Vee

DC OC roleplay blog

[vee-v]

//Intro

Hi! This is a rp blog for my DC OC, Vee. Don't question the name it took too long to come up with. The banner will change when I have more art of them I like.

I don't really roleplay much, so I don't actually know all the terms and stuff (feel free to lmk what they are and stuff). Please say if I've done anything wrong or used the wrong terms etc, I want to make sure I'm not doing this weird.

No oc lore in this post, may make a separate post for that, I've not got it developed enough to write it down (their lore is just messy cause I didn't want to make a proper timeline).

Update: any age is fine, I don't do romantic or sexual roleplay at all. I'm fine with sensitive topics in general, but I won't roleplay certain topics with people under 15 (mostly stuff to do with sexual trauma, but you can just ask for clarification on different ones). Bigots dni, I don't like you, if you're against human rights in general dni and block me if you want. I don't believe in staying out of politics, my political beliefs will likely be shown through the character to some degree. This is for fun, so there likely won't be anything in depth, but, to quote a Skunk Anansie song, everything is political.

Basic info:

So the character is about 20 (ish) but the person behind the blog is 17, so if you're mdni or anything keep that in mind. I will check others blogs and stuff before interactions though.

Both the character and I use they/it, but I use neopronouns as well.

Storyline wise, I've slotted them into various ones for fun, but there'll be a guide below. All you need to know for now is that they work for red hood/arkham knight (based on the universe).

They're based in Gotham, because Batman hyperfixation.

With that in mind I have been diagnosed with audhd, Vee will probably read as having audhd because so many of my ocs do (it's weirdly hard to understand how to write a fully neurotypical character cause some stuff is just normal for me)

There'll be mentions of other dc ocs I have here, because I gave Vee friends and stuff. They may be elaborated on in the future.

Tags and Timelines:

So, I'm doing this at the start because I like organising stuff. Idk if people usually do this later but I don't want to have to go back and organise stuff. Its in emojis for ease.

I actually will have Vee in fics, so there'll be stuff related to my aus on here. Feel free to rp with any au, idm. If you want info on my aus or links to fics feel free to ask.

With asks etc, if you want to use a specific au/timeline you can put the emoji at the start or end of it to indicate that. Otherwise I'll default to the mainline universe unless there's context clues that indicate otherwise.

General:

Asks- #🎱

Rp reblogs- #🪛

Character reblogs- #🛠

General in character posts- #🔧

Out of character posts (will be marked with // but I have to add it as a proper catagory), also includes ooc reblogs- #🏗

Canon universe/s:

Mainline comics- #⚙️

Arkhamverse- #🪚

My Aus:

Sentient lazarus pit au- #🧪

Main blog: @mosscantwrite

Other blog: @mosscantwrite-artandstuff

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

@vee-v

Vee puts down the phone, sitting back at their laptop. Hood had said to keep searching the cameras and to update him if they see the Joker.

They hope Cockroach doesn't wake soon, partly because she needs the rest. Also, they want a little while longer before they have to tell them who exactly left that card. Hopefully they're able to convince her to stay with them, after that, maybe Hood saying she'll be safe will be enough to convince her. Vee isn't naive enough to fully trust anyone, not in Gotham, but so far Hood's proven to be worth listening to.

They lean their chin on one hand as they go back to the cameras, waiting for Cockroach to wake up.

Cockroach shivered and twitched awake. She stayed completely silent and her eyes shimmered with either a reflection of the lights or of their own accord. It had been barely half an hour since the phone call had ended.

"What's it? You look like you have seen Dame Mort into the eye."

She huffs and shakes her head a rueful smile on her lips.

"How screwed am I?"

[vee-v]

Vee looks over, startled. They pause the footage onscreen so as not to miss anything.

"Well," they hesitate slightly, chewing on their lip. "I know who left the card."

Another brief pause.

"It was the Joker."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

She swears a long string in a mix of French and English. She is more resigned than anything while she does it, just accepting something she already expected and subconsciously knew.

"He never bothered doing that! He never did more than come around where I am when I am searching for a boss to demand I join him as a goon. Why did he change that. Why is he starting to get truly interested? What did I do?!"

Cockroach is now hugging her knees and pressing her face into her legs. Protective, small, and absolutely terrified, with deep and forced calming breaths under the hitching of her panic.

"He will kill me. And everyone I had contact to."

[vee-v]

"It'll be okay, I've already spoken to Hood about it, so he's keeping an eye out. I'm working on figuring out if you're being tailed, as well. He can't get to you here, I've made sure all the alarms are active," Vee has never been particularly good at comforting people, but they try to reassure her as best they can. "You'll be okay, you don't have to deal with this alone anymore. How else can we help you?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Help me? Help me?! He is gonna kill me! And now he is invested! The only ones he gets invested with that survive are the bats!"

Her panicked shouting disrupts her breathing exercise. Her breath catches and then she starts crying and laughing at the same time. Fully breaking down. She is shivering violently and wheezing between laughing sobs, her panic only rising with any laughter escaping her.

"I'm gonna die. And I still don't know what I did. And you all are gonna die with me because I was selfish. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

[vee-v]

Vee panics for a moment, hovering a meter or so away from her. They don't want to get too close incase it makes things worse, but at the same time they don't know what to do.

"It'll be okay, he can't get you here. I can show you to footage for the building's external cameras if you want? You'll be okay, no one's going to get hurt because of you. We can deal with him, Hood's aware and we're in probably the safest building in the Alley. It'll be alright, we'll figure this out."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach very slowly calms down, still crying and breathing heavily, she looks exhausted at Vee.

"Can I stay here until the Joker is caught? For the nights to sleep at least?"

[vee-v]

Vee waits patiently as she calms down, clicking through footage on their laptop to give Cockroach a bit more privacy.

"Of course you can," they say, looking up from the screen. "You can work from here as well, for your safety. I'm usually in my workshop, but I've been needing to do some computer work anyway. Your safety is important here, no one will make you do field work whilst the Joker's threatening you. Besides, that's not usually my job anyway."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Thanks... Can you teach me driving? I would feel better if I could take a bike or car to get away. Or drive it over the clown."

With the reassurance that she would be kept safe and could stay at HQ for the night, Cockroach was a lot calmer. She even mustered a smile.

[vee-v]

"Of course," Vee says, smiling back at her. "I'm not sure how good of a teacher I'll be, but I'll give it a go."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

@vee-v

Vee puts down the phone, sitting back at their laptop. Hood had said to keep searching the cameras and to update him if they see the Joker.

They hope Cockroach doesn't wake soon, partly because she needs the rest. Also, they want a little while longer before they have to tell them who exactly left that card. Hopefully they're able to convince her to stay with them, after that, maybe Hood saying she'll be safe will be enough to convince her. Vee isn't naive enough to fully trust anyone, not in Gotham, but so far Hood's proven to be worth listening to.

They lean their chin on one hand as they go back to the cameras, waiting for Cockroach to wake up.

Cockroach shivered and twitched awake. She stayed completely silent and her eyes shimmered with either a reflection of the lights or of their own accord. It had been barely half an hour since the phone call had ended.

"What's it? You look like you have seen Dame Mort into the eye."

She huffs and shakes her head a rueful smile on her lips.

"How screwed am I?"

[vee-v]

Vee looks over, startled. They pause the footage onscreen so as not to miss anything.

"Well," they hesitate slightly, chewing on their lip. "I know who left the card."

Another brief pause.

"It was the Joker."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

She swears a long string in a mix of French and English. She is more resigned than anything while she does it, just accepting something she already expected and subconsciously knew.

"He never bothered doing that! He never did more than come around where I am when I am searching for a boss to demand I join him as a goon. Why did he change that. Why is he starting to get truly interested? What did I do?!"

Cockroach is now hugging her knees and pressing her face into her legs. Protective, small, and absolutely terrified, with deep and forced calming breaths under the hitching of her panic.

"He will kill me. And everyone I had contact to."

[vee-v]

"It'll be okay, I've already spoken to Hood about it, so he's keeping an eye out. I'm working on figuring out if you're being tailed, as well. He can't get to you here, I've made sure all the alarms are active," Vee has never been particularly good at comforting people, but they try to reassure her as best they can. "You'll be okay, you don't have to deal with this alone anymore. How else can we help you?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Help me? Help me?! He is gonna kill me! And now he is invested! The only ones he gets invested with that survive are the bats!"

Her panicked shouting disrupts her breathing exercise. Her breath catches and then she starts crying and laughing at the same time. Fully breaking down. She is shivering violently and wheezing between laughing sobs, her panic only rising with any laughter escaping her.

"I'm gonna die. And I still don't know what I did. And you all are gonna die with me because I was selfish. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

[vee-v]

Vee panics for a moment, hovering a meter or so away from her. They don't want to get too close incase it makes things worse, but at the same time they don't know what to do.

"It'll be okay, he can't get you here. I can show you to footage for the building's external cameras if you want? You'll be okay, no one's going to get hurt because of you. We can deal with him, Hood's aware and we're in probably the safest building in the Alley. It'll be alright, we'll figure this out."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach very slowly calms down, still crying and breathing heavily, she looks exhausted at Vee.

"Can I stay here until the Joker is caught? For the nights to sleep at least?"

[vee-v]

Vee waits patiently as she calms down, clicking through footage on their laptop to give Cockroach a bit more privacy.

"Of course you can," they say, looking up from the screen. "You can work from here as well, for your safety. I'm usually in my workshop, but I've been needing to do some computer work anyway. Your safety is important here, no one will make you do field work whilst the Joker's threatening you. Besides, that's not usually my job anyway."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

@vee-v

Vee puts down the phone, sitting back at their laptop. Hood had said to keep searching the cameras and to update him if they see the Joker.

They hope Cockroach doesn't wake soon, partly because she needs the rest. Also, they want a little while longer before they have to tell them who exactly left that card. Hopefully they're able to convince her to stay with them, after that, maybe Hood saying she'll be safe will be enough to convince her. Vee isn't naive enough to fully trust anyone, not in Gotham, but so far Hood's proven to be worth listening to.

They lean their chin on one hand as they go back to the cameras, waiting for Cockroach to wake up.

Cockroach shivered and twitched awake. She stayed completely silent and her eyes shimmered with either a reflection of the lights or of their own accord. It had been barely half an hour since the phone call had ended.

"What's it? You look like you have seen Dame Mort into the eye."

She huffs and shakes her head a rueful smile on her lips.

