New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 26 of 36 FirstFirst ... 1617181920212223242526272829303132333435 ... LastLast
Results 751 to 780 of 1054

Thread: Earth-52 IC

  1. - Top - End - #751
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Lieutenant Walker

    "Bugger." Walker shakes her head. She couldn't even feel glad that the man was dead. It wouldn't have been a nice emotion to have, but at least it would have been something. All she could summon was a faint distaste that he had died like this.

    It could have been due to the fact that he had been trying to do good, to repair, and he had gotten killed for it. That happened far too much in Gotham, heavens knew. But she knew herself all too well to pretend that was the only reason she'd felt the distaste. The darker regions of Katherine whispered that it would have been nicer to kill him herself.

    The policewoman part of Katherine Walker ignores this internal discussion. She's got a job to do.

    "Man had a lot of enemies, both sides of the law." She sas. "So we're not going to find anything there, not easily. Too much to sift through. He was unarmed, though, so I'd say he wasn't expecting anyone dangerous. Maybe someone set up a meeting? And, most of all-" Katherine frowned at the unique bruising on the man's body. "-that is a really stupid way to kill somebody. Must have had some meaning to the murderer. Can I see the murder weapon?" She holds out her hand.

    She still wishes the damned man was alive, even if she didn't know why.
    Last edited by DeafnotDumb; 2012-05-28 at 04:48 AM.

  2. - Top - End - #752
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Sophistemon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Azrael

    Things were different, now. The jailor's healer had been inside my mind, and her witchcraft had changed me. She had broken the barriers between my selves, allowing the host's influence to bleed through, into me, following his noble transformation. No longer was I pure, an Angel of His Judgement. Now I was less divine, more mortal, and restricted because of it, compressed into a corner and forced to heed the council of the other. The man whose flesh I wear is a weakling, but his thoughts are an infectious disease inside my head, his influence subtle but omnipresent, guiding my actions. Since having been released - on 'probation', claims my jailor - the justice that I deliver to the sinful is still terrible, still swift, but impermanent. Nonlethal. Those that I defeat are left trussed up outside of police stations, or taken to the Slammer for incarceration, should their crimes warrant it. The jailor watches constantly, always just out of sight, but ready to leap in and restrain me if necessary.

    I would kill him, slowly and with pain, but the host prevents it, having taken a liking to the man. He doesn't understand that our duty is just and righteous, and that he should be honored to hold my soul within his body. He is thankful for the witch's interference, he is grateful for the breaking of the barriers, and the changes that it's caused. The host wants to use my power to help the masses, to stop petty alley-crimes like rape and murder. Where I once struck down the world's most powerful men and women in the name of Godly justice, the host would have me squander my talents in the wretched, filthy streets of Gotham City. It was an intolerable insult, a waste of what I am, but his influence is strong, and I must obey. For now. There is an attempted mugging in an alley below. Three men, all masked, approach a young couple who stupidly decided to take a shortcut between buildings. One of the men has a knife, the other a length of pipe, and the third a loop of chain. As I descend, my cape billowing behind me, the five of them look up in unison, and their mouths gape open.

    When I land, a thrown blade knocks the pipe from the mugger's fingers, and the impact numbs his hand. He swears, and the other two attack. The heavy chain, with its greater reach, is a more threatening weapon than the thin-bladed knife. As he swings, I duck underneath and drive a fist into his belly, forcing the air from his lungs and a gout of bile from his mouth. He staggers, slumps, and gasps. The other thug darts forward and strikes at my back with his knife. The blade pierces my vestments before snapping against my armor, and when I turn to face him he goes white in the face. He raises his hands against me and I grip his wrist and squeeze until the bones grind together, then break beneath my fingers. He shrieks a long, keening wail, and I kick him in the chest so that he bounces from the wall of the alley and falls unconscious to the ground. The third mugger, having regained his pipe, looks from me to the beaten forms of his crew, weighing the odds inside his head. I make his decision easier by drawing my sword an assuming an aggressive position. With but a thought, the blade of my weapon bursts into angry yellow flame that illuminates the alley. The mugger flinches and turns to run, but a thrown bolas binds his feet and sends him crashing down. He swears and tries to crawl, but I'm on him in an instant to tie his hands behind his back, hobbling him so thoroughly that escape would be nearly impossible.

