8348/The Collection Test

The Collection Test
Date of Scene:	16 July 2019
Location:	A warehouse in Metropolis... and Lex Luthor's office.
Synopsis:	Stockholm is invited to be an Agent of the Light by L1.
Cast of Characters:	Lex Luthor, Stockholm

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Lex Luthor has posed:
The offer came through one of Stockholms contacts. Someone very wealthy was interested in a retrieval job... the target? One of Lex Luthors private collections. It was a warehouse in Metropolis, converted into a temporary museum by the Man of Tomorrow. Rumor has it he was keeping the collection there for a month for some interested visitors... and the client wanted a very specific item from it.

Of course, with Team Luthor there in force, along with a fairly robust (though not completely state-of-the-art like LexCorp Tower is) security system, getting in would be no small feat.

In this case though... the employer has provided Stockholm with a decent infiltration kit, along with tonights security codes. All she needed to do was get in and out with the necklace.

The nighttime lights are on by the time Stockholm is getting near the warehouse, and two Team Luthor spotters are walking the perimeter as the standing lights provide sections of illumination... though there are plenty of shadows in between them.

The plan calls for Stockholm to get in via the rooftop entrance.

Stockholm has posed:
Stockholm is always interested in jobs that are lucrative. While she sometimes ends up in cuffs and sent back to Arkham or Iron Heights she always seem to get back out eventually without ever ratting out her employers so her network of work is pretty decent. Be it through that network or through her Hench profile work finds a way.

The infiltration kit is just all sorts of gravy on the job, hell she doesn't even need to blow a hole in the wall with this kit providing codes and everything. The gear she brings isn't really themed after any particular villain, except maybe Deadshot if one were to reach. (https://www.unitedheroesmush.com/index.php?title=File:StockholmGuns.jpg)

The only real clarification she would ask the employer is if he wanted this quiet and bloodless or if he didn't mind some blood as long as the job was accomplished.

When there is a break in the patrol she sets out at a fast clip, angling for a spot that is blind to the cameras she was able to spot, and really she has the guards patrol and tempo down very well after a couple of circuits. When she gets to the wall she leaps and in a graceful display of some free running kicks up off the warehouses siding, scaling the wall pretty effectively without a grapple gun (eat your heart out batman).

Lex Luthor has posed:
Of course, Lex was watching the entire thing via holographic interface from his office. Mercy and Hope were keeping in contact with security as the 3D holomap showed a real time view. With the surveillance satellite and security cameras feeding real time information on the situation and Stockholms gear tagged, her progress was easy to keep track of... and Lex was very focused on watching it.

Stockholm had been given a stun gun capable of shorting out the Team Luthor equipment and knock out the guards... and the employer had been very clear that going loud was a very bad idea in Metropolis, as LexCorp (by extension, Lex) did not tolerate even attempted break-ins. Keeping the collateral to a minimum would probably be looked upon favorably, if she gets caught.

Either way, Stockholm manages to get up to the roof without much trouble... and she can see her timing is impeccable. The one Team Luthor lookout is about to turn the corner on the catwalks, while the other is seconds away from turning to get Stockholm in his line of sight.

Stockholm has posed:
Stockholm is a little disatisfied with stun guns, mostly because some of the people kicking around her head at this point like blood. Still a job is a job so while she is packing her usual firepower she has no issue also carrying the stun gun. No need to screw up the gig.

Julia pulls herself up to the roof and keeps very low. She is running the tempo of the patrol in her head, softly under her breath 'tick tock all around the clock' even as she is pulling out the stun gun.

Of course once this goes down she has to start moving really quickly. There is such a high chance the patrols will have check-ins. Hell they may even have trackers so if they stop patrolling then things could get dicey.

Hopefully the employer thought of that.

She plans to shoot the stun gun right when he comes around the corner and before he can squeak an alarm. If all goes well. Then she plans to continue on for his buddy as quick as she can so he doesn't stumble on the first one and raise an alarm. From there her plan includes the roof access and codes to get inside. She figures it is all going to have to go quick once it kicks off.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The stun goes off without much difficulty, the man in the Team Luthor armor not even managing to scream from the sudden jolt... though Stockholm almost doesn't catch him in time to keep him from slamming down into the metallic grating of the catwalk.

