| A Quick Assist |
| Summary: | While observing the CDC in Metropolis, Batwoman chances upon Black Lightning and gives him an assist |
| Date: | (2014-08-29) |
| Related: | NA |
| NPCs: | Some minor thugs and drug dealers |
| Scene Runner: | Batwoman/mutual |
| Social/Plot: | Plot |
| Players: |
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After her conversation with Power Woman, Kate has started some legwork on her new case. It's bad enough that people are kidnapping metahuman kids for experimentation, but it's a whole lot worse when the Government is involved. That definitely leaves a sour taste in her mouth. It's too obvious to break into the CDC or the NIH in Washington, but both organizations have buildings in Metropolis as well. So that's where Batwoman finds herself.
Up near the top of a building across from the Metropolis CDC branch, a figure in black and red sizes up the government building. It's well within grappel range, but it's too easy. And she knows that Metropolis runs on higher tech than either New York or Gotham. "Still with me, Colonel? Yeah, give me a rundown on the building again. I don't wanna accidentally ring the doorbell."
Unrelated to the case Kate has started, there is another masked figure near the Metropolis branch of the CDC. This figure, in black and blue, is instead following a van through the area. Those down below do not see the man tailing that van. Only those who might favor roof tops would be aware of him. He is not being overly descrete from that perspective. As the van moves along the street, the man flashes brightly and seems to fly from building to building. Stopping every two or three to stay slightly ahead and be able to follow the van.
As luck might have it, or depending on the nature of her operation, unluck, the van is heading to pass near her building and that part of the CDC she is observing. Black Lightning lands on the building next to her, but remains unaware as he is more interested in what is happening on street level.
Dressed for the night, black and red defines this tall, curvy woman. A black mask covers her face above the cheekbones, shaped as a stylized bat; complete with pointed nose and long ears. Her complexion is pale, with blood red lipstick accenting her sardonic smile. Her mass of long, red curls spills out behind to trail well down her back, flowing freely when she moves. Form-fitting black leather clings to her lush figure, covering from the neck down and leaving nothing to the imagination. Emblazoned across the chest is a stylized red bat. Blood red forearm gloves each have three curved blades along the back edges. Matching boots snug up to just below the knee, with padded soles and three inch heels. A long cape falls from shoulder to her ankles, the ends weighted and scalloped like a bat's wing. Black on the outside, like her bodysuit, the lining is blood red. Circling low on her shapely hips rides a red utility belt, with many dubious pouches and compartments.
"Incoming…" is all Batwoman has the chance to say into her comm unit before the glowing figure lands less than ten feet away from her. With her colors she's not easy to spot in the shadows, after all. "Easy there, fella. This spot's already taken." the woman offers, red lips pulled back into a grin. Tucking the grappel gun away, she keeps that hand under her cape and palms a trio of throwing spikes while gesturing with the other.
"I'm Batwoman, something of a tourist here in Metropolis. I don't suppose you can show me the way to the Art Gallery. It's not coming up on my GPS."
Turning at the voice, caught off his guard, Black Lightning forgets about that van he was trying to follow. "What the what?" A double back towards the van, which is moving further ahead, hopefully a street light will slow it down. But then , red lips, black and red outfit, it seems to grab a fellows attention. Stealthy spy he might not be, but the relationship of this vantage point to the CDC might not escape him.
"Batwoman … as in Gotham?" Thinking he's heard of Bat-types in relation, "I'm Black Lightning." Forgetting the van as she introduces herself, he takes a step foward but still keeps most of that 10' gap between them, "Oddly, you're a little off course for the Art Gallery … I could show you." A hint of the dubious, but goinw with the Art Gallery as she asked.
She smiles again, inclining her head in a small nod. "The very same. And I know, Metropolis is a bit off my usual route." Batwoman pauses, then adds. "I was kidding about the Art Gallery, by the way. You seem pretty interested in that van, Black Lightning. I'm guessing it's not for a traffic violation."
The hand tucked beneath her cape slips the throwing spikes away again, returning with the grappel gun. "Looking for a hand with that, perhaps?" Misdirection, Kate. Turn the focus away from the CDC building, at least for now. "With two of us we can triangulate and intercept a lot easier."
