5212/The Beast in the Locker

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The Beast in the Locker
Date of Scene: 16 February 2021
Location: GCPD Twenty-Second Precinct -- Gotham City
Synopsis: The Beast's Paw makes their play and finds that the vigilantes of Gotham are more then up to the case. The stash of military grade weaponry remains in the GCPD custody. For now.
Cast of Characters: Bruce Wayne, Achilles, Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, Zatanna Zatara, Phoebe Beacon, Barbara Gordon




Bruce Wayne has posed:
TEN MINUTES AGO
There was nothing really unexpected about one of the SWAT vans arriving in the garage beneath the Twenty-Second Precinct in Gotham's north end. Only when the sergent on duty trotted up to wave them on through did he notice the masked man crouches just behind the driver, a gun jammed up against the man's side. Backing away, he was still fumbling for his radio when a half dozen men burst out of the back on the van, overwhelming him in a rush, leaving him beaten, unconscious and tied before tucking him away, back out of sight.

EIGHT MINUTES AGO
The van pulls up to the underground entrance and the man with the gun on the driver pulls out his cellphone, holding it up to the man. There is a live feed of another masked gunman, his weapon folded across his chest. And while he doesn't hold it on the pretty young blonde woman who holds a child no longer then one, the implied threat is clear. "You did your part. The deal stands. We're going to cuff you and gag you. Don't try to be a hero and your pretty little wife and little girl just might get out of this alive," he says in a low and threatening voice, reaching out to drag the driver, the cop that got them into the precinct into the back of the vehicle to leave him bound and gagged.

FIVE MINUTES AGO
A half dozen men in urban camoflauge storm down the hallway that leads to the Twenty-Second's Evidence Locker, the spoils of dozens of gang-related collars locked away there until after trial. The man behind the reinforced glass has his back turned, busy tapping at a computer that rests on a nearby desk, updating the inventory records. He only has a brief instant of warning as the lead gunman hits the door hard, that portable, heavy steel battering ram hitting the heavy door, blocking it open as the lock breaks. The officer on duty reaches for the alarm and the second man through the door raises a silenced pistol, his shot true as he takes the man down with a bullet to the head.

THREE MINUTES AGO
Another half dozen men enter the precinct through the front door, this time in plain clothes, staggered out over thirty seconds or so. They chat, animatedly and far too loud, generally being particular obnoxious. And when the officer behind the reception desk approaches to ask them to settle down and take seats, he too gets a bullet for the trouble. With guns out, they begin to filter into the main precinct, shouting for everyone to stay calm, to not do anything stupid and generally serve as a distraction for what is going on twenty feet beneath everyone's feet. They're loud and obvious and silent alarms go off only seconds after they breach the security of the precinct. The police band is quick to send out an all cars alert.

Achilles has posed:
    Well, it's been a heck of a day. Angelo Tampambulos, agent of SHIELD is just about done with Gotham for now. He's filed all of his reports with his own superiors. He's made sure to check in with the locals now that the kidnapping case he'd been assisting them with is wrapped up. And so, the small office that he was loaned to work out of is just about done being packed up. His kit bag is slung over one shoulder, and he says into his phone, "Commissioner. I am just glad that I was able to be of use and support to you and your fine officers."
    A pause as sounds of odd types reach his ears. "Sir. I think you had better send support to the twenty second precinct." he says as he switches the phone to speaker and tosses it onto a shelf out of sight from the main area.
    He figures... if Commissioner Gordon can hear the speakerphone audio, he might have more intel on the case at hand. But as for Angelo, he is already moving to a position of cover as he slides his SHIELD issue ICER out of its holster on his belt, and he ducks down behind cover while simultaneously trying to wave for any other officers he can see to take cover. "Nobody tries to be a hero, got it?" he asks before popping around a corner and firing twice at one of the invaders before ducking back behind cover. Yep. Someone was in the thick of it and he looks skyward, "Thanks Gramps." he mutters, "You never let it get boring, huh?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl is on top of the Gotham First National back, leaning back on a gargoyle whose back and head she once noticed were perfectly shaped to be a comfortable reclining seat. "I'm not saying it's not a good song," she says, not sending her voice out over all the comms. Just to Oracle. "I'm just saying the lyrics are kind of simple. I mean, 'doo doo doo, dah dah dah, is all I want to say to you'. Really? I mean I hope you're not trying to take me home with that line because-"

The sound of the alarm being passed through her suit comms causes Batgirl to sit up. "Crap," she says as she flips down the screens over her eyeholes so she can see the heads up display's info on the alarm. "A police precinct's alarms are going off?"