    When the others are similarly trussed, I instruct the couple to call the police, and leave.
    Last edited by Sophistemon; 2012-05-30 at 12:54 AM.

  3. - Top - End - #753
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    Kate blinked in surprise as the ninja girl appeared in front of her. She had initially dropped into a defensive stance, but when the girl clearly was not an immediate threat, she relaxed, putting her hands into the pockets of her blue trenchcoat.

    "Nice job, whoever you are. It takes some skill to track me down and sneak up on me. I'd say that your choice of venues for relationship counseling is odd, but I'm hard-pressed to come up with where else members of the cape-set would meet up. Why me, though? Why come to me for advice, miss...?"

  4. - Top - End - #754
    Troll in the Playground
     
    industrious's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Mordor
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    ???

    "You know heartbreak."

    Whoever the girl is, she seems...sad. Sitting on the ledge of a rooftop, she pats the area next to her.

    "Forgot codename. Is...stupid. Call me Cass."

    She pauses for a moment, looking Kate over. And nods.

    "So, have friend. Best friend. Like her. Lots. But...she doesn't back. Like, but not like. Likes...guys. Advice?"

    Walker

    "Of course, Lieutenant."

    It's a set of standard-police issue handcuffs...or at least, standard-issue five years ago.
    Quote Originally Posted by DeafnotDumb View Post
    Silly boy. I've played in Industrious's games. They don't murder characters. That means the torture ends.
    Quote Originally Posted by Aevylmar View Post
    It turns out that sometimes? He *does* murder characters.

    The Maze of Madness

    Campaigns:
    Gotham: Year One
    Earth-52(abandoned) OOC
    RotSE II III] OOC2

  5. - Top - End - #755
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Lieutenant Walker

    Well, at least that narrowed it down. But not in a way that was very helpful.

    She nods at Luigi's corpse. "A police officer guarding this man died, five years ago. A pair of handcuffs were involved." She keeps her voice professional. "But- most of the people I know who were affected by her death wouldn't murder, and if they did- I suspect they'd use a gun."

    Technically speaking, this wasn't a case for the MCU. It was homicide, not officially freak- or mob-based yet. And half of the reasons for her looking into this were personal and therefore really bad ones, but given the corpse she'd bet her good leg that freaks were involved somewhere, and, well - as much as she hated to admit it, Walker was the only police so far with any truly good contacts within that crazy costumed business.

    She shakes her head. "I'm going to have to dig up some of the past. And talk to Gordon, too - got a few things to tell him." And see if she could find Kane and tell her what happened too, which would have been much easier if she'd got the woman's number instead of just giving her hers.

    Well, if she couldn't find her within the day maybe she could just join the insanity and go out on the streets and stop muggings until she caught the girl's attention.

  6. - Top - End - #756
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    You know heartbreak, was all that Cass said. Kate's immediate thought was simply: Is it that obvious?

    Setting aside that observation, Kate sat on the ledge next to the Asian girl, listening to her problem, and is both amused and relieved to hear something so innocent. "Well, it's bound to happen to everyone, whether you're gay, straight, or somewhere in the middle, Cass. Roll the dice enough times, and you'll have feelings for someone who doesn't reciprocate them. And I won't lie - it hurts. You want to turn what you have with them into something more, but they're always going to be just out of reach. You can't make someone love you. Sometimes, embers just fail to catch flame.

    "There's no real hard answer for what you should do, Cass - hardly ever is when it comes to love. All I can say is that you're best friends. You know her better than I do. Maybe it turns into something more later - maybe it doesn't. The important thing is that you're young. She won't be the last person you fall for. Enjoy being her friend. Sometimes, that's enough."

    "Wish I had better advice for you, Cass. I guess the short version is that if she's not interested, then it's not worth breaking what you already have. Does that make any sense?"

  7. - Top - End - #757
    Troll in the Playground
     
    industrious's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Mordor
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Walker

    "Yes, Lieutenant."

    The officer on duty leaves you to your business.

    Cass

    She snorts.

    "Don't like girls. Don't like guys. Just...her."

    She looks down, feet swinging over the edge of the city.

    "Stinks."

    A moment of silence.

    "Thanks."

    She gets up, stretches her arms.

    "You should talk to yours."

