1906/Temp Title - GA and Bats

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Temp Title - GA and Bats
Date of Scene: 30 May 2020
Location: Dixon Docks - Chinatown
Synopsis: Green Arrow makes a pitch at Batman to help reform the JLA.
Cast of Characters: Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen




Bruce Wayne has posed:
It's not hard to get Batman's attention in Gotham. Few criminals are foolish enough to try it, of course, and the ones who do tend to regret it (or do things that cause loss of life and property). So there's a fine balance between doing something Batman can see and something he won't necessarily ignore.

For certain allies-- a rare few-- it's as easy as, say, putting an arrow across a building's outer lights.

Batman doesn't rush over by any means. It's most of an hour before there's a subtle shift on the rooftop of Amalgamated Steel, one of the oldest corporate buildings in Gotham. Shadows move and break away as if trailing around Batman's caped form, and he gives Green Arrow an impassive look.

"Arrow." Without inflection or emphasis, it sounds more statement of fact than greeting. Then again, some people Batman doesn't deign to acknowledge at all.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver indeed knew those spots that were able to catch Batman's attention. It had been a few years though so if they still held up? He'd need to wait and see. He was up by that building, crouched down on a ledge, hood up, arms resting on his knees and his gaze upon the gloomy Gotham, watching in silence..

Until that familiar voice is heard and he gets up to his full height. "Batman." he turns to look at his old friend and dips his head. "Not an easy man to catch these days."

A gesture, "How have you been doing?" a rather faint smile showing on the part of his face that can be seen. Though for some reason it doesn't seem as if he is here for a social call..

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Busy," Batman replies in that gravelly monotone. He steps forward a few more paces, then lifts a hand from inside his cloak and offers a clasp of the hands to the Green Arrow. Ollie must have caught him in a good mood; he's not doing the 'loom and gloom' routine most people get.

"Trying to let the kids do the bulk of the work now. They're getting there. Might retire someday. Fight crime in some sleepy suburb."

Lips thin in a grimace that Green Arrow might recognize as a suggestion of a smile. "Heard you were around. How's Starling City?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
Lifting his own hand up Ollie clasps hands with Batman for a firm shake. He inclines his head in acknowledgement of that good mood, "Know how that can be." he states about being busy. Starling had a way of keeping him busy. Damn criminals never slept.

"Caught one of your birds out in Starling the other night. Firebird. Very enthusiastic but somewhat reckless." He says in that judging tone of his. "You don't look the type that will ever retire though." the manner in which he says that as if he knew Batman way too well.

"As for Starling, it's been .., eventful. Some problems with drug dealers but that seems solved for now, at least until someone decides to reach out for the power vacuum left." His shoulders rising at the inevitability of it. "Met Kal there the other night, back at the cave." The Arrowcave. It was pretty much a known place for the original Justice Leaguers. "He told me he had been talking with people about the JLA coming back."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Appreciate you looking out for her. She's still new," Batman tells Ollie. His hands disappear under his cape again, leaving his heavy boots the only part of his uniform still visible.

When the mention of Superman, Batman stays silent for a few beats. Finally, he nods once. A little gust of cooling night air pulls across the rooftop, carrying the scent of the seaside docks with it.

"Yes. Was at Diana's embassy not long ago. Him. Hal. Me. Wants to get League going again. Rebuild the Hall. Recruit new members. Hal and Diana agree."

Batman's lips thin. "I don't. Didn't think you would, either."

Oliver Queen has posed:
No cape for Oliver, so his hands return to his sides, facing Batman with a levelled look. One that was aware of the struggles they went through in this crazy world of super-powered people. In a way that's what made him respect his Gotham counterpart as much as he did. "Very new. I will try to make sure she doesn't get into -too- much trouble. Even if we both know that's hard enough with the young ones." a small sigh. He had been there before, all reckless and fire. Not anymore.

He remains silent for a time, watching, taking in the reactions and what is said, lips pressing to a line. "He told me as much. And that you had your own reservations about it, but I wanted to hear it from you." he says, "Of why you believe we should not gather again."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Didn't say 'don't gather'. Said 'I don't want to rebuild'," Batman points out. "We've never been a team. Hall's just a social club. Museum to ourselves. Never liked that. If you have a problem, you know how to call me. So does Kal. Or Diana."

Batman, of course, never calls anyone.

"Lines of communication are open. Rebuilding the Hall is just a way to create camraderie. Might as well dress like the Fantastic Four. Avengers and Titans, can go be a team. I've got my own people to worry about. Doesn't make sense to make a social club on top of that."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"You know what I meant." Oliver replies with a slight shake of his head. He folds his arms together then, turning to look over to the gloomy Gotham for a few moments of silence, thoughtful. "That much I spoke about with Kal. We all had our egos back then. Right now.., well, they may even be bigger than before."

And he certainly doesn't disagree when Batman states they were never a team before. But then he addresses some earlier words from Batman. "I told him we should rebuild. Try again. If not for ourselves at least to again be a beacon of hope to the world." Ollie tells Bruce in his grave tone. "The world is in a state that I believe it needs us again."

