AKA Nixer
Alleyway Somewhat Close To Wayne-Powers But Not So Close As To Be Suspicious
In an alleyway somewhat close to Wayne-Powers but not so close as to be suspicious, an unkempt young homeless woman was peering around the corner of a building at the strange proceedings going around the loading bays. The armoured security, while standard, suggested the delivery was something important. With how inattentive they seemed, however, Ymir was experiencing a certain urge. An urge to be a sneaky scoundrel and stick her nose in where it didn't belong. The question was if she cared enough to change into her costume or not.
After considering it for a moment, she decided she didn't care. Wanye-Powers didn't give half a damn about the homeless, so she'd use that as a blessing here. As far as she knew, she wasn't on any records, or at least she assumed so given her difficulties in places where she'd need said records. So, she was in a way just as anonymous as 'Ymir Wolff' as she was as 'Wolf Spider.'
So, she slipped out of the alleyway and into the dark streets, her baggy and plain clothing helping to keep her nondescript, while her straggly head of black hair partially masked her facial features as it hung loosely in front of her face. Her bare feet padded quietly against the ground as she walked casually to the other side of the street, keeping a distance from the armed guards as she circled the premises for any place that was secluded.
She didn't hop inside yet. It'd be easy to clear the perimeter, but until she was sure she wouldn't be seen, a metahuman leaping over a guarded fence would surely alert the guards to fill her with lead before she even hit the ground. So she hung around, feigning a drunk and loitering demeanour, leaning against the fence with her head ducked low as she side-eyed the guards and the loading bay to try and keep attention as to what was going on.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 27th 2024 at 6:13:36 PM
bork
Laurie-Waurie — Wayne-Powers Lobby
Between the mean city streets of greater Gotham and the Wayne-Powers lap of luxury, there was a lobby. It wasn't that impressive, but at least it wasn't filthy. For anyone looking to make a name for themselves, this was the first stop.
Sitting in the middle was a pretty blonde. She flipped through a magazine, one leg crossed over the other, foot dangling in the air. She stopped at the comic strips. Everything was economy this, models that. She'd save the fashion models for later, but she was in the mood for a laugh. If this wasn't so important she'd have brought some whoopee cushions, but was sure they'd frown on that.
She wasn't sure how she got here. One minute she was causing some chaos, the next someone offered her a job. She hadn't had a job in years. Why someone would want her now she couldn't imagine. That it was the biggest corporate overlord in Gotham made it all the more questionable, but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She didn't know what they wanted with her, but what was she supposed to do?
A large duffle bag rested under her legs. She'd brought her costume just in case. Maybe not the best move, but it was better safe than sorry. She did her best to dull her emotions, but the thought alone was enough to make her giggle.
Edited by kkhohoho on Feb 27th 2024 at 1:34:25 PM
Wayne-Powers
While the guards in the loading bay were busy with their job, not too far away from them was someone else inside the building proper who was busy with her own job. Or rather, she had been. Jasmine Duffy had been seated at a desk filling out online paperwork to renew her contractor's license with Wayne-Powers (which was kinda important if she wanted to have steady employment), and the moment she'd submitted it and gotten confirmation that she was in the clear, her head had promptly hit the desk as she conked out.
That had been more than a few hours ago, and only now was Jasmine stirring, groaning as she blinked a few times.
"Geez Louise, I am never falling this far behind again. Paperwork sucks." She grumbled, then pushed herself out of her chair and rubbed her eyes before looking at the clock on the wall. "Damn it, after hours too...least they can't kick me out, but still, sloppy."
Shaking her head, Jasmine exited the office and went to find what she wanted most right this moment: the break room, and more importantly, the coffee machine. As she got it started up, Jasmine poked her head out of the door and looked towards the loading bay entrance.
"Huh. Wonder what they've got coming in this time." Jasmine wondered aloud, but the beeping of the coffee machine captured her attention, and whatever might be going down back in the loading bay was quickly forgotten, labeled as unimportant as she partook in the classic worker's pastime: standing around and drinking coffee.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Scarecrow - Roof near Wayne-Powers
A figure looked down at the loading bays of the Wayne-Powers building. From the ground, it would look like a gargoyle perched on the roof. Anyone close enough to actually get a good look at him, however, would see that the metal, bird-like figure was clearly not.
Scarecrow watched as the DKI enforcers stood around the shipment trucks. If everything went well, he wouldn't have to do anything, and he'd be able to go home and spend his upfront portion of the payment. But if something were to go wrong, well, Powers wanted to make sure he still got his biotoxin.
So if during the struggle, a certain costumed thief flew away with the shipment, it would be quite the miracle when Powers later reported that the shipment had been recovered by Wayne-Powers security personnel a few hours later. And if that same thief happened to get the other half of his payment around the same time, then that must simply mean there were two miracles in one day.
However, while observing, movement caught Scarecrow's eye, and he turned his head. He could have sworn he saw there had been someone else flying by, but he couldn't see anyone now. But Scarecrow didn't turn back to the loading bays just yet. This could be bringing the trouble Powers had hired him for, and Scarecrow wanted to be ready to move.
