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It was a cold night in Harlem…the kind that would give you goosebumps if you stayed outside for too long. It was dreadfully quiet other than the occasional passing of cars and the snide conversations of the multiple gangs that made their home in this part of New York. But…there was at least one defender out tonight.
The Batman was donned in his black cloak, his cowl covering his facial features minus his mouth and jaw, bat ears pointed upwards towards the night sky where the Bat Signal occasionally shines in the night. under his dark attire, was a superbly armored Batsuit with the symbol of the Bat that made criminals -fear- coming into the night, bad intentions or no. Presently…he stood atop a tall building, dangling a man by the ankle with a single hand.
"Talk! Where's Wilson Fisk?!" Batman demanded in that cold, nightmarish voice. The criminal flailed, trying to escape but not wanting to fall to what would most definately be his death. "I dunno man! I dunno! we were just sent for the guns and the drugs! I don't know! I swear!" he begged. "You're lying! I saw the transfer records on the pods, you were giving him access codes. ACCESS CODES FOR WHAT!" he demanded, and the two go back and forth. The man dangling was screaming loudly, a bystander could catch wind of it.
and batman didn't care.
Diana is a very perceptive woman, some would claim beyond reason, because walking the street she should have no business paying attention to a poor man being dangled over the roof of a skyscrapper. Who even looks that up high in New York? It's doubtful Batman would even notice the tiny people way down low moving about their business, as he is preoccupied with his interrogation. But Diana does disappear into an alleyway.
A short moment later, and Wonder Woman lands on the other end of the rooftop that Batman and Mr. Soon To Crash On The Ground share. It's unclear whether she hopped down from something invisible, or literally jumped all the way to the rooftop, but she's here now. Brandishing a sword in one hand, and a shield in the other, she takes very confident steps towards Batman.
Her looks is also somewhat peculiar, the Amazon Battle Armor looking out of time, very akin to the type of armor worn by the Phalanx of the Hellenistic World.
"You will torture this man no more," Wonder Woman asserts, "put him down gently on the roof and let him be…" she speaks in a tone that suggests warning, could she honestly never have heard of the Batman?
The Dark Knight turns his head to Wonder Woman's direction even before she lands across the rooftop, apparently so well trained that by the time she speaks, he's already looking at her. He was a second away from breaking him too…find out -exactly- what he wanted, then this random lady in intriguing armor arrives to stop him from justice? Not friendly. Batman narrows his eyes at Wonder Woman before he looks to one of the lower roofs of the building, Batman takes a wire and wraps it around the man's foot…and drops him!
But never fear, he does scream…boy does he scream! but he actually lands softly on one of the smaller roofs connected to the building. Saved by the grappling hook. with that, Batman drops said grabbling hook on the roof where it clings to a metallic surface.
"Who are you. I'm interrogating him for information. Information that could save lives." he's clearly prepared for a fight. "You haven't seen torture from me yet." he gets into a fighting position. "Do you work for Fisk too?"
Man's world had been…disorientating for Cyrene. She'd had quite a lot to adjust to, quite a lot to lean and more than a few faux pas commited. She'd even -almost- managed the beginings of a romance. But -finally- she'd made her way to her charge. Perched high on a nearby rooftop, there's a sudden lound -thud- of an arrow hitting the wall beside Batman. A warning shot…but the arrow had easily passed several inches into the wall like it were nothing. The archer? The figure of Cyrene holding her bow and knocking another arrow was plain to see, the redhead wrapped in her own amazonian armor slightly less 'grand' than the princess' own.
Wonder Woman smirks at Batman when she sees the arrow 'miss' him, "I don't think you're going to like the odds, let the man…" but then Batman goes and settles on attaching a wire to the man's legs, and for all Wonder Woman knows he means to throw him down. She's not sure if the wire is meant to support the man or not, so she doesn't wait, and in display of super speed, she closes the distance real fast between Batman and herself, trying to grab Batman and pull him along with the hapless victim into the roof. She's trying to prevent the man from taking a trip to street level, not knowing what Batman had planned. This of course prevents the conversation from takin place, "I said leave him be!"
Batman was staring down Wonder Woman until the hears the arrow coming, tilting his head out of the way because he couldn't pinpoint -exactly- where it would land, only theorize, thus does he also realize the opponents he's up against. Then he realizes Wonder Woman has a measure of super speed, with Batman's arm being grabbed quite fast. But before he is thrown, he clicks a button the grappling hook, causing the line to snap and the crook to fall all of an inch to the roof below, clearly panicked.
"YOUR INSANE!!" the criminal shouts at the top of his lungs and realizes he can't really run…guess he has to wait until whatever scrap up there is finished. Meanwhile, Batman rolls to his feet from a crouched position and stands up straight. "Two to one. Not good odds. I've won worse." he states in a cold, emotionless tone before he pulls out a smoke bomb…and he waits for Wonder Woman to even look like she'll charge before he throws it to the ground, obscuring the Batman completely.
