1310/The Language of Kung Fu

The Language of Kung Fu
Date of Scene:	05 July 2017
Location:	Gotham
Synopsis:	Batgirl rescues a girl who is curiously similar to her and they gain a quick understanding of each other.
Cast of Characters:	Batgirl (Cain), Little Blackhawk

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Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Gotham is one of those cities that always sseems dark. Even in the daylight. Even against the crisp silvery metallic sunlight reflecting windows in it's skyscapers, and bright neon signs advertising bars, and tattoo parlors. Amongst the cheery outdoors cafes in green banners and fun fonts. The city seems to have been infested with it, and the darkness permeates every inch of the city.
    It is moreso at night. The streetlights shine, but carry the illusion they might be dim, ready to go out at any moment. It is as if the city is draped not in light, but merely perpetually layers of deeper darkness.
    That is where the criminals thrive. Criminals. And, the Bats.
    It is her first time, solo. Her first time that Batman has told her to go patrol on her own. And, she'd been given a warning to not mess up, to not kill. It was something Batman felt he had to continually press with Cassandra, she felt. But, she could no more blame him than she could express her desire to find redemption. Language was a near impossible thing for her.
    And, so she watched from a five story building. Watched the alleyway. She'd seen the three men going in. Read their body language. She knew what they were thinking. Now, she just had to wait to see if they would act on it.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    Walking along the streets of Gotham is a young woman. She's blonde, dressed in a tunic, crush cap, and mini skirt, long white boots on her feet. It's more or less a military uniform really, though the skirt itself is obviously a bit less than regulation in length in any real military outfit. It's the insignia that give it away, really. She's a PMC. A mercenary. ...A Blackhawk.
    At the moment tghe young Blackhawk is shadowing someone she overheard talking at a bart. She's a little red in the cheeks, the alcohol probably helping to explain why she thinks this was a good idea to begin with. Still she is here now, as the criminals are entering the alley way and keeping close to a wall to avoid being observed.
    Ellie is pretty stealthy- from the ground. Five stories up, on the other hand, a five foot two blonde in black and white isn't exactly the most invisible of figures. Especially not to a Bat.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Three figures had gone into the alleyway just before Elliot had come into view. Now? Five of them exit, and move behind her, as an older man, carrying a metal pipe appears from the next alley over. And he begins to walk -towards- Elliot. His smile is the sort of smile you see in movies about horrible creeps as they talk about raping young girls, or doing - obscene, inhuman things. His teeth suggest he's not been to a dentist in ages.
    Behind Elliot, one of the younger gang members asks, "Where you goin', girlygirl?" As two others wolf-whistle at her dress.
    "Lookit those sweet legs, Driver. Bet you'd like to get between those, and take them for a spin, yeah?" The other youths snigger, appreciatively as a couple of them move to flank Elliot.
    Trap her.
    Silently, up on the roof, beneath the entirely black, covered cowl with the eerie all black eyes and sewn-shut mouthpiece over where her lips ought to be, Batgirl dances from one rooftop to the next, a mere shadow in shadows.
    She moves to the best point to take her attack from. She knows what's coming. She can read it in their faces.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    "You want to do- what- with my legs?" Elliot asks in a vaguely confused tone. She arches a blonde brow, turning to press herself back against the brick wall nearby. All the way back. The girl's expression is oddly dispassionate given the scene. Blue eyes flick back and forth between those present, studying each of the men in turn. She takes a slow, deep breath. That might help given it stresses certain attributes. Then again, they're already leering at her bare legs.
    "I was just heading home," Elliot states in what is clearly a blatant lie. She is defensive more than frightened, at least for now, but Cass would note the tell-tale signs of a racing pulse and flushing cheeks. Adrenaline. The fear response is just a little more muted than it would be for most people.
    Elliot knows she's outmatched, een if her face doesn't acknowledge it. "Come out to escort me home...?"

