[Thread] The Dark Knight Has Arrived || Open

[gonnaloveme]

Characters: The Batman, Open
Where: New York--->Gotham
When: a couple of days or a week after the new arrangement
Summary: The Batman has arrived in town, boys. Let's play nice while he explores his new surroundings...not.
Warnings: Not at the moment, but definitely likely?

Comments

[citizen0soldier]

Hilde was lingering in Gotham, having taken quite a liking to the city on her first visit. It was still night and therefore, dangerous here. But she came armed this time and really didn't feel too threatened. Curious was the more appropriate term for the moment.

She had caught the dark form running and hopping rather adeptly across rooftops. He... was it a he? He looked rather built, or just buffed up in that outfit. And... was that a cape? Huh?

Was this Gotham for real? "...Batman?" Hilde spoke without much thought, the first name she thought of coming between her parted lips in wonder and slight disbelief.

[gonnaloveme]

The Batman was not one to stop simply because his name was whispered as he passed overhead as a mere shadow in the night. It was a common enough occurrence that his mind paid no attention. In fact, it was something of vague amusement and only a little interest; it meant he was doing his job, in a sense. His name whispered in the shadows. A fleeting sighting; was it real? Should I be scared? He hoped that whoever it was that whispered those words--word?--was scared. Scared enough not to do anything stupid while he was watching

[citizen0soldier]

Hilde had lost him for an instant but caught him once he came to a stop. She followed his path, down on the street, looking up in wonder, awe, and disbelief. There was really a man in a black cape, was he just standing over the city like... like some kind of hero? Was he really... The Batman? Hilde probably shouldn't have been this out of sorts over it, but she was between knowing this was absolutely impossible and knowing this was probably very possible, given The Ring.

Still, she waited around watching him. Those ears... that facemask and the body-builder suit....

He might see her out of his peripheral, slowly walking up to where he had stopped and leaning back against the handrail of an apartment building stoop. She folded her arms and muttered quietly to herself. "It just doesn't seem real.. could he really be Batman?"

[gonnaloveme]

The Batman closed his eyes for a second, listening, but not for long. In the interim he didn't seem to loose the girl's position in the least. He stood stock still for the longest of moments, perhaps longer than even it would take for the girl below to get impatient then bored and finally lose interest altogether and walk away.

However, he did finally move before she got the chance if that were true. He didn't seem in a hurry when he did so. The Bat moved deliberately to the edge of the building and then slowly crouched.

His eyes watched keenly on the woman below, not hiding in the shadows in the least at the moment, a purposeful act on his part to show her his casual interest in her.

[citizen0soldier]

Hilde hadn't lost interest, though. She was staring at him the whole time. The cogs of her brain were cranking away, proving and disproving. Eventually, she folded. So this was probably Batman. Given what The Ring had thrown at them... this was probably Batman.

Her eyebrows rose when he glanced at her. No, not glanced at her. When he moved over and crouched and took a big fat look at her. Was she sticking out or something? She knew this wasn't true but the thought came and went just the same. She looked like any average citizen, and to a man dressed in a black bodysuit, she probably was an average citizen.

Then why, exactly, was he staring at her? She wasn't causing a fuss. She wasn't a wanted criminal. And last she checked, Batman didn't arrest for breaking curfews.

"Is there something you want to show me?" it was said quietly, with a hint of sarcasm.

[gonnaloveme]

Batman didn't arrest at all, legally. (Unless you considered what he did a citizen's arrest?) And she was a pretty average "Joe" as far as he was concerned, neither did he care nor know of any sort of curfew in affect. Even if he had, again, he wasn't concerned with such things.

But his interests at the moment lie elsewhere completely.

"Not show," came the raspy reply from above--and then he was no longer above but in front of the woman with a soft thud as his feet hit the pavement. "But there is something I want."

He wasn't normally the type to approach or ask questions from just anybody on the street. What he was doing now was out of character--but the reasons were bizarre enough to warrant it.