Meanwhile, a two batarangs fly towards Cyrene. One aimed precisely for her bowstring, the other? an equal warning shot aiming for just over her shoulder. Time to fight.
There's a twang of her bowstring, but its not the line being severed. To break her bow would probably take quite a bit more force and edge than one would expect. Instead, the loosing of the next arrow is met with the sound of metal on metal as one of the throwing weapons is simply sheered in half by her arrow, the second swatted aside by the amazonium alloy bow itself. She's already lifting the weapon once more, narrowing her eyes from her perch as she peers at the smokescreen. As amazingly accurate as she is, she won't fire blindly into the smoke and risk skewering Diana. That'd make her a rather poor protector…and she wasn't aiming to kill the caped stranger yet. Not without an order to anyway.
"I told you to let the man down safely, and you drop him from height?" Wonder Woman speaks with aggressive undertone to Batman as she engages him, having failed her attempt to draw both him and the man unto the roof. Impressive. She didn't expect a mortal to adjust to her speed, she fully expected to catch him off guard. "Laying waste to the lives of others is a grave mistake in my presence," Wonder Woman warns, twirling the sword in her hand as she observes Batman holding up that weird looking device, reminiscent of hand grenades, the like of which she had seen on her past adventures in Man's Wolrd. "This grenade of yours will do me as much harm as your projectile did my companion."
Nevertheless, Wonder Woman doesn't charge foolishly, he proved he could contend with her superior speed. She has to measure what else he has amongst his abilities. "Why do you terrorize helpless men?" She asks, or rather demands of Batman, judging by her tone.
Batman stands up straight, she didn't charge. She faked him out. Not bad. He remains there in the smoke, speaking coldly. "He works with a man named Wilson Fisk. Thanks to him, many have suffered unspeakable horrors and many more will suffer said horrors unless I stop him. He was my informant. Caught him and his goons shipping guns and drugs to aid Fisk and successfully ruling the underground which you've no doubt helped him in doing since you elected to stop me before I gained my information." he says clearly. The Dark Knight was just waiting now…the silence, the sound of the dice rolling that would make anyone else's heart stop from the anxiety…but Batman wasn't afraid. Nor was he any normal mortal.
He doesn't move either. Experienced warrior, clearly. Batman is someone who shouldn't be taken lightly, even as his mass intellect is thinking of countless solutions. "I terrorize these men so that justice can reign on these streets. I'm Batman."
Cyrene simply leaps down from her perch, dropping closer so she's several steps behind Diana, but close enough and a little to the right so she could easily shoot another arrow without risking the other woman. So far? She hadn't spoken up, but the redhead's eyes are narrowed at the man and she casts a sidelong look at the princess. She'd attack on her command, or hold back at the absence of one, however it was pretty clear from the way she kept the arrow drawn back firmly, she had no issues with it being the former.
"It's good to see you," Wonder Woman says to Cyrene, even while keeping her gaze trained on Batman, naturally, now is not the time to catch up. "I have not heard of a Wilson Fisk," Wonder Woman relates to Batman as he begins his explanation.
"If that man has done the crimes you accuse him of why do you not bring him to court? He must be put on trial for his actions, but his actions do not permit you to terrorize him." Her sword goes back in its sheathe behind her back, as it becomes clearer to Diana that she will not be fighting this man. At least not with sword and shield, which is why her shiled gets latched in place behind her back as well. "You are quick to jump to conclusions, who made you a God of Justice?" Wonder Woman asks of Batman as she starts to pace closer to him, knowing Cyrene will be at her side. "Batman…? A curious name…I go by Wonder Woman, and I seek justice for all."
Batman notices Cyrene, the woman he noticed a while ago, arrive next to Diana. He doesn't even give her a nod of acknowledgement, his eyes seemingly on Diana. "Because the justice system is already askew with corruption. Fisk has influence in the courts as well as money. Nothing spurs a greedy man more than than wealth, he'd be out in a few days rather than give him proper sentencing." But then it seems Batman's done talking.
"I need to finish talking to him. So get on board, or get out of the way." he narrows his eyes then.
"You will watch your tongue!" Cyrene speaks up, proving at the very least she is not mute! "Or I'll split it in two with my next arrow." Figures that the first words out of her mouth would be a threat, doesn't it? Later, Cyrene would indeed catch up and perhaps even relax with her charge, but for the moment the redhead woman was all business as she kept her bow and arrow pointed at the Dark Knight. She had -no- idea who or what Fisk was, but her protectiveness and offense to the disrespect from this masked man? Those were certainly concepts she understood.
"Stand down," Wonder Woman asks of Cyrene politely, "we are not at court, and this Batman has no clue who shares his presence. His disrespect is unintentional," she tries to calm her bodyguard who on Themyscira might have already laid punishment on someone who dared disrespect the Princess.
