459/The Bat and the Wolf in Winter

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The Bat and the Wolf in Winter
Date of Scene: 17 May 2017
Location: The streets of Gotham
Synopsis: Things come to a head as the Bat wants the Denarian coin back from team Dresden.
Cast of Characters: Batman, Amarok, 184, Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy




Batman has posed:
Across a series of social media and newspaper classified ads, an encrypted message goes out to one who's trained to look for it.

The message? Roughly put: 'Wolf - need help - infiltration / extraction - meet' with information about date, time, and coordinates.

The date and time? Now.
The coordinates? The Gotham City Aquarium, currently closed for the evening.

In the past, urban explorers, ravers, and super-villains have all claimed the space for late-night events.

Tonight? Winter may be coming early--a second message sent to Molly, asking for parley on an unspecified matter.

Just inside the aquarium's perimeter, Batman skulks in the shadows, awaiting his contact. His suit is only slightly bulkier than usual, a thin but noticeable layer of insulation added for the meeting.

Amarok has posed:
It's a good thing even depressed and traumatized former soldiers need something to pass the time, or the Urban Wolf may've never gotten the message. Equally lucky that code breaking is par for the course for assassins. The Wolf drops into a lit area without security camera coverage for a few moments before melding into the shadows to search out his clearly influential rendezvous.

Molly (184) has posed:
The aquarium, in all its cool tones and lapping water, is actually a fairly calming place to be. Good to get away from the parade of annoying little pixies and the usual petitioners unable to get through to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. Watching rescued harbour seals hang upside down like torpedoes and turn a milky, blind eye towards her is also entertaining. A simple veil keeps Molly invisible to the usual public, and she hides from the staff by sitting up on a rocky cliff over pools meant to resemble the tidal pool landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Cross-legged, she does a bit of homework while the sea otters float on their backs and chatter at one another.

Her pen skims across the old-fashioned notebook, spiral-bound and nothing special, the ink forming a blue ribbon. Blue, blue, blue: it really does suit her nature.

It helps to have a few of those slightly brighter fae allies hidden about, mostly in the shadows or swimming around the pool. One of the sea otters is, in fact, closer to a selkie, and clearly enjoying the clean, cold water and fake kelp.

Batman has posed:
Slowly approaching the Wolf's approximate position from where he'd passed through the lit area, Batman allows himself to seen, his hands visible and empty.

"I'm going to need your assistance with a delicate matter," the dark knight says quietly. "Given the current status quo in the city, I can't rely on more conventional means of backup."

Batman purses his lips. "There's someone--here in the aquarium--who has information I need. We'll need to learn that info and procure something."

He glances about. "And if my intel is accurate ... she already knows we're here. This is a kind of 'home turf' for her."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf's blue LED light eyes look over the bat's hand from his hideaway, moving over next to him for quiet conversation, "Thank you for trusting me with this, Dark Knight. I will be on my best behavior." He says in his typical dry deadpanning monotone, "You lead. I will follow."

Molly (184) has posed:
What kind of excitement awaits to the youngest faerie queen and erstwhile wizard doing her homework? Clearly what assassins and playboy billionaire vigilantes live for: twenty-somethings doodling in the margins. Several of those doodles may default to snowflakes, or complex Celtic knots, or a charming little haloed angel noting a particularly important equation. She sighs, blowing out a cool breath. Molly's gaze travels to the selkie and the normal otters playing in the pool. If half of Gotham knew how pure that water was, they'd be in there too. A fluttering minor fae, a wisp of mist more than physical form, floats around her befuddled. It probably knows Molly is about. A tiny chime questions "Hello?"

"Shh," she looks up, gaze narrowed. Puzzled, the girl hidden by a film of invisibility allows her drifting thoughts to travel where they will.

Batman has posed:
Having made their way through the aquarium's halls, the two costumed vigilantes approach the space where Molly and her entourage are assembled.

"Good evening," Batman says in a low--if even possibly politely sounding--growl. "Thank you for meeting with me."

He glances slightly over his shoulder at Urban Wolf. "With us."

"I won't take much of your time," Batman adds. "I just need you to answer a few questions. The first is: where can I find a man named Michael Carpenter?"

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf follows along close behind the bat, his eyes scanning invisibly over Molly and her entourage through the feed of his mask. As they come to a halt, he stands up tall, hands clasped behind him in a military style at-ease position.

Molly (184) has posed:
The invisibility veil remains until someone other than a fae speaks. Then it drops, revealing the blue-haired girl seated cross-legged on the stones about eight feet off the ground. Nothing particularly weird about that, other than her resembling some kind of raver. There are much stranger creatures in the world, and even Gotham's party scene.

