----A sleasy motel room-----

A phone started ringing, a man underneath a bedsheet groped about on the desk looking for it before finally grabbing it. "Yes?" He asked gruffly.

"Hello Mr. Parsons." A voice on the other line commented.

"You again?" The man asked his face no longer obscured by the blanket but now simple bad lighting.

"Thats gratitude for you." The other voice commented, it too, seemed male. "In any case soon enough you can start working your job for me. And as I agreed you will recieve a twenty percent cut of my profits for your pay."

"Fifty." The man tried to bargane.

"Twenty. Or I can return you too that rat hole I found you in."

"Fine. Twenty. What do I do anyhow?" He asked with a yawn.

"Simple, you will act as my bodyguard, protect me more or less. And of course ensure that certain people give me my payments."

"Sounds like grunt work. Why hire me?"

"Again simple enough, you USED to have a reputation. But then you were beaten by a child. I'll meet you tonight, you know where. Good day." And with that the line went dead. The man hung up the phone on the reciver before standing up, finally in some lighting, he stood at around six feet and had a muscular build, his nose had the telltale signs of breaking, as he yawned it was revealed that one tooth was missing. He walked to the closet in the room to get some clothes for himself.

----That same day a New York police Precinct----

Adam looked around the room as he tightened the belt on his gi, there were quite a few cops standing around on the matts, some in good shape, others looking pretty out of shape. Too Adam's left his grandfather stood, similerly attired to Adam. Today they were doing a seminar helping teach police officers some new methods to restrain a resisting criminal, brush up on the basics, basically help train them(they do do this stuff at police offices).

"Okay." Enoki said. "I suppose the first thing we'll work on is a basic wrist lock, ways to get out of it, and ways to neutralize how to get out of the lock." That spoken he and Adam began the demonstrations before having the police do the same, hours passed as they all worked on various things, finally though an older looking cop standing at the door spoke up, he seemed too be in good shape despite looking somewhere between late forties and early fifties, his hair greying around the temples he was apparently a plainclothes officer by his attire.

"So, what happens when the perp pulls a gun on you? All that fancy punching becomes pretty useless then huh?"

"Ah, a cynic." Enoki said with a smile. "I do suppose that if the gun is pulled it becomes a very different situation, however at no time did I say any of this should be used when the other man has a gun."
(more soon...just...have to finish up some other work)

"But, as cops your all usually wearing a bullet proof vest." Adam chimed in to the man.

"Not all cops wear 'em kid." He said pulling a cigarette from a pack in his hand, slid the pack into his shirt pocket then pulled out a lighter from his pants and after a few clicks had the sweet sweet cancer stick ready. "And besides, they dont provide the amount of protection you think."

"Might I ask your name?" Enoki said placing a hand on Adam's shoulder, telling that his grandson was beginning to get annoyed feeling he was being talked down too.

"Rick. Rick Gracy," (two points to whoever knows what i'm parodying for his name) The officer commented.

"Well, Mr. Gracy, this is a public building, I believe you are not allowed to smoke in it."

"I work here. Been working here more'n a decade. I'll smoke if I feel like it." He said taking a long drag to emphesize his point, Enoki just shrugged.

"Well then, would you care to join in? Always room for one more person on the matts."

"No thanks. I'll stick with my gun and my nightstick." He said exhaling a puff of smoke into the room. "Now then, if you'll excuse me I have something to be doing." Just as Rick turned around the doors opened with a large cop escorting, none to gently, a violently thrashing man, his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Let go of me!" He screamed, then shaking a bit said. "Just one hit..just one more..."

"Addict?" Rick asked, the cigarette hanging limply from the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, funny thing is the last time we checked on him he'd been clean about a week, not only that his bank account only held about fifty dollers in it. Not enough to get much coccaine eh?" The officer asked.

"I'll take it from here." Rick said grabbing the man's arm and leading him into another room, by now he was in a state of withdrawl.
(admitted, i have no idea how a druggy would act so...i guessed)

__

"What was that all about?" Adam asked turning his attention back inside the room to the other cops.

One of the younger officers ventured to speak up. "Well, Rick is one of the major guys in the narcotics/homocide department, but lately he's been having trouble, seems some new dealer has showed up, been selling his stuff WAY below what should bring in a profit."

"Odd..." Adam said, and although he went back to helping the cops working on another set of manuevers his curiosity was piqued. He made a mental note to come in later and take a look around. 'Hmmm...it should at least be a good test, see if I can break into a police office...' He thought to himself.

