1971/The Ultimatum

The Ultimatum
Date of Scene:	14 August 2017
Location:	Bludhaven
Synopsis:	Shiva goes to challenge Nightwing but he offers a deal instead.
Cast of Characters:	Nightwing, Lady Shiva
Tinyplot:	Shivonic Plague

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Nightwing has posed:
    It's good to be back in Bludhaven, even if it's just for the next couple of days. Things have been hectic in Gotham, but there are always emergencies, always pressing matters. There will always be things to interrupt life and cause a ripple in the water to set askew the plans of man and god alike. And right now it's just such a plan disrupted that has the thoughts of Nightwing preoccupied.
    Even as he's twisting through the air, planting a hand upon the water tower as he swings up and over it, leaping off to swirl through the air and then land upon the edge of the rooftop... his thoughts are on his broken plans, the course of his life in limbo again. He'd been trying to get into the Police Academy... but now, the semester is starting shortly and none of his ducks are in a row. Bat would tell him that it's only the war that matters, the life beyond the war is just a facade to aid in the battle...
    But for Dick Grayson it feels like there should be more.
    He leaps off the side of the building, firing a grapple line as he falls and snaring a distant balcony, letting him swing across the gap between the city street. He lands on the next rooftop over, jerking on the line and causing it to whir back into the grapple gun.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    A figure has been watching him, from the shadows where she often dwells. Not for any reason other than she can. She has been giving his family a wide berth, her most recent association on the positive side when she assisted with training the little bird. The first time she met the Bat, she had to test him. That leaves the middle one, the man known as Nightwing. There is also the girl who has joined their crew. To see if their mentor has trained them properly.
    Her path is an intercept course, using the rooftops for her passage as he cuts by way of the water tower. It allows her to be a single building ahead of him when he finally lands atop a roof.
    There is a small alleyway separating the two buildings. She is standing on the ledge, facing his direction, wearing simple black pants with an red top and her favorite black duster overtop. Her feet are covered in simple black slippers. Under that duster are tools of her trade. The wind is light, causing the duster to flutter a bit around her legs. Her hair is lifted, pushed back from her face.
    She says nothing. She simply watchs him and waits.

Nightwing has posed:
    She gauged his path precisely, was able to tell what way he'd come from. Though she makes one small miscalculation, for the boy she had met some years ago did ever embrace the theatrical, the aspect of showmanship that comes from his first family. He reaches the edge of that rooftop and instead of leaping straight across he leaps to the /side/ planting a foot on the high pipeworks that seperate the buildings. He darts across it balancing perfectly, then _flips_ at the end head over heels once to land with a double thip-thap upon the gravel rooftop.
    From her place observing she might even see him give a small satisfied half-smile as he starts to move across the way...
    Only then to realize he's being watched.
    She had chosen the perfect spot. A place where he wouldn't have seen her even with the nightvision that snaps into play across his lenses right now. He tilts his head and sweeps the area with a glance, making sure this isn't an ambush and others aren't on their way...
    No, it's just one. But then again... with her she only needs one.
    Perhaps he surprises her when he speaks up, offering his voice in challenge, "Shiva." Yes he recognizes her, and she can hear the steel in his voice.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "My reputation precedes me," Shiva murmurs softly, knowing the noise carries easily through the night air. Up here on the rooftops, the noises on the streets are kept to a low background rumble. Not that there is much noise at this time of night.
    She remains on the ledge, not moving toward him and her body language is relaxed. Completely at peace with her place in the world. She keeps her hands at her sides, in sight at all times. There is nothing to indicate she wants to fight. Which is the danger of Shiva. She can go from nothing to a killing blow in an instant, making her stance unreliable for gauging her intentions.
    "Nightwing is the name you have chosen. The boy Robin I have named Little Bird. You will be Little Bat, since you are not yet the man himself. Perhaps someday." She gives a small smile. "If that is the path you choose to follow. I have been watching you tonight. You seem conflicted."

