8720/Main Event: Troia vs Hawk

Main Event: Troia vs Hawk
Date of Scene:	18 November 2021
Location:	Gymnasium - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Donna and Hank have their heart to heart that ends more wholesome than it begins.
Cast of Characters:	Hank Hall, Victor Stone, Donna Troy

---

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank was in the gym again. There were no visible injuries from his fight with Cyborg on his body (one of Hawk's many boons was a regenerative healing factor) and he was working the weights once more. This time, bench press.

    The bar looks like it's holding near to 250 lbs, and Hank is counting as he lowers the bar and presses up against it to fully extend his arms.

    "Thirty....seven..." he breathes. There's strain in his neck and chest, but there's a determined set to his jaw as he lowers the bar and pushes it up again. "Thirty... eight..." And again. "Thirty... nine..." And again. "Forty..." He doesn't look like he's ready to stop just yet.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic's there spotting again. The tension between the two seems to be mostly gone; they talked and then they sparred, and things are... not back to normal, but normal-ish. So he's watching the reps closely, his cybernetics keeping track of heart rate, blood pressure, and so on.

    "Looking good, man," he says. "Heart rate's good, breathing's good... don't strain so hard, your B.P. almost spiked there." He smirks. "Don't want to have you popping a vessel already."

Donna Troy has posed:
    It's one more unusual part of the architecture of Titan's Tower that it has two parallel elevator shafts, but only one of them has an elevator in it. Or doors, for that matter. The other is intended for those Titans who can fly to move around the tower more quickly. This second option is the one Donna arrives through, as is her wont when she's not accompanying someone who can't, or doesn't want to, fly.

    She's not dressed for the gym, but she doesn't head to the changing rooms, coming straight over to where Hank and Vic are, at the weights. Black calf-length boots and jeans, a long coat of soft tan fabric worn over top of a burgundy blouse. "I remember my last day at the tower, back in 2017, before I left," she says by way of greeting. There is no prologue. "I'd told you all before that I was going to have to leave for a while. Complete my training. We were all sitting down to a Chinese take-out when I told you I'd had word it had been brought forwards, and I had to leave straight away."

    She looks at Hank for a few moments, then turns briefly to give Vic a nod of greeting before shucking off her coat and draping it over the machine next to them. "I made that up. I made a lot of things up. I came from a country that is still today on no maps, and four years ago virtually nobody had heard of it. I was under orders from the queen not to tell anyone where I came from. So I spun you guys a line about the 'Knights of Ilium', because that was kind of not that far off, and it fitted my name. I hated doing it, but I had to."

    She flexes her arms, stretching first one way and then the other, left and then right. "But I didn't have to go when I said I did. That was me just running away from... personal issues. I told myself I just needed to get away for a while, but what I was really doing was running away from my responsibilities. And that's why I wasn't there for Doomsday."

    She rolls her neck, does a couple of leg stretches then looks at Hank, head tilted over to one side. "So. Fists or swords?" she asks.

Hank Hall has posed:
    "Got it..." Hank says, stabilizing his own breathing pattern as he goes for another. "Forty... one..." And then there's a Donna. He places the bar back on the resting rack and sits up. He grabs his towel and starts wiping the sweat from his chest and face as he listens to her tale.

    "I..." he starts and then she issues a challenge. "You want to... right now?" he asks, looking at Victor.

    It's not like he didn't expect it sometime, but still the direct approach was unexpected. He stands and wipes at his neck. "Fists. You know I'm no good with any weapon aside from the claws..." he says. "And I'd rather not put the cleaning crew to apoplexy with the amount of blood I can spill before falling over."

    He tosses the towel at a backpack he has near the bench.c "I'll tell you the same thing I told Vic. You know how I work. You can't hold back otherwise I can't be who I have to be to even hold a candle to you. So... don't go easy on me." He rolls a shoulder, and thoroughly expected the Amazonian to unleash absolute hell on him at the drop of a hat.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic raises his eyebrows. He's heard the explanation from Donna before, the apologies. And of all people, well... Hank's the one who'd need them most. He steps back a bit, clearing the mats, smirking.

    "I beat him the other day, but maybe we shook the rust off. Time to see, I guess?"

Donna Troy has posed:
    "When did I ever go easy on you Hank?" Donna snaps back. "But maybe that's the problem. Fists it is." She gives him a brief nod and walks away a distance, giving him plenty of space to move away from the weights, and take his time getting ready. When she has made enough distance, she stops and turns, waiting for him.