Later, about midnight, a lone figure moved around in the darkness carefully darting around the avoid any source of light, only an occasional flash of light when the moon was freed from the shadows of clouds. Soon the figure found itself in an alleyway between to buildings, quickly it spreads out its arms as though testing the distanc, finally placing its palms aginst the two buildings. It hops once pushing out its arms and then legs both strait out wedging itself between the buildings. Carefully moving its body it slowly crawled up between the buildings before making a quick 'leap' and spin grabbing onto the edge of the top of the shorter building with its hands. With a heave it pulls itself up, another uncovering of the moon shows Shinobi standing on top of the building. 'That...was slightly more exhausting then I thought it would be.' He thought idly walking silently across the roof towards a metal door, apparently this precincts roof was accessable from the inside. Shinobi took out one of his accupuncture needles and incerted it into the lock working meticulously for a few minutes, just when frustration was setting in he finally heard a small noise and smiled a bit under his mask before opening the door and entering.

"Open Sesame." He whispered moving inside silently and shutting the door behind him. "Well...the entering part was pretty easy...lets see how the rest goes..." It took a few minutes for Shinobi to search his way around the offices but eventually he found what he was searching for, the records. He quickly pulled on a handle for the filing cabinate in labeled 'Narcotics' but stopped quickly when it squeaked rather loudly, the ninja quickly moved into a shadowy area in the room just in case someone came. When nothing happened after a few minutes he walked to the cabinat, not entirely sure what he should be looking for he simply pulled out a few files and began flipping through them and skimming the contents, about the third file he remembered that the officer he spoke too was on the case. "What was his name...Rick...Rick what?" After a few more seconds he remembered the last name as well and began searching for files that had Rick's name as the officer in charge of the case. When he found the latest file with Rick's name he knew he'd hit home.

"You know," A man behind him spoke. "Its not to smart to break into a police station."

Shinobi quickly turned around and found himself face to face with Rick. 'Crap.' Was all he thought and quickly prepared himself for a short scuffle and flight.

Rick on the other hand simply sighed. "Let one vigilante go through EVERYONE wants to be a vigilante."

"Come again?" He found himself asking.

"You match the discriptions a few small time criminals have been giving us. Dressed like a ninja, all in black, about your height. Carries a sword...you must be that new vigilante in town."

Shinobi nodded wondering where this was going. "And vigilante's arent exactly smiled upon by the police."

"True, but we tend to love it when 'super heroes' catcht he villains. People like The Flash and Superman. They're all considered vigilantes too."

"So do you intend to try and bring me in?"

"No, not exactly. I believe in total justice. Not treating a few people differently. So, as long as your not doing anything entirely illegal I really dont give a damn." Rick said lighting up a cigarette.

"You dont?"

"Nah. Besides we've got enough trouble with real criminals."

"Thats pretty cool..."

"Dont sound to happy kid. Now, why exactly are you here?"

"Research. For the new dealer. The cheap one."

Rick nodded. "Too bad though, i'm willing to let you carry on but NOT to let you into police files."

"I see." Shinobi said with a small nodd after which a crash was heard a few rooms away.

"The hell?" Rick asked. "I thought I was the only cop here..." That much out of his mouth he quickly left the room forgetting about Shinobi, of course this had also piqued the aforementioned heroes interest and he found himself following the cop.

Rick stopped in front of a slightly opened door, above it was a plack labeling it as the 'Evidence Locker', he pulled his gun from his side and held it at the ready slamming his weight against the door and holding his gun out. "FREEZE!" He yelled to the two in the room. One seemed to be using a ninja motif as well. The other was simply dressed in black with a ski mask. The one in the ninja outfit dropped a package he was holding just as Shinobi entered.

"What are you waiting for!?" The one in the ski mask demanded. "Take care of them!" With that he picked up a few more packages and threw them into a suit case locking it, just as the one in the ninja outfit threw one of the remaining packages at Rick catching him offguard and hitting his gun. In the brief time between the impact and the distraction the 'ninja' kicked him in the chest knocking him into the wall. The other man managed to get out of the door.

Shinobi took out his Kusari Fundo and threw it at the other ninja hitting him in the side. "Who are you?" He demanded readying for another strike.

"They call me Dragoncat." He said charging Shinobi with a punch. The two engaged in a small fight throwing punches and kicks, both blocking and evading attacks for about a minute before Shinobi brought his knee into Dragoncat's stomach knocking the other man back.

"Well, that will be all for now." He said before he made a dash for the door leaping over Shinobi's foot as he tried to trip him. Rather then persue the other man Shinobi helped Rick to his feet. The older man taking a bit to recover his breath.

Rick simply shrugged off his helper and walked over to the packages. "These were bags of coccaine."

"But they were picking up bags and setting them down..." Shinobi commented.