Nightwing has posed:
    His jaw sets and she can't see the irises in his eyes but she can almost feel the weight of his disapproval and his regard. As for him, his stance doesn't change at all, he's still wound tight, leaning forwards slightly with his hands at his sides as if he was restraining himself from leaping across the distance and dismantling her in some suitably painful manner. But to attempt to do so would, of course, invite much much danger.
    Lifting his chin, the man asks of her, "Cute nicknames aside, Shiva, what is it that you want?" He then steps to the side slightly, slowly, gravel crunching under his boot heels as he moves. "Usually you have a method to your madness, and I don't have the time to play fortune teller, so spill it."
    That's right, the best tactic to use when accosted by a superior fighter is to antagonize them and to do so rudely. Always a good idea.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "Not as smart as the Little Bird. He recognized an opportunity when it was presented," Shiva points out with a hint of disappointment in her expression. She gives a shake of her head as she looks him over with obvious interest, reading his body and his distaste for her. Yet, she does give him what he asked for. She answers.
    "I have come to see if you are worthy."
    It's what she's is known for doing. Seeking fighters, testing them, deciding if they are worthy of living or dying based on their skills at combat. Often, they are not worthy and she chooses to end their lives rather than let them waste the time of others. A few, she decides should live to pass on their skills to others, thus continuing the cycle when she finds the students later in their lives. This is a step in that cycle. To see if the student surprasses his master. To see if he is worthy of living through the night.

Nightwing has posed:
    His gaze tightens and she can read the aggression in his body language, the utter intensity of his regard for her as he watches her. Oh he might have been sharp with words, but he recognizes the danger she represents. But the greatest weapon that The Batman has ever taught him how to use was his mind, to reason out a situation, gauge the matter... and perhaps try and come to the core of what is at issue.
    So it's with that thought in his head that he tells her, levelly. "This is a bad move, Shiva. For several reasons." He lifts his chin, irisless eyes of his domino mask seeming to somehow remains locked on her as he watches. "I think you realize that. You win, Batman takes you down. Not in the way you want him to, but the most mundane horrible way that insures you have no chance to fight back."
    He stops stepping to the side and instead faces her directly. He doesn't list the other possibilities, since she can recognize them herself. She can sense the subtle tension in him, the injuries from several weeks ago slowing him down slightly, making him slightly less than ideal to face her. "But you come with me, help me with this... and I'll focus on training for the next year, and then we'll face each other. I'll even tell Batman it's my decision."
    He gestures to the side and partially over his shoulder, "So what's it going to be? A quick match and disappointment, or something better to look forward to?"

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "You assume that I would not let you live in the end. That is not decided before the match begins," Shiva says simply, giving a shake of the head. If he were not dead, the Bat wouldn't come for her. That tells her much about him, about his understanding of his own skills and hers. He knows she would win. It's interesting to see someone who is willing to recognize that about themselves. So few ever do, until it is too late. They bluster and boast, doing their best to bluff their way through. They fight, showing their weakness. Then she decides, not they.
    The deal he offers does catch her attention. If he realized, he might have a gotcha going through his mind. As it is, she doesn't change expression. She regards him for a long moment as she tries to resist the temptation, to not give in to that interest he has piqued. It's impossible.
    "Assist you with what, Little Bat?"

Nightwing has posed:
    "We were forwarded some information anonymously." Nightwing doesn't ease up on his wariness of her, though he does straighten up slightly, as if trying to give her the impression he's accepting the momentary detente. He holds up a hand, "The Russian mafia is holding a mutant prisoner captive, weaponizing their ability to take out some of their rivals."
    He looks to the side, "But they have some heavy hitters on their side." The dark-haired vigilante swings his attention back to her and his eyes narrow behind that domino mask. "And my usual dance partner is otherwise engaged."
    He turns and plants a boot on the side of the roof, looking sidelong at her and murmurs, "I'd go alone, but for some reason I get the vibe you'd rather I not die before you get the chance to kill me yourself." His lip quirks, sourly, but it's still there and still... barely... a smile.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "I care not. If you were to die by someone else's hand, you were not worth my time," Shiva says simply with the faintest of shrugs. She hasn't declined the offer. She hasn't attacked. Nor has she left. Thus, she's still considering.
    Russian Mafia. Those words stand out. She was already working with another hero on a case involving the criminal organization. It involved people being weaponized, against their will. Those were humans. The idea that there is another person being utilized in the same manner seems too coincidental. She does not believe in coincidence.
    "I will assist you." It is said as though she is giving him a great honor by doing so.