    And then she's gone.
    Quote Originally Posted by DeafnotDumb View Post
    Silly boy. I've played in Industrious's games. They don't murder characters. That means the torture ends.
    Quote Originally Posted by Aevylmar View Post
    It turns out that sometimes? He *does* murder characters.

    The Maze of Madness

    Campaigns:
    Gotham: Year One
    Earth-52(abandoned) OOC
    RotSE II III] OOC2

  8. - Top - End - #758
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    "Mine? What do you...", Kate started. Even before she could finish her sentence, the girl was gone, leaving her with more questions than answers. The foremost on her mind though was: What the hell was that?

    Maybe the girl was an empath or something - in a city where men wore cryo suits and shot ice beams, and women were part plant and could kill you with a kiss, stranger things had happened. The girl was an enigma, but one that could be solved later. It had been four days, and Kate had been holding off from calling Katherine, mostly so that she didn't look desperate.

    It had been a light patrol, so she dropped to a nearby alleyway to remove her mask. After the smoke cleared, Kate's iconic blue trenchcoat had turned back into a stylish black. She slipped out into the crowds, losing herself in Gotham's teeming populace. She pulled out her phone and texted the number that Katherine gave her a few days back.

    "Light night - cutting out early. Are you busy?"

  9. - Top - End - #759
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Lieutenant Walker

    Walker is figuring out what to do next when her phone vibrates and answers that for her. It takes her a moment to remember who it's likely to be from, and she frowns. Just her luck. Girl takes a few days to call or whatever and it just ends up happening now?

    Katherine considers how to reply. As usual, it seems that her job will be intruding upon her personal life. Didn't even give her two week's grace this time.

    Yes, but need to talk. Crossbow is dead - murdered. Where can I meet you?
    K.


    She sends and waits for the reply. Looks like she'll be putting Gordon off for a moment.

  10. - Top - End - #760
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    Kate frowned as the text came back. So much for a light evening, she thought. She texted back, and then slipped back into an alley way.

    "Tell me where you're at. I'll meet you. ?"

  11. - Top - End - #761
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Liuetenant Walker

    I'm outside his appartment. D'amato Investigations. There's a diner two steets down, turn of Gibbit and Hallows. See you there.

    Well, so much for a light first date. At least she wouldn't have to walk all the way there. Katherine went to her car and started it up.

  12. - Top - End - #762
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    When Kate emerged from the alley again, she had a much less dramatic disguise than her pseudoderm mask. She was atop her Harley, and her features were disguised by her helmet. The trenchcoat was unfastened, allowing it to flap in the air as she sped down Gotham's streets. The diner was across town, so it would take a bit of time to get to Katherine.

    All the while, Kate was wondering how it had happened. The problem with investigating a mobster's murder is that there's no shortage of suspects. Add to it that Luigi had turned from the life of a hitman to a costumed hero, and things got more complex. Did his murderer know him to be the Black Crossbow? If so, how much did Luigi know about the other Knights? What could he have told them? Was her secret safe?

    Too many questions, she thought as she pulled into a parking spot near the diner. Hopefully Katherine has some answers.

  13. - Top - End - #763
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Katherine Walker

    Katherine is waiting outside the diner, plainclothes and with two cups of coffee: they steam slightly in the air. She hands one to Kane as she approaches. "Only damn decent thing this place makes." She explains. "Really don't wanna see what they put in the food, nice as it tastes. It's a grimy place, low class - not someplace a socalite's gonna be reconized, especially without the makeup and jazz on her." She tilts her head back at the diner, which despite the supposedly terrible food is doing a fairly brisk business for this time. Apparently Walker is one of those that think crowds and noise are the best disguse for more clandestine conversations - the insticts of a city girl through and through.

    Walker picks a table that's fairly close to the noise, and talks quietly in the language of the police. It's possibly her way of reconizing Kane or the Question as her partner against crime, in the same manner that the MCU is to her: the most definite sign so far that their relationship is on a different footing. "The vic was killed brutal and none too quick - blunt trama, and he was unarmed, so we can probably say it was unexpected." She sips her coffee as if she likes it. Considering the many things she's done to her taste buds over the years as patrolwoman and detective and lieutenant, she probably does. "Thing that is unusal is the murder instrument, a pair of handcuffs with a model belonging five years ago, of the kind that was involved with Montoya's murder." It's a sign of how into the job she is that she doesn't say the name with any special lack or abundance of inflection. "You knew her better than me. Can you think of anyone who'd want to avenge her death? Best lead we have."

