3799/Meeting the Master

Meeting the Master
Date of Scene:	04 February 2018
Location:	Gotham City
Synopsis:	Richard Dragon gets mugged! Batgirl to the rescue. Like he needed it?
Cast of Characters:	Dragon, Batgirl (Cain)

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Dragon has posed:
    Winter was cold and damp here on the east coast, especially in Gotham. A light drizzle was falling at this moment, but that was the furthest thing from the mind of the man walking down the street near Crime Alley. The setting sun cast a dull glow on the area, and the temperature was beginning to head towards freezing rain.

    Richard Dragon was deep in thought. The cold, drizzle, and darkness was not on his mind at the moment. It was obvious as his movements were slow and measured he was contemplating something. His eyes were straight ahead, hidden behind the darkness of a hoody and his hands were inside the front pocket, keeping warm in the chilly air.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
It was a little early for patrol. However, Cassandra didn't care. The time frame for her grounding was over and she was able to get back into costume and hit the rooftops again. She wasn't going to waste a second. So though the sun wasn't completely down, she was already on the rooftops and working her way through her patrol area. She had to take more caution than usual due to the dying light. It didn't matter. It felt good to be out and doing what she did best. Her dark cowl, with the haphazard stitching that made it seem a bit more macabre, was where it belonged atop her head. Right now, she was just running to enjoy the sensation instead of really worrying about the ground below.

As Richard approached Crime Alley, the figures within pulled their weapons. Each had a gun and they were pressed against the brick wall on the side Richard was approaching from. Once he stepped past, they would have their opportunity to rob him. It was a tactic that worked very often with pedestrians in this area, especially with the setting sun and gray crowds casting the world into shadows already. It hid them well.

Dragon has posed:
    Ricard Dragon's senses were attuned to the negative energy that slowly envelopes him. Snapping to attention, and realising he let himself get drawn into this trap, he sighs, but keeps moving. Straightening his posture, his voice carries to the shadows where the "bad guys" lying in wait.

    Not sure how many, they had been waiting for him to come into their trap completely, and that is what he foolishly did. It would be one of those nights.

    "Tough night out here," he says, calm and confidence in his voice. "I wonder what would happen if someone tried to rob me tonight, of all nights?" Walking slowly, Richard waits for the inevitable to happen.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
The two men look at each other in the drizzling rain, confused. The guy couldn't know they were there. Could he? One of them took a step toward the alley, about to scrap the job. The other glared his direction and he stopped, falling back into place.

As soon as Richard passes the edge of the alley, both are stepping forward with their weapons drawn. One to his front, the other toward his back. Their intention to herd him into the alley for the robbery proper. "Hands where we can see 'em. No funny business. Cooperate and you won't be dead." The bigger of the two men motions with the muzzle of the gun toward the alleyway. "Inside. Now."

On the rooftop, the voice carries toward Batgirl. She quickly changes her path and turns, leaping to the next roof and heading for the alleyway the noise came from.

Dragon has posed:
    Looking at the man in front of him, and turning his head slightly at the sounds coming from behind him, Richard Dragon peers at the "hood" from under his hoody. Pulling his hands out from the front pocket of his hoody, Dragon raises his hands and regards the man with a confident smile. "Really? The alley? You expect me to go there, in the dark, with you and your friends?"

    A pause, as though Dragon was considering his options, "And if I don't go where you direct me? Are you going to shoot me, out here, on the streets of Gotham, like a sewar rat? That wouldn't be fun at all." His words were calm, cold, and dispassionate, but his eyes bored through the man with a serene fire.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
They both hesitate. The smaller man looks to his 'boss' quickly, not liking how this is going yet again. He should've bailed. Instead, he's stuck here now, their mark uncooperative. Something was off about the guy. He wasn't scared. At all. In fact, he seemed like he was the one in control. The thief fidgeted, feet shuffling on the sidewalk.

The larger man recovered first. "Yeah, I will." With that he raised the gun up and aimed it for the center of Richard's forehead. "Now get in the alley!"

A small black object came flying out of no where. A batarang hit the man's arm, striking a nerve and making his hand fall numb. He dropped the gun without ever getting his finger on the trigger.

"Ow! Sonofa--" came from the second man as his own gun clattered to the ground, using his good hand to grab the one that now was just useless hanging off the end of his arm. Then a figure decended from the sky above, cape flared out behind and making her seem much larger and more intimidating than she might.