An Ordinary Oddball
Cain Adamson—Street Outside Wayne-Powers
Cain sipped his coffee slowly as he continued his stakeout in his cab. Cabs weren't suspicious. He just happened to be taking a break here, after all. Just a simple cabbie, taking a little breather after a long day. Nothing wrong with this image, nothing out of the ordinary. He was an old man. He gave off old man energy. His Oldsmobile taxi gave off old man energy. Total undercover vibes from an old man. Not that the old man himself was ordinary. Far from it. In fact, he was looking to do something extraordinary tonight, if it came to it.
But for now, he remained in his vehicle, drinking his coffee, and taking his break. His crimson eyes scanned the skyline vigilantly, since that was the most common point of entry that the Masked tended to use. No doubt they'd be coming in force tonight, drawn by the shipment of malignant drugs into Neo-Gotham. But he, along with many others, were lying in wait.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 29th 2024 at 2:08:25 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Breath of the Sun
Jurassica - Wayne-Powers, Loading Bay
This is too easy.
For an apparently important shipment, the guards didn't seem too concerned. Maybe 'cause of that gargoyle-looking motherfucker on the roof? One extra guy didn't seem like much, but then, he might be a mutie like her.
Some of the stuff in the truck sure smelled like the bullshit they'd shot into her veins. The thought made her quietly snarl, a rumble burbling out of her throat.
Whatever it was, these bougie fucks would not have their hands on it. Jurassica would make sure of that.
There were a few others slinking around, on top of the roof watcher. A small part of her brain suggested this whole thing might be a trap, because it had been weirdly convenient for one of her Raptors to overhear about this, but the growing adrenaline killed that part fast. Her maw split in a grin, and she leveled her sledgehammer as she stepped out of an alleyway towards the loading bay.
What started as a few slow steps quickly built up into a dead sprint, and a terrible roar was all the warning the guards would get before a hulking dino-mutant smashed into them like the fist of an angry god, hammer swinging for the nearest armored goon with enough force to shatter concrete.
"Welcome to the jungle, motherfuckers!"
Edited by kagescorpionakki on Mar 1st 2024 at 4:46:22 AM
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Window High Above Loading Bays
Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke the Terminator, was having a rather boring night. Lain on the floor before an open window some floors above the Wayne-Powers loading bays were himself and a modern laser-sniper rifle, outfitted with the latest technology to display height, distance, wind-speed, and all other necessary information on a small screen next to the scope. Spotters had been effectively eliminated by the onward march of technology. There was an option to calculate the shots automatically, but Slade was able to calculate those instantly and certainly didn't need it, just like he didn't need the laser-sights that would have alerted those below to his presence.
So, here he was, laying in his sniper's nest, waiting for any do-gooders or vandals or other trouble-makers to show their faces so that he could shoot holes through their heads or chests. Oh, how he wished someone or something would show up to actually give him a challenge... But even if not, his boredom would be soothed by the salve that was a six-figure sum he was accepting from Powers for this operation. Besides, it was good to forge alliances with the local underworld...
He idly swept his sights from side to side, taking stock of all those below. There was the new Scarecrow, secretly just as much on Powers' payroll as himself, waiting to intervene if any capes showed themselves. It wasn't terribly important, but Slade found himself questioning the other man's fashion sense. Where was the straw- and skeleton-like Scarecrow of old, who put the fear of god into civilians everywhere, even before he made use of his fear toxin? Then there were the bog-standard security forces, not worth a damn, and the Dark Knight Incorporated enforcers, who might fight decently. Slade chuckled quietly to himself as he mused that the true Dark Knight would be rolling in his metaphorical grave at the thought that his image was being used by trash like Powers for deeds like this. It would drive him batty!
Besides them, there were the gormless urchin standing by one part of the fencing, looking as if she was just loitering, and the cabbie in the nearby cab, also loitering, probably the sort to say he was simply "on break" if he were questioned. But outside of a Wayne-Powers loading bay was no logical place for a cabbie or a street urchin to be loitering. Best to assume they were either troublemakers or capes... although, really, from his readings, it seemed that Neo-Gotham had a conspicuous lack of many capes, compared to many other major cities. He supposed that with Batman's obvious retirement, there was nobody willing to take up the mantle in a place as decrepit and tainted as this city. Still, he hoped against hope that someone would interfere and make this surveillance worthwhile... There was a scaled woman skulking about in the shadows near one of the trucks, but he wasn't sure if she would be the type to start a fight or not, or if she was simply investigating.
In the break room down the hall, the beep of the coffeemaker signaled someone else working the night shift. Which reminded Slade that he'd been meaning to speak with Carpenter the Second about building a new, more proper base-slash-lair. He found himself missing the one he'd had in Jump City, with its shadows and complex gears, and the abandoned factory on the waterfront really wasn't cutting it at the moment. Perhaps he'd be able to catch her at some point before she left.
There was a perturbation in the night air that he could perceive with his enhanced senses - not the wind; something else, unseen. Beneath his mask, Slade smiled. The fireworks were about to start. He could feel it...