"How screwed am I?"

[vee-v]

Vee looks over, startled. They pause the footage onscreen so as not to miss anything.

"Well," they hesitate slightly, chewing on their lip. "I know who left the card."

Another brief pause.

"It was the Joker."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

She swears a long string in a mix of French and English. She is more resigned than anything while she does it, just accepting something she already expected and subconsciously knew.

"He never bothered doing that! He never did more than come around where I am when I am searching for a boss to demand I join him as a goon. Why did he change that. Why is he starting to get truly interested? What did I do?!"

Cockroach is now hugging her knees and pressing her face into her legs. Protective, small, and absolutely terrified, with deep and forced calming breaths under the hitching of her panic.

"He will kill me. And everyone I had contact to."

[vee-v]

"It'll be okay, I've already spoken to Hood about it, so he's keeping an eye out. I'm working on figuring out if you're being tailed, as well. He can't get to you here, I've made sure all the alarms are active," Vee has never been particularly good at comforting people, but they try to reassure her as best they can. "You'll be okay, you don't have to deal with this alone anymore. How else can we help you?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Help me? Help me?! He is gonna kill me! And now he is invested! The only ones he gets invested with that survive are the bats!"

Her panicked shouting disrupts her breathing exercise. Her breath catches and then she starts crying and laughing at the same time. Fully breaking down. She is shivering violently and wheezing between laughing sobs, her panic only rising with any laughter escaping her.

"I'm gonna die. And I still don't know what I did. And you all are gonna die with me because I was selfish. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

[vee-v]

Vee panics for a moment, hovering a meter or so away from her. They don't want to get too close incase it makes things worse, but at the same time they don't know what to do.

"It'll be okay, he can't get you here. I can show you to footage for the building's external cameras if you want? You'll be okay, no one's going to get hurt because of you. We can deal with him, Hood's aware and we're in probably the safest building in the Alley. It'll be alright, we'll figure this out."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

@vee-v

Vee puts down the phone, sitting back at their laptop. Hood had said to keep searching the cameras and to update him if they see the Joker.

They hope Cockroach doesn't wake soon, partly because she needs the rest. Also, they want a little while longer before they have to tell them who exactly left that card. Hopefully they're able to convince her to stay with them, after that, maybe Hood saying she'll be safe will be enough to convince her. Vee isn't naive enough to fully trust anyone, not in Gotham, but so far Hood's proven to be worth listening to.

They lean their chin on one hand as they go back to the cameras, waiting for Cockroach to wake up.

Cockroach shivered and twitched awake. She stayed completely silent and her eyes shimmered with either a reflection of the lights or of their own accord. It had been barely half an hour since the phone call had ended.

"What's it? You look like you have seen Dame Mort into the eye."

She huffs and shakes her head a rueful smile on her lips.

"How screwed am I?"

[vee-v]

Vee looks over, startled. They pause the footage onscreen so as not to miss anything.

"Well," they hesitate slightly, chewing on their lip. "I know who left the card."

Another brief pause.

"It was the Joker."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

She swears a long string in a mix of French and English. She is more resigned than anything while she does it, just accepting something she already expected and subconsciously knew.

"He never bothered doing that! He never did more than come around where I am when I am searching for a boss to demand I join him as a goon. Why did he change that. Why is he starting to get truly interested? What did I do?!"

Cockroach is now hugging her knees and pressing her face into her legs. Protective, small, and absolutely terrified, with deep and forced calming breaths under the hitching of her panic.

"He will kill me. And everyone I had contact to."

[vee-v]

"It'll be okay, I've already spoken to Hood about it, so he's keeping an eye out. I'm working on figuring out if you're being tailed, as well. He can't get to you here, I've made sure all the alarms are active," Vee has never been particularly good at comforting people, but they try to reassure her as best they can. "You'll be okay, you don't have to deal with this alone anymore. How else can we help you?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

@vee-v

Vee puts down the phone, sitting back at their laptop. Hood had said to keep searching the cameras and to update him if they see the Joker.

They hope Cockroach doesn't wake soon, partly because she needs the rest. Also, they want a little while longer before they have to tell them who exactly left that card. Hopefully they're able to convince her to stay with them, after that, maybe Hood saying she'll be safe will be enough to convince her. Vee isn't naive enough to fully trust anyone, not in Gotham, but so far Hood's proven to be worth listening to.

They lean their chin on one hand as they go back to the cameras, waiting for Cockroach to wake up.

Cockroach shivered and twitched awake. She stayed completely silent and her eyes shimmered with either a reflection of the lights or of their own accord. It had been barely half an hour since the phone call had ended.

"What's it? You look like you have seen Dame Mort into the eye."

She huffs and shakes her head a rueful smile on her lips.

"How screwed am I?"

[vee-v]

Vee looks over, startled. They pause the footage onscreen so as not to miss anything.

"Well," they hesitate slightly, chewing on their lip. "I know who left the card."

Another brief pause.

"It was the Joker."

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood watched the clip closely.

“Ah. Okay. Keep an eye out for him. He’s dangerous.”

[vee-v]

"Understood, Boss. What else should I do, it's clear she can't stay where she's been living? She's been dodging him for a while, you know what Joker does when someone won't work for him."

Vee shudders slightly, recalling stories of laughing gas and acid.

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood shoves his hands in his pockets, “I know. Could she stay with you?” He asked.

[vee-v]

"Already offered, she's scared of putting others in danger, that's why she's here. I'll ask again when she wakes up, though."

Vee doubts her answer will change, but it's worth a shot.

[redhoodisalive]

“Please do. She won’t put you in danger, I promise.”

[vee-v]

"Will do, Boss. I'll keep checking the cameras as well, see if I can spot anything."

Vee pauses for a moment, remembering something else they had to tell him.

"Actually, Boss, I've got something else for you. Joker's apparently nabbed a couple of Scarecrow's cooks, the ones who make the fear toxin, along with one of his sites. Probably not new info, but I thought I'd mention it just in case."

[redhoodisalive]

“Good” He was about to hang up the phone but they kept talking, “Alright. I’ll look into it.” Red Hood nodded.

[vee-v]

"Alright, thanks Boss. Want me to email you if I find more footage of the Joker? I'll be compiling any relevant footage either way."

[redhoodisalive]

“Sure. It’ll be helpful.”

[vee-v]

"Got it, I'll keep you updated then."

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood watched the clip closely.

“Ah. Okay. Keep an eye out for him. He’s dangerous.”

[vee-v]

"Understood, Boss. What else should I do, it's clear she can't stay where she's been living? She's been dodging him for a while, you know what Joker does when someone won't work for him."

Vee shudders slightly, recalling stories of laughing gas and acid.

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood shoves his hands in his pockets, “I know. Could she stay with you?” He asked.

[vee-v]

"Already offered, she's scared of putting others in danger, that's why she's here. I'll ask again when she wakes up, though."

Vee doubts her answer will change, but it's worth a shot.

[redhoodisalive]

“Please do. She won’t put you in danger, I promise.”

[vee-v]

"Will do, Boss. I'll keep checking the cameras as well, see if I can spot anything."

Vee pauses for a moment, remembering something else they had to tell him.

"Actually, Boss, I've got something else for you. Joker's apparently nabbed a couple of Scarecrow's cooks, the ones who make the fear toxin, along with one of his sites. Probably not new info, but I thought I'd mention it just in case."

[redhoodisalive]

“Good” He was about to hang up the phone but they kept talking, “Alright. I’ll look into it.” Red Hood nodded.

[vee-v]

"Alright, thanks Boss. Want me to email you if I find more footage of the Joker? I'll be compiling any relevant footage either way."

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood watched the clip closely.

“Ah. Okay. Keep an eye out for him. He’s dangerous.”

[vee-v]

"Understood, Boss. What else should I do, it's clear she can't stay where she's been living? She's been dodging him for a while, you know what Joker does when someone won't work for him."

Vee shudders slightly, recalling stories of laughing gas and acid.

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood shoves his hands in his pockets, “I know. Could she stay with you?” He asked.

[vee-v]

"Already offered, she's scared of putting others in danger, that's why she's here. I'll ask again when she wakes up, though."

Vee doubts her answer will change, but it's worth a shot.

[redhoodisalive]

“Please do. She won’t put you in danger, I promise.”

[vee-v]

"Will do, Boss. I'll keep checking the cameras as well, see if I can spot anything."

Vee pauses for a moment, remembering something else they had to tell him.

"Actually, Boss, I've got something else for you. Joker's apparently nabbed a couple of Scarecrow's cooks, the ones who make the fear toxin, along with one of his sites. Probably not new info, but I thought I'd mention it just in case."

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood watched the clip closely.

“Ah. Okay. Keep an eye out for him. He’s dangerous.”

[vee-v]

"Understood, Boss. What else should I do, it's clear she can't stay where she's been living? She's been dodging him for a while, you know what Joker does when someone won't work for him."

Vee shudders slightly, recalling stories of laughing gas and acid.

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood shoves his hands in his pockets, “I know. Could she stay with you?” He asked.

[vee-v]

"Already offered, she's scared of putting others in danger, that's why she's here. I'll ask again when she wakes up, though."

Vee doubts her answer will change, but it's worth a shot.

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

Red Hood watched the clip closely.

“Ah. Okay. Keep an eye out for him. He’s dangerous.”

[vee-v]

"Understood, Boss. What else should I do, it's clear she can't stay where she's been living? She's been dodging him for a while, you know what Joker does when someone won't work for him."

Vee shudders slightly, recalling stories of laughing gas and acid.

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

“Thanks.”

[vee-v]

The footage shows the Joker walking up to Cockroache's door, pinning a card to it, adjusting it for a moment, painting a smile onto the door, and then leaving with a smile and a wave to the camera. He seems to simply vanish once out of the frame.

"We're in one of the meeting rooms right now, I've been keeping an eye on the cameras outside the building. I've also been looking over the footage near the places she's visited, no sign of a tail yet, although that doesn’t mean there isn't one."

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[redhoodisalive]

“Hm. Alright. Send me the footage.” He said, tapping his foot.

[vee-v]

"Got it, Boss."

Vee steps back over to their laptop, emailing the footage over quickly.

[redhoodisalive]

(// @vee-v , ongoing rp w/ @cockroach-drifting-goon )

Vee clicks on Hood's contact, standing off to the side so as not to disturb Cockroach. They start speaking as soon as they hear Hood pick up.

