5401/Gliding Is For The Bats

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Revision as of 01:54, 3 March 2021 by Shelley (talk | contribs) (Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2021/03/01 |Location=Old Gotham - Founders Island |Synopsis=Batgirl is out on patrol and gaining experience with her gliding cape, when others drop...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Gliding Is For The Bats
Date of Scene: 01 March 2021
Location: Old Gotham - Founders Island
Synopsis: Batgirl is out on patrol and gaining experience with her gliding cape, when others drop in on her rooftop. First Nightwing, then Orphan, finally Strix.
Cast of Characters: Stephanie Brown, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, Strix




Stephanie Brown has posed:
When it comes to moving about the city as a hero, life has changed greatly for Stephanie Brown. The days of making it up onto a roof via a rope from Ace Hardware and a homemade grapple gave way to a batgrapple gun with a built in winch. But now? Now she can fly!

Ok not fly. But glide really nicely. Stephanie's first use of the gliding cape came a week or so back, when the street gang attacked the 22nd Precinct. The gang was trying to clear out the evidence cage of anything that would be used against them, Batman, Batgirl, and some others had foiled the caper. For Batgirl that had included gliding over the building and then plummeting through a skylight to get the drop on some hostage takers.

Tonight, Batgirl is at it again. She's on patrol in Founder's Island on the south side of Gotham. Though she's using the patrol as a chance to gain more skill with the cape glider. A simple command sends electrical pulses through the cape, hardening sections of it ribs to support the rest of the cape's fabric spread out in a bat wing shape.

She glides towards a nearby bank, shooting close by overtop of one of the gargoyle shapes on the corners that give the building its gothic look, and lands lightly on the roof. "Don't think anyone inside would have even heard that," she murmurs, pleased with herself.

Dick Grayson has posed:
"You wear it well." comes drifting down from above and behind her on the roof. Turning to look would reveal a small water tower, and atop that, a well muscled young man in a blue and black form fitting bodysuit. Nighwing is sitting on the edge of the tower, one leg dangling over, the other bent up so his foot is on the edge. He's got his left elbow resting on the bent knee, and is spinning one of his sticks on the tip of his index finger.

"So how is it feeling to be wearing the symbol officially? I seem to remember a lot of different emotions when he finally let me go out in the Robin suit." He flips the stick up into the air, catching and sheathing it on his back in one smooth motion, then pushes off the tower, turning a lazy somersault in midair before landing on the roof and walking over to you.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl turns and looks up towards the water tower, not having heard Nightwing land. She flashes a grin up at him as he comments on the outfit. Stephanie grabs the edges of the cape and gives them a flourish to one side, and then to the other, like maybe she were some magician's assistant on stage.

"Why thank you. I think it's going to be all the rage this season," she says, the nineteen year old affecting a posh accent like someone reviewing a fashion show. She breaks out in laughter then, and the kind of warm, genuine grin that is the opposite of that accent.

The younger woman draws a deep breath and lets it out. "It feels really good," she tells him. "-Really- good. There was a time this seemed so completely impossible to ever happen. Even when I was training, I didn't even really expect this. Just, you know. New and improved Spoiler."

She looks down, running one gloved hand over the arm of her costume, tracing the protroduing metal fins there that are mainly for catching blades if she doesn't have a weapon to block with. Touching the suit fondly. "I can guess what your emotions were," Batgirl tells him as she casts blue eyes back up at Nightwing. "People will take me seriously. I've earned the respect of one of the hardest people there is to impress. And most importantly, where the hell are the rest of these shorts!?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson rolls his eyes with a grin, "Yeah, well, it wasn't like I knew better at the time. It made a good acrobat outfit, why not a good hero outfit?" He stands up straight and holds his arms out, then spins a quick circle, "I got better." He considers her for a minute, then adds, "I keep thinking about the cape, just for the gliding, but it always seems like it would get in the way."

