(2014-11-19) General-napping
General-napping
Summary: Batwoman goes in search of answers on the organization known as PAIN by going to the source: General Wade Eiling. As one might expect, however, things do not go according to plan. Luckily, she brought along some handy Kryptonian backup.
Date: 2014-11-19
Related: Project: Rebirth
NPCs: General Wade Eiling, USAF; various military personnel
Scene Runner: Power Woman
Social/Plot: Plot
Players:
batwoman..power-woman..

Aberdeen, Maryland. One of many base housing communities established by the USAF for its Pentagon employees. Batwoman does a discrete fly-over in the JLA quinjet with stealth systems fully engaged. Kate is quite familiar with base housing facilities, having grown up in many of them around the world. Adding the real-time topographical data to her HUD, she sets the jet down outside the base perimeter where its presence will be discrete. As a kid she did a lot of exploring when her dad lived on various bases, so she's familiar with the general layout and security measures. And with the Colonel in her ear, she surveys the fence line.

The base housing in Aberdeen does not, of course, only serve Pentagon employees. It also serves as base housing for those at the Proving Grounds, and the majority of those based here are Army, not Air Force. Nevertheless, those based at the Pentagon are given preferencial access to the housing at Aberdeen if they request it; clearly, this particular target has done so.

As pre-arranged, Power Woman flew into the area a little while earlier, and is currently hovering at a point just outside what the Proving Grounds considers to be its established 'no fly' perimeter. /Just/ outside. Literally, inches away. But she is obeying their rules. For now.

"« Hello, Batwoman. Welcome to Aberdeen, Maryland. The temperature this evening is a balmy twenty-seven degrees and falling, with an estimated low of twenty-one degrees. According to my sweep, your target is at One-Zero-Zero-Seven MacArthur Court. He does not appear to have a private security detachment, but his aide and driver is staying with him in another room. Pretty serious network of various frequency laser tripwires and motion sensors around the houses on that cul de sac. And the house itself is heavily reinforced. It may look like simple base housing, but it's built like a bunker, including a solid steel door, front and back. I do have to mention that there's something underneath the place, but I can't make it out; looks like they embedded lead in the construction materials of the foundation. Given who this is, that's as likely to have been intentional as not. »" Power Woman reports.

"«Roger that. Affecting perimeter entry now. I may need a quick way out, but you should be prepared for countermeasures specifically designed with your capabilities in mind.»" The perimeter fence is high, but even with the barbed wire along the top it slows Batwoman's entry only a little. Senior Elite Gymnast at West Point. Landing lightly on the other side, she taps a button to change headset frequencies. "Okay, Pops, I'm in. Bringing up the base map on the HUD. Add security system overlay."

"« Hi, honey. Now, you remember: no lethal shots out there on these guards. They're serving their country and following orders. »" The Colonel offers, just as a friendly reminder to his daughter. After all, most of the folks she's been busting in on have decidedly /not/ been serving members of the armed forces.

The HUD in Batwoman's suit perks up, as data comes in and as rapidly assimilated as various overlays to the visuals coming through. "« OK. Most of their motion sensors are outside, or near their critical installations and access points. We do have roving security patrols. But it looks like your friend was right: lots of sensors in close and tight on that one cul de sac. It's almost as heavily covered as the base facility entrance. Looks like the power junction for all that hardware is here, just up the street. »"

"«Yes sir, Colonel. No friendly-fire.» She's very conscious of the rules of engagement, but reminders never hurt. The darkness is HER element, and Batwoman works her way steadily closer towards the cul de sac of interest. And the power junction. «Heading for the power junction now. I need schematics or the best way to induce an 'accident'. I'm thinking a well-placed taser shot should be enough to flip some breakers. At least long enough for me to gain entry. Over?»