"Hey Boss? Got something important to tell you. It's about the new hire, Cockroach."

Red Hood puts his phone to his ear, “What’s up?”

[vee-v]

"She's being hunted by the Joker. Apparently, he's been trying to hire her for a while. He left a card on her door today, did it himself, I can send you the footage."

[vee-v]

You the one boss send me too?

-@cockroach-drifting-goon

Well, that depends on who your boss is and what you're here for. What do you need?

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Red Hood sent me to get a gun and learn to shoot.

[vee-v]

You're in the right place then, did he specify what kind? I should have a few different models on hand, just have to see which are intact and which aren't

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

No. I haven't shot anything but Mr. Freezes freeze gun before.

[vee-v]

"Got it, I'll find a handgun for you. Shouldn't be dissimilar, but I've never worked for freeze. I'd love to figure out how those guns work though."

Vee makes their way over to a large safe and rummages through it, pulling out a sleek handgun.

"Right, found it. This is a pretty basic model, one of the more standard ones you'll see used in gangs. If you follow me over here I have a couple of targets set up I use to check the guns work after I've played about with them."

They draw their own gun, black and painted with blue accents, and point it at the target.

"You want to hold it like this, but reverse the grip if you're left handed. Make sure you're stable and don't lock your elbows up," They go through a short list of instructions, briefly touching on how to aim and such. "Give it a go, I'll show you how to reload and all that after."

(// is it obvious I know nothing about guns? I had to find an article on cleaning them for a fic a few weeks ago, ive never even see one irl lol. Also dw about the change in format, this is just easier for me, idm what format you use)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach follows the instructions to the letter. The reason why the rogues were happy with her and let her bounce between them was how fast she picked up new skills. It took a little, but she got a steady if unpracticed aim within a few tries.

"Freeze guns are more stable and have less knockback", she comments. "I'm Cockroach by the way." She grimaces and looks at her wrist, which she rotates before the grimace eases. "It bruised my wrist."

(//Ok, I think I have more knowledge about them, which is wild. I know there different models and that they have knockback and the older guns have a very heavy knockback. The thing of oldschool gangster movies where the tommy gun veers upwards? that is a real thing. And I know that the AK-47 is like the best thing you can get regarding fast learning and robust care in regards to rifles. My German ass never needed to know about guns though. I just know that because my grandpa has one and my father is actually for roleplay and politic reasons interested.

I don't mind the format either. I usually find it easier to match the format of those I RP with. But for this one, I decided to usually change the color of the spoken text. Oh and if you have questions regarding cockroach, I'm very happy to talk about her. I love yapping about my characters.)

[vee-v]

"Nice work, you learn fast. You can keep that one if you want, or I can get another model for you to try, then I can get you a holster for it. Need anything for your wrist?"

Vee steps away and moves to a cabinet next to the safe from before. Opening it reveals a variety of holsters, neatly organised by style. They pull out a few different types, hooking them onto their arm.

"Nice to meet you, Cockroach, I'm Vee. The freeze guns having less knock back is interesting, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one at some point."

(// oh cool, I'm British so I never had to learn about guns either lol. That's good to know though, I remember roughly how to clean a handgun (the example in the article was a glock I think), but I don't know much about knockback etc. I just kind of make it up as I go honestly.

Okay, that makes sense, idm the text colour changing for speaking either. I'd love to hear more about Cockroach, she seems very cool!)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Freeze isn't out at the moment, but I could ask. Or lend you mine. I think I'll stick to this one. My wrist is fine, I heal fast. I just haven't expected it. The knockback, I mean."

She rambles distractedly as she watches thin black spiderweb-like veins spread over her wrist and vanish again, healing the bruises the knockback had caused.

"Nice to meet you Vee. A holster would be nice. Anything else I should know? It's my first time working for Hood."

[vee-v]

"You'd do that? Thanks Cockroach, I promise to return it in one piece. Alright that works, glad your wrist will be fine."

The eye the thin black line curiously as they spread over Cockroach's wrist, wondering if she's a meta, or if it's something else. Vee doesn't mention it, though, people tend to be touchy about that sort of thing especially in a city as superstitious as Gotham.

"What sort do you prefer? I have some basic one's here I provide free of charge, but I also do custom one's if you want," they gesture to their own holster, which is painted to match their gun.

"Hood's one of the better one's to work under, not likely to shoot his own men just because he's pissed. He's not always around, cause he's working more with the Bats now, so you'll report to one of the other lieutenants most of the time. If you have any concerns about your coworkers, I reccomend speaking to Ish, he's good with that stuff. Ish does a lot of management type stuff, but sort of doubles as HR, cause he's good at conflict resolution and all that. Although, if someone's being a creep and you don't feel like dealing with it yourself, or aren't able to, you should go to Rosa, she's the one incharge of the drugs and will be happy to deal with that.

"Hood himself, when he's around, can be pretty funny. He's not always the most friendly, but he's nicer than Black Mask and Penguin. Really, as long as you stick to the rules you'll be fine, it's not hard if you're not a complete piece of shit."

They pause a moment, trying to see if they've forgotten anything.

"Oh yeah, if you want to change departments it's pretty easy, who are you working for anyway?"

(// Okay so I used some other ocs here cause I can't easily base it in canon, so I do have a basic structure set up for the gang. The lieutenants are Mike, Evie, Ish, Rosa, Sammy, David, and Vee.

Mike coordinates cleanup and also helps with strategy. Vee mostly does security and tech stuff, they also work with David to supply weapons and other gear to the gang. David manages the weapons trafficking operations. Rosa manages the drug supplies and the dealers. Ish is basically management, he does thing like managing the laundering operations and the accounting, along with other things, he also doubles as HR in a way. Sammy does a similar job to Ish, but whilst Ish mostly works in an office space, unless he's requested to meet someone, Sammy manages the gang members directly, relaying orders and checking on people. Evie is the head enforcer for the gang and her people are often the ones who'll deal with rival gangs and such.

Each lieutenant has people working under them and are the head of their department. From their, whilst they can have a functional second in command, rank is mostly based on seniority and if people like you. The departments aren't strictly separated either, but the lieutenants function as the gangs inner circle, in a way, and keep it running when Hood isn't available. It also means that the regular henchmen tend to report to them, as opposed to only reporting back to Hood.

It's not a super detailed system, but I'm including it in my current wip, so I have some details more fleshed out than others. I can explain more if you want, but you can place Cockroach in any department and still have them interact with Vee, cause the henchmen aren't limited solely to their department)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"A basic one will do fine. I don't know which department I work for. Hood just said I can run with his gang and that I need a gun."

Cockroach looks at Vee and it's the first time she doesn't hide her eyes behind the shadow of her pulled up hood. Her golden-hazel eyes are filled with fear and uncertainty.

"I usually help in research and development or do the accounting. What am I even doing her?"

(//that was a lot of information)

[vee-v]

"I'll get you a shoulder holster, they're easy enough to conceal," they hand over a plain black shoulder holster. "Ah, yeah he does that, Hood can be more cryptic than the Riddler I swear."

Vee notices the odd eye colour, but strange eyecolours are common enough in metas that they don't look for too long.

"Well, Ish usually does accounts and I think he already has an assistant. For research and development you could work with me, I do security and modifications for weapons and vehicles. If you're used to experimenting with drugs I can talk to Rosa, but a lot of our stuff is pretty standard, if somewhat safer than what other gangs sell. Hood has strict rules about adding stuff into the drugs his gang sells."

(// Yeah I didn't realise until I finished lol, sorry about that. Hopefully it wasn't too much, I tend to overexplain a bit, especially when I've been developing stuff like that)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It has been a while since I worked mechanics. I think the last time was with Riddler. I'm glad to work with you."

She hesitates after she had taken the holster and situated it for easy access and still being concealed.

"I... I need a place to stay at... Just for a day or two!"

(//We're good, no worries. Just amazed and a little overwhelmed there was so much. I'm no better, I can just break it down)

[vee-v]

"I'm always glad to have another pair of hands, I'm happy to work with you. What did you work on with Riddler? I supplied him a few bits before I joined Hood, he was always fun to work with, more focused on his schemes than anything else."

They see Cockrach hesitate and wait for her to speak. Upon hearing her question, Vee hums. Usually, goons already have somewhere to stay, or they can use a shelter. With Cockroach being a meta, or something similar, though... the shelters may not be a good idea.

"You can stay with me for a few nights if the shelters aren't an option. I don't have a spare room, but I've slept on the sofa enough to know it's comfortable."

Well, no one has ever said that they aren't impulsive. It should be fine, Vee set up their own security after all. Besides, clearly Hood thought she was safe enough, there hadn't been any warnings to keeo an eye on any of the new hires, not even any relayed through the no-longer-work chat.

(// Okay, that's good. Yeahh i didnt realise it had gotten so long, let me know if you need me to clarify/reword anything :) )

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Oh, we worked on a trap for Robin. Batman had calmed down a little with the new Robin, and Riddler wanted to keep the tradition of taking the boy hostage. It was a color puzzle. He was intrigued after seeing Robin freeing himself. I worked on making sure it wouldn't kill the kid. Nobody wanted a repeat of that disaster"

Cockroach relaxed while recounting the tale. She shook her head at the offer of Vee to stay with them.

"Thank you. I would take your offer, but I don't think it would be safe for you. I'll figure something out..."

(// Will do! Also, I know Vee prefers they/them. If I ever misgender them, just point it out, to remind me, it is never malicious)

[vee-v]

"Sounds interesting, glad you made sure it wasn't deadly, no one wants a repeat of the last time Robin died. I wasn't aware it was a tradition, I thought he just liked testing them, honestly."

They pause to think again after Cockroach declines. If someone's after her, that could be important information, but if it's about their potential meta abilities then she could get defensive when asked. Well, it can't hurt to check.

"Why not? If someone's after you I can speak with the other lieutenants and arrange a safe accommodation. I make my own security, though, it's been set up around my entire block of flats. I got permission from the landlord as well, so it's pretty thorough. It's mostly older designs for warehouse security, but it's good. If you're worried about something else, I can see what's available based on that," Vee does their best not to sound demanding, aware that their tone doesn't always convey what they feel.

(// Okay, I'll let you know! I wouldn't assume it to be malicious, it often isn't. I also use they/them, so I get that it's not always easy for people)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It kinda is. You kidnap a robin flying solo to get Batman's attention. It also tests them and usually is a wide spread of medium puzzles for Riddler. To make sure he does challenge the kid but not overwhelm them."

