12933/Life is a Highway

Life is a Highway
Date of Scene:	01 April 2021
Location:	Balcony, Monarch Theatre
Synopsis:	Motorcycle lessons are hard.
Cast of Characters:	Sparrowhawk, Red Robin

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Sparrowhawk has posed:
    What is the best way to get someone intimidated by motorcycles to like them?

    It was a clear afternoon, broaching on evening. Traffic around Gotham was beginning to get a little heavier with the rush hour traffic leading out of the city. It was warm enough that a light sweatshirt would be enough to keep you warm -- which means that it's perfect weather for motorcycle leathers. Which is very important when you don't want to add additional scars to your collection -- not everyone gets to cuddle up to a damage soak every night.

    Phoebe was hesitant at first, but she trusted Tim explicitly, so she was riding behind him, her arms around his waist, wearing a white helmet and white leathers with a couple of blue highlights to them.

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake smiles back at her as he looks to her for a moment in the mirror. Tim has been riding for years now, and is perhaps more comfortable on a bike than in a car. He is wearing his black leathers with red highlights himself. He starts off with a bit of a ride through town, letting her get used to the feeling and the way the bike moves. "So, what type of mood you in for dinner later?" He asks cause yea Tim is a rich boy and their helmets have all the cool gadgets including blue took to let them talk to one another easier over the noise of the bikes.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    Blue Tooth Helmets are awesome, just as a note.

    Phoebe's smile is plain to see in the mirror, a crescent of white forming in the gray smog of the visor.

    "I dunno, it's been a while since we've had Thai? Could always call my mom up and ask her if she wants to meet to go to Ollie's. They've got a vegan cheese pizza she was talking about." she states, her arms curling a little bit tighter around Tim. "What're your thoughts on Daiya?"

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake grins a bit and says "Well, you know me I prefer meat and dairy, but I do like science and new stuff too." He offers back to her "We could do the place with your mom think she will freak out to much she sees us pull up on this?" He asks her. "You let ya mom know, I still eat all kinds of things but still willing to do veggie nights and new and different thigns?"

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    "'I do like science' is a nice way of saying 'I accept the existence of nut-based cheese product but I don't trust it.'" Phoebe teases lightly, giving a laugh and a little 'bump' of her helmet against his -- when there's a sudden squealing of tires near them, and a box truck attempts to cut the bikers off!

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake will move with practiced ease. He cuts to the side to make sure they do not end up part of the box truck. He judges by the rest of the traffic and speeds up a bit, into a hole in traffic, weaving a bit to fin da way to get back to normal speeds "You ok back there?"

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The box truck breaks, making Tim cut to the side.

    Another vehicle, a boxy older sedan pulls up close behind Tim, revving its engine.

    Phoebe looks over her shoulder, and she grips Tim a bit tighter. "Guns on our six." she states quietly, and she holds tighter to him.

    "I trust you.

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake sighs softly not at Phoebe but the gunmen. He says "RR-05 Priority" and both their helmet visors turn into they normal combat HUDS. The car's license plates flash in the corner as the info on them is running. He cuts back to the right, moving towards a tight fit between two trucks "Hold ya breath in a moment." He tells her but though his voice is professional he does not seem upset "Look like the might be from the crazies who kidnapped me last time?"

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The HUDs alert her for a moment -- but then again, of course there would be all sorts of tech in the helmets.

    Phoebe tenses a moment as Tim moves between two trucks, the two lane road opening up to a four-lane. Cars spread out, going a little bit faster now around them as her arms tighten, and she looks to the side.

    "The Jimi Hendrix Jesus Crew? No, these guys don't look like them. Those aren't replicas, but they're not being waved around. Insurance scam, maybe?"

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake hmmms and nods a bit to this and says "Might not be after us, might be looking to pick off one of the trucks, I aint seen anything big coming through and this does not look like one of the big guys jobs." He checks to see if the cars are stolen, and if the gun men seem to be following them or others.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The box truck comes up on the left, gears shifting as the heavy vehicle picks up speed.

    THe boxy sedan is behind it. There appears to be conversation, and someone aims a large, rounded cylinder at them -- a camera!!

    "... Paparazzi?" Phoebe questions incredulously.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The boxy sedan is, in fact, stolen.