She slides her feet down to the rocky ledge; her boots are perfectly suitable for a bit of rock-climbing. With the notebook stowed where she sits, she climbs carefully down using the rugged staircase of blocks. "Hello," she replies, cheery and bright rather than inherently suspicious. A bit of a wave follows. This particular area has a few benches raised in a curved tier to better see the kelp forest and the otters, though the adjacent pools feature equally as many pretty fish native to the Atlantic, rather than solely in the Northwest.

The misty fae follows her, the only thing to imply anything is odd. Most people don't have their own personal dramatic mist, either. "Would you like to sit down, or are you comfortable where you are? I wouldn't like either of you to feel entirely uncomfortable." Times when she could wish for Harry hiding behind a rock: now.

Oh well. She might have barnacles, and a lot of water to work with. Her hand slides along one of the rails and she leans back against it, not approaching much closer. "Your first question: he's usually out and about rather than in one place. He doesn't have an office. Is it urgent?"

Batman has posed:
The caped crusader looks to the wolf. "The man I'm asking about is in possession of a highly dangerous object--one that caused /considerable/ damage to a Gotham neighborhood not long ago. Suffice it to say that it needs to be secured."

He glances to Molly as she becomes visible, offering her a slight nod. "In good faith, I allowed GCPD to handle the object for forensic purposes. It has apparently left their custody. This man I mentioned, Michael Carpenter, has it."

Batman clears his throat. "Tell me ... why was my good faith betrayed? And where has Michael taken criminal evidence? This is a matter of life and death." He pauses. "I know it can be difficult for anyone to consider that their own father might be involved in something."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf slowly shakes his head as seating is offered, "I am comfortable where I am, thank you." He says in a polite and courteous tone, conveying far more emotion than the one Batman has seen up until now, which is to say any. The implication that Mr. Carpenter is Molly's father causes the Wolf to tilt his head slightly, glancing from Batman to Molly a few times beneath his mask before returning to his fully neutral position.

Molly (184) has posed:
The fact that he knows her link to her father -- and hell, Michael barely knows what his daughter is -- doesn't visibly change anything much. She still has a slight smile turning up her lips shellacked frost blue by lipstick, though her eyebrows angle in slightly with thought. Might as well draw a question mark over her head. The sway of her braids reveals a spark of purple under the indigo, and a streak of rose pink three inches wide curves around her cheek. She lazily pushes it back. "You're saying that Michael Carpenter is in possession of a dangerous weapon that ended up transferred from the GCPD to him, somehow. Do you know how it left the forensics department? As it stands, most objects don't walk out of buildings by themselves."

"If it is a matter of life and death, and //his safety//," stress implied holds a certain weight that either of them could shoot at or catch in a net, "then it might be worth asking the precise nature of this object and what threat it entails. As it stands, I'm sure his reputation as a Knight speaks for itself." She doesn't touch on her own at all. "It would be especially concerning given the GCPD went on strike. The security measures there would probably be lower than normal. And with the certain commissioner..." Need more be said?

"I'm going to need slightly more information than that to be able to assist."

Batman has posed:
"It's safe to say that your father's safety is in danger," Batman replies. He tilts his head toward his companion. "Two of the city's protectors--who aren't limited by protocol or regulation--need to make sure that he's not going to be harmed. And, more importantly, that many /others/ won't be harmed, either."

Batman takes a step forward. "We just need his location. Or--if you think he's not the type to carry around ... dangerous weaponry ... with him," Batman adds, "the location of where it might have been left. The two of us could ask around, but I was hoping for a more peaceful resolution."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf leans in slightly to the bat, muttering quietly to him, "Given the timing, this may have something to do with the Joker's appointment as commissioner. Not a certainty, but a possibility nonetheless." He leans back and looks over towards Molly, "Anything you can offer will assist in ensuring your father's safety."

Molly (184) has posed:
The large pool behind her frames Molly's unassuming, party-girl getup. Nothing serious to see in a girl with a punk t-shirt and pieced together skirt, her knees to toes clad in buckled leather boots. "So you say. That is rather concerning."

She turns her head to peer down into the water, and toys with one of the necklaces around her. Magic, in her part, is pretty swift and difficult to notice. Not much changes, especially what with her gaze slanting away from them. As it stands, it's classical wizardry rather than her other suite of gifts, easy as those are to muster. Divination to blood kin? That's the easiest route of them all. "Describe the object, if you would." If they say the sword, she's going to probably laugh aloud. "Precise terms. Physical description. I'm not entirely dumb, you can get a bit scientific. The degree has to be worth something, right?"

