1842/The Purple Pugilist

The Purple Pugilist
Date of Scene:	06 August 2017
Location:	Gotham City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Huntress, Nightwing

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Huntress has posed:
The problem with targeting Gotham's Mafia families is that their connections are as numerous as weeds. So pull one up, and two more take its place. Another group may have thought that up earlier, but it still applies here.

Outside a little Italian cafe, a couple of big black sedans sit on the curb looking very conspicuous. And just inside, a couple of large, Mediterranean gentlemen occupy the table closest to the door. Drinking coffee. The -real- meeting is in the back.

Across the street, someone else is biding their time. On a rooftop, a dark-clad figure in black and purple watches the place through night-vision goggles. The Huntress isn't exactly expecting anything bad to happen tonight, or useful, but it's a bold move to meet so close to the GCPD.

Nightwing has posed:
    Despite the efforts of Jim Gordon there are still some precincts that are corrupt, some that turn a blind eye to a few social clubs, gathering points, and restaurants that turn a brisk business without having that many actual customers. It's in that very same cafe that the meet's happening. It's a place that somehow does a brisk business making record profits now and again but having no apparent foot traffic, yet somehow keeps making it work.
    And to the vigilante known as Nightwing, the place had of late drawn attention when the mob had been moving in on the Russian families across the river in Manhattan. This little cafe had served as a command center of sorts with people coming and going at all hours of the night. No fewer than three facial identity hits had come up and so tonight... the place was on the short list of stops for the young vigilante's patrol.
    Only when he arrives, landing light and silently upon the edge of an old billboard that used to advertise some sort of body spray, he takes cover and sweeps the area with his own green-hued night vision gaze. The Bat always has told him to secure the high ground, make sure you're operating with known elements and there are no question marks in the equation...
    But when his domino mask's lenses highlight the distant silhouette of the in cover Huntress, Nightwing realizes he's not alone at all.
    For a time he observes, crouched, unmoving. But then he'll break from cover and move to the side of the rooftop before leaping off, grapple line firing. It catches on the corner of a building, drawing taut with a whir of its motor and pulls him upwards even as he tries to circle around behind her and approach her unawares.

Huntress has posed:
    Does Huntress spot him? If she does, the woman makes no sign. She's crouched by a roof ledge, easily out of view and looking through the night vision set. The woman makes periodic sweeps of the street in both directions, as well as her surroundings.
    Perhaps she does spot him, or at least hear him. But in either case she readies the small crossbow.

Nightwing has posed:
    At first it's just a shadow that's a touch deeper, but reason enough to set off whatever tell-tale warnings she might have. But then a black silhouette parts from it, stepping out into the slivers of light the moon offers for the moment. A glance, perhaps a glimpse at his reflection in the window glass of the skylight, just enough to let her know he's there. But should that fail he'll lift his voice to address her, "Busy night?"
    Not the Bat, that much is sure. About the same height, but no horns, no cowl, just a domino mask and form-fitting leather and kevlar. No visible weapons... until one considers the way the piping on his legs are thick enough to perhaps be batons. He steps towards her, just three steps and perhaps ten feet away. His head tilts to the side as he gauges her.

Huntress has posed:
    The woman doesn't even turn at the sound of the voice behind her, and it's only when he steps closer that she lowers the optics. "Do you make a habit of sneaking up on law-abiding citizens on rooftops?" And only then does she turn to face him, crossbow held low but still at ready. The shift of position brings her into a casual crouch, which gives her a lot of options in the event that things become suddenly exciting.
    After a brief scrutiny, she offers "You're not the Bat. But then again, neither am I."

Nightwing has posed:
    The young man stands there, arms folded, his expression held in check as he looks over the woman with the crossbow. He cants his head to the side and perhaps, surprisingly so, his response is an attempt at levity. "How can you tell?" There's a ghost of a smile, just a small one. But then he takes in the surveillance point she had established, her equipment, then the woman herself.
    Lifting his chin he gives her a nod and then says, "Name's Nightwing," And then he says, "Somehow I get the vibe you might be a citizen, law-abiding..." He lets those words hang there, sort of floating off into silence. But then again he doesn't exactly have room to talk.
    "The Setsnova family." He offers that name to her, the people she's surveilling. "What are your intentions regarding them?"