He comes up next to her and sits down on the edge, feet dangling over empty space, "Hey, you earned it, we don't give those things out to just anybody. And at least you don't have to try and accessorize orange, green and yellow. It's a bitch, let me tell you." The night breeze ruffles his hair as he looks away from Batgirl for a moment to look over the city. He shakes his head, then looks back up to her, "It's weird, this place is still ninety percent a cesspool, but I find I miss it."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown breaks out in a grin as her comment about Dick's original Robin shorts gets that look back from the Boy Wonder. As he goes on about accessorizing Robin's colors, she breaks out in warm laughter.

The young woman walks over to where Nightwing has settled on the edge of the roof, dropping down to sit beside him. She gives her cape a little help to pool behind her out of the way. "Thanks for that," she says, and likely talking about the "You've earned it," part.

The wind is cold, but not as bad as it has been. As if nature is finally giving up on gripping the world in its wintery grasp. The breeze blows strong, but not with quite the chill it used to. Still it's enough that Stephanie comments, "I really should have asked Oracle about these heaters for my suit awhile ago. I got her to put them in before I went to Russia. And they pretty literally saved my butt." Her mission report included Mr. Freeze shooting heat-seeking freeze mines at her, but she threw the top of her costume at him. The costume with the heaters in it, and pulled a frozen hoodlum on top of her so his mines froze the villain solid instead of her.

"Perfect for a night like tonight," Batgirl says. She looks over to Nightwing. "How are things going over in Bludhaven anyway?"

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Well of course he thinks you're cute. The way you do things is adorable, Cass thinks in her slightly sardonic tone of not-really-thinking as she adjusts the angle of her line, her foot reaching out to pull the cord taut. She glances down at the pair as they chatter, stifling a yawn, and gives her head a tiny shake to get her hair out of her eyes.

No mask, her usual get-up, she's got part of the antenna she's dangling from held with one knee, not bothering to hold on with her hands, and clips on the line so she's got a good hookup. Taut between there and a far building, she uses it to get above the two kids.

If she whistled, she probably would be doing so. But a moment later, silent as the grave, she's hanging upside-down just behind Dick and Oblivious-girl. Watching to see if she gets away with it.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson shakes his head, "Yeah, try the Robin suit in the middle of a Gotham winter if you want to talk about cold. Heaters... luxury. But I'm glad the butt was saved." He grins and then looks in the direction that the sound of a siren drifts in from, "Always something going on."

He shrugs, "It's actually been a little quiet there for a week or so. Either evil is taking a vacation, or I'm just so good that they've given up on the place. I'm guessing vacation, unfortunately. But at least it gives me a chance to lurk around Gotham for a day or two."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie leans back on both of her hands, the change in angle almost giving her an angle she might spot the black-garbed figure above her. But apparently not quite enough as there's no sign from Batgirl that she has spotted Orphan there above them.

"Well," Stephanie says, "I figure they always get a little quieter in winter. The hoods. So it's probably going to start picking up again not that spring is on the way." Batgirl pounds one fist into the other. "So lots of bad guys for his to clobber." She flashes that blue-eyed smile over to him, the expression so warm it seems comically at odds with her desire to pound on ne'er-do-wells.

Batgirl swings her feet where they hang over the edge of roof out above the long drop to the cement. "Beginning of the month, I get the next installment of my scholarship's room and board stipend. So I'll be able to afford Hot Dumplings sometime this week," she says. "Let us know when you're going to be back over this way and we'll arrange an outing."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Eyes are the only thing looking. What goes on in that asian-looking head is kept within for the moment, though there is a problem with the kind of intrusion technique that Cassandra has used. The line moves in the wind, and there will be creaking. Nothing to be done about it, she normally just gets off the line faster than the problem becomes a...well, a problem.

But no, neither one of them is being talkative, or not in her direction. so she hangs from above, her head on their level, and eventually decides to turn over and lower herself to the rooftop.

While she may be one of the quietest people to take on the Bat, she still is going to make some form of noise. She's not a ghost. But it could be a ninja?