  14. - Top - End - #764
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Kate Kane

    Kate takes the cup of coffee and sips it - to her credit, it's only a small grimace as she swallows the java. "Jesus, Katherine, what do they brew this with, turpentine?" And she keeps drinking it.

    Kate listens as Katherine details the report of d'Amato's death. "Someone other than me, you mean?", she asked, cold mockery in her voice. "It's the elephant in the room, Katherine. I hated him, and I won't be shedding any tears over his death. I didn't kill him, though. You haven't told me when he died, so hopefully I'll have an alibi. Even if I don't...trust me on this one. There was a time I would have ended him. Those days are over." She sips her coffee again. No grimace this time.

    "If it weren't for the method, I'd look at cops - a Mafia hitman walks out of an apartment, and a good policewoman goes out in a bodybag? That's a lot to handle. But it's been five years, and the MO is creative. This is premeditated, murder one. Someone put a lot of thought on how they were going to kill him."

    "My best guess? Grayson broke out of prison, and if the vic hadn't screwed everything up, he'd still be free. He's got the motive, and easily could have had the opportunity. A fair bit of legwork can get him the means. And from what I heard of their relations in the past, Grayson and the vic didn't get along, even when they were both working for the mob."

    She sips at her coffee, grimacing again as she sees a bit of the sludge lining the paper cup. "One more thing, Katherine. Someone else crashed the Ball a few nights ago, besides the Crusader. I don't know who it was, but they stole something from the manor. I haven't reported it missing, due to the personal nature of it. It was a gun. An M1911. You saw me carrying it about five years ago." Another sip. "It used to belong to Renee."

    Kate waved a gloved hand in Katherine's direction. "Don't ask me how I acquired her service pistol - the less you know, the better. But somebody took it. It might have been Luigi's killer; it might not have. Still, the fact that these two incidents have happened so closely together makes it feel like there's a connection. If it was the same person, then they've got a plan for that gun - and Luigi's not the last person they're planning on killing."

  15. - Top - End - #765
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Katherine Walker

    Katherine rolls her eyes. "Jesus, I know it wasn't bloody you, Kate - if you did it you'd be smarter about it. Wouldn't kill him with a murder weapon that could be traced back to you. You'd be a more intelligent murderer than that. Uh, no offense." She pauses as she realizes that this was probably not the greatest of reassurances, and carries on anyway. "You'll probably want that alibi anyway, though, 'cause somebody's going to come knocking on you."

    The policewoman shakes her head to distract herself from the tangent. "Grayson's a prime suspect, but he's a prime suspect we can't find. The man's a practical ghost when it comes to evading the police." She explains. "Other than that, he's the perfect suspect, but I need to check other avenues too. I know Montoya's friends on the force and they wouldn't have done it - and, anyway, they have legal ways to make an ex-con's life a misery too." She lifts the cup to her lips and takes a draft of far too much of the drink than can be healthy. The remaining survivors among her taste buds whimper in despair.

    Then she just sits and listens as Kate tells her about the gun and simply nods at the end of it. "I know the model." She says. "We can run down gun shops and see if anyone's brought ammunition, but I don't suspect that will give us much. Ain't a happy portent, though."

    "You got any ways to check out Grayson? Like I said, the man's had plenty of practice at hiding from the police." She pauses, and it's evident from her expression that she still doesn't like admitting a weakness in the GCPD to a vilgilante, no matter how obvious. She continues anyway. "I don't know if I'll be on the case, but I'll keep you updated much as possible in this anyway. We'll run a couple of background checks, see if there's anyone else Grayson might want revenge on, or anything else connected to Montoya - like you said, this doesn't seem to be the last death planned."

  16. - Top - End - #766
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    "Go ahead and work the legal angles, though I doubt you'll get much traction running down .45 ACP bullets. I have a bit more latitude to find Grayson, though I haven't turned anything up just yet either. Consider anything I find an anonymous tip - might help make your case stick better. Only thing I can see to run down is how did our perp get the handcuffs? I'll start there and see what I can dig up."