The purple and black clad young woman hops to her feet, sprinting across the rooftop and leaping off of it without hesitation, jumping out into the night. Were anyone there to hear it, the sound of a bat-grapple shooting off into the night can be heard, and soon after reeling the caped crimefighter after it, pulling her towards the distant police precinct.

Jason Todd has posed:
Picking up the alert on the police band, Red Hood makes his way to the precinct, smiling inside his helmet at the irony of the situation, the Red Hood saving the cops as he makes in that direction. Over the bat comms he says, << Anyone else herring the call from the 22nd? Might need some better known Bats with all these cops around. >> After all it wasn't all that long ago that Red Hood was one of the bad guys.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The Birds of Prey have a fantastic resource in Oracle, who keeps her digital fingertips on the pulse of Gotham City quite like no one else. Those unseen pieces moving through the city have to contend with her sharp eyes and other systems monitoring for trouble. When Zatanna hears through the grapevine that trouble brews, she puts down the phone and signals to an assistant to leave the fiery hoop on an empty stage above the Hat and Hare Bar. Buttons pressed extinguish the pyrotechnics show. Sudden departures are hardly unexpected with a member of the Justice League. When duty calls, and all that.

She snatches up her coat as a precaution. Deep pockets give up dark gloves, which cover a few remaining bandages wrapped around her wrists and forearms. She is protected from the cold that welcomes her once she descends the stairs and knocks open the door. No grapples or ropes here for her, the precinct requires an approach on foot after getting information relayed first- and secondhand. Batgirl won't be alone.

A motorcycle nearby might be pragmatic given the cold but she has better things to do. Drawing a square with her hand on a nearby alley wall already decorated in graffiti - it's Gotham, after all - opens up a door of glowing blue light.

<<On my way!>> she texts Oracle quickly. Who knows who might get that message. After checking once on the location, she invokes the door with a word. It swings open, and she steps through to another alleyway opposite the precinct.

"Why does it always smell like fish?" A great question of humanity's best overlords.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Recently returned to the Outsiders and cleared for 'light duty', Balm in her gray hood had been making her rounds, checking up on her normal protectorate -- when the scanner's alert went off. Ordinarily the Outsider would have to retreat, but tonight?

    She felt like she was on top of the world. So after climbing over a Pharmacy and vaulting accross a couple of alleys, the hooded healer draws up to the corner of a building, listening on the Outsider band for any news.

    "Coming up on the 22nd Precinct; shots fired and officers likely down. Going in to lend a hand." she murmurs quietly.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Broadway is dark tonight... a little bit weaker than you use to be.

With her fiery red hair tied up in a messy ponytail, Babs works herself off the couch into her wheelchair and pulls her legs over into the saddle, positioning her feet on the stirrips. Glasses slide down over her jade green eyes with the flick of her index finger and then smoothly jerk to guide her chair towards the Array seated like a monolith of technology before the big clock face window that looks out over Gotham Harbor.

See the old Babs sitting in the old Babs bar...

Headphones on, she keys up her tracker programs and lets the digital display keyboard cast out a red glow of keys across her desk. Fingers moving across them to start bringing up her software.

>>Did someone say... Oracle?<<

The red blip appears on her digital map.

>>Batgirl, I have your path cleared all the way to 22nd. Red, can I uplink to your onboard cams to feed tactical to the rest of the team?<<

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Down in the bowels of the old, rundown building the half dozen professional mercenaries act with professional precision, securing the evidence locker, taking up positions at the each hallway that leads to the room, clear shots for anyone approaching their position. Of course even as they secure their place another half dozen individuals enter through the door leading out into the motor pool. These six are not dressed like mercenaries -- instead they wear the uniforms of SWAT police, moving down the hall before beginning to split up, checking into the lunch and locker rooms, peeking into interrogation chambers for anyone on site that isn't part of their crew. And when they find them? They take them out. Non-violently where they can. And if not... well, they do what they need to do. By the time things are getting into full swing upstairs, there are an additional seven officers bound and gagged downstairs. And another one laying in the center of the kitchen, a small pool of blood slowly expanding out in a dark circle around the man.

Upstairs, in the main precinct hall it is a bit of a different story. Things are not quite so smooth and professional. The handful of invaders are very quickly down two men thanks to the unknown variable of a SHIELD agent on site. The fact that he happened to be on the phone with Commissoner Gordon at the time of the attack likely means that the Major Crimes Unit is already on the way as well. Handy that.

