4144/Stranger Danger

Stranger Danger
Date of Scene:	24 March 2018
Location:	Gotham City
Synopsis:	Steve Rogers comes to Gotham on the hunt for some answers.
Cast of Characters:	Captain America, Batgirl (Cain)

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Captain America has posed:
    Who are you, Horace Johns?
    A simple question that can cause a cascade of actions to fall into place. It was a small inquiry into what passed for the attack perpetrated by Jen Wong who had some information but not a huge amount of it. Intel was scant on the ground and was going to take a good amount of footwork. And Steve Rogers is not above putting in the hours.
    His first stop was Mutant-Town. The blonde haired blue-eyed man didn't fit in too terribly well with the locals, but he didn't stand out anymore than any of the tourists that had come by now and again to see the faces and features of the counter-culture in this part of the world. His plain brown bomber jacket and black baseball cap with sunglasses had at least hidden his identity for the most part. And he was there long enough that people stopped looking after him after a day or so, thinking he might be a transfer or a new worker at the Stark funded programs in the area.
    So it was quiet for him for the most part. Until the facial ID hit on the features of two men who were unloading a white van. Two men who had records as long as his arm and had no place leaving gear at that old house. And when they drove off... an older motorcycle pulled out into traffic after them.
    At first it seemed like they were going uptown, heading towards the East side and perhaps the docks along the river. But then they pulled onto the expressway and they merged, driving across the bridge straight towards New York's sister city, Gotham.
    He tailed them decently, keeping to the back of the pack but able to keep an eye as he rode along. Then the crew took the East Park Side exit, and he followed after down the ramp. Into the depths of one of Gotham's worse neighborhoods. It's only when they parked that he ditched the motorcycle and followed after on foot.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    There were certain neighborhoods that Batgirl preferred to patrol. They were always rotated from one path to another, never keeping to a routine that could be figured out by others. It was random while being completely structured. That was the way of the Bats. The tougher neighborhoods tended to allow the most action. While the Job was always there, even in the classier areas, these were the ones where she got to do what she loved. She was made for this.
    Not precisely. She was made to kill, to be a tool for evil. She had chosen to make her own path and ended up here, in the cowl under the tutelage of the city's protector.
    She was moving smoothly across the rooftop when the van stopped. She paused, creeping to the edge of the roof to watch the men get out. Not familiar but something in their body language told her they were not up to anything good tonight.
    They moved up the street. She started to follow when movement caught her eye. A man, following them. That was what he was doing, though he was being very discreet about it. His posture and movements belied anything he was trying to present as otherwise though.
    Perhaps she should follow the follower, to find out what was going on here.

Captain America has posed:
    That white van is parked out in front of a four story apartment building that could really make use of some of the renovation programs that Wayne Industries has brought to bear in downtown Gotham. It's an old building that most likely hasn't been at its best for a good sixty years. But the dim lights in the windows show that it's at least occupied in part, albeit not heavily. She'd have a good sight line to see the two men walk into the front door, the lights flickering on in the foyer and then to the left of the front door as perhaps one of the apartments or floors are illuminated.
    But from her vantage point she'd also have an angle on the guy who has left the motorcycle behind a block and some back. He's walking along, hands in the pockets of his jacket even as he strolls up towards the van. For a moment he touches a hand to the hood of the vehicle, then leans in through the open window and seems to fiddle around with the ignition. He does, however, flip the sun visor down and finds the keys that had been left in there. He flips them into the air, then pockets them even as he walks up the stairs heading towards the inside of that building.
    It's on the cusp of it, right at the front door that he pauses and looks up and down the street, quirking an eyebrow for a moment before he rests a hand upon the doorknob, places his shoulder against the jam and...
    /Fwump/ He shoves the door open, part of the handle twisting and fracturing and then he's inside.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    At this point, the only person doing wrong was the man following the others. He got into their vehicle, she was quite certain without their permission. Though he didn't take anything other than the keys. Was that considered theft? She tilted her cowled head as she continued to watch.
    A moment later and the man was at the door. Then entering the door, without the use of keys. But the main door to an apartment building wasn't such a big deal. Only, she had the feeling it wasn't going to end there.
    The grapple gun was already in her hand, aimed at that building. SHe fired and swung down to ground level, landing silently to the side of the door. Then she followed stealthily, all her senses on high alert as she crept to the side of the door and peeked around to be sure the way was clear before entering the hallway herself.

