2232/The Apartment with the Revolving Window

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The Apartment with the Revolving Window
Date of Scene: 26 August 2017
Location: Gotham
Synopsis: The Question has a proposal for Lady Shiva, and it involves Renee Montoya.
Cast of Characters: Renee Montoya, Question, Lady Shiva




Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee is eating in, tonight. Indian. Or, to be more precise, she's finished. The remnants are in the styrofoam container left open, and mostly eaten on the table. Renee has left the table, presently, and she is curled up on the couch looking over folders on the present people that the Gotham PD had arrested, frowning in concentration.
    Over the radio, low, and in the background, Frank Sinatra is singing, 'THe Night We Called It A Day'.

Question has posed:
"You know, you really should put your leftovers away when you are done with them." says The Question from ver by the table, reaching out one gloved hand to pick up the container and moving towards the kitchen to grab a tupperware container. He seems to know exactly where to go to find one, too. "You never know what might crawl over it when you aren't looking. Is this Tika Masala?"

Lady Shiva has posed:
Another figure is in the room but she rests nonchalantly leaning against a wall. One moment she wasn't there, the next moment she was. She is dressed in a black trenchcoat over her clothing, pulled closed so that she practically blends with the shadows. She shifts slightly as The Question babbles on, unfolding from her position with her hands visible at her sides. There is almost a zen like quality about her, an aura almost of serenity.
    "Do not scold like a mother hen," she murmurs softly as she watches Renee although her words are obvious for the man with gift of gab.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "It is. There's some beer in the fridge," Renee says, barely starting, and, recognizing Vic's voice not even bothering to look up. This is not the first time, then, he's done this. And, she's apparently had other visitors of equal caliver in her place since his first visit. She does, however, look up at the female voice, regarding Shiva with a curious awareness, studying the other woman.
    Perhaps more curious, she still does not get up. "Bringing friends over, now?" She frowns, and then looks over towards Shiva. "I'm Renee. But, he probably already told you that."
    She goes back to studying Shiva, setting the folders down. Okay. They've got her attention.

Question has posed:
The Question moving over to the fridge, The Question reaches in and grabs one of the beers, opening it with the bottle opener on the side of the fridge. He walks over and grabs a plate from the cupboard, dumping some of the food onto the plate. Then he retrieves a fork from a drawer, all like he knows where everything is and has been doing this dance dozens of times.

He moves over to a shadowy corner, triggering something on his belt. A waft of smoke obscures him from sight for a moment, and as it disputes the color of his clothing seems to have changed hue from blues and oranges to greys and white. He reaches up and peels away the mask from his face, a flash of red hair shown as he bends to shove a forkful of the indian food into his mouth before washing it down with a swig of the beer.

"Ok, Renee, I'd advise you just remain where you are. I'd like you to meet Lady Shiva. Shiva, this is Renee Montoya, the police officer I mentioned to you. Don't kill her, please."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    Still she stands in place, close to the wall. Her own gaze never leaves Renee, watching her with a neutral expression. She reads each movement, gauging what the woman is doing as she frees her hands. That is always a movement to be watched since it often leads to them being filled with a weapon upon entering someones house unannounced. The woman may know Vic but Shiva is aware she is the unknown here.
    Vic's words don't help matters. "I was not intending to at this time," she says softly, not letting the movements of the man draw her eye from what is the danger in the room. The phrasing is intentional for she does speak truth when she chooses to speak at all. "She is the one you wish to take to Richard," she says to Vic, as though Renee isn't in the room listening to every word.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Huh. So, that's what Question looks like, under his mask. And, Renee certainly doesn't miss the implication of that gesture in her presence. Nor, for that matter, for Shiva. Batman, Question? Robin? Nightwing? Who hadn't heard of them. But Lady Shiva? Well. She is only half-wondering if the Question is kidding about the whole 'please don't kill her'.
    She looks over at that face, with the shock of red hair, before she looks over at Shiva again, reassesing the woman he brought with him to her apartment.
    "Glad we're all agreed on something, at least," Renee offers, dryly. On her not getting killed. She looks over to Question, "Who is Richard?" Time for the Question to be questioned. "And, what is she talking about?"

