The Razor

November 18th, 2014: Wonder Woman surprises Amygdala and Batman. A discussion about JLAvg, SHIELD and Gotham ties things off.


Between Grant Park and Colgate Hill.



  • Amygdala
  • Fidel Armatis

Mood Music:
Cold by Crossfade

A vortex of snowflakes and wind cuts past the Dark Knight's night optics, a white mixture that blurs visibility forcing the Bat to cycle through various settings to adjust. It's late, after 11 PM he always prowls. The weather despite it's chill works in his favor, no SRD probes. The cold is barely felt, only with infrequent drafts that cut through the body armor - it's temperature regulated, it's own self-sustaining warmth that operates off of his own physical emission. Recycling and re-using heat. Intelligent design, like anything the Batman incorporates into his arsenal. The arctic blast hitting the Eastern United States right now always seems to hit Gotham the hardest, the Razor is a very real thing right now.

That doesn't mean crime stops though. Especially for some of the Bat's more powerful opponents, like Aaron Helzinger, Amygdala.

The Caped Crusader has been chasing him for three blocks now, the man's on foot but he is terribly fast and things like fences and walls, they don't stop him. Patient 30086 is a superhuman in regards to his strength and durability. Batman's already hit him five times with shock gaunts and the behemoth is still in motion. It's been a while since Amygdala had any Thorazine. Unfortunate. Aaron is not exactly as vicious a creature when he is sedated.

A loud crash barely audible in the maelstrom heralds the possible location of his query, Batman begins pursuit once again.

Diana should know better then to try and speak with Batman when it is dark - even Alfred posed that statement to her with some long drawn disdain (lack of surprise, she should know better).

From above she can hear the ruckus, carried easily on a few updrafts of blustering chill and white. Though from above is not where she comes.

Walking down along the street is a woman, dark hair flowing out from beneath the hood of a fur lined long cloak, that fashion is coming back now, sleeveless and large but heavy, especially when blasted against by a gust of wind from down an alley. Pausing the edges of gray fur rustle, ungloved hands rifling shakily for something inside a purse she had clutched with her beneath the large 'coat'. A light curse omits from her lips, but inaudible as to what exactly has been said as the win whips along one side of her face, pressing the large hood against her profile and taking breath as well as utterances away.

Sometimes winter's a bitch.

"No more lies!" The yell is loud. A bellow. "You lie, I break!"

"Come on now Amy, we're friends."

"Not Amy, girls name."

Another loud crash and a dumpster sails high careens off a brick wall and tumbles pushing up it's own snowbank before it stops.

A monster of a man built like a titan stands above a cowering man in a brown trench coat, hands up, pleading. The hulk of flesh is covered in veins and bulging muscle an arm uplifted like he is about to crush the other individual.

"Look… I promised the Bird I would try to get you back in. I didn't know you weren't allowed in the Lounge still."

"Gave you money, you pay tabs."

"It came up short, I'll pay it, I'll pay it. I promise Amy, we're pals, I owe you that much."

"NOT AMY!!!" A roar now, rage overcomes Amygdala and he grips up the smaller figure hefting him above his head, fingers wrap around throat and face of one hand while the other coils around an ankle and brown coat is stretched like an accordion. A shriek escapes him that sounds very much like the same musical instrument or at least close enough, it's a horrid sound to say the least.

"Aiiiiiii! AMY… AMYGD… don't kill me! Look a witness!" He points with one arm in a flail at the air towards the woman in the coat wandering her way towards them. "You'll go to Arkham again! Please, I have kids!"

The man mountain seems to hesitate, it's the shout for kids that actually makes him do this. Not the man's announcement of a spectator/witness.

One more jump, another rooftop cleared and Batman is close, close enough now to see the silhouettes of Amygdala, his victim and the stray woman. Something is not right. Even from this angle.

Have to act fast.

"I need a little help with this…please.." The woman's voice is small, demure as she moves forward towards the two, a blast of chill wind seemingly forcing her into a protesting lean against as she reaches up and grips the hood from flying off.

Long black strands of hair spiral and wave outward and up only to be stuffed back under the hood, her hand holding it down, but from beneath the shadow…

Cerulean eyes pierce outward as she draws close and extends her purse laden hand with a snap, the vambrace a flash while the fisted grip cracks in an uppercut towards Amygdala's chin while the other acts to try and grab the man from his grip.

This fully reveals the woman now as the cloak formed coat wings open, booted feet plating firmly before the man as in the darkness that golden lasso casts a low heated glow over the spangled stars amongst black as well as red and silver bust.

