10322/Big Battle in Little Tokyo

Big Battle in Little Tokyo
Date of Scene:	05 December 2019
Location:	Cobble Hill, Old Gotham
Synopsis:	Red Hood and Batgirl drop in on the Yakuza.
Cast of Characters:	Red Hood, Spoiler

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Red Hood has posed:
Jason didn't have a jolly fat belly. a sled , reindeer or a good list, but he sure as hell had a naughty list and now that the demon thing was behind him (mostly) he was hurring to cross a few names off that list before the holidays. Or at least his holidy in Starling, these scumbags had gotten a free pass long enough.

Today's target was the Ishiguro clan in Little Tokyo, after Bab's little trick with the banks a month or so back, the clan was having a hard time sending money back to the old country, to pay their dues to the Oyabun back in Tokyo since electronic means were no longer safe. So, they had to go old school, shipping physical cash out of the country which meant it was exposed and so were the leaders of the gang in Gotham, after all if the money didn't make it, they're lives were over, so they were going to be on hand to see the deal went smoothly.

It was too good to pass up.

So aware of the deal that's about to go down in a parkade in Little Tokyo, the Red Hood was there with Batgirl as back up. Good thing too because the Ishiguro clan wasn't stupid, they knew they were exposed, and in addition to their leader Akahara, there were twenty other Yakuza goons, scattered around keeping watch, with guns and swords.

Watching from a building over Red Hood sounds pleased as he surveys the opposition. "Well this is going to be fun," he says before turning to Batgirl. "You up to it?" he asks more a taunt than an actual question.

"We'll let the exchange go down, got enough problems without adding more badguys to the mix, got plans to deal with the money later. Our main goal is getting Akahara, he's got warrants but the GCPD hasn't been able to get their hands on him, so I thought we could deliver him as an early Christmas gift."

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl's cape ripples in the wind as she crosses the rooftop, the dark fabric perfect for obscuring her silhouette when she gets nearer to the edge and draws it in around her. Crouching beside Red Hood, her cowl's optics zoom in on her command, giving her close up views of the men.

It has been months since Stephanie was trusted with the Batgirl legacy. But moments like this still happen where she feels the difference between her equipment now, versus when she'd have been pulling cheap, 5x binoculars out of a pocket of her Spoiler costume. But despite the differences in equipment, she knows on a deep level it still comes down to the core of who she is.

And that core can't help making a crack in a moment like this. "What, no tank?" she asks, making a soft, "Pshaw," sound as a grin turns up the corners of her lips. She looks around the area again and says, "I'll hit 'em from the other side. Sound good? Great. Break!" Stephanie says, the final word, spoken softly if with energy, to turn it into a football huddle.

She straightens up carefully. A light touch to the back of Red Hood's shoulder. "Don't be too careful," she says, and then heeds her own advice, flinging herself out into space before she's fired her grapple, latching it on a water tower atop another roof and then swinging herself through space across to the other building.

Red Hood has posed:
If Jason wasn't wearing the mask there would a visible bewildered look and blink from him as Steph dives right in without a second thought. Moving to the edge of the building, with a foot up on the edge he watches her drop then catch herself with the grappel line zipping towards the far side of the parking garage.

He looks skyward, "This is revenge right?" he asks the powers that be. "For all the times I did that to Bruce?"

There's no time for divine replies though the transporters were arriving, a single van with a couple of bikes as outriders. They pull up and three men step from the van, one wearing a shark mask, the next wearing a fox mask, and the final one wearing a vulture mask. The Terrible Trio, crooks and sometimes smugglers who have crossed paths with the Bats in the past.

<< Let the trio get the cash and go, we'll deal with them later >> Red Hood advises over comms. << Also, forgot to ask, your suit EMP shielded and have nightvision? I sort of set up a suprise for these guys. >> Guess who didn't return the EMP to Babs?

In the garage a town car opens its doors and Akahara steps out, the man was in his fifties but still fit, he carried a sword, one that Jason heard he knew how to use, his men fall in around him, and they talk to the Trio in English.

