3436/Court of Owls: Red Dead Redemption One - Red Hood

Court of Owls: Red Dead Redemption One - Red Hood
Date of Scene:	19 September 2020
Location:	Upstairs - Red Cave
Synopsis:	The Talons come to the Red Cave. One Bat down.
Cast of Characters:	Jason Todd, Valeria Richards

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Jason Todd has posed:
This was a thing now. They'd said those words, agreed upon it, what Jason and Val were doing was a thing. And as much as that had frightened Jason at first he was finding it wasn't that bad. Especially when that meant Val popping down to Gotham on his day off for an impromptu day side visit.

Pulling his shirt on in the bedroom, Jason glances over to Val, stiffing a yawn, it was just past noon, wake up time for most of the bats, Jason included. "Want some breakfast?" he asks her. "I have honest to god food in the fridge," he promises with a faint grin. He knew how unlikely an event that was and fully anticipated snark.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Val stretches in the bed, tugging the blankets back over her head. "You cook? I'm skeptical," she teases from underneath the covers. "Or is this coffee and toast?" She points to where her tank top ended up on top of the lamp. "Toss me that?" she peeks out with a wicked grin. If that draws him back into bed, she's fine with that, but getting up she can handle as well.

Jason Todd has posed:
There's a smile about the tank top as Jason retrieves it but holds onto it for the moment. "C'mon have some faith, it's coffee, toast and /eggs/ I'm not a complete savage," he teases before offering Val back the tank top though, as she guessed, and definitely helped along by that grin, it does end up with Jason crawling back under those covers for awhile. The demonstration of his dubious cooking skills having to wait.

Valeria Richards has posed:
She gladly snuggles up to him as he rejoins her, though she does at least pull on her tank top first. "Oh?" she replies, teasing still. She looks extremely content, though, curled up against him, for a little while. But then she frowns a bit. "Mm. Jay, I know things aren't great in Gotham lately, but you think maybe you might be able to come with me to Russia for a couple of days?" Or a few days.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason is more than happy to snuggle for awhile as well, glad they didn't have to dance around such things now that things were somewhat official with the two of them. "Russia?" he asks. "If we want grey and dismal we can just go across the river to Bludhaven," he jokes, before asking more seriously. "But sure, I can probably swing it, what's up?"

Valeria Richards has posed:
"One of my friends has gone missing," Val murmurs. "And that's who has her. I've retooled Pierre's cannons from glitter to electrical pulses, and I think my force field belt should work... enough... now. I haven't really tested it fully. But I'm not really the 'kick in the door and make people regret what they've done' sort." She does actually grin a bit at him. "However, YOU on the other hand are fully versed in both door kicking AND the make you pay sort of thing..."

Jason Todd has posed:
"That's happening a lot recently," Jay says of friends going missing. "But sure, I can handle getting her back, who's got her the Bratva?" he asks, they were the logical go-to for missing girls and Russia. If only he knew what he was really up against. "Of course I am," Jason says about door kicking and the rest, smiling a little. "When do we need to go?"

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Soon. Tomorrow, maybe? I don't know..." Val frowns. "And no, it's some spy group called the Red Room. I don't know much about them, but they interfered with her citizenship here and then..." she trails off. "And Dick is all talking about how the Titans can't interfere with sovereign nations and rules and laws and whatever." She rolls her eyes. "You know how he is." She huffs slightly. "But the sooner, the better. I want to get her back and make it very, very clear that further attempts to kidnap her or manipulate her will end poorly for them." Her jaw sets in frustration, her blue eyes crackling with annoyance. She gives him a kiss. "But I think between you, me, and Viv... and Pierre, we'll cause enough trouble for them that they'll think twice. Besides, no one wants to bring the wrath of Latveria down on them."

Jason Todd has posed:
Nodding, Jason reaches for his phone on the bedside table, bringing it back to bed as he begins to fire off texts to get his patrols covered. "I should be able to go tonight if we need to, just need to get my patrol for tomorrow covered. The name Red Room though, that does get a reaction from Jason. "I'v heard rumours about them, their serious business," he says, though he hasn't stopped texting either. He returns that kiss before asking, "Who's this Viv?" he asks her. "Unless they can carry their weight in the field, might be good to keep the team small."

Valeria Richards has posed:
"She's a synthezoid, like Vision," or Ultron. Val's response is somewhat dismissive, as if that explains everything, of course they'll be bringing Viv-- then there's a sudden chirrup, and the TV in the living room flashes on, showing a half dozen camera angles around the old garage Jason had converted into his little hideout. "Mm? What's that?" she sits up, looking through the bedroom door to where the TV hangs on the wall.

