Outmatched (Dawnella X Greeneyed23)

She'd spent the first few hours after midnight running a rehearsal on her operation; she was going to enter from the roof, scout out the size and strength of the criminal detachment there, and manually input a program to steal data from their computer systems. This large syndicate had been problem enough for them to ask the intelligence agencies for help, and in response they'd sent in their vigilante best field operative. She dressed in her trademark catsuit, armed only with several stunning grenades and smoke to help with a possible escape. She rarely carried a gun, and tonight she decided against it; these were thugs, and she wouldn't need it on such a small time gig. Straining into the tight outfit, she also wore a small device which tracked her location.

A tiny earpiece let her receive messages and intercept transmissions, but she couldn't send back any sort of information. As the evening turned into early morning, she stealthily made her way to the structure; it had a guarded front entrance, so she agilely climbed up the structure, years of exercise making the normally impossible task doable. There were more guards than she'd anticipated at the front entrance, but as she stealthily make her way into the rooftop access there were very few thugs to be seen. She easily evaded them, crawling and hiding in a ball when she heard their footsteps. After reaching the terminal area, she uploaded the program as instructed, the network seemingly taking it as she silently congratulated herself on another successful mission. She was moving further downstairs to the garage, intent on placing trackers on their vehicles until she noticed a large figure in the corner; his stillness made her think he was asleep, and she laughed at the uselessness of these guards before easing onto all fours and peering under the rear bumper of a BMW as she expertly began to place her tracker.

As she worked, her heavy chest was resting on the cool floor of the garage, causing her to tense instinctively while she pushed her rear up, squirming slightly as she placed it in an area she thought they wouldn't check. She liked this pose because it was easier than moving onto her back, and let her escape if she heard something suspicious.

The outfit in question was a incredibly powerful criminal syndicate formed and headed by a number of former military operators and intelligence operatives. The guards had not been their ideas and nor were they their's. tonight they were meeting with one of the classic mobs to make a deal that would allow them access to the city's criminal underground. the vehicle she was putting the tracker on belonged to the don of this particular mob.

Inside the warehouse the Don was blathering and stalling trying to find a better deal but his new acquaintances refused to budge on their price for his services but they were beginning to think they should have listened to their intel and just killed him.

Sadly they had been forced to eliminate that particular intel source and he was not around. Which was for the good. that...man was insane. Still he had had a point. This Don was an idiot. And annoying.

Finally eh made a big mistake. "So I figure if we double the price then you can have this." he held out a datastick with what they wanted. The man before him sighed and suddenly drew his gun, shot the Don in the face and grabbed the datastick as he began to shoot at the don's backup.

the gunfire startled the guards and they began to search the area with their lights before the firefight began inside and they rushed to the doors and inside ducking as the walls exploded with flying bullets. This included several that went right into the car she had just put a tracker on killing it dead.

She'd been putting the finishes touches on her tracker, satisfied with her work when suddenly the building and garage seemed to explode in gunshots, several impacting in the car above her as she scrambled underneath it for cover. She had no intention of dying as collateral damage in some mobster conflict, and she waited until the gunshots seemed to die down before she dared to peek out, looking for feet. Seeing none, she peeked outside barely before slinking and crawling to the tire where feet and frame wouldn't be as visible. Peeking above, a gunshot rang out just above her face as she instantly dropped to her knees, her nerves rattled as she prepared her smoke grenades, throwing one at her feet and another between the man and the exit she wanted to escape towards.