"... And you can have this money in Tokyo by tomorrow?" Akahara asks to confirm.

Fox nods, "Yeah, we can handle that, got a boat waiting to get it to international waters and then we've got a plane that will meet us out there to take it the rest of the way..."

If Steph's run into Fox before and is listening the voice sounds a little off to be Fox. It's an opinion that Akahara shares, "Wait, you do not sound like the man I spoke to before..." he says thumb resting against the tsuba fo his katana, ready to draw.

"Bit of a cold," the man says, but he can tell the scam's not working. He pulls a flashbang and drops it and the 'Trio' and their guys hit the floor as the Yakuza reel.

<< Well shit, there goes that plan >> Red Hood says. << Move in. I'll pop the EMP in five... four... three... two... one...>>

The Yakuza were still blinded, the Trio and their people were fleeing back to their van, and then all the lights go out, adding to the confusion.,

Spoiler has posed:
<< Hmm, still should be but let me confirm. Menu, no, return. Defenses. Oh I didn't know it would do that. Oracle I love you. Ok. Here... yep, EMP shielding on. >>

As Akahara climbs out of the car, Batgirl zooms in on him, mentally comparing him to the photos that she's studied before coming out. While she may not make many plans, she does at least think ahead. Sometimes.

<< That's our boy right, Matsuhara? >> There's only a brief pause before Batgirl's voice comes again, the levity in it making the previous joke clear even as she says, << That was a joke. Akahara. Got him. >>

Batgirl moves to the far end of the warehouse she's on, staying low to avoid making much of a silhouette to be spotted. "Oh, looks like voice lessons really do pay off," Stephanie comments to herself as she hears what is being said, the sounds amplified by the mike in her suit. Herself, she's never been the best at impersonations. Or hiding her emotions.

A plan falling apart is pretty much things going according to plan for Stephanie Brown. She jumps off the roof, swinging down on her grapple right towards Akahara's vehicle. Though rather than go for him directly, she swings down into the driver, both feet coming up under his chin and launching him up and backwards, the man out cold by the time he hits the ground. Batgirl lands lightly on her feet, her night vision working fine after a brief bit of static during the EMP.

Red Hood has posed:
Red Hood smiles under his mask. << Wait your suit has a menu? >> Red Hood asks. Of course it does, because Babs... << Akha- >> he begins to correct before Batgirl reveals the gag and he snorts.

<< This is punishment... punishment for all the grief I gave Batman isn't it? >> he asks Batgirl diectly this time, amusement in his voice.

Then the EMP pops off and it's time to move. Red Hood draws and fires his grapple gun and sails across to the other building, landing behind the fake Trio and crouching down by Fox.

"Bad day?" Red Hood asks as he pops up and blasts two Yakuza with rubber bullets dropping them to the ground. He ducks back down as one of the Yakuza homes in on his muzzle flashes and fires back.

"Damn right, I'm a driver man, not a goddamned voice actor!" Fox complains.

Red Hood chuckles, sets down his gun and pulls out a pair of nightvision goggles from inside his jacket and tosses them to Fox. "Then get your people together and drive on out here, the cars outside should still work."

Then Red Hood is getting up. "And if you want to kick the crap out of a Yakuza guy or two, I won't mind," he says. "I'll meet up after, still need you for that teaching job."

Fox yanks off his mask and puts on the goggles. "What about the money?"

Red Hood looks out over the Yakuza spread out between them and the money van. "You sure you want it that bad?"

Fox looks and shakes his head. "Nah, man, I'm good," he says. "Time to bounce." He says then peels off to deal with his men and get them out of there.

As for Akahara, he was having a bad day, too, as his men start to shoot three of them grab Akahara and drag him back towards the car, only to find Batgirl on the hood waiting for them.

"Kuso!" one of them curses drawing his weapon and trying to get a bead on her in the available light. Akahara for his part pushes away from his men and closes his eyes, seemingly meditating.

