10101/Setbacks and moving forward

Setbacks and moving forward
Date of Scene:	19 November 2019
Location:	Monitor Room, Watchtower
Synopsis:	'Batman' checks in with Flash about JLA status.
Cast of Characters:	Nightwing, Flash

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Nightwing has posed:
A request has gone out to a number of the JLA members: from Batman himself, it appears. Earlier, the requests had found Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. In this particular case, a request to speak to Flash, at the monitor room. Batman is traversing throughout the watchtower, a rapidly moving shadow, as the whole of the place is physically examined. Primarily due to that this Batman isn't familiar with the place, and needs to get his bearings of where everything is. But he can't show, that, of course. No, he pretends to simply be on a general patrol to see that all is in order...

Batman strides smoothly into the Monitor room now, narrowed eyes moving over the consoles as he steps towards it, gloved fingers dancing over keys as he sets about a little bit of data transfer, and some other general information-share tasks.

Batman's suit is a very new one, but entirely in line with others. This one is stealth in nature, a more sleek design, but is still overall covered by the long black cape and cowl.

Flash has posed:
While this Batman may be new to the Watchtower, the Flash was there from the day that the other Batman gave it to the Justice League. And being scientific inclined, he delighted in examining it, trying to learn how it works. A lot of it was way over his head, but other than J'onn and the previous Batman, he was probably the Leaguer who knew it best.

Alas, he hasn't made much of that knowledge. He's intricately familiar with Chef Andre's schedule, and has timed his monitor duty to coincide with it. He was currently sitting in the monitor chair, looking over all the various reports. He'd occasionally type at the computer console, either notifying someone, asking for more information, or some other mundane task.

That was just work. The really important thing was that he had a plate of a dozen gourmet Kobe beef sliders, with bacon, cheese, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce, just the way he liked them. Sadly, there were two empty plats nearby that probably had more. He also had a large plastic cup with Coca-Cola, no ice, in it. It must have been from Central City, as it had a cartoon version of his face and the logo for the Flash Museum plastered all over it.

When Batman strides in, Flash immediately corrects his posture, setting down a slider, and double checking the monitors in case he missed something. He looked very much like a student when a teacher just walked in, even if he was older than this particular teacher. "Oh, hey Bats."

Nightwing has posed:
Of all the people to know full well what Batman's supposed to act like, the man under this black cowl is surely one of them. It doesn't mean his rendition is perfect: but he does have a lot of evidence to suggest it's Batman. Being in the Watchtower at all, for one!

"I appreciate your lack of tardiness today," says the voice modulator that Batman always uses, dark, toneless, cold as ever. But the phrasing isn't itself mean.

"I am speaking to each of the Justice League. It lacks current leadership. Green Lantern has stated he is unable to serve at present, despite being the one it would normally fall to, as the previous leader. I'd have your thoughts." The Dark Knight stands there, unmoving: a sleek dark gargoyle in the room, cape unmoving as it drapes over his body, small glints from the monitors the only motion along the surface of the sheen of black.

Flash has posed:
"Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day." Barry Allen's tardiness was legendary, and that was before he became the Flash. Somehow, having all that extra free time hasn't enabled Barry to get to places in a timely fashion, or rather, he gets there in exactly a timely fashion, often at the last possible moment.

Jovial as he might be, he knew what was important, and he didn't let things happen that he could stop. "I've been doing double duty, patrolling the Gem Cities and Metropolis, as well as anything else that comes up." Being the Flash was amazing. A tsunami is about to hit Japan, and moments later, the Flash can be there trying to help with the evacuation, or anything else he can help out with. But he can't be everywhere, not at once, and no one can keep it up for long.

"Trying to make up for the... well, Metropolis is safe." His voice trembled a bit there. Losing the big guy had hit him pretty hard. "I suppose we need a vote. Wonder Woman or you would be the obvious choices, though J'onn is certainly qualified."

Nightwing has posed:
The Bat listens without expression. Normally Dick Grayson would be expressive, or at the very least, diplomatic and friendly. But those aspects of himself have to be held down and denied. He has to do this for Bruce. And he'll do it right.