Captain America has posed:
    She might not be in time to see the man as he moves down the hallway, deeper into the building itself. As he moves he traces fingertips along the wall on one side, then the other. His brow furrows in concentration while he walks, but then there's a scrape of metal on metal that draws his attention. She might reach the doorway just in time to see him push open a partially opened door as it creaks faintly. And then he'll disappear inside.
    Once again out of her line of sight she might get close enough to hear the /click/ of a light switching on and then that door /slamming shut on the hallway outside. On the other side of that door, a dozen men mostly stand though some lounge in what looks like a loading bay of some kind that has three garage doors that face the alleyway behind that building. Two white vans are parked back there as well, similar the the one in the front.
    "Well, what do ya know, Franky was right. Someone was following him."
    "First time that paranoid bastard was right about anything in his life."
    "Still," Then the grumbling grim looking half-shaven man in the sleeveless t-shirt and tan chinos glowers at the man that just entered their trap. "Bad idea comin' here, buddy. Ain't you never heard that thing about them cats?"
    But the man in the baseball hat looks around slowly, getting a lay of the land as he smiles a bit. "You mean the play, right? Still haven't had a chance to see it."
    The men begin to move closer. "Come on, fellas. This isn't a good idea."
    "Oh, it's not?"
    "Yeah, trust me."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    As the door slams, Batgirl frowns behind her mask and is already heading for the front door. She's out into the night and leaps over the railing to land on the ground. Running, she goes down the alleyway. There aer the garage doors and a regular door that will allow access into the building. She glances up and fires a line, using the grapple to gain access to the second floor. She peeks in the window, to find that the area below has been opened all the way up. She can see everything that happens within although the sound is muffled at this range.
    A touch of a button at her waist sets the audio pickups in her cowl to amplifying the interior noise so she can keep track.
    For now, she doesn't try to interfere. After all, she isn't really sure who the bad guy is in this situation. It might be the lone man who was tailing the others.

Captain America has posed:
    From afar she can read him, even from her point above keeping track of the dozen men that are closing in. One of the larger fellas in a thick jean jacket is cracking his knuckles and his neck to the side, clearly intending to take point on the brewing violence. But what might give her a brief moment of curiousity would be the read she might get on the man in the middle there.
    He doesn't have the body language of a fellow who is about to get the beating of his life, or even at risk of death. He holds his hands up and looks around him as he tells them. "Trust me, just stand down. It'll go easier that way." And she can sense in his stance actual concern there, but also sincerity in those words. But it's a sincerity that's backed by steel.
    One of the men scoffs from the side which draws a glance, a glance that seems to be enough to incite the one behind him into violence. The man goes for a sucker punch with a fist wrapped in motorcycle chain, only to suddenly be eating the elbow of the man in the baseball hat.
    There's a crunch and a shout as that man goes flailing backwards. The large guy steps forwards abruptly even as his knee suddenly is dislocated by a short low kick that brings him off balance so the man in the middle /grabs/ hold of him. They both roll backwards and the taller man in the jean jacket goes _flying_ into the crowd behind them.
    And so quickly the man is back on his feet, only now without those glasses and the baseball hat having fallen off. Two men rush in and grab hold of his arms roughly, trying to restrain him as another brings a crow bar up and around. But using those two holding him as support he lashes up with a heavy boot int the chin of the man with the bar, rocking him back across a table where he skids off the far side and slams into the ground. Then the blonde man shakes his arms out of the sleeves of his jacket and twists the two around, /slamming/ them both onto the ground heavily into a smattering of broken wooden chairs that gave way with the impact.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The man is confusing. He actually doesn't want to hurt those who are wishing him harm. They want to. Yet he is more concerned for their welfare than his own. It comes from a place of confidence. He knows he can handle what is to come. That has Batgirl's full attention since that is not normal. One man against a dozen. Her own teammates would be confident in that but a regular Joe on the street would not. There is her first clue that this isn't a normal man. His caring about people who are hoping to rip him apart is another.
    As the fight starts, she is about to force entry but finds she is watching the man's movements. Even as she does, they are being commited to memory. Grace, power, a strength that belies his form. Certainly he looks strong but the way the people are falling indicate he is hitting with a large amount of power.
    He's the good guy. That much she has figured out. She isn't sure why the others are the bad guys yet except for their attempt to beat the stranger. As the fight continues, she frowns behind her mask. At this rate, he'll have them all beat down in a few minutes.
    That just won't do.
    There is a loud crash as Batgirl crashes through the second floor window, cape flaring out behind her and blocking the light for a moment. To break her landing, she chooses one of the thugs in the back as her target. Her boots /slam/ into his head, snapping it back as he falls. She releases the line at the same moment, landing in a crouch atop his form and throwing a single punch that makes sure he won't be moving. She slowly rises, the cape folding around her and hiding her body from view. That mask with no skin showing, only the jagged piece of material stitched into place where the lower face would normally be revealed.

