Description: Twisted Sister (1983). Leilani returns from her long vacation to face a new series of missions as well as to investigate an old. Leilani is tasked with investigating newly emerged faces, as well as Elle's nemesis on the drug front: Burn. Tran arrives with a brilliant plan, and both of Elle's long-time compatriots are dispatched to Metro City to get things done.
After getting the crap beaten out of her by Vyle in a clutch maneuver, Elle's in surprisingly decent shape. It would seem that since he was only able to take her down with supreme effort. Bruises and breakages heal quickly on Elle, just due to the fact that she tries to take care of herself. She's even made an effort to quit smoking. However, getting blown to smithereens by destructive Chi blasts tends to have a more lasting effect.
Which brings her to Leilani. The islander has been out for a while, having applied for an extended vacation after nearly being turned into hamburger by the menacing Rugal. Elle's a little more understanding than she looks, and Leilani is one of the few people that don't need Elle's heavy handed tactics to reign her under control.
Nevertheless, vacation time is over, and now it's time to return to the fray. Elle sent in a summons to Leilani earlier today, to let her know to get her things in order. There's trouble brewing everywhere, and you can't be too safe. The office is busy in the evening even if the day shift has clocked out. Freelance security never sleeps, and while Elle's not exactly Blackwater, Blackjack is doing a healthy business. It keeps her people like Leilani in paychecks, and Elle free to look for new opportunities.
So, she awaits her employee, despite the bandages and wrappings on her face, in relatively decent a mood. She's not glowering or anything at any rate. As if she does that anyhow.
For her part, Leilani has spent her time relatively well; she spent a significant amount of time in Metro, looking over condos and apartments for her supposed transfer over there. She'd made some contacts amongst the adult industry, greasing wheels for the underground income that could easily start with the opening of the proposed casino project. It was, after all, one of the main reasons she'd been hired. It seemed appropriate to continue that particular theme.
That, and the hospital in Metro that she'd visited had kept her a day or two longer than suspected.
But the time for rubbing elbows is now over. At least, that of her own parallel agenda. She still has obligations to meet in order to make her way. So, after a small detour in Honolulu to honor her late parent's anniversary by placing leis on their graves, she's returned to Southtown to get her next assignment.
Her timing couldn't have been better. Elle's call had come in just hours after she'd returned, and she'd immediately stepped out to try and meet up with her boss. She was surprised when the rocker wasn't in her office, so the Shark had gone about some other business, deciding to try back later. Well, it was later. Opening the door, the Islander slides in quietly, closing the door behind her gently as she enters. She looks over her battered employer with a mixture of curiousity and concern before she steps forward, a smile floating onto her features. "Aloha ahiahi, Mo'i," she says, voice warm like the setting sun.
"Don't ask," Elle says waving her bandaged arm. "I lost a fight with a pro-wrestler. I hit him with a burst strong enough to collapse a Seven Eleven, and somehow he managed to pop back up again. It was embarassing." Odds are, leilani will se the footage anyhow. it was that she gave a bad showing. Vyle just scraped up gumption clean out of nowhere.
"How was your vacation? You manage to get any work done?" Elle asks, as if that's a normal thing to ask. Only Elle would consider a vacation a time in which to do more work. Elle kicks a chair out for Leilani to sit down from under her desk. She's still dressed in her motorcycling jumpsuit, sans the gloves which sit on her credenza, looking more like charred lumps of charcoal.
"I got," Elle says absently as she pokes into her mini fridge. "I got regulr, diet... and some off brand crap. Must be Sabrina's. Anyhow, I hope you're rested up, I got a lot of things for you to do, and Tran's actually got some ideas that he wants to try that involve you."
The flat voiced, unemotive face pops back up from behind her desk with a soda of her own. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing too disgusting. If it is, you have free license to punch him in the dick."
Well, obviously it wasn't just Elle that thought that a vacation was a time to get work done. "Well, I got a number of leads for some additional 'entertainment' for the casino project, unearthed a few of Metro's cheaters and got some files..." Stepping towards the rocker, Leilani sets a manila envelope onto her desk before taking the offered seat. "Official police records, including their friends and associates. Had to screw the lead detective in the 102nd Precinct for 'em, but it seemed like a worthwhile investment."
Shrugging, the Hawai'ian crosses her legs, then waves her hand. "Thanks, I'm fine," she says at the offer of something to drink. Turning her attention back to Elle, she smiles, brushing hair out of her eyes. "Well, I suppose I could always cockpunch Tran, but he might enjoy it. I can't tell. But that's beside the point." Uncrossing her legs, the Shark leans in, adding, "What do you have on tap for me, Mo'i?"
"Nobody can tell with Tran," Elle agrees, mostly because it's true. Tran's an oddball, although Elle knows he works hard to make sure people don't think he's too much. That is, until they take a Buttle Punch to the breadbasket. Elle reaches to take the folder, opening it and looking through it. "Nice work. I'll make sure you're compensated for this. Got to make sure that cheaters don't prosper."