Letting the thick smoke billow, she prepared a stun grenade, priming the pin before tossing it towards where the man had been. Hearing its dull thud of detonation, she sprinted towards the exit, her legs pumping as she moved as quickly as she could before escaping past the safety of the door and wall. Her mission no longer necessary, she found herself on a roof above the second story; wasting no time, she dropped below her in a graceful tumble. The transmissions she was receiving and intercepting were mostly a garbled mess; the police wanted to know if she was shot and were sending SWAT and paramedics to the scene, the criminal syndicates were busy trying to kill one another, and somehow she'd managed to elude all of them without being shot in the crossfire.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

After giving her debrief to the police, she returned home and prepared a bath to soak in; she'd received more than a few nasty bruises that day, and as she undressed she couldn't help but think that despite days like today, the city was actually pretty safe and inhospitable to scum like the syndicates. Draping her catsuit over a chair, she saw that the news was reporting on the incident with no mention of her. A little dejectedly, she sank into the tub before sighing, consoling herself with that fact that at least the agency now had information that might be able to help them. Exhausted from her day, Caitlin soaked for a long while before drying herself and collapsing in bed.

Another face was watching the news. But with a smile. The outfit had not been hurt, most of them escaping the police, and they had maintained control of the datastick. This pleased him greatly. but he had also had his own eyes there and he had seen what no one else had. he had seen the rather comely woman sneaking around planting devices.

He would have to track her down. he set his own people upon this task searching for mentions of her and any other data on her that could be obtained. The rumors began to pour in as well as the data that she worked with several intel agencies and he began to draw up a profile on her.

he also sent out a message. It went to his former coworkers in the criminal syndicate drawing them to a meeting of the remaining mafia dons in the city. they agreed to attend. He also let the intel services learn of this, making sure the information would require they use their female agent.

The meeting was set for noon the next day.

Early in the morning, Caitlin could see that her disguised receiver had another message populating it; with a yawn, she turned over as she took it in her fingers and read that a massive meeting was to take place at noon. Setting it down, she felt it was strange to have something on such short notice, but setting an alarm for 6:00 A.M she went back to sleep. She couldn't refuse the request; if they wanted her services, she would give them gladly to see the gangs reduced even further.

The next morning, after showering and dressing, she was double checking her equipment, making sure everything was perfect as she looked at maps of the structure. It was taking place in a warehouse near the docks, and Caitlin planned to try and bug their communications as well as plant a device so that the police would be able to hear all of their conversation during the meeting. Deciding to enter from the roof, she also intended to place a tiny camera where she could get a clear view of all of their faces.

Just before 8:00, she set out, dressed in normal clothing as she drove to the docks, but parking several blocks away and changing into her suit in a nearby alley, storing her normal clothes there in a bag behind a dumpster. With a sigh, she set out carefully, taking alleys to the warehouse before managing to climb an emergency exit that didn't seem to be guarded. Strangely, as she peered over the roof, there was a lack of security fitting such a large event. Deciding it must just be good luck, she eased forward to the large window that made up much of the ceiling, and affixed her camera to look at the floor below. Dropping a transceiver for the police track her, she forced open a panel in the window and dropped down to the catwalk below before hiding in the shadows as she saw and heard a multitude of people below her.

all nine current Don's were there of course. they were shouting at one another demanding answers, and wondering just what the hell was going on, when the doors opened and the outfit Caitlin had been to sent to investigate came into the room. There was an uproar but affter severla minutes they managed to get everyone calmed down and sittting.

The leader of the outfit sat calmly and said. "gentlmen we are here to discuss a new deal..." The moment those words were said the window caitlin had come through shut and locked and the building pressurized itself. The men below did not notice but a man walked onto the catwalk and looked right at Caitlin. "hello my dear. You certainly do look fetching in that outfit."

He was a very handsome man, but in the way that any mother would snatch her daughter away from him. his smile was perfect, his black hair was perfectly cut and styled in a faux part down the middle that gave him even more of a sinister touch. His blue eyes were like gunsteel and twice as cold. He was tall, at least 6'4, and very fit, despite the immaculate cut of his very fine black suit. He had no jewelry on though he did carry a black silver headed cane, but his hands showed signs of a worker and a fighter and he smiled at Caitlin again. "Let's make things more interesting." He walked onto the other side of the catwalk his rubber soled shoes making this silent. he continued to smiled at her as he thumbed the eye of the shark that served as his cane handle. There were eight small explosions and the catwalk fell the ten feet to the table startling everyone there into silence.