Batman has posed:
Batman frowns slightly. "I did not have as long to examine it as I would have liked. Part of the 'good faith' effort I mentioned. However," he adds, raising a hand to rub his chin, "it was a coin. It looked old. Not 'early US' old--probably much older. Maybe medieval or Roman."

"I'm guessing your father is not a coin collector," Batman says. "And I don't know he's involved in this case. He has potentially trustworthy officers vouching for him--but we can't afford second-hand assurances. I'm not willing to see anyone else die as a result."

He looks again to the wolf. "If it would help ... we can ensure that he never even knew we were there. I don't know if your father's compromised in the way that the city's government seems to be. I understand the needs of family loyalty." His expression darkens. "But I /will/ keep the people here safe--whether you help or not."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf stands stoic and silent, nodding slightly as Batman makes his reaffirmation of his mission to protect Gotham no matter the obstacle.

Molly (184) has posed:
A horrified shudder traces right up the young woman's spine and lodges somewhere underneath her skull. Her toes curl in her boots and almost interrupts the whisper of lilting words upon her lips. Oh yes, advantages to magic; better for her than the chill of winter. Her mantle wreathes her almost invisible, few hints of it other than the slight dip of temperature. It remains to be seen if that will become numbingly cold. "As far as that kind of trouble goes, I can assure you he would not use the coin. He cannot, any more than you can transform into a giant Irish elk this moment. You aren't an elk, you don't have elk bits in you, and all the imagining in the world won't give you more than a headache," she finally says, once the spell awakens and tears a fairly good chunk of energy from her.

The divination lands in the water and permeates its glimmering clarity. Her magic easily ripples through it, revealing only to her eyes the whereabouts of a coin, and her father. She's already sifting through the precision, looking for one of the thirty pieces bearing cursed angels -- demons, now -- tinged by the infernal. It's a delicate business, but then, sensitivity and delicate business is what she does, it's what she lives for.

Batman has posed:
"Even if you think /he/ won't use it, that doesn't mean he can keep it safe," Batman replies. "For each one of us looking to protect Gotham, a dozen psychopaths spring up to try and torture and murder everyone."

Batman turns quickly to the wolf while Molly's occupied, speaking quietly. "We don't need to take him out. But we need to find that coin. The only thing worse than maniacs in my town are magic-wielding maniacs."

He watches the woman look at--or through--the water. "Miss..." he begins. "Molly," he says, more sternly. "You might work on a different understanding of time right now, but we don't have that luxury. Where--is--he?!" Batman's voice grows louder and angrier.

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf holds stock still, slowly surveying and evaluating Molly and her entourage as it seems negotiations may be in the opening stages of breaking down. Or at least they may seem that way to one with little to no understanding of magic, such as the aforementioned Wolf, simple creature as he is, "Every second lost is a second closer to danger your father falls." He says with a slight urging to his ever calm voice.

Molly (184) has posed:
"With all due respect, don't interrupt me, okay? Interruptions can go pear-shaped real fast." Molly doesn't put any snap in her voice, silken and distant, the magic feeding deeper into the water. She can surely see the rising spell, but for anyone else, it's merely a pool where the sea lions conveniently stick to the side. "You're describing these things on the same plane of a self-aware nuke. I have to use a little more caution to avoid letting anyone know we're coming for it. This thing is probably a lot like the One Ring. It will defend itself from you randomly trying to pounce it."

Her braids sway as she leans over the rail separating her from the pool, the bank of windows giving a pretty view of the harbour. "Really, gentlemen, you give me few reasons to not cooperate with you. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and all that."

Her tongue clicks against her teeth, tongue stud giving a very specific note of metal. "Gotcha. So, it /does/ beg the question. How are you going to keep it safe when this thing is potentially a self-aware nuke that's several centuries, possibly millennia, old, and empowered by a bigger, badder, scarier thing than any of us?"

Batman has posed:
In response to Molly's statements, Batman offers as flat an expression as he can, although his jaw is set as if he's ready to respond--but he remains silent as she continues working.

When she finally asks the question, the dark knight waits a moment before replying. "I have a few contacts," he says. "Contacts who could make sure this object can never be found or possessed by anyone else--not ever again."

"After all," he continues, "as I said before ... neither of us is bound by a set of protocols that might compromise this operation. And I'm prepared to make sure it can't be."

Batman glances to the wolf, but says nothing else on his behalf.

Then, Batman continues: "If your father's done nothing with it, he has nothing to worry about. And I won't let him know we talked, if that's your price for aid."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf returns to silence, simply watching the pair in their verbals sparring, all the while wondering what could be so dangerous about a coin. Poor naive Daniel.

