418/One Size Fits All

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One Size Fits All
Date of Scene: 14 May 2017
Location: Gotham City
Synopsis: South Hinkley's been especially peaceful recently--but why? The answer is revealed!
Cast of Characters: Batman, Azrael, Deadshot, Catwoman




Batman has posed:
It's the dead of night in Gotham City, and the police band has been particularly quiet. So quiet, in fact, that absolutely zero reports have been coming in all evening from South Hinkley.

Batman is there, slinking along the rooftop of a dilapidated strip mall populated by a Chinese take-out place with a 'D' health rating, a convenience store with heavy bars over its windows, an adult store, and several currently-vacant lots.

On the streets below, there are several individuals dressed as officers, casually patrolling the sidewalks. All /looks/ perfectly innocuous.

But then, the officers aren't talking to one another at all. For that matter, it doesn't look like any other visible individuals are talking to any other, either.

Azrael has posed:
Jean-Paul crouches in a heavy coat, the armor and cloak underneath making him sweat. He's still bare-headed, his golden hair tousled and messy. He's breathing heavily as he kneels in the alleyway. The words he's mumbling would be hard to make out - and Latin on top of it. A muttered prayer, a desperate plea, for salvation, for forgiveness, for hope.

He clutches the mask in his gauntleted hands. He shouldn't put it on. He should go home, try to ignore the voice - His voice, the angel's voice. The damned, insistent, constant, rage-filled voice. When he opens his eyes, he sees only darkness for a moment as the mask swallows his features, muffling, smothering.

Awakening.

The coat is shrugged off. The figure rises to his full height. Azrael, the Burning Sword of God, walks the streets of Gotham once more.

Deadshot has posed:
    Up upon another roof, another individual watches, keeping a rather low profile. He watches many of the individuals down below from his rooftop probably in one of the most dangerous ways possible: through a sniper scope.

Catwoman has posed:
The Bat isn't the only one to be slinking around this part of the city tonight. Catwoman is also out and about, trying to figure out what is going on. There is a cool, detached air about her, more so than might be seen as 'normal' for her, everything taken in with not much in the way of emotion registering to give away what she might be thinking or feeling at this time.

On a roof not far from the one Batman's perched himself upon, she has a small police band radio in hand, it turned on, the silence that comes from it unnerving.

Batman has posed:
After a minute or two of observation, it becomes clear that there's a pattern among the non-speaking individuals on the streets: they all have their heads covered.

Police hats, headscarves, baseball caps...no one is hatless.

From his position, Batman adjusts a small, handheld radio jammer, looking for a particular frequency.

It looks like he hasn't found it, as everyone on the street below suddenly turns in the direction of the dark knight's hiding spot. Their expressions are blank and only some are armed.

Almost immediately after the figures turn in Batman's direction, they begin running toward the strip mall. Those closest to it begin scrambling up the front facade where possible, seeking handholds.

Moments after they begin running, other figures begin streaming out of nearby buildings--running out of doors and down fire escapes toward the strip mall. At least one person on an adjacent tenement building to the mall leaps out of her window, although when she lands, she can't seem to stand up. Instead, she tries to drag herself toward the source of the radio jammer.

Azrael has posed:
Azrael doesn't know what's going on. Whereas Batman favors subtlety and observation, the Avenging Angel tends to get his answers at the point of a sword.

He moves from the alley and starts to follow those scrambling towards the mall, drawn by the promise of violence...

Deadshot has posed:
    Deadshot notices the same thing as bats it seems. "Too many with hats to me." He says before he targets a.....sign.

*BAM*

True to Deadshot's form, the shot ricochets off of the sign and knocks not just one, but four hats off of the lead people trying to climb the strip mall, causing them to fall on the rest, and possibly knock more hats off....

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman catches the sight of those who are moving oddly, it giving her cause to pause and think for a moment. If it wasn't for the popularity of zombies in movies and on TV shows she probably wouldn't even leap to that conclusion but it's the only one that makes sense to her immediately. Perhaps it is something else, like a case of mind control or something similar, but for now all of those people get labeled as zombies by her.