Captain America has posed:
    As she had watched it was quick work, six of the men were put on the ground and only one of them seemed to have any desire to get back up. It have given him time to turn around and face two shorter men who each had knives at hand, though one held his in a reverse grip with his open hand held forwards as if seeking to get a hold of the blonde man so he can plunge the blade home.
    But neither of them have the chance. With one hand the tall man in the bomber jacket grabs the remnants of the table beside him and sends it half skittering and half flying across the room towards those two and as they're knocked back by the impact of the table he takes a running start along the side of the wall and when he leaps off of it he lashes around with a kick that crunches against the pair of them and continues through pinning them to the floor.
    But it's when he looks up that she breaks through that window.
    For a moment she's a symbol against the dim light outside, a curved creature of the night that promises only violence as she snaps the man's head back and causes him to fall over unconscious before he hits the ground. But with her appearance that's enough to break the morale of two of those remaining up. They leap over the handrail on the edge of the loading bay and try to break for the alley. The other two round on her and one tries to mace her even as he brings a lead pipe around seeking to snap it across her jaw.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The swing is ducked under, the pipe whistling through the air where her head had been. She bends her body, bringing her leg up in the process, using her momentum. The roundhouse kick takes the man on the side of the head he left exposed with his wild swing, before he had a chance to bring his arm back for a reverse swing. He stumbles as she finishes the spin, the cloak flaring around her and making it difficult for her opponent's to see her movements. Though some are not fans of the capes, they have their uses.
    The second one steps in, taking a wild swing as she brings up one of her gauntleted arm to block with a slap of flesh on leather. He goes for another punch from the opposite hand with the same result. Then she simply leans forward and headbutts him in the nose. He falls back, reaching up to clutch his face as the blood flows.
    The other man is recovering though and she is stepping in again, leaning back and chambering that leg up tight. As he takes that last step into range, bringing his pipe up once again, her leg fires lightning fast into his face. He goes down instantly.
    Her head snaps up just as the escaping pair reach the door, yanking it open. The movement is hidden by that cloak but one moment they are running, the next there is something black slamming into the back of each of their skulls as they fall face first onto the ground. They are already unconscious so they don't even bring up hands to try and break the fall as the batarangs do their work.
    She turns back to the one with the broken nose and grabs him by the shirt, dragging him toward the stranger who took out most of the men before she ever came through that window.
    He'll have one he can question.

Captain America has posed:
    As she had leapt to the attack and swirled amongst them, the blonde man had moved to the side and secured each of the others that had fallen. Technically they hadn't broken any laws if one was to consider it, but with the situation as it was... best to be careful and lock them down. But even as she drags the one over, he'll turn to face her, speaking even before he's face to face.
    "Thank you for the assist Batman, nice to finally meet... oh." He stops as he finally turns to face her and finds that she... barely comes up to the center of his chest. His brows lift and then he smiles a little, brow knitting in that mildly embarrassed way. "Sorry." He adds, but before he can embarrass himself further he drags the fallen yet conscious thug towards himself and looks the man in the eye.
    "Alright fella, I need to know who those drivers I was following work for. Give me names."
    But as the blonde man interrogates him the fallen thug... just starts laughing. "Hah, you dumb ass. Easier ta ask who they don't work for. This is Gotham, buddy. We got so many operations runnin' a lot of us pull these gigs part time. Shit..." He spits to the side, a wad of bloody spittle splatting upon the ground, "Their names were Hotchkiss and Willie Grey. Knock yerself out."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The mistake is a common one. It's actually meant to happen. After all, the myth of the Batman being everywhere at all times to stop evil doers has to be propagated somehow. What better way than to have the bad guys think it was Batman who took them down, even when it was one of his crew. As the blond apologizes, she gives a half shrug of one shoulder. That's it. No words. No change in the expression behind that mask. Just a tiny movement of one shoulder.
    The interrogation seems to be short and sweet. But there may be something more the man knows. Something he isn't telling. To test that theory, she reaches down and grabs the man by the hand, twisting it around sharply and applying pressure until he cries out in pain. Then she reduces the angle enough that is can speak again more properly. She looks to him then Steve, giving a nod in the direction her ally for the time being.
    The message is clear: Give up more information or the pain starts.