It's place dint he inbox with a few other documents. "We've been bust here without you," she says, her deadened eyes flickering slightly as if to indicate it's almost something worth getting riled up over. "We've got a ninja boat parked in the harbor, and I've still got that god damn competing drug in Metro City that's absolutely killing my profits with Glow."
"But first off," the mercenary intones, trading one pile of papers and pictures for another, "I want you to check out these for investigation."
The legal style folders have names printed in Elle's engineer-precise print. 'Shihong' and 'Cherise'. "New faces popping up in and around Metro City and Southtown. People that look like they might actually have an idea as to what they're doing. I've already snapped up a big, black British thug named Birdie, and the leader of the Mad Gear gang. I also got an agent from a shadow corporation on attachment, if you can beleive that."
"I'm not looking to expand very much, but I always have a need to know what copetition there is out there. Find out who they are, what they're working for, who they're working for... you know the drill," Elle says, waving her hand dismissively at the folders. "If they look like they're unattached and not half-retarded, wind 'em, dine 'em, and send 'em my way. You know. Girl talk. All that stuff I suck at that I hired you for."
With that said, Elle shifts in her seat, moving so that she's leaning on one of the armrests. "After that, Tran wants you stationed in Metro City again. I'm dispatching Birdie and Katana to your neighborhood. Birdie and Katana are going to be Bebop and Rocksteady to Tran's Shredder. You and Tran need to work out a schedule between you, but Katana and Birdie are the muscle backing you two up. Katana's also a good local guide. he knows the ratholes in Metro better than Duke ever will."
As though his name summons him, Dr. Tran appears in a flurry of...well, it's not really a flurry at all. It's mostly just the simple knock n' open the door to Elle's office, except today Tran's looking pretty beat up, with several red-tinged slashes dotting his coat. Also it looks like someone mashed his face into the street a half dozen times. The point is, mention Tran's name and cockpunching in the same sentance, and he's there!
So regardless of this, he seems to be fairly lively. "Tonight I dine on turtle soup!" He looks around, giving a nod and a wave to Leilani, and then settles into an empty seat. "Sup, Leilei, Elle. Sorry I'm late, I got caught up in something. I miss anything too important?"
Face scrunching a bit at the mention of the problems concerning Blackjack, the Hawai'ian's gaze drops to her feet for a moment. "I couldn't get any info on that Burn shit. I probably was barking up the wrong trees. Sorry, Mo'i." Picking up the files, Leilani starts looking through the information and images contained therein. Hmm. Interesting characters, these. Closing the files and tapping their spines on the edge of the desk to settle the papers within, she nods thoughtfully. Raising the files, she says, "I'll get on these right away," she says, slapping the papers into her lap.
It's then that the notorious Doctor Tran decides that his presence is required in the office. Craning her head around, the Shark smiles gently at the man, nodding in greeting as she raises her hand for a light wave. "Aloha ahiahi, Tran," she says, andjusting her seat so that she needn't contort herself to talk to him. "We were just discussing the stuff I'm needed for. I'm not exactly sure what your plans for me in Metro are, but I'm interested."
A sudden look of confusion crosses Leilani's face, and she leans in towards Elle. "So... does that make me April O'Neill?" she asks, her right eye closing in thought before she leans back into her seat. "I guess I'll need to get a yellow jumpsuit."
"Right on time," Elle says as Tran manages to appear as if on cue. Sneaky, those Trans. "I see you've met up with Katana," Elle says, observing the damage heaped on her leiutenant. "Hopefully you can do something with that whacko before he gets his ass killed in a fight that actually matters." Motioning to the second chair in front of her, Elle shakes her head.
"At any rate, I was just about to tell Leilani that I have no idea what the hell you're planning in Metro City, but I'm allocating Katana and Birdie to you two. Mad Gear is stationed there too, so you have a whole mini-support network."
Which reminds Elle. She reaches into her desk, and scoops out a credit card. "Naerose ganked this from someone, and I checked it out. It's still good and it has some ridiculously high credit limit. One of you jokers give it to Katana so he can get a new truck. I'm going to bet he's not getting his old one back, considering he jammed it up the ass of tha ninja ship."
With that business set aside, Elle laces her fingers and rocks back into her chair. "So, what's the plan, Tran? Dazzle me." As always, her voice is calm and inflectionless, but she does seem to expect something interesting, as indicated by the subtle tilt of her head and relaxed posture that someone like Leilani could reas easily, and Tran through experience with just being forced to deal with Elle regularly.
Since he's now the de facto man in charge of Katana, Tran leans forward and snags the credit card quick like, give it a twirl in his fingers before slipping it in his coat. "Yeah, he knows his way around slamming me into the ground like a sack of rotten potatoes, I'll give him that. Kind of, uh, completely fucked up though. He called me a spirit of a bathhouse. What's up with that?"