But it has made an unstable situation a little more unstable and after watching two of their own downed within a minute of entering the building, the remaining four gunmen are a little... tense. They have also grabbed hostages. Having not seen where the shooter was, they are now huddled behind an assortment of captives -- a desk sergeant on the verge of retirement, a pregnant mother with two young childen with her and an assortment of others, from suspects to witnesses caught at the wrong place at the wrong time and now have guns pointed at their heads. "You get out here right now! You show yourself or we'll put bullets in all of them!" the apparent 'leader' of the this group shrieks, the quaqrtet looking around wildly, trying to spot who was responsible for those shots moments earlier.

Of course Gotham's Dark Knight is monitoring the comms. When is he not? While he doesn't give his position, that quiet voice chimes in, "See if you can get a visual inside Oracle. Attacking a precinct isn't exactly a smart move," he says, already thinking ahead, trying to get in the mind of these men. Gotham criminals don't tend to be geniuses. But this seems like it's verging on the suicidal. A cowled gaze flickers to the display on the dashboard of the BAtmobile, eyes scanning over some other information. And picking up an interesting text. Imagine that -- Batman doesn't respect people's privacy. Still, he looks thoughtful for a moment.

Achilles has posed:
    Remember when he said 'no heroes'? Well, that only applied to everyone else. Angelo spies the hostages and calls out, "Okay. I'm coming out!" He tosses his ICER onto the floor in plain sight and stands up slowly, making sure his hands are visible before anything else. He can feel the tension in their bodies as he slowly steps out into view.
    With his green eyes, he tells the other officers taking cover to not do anything.. he does this without speaking. So it may be as effective as the Captain in Galaxy Quest telling Sigourney Weaver to cut the comms and she just interpreted it WAY wrong.
    Either way, he steps forward a step or two and says, "Look guys. I am an agent of SHIELD. If you want a hostage, I will voluntarily be your hostage if you let those two go. Think we can work a deal here? I guarantee you that I will have more leverage than they will. That you could use my clearance to get through security checkpoints and the like..." Sure, he's buying time, trying to stall. He also knows something that none of the people in the building know...
    That he cannot die. Stupid river Styx bath. So he is not in fear for his life, but for the lives of the others.

Jason Todd has posed:
Red Hood grapple guns his way to the top of the building across from the Precinct, << Got it O, >> he says taping something on the side of his helmet to connect the uplink. "<< Should be seeing what I'm seeing now . >> He takes a slow pan of the building before focusing on any windows. << Looks like lots of activity inside. Multiple hostels, generally a real fun party. >>

Barbara Gordon has posed:
>>On it.<<

Thanks to her connection to Gordon, even if he's unaware, Babs has installed a number of backdoors into most of GCPDs CCTV feeds. Some of them are older, of course. Not many people go attacking those preverbial fortresses of old architecture, even in Gotham, and a number of software updates later.. Even her expert software additions can prove a little out-dated.

Which isn't to say she's not capable of working magic. Just wanting to point out that she's going to have to crack her knuckles - which she does - and get to work with deft fingers on digital keys.

root:01access_primary(user.directory=redirect.iftrue(1)
    access_primary(alleye)=directory-main/#1=true
        direct.access-1=user
-new.access(now))

ACCESS GRANTED

>>Let there be... light...<<

Oracle begins feeding individual CCTV feeds of to her own computer, crossing them against a digital wireframe projection map she brought up from floor plans of the precinct and highlighting visualized aggressors with redmarkers. It's not /absolute/, but it's better than going in blind.

"Like a good neighbor, Oracle's there." Sip of coffee.

>>Soon as you want some dramatics, let me know. I've got a few surprises up my sleeves.<<

The images from Jason's cameras and the digital wireframe map are routed to the various, accessable, HUDs.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl's vision sees an overlay of what Red Hood is sending through to their communications and computer savant. She pauses it and zooms in, spotting gunmen with their weapons on hostages and she frowns.

<< Batgirl. Heading in. >>

One of the hostage-taking gunmen glances up through the skylight above him. Shining up above he spots the Batsignal. A round bright circle with that familiar Bat logo silhouette in it.

He looks back down, seeing Angelo toss out his weapon, and two of the hoodlum's buddies rise, taking their guns off the hostages to train them on Angelo instead. Leaving the other two still aiming at the hostages.