"Too bad, its been awhile since I've been to the gallery," smiles Black Lightning, who steps back just enough to look down the street towards the van. "I hope that van doesn't get a traffic violation. The kids in that van are bringing drugs into the Suicide Slums, I want to see who's supplying them, give them a message they aren't welcome." Halfway in there, he turns back to regard Batwoman, considering her offer, "I could use a hand, if you have nothing else to do. I certainly wouldn't mind a little company." The van turns a corner and is stopping in an alley block or so away from the CDC building itself. "Can you keep up," almost a joke, he's sure if what he's heard about Batfolks and Gotham, they're more than capable.
"Be my pleasure, Black Lightning." the caped woman replies. "Sending personal welcome notes is my specialty." She's been following the van from the vantage perch as well. Raising the grappel gun, she shoots it in a high arc. "I'll take the far end of the alley and cut off their escape." The grappel catches, and that's all the time they have for chit-chat. Pushing off the roof, she raises up onto tiptoes before swinging out and around.
Touche, or so the grin would say on Black Lightnings face as Batwoman agrees and swings into action. A turn at the corner of his mouth at least, flashing that blue lightning and flying into the air. Where she is swinging out and around, he simply hits a power line and uses that to get to his end of the alley.
It would seem there is a drug deal going on even. The kids in the van, all African American, look like street level gangers while the man supplying them looks like a suit. The suited man is standing near a backdoor to some business, using it as a cover, and has two armed guards with him. They are in suits as well. The kids in the van most likely have semi-automatic side arms. When Black Lightning touches the ground to block his end, he calls at them, "Enough, your drugs aren't welcome in the Suicide Slums." That gets their attention and they turn to fire at the man, not aware Batwoman may be coming in from the other side. If she sees any of this, she'll see Black Lightning shooting/jumping forward as if dodging bullets but being careful not to 'stop' in front of any other oncoming shots. Making his progress towards the drug deal slow but steady.
Batwoman gets around pretty well, but she can't fly. It takes her another stop before she swings down to street level at the far end of the alley. Rounding the corner, her cape is furled to hide all the red as she pads quietly into the alley to watch. When the armed guards open fire she throws discretion out the window. It's not that she doubts Black Lightning could take care of the whole mess himself. That's not the point. The point here is to MAKE a point.
She's behind them and the padded soles of her boots quiet her footsteps. Even at a dead run. A front handspring adds momentum just before she kicks one of the gunmen squarely between the shoulderblades, landing with the full force of her weight. All his partner sees is a flash of black and red as the automatic rifle clatters across the alley and his compatriot goes down.
Even as the man is turning, and shouting, "We got another," he's unsure seeing the way his partner went down so readily. This is Metropolis, they tend to expect another woman stopping them it would seem and are maybe put off a little maybe recognizing a little and surprised. He'll turn his towards Batwoman, even if it will do him little good and try to fire at her
Thats enough distraction for the boys that were in the van, turning a little and off aim, so that Black Lightning can get up to them. Not punching so much as pushing and tossing them to the van. "No more drugs, don't let me see you fools again." One of the trio of kids listens, another turns to fire at Black Lightning, who in turn punches at the kid with a lightning fist, stunning him and pushing him back towards the third, "I said, out of here!"
Pff!-Pff!-Pff! The bullets ricochet off of Batwoman's body armor and cape as the woman lands in a crouch. Turning with a swirl of red and black, she flings a trio of spikes at the other suited gunman. The other rifle clatters across the alley and he ends up with his arm pinned to the wall. The blood is going to ruin his suit, even if the punctures don't.
Her masked gaze turns towards the suited dealer and she points a gloved finger at him. "Don't. You. Move." Batwoman isn't smiling now, and even though she's not quite six feet without heels she looks about eight feet tall in the mask and cape. One hand slips discretely back under the cape, perhaps reaching for another weapon in case the boss gets a case of stupid.
The third kid may have meant to fire at Black Lightning, but his stunned friend falling into him throws his aim and he instead catches him. "We're outtie," calls the one who got into the van, reaching from the open side door to pull his friends in. They are making to scrabble out and as far as Black Lightning is concerned, he can trust they'll make good on that - escaping.