Question has posed:
Lifting the bottle to his lips to take another sip, Vic washes down another bite of the indian food as he looks to Shiva. "Yeah, but we both know your intentions can change on a whim, Shiva. I'm asking as a personal favor to refrain from any such action in the case there is any accidental slight. After all, remember how brash I was when we first met." He manages a grin to the assassin and then turns to look to Renee.

"Richard Dragon is the person who trained me. One of the best martial artists in the world. Shiva is at the very, very least his equal. Shiva, well, Shiva is also instrumental in who I am. She brought me to Richard after she killed me." He pauses, "Well, to be fair, she didn't kill me. She just beat me to within an inch of my life and the thugs that hired her killed me." He shrugs a shoulder, taking another bite of the marsala. "I was going to take you to Richard, because I see a lot of myself in you, and I think he could help you focus that inner fire you have...but now I am thinking that I would never get you out of here and to Canada, so maybe..." He looks over at Shiva, "Maybe Shiva will do it, as a personal favor. Or, if she prefer as is her custom...she can test my worthiness for this request."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    That is worth turning her attention away from Renee. Shiva arches her brows a bit, about as surprised of an expression as will ever be seen on her face. Her lips quirk slightly upwards at the corners. "You would offer yourself for her?"
    That brings her gaze back to Renee and this time, she walks around the front of the couch, on the opposite side of the table. Beneath her jacket are a pair of straight black pants and an Asian style top in red and gold. No jewelry. No makeup. Simple slippers on her feet. "I am gathering many favors of late. I am not certain I need more." Her gaze locks on Renee's face as she considers. For the first time, she speaks to Renee. "You show wisdom by not touching a weapon. But do you have the spirit of a warrior within you? The path I would lead you down is not for the faint of heart."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee shows at least a little spirit when she gives Shiva a measured glance, "Not for the faint of heart? I'll tell you what's not for the faint of heart. being the youngest detective on the GCPD and one of a handful that's not in the pocket of one crimelord or another, or otherwise on the take." There is pressure, there. Pressure, from all sides. And, you don't get there without having a bit of brass. Which, Montoya seems to have in spades.
    She sits fowards on the sofa, now, knowing by what the Question said Shiva is a very, very dangerous woman. "I'm sure I've never been through whatever hell that Question over there wants to throw me towards. But I'm equally as sure that I need to go through it. Because, this city gets weirder, and weirder, every single week. And one of these days, my instinct, and my mouth is going to get me kicked off the force. That's probably why he likes me so much. I ask the questions people there don't want answered. And, then I find the answers, and shove them in their faces." She's sure of that. She is, afterall, a troublemaker.
    She shrugs, "So. It'll be good to have something to fall back on. And if I don't? Well. At least I'll have a measure of protection against demons, other than a damn handgun."

Question has posed:
The Question shrugs a shoulder, tipping back the beer against his lips as he regards Shiva. "I am not offering anything you wouldn't just take anyway should you decide to, Shiva. What I am offering is to go up to the rooftop right now and back my convictions with my body. You are fond of your tests, lets see if my belief in her is enough to pass yours."

He glances over at Renee, "Besides, it would at least give Renee the opportunity to see if this is something she truly wants to pursue. Words after all are meaningless without conviction, and it is one thing to say she wants this, another thing entirely to see what that means."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The points from Renee show she has a spine. She has conviction. There is something more inside, beneath the surface. Shiva knows it is there yet, she hesitates to agree. Her choices are always seemingly random to those on the outside. To let one live. To kill another. For her, there is always a reason for each choice. She considers the reason Renee wants to learn. Weighs them against her own values. They do not mesh but few do. Shiva walks in her own world, her viewpoints rarely ever matched by those around her. Even those she considers allies, friends, they do not understand.
    "I will need proof, yes. The rooftop so that I may test worth." And with that, she turns and walks toward the window.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee watches Shiva move out the window, and then looks back to the vauge disguise of the man, thinly veiled with the bright crop of red hair. "You're really off your rocker, you know that?" Still, Renee's pushing herself off the couch, adding, "Thanks. I think." She's unsure. Shiva seems - well, pretty intense. Not unlike Batman. That was an interesting meeting. "Guess asking the right questions makes a lot of people want to kick your ass, huh?" Perceptive, too. She starts to move towards the door, then exhale, shaking her head. "What the hell."
    She moves towards the window too. Because, why the hell not.

