Main Event Shadow over Gotham

[Raptor Jesus]

"Oh, I'll show you innocent," Ben was provoked as he prepares to transform, "that's your feedback on me, get ready my feedback on you!"

Ben's body morphed once more, his body coated in black, his eyes merging into one, and tendrils growing from his head and tail. All this happened in a split-second and a flash of green light.

"Woah ho ho! Who's this new guy? Well, whoever he is, he's going to kick your butt, Felix! Or shoot it."

@thatguyinthestore​

"Tch. You're just proving my point, dumbass." Felix said before turning and walking off in the other direction, clearly unimpressed by Ben's transformation.

Really, he was enjoying every second of this.

@Crow​

 

[Crow]

"Tch. You're just proving my point, dumbass." Felix said before turning and walking off in the other direction, clearly unimpressed by Ben's transformation.

Really, he was enjoying every second of this.

@Crow​

Ben's new form, enraged, unleashes a stream of electricity in front of the floor that Felix's foot was about to step upon.

@thatguyinthestore​

 

[Crunch]

View attachment 1805

Just like many other things, Jotaro did not have much to say.

The walk from the construction area towards the harbor was silent and grim, with Jotaro having only glanced back towards the corpse once.

Again, and again.

Jotaro was no stranger to death in the slightest - just ask any of his allies. The journey he had was filled with death as much as it was filled with excitement. The breed of stand user that DIO had under his control were a lethal, dangerous lot. Most of them weren't like the average goon one would find on the streets, because they were willing to push their luck before groveling on the ground and begging for their life. Most of them were cowards, but others were loyal to the very end. Enough that they were the type of people to sink an entire ship just to kill the captain.

Jotaro never had a chance to see him, but one of DIO's lapdogs - Vanilla Ice - took the lives of Iggy and Mohammad Avdol. He almost got Polnareff, too - but that guy always finds a way out of a shitty situation. It was a stinging feeling to be told that two of your greatest friends just up and died. No way to influence or even get mad about it, because it had happened and the one who did it was already gone. So, Jotaro had to turn his anger towards DIO; after all, this was all his doing.

That night, in the city of Cairo, Egypt - DIO managed to get Noriaki Kakyoin.

He'd also kill Jotaro's grandfather, Joseph Joestar, right in front of him. It was the first time Jotaro saw The World stop time, because one second Joseph was running towards Jotaro and the next second he was on the ground with a knife lodged in his throat. Even after Jotaro bashed DIO's skull in, the vampire still got back up after desecrating the old man's corpse. It was a sight not unlike Harper's. Not that their corpses looked the same, but both invoked the same amount of emotion within Jotaro.

Anger.

It was in that moment that DIO had pissed Jotaro off.

And that's why he lost.

. . .by extension, Bane had now pissed Jotaro off, as well.

Now it's a question if Bane would suffer that same fate. Maybe, he'd get it even worse.

Though, anger is like a drug - one gets too much of it, and you might just. . .
​

Ben's new form, enraged, unleashes a stream of electricity in front of the floor that Felix's foot was about to step upon.

@thatguyinthestore​

"ORA!"
*THUMP*

Burn out.

Ben's gangly, alien form wouldn't be able to fire upon Felix before Star Platinum's fist shot out from Jotaro's body like a bullet, impacting with the creature's 'face' and sending it crumpling into the floorboards of the harbor. Star Platinum then fully emerged from Jotaro's back, floating by him and glowing with some type of energy. It's facial expression could only be described as incomprehensible rage. Jotaro walked forward, standing between Felix and Ben and shaking his head.

"Good grief, you really are still a brat under that skin. It's convenient, though; I won't have to feel bad for punching a kid," Jotaro looked down at Ben. He had some bizarre ability to transform into different types of creatures, but the greatest drawback is that he still had the common sense of a ten year old, regardless of which form he took. He then turned his attention to Felix - who also had the common sense of a ten year old.

"We don't have time for this. I don't care who started it. Shut the fuck up already, and stop acting like little kids, or neither of you are going to make it through that door."

View attachment 1804

"Don't push your luck."

Jotaro spoke simply, completely confident that he could break every bone in either body, before tossing them into the harbor like a bundle of wet towel.

If he has to talk again, he'll stop being so polite.

@Crow @thatguyinthestore

​

 

[Kentucky]

The death of Harper was, of course, unsettling to the Blade Runner. His insides quivered once he saw the broken corpse hidden under the girders, and his knees trembled. He had fallen on to his back when the girders hit, inches away from being crushed just like the young Harper Row. She was just a teenager... just a dumb teenager who never could've deserved something so accidental.

He had gotten back up after picking his blaster off of the ground, a speck of blood on the barrel. His left thumb brushed along it, wiping the last piece of Harper off of his weapon. K hadn't objected to Aquawoman leaving Harper behind; he supposed he could have gotten the girders off himself, but what would have been the point? Where could they have even buried the young girl?

They met up with Bruce Wayne's group eventually. It seemed that Wayne's travel had been quite eventful, especially considering their own walk through the streets. Air flowed out of K's nose, steaming into the air as his hand fell to his holstered pistol.

"Aw, jeez!" Aoko exclaimed at the gruesome display of Harper's death, wincing at the sight. She froze for a moment; it had been a while since she had seen someone die before her eyes. Even despite the vibrations in the air, the gruesome sight only reminded the redhead of the last time she had done something like this... and the drastic measures she took to reverse that. Of course, it had been such a long time since she did anything close to the magnitude of that. Fifth Magician she may be, but every magician could get rusty if they didn't practice every now and then, and certainly, her domain had gone into disuse, but...

Aoko pursed her lips, looking at her arm for a brief moment as it glowed a bright teal; she activated her Magic Circuits within her body, wondering if she'd dare try another hand at that again, like she did ten years ago. However, the moment Aoko began to brave reaching for Harper's corpse, she was snapped out of it when Aquawoman urged everyone to get a move out of there. She clicked her tongue, unsure of herself, but made her decision, the glow in her arm disappearing as the magician resolved to follow the makeshift leader for now. Normally, perhaps she would have spoken more and more strongly objected to leaving Harper behind, but... Well, careless and flippant as Aoko may come off, but considering how application of her magic had a side effect of "accelerating the end of the universe," as the other mages put it (overreaction much?), perhaps there came a time where the woman had to weigh her options.

Once the two groups reunited, Aoko nodded at Bruce's instructions. With Harper gone, it seemed that the rich boy here was their only connection to Gotham City, dogmatically speaking, at least, so it was probably best to let him do the talking now that they were finally in the so-called Iceberg Lounge. Of course, there were no promises (on either side, to be honest) that any civilities would last, but that was alright. Aoko felt like hitting something at the moment anyway, but she'd stay her hands for as long as Mister Penguin and his goons would.

