12379/The Gravity of the Situation

The Gravity of the Situation
Date of Scene:	10 August 2022
Location:	Gateway Bridge
Synopsis:	Franklin Hall's first attempt at revenge on those whom have wronged him fails thanks to a particularly deft Huntress.
Cast of Characters:	Franklin Hall, Jim Gordon, Helena Wayne

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Franklin Hall has posed:
    The Gateway Bridge, at night, has a definite beauty to it, where the darkness around it has softened its metallic edges, the lights studding along the outer lanes leaving it washed in yellowish light, with red and blue lights flashing at the top to ward off any low flying aircraft. As the main means of traveling between the City of the Future, Metropolis, and the brooding buildings of Gotham, there almost always is traffic, and the bridge itself is rarely down more than a lane or two from repairs.

    Perfect for a pair of graduate students on their way from their hotel in Metropolis to a fancy romantic dinner in Gotham. A nice distraction from the recent lab accident that nearly left them trapped in a crumbling building. Or the the more recent events to get back at the man they blamed for it, Dr. Franklin Hall. They all had their reasons for going along with their fellow assistant's attempts to blackmail Hall into surrendering his research lab to them. Diego was trapped and nearly died by the accident he caused. Ada has wounds all across her back from glass blown into her by the explosion.

    But at least it's brought the couple closer together, enough that they've taken their impromptu vacation while their workplace is trashed.

    It's a pity that they aren't the only one who traveled to Gotham, after learning they were taking that vacation.

    As the Dodge Charger in purple rumbles along at speeds a bit faster than Diego should be taking it, a figure in jeans an da dark hoodie is perched on the Gotham side of the fence, looking through a pair of binoculars that focus in on the purple muscle car. The figure's faces is hidden behind a hockey mask at the moment, but as the man spots his target, his eyes narrow angrily.

    "You had this coming...." he rasps, anger in his voice as he focused newfound meta abilities.

    And with a screech, the car suddenly seems to almost jump into the air, crossing a lane and smashing into the guiderail which shatters under the hard impact along with a scream from the woman inside.

Fortunately, the guiderail hooks on the bumper, preventing the car from taking the plunge off the bridge completely.

    For the moment.

Jim Gordon has posed:
A car popping up and jumping through the air is unusual by the standards of Gotham. Not so much many other cities.. But it has a twisted way of standing out in this hive of villainy. Commissioner Jim Gordon is currently driving along the bridge from a commute from one precint to another when he can't help but stop and almost stare for a moment as gridlock kicks in as traffic goes to a halt.
    "Holy.." Jim Gordon goes to yank over at his walkie talkie, going to speak firmly into it, "Get a rescue team here pronto." But he knows very well that by the time they can get a crane out here or the harbor patrol, it could very well be too late. The Commissioner goes to try and take charge while approaching, "Everyone, back away." Attempting to get the crowd to thin from the area to hopefully clear a path around the vehicle that had been flung nearly off.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Here in Gotham there are always Bats on patrol. Bats, birds...the vigilante business is almost as well-run as the crime families. It's the only way to actually keep up with them. So when Gordon's call goes out across the airwaves, it isn't just the GCPD who gets the notice. Helena's the closest, her motorcycle roaring along the streets as she zips between traffic to get to the bridge.

It only takes two or three minutes to get there, the traffic from the other side a bit easier to weave through until she can reach the commissioner and the scene of the crime. "Somebody call for a rescue?" she calls over, all bravado despite any reservations she may have about coming somewhere so visible.

Franklin Hall has posed:
    Some cars have slowed, the people inside stepping out but quickly realizing there isn't much they can do to help without risking the car going over the edge and plunging into the dark, cold waters far below the bridge itself. Being told to back off by Gordon isn't something most of them argue, though of course there are at least two with their cellphones out, recording.

    The masked man hisses in irritation. "You can't even die right...." he mutters to himself. He's a bit thrown about the police apparently being RIGHT THERE, which isn't helping his focus. But, he's gone this far. He has to finish this. It's the only way he can keep what's his!

    Thus, the Charger starts to grate, starting to tilt as its front is increasingly made heavier and heavier as gravity concentrates on it, the metal undercarriage screeching as the broken guardrail starts to rip free....

Jim Gordon has posed:
At the approach of Huntress, Jim Gordon gestures at her quickly and he confirms, "Not soon enough." Even as he's doing a quick inventory in his mind for anything in his vehicle that might be of use in trying to help stabilize the vehicle on the edge of the guardrail wobbles in reminder of it's precarious state. "Get them out, I'll make sure you have the space." Police having a fast response in Gotham. Rare, like a Halloween unfettered by bloodshed and carnage.
    Jim Gordon is turning to face the crowd as people back away, his attention over on sweeping the area for any signs of just -what- might have flipped the vehicle in the first place. They're too far away from either end of the bridge for a shooter, a mine would have blasted the car much more roughly..
    The snapping sound as the car goes to fully flip and seems ready to tkae a tumble has him going to run in that direction, no matter how far away he is or how futile the attempt is going to be.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena is at least used to dealing with various sorts of acrobatic feats - she's got a bag of tricks for that. She kicks the stand down on her bike as she steps off, pulling one set of high-tension line and fasteners from her belt to toss it to Gordon. "If there's anything secure on that or on something you can secure it //to//, that should help. Not made for cars, but it might slow things down."