Even from such a distance, Slade's enhanced auditory faculties enabled him to hear the scaled woman's battlecry. "Very good," he chuckled quietly, quickly glancing down at the commotion, but not firing just yet. Where was the fun in killing her now, before he could even gauge her potential? He resumed his sweep of the lot and the area surrounding it, waiting for any others to show themselves, glancing back at the brawling Jurassica every several seconds to monitor her technique and progress.
Edited by darksidevoid on Feb 27th 2024 at 11:03:16 AM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Wayne-Powers - On the way out
"Thanks, y'all have a good one!" The scaly hybrid waves goodbye in the lobby's general direction as he makes his way outside, the last delivery of his evening complete. Adjusting the collar of his jacket as he briefly glances back inside towards the clock to check the time.
"Aw, hell, it's late...!" He mutters to himself as picks up the pace ever so slightly, realizing he has to put it in fifth if he wants to get back home at a somewhat reasonable time; the fact that he is on his way there unlike whoever poor office drone he just delivered food to brings him little comfort at the time.
What does help his mood is that the streets and sidewalks are fairly emptier than usual at this time, meaning he can book it without much fear of causing an accident; and book it he does, jumping on and grinding on the railing of the stairs leading down to street level, breaking down into a run as his clawed feet hit the pavement.
Making his way around the building, jumping over the occasional mis-parked car, no obstacle seems to interrupt his sprint... That is, until he passes right by a certain taxi that catches his eye. Instinctively, his cybernetic tail extends and reaches for a nearby lamppost, slingshotting the hybrid around the fixture as his tail reels him in, allowing his hand to grab the metal pole and bring him to a stop, about a meter from the ground, his feet against the post as he faces the cab and its occupant.
"Heeeeey, sweet ride!" He comments, giving the driver a thumbs up. "Not many of those left on the streets these days, how do ya even keep it ru-"
His question gets interrupted by the distant cry of "Welcome to the Jungle, motherfuckers!" erupting from the loading dock. The dinosaur pauses, glancing between Cain and the commotion from the dock.
"... Not a good time, I take it?"
AKA Nixer
Ymir Wolff: Near Wayne-Powers Loading Bay
The loitering paid off, or at least was paying off for now. From her inconspicuously conspicuous position, Ymir was able to pick up on those who were suspiciously hanging around the place like she was. The dinosaur woman was obvious to everyone once she hollered a battle cry and went charging towards the loading bay, though she also watched the taxi driver and the scaly one exiting the building to meet him. Looming overhead on a rooftop was a gargoyle that she could've sworn wasn't there before, and she wondered for a moment if that was the effect that the old Batman would have had. She glanced back towards the building, judging whether she would be able to slip past the perimeter fence, and pursed her lips together in thought. Then, once she was sure everyone was looking towards Jurassica, she quickly sprang up into the air and leapt over the wall into the lot in a single bound.
She landed softly in a low crouch, her eyes wide and alert as she ducked behind cover. Her breathing was erratic already, as she kept looking around in realisation that she had jumped into a hornet's nest with no plan or goal in mind. A panicked look up at the building caused her heart to skip, as her eyes caught a glint of something up in one of the windows. She promptly pressed herself against her chosen hiding spot—the back of a small service structure in the yard next to the loading bay—and tried to formulate a plan with what little time she had.
She had a couple of options. One was to jump back over the fence again and give up on this whole thing. Another idea was to sneak into the building and... well that was the point where her train of thought stopped. Finally, she could help the dinosaur lady out with her manic charge at the loading bay. In other words, she could dig her own grave slowly, or very quickly and with fireworks.
Considering she had no plan, she decided to go with the fireworks.
So, while Jurassica was charging in, a rush of air and a sudden crack were audible as some random homeless woman zipped into view with a dash of unnatural speed, punching an armoured guard clean in the jaw before leaping and tackling another one into the shadows with a similarly swift burst of movement. Just another day in Neo-Gotham, really.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 27th 2024 at 9:21:29 AM
bork
The Best Worst Psychonaut
A little bit earlier, Wayne-Powers Breakroom-By-The-Garage (the most happening of all the breakrooms)
As the Carpenter was attending to the coffee machine, she might catch sight of a pair of uniformed Wayne-Powers employees - standard rent-a-guards from the looks of things, nothing fancy like the DKI guys. They would be almost identical if not for the fact one was a man and the other a woman.
"Hey, Blair," the male guard said, nudging his fellow employee. "Who's that, uh... you know..." he said, trying to imply size by spreading his arms wide.
"Oh, her?"
Blair was referring to a third figure that the Carpenter may well have consciously tried to ignore - a seven-foot-five giant of a woman. Purple hair. Rugged jacket. Currently standing in front of an automated vending machine, waiting for the grabber to reach over for a bottle of energy drink on the bottom shelf.
"That's, uh... that's Bane."
"What?" the male guard answered, apparently bewildered. "The Bane? I thought he was dead. And also, you know, a he. Unless he, uh, she did some self-discovery...?"