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The older man, who must be the leader, drags his pipe across the cement, the sound as menacing and purposeful to maximize his would-be victim's terror. With practiced teamwork, as if they'd all done this before, the move to surround Elliot, "Sure, baby. We'll escort you home. Give you a new home, matter of fact," says one of the youths. "You can be our new morale officer."
    This time, even the older man joins in the appreciative, bullying laughter. "Damn, Freddie. That's a good one. Morale Officer. I like that." He leers at Elliot, then asks, raising the pipe, tapping one end of it in his hand, "You going to come quietly, or, we gonna soften you up, first?"
    One of the youths begins to make a move behind Elliot's back as if to restrain her.
    And that's when Shit Goes Down.
    All of a sudden the young gang member is falling with one knee into the ground. And then there is a black shape against the very dim streetlights as if one of the very shadows has come alive.
    The shadow flows, as if it were one with itself, freely moving without a single pause of thought, without a single movement showing effort.
    The first gang member to go down didn't even stand a chance. The shadowy figure had kissed his head with her solid boot with a hard, dry sound that echoed in the ears of those around. A shifting of body, and a jab to the throat later, and the male was down on the ground gasping for air.
    The one who'd gone for Elliot is less fortunate as his arm is snapped, and, Driver is 'taken for a ride' by Batgirl's leg, wrapping around his head, and using his momentum to drive his forehead into the concrete.
    The whirring pauses, purposefully. The girl, or woman - for female she is, shows the yellow sigil on her breast of the costume she wears, telling all who need to know that she is of The Bat.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    "... Morale officer?" Elliot asks blankly, those blue eyes going vapid for a moment while she considers what this could mean. She blinks then and takes a deep breath. "I'm just going to keep walking. Thanks-" Then one of the men is moving to get behind Elliot, as she knew they would. She had expected to handle this alone, so she darts forward just in time for Batgirl to descend from the sky above her and brutally crush one of the men into the pavement. By the time the second is having his arm shattered Elliot is engaging the guy with the pipe.
    It's swung at Elliot's arm initially. She dodges it easily and lunges, thrwoing a serious of vicous punches that would incapacitate a smaller man. She's not very strong, however, and though those blows get the gang leader to grunt in pain he hardly staggers, much less falls. SO she kicks him in the shin, dodges the back swing of the pipe, drives a fist into his solar plexus...
    And then Elliot is just kicking. The hand with the pipe is probably broken. But she keeps kicking him in the ribs and gut until he stops trying to get up. Another of the guys comes up behind Elliot and she nimbly shoulder tosses him into an earby wall.
    Elliot is no Lady Shiva but she has some moves, apparently. One of them she might have stolen from Cassie.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Three down? Two to go. A gun fires, behind Elliot. But Batgirl had already dodged it and is no more concerned with it than she might have been a nerf gun. Another smooth, effortless takedown, followed by the snapping of his leg. This Batgirl, it appears, doesn't have very many scruples when it comes to fighting. The gun has clattered to the ground this time, and the only remaining guy is beating the hell out of dodge.
    Or, trying to.
    Batgirl moves the ground where she picks up the batarang that had been used to knock the first guy to his knee, presses it between her fingers and throws it, perfectly, into the back of the running man's head, and instantly like marionette whose strings were cut, he topples over.
    Briefly, Batgirl surveys the damage, the men now either utterly unconscious, or only half awake in a delerium of disbelief and pain. Cassandra's foot knocks that one unconscious.
    She does not say a word. Instead, she looks to Elliot with a measure of quiet regard. Waiting to read the other girls body language, to make sure she is alright.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    Elliot kicks the biggest one a couple more times after being spooked when he twitched, pipe still in hand. Then the girl takes a deep breath and turns, eyes wide.Somehow she isn't covered in blood, though soem of it has ended up o n those pretty knee hig hboots she seems to be wearign for no conceivable reason. At least they are combat boots in functionality and not as useless as they could otherwise be.
