8876/The Birds are back in town

The Birds are back in town
Date of Scene:	30 November 2021
Location:	Metropolis
Synopsis:	The problems Hank can't solve as a cop can be solved, in part, by Hawk and Dove. The duo go on their first patrol together and take down a small gang of drug dealers. Their boss reveals himself over the phone and Dawn has a desire to track the man down, but she'll probably need Vic's help for that.
Cast of Characters:	Hank Hall, Dawn Granger

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Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank has decided that enough is enough and if Hawk and Dove were to rejoin the Titans then Hawk and Dove would rejoin as a team.

    He's seen the conversation between the groups, he could tell a drug running operation when he sees it, but everytime he's not around to catch them in the act. If Hank Hall, Metropolis Police couldn't stop it... then perhaps Hawk and Dove could.

    He's brought Dawn with him to the park, night has already fallen and the number of park goers has fallen to almost none, so that doesn't account for the gathering of maybe eight men of various sizes under one of the larger trees.

    "There they are..." Hank says to the younger woman. They're about fifty feet from the exchange going on. "Eight of them. Looks like a sale... Still think we're ready for this?" he asks. The two of them haven't done anything as a team before this night and while Hank's been a hero before--he's four years removed and Dawn is not the Dove he is remotely familiar with.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Time with Hank, as Hawk. That's what she wanted. She hadn't exactly said that outloud but her intentions were clear enough when she went looking for him. She wanted answers, sure, but she also wanted what was vaguely promised to her. And that wasn't going to happen if she was alone in this whole thing.

    Am I ready? no.. she knows she's not. She was running on pure instinct the first time but now that there's been some space between that incident and tonight, she's not so sure it wasn't just adrenaline, or perhaps the Lord of Peace that drove her.

    She needn't worry so much, she's been Dove a few times since then and everything has gone well. This time felt different though. Hawk would be with her and he has expectations she couldn't hope to anticipate.

    "We'll be fine," she says with a small smile as her eyes shift back to the men. Already she can feel the lord of orders influence upon her growing as she contemplates whether or not she could simply talk these men in to surrendering themselves to the police, or giving up their life of crime.

    But the true debilitation of being Dove comes immediately after. "You know, most people who start taking drugs, and even continue to take drugs.. they do it to escape their terrible life conditions. There must be a better way than locking up drug dealers endlessly." That desperate need to find another way to solve the problem than confronting it head on.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank smiles at the woman. "While your sympathies are not unwarranted... in this case they are misplaced. These men... they're not just drug dealers. Most of them have served time before... assault, armed robbery, and sexual battery are just the tip of the iceberg with them." He narrows his eyes and his words are hard. "These men are scum. And the system is flawed. But that doesn't mean we just sit around and wait for it to catch up to itself and let the lawless walk the streets with impunity."

    He points at them discreetly from their vantage point. "You see how that one moves? Stiffness in his steps? He has a gun. Likely they all do. These men are going to hurt someone, someday. If we don't stop them now, when we have the power and authority to do so, how are we not respomnsible?" That was the Lord of Chaos talking through him: Engage in violence. Stop these men with force. You have the power, use it with no restraints.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn notes the shift in body language that indicates he's concealing a gun. That's valuable information to know, to learn. Just who needs to be discouraged from violence first. In this case, it seems they're all equally capable of handling trouble - though at least one of them is moving from foot to foot suggesting they're the only one there hoping for trouble. The rest will no doubt do a runner if things don't go their way.

    "You're not wrong, though, in Finland recidivism rates have dropped considerably when they started reintegrating their criminals in to new territory, away from the influences that drove them to crime. Break the vicious cycle that leads to more violence. It's a shame that stopping them tonight will just push them through a broken system that will only reinforce their lack of true agency, making them seek violent means to gain it back."

