Description: Anthrax (1990). The Devil of Koga finally resurfaces with entirely new information that brings Blackjack tantalizingly close to the answers that it's been looking for. While Katana and Birdie struggle with the nuances of such a Byzantine plot, Elle and Marise scrape frustratingly close to the answers they seek. The end realization: a Ninja Master and Russian Mobster may hold the last peices of the puzzle.
In the heart of the business district is a nondescript office building of little interest. Locals see it every day, and a great majority of the people in the town take it for granted. It's not the tallest, widest, or anything-est. It's about as average as it can get. It has a parking structure out back, and the facade is all glass. The tower is 35 stories in all, and adds to the Southtown skyline minimally.
But on the 21st floor, Elle's staked her claim. As the nerve center of the entire organization, Elle's usually in her office when she's not on a mission, busy working away to make sure the financial end of things keep chugging.
The office is standard. It has a reception desk, cubicles, and offices.
What /is/ unusual here are the employees. A lot of them are ex-gangsters, mobsters, and Yakuza affiliates. People that have fallen out of favor with their old organizations, are in trouble with the law, or otherwise need a new start can be found here.
In short, Elle continues her tradition of picking up the desperate, dusting them off, and giving them a new lease on life.
For a price.
But now's not the time for that. Elle's busy in the meeting room, set in the middle of the office. Having set up her usual charts, diagrams and the like on the projection screen, she's prepared seats for her 'staff'.
Also there? Food. Donuts, snacks, drinks, and even a mini fridge filled with fruit and juices (and beer for Tran). She's done her research well, and has provided for the tastes and preferences for all her staff. There's even sushi (California rolls for Katana and actual raw fish for Marise).
And so she awaits the arrival of her team, so that things can get done.
Birdie is here, rather beaten but still here. He isn't white, because he sure as heck isn't sick, so he's Black. AND IT'S A GOOD THING THAT HE IS TOO. Sitting back, putting his feet up, and sipping beer, there isn't much more that Birdie could want in like than bustin' heads and living the good life like this. Some people get it rough.
"So why'd you call all us blokes here, boss?" Birdie asks with a motion of his hand. "You got some info on something good?" He smiles a big grin. Info is always good.
There is a Truck outside. It's very bright. It is also colorful. And rather amazingly out of place.
Thankfully, it's a few buildings away. Katana meanwhile walked over to the building himself, and yes with weapons in tow and the entire getup, rode the elevator upwards! Once he was finally on the high enough floor, Katana enters the room witch Elle had prepared. And making his way in, sitting down, and then using a jitte to grab him a roll.. and then put it into the mask and chow down, ( Yeah California rolls ), he chews. "Came like you said. I, Katana, am ready to hear all!" He looks like he's been in a storm.. and lost a fight to a giant green storm-cloud.
The Devil Ninja is prompt this time.
A shadow simply comes into being in the corner of the conference room. Unlike the last time she had been seen by her teammates, The Devil has returned to her previous poise and composure. Black kimono neatly arranged upon her voluptuous frame with ebon parasol obscuring the fine details of her upper half in inky shadows.
In all the meetings she has ever attended, the woman has never touched the foods arranged for her. Not to say she does not appreciate the gesture. Regardless, Marise makes no sound. Not even the slightest stirring to indicate she is anything but a lifeless manniquin. Merely awaiting her defacto leader to open the meeting and present the order of business. There is.. much to discuss.
"I'll make this short," Elle says, gesturing to Marise. "This is Marise. She's a founding member. She doesn't say much, and lately, I've been hard pressed to get her to /do/ much." She pauses, a light frown crossing her face. "But she's apparently got a good excuse, and has some insight on this whole ship business, so she still gets the standard disclaimers. So listen carefully."
"To not hit on Marise. Do not make sudden movements around Marise. Do not /taunt/ Marise, touch Marise, or attempt to intimidate her, because she /will/ eat you, and I will /not/ save you."
That being said, she gestures to the two brutes. "Marise, this is Birdie: street tactics specialist and muscle for hire. Over here is Katana, who we've talked about before. 'Daimyo' of Mad Gear. Aislinn and Naerose were supposed to be here tonight, but Aislinn contacted me, told me she might be running late. As for Naerose... well, she's probably lost in the basement."
