am I still tough enough

[batmantled]

WHO: Dick Grayson and YOU. YES YOU.
WHERE: Before sundown on Saturday Dick will be at the park creepering watching some nice families on their outings. After that Nightwing will wander around some bad parts of the city roughing up lowlives. Tag him anywhere/everywhere.
WHEN: Saturday the 15th - Sunday the 16th
WARNINGS: Will update as needed.

Comments

Umm...sometime during the bad guy fighting?

[a_relative_hero]

Some heroes have training and know what they're doing. Houston is not one of them. He tries his best though and the powers certainly help. He needed to get out of his apartment and actually do something instead of just playing around with his powers.

Punching thugs seemed like a decent idea so he's been running about the city and leaving several bruised and confused thugs. Heading up to the roof he notices someone in the distance. Assuming the worst, Houston turned on the powers and ran for the figure. Of course when he got onto the same rooftop and saw a costume he actually recognized from his world, Houston turned off his powers and skidded to a halt on the rooftop a few feet away from Nightwing. "Whoa..."

During the bad guy fighting!

[batmantled]

Five thugs down and he's still wound up enough that the sudden noise brings his arm up. The body language is off. The costume is off.

Off enough that he stops the strike before the escrima can connect. He drops it and steps back, looking for some extra space. Fighting to catch his breath.

"...You need something?"

[a_relative_hero]

At first, Houston wasn't sure what to say. The young man in the gold and black costume just stared a few seconds before he realized he was doing it and jumped. "Oh umm...I'm Houston," he introduced himself since it seemed like the thing to do. "Sorry about that. I almost attacked you there. Thought you were one of the bad guys..." he trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

"You're Nightwing, right?"

[batmantled]

Running into another cape out here isn't really all that uncommon, in this city. Running into one that apparently can get within a few feet without setting off any alarms first is a little bit less so. It's unnerving. Frustrating.

Maybe he's just distracted. Wouldn't be the first time, tonight.

"Uh," he ran a hand up through his hair, trying to get his bearings. Still half waiting for that attack. "Yeah. That's me."

[a_relative_hero]

Houston smiled at the answer and nodded. "Awesome. I'm sort of a fan of all the Gotham heroes from back home. Ya know, doing all those amazing things without any powers. Helped me keep confident about being able to be a hero even though I didn't have powers then and...I'm rambling, sorry," he sighed. The teen paused when something occurred to him. "Oh man, I didn't interrupt a stake out or something, did I? Uhh..." he shifted a little awkwardly. "Uhh...need a hand with anything?"

[batmantled]

"...No. I, uh," there's more than a few bodies strewn across the roof. "It's taken care of. Not a big deal."

He takes a breath and then tries a more solid stance. He's Nightwing, damnit. "...You said you're from Gotham?"

[a_relative_hero]

Houston glanced around and jumped slightly when he saw all the bodies. Blinking a few times he wondered how he missed them. Shrugging it off, he turned back to Nightwing and offered a smile.

"Well, err...no. I'm from LA but I'm sort of a fanboy. I followed all the Gotham news, ya know...find out about the heroes. And I did stay in Gotham for a couple of days once and ended up teaming up with Catwoman to fight some guys that were after my family."

[batmantled]

Maybe it's not a face he's supposed recognize from somewhere other than the network, which is a little more comforting than the alternative. He relaxes a little and then drops back to start tying the hands of one of the losers starting to move again. It's probably better just to be blunt.

"...I don't know you, do I?"

[a_relative_hero]

Houston glanced down when the thug started to move and started trying to figure out what to do about that. He nodded a little when Nightwing took care of it.

"No, this is the first time we've met..." he trailed off a little awkwardly.

[batmantled]

So, someone from his world or some approximation of it. Someone who recognizes Nightwing and knows Catwoman. Someone with... either a surprising set of porter-endowed powers or a natural meta.

...Someone he maybe needs to talk to, a little more.

"...I figured," another rough smack to the back of the head and that one's not moving again for a while. He stands up again and brushes off his palms, eying Houston a little more closely.

"So you're here by yourself? No..." Friends is what he means.

[a_relative_hero]

Houston winces at the smack out of reflex, shaking his head. He never could understand why the bad guys continued to commit crimes when it just ended up getting them beaten up. He glances up and offers a small smile when he notices Nightwing watching him.

"Uh, yeah. I got teleported into this City on my own. Family's all back home..."

[batmantled]

"Got to be rough," he offers, a little sympathetically. Frustrating as it is to be surrounded by a family that wants someone else, being alone here is a reality he's glad he's never faced.

"You seem a little new at this." And a little extra probing never hurt.

[a_relative_hero]

"It is," Houston admits quietly. "But I'm trying not to let it slow me down," he declares with a smile. He's been doing his best to act like it doesn't bother him as much as it does.

"I am," the young hero admits. "The powers came when I got zapped in here and well...things were complicated back home," he actually blushes a little. "Sort of a superhero but not really..."

[batmantled]

"Hey, it happens," he says neutrally. "You got pretty close to me there."

[a_relative_hero]

"Well, having what's pretty much super speed helped with that," Houston replies.