Leaning toward Jotaro, Aqua, and other allies, the redhead cleared her throat. "You guys holdin' up fine? It really is too bad about what happened, but..." Aoko paused for a brief moment, as though thinking back on something, before shaking her head, "I guess it couldn't be helped, huh?"

@Jeremi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Josh @Kaykay @Anybody

"Oh!" SeeU fell to the ground as Aquawoman pushed her down, and the Vocaloid landed on the ground. "Th-thank you, Miss Aquawo-"

No. Oh no. No no no no no. No. Please...please no no no no no no no. Death was...it was so foreign. SeeU samg songs about death, sure, but she never had to worry about it. After all, she was a robot. Eternal youth and eternal life were all hers, and she never had to worry about or fear death. But humans did, and what SeeU did have to fear was losing those close to her.

And now was the worst time to have that fear come to life.

Harper was her first friend. A girl that had been so nice to her, who gave her a chip and helped her out...she was dead. And she couldn't be rebuilt, couldn't be saved...she was gone forever.

"Harper..." Her voice was barely a whisper, and she would be the last to leave, unable to leave Harper's body behind until she had to. She made it all the way to the Iceberg Lounge without a sound, but all she could see was Harper's lifeless body, drained of blood and drained of life. And she remained silent, as everyone joined together. So...this is what grief felt like. And to think the physical pain she felt earlier was the worst.

@Jeremi @Ver @thatguyinthestore @Anyone

Bishamon would of taken Harper's soul and gave it a home, if she had wished to become a Shinki that was. The problem though, was that...she didn't see Harper's soul upon her death-either because this wasn't her world, or because there's was no time to stick around and see if her soul would appear at all.

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Josh @Ver @Atomic Knight @belVita @Zireael @thatguyinthestore @Neko Shogun @Kentucky @Kaykay @TeamAquawoman



Bishamon knew the feeling of loss and grief well, being a god who lost much centuries before-and still felt that ache now and again-she could relate in some way to how SeeU must have felt now.

She stood next to SeeU, quiet at first before looking down at the idol.

"I'm sorry, SeeU." came sincere words. She didn't say anything else, and let the girl grieve, though didn't leave her side either in case she wanted to talk.

@Yun Lee

K chewed on his gums, looking up at Aoko. "Yeah. I guess it couldn't." But something wasn't right. Why were they separated like this, for what basically amounted to nothing gained for Aquawoman's team? It wasn't as if Aquawoman or Bruce Wayne's didn't know where the Iceberg Lounge was, which happened to be the only thing gained after talking to that Orca creature. K looked down, eyes gleaming in the smog filled atmosphere. He nearly said something else, but instead opted for looking around at the group. Some girders just happened to fall on Harper, did they? And Aquawoman seemed so adamant about leaving the body behind... and the girders. Hide any form of meddling with the construction, perhaps? It was terribly strange they crushed only her, one of the people who had been eager to relay info to the survivors. Quite strange indeed...

"Actually... I think it could have been avoided." K said, looking up at Aoko. His hand went under his coat to his pistol, gloved fingers moving around the grip. There was a fight behind him, but it was over in a flash. Petty infighting didn't matter. The young girl, SeeU, was crying as well. But K could do nothing for her; nothing other than tell them what he really thought.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Takumi ​

 

[Crow]

"ORA!"
*THUMP*

Burn out.

Ben's gangly, alien form wouldn't be able to fire upon Felix before Star Platinum's fist shot out from Jotaro's body like a bullet, impacting with the creature's 'face' and sending it crumpling into the floorboards of the harbor. Star Platinum then fully emerged from Jotaro's back, floating by him and glowing with some type of energy. It's facial expression could only be described as incomprehensible rage. Jotaro walked forward, standing between Felix and Ben and shaking his head.

"Good grief, you really are still a brat under that skin. It's convenient, though; I won't have to feel bad for punching a kid," Jotaro looked down at Ben. He had some bizarre ability to transform into different types of creatures, but the greatest drawback is that he still had the common sense of a ten year old, regardless of which form he took. He then turned his attention to Felix - who also had the common sense of a ten year old.

"We don't have time for this. I don't care who started it. Shut the fuck up already, and stop acting like little kids, or neither of you are going to make it through that door."

View attachment 1804

"Don't push your luck."

Jotaro spoke simply, completely confident that he could break every bone in either body, before tossing them into the harbor like a bundle of wet towel.

If he has to talk again, he'll stop being so polite.

@Crow @thatguyinthestore

​

"Gah!"

Ben's new form was knocked back by Star Platinum's fist. When he swiftly recovered from the blow, Kujo Jotaro, the one who wielded the power of Star Platinum, stood between him and Felix.

"Hey, what was that for, hathair man?"

After Jotaro's few words, Ben gives Felix a little death stare.

"Consider yourself lucky that I didn't get to test my new alien whateverhe'scalled out on you yet, Felix, or you'd be toast for sure!"

@thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT​

 

[Jeremi]

As they arrived at the Iceberg Lounge, Felix would look directly into Aquawoman's eyes as she mentioned the death of Harper.

"So you're telling me that we just walked through those giant monster infested streets and we've only lost one member of our group?" Pausing, Felix would look away from the group and shrug.

"Pretty sweet deal if ya ask me." He said, not seeming to show any remorse or sorrow over Harper's death.

@Jeremi @Ver​

"One death is one too many," Aquawoman replied shooting Felix a glare. She was in no mood for any of his lip right now.

View attachment 1805

Just like many other things, Jotaro did not have much to say.

The walk from the construction area towards the harbor was silent and grim, with Jotaro having only glanced back towards the corpse once.

Again, and again.

Jotaro was no stranger to death in the slightest - just ask any of his allies. The journey he had was filled with death as much as it was filled with excitement. The breed of stand user that DIO had under his control were a lethal, dangerous lot. Most of them weren't like the average goon one would find on the streets, because they were willing to push their luck before groveling on the ground and begging for their life. Most of them were cowards, but others were loyal to the very end. Enough that they were the type of people to sink an entire ship just to kill the captain.

Jotaro never had a chance to see him, but one of DIO's lapdogs - Vanilla Ice - took the lives of Iggy and Mohammad Avdol. He almost got Polnareff, too - but that guy always finds a way out of a shitty situation. It was a stinging feeling to be told that two of your greatest friends just up and died. No way to influence or even get mad about it, because it had happened and the one who did it was already gone. So, Jotaro had to turn his anger towards DIO; after all, this was all his doing.

That night, in the city of Cairo, Egypt - DIO managed to get Noriaki Kakyoin.

He'd also kill Jotaro's grandfather, Joseph Joestar, right in front of him. It was the first time Jotaro saw The World stop time, because one second Joseph was running towards Jotaro and the next second he was on the ground with a knife lodged in his throat. Even after Jotaro bashed DIO's skull in, the vampire still got back up after desecrating the old man's corpse. It was a sight not unlike Harper's. Not that their corpses looked the same, but both invoked the same amount of emotion within Jotaro.

Anger.

