Prologue: Cold Heart of Winter (Catwoman)

[OurLadyWar]

The ring around her finger suddenly felt cold and tight, not as natural and a part of her as it did before. This was going too far. There had to be another way to secure his power without resorting to something like this. He had talked about wanting to continue a legacy with her, yet was so eager to harm a young life like this. Selina clutched the satchel to her chest. Even in the din of gunfire and smoke, she felt completely alone, as if a pit had swallowed her up.

"Get up, girl," she muttered under her breath. "Get up and get out of here." Selina looped the satchel around her shoulder, secured the strap across her chest, and swung the sack firmly against her hip. The smoke would be used to her advantage, but she would need to make sure some of those stray bullets could not tag her. She utilized the crates as far into the smoke as she could, working her away around where she remembered Roman and his semi-circle of goons had been. Taking a deep breath, she struck out for the elevator, but not to use it. She rushed through the smoke, and used the bars of the caged elevator to vault herself up and over the top. From there, she would start up the shaft. Her clawed gloves would have been useful here, but there was plenty to grab to haul herself back up to freedom. When she got there, she would take the tablet to Penguin, and save her original target for another time, maybe even another day. After seeing Roman in action, her appetite for something sparkling had diminished. Running the bar tonight seemed a better idea, so if the itch returned, she could just break back in after last call.

===*===
Health 4
Energy 6

Action 1
Acrobatics 4
(Agility Bonus 4)
- weave through the smoke and climb the elevator shaft

Action 2
Thieving 2
(Agility Bonus 4)
(Additional modifier from smoke?)
- use the smoke as cover to make her escape

Modifiers
Reflexive Dodge +3
Targeting +2

Equipment
Thief's Kit
Ancient Mask
Tablet (in satchel)

Health 4
Energy 0

[dorkknight23]

He could hear a pin drop. Several, in fact. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, like his jack-hammering heart now seemed to thud slow determined beats. He had no time to react only to act: he would have to cut the girl free from the bomb she'd been strapped to, throw the bomb up and out towards the skylight (away from the lives below), and use his own body (and heavy-duty fireproof cape) to shield them both from the brunt of the blast.

******
"Master Bruce, at the risk of stating the obvious, perhaps your efforts would be better spent elsewhere. Like sleep."

Alfred stared upward at the young master as he worked to disarm a mock bomb upside-down. His ankles were tied together, he was hanging upside-down, and he was making every effort to hold the filaments in place over a range of pins. A single errant twitch wouldn't be fatal to him here, but in the field it would be.

"Couldn't sleep."

"So you thought you'd practice disarming bombs. Specific improvised bombs. Upside-down. In midair."

"You don't understand, Alfred: there's going to be moments where lives are on the line, where I'll have to do this impossible thing, perfectly, in seconds, and make it look effortless. If that means I have to try it again a hundred times, a thousand... If I can do it, if it saves them... Hrmm." The pins fall out of place and he grits his teeth and exhales in frustration. "I'll be to bed shortly. Leave the tea."

"As you will, Sir." Alfred walks away while mumbling to himself "...Saves them?"
******

T'chink. Shriip! "Get down!" The Batman draped his cape around the girl as he tried to turn her completely away from the blast in a twirl.

==========
Health 3/3
Energy 10/12 (i)
Regen 6

8 into Ninja, +1 from the Flashback panel, 9 total, 3 to separate the girl from the explosive (I want to use my +2 weapon mod from my batarang here, but if I can't I won't), 3 to toss the explosive upward towards the skylight, 3 to defend the girl primarily from the blast (whether to shift to her defense or to shift to my own and take on attacks targeting her)

Def +7 (+2 Toughness, +2 RD, +3 Armor [no 2x damage from firearms/projectiles])

Health 3/3
Energy 2/12 (i)
Regen 6

[Black Sam]

Jason circled around the basement, pulling a pair of leather gloves over his bare hands as he stalked through the billowing smoke. He passed a wall of open cubbies stuffed with artifacts, and a bare sword caught his eye. Without pausing he noted the ridge around its quillon, the fine wire wrapping the leather grip, the flat, slotted throat and heavy, flat back – a model 1840 cavalry saber, he unconsciously identified, used in the Mexican–American War. More specifically, as the plaque resting beside the old weapon noted, it was the personal possession of George Brinton McClellan, December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885, former Comanding General of the U.S. Army during the war, later goverenor of New Jersey, and most importantly a man who still owed Jason Blood $50. 