    "When Doomsday happened, I was on guard duty. Guarding literally the gates of Hell, because where I come from that's a thing. Turns out that was a waste of time, because Hell was visiting Metropolis instead at the time. When I got back from guard duty three weeks later was the first time I head about Doomsday. It was front page news around the world, and I didn't even know it had happened until after the funerals. It just felt like everything... everything here had vanished. It was over. And I hadn't even been there to try to stop it. Hadn't even been there to say goodbye.

    Her eyes fixed on Hank, she lowers one shoulders and bends her knees slightly. It's almost a conventional boxer's stance.

    "Caitlin visited. She spent some time with me on Themyscira. The first few weeks were tense, but we got past that. We helped each other heal. But it still took me the best part of three years to build up the courage to face all of you again. And I came back half-convinced you'd all blame me for what happened, however much Cait tried to persuade me I was crazy."

    She gets her feet moving, circling a little, but close to the spot, just keeping her legs in motion. "So. Come on. Try and hit me."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank could feel the raw emotion coming from the woman and the immenent need to do him violence. "Hawk" he says flatly. There's no dramatic change of clothes or outward transformation.

    His posture and stance change, becoming more menacing, more a defintive threat. His muscles swell and bulge gaining more mass and there is just a sense of more than what was there before.

    Again, Cyborg's readout would not the mucles mass increasing exponentially and his body density increasing as his heart rate spikes up in the anbticipation of giving and receiving violence.

    "Let's go!" he says and rushes toward the Amazonian. He's not holding back either it would seem, charging her as a bull charges the fluttering of a red cape.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic grabs a couple of water bottles and sets them aside for the pair, so they can have hydration as they need it. They may approach this business as warriors; he still approaches it all from the perspective of a jock. Hydration's important.

    Then he sits back on one of the benches to watch the fight, recording things on his cybernetic senses, making mental notes. Techniques that could be improved, conditioning that could be done. Donna might not take the notes (though then again she might) but he's pretty sure Hank will.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna waits the charge, seeming to prepare to confront it head-on -- but when he reaches where she stands she's gone in a blur, four steps away to the side. She might have been able to tag him in the ribs on the way past, but there's no attempt to do that. Perhaps had she, though, that enhanced sense of the flow of battle that being Hawk grants Hank might have given him a forewarning of imminent threat that would allow him time to react.

    "I became an Amazon," she says, apparently not prepared to stop talking just because the fighting has started. "Officially. Had to fight my way through... a lot. Met a goddess. But mostly I spent the three years training. Eight, ten hours a day. Training with the greatest warriors this world has ever seen. Warriors who fought Herakles and Perseus three and a half thousand years ago and won, and who have gone on perfecting their art every day since. Because that's what my life is like."

    She lashes out with a foot, aimed at the side of Hank's knee... but there's a sudden shift before it makes contact and she goes low, turning it into a leg sweep that's aimed to force Hank to jump over it to avoid the impact, and break his momentum. "I was raised on an island of immortal women. Until I came to America, the next youngest person I had ever met was my sister Diana. And she's nine hundred years old."

Hank Hall has posed:
    The preturnatural sense of the Lord of Chaos inhabitting Hank Hall gives him the split second reaction to jump the sweep but it does stop his momentum. "So insulting my experience..." he says, his mouth shifting into a grin. "Can't be anywhere near as good as you because you've been fighting the best of the best that Greek history has to offer, right?"

    "A fair point... but flawed" he says. "You see... T'Charr has been around since before your Greek gods were even concepts in the minds of their parents!" He takes two steps forward, looking like he's going to rush her again and instead leaps high into the air. "And that power is in me!" he says as he comes down, at her aiming for a solid punch. His own descent increases in speed, assisted by his own power of flight.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Not my point." This time there's no last-moment dodge of Hank's flying charge - instead she meets the punch directly, crouching to brace and with her arms crossed in front of her to take the punch. Donna had always fought in armor in the old days and today she isn't wearing any -- except for silvered forearm guards. They are new. If Hank has paid any attention to the goings-on of superheroes other than Titans he may recognize the bracers as being an Amazon trademark, not perhaps as famous as Diana's lasso, but well enough known.

    Fist meets nigh unbreakable metal, braced with all Donna's Amazonian strength, and a meaty slam that echoes around the gym. Only when the impact is taken does Donna get out of the way, scooting quickly backwards and up into an combative stance again, where she starts to circle Hank, her eyes fixed firmly on his.