The man fixed his suit from the fall then pressed the other eye and the sides of the catwalk fell making the others jumpback in alarm. Only when the echoes had settled did he speak. "ladies and gentlemen...." there were indeed three female dons, and several females in the outfit. "I have gathered you here this evening to introduce you to two people. First of all..." He pointed his cane at Caitlin and a huge flashlight was trained on her illuminating her for everyone. they all immediately started for their weapons but the man with the cane raised his hands. "Hold on. I'm not done. " he looked up at Caitlin and winked. "this lovely creature has been sent to spy on you. Well that's fine. Moving on. My name Is Harold Francis Bly the III. You may call me HB. " he gestured at the outfit, who the most nervous. "it was a special name from these people. And since our relationship shall be so short it really doesn't matter. Now-"

A woman from the outfit jumped to her feet. "Harold you can't-" he whirled on her with remarkable speed and clubbed her across the temple with his cane cracking her skull and sending her head over heels into her chair which toppled over as she lay there bleeding to death. He sighed as he took out a handkerchief and polished the head then checked his shoot before continuing.

"Very Rude. As I was saying you are very very sloppy." He pointed at the dons and there crews and was satisfied to see them flinch. "you have a stranglehold on this city's crime. but you let billions in revenue flow by because you are too busy fighting over nothing and trying to control which has surpassed your little peon brains. " they started to grumble but as he walked near them they fell silent. He then to to the outfit again. "And you my former friends. You were just too sure of yourselves. I've examined the data. The only thing that fool of a Don had for you was an introduction to drug dealers. " They began to grumble as well. as HB continued to walk up and down the table watching them.

He raised his hands when he thought there had been enough talk. 'Well see I've told you this and I've made my point I can tell. the problem is I don't like any of you. i certainly don't need you. And I sure as hell am not going to waste my time guarding against you. So!" He pressed both shark eye and two panels in each wall spun about to reveal dual minigun turrets meaning there were four antitank weapons at either end of the room. everyone froze in horror as HB grinned. "Ah i see we understand each other. Unfortunately for you I have no more to say to you and my next conversation is for the ears of but one. Bye Bye!" he looked up at Caitlin smiling again as the guns opened fire. The bullets tore into their targets blowing them apart throwing gore and blood everywhere. The table was impossible to hide under, though many tried and were quickly cut down. The last few tried to break out the windows but it was high pressure ballistic glass made to withstand rockets and they were also cut down quickly. The guns searched for twenty seconds and each delivered final bursts in people who had not yet died ending the situation. Once done the guns swiveled and pointed right at Caitlin but did not fire.

HB was all smiles. Somehow the blood and gore had missed him and he seemed rather pleased with himself. "Now you my dear...What am i to call you? Oh who knows. For now I'll just call you Foxy Blonde." he grinned at the idea. "You do look so ravishing in that outfit. Now I want you to listen to me my dear. I am taking control of all crime in this city. I will not be killing you. For a very good reason." He gestured at all the bodies. "I have a kill order for each person here . Your friends in the Intelligence community won't like it but they cannot be denied. they have them already by the way. But I do not have a kill order on you. So you and I shall survive this night together. isn't that wonderful?" His voice grew excited at the thought.

"Anyway as i said i am taking control of crime here in the city. in fact my forces are doing so even as we speak. This means i am ending my government service. I am sure you will have a lot of thinking to do and your bosses will likely want more intel on me. But I will give you this for free. Stay away." He was no longer smiling. 'You have my name you can get my file. it will show That i a a clinical sociopath and narcissist with homicidal and genocidal tendencies. I am highly intelligent, and i have never hesitated at anything to complete a job. know very little about you my dear but i suggest you accept you are dealing with a force you cannot understand or combat and you leave quietly... I am also an expert in hand to hand and weapons combat so if you are thinking of ambushing a desk weenie I assure you it will not be that simple."

He sighed after his little speech and fixed his suit. "i hate monologuing. well... i bid you good evening my dear. hope never to see you again. Toodles." he walked to the end of the table lightly dropped to the floor and walked out the door shutting it behind him. After a minute the pressure of the building faded and her window exit open as the guns spun vanishing into the walls again. The stink was already awful and would only get worse, despite the open window it was very hot in the room.