    Her hands in her parker and her white hair braided in a plait, she is exactly the kind of target for assault in a dark park late at night. Her instincts from three years ago tell her she shouldn't be here, but her instincts as Dove tell her she can handle it and better she draws out the desperate to her than to someone who cannot. "How do you want to handle this?," she queries Hank, the one with the badge and the experience.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank watches the men, his eyes still narrowed in distrust and suspicion. Dawn's words on external laws is news to him and gives him a bit of hope for the US, if the political system ever turns away from the ignorance and stalemate that the dual party system has forced it in.

    "How do I want to do it?" he reiterates her question to him. "Run in, bust them up..." his tone is dark, hard, "let them go with a few broken bones and stitches as a message to the rest of their kind." He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, collecting his composure in the process.

    "We approach them. Tell them to leave their product and disperse. Reiterate that this park is off limits to their activities... It won't fix the problem but it will at least make this area safer and maybe make them think twice about future prospects." He looks at Dawn. "They'll probably resist and then... well... we do what we do, right?" he asks with a small smile.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "I feel that may be we can offer them something more. I did some searching online for just this sort of situation," she says lifting a hand out of her pocket and raising a finger. "Instead of just telling them to go home, alternate ways to use their time. They're out here in the night anyway."

    She smiles feeling a slight pride at her problem solving, "There's a men's workshop two blocks from here. They make furniture for those less fortunate than them. They could volunteer their time there, put some good back in to the world - make the world less sucky so perhaps people don't feel the need to turn to drugs in the first place."

    "The website said that there's a kind of camaraderie that developers in their workshop. A tribe for these people to belong to that isn't all about hate and violence could be really good for their mental health too.."

    She lets it dangle out there and smiles up at the tall man beside her, "I guess we walk right up and see where things go from there. But I can already sense the danger. So we do what we do," she agrees with a nod. Without further debate or waiting she strides forth toward the gang of men.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank almost laughs at the suggestion that they turn these men, lifelong criminals in his opinion, to a life of helping others. Camraderie or no, the *actual* truth of the matter is those workshops only turn around forty percent of the men that come through their doors. Better than none, but still too small for his liking.

    But then she's striding forward to confront the men. He can tell there is danger involved here as well. The mantle of Hawk presses at him like a wild animal just under his skin. He will let her take the lead here. Maybe her offer will work, and if it doesn't... he'll do what he was made to do and Hawk and Dove will fly once more in the city.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    There's something slightly wild about approaching these men. They aren't a trained unit like the terrorists she faced off against in her first bout of serious action. These are all individual predators who would likely challenge each other for supremacy if the opportunity presented itself. She presents as a rich young white woman walking up to drug dealers in a park.

    One of them steps forward as she approaches and lifts his chin and sucks in air through a gap in his teeth. "Little late for you to be jogging to your Jazzasize." The obvious conclusion is she's here to buy drugs to impress her no doubt plethora of right white friends at some bachelorette party or the like.

    "Gentlemen. It's a cold night. Wouldn't you all be better off leaving this business behind and doing something that fulfils you on the inside and keeps you warm on the outside," she opens with a suggestion, sounding not quite like a cop and definitely not like someone here to buy.. more like a bible botherer.

    A second man steps up and says, "Get lost little girl we don't need to hear your bullshit tonight aight." He lifts up his coat to show the piece stuffed in to the belt line of his pants.

    Dawn glances at the weapon and then back up to the men, "No really, you're all clearly invested in your community, but that energy is going to waste selling drugs. There are better ways to enrich this place than lining your pockets with money. Did you know community grant money for lower income neighbourhoods is available for housing, heating, and food if community leaders can demonstrate a commitment to social services?"

A third man pushes forward and says, "Oh so you a damn commie now are huh? This is the United States of America and we don't listen to no communist propaganda."

    Dawn sighs a little as she is getting more and more crowded.. the danger level is rising rapidly. Perhaps Hank was right - but she had to try, "Socialism is not Communism, but I'm worried you're all going to send this evening in a direction you won't like."

