Summary:Gwen Stacy goes walking in Staten and brings out the Bats and others Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
    |
It's late at night. Actually, it's really late; late enough that the buses aren't running anymore (or at least, aren't running very often). It turns out that losing track of time while you're studying ('studying') at a friend's place means that you miss your bus, and you have to walk home. So it is that Gwen is plodding her way down the street, with a bag full of books slung over one shoulder and a jacket hanging down about her legs, and only one earbud in so that she can hear if a mugger is sneaking up on her or something. Hopefully.
On the roof tops above, a figure crouches, watching the street below. The only reason they're even slightly visible is the splash of yellow on their chest and the lining of their cape … and the peaked ears on their hood their emphasises any head movement.
Status report, Oracle
One home invasion that the Police are attending. A mugging and … detecting movement in your area. Standby, checking the feeds.
Oracle wasn't the only one patrolling the rooftops of the city. The vigilante known as Robin seems to have returned! Though its not the original Robin, or even the second or third. This is an all-new Robin. Damian kept his hood over his head as he spotted a young woman walking down the street. Bag full of books. Bibliophile or simply a college student?
No one seems to be behind her, yet, but that doesn't mean something can't happen. But he takes his eyes off of the ground and starts to look up. Namely, to see if he can spot anyone else on these rooftops. He might catch Oracle!
Visually, anyway.
Snikt. Snikt. Snikt.
That comes from the alley head of Gwen. It is possibly NOT a comforting noise, as it does sound like someone swinging a blade around. There's a sudden sound of scuffling and a clatter of trash cans being pushed over. Then silence.
Seconds later a man in a leather jacket comes out from the alley, flicking dark liquid off a sword before sheathing it.
Gwen is blissfully unaware of the fact that there seem to be not one, but two masked vigilantes nearby on the rooftops. But then, isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Rooftop vigilantes are only supposed to be seen when you need them, or something? …Not really her concern; her music switches to a different song ('What's Up, Danger' to be precise) just in time for her to hear that snikt snikt sound; and then there's a man with a sword.
And that brings Gwen to a sharp halt, with her breath caught in her throat. "Uhm…" she pauses. "I don't have any money and my phone is two years old," she states, taking a step back.
Robins keen eyes catch the silhouette of Batgirl and, if he has the Oracle App installed on his phone, it will ping him. Advising him Batgirl is near.
Robin is on the street below you, Batgirl. Scanning the newcomer, potentially Silver Samurai.
"So it seems, Oracle."
The black clad womans grappel gun fires and she's soon abseilling down the building - face first of course.
She lands with a thud behind Gwen, possibly shocking her as she takes up position at the womans shoulder.
Damian sees the glorified mugger emerge from the shadows to threaten Gwen Stacy. Narrowing his eyes, Robin does indeed catch Batgirl on the roof and on her descent, his phone does indeed also give off an alert that she was nearby. He's smart enough to connect the dots.
So, instead of follow Batgirl's lead, he takes a different route. He leaps off of the building in a nosedive, and at the last second he flares out his cloak, the cloth hardening to form a sort of glider that catches Damian before he hits the ground, leading to a very smooth crouched landing as he stands behind the crook.
"Bad day to try it, scum." Robin tells the man with the interesting blade.
The person that Gwen is addressing turns and… he IS kind of masked. He's got a menpo, a samurai faceplate, that is styled in the shape of a tusked demon face. That makes it sort of difficult to tell his expression, though his eyes are almost quizzical.
"I am not here to rob you. Though in this part of town, this late at night, it does seem like that is more a risk than it should be."
Two swords. He's got TWO swords. Both katana, both over his shoulder.
The arrival of the bats has the quizzical look turning into a fully quirked brow. "Batgirl. And who are you?" That's to Damian. "Another one of her apprentices? Orphrans." Really, how many associates does Batgirl need.
The blades are, thankfully, sheathed at this point and while he's slightly tense the man in the demon mask has made no move to draw them again.