In the shadows, Caitlin was satisfied as she began to emplace sensitive listening equipment while the mobsters below ranted about their wants. Satisfied, all she had to do now was wait until the meeting was over and escape undetected. The sound of glass locking and the building pressurized suddenly alarmed her though, and as her gaze shifted from the meeting below to the catwalk, she saw a man walking directly towards her as she filled with panic; she

was about to be exposed! He kept moving until they were nearly face to face and his blue eyes were unmistakably fixed to hers moments before he spoke, "Hello my dear. You certainly do look fetching in that outfit." Paralyzed to the spot, Caitlin thought that he was about to notify the others and get her killed as she remained silent, more terrified than she'd ever been in her short time as a heroine.

As attractive as he was, she was in no position to appreciate it as her mind raced for a plan to escape the now compromised mission and warehouse. Hearing him speak again, she saw him leave to the other section of catwalk seconds before the steel underneath her was rocked my explosions, nearly sending her cascading over the side as she dropped to her hands and knees, bracing and holding on for dear life as it fell; she barely managed a graceful tumble as it hit and caught herself as she crashed into the meeting table underneath her, destroying it in the process. Stunned, she remained on her hands and knees as she coughed and caught her breath before staggering to her feet before raising her hand to block out a massive light that made her the center of attention to all of the dons, and in that brief instant she realized she was about to die.

Miraculously, she hadn't been shot, and the man from earlier had stopped them from killing her. Standing very still, she knew fleeing wouldn't save her as one of the female dons protested, only to be cut down by a vicious blow that seemed to pacify the others. Caitlin didn't understand why he hadn't killed her already, but he seemed to be more interested in the criminals surrounding her as he admonished them for their failures. His veiled threats weren't lost on her, and as he finished talking she saw turrets springing up at the corners of the room; dropping prone and pressing herself flat against the remnants of the catwalk, she heard the guns spin briefly before the room exploded in gunfire. Luckily, she managed to miss sight of most of it as she pressed her face own and covered her head with her hands.

Daring to look up as the guns ceased firing, and she didn't feel anything that might indicate she was hit, Caitlin felt her heart stop as she saw the guns focused on her. Expecting them to fire, they didn't as the seconds ticked by and the man identified as "Harold" began to speak again. Stunned, she didn't manage to reply, not wanting to say anything that might cause him to fire on her before forcing a smile at his nickname for her and his compliment; it might help her survive longer. She had his name, at least, which made her more anxious at why he would give up that information so readily.

It wasn't long before he'd finished, and Caitlin could hear the faint sound of the building depressurizing as she ran up, coughing; barely able to breathe, she made her way out the way she'd entered before reporting desperately to her higher intelligence what had happened.

LATER THAT EVENING

As she sat before her desk, her hair still damp from the shower and her body wrapped from the thighs to just above her nipples in a simple white towel while she perused his file. It was as he had said, but the file was more detailed than she'd anticipated; he was relatively new to the United States and her city, but certainly well established. Her lips nibbling gently on a pen as she examined his data, she saw what might have been an oversight on his part; the weapons he'd used were the products of a company with known criminal ties, and she felt that if she were to ever find his personal location or to draw him out, affecting the means of his brutality was a good place to start. With a yawn, she pulled the towel off before applying her moisturizer as she always did before bed and sending a request to the intelligence community for additional assets and information. She already planned to scout Apex Weapons the next day though, although it would be without official authorization.

THE NEXT MORNING

Breaking into the structure had been easier than she'd thought, much easier actually. For a place dealing in dangerous and classified information, security was very lax. The structure was completely silent as she crept through the crowded rooms, overflowing with parts until she nearly screamed as a loud bark filled the room; luckily, the German shepherd was caged, and as she brought herself back to her feet, dusting herself off after her tumble, she entered what she had sought the entire time; a room full of servers, which she had every intention of compromising their precious data.