Cockroach sighs as she was asked about the reason why she declined. She just hoped she doesn't have to get into detail with the information she was going to give.

"The Joker..."

[vee-v]

"Huh, interesting. That makes sense, in a way."

Vee freezes for a moment upon hearing the Joker's name. That would cause issues then, especially since Hood has a well known problem with the clown. The Joker is ruthless and, whilst Vee is confident in their tools, they don't want to tempt fate more than they already do. Security is definitely a priority, along with secrecy.

Shelters are out, same with most of the usual options. There might be something they can do, though.

"I'll make a call, I think we can get you a place to stay for a few nights," they tell her, pulling a phone from their jacket.

Vee steps away as the phone rings, not too far, but enough that they have the illusion of privacy.

"Hey Ish, what are the options for secure housing again?"

...

"No I'm not in trouble, new hire needs a place to stay for a few nights or so."

...

"Yeah that sort of secure."

...

"You know the guy Boss has a vendetta against?"

...

"Okay, yeah that doesn't narrow it down much. It's the clown."

...

"Yeah she's working with me for now."

...

"Alright, I'll let her know, thanks Ish"

Vee slips their phone back into their pocket and makes their way back over to Cockroach.

"So, the most secure place is actually headquarters, but that's not got what you'll need. Ish says we should have a secure living space set up for henchmen, though. It's been rigged with a security system for a while, but only been finished off recently. It was set up incase any of the gang members are homeless, either when they're hired or during their time here, I can take you over there, if you'd like?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I really just need a place to curl up that isn't too cold and keeps me away from the clown."

She mumbles that but sighs, speaking more clearly now.

"I think he has surveillance on me. I wouldn't want to compromise the secure housing for everyone else..."

She really didn't know what to do and was clearly very afraid to get others involved into it all.

[vee-v]

Vee hums in consideration. It makes sense she wouldn't want to risk compromising any of their locations, especially if she thinks the clown is tracking her. There is a chance of them being able to disable or trick whatever surveillance the Joker is using to track Cockroach, but that depends on one thing.

"What sort of surveillance are we talking about?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I don't know! He left his card on my door!"

Cockroach is almost screeching. She snaps her mouth shut and takes a couple deep breaths. Then she takes out the calling card of the joker from her pocket. A joker from a deck of cards, with a red dripping smile drawn over it.

"It's just paper, I checked. But I found it yesterday when I came home. It was pinned with his smile painted on my door..."

[vee-v]

Vee startles slightly when she raises her voice, but settles quickly. They've never been good with sudden loud noises, regardless of what causes them. Their eyes widen as the process what Cockroah just said.

"Well that's terrifying," they say, voice serious despite their choice of words. Having the Joker taunt you like that...they can't imagine how it'd feel. "Right, okay, so the main options would be tailing you, using security cameras, tracking your devices, or planting a tracker on you. I assume you've likely checked yourself for trackers, but I can check again if you want, I have access to one of those hand held metal detectors. I likely won't be able to find any traces if he's hacked into any cameras, but I can pull those up if you want to see if you're being trailed. There's a chance there's also a tracker on your vehicle if you have one, but again, I assume you'll have checked already."

They pause for a moment, trying to see if there's anything else they can do. Despite their chosen profession, Vee does find themselves wanting to help people. Solving problems has always been one of their favourite activities and it seems that's not just limited to problems with technology.

"We can figure something out, if you're willing, we help protect eachother here. It's important for teamwork and all that, also means we aren't having to rehire people all the time."

It's true, most of Hood's men originally came from other gangs and their former bosses would come after them for defecting. This meant that they had to work together to ensure eachothers safety and stop the gang's numbers dropping constantly.

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I did. I checked everything, went even to one of the goons I usually run with when I work for Riddler. No trackers on me or anything I have on me. I actually can't drive, so no trackers on a car or bike. Yeah, knowing if I'm trailed and who is trailing me would be appreciated. And I am, I very much am willing to figure something out. And sorry for the screeching. It's just... Joker tried to hire me for five years now. And I know how he reacts to goons rejecting him. It's either Joker Venom, Acid or a lethal or debilitatingly cripling shot for you and-or your family. I don't know how I survived each rejection I gave him."

She is now hugging herself and shivering. Clearly she had pushed her panic of getting targeted by the Joker down, but now it had found a crack and flooded out from her. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she lowered her head.

"I can still feel my breath stopping through my laughter. I'm afraid of my own laugh, of the pain it will bring me. I know it's pathetic, but I can't keep dealing with this. I need to have one night, one single night I can sleep without fearing anyone getting targeted because of me. One night I can sleep without waking up at every person walking by my door. Can't I sleep on a couch in an office at HQ? Just one night? I wouldn't mind being surveilled by someone for that, I know I'm new and everything."

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it, seriously, you have every right to be stressed, Joker's after you. It's good you've checked, I'll help you work out how he's tracking you. You can stay in one of the meeting rooms for the night, we'll figure out long term solutions tomorrow," Vee feels sad for her, they've heard stories of what the Joker does when rejected and they aren't pleasant. It's why they always tried to stay under his radar, luckily they succeed and he never tried to buy from them, but if he had...

"If you can tell me where you've been staying and anywhere you've been frequently, I can work on getting into the cameras nearby," they offer. Vee moves to step forward, physical comfort coming to them easier than words, but stops almost immediately. "We can stay here for now, if you'd like, I have proximity alerts set up. Are you alright with being touched or should I stay back? It's entirely up to you."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Meeting room sounds good. Thank's Vee. For the help and for the offer. But I'll probably fight if you touch me."

Cockroach proceeds to tell Vee all the places she frequents -all in the alley, her adress -a one room apartment just barely big enough to be counted as such and in more detail what her last days before getting the card looked like. Including the talk she had with a freshly minted detective in a diner. She also explains that the talk was about the joker, the missing cooks of scarecrow and that joker took over one of scarecrows last operation sights.

"I'm no snitch, but with Joker everything is allowed. At least with the bossess I have been working with."

[vee-v]

"Got it, I won't get too close, let me know if you want some water or anything. It's no problem really, don't worry about it."

They listen intently as she details where she's been, making notes on a ratty, slightly singed notepad with a pen that's clearly been chewed on. Already they're cross-referencing the locations with cameras they know are set up, a rough mental map of the Alley in their mind. The talk with the detective piques their interests, but they simply note it down to ask about later. Vee doesn't think she's lying about the topic of the conversation, but any information is useful. They'll have to call Hood about the new information on the Joker, that's not something that can be ignored.

"You're not wrong, any information on Joker's schemes is useful. Usually we only care about the gangs run by people like Mask or Falcone, not the general rogues, but Joker seems to be the exception to most rules."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Water would be nice."

Cockroach conceeds after a short pause. She has calmed down a little now that she knows she will be safe for the night and that she isn't in trouble for talking to the new detective.

"Everything to get the Joker taken care of. Even cooperation with Gotham's finest..."

[vee-v]

Vee reaches under their workbench and pulls a bottle of water from a minifridge that's plugged into one of the many extension cables littering the floor.

"Here, I have to make sure everything is turned off before heading out, but it won't take me long. I have a spare helmet if you're good with motorbikes, if not I can call someone to drive you. Don't worry about the detective, I may not be a fan of the police, but even I can put that aside if it means the Joker is dealt with."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Thank's Vee. I'm good with riding a motorbike. I just never learned to drive myself. Why should I? Never had the money for a bike anyway."

Cockrooac drinks the water bottle in slow sips while she waits for Vee, clearly attached to them after they promised to help them.

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it."

Vee goes around the room, turning off plug sockets and light switches, before packing their things into a bag. Then, they grab a spare helmet and hand it to Cockroach.

"Here you go, I'm done in here so let's get you to headquarters"

They lead her out of the workshop and into a garage, passing a half dismantled motorcycle on the way to theirs. Vee takes good care of their bike, it's unrecognisable compared to when they first got it, what with the various modifications and lots of paint they added. Vee grabs their helmet from the seat, pulling it on and sitting on the bike.

"Right, let's go then."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach holds on tightly as they drive. She clearly has expirience with being a passanger on a bike and a small exhilerated laugh, despite the rollacoster of emotions she wnet through, is audible underneeth the helmet. She follows Vee like a lost duckling when they arrive.

[vee-v]

The drive isn't usually very long, Vee's workshop and headquarters are both in Crime Alley. This time, though, Vee is aware of a potential tail. Taking a longer, more difficult to track, route, is the best option here.

When they pull up the the headquarters, a bland office building in the edge of the Alley, they park in the alley next to it. Vee leads Cockrach to the side door, covering they keypad as they after the code in. The lock clicks and Vee scans the alley briefly after ushering Cockrach inside. Once the door is locked again, they lead her upstairs, heading towards the lieutenants meeting room.

The building isn't too large and the lower floors have been converted for other purposes. Most of the gangs activities happen elsewhere, spread out across warehouses and alleyways, but this is where any important meeting happen.

Vee unlocks the door to the meeting room and locks it behind them. The room contains several chairs, a table, and a rolling whiteboard. Curtains block the windows, the room lit by an overhead light instead.

"So, this is the meeting room you can stay in, the toilets are just down the hall, you can't miss the signs. You can move the furniture around to get comfortable."

Vee sends a message to Ish, letting him know that they've arrived and that the room is occupied.

"Do you want anything before I set up my computer?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"No, this is fine."

Cockroach makes her way to a corner out of the way, where she can stay hidden as well, and curls up against it. She clearly has experience in sleeping -or at least resting- in seemingly uncomfortable positions and environments. From time to time she shivers, either because it gets cooler or because she is still terrified and something crossed her mind.

[vee-v]

"Alright, let me know if you need anything."

Vee sets their laptop up on the table, checking on Cockroach every so often. They won't just watch her sleep, but they want to make sure she's alright. Opening their laptop, Vee unlocks it and starts pulling up various programs. They start by labelling each location Cockroach gave them on a map, cross-referencing them with the map of different cameras in the Alley. It doesn't take long and soon they're able to start looking through the footage from tonight. Vee finds Cockroach easily, then begins to scan each piece of footage to see if there's anyone tailing her

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Nobody was tailing Cockroach that night, or at the day. Going backwards shows her pacing, finding the card the card being unattended for an hour, and then the joker leaving with a grin and wave right into the camera. A taunt, and a confident one. If Vee looks further back, they see the Joker himself almost skip to the door and fiddeling with the card to have it juuust right.