"This man of yours, you only want information?" Wonder Woman asks of Batman, "promise you will not terrorize him, and I will show you alternative ways, more civillized than the ways of injustice."
Batman simply doesn't respond. The essence of cool and calculated…or perhaps simply a quiet rage. Regardless, his attention falls on Diana as she tells her sister-in-arms to stand down. Though at her question, he gives a small nod in approval of that he only wants info. So when Wonder Woman asks to promise her that he won't hurt the man if she shows alternative ways, he nods. "You have my word." he says deep and convincingly. He was telling the truth…the Bat may be many things..brutal, cold, efficient..borderline heartless, but even he honors his word. That and his no-kill rule.
It is then that he emerges completely from the shadows.
The Amazon archer nods her head and the arrow she'd knocked was swiftly returned to the quiver at her hip, her bow slung over her back by its bowstring. It did seem rather optimistic to immediately place her weapon out of use, but it hardly ment she or Diana were helpless. They -were- Amazon after all. Cyrene's hands rest by her sides, unconciously remaining as fists as she watches the Bat step out of the shadows, a step closer taken to Wonder Woman. Did she know what the Princess intended? Perhaps, but either way she was remaining on guard. The man had already proven he was an extremely skilled warrior, so there was no way she'd leave Diana to be blindsided regardless of how capable the other woman was.
With Cyrene not moving to split Batman's tongue in two with a single shot, Diana motions at the edge of the roof, where Batman left the man to hang, "bring him up, *gently*, and hold him there…also gently." Diana instructs Batman, as she moves herself towards that edge, looking down to ensure the man is indeed safe. Mighty confident, that or she knows Cyrene would have Batman if he even thought of giving her a push.
Batman gives a small nod to Diana's request, approaching the roof without even giving Diana and Cyrene a single glance. taking the grappling hook that was metallically pressed to a metal surface, he reattaches the line to the device, and with a click of a button and a few altercations, the man starts to get reeled back up at a slower pace. Though of course, the criminal starts screaming.
"AH! no no no nononononooononono not again!" he flails about, not realizing that the line would never break without outside influence. and soon enough, he's there at Batman, Cyrene, and Wonder Woman's feet. The criminal gulps.
Cyrene does watch the man get retracted back into his dangling position, her frown slightly faultered by the display. If ever there was going to be appreciative of a few neat toys in one's arsenal? It's Cyrene. The 'daughter of war' had quite the collection of her own, but nothing quite as high-tech as the Bat had to play with. Even so, her gaze goes back to the screaming man while she maintains her caution, ever vigilant as a protector should be.
"Calm yourself," Wonder Woman speaks to the hapless man just placed at her feet, "you are safe, I will not harm you," she keeps speaking in a soft tone as she reaches to the lasso at her side, the golden rope lights up with a glow at her touch, as she moves to wrap it around Batman's victim, before asking very politely, "please answer Batman's question, you will be allowed to go once you do."
She then turns to look over at Batman, "repeat your question and you will have your answer," she then motions at Cyrene, before adding to the man bound by the lasso, "better play nice, she doesn't like it when people are not nice."
Batman looks on with a raised brow inside of that cowl of his as the lasso that wonder woman uses lights up and glows. Time to find out what that does. Though he instantly recognizes it as a source of magic. Regardless, he asks his question.
"Where is Wilson Fisk?" he asks, and the young man seems to feel hot as he tries to resist, but soon enough, he blurts it out as if compelled, which causes him to panic. "He's in a warehouse near the coast!" "Which one?" Batman demands, and then he tries to resist so hard that a tear actually escapes his eye. "aaaagghhhhhh 2561! warehouse 2561!" he shouts, before Batman takes in his words, and looks to Wonder Woman a small nod. "I have what I need."
Well magic works like…magic. Cyrene isn't all that suprised, not by the man speaking the truth. She does however seem a little suprised by the fact that Batman continues to look at the results so…blankly. Clearly the man was as good at brooding as she was archery. Even so, she now speaks up for herself. "And what will you do now? String up this Wilson Fisk and throw him off a rooftop?"
Diana gently removes the lasso from around the poor terrified man, and starts to collect it back in her hand, before attaching it to her belt, once done she turns to Batman, "I'm interested in your answer," she points out, no doubt referring to Cyrene's question. Her method, no doubt are very different from Batman's as is her point of view of justice. They could, potentially, be allies. But they could just as easily be on opposing ends. How things play out remains to be seen.
When he has the answer he needs he's already turning heel. Thoug hhe's stopped by the questions of both Amazons. "When I find Wilson Fisk, I'm going to tie him to a chair and present him to the proper authorities. The -right- authorities." seems he still had faith in the government. Before he looks to the criminal. "The police are already on the way." and with the same grappling hook, he fires off into the night, and a small
'clink!'
is heard, and with that, and a sound of a zipping off, he flies off into the night and out of sight. Huh, friendly.