Deciding to try and get a closer look, the thief heads towards the run-down strip mall, swinging over by her whip. once close enough to land she shakes her whip loose from whatever it wrapped around, her landing quiet enough to hopefully go unnoticed.

Batman has posed:
The size of the swarm continues to grow, and the first wave from the street breaches the rooftop, although the size is diminished a good number by the unexpected "hat trick" courtesy of Deadshot.

Those who find themselves bare-headed are dazed, looking around to get a sense of their surroundings. Two or three who near lucidity are suddenly given their hats back--with some force--and their eyes go glassy once more.

Meanwhile, Batman begins running across the strip mall rooftop--coincidentally in the direction of the alley where Azrael is located. He's followed, of course, by two police officers, a teenage graffiti artist, and three nail salon technicians, while even more frantically attempt to climb onto the building's roof.

They shout in unison: "STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"

Behind him, Catwoman's quiet landing is mostly unnoticed...although the woman with the potentially broken legs points to her. "Stop in the name of the law!" she wheezes, and two or three others furthest from Batman slowly turn their gazes toward the cat burglar.

Azrael has posed:
Azrael isn't sure how to parse this behavior - it certainly seems abnormal, this strange, motley crew all shouting out in unison. It doesn't seem like a proper police action, inasmuch as he can understand such things.

He gets a glimpse of the Batman, which only makes the confusion worse. He's dressed as a devil, yes, a monster lurking in shadows, but he's a crusader for justice. Azrael's own motives seem murky and he shakes his head for a moment, rattling the bats in his own belfry.

And with a metallic 'SCHLICK' sound, his gauntlets pop long, razored blades, each of which burst into flame. THat's going to draw plenty of attention.

"The Lord has spoken. The guilty shall be punished. Come ye unto the angel of God. Come ye and despair!" he calls.

Deadshot has posed:
    Deadshot keeps up his barrage on the hatted individuals, and only targets the hats, ironically. The closer they get to the bat, the more likely they get targeted by Deadshot. Whether he gets just one, or more than one from ricochets, the sniper does not miss. Thankfully, he's keeping a very low profile so few can see him. but batman can probably figure out that it's deadshot.

Catwoman has posed:
"You got to get up to where I am if you want to arrest me," Catwoman calls to the lady cop who is having major problems with her mobility, "so unless you can manage to climb the fire escape or whate..." There's sudden silence from Selina who looks around. There are an awful lot of these 'zombies', aren't there? Frowning, she backs away from the edge of the roof she had been leaning over while taunting the woman, concern replacing indifference. "Oh. Well. Maybe it's time for this cat to stop being so damn curious all the time, huh?" Leslie would probably appreciate that, seeing as how Selina's curiosity usually results in injury of some kind or another.

Looking for cover, she eventually ducks behind whatever might conceal her presence, now, something like an AC duct or whatever is similar and large enough for her to duck behind.

Batman has posed:
Batman races to the edge of the mall roof, even while a dozen individuals pull themselves up to said edge in front of him.

At the last second, Batman fires his grappling gun at the higher building just past the mall. He leaps over the alley and the vigilante within it, his boots slamming against the external wall of the building.

While Batman ascends the wall, his grappling line retracting, the hat-wearing mob leaps after him. Some manage to grab a hold of the fire escape or windowsills, but most fall or drop into the alley--quite a few finding themselves free of their hats' control, and only some are able to replace their comrades' hats in time. As a result, they stumble out of the alley, looking for some sense of direction or safety, while a neighborhood of hat-wearing citizens runs past them toward the identified vigilantes.

Several in they alley who remain hatted seem to look at--or past--Azrael for a moment. Then, they reach for him and repeat themselves: "You are under arrest!"

Catwoman, as well, finds a portion of the crowd turning its attention entirely to her. While they're somewhat slow as they finish climbing to the roof, their steps are audible enough to herald their approach to the duct. "You are under arrest!" they shout at the same time as those below call to Azrael.

In the middle of the street, near the rear of the assembled crowd, a man in a comically oversized hat and suit strolls about, a grin on his face. "Stop resisting the police," he says quietly, his words instantly echoed by the entirety of his 'deputies'.

