13853/Bats ands Birds, Them's Flighting Words

Bats ands Birds, Them's Flighting Words
Date of Scene:	16 January 2023
Location:	Warehouses - Chinatown
Synopsis:	Talia and Misfit have a quick back and forth in the streets.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
She was walking. Walking always was a different thing. Here in this section of the city. Old, run down.. Connecting to the docks. Eveyrone ran out of here. At least for a time. The turf changed hands so often there was little consistency despite how long this quarter had been in the area. Currently Talia Al Ghul would be maneuvering in and out of people working along the docks, weaving like she wasn't there.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie is not a creature of consistency really. She is pretty hard ot pin down. Honestly that in itself is pretty suspicious. What is a rich kid, effectively the adoptee/ward of the Chief of Police's kid doing in China Town near a run down part of town really.

    The answer is amazing Dim Sum. Like totally some of the best to be found in Gotham. At least in her opinion.

    She ducks out of the shop on the edge of the docks carrying a couple of loaded bags in her arms and manages to keep the door open with fluid precision and shift the bags to one armful so she can wave with the other hand. In decent Cantonese "Thanks Mr. Kim! See you Next Time!" before twisting and heel kicking the door back shut without looking and juggling the bags back around.

    That is one professionally trained red headed teenager standing in your path now. The twist and kick absolutely has eastern martial arts origins.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And Talia Al Ghul goes to watch the maneuvers of Ms. Gage. Mmm. That was one she didn't recognize. The girl didn't have the build of an assassin or the paranoia inherent in her posture to be someone that had been raised in one of those myriad groups of killers. She moved too smoothly, she certainly had training and experience.
    That left a variety of options available. The first being as Talia would make a somewhat wary glance in the direction of however far off was Ted Grant's studio. But.. The girl was interesting, and that was enough for Talia. She'd already done her bit of altruism for the day.. So now hse would get to do something for her own amusement. SHe would fall in step along with Charlie. Attempting to weave in and out of the crowds to match the speed of the girl, using people as cover while hse would try to track her without being noticed.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie does not really appear to have the build or demeanor of an assassin no. She looks like a late teen aged white girl in China Town with a couple heft bags of takeout. Wearing scuffed up jeans, a well loved wonder woman hoodie. She starts to bop along just derping down the sidewalk not seeming to notice Talia.

    No one in the family would ever accuse Ms. Gage of being the world's greatest detective.

    A few things do stand out to a very paranoid assassin though. First off the teen has something bulkier than a normal belt on under the hoodie, perhaps armed, but is is subtle enough. Second there is an extremely hard to notice earbud in her right ear, techno-spy level bullshit really. Third and final, she moves like a trained killer, not Ted's school of handling oneself, but someone has taught the girl to move and she is in amazing shape despite her attire.

    Also she is humming along to herself a pop song that has been playing on the radio lately, trending on spotify.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Well, that narrows down the list of suspects quickly. It likely indicates that she's one of two local flocks that Talia's aware of. This one could be from the Belfry or the Cave. And that meant that the girl was no particular threat to her, even if she wasn't even her enemy. Oh, this is going to be interesting. So how to approach the girl in a way that would not get her attacked, reinforce her own superiority, while also making sure to not escalate.. Mmm. Decisions, decisions.
    So, Talia would go up and over towards Charlie, moving to head over towards her to move for what was one of the very basic moves over in the business. The 'oops, I tripped' a bit as Talia would approach her in a low tumble. The girl's movements are sure, focused, and casual. But at least if she is paying attention to her surroundings, then she's doing so at a level even Talia isn't taking note of.. Which makes ehr very good. But sometimes appearances are what they are.
    S, Talia might end up just taking a little tumble over towards her with one foot 'accidentally' going in front of the other as she would stumble over.. Expecting that Charlie would tense, react to her out of side of vision, confirm she was not a threat if teh girl couldn't identify her.. And then catch her.
    Presuming that Charlie did, of course, Talia would go for a quick nab over to attempt to pull a maneuver more in lien with what Selina would do from the quick contact. If possible go for the quick snap on the belt ot simply pull it away quicklyw hile she was being caught.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie's destination was just about reached too, not that it was obvious, but the young woman was glancing towards the alley she was about to cross. She had planned to step into it and finish her journey home without arousing any suspicions or drawing attention.

    Alas.

    The sudden tumble or a trip does absolutely get her attention. She may not be the world's greatest detective but she is well enough trained to react to the falling woman and yelp a bit. "Crap" she reacts altruistically as well to help the older lady, one of her takeout bag gets swiftly jumbled into her opposite arm once more, and she reaches out to help catch and steady the lady stumbling.

    Also yes there is a quick release on that utility belt, not that it is an subtle thing to slide something that complex off the girl but it is doable if one knows their makeup. God knows the league has stripped a batbelt off someone before. The yelp of alarm at someone falling turns to a different more yip of alarm as she twists to face the steadied lady.

    The belt is definitely one of the bats by design color, and probably booby traps knowing them. "Gah" she really doesn't want to drop her dimsum but this is an escalating situation suddenly.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would go to bow her head over at Charlie and tsk, "Situational awareness. You got lost in things going around." The belt is then carefully, carefully passed back over to Charlie as Talia goes to hold her other hand up in the air to make sure that she wasn't seen as a threat. OF course, the mere facts he had just yanked it off probably wouldn't help. Nor the Selina level smugness in her tone from which she said it.
    So it's very likely that Talia's going to get at -least- somethign of a creaming from the girl that regularly spars with the most dangerous member of the Bat-Family in hand to hand combat.. And she's going to no doubt deserve it.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Everything about the teens stance has shifted at this point as she watches Talia. She hasn't clocked or recognized her really yet from the homework. Aka bat computer reviewing of Rogue Gallery business. But her whole footing is spring tight and if not for the dimsum well she probably would have popped off. Which would have been at least illustrative of her training.