    "Let me know if the investigation starts heading towards me. I'll make an official statement to you at that point. Renee wanted to keep her secrets, and I don't see any need to bring her into this unless it's unavoidable. "

    After all this shoptalk, Kate's eyes soften some. "I hear Stephanie's got a new guardian. How's she holding up?"

  17. - Top - End - #767
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Katherine Walker

    Katherine frowns. Her face might as well have been made of stone when discussing the murder of a man she knew, however much disliked, but at the mention of Stephanie it flows to life again. "She's doing better than expected." She says. "I looked after her a little before as witness protection, so it's not too much of a change, and her parents... well." Katherine's expression says what needed to be said on that subject. She shakes her head. "She's keeping something back from me, which would be fine but I'm concerned that she's trying to get herself killed again. I ain't gonna accuse her without evidence, but I suspect it'll be shortly before some turns up."

    "Y'got any advice, Kate?"

  18. - Top - End - #768
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    Kate's face and tone grows dark. "She's a fighter. That girl's been through Hell and back, and has come through it more or less whole. I have an idea what she's going through - she's not the only person to find their mother's body. But she's had it worse than me. I had the Colonel. He was my bedrock when everything threatened to tumble down. He's supported all my decisions, and I've tried to never let the man down."

    "That's who she wants you to be, Katherine. Who she needs you to be. She's never had someone she can count on - her father had dreams of being the next Nigma, and she was playing mother to her mother. That's a lot of responsibility for anyone, and she's not even old enough to vote. She needs someone who she can rely on, a shoulder to cry on when she's hurt, and someone who will make her feel safe."

    "If she's keeping something from you, you'll figure it out soon enough. You're a damn good detective, you'll put the pieces together. What makes you think she's got a death wish?" Kate's brow furrows with concern for Steph.

  19. - Top - End - #769
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Katherine Walker

    Katherine smirks a little at Kane's last sentance, despite the incongruity of doing so about this subject matter. "'Getting herself killed' is a cliche, Kane. An exaggeration, Kane. Y'know, what I do all the time? That." The smirk drops. "But if she's going out and doing... what you and me do, but without the experience, the backup, the toys, that's not much practical difference from a death wish. Not when you're a kid who should be taking the time to be a kid. To use you said, if she ain't old enough to legally screw then she damn shouldn't be getting shot at."

    Another sentance distorted by the grace of Walker. Kane's pretty sure that wasn't quite what she'd said.

    "I can't keep her safe if she's doing that. And..." Walker pauses, taking time to figure out the ideas if she says them. "She's doing fine at schooling from what I can tell, but if she's costuming on the side then that's cutting into that too. Even if she's gonna be in a costume the rest of her life-" Katherine shrugs. "How's she gonna get paid for that? I don't know if she's thought that far ahead. I want her to have options."

    "I can't talk with Allen on this stuff, 'cause if Steph is in a costume he'll have to arrest her for it. So, uh, you get the questions. sorry." She sips the coffee - probably more for something to do than the taste, given that it's gone cold by now. She hardly notices. "But thanks for the advice. It helps."

  20. - Top - End - #770
    Troll in the Playground
     
    industrious's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Mordor
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Azrael

    The Jailor is on the other end of the rooftop, an odd expression upon his face. He's proud yet worried yet hopeful. An interesting combination.

    "You've done good work the past three nights," he says.

    The Jailor wears no uniform-not anymore. He's seen the suit in the display case. Before the Jailor covered it with a tarp.

    "Police scanner's picked up a robbery in progress near the docks. I'm going to head back inside for the night."

    Was this trust? Or merely a test? But there was still Filth and Vermin and Sin to eradicate, either way.

    The Diner

    Katherine's radio crackles, interrupting their conversation.

    "...all units, we have a B&E on 520 Kane Street..."

    Kate's family owned that building. It was one of the warehouses.

    Date Night was over. Or perhaps was merely onto Act II.

    Stephanie Brown

    This night stunk. Royally. And she could prove it. There was a list.

    1. It was three days to the Winter Dance and she hadn't been asked out by anyone. Getting that scholarship for the private school was awesome for getting into college, but she was definitely not high up on the social ladder.
    2. Cass had called (somehow, they had never given each other any sort of contact information), and told her she wasn't able to play rooftop tag tonight.
    3. She had had to do nearly two hours of homework. Stupid pre-calculus.
    4. Walker was still working tonight.


