6876/Tears of Mnemosomyne: Strands of Time

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Tears of Mnemosomyne: Strands of Time
Date of Scene: 12 March 2019
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Joker, Snake Eyes




Joker has posed:
In the Homeland Security headquarters in charge of administrating the tri-state area's municipal complex, sat a legendary cyberspace guru known as 'Machine 1'. Real name deleted by public records over a decade ago, Machine 1 was a mastermind of epic proportions. He had caused economic shutdowns, rigged political elections, and deleted prison records for non-violent offenders by the hundreds. Machine 1 was, to the cyberspace world, one of its heroes.

Here, he sat, inside an interrogation room on the upper floor, his hands handcuffed behind him in a chair, wearing an orange jumpsuit. Latin-American, with a shaved head and a tattoo of a star around his left eye, he sulked in place, as federal agents and cops talked to him, trying to find out who he really was.

The Joker was no stranger to hidden names. His own name hidden to history, a deleted file somewhere that used to be an identity, Joker found Machine 1's arrest exceptionally useful. Joker could finally learn the secret of who he was before he was dumped into that vat of anti-psychotics, and his mind erased. Maybe Machine 1 knew the secret of who the Joker really was.

At the very least, Machine 1 might give him a hint as to what he was.

On the ground floor of the Homeland Security office (a tower complex, with some thirty stories), a disguised Joker walked in, wearing a suit and tie, with make-up covering his face to make him look like an old man in his 60s, an attorney. A pair of thick, clear-rimmed glasses, bifocal, are on his puggy nose, and he snuffles as he walks. He's followed by a woman dressed as a secretary.

Both of them carry antiquated briefcases, round and sturdy, with metal bindings holding them closed.

Snake Eyes has posed:
There's always work for G.I. Joe and Snake Eyes is one of their busiest members. He's currently working out of a DHS building, stuck in an office with a couple of Action Force's support personnel. They're working on digging into possible corruption in the criminal justice system while Snake Eyes meditates in a corner, waiting for his next chance to spring into action.

The masked ninja wears an I.D. badge hanging around his neck, letting him access the various parts of the building that he needs to get into. One of the other soldiers in the room with him speaks up, "Snake, none of this makes sense. You're probably going to have gather some more intel from the courthouses in New York."

Joker has posed:
The man disguised as the elderly attorney sets his briefcase up on the search tray, as the Homeland Security troopers inspect his credentials. His secretary follows suit.

"Sir, we're going to have to search you. Inmate number seventeen is particularly sensitive."

"Oh, I understand," comes Joker's voice, doing a pitch-perfect British accent of an old Tory, moving to his briefcase. He clicks it open with both hands, as the secretary turns to do the same, her back to him.

They both open their briefcases, simultaneously, and withdraw Hecklar and Koch submachine guns from the cases. The Homeland Security troopers spit up coffee in shock as they go running, one of them hitting an alarm.

Joker pulls his face off and doffs his coat, extra clips strapped to his chest in a bandolier, as the secretary throws her dress and skirt aside, dressed in a tactical two-piece bikini with knives supported across straps on her arms and hips.

Joker jumps up onto the conveyor belt for the metal detector and starts firing tight, quick bursts at Homeland Security troopers, as his female accomplice throws a knife from her sheath at a guard, hitting him in the nose with a rattling *BWANG* of the knife flubbering.

There are shouts as civilians evacuate, klaxons going off as Joker hops down from the conveyor and swings behind a pillar, his female accomplish caterwheeling up and over the security checkpoint, to another pillar, flicking the safety off her HK submachine gun.

Machine 1 looks up at the cops interrogating him, snickering. "Looks like friends of freedom still exist, eh, senor?"

Snake Eyes has posed:
"We've got a situation," says one of the Joe's, Dial Tone, as she types away on a computer, trying to see what's going on in the building as soon as the alarms begin to go off. "Snake, you going to..." she starts to ask even as Snake Eyes stands up and quickly grabs his weapons, quickly slinging his own HK submachine gun. Then he's out the door, heading towards the stairwell, going for the sound of the gunfire.

"They're at the security checkpoint, Snake!" Dial Tone says over their communications network. "We don't know how many there are, be careful." The ninja commando takes the stairs quickly, hurrying to get to where he can do the most good.

Joker has posed:
The Joker, back against the wall, looks across to his female compatriot, hearing the sounds of the Homeland Security troopers massing for a counter-assault. He gives her a shallow nod, before he steps out and kneels around the corner, exposing himself with his submachine gun on his shoulder.