The moment she entered the server room the screens all filled with Harold's face. he smiled. "hello again my dear! Again you do look so very fetching in that outfit. Mmm. I must have the name of your tailor. Anyway... i do apologize. I lied. My name is not Harold. I actually cannot for the life of me remember what my name is. But I liked the name Harold so I use it. Now I know you expected to find a lot of nasty data on me in those servers. You will not. I stole the miniguns from Apex. They owed me and refused to pay. so I killed their guards and their CFO and took what I needed. Fine machines I must say."

He was not really looking at her instead cleaning and clipping his fingernails and fixing his cuticles. "I will give you a bit of a clue as to who and what i am. I am a special operative for a dark beyond black group known as Gemini. Formed between Mi-5, Mi-6 and several other British intelligence groups, and our own dear CIA, NSA, and all the rest of the alphabet boys, Gemini is a group that focuses on eliminating the threats that the police, and even the military cannot. "

He blew on his right thumb nail and began to scrub at a stubborn bit of nail with an emery board. "Still paying attention class? Of course you are. Such a clever girl. Now. Gemini recruited me and several others from a number of organizations. My associates you met last night for example. Most of them came from the four intel groups I mentioned and their gunbats were former Delta Force, Navy Seals, SAS, all those lovely shootemup bang bang groups. As for me I began as a Green Beret and got moved through the other Special Forces groups because none of them challenged me enough. Finally they got wise and gave me my own little operation and let me run amok. I took care of a LOT of business I assure you. So there we have that. I am an American who cannot remember his name. I have resources you cannot imagine, weapons you cannot possibly overcome, and I have you in a sealed room," The doors slammed shut then pressure locked. " With only a few hours of air. Oh and about those servers..."

The servers all began to spark, fry, and basically slag themselves. Harold giggled. "Oh dear. I seem to have used up half of your oxygen with that one. I do apologize. Well I do hope to see you and your smashing outfit again soon my dear. Ta-Ta for now!" The screens went dark and slagged themselves as well and the alarms went off. In moments the room was surrounded by guards trying to break in, all of them yelling at Caitlin to get down on the ground and put her hands up.

Tensing, Caitlin suddenly turned as she saw the face of the man she was investigating on a screen moments before he appeared on all of them. Squaring off to the one she'd seen turn on first, she heard him speak, not knowing if the information was truthful but doing her best to remember it regardless. Off all the names he'd read off, the name Gemini seemed the most foreign to her, and she took careful note of it. It wasn't until he'd concluded that she suddenly jumped back into a safer corner as the machinery destroyed itself around her, sparking and filling the room with smoke and a dull burning smell Suddenly, alarms were ringing as the room turned a dull red in time with the sounds, and she realized that the air felt thinner in the room as he'd told her.

Fighting the urge to panic, she took a deep breath despite the pounding of the guards trying to break into the sealed room. Knowing that the door itself would be nearly impenetrable, she knew there weren't any obvious exits; this trap was meant to keep her in place. Knowing that eventually the guards would likely find a way to cut through the door, she anticipated that in the almost hopeless situation, ambushing them at the moment of her entry was her best, if not disheartening, decision. She couldn't afford to be captured as she'd investigated of her own accord, and doing her best to lower her heart-rate, hoping to survive long enough for the door to be forced apart, she first strung the long wires of her stun grenades across the narrow entryway just near the feet, crisscrossing them before doing the same with her smoke grenades.

Easing onto all fours, she waited for what seemed like forever as the shouting died down ever so slightly, before a massive tearing sound roared into the room momentarily before the door began to be rent asunder, bending and tearing to the sides the metal door despite the pressure pushed on it. Tensing, she could feel herself heat up as she waited for the first man to enter as she reached down to undo the clasp, grasping her tranquilizer pistol as the machine stopped. Almost immediately, someone was inside, momentarily pointing a gun at her before he tripped her trap and the room exploded in light and sound while think smoke began to fill it, obscuring everything as she waited briefly for more people to enter. In the haze, she sprung into action, running into the fray as she ducked and bobbed through the crowd, shooting whomever was around her sporadically with her darts while confused gunfire rang out.