Captain America has posed:
    "Shit!" The man screams as Batgirl twists his arm sharply and the man in the brown leather jacket frowns partially but straightens up. He holds up a hand as if to hold her off of him, but addresses the man in a slightly more conciliatory tone. "Alright fella, I believe you. But apparently my partner here thinks you might be giving me less than the whole truth. So you can tell me what you got, or I can take a walk and come back in..."
    He glances sidelong at her, eyebrow quirking, "Five minutes? Ten?" He perhaps waits for a nod but luckily the man starts to talk before a time can be agreed upon.
    "Shit man, you ever hear about bribes? Catch me any other time of the day and I'd tell you whatever. Damn." But he shakes his head and says, "Like I said, part-timers most of us, but that Hotchkiss guy, he sometimes wanders between the tri-cities. Here, New York, Metropolis. Wherever there's coin to be earned. Ask around up North. Tommy the Pants might have a word for ya."
    "Tommy the... pants?" Steve asks with a quirk of an eyebrow, incredulous.
    "Yeah, he's got this mutation. Just..."
    "Alright, thanks." A nod is given towards Batgirl and he starts to step away from them, leaving the unconscious men behind for now. And if she follows him out into the hall he'll turn to her once they're a few doors down and away.
    "Appreciate the help, miss." He extends a hand towards her, "Steve Rogers. Sorry to come up and step on your toes."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    When she is satisfied that is all he knows, Batgirl releases his arm and stands. Her cloak falls around her, hiding that slight form in its folds. When her partner for the moment walks away, she glances to the man then fires a kick into his face so that he is out. He drops limply back onto the floor. Wouldn't do to have him attack them from behind or something. Or escape.
    She falls silently into step behind the stranger until they reach the hall where he turns to face her again. She stops quickly and takes a step backwards, looking at the hand a moment. Her brow furrows under her mask, enough that he can see the change of expression despite the material hiding every inch of her. She reaches out her hand to take his, a firm grasp and a single pump before she is trying to draw her hand back. The cloak falls around her again, making her a shadow just lingering there in the hallway.
    She still hasn't said a word. Her mouth hasn't tried to open beneath that mask. The way it is stitched, it's apparent she isn't the talkative sort.
    There are very few genuine people in the world. Most have secrets. Most hide things. Most say one thing but mean another. Thus far, this man has not. He is genuine in his words. He states the truth and his body language shows it clearly. It is one of the weirdest things she has ever encountered.
    She reaches up a hand to her cowl, touching a spot and sending off the facial recognition query from her camera relay. It is a moment later when a voice in her ear lets her know the results.
    Behind her mask, her eyes widen a bit as she continues to just stare at him.

Captain America has posed:
    Accepting her hand he'll give a small shake, hers smaller than his but the knuckles are pronounced. He doesn't press the grip strength, instead just seeming to match hers and then releasing. A smile is given before he says, "But in any case, thanks." He turns back and away, his features no longer hidden as he has left his hat and glasses behind, but that doesn't seem to concern him for the moment. He starts to step down the hall. "I need to check in."
    He turns around, back to the door as he pushes it open with one hand. "Appreciate the help. You're pretty good." He offers that comment on her fighting and again. He means it. A short business-like nod is given to her and then he's out that door and onto the street. If she's able to keep an eye on him, to allow her distance microphone to pick up the words he utters she might hear him speak again but this time into a comm of some kind.
    "Got some intel. But nothing concrete. Going to poke around here tomorrow in the morning, then move on to Metropolis probably. For now, gonna hit the hay. Will keep you posted, Nat." And then there's nothing further to be said as he moves down the street and towards the motorcycle he left leaning against a wall in an alley further on.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    At his words of compliment, Batgirl almost snorts. Almost. She barely manages not to. Pretty good. She knows she's better than pretty good. But considering the source, it's really a great compliment. This man is a member of a superhero team that fights publically against the costumed types. The ones she isn't allowed to battle without Batman present. For him to say she's pretty good? If she were that type of girl, it would be one to put in the diary.
    Thankfully she's not one of those types of girls.
    She listens to the words he is speaking as he goes. He's staying in town for the night. Batman isn't a fan of others being in his space without his knowledge. She quickly taps the side of her mask again, sending the information on Steve Rogers and her camera footage up to this point to her mentor so he is aware.
    She glances back toward the room where the men were left behind. Nothing to take them in for. No crime other than beating up an intruder in their building. She will leave them for now. She does pick up her two batarangs before she exits the building and fires a line. Once back on the rooftops, she glances in the direction Steve had traveled.
    She finds herself following him again. Batman would want her to keep an eye on him, after all.