InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "free computers for everybody"

Laurel Lance (i_crylikeabird) wrote in we_coexist,
@ 2011-03-07 20:33:00

Entry tags:

dinah lance, harry dresden

And a canary in a pear tree... (tag Harry)
Dinah crouched in the shadows on the rooftop of one of the warehouses down by the docks. She’d discovered them a few nights back while on patrol and there was too much activity going on at the warehouse she was currently watching for this late hour. Thinking of Gotham, Star City and even Seattle, she wondered briefly if there was ever a city where there wasn’t something illicit going on down by the docks.

Of course, given that the City seemed to mimic some of all of those cities, among others, she wasn’t entirely surprised that there was something suspicious going on down here.

From here, it was a waiting game. She couldn’t exactly bust into the warehouse and start beating people up without stronger proof that something illegal was going on. That wasn’t the type of crime fighter she’d ever been. No, she instead waited in the shadows and bided her time.

Finally, a little bit of movement caught her eye. A single figure exited the warehouse, a padded envelope in his hands. While it could very well be nothing, Dinah didn’t think so. She ran across the rooftop toward the parking lot. Before he got there, she was able to climb down. She concealed herself behind a row of dumpsters, though the delivery boy (at least that’s what she assumed he was) didn’t seem to be too focused on his surroundings.

Dinah’s lips curved into a small smile. His mistake.

As soon as he climbed into a car, she tossed a tiny bat-shaped magnetized tracker onto the back of the car. It connected, which was going to make things a lot easier. Computers might not be her forte, but even Dinah could work a GPS, and she was thankful that the Clock Tower in the City was almost as stocked with gadgets as the Clock Tower back in Gotham.

Once the delivery boy had pulled out of the parking lot, Dinah made her way back to where she’d stowed her motorcycle and hopped on.

Unfortunately, the City streets changed a few times as she attempted to follow the GPS tracker display that was attached to the bike. She took a few turns that instantaneously changed into wrong turns before she finally ended up at the location indicated on the device. She found the now-parked car and pulled her tracker off it. No need to leave evidence behind.

After stowing the tracker in her belt, Dinah climbed a nearby fire escape, her eyes sweeping the nearby buildings. It was after hours for most businesses, so the buildings themselves didn’t show much sign of life. Dinah exhaled in frustration. She was sure to keep the suspected delivery boy’s car in view. It looked like yet another chance to sit around and wait. Fantastic.

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 02:47 am UTC (link)

Something about this case was entirely wrong. And while Harry was glad that Mort Calvin had come to him, since clearly this was the sort of case a wizard would be needed on, he was still swearing softly that this damn case was going to be harder than the amount he was charging for it.

Then again, he usually didn't get paid at all for these kinds of cases. So one could say he was doing better already.

The few strands of hair Harry had found on Janice White's pillowcase had turned up nothing with his tracking spells. Which meant that the woman was either dead, or the spell was being blocked. Neither choice was good. He'd spent a good part of the day looking for the woman Calvin had woken up with, and that tracking spell had led him here. Back to The Velvet Palace. Harry was looking for a way in when a truck pulled up on the street outside. He quickly darted down an alley, looking for a side or rear entrance.

The tracking spell was guiding him around the back of the restaurant anyway. Harry infused his pentacle amulet with an effort of will, and it began to glow with a steady blue-silver light. He kept his gaze on the crystal hanging from his right hand, the way it was gravitating gently, leading him onward.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 02:58 am UTC (link)

Dinah's senses perked up when she heard the sound of someone creeping around in the alley. She leaned forward, her eyes straining in the darkness. That is, until a small light flared to life in the alley. Someone was definitely prowling around down there, and from the looks of it, he didn't have a key.

This might not have been what she was waiting for, but she wasn't going to sit idly by while someone attempted to break into the place.

Dinah leapt down from the alley, flying towards the potential perpetrator. She landed just feet from him, ready to attack as soon as he made the first move.

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 03:07 am UTC (link)

Harry might have been focused on his tracking spell, but not so much that he was lax in his own defense. As soon as he heard a noise overhead, Harry had willed his shield into existence, though kept invisible for the moment.

Knowing the person attacking could well be mortal, Harry kept the touch of force light, using just enough effort to knock whoever it was off their feet. Okay, maybe push them back a bit too, depending on body weight. Using his staff to focus the spell, Harry drew in his will and called out "Forzare!"

Then he lifted one hand, whispering another spell as a light grew over his hand. Perhaps the size of a golf ball, it hovered a few inches over his palm, radiating with the light and heat of a small sun. It was too bright to look at directly, the nimbus concealing his face to hide his identity.

Then he waited, staff still extended and ready for another spell.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 03:24 am UTC (link)

The man moved quickly. Dinah's own reflexes sprang to life, but before she had the chance to react or even see a blow coming, a single word was shouted and an invisible force slammed into her.

She barely stayed on her feet as the force shoved her backward.

Great. Yet another bizarre encounter in the City.

A nearly blinding light sprang to life then. Dinah blinked, attempting to clear her vision.

Back at home, she very rarely used her canary cry. It was sort of like bringing a bazooka to a boxing match when it came down to it. Considering that most fights could be handled without it, she generally avoided using it when possible.

Somehow, in the City, she found more and more need for it, even as it seemed to be less useful against all of the bizarre opponents the City had to offer. She still had to hope that it would work in this case, since she was fighting against a power that she didn't quite understand.

Dinah opened her mouth and released a scream.

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 03:30 am UTC (link)

Thankfully, years of war with the Red Court had demanded Harry improve his shields to the point of being impenetrable. Completely impenetrable, blocking everything from kinetic force to light. And sound.