A fourth man frowns and says, "Hell I already don't like it and I don't like _you_."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank steps up behind Dawn. He can hide that he's a cop well enough, but he can't hide that he's a man invested in the young woman's safety. "You're going to like it even less if you push your luck, buddy" he says darkly, looming half a head over the taller than average woman and easily an extra hundred pounds heavier than she in sheer mass.

    "You don't want to help out the community, fine. Leave the dope here..." he nods at the duffle bag behind the men. "And beat it. Don't come back, or we'll make sure you can't..."

    The urge of Hawk to rage forward and break the men's bones is almost painful in intenstiy. The danger is ripe and all he has to do is say a word and then he will be imbued with the means to teach these ingrates a lesson. Why fight it? Why try to be reasonable? Let the gentle Dove do that... his is a way of violence. Of blood. Of direct action instead of useless platitudes and the redirection of force.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    He's big and has a presence and these men feel challenged.. by words and by physicality. This is a threat to their business and the pressure being brought down upon them by their supply chain, by their boss. Another man steps forward and draws his pistol out. "Man fuck this shit, this is our town and ain't no one step on our turf."

    Dawn is not fast enough to dodge a bullet, but Dove is fast enough to dodge a man pulling a trigger. The danger sense spikes through the roof and she says "Dove," almost without even thinking about it. It's not so much a wonderful magical girl transformation, as it is her regular clothes are gone and she is immediately in her Dove uniform, wings and all.

    One of those wings lashes out and knocks the gun to the side as she sweeps in and pushes it at the right angles to disarm him. Her hands work quickly as she dechambers the round and ejects the magazine, then dislodges the barrel and lets all the pieces drop to the ground.

    "Huh. I've always wanted to try that. It looks so satisfying in the movies.. and really, it was super satisfying."

    This small gloat and movement by Dove is more than enough to bring the rest of the guns out.

Hank Hall has posed:
    The moment the 'D' in Dove passes Dawn's lips the word "Hawk" is uttered by Hank. He's transformed into the Agent of Chaos once since his return. He expects the strength and power that comes with the change. What he didn't expect is the red and white costume that simply replaces his clothes. It's a bit more articulated than his old suit and maybe more like armor than the leather-spandex composite he was used to. The claws on each hand look sharper and more vicious than those he used to bear and the strips of red that are both cape and wings for him shift and stir as if possessed of a life of their own. He likes it as a smile of victory spreads over his lips.

    He moves forward, Dove's grace is unparralleled and her quick disarm and dismantle is admired for a split second before the rest of the guns are drawn. "Behind me!" he says stepping forward to be the living shield he is meant to be for his more peaceful counterpart.

    His hands flash out in quick slashing motions, preternatural speed of his own lending them power and the claws spark as their own supernatural metal tears into the relatively soft bronze of the gunmetal. "Let's not..." he says in a growl and watches as the barrells of two of the weapons slide to the ground, severed cleanly from the rest of the weapon. He knows he's getting shot, but he's been shot as Hawk before the pain only fuels his rage and the strength of the Lord of Chaos within him will sustain him until his foes are no more. He almost welcomes the bullets that are bound to strike him.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dove certainly isn't going to say no to that - but she doesn't know how Hawk works and him getting shot concerns her. She does a twirl moving behind him and notices one of the men to the side lifting up a machine gun. Instinctually a wing swings up to protect her.

    The bullets strike her supernatural dove wing and she can feel it. It hurts, like paintballs hitting bare skin. She watched enough footage of Hawk and Dove fighting in the past to get ideas. Ideas she's never put in to practice before. There's a part of her that wants to impress the man.

    She scoops a hand down to the ground and gathers up dirt, then tosses it over to the man with the machine gun right at his eyes. He stumbles back rubbing at his eyes and lets out a cry and a few choice swear words.

    Dove dashes forward and twists the gun, and his arm, flipping the guy on to the ground and putting him in to a pin with more and more pressure until his hand finally lets go of the weapon. She pulls it out of his grip and tosses it away on to the ground.