"Go away lady. Not hurt yo—" Amygdala's head snaps upwards and his shoulders jerk with it. Surprisingly he stands his ground but his eyes are wide, surprise, shock, pain. Pain? That equals rage. His captive has flown free of his grip however and landed in a sprawl in the snow and ice covered cement.

"Hit him again, Princess. He can take it." A familiar deep voice growls from the alleyway behind the trio. The Dark Knight is striding almost casually towards them.

The slab of walking muscle looks almost emotionally hurt before lips curl back and he balls up a fist, slow motion like to Wonder Woman but he is about to swing on her with a wild haymaker.

Diana glances back when Batman speaks, that small quirk of her lips only wavering, taking on a small twitch when a light interruption comes in the form of a large fist.

When Anygdala swings she catches the movement, felt that interruption in the blustering wind and when his fist is just about to meet her jaw in a force that would shatter most; her other hand rises to intercept, catching his fist. With her grip over his knuckles she /twists/ enough to get his attention while she crushes down just enough to feel joints pop but not break… Just -bend-.

Now Amygdala has her attention back and using his own appendage, wrenching it to a point where he is being given no option but to fold and 'take a walk' she launches him towards the dumpster. Perhaps hoping for a slam dunk if he does not resist.

Amygdala hits the dumpster with so much force that previous snowbank explodes outwards and the entire object skitters to a slam in to the nearby wall. The sound almost deafening.

"Fidel Armatis." Batman's voice is heard once again. "You will return to the Iceberg Lounge and pay all of Amygdala's dues. Otherwise." The man leans down over top of Fidel and hefts him upwards, in to the air above his head then slowly draws his face near the cowl. "We won't be here to stop him next time. Understood?"

The man doesn't respond, instead looking wide-eyed over at Wonder Woman. A rough one-handed shake rattles his teeth together and he finds himself nodding, whether by Batman's grip alone or his own conviction he isn't sure. "Oh-okay. I promise."

A toss and Fidel is in a running stagger, arms wide as he races to freedom.

"If Fury sent you. Still not interested."

Diana rises both her hands and straightens the furred collar along the edges of the cloak, ensuring there was no damage done to the clasp as well as ensuring straightness.

Dust shoulders off.

One handled while she also watches Batman handle the other, that half-cocked smile not fading as she waits for the mans silhouette to disappear in the blur of white and turns back to Batman when he speaks.

"Does no one listen when I say I don't take bosses." Pause. "I don't even obey my mother." Her hands lift now to express her placement here, now, on this plane. "I sent myself. Interested now?"

"How… unruly of you." A fleeting tease passes through Batman's tone of voice. "Still as uninterested as I was before. You showing up and cleaning the clock of an over-muscled goon with the brain of a six year old won't change that."

A curious look at the jacket, "Is that even necessary or is it just 'Patriarch's World' influence? I never took you for being in to fashion." Not true, he's noticed such things about Wonder Woman in the past just never too overt.

Something is drawn from the Caped Crusader's utility belt and the mask covering his lower face is drawn down long enough to pop something in to his mouth. Yes, closer visibility now shows a sort of sleeve or lower part of the cowl exists that covers his jaw and lips. It's a necessity in this weather for a mortal like him.

To put it quite simply, it's fucking cold. Very cold.

Diana stops, and that slice of freezing wind does not move her, just the light slip of noir strand across collarbone. She is watching Batman and listening, though any jest of his is met with as much stoicism as he shows her on any given day, though her eyes have never slipped from their light smile.

"Let's get out of this and talk." She says as she pulls the hood back up as if to blockade herself from the chill despite being unnecessary to a point. "I like it, it's soft."

Not knowing where the Bat would go for a moment of refuge from the blustering winds and snow she simply waits disposing of the purse in the dumpster. "That I have no need of, but the team needs you, Batman."

A grapnel line is launched skyward, hooks to a piece of overhanging metal work from a construction building and the man draws himself along it, out of sight and away from street level.

Once topside there is an unfinished portion of a building that offers some bit of shelter from direct wind blasts and an escape from visibility. Plastic and tarps whip violently with the draft carried through, snow sits heavy on other portions where it's not been blasted free. Ice and frost will form on many of this.

The man knows she can follow of her own power, Batman waits patiently for her to join him. It was obviously her being courteous to him more so than really needing to go anywhere.

"So, lets talk and no, the team has no need of me any longer. What I brought to the table was resources and tactics, SHIELD specializes in these things."

It might have been just for him, but while the wind is trying to make you forcibly ingest your own hair… That gets tedious as well. When he rises so does she, landing silently just beside him, his words finally making that smile in her eyes even fade.