    The blonde doesnt' say a word either. They study one another's movements and body language. Elliot's adrenaline is running hot but she isn't scared. Jut breathing heavily, still flushed. Concerned, a ltitle wary- but most ly grateful. Wide blue eyes study Cassandra's face and she flashes her a brief smile, twisting slightly. Elliot is different. She doesn't speak but it's obvious from her stance that she would step closer if allowed. Blatant curiosity, really.
    Instead the girl fidgets and slowly looks around, studying each of the men. She starts to go through the leader's pockets qwith quick motions, careful not to leave anything behind that might identify her. Not even a hair. The hat helps with that.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
atgirl nods. Once. And, with that nod she seems to be satisfied that Elliot is not hurt, and does not further need her assistance. The threat, afterall, has been dealt with. And no doubt, the cops will be called soon enough. She does not seem concerned with their IDs. Or, anything on their persons. She also does not seem concerned, or to care that Elliot is rifling through them regardless of the other girls intent.
    The black shadow that is Batgirl walks the few paces to pick up the batarang and slip it into the belt at her side. And the pure pitch-black masks turns once again to regard Elliot, even as she is withdrawing a grappling hook. It may be time for her to move on.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    Which is why Elliot straightens as Cassandra turns away and walks toward her. She is holding up a piece of paper. It's offered to the other woman. They are of a size, really. Elliot might have more pronounced figure and be slightly taller but most people looking would still call them of a size even if they couldn't share blouses very easily.
    "Gang operations," Elliot elaborates then, titlign ehr head slightly. She glances at the roof Cassandra is about to ascend then and takes a deep breath. "Thank you." She is watching for Cass's reaction, ehcoing her words in her movements. Paper is important. Gratitude. At least it's easy enough to read Elliot regardless of one's relationship with English.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra pauses, briefly. She hadn't expected to be - given something? Gang operations, though? Well. Batman would want to see those. She nods. She does not look at them, she instead folds up the piece of paper, sticking it into one of the empty compartments of her smaller-than-Batman's utility belt. Odd, that she doesn't even try to look at it, perhaps? Still, she senses the gratitude the girl feels. It makes -her- feel good. She did something -right-. Nobody died. It's a good night.
    The fact she is covered, from head to toe, in that costume makes it much harder to read, her face being completely obscured as it is. But she nods. Acceptance of gratitude.
    She pauses, then lifting her grappling hook up, and then lowers it. She walks over to the leader, whom Elliot had to repeatedly kick in the head to get him unconscious. And, with no more concern to his well being than she might have for a combat training dummy, her foot shoots out, and slams into the side of the man's temple at the point of the toe.
    Silently, her hand gestures down. As if to say, 'That is how you do it'.

Little Blackhawk has posed:
    Elliot looks at that movement and nods once. She glances at one of the others, who is now coming arond. Contrary to popular belief most of those rendered unconscious in a fight wake up within moments unless they are seriously injured. Brains are more resilient than they are given credit for.
    The petite blonde in the corset and tunic gives this goon a sharp kick to the temple. Now he is seriously injured. Cassandra is given a nod then, Elliot clearly satisfied as she turns back, made evident by the confident sway in her hips as she steps away and moves back toward Cass, gingerly stepping over bodies.
    There's an eagerness to that blue gaze and the way the girl purses her pink lips, hands near her sides. She expects Cassandra to leave... But she /wants/ to learn more.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl does not miss out on that. But, neither can she linger, and she's certainly not feeling she should be the one teaching anyone martial arts. This time, the grappling hook shoots a near-silent line up into the skyline of Gotham and wraps around a high metal flagpole. And, then she is being pulled upward, fast, and furious, and disappearing into the night that birthed her into the chaotic scene without a second look back to Elliot.
    The paper? Well. That will be shown to Batman when she returns from patrol. He'll know how to read it. And, what to do with the information.