The one man glances up again. The Batsignal is gone. Wait, that wasn't the Batsignal, that was just the Moon. So why did it have that bat shaped dark spot? And what is that thing falling towards-

The skylight shatters as Batgirl crashes through it. The new cape-glider that had cast the batwing shaped silhouette as she passed in front of the Moon was pulled in twenty feet up from the skylight, a quick shot of a small charge onto the skylight shattering it just as she reaches the hardened glass.

Her disk launcher shoots twice, the projectiles hitting the gunhands of the two gunmen still covering the hostages. Freeze gas sprays out in a tiny cloud, courtesy of the tanks that Victor Fries had on him when Batgirl captured him in Russia. The gunmen's hands and guns are quickly encased in blocks of ice before they can get a shot off at the hostages. Batgirl lands hard, but rolls to absorb the fall, springing back up to her feet. "Let's do this!" she says.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Not everyone's going to have so flashy an entrance -- but it was an entrance that Balm didn't have to make herself. From her position on the corner of the adjacent building, the dark gray shadow moves on silent feet, following Batgirl in through her entrance. As Batgirl acts distraction, the hooded healer dips down through the hole in the skylight, swinging herself to the side -- behind the crowd, and she grabs onto an overhead light chain, swings a moment and lands in a crouch, over to the side, her eyes going wide as she takes a deep breath in, registerring the people in the room -- goons with frozen hands? Check.

    Former hostages? Check.

    Batgirl? Double check.

     -- Agent Tampabulos? ... might make things complicated.

    She's definitely wearing a House of Drake fashion, even if she's got the training wheels version of a domino and cowl.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While things might be hitting the fan upstairs, it is all going smooth as clockwork downstairs. The 'SWAT team' has secured the floor and now taken up position at the stairwell, the elevators and at the entrance leading out to the motor pool. And while they have been doing that, the mercenaries have been tearing apart the evidence locker, big hockey bags loaded up with guns and assortment of much higher tech weapon seized from the Beast's Paw activities over the past couple of months. Rocket-propelled grenades and missle launchers join the assault weapons, along with a heap of explosives and some real cutting edge stuff. And as each bag is filled, one of the mercs hefts it up over their shoulder, making a beeline for that secured door leading out into the garage.

The story is definitely very different upstairs. There is no calm, no cool up here. Even when Angelo throws out his weapon, apparently surrendering, offering himself up as a hostage instead the temperment of the quartet of gunmen does not significantly ease. Even unarmed he's a pretty intimidating guy and it is no surprise that two of them immediately fix their weapons on him. Better then the hostages to be sure, but they still grip their captives tight. "And why shouldn't we just add you to their number, tough guy?" the mouthy one sneers. "Better yet, why not just put you down," he adds. A real tough guy, hiding behind a pregnant woman.

With Oracle on the job, with Red Hood providing even more live data the Bat Clan at least has a whole lot of intel on the situation inside. More then enough to let Batgirl go crashing through the skylight, to come crashing down towards the gunmen. There's an exclaimation of fear and surprise as ice suddenly incases the hands of one of the beligerent gunmen and he instincitvely lets his hostage -- the nearly retired desk sergeant slip free from his grasp. But the others grip their human shields a little more tightly, one continuing to hold that weapon on Angelo while the other actually opens fire on Batgirl, the sudden sound of gunfire in the enclosed room loud and jarring. Not to mention very dangerous.

Too bad none of them notice Balm slipping in after Batgirl, retreating to the periphery of the chamber while Red Hood lurks overhead. They really need an Oracle of their own.

Still racing towards the scene, the Dark Knight gives half his attention to the road, weaving in and out of traffic with the practiced, skilled hand while the imagery that Oracle beams directly into the HUD of his cowl feeds him a host of information. The wireframe map with hostiles is particularly interesting. "Do we have any live feeds from the basement?" he asks tersely.

Achilles has posed:
    A little thing about having so much experience in dealing with idiots and fighter types... one still can be caught off guard, but muscle memory means that one does not hesitate after so many times being in the pot.
    Angelo moves the moment the mercs track upwards and start to be attacked from above. He steps in and bats one weapon upward away from the other officers with a forearm as he goes to sweep the legs out from under the other shooter. He is a flurry of motions. Motions that are economical and efficient. Nothing wasted. There are elements of Silat there, as well as Kung Fu based stances. And his elbow smashes into the first one's face before he strikes with the blade of his palm right into the windpipe of the second. The two of them go down and he just tilts his head to one side as he looks to Batgirl. "Interesting." he mutters.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
>>Should be, unless they disabled them.<<

Babs flips through the feeds, finding most are just static, until she stumbles onto some of the newer installations that resemble less obvious cameras. "Bingo!" Feeding those over to the Bat-clans HUDs after polishing them up a bit. >>They took out most of them, but there's a few long hallways and side rooms.<<

Batgirl's dramatic entrance does not go unnoticed and, in fact, has Babs smirking on the other end of her computer while sitting a bit more of her coffee. "Show off."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
As Angelo takes out the two remaining armed gunmen, Batgirl quickly further subdues the two men with their hands encased in ice. Each goets a quick whap in the head, enough to disorient them slightly as she batcuffs their free hands to each other.