Molly (184) has posed:
Nothing says fun like an immortal infernal power ready to corrupt the good and the wise and the powerful. It's just par for the course.

The mist fades away from around Molly and she taps her fingers in a quick rhythm against the bar, still lost in the haze of her own visions. Or something comparatively similar. "Got people ready to go into the west, do you?" The mirth in her voice is surprisingly warm, and she smooths one of those loose braids, at least the end.

"I'm going to need a few minutes, and a few things. Going on foot," she says simply, not further explaining herself. There is no need. For all she knows, they have a modern zeppelin floating outside, and the fae are about to all go airborne. All one of them. "You're going to want to head over to the Nantwich Station. I can navigate directly from there, but you can't follow the way I walk. It's not really the most direct but it will be faster."

Batman has posed:
"Wait," Batman says, frowning. "Were you under the assumption that you were going with us?"

He shakes his head. "That's not happening. We're prepared for this. You don't need to endanger yourself. All we need is the location."

Nonetheless, he turns and begins back toward the aquarium entrance. "Wolf ... it goes without saying, but: I don't like this."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf turns and follows after Batman, just as they had come in, "Agreed. It's one thing for us to run into a fire, it's another to run into it with a civilian." He says it loud enough for Molly to still clearly hear, in stark contrast to his typically muted voice, "But I'm not seeing many options here." He says in his normal volume, though if her hearing is particularly keen, Molly may yet pick up on it.

Molly (184) has posed:
A little laugh follows, bright and warmer still. "And how do you think I'd feel if you got shot or a tentacle poked through the holes in your mask? I'm coming for the popcorn rights." And, prospectively, to avoid that sort of issue. It won't matter one way or the other, all said and done, because good luck telling her no.

Just ask Michael Carpenter.

Or Harry Dresden.

Or, say, God.

Batman has posed:
SPINNING BATMAN INSIGNIA! DOO-DEE-DOODELY-DEEDLY-DOO---WAH-WAHH!

Batman and the Wolf approach Nantwich Station quietly and stealthily. "Don't get too complacent--not that I think you will," Batman says.

"I don't trust her too much. I /did/ see her networking with Mister Freeze not long ago. If she'd done anything more overtly criminal, this talk might have gone down very differently," the caped crusader says.

"Now ... where is she?"

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf crouches down over the station as they await Molly's arrival, taking the stance standard to all costumed freaks who perch on gargoyals and locking into it like he's hiding from a motion senser, "If she's not here in five minutes I'll go do a sweep for her. If she's traveling by foot, who knows what might've gone wrong. These are dangerous times afterall. Just a few hours ago I bounced from a potentially suspicious girl in the park, to a copycat of you, to a group of cops harassing a woman. All within the same park, and within the same five minutes." Is that a slight hint of amusement? Why, I think it is!

Molly (184) has posed:
Hey, it's a busy part of the neighbourhood. Stations usually are. There go people back and forth, trying to get where they want to go. To be fair, there aren't any signs of the weird there anyways. The congestion around any station for parking spots is considerable, and they'll have a moment or three to wait for the girl to show up. If there's any reason, blame the frappuccino abomination she's drinking on the way, sipping through a bright green straw. But she is navigating, just not on the scene yet, because there's one other person who rightly would show up first.

(OOC fun. Isn't it delightful?)

Batman has posed:
As time passes, Batman narrows his eyes. "We've been set up. Or, at least, we've been sold out."

He shakes his head and looks about. "So we have a man with an incredibly dangerous object in his possession ... and his daughter, who's got a range of potential abilities that are their own cause for alarm, who now knows about it."

Batman sighs. "The Carpenter family may have just become the most dangerous family in Gotham."

Harry Dresden has posed:
There are few things that will shock one into action as readily as hearing that someone is going after one of the Denarian coins. Less than two minutes after the pixie made its was to Harry's doorstep, Karrin and Harry were in the Blue Beetle tearing through the streets of Gotham towards Natnwich Station. The Beetle is not subtle, with its green and white doors, red hood, and blue body. It wasn't made for stealth. Frankly it is only the skill of a magician of a mechanic that keeps it running most days.

Screetching to a halt in front of the station, Harry barely waits of the car to be in park before his door is open and he is exiting the car, grabbing his staff from its resting place in the back seat as he exits the car.

"BATMAN?!" he screams, "You can't have it!"

Batman has posed:
From the darkness, a batarang spins through the air toward the hand that wields Harry's staff.

Behind it, Batman drops from the roof of the station, his cape draping out behind him like an extension of the shadows.

"It needs to be kept safe--and I can only assume you're after it for your own ends," the dark knight responds in a loud, gravelly voice.