Jason Todd has posed:
"What's a synthe-" Jason begins when the TV snap on with feeds from his many security cameras set up around the 'cave'.

"Shit," he says rolling out of bed. "Someone must be coming, triggered the motion sensors," some days it was just a cat, others a guy looking for cans down the alley, but he treated them all like an armed invasion. He goes to the closet to get his shotgun before tossing Val her jacket, "Cover up with this, alright? Probably nothing but will feel better with you in some armour," he says moving to go check the feeds now, gun in his hand.

At first it looks like nothing, no cat, no homeless guy, nothing, then he catches sight of an arm at the edge of a camera frame, a leg in another, and then finally a curved blade.

"Val!" Jason calls out. "Get to the safe room," he says falling back to the bedroom to pull on his Red Hood suit as quickly as possible. He was going to need the armour.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Pulling her jacket over herself (and feeling a little ridiculous doing so, come on, a leather jacket over a tanktop and underwear?), Valeria looks amused at first, assuming it was just a cat or something that tripped her overly paranoid boyfriend's alarms... but then he's telling her to get to the safe room. "What?" She glances at the screen, not seeing anything obvious. "Jason, you're overreacting, seriously--" then half a owl-clad talon appears in one of the video feeds and she stares at it for a moment. "What... oh god, is that one of the zombies?" She does move over towards where the trap door to the safe room is, struggling a little bit with the weight as she pulls it up and open. She looks down into it, biting her lower lip. "You're coming, right?"

Jason Todd has posed:
"Just go now!" Jason shouts but the image on the screen does his explaining for him as he puts on his armoured chest piece and the gun belt. "It's them," he confirms. "Need you down in the safe room right now, Val, I've got to set something up then I'll be right there," he lies, moving to help her pull the door open. Once it's open he gives her a kiss, meeting her eyes for a moment, "It'll be okay. I prepared for this, just need to make sure you're safe."

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria gives Jason a look that is a mixture of concern, fear, and annoyance. "You're lying," she says quietly, about him joining her. She kisses him back, swallows and steps off into the hole left by the trap door. Her landing isn't graceful, but she doesn't hurt anything. She looks back up at him through the door as the lights in the safe room flicker on.

Jason Todd has posed:
Val's not wrong but there's no time to discuss or explain, he just helps her down and then shuts the door behind her, the locks sliding into place automatically soon after. After that Jason rises, pulls on his helmet and turns the key set in the box in the wall, arming the lethal traps he spread around the Cave, for an occasion such as this. All the same he goes to retrieve the shotgun he'd left in the bedroom, knowing the traps weren't going to be enough to slow the Owls' approach.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Val sits on the cot in the corner of the safe room, drawing her knees to her chest and feeling helpless and useless. In a box again when things get dangerous.

The muffled sounds of small lethal explosions immediately outside Jason's 'Red Cave' are the first real sign the attack has begun. His arming the lethal traps was well timed, but isn't going to stop them... it might not even slow them down. The screen in the living room flickers between the various feeds, and what had begun as a dozen talons now shows to be twice that, at least, and then a trio of Talons that are hanging back, seemingly conversing with each other and clearly in the center of one of the feeds.

Not all of them are mindless zombies?

Another pair, these dressed in business attire, one male and one female, but both wearing smooth white circular masks with slightly pinched 'beak' centers join the Talons hanging back, even as the small army descends on Red Cave through all the entries... doors, windows... reinforced bullet proof glass may not shatter, but force kicks it in, just as much as force eventually beats through the reinforced doors.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason waits for the men zombies to come to him, taking note of the trio that hang back, smart zombies or something else, he wasn't going to show them any mercy, to hell with Batman's rules, They came after him and the came after Val, they were going to die.

The door to the living quarters bursts inwards and Jason is waiting on the other side with his shotgun.

BAM

CHUH-CHUH

BAM

CHUH-CHUH

BAM

Until the doorway is clear of zombies then he tosses a frag grenade down the stairs behind them to deal with who's coming next.

Only the next wave don't come through the door but beat in one of his windows, ripping it clean off the frame and sliding into his kitchen.

Jay rushes to meet them, blowing he head off the first, and pumping two clusters of buckshot into the next one.

He tosses down the empty shotgun and draws his pistol, finishing the second one off with a shot to the head as he falls back again, expecting more to be coming through the front door.

Valeria Richards has posed:
And they do. The first wave was just the beginning. More swing in through the window, and more through the door. The living room window is shoved in as well off the frame, and more pour in. And behind those are more still. Its very clear they intend to overwhelm him by sheer numbers.