Eh. Turn around and you'll see her. Cass, removing her foot from a line-hold, one leg over her head. Which on her somehow looks mundane.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson cocks his head slightly, then rolls backwards from the edge of the building and kips up to his feet, spinning to face the roof as he drops into a ready stance. Seeing who made the sound he heard, he relaxes with a smile, "Oh, it's you. Well, welcome to the meeting roof, I guess." He looks around and raises his voice a little, "Anyone else while we're at it?

With Batman not suddenly looming out of a shadow, he shrugs and says, "Guess it's just us three for now." Looking at Cassandra, he asks, "Haw are you doing tonight? Anything special going on that we could help with?" He looks back to Steph and comments, "Like I'd let you spend your stipend on that. I'd be happy to go anytime, and you know I'm going to pick up the tab."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Almost as if synchronized, Batgirl rolls off to the right, coming up with a batarang in hand as the roll takes her to a standing and ready to fight position. "Orphan," she says, then breaking out in a warm laughter as she returns the batarang to its spot on her utility belt.

Batgirl moves back over to where they were sitting, though stays standing for now as she waits to see if Cass has anything to try to impart to them. Her blue-eyed gas swings back to Nightwing. "Well, ah, yeah. I mean, you guys do. I just, would rather at least do it when I have money so it doesn't feel like, you know. Like I'm mooching off you guys," she says to the Wayne ward.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass, for her part, finishes getting her foot out of the sling and puts it beside the other one on the rooftop. Anticlimactic but necessary if you wish to be able to perambulate with the normies. Her eyes look at them both with something just a little bit disappointed in the features, but it passes as she leans over and puts a fingertip on Dick's nosetip.

No attack, she's just playing and the hand is lowered quickly enough, a glance and a smile to Steph.

She does motion toward the street below, then shrugs her shoulders. A moment of apparent hesitation, and she holds up two fingers. Then handwobbles, clearly not in a serious rush for whatever it is that she's saying.

Basically, 'if I were worried, I wouldn't be here messing around, would I?'

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson is nosebooped, which doesn't happen every day for him and earns a warm grin. "Well then, join us in our dysfunctional focus group." He takes the step or two required to get back to the edge where he was sitting a moment ago, but also remains standing for the moment, brushing some little bit of debris off the suit. Gotta look good while you do your thing, after all.

Looking back to Steph, he shrugs, "Please, mooch. I've been mooching off the bat for years, it hasn't noticeably affected his resources. I think we can manage to keep you fed without going bankrupt. You should seriously not worry about that kind of thing. We take care of each other, right?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown gives a soft chuckle at Cass's tap to Dick's nose. She watches the nineteen year old Asian's bit of sign language. Stephanie's understanding might lag Bruce, but she tends to do pretty well with Cass-speak compared to most. "I don't think she has anything too pressing," Stephanie confirms.

She motions to the rooftop edge and then sits back down beside Dick. The costume has a little different color scheme than Barbara's, but is close enough that the blond hair instead of red is probably the thing that most stands out about it. "Yeah, I just... I don't know," she says, wrinkling her nose at the topic of mooching. "When I was dating Roberto, I'd see women throw themselves at him for his money. And I've seen enough of that with Tim too. It just, makes me want to make sure you guys don't ever think I'm like that," she says.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass looks like she now has a goal: successfully noseboop the entire Bat-team. Perhaps further, but it is a good starting poit. Er, point.

She looks at Steph, then turns to Dick and puts her hands on her hips. Whatever she's trying to get across has a moment's wait though, as she turns her head and suddenly looks over the rooftop.

But again, it remains a mystery. Like a cat, she glances back at you both, and then sits down on the edge of the roof, her face calm after whatever had her attention having passed.

Either that or something else unrelated. Girl has got to learn English.

Strix has posed:
For trying to keep a low profile, Strix is doing a pretty poor job of it seeing as how she keeps slipping out of the safehouse to go wandering. Tonight is no exception as she leaps from rooftop to rooftop. It isn't long until she comes across the gaggle of batfriends. Orphan and Batgirl she knows, but Nightwing she only knows from when he was on the Court's hitlist. Still, they seem to be conversing cordially so he's probably a friend.

