2488/Madness

Madness
Date of Scene:	17 September 2017
Location:	Bludhaven
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Nightwing, Batgirl (Cain), Robin (Wayne)

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Nightwing has posed:
    The first thing people will most likely notice about Bludhaven when it's compared against Gotham is that the place doesn't have the gothic charm nor the architecture to support such a daring skyline. The industrial city is less skyscrapers and more old facilities that have been converted or abandoned. The river is lined with old factories, textile mills, and the paper mill that gave the place the ill reputation for the smell that carried up and down the water.
    But most of those businesses failed ages ago and now all they contribute to Bludhaven are the decrepit shells that are slowly being rejuvenated. Particularly the south side of the city, which is where the young vigilantes will find themselves at this time of night.
    They'd been tasked to make themselves familiar with the neighboring city to Gotham, and Nightwing is the current authority, so he took up the baton to lead them through what he would hope would be a routine patrol. It had started in midtown, each of them being charged to keep up with the former acrobat as he led them through a wild obstacle course of unfamiliar rooftops and architecture. A long gauntlet that led them across the skyline with the stars hidden above them by the low hanging clouds and the glow of the city.
    It wasn't until thirty minutes had passed that Nightwing landed lightly on the edge of one of those old factories, crouched as he glances over his shoulder to gauge the pace the others were able to set.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    One of the ways Batgirl had been helping to train her new 'bestie', Spoiler (aka Stephanie Brown) was to do just such rooftop runs to build up agility, parkour skills, and general all around exercise, performance. So it was no disappointment for her when Nightwing wished to do the same in a new area, a new city. And, she'd left Batman to Gotham and went with Damian for one of Nightwing's lessons. Cassandra was more than open to learning new things.
    And, while Nightwing had the advantage of knowing the terrain, one thing Cassandra was good at was reading body language. Another was adapting to her enviornment. She was just behind Nightwing, by perhaps twenty or so seconds only.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Tiny but mighty, Robin does his best to keep up with Nightwing, performing albeit less complex acrobatics to get there. Using size to his advantage, and a couple of dangerous leaps of faith to make swinging momentum.

  Damian eventually lands next to Nightwing and Batgirl, catching a breath before saying anything. "Why exactly did you choose east coast Detroit to plant your flag?" Almost immediately regretting asking the question, which would probably land him an answer akin to a bleeding heart.

Nightwing has posed:
    A lip twitches underneath the bemasked brow of the elder vigilante, at least in this crowd. Nightwing rises to his feet as the other two catch up and he gives Batgirl a thump on the shoulder as she swings in just those few seconds behind and then when Damian hits the ground he'll give him a thump on the back. "Only place tougher than Gotham." He offers with that same smirk, but then he rounds back towards Batgirl to face them both.
    "You both made good time." He settles down into a kneeling posture and motions for them to take a knee with him as he draws with a fingertip in the gravel of the roof. "Beegee, you hit this angle here on that apartment building..." He makes a quick rough sketch. "If you took this angle, you'd get a little more power." Towards Damian he nods, "Robin, you'll just get faster and improve, but you'll need to be mindful as things progress."
    He rises to his feet, "Figure we make two more runs, then reverse it. Alright?" Definitely not as sharp nor severe as the Bat when he's teaching, but there's a certain element of authority there. "Let's get cracking..."
    But then there's a short sharp report as a gunshot is heard nearby, followed by the squeal of tires and a rapid fire crackle of an automatic weapon.
    "Check that, let's move. I'll take point." And with that said he turns and /leaps/ off the side of the building, grapple line firing.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl is moving to follow behind Nightwing, immediately on the sound of those gunshots. She's moving swiftly to run and jump, shadowing Nightwing's movements almost perfectly, her own grapple-gun shooting, catching an overhang and allowing her a wide, safe swing towards the sounds of gunplay. She presumes, of course, that Red Robin is right behind her. Damian is as fanatical as her, in some respects, afterall.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian rolls his eyes with an almost contempt to Nightwing's remark. But he still manages half a smirk after. As to his assessment, he gives a nod. He was coming into his prime growth territory.