<< I -told- you how much I loved the new cape >>

Batgirl surveys the room quickly, looking to Phoebe and her head tilting quizzically. "Don't recognize you, but that looks pretty snazzy," she says. The lack of aggression gives Balm the benefit of the doubt she's there to help for the moment.

As Oracle's feed comes through, Batgirl studies it. << Hallways are awful clear for a building with gunfire. I'm heading down to take a look. >>

She sees Angelo has the other men and says, "Make sure these ones can't break the ice, still have guns in there," she warns him. And then she's heading for the stairs. Glancing down stairwells and around corners before proceeding, and just before entering the stairwell, looking back to see if Balm is coming.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Not as cool as yours." Balm gives a smile to Batgirl, and she takes a brief moment to check on the woman and the wee one, giving a soft smile and a little wave to the kid before being satisfied that neither mother nor children are in any further danger. "I'm a friend of Red Robin's." Balm introduces herself quietly with a nod of her head. One of the Outsiders.

    She tugs her hood a little closer, and seeing Angelo has this well in hand, and goes to follow Batgirl to the stairs, the gray figure motioning her to lead on.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
And just like that, the disturbance is seemingly dealt with. Six gunmen, all down in various states of health by the looks of them. In the end, the pair that took ICER rounds to the chest will probably end up walking out of the infirmary tonight. They'll only be going to a holding cell, but it beats what the other four might be getting. Some of the hostages still look fearful, clutching one another close and the detectives and other officers scattered about the room begin to stand once more, moving to restore a little order to their precinct. A few glance askance at Batgirl and Balm, but under the circumstances they seem willing to pretend they just don't see the costumed pair.

The video feeds from downstairs are a little more limited in what they can show -- which is in and of itself a little suspicious. There are still GCPD officers who aren't above turning off a video feed in an interrogation room when they go looking to get a confession out of a suspect. It's a lot less common then it was a decade ago, there is a lot less tolerance for it under Jim Gordon's steady hand. But it happens. But hallway cameras? Break room cameras? The Evidence Locker? Not likely.

If there was any doubt of course the sight of a pair of men in urban fatigues, strolling out of the Evidence Locker with huge, full looking bags over the shoulder, as they are watched over by men in SWAT gear is jusssst a little suspicious.

As Batgirl leads the way towards the stairwell and slips inside she might catch a glimpse of one of those SWAT officers in full body armor down below. It takes a moment longer for him to spot her and Balm, though when he does that rifle comes up, pointed in their general vacinity. "Area of limits," he grunts out, his words heavily accented. Definitely not a native english speaker. "Back. Back!" he insists just as one of the mercenaries strolls past, walking through the open door leading out to the garage. The man glances back over his shoulder and though his features are obscured by that face mask, he seems to come to a decision, fingers already depressing that trigger, a spray of bullets launched up the stairs towards the two costume clad young heroines.

A few blocks away, the Batmobile seems to leap foward, accelerating even now as that burst of gunfire comes in over the comms, the Dark Knight's mouth settling into a hard, thin line. Tires squeal as the sleek black vehicle takes a corner at a near impossible speed, decelerating again as it whips into an alley that has mere inches of clearance on either side. "Report," he... well, not exactly requests over that open line.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl sees that change in the stance of the man in the SWAT attire that she's keeping an eye out for. That sign that she's learned to look for in a moment like this that tells her he's decided to fire. She ducks away, pulling up her cape whose extra bulletproof material will help should an of the shots hit her.

The blond-haired crime fighter possibly knocks into Balm in her haste to get out of the line of fire, realizing those rounds could be armor piercing. She speaks into her comms but aloud so Balm can hear her.

<< There are not-SWAT bad guys dressed in SWAT armor. Others in camouflage and carrying bags out to the garage. I'm at the stairwell and just starting my descent. >>

Batgirl reaches into her utility belt and pulls out a handful of pellets, a mixture of smoke and flash-bangs. "Fire in the hole," she says to Balm and then tosses them over the stair railing so they'll fall to the bottom where the SWAT-attired gunman is.