"You've got one chance to walk away from this. Keep me from Michael Carpenter and you'll regret it," he adds.

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf is nowhere to be seen as Batman drops in, having moved to cover a flanking angle as the pair, Batman, had reasoned that they were being double crossed. He's already low, but the distraction of the Dark Knight of Gotham swooping in makes detecting him a mythical task indeed.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
More than a little hung over, the asprin really isn't cutting it, Karrin Murphy is about two seconds too slow to stop Harry from opening his damn fool mouth and the wince that crosses her face a heartbeat after his words isn't about a hangover headache. It's a look of 'Oh god, how can you be so stupid?' So, short, blonde and fiesty is trailing up after Harry very quickly, at a half jog, her hands up and palms open.

"Harry! Knock it off, dammit... Batman. We... we're ALL ON THE SAME SIDE HERE!" Karrin's voice hisses, headache becoming worse by the second, but her blue eyes flash with adrenaline and the sort of crisis intervention that all cops get when they feel a situation could become a ticking bomb any moment. "We are all trying to protect this city. NONE of us want one of those coins in the wrong hands. Period. Dot. Can we agree on that?!"

Molly (184) has posed:
The girl with her green tea frozen frappu-whatever-thingy doesn't take more than three minutes, fourteen seconds, or about that to show up. Hardly grounds for treachery, though some people are just super impatient. Molly is busy enjoying the benefits of a chilly drink without brain freezes, when the Bug comes careening around a corner right on time. Her frosted blue lips, lip gloss defiantly in place, quirk up. Absolutely no comment will be made on the pert blonde piling out of the clown car speedily. Now is exactly the time she emerges through the pedestrians most inured to this sort of weirdness and waves. Her t-shirt of the day favours the Sex Pistols, and the fluffy skirt is a masterpiece of deconstruction reconstructed. Try missing the blue-haired grasshopper. "Seriously, I //told// you I'd get here!" With whipped cream and infernal dusting of matcha. "Thank you! Listen to her, because she's telling you pretty much everything about the truth."

Except that bit she isn't. The girl doesn't precisely bounce in behind Harry but it's close. "Also, can we point out this is **my dad** we're talking about here? Because, you know, that gives me a vested stake in making sure he's very not dead. Which you seem to know, Mr. Man of Bats, so let's put down our pointy stabby throwing objects and our gimlet looks because this is not a Brando film and no one here gets to die or hurt one another, because Mrs. Policewoman said so."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry is used to guns or spells. Batarangs don't register on the list of things that he prepares for, so there is a surprised yelp of pain as it connects with his hand, causing his staff to drop from his grip.

His eyes narrow at the Batman as he drops from the roof, shaking the bracelet out on his left hand and forcing some of his will into it. "Of course it needs to be kept safe, you jackass!"

There is a wave of his right hand, and a muttered 'vento servitas' from the wizard's lips, and a gust of wind whips the staff from the ground and back into Harry's hand. "It is Michael's job to protect people from those coins, I am NOT going to let you try and take it back from him."

He casts a glance to Karrin and Molly, then back to the Bat. "He started it.."

Batman has posed:
"If it was his job to keep it safe from the get-go," Batman says, eyes narrowed, "then should he be to blame for the damage that Nunez caused? Or for the injuries she sustained?"

The vigilante takes a tensed, defensive stance, arms poised at his sides. "Or am I to assume he's investigating it himself? If so, then we should know how to find him to work together. But," Batman adds, his voice growing sharper, "if all we get is obstacle after obstacle, I can only assume things are /not/, in fact, as you all say."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf keeps watch from the shadows, pistol slowly and silently being drawn from it's holster and safety clicking off as things deteriorate further, violence becoming practicly a certainty.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Despite her rumpled state -- and Karrin Murphy is DEFINITELY rumpled at the moment, her hair half sticking up from having slept on it weird, her clothes wrinkled from being slept in as well and her brain still catching up to the severity of this situation, she is a cop. She's trained for things as dangerous as this. So, as the men all bark at each other and show off with batarangs and spells, Karrin keeps her hands up and out, the show of being peaceful and calm. She's trying to get them all to relax. Her bloodshot eyes flicker over to Molly, "Trust me, Miss Carpenter, we have not forgotten that this is your father. No one is talking about killing him, I promise that." She really HOPED that, her eyes narrowing on Batman a bit more.