    The truck, on the other hand, is registered to some no-name LLC that has three different levels of shadiness about it, and is out of registration besides. Probably uninspected, too.

    They do not show up as TMZ. They aren't any of the gab rags. There's another picture snapped of the two, and then the box truck speeds up to try and overtake the motorcycle!

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake hmms a bit and says "Does not seem like normal shutter bugs, the truck is stolen, and the car's not as legal as it should be." He frowns a bit and will moves along the traffic, trying to make sure to keep at least one car between them, and the panel truck. He does try to get a read on the driver of it, wishing he had a bit more of the whole Red Robin tech in the boke, but the helmets is the majority of it.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    Phoebe closes her eyes. She seems to swoon a moment. "Take the next exit. Make a quick right. There's an aqueduct that'll fit the bike but not the car or the truck -- we can loose them." she whispers, and she leans a little heavier against Tim. "... think you can make a fifteen foot jump on this thing?"

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake nods, and says ""Yea, I should be able to. He follows the directions she offers, since she seems to know the way. "Tell me about 25 foot before the jump." He offers her. He will wait for the last minute to take the right, knowing that the more difficult he makes it on the followers the better.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The box truck can't make it, but the car manages to follow them, nearly causing an accident in its wake.

    Phoebe holds tight to tim. Her breathing is irregular over the BlueTooth.

    Tim's tires squeal as he makes that sharp right. The opening to the aquaduct is narrow -- the duo on the motorcycle barely make it through just as there are soft 'THWIPS' that rock through the air.

    And Tim would see why Phoebe asked if the bike could make the jump -- part of the aquafer has collapsed. It's not traveled -- in fact, there don't seem to be many places to turn off it! -- but Tim should be able to go up the concrete side of the waterway and make the jump over the collapsed section -- otherwise? Well. Gotham isn't known for its luxurious *sewer system*.

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake will reach back, and clips something from his belt to Phoebe's belt. It seems the young man aint planning on loosing her. First one side then other side, just in case those thwips were what he thinks and effective on her. He sees his spot, and guns it, the bike's speedometer buries itself in the red as he heads towards the jump. Even on his street Tim is a rich techy and the bike can haul. He heads for the jump and says "Hold tight hon."

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    The bike revs, the needle's buried in the red, adn Phoebe's arms grip tighter around Tim. Her helmet bumps against his shoulder.

    She's clipped to him, and her arms envelop his waist again, trying to stay tight. Her thighs press to either side of the seat.

    And in a weak voice she whispers "H-Hurry--"

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake makes the jump, and onces they are on the other side, h e speeds down the other side till he finds a place he can turn off, and get them out of the line of fire. Once he has the line of fire blocked he will slow down "You ok hon?" He asks her, turning to look over his shoulder as he pulls to a stop.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    Phoebe's slumped a little bit. There's two darts sticking out of her shoulder.

    "... pretty sure... those are horse tranquilizers." she breathes out. "Quarter mile, the aquafer makes a left. If we go straight, there's an old bar... Tito's..."

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake nods and unclips from her long enough to pull the tranqs from her, and puts them in one of the storage compartments "Got them out hon, you should be ok soon hon." He lightly taps hsi helmet to hers and then turns and hooks back up with her, so she does not fall off just in case, and heads towards Titos.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    "Just need to focus on not falling off." Phoebe replies quietly.

    Night is drawing closer, the cheap, old street lights flickering.

    They're on the edge of the Narrows. This is high crime, high poverty, survival-of-the-fittest.

    And as Tim comes up on the bar, Tito's -- it looks like a rough place. There's bikes parked out front, loud music from inside.

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake hmms and will find a darker spot to park the bike, making sure the shadows hide it's niceness a bit. He unfastens from her, and climbs off the bike, and moves to offer her help as well, seeing how she is doing. He does put on the security for the bike, that should keep any thieves away.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    Phoebe is stumbling a little bit. Her helmet was still on. Her arm was over Tim's shoulders.

    "I'm sorry." she states, the bluetooth in their helmets seeming loud without the rushing wind and motorcycle.

    And they go through the door.

    It is exactly as dirty, grimey, and awful inside as it was outside. There's a lot of rough looking people, probably showing up as Persons of Interest in various crimes on Tim's HUD as facial recognition picks them up.