The Joker fires steady patters of cover fire for her, as she moves around the back of the pillar and advances on the Homeland Security soldiers, her high-heels clattering as she fires her gun from her waist into the soldier-cops.

The Joker suppresses them backwards, preventing an advance, with his partner in crime picking them off on an approach, until they're back behind cover and holding.

The woman in the bikini ducks into cover, as Joker charges forward through gunfire, head down as he laughs.

Then, Joker moves behind cover, as the soldiers evacuate their wounded and call for backup.

Snake Eyes has posed:
There's no hesitation as Snake Eyes makes his way towards the sound of gunfire. Opening the door to the security checkpoint area Snake Eyes readies his MP7 and steps outside, using all of his senses to try to locate the threats. He doesn't spend much time exposing himself in the open, darting towards cover.

Once in position he taps his mic a couple of times to let his support team know he's listening. Dial Tone speaks to him, "Snake, looks like there's two of them with automatic weapons. The homeland agents are all shot up, you're going to need to provide covering fire for them until reinforcements arrive." The ninja steps out and prepares to open up with his weapon, holding it one handed while he draws his sword with the other and attempts to advance.

Joker has posed:
The Joker peers around cover to see the incoming Snake Eyes, noting the ninjaken in his hand, as well as the drawn MP7. Joker squints and pulls back, his compatriot giving him the nod this time.

She steps out from behind cover on the inseam and throws a blade at Snake Eyes' chest, before spinning around to the left and rolling behind the pillar ahead. Joker, as she rolls, stands from cover and fires over her head, a steady burst of ammunition, until he's spent, and he ducks back behind cover, popping the magazine out and slapping a fresh clip produced from his bandolier into his gun.

This leaves both of them on the left side (west) side of the lobby, the woman one place ahead, exposed.

Snake Eyes has posed:
The blade speeding towards his chest is parried with a quick motion of Snake Eyes' sword even as the ninja begins to stride forward. Of course, he doesn't get far before the Joker's automatic fire forces him to dive to the side, rolling behind a desk.

The firearm in his hand comes around the side of the desk so a quick burst can be squeezed off in the direction of the female criminal, an attempt to kill or suppress her. It's a fast shot, not much time taken to aim.

Joker has posed:
The female comrade takes a round to the chest, with a squealched scream, her gun flying from her hand as she drops onto her back. Sucking in air that exits from the chest wound, blood gurgling out of her mouth, she lays on her back, pushing away with her feet as blood spreads across the black marble tile floor in her stead.

The Joker spins around the column he's behind to catch up to her, kneeling at her side.

"Joker, get Machine out, please," she spits and coughs up at him. "How does it look?"

Joker frowns, looking down at her chest wound as he covers it with his hand so she'll live longer. "It doesn't look good, kid."

"We need him for the cause. I lied to you, Joker. I already know who you are."

Joker's eyes darken, but not in an angry way.

"Who am I then, Charlize?"

"You're the Batman, but younger."

"Oh." Joker signs heavily, taking his hand off the wound.

"Save Machine, Joker. He's you too."

The Joker steps off of Charlize and gets behind the pillar, waiting for Snake Eyes to approach on a knee, listening closely beneath the sound of the alarm klaxon. Before him, Charlize bleeds out, her hand reaching for her gun to surprise Snake Eyes.

Snake Eyes has posed:
As one of the crooks drops Snake Eyes begins making his way forward, moving smoothly with his MP7 extended in front of himself, finger resting alongside the trigger. Ready to move, the commando proceeds quietly, letting his senses roam despite the sounds of the blaring alarm.

"Snake, reinforcements are on the way," Dial Tone says over the radio.

Joker has posed:
The Joker creeps around the pillar to leave Charlize behind the column where Snake approaches, the woman bleeding out with her fingers on the grip of her gun, the woman looking up at the ceiling as she slowly dies.

The Joker snaps around the pillar on the opposite side, firing a fully automatic burst from Snake Eyes' feet up to his chest, letting the recoil guide his gun upwards as he twists his grip around the piece of polymer and metal. His teeth grit as his green eyes light up with black fury, red lips grimacing.

Snake Eyes has posed:
The weapons fire from the Joker drives Snake Eyes back behind one of the pillars, a round catching him in the calf before he can get clear. The wound doesn't seem to slow down the masked soldier very much, but it does provide something to consider. Whoever his enemy is can handle a weapon.