Somehow managing to find her way through the forced open door, she thought she was safe until through the smoke she found that three men had weapons trained on her; knowing instantly that an attack would be suicidal, she raised her hand and dropping her little pistol to the floor.

A man appeared before her in a brilliantly blue suit and bearing a huge pistol aimed right at her face. He was about to speak when he grasped his ear. He listened to his bluetooth then after a long moment he sighed. "You may go. Stand down!"

The men behind him lowered their weapons and they stepped aside for her. The man walked forward and handed her the bluetooth. "Someone wishes to speak with you."

It was the Director of Central Intelligence, the CIA's director in chief, Deborah Kingsley. "Caitlin I am not at all surprised Harold trapped you. We need you to come to Washington. We have much to discuss. I have some things you will find useful before you attempt to challenge him again. Come immediately and alone."

Staring down the barrel of a massive pistol, Caitlin expected that it would be the last thing she'd ever see until she looked past it and noticed the man wielding the weapon. With a gulp, she heard something that sounded unbelievable given the situation as the man spoke, "You may go. Stand down!" She briefly was sure she misheard him, but as they lowered their weapons, Caitlin saw the man approach her and as he stretched out his hand, the heroine slowly put her slender palm forward to take the Bluetooth from him.

Her eyes went wide as she heard the director of the CIA speak to her; instead of responding in length, Caitlin merely replied, "Alright." With that, she returned the Bluetooth to the large man before leaving the now trashed and smoking structure, and within moments vanished from the mess she'd created.

LATER THAT EVENING

Dressed in a skirt and blouse, Caitlin approached the reception desk at Langley, merely asking to speak to the director and assuring the receptionist that she was expected. The young man seemed to eye her with suspicion, but nonetheless called the office. Despite having been invited, Caitlin felt apprehensive as the man spoke to an as of yet silent man beside the desk as he gave Caitlin a pass and spoke, "Follow me." Through the corridors, she almost felt overwhelmed by the realization that she'd not only been spared arrest and interrogation, but was actually being brought to the presence of the director herself.

After what seemed like an eternity, she was brought to a door marked "Director" with Deborah's name plated below it. Her escort opened the door for her, which led into a reception chamber before speaking gruffly, "Wait here." Seating herself in a chair across from a busy secretary, Caitlin waited patiently for the director to return.

Deborah Kingsley, a lovely middle aged blonde woman, suddenly marched down the hall her door opening as she approached. "Caitlin come along."

She did not wait for the girl but walked into her office and sat down waving away her advisors.

Once they had left she looked at Caitlin. "Well shit. You know about Harold...and Gemini. No one was ever supposed to know. Gemini was for the people who were just too exceptional to work with our other groups and organizations. Like Harold. A genius level intellect able to adapt himself to almost anything and a world class athlete and and an elite soldier."

"What you need to know is that he is a total sociopath. He recognizes you as real and he can show empathy but he doesn't really care about anyone or anything. Not even himself. Whatever he is doing now he has a grand scheme. it's likely mad, dangerous as hell, but brilliant. And expect it to work."

She sighed. "You know he is a combat veteran, he commands great respect and loyalty from his troops because he never takes chances with their lives though he will doom his enemies in a flash. he pays his people well and protects them at all costs, so they will be hard is not impossible to turn. he has excellent security and he changes his routines so often and at random that he is impossible to predict...what more can i tell you?"

She pressed a button and a side door opened several people coming in with weapon and gear boxes. "I've had all of this prepared. We have updated surveillance gear, cameras, listening devices, tackers the works. they have boosted signal power and strength. they are waterproof, airtight, and supposedly untraceable. new grenades, gas, smoke, pepper, and several others. A large assortment of snares. Some new tranquilizer and the weapons to use them. A number of new melee weapons. We also got you some armor for you yourself. should fit right into your suit....There is also a lot of impressive tech in there."