"« Here's the schematic I found. »" the Colonel sends, along with the schematic with flares to life across Batwoman's HUD, outlined across the visual of the world which is not quite so dark to her as it is to one without her equipment and advantages. "« Not unreasonable choice. But I suggest a cursory visual confirmation before you do. All it takes is some joker taking his job seriously and wiring things a mite differently when he did it than in the plans, and an attempt to short things out instead sounds the alarms and brings the whole base down on your head. Or worse, spark showers that alert the rather dangerous gentleman inside that house. »" The Colonel is not just a Colonel; he's also a father, and that 'soldier' is his daughter. Caution is warranted.

"«Roger that, Sir.» she replies, curt but professional. Locating the junction box is pretty straightforward, even if she has to take a bit of a detour around a security patrol. «Confirm security patrol pattern and timing. I want to know how much time I've got between sweeps.» Popping the cover, she does a quick visual check against the schematics. «Nothing unusual under the hood. I'm blowing the junction.» Stepping back a couple of feet, the taser is one that uses darts and wires. She fires, then thumbs the switch to pump 40,000 volts into the junction.

"« One moment. I'm updating. »" The Colonel communicates, before getting back with Batwoman on specifically what patterns and timing she can expect from the guards. As such, he is a hair late glancing at her live feed. The pattern of wires inside the junction box is, indeed, exactly what was in the schematic. But that is precisely what twigs to his mind, and he takes a second look, even as she's preparing to fire. "« No, wait! »" What follows is a suitably earthy expletive, as one would expect from an experienced military man who is annoyed at reality's constant efforts to screw over the best laid plans.

"« OK. Hoof it fast, or retreat. Those are your options. Flip your HUD to the frequencies I'm sending, you'll see what I mean. »"

The brief change in visual will show … all of the plethora of scanning beams and light-based 'tripwires' Power Woman mentioned earlier are still in place. "« Damn sub-panel was a dummy. A setup with a trip. Power for that array must be coming, somehow, from /inside/ that house. Nothing else jives with the rest of the power flow. If I were a betting man, that trip just alerted base security. They probably won't re-route their existing patrols, but roll someone out from security central. They'll be there in … ten minutes, tops. No way to know if the team from security central will have the special toys you're worried about, but they could. »"

"« You're in the field. It's your call. What do you want to do? »" comes his word, as he waits for her decision.

Kate replies with another expletive, showing that she's her father's daughter. «Seemed too easy, yeah. I should've been smarter than that.» She flips her HUD and the scanning beams are still rolling. «Going old-school on this one…» Taking a deep breath, she starts into the security field. While she's trying to avoid most of the alerts, Batwoman is focused more on speed right now. «Air One, you read me? Mission objectives have just changed. We're gonna do a snatch-and-grab.» The initial intent was to subdue the security staff and interrogate the General in his room. No time for niceties now. «Keep watch on the arrival of more security, but do NOT engage yet. Copy that?»

"« OK. I'm running updated sat feeds every 60 seconds, looking for that security patr —- OK. There they are. Two up-armored hum-vees, looks like. No way for me to tell what their personnel load-out is, but infrared puts at least twelve sources in those two vehicles, and both have roof turrets. I estimate six-zero minutes … mark. »" the Colonel informs, as Batwoman starts hopping and flipping, trying to get herself through those sensors and get to her target before the security patrols show up. "« No sign they are changing their standard patrols. I will con — »" the Colonel's voice is cut off, in Kate's ear, as she switches channels.

"« Roger, Ground One. Air One reads. I will maintain overwatch. Suggest we update evac plan to secondary location for zeta. »" Power Woman offers, suggesting that they not try to get 'home' for either of them, at this point, but instead bug out to a Stark location outside Metropolis, where a Zeta beam platform can get them off-planet to the Watchtower to continue their interviews.

The grid - which is in no way nearly so regular or square as a true grid - of sensor lines around the target dwelling is complex and tight; that's why Batwoman wanted to deactivate it. Getting through it is not easy. It is not - entirely - impossible. But it is hard, and without her advanced sensor gear, it would be impossible.

