2997/A City's Debt

A City's Debt
Date of Scene:	28 October 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Shatterpoint

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Batman has posed:
    The city of Gotham is a massive thing, its tall dour skyline standing dominant even against the distant tableau cast on the horizon by the reaching towers of Manhattan. Great testaments to capitalism, simultaneously displaying mankind at its greatest and yet its most cold and chilling as within the valleys between those man made mountains the stories that are found are... rarely wonderful things.
    A witness to these tales, if not a chronicler, the man known as Batman had been privy to more than his fair share. His reach being long and the impact of the myth of the man means that he's touched many lives. But one that is strange and curious is that of Gotham's first female detective. It was from a time past, when the city's police force was rife with corruption despite the efforts of some. When the two worlds of the haves and have nots rarely crossed over and when they did so... it was almost always with tragic results.
    When the story of this woman reached him, Batman at first thought it was one such a tale. A young detective, perhaps given a role as something of a mascot, to be trotted out to show how her father was open-minded, and with the times. But relegated to cases that some might consider safe. But realizing it was her, this wraith-like creature that now patrolled Gotham's streets, did not come easily at first.
    The Bat Computer cross-referenced the information it had of her, the video imagery recorded by Nightwing, the surveillance cams, what little physical evidence there was. Nothing came up, facial recognition was a blank. But something about her clothes, something drew him forwards before the console to expand the facial recognition search to the old micro-fiche preserved image database... when the first hit was made.
    Detective Caroline Ramsey, in an article about the eventful day of her appointment. Strange, years past, but her. And it was that research that granted him the simple greeting, rough and deep voice reaching her from the shadows.
    "Detective Ramsey."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Caroline was walking a beat that Gotham had forgot. The spread and advent of proper automobiles meant that these old foot-paths through sections of the city from the fifties were relics, no longer even taught to the officers of the GCPD. They were, however, still effective. The walking nightmare that few nowadays know as Caroline Ramsey has been putting them to use, walking the city sprawl as some sort of out of place urban Bad Day.

    This is one such night, in Chinatown- not even the "good" part of Chinatown- where the drones pick her up again, and lead the Bat right to her. She's not actually hard to find, when the algorithm is tuned properly. She shows up as a cold spot- her body temperature near freezing- on infra. The drones can easily pick up a moving thing that doesn't have a heartbeat and isn't breathing.

    It's not that she isn't good at hiding- but more that she's not troubled by being found. As is the case when someone speaks up, from a direction in which she was quite certain there was nobody before. Her attention slides in that direction- not a snap-to, she is not -surprised-, nor frightened- and even in the darkness that he will clearly be shrouded in, those glowing eyes lock right onto the whites of his mask.

    She can -see- him.

    "I do not appreciate the title, Batman." Her voice is raspy and grotesque. Befitting what she is. It is unnerving and unsettling, though it's almost certainly very easy for Batman to work through it. It won't put a man like him off guard, even for a moment. And, of course, she's heard of him in more detail. Done some research. Maybe even seen a picture or two- but he knows so much more about her than she does him. The only question is how much of an advantage it'll give him, and how he wants to ply it.

Batman has posed:
    "Caroline," He offers in answer as he remains there in the shadows, those irisless eyes holding upon her as he stands there, the cowl settled upon his shoulders hiding him from the casual glance and making him little more than a silhouette against the dark backdrop. Yet it's from there that he speaks, in the small slim alleyway that is entirely too thin for the passage of a vehicle, but enough for perhaps two men to walk past each other.
    His tone of voice is controlled, resonant as he speaks to her. "You've made an impact on Gotham." Now. Before. Though each time different.

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Caroline turns to face him, proper. Her hands are in her pockets, and she's wearing a freshly laundered sweater that looks like it's seen better days. There are cuts in it, as if it was hit by some sort of bladed weapon, though Caroline did manage to get the blood out, somehow.

    "I have heard. I have been in the process of... Reversing some of the damage. There were two arms dealers I was told of by the boy. One that your people protect, the other with ties to Russians. I have not yet determined which one is the source." Her voice is not as resonant as his- it hitches and lingers on sounds and syllables, as if speaking at all is a struggle. "I heard you would... Take offense."

Batman has posed:
    The tall man steps forwards slightly, a sliver of light crossing over the curve of that cape, giving a hint to the subtle insignia inlaid in his chest. His brow furrows behind that mask as he looks to her, to this woman who has had the weight of time heavily upon her shoulders, leaving such a mark that he can't imagine what she's endured. "Gotham's changed."
    He meets her gaze levelly and there is only focus, consideration in the man's manner. "It will take time to acclimate. I believe you are trying to do what's right." Or what she might perceive is right. He then says, "But if you'll trust me, we can try to see what help we can be to each other."
    There's a pause as he shifts his weight to the other foot, the leather and kevlar creaking faintly. "If what has affected you is technological, there are men who may be able to help. If it is supernatural..." There's a pause, then he presses on, "Then perhaps we can help you find resolution, or rest."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    It's not every day that Batman meets someone as focused and intense as he is, though hers is a little different. Her gaze leaves him, and instead looks over this portion of Gotham. "Its architecture. Its technology. But not its people. They need it now as much as they always have. Justice."

    There is a pause, as her eyes return to his, locking there, unblinking. "I am not -trying-, I am succeeding. Perhaps more than this city, and I, are ready for. My presence... Plumbs deeply into the desperation of their sort, and it can be... Dangerous, to do so without temperance." Her brow raises. Speaking this much is... Difficult. There is time in silence again before she picks out her next words. "I have no reason not to trust you." It's true, really. As far as Caroline can know, there frankly -isn't- a force in existence that can harm her. As well, everyone she's ever known is either dead... Or Wonder Woman. As such, she agrees- just like that.

    "It is not technological... But there is nothing that will give me resolution. Nothing that will give me rest. I have rested enough."

Batman has posed:
    "Then we'll see about it together." And as he says that he takes a step forwards and into the light. And she can see him now, though she could before, but now... he's dark and grim and armored... but just a man. And as he steps past her he'll lift a hand from beneath the cloak, a small red LED device flickering to life as above them...
    A great black aerial vehicle seems to flicker into being as the myriad displays on the underside of it disengage, revealing the sleek winged vehicle that seems as if a man had grasped the very concept of speed, cast it down, and took hammer and anvil to it. Its engines whine, though quieter than one would imagine as the power of its engines cause faint torrents of dust devils to spring into being around it even as a great white light snaps on, illuminating both of them.
    A hatch opens on the underside with a gasp of outrushing air, just enough of an opening to aid someone's ascension.
    To her, Batman says louder now, "Let's go."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Caroline looks up at the sort of jet that really hammers something home: She isn't in her time, anymore. She has been gone too long to just leap into things like she's been doing. Caroline had thought, after the atom bomb, what else could be left for weaponry? She's finding that while maybe not as powerful, there's always advances to be made.

    She doesn't argue, instead lurching an arm up and striking the jet with this... Chain of ice. It doesn't even scratch the paint, instead working as some form of... Grapnel of her own kind. It does give Batman a key to the nature of her powers: She can control ice, to an unknown degree. Likely form it. After entering the batwing, they're off to... Wherever.