Then him looking back to Batman again in a direct manner. "Is it surprising to you that I feel this way?"

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Surprising? No. Disappointing?" Batman's lips again almost threaten a smile. "A little. But you are an optimist. Like Kal."

Gotham creaks and whines and hums in the distance; like New York, it's a city that never truly is at rest, even after sundown. Beyond the creaking mill of industry there's the booming demand for human vices everywhere, indulging weaknesses of the flesh all around the city.

Small wonder that Batman's worldview is such a pessimistic one, then.

"We had our shot at being a beacon. Blew it. World fell apart when Kal got hurt. Eggs and baskets," Batman points out. "World can pick and choose its own beacons. Trying to put ourselves on a pedastal ... it's inviting hubris. Our egos might have been part of the reason Doomsday found us. Don't need our egos to be part of the problem again."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Maybe it's the age." Arrow replies, his lips twisting into the form of a smile too. "I am not getting any younger. None of us are." he letting out a faint sigh out his lips. Resignation? Perhaps. "But as of late I have found a few things that have made me somewhat more optimistic. Kal's return was one of them." he says. Though he also implies there's more to it!

Truth be told their cities were similar but quite different too. Arrow notices it, it had never been too hard to. And he understood where Batman was coming from. "You never gave up on your city." he tells Bruce in a direct manner. "Don't be so quick in giving up on us too. Even if I agree with you, if we were to do this again we'd need to figure out a way to co-exist without letting our egos get the best of us. I believe we can be better than that."

A pause, then he says, "Kal told me you seemed willing to return though. Was he mistaken?"

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Kal sometimes hears what he wants," Batman points out with a mildly irritated thinning of lips. "And talks about it too much."

His nostrils flare with an exasperated exhalation. "I said I was ... willing to hear him out," Batman admits, finally. "I don't agree with his conclusion, but his premise has merit. Not for the people of the world, but for the new ones. The younger ones. Avengers and Titans. As you said. We're not getting younger. Every day we're on the street we're gambling. Might not come back alive. Continuity's important. It's why I am training Firedbird. The others. Someone's got to wear the cowl. If I'm lucky, I'll survive long enough to pass the torch. One of them has to be ready in case I'm not."

"Not interested in being a beacon for the world, Arrow. But that doesn't mean I don't care about it."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"You have known how he is for years now." Oliver lifting his shoulders in resignation. There was no changing to Clark's hope and the way he was. But there was some amusement on the Arrow's expression on how it still was able to make Batman somewhat irritated.

"What he told me is that we needed better communication. Both between ourselves." and he puts the emphasis on ourselves. Yes, he knew Batman -never- called. "But also with the other groups. Namely Avengers and Titans which seem to be the two big ones right now."

Yet then he certainly seems to agree about the part of them gambling with their lives every day. "It is. Which is why I train those I do as well."

And then he lifts one hand to point at Batman. It's a daring move, admittedly. "Maybe you are not interested in it, but the cowl you wear is one. Regardless of your interest."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Camraderie is one thing, but Batman's subtly luminescent, sightless eyes narrow minutely as a finger's jabbed in his direction. That sense of icy foreboding flexes around him like a chill wind. "Beacons inspire hope. Batman brings fear," he growls. "Hope doesn't stop crime. Just makes people feel better about themselves. Lets them ignore the world around them. Pretend someone else picks up the ball so they don't have to. Avengers couldn't be bothered to step up until Kal got injured. Fear motivates more than hope. Hope makes people lazy."

Batman turns and walks towards the rooftop's edge. "Like I said. Not interested in being a symbol. Interested in working. Come to me with a plan for work, we'll talk. Otherwise--" A hand extends to launch a grapnel with a *thunk* of compressed air, whirring off into the distance to clamp onto some projection. "I've got work to do myself."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Something needs to come after the fear." Oliver says, his arm having returned to his side. "And you are more than just fear to many, regardless." his tone remains steady, eyes not budging away from Batman, watching, his own jaw tensing up.

Yet then Batman is walking off so he takes it as the conversation being near to an end. He nods his head at him. "I have one, suggested by Kal. Re-working our base so it fits our purposes. Upgrading security, communication." because hey, between two billionaire vigilantes they should have enough toys to refit!

"Yet it seems it will be a talk for another time. Come visit me sometime at Starling, make it social even, if you want." almost as if he was inviting Bruce and not Batman himself. Or maybe just his attempt to make amends.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"If I get time," Batman says. With a heavily implied emphasis on 'if', even through that gravel-voiced monotone. "Be careful, Arrow," Batman admonishes the archer. "Don't need to bury any more friends."

A note of concern, maybe? Or condescension? As always, it's hard to say, save for the fact that Batman wouldn't have said it at all if he believed Ollie cared enough to listen.

A beat, then Batman steps off the edge of the roof with a fearless lack of hesitation and soars off into Gotham's night. A beacon of fear, of hope, or purpose-- that is an exercise in thought best left to the reader.