"No, Barry, you idiot!" Blair hissed under her breath. "This is a different person! They say she's just as um... you know. Smashy-destroy-ey. But apparently not as angry? I dunno, obviously on a subconscious level I believe that part, hence why I'm talking to you about her within earshot of the lady."
The two guards looked back at 'Bane', currently tapping her booted foot in irritation after the machine managed to drop her energy drink before it could be vended. There were two more bottles on the bottom of the machine...
"I-I mean..." Blair tried to continue, hesitating. "...She's not on the stuff yet."
"What stu- ohhhhhh, that stuff," Barry replied.
The guards paused again, taking a sip of their coffees, watching to see what the giant mercenary would do next. She was apparently have a fourth go at getting that damn drink, waving around her debit chit in front of the machine.
"So what's she doing here, with us losers?" Barry finally asked.
"Insurance, I think. From what I heard, the bigwigs upstairs are expecting trouble with the latest shipment. Like, a lot of trouble. This isn't even the only metahuman - uh, kind of - they've brought in, but don't ask me who else they've got. ...Shit, I'd love to know just what's so special about it."
"Maybe it's Kryptonite?"
"Doubt it, you can find that shit in trash cans these days."
"Well, maybe it's one of those different-colour Kryptonites. Like, uh... orange? Black? Green?"
"It's already green, you dolt!"
"Well okay, maybe they need, like, a shit-tonne of the stuff to make, uh... bootleg Green Lantern rings, so they can massively inflate their market value and bankrupt the... imagination space marines or whatever they're called."
"Great idea! I've always wanted to get sent to space prison!"
"Would it be any different from earth prison?"
"Uh, yeah? Like, for starters, how the hell would you get any visitors? And can you imagine having to share a cell with a slobbering, tentacled space alien?"
"Well, what if it was one of those sexy aliens, like Martian Manhunter?"
"Why are you like this?"
*SMASH*
The two guards' bickering was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering, as Bane decided to 'fix' her predicament with the vending machine by inserting her fist through the glass casing and picking up her numerous energy drinks by hand.
She turned around, walking up to the two guards. Carpenter could clearly see the bulky breath mask grafted to the bottom of her face.
"It's broken. Tell maintenance. I'll pay," was all she said in a rumbly, foreign accent that was difficult to place. The guards sat there, frozen in naked fear, anticipating the moment Bane might decide she didn't like their discussion and needed to be thrown through a wall. But the moment never came. Instead, the giant turned away and thundered out the break room, passing Carpenter along the way. For just a second, the two caught eyes.
All hell would break loose not long afterwards, but by then Bane had apparently disappeared.
Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Feb 27th 2024 at 9:57:50 AM
"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
An armored and helmeted figure stood on the roof of a building, watching over the rooftop with a advanced Sniper Rifle. The Arkham Knight was keeping an eye out on this process as while the public think that mister Powers was a benevolent figure, her time dealing with the underworld as the Arkham Knight has helped plently in showing what was hidden underneath.
It seemed things were calm...until they werent anymore. A loud yell came, as the optics of her helmet and the Sniper Rifle trackdd the source to some reptilian woman going on to cause all chaos and mess in there.
"So much for the Infiltration, C..."
But don't you soldiers love shooting and gunning? I thought this would be your thing! The voice inside her helmet came from the AI system in her armor named CEELKY. It helped monitor her vitals and other systems of the suits...even if it was quite eccentric.
"Sometimes. But right now? I think things are going to get FUBAR."
With that, the Arkham Knight raised her Sniper Rifle, looking over at the now battlefield. It seemed some strange girl has also thrown her hat in the ring as well. Would be villains, or vigilantes like her? For now, she'll have to find out once the guards are removed from the area.
The unmistakeable noises of gunfire from a Sniper Rifle would be heard, as some of the goons near Jurassica and Ymir seemed to be hit by them and brought down to the floor, though if they paid attention, they'd see that while they were down for the count, they were still alive. It seemed the shooter used non lethal rounds instead of lethal ones.
Laurie-Waurie — Literally Not Paid For This Crap
She glanced up from her magazine. She didn't have the first clue what was happening, but something was going on. The question was if she should get involved. She had an interview, sure, but it wasn't the same thing as a job. If she stayed put, maybe no-one would notice.
She sat there about thirty seconds before giving up. Maybe they wouldn't notice, but if they did she was screwed! This was exactly the sort of thing in her job description. She grabbed her bag and ran to the bathroom, a touch of frustration leaking out. She wasn't worried about the others seeing her, they'd figure it out sooner or later, but a girl needed her privacy.
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Window High Above Loading Bays
"Ah, and the urchin joins the fray..." Slade mused from up above, lingering on Jurassica and Ymir's fight for a bit. "But showing your real face... Tsk, tsk, little urchin. What will you do when the authorities' facial recognition tracks you down? Well, that's a matter for another time."
The urchin was swift, he'd give her that much. Her superior speed, which his enhanced perception could just barely keep up with using only his eyes and scope, marked her as an obvious metahuman. But did she have any more surprises in store for them? He'd have to watch and find out! But first, resuming the sweep...