The dealer, with two good guards handled so easily doesn't seem ready to go anywhere. More cowed into non-eaction at the moment as he doesn't want trouble, such as a suit ruined by blood either. He locks eyes with Batwoman, as if to give agreement, he isn't moving. Black Lightning moves near Batwoman to look at the man. "That's it, no more of your drugs in the Slums, next time, I won't play nice."
The man looks between Batwoman and Black Lightning, "O-Okay, no more." Not something he can promise, but he won't sell directly. Black Lightning is only specifying one part of town, Bat Woman is free to put more stipulations on this man, or even stop him so the authorities catch him.
When the boss looks like he won't be running, Batwoman draws her hand slowly out from beneath the cape anyway. Perhaps surprisingly, she's holding a gun that looks a lot like a Beretta (although it's a modified gas-cartridge pellet gun in actuality). The woman watches and listens, nodding slowly as the boss agrees to the open-ended terms.
But she won't let him off so easily. She continues the discussion. "I don't know if you know who I am, but I'm from out of town." Yeah, the Bat emblem sort of gives that away. "And we do things a bit differently down in Gotham." That's all the warning he gets before there's a flash of red and black and the butt of the pistol breaks his cheekbone. "You need to find a different line of work. Or you're going to need some very expensive plastic surgery."
The only one still witnessing this, aside from Black Lightning, is the goon pinned to the wall. He visible winces and turns his head away from Batwoman, not wanting to earn her ire. Black Lightning purse his lips, perhaps not his style, but certainly a befitting treatment for the man considering any indirect damage he has caused in the Suicide Slums by selling drugs there to begin with.
The man groans at the hit and slurs, "Yesh, yesh, no morph." Or about as close as he can get to that with the level of pain on his face and stopping his mouth muscles from being eloquent for the moment.
Still the silent partner at this point, Black Lightning does turn to look at Batwoman, then up behind them, as if a simple silent indication he might offer thanks to her or have words, but no need to say them infront of the riff raff. His legs seem to take on that flash of lightning and he's zipping up there. Not far from where he met her, but not the same spot.
Batwoman holsters the pistol at the small of her back, giving the boss a curt nod before she steps back. And disappears into the shadows of the alley. She knows that not everyone in the hero community approves of her methods, but Kate fights this war her way. And she's not a big believer in asking permission.
Once out the far end, she'll grappel back up to the rooftops. She understood Black Lightning's silent look, and she heads for the rooftop once more. It'll take her a bit longer, but after a couple minutes her grappel hook catches and she swings up onto the roof close to Lightning. Landing quietly, she reels in the jumpline and unhooks the grappel. "I think that went well." she offers.
"Better than I anticipated," says Black Lightning, or more appropriately, more quickly for certain. "Good for me you are out of town seeing the sights. I'm grateful Batwoman." Sincere words, he crosses the rooftop closer to her, closer than the 10 foot space they had early and lifts up a hand to offer her a shake. "If there's anything I could help you with, I owe you that much."
She smiles, and doesn't step back once he closes inside their previously-established distance. Batwoman extends a gloved hand to accept his own, her grip firm and professional. Like an executive. "Anytime, Black Lightning. Glad I was in the neighborhood." The heroine glances briefly over to the CDC building before her gaze shifts back, the smile returning. "And don't think I won't take you up on the offer sometime! Just not tonight. I have another appointment to keep."
Meeting her smile with one of his own, he nods, "Good, I'd hate to think your the type to fight with, and then forget, a man." As if to help so they can keep the contact, "Suicide Slums, east and south, of here, hard to miss. Lots of factories and machines." Then he backs up, "I'd hate to keep you from that appointment, I'll just have to find another Art Gallery on my own."
Batwoman laughs softly, setting the grappel gun for another shot. "Trust me when I say I'm not your type, but I'll cover your back anytime, Black Lightning." she replies. "Especially now that I know where to find you. Enjoy your Art Gallery!" She'll wait for him to depart first before firing the grappel. In the opposite direction of the CDC building.]