    "Haven't you boys had enough of this life of violence yet. There are better ways to live and carrying guns only attracts people who want to hurt you; or worse, encourages you to hurt others," she says trying to encourage them to stop fighting. Her eyes scan over to one man grabbing the bag of dope and trying to make a dash for it out of the park though.

Hank Hall has posed:
    A number of shots ring out in the night as bullets strike Hawk. His own defense is more open faced than his blue and white counterpart, but just as effective. The bullets slam against the suit and flatten into plates of copper and lead before falling to the ground like so many shards of glass. He simply stands there and takes it, his body jerking from the force of the strikes but his position never changing.

    The guns click empty and he looks up at the three who fired at him. "Are you done?" he asks, his tone impatient. "My turn..." He rushes forward barelling past the two whose guns he shredded and grabbing two who managed to shoot him by their gun hands. There is a sickening crunching sound as metal and bone both break under the strength of his grip and the men scream in pain.

    "You should listen to the lady," he quips. "I'm one of the people who want to hurt you" he says darkly. "Dove! The runner!" he calls to his partner, hoping she knows to stop him. He turns and delivers a hypernatural strength strike to the side of the head of another thug as he attempts to reload his gun. The impact is enough to roll the man's eyes back into his head and he falls limply to the ground: unconcious.

    He appeals to the others in the group. "Come on. No knives? Brass knuckles? I swear you street toughs have lost your edge. Come on! Hit me!" he goads at them, trying to stoke both rage and fear in the four men that remain standing.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    The drug runner, really running right now, has his phone out and has dialled up the boss, "We're under attack! I dunno, two supers or something!"

    Dawn lets go of the man's arm she has pinned and he curls up nursing it. The pain is real, but she didnb't crush any bones like Hank has done. She nods her head, "On it." Her running is precise and the wings spread out aerodynamically to give her more haste. She catches up to the guy and loops a hand around his torso, then digs her feet in to the ground in a very sudden stop, flipping him over her back and crashing him to the ground.

    The phone flies thruogh the air and she catches it with her spare hand. She brings it to her ear.

    "Are you still in the park?," comes a dark creepy voice on the other of the line.
    Dawn frowns, "Sorry but your man here is a little winded."
    "Who is this?"
    "Just a concerned citizen," she quips back in what sounds like a British accent to most Americans, "Trying to offer these fine young men alternatives to your line of work."

    The phone hangs up and she looks at it, unlocked, and notes the phone number. May be one of the Titans can figure out who it was she was just talking to. Dawn places a foot heavily on the bag of dope, on the back of the man she just effectively tackled.

    "Please, stay down, or my friend over there might be inspired to exorcise his anger issues on you," she says and the man collapses back to the ground. As good as a citizens arrest she's going to get tonight. She uses the guy's own phone to dial 911.

Hank Hall has posed:
    One of the men does actually draw a small switchblade and swings it at Hawk. The blade should cut deep into the man's flesh, but if bullets don't pierce him the blade swung by normal means won't do much better. It connects and then breaks without even making the big man flinch.

    "Such a pity..." he croons maliciously and jabs a fist into the thugs' midsection with enhanced speed and strength. The breath escapes the man in a rush and he drops to his knees before falling over and gasping. "Any more takers?" he asks before more bullets hammer into him. Apparently the remaining men had enough wearwithal to reload.

    He jerks and takes a step back, the only ground he is willing to give up as he shields his face from the bullets.

     More clinks of metal sound, as the spent bullets fall uselessly from his body. The clicking of empty chambers follows and then more grunts of discomfort and pain as Hawk dispatches the rest with ease. He looms over the men and holds out his hands. "Is that all?" he asks. "It's barely a workout. I thought you guys were serious about your life of crime and mischief. Get back up. Please" he cajoles, sarcasm dripping in his mocking words. He looks up at the woman who is his new partner and smiles. "You did well" he calls to her as she stands in victory and makes the call for the authorities--and likely ambulances.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    With their own backup on the way - police, ambulance.. no fire necessary this time, she hangs up and tosses the phone on to the ground next to the guy she has pinned with one foot. The call out from Hawk has her waving back to him with a big smile on her face.