The mercenary leader sits down. "While I do have a few things to say, Marise's info takes precedence. It's all you, Vampirella." She says, sitting down in her chair, gesturing for the creepy woman to start.
Birdie listens to Elle as she speaks. Alright. Don't do anything with Marise. He can do that. She has nice assets and such, and a funky outfit, but he can live with that. Sure. She looks too frail anyways.
Taking another drink of his beer, Birdie just sets a wave. "Hi Marise." He offers, awaiting her information.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS FIRST... Katana takes another one of those tasty California rolls. And the Samurai then looks straight into Elle, after she prompts them towards the Devil Ninja. When did she get there? Katana looks on as Elle says to not hit one, taunt, touch, or intimidate. Raising a blade, with rolls attached to the sharp parts of the jitte, Katana agrees! "You have my word and honor as a Samurai!"
That's a nice Kimono though. He really wants a kimono as nice as that. He'll have to steal one later. And then he will be a TRUE Shogun. "Hello, Marise! I welcome you here, to this abode! Noko no bono wa wa??" It means .. who knows actually.
Marise would also see the death sign on his chest. But it's not Kanji, it's /wrong/. It means nothing.
As the Rock Tyrant introduces the Devil, the ominous woman hardly budges a fraction of an inch. No rebuttle or comment leaves the shadows of the parasol in regard to Elle's mounting annoyance.
No need. The ghoulish maiden knows precisely what will turn that frown upside down.
In a smooth, bonelessly fluid motion the Devil strides forth. Her movements so subtle, so graceful she almost seems to float over the plush carpeting towards Elle's end of the meeting table.
"Miss Elle." The ominous woman's sultry voice offers as the parasol collapses in a snap and falls to the side. Looking for all the world like she stepped off of a centerfold for 'Hot Goth Playmate of the Month'. The Devil turns her head then to regard her newly acquired teammates. Eyes hidden behind the veil of her black bangs.
.... Well. Surely they will serve their collective purpose at least.
With a soft exhale, the devil lifts her pale hand from her sleeve.. settling a simple manilla folder onto the dark brown, glistening surface of the meeting table and flips it open. Her voice, a strange feminine tone with an unearthly cadence, begins clearly,
"For the past few weeks I have tracked down the Ryouhara Clan. Uncovering what I could in regards to the construction and purpose of the Suiryuu. Along with what I could uncover about what their Clan has been doing for the last several years. To shed some light, perhaps, on current events unfolding."
The first of a series of photographs is slid to Elle first. Allowing the Tyrant to examine them first before she sees fit to pass them along to the new hires.
The image is a satellite photo of what seems to be a mountainside with several small vessels sailing towards it along the cliffsides,
"This is where the Suiryuu was built. The vessel has been under construction for in excess of two years. Raw materials from hundreds of suppliers around the world was shipped into this location. All of the equipment, finished good factories were created on-site. Everything that was not a part of the original ship, which was stolen during a previous Saturday Night Fight match some time ago, was created there."
More pictures. This time within a massive cave. Large enough to fit a yacht and thensome.. Save that everything is destroyed. Ransacked and burned to the ground. Even the metal forges and machinery was reduced to nearly unintelligible slag.
"Once the Suiryuu was complete, the Ryouhara destroyed their manufacturing site completely. Very little remained. It appears they had spent several million and years of effort to build that one ship.. and only that one ship."
And there is many more pictures where that came from.. But Marise takes a moment to shift through her compiled information to move on to the next item..
Birdie blinks. He idly wonders how many women are in this group, and if they hired Katana and him to take up all the blows that would otherwise come at them. Naaaaahh. Using them? No. They pay them. Still, that's a lot of women.
"Alright. Big ship take big time to make. That makes bloody sense." Birdie hmm, taking another sip of his beer. As he gets pictures he looks, and then passes them on. "Woah. That's a lot of cash. Hahaha. Why that much for one little dingy? Guys must like their fights."
Elle scans over the pictures, and nods. Likely, the two musclebound cronies have no real use for such pictures, but she lets them have a gander anyhow. So this is /where/ the thing was built. Given the pcitures alone, she can hazard a guess the raw materials that went into the boat.