Batgirl's boot got the smaller man on the side of the head as she released her line, taking him out easily. She quickly stepped around Richard and a series of three strikes--midriff, chest, throat--had the big man rolling on the sidewalk as kicked the gun well out of range of the flailing man. She turned to check Richard very quickly, being sure he was okay, as she grabbed her grapple gun and prepared to make her getaway

Only, something about the man made her hesitate.

Dragon has posed:
    "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Richard Dragon shakes his head at the bad guy who was pointing his gun at Dragon's head. "You should always aim for centre mass. It is more likely to get a hit that way. Aiming for the head has a 2% chance of actually stiking me, unless you are Deadshot my friend."

    That was when the sound came to his ears...a semi-familiar sound. With a smile, and a shake of his head, Dragon decides that he was going to be a spectatotr, and watch the young member of the Batfamily do her thing.

    The spectacle was worth it. Crossing his arms across his chest, Dragon watches her moves, and admires the passion and strength of commitment in her moves. She could see HIS teachings in them...and something more. "Fascinating...a job well done."

    The sound of clapping reaches Cassandra's ears, and Dragon applaudes. "Efficient. Energy used perfectly. A bit messy with the first take down, but the second. Nearly perfect. Hello Batgirl." Dragons voice was calm, measured, and without fear or emotion. A respectful tone.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
He was familiar. Now that she could see his face, she knew it. They had told her about Richard Dragon being in town to help teach Nightwing. She'd been doing all she could to help, training with the vigilante anytimg he wished. But this was the Dragon, the master they had brought in to help hone his skills so that he might survive the upcoming battle. They had shown her an image on the computer screen so she would know him.

The fact he could've handled things himself is not lost on Batgirl. She frowns, the mask shifting slightly to show the expression. She quickly ducks into the darkness of the alleyway, not going to be standing out on the sidewalk and having a chat. Her job was about being unseen. Yet, she couldn't leave either. Not yet.

Behind the lenses, she quickly looked the man over and she could feel it. Sense it. Every little move of his body, even just the crossing of his arms or the clapping of his hands, she could read that there was more to this man than others. She'd never seen that sort of grace in motion, his artistry breathtaking to someone who could read it like a neon sign blazing in a window at a store down the street. She placed her right fist into the palm of her left hand, held at chest level, and gave a bow in his direction.

Dragon has posed:
    Slowly, confidently, Dragon joins Batgirl in the shadows. His slight smile was visible to eyes used to the darkness. They appear to be watching her, sizing her up and assessing her capabilities. "Very impressive for someone relatively new to the game. You learn quickly I have been told, and..."

    As Cassandra bows, the traditional way, Dragon returns the bow, respectfully, "...it is an honor to finally meet you."

    Dragon's body may bow, but his eyes never leave her. "A student of the Bat is always to be respected, and, feared by the right clientele of course." Dragon's eyes wander over to the two unconscious hoods.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
Richard may pick up on some other things about her too. She has League training. Yet, she has not been a part of the League officially. If he ever met David Cain, he likely will reocgnize that a lot of her skills seem to have grown from his style and incorporated more as she grew and was exposed to others. Of course, Batman himself is a primary influence in her movements. Yet, she is her own and distinct, her way of learning so very different from anyone else on the planet.

Although there might be hints of Shiva there, thanks to David having known the woman and used her skills in training the child. So many bits and pieces.

She can't really answer his questions so she does that one thing she does most. She shrugs, dismissing his compliments since they really mean nothing to her. She does a job. She happens to do it well. That's it for her. Nothing more and she isn't seeking accolades.

There is the sound of sirens approaching from a distance. She jerks her thumb to the sky, indicating she has to make herself scarce before the police arrive on scene. She raises her grapple gun and fires the line with a hiss of dispelled air. Then she pushes the button to retract and begins to rise up into the air to make her escape.

Dragon has posed:
    Richard Dragon nods at her "thumb" motion, and watches her ascend into the inky darkness. His eyes narrow, as the cold freezing rain begins to fall, a slight irratation to a man of his discipline. "Until next time then. I am sure we will meet again." With that, Richard puts his hands back into his hoody, and walks, slowly, down the street, away from the crime scene and the latest event.