«Copy that, Air One. We should either scoop my ride or blow it on the way out.» No quinjets aren't cheap but they're very traceable. And all this is going on while she works her way rapidly through the security grid. She's already reaching for her utility belt when she gets to the building, having headed for the door closest to the General's bedroom. Pulling on a small gas mask, she places a thermite charge strip along on the bolt side of the steel door and draws her gas-pellet gun. «Entering the building in 3, 2, 1,….» FZZZZZZZ!!!

The thermite burns through the door and any locking bolts. The moment it can swing loose, Batwoman turns and steps in, firing low to saturate the place with her custom tear-gas/mace cocktail on her way to the General's room.

"« Estimate is down to three-point-five-zero minutes to security patrol. »" the Colonel's rock-steady voice comes through, as Batwoman switches frequencies again. "« Still no redirection of other security forces. But I'm also picking up something going airborne from the other side of the base. No proof it's related, but I'm going to assume it is until proven otherwise. Tracking. »"

Power Woman gets on the horn with JARVIS. "JARVIS, activate the 'Headless Horseman' protcols on quinjet Jey-El-Zero-Three, please. Set for five minutes, with your control of the out. And DO NOT land it anywhere in the continental United States. Fly it to the WatchTower, and overload the arc reactor if anyone attempts to intercept before it's inside Watchtower controlled space." It's expensive. But that's what it takes to be safe and secure.

As Batwoman makes her way through the foyer and turns towards the General's expected sleeping location - still confirmed by his heat signature - the Colonel's voice returns. "« That airborne has crossed the proving grounds. Cripes that's fast. It's forming up above the security patrol, and it's so damned hot I can't tell who or what is onboard. Visual looks like some kind of outsized FA22. Not quite one of those quinjets, but it's not too far off. And visual identifies dorsal and ventral weapons pods as well as nose mount and hardpoints under the wings. No offense, but do NOT hang around to play with that thing. »"

Just as Batwoman has found the entrance into the General's bedroom and is quietly opening the door, his voice speaks up again. "« Duck and roll! »"

At the same moment, the wall erupts explosively as dozens of rounds of automatic ammunition hammer into it from behind and to the left of the Batwoman.

Her response is automatic and Batwoman drops immediately, rolling on one shoulder as the wall is disintegrated. «Well that simplifies entry…» she offers. Laying down a barrage of gas towards into the room first, she turns towards the source of the gunfire next and lets fly another few gas pellets.

"« You're still moving. Don't slow down, girl. Those bastards are picking up speed, and I'm sure that ass behind you is trying to slow you up so they can trap you. »" the Colonel transmits. He's fairly champing at the bit, seeing all of the firepower being arrayed at his daughter. He trusts her implicitly, and has seen her go into incredible fights; but this is one of the hairiest, and it's trying his nerves in short order.

"« Ground One, I'm picking up gunfire. Should I come in? »" Power Woman transmits, clearly concerned.

Batwoman can be sure that the General did not sleep through the gunfire right outside his bedroom door, from the thud on the other side and sounds of scrambling. It's also worth noting none of those rounds managed to go all the way through the wall, proof that it's been reinforced.

The gunman's sightline is more evident, now, with the proliferation of Batwoman's gas in the hallway, as it sweeps this way and that, looking for her and squeezing off rounds whenever it gets close. Frustratingly, perhaps, there's no sound of coughing or choking, which implies he must have a mask on. There is the faint sound of some coughing from inside the bedroom, however.

The gunman is ignored for now, and the caped redhead sprints into the General's room. «Roger that, Air One. Give me ten seconds, then come in through the roof. Drop. Drop. Drop.» Trusting for the moment to her bullet-proof suit and cape, she sweeps into the room and locates the General with her optics through the smoke.

Whether he's armed or not she'll head directly towards him. Kate knows that Power Woman is capable of supersonic flight and can also see into the building through the roof, but this is still going to be close. Rushing the coughing General, this isn't intended to be a fight so much as a mugging. She'll hit him hard, low first and then high. Just enough to disable him for transport.