He picked up the blade and carried it with him as he circled around his prey. 

A woman ran past him in the smoke, to the elevator. He ignored her, circling, watching for his quarry – there! A man in a black mask (the Black Mask? Jason wondered), obiously commanding the goons around him. Jason moved up behind him like a predatory cat and laid the edge of the sword against the gangster's neck.

He intended to threaten the man, tell him to surrender, but the presense of Etrigan surged inside him and the only sound that escaped his lips was a low growl. It was all he could do to restrain the beast.

"A gruesome death! Deliver pain! Make what was one now cut in twain! O' Jason Blood, my host, my friend – say thou the words, our hell to end: Gone, gone, the form of man, consume my foes Great Etrigan!"

He was never surprised when Etrigan took to rattling his cage, especial when violence was imminent, but rarely did the Demon actually try to reason with him. Maybe they were starting to get along? That though scared Jason more than the bullets flying around them. He refocused on the Blask Mask, ready to kill the man if he didn't surrender. If he did surrender, he'd be the Bat's problem.

*************************

HEALTH: 4/4
ENERGY: 15/15

ACTION ONE: 3 stones into Black Ops to ambush the Black Mask (any bonus from setting it up last panel?)
ACTION TWO: 5 stones into Close Combat (+1 weapon modifier) to attack the Black Mask if he tries anything

ATTACK: 6 vs. Black Mask (unless he surrenders)
DEFENSE: none

MODIFIERS: Healing Factor; Immortality; Magical Defense 3; Mental Defense 3; Precognitive Flashes

HEALTH: 4/4
ENERGY: 7/15
REGENERATION: 7

[phencerx]

After the initial rounds of gunfire, Hex listened. He heard the groans of men who had been wounded, but only the sound of one man falling dead on the floor. He lets out a grunt and looks over to the man in the red mask. "Sure hope your weak mercy doesn't get us all killed."

What the hell was he even doing here. Hex had been hired to bring in the Bat, and now he was fighting alongside all of these costumed freaks. He looks over to Blood who is no longer there. He'd always been a slick son of a bitch when it came to sneaking around so he was sure that Jayson was working on something. Still though, these men were heavily armed and from what he could tell, even heavier trained. If there was a time for his friends other half to come out, this might be it.

Then Hex turns his attention to the smoke. He'll give the Bat one thing, he knows how to make a distraction. Still though, he could make out some of the armed guards through the smoke and knew that he'd need to find a new vantage point as this position had been blown. An old sniper back in the war had taught him that. While concealed, never make a shot from the same place twice. He begins to silently move along the scaffolding finding what cover he can. That's when he hears the laughter coming from the leader in the black mask. Idiot just gave away his position without even thinking twice. He was either incredibly stupid, or he knew something the rest of this gang didn't. That uncertainty made looking to take him out a risk. "Let the tights wearing brigade take care of him," Hex thinks to himself. "I'll look at thinning out this heard a little more."

Hex finds his cover, replaces his rifle with his twin revolvers, and begins to line up his next shot.

=========================
=========================
H: 3
E: 6

ACTION 01: 2 Stones into finding new cover from above
ACTION 02: 4 Stones prepared to start firing off at more of Black Mask's henchmen

MODIFIERS:
Mental Defense (+2)
Toughness (+3)
Reflexive Dodge (+2)
Targeting (+1)
Resources (3)
- Bounty Hunting

EQUIPMENT:
Bowie Knife: (+2) Weapon Modifier; 2x damage
Cavalry Sabre: (+3) Weapon Modifier; 2x damage
High-Caliber Rifle: (+3) Ranged Weapon Modifier; 2x damage
Twin Revolvers: (+2) Ranged Weapon Modifier; 2x damage

H: 3
E: 0
R: 3

[Rinjo]

"Get down!"