It was in that moment that DIO had pissed Jotaro off.

And that's why he lost.

. . .by extension, Bane had now pissed Jotaro off, as well.

Now it's a question if Bane would suffer that same fate. Maybe, he'd get it even worse.

Though, anger is like a drug - one gets too much of it, and you might just. . .



"ORA!"
*THUMP*

Burn out.

Ben's gangly, alien form wouldn't be able to fire upon Felix before Star Platinum's fist shot out from Jotaro's body like a bullet, impacting with the creature's 'face' and sending it crumpling into the floorboards of the harbor. Star Platinum then fully emerged from Jotaro's back, floating by him and glowing with some type of energy. It's facial expression could only be described as incomprehensible rage. Jotaro walked forward, standing between Felix and Ben and shaking his head.

"Good grief, you really are still a brat under that skin. It's convenient, though; I won't have to feel bad for punching a kid," Jotaro looked down at Ben. He had some bizarre ability to transform into different types of creatures, but the greatest drawback is that he still had the common sense of a ten year old, regardless of which form he took. He then turned his attention to Felix - who also had the common sense of a ten year old.

"We don't have time for this. I don't care who started it. Shut the fuck up already, and stop acting like little kids, or neither of you are going to make it through that door."

View attachment 1804

"Don't push your luck."

Jotaro spoke simply, completely confident that he could break every bone in either body, before tossing them into the harbor like a bundle of wet towel.

If he has to talk again, he'll stop being so polite.

@Crow @thatguyinthestore

Bruce as well did not seem to have a pleased look on his face because all of the fighting. "If you are all finished trying to kill each other..." He went to open the door to the lounge. "Let's go and meet someone who will probably try to kill all of us." The door was pushed open and the interior came into view.

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
[URL='https://www.storytellerscircle.com/members/2455/']@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky[/URL]

 

[Raynar Saassin]

Dante was quickly running over to the Iceburge Lounge after having spent too much time talking with Junko. Panting and out of breathe, he finally re-grouped with the entire party.

"Hah... Hah... What did I miss... Hah. Woo!" He exclaimed as he finally regained his breathe. "Phew... I got too caught up hanging with Junko."

"Gah!"

Ben's new form was knocked back by Star Platinum's fist. When he swiftly recovered from the blow, Kujo Jotaro, the one who wielded the power of Star Platinum, stood between him and Felix.

"Hey, what was that for, hathair man?"

After Jotaro's few words, Ben gives Felix a little death stare.

"Consider yourself lucky that I didn't get to test my new alien whateverhe'scalled out on you yet, Felix, or you'd be toast for sure!"

"Hey. I don't recognise that Alien. You look pretty cool, kiddo. So, what can this one do?"

"Good grief, you really are still a brat under that skin. It's convenient, though; I won't have to feel bad for punching a kid," Jotaro looked down at Ben. He had some bizarre ability to transform into different types of creatures, but the greatest drawback is that he still had the common sense of a ten year old, regardless of which form he took. He then turned his attention to Felix - who also had the common sense of a ten year old.

"We don't have time for this. I don't care who started it. Shut the fuck up already, and stop acting like little kids, or neither of you are going to make it through that door."

"Don't push your luck."

Jotaro spoke simply, completely confident that he could break every bone in either body, before tossing them into the harbor like a bundle of wet towel.

If he has to talk again, he'll stop being so polite.

"Oh hey Jotaro! Good to see ya again. Mind filling me in with what happened with the other group? I bet you had more excitement than what we had to deal with..." Dante exclaimed, shooting him a confident expression.

@Jeremi, @CrunchyCHEEZIT, @Crow, @Everyone Else

 

[Crow]

"One death is one too many," Aquawoman replied shooting Felix a glare. She was in no mood for any of his lip right now.

Bruce as well did not seem to have a pleased look on his face because all of the fighting. "If you are all finished trying to kill each other..." He went to open the door to the lounge. "Let's go and meet someone who will probably try to kill all of us." The door was pushed open and the interior came into view.

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

"Hey. I don't recognise that Alien. You look pretty cool, kiddo. So, what can this one do?"

"Let me guess," Ben, still in his alien form, says in response to the voice and grin, raising his hands, "you're the Penguin guy we've been hearing about. I'd say 'take me to your leader', but you know, you're already here."

He then turns to Dante. "I don't know, Dante, just got him. He does look pretty cool, but I haven't really got the chance to test his powers out yet. Heck, I don't have a good name for this guy yet! Maybe I'll ask for some feedback on a good name later..."

@Jeremi @Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky
​

 

[Raptor Jesus]

"One death is one too many," Aquawoman replied shooting Felix a glare. She was in no mood for any of his lip right now.

Bruce as well did not seem to have a pleased look on his face because all of the fighting. "If you are all finished trying to kill each other..." He went to open the door to the lounge. "Let's go and meet someone who will probably try to kill all of us." The door was pushed open and the interior came into view.

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

"Yeah, I can really tell you got through to 'em during your 'talk.' " Felix muttered as he entered the Iceberg Lounge along with the rest of the group. Turning to thethugs, Felix would smile behind his helmet and clasp his hands together welcomingly.

"Gentlemen! We're here to see one... Mr. Penguin, is it? Or does he prefer to be just be called Penguin?" Felix asked in a clearly patronizing tone.

@Jeremi​

 

[Crunch]

Dante was quickly running over to the Iceburge Lounge after having spent too much time talking with Junko. Panting and out of breathe, he finally re-grouped with the entire party.

"Hah... Hah... What did I miss... Hah. Woo!" He exclaimed as he finally regained his breathe. "Phew... I got too caught up hanging with Junko."



"Hey. I don't recognise that Alien. You look pretty cool, kiddo. So, what can this one do?"



"Oh hey Jotaro! Good to see ya again. Mind filling me in with what happened with the other group? I bet you had more excitement than what we had to deal with..." Dante exclaimed, shooting him a confident expression.

@Jeremi, @CrunchyCHEEZIT, @Crow, @Everyone Else

Once it was clear that the conflict was defused, Star Platinum would vanish in a flash of stardust. Jotaro turned his attention to Dante, and didn't seem as enthused as he was.

View attachment 1807
​

"We had an encounter with a humanoid killer whale named Orca. She told us the way to go. One of those giant's came by while we were in an old construction zone. It collapsed."​

​

"You can figure out what happened from there."
​

"Oh!" SeeU fell to the ground as Aquawoman pushed her down, and the Vocaloid landed on the ground. "Th-thank you, Miss Aquawo-"

No. Oh no. No no no no no. No. Please...please no no no no no no no. Death was...it was so foreign. SeeU samg songs about death, sure, but she never had to worry about it. After all, she was a robot. Eternal youth and eternal life were all hers, and she never had to worry about or fear death. But humans did, and what SeeU did have to fear was losing those close to her.

And now was the worst time to have that fear come to life.

