6674/City Fall: Gotham's Judges

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City Fall: Gotham's Judges
Date of Scene: 26 February 2019
Location: Courthouse - Gotham City
Synopsis: Snake Eyes is tasked by G.I. Joe to investigate strange rulings in Gotham City, and breaks into the Courthouse to learn more.
Cast of Characters: Shredder, Snake Eyes
Tinyplot: City Fall


Shredder has posed:
    Something strange has been happening in a few of the cities around the tri-state area, and Gotham is one of them. The rate of parole and release for criminals in the last month has risen by 250%. There isn't anything quite clear, but to a government analyst, something is clearly off.

    The problem, whatever it is, is expected to be found within the governments, but exactly where...that's a question that needs someone trained to expose. Going through the normal channels would be expected to raise alertness, given the breadth of the change, and so traditional paperwork requests were unable to find anything thus far that is unusual. Someone who is able to get to files and persons without being noticed. An infiltrator.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Day or night, Snake Eyes knows how to make himself as close to invisible as someone without super powers can get. The ninja commando moves smoothly, traversing rooftops towards his destination: Gotham City Courthouse.

As his organization's top infiltration specialist, Snake was tapped to gather intelligence on what's happening. His mission is to find any details he can that might point out why so many crooks aren't serving the time they're supposed to and the courthouse seems like the place to start.

As he approaches the building he carefully studies it, making sure to leave nothing out, not knowing what tiny detail might be important. Retrieving a cell phone like electronic device from one of his pouches he types one handed: 'Infiltrating target building.' Once the message is sent off the gizmo is put away and the ninja prepares himself for the final approach.

Shredder has posed:
    Security lighting is around the courthouse. Enough so that your average person would have trouble approaching it undetected. Long shafts of light illuminate the structure from the small sources in front. A few internal lights are still on, but as the courthouse has been closed for some time, it is likely that only the night security is currently available to spot any intruders.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Using his acrobatic abilities Snake Eyes nimbly slides down from the roof he's on to approach the courthouse from the side, doing what he can to avoid being caught by the security lights or cameras around the building. Once he's at the wall he begins to climb, scaling the stone surface quickly, his fingers finding holds in seemingly impossible spots. It's not long before he finds himself at one of the windows and starts to check to see if it's alarmed.

Shredder has posed:
    No one seems to notice the climb, and the window seems un guarded. An old latch on the other side of the worn wooden frame is the only defense against entry, and inside the room, there is nothing but silence and darkness. It seems currently to be another night at the courthouse. Nothing particularly suspicious from the outside.

Snake Eyes has posed:
With his infiltration going so smoothly Snake Eyes continues to press forward, letting himself in through the window. His destination still ahead of him he sneaks to the door leading to the hallway and listens at it for a moment to make sure no one's on the other side. Once he's assured himself that he's not going to open it directly in front of someone he silently turns the doorknob and pulls the door ajar so that he can take a look around outside before slipping out, should he find nothing or no one looking his direction. Once out the door he moves swiftly towards his first destination, the records room where the case files are kept.

Shredder has posed:
    A single guard walks by oblivious to the master of stealth, plodding casually through the hall. After his passing the records room is accessible, but the briefing of the mission would indicate that there is a camera far down the hall. With the on duty guard making his patrol, he wouldn't see Snake Eyes back at the desk, but he would show up on any feeds should there be a reason to explore them later.

Snake Eyes has posed:
It's best that there be no reason to review the videos, but it's not as if Gotham has a shortage of masked men running around. Snake Eyes moves smoothly, making no noise as he approaches the records room, taking a moment to check to see if it's locked. Finding the door secure isn't much of a deterrent to the ninja. A few seconds with a lock pick produced from one of his many pouches and the lock clicks enabling him to gain access. Closing and relocking the door behind him Snake pulls his electronic gizmo and prepares to record and transmit any of the files he can find.

Shredder has posed:
    While the server that holds the files is in one part of the room, the backup physical copies of recent line the shelves, divided by colorful tabs that stick out to indicate different letters of the alphabet. The recent orders seem as a majority to be produced by three of the 15 district judges. Those same judges do not give findings pages as judges normally would They hand down the ruling, but give no reason for their decision in these rulings. Something not enforced, but that all judges should know they are supposed to do.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Short video recordings are made on the gadget as Snake Eyes goes through file after file, carefully putting each one where he found it after he finishes. The three judges names are also messaged to his handlers to highlight what he can deduce so far. Have they been bought? Are they being blackmailed? More for G.I. Joe to look into when they're finished with the courthouse. As he finishes taking the recordings of the files and sending the judges' names off Snake sends another quick message: 'Further investigation required.'

Then it's an attempt to get to the judge's offices, being careful not to become complacent and allow himself to be noticed at this point. He moves with a purpose, carefully making sure that he isn't noticed as he progresses through the courthouse.

Shredder has posed:
    Another camera has to be passed on the way to the judges office, and by this time, it's hard to say where that security guard has gone, since it took a while to go through all of the cases that were listed. Maybe he's in the camera room, maybe he's not. The blueprints of the building show them to be on the back side of the building, facing the parking lot.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Rather than risk the camera again Snake Eyes makes his way towards a window, intent on climbing up to the roof and back down in order to access the office from the outside window. Better safe than sorry and being stealthy often requires one to be patient and take the long way around. Still, that doesn't mean Snake Eyes is slow. For someone so quiet he's incredibly swift, wasting little time in his attempt to get into position.