"I've seen the logs and patrols. You've pulled more than double duty," the Batman says, without compliment or reproach. It just is fact. "How long will you continue that?" he asks. His eyes then move to the monitors, slipping over the motion on them that is currently scrolling.

"I have yet to speak to J'onn. Gotham has required no small measure of attention. Ripples expand from the events set in motion." If there was any understanding showing when Flash's voice catches from reflecting on his loss of Superman, Dick does his best to mask it by looking away. Superman's loss hit him very hard, as well. And yet here he is, having to do this.

"Then you would prefer the 'obvious' choices." It's a statement, not quite a question, but it has a finality to it when Batman's deep voice modulation squeezes the words into submission.

Flash has posed:
"Eh, I had a..." He paused, mouth open, tongue moving a little as he wanted to say more, but then changed it to, "set back," and then he rolled his eyes, "in the other life, you know?. So... patrolling is good, for now. Takes my mind off things. Besides, I could never give up on my Rogues. They're the best, as bad guys go. That reminds me, got to pick up something for the baby shower." Yes, things were indeed different in the Gem Cities. How many heroes could socialise with their villains, or in extreme cases, couch surf with them.

"I would prefer if we weren't in this situation. But I am glad that we're still here, and proud of us. There is no one in the League that doesn't belong here." He locked eyed with Batman, and said again, "everyone of us... you," was said a bit louder than the rest of his sentence, "me, the others, we're all here, doing our job, and there is not a single one I wouldn't gladly trust my life on. Everyone could lead, so, no matter what choice we come to, we will be in good hands."

Nightwing has posed:
"A setback." Again, that wasn't a question, it was a mirror of Flash's phrasing, only said darkly, and with more purpose. A cold clipped manner of speaking. The discussion about Rogues, though, gets a little bit of side-eye. Indeed, the Rogues of Gotham are entirely different: a style of crazy that one doesn't sit on a couch with. Not without being stuck there with crazy glue or some other insanity, that is.

"I will primarily remain in Gotham for the immediate future. However, Batman will always be watching, here," Batman determines, in a manner often used to drill home that Batman's awareness is extreme. In this case, Dick has help; Bruce has not abandoned them, and the information flow is at an all time high, with so many bats at the consoles!

With that, it seems Batman has deemed their meeting nearly closed; body language is evident with him removing a small disc from the computer console, finishing the data reports he was gathering with efficiency. Should Flash have more to say, he'll need to rush before Batman does a vanishing act. Not that Flash should have a problem with hurrying.

Flash has posed:
When Batman spoke, he didn't have to say much, but he could be terribly unnerving. Repeating the phrase that Flash had said, a setback, about his life underneath the mask, sent a bit of a shiver down the Flash's spine. He jostled in his chair, and then tried to cover, "might have to increase the temperature in here." Yeah, smooth Barry, he thought to himself, really smooth.

"Just say the word if you," he wanted to say need help, but instead corrected himself mid sentence, "think your Rogues might benefit from a changeup. As the 76th Rule of Acquisition states, every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies." Yes, Flash did just quote Star Trek to Batman. And thus far, he has lived to tell of it. But who knows what the long term prognosis is.

The Flash then follows it up by taking a long drink of his drink out of the Flash cup. It's nearly empty and he slurps. Yep, Flash is going to find himself assigned to take on Darkseid and Apocalypse, alone, the next time Batman is on monitor duty. "We're all dealing with... stuff, in our own way. Do what you have to. But remember. You have friends." And then he took another slider, licking the fingers of his gloves afterwards, "at least get something to eat. Chef Andre is on duty today."

Nightwing has posed:
Practice makes perfect. Dick has, in some ways, gotten into the 'groove' of how to be cold and creepy. Watching Flash react to it, though, causes a little something to ping in dismay in his chest. He does need to do this. But he doesn't /like/ it.

Still, now is not the time to dissect that feeling in more detail. He'll have to do it when work is done. If all the work is /ever/ done.

The cold, flat stare is all that is given when Flash does almost suggest Batman might need help with anything, let alone with Gotham!

So it is only silence that is given. Perhaps Dick ran out of things to say 'in character'. Or perhaps Batman is just this way. Eerie, unnerving, and disappearing rather suddenly while Flash was getting another slider.

Because Batman is gone.