6160/A Bumpy Ride

A Bumpy Ride
Date of Scene:	08 May 2021
Location:	The Streets of Gotham
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Bruce Wayne, Carmine Falcone, Damian Wayne

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Bruce Wayne has posed:
It has only been a few minutes since the alert first went out over the police band. A string of robberies in the Diamond District has gone wrong when the group responsible found the owner still unexpectantly in his store. Shots were fired and their are ambulances and emergency responders on the scene. But the crew fled in a dark van, racing through the evening streets of Gotham.

That was several minutes ago and as the GCPD has joined the pursuit the chase has increasingly moved from the quieter streets of the Diamond District to the Theatre District. Just in time for most of those said theatres that give this part of the city it's name to let out. As people stream out into the street the wail of sirens and the flashing of lights fill the dark evening of the city, that same dark van racing down the street, the back doors thrown open as automatic gunfire peppers the pursuing police cars, adding to the chaos.

Of course the police are hardly the only interested parties this evening...

Carmine Falcone has posed:
     <What do you mean you killed him?> The voice over the phone is heavily modulated but furious for a moment before returning to normal. Speaking in fluent italian as he rattles off it's the voice of Carmine Falcone sent through a series of machines to hide it. <It was supposed to be an easy insurance gig.>

     <He wasn't even supposed to be there.> Vittore pleads from the passengers seat as he looks out over his shoulder readying his pistol to fire back at the cops tailing them. <Godfather you have to understand, we had no idea.>

     Suddenly the voice turns much more fatherly, much more comforting as it speaks. <It's alright, it's alright, you may have violated our sacred creed, but //I// forgive you.>

     The line goes dead and Vittores face goes pure white. It didn't take a med school dropout to know what that meant, but the fact that he was one made it all the worse. He looked over towards the driver in a panic shouting at the top of his lungs. <Drive faster Tony, drive faster!> He slaps the mans arm before motioning to the men in the back.

     The doors slide open and gunfire rattles out into the streets Italian men in long black trench-coats open fire on the cop cars fighting for their lives. There's a definitive fear inside of each of the men as they try to take out their tail.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Night in Gotham, and only two things can be certain: Criminals come out to do nefarious deeds, and the Batclan would be out fighting those criminals.

  Robin's Redbird screamed down the streets of Gotham, his cape billowing out from the speed and wind. The roaring engine trying to catch up to the chase in progress.

  Gaining ground, the Redbird weaves in and out of cars and bullets deflecting off the fairing of the advanced motorcycle. <<Robin en route, catching fire from the van.>> He calls out on comms, while he gets closer and closer to the GCPD and the fleeing criminals.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While the drama going on within the van itself might be unknown to any but the occupants and the man on the other end of the phone, there is plenty of it going on outside that is of much greater to concern to those populating the street. The swerving van sends other cars careening into parked cars to try and avoid collisons, adding to the chaos as the sidewalk is littered with flying debris and those walking along it are forced to hurl themselves to the side to try and avoid the vehicles that are pushed up onto the walkways from the frequent collisons.

While most of the weapons fire is directed towards the pursuing police cruisers, the hood of the GCPD vehicles absolutely peppered with bullet holes, swerving vehicles and automatic gunfire does not make for the steadiest of shots so stray bullets are rife as well, adding to the danger of the situation. Of course that danger goes two ways, especially now that the Redbird and it's driver has joined the pursuit.

What isn't in evidence? The Batmobile. While the wail of sirens might fill the evening air, the roar of the Dark Knight's personal ride is nowhere in evidence. But that hardly means he isn't there. While all eyes are rivetted on the pursuit -- or seeking shelter from the chaos engulfing one of Gotham's main thoroughfares -- anyone looking up would see that telltale shadow up above, cape billowing behind as the figure leaps from a building overlooking the street. He sweeps down, the decel jumpline stretching to slow his descent just enough. And then when he is in position he detaches, falling the few remaining feet to come crashing down on the rooftop of the dark van in a crouch. The roof gives way beneath him in a lound thump, caving in slightly beneath the impact and leaving no one within with any delusions about what's going on. Something just landed on them -- and in Gotham that almost certainly spells trouble.

Carmine Falcone has posed:
     And the van continues to swerve from one side to the other traveling with great speed. It's going as fast as it'll carry the driver filled with fear even more so now that something had landed on his roof. An unfortunate pedestrian crossing the road manages to roll up and over the front of the careening van tumbling through the air in spectacular fashion as people on all sides run for further cover.

     The gunfire pauses for just a moment as the thud lands down onto the rooftop. <We got trouble boss> Comes a call from the back in Italian. Vitore in the front shouting back <I know! I know we got trouble! End that trouble!> The men turning their weapons fire instead upwards towards the roof of their own van. Ratta tatta ratta tatta tatta go their weapons echoing out into the night as a stream of bullets blindly pepper the roof giving the police a moments free rein to pull closer to the vehicle in the midst of the chaos being caused by the hot pursuit.

     Vittore reaches into his pocket and pulls out a revolver lined in silver and gold with an ivory grip. He pauses for a moment looking about in all directions. <If we bag a cape this is our chance back into the big man's good graces!>

     <We're out of his good graces?> The driver offers in a slow voice looking still at the road as he focuses on the task at hand through the now spiderwebbed windshield.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Batman's landing provides enough time for the Redbird to make its move, one last boost of speed before the magnetic launcher shoots Robin high in the air, and a practiced aim of his Batclaw digs its metal claws into the side of the van.