Nightwing has posed:
    "I suppose that's one way to look at it."
    Nightwing takes a moment to glower at her, but then he'll give a single nod and he rounds to the side. A boot plants on the small rooftop wall that lines it, he pauses just long enough to tell her, "Try and keep up." And as he says that he /leaps/ off the side of the building, dropping off into the abyss between buildings, and then bouncing off the flag pole, sending himself flying across the distance... and into the night.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    One moment she is standing on the ledge, the next she is moving as quickly as he. Her style is acrobatic but not on the level of Nightwing, who truly is one of a kind. She is able to leap between buildings, using the fastest route possible over the rooftops. She seems to move with the shadows as she does, disappearing for long moments then appearing again to spring to the next rooftop or over an air conditioning unti that is in her way. It is the way of an assassin. While she isn't with the League, she still works at times. It keeps her skills fresh.
    They move in tandem and in silence, he more aerial, her grounded by the tar covered roofs she traverses. By the time they reach their destination, despite the speed of their journey, neither is winded. Their heartbeats are perhaps up a bit but they do not thunder in their ears. It's all about control.
    As she comes to rest, she crouches low so as not to silhouette herself above the roofline. Shiva glances over to him, following his lead.

Nightwing has posed:
    For this time his lead had been in silence, no further words shared between them since they had left the other rooftop and their deal had been struck. He places his back against the small wall that blocks them from being seen by the building that is their target. It looks like it was once a refinery of some sort, though the smelting business that had built it has long gone out of business. A decade ago it might well have been a creative art market where trendy people would come to create and see the creations. But now, it has been converted for private use and storage. Storage used by the Kaznetsov family, the current heads of the Russian mafia.
    She'll see him reach for something in his belt and he reaches up over his shoulder to place it resting on the lip of that wall. A small remote camera whirs faintly as it turns and shifts focus, letting him gauge the security of the place from afar. Inside his HUD a small display flickers to life to show him the night vision imagery attained by the camera.
    Tilting his head to the side, the handsome young man looks to her, eyes hidden by the domino mask as he murmurs. "Looks to be about four guards on patrol. Some standing near windows on the second floor." He takes a breath and for a moment just looks at this woman, this devil he's made a deal with. He frowns, "And please, if you can help it, don't kill anyone."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    Shiva watches his use of the camera with interest. It is a higher tech method than what she uses. She also tends to have cased the location she is about to attack long before she ever arrives. She suspects he has already done so. This leaves her following his lead. It isn't something she likes. She prefers to work alone, not relying on someone else. This teaming up is something she's been doing a lot of late. It has felt right, due to the cause.
    "Why do you heroes keep asking that?" she says simply as she looks over at the building. Her gaze goes to the second floor, picking out the guards near the windows. Easy enough to take out once she's across the way. She flicks her dark gaze over each target, plans already running through her head. "This group, are they the ones using women to create weapons?" It is her suspicion but she voices it, wanting to make sure she has the right mobsters. "Because if they are," she looks over at him and the zen is gone. In it's place is the face of a stone-cold killer, her entire aura swirling with shadows as she embraces that side of her. "I make no such promise."

Nightwing has posed:
    "Paperwork, mainly." Is his response as he keeps gauging the two pairs of guards and their patrol routes. He flares his hands as if to brush away her concerns, "People die, and then you have to fill out files 13 Zed Stroke 11. The Bat has paperwork fore everything." She can probably read in his manner that that... is supposed to be a joke, she can hear the attempt at levity in his voice even as he follows the movement of the guards.
    But then he plants a hand on the side of the wall and says, "Yes." In answer to her question as to who these gangsters are. "And believe me, I understand. What they are.... what they've been doing is reprehensible. But our first goal is to get the imprisoned person free, extract, then take them down."
    He tilts his head to the side as he closes the image window in his HUD, now looking directly at her, "The police will be notified if I go down or once we've secured the prisoner. Once I have them... I'll need to focus on making sure that they're tended to. We can go our separate ways then." His eyes narrow behind that mask. "Our separate ways." He repeats for emphasis for some reason.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    So while he doesn't want her to kill and he will not say the words, once he has the prisoner she is free to do as she wills. It's something she can respect, that he is giving that to her.
    Unfortunately, knowing this is the same group, she has given her word to another. Her word means something. A bond she won't break even if that hero isn't present. It's frustrating to have her hands tied by words but she won't back down. She sighs.
    "This being the same group, I promised I would let them be taken by the police." She doesn't say to whom she made the promise. It doesn't matter. "As much as it pains me to do so. Thus, I will ensure that you make your exit with the prisoner. Then we will part ways and I will leave them to the police. I do not promise they will be happy to be alive, however," she adds as she shifts to remove her jacket. Then she unbuttons the red shirt, revealing a black bodysuit worn beneath it. Her pants are slipped off as well and left folded on the rooftop. A sash is put around her waist, hiding many of her toys. A sword is taken out of the jacket and slung across her back. Stripped down the bare essentials, she gives him a nod.
    "I will take out the two on the roof."