The echo of the cry rebounded off the walls in the alley, and Harry's focus slipped, extinguishing the tiny sun in his hand as he clapped that hand over one ear. "Agh!" he shouted. "What the--"

Then he remembered where he'd heard something like that before. The effect had been muffled the last time, when she told him to cover his ears. Hell's bells, Harry didn't want the full effect hitting him.

Shield still up, just in case he was wrong, Harry said, "Dinah?"

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 03:36 am UTC (link)

That... she hadn't been expecting. Though there might have been something a little familiar in the voice that had first rung through the alley, it had been louder, stronger, nothing like the softspoken tones Harry had used. But when he called out her name, Dinah hesitated, her fists unclenching.

She blinked when the light disappeared, trying to clear the spots that were currently blocking her from focusing on the man in front of her.

"Harry?" she answered back. "What are you doing here?"

The shock of finding out the the person she'd tried to get the jump on was Harry was still wearing off a bit as Dinah's eyes still attempted to compensate for the sudden darkness.

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 03:42 am UTC (link)

Harry tilted his head a bit, just as surprised as she was to learn who his opponent had been. "I'm working on a case," he said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "After dinner, I told you I had to follow up on a lead." He held up the crystal, still dangling from his hand. "My lead led me here."

He lowered the hand again, after noting that it was still directing him towards the back of the restaurant. "What are you doing here?"

It was starting to dawn on Harry, in the form of buckets of icewater hitting his veins, that he could very easily had hurt Dinah. He very easily could have killed Dinah. The realization was not improving his temper. "Stars and freaking stones, what if I'd had my gun out?!"

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 03:47 am UTC (link)

Dinah caught the temper behind the voice and bristled slightly.

"I'm following a lead myself. And Harry, I've dealt with thugs in alleys with guns before. I was watching for any sign of drawing a gun, and I would have reacted accordingly. Of course, I wasn't expecting magic," annoyance crept into her town, though it was just as much at herself for yet again being caught unprepared as at him.

"I'm just glad I didn't knock you out. How are you still standing by the way?"

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 04:00 am UTC (link)

"Following a lead. A lead." Harry growled a bit, kicking at a bit of trash. "Three years of schooling. Criminal justice. Another year of interning. Ten different background checks, three permits, and four certification tests. All that, so I can be a licensed investigator. Who knew all I needed was a damn costume and a flashy name, and I could have just been a superhero!"

The brief fight had built up too much adrenaline. Harry could feel power flowing through him as his will kept drawing it in. It was making his head throb. "Hells fucking bells!"

He dropped to his knees, laying his hand against the ground, and let the excess energy flow out of him. A few streetlights expired in a shower of sparks, and two car alarms started to sound before they warbled off and died themselves. Harry let out his breath and glanced back at Dinah. "Sorry. I just... shit, Dinah, I could have killed you." He rubbed his hand over his face, memories of Susan trying to invade his brain. Susan had crept in on one of his investigations before. It hadn't ended well.

"Shit, shit, shit."

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 04:06 am UTC (link)

Dinah had been about to fire off a snippy retort to his rant about the time he'd spent getting licensed when he knelt to the ground and... did something. She felt a strange energy surge through the ground and jumped when the streetlights died and the car alarms began.

She took a tentative step towards him, her hand coming to rest on top of his.

"But you didn't. And I'm pretty sure you don't go around killing random people who jump out at you in alleys. I've seen you in action and I know you're not that trigger-happy."

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 04:27 am UTC (link)

"No, but..." Harry let out a breath and looked up at Dinah. Into her eyes. "I'm not used to running across people I care for... that I truly care for... on the job. The last time that happened..." He thought he might be able to talk about Susan, but now wasn't the place. And, if the lump forming in his throat was any judge, it really wasn't the time. "It didn't go well. For anyone."

With a grunt, Harry got back on his feet. He checked the crystal, and gave a sigh. "Well, you better come with me. According to my spell, the woman I'm looking for is in the back of this alley. And hasn't moved, even with all the noise we've been making." That didn't bode well for whatever state the woman was in.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-03-08 04:34 am UTC (link)

Dinah nodded slowly, the mention of people he truly cared for not quite lost on her.

"For what it's worth, I wasn't trying to horn in on your case. This lead was something... separate." She frowned, thinking. "Possibly something to do with drugs, though it's an awful big coincidence."

She fell into step with Harry, trying not to think about the last time she'd been involved with something that included both drugs and kidnapping. If this was anything like that, well she didn't care if it was Harry's case-she was going to have to get involved.

It wasn't. It couldn't be, she tried to reassure herself. He was dead, and she refused to believe that the City would somehow find a way around that.

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i_wizard
2011-03-08 05:17 am UTC (link)

Harry raised an eyebrow at the mention of drugs. That could certainly provide a clue. Especially since Calvin so adamantly believed he hadn't cheated, and still couldn't remember getting to the hotel. All the paperwork Harry had found contained Calvin's handwriting. Yet he believed Calvin.

Either I'm a pansy, or something's wrong here.

As if responding to his thought, the crystal in Harry's hand went dark, falling back to the standard pull of gravity. Harry frowned at it, and gathered his will, pushing it back towards the crystal. It remained dark.

With a look of near-panic, he scanned the back walls of the restaurant. There were two garbage bins, and three large industrial refrigerators, the doors heavily padlocked. "Dinah," he said, voice rising slightly, some of it's deeper baritone audible. "Check the bins. There's a woman back here, and... well, damnit, she might have just died."

Harry ran towards the first fridge, calling upon his magic to help him sever the locks and get it open.