Further backwards a few days shows Cockroach helping Red Robin, who was in a ballgown and had shrike wings, into her home and letting him leave with changed clothes. Further back another day shows her rushing home, the shadows darker and deeper and a persistent fog clouding the view. That was the day Cockroach had the run-in with the new detective, Detective Khoshekh.

[vee-v]

Vee scans through the footage carefully, watching Cockroach's door. This was likely when the card had been left. A tall figure emerges, from the darkness. It looks like they're walking backwards, as the footage is played in reverse. The light hits them. Vee gasps.

On the screen, Joker fiddles with a playing card.

Well, that solves that mystery then. He must be determined if he's doing this himself. Vee watches intently, trying to find a car, anything that could trace him. Joker just fades into the shadows.

They keep watching as Red Robin pays her a visit, large wings growing from his back. Huh, maybe that was why Hood hadn't been around. Vee really needs to keep up with vigilante news more, they've been holed up in their workshop for a while, working on a new prototype. Maybe they also should stop muting their messages.

Further back shows Cockroach rushing home, fog making it harder to see her movements. Vee looks at other cameras, trying to make out a pursuer, but all they find is her meeting with a man in a diner, likely the detective. Vee copies the footage of the meeting as well as the footage of the Joker, placing them in a file before encrypting it. Sure, it wouldn't beat the mysterious Oracle that they've seen here and there, but it won't be easy to get into, nothing on their laptop is.

Vee sighs, wishing they could step out for a smoke, but not wanting to leave Cockroach alone. They'll have to tell her when she wakes up. Eying her, Vee can't tell if she's actually asleep or not, they don't want to disturb her either way. Besides, they have a call to make, Hood needs to know if one of his employees is being hunted by the Joker.

[vee-v]

You the one boss send me too?

-@cockroach-drifting-goon

Well, that depends on who your boss is and what you're here for. What do you need?

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Red Hood sent me to get a gun and learn to shoot.

[vee-v]

You're in the right place then, did he specify what kind? I should have a few different models on hand, just have to see which are intact and which aren't

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

No. I haven't shot anything but Mr. Freezes freeze gun before.

[vee-v]

"Got it, I'll find a handgun for you. Shouldn't be dissimilar, but I've never worked for freeze. I'd love to figure out how those guns work though."

Vee makes their way over to a large safe and rummages through it, pulling out a sleek handgun.

"Right, found it. This is a pretty basic model, one of the more standard ones you'll see used in gangs. If you follow me over here I have a couple of targets set up I use to check the guns work after I've played about with them."

They draw their own gun, black and painted with blue accents, and point it at the target.

"You want to hold it like this, but reverse the grip if you're left handed. Make sure you're stable and don't lock your elbows up," They go through a short list of instructions, briefly touching on how to aim and such. "Give it a go, I'll show you how to reload and all that after."

(// is it obvious I know nothing about guns? I had to find an article on cleaning them for a fic a few weeks ago, ive never even see one irl lol. Also dw about the change in format, this is just easier for me, idm what format you use)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach follows the instructions to the letter. The reason why the rogues were happy with her and let her bounce between them was how fast she picked up new skills. It took a little, but she got a steady if unpracticed aim within a few tries.

"Freeze guns are more stable and have less knockback", she comments. "I'm Cockroach by the way." She grimaces and looks at her wrist, which she rotates before the grimace eases. "It bruised my wrist."

(//Ok, I think I have more knowledge about them, which is wild. I know there different models and that they have knockback and the older guns have a very heavy knockback. The thing of oldschool gangster movies where the tommy gun veers upwards? that is a real thing. And I know that the AK-47 is like the best thing you can get regarding fast learning and robust care in regards to rifles. My German ass never needed to know about guns though. I just know that because my grandpa has one and my father is actually for roleplay and politic reasons interested.

I don't mind the format either. I usually find it easier to match the format of those I RP with. But for this one, I decided to usually change the color of the spoken text. Oh and if you have questions regarding cockroach, I'm very happy to talk about her. I love yapping about my characters.)

[vee-v]

"Nice work, you learn fast. You can keep that one if you want, or I can get another model for you to try, then I can get you a holster for it. Need anything for your wrist?"

Vee steps away and moves to a cabinet next to the safe from before. Opening it reveals a variety of holsters, neatly organised by style. They pull out a few different types, hooking them onto their arm.

"Nice to meet you, Cockroach, I'm Vee. The freeze guns having less knock back is interesting, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one at some point."

(// oh cool, I'm British so I never had to learn about guns either lol. That's good to know though, I remember roughly how to clean a handgun (the example in the article was a glock I think), but I don't know much about knockback etc. I just kind of make it up as I go honestly.

Okay, that makes sense, idm the text colour changing for speaking either. I'd love to hear more about Cockroach, she seems very cool!)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Freeze isn't out at the moment, but I could ask. Or lend you mine. I think I'll stick to this one. My wrist is fine, I heal fast. I just haven't expected it. The knockback, I mean."

She rambles distractedly as she watches thin black spiderweb-like veins spread over her wrist and vanish again, healing the bruises the knockback had caused.

"Nice to meet you Vee. A holster would be nice. Anything else I should know? It's my first time working for Hood."

[vee-v]

"You'd do that? Thanks Cockroach, I promise to return it in one piece. Alright that works, glad your wrist will be fine."

The eye the thin black line curiously as they spread over Cockroach's wrist, wondering if she's a meta, or if it's something else. Vee doesn't mention it, though, people tend to be touchy about that sort of thing especially in a city as superstitious as Gotham.

"What sort do you prefer? I have some basic one's here I provide free of charge, but I also do custom one's if you want," they gesture to their own holster, which is painted to match their gun.

"Hood's one of the better one's to work under, not likely to shoot his own men just because he's pissed. He's not always around, cause he's working more with the Bats now, so you'll report to one of the other lieutenants most of the time. If you have any concerns about your coworkers, I reccomend speaking to Ish, he's good with that stuff. Ish does a lot of management type stuff, but sort of doubles as HR, cause he's good at conflict resolution and all that. Although, if someone's being a creep and you don't feel like dealing with it yourself, or aren't able to, you should go to Rosa, she's the one incharge of the drugs and will be happy to deal with that.

"Hood himself, when he's around, can be pretty funny. He's not always the most friendly, but he's nicer than Black Mask and Penguin. Really, as long as you stick to the rules you'll be fine, it's not hard if you're not a complete piece of shit."

They pause a moment, trying to see if they've forgotten anything.

"Oh yeah, if you want to change departments it's pretty easy, who are you working for anyway?"

(// Okay so I used some other ocs here cause I can't easily base it in canon, so I do have a basic structure set up for the gang. The lieutenants are Mike, Evie, Ish, Rosa, Sammy, David, and Vee.

Mike coordinates cleanup and also helps with strategy. Vee mostly does security and tech stuff, they also work with David to supply weapons and other gear to the gang. David manages the weapons trafficking operations. Rosa manages the drug supplies and the dealers. Ish is basically management, he does thing like managing the laundering operations and the accounting, along with other things, he also doubles as HR in a way. Sammy does a similar job to Ish, but whilst Ish mostly works in an office space, unless he's requested to meet someone, Sammy manages the gang members directly, relaying orders and checking on people. Evie is the head enforcer for the gang and her people are often the ones who'll deal with rival gangs and such.

Each lieutenant has people working under them and are the head of their department. From their, whilst they can have a functional second in command, rank is mostly based on seniority and if people like you. The departments aren't strictly separated either, but the lieutenants function as the gangs inner circle, in a way, and keep it running when Hood isn't available. It also means that the regular henchmen tend to report to them, as opposed to only reporting back to Hood.

It's not a super detailed system, but I'm including it in my current wip, so I have some details more fleshed out than others. I can explain more if you want, but you can place Cockroach in any department and still have them interact with Vee, cause the henchmen aren't limited solely to their department)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"A basic one will do fine. I don't know which department I work for. Hood just said I can run with his gang and that I need a gun."

Cockroach looks at Vee and it's the first time she doesn't hide her eyes behind the shadow of her pulled up hood. Her golden-hazel eyes are filled with fear and uncertainty.

"I usually help in research and development or do the accounting. What am I even doing her?"

(//that was a lot of information)

[vee-v]

"I'll get you a shoulder holster, they're easy enough to conceal," they hand over a plain black shoulder holster. "Ah, yeah he does that, Hood can be more cryptic than the Riddler I swear."

Vee notices the odd eye colour, but strange eyecolours are common enough in metas that they don't look for too long.

"Well, Ish usually does accounts and I think he already has an assistant. For research and development you could work with me, I do security and modifications for weapons and vehicles. If you're used to experimenting with drugs I can talk to Rosa, but a lot of our stuff is pretty standard, if somewhat safer than what other gangs sell. Hood has strict rules about adding stuff into the drugs his gang sells."

(// Yeah I didn't realise until I finished lol, sorry about that. Hopefully it wasn't too much, I tend to overexplain a bit, especially when I've been developing stuff like that)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It has been a while since I worked mechanics. I think the last time was with Riddler. I'm glad to work with you."

She hesitates after she had taken the holster and situated it for easy access and still being concealed.

"I... I need a place to stay at... Just for a day or two!"

(//We're good, no worries. Just amazed and a little overwhelmed there was so much. I'm no better, I can just break it down)

[vee-v]

"I'm always glad to have another pair of hands, I'm happy to work with you. What did you work on with Riddler? I supplied him a few bits before I joined Hood, he was always fun to work with, more focused on his schemes than anything else."

They see Cockrach hesitate and wait for her to speak. Upon hearing her question, Vee hums. Usually, goons already have somewhere to stay, or they can use a shelter. With Cockroach being a meta, or something similar, though... the shelters may not be a good idea.

"You can stay with me for a few nights if the shelters aren't an option. I don't have a spare room, but I've slept on the sofa enough to know it's comfortable."

Well, no one has ever said that they aren't impulsive. It should be fine, Vee set up their own security after all. Besides, clearly Hood thought she was safe enough, there hadn't been any warnings to keeo an eye on any of the new hires, not even any relayed through the no-longer-work chat.

(// Okay, that's good. Yeahh i didnt realise it had gotten so long, let me know if you need me to clarify/reword anything :) )

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Oh, we worked on a trap for Robin. Batman had calmed down a little with the new Robin, and Riddler wanted to keep the tradition of taking the boy hostage. It was a color puzzle. He was intrigued after seeing Robin freeing himself. I worked on making sure it wouldn't kill the kid. Nobody wanted a repeat of that disaster"

Cockroach relaxed while recounting the tale. She shook her head at the offer of Vee to stay with them.