Shredder has posed:
    The window is not unlike the others, a simple wooden latch on a frame that needs updating. Below, someone who must have been working late exits the small rear door, walking out to a black BMW in the parking lot. A woman, perhaps in her thirties, carrying a brief case. She looks tired, as someone who has had a long day at the office.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Studying the woman leaving the building the ninja makes sure that she doesn't look up before he moves. The latch on the window is easily bypassed and Snake Eyes slides into the courthouse again, closing the window behind him to make sure nothing looks out of place. Once inside of the office he immediately begins his careful, thorough search. Who knows what sort of evidence might be present?

Shredder has posed:
    Derwin Webb. He was appointed by the governor, won the election by only a very small margin following that. Former College Basketball star, never made it to the pros. Wife, two dughters, 22 and 19. Several things are clear from the office. He loves basketball still, and a lot of his time is spent with children's charities. He seems hardly the type to intentionally put criminals back on the street. Several recognitions as an outstanding citizen, graduated college, barely. Over all, he's done pretty well for himself. He seems mildly underqualified as a judge if his details are pulled up, but not remarkably so.

Snake Eyes has posed:
If he were one for facial expressions there'd be a frown on Snake Eyes' face right now. This isn't the sort of thing that makes sense. Still, there might be something here he's missing. Better to record everything in the office, just in case. The video recorder on his machine takes in everything as he starts going through drawers, looking for anything that seems out of place in the paperwork. Potential hiding spots are scoped out in case something is hidden. The warrior is quite thorough in his exploration of the office.

Shredder has posed:
    For most of the search, there is nothing. Letters from his wife, benign and sappy. Autographed photo with a few famous basketball players. A stack of pictures that were drawn by a small child.

    A solid gold coin larger than a silver dollar, and a quarter inch thick.

    It rests in one of the drawers of the desk, vertical against the front of the drawer. It's heavy, and if it's as real as it looks, probably worth a few thousand dollars. Not normally the type of precious item to kick around in a drawer. On the coin there is a single image, similar to a crown, or perhaps a flame, very simple in design, and the same on both sides.

Snake Eyes has posed:
The coin is lifted in Snake Eyes' free hand so that he can study it, carefully turning it over so that he can make a video of it. Could be a very strange bribe. Might be a bizarrely expensive threat. More information is needed. The coin is replaced and the drawer closed before the ninja concludes his investigation of this particular office. It's time to check out the next two to see what he can determine about the judges that use them.

Shredder has posed:
    As the coin is replaced...there is something. Indistinguishable. It feels different to put down the coin than it did to pick it up. Physically, everything seemed the same, it didn't change weight, or magnetically attract to something. It was just as if there was some nature of the coin that objected, though it did not prevent Snake Eyes from doing so.

    The second office is elaborate. Shelly Sherlock. Wealthy. Her details list her as a judge of 24 years, and not because she needs to. Her husband Daniel owns quite a bit of property in the city. Strip malls, shopping centers, and things like that. An anniversary clock sits on the desk, slowly spinning, reflecting the small amount of light in the room, the soft tick pacing the night. She's far more organized. Respected as a judge. No children, just her and her husband. 65 years old, but she's embraced the technology of modern times, and no paper is anywhere in the room, save for a few pages that rest in a folder on the front of the desk. Inside is an order request for contempt of court for failing to check in with his Parole Officer. Terrance Hayes. Small time, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace. Nothing remarkable, serving for obstructing justice. Unlike many of the others that brought attention to her, the file has her response on it already that seems natural. She found him guilty of contempt of court. Findings are included as they ought to be.

Snake Eyes has posed:
What a strange feeling... Still, Snake Eyes doesn't have time to investigate it. It's something to meditate on later.

The next office is searched just as thoroughly as the first. Judge Sherlock doesn't appear to be especially interesting except that she's gone digital. Mr. Hayes' file is quickly examined and recorded, just in case it's important. Perhaps Action Force will send someone to pay him a visit later to see what differentiates him from the other criminals that aren't doing time like they should. Meanwhile, if Judge Sherlock's files are all digital they might be accessible remotely. That would allow someone back at the Pit to dig up the intel from her laptop if it's connected to the internet.

Shredder has posed:
    The third judge is Patrick Halstad. This one isn't so hard to imagine as the other two. He's crooked as they come. People have suspected him of being in the back pocket of every criminal gang in the city, and it wasn't recently that he started to do this sort of thing. Of course, if it's true, then it explains how he has stayed in his position. Voter control. He's been judge for fifteen years. He has his picture with the President on the wall, all smiles. There's a glass paperweight, pen worth about $350 dollars on the desk. The list of cases he should be handling seems to have piled up, at least two feet high on his desk, though to be fair, several of them have thick files. While there's no smoking allowed in the building, the distinct lingering scent of cigar permeates the walls, and the cigar box can be found on the shelf. Only, inside the cigar box is a pistol. Another gun is under the desk, mounted in a holster. A third by the window. A fourth on the bookshelf. Apparently he is concerned he may one day need to shoot someone in this very room. A bottle of scotch rests with a fifth left.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Corrupt judge? In Gotham? Now Snake Eyes has seen everything. The ninja isn't particularly taken aback by anything he sees in the office, it seems. Each weapon is briefly examined and it's serial number, or lack thereof, recorded. Even the pen is examined and has video taken of it, in case it turns out to be especially rare and can be traced back to a particular buyer. Each case is briefly examined through the camera on Snake's electronic device.

As he wraps up his study of this room the ninja transmits another message: 'Finished at courthouse. Proceeding to extraction. Recommend electronic investigation into Sherlock." Then he begins to leave the scene, looking around to make sure that he's leaving nothing out of place as he makes his way back to the rooftop so he can leave the property in such a way as to avoid the most cameras and lights.