Normally silent, she makes sure she makes some noise as she drops down to the roof and stands there, with her hands raised, a sign of peace.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson looks over more casually this time when he hears someone, perhaps actually expecting to see Bruce standing there at this point. Instead... it's a Talon! His hands flash to his back to draw his batons as he drops into a fighting stance, but given the fact that Strix is not acting aggressively, he doesn't immediately move to attack. He says quietly, "Batgirl, flank right. Orphan, take the left."

Raising his voice slightly, he says, "Since you're not attacking us, I assume there's something you want. What is it?" Without letting her leave his field of vision, he's glancing around to try and make sure there aren't others preparing an attack while this one acts as a decoy.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The sound causes Batgirl to turn her head as well. The last time she saw armor like that on a rooftop, it was as Spoiler. And it ended with the red-headed Batgirl taking a sword through the chest to save the less-talented Spoiler, the pair jumping off the roof to get away and Spoiler just managing to to get a grapple planted in time to give them a hard landing but not a fatal one.

So to say she goes alert is a vast understatement. Though after that first rush of adrenaline that has Batgirl on her feet and an entangling batarang in hand, the fight or flight reaction passes enough, thanks to Strix's non-aggressive stance, that Batgirl can think more clearly. The eyeholes of her cowl cover over with lenses, giving her a heads up display in which she pulls up an image of Strix's armor to compare.

"Strix?" she asks to confirm. She doesn't quite relax, but she does lower the batarang to a less aggressive stance. Batgirl glances towards Cassandra, figuring Cass can tell at a glance from her body language if this is the Talon given safe passage by Bruce.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
And of course, something has to go wrnng.

The instant that Dick and Steph tense up, Cassandra is already moving. She didn't wait for orders, and by the time Dick is giving them she's already halfway to the potential attacker.

In the air, she can't rethink her arc. Her eyes meet Strix's, and she grins the tiniest bit. Arms out she lands on Strix with a flying tackle, the pair of them tumbling across the rooftop in what appears to be the beginnings of a serious brawl!

Until the pile of ninjas slows, and Cassandra starts to giggle.

Neither one of them came out on top, exactly. But the laughter coming from Cass is friendly, not hostile. But the real question is, did she get in a noseboop or not?

Strix has posed:
Strix goes down in a tumble of arms and legs with Cassandra, but doesn't actually fight back when she recognizes that the 'attack' is friendly. There's a point on the hood of Strix's costume that looks like an owl beak, which is where the nose would be. She is, indeed, booped during the tumble. She's never experienced a boop before and finds it kind of hilarious.

Her shoulders shake in silent giggles of her own and she reaches over and gently tickles Cassandra on the sides with her talons, making sure she doesn't actually scratch her.

Now that introductions have been done, Strix sits up and turns to Dick, pulling out a notebook. She flips through the pages until she finds the one she wants and holds it up for Dick to read.

HI

Dick Grayson has posed:
Trained team reflexes send Nightwing charging forward when Cass launches herself at the Talon, but the combo of the non-violent impact and Batgirl calling out a name he's seen reports about cause him to slow to a stop as the two girls end up in a bit of a ticklefight. When Strix holds up her greeting, he shakes his head and replaces the batons on his back, "Hi there, Strix, is it? Aren't you supposed to be in a safehouse?

He looks around and continues "Serously, is there a sign on this roof or something?" The eyes of his mask flicker as he calls up different vision modes to look for a 'Party here' sign on a non-visible spectrum. "Well, it doesn't seem to be marked, but there's got to be something bringing everybody to this particular roof tonight." He looks to Batgirl, "Do you guys meet here on a regular basis or something?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The batarang is stowed by Batgirl as soon as she recognizes that Orphan and the Talon are not fighting. The second time tonight that poor batarang has been pulled out without being thrown.