Rick nodded touching some of his finger into the spilt stuff from when the package was thrown at him and touching it to his tongue. "Flour..."

"Well...looks like we know how the dealer's been able to sell his stuff so cheap. He's selling OUR evidence..."

"Who wants to bet one of those two was the dealer himself?"

Rick nodded.

"So...how could someone get in here?"

"As far as I can tell the only person who could get in here would be the guy who keeps this place tidy..."

"So...who would that be?"

"His name is Jacob Frost." Rick said seriously, pulling out another cigarette, his last one having been ruined in the altercation.

"Hmmmm...he listed?" Shinobi asked curiously.

Rick gave him a stern look. "Your gonna check out his home arent ya?" He then sighed. "Well, not like i'd be able to get a warrent for his apartment...yeah he's listed. Lets get a phone book."

"What...your gonna help me?"

"Do you know anything about detective work?" He asked.

"Well..." Shinobi felt himself blush slightly under his mask. "Not a lot...no."

"Then i'll be joining in." Rick said searching in the desk outside the door and pulling out a phone book. "Frost...Frost...Frost..." He mummered looking through the pages. "Ah, here, Jacob Frost." After searching for all the people under that name he took out a pen and wrote down the addresses of the same people and handed the paper to Shinobi. "Here, you check 'em out."

"Why me?"

"Your a vigilante remember? YOU dont follow the rules we do." He sighed taking a long drag. "So come back in two nights and tell me if you've got any real leads."

Shinobi nodded. "I didnt think that you'd trust me so easily."

"Its not that I trust you, I just distrust those criminals more."

Shinobi said nothing simply leaving the building already searching for the first address.

________________________________Elsewere_________________

"YOU IDIOT!" The man in the ski-mask yelled.

"Dont talk to me like that." The man who was wearing the ninja outfit said pulling off the mask too it, showing himself as the man identified as Mr. Parsons. "i'm not some simple flunky."

"Oh no?" He said still angry. "Your under my payroll Phillip. That makes you my FLUNKY! And now because of your slip up the police are on to our arrangement! And so is that freaking ninja!"

"So?"

"The next time you meet them I want them dead. Do you hear me? Dead!"

"I think half the city heard you." Phillip said with a smug smile.

"You just hope your as good as you say." The other man hissed.

"I hear ya yappin'." He said with that same smug look. "And I want my pay now."
_________________________________________________________

Shinobi swore to himself silently climbing through the window it was third house he'd tried. He left soon after in the other two when he discovered nothing in them suggested the inhabitant was a cop.
"This better be correct." He thought silently dropping inside and looking around.

"Big screen tv...thing looks like its at least a seventy-two incher..." He sighed taking in his surroundings. "Swank...but not much for security." That said he made his way to a desk and pulled one of the drawers open showing a few more rather expensive looking items, shirt cuffs and a gold watch. "Well...this is definetly a bit more then someone could afford on a cops salary I'll bet..." He said the entire apartment room wreaked of expensive items. That was also when he got his break in this search. The telephone rang, Shinobi let it go to the answering machine.

"J-jo....man...i...need more...c'mon just a little more man. Hook me up with summore coke..."

"not much..." The ninja said to himself as he opened the machine and took out the small cassette. "But better then nothing." after a few more minutes of searching he put another cassette into the machine. "lets see if i can get any real evidence too." He sighed sliding the tape into his gi.

Eventually the ninja left the apartment and started on his way home.

'Okay lets review...' He thought. 'New drug guy on the streets...big surprise...turns out, from what I know...he's a cop...however this evidence wont hold up in court...I need to locate him...'

"WAIT!" He finally said stopping just before leaping onto a nearby rooftop. "The one guy...he said his name was...something...Dragon...Dragondog?...Dragonheart? Dragon...DRAGONCAT! Yes, a lead...i'll just ask Rick to look up facts on Dragoncat...if he's been arrested before they should have information and I should be able to figure out a few more things." With that idea firmly in his mind he slipped into the dojo and changed into his normal clothes before heading out home.

The night after next found Shinobi moving as quickly as ever in the direction of the police station, he took the same route as before to get to the roof where he saw Rick looking over the edge waiting.

"Any news?" Shinobi asked, Rick jumped slightly before turning around.

"No. Nothing. How 'bout you?"

With a shrug the young hero tossed the small tape too the cop, who caught it.

"Whats this all about?" Rick asked.

"Its from his answering machine. At least one message is from a junkie. His apartment is pretty well furnished for a cop too."

"Anything else?" Rick asked pocketing the cassette.

"One of those two men, his name was 'Dragoncat' do you have any files on him?"