Azrael has posed:
Azrael pivots, driving a booted foot into the sternum of the first to approach him. Hats or mind control, he's not parsing any of that. The Angel's mind works on pure instinct, his fighting capabilities and martial prowess hardwired into thoughtless ultraviolence.

He lashes out with a blade at the next, severing a wrist and sending a hand flying, the wound instantly cauterized by the burning weapon as he wades into the mob that dares to approach him.

Deadshot has posed:
    "Nice going bats." Deadshot says as he, just as quickly jumps up from his prone position, and slings his rifle over his shoulder to run for the bat, but past him. Suddenly, a pistol is in his right hand, and he's shooting at all of the pursuing 'officers' and shooting off their hats. "Aim for the hats, Bat." He says still firing along with his forearm gun, each shot taking off a hat.

Catwoman has posed:
Gritting her teeth, Catwoman decides not to hide. Stepping out from cover, she clenches one hand into a fist, her other hand still curled about the handle of her whip. "Alright. This is enough. You want me? Come and get me!" The time for being a passive observer has long passed, the time to fight now staring her down. Growling, she waits until the first comes near her before she starts to throw punches and even use her whip, doing what she can to get out of this mess.

If she gets hurt again she'll just give Leslie's clinic a large donation. That should keep her on the lady doctor's good side.

Not yet having made the connection between the zombies and the hats, she's not holding back, every attack of hers aimed for the face or body and not their headwear.

Batman has posed:
As Batman reaches the rooftop where Deadshot is located, he grits his teeth, his nostrils flaring almost imperceptibly.

"Thanks for the tip," the caped crusader mutters in a low growl. "I've been trying to spread them out. The range isn't usually that great. He doesn't want the party to happen without him. If you can," he adds, "look for a man in a top hat. That's the control unit."

Batman tosses a batarang back down the side of the building, knocking off the hats of two climbers on the fire escape. They blink and wobble, trying to get their bearings.

Deadshot picks off a number like it's a carnival game, and those who /do/ have hats on are so preoccupied with their quarry that they don't seem to notice their numbers are dwindling.

Meanwhile, both Azrael's and Catwoman's sets of opponents don't offer any cries of pain when they're struck, but as they hit the ground (or rooftop) and their hats fall from their heads, they begin to groan and cry as if their nerves have suddenly been activated.

The Mad Hatter's grin begins to fade. "This is no fun at all," he grumbles, and his crowd repeats his words. "Desist at once!" he complains, the 'human mic' effect amplifying his statements. "You /will/ be arrested ... or worse."

Deadshot has posed:
    "I'm a little bit busy, Bat. You look." Deadshot is very snappy at Batman. Mostly because Deadshot is in his 'zone'. he's trying to keep the 'zombies' from getting to their position by taking mostly tactical shots to knock down groups at a time.

One shot is set out to the side, and it begins one WILD game of ping pong that is knocking off hats everywhere.

It's THEN that deadshot starts to look around for someone in a top hat.

Azrael has posed:
Azrael does remove the hat from one, but he removes a portion of scalp with it. The woman he struck falls to the ground with a thud, thankfully unconscious as he moves among them like a grim reaper, dealing violent, flaming savagery out to any who cross his path.

"I answer to no law but the Lord's!" he cries, "And -I- am its enforcer," he says. He grasps what looks to be a gang member around the throat, hefting him from his feet and twisting, hurling the man into a nearby brick wall with an audible crack of bones.

Catwoman has posed:
Oh. Well, that's giving Selina the answers she needs, now isn't it? The hats! Once people are freed from the mind controlling hats she tells them to go, wanting them out of range while the fight goes on. She keeps on with the fight, however, this time focusing on the tops of her targets' heads instead of seeking to cause them harm to stop them. Her hands move swiftly, like a cat swatting at flies, the hats sent into the air and then then ground below. "Please let this help," she murmurs, her tone desperate.

Batman has posed:
Atop the taller building, Batman narrows his eyes and looks over the crowd below, scanning its span from Catwoman to Azrael to its mastermind.

