I'm not runnin'

[defensebonds]

WHO: Participants in Operation Archangel
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Mingling posts will be throughout July; Battle posts will be August 5th
WHAT: Archangel is back on its feet, preparing its members, and striking back where it counts.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug mentions and other such unpleasantness.


Open Prompts -- Month of July
Meet n' Greet
Things are a little different in the ranks of Archangel these days, starting with the most noticeable change: cells. Each cell has their own base, and no cell knows the base of another. Certainly makes things seem a little bit smaller, doesn't it? Of course, that means that, like it or not, you've got people in your team you need to get to know and prepare to trust with your life. Do you think you'll all get along like peas in a pod? Or like cats and dogs? Only way to find out is to strike up a conversation and see where it goes. On the upside, you get to try on your new uniform while you're there.

Training
You've come a long way from your beginning days as an operative -- but that doesn't mean your work is finished. Whether you're a seasoned war veteran or a scrub just getting your feet wet, you still have a lot to learn both about the enemies you'll face and working seamlessly with your new team. Your commanding officer will be on hand to help you every step of the way, and ol' Cap will be making the rounds to check on your progress... and maybe go a round in the ring with you, if you're looking for a sparring partner. Want to get to know your fellow cells? Not a problem; after everyone's gotten a good skill set they've put to the test, the cells will have the chance to intermingle and go head to head.

Investigation
Sure, all this punching and fight clubbing might be the cat's pajamas, but there's work to be done, isn't there? If you're the type to like a bit of digging around in the dirt, you'd better believe you'll have some work ready for you. Want to get some slanderous info about the local "hero" cops? Or maybe discover some weaknesses in the defenses of the cartels they've made deals with? If you can think of it, it probably needs to be done. Grab one of your teammates for a romp, or bump into another cell's operative and team up to cover more ground.


Battle Prompts -- August 5th
Party Poopers: Heiji, Sabriel, Clark, Jo, Hawke, Nysrog, Batgirl, and any member of the Knights of the Red Branch
Who doesn't like a good party? You, apparently. Way to harsh everybody's groove, pal. There's a lot to be done here, from sneaking in to securing the exits, straight on through to throwing caution to the wind and setting off an explosive or two before running into the chaos and rounding up the scattering cops like wayward sheep. Of course, these sheep are armed -- and they have sharks. Yes, dear friend, once things get wild and crazy some dastardly member of the police will let slip the proverbial hounds of war, and you'll have a few land sharks nipping at your heels while you make as many casualty-free arrests as you can and try to avoid ending up as a special feature on the Discovery Channel.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dick: Kaidan, Glitch, and Kanaya
Getting the drop on a pair of baddies sure seemed like a good idea, didn't it? Too bad that "getting the drop" ended up as less of an easy arrest and more of a boy-they-sure-do-look-ticked-off sort of scenario. Captain Dee and Captain Randall didn't come to check their product without being prepared for potential difficulties, and they're apparently armed to the teeth -- and we're not talking guns. Are you ready to rumble? Because the exit is blocked so you'd best prepare yourself, compadre.

The Big Kahuna: Kasumi, Shepard, and Motoko
So, here you are: Ready to take on the Big Kahuna himself. Chief Tanner sure doesn't look like the worst thing you've ever seen, does he? Of course, it's a little hard to say that when he leads you on a bit of a chase to some heavy duty equipment he'd been having a look at. Great Gatsby, is that a goddamned mech? Seems like you might have your work cut out for you, after all. There's a hell of a lot of guns on that thing, so you'd best be ready to use the 5 D's: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.

Wildcard
Alright, so maybe you're doing a little Archangel work that doesn't quite fit the bill you were looking for. That's okay, bub; you do you, in all your majestic glory. Just don't get your ass caught or Captain America will give you such a talking to. Just know, he's not mad -- he's just disappointed.

Comments

Investigation

[defensebonds]

[ Maurtia Falls is a place of many twists, turns, and pitfalls; if knocking heads together isn't your cup of tea, there's plenty else you can do to aid the cause. Be it looking into the police department's latest dealings to bring evidence back to your commanders, or simply finding a snitch ready to assist Archangel in furthering their endeavors, the work you do is no less valuable than those trading shiners back at the base. Just don't get yourself caught. ]

[for kasumi]

[whathawksdo]

[ In the month that Archangel had laid low, their old drug-dealing, art-loving pal, Ansel Smalls, had quickly expanded his own business across the turf left vacant by who the vigilante group had taken down earlier. With the so-called "heroes" supposedly gone, he hadn't felt the need to play it safe or quiet and, unfortunately for them, that's paid off. Whatever moves they'd made against him before may as well have been for nothing.

Not that it was going to discourage them, mind.