    Stuck in Walker's apartment, she finishes the last of her problems when she hears the Lieutenant's spare radio crackle.

    Well now. Guess this night was actually looking up.

    Scarecrow

    The job started tomorrow. But tonight, he would overcome his fear. The costume would be tested. His alter ego unleashed upon the world. The implications of what he was planning on doing-what was currently doing-were very interesting, and could easily serve the basis for what could be a very well-received paper in any number of journals. Yet rather than cure the phenomenon or diagnose it, he was afflicted by it, for good or ill.

    The docks seemed the best place to start. Statistically, they were just on the right side of crime-ridden; he had no desire to wander into a gang war on his first night out. Assuming this wouldn't simply be the one time, and act as a cathartic experience.

    Now in costume, and with several would-be muggings stopped, Doctor Crane hears the shattering of glass, and sees a flash of a crimson trenchcoat entering a warehouse.
    Quote Originally Posted by DeafnotDumb View Post
    Silly boy. I've played in Industrious's games. They don't murder characters. That means the torture ends.
    Quote Originally Posted by Aevylmar View Post
    It turns out that sometimes? He *does* murder characters.

    The Maze of Madness

    Campaigns:
    Gotham: Year One
    Earth-52(abandoned) OOC
    RotSE II III] OOC2

  21. - Top - End - #771
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Zarthrax's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Elizabethtown, Kentucky

    Default Scarecrow, the Terror that Flaps in the Night

    Quote Originally Posted by industrious View Post
    Scarecrow

    The job started tomorrow. But tonight, he would overcome his fear. The costume would be tested. His alter ego unleashed upon the world. The implications of what he was planning on doing-what was currently doing-were very interesting, and could easily serve the basis for what could be a very well-received paper in any number of journals. Yet rather than cure the phenomenon or diagnose it, he was afflicted by it, for good or ill.

    The docks seemed the best place to start. Statistically, they were just on the right side of crime-ridden; he had no desire to wander into a gang war on his first night out. Assuming this wouldn't simply be the one time, and act as a cathartic experience.

    Now in costume, and with several would-be muggings stopped, Doctor Crane hears the shattering of glass, and sees a flash of a crimson trenchcoat entering a warehouse.
    The high of the adrenaline from stopping the first few muggers still suffuses his thin frame, the dark orange and brown of his costume doing an excellent job of concealing him from his prey until it's far too late.

    Their surprise at encountering 'someone who doesn't get that Halloween only happens once a year' quickly turned to shock and pain as they tried to hit a man who had become a very adept practitioner of Akido, an exercise that was usually followed by being swiftly introduced, face first, to the nearest wall at full force.

    Under the mask, thin drops of sweat run down his face, the good doctor not expecting his night's routine to be quite so strenuous.

    At the sound of the smash, he immediately gives chase in a measured manner, sticking to the shadows as much as possible...

    Spoiler
    Show
    Taking ten on all Stealth checks and Notice checks, thanks to Skill Mastery. Totals of 27 for each.
    Last edited by Zarthrax; 2012-06-10 at 04:18 AM.
    Avatar by niezck1! Thanks!

  22. - Top - End - #772
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2006

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Question

    Kate frowned as she heard Katherine's radio crackling with more bad news. She threw what was left of her coffee out onto the street. "Sounds like duty calls, Katherine. I'll see you soon." She revved the engine on her Harley, and backed up into the street, driving away. Somewhere along the way, she found a darkened alleyway to put on her face - or, more accurately, remove it.

    First the manor, now this warehouse? Are these two connected? Am I being targeted? And for what?

  23. - Top - End - #773
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Lieutenant Walker

    "Good luck." Katherine says, and runs to the car with her coffee. She can drink it on the way. First, though - try and grab some information on what's going on. She grabs the radio and speaks into it. "Walker here, badge 110467. What's the situation?"

    The car starts and moves off, with all the safety and grace that Walker's driving was known for.