[citizen0soldier]

His quick movements and landing in front of her maybe were a little over the top, but they certainly backed up is supposed identity. She flinched, looking a little odd at him, almost like she was thinking 'was that really necessary?'.

She tensed, not out of concern for herself, but to show she wasn't afraid. Sure, this was probably the real deal, Batman. But then again the possibility this was some rapist or murderer dressed as a copy-cat was there.

"And what is that." her tone was flat. What could a mere girl have that The Batman could both need and lack?

[gonnaloveme]

The black cloaked man's current posture and aura were much too relaxed to indicate an ulterior motive. In other words, if he were a rapist or murderer then he was a damn well 'good' one to be so utterly calm--which would likely entail sociopath in great big bold letters. Otherwise, he was either the 'real deal' or a very odd (good?) fake.

"Information," he replied in that dusky voice of his. His dark eyes bored into her own relentlessly. "Four blocks north from here isn't Gotham anymore--it's New York. Seven blocks to the east is land I'm not even familiar with." He paused pointedly, giving her time to wrap around the concept he was getting to. "So then--what is this place, and why?"

It was a bit broad for a question, but it left room for her to maneuver. If she knew anything about him it wasn't a direct answer he was aiming for but something a little more vague. Likely he knew the basics--he was a detective--but he wasn't going to come out and say exactly what he wanted, what he did and didn't know. Now would he?

[citizen0soldier]

Hilde smirked a tad and crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side. So he was clueless as to the change in scenery, eh? She had to admit, she had been shell shocked about it herself but she had gained her bearings rather quickly. The mixture of all the worlds left no time for dawdling around, mouth agape.

Then again, maybe he was new here? He seemed pretty on his game. And any Batman or Batman imitation ought to have his bearings.

"I think whoever created this ring and the computer was wanting to toy with us..." though what exactly made them an 'us' versus a 'you' and a 'me' was beyond her. The people here were not exactly a team, though she was making an effort to coral people she could trust.

[gonnaloveme]

Batman's head dipped down to his chest for a silent moment. He seemed to be either waiting for something more from the girl, or perhaps thinking upon the type of response he wanted to give. His eyes snapped back open and he looked up at her without moving his head from its lowered position when he finally did talk.

"A computer that phases in people from across an plethora of worlds, universes, and dimensions. Whoever built it was either insane...or bored," the Bat said in a level tone. Apparently he did know more than he was letting on. He'd done his homework while in the debriefing room. The current chaos, in fact, he knew nothing about. It had been this way already from the time he'd arrived here

[citizen0soldier]

Ah, so he had done his research. "Who said they weren't both?"

"...They are not like us. The people here are not fully phased, like you and I are. From my own observations in the worlds, the people you encounter on the streets are not aware -or capable of becoming aware- that they are anywhere other than home." she said this point-blank. "They don't realize this Gotham is incomplete and they have been programmed not to leave the boundaries of it here." it was sad but true. Batman ought to be able to swallow that, that is if he hadn't come up with all that as well by now.

[gonnaloveme]

Batman ignored her first comment. It was both irrelevant and obviously rhetorical. And... frankly, probably right for all intents and purposes as far as either of them knew.

If he hadn't come up with it by now on his own, or figured it out through the computer's systems, then he took the information awfully well. Stone faced to be precise.

"...The ones native to Gotham should..." perhaps they did and either he hadn't noticed it yet, or they were trying to avoid him. Either was just as likely, and not really surprising, as the other. He nodded in acquiesce. "I see."

The picture made a little more sense. But still... why was a question he was sure everyone here, fully Phased, would love to know the answer to. "Thank you." He began to move as if to take his leave.

[citizen0soldier]

"I'm sorry if that news is hard for you..." her face indicated it was hard for her at one point, but there was some definite evolution past the grief and denial.

She wanted to follow him but figured he'd probably just leave. She had little excuse to follow him around other than she knew about him and he was interesting to her. She ducked her head to him as he made to leave.

"I hope it helped." she was going to let him turn away and go, having nothing really to say.