    And then there's the bartender. Barrel-chested. Bearded, with biceps like cannonballs.

    "We don't serve your kind here." he states, looking at the two in their fancy-pants leathers and high tech helmets.

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake walks over and guides the wobbly Phoebe to a barstool. He opens his helmet, and looks over to the man "Not even if I buy everyone in the bar two rounds?" He looks at the Bartender, no fear of the man showing, watching his reaction to see how well money talks "My girl needs a moment to clear her head, and I am willing to make sure it is worth your time, if she has a few minutes to have a seat."

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    "It's okay, Tito." Phoebe states, and she pulls off her helmet. She looks pale, and she takes a deep breath.

    The big bearded guy takes one look at Phoebe, then takes another look at Tim, and he holds out his hand.

    "All right Fancy Pants, gimmie your card." he states, his other hand getting a clean glass and pouring fizzy water for Phoebe.

    "... an' this is gonna be a story, ain't it?"

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake will pull out his credit card, and yea it is one of the high end ones, He looks over to Phoebe "A friend of yours hon?" He asks her, and looks to Tito "Can we get two bottles of water with the rest of the drinks." He does move to sit beside Phoebe offering her his side to lean on.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    "... so what the papers say is true and you two are an item. Not just a plaything." Tito states, and he runs Tim's credit card. There's a lot more than 'two rounds' on it.

    Tim's card is returned, and Tito looks to Phoebe.

    "Let me tell you one thing about Miss Beacon right there. She might play the nice girl, but she's got heavier balls than the Man of Steel." Tito gives a laugh to himself as if what he said was particularly funny, and places two bottles of cranberry fizzy water in front of the two.

    "You could say that." Phoebe replies mildly, and she gives a slight smile.

    "Tito would buy all my extra first aid supplies so I could treat the homeless before... I went to college." she stumbles a moment, looking to Tim. "I would stop her,e and pick up bandages and motrin and stuff, and then make my way downt he aquafer to tent camps. It was the safest way for a girl to travel."

    "Because at any damn minute the water could open up and woosh! Right down to the sewer with the rest of the shit." Tito comments. He does notice she's leaning.

    "... whatever they used is literally leaving an awful taste in my mouth."

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake hmms and nods his head a bit and says "Yea she is best thing ever happened to me." He tells Tito, and seems sincere when he says it "Oh I know trust me, I mean I have always tried to help folks, but she has made sure I put in double time trying to help people. I have seen there is one thing no one can argue, she is one of the most selfless people I know and will help anyone she can." He hmms, a bit at the comment "You want something besides water hon? He looks over to Tito, and says "Got anything tasty with no booze?"

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    Tito just blinks at Tim.

    "This is a shit dive bar and you want something tasty with no booze? What are you, twelve?" he asks, incredulously, and turns away to help another patron.

    Phoebe manages to give a giggle out.

    "Yeah, it's healthier to drink the alcohol than the water here, Tim." she states with a wry note, and then exhales softly.

    "I'm sorry our bike date didn't go normally."

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake chuckles a bit and says "I figured he might at least have some juice or mixers or something." He offers. He rubs her back gently, and says "Hey it could have been worse, at least we had not called your mom to meet us yet, so she is not waiting worrying about us." He looks over to her, and says "You think your going to be able to ride home in a bit or should I call, Al, and see if he can come pick us up." He does figured best to call Alfred Al here.

Sparrowhawk has posed:
    "You can caalll Meee Aall~" Phoebe giggles, and then she leans forward and bumps her head against Tim's shoulder. "I think it's hit the balance where I'm just drunk off horse tranquilizers and my liver is going to be in traction for about six minutes while my kidneys figure out just what to do." she whispers. "Two more, and that... might have overloaded my ability to cope. Maybe they were the Jimmi Hendrix Jesus Crew." she whispers, and then just leans forward against Tim.

    "... no matter what, I am calling dibs on the bathroom. This place has *no* ladies room."

Red Robin has posed:
Tim Drake smiles a bit more at her, and says "Well, if you need me to fight for you to use it I will hon." He offers her a smile and rubs her back a bit more. He does open one of the waters giving it to her to drink "So, seems they knew a bit or something, we will have to see what they were about will check out the darts when we get home." He says low to just carry to her.