"It is Michael's job. Just like it's my job as a cop to help keep this city safe, and you all take it upon you to protect the city as well. But is Gotham ever REALLY safe? No. We can never be everywhere at once. You cannot blame a man for not being perfect. NONE of us are perfect. But we just keep in the fight. I promise you that Michael would be willing to talk if we can all stop threatening each other and agree that we are on the same damn side. We're willing to work together on this, alright? So, just calm down." Then she looks back to Harry, giving him a little smirk, "You too. You're not making this any better."

Molly (184) has posed:
"'Neither of us is bound by a set of protocols that might compromise this operation. I'm prepared to make sure it can't be. If your father's done nothing with it," big stress there on it, "then he has nothing to worry about. Oh, and we won't take him out.'" The statements have the cadence of quotation, and they probably do. Molly sips on her frappuccino, no loud or noisy slurping like some unmannered heathen. Her mother, or possibly a very grumpy dragon, might eat her for daring. "These two fellows have been pretty clear they want to help keep the city safe, and they're willing to sneak in and around without Dad knowing. I get their sentiments, I really do. But I have to ask the red button question. Do you even know what you're dealing with, Batman? And you, Mister Soldier?"

Her thumb toys with the line of her necklace, a gentle touch really. Her outrageous outfit aside, Molly sounds fairly tired. Serious. "I don't want to state the obvious or cover stuff you already know. But there's this much. That thing wants to be stolen, like the One Ring. And I'm pretty sure given you're kind of a childhood hero, but **not** like Superman, you'd just be ending up like a super scary Gollum hissing my precious from the rooftops, and trying to throw things at anyone who wanted to help you. I don't want to touch it, no way. I don't think there are many people who could keep it safe. My dad sorta has a special seal of quality approval to deal with them. And since you're suggesting he sucks at keeping it under control, I'll point this out. Gonna go all Galadriel on you, you take that and instead of a dark knight you will set up a lord. You shall be horrible and terrible, because it only brings despair."

Her smile is a bit bent at the corners, pained as much as it is terribly pretty. "The corrosive effect of humanity's own misdeeds and their baser nature are a risk within us all. Everyone has the capacity or goodness or great evil, checked only by their own desires, interests, and willpower. Sometimes a helpful shove pushes them over the edge, and then some are practically damn near incorruptible. Those souls are rare. Making my point here, you just can't up and destroy the coin. You can't make it vanish all away or else don't you think someone would've thought of that in the oh, two thousand past years? It wants us to fight. You protect this town working together. Again, tossing it into Mount Doom is way, way easier if we're all at odds with one another. Don't be Bat Boromir."

Molly (184) has posed:
Tossing it into Mount Doom is way, way easier if we're *not* all at odds with one another.

Batman has posed:
"So..." Batman begins, pausing for just a second. "The way you've decided would be to propose talking is to screech up in...whatever that is..." he adds, nodding curtly to the Volkswagen, "and threaten individuals /already looking/ to talk?"

From his tensed position, the dark knight rises to his full height. "This strains credulity, Lieutenant," he says, looking back and forth among the three agents of resistance to his plan.

"You understand how your tactics might be interpreted differently than you expect. That it could damage our relationship," says Batman. "Forever...or, at least, for the foreseeable future."

He sighs slowly. "Given the way law enforcement is currently operating in the city, I don't have much room to forgive sloppiness from anyone claiming to still be on the side of 'right'. Believe me," the vigilante continues, "I don't /want/ to rely solely on my 'super' friends. But you're working against your goals here."

When Molly speaks, quoting him, Batman turns his gaze directly on her, quiet until she finishes speaking.

"If you're /not/ willing to stop your father, then you've already given up. What I'm after is the information I need to investigate a case. A case that I /thought/ I was working on in conjunction with Gotham police. But that's not so if they're ridding themselves of evidence so quickly. I can't help others if I don't have all the data. If this is where we draw our lines in the sand, then there it is."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Speaking of rumpled states, Harry doesn't look much better. Fact is that he looks worse, HIs hair is a rumpled mess, his face unshaven and and his clothes looking like he slept in them as well, but then had the added benefit of being used as a mattress. "Hell's bells! Do you even know what you are trying to grab?" says the wizard as he glowers at the dark knight. "You are trying to blame MICHAEL?! One of the best and most honest men I know?"

The wizard looks to Molly as she makes her speech, then back to the bat, "Let me spell this out for you, since Michael isn't here. I'll have to clif-notes this thing as I don't have all the info, but short story is this. This coin...it's one of 30. The 30 pieces of silver given to Judas Iscariot. Each one holds a fallen angel, which will influence someone at the slightest touch. Michael is a freaking Knight of the Cross, and it is his freaking job to deal with these coins, and the demons that they contain. You expect me to let you just take one that has been already secured? You are insane."