Red Hood gets back on comms << Sorry had to make sure my guys got out okay, what's your status? >>

Spoiler has posed:
<< I don't think they like me very much. >> The reply is given as that gun swivels around towards Batgirl where she stands on the car's hood. The costumed girl crouches and swivels, swinging her foot around to knock the gun out of his hand, and then shifts her weight to continue around, the second booted foot coming up to clip the man in the side of the head.

<< I can't blame them really though. You should see what the heels of my boots are doing to the finish of their car hood. >> Scratch, scratch, and more scratch.

More Yakuza, a little distant, open fire and Batgirl flips off of the car, ducking down behind it for cover as the bullets whiz overhead. A handful of tiny spheres are tossed through the air towards them, the small flash bombs exploding in bright flashes as they hit the ground.

The men stagger, covering their eyes which were just adjusting to the dark when the blinding flashes go off. Batgirl is suddenly among them. She gives one man an uppercut that Mike Tyson would be proud of. "You know that thing about not supposed to hit a lady? Yeah, well the same thing applies to using bullets," she tells the man she punches. The others close in, not wanting to use their guns with her right in the middle of them.

Red Hood has posed:
Bang. Bang. Bang. << What was your first clue? >> Jason quips as he drops a couple more Yakuza with rubber bullets. Flinching as he says << Ouch that was mean of me but at least those guys won't be making any little Yakuza anytime soon...>>

He catches the move with the disarm and grins, << Boot to the face probably isn't helping their opnions of you either >> Jason adds ducking as a Yakuza lurches out of the shadows to take a swing at him. Jason comes up hard and fast headbutting the man at the bridge of his nose then shooting a rubber bullet pointblank into his sternum, leaving the tattooed gangster gasping for breath.

Seeing Batgirl bring he fight in close, Red Hood opts to do the opposite using the range of his guns to pick off the guys who try to draw and fire on her at a distance. A task made harder for them by those flash bombs, though Red Hood's optics filter out the flash and let him gun down two more men, leaving the battered and out of the fight.

As for the Yakuza, they're still in dissary except or Akahara. He replies to Batgirl's quip with steel, swinging his sword eyes still closed and yet somehow able to aim well enough that the slash if not avoided would hit her in her middle. "What about swords?" he hisses, "Are they permitted?" he asks of the purple and black clad vigilante.

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl's swings her fist with an audible grunt for the power the smallish young woman puts into the swing. It impacts a man's jaw as he comes at her from the front, the roundhouse swing sending a small spray of blood flying, along with at least two teeth.

<< Well, first of all, they didn't send me an invitation, >>

The man who just got punched is down on his hands and knees, his head ringing. "We didn't," he agrees.

One of the Yakuza behind Batgirl catches her with a double-fisted overhead club to her upper back, sending the caped woman staggering forward to trip over the man she just felled.

That's when Akahara closes in on her, swinging the sword right as Batgirl is deftly spinning back to her feet. Her cape swirls about her as the sword nears, the ballistics fabric clearing out of the way just in time to reveal a gold-colored metal baton. The clang of the sword and baton meeting fills the air.

Batgirl hits a stud on the baton which extends into a full-sized metal bo-staff. She swings it expertly, clubbing a man to either side with the ends as they approach her from behind. "Oh, I suppose," Batgirl says with exasperation on the final word. "But don't you think you're perpetuating stereotypes? You could have used a club. Or a rolling pin. Now that would really turn some heads. And you could call yourself The Roller or maybe The Baker."

Batgirl finishes the flourish with the staff, holding it at a ready position for a moment before launching into an attack.

Red Hood has posed:
Akahara hisses as his sword is blocked by the cape and then struck by the baton.

He draws back in a defensive stance listening for Batgirl's approach. "I am not some insane idiot in a costume, with a fancy name, and I'll use what I am best with," he says before calling to his men in Japanese. "Shoot at the sound of her voice!"