The young blond one flinches as someone lands behind her, whirling around to look at Batgirl, then back to the sword-guy, just in time to see Robin landing. Somehow, Gwen manages to stand her ground, looking up at that face mask, though she just kind of stands there. "Well, yeah, I mean I don't usually walk around here this late," she manages to answer after a moment of gaping awkwardly. "So, uhm, well anyway, that's a relief." She reaches into her pocket and thumbs her phone to shut the music off, and pull the one earbud out of her ear. "And now I'm surrounded by heroes. Hi, everyone. How're you?"
"Robin." Batgirl speaks to the younger bat, her voice modulated and not at all recognisable. "Silver Samurai is a potential ally. At the moment I'd say he's not a threat." Silver Samurai that's his name. The man with two interesting swords.
"Samurai. Maybe I'm just a modern day Fagin. Recruiting the young from the streets and using them to further my plans." beat "But no, he's not one of mine but an ally." It's hard to tell if she's laughing or not, but she is behind that expressionless mask of hers.
"He's right though, Miss. You should be careful walking these streets on your own at any time. Is there somewhere you were going, one of us would be happy to take you."
Robin looks at Ken. "No." Is all he says in response to the apparent question on if he ewas one of Batgirl's students or 'Orphans'. At Batgirl's introduction, he looks at her. "Batgirl." said in the same kind of modified, yet familiar voice. Silver Samurai, huh? Well then, Robin releases the hilt on his sword, keeping it sheathed as he stands there, keeping his attention on the silver samurai.
He remains silent, but he does seem to share the same sentiment. Its not safe walking these streets at night, especially near alleyways.
There is… something black puddling out behind the 'Samurai' from the alley. It KIND of looks like an oil leak but given the slashing sounds that were coming from there that might be sliiiiightly suspect. Especially since when he came OUT of the alley he was shaking something off his blade.
"Tolerable, thank you Miss…?" What? She has all THEIR names. He'll ask hers.
"So what has you walking through such a poor neighborhood so late at night?" After a moment's pause Samurai looks to the Bats and adds…
"And what brings two of the finest vigilantes down here at the same time? Surely not my humble personage."
That black substance as a sheen as it starts to pool in the gutters. It's DEFINITELY not oil.
"Gwen," answers the blond, "Gwen Stacy." She leans over to the side a little, looks at the puddle coming from the alleyway, and after a moment of obvious thinking, chooses not to comment on it.
"I just stayed at a friend's house studying a little too late," she adds. "Just… lost track of time, no more bus running, didn't think about that until I'd been standing at the bus stop for twenty minutes… y'know how it goes." She shrugs her shoulders. "So now I'm walking, but there's worse things in life."
She takes a step to the side now, so she can talk and not be standing in front of Batgirl while she's at it. "Though it's sure nice to know there's people about who'll look after a college girl walking around at night where she shouldn't. So thanks for that!"
"You can tell he's not one of mine…" Batgirl inclines her head towards Robin then thinks better of it. "… ok, no you can't. Scratch that."
"Well Miss Stacy, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but there are worse things in life, many of them you might meet walking on the paths of Staten Island. If you have someone to call in future, you should do that. Or you know, use Uber or Lyft." Batgirl is serious about that.
The pool that's coming from the alley has her looking at Samurai "That doesn't look like the usual sort of … thing. What were you doing here?"
"Oracle has news of meeting that's due to take place here. Enforcers for the Nightcrows, we believe."
Robin has his eyes narrowed at the situation, his attention specifically on Gwen for a specific moment before he looks at Batgirl. "You have this Well in hand. More than likely, we will meet again."
Ge lifts up a grappling hook and fires it off, zipping off into the night!
Well…er, He was friendly!
"I was asking questions and getting answers." The man with the swords answers somewhat mildly as Robin makes his exit. Odd fellow, there.
He cants his head slightly in an almost canine fashion at Gwen's last name.
"Stacy. As in the daughter of a renowned police officer. Somewhat like Gordon. Another person I have met recently." What is it with daughters of renowened policew officers right now.
"That… makes my appointment in the alley make somewhat more sense. The being I was 'speaking' with was laying in wait. I thought simply for a meal but perhaps…"
"Woah woah woah woah." Gwen holds up both hands, "Yes, my Dad is a police officer and a pretty darn good one, but I don't go around advertizing that. …Precisely for that reason." she tilts her head again, looking towards the alleyway, and then back to the Silver Samurai. Then to Batgirl, then back again.