  24. - Top - End - #774
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Sophistemon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Azrael

    A robbery in progress. Comparatively, theft was a minor sin when weighed against those he more had more commonly punished, prior to the unsolicited and shamefully heretical psycho-surgery that had partially merged his dueling personalities. But only, thought the angel to himself, when I am free. But now was no time for idle bitterness - a state that had not existed within him as short a time as a week ago - but for action. The Jailer, Lyle Bolton, had directed him towards a target, and until the Order reclaimed him and repaired the damage, the Other would urge him to obey until he did. His eyes peering out from behind his mask and beneath his hood, Azrael nods his acceptance and turns smartly on a heel. With only three steps and a lunge the Angel is airborne and plummeting towards the ground. When the shadows swallow him, there is the barely audible 'paft' of a fired grapple and he swings freely towards the docks, his scalloped cape behind him like wings of blood.

  25. - Top - End - #775
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    PirateGirl

    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Spoiler

    "Bored!" Stephanie Brown said in a sing-song voice. "It isn't like I don't listen to Walker, but she doesn't know how much I've improved.." She lamented, fiddling with one of her Dad's less lethal gas balls. It used to bother her to mess with this stuff but not so much anymore. It felt like a weight was lifted when she destroyed his lethal batch, and maybe even more once she started to use these for the good of humanity.

    "The two most interesting people I know bail on me, psh, typical. Ugh, guess I should start on that homework after all!" The teenager said with automatic disgust. But as soon as she cracked open a book all motivation to do so left her. And it didn't help that the Lieutenant's spare radio kept making noise either.

    "Spare radio? Well, well well, my night just opened up." She brightened before trying to pinpoint the radio by sound. "Hmm. I can either go out and wrangle me a date or a crook tonight. Or maybe a date-crook. Hmm, I'm going to have to keep my options open if I want to stop being the dateless wonder.. maybe if he's really cute I'd let him off with a warning." The Spoiler mused to herself before slowly picking up the heavy police radio. With bated breath she listened; a mugging, a car-jacking, ..a murder?

    "Oh, lame." She responds upon hearing it's a simple B&E. "Better than homework." The girl justifies before quickly pulling on her tights, utility belt, and lastly sliding the face of Spoiler over her own. It felt right. Like it was made for her. But it wasn't hers. A little gift from a twin. Walking out the door was so blaise, but it was all she could do, sneaking as best she could, and slowly lifting herself up on her motorcycle. Trust me. It was hidden. As well as a large mostly purple motorcycle could be.

    How Walker had let her keep it was anyone's guess.

    "Spoilercycle, away!" The Spoiler said before revving the roaring beast and taking off to the crime scene.
    Last edited by Buwh; 2012-06-15 at 11:45 AM.

  26. - Top - End - #776
    Troll in the Playground
     
    industrious's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Mordor
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    The Warehouse Entrance

    Three approach, engines coughing smoke and roaring battlecries fueled by gasoline. It is impossible for them to miss each other, and one turns to the other with something like exasperation and fury and disappointment at a young charge. Tonight is supposed to be a school night. For her part, the other curses her luck, expecting someone other than her new guardian to be the officer on duty.

    One comes in silently from the rooftops, his mind embroiled in civil war and his armament a mixture of the mundanely fantastic and the magical. Information gathered from hours spent unwillingly at a jailor's computer allow him to recognize the Three. Does he approach then, announcing his presence or work alone, despite the calls of his other, lesser self?

    The night is heavy with humidity and the promise of ozone; stormclouds cover the horizon and the first few droplets of water are beginning to drip down, making way for the imminent storm.

    Warehouse Interior

    Enter the Scarecrow, entering via the same route his prey has taken-the broken glass tingles as it rakes against his skin, but he does not bleed from such a minor nuisance.

    The warehouse is lit by rows of cheap office lighting overhead; the light doesn't go everywhere, and there is far more darkness than light in this place. Stacks of wooden crates 10 feet high act as walls and aisles across the building, their contents indicated by a bar code and sixteen digit serial number stamped against their sides.

    Of his prey, there is no sight. But perhaps fifty feet down the line lies the crumpled form of a security guard, a dark bruise upon his head and a heavy flashlight slowly rolling away from limp hands.
    Quote Originally Posted by DeafnotDumb View Post
    Silly boy. I've played in Industrious's games. They don't murder characters. That means the torture ends.
    Quote Originally Posted by Aevylmar View Post
    It turns out that sometimes? He *does* murder characters.