"Thank you. I would take your offer, but I don't think it would be safe for you. I'll figure something out..."

(// Will do! Also, I know Vee prefers they/them. If I ever misgender them, just point it out, to remind me, it is never malicious)

[vee-v]

"Sounds interesting, glad you made sure it wasn't deadly, no one wants a repeat of the last time Robin died. I wasn't aware it was a tradition, I thought he just liked testing them, honestly."

They pause to think again after Cockroach declines. If someone's after her, that could be important information, but if it's about their potential meta abilities then she could get defensive when asked. Well, it can't hurt to check.

"Why not? If someone's after you I can speak with the other lieutenants and arrange a safe accommodation. I make my own security, though, it's been set up around my entire block of flats. I got permission from the landlord as well, so it's pretty thorough. It's mostly older designs for warehouse security, but it's good. If you're worried about something else, I can see what's available based on that," Vee does their best not to sound demanding, aware that their tone doesn't always convey what they feel.

(// Okay, I'll let you know! I wouldn't assume it to be malicious, it often isn't. I also use they/them, so I get that it's not always easy for people)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It kinda is. You kidnap a robin flying solo to get Batman's attention. It also tests them and usually is a wide spread of medium puzzles for Riddler. To make sure he does challenge the kid but not overwhelm them."

Cockroach sighs as she was asked about the reason why she declined. She just hoped she doesn't have to get into detail with the information she was going to give.

"The Joker..."

[vee-v]

"Huh, interesting. That makes sense, in a way."

Vee freezes for a moment upon hearing the Joker's name. That would cause issues then, especially since Hood has a well known problem with the clown. The Joker is ruthless and, whilst Vee is confident in their tools, they don't want to tempt fate more than they already do. Security is definitely a priority, along with secrecy.

Shelters are out, same with most of the usual options. There might be something they can do, though.

"I'll make a call, I think we can get you a place to stay for a few nights," they tell her, pulling a phone from their jacket.

Vee steps away as the phone rings, not too far, but enough that they have the illusion of privacy.

"Hey Ish, what are the options for secure housing again?"

...

"No I'm not in trouble, new hire needs a place to stay for a few nights or so."

...

"Yeah that sort of secure."

...

"You know the guy Boss has a vendetta against?"

...

"Okay, yeah that doesn't narrow it down much. It's the clown."

...

"Yeah she's working with me for now."

...

"Alright, I'll let her know, thanks Ish"

Vee slips their phone back into their pocket and makes their way back over to Cockroach.

"So, the most secure place is actually headquarters, but that's not got what you'll need. Ish says we should have a secure living space set up for henchmen, though. It's been rigged with a security system for a while, but only been finished off recently. It was set up incase any of the gang members are homeless, either when they're hired or during their time here, I can take you over there, if you'd like?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I really just need a place to curl up that isn't too cold and keeps me away from the clown."

She mumbles that but sighs, speaking more clearly now.

"I think he has surveillance on me. I wouldn't want to compromise the secure housing for everyone else..."

She really didn't know what to do and was clearly very afraid to get others involved into it all.

[vee-v]

Vee hums in consideration. It makes sense she wouldn't want to risk compromising any of their locations, especially if she thinks the clown is tracking her. There is a chance of them being able to disable or trick whatever surveillance the Joker is using to track Cockroach, but that depends on one thing.

"What sort of surveillance are we talking about?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I don't know! He left his card on my door!"

Cockroach is almost screeching. She snaps her mouth shut and takes a couple deep breaths. Then she takes out the calling card of the joker from her pocket. A joker from a deck of cards, with a red dripping smile drawn over it.

"It's just paper, I checked. But I found it yesterday when I came home. It was pinned with his smile painted on my door..."

[vee-v]

Vee startles slightly when she raises her voice, but settles quickly. They've never been good with sudden loud noises, regardless of what causes them. Their eyes widen as the process what Cockroah just said.

"Well that's terrifying," they say, voice serious despite their choice of words. Having the Joker taunt you like that...they can't imagine how it'd feel. "Right, okay, so the main options would be tailing you, using security cameras, tracking your devices, or planting a tracker on you. I assume you've likely checked yourself for trackers, but I can check again if you want, I have access to one of those hand held metal detectors. I likely won't be able to find any traces if he's hacked into any cameras, but I can pull those up if you want to see if you're being trailed. There's a chance there's also a tracker on your vehicle if you have one, but again, I assume you'll have checked already."

They pause for a moment, trying to see if there's anything else they can do. Despite their chosen profession, Vee does find themselves wanting to help people. Solving problems has always been one of their favourite activities and it seems that's not just limited to problems with technology.

"We can figure something out, if you're willing, we help protect eachother here. It's important for teamwork and all that, also means we aren't having to rehire people all the time."

It's true, most of Hood's men originally came from other gangs and their former bosses would come after them for defecting. This meant that they had to work together to ensure eachothers safety and stop the gang's numbers dropping constantly.

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I did. I checked everything, went even to one of the goons I usually run with when I work for Riddler. No trackers on me or anything I have on me. I actually can't drive, so no trackers on a car or bike. Yeah, knowing if I'm trailed and who is trailing me would be appreciated. And I am, I very much am willing to figure something out. And sorry for the screeching. It's just... Joker tried to hire me for five years now. And I know how he reacts to goons rejecting him. It's either Joker Venom, Acid or a lethal or debilitatingly cripling shot for you and-or your family. I don't know how I survived each rejection I gave him."

She is now hugging herself and shivering. Clearly she had pushed her panic of getting targeted by the Joker down, but now it had found a crack and flooded out from her. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she lowered her head.

"I can still feel my breath stopping through my laughter. I'm afraid of my own laugh, of the pain it will bring me. I know it's pathetic, but I can't keep dealing with this. I need to have one night, one single night I can sleep without fearing anyone getting targeted because of me. One night I can sleep without waking up at every person walking by my door. Can't I sleep on a couch in an office at HQ? Just one night? I wouldn't mind being surveilled by someone for that, I know I'm new and everything."

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it, seriously, you have every right to be stressed, Joker's after you. It's good you've checked, I'll help you work out how he's tracking you. You can stay in one of the meeting rooms for the night, we'll figure out long term solutions tomorrow," Vee feels sad for her, they've heard stories of what the Joker does when rejected and they aren't pleasant. It's why they always tried to stay under his radar, luckily they succeed and he never tried to buy from them, but if he had...

"If you can tell me where you've been staying and anywhere you've been frequently, I can work on getting into the cameras nearby," they offer. Vee moves to step forward, physical comfort coming to them easier than words, but stops almost immediately. "We can stay here for now, if you'd like, I have proximity alerts set up. Are you alright with being touched or should I stay back? It's entirely up to you."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Meeting room sounds good. Thank's Vee. For the help and for the offer. But I'll probably fight if you touch me."

Cockroach proceeds to tell Vee all the places she frequents -all in the alley, her adress -a one room apartment just barely big enough to be counted as such and in more detail what her last days before getting the card looked like. Including the talk she had with a freshly minted detective in a diner. She also explains that the talk was about the joker, the missing cooks of scarecrow and that joker took over one of scarecrows last operation sights.

"I'm no snitch, but with Joker everything is allowed. At least with the bossess I have been working with."

[vee-v]

"Got it, I won't get too close, let me know if you want some water or anything. It's no problem really, don't worry about it."

They listen intently as she details where she's been, making notes on a ratty, slightly singed notepad with a pen that's clearly been chewed on. Already they're cross-referencing the locations with cameras they know are set up, a rough mental map of the Alley in their mind. The talk with the detective piques their interests, but they simply note it down to ask about later. Vee doesn't think she's lying about the topic of the conversation, but any information is useful. They'll have to call Hood about the new information on the Joker, that's not something that can be ignored.

"You're not wrong, any information on Joker's schemes is useful. Usually we only care about the gangs run by people like Mask or Falcone, not the general rogues, but Joker seems to be the exception to most rules."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Water would be nice."

Cockroach conceeds after a short pause. She has calmed down a little now that she knows she will be safe for the night and that she isn't in trouble for talking to the new detective.

"Everything to get the Joker taken care of. Even cooperation with Gotham's finest..."

[vee-v]

Vee reaches under their workbench and pulls a bottle of water from a minifridge that's plugged into one of the many extension cables littering the floor.

"Here, I have to make sure everything is turned off before heading out, but it won't take me long. I have a spare helmet if you're good with motorbikes, if not I can call someone to drive you. Don't worry about the detective, I may not be a fan of the police, but even I can put that aside if it means the Joker is dealt with."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Thank's Vee. I'm good with riding a motorbike. I just never learned to drive myself. Why should I? Never had the money for a bike anyway."

Cockrooac drinks the water bottle in slow sips while she waits for Vee, clearly attached to them after they promised to help them.

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it."

Vee goes around the room, turning off plug sockets and light switches, before packing their things into a bag. Then, they grab a spare helmet and hand it to Cockroach.

"Here you go, I'm done in here so let's get you to headquarters"

They lead her out of the workshop and into a garage, passing a half dismantled motorcycle on the way to theirs. Vee takes good care of their bike, it's unrecognisable compared to when they first got it, what with the various modifications and lots of paint they added. Vee grabs their helmet from the seat, pulling it on and sitting on the bike.

"Right, let's go then."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach holds on tightly as they drive. She clearly has expirience with being a passanger on a bike and a small exhilerated laugh, despite the rollacoster of emotions she wnet through, is audible underneeth the helmet. She follows Vee like a lost duckling when they arrive.

[vee-v]

The drive isn't usually very long, Vee's workshop and headquarters are both in Crime Alley. This time, though, Vee is aware of a potential tail. Taking a longer, more difficult to track, route, is the best option here.

When they pull up the the headquarters, a bland office building in the edge of the Alley, they park in the alley next to it. Vee leads Cockrach to the side door, covering they keypad as they after the code in. The lock clicks and Vee scans the alley briefly after ushering Cockrach inside. Once the door is locked again, they lead her upstairs, heading towards the lieutenants meeting room.

The building isn't too large and the lower floors have been converted for other purposes. Most of the gangs activities happen elsewhere, spread out across warehouses and alleyways, but this is where any important meeting happen.

