15870/Spying Spying

Spying Spying
Date of Scene:	16 September 2023
Location:	Old Gotham - Founders Island
Synopsis:	Batgirl runs into Talia staking out a terrorist, and learns a little more about why she's in Gotham.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Stephanie Brown

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul was settled up on a rooftop. Sitting in a lotus position upon it. It was past twilight, not quite dusk as she sat. A small spyglass in a hand from which she had afixed a few small mirrors to let it act as a periscope when need be. Using it to spy over the alleyway and to a small window several stories down. Over in her lotus position, she would just observe, occasionally taking a moment to breathe. Light and focused. She had been present here a long time, watching through to that room, those individuals within it.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The lead had come to Batgirl the old-fashioned way. Through detective work, tracking illegal goods from one hand to another. The sale of the items in question were monitored by the government for the fact they could be used in detonators for explosives. Which made their being smuggled into the country give them an even higher priority.

A late night stealthy invasion of one of the smuggler's homes had supplied the next clue, which led Stephanie Brown to this location. Arriving on the rooftop across from the address she'd had, Batgirl is surprised to find someone there already. And especially recognizing who it is.

Stephanie is a suspicious one by nature when it comes to bad guys. You sometimes get that way when you grew up with a jailbird father whose crimes meant more to him than his daughter did. Though she's always tried to give Talia a chance, much like Harley, Stephanie still harbors distrust. So seeing here here? Not exactly a great surprise. At least Batgirl doesn't assume she's in cahoots with them as she walks over, boots nearly silent on the rooftop.

"And what brings -you- here?" she asks in a whisper that only Talia's ears would catch.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Few can sneak up on Talia. Those that can are a rarity and ones that either she respects or is paranoid enough of to immediately lash out over in aggression as soon as they reveal themselves. Batgirl is fortunately not among those - but still a respected one over as Talia would go to put her modified spyglass down over on her lap, then to the side. Slowly rising over to hold her hands up in the air tos how her lack of weaponry or other items in them. A small katana and short blade laid to rest over on the ground on as mall silken blanket.

"I heard whispers of a member of the Hand making their way through the city. That they were after some members of what I presume are the Maggia for thier own reasons. I presume that you're here to keep them under observation as well?" Keeping her hands up in the air as she would rise to ensure that Batgirl would see her not moving to strike.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl moves up to where she's beside Talia, if a couple of feet away before she crouches down. "For now, yes. Until I know what their end game is," she says. Her eyes sweep across Talia's equipment and the woman herself, before reaching in a utility belt and pulling out something that she sets on the edge of the roof. Whatever it is, it scuttles out of sight over the edge under its own power.

Staying there in a crouch, Batgirl looks over towards Talia again in a considering way. "I didn't expect you'd stick around Gotham this long. Doesn't your father want you back home by now?" she asks, voice as quiet as the first words she spoke so they aren't going to be heard by anyone else.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would gesture, "If you're wary of me, I'd suggest staying slightly further away. You can take my weapons if you wish. If you're covering someone you believe is a threat, you'll want to be at least three meters away. That's out of immediate melee range, so you havea few moments to dodge before they close the gap. That still leaves you vulnerable over if they have some sort of ranged weapon of course." IT's the type of thing that immediately comes to mind to offer as advise - in a twisted way.

"I have few other places to go beyond to ground and vanishing here.. I have my son. It is a connection.." That she does not have anywhere else. And so long as Damian has not decided the suffering she has put him through is enough to wish her to be gone and never return.. It is a small enough thing to take in and treasure. Even if she cannot look him in the face.

"I know merel that my father watches me. I know not how. Merely that he watches my every move." She admits. In a lightly terrified way.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl doesn't give a visible reaction to the advice, but stays where she is. Whether that means she trusts Talia, or maybe just trusts her enough for that distance, the former (and possibly still) assassin can decide for herself.

The tiny vehicle that Stephanie put over the edge rolls down the wall, adhering to the side and staying in a shadow of part of the building as it gets to a spot that will give her a view into the window where the terrorist is at. Her cowl's eye screens drop down, letting her see the video image in her display there.

"And how are you and he getting along?" Batgirl asks quietly. "If I'm not prying more than you're ok with," she says, giving Talia a way out should she not want to answer.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would sigh, "I do not know. I have given him his distance. It is his decision as to whether he feels comfortable in my presence. I do not feel like I have the right to approach him in any manner. If he wishes to discuss, he know show to find me. Better than I would myself. I do not wish to add to any pain that he feels from me. I have given him enough of that." There's sincerity in her voice.

