19443/The Rise of Two-Face

The Rise of Two-Face
Date of Scene:	10 November 2024
Location:	Dixon Docks - Chinatown
Synopsis:	Two-Face makes his first big appearance, and with it, he funds his revolution against Gotham's corrupt, and its criminals.
Cast of Characters:	Barbara Gordon, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis, Talia al Ghul, Cassandra Cain, Jason Todd

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Barbara Gordon has posed:
The Gotham City docks are often considered the place for run down warehouses, and illicit criminal activities to take place. But not at this port, not at this dock, and not tonight. Not if the Maroni family had any say in it. A family who had a legacy of organized criminal activity within the city, the Maroni's had done a lot to try and repair their family's outward appearance over the past decade, trying to make it look like the organized criminal activities were a thing of the past, while really? They just hid it better, and tried to rebuild their reputation through more public facing affairs. Like tonight, a family wedding. one of the nephews of the Don of the Maroni family was gifting him and his new bride their own beautiful yacht, and it was docked at this very port tonight. One of the Maroni family warehouses had been converted in to an elegant party hall, and the after wedding reception was setup to see to the family's large amount of wedding guests. Situated at the edge of the docks, the large building was lit up brightly tonight, and it was a very lovely affair, with the massive yacht as the backdrop, heralding the bright future for the young bride and groom... The only problem was, that there was word of a hit out on the Maroni family tonight, though it was very well hidden in channels not easily accessed, but Oracle had come across the intel, and she had just sent it out to various members of the Bat-family.

"We have to get people to the Maroni Wedding, on the double. Something big is about to go down, it looks like it might be an attempt to completely wipe the family off the map. We need everyone on deck for this, who is available, as it sounds like a total bloodbath is planned." Oracle had reported across the Bat-family wire, and she had not be wrong in her intel.

A speech was being given by one of the upper players within the Maroni family, set on a stage between the party warehouse building, and the long dock that lead out to the beautiful yacht, that peacefully waited for its new owners to board, and begin their new life together.

The speech was being given on a stage built between the dock, and the party warehouse, where a number of the Maroni family members were gathered up, dressed in tux's and fancy dresses. The bride and groom sat together at the center of the stage, while a number of party goers were gathered around the base of the large stage, everyone holding drinks of champagne or non alcoholic offerings. A live band was providing music off to one side, playing paused during the speech, while along the edges of the party there were a number of armed guards, all patrolling the perimeter of the family affair tonight. Everything seemed so calm... until it didn't.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
During the speech from the Maroni family's eldest son, a shot rang out, and screams erupted throughout the party goers. Everyone began to duck, or move for cover, while those on the stage huddled together. Armed guards were suddenly cut down from the shadows, with snipers appearing on nearby rooftops, their thin laser beams streaking across the night sky, as they took out key figures in the Maroni family guard structure. When the shots suddenly ceased, an entourage of figures emerged from a section of the party goers who had arrived from a nearby building setup just for parking. Everyone in this group wore two-toned suits of black and white, fedora caps on their heads, and various types of guns held in their hands. Lead by a single figure, they marched toward the stage, their weapons ready to fire, as the lead figure towered above the others in his group. He moved toward the steps to the stage, and vaulted up them with a graceful ease, as he passed by the eldest son of the Maroni family, giving him a wide mouthed grin. "I'll take it from here, kid..." He said, his voice quite gruff. He approached the microphone, and reached up to adjust his dual patterned tie.

"Good evening, everyone..." The man said, as he reached up to remove his black and white fedora. He tossed it to the side, and looked out at the crowd of wedding guests. "Tonight, we begin to help Gotham heal. But we do it? WE do it through choice, of fate..." His voice boomed, as his guards spread around the stage, aiming their guns at everyone upon it who might attempt to be a hero for their family.

The man at the microphone, grinned from both sides of his wicked mouth, his face a mess on the left side, while handsome on the right. His left hand dipped in to his pocket, and he pulled forth a large silvery coin. "We find out what Gotham wants to become tonight, and whether this family of... murderers and criminal thugs will play any part in the future."

Damian Wayne has posed:
    The Mafia of Gotham City had always been a herd of also-rans as far as Robin was concerned. Strong arms and standover men whose time had passed, now eclipsed by a new world of freaks and oddities. They struggled for the limelight on a stage that was increasingly occupied by psychopathic clowns, chemical nightmares, and mutated monsters.

    That didn't mean they couldn't be punished.

    Robin has been watching the event in silence from a half-mile out. A small set of powered binoculars are set up on a tripod, the youngest of the Waynes lifting his head to peer through the eyepieces on occassion. It's the report of gunfire that draws his attention, and as he zeroes in to pick it up with a directional microphone the corner of his mouth crooks into a half-smile.

    "That's more like it ... "

Tim Drake has posed:
<< "This is Red Robin, I've got overwatch." >> Tim Drake reports, lying prone on a warehouse a few blocks from the party warehouse. He'd cape-glided over from a large building, reasoning that his bright red Batbike would be too loud and attention-grabbing to allow him closer.

He's holding a pair of small binoculars in front of his face, the type that fold to be stored easily in a utility belt. It just looks like a regular wedding, and occasionally a gust of wind blows a fragment of a speech or a song his way. So far so good.

And then the shot rings, out, and Tim reacts by moving his binoculars to the guards just to see them being taken out with ruthless efficiency. << "I have several uninvited guests here. Tagging them and uploading to the Batcomputer." >> he reports, quickly using his wrist computer to tag the relevant folks to show up on the Bat-Fam's HUDs. Another gang with a theme to it. Chess? Checkers? Who knows.