Harper was her first friend. A girl that had been so nice to her, who gave her a chip and helped her out...she was dead. And she couldn't be rebuilt, couldn't be saved...she was gone forever.

"Harper..." Her voice was barely a whisper, and she would be the last to leave, unable to leave Harper's body behind until she had to. She made it all the way to the Iceberg Lounge without a sound, but all she could see was Harper's lifeless body, drained of blood and drained of life. And she remained silent, as everyone joined together. So...this is what grief felt like. And to think the physical pain she felt earlier was the worst.

@Jeremi @Ver @thatguyinthestore @Anyone​

The sentence rolled off of Jotaro's tongue like it was standard procedure. For the eyes of Jotaro Kujo, it may just be that way. Before following Bruce into the longue, however, Jotaro would look over at the group he was with - notably SeeU. It's a wonder how an android is capable of expressing that much emotion. Knowing she had about as much knowledge of the world as a child, however. . .it's just another thing Bane had taken. This was the destruction of innocence, plainly displayed on SeeU's face.

If there was any question of whether or not Bane should live or die beyond this point, the answer is clear.

Jotaro approached the android and placed a hand on her shoulder. He towered over her, but kneeled down to meet the android at eye-level. His face had a genuine quality to it, but it maintained an image of absolute confidence.

View attachment 1806

"Listen. . .This isn't anything you should be exposed to. Above all else, I know that."

"Understand this, though. Grief creates energy."

"The biggest mistake you could make now is to let that energy go to waste - no, it wouldn't be a mistake - it would be an insult to her. Turn that energy into something else. Let it fuel you like an energy cell would. This is why emotion is good as it is bad - it fuels us just as much as it limits us. Get mad. Get angry. And if you can't get mad, get determined. Absolve yourself of grief."

"Realize that. . .well, If you didn't have any reason to go after Bane before. . ."

"Now you need to collect a debt. The only one who'll do that is you - and us."

"Do you understand, SeeU?"


@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Widowmaker @Neko Shogun @Josh @Kaykay @Anybody​

 

[Raynar Saassin]

"Let me guess," Ben, still in his alien form, says in response to the voice and grin, raising his hands, "you're the Penguin guy we've been hearing about. I'd say 'take me to your leader', but you know, you're already here."

He then turns to Dante. "I don't know, Dante, just got him. He does look pretty cool, but I haven't really got the chance to test his powers out yet. Heck, I don't have a good name for this guy yet! Maybe I'll ask for some feedback on a good name later..."

"Wait. What about "Feedback" since you put emphasis on that word?" Dante suggested with a shoulder shrug.

Once it was clear that the conflict was defused, Star Platinum would vanish in a flash of stardust. Jotaro turned his attention to Dante, and didn't seem as enthused as he was.

"We had an encounter with a humanoid killer whale named Orca. She told us the way to go. One of those giant's came by while we were in an old construction zone. It collapsed."

"You can figure out what happened from there."​

"Killer Whale? And another Giant? Sounds like you had more fun than us. We came across a blocked off road, then fought some kind of Ghost thing. Oh, and Ben almost lost control over himself due to some weird alien stored in his watch thing." Dante exclaimed, giving a similar look. "Well, at least we're back together. We can suffer through this city's surprises together."

@Crow, @CrunchyCHEEZIT.

 

[Crow]

"Wait. What about "Feedback" since you put emphasis on that word?" Dante suggested with a shoulder shrug.

"Not the best reason, but I guess it sounds like a pretty cool name. I'll stick to it if it fits," Feedback responds. "Feedback, huh?"

Feedback's plug-like fingers sparked for a bit as he looks at his palms.

"Something tells me that I'm gonna love this guy a lot."

@Widowmaker​

 

[Kaykay]

"Aw, jeez!" Aoko exclaimed at the gruesome display of Harper's death, wincing at the sight. She froze for a moment; it had been a while since she had seen someone die before her eyes. Even despite the vibrations in the air, the gruesome sight only reminded the redhead of the last time she had done something like this... and the drastic measures she took to reverse that. Of course, it had been such a long time since she did anything close to the magnitude of that. Fifth Magician she may be, but every magician could get rusty if they didn't practice every now and then, and certainly, her domain had gone into disuse, but...

Aoko pursed her lips, looking at her arm for a brief moment as it glowed a bright teal; she activated her Magic Circuits within her body, wondering if she'd dare try another hand at that again, like she did ten years ago. However, the moment Aoko began to brave reaching for Harper's corpse, she was snapped out of it when Aquawoman urged everyone to get a move out of there. She clicked her tongue, unsure of herself, but made her decision, the glow in her arm disappearing as the magician resolved to follow the makeshift leader for now. Normally, perhaps she would have spoken more and more strongly objected to leaving Harper behind, but... Well, careless and flippant as Aoko may come off, but considering how application of her magic had a side effect of "accelerating the end of the universe," as the other mages put it (overreaction much?), perhaps there came a time where the woman had to weigh her options.

Once the two groups reunited, Aoko nodded at Bruce's instructions. With Harper gone, it seemed that the rich boy here was their only connection to Gotham City, dogmatically speaking, at least, so it was probably best to let him do the talking now that they were finally in the so-called Iceberg Lounge. Of course, there were no promises (on either side, to be honest) that any civilities would last, but that was alright. Aoko felt like hitting something at the moment anyway, but she'd stay her hands for as long as Mister Penguin and his goons would.

Leaning toward Jotaro, Aqua, and other allies, the redhead cleared her throat. "You guys holdin' up fine? It really is too bad about what happened, but..." Aoko paused for a brief moment, as though thinking back on something, before shaking her head, "I guess it couldn't be helped, huh?"

@Jeremi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Josh @Kaykay @Anybody​

"It is unfortunate, but as you said it cannot be helped now. I was not close to her, but it is a shame she had to die so suddenly. Are you doing alright yourself, Miss Aoko?"

Soujirou replied with a slight frown and a sigh. There wasn't really any reason for her to die other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Miss SeeU...I am sorry for your lost. If I am not mistaken you were close to Miss Bluebird, right? You have my condolences."

But what was done was done. Truly unfortunate, but it was not the time for mourning. Ignoring the sudden almost-fight between some strange creature and the armored mam, he entered the lounge with the others.
​

"One death is one too many," Aquawoman replied shooting Felix a glare. She was in no mood for any of his lip right now.

Bruce as well did not seem to have a pleased look on his face because all of the fighting. "If you are all finished trying to kill each other..." He went to open the door to the lounge. "Let's go and meet someone who will probably try to kill all of us." The door was pushed open and the interior came into view.

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

"Hm..." Soujirou looked around the lounge, watching the men cock their guns. He wasn't exactly familiar with such weapons, but they were similar enough to Habaki's weapon that he could recognize they were some sort of projectile launchers.

The swordsman put a hand to the hilt of his sword. The next moment, it was as though his killing intent could be felt throughout the lounge, like the air itself had transformed into blood-soaked blades.