Well, maybe discourage a little, but in the case of Hawke, that was more the weight of the power dampener around her wrist pulling her down than the actual thought they might not be able to stop Smalls now. No magic dragging on into a second month wasn't an easy feeling to overcome, but she's trying. It's part of why she's even out here, watching the back end of a small art gallery during broad daylight. Something to do, something to focus on.

Too bad it's been so dull. ]

...this is ridiculous. [ The mage grumbles from her seat out on the patio of a coffee shop, one across the street, just not directly. Even then, big enough sunglasses and her general lack of costume or armor is disguise enough most of the time. On top of that, buy enough coffee and scones and no one's really thought to bother her about taking up the space. ] All they've been looking at are a bunch of ugly little statues.

[ To anyone else, she may look like she's talking to herself (all the more reason for people to leave her alone, really), but she isn't. Not really. Somewhere, someone else is listening. She isn't exactly sure where, just... somewhere. ]

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi is, of course, somewhere not too far away, not in sunglasses but her usual daytime hood. She's watching the same scene that Hawke is from a different vantage point, just in case something could be learned from a fresh perspective. The thief stands at a newsstand just a few paces away from the art gallery, watching the events over the edge of a magazine. ]

Have you thought that maybe the "ugly little statue" are more important than they seem?

I don't know. And they're not ugly. Just different.

[whathawksdo]

It has crossed my mind.

[ She breaks her attention away from the gallery and checks to see how much of her latest drink is left, idly tilting the cup one way, then the other to form a swirl with the dregs. ]

That they are ugly so that no one normal would ever consider buying them up from the place. [ Hawke will not concede on the ugly point. ] And I would know ugly statues. I had an awful knack for decorating with them.

[stealwithit]

[ That gets a "huh," on the other end of the line. ]

I'm surprised you even decorated with statues, much less ugly ones. Or that you decorated at all.

Though you know, ugly statues could definitely be a phase in the art world. It wouldn't be completely out of line. For all we know, this is the next Cubism.

Probably not, though.

[whathawksdo]

Well, someone had to, and they were absolutely hideous ones. I don't even recall where I got them from.

[ Probably somewhere dank and dark and full of spiders. Thinking about it is distracting. ]

...everyone really hated those things.

[ Had she thought it'd been funny at the time? Well, regardless of what's on her wandering mind, she sounds distant all of the sudden. Is she even watching the actual statues in question anymore? ]

[stealwithit]

Remind me to decorate our new place with some ugly statues, then.

[ In that moment of distraction, although more by happenstance than by planning, Kasumi makes her way back over to the cafe, taking the seat across from Hawke. ]

... Earth to Hawke. Are you still with us?

[whathawksdo]

Hmm?

[ No, apparently not, because it's another handful of seconds before she even breaks away from staring off at Maker knows what to look at Kasumi. She blinks, then squints, as if trying to figure out when the thief even got there, but it doesn't really matter. ]

Just... thinking. [ But what about? Give her a moment. ] About taking one of those. You know, the statues. Those ones. At the art gallery.

[ Yes, those ones. Not the ugly ones from home, which aren't here. ]

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi quirks a brow. She'd been sitting there for a good whole minute or two already. The mage must have seriously been spacing out. To the mage's question, she just tilts a head, then speaks in a hushed tone. ]

You mean for investigative purposes or for personal appreciation?

[whathawksdo]

[ Now would be such a good time to carry on the ugly statue yarn and joke about putting a dozen or so all around the house to torment Dorian, but... ]

Well, we are here to investigate, aren't we? [ Said like the answer should be obvious, although in a similarly hushed tone. ] If there's something strange with the statues, we'll have to get a closer look eventually.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi rests a hand on her chin, elbow on the table and all. ]

Right. And you want to take a couple extra just in case.

[whathawksdo]

Not really. One ought to do it, two at most, in case some are meant to be normal statues.

[ Sorry, Kasumi. Clearly this is serious business. ]

[stealwithit]

Right...

[ The logic is sound, sure, but Kasumi is not convinced. Either way, they're going to walk away with more than one or two statues, so the point is moot. She turns her head to avert her attention back over across the street. A nice, black car is pulling up to the entrance, and when the chauffeur comes out, moving to towards the other side to open the door for whoever's in the back seat, Kasumi hums. She recognizes that chauffeur. ]

I think our good friend Sir Smalls is making an appearance.

[whathawksdo]

[ But why would they even need more than one or two statues? Kasumi, please. Although with the arrival of the car, any further debate over how many ugly statues is perhaps too many ends before it can really begin. Hawke looks, too, but only moving her head just enough to watch from the corner of an eye. ]

Personally? Is that normal for him?