Nightwing has posed:
    She can see the pensiveness in his gaze as he looks at her making ready for war. The weapons, the blade, it all sets him a bit on edge. But then he gains his feet and vaults over the side of that small wall on the rooftop, dropping the ten feet down and landing in a crouch. In the shadows there he's terribly hard to see, but when she joins him there, just before they break cover and make their run across the distance towards the refinery's fence...
    He turns to her and says calmly, "We go our separate ways, until a year from now. Right?" The young man asks her that levelly, almost brazenly as if being a touch defiant. But once he gains an acceptance of his words, he'll turn and break from cover.
    From afar, seeing him in motion, it's like a poem made flesh and given the elegance of the bard's word. Barely a moment, two, his lithe form crosses the distance with such ease that it's almost as if naught had moved save perhaps the wind across that small road dividing them.
    She makes for the roof, then he'll make for the patrol.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    His answer is a single nod. Then they are moving.
    Her own passage is quick and silent, a ghost moving through the darkness to the side of the building. There she finds handholds and moments later, she is scaling with practiced ease. He may have his grapple but she goes the old fashioned way. It is slower yet she mkaes it look easy. When she gains the edge of the roof, she waits, hanging there like a spider in it's web.
    The guards are on opposite sides of the rooftop, each walking back and forth to keep an eye on their surroundings. She has angled for the one on the left side first. As she hears the crunch of his boots passing her location, she peeks up over the edge. The other is facing outward, not able to see her from his vantage. She gains the roof, low in a crouch. A moment later, there is a low sound as she hits a point on his shoulder, taking his arm out of commission so he can't fire his weapon. Another flick of her foot and he goes down to his knees. She graps his head, about to twist, but stops and puts him in a hold instead, cutting off the bloodflow to his brain. He tries to struggle but she controls him easily, not letting him scrabble and call the attention of the second man on the rooftop. As he passes out, she lays him gently on the roof. She will have about a minute before he can talk or do anything although he will be waking up.
    She's moving, across the rooftop in an instant. The second guard catches a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. He starts to turn but she strikes, hitting that caratoid sharply and sending him crumpling to the ground like a puppet with the strings cut. A moment later, she kicks him in the head to knock him out. He is bound, gagged then she moves and does the same to the first guard who is trying to make his mouth work to call for help. A quick punch and he too is asleep. Bound a moment later, he is left there where he lay.
    She moves across the roof, seeking the ladder down into the interior of the building.

Nightwing has posed:
    As for Nightwing, his targets are walking together in tandem, their footsteps steady as they round the corner of the refinery, its old brick facade standing out against the newer renovations made on the building's interior. They seem to be chatting amiably about their families, comparing the trials and travails of married life.
    It's going to be a bear to get to them, take them both out. Projectiles could be too iffy. Instead he closes the distance, footsteps silent. Moving in a crouch he gets nearer as they continue to talk as they stroll.
    Until eventually Nightwing is right behind one. Abruptly he'll reach up and slide a forearm across the man's neck and /pulls/ back sharply, powerful arms tightening in that grip. The other guard turns suddenly, eyes widening in surprise. But only for a moment as the young vigilante uses that grip on the one man to pull himself up and around to scissor his legs smoothly around the neck of the other man, lifting himself off the ground. Like a bridge hanging between them he twists his hips and tightens his arms, depriving both of the men of the flow of blood to their brains. They all three hit the ground as he maintains the choke...
    Until those men are both out. With them unconscious he binds and gags each, and then makes his way into the interior of the place, slipping through an open window soundlessly.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    There is no one near the ladder. Shiva slides down, using the edges of it with her hands and feet. She lands silently then onto the floor. Carefully, she begins to work her way through the second story. She manages not to run into anyone until she finds the room with the window that Nightwing had spotted earlier. Within are the two guards. There is also a metal chair with someone bound to it. There are a variety of tubes and wires running to the person, connected to a nearby machine of some sort. She frowns and moves into the room, easing closer.
    One of the guards turns and sees her. He opens his mouth even as he is bring his gun to bear.
    Shiva is airborne, a side kick taking him in the face. His partner turns and she whirls into a spinning back kick, sending his gun flying to the other side of the room. The first guard is recovering and she shoves a foot on his throat, holding him down while stealing his air at the same time. Her arm catches the hand of the second, dragging him in close. A punch to the stomach has him doubling over.
    She continues to exert pressure on the fallen man, his struggles growing more frantic but he can't get her to budge. The second is bent and she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in tight as she performs a perfect guillotine, using his own waight against him while using her hips and body to lift him off the ground. Both men go limp. She drops the one she is holding.
    A moment later, they are both bound and gagged then she turns to the figure in the chair.
    The girl in the chair is not entirely human. She has fangs and her neck is deformed but she is a young girl. Perhaps in her early to mid teens? She's not sure. Hard to judge. Shiva moves to her, offering a soft reassurance. "We are getting you out of here. They will not harm you again." Then she is detaching the wires and tubes, realizing they have been harvesting something from the girl. A moment later, she has the girl in her arms, carrying her like a child because she is too weak to walk.