And as far as the millions of dollars are concerned, Elle can hazard a guess as to where that cash came from.
"Alright," Elle says evenly. That's impressive, but thus far, it doesn't really mean anything too much. Well, except, "Yo. Rocksteady, Bebop. This ship looks like it's a hell of a lot more armor plated than we thought. We're going to need some aromor plating to break open that hole."
Putting the blade in his mouth and then eating the food off of it, Katana pays attention to Marise and then to ELle. He pays rapt attention, as well, looking around at everything and nodding. Katana doesn't realize any amount of ladies Samurai are beyond such urges, beyond all but battle!
And as Elle mentions something armor plated to break open that ship, Katana looks on alright. "You know. I bet that a strong blow straight to the front from something rather large would do it easily. Hahah! Enough force and everything crumbles beneath you!"
Birdie says, "Maybe we could use a magnetic or something. Or rip them off."
The Devil allows her fellows to process that much information before continuing. Flipping to yet another picture of the destruction within the massive cave drydock, "These pictures were taken on an island in the Philippines. Of course, one would think such an operation would require hundreds of laborers whom would be more than content to tell us many more details. However, there were none. No local, or global, contractors were engaged. No craftsmen, shipwrights. Raw materials were brought onsite and simply left. The Ryouhara performed all of the labor and construction themselves. Which, considering the Clan cannot be more than a handful.. Means they had engaged considerable amounts of automation of some form. Unfortunately, keeping so many living, talking beings out of the loop means their tracks have been covered exceptionally well."
The Devil flips to another picture, this one of a forge melted into a ruined heap of slag, "One detail I had deduced. The destruction of this dock was performed by.. a technique. All of it." Splaying out a picture of yet more flaming destruction, engulfing a dock roughly the size of a small stadium. "A fire jitsu of incredible strength. Which.. Led to another discovery."
Flipping to copied pictures of newsclippings. This time during the Thailand War. Her hidden gaze shifts to Elle at her side, "Do you remember the Mueang Reyong incident?"
Of course she should. When that massive, stolen oil tanker exploded off the coast of the Thailand shores, obscuring a large proportion of Bangkok in smoke. "The same technique that did this, also destroyed that Tanker. Which led me to do further investigations.. revealing that the Ryouhara were quite active during that War. A money trail led to the Prime Minster, showing he had commissioned the clan for great sums during the War. Some millions, it would seem."
This begs the obvious question. So? To Which Marise shrugs a single shoulder, "It would seem many.. events.. over the last few years this Clan may have been behind, or secretly participated. And funneling all of the resources into creating this one ship."
They do seem to be banking an awful of eggs into that extremely expensive basket.
What now? Another shadow conspiracy? Whether or not Katana or Birdie is following any of this leaves Elle's mind immediately. There' a lot of information here to process. So let's look at the key information.
1) The Ryuohara have large amounts of Automatons: Robots. Probably chi powered. That comports with what Reed said he fought a few months ago.
2) A powerful 'fire' jitsu. Apparently, the Ryuohara are adept with seals. Elle knows this, and can tell just from Aislinn's reports and her own observations.
3) They've been extremely active within the last few months, Their involvement with the war in Thailand /is/ news. And the fact that they got money from the Prime Minister of Thailand is also quite a scoop. The ninjas showing activity for a government is brand new, which means that their roots sink deeper into the soil than Elle had suspected.
But that does definitely need more of a connecting line. Yes, the Ryuohara are powerful... but to what end? "Aislinn said that they plan to use the ship to start the biggest conflict in seven decades," Elle supplies, gaze locked on Marise. "Spell it out for me. What do you know, Vamp?"
Birdie hmms, tapping the beer on his chin. This is a big deal. A really big deal actually. It means that some one has fire Chi, or some whole clan has fire chi, and he's going to be really burnt. BBQ burnt. And he's the black guy. He doesn't want to go down that fast.
"So. That mean those blokes are going to use it on us? The fire chi stuff." He adds, to make sure he's right there with them. He doesn't voice what he's taking down internally. Because this is all good stuff to know.
And as these things are spelled out, Katana looks at Elle and Marise. Munching, he doesn't understand so much beyond start a war. "A war? That'd get in the way of Mad Gear!" Katana thinks for himself. "And then I'd never get a hold of Metro City!" Not good at all!