Ah, a sniper on the rooftop across the way. That was new: capes who fought from such distance were rare. A mercenary hired by some third party, perhaps? In any case, as a guard or two fell to the Arkham Knight's distinctively solid gunfire, Slade toggled his radio and offered, "Be advised: Enemy sniper on the roof of Building C, using solid rounds, as well as two metahumans on the ground, one dinosaur-spliced and the other a speedster. I'll take care of the sniper."
As the two imbecilic guards prattled on in the hall behind him, gossiping about the new Bane, Slade turned to refocus on the opposing sniper atop the other building. "Well, how about a test?" he mused. "Let's see if this does you in."
A brief wink of red light from the window opposite her was all the warning Rachel would get before a crimson laser streaked toward her helmeted head at incredible speed, Deathstroke's gun letting out the shriek characteristic of laser weaponry, audible even across the distance. Not content to leave things only at potentially hitting his opponent's head, Slade swiftly repeated fire, aiming next for the Knight's own rifle to render it inoperable and then for her torso. After taking several shots, however, his weapon's screen flashed a warning about overheating, and so he paused, ready to roll out of the way of any counter-fire.
Edited by darksidevoid on Feb 27th 2024 at 11:03:46 AM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
An Ordinary Oddball
Cain Adamson—Street Outside Wayne-Powers
"It's alright, son," Cain said noncommittally, slurping up some noodles from a Chinese takeout box and momentarily putting down his newspaper. "I'm on break. Now, in a few moments I may not be on a break, but that's a problem for when I'm no longer on break. Some poor kid comes running out of there—" He gestured to the fracas, muted by distance and thick walls. "—screaming 'Drive! Drive!' I slam on the pedal, and we go to the hospital or the police station. I get good business that way." Whether he was saying that for eavesdropping ears or because he actually meant it was anyone's guess.
"If it feels like a rattrap, it is a rattrap, that's what I think," he rambled, drumming his fingers on the wheel. "But youngsters don't know how to keep themselves out of trouble these days, and their elders don't know when to stop driving them over the edge with all these drugs and crap they're pushing, you know what I mean? So, I keep my car fueled up and the wheels greased, and I do what an old man can."
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 29th 2024 at 2:08:55 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Scarecrow - Rooftops
Scarecrow whipped his head back towards the loading bay when he heard someone causing a commotion, and watched as two people started attacking the guards, both obviously enhanced in some manner. But he just shifted his legs, and didn't go in. It was still possible the guards could get this situation under control, and the cargo seemed to be safe at the moment. Better to wait for things to cool down a bit before trying to swoop in and take some canisters.
Then Scarecrow heard gunshots. And based on the way the guards were going down, it seemed like they were from a sniper, and it clearly wasn't Deathstroke. Unfortunately, Scarecrow couldn't see where the shooter was; another building was blocking his view in the direction the shots were coming from. This could present a problem; while Scarecrow's suit was bulletproof, he wasn't sure about those canisters, and he didn't want to be near an explosion of biotoxin even if he had protective gear on. Who knows what that stuff could do to him...
But as Deathstroke reported on the situation and opened fire on the sniper, Scarecrow had an idea. The mercenary may have insisted he had the sniper handled, but if Scarecrow couldn't see them, there was a good chance they hadn't seen him either.
"I'll set 'em up. You take 'em down," Scarecrow radioed to Deathstroke as he leapt up and activated his jet pack, his wings sending him flying up into the air, climbing until he was above the Wayne-Powers skyscraper. Looking down to see where Deathstroke was aiming, Scarecrow began his descent towards the sniper. He had no way of knowing for sure how close he'd get, but with his attack, he wouldn't have to.
As he flew down, Scarecrow reached for his belt, and pulled off one of several orange gas grenades attached to it. Once he got close enough he could see he was above the sniper, Scarecrow pressed the button to arm the bomb, and let go. He didn't bother to watch it fall towards the sniper; instead, he dove between buildings towards the streets below, putting some cover between him and sniper so he could fly between the buildings to reestablish his perch.
"Shit!"
Just like she said, it went pretty FUBAR real quick. She quickly managed to duck before her head went bye bye from her body, but she still took a hit from the opposite Sniper's weapon. While her armor managed to absorb the worst of it, there was a noticeable scorch mark on the chestplate and it stung like hell. And it didnt ended there, as the sensors of her helmet caught the presence of another person dropping something near her position. ...Some sort of gas weapons. Even with her helmet being sealed, she damn well is not risking staying here any further, especially if her suit ends up compromised and whatever it is passing through.
Reposition, and gain a better spot.
Minor damage, but nothing serious, Walker. Keep going!
With that, the Knight quickly dove out of her Roof position by jumping out of it before the gas the masked flyer dropped enveloped the entire area, her left gauntlet shooting a grappling hook to attach itself to a nearby roof and launching herself there. Though just before she landed, she wanted to fire back at her attacker. First followed by throwing a flashbang grenade at the position of the opposing Sniper, the servomotors of her suit helping greatly with a long throw. Whenever the Sniper was caught by the blinding explosion or not, she'd proceed by aiming her rifle while in the air, and following with two shots, one right at the Marksman's right shoulder, then at his rifle, taking advantage while it seemed it was overheating. Whenever she hit her mark or not, she would finally land on the other roof and dive to cover immediately. Still, she knew she had to be at the ready and move soon. Between the sniper and the aerial threat nearby, she wants to make sure she'd manage to be prepared for the latter's strike.