Question has posed:
"You have no idea, Renee." says Vic, slipping the mask back over his face and releasing the gas to adhere it to his skin. He sets the empty bottle of beer on the table, and takes the time to rinse off the plate of food in the sink before he makes his way out the window to follow. "Whatever happens..." he says to Renee as he slips past her onto the roof, '...do not interfere."

On the roof, Vic pauses on the edge, shedding the long coat and hat as he rolls up his sleeves. He stand towards the center of the roof, his faceless visage facing Shiva as he gives her a slight bow of respect.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    Upon their arrival, Shiva has already removed her jacket. She also has removed her pants and shirt, revealing a simple black bodysuit beneath. There is a red sash at the waist, the only hint of color. The slippers have been removed from her feet and her hands are empty. That same sense of serenity is around her, body seemingly relaxed. As Vic moves into range, she puts her hands down to her sides and bows from the hips, eyes staying locked where his would be behind the mask. As she unbends, she simply stands there. No changing stance, no bringing her hands up to guard. No sign she is ready for the fight to begin.
    Vic knows she has been since the moment he came over the edge of the roof. She was prepared if he had chosen to begin the test in a less formal fashion. It wouldn't have been inappropriate, in her mind.
    It seems she is going to let him begin their match.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "Your choice," Renee says to Vic, quietly agreeing. This isn't, afterall, GCPD affair. If Question and Shiva want to kill each other on the rooftop, or near it? Well. She'll probably let them go pretty far.
    She looks over Shiva again, aware on some level of just how dangerous the other woman can be, or is -- if only because of Vic's warnings. But there's something else, too. Something her intuition tells her though she has no real evidence to support that other than what Vic's been feeding her.
    She knows basic combat. The kind taught in Police Academy. Self defense. Holds. Submission manuevers. That's it.
    She doesn't say anything. What is there to say, to something like this? Instead, she stands, crosses her arms for lack of something better to do with them ... and she watches.

Question has posed:
Shiva knows Vic too well, and vic knows Shiva. There is no real beginning to this test as T=this is a test that started long ago on the docks of Hub City and has continued ever since. The only real question is when will the test ever actually end.

As soon as Shiva starts to rise from her bow, Vic moves forward. Silent, even with those loafers on his feet, he glides forward with a foot lashing out towards her midsection, direct and to the point...which is why it is likely an obvious feint in Shiva's eyes. He pivots on the ball of his foot, lifting and changing the direction of the kick from her midsection to her chin, that move being another feint before at the last moment pivoting 360, and sending the heal of foot towards her temple instead.

Lady Shiva has posed:
This is a dance they have shared many times. Shiva has come to realize that Vic is testing himself as often as she is testing to see if he maintains what he has learned, continues to be worthy of the knowledge gifted to him. That is the key for Shiva. While she is known for testing those with skill, she is as likely to take a stranger with none and turn them into the weapon before her in the form of The Question.
    One leg shifts back as he moves to attack, allowing her weight to rest there and freeing the front should she need it. She simply moves out of the way of the first blow, leans back her upper body to avoid the second then brings up her arms to block the spinning kick aimed at her head. As his foot and leg slam into her arms, she is turning her body torward him and bringing up the knee of her front leg directly for his ribs.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee has seen Nightwing fight. She's seen Batwoman fight. And, she's seen Batman fight. Among others. She's watched all of these, personally - in videos, both police, and grainy fan-captures. She's studied them. Observed. Considered.
    But she's never watched two people of equal ferocity, like Shiva, and Question fight. This is something ... new. Thugs? Easy enough.
    Renee sucks in a breath, her alertness kicking up a notch. This is something very new.