"You're wrong. SHIELD brings us ties we need to gain footholds and 'free passes' through territories otherwise would be closed to our team. You brought in far more than they can in different ways."

Diana pauses, and in her long exhale a long stream of white shows the heat of her breath in a steady stream now in still cold air. "They're not /you/. Gotham needs a Batman just as much as the world does." As she says as much her hand presses to his chest plate, a finger sliding over the razor-ed edge of one wing upon the emblem there.

"There is no such thing as a free pass. Ever." Batman responds, "SHIELD will take you in, you'll open up and it will find leverage to hold against you and when you want to step out - you won't be able to. No, it's a bad call. It was when previously conceived of and remains so." He gives no response to the tap of her fingertip on the cold armored chest-piece.

"Diana, I can't jeopardize my privacy or that of those who fight in my team, no matter what. Establishments like SHIELD require obedience and a level of sacrifice I already said I am unwilling to make." A hand lifts up and Batman closes his fingers around Wonder Woman's wrist, removing her hand from his chest. Yet not releasing his grip. "You and Clark will manage just fine. I only ask you steer as much of your operation clear of Gotham as you can."

"My team and I. We got this without the Justice League, Avengers, SHIELD or whatever you plan on calling yourselves."

"You think I don't know this. I do not intend to allow what -we- built to collapse just by joining up. I want it to have a sturdier foundation, I want it to grow, to expand, and in any tactical sight to do so you have to join hands somewhere."

When her hand is removed she only glances from him, down to it and back up slowly, unmoving with that grip wrapped around her vembraced forearm. "You are insulting without even meaning to be. Or perhaps you do." He does not have to release his grip, she pulls her arm back then and seeks to tuck it back beneath the cloak.

"I know you do. You have for years, before me and before the team. But I think we need you just as much. It is not the same, but I will let them know of our exile from here now as well."

"I know you only want the best, Diana. That is why you're better than Clark and I. Always have been." Batman's cloak falls around his shoulders as well, draping him in added protection from the elements. He's not moving, he is not generating body heat with motion. He does however know techniques for maintaining an increased rate of temperature output. Martial arts techniques, the man is like a Swiss army knife of them. One for every occasion.

"Pass the message along, I doubt they'll listen. Colonel Fury doesn't strike me as the type to think he has any sort of boundaries when national security is concerned. He is about as bad as Amanda Waller." A flex of his hands at the names. The sounds of knuckles popping and cracking under armored gauntlets sounded like muffled miniature explosions. A normal person wouldn't hear them but then again Normal Woman isn't her moniker.
"It's a lot of work. How are you adapting?" Some civility. The man can manage it at times.

"I am no better then either of you, we were a balance, one that cannot be filled by anyone. Ever. We were supposed to be the best, made of the best." Now Diana's words seem a bit more sturdy, steadfast, and her cerulean eyes are a tempest upon him, accusingly pegging him for crippling them, or more.

"I don't know Waller, but I think I am capable of stopping things if I desire to." Now her chin tilts upward, indignant in regality, remembering her place as a princess, in all demands shy of stomping her foot.

Lucky for the tenants of this building.

"I am an Agent to know your side better, that is the biggest adjustment. It's… New." She fought to find the right word, and that was the only one she had.

Batman grunts at the first string of words shot out by Wonder Woman. The man's done with that run of dialogue. It's a dead horse now. He's rather firm in his stance in regards to the JLAvg and himself.

"And to protect Themyscira's UN interests I am sure. You'll manage. Just… " Silence and the man doesn't end what he was about to say. "Alfred told you where I would be tonight didn't he? Which means you made a house call. Should I be flattered or concerned?" More of that ribbing in the Dark Knight's tone again. Very few people in the world actually get to know Batman enough to see a more humorous side to him. It is a very rare occurrence.

A scream rakes through the air, a burst of that bone chilling wind whistles past them. The Razor she has heard Batman and even other Gothamites call it before. Some believe it's a supernatural entity all it's own, others think it's because of the way the city was built, there are numerous fictional and non-fictional origins for the icy gale.

"It doesn't matter, does it? Your city calls you…" Her words could have been cutting if they did not seem so… refined to a loss. And that look…

It faded away, turning away with the cut of The Razor, the hood shielding her from it only in a fractional part.

Diana left so much hanging there in the air between them, but not that scream.

"Hopefully you'll answer to the world too." And in a small twist of flurries, a dance like asmall tornado she is gone, having taken flight and departed Gotham, as he so wished.

Back to: RP Logs
