when you do not precisely know what they are up to.
That said.. There is massive opportunity to be had. If the Ryouhara are truly making their move, after all this time, there is a great deal to gain by those who play a decisive and precise hand. The sacred weapons of Leaf are said to possess great power. Power enough.. to help restore what was lost?
"Yes. Miss Elle."
The Devil complies, inclining her head smoothly. There could be much to gain by this.. and while the Rock Tyrant seems intent to make an example of these Secretive Ninja, perhaps there is something else to be gained here more than simple vengeance and underworld pecking order? One must keep one's eyes open for opportunity as it strikes. Clearly, Marise will have to make some inqueries in dark places.
"I believe I know.. how to get their attention."
The Devil smiles.
Log created on 02:01:04 08/17/2007 by Marise, and last modified on 03:38:49 08/17/2007.