"Hmmm..." Rick rubbed his chin a bit. "We can check the database. Follow me." Shinobi nodded following the officer into the building soon reaching a computer systerm in one of the better furnished rooms.

"Its connected to Interpol and the FBI's files. If this guy's commited a crime its on the list." Rick then typed in the alias 'Dragoncat' and soon plenty of information came up. "Hmm...Birth date...Arrest dates...his name is 'Phillip Parsons'...he has high ranks in a few martial arts, uses the alias 'Dragoncat' but we already knew that. His first arrest came from child abuse charges and he was sentenced to five years...after release he worked as a freelance criminal until he was arrested again...he opened a martial arts camp in Gotham teaching children martial arts and how to steal for him...arrested once more...and he worked with Cluemaster for a bit and escaped..." Rick sighed rubbing his temples. "Not much of use to us..."

Shinobi gave a few nodds listening before he pointed to something. "Wait...his abuse charges came from opening a Dojo here in New York...right?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah, so lets look up where the Dojo used to be, if its abandoned he might be using it to hide out, or at least we might recover some information."

Shinobi nodded as Rick began typing again. "Ha, found the address." He said after a few minutes. "Lets go kid."

"Your coming now?"

"Yes. You dont know what to look for I do."

Shinobi nodded. "Lets go then." He said briskly walking too the door with Rick.


______________________Elsewhere__________________________

"I cant believe they didn't press us..." The man from earlier said to Phillip his back turned to him as he began counting some money.

"They didnt have nothing." Phillip said from where he stood in the guard stance looking at the large biker (judging by the mode of dress) in front of him. He was bald, with a goatee and a great many tattoos. "Now c'mon, I needed a sparring partner dont make me wait all day."

The biker finally attacked Phillip moved to the side planting a knee shot into his ribecage, eliciting a shout of pain from his opponent as he turned around, recieving Phillip's fist breaking his nose, and continued beating the hell out of him, finally the biker was on the ground his face was a mess.

"You dont need to hurt the other help that badly." The man said.

"Oh be quite Frost."

The other man glared at Phillip before throwing him a wad of bills. "Your pay for the evening."

It felt odd for Shinobi to be traveling in a police car, particularly the front, nevermind in his costume. It didnt last long however as they arrived at the former dojo, which at this point had the looks of a building unused for a while now.

"So..." Shinobi began looking at the boards on the windows and door.

"So we enter." Rick said rumaging through the car's trunk and coming back with a crowbar then promptly used it to pry a few of the boards off finally swinging the door open easily.

The first thing to catch the two's attention was a cot shoved into a corner, and a few scattered magazines, Shinobi went over to them while Rick seemed to be looking for other things.

"Blood..." Rick said kneeling onto the canvas. "Its onlyl recently coagulated. We couldnt have missed whoever's been in here by more then a few hours."

"Any idea where they could be?" Shinobi asked finding nothing among the magazines and cot that could be considered useful.

"None. Keep looking."

Shinobi nodded and flipped the bedsheet up looking underneath the cot. "Found something." He called to Rick, handing him a cup filled with some sort of alcohalic drink if the smell was anything to go by.

Rick gave a grunt as he inhaled the scent as well, finally drinking a bit of it.

"That cant be hygenic." Was all Shinobi said.

"Thats pretty unique. In fact...as far as I know, only one bar in the city serves this particular drink. Lets go."

With a nodd Shinobi followed Rick once more to his car.

"So what do we do once we're inside?" Shinobi asked as Rick drove.

"We find Frost and bring him in for questioning." Rick said matter of factly.

"And if he puts up a fight?"

"Any way we can end it we end it."

That statement brought the conversation to a rather quick end as the car continued for another ten or twenty minutes before stopping outside a fairly respectable looking bar, Rick got out and in a few swift steps was at the door.

"Hey bud, you need an invite to get in." The bouncer, a large man wearing sunglasses, told Rick stopping him.

"I've been in here plenty of times and havent needed an invite."

"Not tonight old man."

"Fine." He said in a testy tone turning to walk back to the car before sucker punching the bouncer and continuing to lay into him before he had to much of a chance to retaliate finally beating the man unconcious. "Get over here kid."

Shinobi moved with silence and kept himself concealed as Rick opened the door, well kicked it open, holding his gun out. "Freeze!"

A few people yelled some obscenities as the cop entered the bar, looking at each of the people around him finally settling on a table in the corner with three people.

"Jacob Frost. Your coming with me for questioning."

The dark haired lean built man, obviously the one whom Rick was speaking too looked up at him alarmed, although eventually he was able to speak. "Hurry! Someone kill him!"