Planting his feet solidly on the ground to make sure his injured leg will still hold his weight, Snake rapidly turns the corner and starts firing his weapon in Joker's direction while moving forward to close with him, sword at the ready.

Joker has posed:
The Joker whirls around and takes rounds across the arm and hip as Snake Eyes sallies forth, ducking into cover.

Snake Eyes has, however, exposed himself to Joker's dying friend on the ground, Charlize, who props herself up on her gun and the elbow that cradles it, firing into Snake Eyes as he attempts to bridge the expanse between the sides of the lobby.

"How dark are we tonight, that one sends a swordsman to a gun fight!" comes Joker's laughing cry, as he feels adrenaline kick into him from his bleeding arm and hip and thigh. As he calls out, he pops another spent magazine out of his gun, pulling a clip off his bandolier and slapping it into place.

Snake Eyes has posed:
The sudden movement from the dying woman catches Snake Eye's attention at the last moment and he starts to tumble away from her gunfire. It's too little, too late as a round catches him in the side of the torso, puncturing his chest and likely breaking ribs. His submachine gun falls from his hand as he reaches over to touch his wound, trying to gauge how injured he actually is.

Letting the MP7 hang Snake Eyes draws his sidearm and aims it one handed at the woman on the floor, firing off a few rounds to stop her. As soon as he's done shooting he aims his weapon at Joker's cover, waiting for the villain to expose himself.

Joker has posed:
Charlize goes down in a hail of pistol fire, dispatched in a bloody fashion.

She died for her cause.

The Joker's gun comes sliding out of cover, across the floor, before he steps out from behind the pillar, arms spread.

"Well hello, soldier boy," The Joker says, smiling as he stands before Snake Eyes, apparently surrendering.

Snake Eyes has posed:
The weapon comes sliding around from behind cover and Snake Eyes glances down at it for a moment to make sure it's not a trap before the Joker himself steps out. Keeping his pistol trained on the murderer the commando sheathes his sword and limps towards the enemy combatant. Without looking he produces something that looks like a cell phone, typing on it to send back to his handlers, 'One enemy KIA, one prisoner.'

On the other end of that signal Dial Tone says, "Good work, Snake. Hold them there for DHS agents."

The ninja does as he's instructed, standing silently with his weapon aimed.

Joker has posed:
Joker's smile turns into a wide grin, as he slowly closes the fingers on his left hand, pressing his middle finger into the palm of his glove.

Suddenly, spring-loaded snakes explode from Joker's chest, flashing with electricity as they fly in Snake Eyes direction and strobe with light.

Snake Eyes has posed:
Gunfire erupts from Snake Eyes' handgun even as he darts to the side in an attempt to evade the electric snakes. While he succeeds at evasion the ninja ends up going down to one knee as his injured leg slips out from beneath him.

Instead of forcing himself to his feet Snake Eyes rolls forward, tumbling towards the nearest cover, the injury to his chest pushing the air out of his lungs as he compresses his diaphragm with the acrobatic maneuver. Having emptied his pistol Snake drops the empty magazine to the floor and reloads with a spare, preparing himself for further combat.

Joker has posed:
Joker stumbles backwards, screaming and laughing, as the rounds impact into his chest and go through him.

He slumps, against a wall, laughing, as he gets the joke.

"I get it, I get it," he wheezes, grinning a bloody grin. "I know how I'm Batman, kid," he says, looking up at Snake Eyes through bloody, bleary eyes, as he feels his lungs compact, left hand over his punctured ribs.

"I'm attacking a federal building, to save someone, that's in the federal building, to explain to me, who I am."

"Prison!" he splutters up blood, laughing, leaning his head back as his legs spread and his heels click out. "I'm just like Batman, except I went to prison!"

Snake Eyes has posed:
As Joker seems to have given up, and may be giving up the ghost, Snake Eyes keeps his weapon at the ready as eases himself backwards somewhat to breathe more easily. He coughs soundlessly, lifting his empty hand to where his mask covers his mouth. The ninja focuses on his breathing, concentrating on making sure that his organs are all still working as intended.

Slowly, he rises to his feet, approaching the villain at an angle in the event he's got more tricks up his sleeve.

From over the radio Dial Tone says, "Snake, are you okay? I just got camera access, there's blood everywhere. Did you get those guys?" The Action Force trooper taps the radio send button once.