His men respond drawing and firing while he ducks low out of the way of the flying bullets.

More guns echo in the darkness as Red Hood arrives to provide cover. << Rude. >> He replies to her earlier quip even as he works to keep the gunmen off her back. << Especially since you're so much fun at parties >>

Though even as he does, Akahara leaps up and over the fire coming down like a falcon on the stoop, blade coming point down to skewer her.

Spoiler has posed:
"Hey!" Batgirl complains at Akahara's unflattering word selection. "It's a uniform not a costume!" Her staff is parried back by the sword, Batgirl pressing the attack but Akahara turning it back and making his own counterattacks as they exchange words.

"Oh crap," Batgirl says, crouching low and drawing her cape about her so the ballistic fiber augments her body armor. Bullets whiz through the air as the men fire blindly in her direction in the dark.

Something goes skittering across the pavement and Red Hood's night vision probably note the large puck-shaped object that Batgirl tossed.

A second later an image of Batgirl appears above it, saying, "Ok boys, this is not the right way to get your Good Samaritan merit badge." There's a pause and her looking around. "That was a Boy Scout joke. Guessing, you guys don't look like Boy Scouts so maybe need that explained. Ok, so here's what happens. You guys set down the guns, let the people leave before Ivy hangs up anyone as a warning sign, and everyone gets out of here happy and alive. Deal?"

Batgirl hadn't bothered to record new content on the holographic projector she'd used on Ivy Island. But the sound of her voice pulls the gunfire over towards it. Unfortunately, Akahara is already in midleap. The blade stabs down through the cape that completely conceals the crouched figure, penetrating easily the fiber intended to stop bullets.

Red Hood has posed:
The puck works, and the fake Batgirl gets lit up like a Christmas tree as the Yakuza focus their fire there., the bullets passing harmlessly through the light with little more than a flicker.

As the realization dawns, Red Hood is there to take advantage of it, taunting, "Goodness gracious, you've been bamboozled," his tone is tinged with laughter as he leaps off one of the cars to land in the middle of the gunmen, shooting, kicking and punching.

Though out of the corner of his eye Red Hood catches Akahara's leap, he turns to fire but a goon clocks him across the face turning his head while another slams a crowbar into the back of his knee. Jason drops to a knee, still trying to get a shot while the blade rips through Batgirl's cloak...

Spoiler has posed:
The katana stabs down through her cloak as Batgirl leans her body to the side. The tip sparks as it hits the concrete, almost missing her but leaving a little slice that cuts through her body armor on one side of her torso.

Batgirl comes up from her crouch spinning, ducking her head beneath her cape and then detaching the Bat fashion accessory as she wraps the purple garment about the blade that pierces the high-tech fabric. The cape is detached and Akahara's sword is now wrapped to where the cutting edge will not be effective at all.

"Told you. Club," Batgirl says as she throws a punch towards the Asian man, her own staff having been dropped when she was pulling the holographic emitter from her utility garter.

Capeless, Batgirl's blond hair flies about behind her as she and Akahara exchange blows, each blocking or evading most. Akahara clubs her with the sword, hitting the area that he sliced and drawing a hiss of pain from the woman.

<< How ya doing over there? >> she asks as she steps back to give herself a chance to recover from the stinging blow. Batgirl spares a moment to glance over towards Red Hood who is handling the bulk of the Yakuza forces.

Red Hood has posed:
A kick follows the punch and the crowbar as Red Hood fires at Akahara sending the round off course, leaving him and Batgirl to exchange blows without interference. Though once Batgirl is on her feet, Red Hood's focus shifts from Akahara to the men surrounding him. The crowbar guy gets first priority, Red Hood putts both guns up the man's face and fires. Rubber bullets or no, it shatters the man's jaw and sends him screaming to the ground. The clink of crowbar on concrete as the man falls sending a shiver down Red Hood's spine.