Huntress has posed:
    "Huntress" the woman declares, still relaxed. "And I can tell because I've *seen* him, and you're not him." The crossbow lowers perceptibly, pointed more or less at the rooftop now. At the question about intentions she simply wrinkles her nose, the purple-lipped smile becoming wry.
    "The Setsnova Family is on my watch list. I'm not sure what your reasons are for being out at night, but I have a particular interest in Gotham's mafia activity." She pauses to glance down at the cafe, as if to ensure it hasn't gone anywhere. "As for my intentions, that really all depends on them."

Nightwing has posed:
    "You've seen him." The other vigilante eyes her, then he adds, "And you're still doing this?" Since there have been a fair amount of copy cats, vigilantes, people with holes in their lives and wanting to fill them with something of merit. It's rare for one to survive an encounter with the Bat, and continue to do what they had intended to do. Even more rare for them to speak openly of it. So she piques his curiosity.
    A few steps closer and he takes up a place beside where she had been watching from. A small click is heard as he draws something from his belt, a small metal box on a miniature tripod that whirs faintly, a mini-camera. He then takes cover behind the small wall that blocks them from view of that building even as a window opens on the HUD in his mask. He observes the site, but then turns his head towards her.
    "They've been taking a beating from the Ukrainians, have hunkered down. But something lately has them feeling more bold. Was going to see what that was."

Huntress has posed:
    The masked woman chuckles softly, nodding once. "It's a long story, but I was young. He showed up unexpectedly, and let's just say he made an impression." Which may have something to do with her choice of costumes, of course. She watches as he positions the camera, the mask obscuring her lifted brows.
    Huntress eases a bit closer, away from the roof ledge, so that they can talk more freely. "As if it wasn't bold enough to hold meetings on the same street as the GCPD station." she replies. "But yes, that's caught my interest as well. I'm wondering whether they're planning a counter-move or something else entirely. It's not like any of the Mafia to just -take- a beating without reprisal. It smacks of something bigger afoot."

Nightwing has posed:
    "What are your thoughts?" He says as he continues to scan the area, the small camera moving slightly on its tiny tripod so he can pan the view a bit from cover. But the way he asks that question of her, it's perhaps part seeking to gain intel, but part perhaps trying to gauge her, consider her judgement and if she's as on the ball as she seems.
    Nightwing crouches there, head tilted to the side, but then there's movement at the social club so near to that police precinct that a group of four men come out looking dour. All of them in a mix of jump suits or sweat pants, some carrying bags, others looking pensive. It definitely draws the eye.
    "Movement of four of them, recognize one as a hitter. Could be something."

Huntress has posed:
    Huntress shakes her head. "I don't buy it. As much of a beating as they've been taking from the Ukranians, there should be bodies littering...." her voice trails off, then, and she turns with the movement outide the club.
    "Yeah. And I'd be willing to bet they're -not- going to the gym for a workout." Huntress quips back. "The ones inside don't matter, not right now. I've been keeping a list, anyway." Turning to look at Nightwing, she offers. "We follow the hitters." The crossbow is put away and she adjusts a grappel line on her wrist.

Nightwing has posed:
    The leather and kevlar creaks faintly as he rises, securing the camera and attaching it to his belt again even as he pushes off and away from the cover, but sticking to the shadows. He takes a few steps towards the side in the direction of where those four are likely to go with their vehicle outside the place. A black SUV, never good.
    "Good call," Nightwing says as he touches a fingertip to the side of his mask, setting something in motion even as he places a boot upon the edge of the roof. A glance back is given to her, "But just for the record. I'm in charge." His lip twists slightly, and it might be just as she's about to snap back at him... /that's/ when his grapple line fires and he's dragged off into the abyss between buildings, leaping off the side and swinging smoothly across the gap. The way he moves is lithe, rather graceful as he flips to the end and breaks into a run across the other rooftop.
    Should she join him in this run, she'll hear him say over his shoulder, "Try and keep up."

Huntress has posed:
    Huntress steps to the roof's edge to stand beside him. He makes his declaration and she's about to reply when he fires his grapple line. The woman indulges herself a moment in the view of his agility, then she fires her own line.
    The chase is on.
    Huntress doesn't have his grace, but she's definitely experienced at this. She lands a few moments later, and when the woman starts running she keeps up pretty well. "For the record, if you get in my way or irritate me I -do- reserve the right to shoot you."