The costumed blond turns her head towards Nightwing, her cape blowing behind her in the wind as she does. "Nah, didn't you know? This happens wherever I go. Parties just spontaneously form. It's sort of a superpower I have. I'm applying to the Avengers. I figure if anyone can appreciate this power and can mentor me on it, it would be Tony Stark."

Batgirl relaxes, looking over towards Orphan and Talon. "Hi, Strix," she offers. "Yes, thought you were going to be laying low, the last I heard?" she asks the woman, head tilted in a curious fashion. The lenses over her eyes retract, showing her baby blues looking over at the other woman.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
How Cass got here, she isn't telling. She likely did X and found people using Y but if Z isn't the end product then she desperately needs alphabet lessons. Or algebra, depending on what the hell I'm typing.

Cass rolls onto her back, then into a backwards handstand. She lifts her left hand off of the ground and rolls her legs downward, standing up in the most show-offy way possible.

Then she proceeds to pick her teeth with a batarang she got off of somebody. How did she get that anyway?

Strix has posed:
Strix just kind of shrugs helplessly at the question of laying low. She gets up, sitting cross legged on the roof and pulls out a felt tip pen. She flips to a blank page and scribbles,

BORED

and holds it up for people to read.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson reads the message and shakes his head, rubbing his temples with the thumb and fingers of his right hand, "Defecting from an organization that's been giving us conniptions, and you go out and wander the city because you're bored. Tell me, do you know the meaning of the word 'caution?" He chuckles to take a little of the sting out of his words, "Not that I don't understand, being stuck in a little room for days and days would drive me nuts too, but you're on the run from some really bad people."

He looks around, again scanning the roof to make sure the four of you are really alone and not about to be jumped by ninjas. "Guys, back me up a little here, I'm not nuts, right? Some caution is in order?" Seeing Cass with the batarang, he smirks and looks at Steph, asking her, "Missing something? Oh, and if that's your superpower, I think we should hang around together a lot more, cause that sounds way more fun that what usually happens when _he's_ around." The emphasis on the he leaves little question who he means. Batman is many things, but a bringer of parties is just not one of them.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown looks at Cassandra and then down at her utility belt. Doing a quick inventory? And given the number of spots on the belt she checks, just how many batarangs is she carrying anyway?

Batgirl looks back and sees the weapon serving like a toothpick. "Yeah. Gonna say you can hang onto that one," she tells the Asian girl before looking over to Nightwing. "I'm with him on this," she says, turning back to Strix. "Your old pals aren't a joke when it comes to the swords and the stabbing. Especially if they outnumber you."

"Maybe some magazines? I might know someone with the Babylon 5 collection," she offers, putting extra brightness into her voice as if to make that sound more appealing. She's surely talking about Red Robin there.

"Unfortunately," she adds, looking back to Nightwing, "It only seems to work on cold windy roofs. Or, graveyards. Abandoned warehouses or pumping stations. Also most of the people who show up have capes and costumes. And the drinks are not all that good."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra isn't in a costume per se. She looks down at herself, a frown saying that she isn't sure if she's being included or not, given the hoodie and pants ensemble. But the batarang she flips in her hand, then proceeds to toss it out into the night with a good strong right shoulder movement, her arm whipping outward.

A moment later there's a 'spang!' sound, and her line from above goes slack. she steps out of the way as it falls to the rooftop, and a moment later jumps up and catches the batarang in its return arc. She puts it into a pocket, then starts gathering up her line.

Subtitles, anyone?

Strix has posed:
Strix at least has the good graces to hang her head when she's being reprimanded. All this is true, but but there's only so much TV one can watch. She looks thoughtful for a moment or two before scribbling on her notepad.

COME VISIT?

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson nods, saying "Now that can be arranged. Probably a much better solution than you going out, especially solo. I bet we could set up a schedule of visitors to keep you company. Do you have any things you enjoy doing that we could bring you?" He looks to Cassandra and Steph, "Do you guys know much about her, or the place she's currently staying? Given that greeting, I'm guessing you know her best, Orphan, any ideas what we can do to help her?"