Then he hears fire chi. "Is that what people do with their hands? Such a thing.. is pretty painful. Not saying that I would not run towards it in honor! But it isn't what I am used to at all!"
The Devil meets Elle's gaze as she looks to her. A faint glint of gold can be seen behind those bangs as the edge of her purple, painted lips quirks in a gesture resembling.. frustration? "Their tracks have been covered well. I've flown around the world thrice over in as many weeks. Engaged every contact I had in Southeast Asia. Bribed or buried no fewer than two dozen Pirates or Smugglers in the region to tell me everything they knew to get this much. The only solid detail I have uncovered, beyond much of how they've accumilated their wealth for this endeavor, is that they have been planning this for some time. Some years. This not an impulsive endeavor on their end. This is for.. a purpose. Perhaps the totality of their clan's purpose. No mere mercenary payment or simple job."
As far as her newfound allies are concerned, the Devil regards Birdie and Katana with something of an aloof expression. Speaking directly to them feels.. dirty, somehow, but it is a worthy enough question to answer, "Yes. This fire technique is.. surprisingly strong. I am not certain how it was accomplished. As prodigal as Seishirou Ryouhara is.. I.. have doubts he could have accomplished this himself."
Turning her attention back to Elle, the Devil tilts her head. Processing this information as well. A War hrm? Conflict? ... Having no immediate answer for that in turn.
Birdie raises both eyes wide. He blinks, "So... you think it's as strong as the fire that Duke shoots of?" Birdie just asks. For purposes that you'll probably know sooner or later. Because if it is Birdie's going to prepare himself for a world of hurt.
Eitherwise, he crushes the beer can on his head and tosses it towards the side, leaning in for some grub and another beer. He's British, so he'll eat a whole lot of it. Not that it has anything to do with it.
So far, Elle's seeing that there's a lot of groundwork laid out. But to what purpose? That still seems elusive. "So they're acting completely on their own this time."
That's not good. Every time a ninja moves on their own, people die.
"Aislinn met with the Operations Director of the Suiryuu, who told her that the ship's master is a Ryuohara, and the intent is to create a giant conflict. Given the timetable they referenced," Elle considers, "Well, seventy years past puts them at World War II."
She leans back, and rubs her head. "Look, I can't pie in the sky conjecture here, and it seems a little crude, but all I can think of is that they've made this thing as a giant repository for Chi, which is easy as rolling a wino to get in this town."
"If they're making a chi bomb that they want to ram on the United States as payback for the Enola Gay, it would make things easy... but they don't seem to be the kind to be that petty or stupid."
She looks back to Marise, frowning slightly. "You got anything else for me? That can't be right."
As he hears World War Two, Katana just sort of stops. "Hahah! I remember that as well! Such an interesting time. But I cannot understand exactly what is put before us. I wonder what is it that we will accomplish on such a thing! A giant repository sounds like there would be much .. so they're only accepting those who can use chi?"
KAtana thinks of an entire BOAT of chi throwing warriors, and well, that is rather a painful sight. "Hahahah! I cannot wait to test my skills on them! They will know the Mad Gear Shogun!"
The Devil further considers this information. Mmmm.. World War II... Such a wonderful time..
At the notion of some form of Chi Weapon, the Devil sniffs derisively, "As satisfying as it would be to witness those colonial honorless dogs rendered to ash.. Such a plan would not restart a World War."
The ghostly woman regards her new teammates once more. Taking their commentary in stride. Deciding to answer this.. impressively haired man's question, "..Likely stronger." She had encounter this 'Duke' exactly once. At a glance she knew of the great strength within him. However.. A Fire Jitsu of this magnitude? Mmn.. Even Marise is not certain how they compare. Or if it was a man-made Jitsu at all.
As Elle urges for more information, the Devil flips to the last few pictures in her folder. Offering the remainder of what she had gathered, which is less.. substantial as yet.