In any case, Red Robin tucks his binoculars away and begins sneaking from rooftop to rooftop to get closer, staying on the far side of each pointed roof to stay mostly out of sight.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
There's trouble in the air over Gotham City tonight. Gunshots ring out as an all too common occurrence in the city and when they do, it's sure to raise the alarm throughout the city. Let alone among its nocturnal defenders. The fact that they've had some forewarning permits the Knights of Gotham to not only ready themselves for the potential conflict to come, but also to organize ahead of that same potential trouble. While the specifics of when, precisely who, or even why could be lost to them? Batman and his children, literal or otherwise are ready to defend even those who are known to have broken the law. Often consistently.

"Engage on my signal," arrives the stern, implacable voice of Batman through the collective comms of the Bat team.

What could that signal be though? The low growl of the Batwing rebounding from distant buildings can be heard before the nimble little aircraft is seen. The sound rises and falls in an unsettling screeching crescendo, no doubt as it's maneuvered through the narrow canyons of the Gotham cityscape.

The sound rises in pitch as the aircraft bursts from the city skyline and begins to roll. It practically cartwheels as the Batwing begins its attack run. It dips and weaves, creating a difficult target for potential defenders to track and engage. That is until it's over its target area. In a flash the Batwing passes overhead and what follows is a rapid staccato of bangs and bright flashes as the Batwing begins performing a veritable carpet bombing of the dockyard rooftops with airburst flashbangs.

The snipers lurking on the more vertical planes of the dockyard are sure to be feeling the effects of that opening strike.

The Bats and Birds have their signal to engage.

Terry McGinnis has posed:
Terry is, as he often has been lately, out on patrol. What else is he going to do? Nothing? He can't. He is, after all, A Batman. Oracle's heads up rings out, and the Batman of Neo-Gotham heads towards the docks. He cheats like hell, because he can fly as well as swing!

As he hits the warehouses, he swaps to roofrunning like the rest of the crew, save for the fact that his optic camouflage fires up, rendering him at worst a blur under the night sky. He crouches, watching the goings on below as the Local Batman shows up in his plane. Terry swears under his breath. "Guess I had to run into him sometime."

Terry rises and leaps, wings sprouting from under his arms like, well, invisible patagia at the moment, gliding down as Batman's opening volley dies.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
The League of Assassins are as interwoven into the criminal underworld of Gotham City as the Five Families themselves. With deals and treaties, lucrative business arrangements, and profitable avenues contracts that have seen competitors of Dons delt the deaths blow while sleeping comfortably in their beds. Often this puts the Leagues fundamental designs for hitting the perverbial reset button on Gotham at the forefront of any dealing that might cause cracks in the carefully balanced house of cards.

Talia Al Ghul, the estranged daughter of Ras Al Ghul, has a scant few benefits of her familia nom de plume. Arriving by private vehicle, she is met by the weddings guards and searched, though she comes baring gift for the newly wed in the form of an ancient scimitar dated to the fall of Constantinople. Alegedly to be wield by Sultan Mehmed the Second himself.

Dressed elegantly in a flowing green gown, she's present prior to the fireworks of gunfire. Enjoying a glass of champagne with one of the Underbosses of the Maroni crime family with an easy, even charming, smile on her face until the company of multi-colored gangsters approach the dias with their assortment of firearms. "Oh, how delightful. You didn't tell me there would be Kabuki theater entertainment."

Gunfire.

Everyone takes notice...

Talia's charming demeanor changes to one of purposeful intent. Moving effortlessly through the crowds towards the table where all the gifts are kept with a handup to slip the silver throwing knives expertly concealed as hair-pins from her luxurious dark hair.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Such a meeting of the Moroni crime family was almost certainly going to be on the radar of the Bat Family, but this escalation? Well, that was going to ramp things up all too quickly. Decending from the night, Cass was silent as ever, sweeping from the dark skyline with a flare of her cape...almost a ghost in the night even before the flashbangs render any chance of detecting any of them impossible.

One quick efficient series of strikes, intent on clearing the snipers out of the path.

"Engaging."

Jason Todd has posed:
Red Hood frowned behind his already scowling mask as the alert went out from Oracle.

<<Red Hood enroute.>>

As the others get into position and Batman announces the commencement of festivities, he has placed himself near one of the cater tents just outside the warehouse turned party space. As the concussive bombs explode across the docks, he pulls his pistols and steps into the tent.

"Everyone. Out. Anyone who is still here in ten seconds gets shot." He really isn't joking even if he doesn't intend to use lethal ammunition. It turns out that none of the catering crew wants to test his threat as they clear out rapidly. <<Catering tent is clear. Advancing.>> Sure it won't be that easy from here but getting innocents out was a good beginning.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Those gathered at the foot of the large stage, set between the dock where the yacht was anchored, and the large party warehouse, were huddling together in the wake of the latest madness to break out in Gotham City. Everyone here held some social clout within the city's upper echelon of socialites, and none of them would be pleased to see such a security breakdown within the Maroni family's promise for safety against all threats. Something had clearly gone wrong internally, and this entire situation would likely end badly, for at least a handful of people, if not more.

But that is what the Bats had come to prevent, the more from growing exponentially more out of control...

"I spent a long time, trying to see the crime of Gotham City find its end, through the belief in law and order." The two-faced man on the stage announced to the crowd, prior to explosives detonating. He held his coin up in the air, and let the wealth of light from the party atmosphere glint off of the silvery edges and contours of the large coin he held in his right hand. "Law and order has failed Gotham. Now, only Fate can heal it." The coin rolled across his fingers, before settling in against his thumb and forefinger. "The Maroni's now face Lady Fate, and whether they lose one of the lovely newly weds, or the grand gift given to them by the Don Maroni himself..." Two-Face leaned in toward the mic, and spoke softly in to it. "The yacht was seized in Mexican waters, after the Maroni's beheaded its crew, and stole all the cocaine that was being shipped in hiding aboard it, by the way. Very lovely gift, wouldn't you say?" He asked with a grin on his wickedly scarred half of his face. "time for Fate to decide. The first Maronie's life, or the lovely drug encrusted yacht?"

the coin was flipped, it spun end over end in the air, light reflecting off of its surface, as it twirled. It was pulled back down by the grace of gravity, and landed within the tall man's hand again. His eyes fell upon it, and a wicked grin came across his gruesomely damaged visage. "Benny Maroni? I am sorry. Fate has spoken."