He swung his blade, and invisible slashes materialized inside the lounge, aimed at the people's guns. He refrained from going for their necks for the group's sake.

"Let us keep the weapons put away for now. Is that acceptable?"

@Jeremi @Ver @Yun Lee @anyone​

 

[Yun Lee]

The death of Harper was, of course, unsettling to the Blade Runner. His insides quivered once he saw the broken corpse hidden under the girders, and his knees trembled. He had fallen on to his back when the girders hit, inches away from being crushed just like the young Harper Row. She was just a teenager... just a dumb teenager who never could've deserved something so accidental.

He had gotten back up after picking his blaster off of the ground, a speck of blood on the barrel. His left thumb brushed along it, wiping the last piece of Harper off of his weapon. K hadn't objected to Aquawoman leaving Harper behind; he supposed he could have gotten the girders off himself, but what would have been the point? Where could they have even buried the young girl?

They met up with Bruce Wayne's group eventually. It seemed that Wayne's travel had been quite eventful, especially considering their own walk through the streets. Air flowed out of K's nose, steaming into the air as his hand fell to his holstered pistol.







K chewed on his gums, looking up at Aoko. "Yeah. I guess it couldn't." But something wasn't right. Why were they separated like this, for what basically amounted to nothing gained for Aquawoman's team? It wasn't as if Aquawoman or Bruce Wayne's didn't know where the Iceberg Lounge was, which happened to be the only thing gained after talking to that Orca creature. K looked down, eyes gleaming in the smog filled atmosphere. He nearly said something else, but instead opted for looking around at the group. Some girders just happened to fall on Harper, did they? And Aquawoman seemed so adamant about leaving the body behind... and the girders. Hide any form of meddling with the construction, perhaps? It was terribly strange they crushed only her, one of the people who had been eager to relay info to the survivors. Quite strange indeed...

"Actually... I think it could have been avoided." K said, looking up at Aoko. His hand went under his coat to his pistol, gloved fingers moving around the grip. There was a fight behind him, but it was over in a flash. Petty infighting didn't matter. The young girl, SeeU, was crying as well. But K could do nothing for her; nothing other than tell them what he really thought.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Takumi ​

"One death is one too many," Aquawoman replied shooting Felix a glare. She was in no mood for any of his lip right now.

Bruce as well did not seem to have a pleased look on his face because all of the fighting. "If you are all finished trying to kill each other..." He went to open the door to the lounge. "Let's go and meet someone who will probably try to kill all of us." The door was pushed open and the interior came into view.

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

Once it was clear that the conflict was defused, Star Platinum would vanish in a flash of stardust. Jotaro turned his attention to Dante, and didn't seem as enthused as he was.

View attachment 1807
​

"We had an encounter with a humanoid killer whale named Orca. She told us the way to go. One of those giant's came by while we were in an old construction zone. It collapsed."​

​

"You can figure out what happened from there."
​

The sentence rolled off of Jotaro's tongue like it was standard procedure. For the eyes of Jotaro Kujo, it may just be that way. Before following Bruce into the longue, however, Jotaro would look over at the group he was with - notably SeeU. It's a wonder how an android is capable of expressing that much emotion. Knowing she had about as much knowledge of the world as a child, however. . .it's just another thing Bane had taken. This was the destruction of innocence, plainly displayed on SeeU's face.

If there was any question of whether or not Bane should live or die beyond this point, the answer is clear.

Jotaro approached the android and placed a hand on her shoulder. He towered over her, but kneeled down to meet the android at eye-level. His face had a genuine quality to it, but it maintained an image of absolute confidence.

View attachment 1806

"Listen. . .This isn't anything you should be exposed to. Above all else, I know that."

"Understand this, though. Grief creates energy."

"The biggest mistake you could make now is to let that energy go to waste - no, it wouldn't be a mistake - it would be an insult to her. Turn that energy into something else. Let it fuel you like an energy cell would. This is why emotion is good as it is bad - it fuels us just as much as it limits us. Get mad. Get angry. And if you can't get mad, get determined. Absolve yourself of grief."

"Realize that. . .well, If you didn't have any reason to go after Bane before. . ."

"Now you need to collect a debt. The only one who'll do that is you - and us."

"Do you understand, SeeU?"


@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Widowmaker @Neko Shogun @Josh @Kaykay @Anybody​

It could have been avoided.

That one man, Mister K, had said that. And it was the only bit of information swirling in SeeU's head. It could have been avoided. Harper's death could have been avoided. Maybe, had Aquawoman not pushed SeeU away, there would have been a chance. SeeU was a robot, after all, she could be built back...and even if she couldn't...would it be so bad for her to die? After all, she had been an unpopular idol from the start. Harper was a superhero! She worked so hard to keep Gotham safe, and now...

...and now Jotaro was talking to her. He was still a bit scary, in his face and serious demeanor, but now, at her level, giving her information that she really hadn't considered before-mostly because she never had to consider anything of this nature before. Harper was dead. Bane was responsible. And the best way to honor her was to stop him from killing anyone else, ever again. And there was only one way you could do that.

SeeU stayed silent for a moment, long enough to fully process and understand what Jotaro was saying. Then...she smiled.

"Thank you, Mister Jotaro." There was no joy in her smile or tone; rather, there was hope inside her, fueled by the words the stand user spoke. It was as if they activated a change inside of her-now that he had put things in a new perspective, SeeU would focus on it, rather than feel the pain and sorrow of Harper's death and become useless from how it incapacitated her. "We will stop Bane for Harper, and all Gotham. No one else is going to die." She had a combat chip in her, she could fight if she needed to. And she would do it, and become the energy that grief would make her.

SeeU strode into the lounge with the rest of the group, not afraid this time as guns were pulled on them. She couldn't let herself be afraid anymore. Harper was never afraid. Jotaro, Aoko, Manchester, Bishamon, Soujirou...none of them were, either. So she wouldn't be, either. Instead, she called out to the members of the Lounge. "Excuse me! Please put your guns away! We want to stop Bane, too!"

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Ver @Kaykay @Kentucky​

 

[Ver]

"It is unfortunate, but as you said it cannot be helped now. I was not close to her, but it is a shame she had to die so suddenly. Are you dating alright yourself, Miss Aoko?"

Soujirou replied with a slight frown and a sigh. There wasn't really any reason for her to die other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.​

It wasn't just in the name. The Iceberg Lounge had a clear ice motif to it. What else caught your eye were the cocking of guns as a group of people dressed in black and white were aiming their weapons right at the group. "This is probably why there was no one in the front," Bruce mumbled back to the group before cracking a wide smile. "Gentlemen! Is this how you treat all of your clientele?"​

Letting Jotaro say his motivational piece to SeeU (who knew the reticent guy had it in him?), Aoko glanced at Soujirou, nodding. "Mhm. It's not the first time someone's died before my eyes, but it's certainly been a while. Poor SeeU, eh? Still, seems like people are of the mind that we don't have time to bury our dead, so we gotta move on for now, sad as it may be," she spoke.