He comes at his other two opponents in a rush, closing the distance and using his guns at point blank, pausing to flip one of the men before taking him down with a rubber bullet to the sternum. When Batgirl glances his way most of the Yakuza are down, just a final three facing off against an angry Red Hood, they were backing away.

<< Just fine >> Red Hood says his voice heavy with anger. Not at her but at the enemy. << Got Akahara? >>

Akahara had opened his eyes now, the fight was too fast and furious to rely on sound alone as he and Batgirl traded blows. He was breathing heavy, and his age was showing, he wasn't a young man who could keep this up forever, so he does something he promised he wouldn't do against an unarmed foe, he draws a gun, lifting the weapon as Batgirl glances at Red Hood, his finger curling around the trigger.

Spoiler has posed:
The shot might have been off-target, but it draws some of Akahara's focus, concerned for a follow up bullet which lets Batgirl recover from the hit. She throws a punch that is blocked by the cloth-covered sword, then another that Akahara blocks with an arm, but the extending spines from Batgirl's gloves rip at his sleeve and leave a gash on his arm which only seems to anger the Japanese man further.

<< Oh. You know, >> Batgirl replies, loud enough Akahara can hear. << We're kind of feeling each other out. It's sort of like speed dating, but with sword and- gun! >>

The moment seems to go into slow motion as Stephanie Brown's adrenaline spikes as she knows the gun will be aimed at the gash in the body armor along her torso. She turns, apparently to flee towards Akahara's SUV. He swing the gun towards her as Batgirl's foot hits the door lifting herself up and using her momentum to flip herself back through the air towards Akahara like some professional wrestler going off the top turnbuckle.

Akahara's gun rises to try to track her, and a pair of gunshots echo across the pavement. Batgirl's legs wrap about Akahara's head as her body spins around, gaining angular momentum before she locks her legs for a moment and twists. All of that inertia is imparted to Akahar, launching him through the air.

The Japanese man lands with a crunch on the ground in front of Red Hood.

<< Pretty much. >>

Red Hood has posed:
Hearing Batgirl's words only makes Akahara angrier, and when he gets angry he gets stupid, that and Batgirl's accobatics make his fall inevitable. He's still trying to get a bead on Batgirl when Batgirl's legs grip his head and twist sending him flying through the air to land at Red Hood's feet. The last thing he sees before unconciousness claim him is Red Hood shaking his head lightly before gunning down the last three Yakuza goons.

For a moment the Red Hood stands there, shoulders rising and falling as he gets his anger under control. When his shoulders slow and stop he turns to Batgirl his focus returned, "Good work," he says with a nod down at Akahara, the mask hides his expression but his voice sounds earnest in its praise. "You've got game."

He steps over Akahara then moving to the man's car, scooping up the crowbar on his way. Once he reaches it, he starts to pry open the trunk. "You wanna tie our boy up, I'll deal with his cash."

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl retrieves her staff, the metal telescoping back down to a small size and being hooked onto her utility belt. The katana is picked up and carried over to be set on the concreate near Akahara as she takes a pair of batcuffs from her belt, slapping them on his wrists, then hobbling his ankles, and finally giving him a quick frisk for anything incriminating or worrisome.

The henchmen are given similar treatment, guns kicked away from them and secured for the inevitable call to the police, if one hasn't gone out already based on the gunfire.

Batgirl leans down to look at Akahara again, her face up close to his while he's unconscious. "See, now if you were the Baker I could be saying, Looks like your soufflé fell flat. Or maybe: Just because you can cook doesn't mean you take the cake. But noooooo. I got absolutely nothing in the quip jar now."

Batgirl takes Akahara's sheath, unwrapping her cape from the katana, and handling the weapon with respect at least as she sheathes it and walks over to join Red Hood. There's a slice down her body armor, and a little trickle of blood, but it seems mostly superficial. "Is it all there?" she asks, moving to look over Red Hood's shoulder. Which totally can't happen because he's taller. So she rests as hand on his shoulder and leans out around him to see.