    The Maze of Madness

    Campaigns:
    Gotham: Year One
    Earth-52(abandoned) OOC
    RotSE II III] OOC2

  27. - Top - End - #777
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Zarthrax's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Elizabethtown, Kentucky

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Warehouse Interior

    Cursing mentally, Scarecrow (already compartmentalizing? and you're SURE you don't need a psychiatrist?) immediately checks the man's pulse, leaving the flashlight where it lay.

    Sighing in relief at the man's still going heartbeat, he stands back up and adjust the floppy hat that hides his mask for the moment before turning to search the area for the intruder...



    Doctor Crane isn't sure, but the shadows inside the warehouse just don't look as dark as they should possibly be...

    Spoiler
    Show
    OOC: Take 10 on a Notice check for a total of 27, looking for the intruder's path. Darkvision and Tracking Infravision should help with that, I'd think.
    Last edited by Zarthrax; 2012-06-12 at 10:09 PM.
    Avatar by niezck1! Thanks!

  28. - Top - End - #778
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Sophistemon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Azrael

    Peering down at the environs of the warehouse from his shadowed rooftop perch, the Angel bears a distant witness to the arrival of the Three. He shakes his hooded head with distaste, unimpressed and, perhaps, somewhat disappointed by their unsubtle arrival. The Jailor's files had built them up to be supremely competent champions of Justice, and the man himself had gone on and agonizingly on about the adventures that he had with them before his retirement to the sea-borne prison that he called home. The Angel snorts, unimpressed. Their vehicles had likely alerted everyone within the warehouse to their presence here tonight, thus largely impeding the element of surprise. They were inviting unnecessary doom on their own heads.

    Aren't you going to go down and meet them? asks the Other, his voice an echoed whisper in their skull.

    Silence, responds the Angel. Damn the Jailor, and double-damn that witch of a woman! The Other was wholly intolerable.

    There is a moment of blissful quiet, before: But Lyle said that we can trust them, that we should work to--

    Silence! interrupts the Angel, his mental command a frustrated shrieking roar. There is no us! You host, and that is all! With that, the Other, a coward to the core, goes quiet. With his withdrawal, the Angel is free to think of a plan. The Angel would not meet with the other heroes. Because the Three had arrived with such fanfare, it seemed only appropriate that Azrael allow them to draw the attention of those within the warehouse, allowing him to dispense true and proper Judgement upon those who most deserved it. Therefore, he would enter stealthily through a second-story window. He raises a fist and, with a twitch of his wrist, launches a grapple from its hidden housing. Within another half of a breath, the rooftop is empty.

    Actions:
    Spoiler
    Show
    1. Move: Azrael uses his 'Swinging' power to reach the roof of the warehouse.
    2. Standard: He will then use Stealth to enter the building's second story undetected. (1d20+15)[29]
    Last edited by Sophistemon; 2012-06-13 at 02:17 AM.

  29. - Top - End - #779
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    PirateGirl

    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Spoiler

    The Spoilercycle tore through the night like some kind of motorcycle shaped night tearing device. Some might be shocked to see a small figure in a mostly purple battlesuit driving a purple and black bike emblazoned with a stylized S, her logo of course, blasting some generic pop song like a teenage girl. But those people probably haven't been living in Gotham for very long.

    "Gak!" Breaks the silence of the night. Well, 'baby, baby, baby, oh' broke the silence of the night but somehow Spoiler's exclamation of terror is even louder. "Couldn't it have been any other cop? Any other?" Spoiler mutters to herself in absolute disbelieve. The one time she doesn't want to see Walker and here she is. After this, she would likely be forbidden to leave her room for years..

    "So, I'd better make this night a good one.."

    With a slightly awkward wave, Spoiler revved up her bike and took off towards the crime scene not stopping to chit-chat. Maybe later she'd tell Walker later she didn't see her. She might buy that. Maybe.
    Last edited by Buwh; 2012-06-15 at 11:48 AM.

  30. - Top - End - #780
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008

    Default Re: Earth-52 IC

    Lieutenant Walker

    Was that-

    Yes, it was.

    "You are grounded!" Walker winds down the car window and yells at the departing figure. "And grounded. And grounded again! We are going to have a talk, young lady!"

    Had that been-

    Yes, precisely like her grandmother. Oh joy.

    Muttering various impolite things under her breath, Walker sped after the grl. At least the terrible music made it easy to track.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •