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Post by Black Sam on Feb 1, 2021 12:22:29 GMT -5
Jason reacted cooly to the brandished weapons, his annoyance at the detective's bravado tampered by the knowledge that Jonah Hex was a grinding stone just looking for axes to weather into nubs.
"Well that went better than expected," Jason said. He looked past Jonah to the other civilian, but he was already withdrawing. Jason lowered his voie anyway. "The detective wasn't wrong though. This isn't a place to get on the wrong side of the law – there are worse things in Gotham than the police, if the papers are to be believed. Do you have a place to stay, or are you passing through? My car's across the street – we should make our exit before your reputation draws any more attention..."
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Post by Rinjo on Feb 1, 2021 13:29:44 GMT -5
This just isn't my day.
Dick's every movement was intentional, and he wasn't going to move an inch until guns were tucked away and things de-escalated until the beat cop busted out.
Great.
If Hex was here to kill Luthor he certainly wasn't going to do it right now. Harvey could wait, Hex could wait, but whatever this was. This might not, and after having guns pointed at him, he had some energy to burn off...
Staring towards the museum, Grayson calls to Flass with impatience, "We good Flass?" He wasn't looking to entangle himself further and he'd rather not get shot if it was all the same.
"Mr. Blood, he says excitedly as he stares towards the action. It was a hasty greeting, but a greeting nonetheless.
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Post by phencerx on Feb 3, 2021 9:44:39 GMT -5
"I think I showed great restraint Blood. I don't have anything against boys who were pointing their pistols at me. Just following orders. But you'll need to tell me more about Flass. He carries a strong stench of corruption." Hex doesn't mention the kid who was watching the whole time, but also never lets him out of his sight.
"But you're right as usual. Let's go. You know I prefer sleeping under the stars, but there's an uneasiness to this city which makes me think they haven't been seen for years."
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Post by Black Sam on Feb 3, 2021 17:07:56 GMT -5
Jason gave a short laugh, a humorless cough, gesturing across the street.
"You're right on all counts, but I don't know much about Flass except that he enjoys being in the papers. My car is over there."
As the two made their way over to the Wayne building, the demoniac drew a cigarette from its case and offered one to Hex before lighting it.
"Want to tell me what you're doing in Gotham? Now that Flass has connected us, it's only a matter of time before I become the target of his displays of machoism. At least this way I have time to decide whether I want make the effort of going over his head or to disregard his welfare entirely and bare my soul, as it were..."
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Post by phencerx on Feb 5, 2021 10:38:51 GMT -5
Hex glances around to see who all was paying attention. While the curse that disfigured him so makes most people keep their distance, it also guarantees that he never goes unnoticed. Satisfied enough that the masses are doing their best to look away, Hex still feels the presence of the other man moving away. "Just in town for a bit of business. Word is there's a varmint problem taking control of the city." With that, he reaches into the chest pocket of his jacket and pulls out the bounty notice as well as the note stating that he was in Gotham "terrorizing the good people of the city and putting countless people in the hospital after delivering severe beatings" and hands them to Blood.
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Post by Black Sam on Feb 5, 2021 21:20:39 GMT -5
Jason's eyes widened a little when he saw the bounty poster.
"Well now, this is a step above your usual outlaw," he said as they approached the sleek Phantom coupe in the Wayne Enterprises parking lot. "Mind if I ask where you got that? Who issued the bounty?"
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Post by phencerx on Feb 6, 2021 14:10:30 GMT -5
Hex just chuckles. "A lot's happened since Mexico old friend. But that's a story for another time and a few bottles of whisky."
Lighting up the cigarette that Jason offered him, Hex immediately begins coughing. "Damn boy, I had forgotten just how bad these European smokes of yours were."
As they saddle up next to Blood's car, Hex takes the bounty poster and the note back and places them back in his jacket pocket. "Didn't have a return address and there was no signature on the note. Tales of the Bat only recently started making it out West. Part of me figures this is another trap, but for that kind of money I thought I'd check it out and see if it's legit. Why don't we take a ride and you tell me what you two know."
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Post by Black Sam on Feb 7, 2021 12:57:23 GMT -5
The engine of the Phantom roared to life and settled into a an aggressive purr. It was a work of art that stalked the dark street and prowled south towards home.
"I don't know much," he told Hex. A police car flew by – the angry, wailing lights interrupted Jason's contemplative mood for a moment, but were quickly smothered by the fog rolling in from the waterfront. "...about the Bat."
The Rolls-Royce coasted on, earning its name as it drifted through the chaos of Gotham's streets like a metal ghost, the silver demon's head a grim figurehead on the bow of their ride.
Jason gathered his thoughts.
"Whoever he is, he's been operating for years – Gotham is his home turf. When I first heard the rumors, he just another an urban legend. Gotham being what it is I investigated of course. Whoever he is, he's good. I only caught a glimpse of him once, from about thirty stories below. And yes, he's a whoever, not whatever – the only thing I was able to determined for certain was the absence of the supernatural, however much he wishes his enemies to believe otherwise.
"And I can't say that Gotham is worse for having him. To understand the Bat, you have to understand Gotham – I'm sure you sensed the darkness of this place when you arrived. Long before my time, this island was home to an aboriginal tribe known as the Miagani. One of theirs took the tribe's spiritual practices too far, as sorcerers often do. There were acts of black magic, pacts were made, and the natives found themselves being enslaved. They rose up against the practitioner before he consolidated his power and put him to death. Unfortunately, the corruption of his spirit tainted this land – it's what drew me to Gotham in the first place, nearly two hundred years ago.
"The Bat has a fearsome reputation, its true, but it seems to me that he's taken the darkness of this place and forged it into a weapon. Now, whether he wields that weapon for good or ill I cannot say. His war seems to be against the worst elements of Gotham – of which there has been no end. Does he play them against one another? Does he rule them in secret, his activities chronicled in the papers no more than the elimination of rival factions? It would take a singular will to wield such a weapon and not be corrupted by it...
"To be honest I've been way from Gotham for a several years, and since he seemed to be no more than a man in a mask I haven't been inclined to involve myself in his shadow war. I'll be glad to offer whatever assistance you require, of course, but it sounds to me as if whoever lured you here is using this Dark Knight's own reputation against him."
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Post by WildKnight on Feb 8, 2021 7:10:22 GMT -5
(Dick can head on over to Selina's thread...)
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Post by phencerx on Feb 10, 2021 11:21:29 GMT -5
Taking in everything Blood just told him, Hex lets out a sigh. "Yeah. I sensed something was wrong with this land as soon as I stepped foot on it." Touching the scarred side of his face, "Looks like I'll never fully escape these damn curses. I would say let's do something to try and heal the land, but something that old and long forgotten has taken root so deep, I don't reckon even your other half could burn it away."
Hex sits silently, his thoughts wandering back to a lifetime ago when he was living with Apache. Having just returned from the War of the Rebellion, he found his adopted brother had wed Hex's love, White Fawn, just to spite Jonah. Still filled with the rage of battle, Hex challenged his brother for the hand of White Fawn, but that little snake had sabotaged his tomahawk forcing Hex to use his knife to end the fight. Filled with grief over the loss of his trueborn son, the Chief of the tribe accused Hex of cheating and branded him with the Mark of the Demon.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Jonah removes his flask and takes a healthy swig. Looking over to Blood, "We really are two sides of the same damned coin aren't we? Well the good news is, if this Bat is a man, that means he can bleed just like everyone else. Still though, from what you say, I'm not sure yet he deserves killing. I had hoped to check with the local law who seems to be working with him, but if he has anything to do with that varmint Flass, the scales ain't tipping in his favor."
The weight of the trip finally hits Hex and he leans back and tilts his hat over his face. "It's been a long trip to get to this cursed land and I could use a rest. Just where exactly are you taking me?"
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Post by Black Sam on Feb 10, 2021 18:01:12 GMT -5
Jason was impassive as he drove them through Gotham.
"Well, now that depends," he answered Hex. "I have a small manor on the other side of town, about 15 minutes from here. The guest room should be more than satisfactory. On the other hand, if you're keen to complete your mission and be on your way you'll never have a better opportunity to catch sight of the Bat than at an all-hands police alert – incidentally, the musuem is right up ahead. Of course, you'll be in deep with the police twice-over if Gotham's finest catch sight of you here..."
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Post by phencerx on Feb 12, 2021 9:33:44 GMT -5
Lifting his hat, Hex lets out a grunt. "Well I guess there's not better time than the present to get to work. Pull around back and lets get to tracking. I assume you've spent a lot of time at this museum so you know the lay of the land."
Hex takes another pull from his flask and checks over his pistols as they get closer to the museum.
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Post by Black Sam on Feb 14, 2021 17:18:37 GMT -5
Jason grunted, turning into a small shopping center parking lot a blocks over from the museum.
"I'm hardly dressed for it, but I had a feeling you might say that..."
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Post by WildKnight on Feb 15, 2021 8:59:20 GMT -5
Arriving at the museum, the pair could see that the very limited staff of the museum was outside in the freezing cold, standing on the sidewalk, all of them staring at the building and seemingly waiting for something. The loud fire alarm was bellowing, but response time in Gotham was several minutes at least.
Flass and his boys poured out of their cars and charged into the building, but Flass himself paused at the top of the steps and took a look around before going in, as if trying to see if he was noticed by anyone.
(You guys can head over to the Catwoman thread)
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