She's already got another matching set in her hand as she walks past the commissioner, looping one end around herself first before tying the other end off securely on the railing of the bridge with a small device, no doubt whatever runs those grapples they all fly around the city with.

"Hey down there," she calls down, backing to the edge of the bridge. "Help's coming down. Try not to move, all right?"

Franklin Hall has posed:
    At least they were both wearing their seatbelts. Which is good and bad. Good in that they didn't go right through the windshield, bad in that they're still belted in and panicked. The blonde woman is definitely panicking, looking terrified as she claws at her seatbelt, trying to get it to release. The Hispanic man next to her looks a bit dazed...may have bashed his head on something in the impact.

    There's a shriek of metal as the guiderail pops through the undercarriage, the car jerking forward before the bumper hooks on the ragged metal instead, groaning as the increased weight of the car starts to bend it.

    And of course some heroine is getting involved! "Dammit!" the man curses, shaking his head. It seemed simple enough, just...push them off. Now, there's the chance someone might realize something more than a careless accident was involved. So....he hesitates. Hoping that the car will go over without more help.

Jim Gordon has posed:
Something's not right here. The car didn't blow a gasket, it didn't have the tires shot out, there's no trace of an explosive on the road or something having detonated onboard. Time to figure that out later, when the people aboard the car are off it. There's a chime over from his walkie talky as Jim goes to speak quickly. Grimacing.
    "Harbor patrol's going to take at least thirteen minutes to get here." Minimum.
    All he can do is watch over along with members of the crowd as there's some sort of twisted fascination or spectacle to the event with complete strangers, even as everyone is backed away to give Huntress plenty of room to rescue.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena looks up from her belay at Gordon's timeline, catching his eye long enough to make it clear that she knows they don't actually have thirteen minutes to pull this off. She nods once, then pushes off and jumps back over the edge of the bridge.

It's a short slide down the line to the side of the car where she hangs, peering in. No way to open the door without seriously changing the weight on things so...she taps on the window by the woman, miming turning away from the window and covering her face. She doesn't wait long for her to comply though - that timeline is close in her mind. One way or the other, she pulls out something small from a pouch, pressing it against the window and deploying a quick jab that shatters the safety glass.

"All right, people, I'm going to need everyone to stay calm and do exactly as I say if you want to get out of this. Good news, I'm a professional at this sort of thing. So I usually give pretty good instructions."

Franklin Hall has posed:
    The blonde woman nods nervously, stammering. "P-please, get us out...I don't wanna die..." she wails a bit, hyperventilating a bit. Diego looks over, blinking owlishly at Helena. "Get out?" His left hand starts scrabbling at the door, looking for the handle. Luckily he's definitely taken a head hit that has his reflexes more than a little off.

    Now Hall has a choice as the bumper strains, before a pop signals one of the fasteners for it giving way: Does he hope it goes over without help? Or does he give it another push? Maybe if he just increases the weight a bit more....

Jim Gordon has posed:
The car wobbles and hangs over the edge. Creaking inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter. The Commissioner goes to survey the perimeter. All he can do is hold the line and look about for anything that might be of some help.. Or for the followup investigators to review.
    Something is clearly off here. But he can't put his finger on it. The important thing is to get the two passengers out of the far first. "People, give her room to work with." A light warning given to make sure that the crowd gives the Bat room to perform her rescue.

Helena Wayne has posed:
"I'm gonna do everything I can," Helena promises the woman with a somber nod. "Hey, hold still buddy," she calls over to Diego. "Just stay where you are, hold still. I'm going to get your friend here taken care of, okay?" As she talks, she clears the window debris, leaning in to get a handle on the seatbelt.

"All right, I need you to brace yourself on my shoulder, okay?" she says to the other woman, wrapping the line around one of her own legs to hold the tension as she leans further in the car. "On the count of three, I'm going to cut the seatbelt. You hold on to me, and I'm going to pull you up here. Then we'll come back for your friend."

She takes a breath, then nods once as she counts. "One...two...three!" *slice*

Franklin Hall has posed:
The young woman clings tight the moment Helena is close enough, closing her eyes tight! The man makes a more or less agreeable sound, stopping trying to open the door. "Hey, dun snog my girl..." he mutters, blinking. The car jerks another inch as another fastener for the bumper gives way, the groan of metal starting to give audible.

