13503/Comparing Notes and Claws

Comparing Notes and Claws
Date of Scene:	04 December 2022
Location:	Blake House
Synopsis:	Art touches base with Thomas after her mom goes missing. Plans are discussed.
Cast of Characters:	Artemis Crock, Thomas Blake

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Artemis Crock has posed:
It's been several weeks now, since the daring jail break of Paula Crock was made..And since then, Art had split from Thomas and Mike amid the chaos, with the assumption that her mom would be safely taken to a nearby hospital. Only she was nowhere to be found. Panicked, she had turned up at Thomas' doorstep, knocking frantically on the door, glancing around anxiously as she does so. It's the middle of the day and she was careful not to be tailed, but you never know. The Assasin's guild likely still wanted to punish her for interfering, and perhaps kidnapping her mom was a further lure to bring her out into the open. Or maybe by any luck, Thomas found Paula first and had her safe and sound within. "Ahh come on..Thomas, you in there?!"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake opens the door, leveling his shotgun. "Duck."

He follows the instruction with a blast from the weapon. There is a horrific scream from behind Artemis. She can turn in time to see a man drop a knife to turn and run screaming away.

Thomas calmly steps around Artemis to fire another shell into the man's back. He turns to her with a taut smile and says, "With all your trick arrows and such... never forget how well rock salt works. Here's the trick... kill an assassin and their folks are rewarded, their friends swear revenge etc... hospitalize them. No accolades. No rewards. Just pain. What brings you here, Cubby?"

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock doesn't hesitate to duck, knowing better than to ask questions. She's been trained well as an assassin Afterall and has a strong sense of preservation to boot. She does chance a quick glance behind her in time to see the retreating form but takes no time to dart inside the house after Thomas. "Heh, never a dull moment, huh.." she smirks at him. "Good to see you too.."she's acting cool, casual, but there is anxiety, fear in her eyes, carefully guarded of course. "It's my mom..They never took her to the hospital. In fact I have no idea where she is. I was hoping she might be here..?"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake nods at the tiger who silently goes outside. "What? No! I'd have let you know by now. What the hell happened? You ad a Robin and a Super with you as well as Mike. What the hell happened? I... had my own stuff... I tried to get beck to you, sorry I didn't now. Daaaaamn. Have they been bothering you directly? Any demands? Threats?" He shuts the door.

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock sighs, hanging her head, looking..Lost really. "So then..I guess it was all for nothing then.." she laughs, "Mike spirited her out of there, I saw her, she was safe, but cut up. Some EMS took care of her, told us exactly what hospital to find her in, said they'd take care of her.." she snarls, clenching her fists, "I should have known it was a trap..No way it was that easy, even though everyone played their role perfectly..Dammit..."

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake says, "That is the essence of a con. You give the mark exactly what they want -or seem to. It's okay. My girlfriend is dealing with he own stuff right now. I will shake a few trees, see what falls out. Uhm... I have to ask you... but this is between you and me or I'll frigging write you off. You know one of the Robins... have you considered asking the Bat for help? He takes a dim view of these guys. I mean a Robin is pretty good but... you might have the Main Event helping you out."

"Also... you're very angry right now. This is playing into their hands. Come here a minute, Artemis." Thomas slowly but surely hugs Artemis, ready to step away instantly until she relaxes into it. "You have to be ruthless now. Ruthless is not being angry or a berserker. Ruthless is being without emotion. The assassins you meet? They're either a means to your mother or in your way. You deal with them however you must, use them or remove them as efficiently as possible."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock scowls, shaking her head slowly, "Dunno the Batman that well, only met him the one time. I know Robin and his team are occasionally available, but they're mysterious and often hard to find..I.." she sighs, clenching and unclenching her fists, her heart pounding madly.

She glances back at him warily, shrugging, stepping nearer. She tends to keep to her self, keeping most everyone else at a distance. Now however, in a moment of weakness, confronted by the closet thing she has to a father, she may just surprise him as she leans into him rather than pushing him away, voice shaking a bit.

"I know..Just..Just tell me you'll help me nail these bastards and get her back!"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake keeps hugging. She can feel him nod. Then he says, "Your mother held off Wildcat with her tricks and snares. Your father, the rat bastard, nailed the Golden Age Green Lantern with a baseball bat and a hockey stick. You come from good stock. You'll be better than either of them. They did what they did for money. You have better reasons. Regardless, try to get the Batman. It kills me to say this... he probably knows all about these assassins. I only met Ra's al Ghul the one time."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock laughs, "And one wonders how she ended up with that Bastard Sportsmaster, instead of you.." she sighs, giving him one last tight squeeze before letting go. "Sorry that was a cheap shot, a low blow. Guess she was stubborn and took a while to realize she married the wrong person. But she's changed..So have I.l" she nods, letting go. "I'll see what I can do, but in the meantime I need somewhere to lay low.."

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake shrugs. "They already know you were here. This house is out. Here's some money, get a hotel room. Or stay with that secret group of yours. Buy new clothes when you can. Dye your hair. Pretend you're a boy."

He frowns at her, "Don't dis your mother. We all make bad choices. When they started... they were great together. He just got pissed about not being the brains in that relationship. But... it'd be a privilege to have a daughter like you. I mean you have a lot to learn but... you're a good kid. You deserved a dad. I know what that's like."