    "Until I came to America, I had never met a man either. I assumed you were all basically overly-aggressive, testosterone-fueled children. Because that's the way a child on Themyscira sees the lessons of history. That man's world was a world lacking compassion and grace, and filled with stupid wars. It was only when I spent time with you guys, with the Titans, that I understood I was wrong. And the man that proved that to me more than anyone was Don."

    She keeps circling, still not committing to an attack.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hawk watches as Donna circles him, his right hand twitching as the strike against unbreakable metal may have given him pause. His breath hitches as she mentions the name of his dead twin.

    "He was the better man..." he says gritting his teeth. "Always will be... and I'm here as a testament to his memory. His legacy if I have to be." He takes a long slow breath. "Took me the better part of four years to realize it... but there it is."

     He moves in again, a flurry of blows ready to meet with the Amazonian if she doesn't dodge once more.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Cyborg frowns thoughtfully at Donna, at her statement, but doesn't comment. This fight is mostly for the two of them; he's little more than a spectator. Still, he nods his agreement with her assessment of Don. With Hawk's assessment of Don.

    Don Hall had, perhaps, been the best of them. Certainly he'd come close. That was why his death had hit so hard, after all.

Donna Troy has posed:
The dodging continues -- this time both arms moving independently to take the blows one at a time, a flurry of blocks to match the flurry of blows. The focus on blocking holds her attention, and for the first time since the fight started, she actually shuts up for a little while. She backs away under the barrage of attacks, giving ground...

    ...And waiting her moment for him to be at full extension, committed to the forwards motion. Then she springs up and flips over Hank, landing a clear ten feet behind him. And yet there is no immediate response, no charge into Hank's back -- she starts circling again. And talking again.

    "I disagree. The pair of you were parts of a whole. The Amazons were created to be warriors, but warriors different to those of man's world. Fighting with skill, but ever with compassion and reason. With body and with mind in harmony. You and Don... you were the same ideal, but embodied in two people, not in one. If you had died and Don lived, he would still be a good man, but he'd be a terrible warrior. Don was an easier man to like than you, Hank. But he wasn't the better man. You're a good man too, Hank. Just different."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hawk finishes in a position of utter openess and is rather surprised when Donna doesn't take advantage of the strike. He rises and turns to face Donna and narrows his eyes. "I can't agree with you... but I can respect your assessment. Opinions are as individualized as fingerprints."

    He starts to match her circle, it's an effort of will not to charge again. But one of the advantages of Hawk is that it can learn. It can adapt. Donna was as strong as he is, probably stronger and that meant anything he throws at her she could counter. Maybe if she pressed him, he could seize on an opportunity.

    "So that's why you sought me out when you came back... because you believed I could still be the man you thought I was..." He shakes his head. "At the time, I wasn't. I wasn't ready. I wasn't unbroken. But I'm here now and I'm sticking around. Maybe not in the Tower, but I'm not leaving the city and I'll help you if you'll have me."

    He glances out of his periphery at Victor. "I have family here that I lost sight of for a while... I have to make it up to them. Including you."

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic whistles at the flip and landing, not that he's never seen her do that kind of thing before but it's always impressive. When she doesn't attack, his brow furrows, but he nods slightly as she begins to speak again. Donna pep talks. They've only increased since Hank's been gone.

    He snorts, though, "If we'll have you. Titans forever, man, c'mon."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Face to face as they circle, with some time to pause and consider rather than rushing in, Hank can see Donna's eyes moving rapidly. From his feet to his hands, to his shoulders, taking in every detail of his motion. It's a funny thing -- that was something Don did, that calculating approach. Donna had always seemed closer to Hank, eager for the charge, revelling in the physicality of combat, but that is such a /Don/ thing she's doing.

    "None of us were unbroken, Hank. And that's still true. When Don died he took half of your soul with him. But he was part of what made me who I am too. He took a part of /my/ soul with him also. And Vic's, and Cait's, and Dick's, and Rae's. All of us. He shaped us. We shaped each other. That's why it hurt so much. And when you didn't come back..." she gives a shake of her head. "It was the same thing. You are a part of our souls too. You couldn't heal without us, and we couldn't heal without you. That's why we sought you out. "

    The circling continues, but still no attack is forthcoming. "Yes, you have family here. I loved Don, but I love you too Hank, and I missed you terribly. Annoying as you were, I missed you. That's why. And if it took challenging you to a fight to get that point across then so be it, but I really want to just give you a hug like the long lost brother you are, rather than punch some sense into you."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hawk watches and listens and his expression changes. Softens. Maybe it's age, maybe it's time, maybe it's just nostalgia but Donna's words have almost the same effect on him as Dove's do.