She gives it a two count for them to fall partway and then and hooks a grapple over the stair's railing and then jumps into the gap, falling into flashes and smoke below, eyes closed against the flashes, and having to slow herself by guess work then.

Stephanie is a little off, still going a slight bit faster than she intended when she reaches the bottom. Hopefully the not-SWAT guy is there to break her fall.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The other girl backs out of the way, muscle memory moving her at the sound of gunshots. ONe does strike her, and there's a huff of breath as she closes her eyes.

    The gray-clad Balm goes low as Batgirl goes high, decendling along the stairs a few seconds afterwards, a second bright flash through the smoke as she draws her staff into being and neatly vaults over the end of the stairway, brushing the ceiling and hopefully over Batgirl and Not-SWAT, dropping her own flash-bang into her palm with the intention to get out to the garage and slow the man with the bag up!

    -- provided she doesn't smoosh Stephanie in the process, anyway.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
They are still plenty far enough up the stairs that the angle is bad and the spray of bullets is more meant to keep them back then to actually hit either Batgirl or Balm. Already the last of the mercenaries is trotting down the hallway under that heavy burden draped across his shoulder. Of course none of them probably counted on an attack quite like the one about to descend upon them.

The fake SWAT officer in the foot of the stairwell sees those pellets drop and shows that he is more then the standard thug. He shouts something out, the words definitely not english -- the accent is Eastern European, or perhaps Russian and he turns away as the flashbangs and smoke pellets drop all around him before exploding, sending up a bright burst of light and sound that is barely eclipsed at all as a billowing cloud of smoke begins to fill stairwell and spill out into the hall.

Those instincts are good, turning away, shielding his eyes from the bright bursts to conserve his sight. But it does leave him at the bottom of the stairs, does leave him a good landing pad for the two heroines who rapidly descend from above into that smoke and light and noise. And it leaves him grunting and on the ground as they land on him. All that armor makes for some decently good padding and he doesn't get up and stir even as hey move onwards, out into the hall. The smoke offers cover, and might be the only thing that saves them from a hailstorm of bullets as dark shapes that are presumably mercs and fake SWAT officers rise up out of that mist.

Even as he navigates that narrow alleyway, the Dark Knight is pulling up information, is keeping tabs on what he can see from the taps Oracle has set up in the lower levels of Precinct Twenty-Two. Rounding one last corner, he guides the Batmobile to a sudden stop, blocking the exit of the ramp leading down into the garage, putting the car into armor mode as he leaps up and begins to race down into the waiting darkness...

Stephanie Brown has posed:
<< Downstairs now. Lots of targets! >>

Batgirl switches to thermal vision so she can see through the smoke, seeing the man isn't moving she gives his gun a kick and then moves to follow Balm, when all of those heat signatures pop up.

The training from Barbara takes over as Batgirl stays on the move, not giving anyone a chance to get a good shot at her in the smoke. She pulls out her staff, extending it and attacking the nearest man, batting his rifle away and then sweeping his feet to knock him to the ground. The staff raps at the side of his head but she doesn't wait to see if knocked him out.

A few more smoke pellets are throw to increase the smoke screen as Batgirl runs forward. She reaches the wall and wall runs for a few feet, getting her body up in the air as a gun muzzle flashes as someone fires at the sound of her running boots. She pushes off the wall, kicking him across the face and then pounding the staff down into his side that is less likely to have the body armor covering it.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Balm is between Batgirl and the garage. She did not smoosh Batgirl (that's good), but she knows there's at least one person with a lot of firepower, and the armor's not rated for a whole lot of impact from large caliber.

    But she's running into danger as well. She unleashes her flash-bang to the side with those smoke pellets that Batgirl unleashes.

    And the two move; the Outsider Balm moving along the other edge. An elbow blow. The snap of an armored arm cracking at someone's ribs before they're thrown into a compatriot.

    She doesn't have the heat vision on her domino, but she's guessing that Batgirl is a little bit further than Balm can sling a single person away!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
There is quite the difference between this crew and the thugs they encountered upstairs. For one, this lot stays cool under fire, even as Balm and Batgirl begin to move amongst them. They do not shoot blindly, not when they can't see who they are firing at. The pair of SWAT officers nearby bring their shields up, seeking to use them to keep the heroines that move amongst them with such ease at bay, or at least limit the damage, only lashing out with the butts of their rifles, swinging them more like clubs, those helmets making them appear little more then faceless drones in all that smoke and exploding bursts of light and sound.