Nightwing barely set his feet on the rafters before Batman was barking danger at him.

Dick had been pulled in 15 directions in half as many minutes and at this point, he was falling back on instinct and training.

Without hesitation, he launches himself backward, off of the rafters, and back to the ground below.

Right into the thick of things once again!



=====
H 3/3
E 10/16

A1: Ninja 6 (4 N, 2 Ef) - As acrobatics 2 into movement, 4 into defense to launch himself back to the ground

A2: Intel 4 - Land behind cover

H 3/3
E 2/16

Defense 11 Physical (4 (N), 3 (RD), 3 (Suit), 1 (Tough) No 2x, No AP 2r Heat/Cold Resistant 5 Mental (In 5)

Useful Mods:   Fast Draw Rapid Recovery Vision, Enhanced 2 (Darkness)

[Dhark]

RED HOOD

SPOILER: Click to show

”Mercy? You have me confused with someone else, she lives in Metropolis.” Jason retorts, the distortion offered by the narrow fit metal helmet obfuscating the frustration he felt.

Of course he was just mad because Hex was right, Jason *HAD* pulled shots because of his stupid promise to Bruce. Stupid weak ass promise to someone that sure as hell didn't deserve the consideration, even if he HAD kicked Jason's backside hard before extorting it. Jason had pulled punches in that fight too. It was Bruce. Bastard. Weakness.

Worse, the Bat's damned smoke had just denied him a single hit somehow.

Jason had watched Hex take his shot, taken his measure.

How that man had managed to hit his target, and Jason hadn't clipped even one single elbow or knee-cap blew his mind. It made no bloody sense... speaking of Blood... how in the nine hells was he down below already?!

This is some bullsh*t Jason exhales, and pushes forth from cover and vaults the rail with a move clearly derived from Grayson's own repertoire and **nearly** as well executed. Two spins in though, he breaks off and launches his grapnel. He was no Grayson, if he tried for more he'd end up eating it hard-- and he was done being embarrassed today.

The line goes taught, and he pulls hard to alter momentum and coast just above the top of the smoke to land behind a stack of crates on the west side. Kips around, pistols leveled and tracking where he'd seen Blood sneaking up on Roman.

If Roman broke free, Jason wasn't going to pull his next shot-- call it Hex's goading, or the panic in Bruce's voice precipitating what Jason deduced meant the girl had been loaded with an unexpected surprise.

Roman showed his moniker mask, and Jason was going to put a bullet square between the eyes. If Blood succeeded in taking him hostage... well... Did Roman REALLY need his knee caps to be a good hostage? If anything, he'd be a better hostage without them.



=========================
=========================
H: 03/03
E: 14/14

MODIFIERS:

SPOILER: Click to show

MENTAL DEFENSE II
TARGETING III
TOUGHNESS II
REFLEXIVE DODGE II
WEALTH IV

EQUIPMENT:

SPOILER: Click to show

COSTUME (Stolen/Re-Branded Bat Suit, Defense II, No x2 from Firearms)
GRAPPLING HOOK II (MN to Acrobatics for Web-Slinging)
COLT M1911’s (x2) (Weapon Bonus II, x2 Damage)
KNIVES (x4) (Weapon Bonus II, AP)
THE BUNKER

ACTION 01: 03 Stones into Acrobatics + MN2 Grappling Hook to drop down and dip behind cover.
ACTION 02: 05 Stones into COMBAT [RANGED] + 02Gun + 02Gun + 03Targeting for a total of 12 STONES w/ x2 damage[/font] to take out Roman's knees OR into his head if he eludes capture and makes a run for it.


H: 03/03
E: 06/14
R: 06