She goes to keep her hands where they can be seen, going to take herself down to the lotus position once more to keep up her obsrevations and be thoughtful.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Through the camera, Batgirl can see the terrorist sitting in a chair in the room, watching TV. Game of Thrones from the look of it. Ugh. Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Yes, he deserves to be arrested just for rewatching that.

Batgirl lets her attention focus more fully on Talia, not that she ever pulled it away entirely. Above the moon is starting to come out from behind clouds, though it is only a waxing crescent so not putting out the most light.

"So, again if it isn't prying? What is it that made you leave and come after him?" Batgirl asks quietly. Of course it's quite likely she already has heard, but maybe wants to hear it from Talia's own lips.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would sigh, "I would not have done so if my father had not cast me out. Irony of ironies, I suppose. With him came sanctuary." She means with Damian. "But I fear my presence here is merely playing to a greater scheme of my father's." Again that fear that everything players merely to a longer term scheme of Ras. That even being banished she is still but another pawn to be moved across a board, the way she has her entire life.

"You are not prying, you have every right ot know and by my actions to not trust me. I have no right ot iwhthold such answers from any of you nor to expect you to accept them."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
One could surmise Batgirl has a few thoughts focused on whether it could be such a scheme or ruse. Her hand moves over to her utility belt, slipping into a pouch and pulling out a small directional mike, a tiny one, that she sets on the roof's edge, pointing it at the window to pick up more sound. Though it still just remains Daenerys doing stuff that seem a bit extreme for her character.

"And if he called up tomorrow and welcomed you back with open arms? Had you choose between going home, or your son?" Batgirl asks, not using Damian's name where it could be caught should there be others spying on the spiers.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would let out a sigh then and focused. "I can give you my preference in the matter, but I will be honest no matter what I would choose I would have no say int he outcome." She has ultimately accepted that when her father wants her back, no matter the circumstances, it will be as he wishes.

"I haveno right to be selfish, much as I wish. My defying him would bring immense consequences for your family, and for this city. I have no right to put myself above them."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Of course, doing what he wanted could have similar consequences, depending," says the blond who rarely seems capable of silencing her inner monologue. Or maybe she's capable but doesn't really try as much as most.

Her jaw tightens a little bit with a few of Batgirl's thoughts. Finally she says, "Well, I hope whatever comes, that you can develop a positive relationship with your son. Preferably without immense consequences for anyone, of course," she says.

Just then there's the sound of a knock at the door of the person being surveilled.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would sigh, "I would like that. But I have caused him too much pain to ever presume I can be gifted it. I have done litlte more than abuse him, torture him, mold him to a weapon." The same way her father had to her.

"He is the one that has the right to decide so. He also has the right to discard me fully for my betrayals of him. I have earned nothing, nor have any right to gain another hcance for forgiveness." She would sigh.

Then as the door opens as the terrorist goes to move towards the other end.. There's a very, very small bordering on inaudible flick from the alleyway. Something launches up, bouncing along the corners of the alleyway like a pinball. It goes through the window, leaving a baseball sized hole in the heavy, reinforced glass plating. Then goes through the skull of the target, blasting through the door through the eyehole and through the skull of the man at the other end.

Down in the alleyway a man wearing a dark black outfit with a symbol on the forehead of a.. Bullseye goes to let out a chortle, pick his teeth with the edge of a sai, then vanish into the night.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown lets out a very quiet curse under her breath. "See if you can stop him, I'll go after the visitor," the blond Batgirl says even as she's already transforming into motion. She grabs hold of the coping around the roof, hopping over it, her momentum taking her across the alley and down towards the window.

Batgirl crashes through about the time the figure in the doorway is finally starting to react, panicking and turning to run back down the hallway towards the internal stairs.

The caped crusader pauses only long enough to confirm no pulse on the downed terrorist before she's darting through the doorway and off after the dead man's contact.

Watson, the chase is afoot.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And then Talia Al Ghul does as asked, instantly. She grab her weapons, leaping and landing over at the bottom of the alleyway, breaking into a full sprint with the stench of smoke and blood rising from it, a smoke bomb dropped a micro-second ago detonating to blanket the alleyway in darkness even as seh goes to charge through it.

The chase is on. And the destination.. Well, dear readers, that's for next issue!