Thoughts of her inability to draw forth the Fifth Magic troubled her, but perhaps if she spent more time focusing on it, she could make use of it the next time there came a perilous situation, whether that be an intense rumbling that shook the earth around them, or even a great battle.

Whistling lightly when the group managed to reach the Iceberg Lounge, almost admiring the place inside, Aoko wouldn't get a chance to take a good look around the place before they all had run into a friendly gang of armed men aiming right at them. Like with Soujirou, SeeU, and others, Aoko tried her play at her silver tongue, not even holding up her arms, if only because she didn't wanna hold out her baggage for everyone to see and shoot at.

"Now now. Let's not get too hasty here. You... really don't wanna open fire," was all she said, maintaining a collected but fierce mien to her as she spoke, her casual stance betraying her body itching for a fight.

@Jeremi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Kentucky @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Atomic Knight @Widowmaker @Everybody​

 

[Jeremi]

"It is unfortunate, but as you said it cannot be helped now. I was not close to her, but it is a shame she had to die so suddenly. Are you dating alright yourself, Miss Aoko?"

Soujirou replied with a slight frown and a sigh. There wasn't really any reason for her to die other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Miss SeeU...I am sorry for your lost. If I am not mistaken you were close to Miss Bluebird, right? You have my condolences."

But what was done was done. Truly unfortunate, but it was not the time for mourning. Ignoring the sudden almost-fight between some strange creature and the armored mam, he entered the lounge with the others.
​

"Hm..." Soujirou looked around the lounge, watching the men cock their guns. He wasn't exactly familiar with such weapons, but they were similar enough to Habaki's weapon that he could recognize they were some sort of projectile launchers.

The swordsman put a hand to the hilt of his sword. The next moment, it was as though his killing intent could be felt throughout the lounge, like the air itself had transformed into blood-soaked blades.

He swung his blade, and invisible slashes materialized inside the lounge, aimed at the people's guns. He refrained from going for their necks for the group's sake.

"Let us keep the weapons put away for now. Is that acceptable?"

@Jeremi @Ver @Yun Lee @anyone​

The machine guns that the crooks where holding all fell apart, most of them just looked confused while others procured a pistol from wherever they had them hidden.

It could have been avoided.

That one man, Mister K, had said that. And it was the only bit of information swirling in SeeU's head. It could have been avoided. Harper's death could have been avoided. Maybe, had Aquawoman not pushed SeeU away, there would have been a chance. SeeU was a robot, after all, she could be built back...and even if she couldn't...would it be so bad for her to die? After all, she had been an unpopular idol from the start. Harper was a superhero! She worked so hard to keep Gotham safe, and now...

...and now Jotaro was talking to her. He was still a bit scary, in his face and serious demeanor, but now, at her level, giving her information that she really hadn't considered before-mostly because she never had to consider anything of this nature before. Harper was dead. Bane was responsible. And the best way to honor her was to stop him from killing anyone else, ever again. And there was only one way you could do that.

SeeU stayed silent for a moment, long enough to fully process and understand what Jotaro was saying. Then...she smiled.

"Thank you, Mister Jotaro." There was no joy in her smile or tone; rather, there was hope inside her, fueled by the words the stand user spoke. It was as if they activated a change inside of her-now that he had put things in a new perspective, SeeU would focus on it, rather than feel the pain and sorrow of Harper's death and become useless from how it incapacitated her. "We will stop Bane for Harper, and all Gotham. No one else is going to die." She had a combat chip in her, she could fight if she needed to. And she would do it, and become the energy that grief would make her.

SeeU strode into the lounge with the rest of the group, not afraid this time as guns were pulled on them. She couldn't let herself be afraid anymore. Harper was never afraid. Jotaro, Aoko, Manchester, Bishamon, Soujirou...none of them were, either. So she wouldn't be, either. Instead, she called out to the members of the Lounge. "Excuse me! Please put your guns away! We want to stop Bane, too!"

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Ver @Kaykay @Kentucky​

"Interesting choice of words...we too..." From behind the gathered criminals a short stout man waddled forward. Otherwise prim and proper in his dressing the man seemed to somewhat disheveled and hadn't slept much the past couple of days.

"And the man prefers Oswald Cobblepot and to not be labeled as an animal,"The Penguin shot a response to Felix as he continued to waddle forward the clacking of his cane hitting the ground echoing inside the lounge before he stopped before Bruce. "To what does the Iceberg Lounge hold the honor of having the illustrious Gotham city billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne enter the humble halls of my casino? Him and guests, I should say. Are you expecting the VIP treatment?"

Bruce still had a friendly smile on his face as he went to extended a hand in greeting. "We come here because-"

"A little bird told you I wasn't keen on Bane's control of Gotham?" Penguin got the pun out of the way before Bruce could say it. "The thing about birds is that they like to sing and especially pleasant songs that everyone wants to hear." As the Penguin spoke his henchmen still had their guns poised towards the group. "Why shouldn't I just tie you all up in a neat little present and hand you over to Bane myself?"

"Because," Bruce began his arm still extended for that shake. "He's an outsider, he has not stakes in this city. If it wasn't for Batman he wouldn't even have picked Gotham. It means nothing to him. Unlike for people like you and me Cobblepot. This is our city and we wont allow an upstart like Bane control."

The glare that the Penguin gave Bruce seemed to last for an eternity before he finally accepted his hand into a shake. "If Bane thinks he can just waltz into this city and take over he has another thing coming! Boys! Lower your guns, that's no way to treat guests!"


@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

Meanwhile...

The woman called Harper Row would wake up in a fright. One moment she had felt a pain she had never felt before and then nothing...until now. If she tried to get up she'd realize that she was tied to a bed by her arms and legs.

She seemed to be in a hospital of some kind...how had she ended up here?​

 

[Raynar Saassin]

The machine guns that the crooks where holding all fell apart, most of them just looked confused while others procured a pistol from wherever they had them hidden.

"Interesting choice of words...we too..." From behind the gathered criminals a short stout man waddled forward. Otherwise prim and proper in his dressing the man seemed to somewhat disheveled and hadn't slept much the past couple of days.

"And the man prefers Oswald Cobblepot and to not be labeled as an animal,"The Penguin shot a response to Felix as he continued to waddle forward the clacking of his cane hitting the ground echoing inside the lounge before he stopped before Bruce. "To what does the Iceberg Lounge hold the honor of having the illustrious Gotham city billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne enter the humble halls of my casino? Him and guests, I should say. Are you expecting the VIP treatment?"

Bruce still had a friendly smile on his face as he went to extended a hand in greeting. "We come here because-"

"A little bird told you I wasn't keen on Bane's control of Gotham?" Penguin got the pun out of the way before Bruce could say it. "The thing about birds is that they like to sing and especially pleasant songs that everyone wants to hear." As the Penguin spoke his henchmen still had their guns poised towards the group. "Why shouldn't I just tie you all up in a neat little present and hand you over to Bane myself?"