Amarok has posed:
The military issued Wolf ignores Molly's berating and rambling rant at the group as he remains in hiding, ready to take down Harry on a moment's notice. Karrin recieves slightly more attention but does little to sway his unseen hand.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"We didn't know what kind of situation we were coming up on, Batman. Seriously. We got a message from a scared young lady that her father was being threatened, so we ran here." Karrin then gives Harry another little glare, frustration clear on her face, "And Harry is... an idiot man that thinks with his staff more than his brain, sometimes. But he's being honest. They both are...Even if Molly is letting her nerd flag fly real hard there. This is why those coins are such bad news. This is why a man OF THE CHURCH is handling them. This is why I handed them over. Even MORE Importantly now, because I don't fucking trust a single person at the PD right now and the only reason I haven't quit is because this city needs SOMEONE sane with a badge to turn to if things get even worse. I can't give up just because it seems like the bad guys are winning. NONE of us can. That's when we fight back more. So, I still have my badge, but there is no way I want one of those coins in evidence at the department."

She sighs deeply, finally letting her hands drop. One pushes back through her hair, trying to make herself look some semblance of put back together. She doesn't really succeed. "Look... talking to Michael seems... wisest. If we can find him. His work for the church takes him all around the world and I don't even know if he's in town. But those coins... they are safest there. I'd put my life on it. More than that, I'd put the lives of those I am *sworn* to serve and protect on it. I already have. I don't regret making that choice."

Molly (184) has posed:
"My father answers to God. Capital G. The coins are steeped in evil. You can't do much better than keep them on holy ground. Maybe hope someone from Team God shows up to deal with it. Oh, wait, that's Michael Carpenter. Until Saint Michael descends personally, I'm afraid your choices are limited. But suppose I hear you out and you saw the coin, then what? What are you trying to achieve? May be that Officer Murphy or Mr. Dresden can do more for you than a single line of pursuit." Molly is trying to be reasonable, she truly is. Though her hackles are slowly rising, and it's not for nothing that several hidden little winter fae are peering out from the eaves and crannies of buildings watching her. Some things are unspoken, but her cooling emotions are worse than the hotter ones. "Telling Dad what's up isn't the problem, Harry. He already knows. And he's not going to be stupid with a Denarian. I'm not breaking anything by stopping one of them getting out, either, am I? Proactive protection?" Don't ask why the frappuccino thing has frozen solid while she holds the cup. "It's not like we just conjure up all thirty coins, toss them in a pot, and say 'Michael, blessed power, smite,' or really, has no one thought of that?" The last is at a whisper. Karrin and Harry can throw their hands up at her. It's justified.

Batman has posed:
Standing motionless and silent, Batman waits until everyone has spoken.

"Alright," he says in his quiet growl. "Has everyone assumed their preferred posture?"

Batman raises a hand to point to Murphy. "Lieutenant. I will extend--for a time--the line of trust you have already frayed, if you are able to put Carpenter in touch with me. Because it is clear that no one here, myself included, knows the location of these coins...assuming there are, in fact, more than one of them, it behooves me to learn what I can from an informed party."

He tilts his head a shallow angle to the left. "/Because/ there is more to learn, I want--if not need--to examine the coin so I can pursue more than one lead. When that option was taken from me, seeking out its current owner was the only remaining avenue. If I am limited to examining it in Carpenter's presence, then that may have to do." He furrows his brow for a moment. "I think I once read that 'the righteous giveth and spareth not.'"

"Wolf," Batman adds, "you can stand down. I don't want to hurt anyone undeserving. Especially not allies. But," he says, taking a step closer to Harry and Karrin, "we'll have to see how that unfolds."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I can pretty much guarantee that isn't going to happen." Harry says flatly as he stares down the Batman. Harry has faced vampires, trolls, ogres, fairies and all sorts of other nasties, the guy in the halloween costume just doesn't intimidate him. "I don't give a rat's ass what you want, or need, to do. Did you miss the part where one touch subjects you to the corruption in the coin? To the possession of a fallen angel?" He raises his left hand out, palm forward, "Now don't give me this 'I will be careful' crap. It isn't something to be trifled with. I don't care if you had all three Knights of the Cross standing around you ready to fight and you were in a hazmat suit with tongs on a ten foot pole, it's not safe. There is nothing you need to learn from this coin that I would risk having you accidentally come in contact with it."

At the mention of 'Wolf' Harry arches a brow and glances to the sides, pushing a bit more will into his bracelet to that the invisible shield expands to cover more completely.