[stealwithit]

Making an appearance to the art gallery looks respectable, at least, so I'm not surprised.

[ Don't worry, dear Hawke. This is recon. They'll be back for the goodies later tonight.

But speaking of their friend Smalls, he's escorted out of his car by his two lackeys, and one of them dutifully glances all around, as though he's scanning the perimeter; Kasumi spots that immediately, and then turns her body away from the scene slightly, suddenly reaching over and lacing her fingers together with Hawke's as she whispers, ]

Quick, pretend I said something funny just now.

[whathawksdo]

[ The sudden movement from Kasumi directs Hawke's own attention right to the thief. She's startled for all of a split-second, but she gets it. A laugh is easily forthcoming, a smile to match. She can still manage that much, no matter how shitty she may be feeling, and she leans over the table to put her head closer to Kasumi's as she does. ]

You know, normally, I'm the one telling the jokes. [ Like maybe next time Kasumi should be the one who laughs. ] Are they still looking?

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi lifts their hands and turns her head a bit, aiming to kiss the palm of Hawke's hand very lightly.

As an excuse to turn and look to see if the goons are still looking around. 100% totally a guise. Though either way, she turns back, and pulls her hand away after that. ]

Looks like we're good, for now.

[whathawksdo]

[ And with that, she turns that smile off not quite as fast as she'd turned it on. It's more of a gradual fade. Still, it goes, and Hawke leans away again, back against her chair. She turns her head, the same as before, just enough to keep an eye on the art gallery again.

Not the best for keeping up appearances should anyone else be watching, but... ]

I don't think they're going to be moving the statues again after this place. We can probably move on.

[ One great big non-reaction to Kasumi's shenanigans.

Or so it seems for one very drawn out moment there. Eventually, she goes on to, first, finish her coffee and then muster an attempt, one with some weak humor behind it. ]

So, just how many hearts have you broken while playing spy?

[stealwithit]

[ The question doesn't garner Kasumi's surprise as much as the fact that it comes across as a question, rather than a humorous quip. At the beginning of her days as a thief, sure, she was much more liberal when it came to liaisons on jobs, but after a while... not so much, and then Keiji came along.

But that's a story for another rainy day, so when Kasumi responds, she does so with the light, humorous tone that Hawke so sorely seemed to lack. ]

Probably about a hundred, give or take. I've had a very illustrious career.

[ That aside... ]

...Are you alright, Marian?

[whathawksdo]

[ An answer isn't immediately forthcoming, the question garnering a frown at first, puzzled, and then she turns her full attention back to the thief. Those statues really aren't going anywhere, so it's honestly pointless to keep an eye on them any longer. What the frown is meant for, though, may not be so obvious. It isn't the number mentioned before that she's frowning at.

No one calls her Marian. It's her name, certainly, but it feels so out of place after all these years.

The frown mellows out into something a little more amused. Not much, but it is there. ]

Now there's something I don't hear often. [ But that isn't an answer. If Kasumi's using her first name, it's probably serious. She won't claim to be "just fine" for once, though, so that's a small win. ] I'm only tired, that's all.

[ Although that isn't much better. ]

[ closed ] for Shepard

[stealwithit]

[ They're close, and she can practically feel it.

There's something about the enigmatic Howard Tanner that never quite sat well with Kasumi; possibly because it takes one to know one. She knows when people are hiding secrets, and while nearly everyone in Maurtia Falls is hiding one secret or another (including herself), it's a bit of a bigger issue when the person in question is the chief of police. For one, it was by his hand that the flames against the imPort vigilantes two months ago were fanned, his rhetoric and his leadership of the police force.

But apart from his public appearances? Nothing. Next to nothing on the man. And that's creepy.

Kasumi had been doing some investigating on her own; listening in on conversations here and there, hacking comms, the works--but she had to hand it to this man, he's good. Or whoever he's put in charge of keeping his business under wraps is good. She does, at the very least, know that the man is definitely tied to some of the organized crime groups around. Sadly, that much wasn't surprising.

What was surprising was that he also seemed have ties with a local tech firm. Backroom meetings, encrypted e-mail threads, conversations on private channels... Now why would that be, Kasumi wondered.

At least she managed to snag an invite to said tech firm's annual company picnic, to which Kasumi shows up undercover as one (1) Audrey Ishii, along with her +1, Solomon Gunn.

Some things just don't change. ]

[sassguard]

[ Some things never do. ]

Isn't there some kind of rule about never reusing aliases? [ Shepard had said, once Kasumi had told him what he was going to be going by. Technically, he wasn't even in her cell, and for the reconstituted Archangel's safety it's probably better if things stay that way, but apparently Kasumi needed an escort and apparently no one else was going to be particularly convincing. In true Shepard fashion, once he's out of a uniform, he's apparently unrecognizable to civilians, which works for his purposes, but even so...