Vee unlocks the door to the meeting room and locks it behind them. The room contains several chairs, a table, and a rolling whiteboard. Curtains block the windows, the room lit by an overhead light instead.

"So, this is the meeting room you can stay in, the toilets are just down the hall, you can't miss the signs. You can move the furniture around to get comfortable."

Vee sends a message to Ish, letting him know that they've arrived and that the room is occupied.

"Do you want anything before I set up my computer?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"No, this is fine."

Cockroach makes her way to a corner out of the way, where she can stay hidden as well, and curls up against it. She clearly has experience in sleeping -or at least resting- in seemingly uncomfortable positions and environments. From time to time she shivers, either because it gets cooler or because she is still terrified and something crossed her mind.

[vee-v]

"Alright, let me know if you need anything."

Vee sets their laptop up on the table, checking on Cockroach every so often. They won't just watch her sleep, but they want to make sure she's alright. Opening their laptop, Vee unlocks it and starts pulling up various programs. They start by labelling each location Cockroach gave them on a map, cross-referencing them with the map of different cameras in the Alley. It doesn't take long and soon they're able to start looking through the footage from tonight. Vee finds Cockroach easily, then begins to scan each piece of footage to see if there's anyone tailing her

[vee-v]

You the one boss send me too?

-@cockroach-drifting-goon

Well, that depends on who your boss is and what you're here for. What do you need?

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Red Hood sent me to get a gun and learn to shoot.

[vee-v]

You're in the right place then, did he specify what kind? I should have a few different models on hand, just have to see which are intact and which aren't

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

No. I haven't shot anything but Mr. Freezes freeze gun before.

[vee-v]

"Got it, I'll find a handgun for you. Shouldn't be dissimilar, but I've never worked for freeze. I'd love to figure out how those guns work though."

Vee makes their way over to a large safe and rummages through it, pulling out a sleek handgun.

"Right, found it. This is a pretty basic model, one of the more standard ones you'll see used in gangs. If you follow me over here I have a couple of targets set up I use to check the guns work after I've played about with them."

They draw their own gun, black and painted with blue accents, and point it at the target.

"You want to hold it like this, but reverse the grip if you're left handed. Make sure you're stable and don't lock your elbows up," They go through a short list of instructions, briefly touching on how to aim and such. "Give it a go, I'll show you how to reload and all that after."

(// is it obvious I know nothing about guns? I had to find an article on cleaning them for a fic a few weeks ago, ive never even see one irl lol. Also dw about the change in format, this is just easier for me, idm what format you use)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach follows the instructions to the letter. The reason why the rogues were happy with her and let her bounce between them was how fast she picked up new skills. It took a little, but she got a steady if unpracticed aim within a few tries.

"Freeze guns are more stable and have less knockback", she comments. "I'm Cockroach by the way." She grimaces and looks at her wrist, which she rotates before the grimace eases. "It bruised my wrist."

(//Ok, I think I have more knowledge about them, which is wild. I know there different models and that they have knockback and the older guns have a very heavy knockback. The thing of oldschool gangster movies where the tommy gun veers upwards? that is a real thing. And I know that the AK-47 is like the best thing you can get regarding fast learning and robust care in regards to rifles. My German ass never needed to know about guns though. I just know that because my grandpa has one and my father is actually for roleplay and politic reasons interested.

I don't mind the format either. I usually find it easier to match the format of those I RP with. But for this one, I decided to usually change the color of the spoken text. Oh and if you have questions regarding cockroach, I'm very happy to talk about her. I love yapping about my characters.)

[vee-v]

"Nice work, you learn fast. You can keep that one if you want, or I can get another model for you to try, then I can get you a holster for it. Need anything for your wrist?"

Vee steps away and moves to a cabinet next to the safe from before. Opening it reveals a variety of holsters, neatly organised by style. They pull out a few different types, hooking them onto their arm.

"Nice to meet you, Cockroach, I'm Vee. The freeze guns having less knock back is interesting, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one at some point."

(// oh cool, I'm British so I never had to learn about guns either lol. That's good to know though, I remember roughly how to clean a handgun (the example in the article was a glock I think), but I don't know much about knockback etc. I just kind of make it up as I go honestly.

Okay, that makes sense, idm the text colour changing for speaking either. I'd love to hear more about Cockroach, she seems very cool!)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Freeze isn't out at the moment, but I could ask. Or lend you mine. I think I'll stick to this one. My wrist is fine, I heal fast. I just haven't expected it. The knockback, I mean."

She rambles distractedly as she watches thin black spiderweb-like veins spread over her wrist and vanish again, healing the bruises the knockback had caused.

"Nice to meet you Vee. A holster would be nice. Anything else I should know? It's my first time working for Hood."

[vee-v]

"You'd do that? Thanks Cockroach, I promise to return it in one piece. Alright that works, glad your wrist will be fine."

The eye the thin black line curiously as they spread over Cockroach's wrist, wondering if she's a meta, or if it's something else. Vee doesn't mention it, though, people tend to be touchy about that sort of thing especially in a city as superstitious as Gotham.

"What sort do you prefer? I have some basic one's here I provide free of charge, but I also do custom one's if you want," they gesture to their own holster, which is painted to match their gun.

"Hood's one of the better one's to work under, not likely to shoot his own men just because he's pissed. He's not always around, cause he's working more with the Bats now, so you'll report to one of the other lieutenants most of the time. If you have any concerns about your coworkers, I reccomend speaking to Ish, he's good with that stuff. Ish does a lot of management type stuff, but sort of doubles as HR, cause he's good at conflict resolution and all that. Although, if someone's being a creep and you don't feel like dealing with it yourself, or aren't able to, you should go to Rosa, she's the one incharge of the drugs and will be happy to deal with that.

"Hood himself, when he's around, can be pretty funny. He's not always the most friendly, but he's nicer than Black Mask and Penguin. Really, as long as you stick to the rules you'll be fine, it's not hard if you're not a complete piece of shit."

They pause a moment, trying to see if they've forgotten anything.

"Oh yeah, if you want to change departments it's pretty easy, who are you working for anyway?"

(// Okay so I used some other ocs here cause I can't easily base it in canon, so I do have a basic structure set up for the gang. The lieutenants are Mike, Evie, Ish, Rosa, Sammy, David, and Vee.

Mike coordinates cleanup and also helps with strategy. Vee mostly does security and tech stuff, they also work with David to supply weapons and other gear to the gang. David manages the weapons trafficking operations. Rosa manages the drug supplies and the dealers. Ish is basically management, he does thing like managing the laundering operations and the accounting, along with other things, he also doubles as HR in a way. Sammy does a similar job to Ish, but whilst Ish mostly works in an office space, unless he's requested to meet someone, Sammy manages the gang members directly, relaying orders and checking on people. Evie is the head enforcer for the gang and her people are often the ones who'll deal with rival gangs and such.

Each lieutenant has people working under them and are the head of their department. From their, whilst they can have a functional second in command, rank is mostly based on seniority and if people like you. The departments aren't strictly separated either, but the lieutenants function as the gangs inner circle, in a way, and keep it running when Hood isn't available. It also means that the regular henchmen tend to report to them, as opposed to only reporting back to Hood.

It's not a super detailed system, but I'm including it in my current wip, so I have some details more fleshed out than others. I can explain more if you want, but you can place Cockroach in any department and still have them interact with Vee, cause the henchmen aren't limited solely to their department)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"A basic one will do fine. I don't know which department I work for. Hood just said I can run with his gang and that I need a gun."

Cockroach looks at Vee and it's the first time she doesn't hide her eyes behind the shadow of her pulled up hood. Her golden-hazel eyes are filled with fear and uncertainty.

"I usually help in research and development or do the accounting. What am I even doing her?"

(//that was a lot of information)

[vee-v]

"I'll get you a shoulder holster, they're easy enough to conceal," they hand over a plain black shoulder holster. "Ah, yeah he does that, Hood can be more cryptic than the Riddler I swear."

Vee notices the odd eye colour, but strange eyecolours are common enough in metas that they don't look for too long.

"Well, Ish usually does accounts and I think he already has an assistant. For research and development you could work with me, I do security and modifications for weapons and vehicles. If you're used to experimenting with drugs I can talk to Rosa, but a lot of our stuff is pretty standard, if somewhat safer than what other gangs sell. Hood has strict rules about adding stuff into the drugs his gang sells."

(// Yeah I didn't realise until I finished lol, sorry about that. Hopefully it wasn't too much, I tend to overexplain a bit, especially when I've been developing stuff like that)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It has been a while since I worked mechanics. I think the last time was with Riddler. I'm glad to work with you."

She hesitates after she had taken the holster and situated it for easy access and still being concealed.

"I... I need a place to stay at... Just for a day or two!"

(//We're good, no worries. Just amazed and a little overwhelmed there was so much. I'm no better, I can just break it down)

[vee-v]

"I'm always glad to have another pair of hands, I'm happy to work with you. What did you work on with Riddler? I supplied him a few bits before I joined Hood, he was always fun to work with, more focused on his schemes than anything else."

They see Cockrach hesitate and wait for her to speak. Upon hearing her question, Vee hums. Usually, goons already have somewhere to stay, or they can use a shelter. With Cockroach being a meta, or something similar, though... the shelters may not be a good idea.

"You can stay with me for a few nights if the shelters aren't an option. I don't have a spare room, but I've slept on the sofa enough to know it's comfortable."

Well, no one has ever said that they aren't impulsive. It should be fine, Vee set up their own security after all. Besides, clearly Hood thought she was safe enough, there hadn't been any warnings to keeo an eye on any of the new hires, not even any relayed through the no-longer-work chat.

(// Okay, that's good. Yeahh i didnt realise it had gotten so long, let me know if you need me to clarify/reword anything :) )

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Oh, we worked on a trap for Robin. Batman had calmed down a little with the new Robin, and Riddler wanted to keep the tradition of taking the boy hostage. It was a color puzzle. He was intrigued after seeing Robin freeing himself. I worked on making sure it wouldn't kill the kid. Nobody wanted a repeat of that disaster"

Cockroach relaxed while recounting the tale. She shook her head at the offer of Vee to stay with them.

"Thank you. I would take your offer, but I don't think it would be safe for you. I'll figure something out..."

(// Will do! Also, I know Vee prefers they/them. If I ever misgender them, just point it out, to remind me, it is never malicious)

[vee-v]

"Sounds interesting, glad you made sure it wasn't deadly, no one wants a repeat of the last time Robin died. I wasn't aware it was a tradition, I thought he just liked testing them, honestly."