He pulled a pistol from his jacket, and turned to face the Groom, the hammer cocked back with a click.

Just as the explosions from the arrival of the Batwing boomed out across the party!

People screamed again, the snipers on the roof were rapidly eliminated, leaving eyes darting in all directions, as people once more screamed in terror at the chaos unfolding around them. Two-Face stood tall, though, unphased by the arrival of the Bat. He kept his grin on his face, and leveled his gun at the terrified faces of Benny Maroni, and his blushing bride!

The snipers were readily eradicated by the Bats, but the situation down within the party seems to be growing rapidly more dire, as Two-Face wields his gun, and aims down directly at the eyes of one of the Maroni's youngest nephews, not only unphased by the arrival of the Bat's, the tall man almost seems glad to have them watch...

Damian Wayne has posed:
    The lenses of Robin's mask polarize in automated response to the sudden dropping of non-lethal explosives upon the gathering. He leaves his equipment behind to be gathered up later, flinging himself over the edge of the building and free-falling a moment before he catches himself with a DeCel line.

    He has the most ground to cover, lacking a vehicle as he is, but a combination of practice and fearless resolve allows him to move swiftly through the air. Arriving at the docks, he comes to land between a few older buildings where he can use the shadows they cast to conceal himself. It's from there that he watches the gruesome display, the man with the gun and the coin.

    He doesn't emerge from the shadows himself. There's no effort to rush the stage or halt the gunman on his part. Instead, he sets about tagging potential environmental hazards that can be used against the two-faced man and his squad. They're tagged via his HUD before they begin highlighting themselves for the other members of the team.

    "A gunman putting the screws to organized crime," he voices over the comms, an edge in his tone, "Do you need a sidekick, Hood?"

Tim Drake has posed:
As the Batwing passes overhead, Tim reads the play before it happens. He reaches behind his back to retrieve his staff, extending it quickly as he jumps gracefully off the warehouse roof. At first he's surrounded, but a quick adjustment of his mask lenses shields his eyes from the barrage of flash bombs.

Not so much the eyes of the mafiosi surrounding him, and a couple of well-placed strikes leave them incapacitated in a half circle around him. << "That was the signal, right?" >> Red Robin communicates as he readjusts his lenses back to normal. With a shot of his grapnel, Tim's back in the shadows of one of the warehouses, placing sticky shock charges the size of coins along the most likely path for reinforcements.

Terry McGinnis has posed:
As Terry lands, the optic camo fades, leaving him fully visible to all, Bats and Mobsters. Assorted shouts of confused 'The Bat!?' come from mobsters as he just appears in their midst. Being an excellent student, Terry takes advantage of the confusion and starts putting them on the ground. His fighting style is not as polished as, well, any other of the bats. He's a brawler, and it shows.

They still fall over, though. It's for their own good, it's harder to hit a prone person with a gun!

"Just stay down!" The voice, modulated through the suit, is close to Bruce's gravel, but enough off that it's clearly not the OG.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass' clearing away of snipers was swift, brutal and efficient. Crucially though, it remained non-lethal, despite the training she'd literally been born into. The Bat was pretty strict on the no-killing rule, and Cass was trying really, -really- hard to 'be good'.

With the mooks dispatched, she was a little further behind than the others, not in a position to intervene in the would-be execution.

This was why they worked as a team!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Suddenly overhead the Batwing comes to a halt and begins to hover in place. A spark flies as a single round strikes the aircraft's underbelly. Amid the gloom of the night sky illuminated by the dockyard's own lighting, a shadow can be seen leaping from the hovering aircraft. The form of Batman spreads out as his cape catches the air beneath his fall and begins to slow his descent. "Robins," Batman's firm voice can be heard in select ears, though likely speaking to Damian and Tim specifically, "good work gathering real-time intelligence". The praise is simple and direct.

It's praise that is deliver while Batman descends from above. The Batwing has already snap rolled up and away, climbing higher in order to adopt a patrol pattern overhead. Into the clouds it disappears in order to remain unseen and undetected until it's called upon again.

Batman's boots impact with one of the large skylights of the dockyard warehouse and his cape loses its rigidity just before the moment of impact. This results in a sudden, but manageable increase in the speed of Batman's fall. Beneath his boots the skylight shatters, raining shards of glass and Batman down into the mix of the party.

Even amid his fall, Batman is already analyzing not only his surroundings but also those within it. Whether friend, foe, or neutral party.

A second cry of, "It's the Bat!!" erupts from among those watching from nearby. There's yet more confusion now.

Batman lands heavily but shunts the energy of the fall into a roll, which only further bleeds the kinetic energy from his body as he turns the rolling into a springing dive. A heavy crunch is heard when the Batman's flying punch is delivered into one of the dichotomized thug's faces. The man stumbles back with his fedora maintaining some air time as the man wearing it knocked out from beneath it.

Another shot rings out and this one appears to spark from Batman's right shoulder, sending the bullet ricocheting into one of the warehouse walls. Another punch, then another, and finally a headbutt sends the brutalized bandit bundling to the warehouse floor.

Jason Todd has posed:
Red Hood emerges from the catering tent just as Two Face decides it is time for someone to die. He scowls behind his mask and lifts both of his pistols. <<I have a shot.>> The smark-linked weapons feed their data into the HUD inside the lenses of his mask and show exactly where his shots will strike.