Question has posed:
Anticipating this as one of the possible counter moves, Vic had his guard up enough to block the blow from full contact with his ribs, managing to lift his the flesh of his forearm to take most of the force of that blow. Vic tries to use that same arm to trap the now exposed knee by wrapping his arm under the leg and pulling up in an effort to pull the martial artist slightly off balance.

With nary a sound, Vic lets his body weight carry him to the ground as he slides out his foot along the ground, to swipe at Shiva's back ankle, the combination of moves a ploy to bring her to the ground.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The only noise is the impact of their bodies as they strike and block. Her own breathing is quiet. Her heartbeat would read at a normal pace were it to be checked. All are things that can be controlled with enough training.
    He captures the leg and pushes it upwards as he had hoped, her balance shifting slightly with the motion. Then he is dropping into the leg sweep. Only, her leg isn't there.
    With the push upward, she had slightly bent her back knee and flexed strong muscles. Even as he is lifting the front leg, she is jumping upward. His foot sweeps through where she had been a moment before but he is now in a vulnerable position. That rear leg snapping forward into a forward kick aimed for his blank mask. The push up from his hold has her left leg ready, chambered if she chooses to add a second attack to the first.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee shifts her foot, slightly, slowing her breathing some and just ... watches. It's like watching a real martial arts movie, with all the crazy moves and staged sycnchronized fights ... except it's not. There's no rehersal's. No armor. No safeguards.
    She finds herself not repulssed. Not telling herself that this is something she can't do. It's a challenge? It's beautiful. Dangerous. Deadly. This is how a protector of the city fights.

Question has posed:
Even as he starts to roll backwards in an attempt to evade the blow, the kick connects with Vic's face with an audible crunch coming from somewhere behind his mask. His own momentum added to that of the kick allow Vic to complete the shoulder roll and land in a crouch for an instant.

Once Vic has his feet planted underneath him, he launches himself at Shiva, a maneuver that if successful will take the vigilante over her head at the apex of his arch where he will attempt to strike at her head with a backhanded fist.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The maneuver is unexpected and performed perfectly. As he goes over her position, his hand is coming forward. She sees it at the last moment. Options are weighed but not with thought, more instinct as she taps into her life force and allows it to flow through her like water. She doesn't try to dodge. She allows the strike to happen, a choice thta is often made in a fight. Sometimes a blow is absorbed instead to allow one to gain position.
    Even as the blow stikes with a loud smack of flesh to flesh, as her head snaps sharply to the side from the force of the impact, she is following his movement, stepping to where he will be landing. She gauges it. As he comes to land, she has her hands together, heel to heel, palm his direction. The blow is aimed for the center of his chest and she puts all her power into in, channeling her chi as she lets out the first sound she has since leaving the apartment. "TCHYAI!" If it strikes it should be enough to knock him off his feet entirely although she aims very precisely with her power and there will be no broken ribs from it.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee's heart skips, briefly, as Vic launches himself, and strikes. Of course Renee wants Vic to win. Why? Maybe because she knows him more? Or, maybe because he - like Batman - is sticking up for her, for whatever reason that she still can't quite figure out. Then, when Shiva counters, her eyes widen, watching. Transfixed.

Question has posed:
To Vic, even getting one hit on Shiva is considered a victory in his eyes, but whatever feelings of hope or cheer that slight tap might have kindled inside of Vic is soon extinguished as the force if Shiva's chi hits him full force in his center mass.