"« Roger, Ground One. Acknowledged. »" Power Woman transmits. Then she sends to JARVIS, "JARVIS, cut the countdown. Activate Headless horseman /now/, established protocols. Be warned, expect a transport soonest from the Metropolis Stark Enterprises location, including one guest. More to follow." Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.

Further bullets do not reach Batwoman at first, as she is inside the General's clearly armor-walled bedroom. He is, as should be expected, a hard and fit older gentleman, not unlike the General. Her own communications would be getting choppy, if not outright cut off, except that she has access to the advanced technology of the League, which is able to cut through the jamming going on, if not with perfect clarity.

The General himself is not armed, and though he manages to partially block her low blow and rush, he is at least pulled up short. Yet as Batwoman is going for the headshot to KO him, a burst of five bullets explodes into her back very painfully from behind. "Drop, or I take your head off."

At that exact moment, Power Woman explodes through the ceiling, hovering while facing the gunman. She doesn't tell him to put it down; she just lazes it into scrap, then turns and grabs up her teammate and their target, and lifts off again rapidly.

Of course, the trio emerge from the house at the roof as the security patrol is fast approaching, and that would easily put them in range of taking shots at them.

Then a large fozen turkey streaks out of the sky and right through the turbofan in the wing of the VTOL aircraft, rather explosively. That takes the aircraft out of the sky in a hurry, with bits of metal and shredded frozen turkey bits going in every direction, smoke and fire erupting as the plane plumets down onto the vehicles it had been keeping station over.

The Justice League personnel get away, their quinjet already headed for the Watchtower as they head for Delaware.

"« Honey? You OK? »" the Colonel's voice inquires, a tad breathlessly. Imagine the Hell of watching and hearing all of this, and being forced to sit and home, doing nothing about it.

"« Objective acquired and zero casualties, Sir. »" She replies. "« Heading for rendezvous point. »" Turning towards the caped blonde transport, she offers. "We should scan him for bugs before going zeta. And what the hell WAS that thing that took out the jet? It almost looked like a frozen turkey."

"« Thank you. »" the Colonel offers, going quiet.

"He is bugged. We'll take care of them in a few minutes. I want to land outside their airspace and clear him and check you before we continue to extraction." Power Woman offers.

"It … was, actually. Frozen turkeys have been falling for about two weeks, now. I was hit with one while stopping a robbery in New York." Yep. Kara Zor-L got brained by a frozen turkey. Of course, it didn't do the slightest bit of damage … except the 'ew' factor.

A scan of Eiling will detect that he is wearing three different bugs, all of them including tracers. He also has another one embedded inside his very flesh. Good thing he's unconscious, or he'd be snarling up a raging storm, to be sure.

"You're going to need … just ow. Painkillers, and ice, I'm guessing, for the bruising from those shots? Sorry, but I really did wait all ten seconds before I started." Otherwise, Kara would have been there before those shots hit her friend.

Batwoman chuckles softly at that. "Nothing I haven't had before." Then she rolls a shoulder and winces a little. "I'm always reminded of the distinction between 'bulletproof' and 'bullet-resistant'…" Between the cape and the suit there's no penetration, but not a lot of padding either.

"Can you laser him clean of the bugs without destroying them? We need to drop those off: one top of the Washington Monument, one on the Capital dome, and one in the center courtyard of the Pentagon. I want it known that he's off the grid, but very much alive."

"Yes. I can. Once I have you two off to Watchtower, I can distribute those." Power Woman answers. She won't take them herself, either. She'll send tiny stealthed drones, which can't be traced back to Stark. "Fourth one, though, I'll have to destroy in place." Which Power Woman does do. She leaves the tracers where they landed, and gets Batwoman to the Stark facility, where she can Zeta away with her cargo. Then Kara assembles the drones, and heads back to pick up the tracers, sending the drones off to complete their missions. Only once they are complete does she too join Batwoman aboard the Watchtower.

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