"Because," Bruce began his arm still extended for that shake. "He's an outsider, he has not stakes in this city. If it wasn't for Batman he wouldn't even have picked Gotham. It means nothing to him. Unlike for people like you and me Cobblepot. This is our city and we wont allow an upstart like Bane control."

The glare that the Penguin gave Bruce seemed to last for an eternity before he finally accepted his hand into a shake. "If Bane thinks he can just waltz into this city and take over he has another thing coming! Boys! Lower your guns, that's no way to treat guests!"​

"S-Seriously?" Dante exclaimed with a confused expression as he walked over to the Penguin. "This, is the Penguin? Huh. Not what I expected to be honest but hey, not going to judge. So. I take it you and Bruce know each other then? And I also take it that all your buddies over there with their big and fancy guns were supposed to be our welcoming committee?"

@Jeremi, @Everyone.

 

[Ver]

"Interesting choice of words...we too..." From behind the gathered criminals a short stout man waddled forward. Otherwise prim and proper in his dressing the man seemed to somewhat disheveled and hadn't slept much the past couple of days.

"And the man prefers Oswald Cobblepot and to not be labeled as an animal," The Penguin shot a response to Felix as he continued to waddle forward the clacking of his cane hitting the ground echoing inside the lounge before he stopped before Bruce. "To what does the Iceberg Lounge hold the honor of having the illustrious Gotham city billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne enter the humble halls of my casino? Him and guests, I should say. Are you expecting the VIP treatment?"

Bruce still had a friendly smile on his face as he went to extended a hand in greeting. "We come here because-"

"A little bird told you I wasn't keen on Bane's control of Gotham?" Penguin got the pun out of the way before Bruce could say it. "The thing about birds is that they like to sing and especially pleasant songs that everyone wants to hear." As the Penguin spoke his henchmen still had their guns poised towards the group. "Why shouldn't I just tie you all up in a neat little present and hand you over to Bane myself?"

"Because," Bruce began his arm still extended for that shake. "He's an outsider, he has not stakes in this city. If it wasn't for Batman he wouldn't even have picked Gotham. It means nothing to him. Unlike for people like you and me Cobblepot. This is our city and we wont allow an upstart like Bane control."

The glare that the Penguin gave Bruce seemed to last for an eternity before he finally accepted his hand into a shake. "If Bane thinks he can just waltz into this city and take over he has another thing coming! Boys! Lower your guns, that's no way to treat guests!"​

"Cobblepot, huh? Well, ain't that a mouthful," Aoko commented, but fair enough. She reacted little to the man's... unflattering appearance, able to see now why people called him the Penguin, aside from the Iceberg Lounge locale here. Listening to him and Wayne talk to each other, hoping to let them handle the... negotiations, or whatever one wanted to call this. For a moment, it seemed as though they were about to break through, and Aoko mentally prepared herself for a skirmish, though fortunately, Wayne managed to get through to Mister Penguin here. Sighing a breath of relief (more for the henchmen's sake than her own, if not for those unable to fight like Makoto), she put her free hand on her hip.

"Now, that's more like it. We're all golden now, right?" She said idly, before briefly glancing at Soujirou, "Nice moves. Next time though... Let's wait until they open fire. If you ask me, I think it's lucky that things went as well as they did. That's a pretty scary power you got there, y'know?"

@Jeremi @Kaykay @Anybody​

 

[Raptor Jesus]

The machine guns that the crooks where holding all fell apart, most of them just looked confused while others procured a pistol from wherever they had them hidden.

"Interesting choice of words...we too..." From behind the gathered criminals a short stout man waddled forward. Otherwise prim and proper in his dressing the man seemed to somewhat disheveled and hadn't slept much the past couple of days.

"And the man prefers Oswald Cobblepot and to not be labeled as an animal,"The Penguin shot a response to Felix as he continued to waddle forward the clacking of his cane hitting the ground echoing inside the lounge before he stopped before Bruce. "To what does the Iceberg Lounge hold the honor of having the illustrious Gotham city billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne enter the humble halls of my casino? Him and guests, I should say. Are you expecting the VIP treatment?"

Bruce still had a friendly smile on his face as he went to extended a hand in greeting. "We come here because-"

"A little bird told you I wasn't keen on Bane's control of Gotham?" Penguin got the pun out of the way before Bruce could say it. "The thing about birds is that they like to sing and especially pleasant songs that everyone wants to hear." As the Penguin spoke his henchmen still had their guns poised towards the group. "Why shouldn't I just tie you all up in a neat little present and hand you over to Bane myself?"

"Because," Bruce began his arm still extended for that shake. "He's an outsider, he has not stakes in this city. If it wasn't for Batman he wouldn't even have picked Gotham. It means nothing to him. Unlike for people like you and me Cobblepot. This is our city and we wont allow an upstart like Bane control."

The glare that the Penguin gave Bruce seemed to last for an eternity before he finally accepted his hand into a shake. "If Bane thinks he can just waltz into this city and take over he has another thing coming! Boys! Lower your guns, that's no way to treat guests!"


@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

Meanwhile...

The woman called Harper Row would wake up in a fright. One moment she had felt a pain she had never felt before and then nothing...until now. If she tried to get up she'd realize that she was tied to a bed by her arms and legs.

She seemed to be in a hospital of some kind...how had she ended up here?​

"Well, that was easy." Felix said with a shrug as he turned to Bruce. "Well now that we got Ozzie on our side, who's next?" Felix would pause for a moment and actually rub his chin in thought before before snapping his fingers.

"Ooo! That Harper chick mentioned a guy called Joker before she died! Why don't we get him to help out?" Felix suggested, though it was hard to tell if he was serious or not. "Why, I'm sure 'ole Ozzie and him are best chums! Aren't ya, ya old geezer?"

@Jeremi @Widowmaker @Ver @Kaykay @Crow @Yun Lee @Kentucky @CrunchyCHEEZIT

---

Harper remembered everything.

They were walking, on their way to the Iceberg Lounge to meet up with Penguin, when suddenly...

BAM!!

About two tons of pure steel fell right on top of her. In the short moments that she was still breathing, all she could think about was her brother, Cullen. She had promised to keep him safe. She promised that as long as she was there, they'd be alright.

But life can be such a bitch sometimes, can't it?

As the punk woke up strapped down to a hospital bed like she was in some horror movie, her first instinct wasn't to call out for help. No, instead, she quietly looked around for anything that could help her escape.

@Jeremi​

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

Chapter 2 - A Colossal Icebreaker



"We're not far now," Bruce replied as he took them through the alley and a short trek through another path of the city later they'd find the Gotham harbor opening up before them.

In the distance they spotted a floating casino hooked to the docks. "Ladies and gentleman, the Iceberg lounge." As they moved to where it was situated Bruce pondered aloud. "I wonder how Aquawoman and the others are doing?"