Nightwing has posed:
    A small snort comes from him in answer as he continues shadowing the movement of the vehicle. It's not hard in the city, enough lights, enough traffic even at this late hour. He continues his dash after it, /sliiiiding/ under a heating duct, and then flipping over an old air conditioner as he reaches the edge of another roof, taking the leap and planting one hand to help him vault over the side. It's when they reach a stop light that he skids to a halt and has a moment to reply to her.
    "You're welcome to take your shot whenever and however you like, Huntress." His tone is stern, firm. But the small smirk might give some hint to at least a touch of levity.
    He pauses there for a moment, then gestures for her to stay back as he tilts his head to the side as if listening to something distantly.

Huntress has posed:
    Nightwing slides -under- the heating duct and Huntress dives over, coming up in a neat roll without breaking stride. Her long coat flaps behind, but she's definitely got some parkour skills. The woman doesn't actually catch him, but she manages to keep him in sight until he skids to a stop at last.
    Huntress is breathing fast, but her smile is one of exhiliration. "I'm good for right now." she quips back. "But if I -do- decide to shoot you, I'll be facing you." Then his attention breaks and so does hers. The crossbow is produced and loaded smoothly, the woman going into a half-crouch. She listens as well. "The SUV...?"

Nightwing has posed:
    The young man's brow furrows as he starts to walk along the side of the building, getting ready for the SUV to move. "No time." He'll say as he starts to move faster, then breaks into a run. "Gotta stop the car." His footsteps are at first heavy but then he takes 'flight' as he vaults another wall, letting him fall into the valley between buildings and fall some ten feet to the next rooftop that ends with him rolling to break the fall and rising up off his shoulder with a smooth flip.
    He reaches for his grapple gun and fires as he reaches a corner, /swiiiinging/ around the side of the building and landing on the lip of an apartment building's roof. He crouches and when she joins him he'll tell her, "Going to need to stop them and then take them down. Can't wait for them to get to the objective, too dangerous."
    He pauses and then looks at her, the crossbow, then back to her eyes. "How good are you with that thing?"

Huntress has posed:
    When HE moves, She isn't far behind. Huntress launches herself after him, coat fluttering in her short descent before she hits and rolls, rising smoothly to her feet. He launches his grapple and she's about to do the same when he turns towards her.
    The wink is seen even through her mask, purple lips curling into a small smile. "Good enough to disable without killing. I'll stop the SUV." she replies. "And we'll discuss marksmanship another time."

Nightwing has posed:
    "Alright," Nightwing looks to her and he murmurs, "Stop the vehicle, I'll take care of the men. You cover me. If I get in a bad way, save my butt." His lip curls wryly and he gives her a nod, then he tells her, "I hope you're as good as you act like." That said he gives her a nod and lifts a leatherclad fingertip to point at her as if telling her he'll be watching.
    That done he breaks into a run to the side, flipping over the side of the building and landing upon a low flag pole, perching there even as that SUV rolls around the corner and towards the two of them and the ambush point they chose.
    Nightwing takes just a moment to trigger the auto-call to make the GCPD aware that they're needed at his GPS coordinates, and then he'll turn to lift a hand towards Huntress. He indicates the SUV... then lowers his hand at the point that... hopefully she'll stop the vehicle.

Huntress has posed:
    Huntress nods, watching briefly as he dashes along the building to get into position. Then it's time to go to work. The SUV rounds the corner and she checks the vantage point. "Didn't leave me a very good shot..." she mutters. But it'll have to do.

At least she's on the driver's side.


She watches Nightwing, planning her shots. And when he lowers his hand she fires three bolts in rapid succession. The hood of the SUV lowers as a front tire blows out, the back tire following a moment later. Then glass shatters as the third bolt punches through the side window to spear the driver's forearm, just in case he needs more to keep him occupied.

Nightwing has posed:
    He maintains that position, perched there as if it were nothing, balanced perfectly on the flagpole. The first bolt hits, he smiles, the second... perfect, as needed. The third, as the driver shrieks, he snorts a little. Under his breath he murmurs some slight invective about his new partner's brutality, but on some level... he has to appreciate the marksmanship.
    Once the vehicle comes to a halt he /drops/ down from his vantage point, landing with a _thud_ onto the roof in the exact spot that the roof dents in and _clocks_ one of the men right in the head, knocking him out even before the fight's started.
    Then Nightwing rolls to the side, grasping the edge of the window above the driver's side passenger and flips down and in, leading with both feet in a kick that clocks right into the two passengers in the backseat, smacking their heads to the side, shattering the safety glass of the window and has him suddenly inside that SUV.

Huntress has posed:
    Huntress is already reloading, of course, easing towards the edge of the roof. Her job is to provide cover fire, so she watches. For now. The SUV lurches to one side and skids to a sudden stop, just like it's supposed to. The cry of pain lets her know that the driver will be distracted for a few moments as well. Certainly long enough for Nightwing to break into the vehicle.
    Assuming that Nightwing is now occupying the rear seat's occupants. Stepping to the edge of the roof, she finds a drain pipe and hooks an arm and leg around it. The descent is slow and controlled, with more than enough time for her to keep focused on the SUV.

Nightwing has posed:
    From her descending vantage point Huntress can see the flurry of movement inside the SUV. Can see Nightwing now in the back seat kicking the gun out of the hand of the gangster in the passenger seat, the gun knocked free and kicked clear out the already shattered windshield. Then she'll see him rise up and grab hold of that man's head and /slam/ it hard into the dashboard even as he rounds and points a crackling baton at the face of the driver who still has his arm pinned to the wheel.
    "You going to behave?"
    "Da, da!"
    "Spasibo."
    At that Nightwing turns to the side to secure the unconscious men with quick zip ties, locking down the others as well before he rolls out onto the hood of the car and drops off the side. He moves quickly towards the trunk and smashes it open with the side of the baton, the hatch opening upwards as he looks at the haul of weapons they had been running with. Frowning he shakes his head and leaves it there for the police to find. It's as he steps back from the car that he already sees the red and blue lights of the police on their way.
    A hand lifts to Huntress, signalling he'll meet her in the alleyway nearby and then he breaks away from the scene, disappearing into the shadows.

Huntress has posed:
    She descends the drainpipe as she watches, alighting gracefully on the pavement like some dark angel. A quick survey of his work and she gives a nod. Approval? The weapons get a peculiar look, and for a moment she raises the crossbow again. Huntress lingers a moment longer than Nightwing when she sees the flashing red and blue, but then she dashes away after him.
    It's a moment later when she is also melding into the shadows, showing remarkable skill at it. And she waits. He signalled her to meet him, so the next move is his.

Nightwing has posed:
    It only took him a few moments, just a quick check of the perimeter to make sure they're clear, then he'll advance down the alleyway towards her, not as quiet as she saw him before. But enough as to not draw attention of the police who are now on the scene. He gives her a nod as he approaches and then murmurs, "Good work,"
    He takes up a place beside her and then glances to the side, "I was hoping we could tail them to where they were making their move, but had word they intended to do a drive by with some explosives, couldn't risk that." Justification offered, perhaps so she doesn't question the reason to move in so quickly. He then faces her, gives her a nod. "You're not entirely terrible at this," He offers.

Huntress has posed:
    Huntress watches him approach, turning and taking a few steps to meet him partway. The crossbow tension is released and she tucks it away. "You're welcome." she quips back. "And this isn't my first rodeo, either." The woman considers for a moment, head tilted. "Hadn't heard about explosives, but I agree with the risk."
    What frequency do you use, Nightwing? I wouldn't be adverse to hooking up with you at some point." Pause. "For another stake-out. You're pretty solid in a fight, and your intel is solid."

Nightwing has posed:
    For a moment she had him as his eyebrow lifted slightly. She can't see his eyes, but she can probably trust that behind the domino mask they had widened. But then she's gifted with his smirk as he eyes her askance, shaking his head and he murmurs. "That's sort of what we like to call, classified super duper double secret, Huntress." He gives her a nod, however as he adds, "But I'll tell the Bat about this. That we worked well together."
    For a moment it might seem like he's inclined to leave it at that, for really in some ways that's as much as he can offer her. But then he takes a step back, "If you're going back to gather intel, I'll check with you later. I've got another iron in the fire, though." He takes another step back.

Huntress has posed:
    She can't see his eyes but Huntress is good at reading body languages. And she grins in response to his smirk. "Not suggesting we use THE frequency, of course, but just some common frequency to scan." And behind her own lenses, blue eyes roll in response to the Bat-intrigue. But at least now she knows Nightwing works with Him.
    "If your intel is as good as mine, then you know where I'll be." she replies. "I'm going to stick around and watch the clean-up for a while. Gotham's Finest does pretty well at putting out fires once you've pointed them towards the smoke."

Nightwing has posed:
    "Yeah, maybe, we'll see." Nightwing says as he backs into the shadows. "I sort of have this thing about commitment." He offers her but then the last thing she'll see in the sliver of light in that alleyway is the small curve of his smile just before he passes out of view.
    Yet his voice lingers as he says, "Seeya next time, Huntress." The words echo for a moment, and then she'll get the feeling that she's most likely alone.