Wasting no time, he fires off three taser rounds. Two strike Two-Face's gun almost simultaneously, the third was aimed for his forearm. If it hits, it'll at least leave that gun hand useless for a minute or two. Long enough to get a few BatFam close enough to deal with him.

As an afterthought he adds, <<Taking it.>>

Talia al Ghul has posed:
The elegant monologue has not gone unnoticed by Talia, who arrives at the gift table and begins tossing things out of her way until she comes upon the one she'd arrived with. The throwing knives have been tucked away and part of her elegant dress has been torn along the seams, leaving her in black leggings and the low cut green top. That bit of green material has been woven around her head and hair to keep it from falling in her face, but her attention is temporarily divert from the report of weapons and the explosive signal for the Gotham Vigilantes.

Black nails trace the engraved wooden case and flick open the latches to retrieve the sheathed scimitar with an elegant leather shoulder strap that slings across her chest to dangle the blade on her left hip. In the loom of chaos such Gotham tactics are sure to create, she is but a singular figure moving amongst the fearful socialites whom have come to kiss the ring of their would be mafioso benefactors.

Tilting shoulder or turning at the waist to pass through the masses towards the stage, with one of the throwing knives dropping down into her hand. As of yet keeping her purposes for being here to herself. Had she been informed of events by the Bats? Was she here to serve their purposes? Or had she mend fences with her father and now acting on his behalf? Whatever might be her goal, her aim is directing her towards Don Maroni.

At least until the skylight gives way and the Batman descends amidst a shower of falling glass. This pulls Talia short of her intended course. Obviously she's expecting him. At something like this? With the lives of so many at stake? Of course he would be here. A moment of consideration plays across her dark features, looking from Maroni, to the various members of the Bats who have welcomed her despite her checkered loyalty over the years. Her grip tightens on the knife clutched along the inside of her wrist, ready to be loosed...

Eyes closed.

"It's the Bat!" followed by the report of a single bullet fired in his direction.

The blade comes up and is let fly. A yelp of pain behind Batman! Would the goon have gotten the drop on him? We'll never know. His hand is pinned to the trigger assembly with a silver length of blade. "Beloved." Talia from amidst the goons.. She regards Maroni, but then looks Bruce. "I'll see to the Don's safety."

Whether that was why she'd come... that's now what she's doing. Brushing past him with her jaw set, the muscles standing out beneath the skin of her cheeks, aim the same, goal has changed.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Red Robin's charges detonate not but a handful of moments after he got away from them. They effectively burst out the tires of an arriving van filled with more of the Maroni guards that had been further out on the perimeter line, moving in to help fend off the attackers of the wedding. The blasts from their tires rock one of the buildings, not far from where Damian and Cassandra were located. Collectively, the Bats have eliminated the wedding perimeter guards, and have garnered full access to the party itself, the warehouse still fully illuminated by the nights festive decorations. With Terry getting the jump on more of the guards, the Bats are left seemingly on top of the situation, as this entire event had not been planned to include anti-Bat personnel what so ever.

It was meant to be a night of joy, and family pride. that was clearly out the door though...

Two-Face felt the stun shots to his arm, his pistol cast away to the side, leaving Benny Maroni flenching as he just watched his life come within the breadth of a hair trigger pull. He fell back in to the arms of his wife, her dress a mess around her form, as she cried out in fear. Two-Face clutched his arm, feeling the numbing shot, as he grunted loudly. He cast his eyes out at the crowds, and saw several of the Bats emerging in to sight, including the one he knew best. He returned to the mic, and with a growl in his voice now, he spoke. "Do you know what the difference is between me, and the Bats of Gotham?" He asked the shrieking audience members, who were unsure of where to go, or what to do. "I don't hide my face!" He shouted in to the microphone.

Benny shot to his feet, a renewed sense of heroism filling his young heart, as he rushed Two-Face, and lunged at him with all of his force, attempting to tackle him to the ground. But Two-Face anticipated it, and crouched low enough to let Benny fall right over his shoulder. He thrust himself back up in to the air, and launched the Maroni boy up in to the air, causing him to flip head over heels, and straight off of the stage. Benny crashed down on to a glass table, sending shards spreading all across the ground, as what was once Gotham City's greatest District Attorney, now straightened his tie, and cast another gruesome grin to the audience. "Tough crowd, I guess. But, we have a goal here tonight, and the show must go on." He nodded toward one of his gunmen, and the result was a series of shots ringing out toward Jason, trying to pin the Red Hood down, to keep him from firing, as Two-Face raised his coin up once more, and let it flip!

Down near Talia, Salvatore Maroni was on his feet, a reddened hue to his angry face, as he started to march toward the stage. He was right there beside the Batman, and right there beside Talia, but they meant nothing to him in this moment. "By God, I'll end this myself." The Don of the Maroni family said, as he pulled a massive pistol from his dress coat, and started his march.

The coin landed in Two-Face's palm, and a quick glance was given to it. He looked up again, and another scowling expression touched his visage. "The Bride survives. But the boat does not."

A shrieking sound tears through the night, as two twin missiles rip out from a secretive snipers nest across the water way. The streaking missiles leave trails of smoke in their wake, as they slam in to the starboard side of the yacht, resulting in a pair of massive explosions that rock the docks, sending a shockwave across the wedding reception!

Damian Wayne has posed:
    The compliment from his father gives Damian the briefest moment of pause. If he has any specific thoughts on it, which he most certainly does, his face does not betray them. He's come to appreciate the necessity of scouts in these situations, even if he'd much rather be blooding himself in the heart of the fray.

    ">Tt.<"

    The sound of tongue striking teeth is all that comes in response over the comms to the brief adulation. He's almost cut off by the sudden roar of the missiles as they pass through the air, watching with vague amusement as the yacht explodes.

    "Going after the missile launcher," he announces, propelling himself into the air with his grapnel launcher. His bo-staff held in one hand, ready to strike the man making explosions on the water.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Compared to the more dramatic reveals of the Batcowl'd pair (the man himself and his high-tech alternative), Orphan's own movement was much more low-key. A silent shaddow weaving deeper in through the crowd, throught the chaos, only to finally spring into action as the firefight rang out and Two-face opened fire on Jason.

A throw oh-so-typical of the Family and indeed the dark knight himself, her own throwing blade whipped across the air to embed itself into the firearm surpressing their friendly gunslinger, a blinking light the only warning of the small charge intended to detonate and disable the weapon.

Terry McGinnis has posed:
Shit. The Local Batman is on the ground now. This will be fun. Especially since his combat path is heading right for the Caped Crusader. The Batman of the Future ducks a wild punch by one of Two-Face's behatted goons and proceeds to judo throw the guy into the cake.

I bet that was expensive.

"So," he says to the Local Variety as he deftly disarms another gangster. "We should probably talk."

This won't end badly. Nope.

Tim Drake has posed:
Tim smiles with only one side of his mouth at the compliment that he has to share with the current Robin. He barely has time to pick out a new target when his set charges already take out a van, which loudly skids on busted tires into a warehouse. << "The Maronis got backup at the entrance by the parking lot." >> Red Robin quickly reports, as he moves in to head off the soldiers while they're still possibly reeling from their crash.

Drawing three Robin-styled Batarangs from his belt, he holds them between the fingers of his off-hand and rapidly throws them at the hands of the soldiers, disarming three. Closing the distance, Red Robin knocks the remaining two down, then swings his bo staff over his head, spinning to knock readied rifles out of hands hard. "Stand down, this isn't a fight you're going to win." Tim offers. He's not by any stretch of the word a pacifist, but if they surrender he'll take their word for it.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The shriek of pain at his back is just one sound among many unfolding around Batman. While the heavy thud of a blade striking an assailant may be lost among the chaos, the cry is unmistakable. It's a sound registers but goes ignored. The threat's already been neutralized. Batman is just about to launch himself toward Robin in order to combine their strengths for a push deeper into the crowds. The roar of missiles, an explosion, and then Robin's declaration that he'll be going after the launcher brings Batman to a pause.

He seems to think quickly as his attention drops from the chaos around himself with a call-out intended for Damian's Robin, "Robin, the strike came from across the water. I'm tying the Batwing to your signal, head for the roof. Temporary clearance granted". He doesn't wait around for confirmation.

The Batwing begins to descend from above. It dives almost noiselessly toward the very warehouse that Batman is currently brawling within. Moments before impact its nose rises sharply up, drawing it to a sudden halt alongside the rooftop's edge as it awaits the arrival of the heir of the House of Wayne.

Another voice addresses Batman and his grim countenance flashes a glance toward the intermingling of Catwoman and Robin that is Other Batman. The remark is met by little more than a passing glance, before Batman begins to move forward with nothing more than a brief comment offered in return.

"If you're who you think you are, then you know what to do. Get to work".

It's a short, simple, and perhaps a touch sour answer but it's the right one. If the other thought of himself as Batman; prove it and get to work.

Again Batman's on the move with an elbow thrown into the jaw of one of the Maroni thugs coming at the Batman with a knife. Whether it's the man's confusion amid the fray, some old vendetta, or simply a thug hoping to make a name for himself? Batman hasn't the time or inclination to humor a fame-seeker. The elbow connects with the man's jaw and it crunches loudly beneath the blow. The man spins about and a snap of Batman's leg finds a boot connecting with the side of his knee, sending him crumpling face-first and onto his broken jaw.

A dip, a duck, and a dodge finds the Dark Knight flashing past the armed Maroni patriarch with Talia al Ghul but a second away from intercepting him.

Batman seems to have set his sights on delivering a flowing series of blows, counterattacks, blocks, and redirects of the two-faced gunman's thugs as he makes his way for the stage. It's the gradually closer view that brings the man's into sharper clarity and Batman's frown deepens beneath his cowl. The frown speaks of Batman's grim determination being confronted by a drop of disbelief.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Oh how easy would it be.

Talia has a clear sight on Salvatore and could decapitate the head of one of the largest snakes in the Gotham Underworld with one flick of her wrist. The chaos into which the assassination would throw the streets would provide the perfect distraction for her fathers plans. All she need do is thrust her arm and loose her dagger. All of the Don's attention is turned towards the stage, brushing past her. He'd be dead and she'd be gone before anyone realized it had been her blade that caused it.

The flat surface of a scimitar hoists upwards to block the Don's forward progression. "Do you know what Nemesis means?" She doesn't wait for him to answer, "A righteous infliction of retribution administered by an appropriate agent... In this case..." She points the blade up towards Two-Face, just in time for his sidewinder missiles to strike the yacht. Glorious, if overly dramatic, punctuation of her statement.

"Him."

"You gain nothing by playing into his game, Don Maroni.. More to the point, you throw away what little tactical advantage you may garner from this incident amongst the people who now huddle terrified in the presence of a 'common enemy'." What she speaks with volume, it's loud only enough for them over explosions and WHAMS and POWS and god damn rocket launchers.

"All of Gotham is looking to you now.." She tilts her head at various guests, socialites, and wealthy elite who do seem to pay a great deal of attention to what Don Maroni is doing in this incident. "You could further your position among these people by playing the long game.." Speakingq uietly, but loud enough that he'll easily hear her. "Right now you're a victim and all you need do to capitalize is ... sit your ass down and let the Bats handle it... while formulating your own form of retribution to be served at time of 'your' chosing... with the full support of the League of Assassins behind you.."

She cants her head and shrugs, blade dropping out of his path.

    "Or you can do something stupid.."

        "My father is coming and he has very little use for stupid people."

Maybe she's bluffing?

    If she is bluffing, it's a good one.

Jason Todd has posed:
Round strike around Red Hood, one striking him in the chest armor not far from the red bat symbol. Taking a step back from the impact, He shifts position rather than play a stationary target. The shots come to an abrupt end as Orphan's blade does the job.

<<Thanks Orphan.>>

Rolling away, he rises up and continues to move toward Two Face, still some distance away. He takes the moment to reload then sends three taser rounds into another gunman that stepped out from behind a bit of flowery decor nearby. One more down.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The fireballs bloomed across the structure of the yacht, as the ship was already beginning to take on water on the far side, it would be at the bottom of the harbor within an hour. A pair of crew aboard it, could be seen leaping from the side, soon to splash down in to the black waters beneath it.

As Robin made his way across the water, aided by the plane of his father, he would find a tall tower inside an abandoned old church as the source of the rockets. It would not take him long to hear the sound of giddy laughter from the two men who had fired those rockets from their shoulder mounted launchers. They were cackling, bragging, and eagerly reloading their arsenal, hoping to be called upon to fire another volley soon, no doubt. They stood inside the dark bell tower, the bell long removed... unaware of a Bat sent to reign them in.

Back across the waterway, the timely throw from Cass' weapon sent aside the firearm that had shot at Jason, causing the man to leap from the stage, and lose his fedora in the process. He soon rushed at the Batman, joined by his brothers in arms, now rushing both Batmen, guns up, but soon to switch to knives when the two caped crusaders came in dangerously close, and oh so fast.

Sal Maroni stopped at the behest of the blade pressed to his chest, and his stern eyes fell upon that of Talia's face. He stared intently at her, at first with the ire that he felt in his heart, directed at her. The words she spoke to him however, seemed to cause him to see reason, and as she gave him an ultimatum, the elder patriarch of the Maroni family saw the logic in what she was saying. He stepped back, and watched the Bats do what they do, as he glanced to Talia again. "Who is your father?" He asked, his voice gruff and filled with rage held within a cage, at least for now.

Tim was greeted by a line of Maroni's men, having piled out of the van he disabled, with the sight of GCPD sirens visible in the distance, the cops finally reacting to the reports of what was going on here, with Commissioner Gordon's voice over the police radio. "Any heads up on what is going on? We're two minutes out. Drones are deployed, we should have eyes on the scene any second."

On the stage, Two-Face had a smug smile cross his strange lips, as he watched the two Batmen approach. He had been holding his arm with his good hand, still flexing his fingers to try and regain feeling inside it, as the yacht burned in the harbor behind his back. He staggered to the edge of the stage, and called out to the Bats. "I am glad you could make it, gentleman. Come and get me. I'm here for you. Fate, awaits!"

He raised his coin up again, held in his good hand, he flipped it high in the air..., its contours reflecting the lights of the party ornamentation, and the fire gleaming off of the doomed ship. It twirled upward, and came rolling back down to quietly slap against his outstretched hand. Heads up.

Two-Face's eyes looked at the coin, and with it the fire light glimmered within them. A terrible grin came across his faces, as he moved his numb hand to unbutton his coat...

He walked toward the Bats, both Bruce and Terry, and as his jacket fell open, it revealed a line of explosives strapped to his body.

"Fate has set Gotham free." Two-Face quietly declared, as he raised his hand up, and produced a detonator from inside his jacket sleeve. He looked directly at the Batman, who had to fight his way through his two-toned suited thugs to get to him before he could trigger it. "I'm glad to face my fate with you, the Dark Knight of Gotham. The cure to its crime..." He raised his hand up, and prepared to drop his finger down on to the trigger.

Terry McGinnis has posed:
While defending himself, he listens to Bruce, and he barks a laugh. "I knew you were going to say that."

The Batman of Neo-Gotham fights with the Batman of Gotham, throwing fists and elbows, knees and headbutts. It's absolutely clear that the local version is the more skilled fighter. His execution and efficiency is unmatched, but the man in black isn't a slouch. He's just far more raw. Unrefined. If still brutally effective. The two Batmen fight their way through until finally, they're before the man of the hour. Two-Face. Harvey Dent. Terry at least knows that much.

His eyes flicker towards Bruce, and he lifts his hands. "No need to do that. I'm sure we can talk this over."

It's moments like these that he misses his sweet flying Batmobile the most. He'd just call it over and use the Car Tazer. He doesn't have that here.

Instead, he keeps his hands up where Two-Face can see them, he's clearly not reaching for anything. See? He even turns them palm down towards the ground. Empty. No weapon--

That's a lie, as two pairs of sharp discs launch from the back of Terry's hands, slucing through the air at the detonator.

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Damian gracefully changes course mid-air, adjusting his momentum by attaching grapnel to the underside of the Batwing. He arches upwards, landing atop the empty cockpit canopy to balance a moment before it opens and allows him access. As he slides into the pilot's seat a wicked smile crosses his features, a strand of black hair loose on his forehead.

    The finely-tuned aircraft turns on a dime as Robin takes control, gloved hands creaking as he clutches the stick. The elevated ground the rocketeer finds himself on is suddenly struck by a hail of micromissiles, accurate enough that even the burst of concussive force is not enough to do harm. But they'll feel the sudden tremors as the church tower begins to crumble. Century old masonry collapses inward, ancient wood splintering as the parapet comes down with the men still standing atop it.

    "Would've liked to get my hands on that missile launcher," Robin opines with a sigh, before steering to Batwing up the river to bring it back around.

    "I can take out the stage," he offers, "Risk of collateral damage isn't that high."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The last of the thugs barring his way to the stage falls beneath a swirl of dark cape and a pair of grunts that seem to rise up from the thug's gut. He crumples to the floor and just as Batman prepares to throw himself toward the two-faced gunman, he comes up short. His chin lowers and his eyes lock onto the face. Not the trigger that he holds, but the man's two faces. There is no spark of recognition in what little of Batman's face may be seen. There is only the grim determination that is the inevitability of the Dark Knight.

There are times for action and there are times for reason.

Batman's shoulders shift. It's an adjustment to his posture that may put some at ease. It's body language that seems to indicate that the Batman's fight has left him.

His hands rises up and Bruce's grim expression remains, yet his eyes seem to offer fresh appeal to a familiar face as Batman's right hand rises up slowly, as though attempting to soothe a wild animal with calm and careful movements.

He speaks a familiar name and the voice modulation sends his voice into gravelly depths, yet there's no denying the surprise and disappointment that seems to layer itself within Batman's voice, "Harvey? What are you doing, Harvey?"

In moments of desperation: sow confusion.

Jason Todd has posed:
As Batman and, uh, Skinny Jeans Batman try to stop Two Face, Red Hood takes his attention away from the criminal and regards the wedding guests near him. Quietly he gestures, "Get up slowly. Go out through the catering tent. Don't run." Whether that works or not, well, he can't go about shooting anyone right now or it'll put the Two Bats at risk. So he'll try to work in getting the guests out alive.

Tim Drake has posed:
Tim does what any self-respecting Robin would do in the face of several goons with guns. He picks out a smoke pellet and throws it at the ground, then uses the billowing cloud as cover to grapnel away from danger. He might've been trained by -the- Batman, but that doesn't mean you can just punch your way out of every situation.

Perching above a lamp illuminating the ground below it, and conversely shrouding everything directly above the lamp in total darkness, Tim wraps the grapnel wire around the post he's on, then fixes the gun to his belt. His lenses filter out the smoke, and Red Robin knocks two coughing mafiosi down with his staff, grabbing the third as he retracts the grapnel line, going back to the lamp post. Which he bounces the thug off before letting him dangle by the ankles.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
It wasn't too late for her to change her course, Talia thought to herself. She could slice the Don from Adams Apple to Asshole with one swing of her razor sharp blade and be gone from this party before the GCPD ever saw the decorative lights. Instead she held his gaze without an ounce of the fear he so desperately craved. Fear was no shepperd to the Daughter of the Demon. It had been beaten out of her long ago and left her with nothing, but cold memories and hard lessons learned. Enough to match his gaze behind dark dusky shadow eyeliner.

The blade twists in her grip, but remains loose at her side as she turns to stand beside the Don, rather than in his path. He'd seen reason, for good or ill, under the darkness looming as TWO Batmen walk upon the agent of Justice loaded with explosives. If it be this night she finds deaths embrace at the hands of this wickedly scarred man and his vendetta, then so be it. She will face that final destination with stoic determination.

A far lighter sentence than she'll be doomed to face at the hands of the man whose name she'd invoked to sway Salvatore to inaction.

"The Demon's Head."

Around them continues the battle at the Maroni wedding. Terry and Bruce fighting together is a source of great confusing to most everyone, but there's something elegant about it to Talia's keen observation. Standing with the point of her scimitar down upon the ground and her hands crossed atop the decorative golden filigree.

"Messiah of the Crimson Sun."

Orphin and Red Hood act as Knights to the Castle manuever to protect the true target of Two-Face's scheme. Dispatching goons of both Maroni & the scarred agent of Justice with combination of pistol and thrown projectiles. Dark eyes regard them, shifting their orbit to track the movements of trained combatants as if taking notes for some unforseen future engagement... which is probably true.

"Ra's Al Ghul."

She finally gives her fathers most well known moniker with a dark stare. While the League prides itself on being subtle in their conflicts throughout history, they're still a well known agency to the Underworlds key figures. One that almost certainly strikes as a potentially lucrative partner for Salvatore Maroni. Otherwise he's going to say 'who' and she's legit going to cut his head off with her sword.

Discretion is the better part of valour... and morbid curiosity.. So The Daughter of the Demon turns, "It seems a suitable moment for our subtle departure, wouldn't you agree? I might suggest that you order your remaining men to assist the Bats while it is still possible to 'pick a side' ahead of the obvious conclusion to this crashed party?"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The glare of the hatred filled side of Two-Face's visage is sent to Terry, after those projectile weapons damaged his wrist, and cast the detonator to the side. Had it really been what he wanted? Had it been what Harvey Dent wanted? To die here, at the wedding of a family he tried to jail the vast majority of over the course of his career? No, it was what the other half of him would have relished in, not what Harvey wanted...

Harvey's side of his face, turned to look to Bruce. He peered with his one good eye at the face of the masked Dark Knight, the one that he knew so well. He had worked with Batman countless times, even utilizing the Commissioner's little toy atop the police HQ to get a personal meeting with the Batman from time to time, to share tactics, and methods on how to fight back against the forces of chaos in their beloved city. He stared at the face of the Batman now, and for a moment, Bruce would see the man he respected inside his stare. But, the turn of his body brought the scarred half of his persona around, and with it, the snarl that Terry had gotten, was presented to Bruce.

"I am here to fund raise for my revolution." Two-Face replied. "I wanted to see their faces, as I took away what was most important to them... and redistributed it in to the hands of those who would finally see all of these roaches stomped beneath a boot heel. You're too good for this work, Batman. I'm here to be the boot." With one deep breath, Harvey reached up and detached the explosive vest rig, causing it to fall to the ground, and in its wake he tapped a button on a phone that he pulled from its now empty harness. All across the party, cell phones began to beep inside of the various pockets, purses, pouches and clutches of the party's guests. Some began to reach for their devices, flipping them on and checking their notifications.

At Talia's location, Sal Maroni was staring at her with a even expression. "Impossible. He is dea---" He cuts himself off, as his own phone begins to beep. He produces it from his jacket pocket, and glances at the text across the small window. Rapidly, he turns to one of his associates, and begins barking at them about the bank accounts.

This sentiment spreads across the guests, as the GCPD officers begin to file in from the party's main building, rushing in with guns at the ready, their eyes scanning the wedding ceremony's after party, taking in the details, as GCPD drones fly by overhead, rushing past Damian inside of the Batwing.

The party's guests move in the direction of the officers, filing toward what they believe is safety, as Commissioner Gordon parts the crowds, and moves toward the Bats.

"I've done exactly what they fear most. I took away their most precious resource... and given it to those who will put an end to all of this, once, and for all." Two-Face expressed, as he looked from one of the Bats to the other. His coin holding hand gave one last toss to the silvery metal disc, and with it slapping in his palm, Heads Up, he raised his hands up, and presented them palms down toward Bruce, turning himself in to the Batman of this era.

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Damian's eyes flick sidelong out of the cockpit as he watches the arrival of the drones. As no response is forthcoming regarding his suggestion of collapsing the stage, he rolls his eyes behind his mask and thumps the console in front of him with an open palm.

    He says nothing as he watches Two-Face turn himself in via the picture-in-picture display on his HUD. Instead, he takes the stick once more and directs the Batwing out of the area of operations. No need to let the GCPD get a good look at it, after all. Or anyone else for that matter.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The GCPD have arrived and begin to storm the place. It's not the sort of environment that Batman wishes to be. When Harvey steps forward to turn himself in, Batman takes a half-step back. His arm rises up and his grapple fires. The GCPD train their weapons on the rapidly ascending Batman as Bruce is catapulted through the shattered skylight on account of his momentum. "We're done here," he announces in his gravelly, augmented voice, "resume your patrols. Robin," Batman speaks the title as though it's the name of his biological son, "return to base". No joy-riding tonight.

The Batmobile had been signaled shortly before his crashing through the skylight and the roar of its powerful engine reaches even onto the dockyard, though it's obvious that the monstrous machine had kept its distance and that Batman will seek it out, rather than vice versa.

There are no glances behind, only Batman quickly moving across the warehouse rooftop. He leaps onto an adjacent rooftop, moving quickly through the darkness. The drones overhead? A cloud of electromagnetic interference released around his person will prevent their optics registering the escaping figure of the Batman.

Terry McGinnis has posed:
If the Original Recipie is bailing, so is Extra Crispy. Bruce grapples out, but Terry sprouts the wings again, and rockets upwards through the skylight, the optic camouflage kicking on and rendering him mostly invisible again as he sails out into the night to do what Bruce said. Resume his patrol.

He -does- pop onto the 'Family Line' briefly. Maybe Steph gave him the hook up and he's just been listening this whole time?!

<<I'll swing by the cave soon. So we can really talk. I don't need directions.>>

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Impossible. He is dead"

Followed by beeping cellphones all across the party. The sudden chirps draw Talia's attention, until her's joins the rising jingles of electronic devices. From Sal's reaction, she need not look to the face of the device to know what has happened. Where anger and fear grip the majority of the socialites who now find themselves the stricken to poverty in a key stroke, Talia grips the hanging sheath for her scimitar and slips the blade away with a gentle click when handle meets fine wood.

The weapon is removed from her shoulders, grip strong along the middle of the finely crafted scabbard of wood and leather that's older than Gotham itself. To be held out in Salvatore's direction. "Congratulations to your nephew on the day of his wedding, Don Maroni. From the League of Assassins."

Once it is taken, she slips away from him that he can deal with the aftermath of this cyber attack. Herself passing through the crowds with the cloth wrapping her head tugged to free her mane of dark hair. A terrified expression creeps upon her face as she nears the officers rushing into the warhouse, with the front of her destroyed dress. She falls upon one of the Officers, makeup smeared from the tears rolling down her cheeks. 'are you okay, do you need an EMT?'. A GCPD coat is laid across her shoulders and she's escorted out towards one, but she's gone long before anyone takes flight towards a hospital.

Peering down at her phone with an amused grin as her banking app indicates her wealth, at least one of them anyways, has been depleted. "Well played, Harvey.." Rather than linger upon this, she taps a button and puts the phone to her ear after tossing her hair to the side. Silence from the other end.

"There's a new piece on the board."

She immediately disconnects, since no answer was coming anyways.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Harvey is placed under arrest by the Commissioner, and quickly placed in to Jim's personal cop car. The GCPD fans out, with emergency services and GCFD coming to put out the flames on the docks themselves. The situation was quite mad, but the good servants of Gotham's finest are here to try and make sense of it, and to try and bring peace back to the city once more...

Meanwhile, and in to the aftermath.

All across Gotham City, well-armed gangs clad in sharp black-and-white suits are storming the residences of the city?s most notorious mobsters and mafia kingpins. Violent clashes erupt in the streets, as word spreads of a new crime lord offering substantial rewards to anyone who takes down criminals overlooked by the law or shielded by corruption. This mysterious figure, a self-proclaimed Kingpin, is funding ?retribution squads? to enact vengeance on behalf of those victimized by Gotham's dark underbelly.

Rumors are circulating that the bank accounts of the city?s most infamous elite have been wiped clean, their fortunes mysteriously drained and redirected to fuel this crusade. And in hushed whispers across the city, a name rises to the surface ? ?Two-Face.? For some, he?s becoming the alternative to the Bat-family, promising true justice for Gotham?s most corrupt.