"I have more information of the Ryouhara Clan structure. I have been attempting to piece together their motivations. It would seem the Clan had mostly dropped off the radar from other Clans roughly thirteen years ago. Coinciding with the disappearance of Arinori.. Seishirou Ryouhara's brother. After that, it would seem the Clan had altered its course to this new plan of action. Having gone to ground and all but disappeared from the world. It would seem.. Before their collective disappearance, they were attempting to create a new form of renkinjutsu. An ability to transmute one form of Chi to another. Fire to Frost. Electricity to Water. An.. alchemic jitsu, if you will. At least.. this is the information I was able to gather. Rumors.. more than anything." Shaking her head once.
It has been frustrating indeed.. to have been on a trail this long.. to come up with so relatively little. But perhaps there will be other pieces to this puzzle.. as she returns her attention to Elle, "What else has your agent uncovered aboard this vessel?"
Hands go to her head, and she shuts her eyes.
What in the hell does all this /mean/? A missing Ryuohara heir. Alchemic jitsu. A massive boat filled with chi energy. A desire for conflict. And let's not forget the Russian mafia.
"Here's what I've got," she says after a moment's thought. "First, Aislinn has learned that the ship responds to chi like it's alive, and that with effort or by nature, if you can dampen your energy signature, the boat seems to... ignore you."
She gesture to Katana and Birdie. "That's where these two come in. They're going to pirate the boat, and unload some cargo for examination, as well as some equipment that NESTS might be interested in."
"In the meantime, there's a final emergency plan in the works. If we can't figure out this mess, I'm going to set that damn thing off like a tinerbox. I don't have a good feeling about this boat. Letting it do whatever it's doing is looking worse and worse all the time."
"And there's a bunch of blokes on this love boat, why's that huh?" Birdie lets loose. If they spent all that money to BUILD it, why do they let so many people fight on it that all probably use Chi attacks.
But, when he hears about how the Fire Chi is probably STRONGER than Duke, which, is hard to believe by Birdie's method, he just lets loose with a notice. "Oh... well that's just lovely then." He answers. And then he hears from Elle states.
"Hahaha. So the bloody boats as blind as a bat to those who rely on strength? Hah. Tell me who to bust on this ship."
So THAT works. Looking to Elle, Katana seems to get his wish. "So by not having chi.. we are able to be ignored. And we won't get shot by lightning bolts and fire ... hahaha! Then nothing will be able to stop us!" Leaning back, Katana doesn't exactly get the depth of the situation. He just hangs off the victories.
"We'll just get on, grab everything, and then get out. An easy plan, but I hope you do not expect us to simply run! Such honor would be lost, I would be labeled as a coward!"
Stronger than duke? Katana just turns a shade of white under the mask. The amount of PAIN that would be .. no, no, he's the Shogun! He would go through any and all!
The Devil no longer speaks. All of the information she had to give.. has been given. Wandering speculation is not her style. The ghost deals in facts and proof, not guesses. Anything else she could say to Elle, would only be that.
Still.. As the Rock Tyrant informs her of those two bits of information.. and the plan to raid the ship, the Devil seems.. quiet on that. Calmly beginning to open a folder on the tabletop and beginning to flip through various pictures of the fighters and personnel onboard.
"..Why?" Comes the Devil's calm question, "If they intend to reignite a World War.. Why not let them?" The ghost mentions without a hint of worry or hesitation, "War is beautiful for business, is it not?" Though such a thing may begin on the Ryouhara's agenda, Blackjack too would stand to profit massively from such a planetary catastrophe, should it unfold. Thailand, afterall, was very good to them.
Flip..flip..flip. Picture after picture. Heh.. Hotaru's on board. And even that Sakura.. And..
..A pause. A single picture is slowly pulled forth and lifted.
The reply is swift. "Because this is ninja business. Ninjas don't hire us. We hire ninjas," Elle replies. "And, might I remind you, the Ryuohara see us as pawns, to be used and discarded." She looks at Katana and Birdie. "I've worked too damn hard to be used like a pawn and chucked aside when people are done. Don't anybody think for a second that's what I do with people."
She pauses.
"Unless you're causing a liability."
She's about to expand on the matter, she Marise stops. "What's up?"
"Hah hah. Us, cause a liability? Hah. I'll just keep my mouth shut and my first in their face and that's good enough for me." Birdie answers to Elle. He doesn't answer the whole 'pawn' thing. He's not going to be used as a pawn. At least, without him trying to get revenge.