They pause to think again after Cockroach declines. If someone's after her, that could be important information, but if it's about their potential meta abilities then she could get defensive when asked. Well, it can't hurt to check.

"Why not? If someone's after you I can speak with the other lieutenants and arrange a safe accommodation. I make my own security, though, it's been set up around my entire block of flats. I got permission from the landlord as well, so it's pretty thorough. It's mostly older designs for warehouse security, but it's good. If you're worried about something else, I can see what's available based on that," Vee does their best not to sound demanding, aware that their tone doesn't always convey what they feel.

(// Okay, I'll let you know! I wouldn't assume it to be malicious, it often isn't. I also use they/them, so I get that it's not always easy for people)

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"It kinda is. You kidnap a robin flying solo to get Batman's attention. It also tests them and usually is a wide spread of medium puzzles for Riddler. To make sure he does challenge the kid but not overwhelm them."

Cockroach sighs as she was asked about the reason why she declined. She just hoped she doesn't have to get into detail with the information she was going to give.

"The Joker..."

[vee-v]

"Huh, interesting. That makes sense, in a way."

Vee freezes for a moment upon hearing the Joker's name. That would cause issues then, especially since Hood has a well known problem with the clown. The Joker is ruthless and, whilst Vee is confident in their tools, they don't want to tempt fate more than they already do. Security is definitely a priority, along with secrecy.

Shelters are out, same with most of the usual options. There might be something they can do, though.

"I'll make a call, I think we can get you a place to stay for a few nights," they tell her, pulling a phone from their jacket.

Vee steps away as the phone rings, not too far, but enough that they have the illusion of privacy.

"Hey Ish, what are the options for secure housing again?"

...

"No I'm not in trouble, new hire needs a place to stay for a few nights or so."

...

"Yeah that sort of secure."

...

"You know the guy Boss has a vendetta against?"

...

"Okay, yeah that doesn't narrow it down much. It's the clown."

...

"Yeah she's working with me for now."

...

"Alright, I'll let her know, thanks Ish"

Vee slips their phone back into their pocket and makes their way back over to Cockroach.

"So, the most secure place is actually headquarters, but that's not got what you'll need. Ish says we should have a secure living space set up for henchmen, though. It's been rigged with a security system for a while, but only been finished off recently. It was set up incase any of the gang members are homeless, either when they're hired or during their time here, I can take you over there, if you'd like?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I really just need a place to curl up that isn't too cold and keeps me away from the clown."

She mumbles that but sighs, speaking more clearly now.

"I think he has surveillance on me. I wouldn't want to compromise the secure housing for everyone else..."

She really didn't know what to do and was clearly very afraid to get others involved into it all.

[vee-v]

Vee hums in consideration. It makes sense she wouldn't want to risk compromising any of their locations, especially if she thinks the clown is tracking her. There is a chance of them being able to disable or trick whatever surveillance the Joker is using to track Cockroach, but that depends on one thing.

"What sort of surveillance are we talking about?"

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I don't know! He left his card on my door!"

Cockroach is almost screeching. She snaps her mouth shut and takes a couple deep breaths. Then she takes out the calling card of the joker from her pocket. A joker from a deck of cards, with a red dripping smile drawn over it.

"It's just paper, I checked. But I found it yesterday when I came home. It was pinned with his smile painted on my door..."

[vee-v]

Vee startles slightly when she raises her voice, but settles quickly. They've never been good with sudden loud noises, regardless of what causes them. Their eyes widen as the process what Cockroah just said.

"Well that's terrifying," they say, voice serious despite their choice of words. Having the Joker taunt you like that...they can't imagine how it'd feel. "Right, okay, so the main options would be tailing you, using security cameras, tracking your devices, or planting a tracker on you. I assume you've likely checked yourself for trackers, but I can check again if you want, I have access to one of those hand held metal detectors. I likely won't be able to find any traces if he's hacked into any cameras, but I can pull those up if you want to see if you're being trailed. There's a chance there's also a tracker on your vehicle if you have one, but again, I assume you'll have checked already."

They pause for a moment, trying to see if there's anything else they can do. Despite their chosen profession, Vee does find themselves wanting to help people. Solving problems has always been one of their favourite activities and it seems that's not just limited to problems with technology.

"We can figure something out, if you're willing, we help protect eachother here. It's important for teamwork and all that, also means we aren't having to rehire people all the time."

It's true, most of Hood's men originally came from other gangs and their former bosses would come after them for defecting. This meant that they had to work together to ensure eachothers safety and stop the gang's numbers dropping constantly.

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"I did. I checked everything, went even to one of the goons I usually run with when I work for Riddler. No trackers on me or anything I have on me. I actually can't drive, so no trackers on a car or bike. Yeah, knowing if I'm trailed and who is trailing me would be appreciated. And I am, I very much am willing to figure something out. And sorry for the screeching. It's just... Joker tried to hire me for five years now. And I know how he reacts to goons rejecting him. It's either Joker Venom, Acid or a lethal or debilitatingly cripling shot for you and-or your family. I don't know how I survived each rejection I gave him."

She is now hugging herself and shivering. Clearly she had pushed her panic of getting targeted by the Joker down, but now it had found a crack and flooded out from her. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she lowered her head.

"I can still feel my breath stopping through my laughter. I'm afraid of my own laugh, of the pain it will bring me. I know it's pathetic, but I can't keep dealing with this. I need to have one night, one single night I can sleep without fearing anyone getting targeted because of me. One night I can sleep without waking up at every person walking by my door. Can't I sleep on a couch in an office at HQ? Just one night? I wouldn't mind being surveilled by someone for that, I know I'm new and everything."

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it, seriously, you have every right to be stressed, Joker's after you. It's good you've checked, I'll help you work out how he's tracking you. You can stay in one of the meeting rooms for the night, we'll figure out long term solutions tomorrow," Vee feels sad for her, they've heard stories of what the Joker does when rejected and they aren't pleasant. It's why they always tried to stay under his radar, luckily they succeed and he never tried to buy from them, but if he had...

"If you can tell me where you've been staying and anywhere you've been frequently, I can work on getting into the cameras nearby," they offer. Vee moves to step forward, physical comfort coming to them easier than words, but stops almost immediately. "We can stay here for now, if you'd like, I have proximity alerts set up. Are you alright with being touched or should I stay back? It's entirely up to you."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Meeting room sounds good. Thank's Vee. For the help and for the offer. But I'll probably fight if you touch me."

Cockroach proceeds to tell Vee all the places she frequents -all in the alley, her adress -a one room apartment just barely big enough to be counted as such and in more detail what her last days before getting the card looked like. Including the talk she had with a freshly minted detective in a diner. She also explains that the talk was about the joker, the missing cooks of scarecrow and that joker took over one of scarecrows last operation sights.

"I'm no snitch, but with Joker everything is allowed. At least with the bossess I have been working with."

[vee-v]

"Got it, I won't get too close, let me know if you want some water or anything. It's no problem really, don't worry about it."

They listen intently as she details where she's been, making notes on a ratty, slightly singed notepad with a pen that's clearly been chewed on. Already they're cross-referencing the locations with cameras they know are set up, a rough mental map of the Alley in their mind. The talk with the detective piques their interests, but they simply note it down to ask about later. Vee doesn't think she's lying about the topic of the conversation, but any information is useful. They'll have to call Hood about the new information on the Joker, that's not something that can be ignored.

"You're not wrong, any information on Joker's schemes is useful. Usually we only care about the gangs run by people like Mask or Falcone, not the general rogues, but Joker seems to be the exception to most rules."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Water would be nice."

Cockroach conceeds after a short pause. She has calmed down a little now that she knows she will be safe for the night and that she isn't in trouble for talking to the new detective.

"Everything to get the Joker taken care of. Even cooperation with Gotham's finest..."

[vee-v]

Vee reaches under their workbench and pulls a bottle of water from a minifridge that's plugged into one of the many extension cables littering the floor.

"Here, I have to make sure everything is turned off before heading out, but it won't take me long. I have a spare helmet if you're good with motorbikes, if not I can call someone to drive you. Don't worry about the detective, I may not be a fan of the police, but even I can put that aside if it means the Joker is dealt with."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

"Thank's Vee. I'm good with riding a motorbike. I just never learned to drive myself. Why should I? Never had the money for a bike anyway."

Cockrooac drinks the water bottle in slow sips while she waits for Vee, clearly attached to them after they promised to help them.

[vee-v]

"Dont worry about it."

Vee goes around the room, turning off plug sockets and light switches, before packing their things into a bag. Then, they grab a spare helmet and hand it to Cockroach.

"Here you go, I'm done in here so let's get you to headquarters"

They lead her out of the workshop and into a garage, passing a half dismantled motorcycle on the way to theirs. Vee takes good care of their bike, it's unrecognisable compared to when they first got it, what with the various modifications and lots of paint they added. Vee grabs their helmet from the seat, pulling it on and sitting on the bike.

"Right, let's go then."

[cockroach-drifting-goon]

Cockroach holds on tightly as they drive. She clearly has expirience with being a passanger on a bike and a small exhilerated laugh, despite the rollacoster of emotions she wnet through, is audible underneeth the helmet. She follows Vee like a lost duckling when they arrive.

[vee-v]

The drive isn't usually very long, Vee's workshop and headquarters are both in Crime Alley. This time, though, Vee is aware of a potential tail. Taking a longer, more difficult to track, route, is the best option here.

When they pull up the the headquarters, a bland office building in the edge of the Alley, they park in the alley next to it. Vee leads Cockrach to the side door, covering they keypad as they after the code in. The lock clicks and Vee scans the alley briefly after ushering Cockrach inside. Once the door is locked again, they lead her upstairs, heading towards the lieutenants meeting room.

The building isn't too large and the lower floors have been converted for other purposes. Most of the gangs activities happen elsewhere, spread out across warehouses and alleyways, but this is where any important meeting happen.

Vee unlocks the door to the meeting room and locks it behind them. The room contains several chairs, a table, and a rolling whiteboard. Curtains block the windows, the room lit by an overhead light instead.

"So, this is the meeting room you can stay in, the toilets are just down the hall, you can't miss the signs. You can move the furniture around to get comfortable."

Vee sends a message to Ish, letting him know that they've arrived and that the room is occupied.

"Do you want anything before I set up my computer?"