    "Thank you! you too!," she calls back. Can anything actually hurt him? she's not sure. She knows for sure that her wings took a pummelling and withuot them in the way she probably would have gotten more seriously hurt. She also thinks about the motions she took against that guy with the machine gun. He's still nursing his arm.. may be she dislocated it.

    She can't quite put her finger on it... but is she being more violent with him around. "Hey we should have nachos and beers after this," she calls over to the guy as somehow all this action has put her in the mood for comfort food.

    The distant sounds of sirens warn the thugs with the guns that their time is up. The guy under foot asks, "Hey lady can you please let me up?" Dove glances down adt him and pushes a little harder, "Nope. You're the one who pushes these other guys in to this life instead of letting them find something their hearts can be at peace with. You're going to jail."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hawk nods. "I think I'd like that!" he says in response to the offer for nachos and beer. He looks at one of the guys attempting to get to his feet at the sound of sirens and gives him a light kick. Well, light from his own perspective. Being enhanced with suernatural strength, it's enough to lift the man off the ground a few inches and drop him to the ground unconscious.

    He seems to take stock of his own emotional state. He's... composed. Thinking clearly. It's a different feeling than he had with Don, but its still calming and soothing. The release of violence was intoxicating, but the woman's presence seemed to keep it from going absolutely out of control. He smiles again. Feeling more himself than he has in years.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Several patrol cars are first on the scene.. if you don't count Hank and Dawn that is. The cops are moving in wearing armor and with guns drawn. After the gang of drug dealers, these guys turning up with guns drawn feels.. wrong to Dawn. Like the world is upside down. These are meant to be the peace keepers.

    She takes a firm step on the back of the guy she has on the ground walks toward them, her white dove wings hanging from her back like a cape. She raises a hand, "It's alright officers, everyone here is disarmed."

    One of the police men turns his gun toward Dawn and she raises an eyebrow, tilts her head slightly and smiles to him, "You don't need to respond in kind - they have been soundly educated in their mistakes."

    He lowers the weapon seeing she's not attacking and asks, "Who are you two?"

    Dove smiles a moment and looks over to Hank as other police officers rush the guy on the ground with the dope to cuff him. She nods to Hawk and then looks back to the police officers, "We're Titans." This seems to have the desired effect, the tension in the police officers drops and they holster their weapons. Two ambulances pull up not too long after as the police start to move through the mess that the two birds made.

    Dawn walks over to Hawk and folds her arms. "So... that was a heck of a rush," she admits, "May be it's time we leave and let the police do their job." Because as far as the name Titans goes, they aren't exactly part of the legal system.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank recognizes a number of the men on the scene. Co-workers of his. But he's masked and clearly none of the officers recognize him. There's a general feeling of unease as one of the men levels a gun on his partner. But it subsides when she disarms the situation cooly.

    He nods to Dove at her approach and looks up with a smile. "It is. But...let's hammer home just how 'super' we are as heroes go" he says offering her a clawed hand.

    It wouldn't be hard for her to deduce that he means to fly out of the park together.

    "Officers, thank you for your service" he says, the throaty growl of Hawk still layering his words. "But let the word get out. Hawk & Dove are back in town."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Hawk wants to fly away from the scene of some awesome with her... is she fangirling just a little bit right now? Uh, yes, absolutely. She puts her hand in his and smiles coyly, "I think you've got the right idea."

    Those wings, they move so naturally as if they've always been a part of her. It's always a shock to her brain and her body when they go away again. She has to remind herself she can't just jump out of a window and fly. But right now? she's on an adrenaline high, she is elated, and she is Dove. Flying is easy.

    With a push off the ground and a swoosh of her white wings she takes flight with Hank. It shouldn't be possible, but then nothing about the duo fits that description. It's simply magical, and super.