He drinks more beer as he looks up towards the others. They're doing all the planning. Birdie's just talking.
Really, Katana is slowly growing more and more lost. "People on the ship.. and just throwing away people? ... Business..." HMM. Katana has a whale of a mystery here, but he'll figure it out alright. Now what could it possibly be? "Aha. They may wish to get rid of people by throwing them into the sea afterwards..."
Katana is clearly right. "Oh .. Tell anyone? Hahahaha! The Mad Gear Shogun would never tell a soul if his honor depended on it! You can trust that it will never leave my lips!"
The Devil Ninja's retort is equally as swift and calm, "Then it should please us to know how incorrect they are." The comment a little fleeting as she's quite obviously.. distracted with this particular picture. Lifting it under her scrutinizing gaze.. Even going so far as to allow her bangs to actually part themselves errily. Living strands moving asside to reveal those inhuman, golden eyes of hers. Slitted black like a feline or serpent.. or both. That terrible gaze processing every last spec of color on that photograph.. to make certain if it isn't a trick of the light.
"..Hiretsu Ryouhara." Marise slowly murmurs after a moment. The photo is a bit blurry, a picture of the man ascending in mid-ship, "..Ky.. Kyh.. Kyhehehehee.." Lips parting as she breaks into a slow giggle. Revealing teeth that are.. a little too sharp.
Elle straightens things out for her cronies.
"Look. The ship is a chi battery. The ninjas on board want people to fight to charge it up. Right now, we know where it comes from, and why. What we don't know, is what the power is /for/."
"The whole purpose of having you two dunderheads around is to get information and kick some ass while doing it. That's why I need you to do a few things."
She points. "Bebop. You heard what we said. The place is blind to you and Katana, since you guys don't have energy blasts falling out your assholes. I'll get you a plan of the ship. Figure out the best place to board. I'll get you a pass so you can walk around, and check the layout."
Her attention shifts to Katana. "And I want /you/ to go knock over a junkyard and /armor plate that truck to the gills/. Punch a hole in that boat, and get your boys on board, and steal anything that isn't nailed down. And if you can pry it up, it ain't nailed down."
And then Marise giggles. Elle pauses in her order making, and she turns to look at her creepy lieutenant. "Yeah. He's the boat operations director." A pause. "What's up?"
Birdie pays real good attention to this next part. Not to the Devil Ninja. Birdie thinks she's some psycho which, and not in the terms of 'psycho power' but just psycho. He pays good attention to Elle though, when she says Bebop he's all up and ready to respond.
And then she tells him to get on the boat. Well gee, he can do that. Even if he has to swim there, he'll get on the boat and we'll all be a happy family. "You got it boss. I'll get on there even if I have to swim there and climb up the bloody hull." He is British. Water doesn't scare him.
As Elle and Marise talk, Katana finishes the California rolls. Apparently whatever he was doing made him pretty damn hungry before. And then Elle straightens things out. While Katana is bright enough, he's not intelligent, Birdie like, or perhaps, most normal people. He does however have his attention grabbed by Elle. "That sounds a bit dangerous alright." Katana responds, before thinking. "You want junk to cover the outside of the Truck? .. Then I will need to put a paint coating over the armor as well! But I wonder .. YES It shall be a dragon!" Katana figures out the important things first you know.
"Then it will be completed... and then I'll be able to use my Kami-Kaze technique! AHhhahahaha!" Katana seems generally joyous. He'll be more than sort of happy, that's for sure. "It will be done!" And well, Marise is starting to creep Katana out a bit.
You can't trust those ninjas. Never!
The Devil's giggle slows to a pleased smile. Slowly sliding her purple-nailed fingertip along the surface of the picture.
Time has been kind to you.. it would seem.
Marise remains silent as Elle issues the underlings very important orders. As dismissive as she is towards them, this is an important mission to be granted. Her inhuman eyes turn towards the pair, each in turn, as they are given their instructions. Yes.. a direct assault on the ship would seem brazen. However, perhaps it will force the Ryouhara's hand to get a better look at what defenses this Suiryuu truly possesses. However.. considering this new tidbit of information.. It may not be entirely enough firepower.