    He nods and smiles softly before rushing the woman again. He stops a few feet from her and Cyborg would see the change in reverse. Muscles dropping back to peak human levels, heart rate slowling. Structural density falling to natural levels.

    He stops and opens his arms. "Well.. what are you waiting for?" he asks with a grin. "You could've asked for one of those instead of making fun on my weight. And I'll have you know 1.6 percent body fat is not easy to maintain."

Victor Stone has posed:
    Cyborg stares for a moment. "Man... you /have/ changed." He smirks and gets up to go grab the water bottles, so he can offer them over once the hug is done.

    Assuming Donna doesn't /actually/ punch him or anything.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna doesn't react to the rush, but she does react to the grin, responding with one of her own. That too is nostalgic -- Donna always had the /widest/ grins. She raises a finger. "If you sucker-punch me, you are going down Hank. Hard" She gives a short burst of laughter and opens her arms too, closing in to wrap them around him in a rib-creaking embrace.

    "I had to threaten to punch you first or you wouldn't have listened," Donna counters. "And you know it, you goof. I never could figure out how Don did it. Or Dawn, apparently. She's something, isn't she? I guess the Lords of Law know their type."

    The hug doesn't go on too long. Maybe not quite as long as Donna would like, but she's trying to give Hank some space still. She steps back with a smile. "Not bad. Not as rusty as I feared," she concedes. "But you could do with some more practise. Your room is still there, Hank. We haven't given it to any of the newbies. And if you want some training and conditioning -- we've got the best facilities. No pressure. If you don't want to go on patrols any more, if you don't want to be an active Titan... that's entirely up to you. Anybody who says different, they really are going to have to go three rounds with me." She flashes a quick wink to Vic -- not that he's disputing the point any more, but perhaps an acknowledgement of what went on outside the tower when Hank first showed up, of Vic saying she didn't speak for him.

    " Well..." She tilts her head from side to side, indecisively. "Maybe up to you and how things work out between you and Dawn. But you'll always be a Titan, active duty or not. You're always welcome here. Always. You're family. Welcome home, Hank."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank groans at the rib cracking embrace. "I want to go on patrols. I want to get things back to where I can feel comfortable here... which means being active. I'll have to see about a new suit." He frowns and looks at the ground. "Since... well... you know..." He doesn't voice the truth, still ashamed of it as he is: 'Since I burned them as part of my temper tantrum.'

    "I spoke with Dawn... we... understand each other. We don't know how each other moves... but that will come with time and practice." He takes a long breath and takes the bottle offered by Vic. "She's busy currently. Something with her school... but she said as soon as she's free again, we can work on getting each other's fighting style down and working together as a team again."

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic puts his hands in the air. "I wasn't gonna argue," he says to Donna with a grin. "Whatever Hank wants, so long as he's sticking around. I, uhh... I got my stuff out already. Mostly."

    Quick to anger, Vic usually is, but also quick to forgive, at least his teammates. At least lately. He wants to keep the harmony. He wants the team to be a team, the /family/ to be a /family.

    "Good to hear you and Dawn are getting along," he adds. "Getting Hawk and Dove back out on patrols will be great if that's what you both want."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna answers Vic's grin with a grin of her own, as wide as the one she'd given Hank. "Yeah, it was raw. We were all kinda... you know." She passes it off with a wave of her hand. Apparently her promise of 'later' and the dagger-looks have evaporated with the generalized easing of tensions.

    "Yeah. The Titans today... you'll see Hank. It's become something special. And big. Gods, the number of us these days. But it was never quite the Titans without a Hawk and a Dove along." Her lips twitch slightly with simple amusement, her mood definitely raised by the way things have gone. "We've done a lot of work on the Danger Room, Hank. That will be the ideal way for you and Dawn to get to work things out between you. Give you some crowd-control scenarios to run through. I'm sure Vic can work something out. Or Kate. She's been doing some great work with the training programs. That's uh... Hawkeye. You two can fight over the naming thing later."

    Donna takes a deep breath and blows it through her cheeks slowly. She walks back over to the weights area to pick up her coat, and slings it over her shoulder. "In the mean time, if you guys have finished for now, there's another change to things we should introduce Hank to, Vic." She nods her head to Vic then turns to Hank. "It's called 'Donna and Vic now keep a regular supply of beer at the Tower these days.' You've got to promise to leave some for us. In the mood for a cold one?"