Meanwhile the second group was making its way through the construction site when disaster struck! The group heard the unfinished building creaking loudly and the sound of something snapping. "Look out!" Aquawoman managed to push SeeU out of the way but a ton of girders fell right on top of Harper Row, the hero known as Bluebird. As the girders hit the ground they sent dust and debris flying lowering visibility considerable. As the dust cleared the only thing they saw of Harper was the pool of blood coming out from bellow the girders. "Harper!" Aquawoman leaped into action and tossed the girders away to finally found Harper's lifeless corpse. The impact had killed her instantly.

Before Aquawoman could say anything they once again felt the rumbling much like they had in the park. That stone giant was coming here. Perhaps its shaking had even cause the steal beams to break and fall down. "We have to leave." Aquawoman replied knowing fully well that there was going to be objections to leaving a fallen comrade behind. "You can be furious to me on the way, but we have to go. NOW!" However decided to object Aquawoman dragged with her until they were finally past the construction site and the dock area beckoned them.

Soon Bruce and the others were in view. Spotting them Bruce flashed the group a smile. "All here now! I hope you had as a pleasant journey as we did." Noticing the grim faces Bruce took a quick head count when he realized. "Where's Bluebird?"

Aquawoman looked at the others with sorrow in her eyes before responding to Bruce. "There was an accident...she did not make it."

"I...see..." Bruce seemed visibly shaken by the news but he quickly regained his composure. "It is...beyond our hands...come on. We're almost at our location." Their steps seemed more heavy then usual as they made their way to the pier housing the Iceberg Lounge. Strangely enough once they reached the entrance there were no guards or anything. "Stay on your guard, we're moving into dangerous territory. We...don't want to lose someone else. Let me speak to the Penguin and we will try to figure this out okay?" Still he hesitated though, they only had to push to get the door to lounge open. The death of Harper however loomed over them. What would their current mood bring to the table?

Upon regrouping at the Lounge and hearing of the loss the opposite team suffered, Trixie pulled the brim of her hat over her eyes and cleared her throat.

As they arrived at the Iceberg Lounge, Felix would look directly into Aquawoman's eyes as she mentioned the death of Harper.

"So you're telling me that we just walked through those giant monster infested streets and we've only lost one member of our group?" Pausing, Felix would look away from the group and shrug.

"Pretty sweet deal if ya ask me." He said, not seeming to show any remorse or sorrow over Harper's death.

@Jeremi @Ver

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"ORA!"

*THUMP*

Burn out.

Ben's gangly, alien form wouldn't be able to fire upon Felix before Star Platinum's fist shot out from Jotaro's body like a bullet, impacting with the creature's 'face' and sending it crumpling into the floorboards of the harbor. Star Platinum then fully emerged from Jotaro's back, floating by him and glowing with some type of energy. It's facial expression could only be described as incomprehensible rage. Jotaro walked forward, standing between Felix and Ben and shaking his head.

"Good grief, you really are still a brat under that skin. It's convenient, though; I won't have to feel bad for punching a kid," Jotaro looked down at Ben. He had some bizarre ability to transform into different types of creatures, but the greatest drawback is that he still had the common sense of a ten year old, regardless of which form he took. He then turned his attention to Felix - who also had the common sense of a ten year old.

"We don't have time for this. I don't care who started it. Shut the fuck up already, and stop acting like little kids, or neither of you are going to make it through that door."

"Don't push your luck."

Jotaro spoke simply, completely confident that he could break every bone in either body, before tossing them into the harbor like a bundle of wet towel.

If he has to talk again, he'll stop being so polite.

@Crow @thatguyinthestore

"Gah!"

Ben's new form was knocked back by Star Platinum's fist. When he swiftly recovered from the blow, Kujo Jotaro, the one who wielded the power of Star Platinum, stood between him and Felix.

"Hey, what was that for, hathair man?"

After Jotaro's few words, Ben gives Felix a little death stare.

"Consider yourself lucky that I didn't get to test my new alien whateverhe'scalled out on you yet, Felix, or you'd be toast for sure!"

@thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT

Hearing Felix speak, however, did bring Trixie to stand strong. The unicorn even smiled at the mercenary's cynical words. "All things considered...there's truth to what he says," Trixie began, unsure as to whether she was playing Devil's advocate, or guardian angel, on account of how many times violence had been threatened and brought upon Felix, "We need to look on the bright side; even if he is a little nonchalant about it;" she added, shooting Felix a pointed look, "if we're going to do this as a team. Because we're a pretty amazing team if I do say so myself," Trixie commented with an arrogant grin.

The machine guns that the crooks where holding all fell apart, most of them just looked confused while others procured a pistol from wherever they had them hidden.

"Interesting choice of words...we too..." From behind the gathered criminals a short stout man waddled forward. Otherwise prim and proper in his dressing the man seemed to somewhat disheveled and hadn't slept much the past couple of days.

"And the man prefers Oswald Cobblepot and to not be labeled as an animal,"The Penguin shot a response to Felix as he continued to waddle forward the clacking of his cane hitting the ground echoing inside the lounge before he stopped before Bruce. "To what does the Iceberg Lounge hold the honor of having the illustrious Gotham city billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne enter the humble halls of my casino? Him and guests, I should say. Are you expecting the VIP treatment?"

Bruce still had a friendly smile on his face as he went to extended a hand in greeting. "We come here because-"

"A little bird told you I wasn't keen on Bane's control of Gotham?" Penguin got the pun out of the way before Bruce could say it. "The thing about birds is that they like to sing and especially pleasant songs that everyone wants to hear." As the Penguin spoke his henchmen still had their guns poised towards the group. "Why shouldn't I just tie you all up in a neat little present and hand you over to Bane myself?"

"Because," Bruce began his arm still extended for that shake. "He's an outsider, he has not stakes in this city. If it wasn't for Batman he wouldn't even have picked Gotham. It means nothing to him. Unlike for people like you and me Cobblepot. This is our city and we wont allow an upstart like Bane control."

The glare that the Penguin gave Bruce seemed to last for an eternity before he finally accepted his hand into a shake. "If Bane thinks he can just waltz into this city and take over he has another thing coming! Boys! Lower your guns, that's no way to treat guests!"


@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky

Meanwhile...

The woman called Harper Row would wake up in a fright. One moment she had felt a pain she had never felt before and then nothing...until now. If she tried to get up she'd realize that she was tied to a bed by her arms and legs.

She seemed to be in a hospital of some kind...how had she ended up here?​

Trixie gestured towards Bruce and The Penguin. "See? A little positivity, and everything's turning up roses!" she exclaimed, stepped aside, and respectfully curtsied before The Penguin and his men, "It's an honour to be welcomed into your lounge, Mr. Cobblepot,"

@Crow @thatguyinthestore

@Josh @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky
@Widowmaker @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Atomic Knight @Lucky
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