He shrugs, starting to pace a little, "I mean, we can pretty much get our hands on anything that could keep you occupied." he continues, talking to Strix again, "Just a matter of knowing what to get." He turns and looks over to her, "I'm guessing you haven't been given much time to develop hobbies or anything."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown watches as her batarang takes down Orphan's earlier means of arrival on the rooftop. She looks back to Strix then, head tilting slightly to the side. "Do you enjoy working out? Training dummies and mats? Or, is the training something you don't like doing?" she asks, not sure how much the Court of Owls forced things on their Talons versus how much actual interest they have in their fighting skills.

She gives a nod though about arranging visits "We can definitely do that. If there's something that would help keep you occupied between, though," she says, agreeing with what Nightwing said.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
If Orphan were conversational, she'd likely be offering Strix a chance to come to an MMA fight to laugh at the comedy acts, but she isn't. So she just keeps an eye on the conversational yap-yap between her friends, and finishes gathering up her things.

She will likely show up without announcement at some point, or she'll drag Strix out for another illegal outing, but really her planning talents don't come into play here. She looks at Dick when he asks her a question and her eyebrow raising is all the answer he's likely to get.

But she does pause, her stuff stowed, and extends a hand toward Strix. That's all, just that. It might be enough.

Strix has posed:
Strix flips through her notebook until she finds the right page and holds it up proudly. It's a drawing of Strix holding up a bloody head of some unknown opponent. The drawing is clumsy, about what you could expect from an eight year old, although an eight year old probably wouldn't draw such gruesome content.

At the suggestion of working out, Strix shrugs. She could take it or leave it. She certainly doesn't seem to be opposed to the suggestion though.

Orphan's hand gets a curious look, at first, and then a firm grip with her own. She's not used to shaking hands with people so this is a novel experience.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson nods, "Ok, I'm really hoping that means you've taken up drawing as opposed to making a hobby of decapitating people, cause that one we wouldn't really be able to help with. Art supplies however, we can do. I know where you are, I'll swing by with some stuff later. Art's a good distraction, especially when you're staying in."

He shakes his head, "Not really something I personally have a lot of skill with, but I know people who really enjoy it. Orphan, do me a favor and make sure she gets back to the safehouse in one piece, and I'll go buy half of an art supply store and then swing by to give her something to do."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
"Oh, good. Yes that would be a good idea," Batgirl says, flashing Strix a friendly smile. That costume creeps her out a little bit, she does her best not to make that apparent. "I'm not the best at drawing, either, but we could probably do some together if you'd like when I come by?" she offers.

Batgirl tilts her head as if listening to something. "Sounds like the boys in blue are going to check into something on my patrol route. Going to head over and see if they need help," she tells them.

Batgirl nods her head towards Strix and then turns to give Orphan and Nightwing a tiny salute as a goodbye. "See, now as soon as I leave, Nightwing is going to break the good drinks out," she says, flashing the older hero a grin.

Then Batgirl runs towards the edge of the building and jumping off of it. Her cape suddenly billows out, solid ribs forming in it out of nowhere to spread it into a bat wing shape, and allowing her to glide off into the night.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra tries to say something with her handshake, but it's difficult. She looks to Batgirl, her eyes snapping to her best friend, then she watches as the woman leaps into the night, and her eyes also say something, as hard to define as the thing with the hand.

Then she looks at Dick, nods, and makes a motion toward the direction needed for Strix. Not much, but if she's gonna hang with the silent girls, she'd better learn to read the signals.

And then...she's off too. If she takes Strix where ordered is between her and the Talon. Because frankly she's got her own ideas, and there's nothing wrong with grabbing a bagel first.

Strix has posed:
Strix smoothly gets to her feet in one fluid motion. Not as fancy as Orphan, but still rather impressive. She stows away her pad and pen into a little hidden pocket and nods in agreement with Dick. Art supplies sound like fun! She waves a cheery goodbye to Batgirl before she goes.

She nods to Orphan, and takes off, following after her, disappearing like a shadow in the night.