    The belt is snatched back with her free hand, in a way that absolutely makes it clear she does not trust the open hand in the air and is ready to use the belt as a weapon if she has to.

    "Crackers" she growls, which has the vibe of cursing but is so.... wholesome.

    The next bit happens very quick, there is a slash of pinkish purple smoke and the girl is absolutely not there in the smoke. A heartbeat later the dimsum is shoved onto the counter in the Clocktower Kitchen. Then one more heartbeat and the teenager is behind Talia belt gripped in both hands before snapping it out to pop Talia lightly between the shoulders, though she can probably pivot away from it as the move is just for effect.

    She says exasperated "And who the hecken are you!?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul was expecting the girl to be quick on the turnaround and was expecting the belt to be taken back over with some sort of glare or smug remark. Even as the belt is offered back and the Demon's Daughter is caught by total surprise at teh sheer -speed- of her.
    The pinkish-purple smoke gets a not quite sneer that's hopefully not picked up on over as Talia's face is now looking hte other way from Charlie as Charlie goes to appear over behind her. Talia is -far- too slow over as the strike goes to hit her in the shoulders and she goes to a quick tuck and roll, drawing her arms underneath her body to stabilize her fall and then going up and over back to her feet.
    "A reminder about checking your corners while you're out and about." She would hold her hands up and over in front of her to showcase her lack of threat. "Impressive recovery and followup regardless. Very rapid move. Efficient. Your manner of evasion does leave something to be desired when it comes to concealment. But extremely effective regardless. Your situational awareness.."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    "Is lacking." she remarks exhasperated and just a smidge sullen. She shifts a step back eyes on Talia as the other did move to give her space with that tuck and roll. The belt is pulled up under her hoodie and fastened back in place and out of sight. Thankfully this stretch of walk and the alley nearby isn't full of pedesterians by design, so there isn't a hoard of people staring or recording this encounter for social media.

    The thing is, there is zero sign of the dim sum. Not in the alley. Not in the side walk. Not in her hands. Somehow she ditched the bags completely out of line of sight in the space of a couple of seconds and got behind you, one of the best assasins in the world.

    Super speed? Something else?

    Her stance with her hands free is definitely one of the favored starting positions for one of the leagues fighting styles though.

    "This is the first time I got jumped getting takeout." she grudgingly admits. Like. Maybe she was complacent.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would watch over at Charlie, taking in the girl's abilities thoughtfully. Questions to ask later and follow up on. Talia goes to look just a little smug, but buries it. "Yes, it seemed to be a somewhat better point of getting the point over. I promise I won' mention it to anyone else.. However, I'm going to expect you to be paying attention in the future."
    alia is very much winging it here, trying to stay in a role that the other girl is not going to take as hostile when she's not identified herself. So she has to play to something that Charlie expects, when Talia only has known her for a few minutes and exchanged a few sentences. All she can be sure is that the girl works wtih Bruce's or Barbara's cadre.
    "If I happen to see you slacking off again, I'm going to repeat the process. And I won't give it back the way I got it." So she has to keep it vague. Hope that the truce of not passing the circumstances along to anyone else and the vaguer comment of keeping following her plays within her role..
    Hopefully, enough of things strung together of the expected that Charlie's not going to be too paranoid the way some of the other, more experienced ones were.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie's problem is she is Barbara's adopted kiddo so is deeply involved with all of the birds and hassled by them, and as Batgirl's kid is part of the batclan and hassled by the older family members. There are so many damn options as to where Talia's lesson of the evening could be coming from.

    She is pretty certain this isn't some hazing from the JLD angle at least.

    "That... is fair." she finally reluctantly admits, though she hasn't fully relaxed her stance or taken her eyes off Talia. "You definitely got the drop on me.. and you didn't stab me... so there is that..." she chews her lower lip a touch, her eyes searching Talia.

    The final complication is they are in their civvies, if this is a new bird, it isn't one that Charlie knows out of their superhero gear. Guh this is always so complicated. "So. Got a name?" head tilt slightly.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
It's a bit of a game. And Talia just goes to smile over at her. "If you want, ask the little wing about it. But that takes the fun out of it if you need someone else ot help you figure it out." Playing it up as bit of a game, then. By 'little wing' she probably means 'Bratwing' depending on how well his reputation had held up.
    Talia goes to keep it casual with her hands at her sides. "I'm sorry for ruining your takeout." Apology offered, cash given over a moment later to cover getting a replacement. Whether or not the cash is taken, Talia would note, in passing amusement..
    "And work a litlte more on your recovery. Your evasion was excellent, but going for a counter-strike to the back is standard." Lesson is a lesson after all.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie will hold up a hand forstalling it. "Takeout is fine, though it is going to get cold at this rate." she absolutely is going to make sure no tracker in her belt later, not that it would ping out of the Clocktower so she isn't too worried about that considering Oracle's counter measures for electronic warfare.

    Also the bratwing does clock based on the shift of her eyes, though she doesn't relish having to do homework. It is always homework. Either for college or for her 'night job'.

    "To be fair... it wasn't much of a counter attack... you didn't try to keep it and ..." she just sighs but nods. "Next time I'll do something you won't see coming, roger roger." she steps another step back and flicks a look all around, her situational awareness quite amp'd now. Then there is another slash of that smoke and the teenager is gone. Even a second time and watching for it, there is no sign of where she absconded too. Just. Not there.