The door itself on on the opposite end of the roof, making it easy for Stockholm to just follow the other Team Luthor guard around to the other side, giving her plenty of time to input the pad code.

Once the guard is placed out of sight, Stockholm is free to enter, and she comes out into a staircase.. giving her a birds eye view of the entire collection. It looks /exactly/ like a museum display, with cases and everything.

No doubt there are lasers down there too.

Stockholm has posed:
Thankfully Julia can move pretty quick, especially when motivated to not pooch the job on step one. She hauls the guy along to the door with her and inputs the code and then dumps him quietly on the inside with her, closing it behind her.

"Okay that is a pretty impressive collection." she reaches into a pocket and slaps a small device on the door she just game through and synchs it with a 'watch' on her arm. While she fully intends to use the stun gun and not go loud and proud with this, she is not above setting some insurance. The device is designed to let her know if the door is opened, and also has the option to explosively remove itself from the door. Well also probably remove the door.

"Ok lets see." it is very softly muttered as she scans the room below, looking for more patrols and noting any cameras or other sensors that are able to be spotted. "Is it lasers?" she digs around in a jacket pocket and pulls out some glasses and slips them on. "Betcha it is lasers." tapping the side to turn them on as she starts to descend towards the collection, looking for lasers now. "I wonder why they didn't hire Catwoman for this." she muses.

Lex Luthor has posed:
There are, indeed, lasers, along with two guards. The hidden cameras specially installed for this test keep track of Stockholm from above, even as Stockholm was given the locations of the plainsight cameras. Still, the laser grid is by no means extensive. It's being transported out soon, after all.

Plus, Lex didn't see the point in making the test too difficult. This is a basic entry level infiltration, not Fort Knox.

"She's quick. Trained?" Lex mused aloud to Mercy and Hope, who both were watching the holographic feed with him. "The reports say she's very adaptable, Sir." Mercy replies, "She looks like she's trained. For a human."

There are a couple blind spots in the grid that Stockholm can exploit, her trained eye spotting them immediately. It's clear that the difficult part will be opening the glass cases without triggering alarms with the guards down there.

Stockholm has posed:
Is trained, in a very complicated way. Both on the job experience and working with some of the best in various lines of criminal business. Stuff just kind of rubs off on her over time.

"Mhm lasers. Called it. Stockholm 2, security 0." she watches quietly as the guards on patrol seem to walk through the lasers, studying their armor now. "Okay now that is just bullshit." this is all said very softly, almost subvocal really but she has no microphone on her. Though if the audio in the real surveillance is good enough...

She spends a few precious moments, two minutes really getting the cadence of the guard patrol down and then drops into the first of the blind spots. moving more like a ninja than she should be able she heads to a vantage where she can see the first case, carefully making her way to it keeping out of the cameras and moving like a trained cat burglar or gymnast around the lasers.

She keeps the gun still in her left hand ready to stun a guard if she has to, but she thinks she has the tempo now. So she fishes in a pouch with her right hand and pulls out a glass cutting device and checks out the case carefully before doing anything else.

Lex Luthor has posed:
There are pressure sensors on the item in question that Stockholm can see. Of course there are. Easily countered though, given that the client had given her the kit she required to get through the system. A counterfeit item to replace it was easy enough to put on.

The process takes about a minute... leaving her just barely enough time to get back through the laser grid and out of the line of sight of patrolling security.

Stockholm has posed:
The woman looks absolutely ready to shoot the guards at any point in time if she has to. She is forced to tuck the gun loose in the holster though and use both hands for the next part of the job though.

there is a frown at the pressure center in the of the base and with a shrug of a shoulder slings the infiltration kit the employer gave her, letting her pop it open and ready the materials she needs. There is a precise sssst as she cuts a hole big enough in the glass, then a second hold on another facing. Carefully judging the weight of the class, then touching a finger to the top of the case to apply the pressure so she can transfer the circles of glass to the top without setting off the alarm.