"There. In the back. Take your shot--the hat. Like the others." His voice is matter-of-fact. "The rest should stop after that."

Batman then retrieves a grenade of some kind and drops it down into the mouth of the alley below. It hisses as it falls, releasing a cloud of thick, purple smoke.

Behind it, he drops, his cape firming up enough behind him to serve as a kind of parachute that slows his descent. Below, he disappears into the cloud, although the sounds of bludgeoning strikes and hat liberation resound loudly enough.

The hat-wearing crowds continue attempting to strike at Azrael and Catwoman alike, their efforts not particularly skillful--for the moment, they maintain the advantage through numbers, although members of the two mobs are struck down easily enough, creating a low wall of obstruction between the crowd and their targets.

Deadshot has posed:
    As soon as batman spots him, so does Deadshot. His rifle is raised.....

*BAM*

*BAM*

The first shot knocks off the Mad hatter's hat.....

The second shot goes right through Tetch's foot.

"Isn't he the mind control guy who's obsessed with Alice in Wonderland?" Deadshot says as he lowers his rifle....

Azrael has posed:
Azrael is almost overrun for a moment, briefly crowded by the sheer volume of brainwashed mob that tries to crawl and grasp at him. There's a sizzling sound as he slices low, sweeping legs and slashing through thighs until he comes barrelling through the other side of them.

"Slaves," he mutters. "Find the slavemaster," he says, shaking his head. Still, he shows little in the way of mercy, driving a vicious headbutt into an elderly man who tries to grasp at him, driving him to his knees as the hat goes flying.

"REVEAL YOURSELF SINNER AND FACE JUDGMENT!" he cries.

Catwoman has posed:
Well, this has been fun but it's time to put an end to it. Frowning, Catwoman gets backed up to a ledge which is conveniently facing where the last great hat round up is taking place. Grinning as she sees that top hat sent flying, she swings down, her whip catching a fire escape, putting her at the right place when the Hatter's chapeau reaches its apex. Snagging it out of air, the black-dlad woman alights upon a fire escape, her laughter almost hysterical. "Well, who would have thought..."

Holding onto it, she keeps the item in hand, watching diligently as she awaits the conclusion.

Batman has posed:
Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter, yelps as his hat flies off his head, spinning around in the air above him. He begins to reach for it, but then yelps again as he's shot in the foot, and he drops to the ground. The hat, meanwhile, becomes forever out of his grasp.

Instantly, the entire assembled crowd suddenly stops their assault on the vigilantes. Every face is one of confusion and surprise, and there are mumbles of concern. "Where am I?" "What's going on?" "Who are you?" "Mrs. Martinez? What are we doing here?"

Batman, meanwhile, continues swatting hats off before leaping out of the smoke cloud he created toward the Hatter. "Don't resist, Tetch," he shouts in a gravelly voice. "One of us is /actually/ serving justice tonight." Batman lands on his enemy's chest, knee-first, and rolls him over to zip-tie the Hatter's hands together behind his back.

In the alley, those who've been taken down by Azrael and who are still conscious sob, grasping their cauterized or pulverized injuries, rolling on the trash-laden ground. Variations of the question "What did you do to me?" are choked out.

Similar sounds and reactions come from those on the strip mall roof scratched, whipped, or kicked by Catwoman.

Azrael has posed:
The Avenging Angel sees the confusion, the regret - the repentance - in the eyes of the fallen. He knows that his work, for now, is done.

Moments later, the mask peels off in an alley, leaving a sweaty, hyperventilating teenager clad in his armor, Jean-Paul sinking to his knees as he tries to remember what it feels like to be human again, the divine fire leaking out of him, sated by blood and flame.

For now.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman might feel bad about it later, once she has a chance to think about it, but for now she's just happy to be of help. Sighing a little, she calls out, "Batman, catch," the thing tossed down to him. It is safer in his possession, or so she can only assume, and she wants nothing to do with it.

Once she can make sure it's safely in hand by the Cape Crusader, she his gone, a bat... er, a cat out of hell who wants to get home and call it a night.