Edited by Darkomega245 on Feb 27th 2024 at 4:36:35 AM
Fwomph
Wayne-... Manor
Far from the swiftly cresting conflict at the heart of the city, deep in the hills of the outskirts, Cassandra Jones had finished her long walk to the old Wayne Manor. Honestly it was quite the hike, Cass was in good shape but even this caused her to take a moment of pause as she looked at the Manor proper from its fences.
"Okay, don't chicken out now. It's one useless, probably dead, rich guy. You've got this."
With some self-hype delivered Cassandra pulled her hoodie up, her face mask on and began prowling the perimeter in search of a gap large enough to squeeze through. There, a few bent spokes right in front of a bush; Cassandra tightened up her hood, closed her eyes and squeezed blindly through the gap and the subsequent bush, silently thankful for the concept of gloves. One last barrier stood between her and... Well between her and being inside the building, there was probably at least a couple of locked interior doors and a big safe that'd block her passage to the loot but for now she simply had to focus on getting a door open. A side door was the best bet, maybe kitchen access... Hah, there we go.
"Alright, looks like an old-style. Quarter-inch keyway, lady luck are we unshielded?"
Her little kit of picks came out, ordered off the internet from an independent supplier (after all, it was the brand used by the tutorials she watched) and a simple turner hook went in. No dice, no easy bypass tonight. Time for the Lishi. The Nightingale knew that non-destructive entry was far more trouble than it was worth, but a girl's gotta have her enriching (in both senses of the term) puzzles from time to time.
"Click out of two... Ooh, a false set? On a utility door? The late Mister Wayne was a little paranoid..."
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
Wayne-Powers Break Room
In her bid to get some coffee, Jasmine actually hadn't noticed that she had company, but once she heard voices, she saw the guards and...her.
("Oh boy. Just stay calm, Jasmine, you're cool, you're chill. You're Mr. Freeze levels of chill. Or would that be Ms. Freeze - ")
*SMASH*
There was Bane breaking the vending machine, and there also was Jasmine skittering towards the nearest wall, clenching her coffee cup like a lifeline as it shook in her hand. Fortunately for her, when the two of them met each other's eyes and it became clear Bane wasn't going to fold her into a pretzel for the crime of being nearby, a long and exaggerated gasp escaped the blonde as she began inhaling with her mouth open to regain her cool.
She was so shaken up, in fact, that it took her a few minutes to register that the noises she was hearing was something going down in the loading bay. Once Jasmine got her wits about her, she crept out of the break room and towards the doors to said loading bay, risking a peek outside to see what the situation was.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
So Long Laurie, Hello Harley
Suddenly the door swung open. Mad chuckles and cackles flooded the hallway, heralding the start of the circus. Harley leapt out, skipping and somersaulting, honking her big red nose as she vaulted. She landed in front of the Carpenter with a flourish, jiggling her chest as she giggled.
"Psst! Heyya dollface! What's the sitch? Everyone gonna start killin' each other or what?
For all her wacky antics she was remarkably restrained, keeping the volume to a minimum. She was rude and crude but wasn't stupid. Even as a giggling loon she didn't want to get herself killed. The Carpenter would possibly feel a twinge of boldness, a touch of whimsy, but nothing overwhelming.
Edited by kkhohoho on Feb 27th 2024 at 7:35:10 AM
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Window High Above Loading Bays
"Your assistance is duly noted, but unnecessary," Deathstroke replied evenly to Scarecrow over the radio as he watched the other sniper dive off the rooftop and grapple to another. "Besides, I'd have thought you'd want to keep your true allegiance a secret and act the part of an opportunistic thief. Would someone not on my employer's payroll act to help someone who is, or merely let the two sides fight and take advantage of the confusion?"
Even as he spoke, the mercenary took note of two things: first, the symbol on the enemy sniper's chest. Well, well. It would seem the legend of the Dark Knight was alive and well, after all. Though Slade couldn't recall him ever using firearms. Second, the priming and throwing of a grenade in his own direction. The opponent must have had enhanced strength, because it flew with much greater velocity than an unassisted human could pull off... but even that was no match for the Terminator's superhuman reaction time and marksmanship. The barrel of his rifle had cooled enough for a single shot, and a single shot was all he needed.
With another shriek, a vermilion laser from Deathstroke's gun struck the flashbang in midair, perhaps halfway to the grenade's intended target. Whether the loud sound or the brief flash of sunlight-like brightness distracted those on the ground was immaterial - what mattered was that it didn't obscure Slade's senses as the Knight lined up a couple of shots and fired them off. Yet, for someone who could dodge gunfire from point-blank, evading a pair of rounds from such distance, with forewarning, was child's play. He effortlessly rolled not only himself, but his entire, heavy sniper rifle horizontally, deftly moving out of the path of the incoming projectiles, and they thudded into the wall behind him.