As soon as Vic's feet touch the ground, Shiva's attack launches him back into the air, sending him sailing a good 5 or six feet before he comes crashing back down to the rooftop, a large exhalation of air as his breath is expended from the force of the impact. Vic lays there, trying to regain his breath even as he tries to regain his feet.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    As he flies, Shiva is moving with him, flowing forward as he lands on his back. She makes sure to take a spot above his head, where it will be more difficult to strike at her. Her leg is brought up then drives toward his face--only to stop an inch above. Then she pulls her foot back, placing it atop the roof. She walks several feet away, keeping her front to him, not giving him her back. Once she is a proper distance, she bows, calling an end to the combat. It will be his choice if it is done or not.
    She does not move to help him regain his feet. That is on him. He has the strength, she knows that well enough. To offer assistance would be a message she believes he is weak. That is the furthest from the truth. He has proven his worth.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee ... isn't sure what just happened. Other than watching two fighters of exceptional caliber - clearly Lady Shiva the better, and even Renee's eyes can see that. She knows that there was a point to be proven, about Shiva training her, possibly. But isn't sure - doesn't know Shiva well enough to interpret what she's doing. Or, how this arrangement will take place.
    But, her instincts once again tell her not to go to Vic's side. To offer him a hand. She nods once to Shiva, impressed, watches Vic. Waits, for the next move without saying a single thing just yet.

Question has posed:
If this was truly a fight to the death, Vic probably would have found the second it took for him to put air back into his lungs fatal. Thankfully, it wasn't and as soon as Vic manages to get a hint of air into his lungs...

...he uses it to laugh.

Vic sits up, triggering the gas that unbinds the mask from his face and it comes away bloody, the face hidden behind the featureless psudoderm painted red from the obviously broken nose that the redheaded fighter now sports, the bruising already spreading towards his eyes...but he laughs. He gets to his feet, "Did I actually tag you, Shiva? How long has it been?" Vic says, his voice sounding odd from the swelling. "It's about damned time."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    If Shiva were one to roll her eyes, she would be. Instead she moves toward her folded clothes piled neatly nearby. "I allowed you to, as you put it, tag me," she says by way of explanation. "It was calculated to allow for me to strike the final blow. Do not cackle as though you have achieved something this night." She picks up the clothes and steps into her slippers, one by one. The fact she likes him is apparent because she answered him. Anyone else, she would've ignored. Or they might not have been able to speak at all.
    Her gaze goes to Renee, seeing her reactions. That is what makes up her mind. Not Vic, not the fight, the fact that she can read a need there to learn more about what she just saw. Not a want. Not a story. A true need for knowledge. That is what drives Shiva, that kind of need. "I will train you."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee nods, looking to Vic as the crazy Question laughs, shaking her head, and laughing, just a little herself. It's brief, short. That sort of laugh one does when one wonders what the hell they're getting themselves into without any regrets, just seeing the madness they're descending into. She nods, "When do we begin, Lady Shiva?"
    There's a glance to Vic, then. They'll definitely be talking later. BUt her eyes shift back immediately to Shiva. She is the ready pupil. And, it'll give her something to do rather than study casefiles all night.

Question has posed:
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Vic shakes his head and chuckles, rubbing at his chest. "Maybe, but sometimes it is the little victories that count. They may seem small and insignificant at first, but get enough of them...you end up winning the war."

He walks over in front of Shiva and bows, formally ending the bout on his end. "Of course, the kick to the nose is going to give the makeup girls a heart attack, wonder what excuse I will have to give them this time. Jealous boyfriend probably."

He turns, spitting another wad of blood to the ground before pulling off his glove and offering it to Renee, "Vic Sage. Nice to meet you. Welcome to hell."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "Vic Sage." It makes sense. Renee's mind finishes making the connections. She nods, "Already in hell," she half-jokes, wryly. "Just stepping in further, at this point." She moves over to him, "We are going to sit down, and have a long chat, after this," she warns him.
    Then, she looks to Shiva again. There's determination in the Detective's face. Her eyes. She nods. As much as she can be, she's ready.
    There's no going back, now. She's moving forward. And she doesn't know where the storm is taking her.