One of the mercenaries tries to get clever, sliding a pair night vision goggles down into place over his own eyes, trying to take the same tact as Batgirl. Indeed, he brings his assault rifle up and peppers a half dozen shots in the direction of the pair -- easily discerned amongst the hulking shapes of the other mercs and SWAT officers in the mist. It's a good plan until a flashbang explodes nearby, the burst of light overwhelming the googles and not doing any favors to the man's eyes either as he gives a cry of pain, dropping his weapon and staggering about blindly.

In the garage proper a string of Russian is shouted back and forth -- some of it no doubt pretty foul. But apparently a decision is made and the rear doors of the SWAT van are pulled shut as it begins to pull away, picking up speed as it moves through the motor pool towards the exit, picking up speed.

Then the Dark Knight is there, standing right in the middle of the garage as the truck bears down on him. At the last moment he leaps, going airborn and twisting as he does so to insure that he rolls up the hood of the van and crash into the windshield, the reinforced glass not breaking but instead a spiderweb of cracks splinters the view. A moment later, he makes it worse, Batman's cape coming loose, draped across the windshield of the speeding vehicle. Russian is shouted at him and the driver of the vehicle fumbles with the window, bringing it down quickly and reaching out to pull the cape free. And when he does? The Dark Knight is no longer on the hood of the can and a thick, concrete column supporting the roof is directly in front of the van. The driver tries to jam on the breaks... far too late and the sound of metal smashing into concrete fills the lower level of Precinct Twenty-Two.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The gunfire from the man with the goggles tracks in on Batgirl and she pulls her cape around her just as two bullets hit. They don't manage to go through the combined layers of kevlar and ceramic of the cape and her armor, but some of that momentum still makes it through the armor to leave painful bruises behind.

Batgirl shakes off the pain and charges one of the men with a shield. As he puts his shoulder into it and goes to bash it forward at her, Stephanie plants a foot on it and launches herself up and over the shield, dropping behind him the man. She kicks out the back of his knee and then judo-flips him over her hip and into another of the Russians in the SWAT armor.

Her hand comes up swinging a bolo with bat-shaped weights on the ends. She throws it at another man, wrapping it about him and pinning his arms to his side just before she charges him and delivers a spinning kick to his head.

She lands in a crouch, hand going to her side, left sore from the bullets as she looks for another target.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The gray-clad not-a-bat sweeps the other SWAT with the shield, going in low and from behind, taking his legs out from under him, pushing the shield up and over him and elbow-striking at his solar plexus -- that's gonna hurt for a long while, even through armoring. She had heard the rapport of the gun, but wasn't quite as concerned at getting hit at this point.

    An additional kick to the side to make sure the wind's painfully knocked out of him, and a kick of the shield up to her own hands to use it to deliver a sharp CRACK at the back of another SWAT's knees!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Targets are becoming rather few and far between in the lower hallway of the police precinct. While they might fight better then the group upstairs, while they manage to go toe to toe with Batgirl and Balm for a few moments, that pair has all the advantages between the smoke and noise and confusion. This big, burly Russian crew certainly does it's best, but that clockwork precision is slowly getting picked apart by the duo. Those shields might delay things, might make the finally job a little more difficult. And while Batgirl and Balm might take different approaches to overcoming that defense, the end result is the same. More unconscious bad guys,

Soon there is only a slowly disipatting mist and a lot of unconscious mercenaries laying sprawled in the hallway. And two heroines left standing in the aftermath.

Out in the garage Gotham's Dark Knight watches as the van comes to an abrupt stop, hurling the men inside about. Even with his seat belt on the man in the driver's seat is clearly unonscious, bleeding from the head where it hit the steering wheel before the air bags could deploy. The other man up front was not wearing his seat belt and is lucky that he has only crashed face tirst through the all ready shattered windshield. He's unconscious and probably has a hospital stay ahead of him. With a quick glance to confirm that none of them are a threat, Batman retrieves his cape and drapes it about his shoulders, moving to the back of the van.

When the door to the SWAT van opens it reveals a mess, a mix of mercs and SWAT officers hurled about and laying draped on the floor and on the benches that line either side. A quartet of loaded up hockey gear bags have been flung about. A few of the men stir within, a quiet moan sounding from one. Reaching into one of his pouches the Dark Knight pulls out a concussion grenade and tosses it in before closing the door. A few seconds later there is a muffled blast, the sides of the van bulging outward and several heavy thunks sounding as the explosive device makes sure that everyone is nice and unconscious. If a little roughly.