The next step is to pull the fake wooden case from India out of her satchel and put it in with one hand through one hole while moving her other hand in the other hole.

It would do Dr. Jones proud the smooth speed she swaps them and then puts the real case into her satchel. She pivots and ducks and weaves back to the steps as quick as she can without tripping over a patrol and heads up the steps. Planning to go out how she went in.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The glass is replaced and the sealant in the kit used. It's no melt job, but it'll keep the illusion visually until Stockholm is out of the warehouse. She has more than enough time to go back the way she came.

"She's impressive. I can definitely see the potential." Lex notes, before he pauses briefly... "Mercy, send the drone with the tablet now. It should get there by the time she's at the meeting point."

Stockholm leaves the waerhouse without issue, and with the artifact. Time to go 'meet' the employer in the alleyway just west.

Stockholm has posed:
Honetly she does pause, crouch, and repeat the stun shot at the top of the stairs on the stunned guard to make sure he is super out and doesn't raise any alarm until she is well clear of the warehouse.

Also yeah with one guard on patrol upstairs it is pretty straight forward to get back out through the roof access door and then parkour herself back down to the ground level, protecting the artifact as she disappears into the night.

By the time she has gotten to the meeting point she has swapped to her regular high tech high caliber pistols in case there is a double cross.

Lex Luthor has posed:
There's no one in the alleyway when Stockholm comes into it... only the sound of a cargo helicopter drone carrying both a suitcase and a tablet. The suitcase is locked in the drone, but the tablet is lowered, easily able to be taken.

On the bottom is a button, with a sticky note on it "press me."

Stockholm has posed:
"Better not be explosive or I'll be bitter.. I mean unless it is a damn good explosive." she shifts her gun to her left hand to take the tablet and looks it over for a moment before pushing the button and looking to the screen now.

The gun has drifted up to point at the drone out of frame as she does this.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The gun pointed at the drone actually gets a laugh from Lex in his office... then, he stands, walking into open space so the holographic system in the office can scan him.

Moments later, and a Light blue background with white static pops up... then, The symbol L1, pure white, pops up on top of that. A synthetic voice can be heard, "Well done, Stockholm. It's not every day I see someone who can give Black Cat or Catwoman a rival. I see my interest in you will pay off." The voice offers with respect, "You can call me L1. I represent a coalition of interests that could certainly use your talents."

There's a briefly pause, "You can call us the Light, and I'd like to hire you, long term."

Stockholm has posed:
The gun doesn't really waiver as she studies the image that forms on the tablet and then listens to the compliments. "Well that requires money, which so far you seem to have. Like my profile in Hench says, I'm for hire and willing to do jobs that fit my fairly jack of all trades skill set." she considers.

"Are you talking retainer or actual full time employment. I do have some clients who have me on retainer for things like breakouts and emergency extraditions and such already."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"We have considerable resources. Any job you take for us will be well compensated... and you will have the support of our Network as well." L1 informs her.

"My preference is full time employment, but we don't mind if you moonlight, as long as you consider us your priority. I'd like to have a talk with your retainers and see if we can arrange a mutually beneficial change to those retainers as well." The voice continues.

Stockholm has posed:
"Well they tend to like discretion but not all of them give a shit about that to be honest. Joker has me on speed dial in case he needs a driver and Harley has a standing bit about escaping Arkham. I doubt either of those will cause a real problem." a roll of her shoulders.

"I am fine being full employment if you can afford me, I mean I'm not Deadshot expensive but I am not cheap. Also if I can moonlight occasionally but give your outfit priority sure."

Then she pauses. "Also if either of decide this isn't working we just walk. No scorched earth bullshit, I'm a professional but this isn't a costra nostra for life thing or I'm not interested."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"As an Agent of the Light, you'll have resources, protection, and access to one of the best transportation networks in the world." L1 informs her. Then, the suit case lock drops... and the case clatters to the ground. "Your payment, as well as a USB drive with everything you need to setup your comm network client for our Network. Use the VPN provided, nothing else."