  Robin follows suit, a grapple shot out, a swing here and there to follow, thought not exactly mimicking Batgirl and Nightwing, the smaller lighter bird uses that as an advantage. His heart beats with adrenaline as they continue in, and a wide grin appears on his usual angry features.

Nightwing has posed:
    The trio of heroes vault over the side of the building and it doesn't take long for them to cross the lines of streets quickly enough. Just a pair of swings and then a vault over another rooftop and they can see it even as the matter unfolds.
    Far below them there's a gunfight now, four men on one side taking shots at three men hunkering behind the cover of their riddled SUV. One of the group is wearing blue colours, while the others are wearing various articles of clothing that are more crimson... and even as that firefight is going on another SUV is speeding off down the road, automatic weapons fire coming from the shattered back window.
    No words are needed even as Nightwing pauses on the edge of that rooftop. Just two sharp hand gestures. He aims Cass at the four men who aren't taking cover and are firing wildly at the men in cover. To Damian he gives a single nod and then points to the three behind cover. That leaves the SUV for him. Duties assigned, he fires the grapple line again and leaps into action in pursuit of that vehicle.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    A batarang introduces Batgirl's descent towards the group of four as she dives down in the wake of that batarang that will hit one of the blue-gang members gun-hands, hard, upon impact. The grappling gun takes her swinging, hard, into the man's chest she'd aimed at with a flurry of jet black bat-themed cape and cowl, without a word. Neatly, she's landed onto the ground, and she's already spinning around with a boot-to-gunhand for the closest gang member to herself with ruthless efficiency. She follows with a double-open-palm strike, to chest, and then to jaw, to send the gang member to the ground.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian lands with almost complete silence, a product of his stealth boots, and the training he's been given over the years.

  He nods sharply before diving off the building's edge, where he throws a birdarang to hit a punk on his gun hand as well. Robin kicks another red gang guy on the underside of his knee. With a leap he jumps to knock the second guy out with a jaw-punch, before he hops back up to start with the third gangbanger.

Nightwing has posed:
    The two are trusted to handle their corner of the fight, and so Nightwing's leap takes him down smoothly through the long arc needed to build up quite a bit of momentum and send him vaulting through the air and down the street, hurtling through the air with a snap like the crack of a whip, and only snaring his momentum to make the curve with the fire of his grapple line to catch the edge of a building and swing him around the corner even as the SUV takes it around.
    Yet behind him the other two vigilantes will have their hands full for the moment.
    The thrown weapons strike home cleanly, causing the men to reel even as their weapons go skittering across the ground, one splooshing into an open sewer drain just underneath the curb. Their capes snap through the air with the whirl of momentum. Another pistol goes flying as Batgirl's kick cracks a wrist precisely and then that double-handed blow seems to send a /shockwave/ through the man's form as he reels and falls heavily into the side of a car.
    "Batfreak!" One of the men roars as he charges straight at Cassandra, leaping into the air to try and take her feet out from under her so his friends can possibly come into play.
    But over behind the row of cars with Damian he sends one reeling back with his head snapping around sharply to the side, consciousness already leaving the man before he hits the ground. The third gangster tries to fall backwards, trying to bring his pistol in line with the sudden onslaught.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl is a freak. She knows this. And, she accepts this. Has accepted this. And, it's because she is a freak she's able to read the launching of the man into the air, and it allows her to pre-emptively side-step the attacker and slam close-fist punch directly into the kidneys, and then a boot to the head to take him down.
    That leaves only the fourth man. Several shots go off, but Cassandra, impossibly, is already dodging them - or, more correctly pre-emptively realizing where the bullets will be, and making sure she isn't there. Two nerve-strikes later, and the fourth assailant has lost feeling in both of his arms at which point Batgirl merely tips her head at him, as if to say, 'Now what, huh?' and then a fist-to-the-head knocks him out, completely.
    She turns around to see if either Damian or Nightwing need help.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian smirks to the third gang member as he starts to point his pistol at Robin. His wrist-mounted PEPS launcher activates and shoots off a sticky shock round to the exposed skin of the last assailant. "Nice try, dumbass." Robin quips sharply before he looks over to Cass and Nightwing.