Jim Gordon has posed:
Another crumple. Another screech from the bumper. Another thing coming from the guardrail as another bit of it seems to go over. The crowd has gone back and given the space. The Commissioner has retrieved a first aid bag from his car and stands ready when the duo are out.

Helena Wayne has posed:
As soon as the seatbelt is cut, Helena swings away from the car, pulling the other woman with her. The hardest part of getting back up is freeing a hand to push the button that reels in the line, but she gets to it quickly. When they reach the edge of the bridge, she calls over. "Could use a hand getting her up," she calls, looking for Gordon. "One more down there, probably a head injury. On the far side."

The words are straightforward, but the unsaid message is clear - she may or may not be able to get this man free before the car comes down.

As soon as the young woman is up on the bridge, Helena slides back down the rope. This part is more delicate, though. There's no way Diego is going to make it to the other side of the car, which means she needs to get to //his// side without disturbing it further. Taking a deep breath, she gives herself a careful swing, allowing only a cat-light tap of one foot across the hood of the car to get her to Diego's side.

Franklin Hall has posed:
5tThe girl is pulled free and dropped off with Gordon's help, where she transfers her clinginess to him, shaking a bit. And down Helena goes again!

    It's strange. Her foot touches the front of the car. She's done things like this before. The car shifts more than it should when her foot touches it, like it's extremely front heavy. The piece of the guide rail caught in the bump makes a faint noise of metal under tension as it starts to bend....

    

Jim Gordon has posed:
As Helena makes her request, Jim Gordon is heading over to help the girl up the other way. In the event soemone did make eye contact with him at that moment he would have his own closed. He's moving to pull the young woman with him, taking her towards the first aid kit. "Okay, things are going to be all right." He promises. He's done this enough times that it almost sounds sincere.
    He goes to do a quick check over the woman for head injury or concussion, then working on stabilizing her and trying to keep her distracted from the car that could topple over. At the very most he can give them both some dignity.

Helena Wayne has posed:
"Shit!" Helena curses under her breath when the car shifts, brows furrowing behind her mask. Did she misjudge just how much the car had shifted? Either that or she really needs to spend less time on the bike and more time on the rooftops. Mom would have a thing or two to say about it.

There's no time to dwell on that though. Or even to give Diego the same speech the woman got. If that touch was enough to shift things...

She shatters the window the same way as she did the other side, already reaching in. "Count of three, just hold on to me," she summarizes, glancing warily up at the edge of the bridge. "One...two...three!"

Franklin Hall has posed:
    The woman seems to be unhurt...perhaps some whiplash, as she's moving stiffly and painfully, but adrenaline is helping with that. Sobbing a bit but enough that she can be turned away.

    The window shatters and Diego grabs hold dazedly...just as there's a snap and the guiderail gives awy, the car starting to plummet downwards.

Jim Gordon has posed:
The woman is slowly seated down as Jim looks for those final few moments as the car snaps over the edge, instinctively bracing himself in front of her in case something goes up and flying. It's okay. It's okay.
    Now it's just that half an intake of breath when Huntress comes up over the ledge.. And hopefully has Diego with her.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena tightens her grip and slices just as the car goes over the edge, the change in the pressure of the line from the falling car giving her an extra drop either way as the length braced around it gives way. In a split second, every way she could have gone wrong, every choice she didn't take, flashes through her mind.

But did it work?

Franklin Hall has posed:
    It isn't the smoothest escape...but the man comes free through the window, sliding free as Helena's line gives, both of them freefalling for a moment. The car plummets fast. VERY fast, nose down, with no sign of tipping or twisting, hits the water and sinks in seconds, a pool of bubbles rising up from escaping air. as its tail lights disappear into the murky water.

Jim Gordon has posed:
Jim Gordon would let out an exhale, "Good job." Spoken quietly enough that it might get missed in everything. Passing sirens in the distance beckon the approach of EMT's that should be there from the other end of the bridge momentarily.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena catches her breath as the rope swings taut, adjusting her grip around the man. Thankfully he's much too out of it to really witness her relief.

"Any chance you were smuggling lead weights in the front of that thing and you just forgot to mention it?" she asks, the humor only a little bit forced. She doesn't wait for an answer, setting the line to reel back up once more. When she reaches the edge, she guides him up first, then climbs up herself, gathering the line back up.

She stpes over to Gordon, frowning despite the victory. "When the harbor patrol gets in," she says slowly, "You might want to recover that car. Something wasn't right about the way it fell. Or moved, for that matter."

Franklin Hall has posed:
    Hall grinds his teeth, watching through the binoculars again. Both of them?!? Both of them survived.

    This complicates things even more, but he's fairly sure no one will detect what he was doing. Right? It's not even Batman it's...uh...but it's one of the Bat types.

    But maybe if he does in Todd...that rat bastard who started this whole blackmailing mess...maybe that'll be enough to get Ada and Diego to back down too.

    Maybe.

    Otherwise, there's always a next time....