Well, if that, err, 'being' was looking for a meal, then thank you. Sounds like you were right," she nods to Batgirl, "I'll call Uber next time." She pauses, and quirks an eyebrow upwards. "Or, y'know, maybe next time just tell him he should go to Bodega, we've got corndogs on all the time. Seriously. Always."
Oracle is already scanning Gwens face, bringing up social media feeds and the like. All that is being fed to Batgirls hud. It makes her think.
"The gangs are getting organised in this part town, Miss Stacy. Your father might know something of it but they're keeping it low key for the moment. Something, or someone, is uniting them. Samurai might well be right to be conjecturing."
"Being?" Batgirl doesn't even flinch at the mention of Gordon. "What was it you intercepted, Samurai?" beat "Oracle, what's the chatter on the Enforcers meeting?"
The speaker on Batgirls suit sounds "Scanning Batgirl, one moment." that's an androgynous voice - hard to tell if Oracle is male or female.
"Do you know what a cynocephalus is?" Is the response to Batgirl. If she does not he figures that Oracle can google it. Maybe? Does it google? He has no idea. It might have it's own way of searching.
Gwen's protestations that she doesn't want that information widely known is… well, sensible. By the eyes that makes Samurai grin a little. "It may not have been after a meal. If you have relatives like that it may have been looking for information or leverage. That's speculation on my part but…"
Gwen looks very serious, by contrast. "The last thing I'd want is to cause an issue for my Dad's career by being 'leverage'. That would be completely awful, actually. I do my best to avoid that sort of thing, brief… lapses in judgement aside." She pauses, glancing back and forth between thw two heroic sorts in front of her. "I'll definitely take you up on that offer of escort to somewhere safer, actually, thank you very much."
The blond girl pauses for a moment, before pulling out her smart phone. "No, I don't know what a… what that is," she mumbles, opening up Google. "How do you spell that? Cynocephalagus-what?"
"Cynyocephalus. A dog headed creature, typically the head of a jackal and the body of a human though the references throughout mythology." Oracle responds nearly immediately. Did they Google that? Or did they know? Gwens phone sounds and the information appears in a text, with a graphic of the Oracle Avatar signing it.
"As to your question Oracle, they've been called off. The meeting has been rescheduled for another part of town. The chatter is they didn't like the company in the area."
"Go figure, Oracle. Seems our friend might have scared them off." Batgirl answers. "Leverage would be appropriate and as I said, there's worse things than walking the streets alone. Like that. Or worse. Let me call you a lift to get you to the train station, at least."
The masked man gestures for Gwen to lead the way. That's interesting. Batgirl has observed him fighitng, kind of. He seems like a serious, hard man. Not the kind of man to escort someone through a bad part of town. But then… she knows he teaches as well. So maybe he's not so… serious all the time.
"I should point out in fairness that I AM guessing. It is possible that it was a coincidence that the creature was in the area at the same time as you were. It is just that I have found that coincidence is often a convenient excuse for connections we do not wish to consider."
He eyes the female bat. "Isn't that so?"
Speaking of coincidence….
"I'm pretty sure my Dad would say something pretty similar," Gwen acknowledges to the statement about coincidences. "I think the train station is pretty close though, so if you don't mind seeing me that far, that'd be realyl great. Thank you both for being around, and if you know who the third person was? Pass on my thanks to him, too?"
She shifts her bag to the other shoulder — it looks like it's got at least three textbooks in it, and we all know how that can be — before she starts off in the direction gestured by the man with two swords. "Thank you for hte offer of a lift," she adds, "But it's really not that far. I think it'll be alright. I'll be more careful next time though, I promise!"
"We'll walk you, Miss Stacy." Batgirl answers, casting a look at the demon masked man. She's not got his measure yet but she has an advantage on him. She knows the Samurai and his street persona - are the same person. He just knows Batgirl and Babs Gordon.
"I don't believe in coincidences and there are things that are moving on the streets that I'd rather not consider. Oracle, I'll 'attend' that meeting once I've seen to Miss Stacy."
"Of course, Batgirl. Sending you the coordinates.
Shadowing the pair, she'll help make sure Gwen is safe.
This time.