Idly thinking that he would have to check what kind of rounds they were later on, to see if this newcomer was in violation of the Bat's no-kill rule, the Terminator took aim using his somewhat cooled gun with superhuman swiftness, this time aiming not for the Knight herself, but solely for her weapon. With a couple more shrieks and blinks of red light, two lasers lanced out of the barrel directly for the body of Rachel's own sniper rifle!
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Fool From The Depths
King Lear, Rooftops Near Wayne-Powers
Just before the chaos that was now in full swing had unfolded, there was a young man with dark black hair on a nearby rooftop, crouched down and hidden behind a thick steel ventilation pipe. He was clad in a very elaborate, fancy and meticulously crafted costume, with a gold and blue cape and a glittering crown adorning his head. He was clutching a tan, slightly cracked Venetian comedy mask in both hands, and taking deep, methodical breaths, trying to psych himself up."It's ok. You can do this." he muttered to himself. "You can do this. Remember...you're not Richard anymore. As of now..."
With trembling hands, he lifted up the mask, and placed it on his face. Instantly, his quivering ceased, and though the mask made it difficult to see, he grinned.
"...the name's Lear."
He glanced over at his side. Propped up against the pipe next to him was a makeshift hang-glider, constructed out of countless papers bearing lines and stage directions on their surface, all stitched together into a single flexible mesh. It wasn't the most impressive-looking to be sure, but it had a certain...appeal to it. You weren't going to find something like this in the possession of some average schmuck like Richard Hamlet. This was a tool fit for a King. Re-assured by its presence, he took a look at the building he was planning on invading, plotting out what he would do next in his head as he muttered to himself.
"Meantime we shall express our darker purpose..."
If all of these guards were normal, non-superpowered individuals, dealing with them wasn't going to be too hard, he thought, even with the DKI Enforcers there. Hell, if anything, the Enforcers would make his job easier. It meant he had more skill to work with, to bend and twist in his hands and turn it against those who it had originally come from.
"...Give me the map there. Know we have divided in three our kingdom; and 'tis our fast intent to shake all cares and business from our age, conferring them on younger strengths while we unburthen'd crawl toward death..."
He reached into his pocket for something, only for the situation to suddenly change, giving him pause. A dinosaur-like individual rushed into the fray, bashing at the guards nearest to her as she shouted out a battle cry. On the one hand, she was obviously superhuman. That was going to make it more difficult if things got messy, especially since it seemed like she was going to be competition. On the other hand, he'd needed a distraction, and while he had been planning on making one himself, it seemed one had conveniently just popped up on its own. He could work with this.
"...Our son of Cornwall, and you, our no less loving son of Albany, we have this hour a constant will to publish our daughters' several dowers, that future strife may be prevented now..."
There seemed to be another dinosaur-like person by a nearby taxi, but they weren't engaging in the raid yet. They could be worried about later. What was a potential worry, however, was a figure he'd discounted as just another loiterer rushing into the fight at an unholy speed, taking out a few more goons. Another superhuman, and with how fast the guards were already falling, at this rate, there'd be none left for him! And then, the unmistakable sound of a shot rang out. A sniper had gotten involved too. Great. Oh well, at least it wasn't another superhuman.
"...The princes, France and Burgundy, great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, and here are to be answer'd..."
He looked towards where the shot had come from, and spotted the person responsible, a gunman clad in Batman-like armor. His brow furrowed, and he clenched his fists as he began to seethe, rage boiling within him. This impostor dared to dress up as the Batman while doing the very thing the city's hero had refused to do? This was disgusting! It was blasphemy! Worst of all, it was OUT OF CHARACTER! He had to-
His attention was disrupted by another shot, this one directed at the Bat-sniper rather than fired by them. Then, he spotted a winged figure in a flightsuit flying towards the sniper, and realized the scene was getting yet another character added into it. And this one could only be the Scarecrow. Normally, with a figure like the Scarecrow flying so close to him while seemingly not have noticed him yet, he would have opened fire, yet he didn't want to disrupt the man's flightpath this time what with how much he loathed the target.
"...Tell me, my daughters (since now we will divest us both of rule, interest of territory, cares of state), which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend, where nature doth with merit challenge. Goneril, our eldest-born, speak first. Oh shit-"
That last bit was due to the fact that the Bat-sniper had dodged the Scarecrow's assault and ended up practically right next to him, though somehow hadn't noticed his presence yet. This was his time to strike. He pulled out his signature twin machine pistols and opened fire on the gun-wielding Bat-impostor.
Something's Fishy Here...
Scarecrow - In the Air
"I need my escape unhindered if I want to make sure our employer gets his cargo," Scarecrow remarked to Deathstroke, less even than the mercenary and with more anger. "That sniper would present a problem for me even if I'm airborne."
Scarecrow then landed close to his original perch, and looked back out at the loading bay. So far, the situation hadn't changed on the ground, but the rooftops were a different story. The sniper had moved to a different building, one he could see, and they were currently under fire from... a deranged theater actor? Scarecrow wasn't sure what their deal was, but with four intruders, the situation was getting out of hand. And with the sniper occupied by someone close up, this was his time to go in and secure the cargo.