Nightwing has posed:
    Shiva makes it to the holding facility first and as he heads in that direction he'll notice those tell-tale signs of her passing even as he picks up the pace to get there as quickly as possible. It's only when she is guiding the young mutant woman through the inner doors, out into the hallway that he'll skid to a stop silently, eyes furrowing as he looks both her and the prisoner up and down.
    She can see the tension, the anger, settle into his dark silhouette in the shadows of that hallway. His features tighten and he looks to Shiva. A nod is given, and then he murmurs, "Let's move."
    He brushes a hand over the gauntlet on his left forearm, signalling the police of the call he had planned for them to come down and take the place as they depart. When Shiva starts moving he breaks into a run to clear the way ahead. Each turn of the hall he'll crouch against the wall and duck down to peer around it. The first two are clear as they move...
    The last one isn't as three men are all rounding it, their SMGs held at the ready.
    It's in the window of a moment when he acts. Before they see Shiva and the young woman she accompanies. Before they complete that turn. He rises up from his crouch and spins around the corner, his leg lifting, chambering... and firing the toe of his boot into the nose of the first man. There's a /spatter/ of blood upon the wall as the man is almost instantly out and falling to the ground. The other gunmen bring their weapons around...
    Only for Nightwing to dart in amongst them, his hands grabbing their gunhands and twisting the wrists sharply, sending one powerfully to the ground where a stamp of his foot shatters the man's elbow, then the other gets an elbow fired into his gut even as Nightwing holds onto the weapon still, then twists it sharply inwards at the wrist, his free fist flashing in to snap the man's forearm in twain as he pushes him hard into the wall. Hard enough for his face to crack into the stone and leave a bloody smear as he slides down.
    "Go, you should be clear." He says as he drops to bind the fallen men, making sure they won't harm anyone else tonight.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    She would've prefered to be on point. It is for the best she isn't. Seeing the weakened state of the girl has her in a fury. She would not be able to keep her word.
    Instead, she concentrates on carrying the girl. She should weigh more than she does. She hasn't been starved but they apparently only gave her enough to keep her alive so they could harvst. They treated her like an animal. No worse. An object. Not a person. Not a child. Maternal intincts are not something that Shiva has but she does have outrage for those used against their will. Somehow, this is even worse than the women being enslaved to use as weapons.
    At each turn, she waits, trusting in Nightwing to get them safely through the building. As he takes out a group, she is already moving past the fallen forms directly for the exit. She kicks the door open with her foot, since her arms are full.
    Out in the darkness, she is moving across the grounds at a run. She doesn't stop until she finds an alleyway.

Nightwing has posed:
    It's once they're there that Nightwing is able to catch up with them. Nobody is following them, nobody is on their trail a'tall. But there in the shadows with the young woman, he crouches down in front of her and says quietly, "Hello, Amanda?" He asks her, his hidden eyes seeking her own as he tries to get through the fear that is evident on her features. But at the use of her name she seems so confused.
    "The police and emergency services are on their way. I'm going to stay here with you until they do." He tries to look from one eye to the other, and it's anyone's guess if they're getting through. He frowns and gains his feet, turning to face Shiva. "You had best get clear, or some flat foot is going to take a shot at you." He looks to the side and behind him, at the distant red and blue lights that can be seen off down the main road that leads to the refinery.
    Turning back he'll give a nod to Shiva. "Til later, then."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    Something flickers through Shiva's expression as she rises, regarding the black clad hero. "I will see you again, Little Bat. One year."
    She turns then, walking back toward the building they just vacated. There are less than five minutes before the police make their way into the refinery. It is enough time for what she wants to do. Without a backward glance, she dashes across the distance and disappears in the door.
    A moment later, screams of pain can be heard. Not a single man inside will be left without a permanent injury, one that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Perhaps it is a fate worse than death.
    For Shiva, it's justice.