Red Hood has posed:
Red Hood glances back with a snort at the 'quip jar' remark. "You should really write that down for him when he wakes up," he says as he puts his weight on the crowbar and the hood pops open.

Turning back from Batgirl crouched over her foe, Red Hood looks inside the trunk at the four big duffle bags inside. Turning as Batgirl joins him in taking it all in. "Yeah, things must be hurting for the Ishguro with the Foot trying to run the show," he says about the aemic tribute they were sending back to Tokyo. "Well either that or the scumbag is shorting his bosses, which they'll shorten more than his finger for."

A shrug is given for the fate of sword wielding scumbags and as he turns his head he catches sight of the blood, there's a look, quick, assessing, then a rise and fall of his chest, like a sigh escaping. No comment is made of the wound but instead he asks. "What are you going to do with the sword?" he asks her, turning back to the loot and reaching for one of the duffle bags.

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl eyes the duffle bags and looks back to Akahara. "Maybe I can get The Baker entered into his aliases. And he can be the Butcher, and he can be the Candlestick Maker," she says, picking two other Yakuza goons at random. "No, wait. That one for the Candlestick Maker. This one looks more like... I don't know. He'd be into quilting?"

He does look like that. Sort of a round face, carrying a little extra weight, but as he lies there unconscious he looks so placid. Appearances and all.

Batgirl gives a small wince as she checks her wound. She gets out the spray bandage and seals it. "Just a little scratch. No stitches needed I think. Won't even leave a mark come bikini-season," she says.

The katana is given a look. "Good question. Could let it go into evidence but he'll probably get sprung and get it back." She glances over at Red Hood. "You ever use one of these things?" she asks. She's holding it out where it's at least semi-offered, though not something he'd need to take.

Red Hood has posed:
Red Hood casts a look at the moonfaced Yakuza, and snorts inside his mask. "Yeah, seems like the type to have an Etsy page as a side hastle. Hand knitted katana cozies for reasonable prices."

There's a nod about the wound as Batgirl seals it. All so very casual, no worry there, nope, and definitely no reaction at the mention of bikini season either... nope, he just had to clear his throat, that's why he coughed.

"Right," he says pushing that image from his mind and slinging the duffle on his back before looking at the sword. There's a little tilt of his head as if to ask, 'for real, for me?', he reaches out for the sword. "Funny thing is I thought about grabbing that for you, trophy of war and all that. But if I'll take it if you don't want it."

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl's crooked grin results at the Etsy page comment while she finishes up applying the temporary, glue-like bandage. She holsters the spray back into her utility belt and then glances down at the katana in consideration.

Thoughts flit quickly through her head. Would giving Red Hood the sword make it likely for him to use it in ways he would regret? But then, he already has guns. But those can be fitted with rubber bullets.

"I think I know someone with a cave in need of some extra decoration," she tells him. "Why don't we hang it up there where we can both enjoy it?" she proposes. "Speaking of? I did not get a chance for dinner before this." Batgirl pats her lean belly. "I could totally go for chicken and waffles right now. That whole baking talk? Great for banter, but leaves you with a hankering for something with carbs in it," she says with a laugh.

Red Hood has posed:
Red Hood, shakes his head with amusement. "You're decorating my secret sanctum for me?" he asks her as he takes the blade lest she thinks he was refusing that. "Well if Diana starts dragging some Greek sculpture down to the Batcave I'll know who she's been talking to."

Then because he realized it was something he hadn't said, he adds, "Thanks."

He slides the sword through his belt while he reaches for one of the cylindrical grenades there, pulling it from its loop and thumbing off the pin before tossing it in the trunk. "Fire in the hole," he says but it's not a boom kind of grenade, it bursts out with flame setting the Yakuza's money on fire, minus the bag he has on his back.

Sirens can be heard in the distance now, "I could do chicken and waffles," Red Hood agrees. "Sounds like the GCPD orchestra is playing us off the stage anyhow..."

He reaches for his grapple gun and moves towards the entrance. "Shall we?" he asks looking back,