Where did Kasumi get this suit, and how does it fit him so well? Shepard's not sure he wants to know the answer to that any more than the first time Kasumi got him into one of these, but he wears it pretty well, swaggering around with a casual menace that wouldn't be out of place in Omega. He can't pretend to be well-informed on technology, but he can at least project arrogance with the best of them, and hopefully with Kasumi's cues they can get the information they need and get out of here.

Just because Shepard can hobknob doesn't mean he wants to do it more than he has to. ]

[stealwithit]

We've never used that one here, have we?

[ Which is true enough. No one knows about the alias Solomon Gunn from back home.

If Kasumi were to be asked to honestly explain her reasons for picking Shep--well, it's because out of anyone else involved with the operation, he's the one she trusts the most. There's an unspoken trust which she places on Cap on the count of his being the leader and just being worthy of that trust in general, but Shep and Kasumi have been through a lot more. A trial by fire, so to speak, and more than a few of them to boot. There's no one else she'd rather pull this undercover gig with. It helps, of course, that he's already seen her face once--she'd hate to go through the whole "by the way this is my face you'll be some of it during this mission try not to freak out too much," spiel with someone in her cell.

Also, Shep may not be the most skilled at subtlety, but Hawke... is so much worse.

The company's picnic is, of course, being held at a rather prestigious country club in the middle of Maurtia Falls' more savory neighborhoods. Or is it really savory, given that it's more than likely the rich folk who live in the surrounding mansions have blood on their hands? That's a thought for another time. For now, Kasumi guides herself and Shepard--sorry, Mr. Gunn--along. Check-in goes without a hitch, of course, as Kasumi's prepared fake backgrounds to go with their fake identities. Audrey Ishii is a high-ranking showrunner for a small but growing tech startup in De Chima called the Sirta Foundation (seriously. Kasumi is just borrowing names from home at this point.) and Solomon Gunn is, asides from being her +1, also her dutiful second-in-command. It didn't take much to get their names onto the guest list, of course, but they'll still have to convincingly navigate their way through small talk.

After the sign-in, she leads them to a cocktail table, where they're dutifully offered flutes of champagne by wandering caterers. Kasumi will, of course, oblige in one. You know, just to blend in. ]

By the way, I never got a chance to say it before we headed over, but... you look good, Shep. I'm fully expecting a thank you note and possibly a present from someone when we're through here.

[sassguard]

[ Shepard's not as easy to embarrass as Kaidan can be -- or perhaps he's simply more used to Kasumi's familiar style of ribbing. After you've asked someone to go on a suicide mission with you, concepts like personal space and privacy are sort of hard to justify.

(He might have been inclined to revise that opinion if he'd known he'd been picked over Hawke as a matter of subtlety. ]

I'll let him know you're expecting something. [ He smiles, but he keeps his voice low, even as he gets a champagne flute for himself. At the very least, he doesn't think he's expected to maintain small talk about technology, since he can defer to "Audrey Ishii" and her expertise instead, or at the very least conceal it under bluster about proprietary technologies and things still being in their conceptual stages.

Nobody gives them a second look as they swan around like a very finely dressed pair, and Shepard shakes his head in slight dis belief, murmuring around the edge of his champagne glass: ]

Getting in's always the hardest part, isn't it? Once you're inside, they don't even look twice. [ He pauses, scanning the crowd. ] So who do we need to talk to?

[stealwithit]

[ Her lips turn at a corner into something of a smirk against the rim of her glass, and she takes the moment to move to Shepard's side, looping her fingers around the bend of his arm and leaning in a little to say, ]

Please, Mister Gunn. Getting in is fun.

[ "Getting in easy. Getting out should be fun." is practically a Kasumi Goto catchphrase by now, after all. Of course, Shepard didn't get to partake in much of the fun of getting in this time around, since most of it was handled by virtue of Kasumi's prep. She sure did have a lot of fun coming up with their fake identities, picking out Shep's suit... ]

It's only difficult if you don't know what you're doing. Anyway...

[ She casts a surveying glance across the room over the rim of her glass. It seems that Tanner's contact in the company has yet to make his arrival. Kasumi had traced a paper trail, so to speak, between Tanner and someone within the company (which was not exactly easy to find, mind) which would have seemed innocuous if not for the unnatural levels of encryption and security set up exclusively for communications between the two. Cross reference what she could dig up of the exchanges with academic papers and other such writing by people working within the company, and--boom. One Andre Laurent, a chief engineer with a specialization in robotics. ]

We're looking for a French man--Monsieur Laurent, if you will. He seems to be in cahoots with the Chief.