Tran's silent for a moment, contemplating his earlier battle. It was quite...amazing, in a couple respects. "Anyway, yeah, I'll get this to him. But more importantly, my plan. It's a pretty good plan, lemme tell you now." Tran stands up, and takes a couple of steps, beginning to pace back and forth. "Alright, so, here's what we do. First, we've gotta keep it simple and put the pressure on the dudes who're dishing out the Burn, whatever they call themselves. Start to cut 'em off, and make sure they know we're doing it. This is where Katana and Birdie are gonna come especially in handy, putting the muscle on them."
Tran stops suddenly, and grins, looking between Elle and Leilani. "Now here's where it gets good. Once we get them desperate, we set up a little meeting with them, and be we I mean Leilani and I. I'd do it myself, but it's nice to have some backup, and no offense, Lei, but if you put the moves on whatever schmuck's in charge, that can only help, I'm thinking. Anyway, we goad them into knocking over the nearest casino, like tell them they can't do it and that we're going to and once we have the money we'll be able to crush them for good or something retarded like that."
"Anyway, once they go do it, if they're really all that, we just swoop in, and BAM!" Tran smacks a fist into an open palm excitedly. "We kick their asses and take the money! And, uh, hell, turn them over to the police or something? Whatever, it doesn't really matter after that."
The doctor sits back down. "It'll take a bit of work, but I think it can happen. Whatya think?"
The Hawai'ian listens intently, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. Tapping her lower lip thoughtfully with her index finger, she nods as Tran speaks. In a way, the proposed tactic is a redirecting pincer movement, aiming to draw the heads of this criminal ring into a number of follies that would draw them into their own destruction. It's actually quite clever. Though the ending does leave something to be desired...
"I might suggest, in order for me to 'put the moves' on this guy better, that we find out who he is before the meeting, so I can ply my skill and have him quaking after spilling the beans to me in the first place. I don't know, though. I'll leave that to you, Doctor. Though I do hope time will flesh out that ending a bit more." Not having a finalized plan is both advantageous and a problem, after all. "Once we get to Metro, I suppose we can sit down and you can fill me in on more details."
The End is something Elle can fill in a little better. "Tell you what. If they manage the casino heist, then I'll make sure you have all the people you need to take them down. If they're what theys eem to be, I have some buddies in NESTS that might be interested in a few carcasses."
But, Leilani is right on some respects. "First of all, let's see what we're working with. I need drug samples, info on dealers, and the heads up on who's running their gang. I want feet on the streets, info in hand, the whole thing."
The mercenary leader then turns to her computer. "Otherwise, I'm allocating you an operations budget and provisionally greenlighting you, Tran. You're in charge of this one, but don't pass up anything Leilani has to say. She's got more experience than you do in keeping operations running."
A few clicks and the budget is set. "Check with Roxie on the way out and pick up your money, fake IDs, passports, etcetera. I'll need reports on anything you two dig up, and you're going to want to clue Katana and Birdie in on the bare bones of the plan."
And with that, the perpetually tired and neutral face of Elle turns back to look at her two favorite operatives, at least personalitywise. "If things look bad, pull out. A corpse is only funny for a little while, contrary to what the producers of Weekend at Bernies II thought. Keep me posted."
Tran's well aware that his plan still isn't terribly refined: hell, he just thought it up yesterday, he still needs to figure out the details on the actual people they'll be going against. After all, that's pretty much how a good plan works, in his opinion: have a good framework that's still flexible enough to switch up when you learn more. His expectation at this point is that whoever's in charge is a bit cunning, but not too much. If they were that smart or powerful before, then they probably wouldn't ever have turned to drugs in the first place.
Still, Tran nods, grinning. "Great. I'll get on it, and don't worry too much. I won't go into dark alleys at night that I don't think I can take. And Leilani, I'm guessing, can take care of any trouble she finds, easy. Can't you? Of course you can." He turns his attention to her. "Plus, most of the talky bits. If we need to cooerce someone, you've got an assload more options than I do."
That said, Tran gets to his feet. Unless he was already on them, in which case he sits down, then stands again. This went quicker than he expected, but that's cool. It means things are running along smoothly. "So...I've got some papers to pick up. If you're done with Lei, Elle?" Tran offers a hand to Leilani. "I believe we have some business to take care of."
Good to know she wasn't completely off-base with her thoughts. Nodding thoughtfully at Elle as she speaks, her eyes pass between Tran and the rocker, gauging their reactions as the finalities are put into place. Guess she's going back to Metro right quick. Good thing her bags are still packed, eh?
Uncrossing her legs, the Hawai'ian gives the files one final tap on Elle's desk. "Aren't we being a gentleman," she coos, before taking the offered hand and helping herself up. Turning towards Elle, Leilani motions with the files in her hand. "I'll get details on these two as soon as possible, Mo'i. And we'll keep you updated as things progress in the field." She pushes her chair back in and turns, heading for the door. Holding the door open for a moment, she gives Elle one last smile and nod before slipping out of the office. Time to go hit Roxie up for those documents.
Log created on 01:31:38 09/21/2007 by Elle, and last modified on 02:27:07 09/24/2007.