  Controlling your descent is part of the training that a Robin goes through, much like Batman does it with his own cape and various tools. The cable of the batclaw reels in Robin as he makes a distinct, yet lighter thud onto the van's roof.

  Cowl and mask meet for a brief time, and Robin's usual scowl turns slightly upward as now Damian gets to do his favorite part. Of course, on his elder's signal.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It's probably true. Killing the Dark Knight would almost certainly make the men in van the toast of their crime family -- perhaps of the entire Gotham Underworld at that. So from that perspective this really is a grand opportunity. Of course for well over a decade the criminals of the city have been trying to cash in on that lottery ticket with no luck so it is decidedly a high risk, high reward proposition at best. But desperate men, right?

His landing serves a couple of purposes. For one, it takes some of the heat off of the GCPD pursuers and keeps stray gunfire from spraying out over an increasingly crowded street. Keeping a fight contained in the midst of a crowd is always a tricky proposition but years of practice -- and a tendancy to dwell on such things -- has certainly given Batman a few notions about how to go about it. And whilehe might be able to weather that storm of bullets thanks to the cover offered by the roof, his cape and his body armor, he hasn't lasted this long by taking risks that aren't necessary. So as that hail of gunfire is directed upwards, he slides back towards the front, dipping down over the windshield for a moment, his cape spread out, blinding the driver from just what lies ahead for an instant.

Of course, his distraction plays another role as well. Namely it gives Robin a chance to launch himself into the back of the speeding van. And while the teen hero might be outnumbered, in close quarters like that, guns or not, he doesn't particularly like the chances for this group of Gotham mobsters.

Carmine Falcone has posed:
     Vittore Panics a crazed look in his eyes when he sees the bat land on the front windshield. It's his chance, his opportunity to redeem himself for shooting that unarmed civilian at the shop. He starts pulling the trigger on his revolver sending rounds through the glass on the front of the van.

     "Die monster! You don't belong in this world!" His italian accent is thick and barely understandable as he opens fire with silver bullets of all things as if that will somehow do more against the dark knight.

     He was expecting this encounter preparing for it, yearning for it and now here it was his opportunity face to face with the Bat, and it was his only chance to save his life from the wrath of his boss.

     In the back the gunmen take a moment to adjust their stance turning their attention towards Robin as they use their guns less as intended sticks of bang and more as staffs and batons for fighting off the monster of the night. They fight valiantly but are clearly far less trained than the Robin.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Robin flips over and holds the top of the van's rear, tumbling feet first into the back of the van.

  With two kicks to those in the back, he enters and blocks many strikes with impromptu batons. It wasn't until he gets an opening that he gets a clear shot on one knee, stomping on the shin backwards with a nasty crunch.

  Robin takes the weapon, and dumps the magazine, literally tossing it out the back whilst ejecting the live round in the breach.

  Of course, he gets ready to keep on, the close quarters being a perfect battleground for him.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It is an interesting question to be sure. For how many criminals in Gotham City does the Dark Knight serve as their great white whale? How many have gone down to ignominiuous defeat in their pursuit of overcoming just him? Does Vittore have his number at last? Were silver bullets the secret receipe for success all along? Anything is possible.

Really, Batman might be a little satisfied knowing that there is someone out there packing Silver bullets just for him. It certainly plays into the fearsome mythology he has spent his career trying to instill into the criminals of Gotham about himself. His belief that at heart the criminal mind is a cowardly, superstitious one.

Or maybe it's just an affectation. It is not like that's in short supply here in Gotham.

A silver bullet is unlikely to have anywhere the stopping power of a steel jacketed round but again, the Dark Knight is pretty good at playing the odds. Afterall, you survive one hundred percent of gunshots that never hit you in the first place. That's a lot better then relying on just his armor. So as the man in the passenger side of the van moves, reaches for and draws that weapon, Batman is letting himself slide to one edge of the speeding van, some of the round ahead revealled to the driver once more as the obstruction of his view begins to slip right off the right side of the vehicle. But before he can fall right off he grips the side of the van hard, swinging the lower half of his body around so that he can come smashing in through the passenger side window feet first, slamming into Vittore hard with all that momentum.

Was he wearing a seatbelt? It probably doesn't matter in some respects, no one reacts well to a pair of heavy boots in the face. But it might mean the difference of keeping his seat or ending up sprawled over the driver.

Carmine Falcone has posed:
     Damian makes his explosive entrance onto the scene blasting his way with a CRACK through one mans kneecap a SMACK as he knocks away one of the makeshift batons. A WHIFF as one swings just inches above his head. Only a couple of men are left standing after the initial barrage of blows and they rush their way in running at full speed.

     Bats swings into the window crashing glass in every direction and knocking Vitore from his seat. The man had clearly not been wearing his seat belt which is another staunch strike against him as he's sent slamming into the driver causing the van to slam to one side directly into a nearby fire hydrant crashing to a stop as glass slams in every direction and the airbags explode out from the front of the van.

     Water splashes over the roof filling in through the holes atop the van drowning down from the broken open fire hydrant as criminals are knocked all around.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian's fists raise up to block more hit attempts, while two of the goons come storming and going in for punches, while one grabs at Robin's arm. "Oh, you don't want to do that..." He comments before mashing down his thumb to his glove, unleashing a surge of electrical energy to the goon as he keeps a hold on Robin.

  Before long he kicks the guy off after he's had enough. Robin continues his barrage with a flurry of punches to the other goon that had stepped up on him, as fast as he can throw.