None have, however, drawn their swords. The trio and the pair still wait, watching. At least that is the last thing Jason sees of them for now before his TV is knocked off the wall by the swinging fist of one of the talons.

Jason Todd has posed:
Before the TV is knocked down, Jason points his gun at the three owls on the screen in a quiet promise that he would somehow fight his way out to them and make them pay for this. When the image goes, Jason jumps into action, rushing for the kitchen, using the narrow space to his advantage facing off with the Talons one by one rather than letting them swarm him.

One goes down with a bullet in the head, a second goes by the same, a third takes a chef's knife throug the back of the head, one that gets kicked in deeper before Jason rolls out into the living room both guns blazing, using the doorway from the kitchen to keep his flanks protected as he guns down the first group of Talons there. It's when the guns go empty that he runs into problems, he pops the magazines but the next wave of Talons is too quick, they come from in front and behind, Jason parries a blade with a gun, before vaulting over the heads of the Talons and into the living room. He grabs his captured Talon sword off the wall and draws one of the two knives hanging from his belt as a backup weapon.

"Bring it," he snarls at the Talons before they advance, the living room becoming a swirl of blades and blood. Jason fights hard, but despite the League paying for his training he's no great swordsman. The numbers and skills of the Talons begin to show with a dozen little cuts, all over Jason's body, each one paining him and slowing him, allowing more to be opened. Though Jason keeps on fighting, making the Talons pay for each cut with limbs and heads as he tosses the back up knife into the head of a Talon and comes at the rest with the long curved blade gripped in two hands. "FUCKING DIE!" he screams as he charges back into the fray.

Valeria Richards has posed:
There are too many of them. Even as one or two fall to blade or bullet, another and another take their place until Red Cave is nothing but a swarm of them, eventually tackling him and taking him to the ground, pinning his arms and legs and making him unable to move. There is no way out now for him. One of the talons idly pulls a thrown knife out of his shoulder and simply sheathes it before reaching down to pull Red Hood's helmet off.

Then the talons in the destroyed living room around Jason, that arent actively helping to hold him down, step back and stand still as if waiting for something.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason keeps fighting determined to take out as many of these bastards as he can before he goes down, pinned to the floor the helmet removed. His face is bare underneath, there wasn't time for his back up domino mask.

When it's clear that he's pinned, Jason begins to calm, slowing his breath, hoping the Trio would choose now to appear, he'd use his strength then and try to make the trio at least a duo before the Talons get him again.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Minutes pass.

The virtual wall of talons part, and the three from outside step in. Their movements are more fluid, more alive. more human. But they are dressed the same as their brethren, right down to the goggles and the blades strapped to their backs and arms. They regard Jason as he lays there, held down by several of the lesser talons.

"Oi, boy," the Talon to the furthest right is the first to speak. "Good feckin' fight in ye, I'll say." Some of the other talons that are standing around begin to start cleaning up... checking the fallen to see if they are recoverable. Some are, but many aren't. Jason had destroyed the skulls of many of them thoroughly enough that they can't be brought back. Not that he is entirely aware of this quite yet.

"Open your mouth," says the middle one, calmly. He pulls something that looks like pincers or pliers from one of the sheathes on his costume.

"Kid ain't just going to open his jaw for you," the last comments dryly. "But it would go easier for you if you don't fight." The two owls in business attire have yet to appear.

Jason Todd has posed:
No words from Jason even when he's spoken to, though when the one draws close with the pliers, Jason moves throwing all his strength into getting free, grabbing the pliers and jamming them through the eye hole of the Talon's mask.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Jason's attempt does almost work. As his body bucks, he almost throws off his talon captors, but the undeads' strength is nothing to underestimate. He is quickly slammed back down on the ground.

The three Talons actually start laughing. Not angrily, or mockingly, however. More in the same way a group of friends watching a football game and seeing a great play might.

"You're gonna go far, kid," says the one with the pliers. "Get his mouth open."

The other two kneel down on either side of Jason's head, and with firm and not too gentle methods they force Red Hood's mouth open. The one with the pliers pushes them inside Jason's open jaws, grasping the first lower molar on the right side of his jaw, and with a sickening crack rips it out.

He tosses the tooth aside, then swiftly pulls a silvery-looking replacement from a pouch, and with a fast and painful slam replaces the silver tooth into the bleeding, painful hole left.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason struggles in a frenzie as the Talons slam him to the floor and hold him tight. "Laughing?! I'm going to feed you your fucking swords you pieces of shit. All of you are dead, I don't care how long it takes but I am going to kill every last one of you."