The Devil's bangs slowly veil her unsettling eyes once more. No longer needing the extra clarity as she answers. "This man.. is Seishirou's grandfather. Unquestionably Head of the Leaf Shinobi Group and clan leader of the Ryouhara. I have met him.." Her voice trails as her attention returns to the picture, "..Long ago. If he is onboard, than all of this.. is certainly his doing. The Ryouhara are not known to live to ripe old age, as it were. For him to have survived this long.." She tilts her head, "..He would unquestionably be one of the most dangerous humans alive on Earth. In my estimation."
Back up the truck.
"This guy is the /head/ of the Ryuohara? He said that the master of the boat is looking to create conflict." Elle pauses a moment, and rubs her temple. "But that could just be double-talk, easy."
Elle's eyes lock on Marise's. Elle's largely indifferent towards the woman's creepiness. It's part of the mystique of Marise, and it never impedes business too much. "You know the clan structure. Is this jackass in charge of this mess, or not?"
"Hundred bucks he is." Birdie wagers as he sits more, while drinking more. Drink drink drink. Afterwards, he busts another beer can on his head. "Hahaha. Anyone you want me to bust while I'm there?" He just asks of anyone in the room.
"Because I like a goal. Y'know? Hahaha." Birdie's liking this. A surprising amount.
Katana is mostly eating and thinking about just WHAT to renovate the truck to. "No one will stop me .. hahaha. It should be ready soon, Elle. Just give me a few days. There won't be a problem afterwards. The Truck will be ready for it's maiden voyage into the ship!"
He generally seems more happy than he should be for ramming a TRUCK into a BOAT. Especially his truck.
The Devil's veiled gaze locks with Elle's for a brief moment. Shifting only to slowly nod in Birdie's direction, as the odd lug would be correct, "He is." The Devil returns her attention to Elle firmly, impressing upon her the complete lack of doubt in the Devil's expression, "Hiretsu answers to no one. All other Clan members pay absolute fealty to him. If the Ryouhara are indeed the ones instigating this.. then he would be its chief architect."
To which the Devil turns her gaze to the Blackjack Lieutenants. With a smooth gesture, she tosses the picture with a shuffling motion. Sliding it along the surface of the table between Katana and Birdie equadistantly.
"If you see this man, do not engage him. Should he draw a sword.. a sword of.. unusual properties.. Flee." Looking upon Katana specifically, "There is no dishonor in.. tactical withdrawl, yes?"
No altruism is behind those words, only concern that useful pawns could be destroyed for no good reason.
As Marise makes the picture the focus, Katana looks at it rather simply. Eyeing it. He will remember the man! And he will duel h-wait. "Do not engage him? Not even with my weaponry?" Katana asks in disbelief! He was not to assault him.. and then the woman makes it clear.
"No dishonor in tactical withdrawal." Katana repeats. "There is no dishonor if requested. But to turn down a battle otherwise would be far beyond my ability!"
Birdie grins. He just made a hundred bucks... or, well, maybe. He'll probably try to use it to get some cash from Elle. Or maybe not. Maybe from Marise unless she'll bite him for it. That might suck.
"Hah! Knew it." No he didn't, but he guessed correctly. It's about the same in retrospect. And then the picture's plopped between him and Katana. He looks at the picture of Hiretsu plainly, and remembers that, even if he puts on a good thug show, not to get in this man's way.
"He dat' strong?"
Then the peices are falling into place. Elle pauses a moment, and looks at Marise. "Good work. These boys should get you more information in the form of what they take off the ship soon enough. In the meantime, I have a mobster to get ahold of."
Now she has a face. And if she has a face, she knows who her target is.
And if something has a body, it can be defeated. Elle knows more than anyone that no matter how powerful someone is, there's always something out there that can knock you off your pedestal. That fear is precisely why she surrounds herself with the otherwise insane, psychotic, or hopeless. Loyalty is a hard won commodity.
"You heard her," Elle says, turning to her musclebound minions. "And you got your assignements. To answer your question, Birdie, beat on anyone you like. I don't care. Anyone that has an annoying face, except Tran, Aislinn, Naerose, and Yamazaki. Those guys are working for me."
She makes a dismissive gesture. "Get a move on. I want all this done now. Chop-chop."