Nightwing has posed:
    In the moment of freedom and clarity that follows such a smoothly executed engagement, Cassandra Cain is able to spin around and gauge the situation. The SUV is out of view, but distantly... they may well hear the squeal of brakes and the crash of impact that'll at least grant the awareness that matters proceed apace those few blocks away. But there around her, the fallen men are out of the fight assuredly, and Damian's...
    The last one that had been standing against Damian falls victim to the Red Robin's efforts, the shock round striking and causing the man to abruptly convulse and then fall to the ground, the pistol dropping from his grip the moment the surge allows his muscles to release. And as quick as that, almost textbook, the Bats have the situation under control.
    Once the men are secured and zip-tied, and once the distant lights and sirens of the police vehicles are sensed, they'll hear the sharp /whistle/ to draw their attention upwards on that rooftop they had launched the operation from. Nightwing's dark silhouette is up there, limned against the moonlight as he calls them back up.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl waits until the scene has finished itself, and the whistle heard before she is yet once again playing 'catch', maybe even 'tag', with Nightwing. The grapple-gun shoots up, and she's zipping upwards, fast, and with smooth, practiced movements casting herself onto the rooftop where Nightwing awaits. She takes a few steps and then halts, to read Nightwing, and Red Robin, both.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian looks up from the group he finishes restraining, that sharp whistle grabbing his attention. With a soft 'poomf' his grapple shoots off, quickly allowing his to ascend to the top of the building. "It's almost refreshing." He says, looking to the two others.

Nightwing has posed:
    Once they're both back up on the rooftop Nightwing looks between the two of them. His manner is well-practiced, stern, held in check. But Cass can probably read that unlike the Batman, Nightwing's is more... an act, as if he were perhaps being the way he feels he needs to be, emulating what he feels it means to be a mentor. But then again... at least he does a decent job of it.
    Irisless eyes shift between the two of them as he nods once they land and he steps towards them. "Good work." He offers, resting a hand on their shoulders for a moment as he considers them each in turn. Then he steps back and murmurs, "Clean, can't argue with the results. So I'll ask you this." He turns away and walks across the rooftop, not breaking into a run but moving towards the further side of the rooftop.
    He pauses there on the other side, turning back to look at them. "What do you guys think you could have done better? If anything?"

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl, at least for her part, does not call Nightwing out on his act in front of Damian even if she can see right through it. She considers her actions, replaying them in her head. And, she holds up two fingers, and then taps the utility belt where the batarangs are. She would not have been shot at, if she'd taken out two, initially, with the 'rangs.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Robin can only just shrug a little bit before he looks back to Nightwing. Almost immediately his thoughts drifted to having used his sword to do less non-lethal things. But once he really thinks about it, he responds. "I could have used the swinging time better, maybe use the claw to knock one to another before I landed."

Nightwing has posed:
    Nightwing seems to be able to understand Batgirl decently at times, luckily this is one of them. He gives her a nod and murmurs, "Alright, we'll practice that once we're done tonight." He then lifts a foot upon the ledge of the rooftop and turns towards Damian. "You're right, that's an extra window of opportunity on your approach."
    There's a moment when he looks back at both of them and he lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck, as if asking himself silently if he was ever that young. But then he shakes his head, leaving those words unspoken for now. "Also, with that many firearms in play, sometimes good to establish a smoke screen."
    After saying that he turns his head to the side as his HUD pops up with the data feed that the police are on the scene now and securing the prisoners. Seems everything is under control...
    "Alright guys, back across the city. Let's try to shave off a few minutes this time." And as quick as that he's leaping off the side of a building yet again. It's going to be a long night.