A few people got up, many of them bearing the looks of bikers and regular street thugs.

"What? Your hiring the 'Hell's angels' for protection now?" Shinobi asked finally making his presence known, and in the time everyone focused on him flicked out two kunai each into a large man's forearm.

"Kill them both!" Jacob yelled quickly getting to his feet.

"Well...where does your plan go from here?" Shinobi asked Rick.

"We fight, we win, we get Frost."

"Good plan." The ninja said throwing a sidekick into the gut of an approaching biker, doubling him over and sending a knee into his face. Rick was managing to keep a few would-be attackers away from him as he brandished his gun at them.

"Sh!t!" Rick hollared watching Jacob run from the bar. "I need an exit kid. Now."

Shinobi gave a nodd after performing a basic hip throw smashing an attacker that must have clocked in around 250 lbs, and little of it muscle, through a table. "On it." He said rushing towards the door lashing out with a few quick blows too a scrawny man in a leather jacket, this put him out of sorts long enough for Rick to rush past him.

"I'll get Frost!" He yelled back.

"Right...dont worry about me..." Shinobi mumbled looking around him, he took a moment or two to appraise the situation. The seats and tables in the bar, as well as the other fixtures would cause him a lot of difficulty in manuevering, as well the sheer number of attackers would be a real problem. Still, it would be exellent training...

____

Rick chased after the drug dealer with quickness unexpected from a man his age. He managed to hide behind a corner just before a gunshot broke off some of the plaster. He quickly moved out of his cover and returned fire with as much luck resuming the chase as Jacob continued to flee, suitcase in hand. Rick squeezed off a few more rounds giving a satisfied look when he noticed one had hit Jacob in the arm, costing him a few seconds as he stooped to pick up the suitcase he dropped and resume running.

___

Shinobi was getting short of breath and feeling the bruises pile up, at this point he was holding a pool stick using it to make room swinging it alternatly like a bat and a staff before finally smashing it over a large muscular man's head breaking it in half. A quick shift of his grip and now he was holding a kali stick he sent out an ax-kick into the man's shoulder before smashing the stick into his head again, as he did this another attacker punched him from behind giving a large bruise over his left shoulderblade. He was trying to keep it up but sheer volume of attackers was making it hard, finally he managed to clear an opening (after breaking a few noses/jaws) and leaped behind the counter where he quickly started pulling out bottles and throwing them at his attackers, he tried not to wince when he saw the glass break on impact. Particularly the ones hitting them in the faces.
___

Jacob dropped the f-bomb as he continued climbing a ladder looking down to see Rick wasnt that far behind him. He was struggling to hold the ladder and his case as he climbed up, never mind shooting down at Rick.
___

The number of thugs had been reduced quite a bit by the time Shinobi ran out of 'ammunition', a few he had previously managed to knock out, a few more deciding that whatever they were getting paid wasnt enough for this work, and thus had fled, at this point there were only four people left along with Shinobi, many of the patrons having fled hoping to be gone as fast as possible.

The remaining four where the large man Shinobi had thrown onto the table, an unremarkable looking man with a bandanna, and another man covered in tattoos, as well as a man who had stayed out of the fighting so far. Shinobi remembered his face from the file photo of Dragoncat.

The young ninja countinued fighting his immediate attackers, the large man's movements slowed from the pain his back no doubt felt, and the other two simply undeciplened but holding a chain and brass knuckles respectively. He finally decided he had enough room and took out his Kusari-Fundo swinging it a bit before using it to bloody the nose of the tattooed thug, tripping him into a takedown before snap kicking the sluggesh and large man in the chest. Of course the rolls of fat he had, plus a convinent punch from his freind with the brass knuckles soon placed Shinobi on the defensive. He spent about five minutes dodging and avoiding the broken glass, while occasionally peppering his attackers with rabbit punches. He finally saw his opening on the man with the chain as he attacked and managed a good snapkick into his gut with a punch to his temple, finally taking him to the ground. He had turned to the man with brass knuckles to notice Dragoncat had finally moved in, and punched the man int he back of the head, knocking him out. This activity seemed to finally convince the fat man it was time to run...
"Round two. This time I get to fight it all out." Phillip sneered. "Hope your not too tired."

"For a hack like you? Never." He said with his own arrogance.
___

Jacob gasped for air as he held his gun in a trembling hand at Rick. "S-stay away!"

"Jacob, I dont want to fire this. And even if I miss and you hit, you'll be a cop killer. You'll get life. At best you'll get a few years for drug pushing. Hell a good lawyer'd probably get you back on the street in a few hours. So tell me: is it worth the risk?"

(check out the exiting conclusion...tomarrow if all goes according to plan)