That leaves her with Marise, and more than a few questions about the Ryuohara. Hopefully, they'll come to some answers, and soon.
"A'ight. Don't gotta tell me twice." Birdie states as he begins to get up and out of his seat, heading for the docks. He'll get on that ship even if he has to swim to it. He's pretty determined sometimes.
And beating on people? He can do that. He can do that just fine. Heheh.
"Seeya boss." He just says as he grabs a bear and a sandwich and heads off.
As Elle tells them to get a move on, Katana heads to THE WINDOW. But then stops. "I do not believe there will be anything soft to stop my fall." Katana adds, before then getting up and putting his weaponry away, even if today it was weaponry of food!
He heads to the elevator when he's able. But first. "Then I'll get it done as soon as possible. A day to get the parts, a few others to attach. And then a few days for decal." Yes. This makes perfect sense to Katana!"
And that's when he heads to leave. Yes.
The Devil again turns her gaze to the picture settled in the middle of the table. Listening to the others take their respective bow outs and orders.
So he's still alive..
"..I believe.. I will have a conversation with the 'director of ship operations'.. Yes indeed.." Marise murmurs slowly. Such a conversation should prove.. most enlightening.
At that, the Devil turns her gaze fully to Elle once more. The edge of her lip quirking upwards in something of a slow, creepy smile. Did she think she wasn't on the job? Hmph. She of little faith. Of course, if the Devil has to be inside another of those infernal airplanes again.. it will be too soon. Hng. Loathesome flying.
"I believe the Russians should have an interesting song to sing about all this.. yes?"
The talk with Nikolai has been long overdue, yes. Elle nods to herself as Marise talks. "He hides himself in the superstructure of the ship, and lets Riko do a lot of the wandering around. If you want onto the boat, you're going to have to find a way around his armada of techno-widgets, or draw him off the boat."
She turns to face Marise fully. "If you need something to get around it, talk to Aislinn. She can outfit you with countermeasures for most of the non-arcane parts of the security system."
"In the meantime, the Bear should be able to come up with some words once I give him a name. Arinori Ryuohara, you said? Hiretsu's grandson, Seishirou's brother? What position did he play in the Ryuohara family structure?' Elle asks, the final question for the evening. Katana and Birdie doen't need this information, but for Elle, it could prove to be extremely important.
To all of those accomodations, the Devil inclines her head. It may yet come to that, so it will be good to know such means are at her disposal. Although, now that the Devil knows where the man resides, it should not come to that, "Oh.. I believe he may yet speak to me in private. We have much to.. catch up upon."
Leaving the matter at that, the Devil again nods her head at the final line of questioning.
"I have little information on Hiretsu's grandchildren. I know that Arinori was older than Seishirou by some years, but they had both attended the same... school." Notably not elaborating on the place of education. Ninjas need to keep some trade secrets, afterall. Besides, it would be somewhat irrelevant as far as these matters are concerned.
"Arinori was of.. average skill. Competant, but not a remarkable.. of the calibur that Seishirou would later become. A prodigy, he was not. Before his disappearance, Arinori began participating in a variety of underground tournaments and illegal fighting circuits. Many of which were known for their brutality and occasional death. While Arinori's fate is, as yet, uncertain.. at a certain point all knowledge of him simply ceases. Shortly afterwards, the entirity of the Ryouhara clan vanished. While Seishirou himself continued to attend certain classes, the bulk of his Clan no longer accepted much in the way of contracts. As far as Arinori's position.. as Hiretsu's eldest grandson, presumably he would have taken lead of the Clan one day.. should he reappear."
Good to know. It gives Elle a frame of reference to work off of as well. Why would a ninja start participating in underground tournaments when the above-ground ones are just as lucrative? But that'll all be answered in time, as long as Elle applies her questions to the right people.
"Well, you do what you need to do with, or to, Hiretsu, and get back to me. I've got other things to take care of."
And while Elle is uncertain as to Arinori's ultimate fate, Elle suspects firmly what Marise may be as well.
"We'll make sure that if the guy comes back that he'll have one hell of a welcome."
Log created on 22:32:39 09/09/2007 by Elle, and last modified on 05:50:25 09/11/2007.