"I'm not looking for a fight, and for all I have heard you are supposedly one of the good guys. But this isn't the Joker, this isn't Two-face, this isn't even on par. If the thing in the coin gets out it will make the Joker's last rampage look like a day at the zoo. I'm not a religious man, but I pry to God that there is only the one coin. If there are other Denarians in town or if they come for the coin while it is here, then we have so many more problems to deal with."

He looks to Karrin, "Hey...I didn't set anything on fire. Concider that restraint."

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf relaxes, his gun's safety going back on and the pistol itself being returned to it's holster. A moment later he descends from his vantage point just over the meeting, landing gracefully by Batman, "I'm glad we could all come to an understanding. Let's try to avoid everything imploding shall we? Or do I need to remind you of the looming clown overlording the city? And what might happen should he take notice of and collect one of these coins you're so worried about?" He says in a dry deadpan as his slightly wolfish mask cants from person to person.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
THe blonde doesn't jump at the Wolf's appearance. Perhaps she had spotted him? More likely, she knows it's not wise to let them see your surprise. Best to always look like everything is in hand. It's just good practice. So, her bloodshot blues flicker over to him and she studies the military clad man up and down for a moment before giving a slight nod in agreement. "Trust me... I am well aware of the insane clown that has swooped into being commissioner. We're working on trying to... fix it, but shit, I'm only one woman and I feel like half the department has lost its head." She admits, though the look across her face betrays some of the utter heartbreak she feels over all this. It's killing her slowly inside.

As Harry goes on, Karrin just steps up next to him, one reassuring hand reaching for his shoulder, "Harry. He gets it. Down, boy. Seriously. Michael is a grown man and has been doing this a lot longer than either of us. He'll explain. Everything will be fine." She looks over to Molly, "That goes for you too, missy. Your father can handle this. We'll let them talk, alright? Now... can we all back down and go the way we came without biting off each other's heads any more?"

Molly (184) has posed:
So much for that drink, given it's frozen solid. Molly gives a roll of her eyes. "I don't interfere with what Dad does. That's why he has the sword and I have the really cool outfits." Because Knights of the Cross don't get to wear superawesome dresses, all said and done. Nor does Michael mince about in leather boots like that. "It's all cool. Though I reserve the right to keep Dad good and safe and in one piece." A smile follows on that, a daughter's duty and all that. The shivering effect of her full smile on many people isn't exactly unreasonable. "All right, ta! I'm off and we'll catch up later. You two keep fuzzy, and you two up there, keep that Joker guy from raiding a Sephora and painting himself like a blind man in a cyclotron."

Of course, it bears noting she knows where the coin is. Whether wisdom goeth before impulse...

Batman has posed:
The caped crusader offers only a thin smile in response to Harry. Without turning his gaze to the others, he says, "Tell Carpenter I'll be contacting him soon through the Lieutenant. We'll see if he can be more of an adult than ... whatever this is." He gives Dresden a quick down-and-up glance.

Batman slowly takes a few steps backward toward the shadows of the station, nearer to the Wolf. "Remember who was willing to be reasonable--and who immediately jumped the gun and expected bloodshed. Being ready for the worst and escalating to that point are two different things."

Once there's some distance between the two groups, Batman nods to his companion and takes a grappling gun from his belt, firing up to a nearby building and pulling himself into the air. His cape flutters out behind him like dark wings, and he swings off into the night.

Amarok has posed:
The Wolf chuckles slightly at Batman's taunt and nods to his statement, "Wise words, Dark Knight. Good hunting." He says as he returns the nod and grapple-guns off in a different direction from the caped crusader, off to spread more of the cooperation and friendship displayed here no doubt.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Gritting his teeth, the wizard opens his mouth to say something else, but the hand on his shoulder stays his response and he closes it again. He takes a deep breath and looks to Karrin before staring back towards where the bat went, "Reasonable? He is the asshole that 'shot first'. Speaking off."

The wizard walks over to where the Batarang fell, squatting over to pick it up and slip it into his pocket. He turns to Karrin and cocks his head to the side, "Just in case."

He stands again, and starts back towards the car. "Come on, i'll take you home. You can yell at me on the way."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A quiet, respectful nod is given to Batman and the unfamiliar military man. "... Thank YOU for being reasonable." She murmurs flatly. Then it's towards MOlly, "YOU. Be good. You do remember what that means, right? Don't make me tell your mother things..." She says with an arched brow, but there is a protective gaze behind it. Then, finally, she's looking to Harry and she gives his good shoulder a little squeeze, sighing deeply. "...I won't yell. My head hurts too much to yell. But I do have select words and thoughts about how we should be the better man here. For Michael's sake, if not your own..." She mainly sounds tired. So worried and so tired. She then makes her way back to his car.