Only then does Batman stride over to the entrance to the precinct, looking at the damage inflicted on the Beast Paw mercenaries. "Everyone's taken care of?" he questions, his voice that rough, low growl as he peers between Batgirl and Balm.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown nudges Balm in the shoulder. "Nice job there, lady," the blond says before moving to start checking the downed men. Getting them cuffed so they can't get at weapons. She grabs one by the feet and drags him over to another, cuffing them against each other, ankles to wrists in a way that would make any kind of escape awkward. "Oof you're a heavy one," she says after dragging him.

She looks up as Batman steps through the door. "We haven't swept the halls yet, but they seemed like they were all on their way out," she tells Batman.

The cuffing finishes and she moves through the hallways quickly, checking rooms, and the evidence cage. She checks for a pulse on the cops who were shot, sighing and shaking her head as she can't find one. "Two police down back here. The others are alive," she says. Batgirl heads back over to rejoin Batman. "Upstairs was taken care of already."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Balm was nearly back-to-back with Stephanie when the smoke cleared, and the hooded girl just gives a sidelong smile to Stephanie.

    "Heck of a compliment, coming from one of Gotham's best." she complients Batgirl, and though she's not as well equipped -- she has those thick zipties, and the mercs are bound as quick as she can get without having them in her healing aura too long.

    She gives them a wide berth, sweeping the evidence room a brief moment before coming back out and --hesitantly -- joining Batman and Batgirl. She tugs her hood further over her face, keeping herself in shadow. She doesn't do much talking at this point.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While a number of the cameras are down throughout this lower level, not all of them are. And the wireframe simulation of the building, complete with likely hostiles and friendlies is still available. It might not be one hundred percent accurate given the mercenaries efforts to sabotage the internal security of the precinct, but neither the Dark Knight nor Batgirl have likely ever been given much cause to doubt the intelligence that Oracle provides to them.

"If there is a rat or two left they won't be able to hide for long," Batman says lowly, staring at the men that Batgirl and Balm have tied up, moving over to them and beginning to do a more thorough search of them, taking note of their weapons, of any visible tattoo, checking to see if any of them were foolish enough to bring any sort of idenfitication with them. "Gordon is just a minute or two out with practically all of Major Crimes with him. They'll have this place swept clean and locked down shortly after they arrive," he says. Some would accuse them of disrespecting the police, of trying to do their job for them. But there is a measure of respect in the Dark Knight's voice when he speaks of the commissioner.

"There's not much more for us to do here. The ones that rabbitted are dealt with as well," Batman adds, straightening once more and turning back towards the doorway leading out to the motor pool and the waiting Batmobile. "Good job as always Batgirl," he says, only glancing back for a moment, that cowled gaze fixing on the other young woman. "And you as well Balm," he says. Yep, of course the Dark Knight knows who she is. This is still Gotham. And it is still *his* city.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown goes from one man to another as well, letting Oracle record what she's seeing of their tattoos and faces. One of the men is coming too, a bit a groggy, but regaining full consciousness at least. Batgirl crouches there looking at him. She gently pats his cheek. "Whiskey is much better than vodka," she tells him before standing and moving to follow Batman.

"I mean. So I've heard," she says. a little crooked grin crossing her lips. That grin grows a touch when Batman pays that compliment. She doesn't respond verbally, but that spot the bullets hit her side doesn't hurt quite as bad.

Ow ow ow! Yes it does.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Balm does not say anything. She in fact gives a little bit of a shudder as she steps to the side of the grouping of unconcious mercs, making sure to give them plenty of room to not be in her passive field, ready to trudge back out of the garage and make her own exit when Batman pays her a compliment. She gives a small smile, and a nod.

    She does not doubt that Batman knows who she is, how much she weighs, or what she ate for breakfast. The batman is mysterious. ANd terrifying.

    "Were you hit hard?" she questions to Batgirl, looking over to the blonde in violet.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
And with that, the Dark Knight is gone, vanished back out into the garage, to the waiting Batmobile and then who knows where else on this evening. It is Gotham. This is hardly likely to be the last crisis for the evening, the last crime that will need attending too. The Beast's Paw remains an irritant, a nagging problem to solved. But increasingly he thinks that they might have revealled a little more then they might have intended tonight. And that could be the break they've needed.

In a few minutes Marjor Crimes detectives will be swarming this scene. In minutes real SWAT officers will be storming these halls to make sure that everything is under control, to take all the bound men into custody. But for at least a few minutes there are only the two young women and a whole lot of groaning or outright unconscious men laying strewn about like ragdolls.