With that, Scarecrow, took off once again, diving straight for the trucks, cutting off his thrusters just above one of them and landing on the back. Reaching behind his back, Scarecrow pulled out a folded up pole, then quickly flicked it into position and activated the blade of the scythe. Then, he swung it down into the roof of the truck and started slicing a pair of gashes into it so he could get inside the back.
CG for short
Thorned Rose - Wayne-Powers, Loading Bay - Slithering Vines Amongst the Chaos
Wayne-Powers.
A name Rose despised due to its notorious, careless destruction of the environment with every single thing due. But, she'll put an end to it. Stopping that damned company from harming any more inch of nature was the first big step in becoming a grand protector of all plant-life, just like Mother. Eventually, with enough accomplishments on the same level as or beyond stopping Wayne-Powers, Rose can safely take up the mantle of Poison Ivy herself.
But for now, let's focus on the smaller picture.
With her hood up, Rose snuck onto the Loading Bay. There, she witnessed quite a dramatic scene brewing with chaos. She saw a dinosaur woman rampaging, with a spider-themed girl following behind; a gun fight between snipers, a successor to the so-called Scarecrow flying, and some man in a mask going on a speech about dividing his kingdom in three and giving it to his daughters. Rose figured that the man doesn't actually have a kingdom and was likely quoting the speech from somewhere, although she doesn't know where the source is from nor does she care. She never cared much for human arts; for one, dead trees are used to make paper for artworks and literature. That is enough of a reason for her to not bother with it.
"Humans are always savages, this has been proven time and time again," Rose muttered to herself. This was one reason she despised humanity.
Witnessing the chaos in front of her, she knew it would be unwise to run through the battlefield lest she gets caught in the crossfire. She needed a distraction. Something to fuel the madness while she can safely sneak into the Wayne-Powers building.
And there she has it.
Taking a couple seeds from her containers, Rose threw them in opposite directions. There, against the odds, they planted themselves under the concrete and not that long afterwards, giant vines bursted through the stone, surrounding the Loading Dock. Hopefully that'll corner everyone in and keep them occupied.
Rose fled to the left, getting away from the scene and retreating to the shadows. While the vines move around and do their thing, Rose stealthily reaches the entrance, hoping that no one has noticed her.
Before she heads inside the building, Rose pulls down her hood, revealing her bright red hair and how it's shaped like her namesake flower, with her bangs resembling petals. She looked at the pandemonium she contributed to and briefly smiled as she entered the building.
Edited by Cutegirl920fire on Feb 27th 2024 at 6:27:31 AM
Victor of HGS S320 | "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember."
Wayne-Powers Building
"Gah!"
Stumbling back at the other interruption to her night, Jasmine took a good look at who'd arrived...and she stared for a bit longer, finally blinking a few times before speaking up, trying to sound chipper and confident.
"I think so? Either way, I'm staying put. I like not being shot at."
Of course, that was about when the giant vines made themselves known, and an audible groan came out of the girl.
"Seriously? Does literally everyone have nothing better to do tonight?"
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Landing on the edge of a skyscraper, looking at the countless layered streets below. Act calm, collected, tonight's the night, finding out why he had to die.
"Easy there McGinnis. Your heart rate just spiked, big step huh?"'
Lean back and press the hand against the earpiece. "I'm good, nearly there in fact."
"I can see that. Remember, you have microphones in the fingertips, and an active camo system, you don't need to go in swinging."
"Schway," came his reply. Extend the wings, take off.
It seemed... easy... almost too easy. Still, his target was in sight, Wayne-Powers. That building held the man who killed his father, he wanted answers, he wanted them desperately... for now, he'd settle for just finding out what they were doing.
Especially with the shipment trucks rolling into the loading bays.
"Is the shipment in?" Derek Powers asked, adjusting his tie.
"Yes sir," said his number 2, Mr. Fixx.
"Good," Derek responded. "The DKI is going to need it, if we're to expand outwards beyond Gotham itself."
Mr. Fixx looked over the shipment papers. "Sir, are we certain about this? The Kaznian Minister had some... problems."
Derek paused and quirked an eyebrow. "Fixx, why are you worried?"
"Just, the biotoxin, this stuff is highly mutagenic."
"That's the idea," Derek responded. "Remember poor Harry?"
"If this gets out, your good public image could-" Fixx began.
Derek raised a hand to silence him. "Dark Knight Incorporated provides more than enough in terms of positive PR, we just spin it as them stopping a dangerous arms shipment attempting to smuggle in."
"And any freaks that arrive?" Fixx asked.
"Handle them, easy enough for you," Derek replied, smiling as he walked out the door.
The trucks pulled in, standard security forces around, as well as a few DKI Enforcers in armored suits with bat like ears on the helmets. Despite this, they stood around, barely paying attention, more bored than anything.
It all seemed too easy.
Edited by EchoingSilence on Feb 27th 2024 at 12:42:45 PM