The talking stops when they force his jaw open, he makes no noise as the tooth is pulled but then the new one is implanted he screams, thrashing and kicking trying to get free again.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Aye, boy. We are dead." The first one pats Jason's cheek and rises to his feet. "That's the feckin point now ain't it? Dark God take ye, bastard, you'll unnerstan soon nuff." The other actually gives Jason a fond pat on the head before he, too, stands, rejoining the one with the pliers.

They all three regard him quietly for a time, standing there waiting.

Jason Todd has posed:
The wound heals quickly, in part because of the magic and in part because of Jason's Lazarus enhanced physiology. "What the hell are you doing to me?" he asks trying to get himself free and rip the tooth from his own jaw. "And if you're dead already I'm going to make you stay that way."

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Nothing yet," a woman's voice rings out from behind the Talons. Heels click on the floor of the Red Cave, accompanied by the light taps of a pair of men's dress shoes.

The Talons part slightly for their masters to be granted a look at their captive. "Is this Jason Todd, then? Funny, I thought he would be taller somehow." The woman's face, hidden by her mask, is inscrutable. Jason only has tone and body language to read. "The rest of you join the others. Wayne's little safehouse under his manor will be a hard nut to crack, and they will need your assistance." The extraneous talons begin slipping out by ones and twos.

"Where's the girl?" the man asks peevishly, running a fingertip lovingly over the blade at his side, which looks like a much cleaner and less pocked version of the blade Jason and Tim had found in what they called the Murder Room.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason makes another push to get free but finds his muscles failing him, he's lost too much blood. "You're not going to be able to take the cave," he tells them, happier to rant about that then discuss Val. "So save yourselves the trouble and just slit your own throats." He spits at the man with the blade, leaving a gob of it on his expensive looking suit.

Valeria Richards has posed:
The woman shifts. "I told you already we don't want Latveria interference." The man makes a scoffing noise. Jason's defiance seems to be ignored for the moment as they argue.

"Blood must be spilled," he argues. "That's the rule of it, and the more bitter the blood the sweeter it is--"

"Check the closets and under everything. The girl hasn't left," the woman sounds resigned. "Carve the offering circles if you must." The man sets to it, beginning to carve a pair of interlinked circles in the floor of Jason's living room. His body language is pleased as two of the Talons break off to begin searching the place.

The woman stares over Jason and sighs audibly. "You don't understand yet, Mr. Todd, but you will. What we have to offer you is something no one else can."

Jason Todd has posed:
"She's gone," Jason says of Valeria. "She's the daughter of Reed Richards, you think they didn't fit her with an emergency teleporter? She's back in New York and on the phone to her godfather, and it sounds like you know who that is. So do yourself a favour, screw your offers and get the fuck out of my house before it gets flattened by an army of Doombots, because trust me, you don't have enough zombie ninjas to take them all on."

Valeria Richards has posed:
The two glance at each other. Then the two Talons come back. "She isn't here," the amiable one says quietly.

"Teleporter then?" the woman actually seems relaxed at that. "Well, that solves that problem." The man snarls wordlessly and tucks the knife back away on his hip. "But you are right, if she isn't here to fill the circles with her blood, and her Godfathers technological beasts will be here soon, we must hurry, then." She pulls out a vial and a syringe. "Don't worry. This will only sting a little." She draws up a fair amount of the liquid and jabs Jason in the shoulder above his heart.

The liquid feels like cold fire through his viens before it drags him into a nightmarish slumber.

Jason Todd has posed:
"Told you," Jason lies when they can't find Val. It was victory and he needed to cling to those. Especially when the needle comes out. Jason doesn't resist, figuring if they wanted to kill him here and now one of them would have done him with a knife, no, he'd get another chance to escape and in the meantime he'd save his strength and wait for his moment.

For now though he slips into sleep his dreams filled of the murder room and what could be waiting for him when he wakes.

Valeria Richards has posed:
In the safe room below, Val hears the muffled distant sounds of gunfire retreat, but the door isn't opened. She waits, a glance given to the oxygen scrubbers and their count of time remaining of good air. Her phone lays buried under bloodsplattered blankets in the bedroom above. Her bracelets have been knocked off the nightstand.

The system had flickered with one of the explosions, possibly too close to a sensor. She doesn't know what is happening outside the room. She just knows that eventually the door has to open. Jason won't let a bunch of zombies hurt him. He will open the door and everything will be fine.

Soon.