Holiday in Gotham (Anyone)

[John Constantine]

If Gotham was as dangerous as everyone said, the absurdly long plane ride would be worth it. So far, though, this was proving to be a rather average city. A bit like London, really; a dirtier, dingier London. Maybe a chance encounter with one of the numerous "superheroes" that called this place home would liven up the night.

Tossing the remains of a fag to the street, Constantine pulled the pack from his coat pocket, pulling another out with his lips and lighting it. That was his last, unfortunately. Unable to locate a rubbish bin anywhere, he just dropped the empty in a pile of more garbage. The bastard was in need of activity, he thought, as he puffed away. More than that, though, he needed more smokes.

Locating a gas station, he finished the last of his cigarette before dropping it to the ground. Pushing through the doors as a chime sounded, he made his way to the counter, finding an uninterested man reading a magazine. "Pack of fags. Silk Cut," John said, hoping to alert the inattentive worker.

The worker simply stared, slightly open-mouthed at Constantine. He was considering attacking the "fruity" sounding man, taking the request as an insult. John rolled his eyes. "Cigarettes." The worker's face turned back to disinterest, pulling a carton of Silk Cut cigarettes down and ringing them up. Money passed and transaction complete, a pack was quickly retrieved, another cigarette lit in the Englishman's mouth as he left the store.

[Bane]

Flight logs were just as important as anything else. Not many people that weren't from Gotham or had business ties to it bothered to come to it. So observing the few loose ends was always something one had to keep an eye on. especially an unknown. Bane considered himself well versed in the knowledge of the vigilante realm. When you spent you're life hunting the world's best detective, you picked up on being keen as one yourself. So the simple lack of knowledge Bane had on this individual was enough to rouse him to....personally gather it. Even if he was well known or even attacked for his identity, the simplest information meant quite a lot. How one fought, their abilities, even powers. The simplest pieces of information could lead him to later on destroying the target if need be. For now, he was just doing 'research.' And so, his large frame simply decided to reveal itself from one of the aisles as it loomed slightly over. When the worker saw him, his expression was of pure panic but, was soon relieved when Bane left the building.

"You must forgive the man, Gotham is rare to see foreigners of a pleasant sort. Then again, the same could be said of it's inhabitants as well as far as pleasantries."

Bane said towards the individual, not even knowing a name. It definitely piqued his interest but he was also cautious for sure. Bane chuckled to himself as he loomed over the man. Even if John wasn't the shortest guy in the world, Bane made many look small standing next to him, even the likes of The Dark Knight were dwarfed under Bane's stature. All the same, Bane simply rolled his index finger to his chin. He was curious yet cautious. He was here for knowledge, not blood afterall. He then in a subtle motion, gave his neck a loud crack.

"Those that are not familiar with Gotham often become victims to it. I'm sure you're already aware of this. It's my guess that's precisely the reason you chose to come here. After all, if you had real business here, you'd either be in your hotel or where you needed to be, no? And if you're wondering, yes, I am exactly who you think I am. And no, I'm not as vicious as the rumors proclaim: Vicious is an understatement, as the Dark Knight can surely tell you. Is he who you're seeking? Or perhaps, something else?"

Bane said as he made a slight motion to the man's left, simply making himself more visible as he stood under the flickering gas station outside light. And no longer blocking the view into the store, one could see all the lights were off, primarily in fear of being seen doing something that Bane didn't like and primarily not wanting to attract Bane's attention. His bulky visage simply walked one step forward, slightly closing the distance.

"But, where are my manners? Here I am encroaching your intentions without even introducing myself. But, I'm fairly sure you already know who I am. And as rare as it is for me to say this, I can't say the same for you. The only thing I can determine is your from an interesting area of England north of London based on your tonal dialect, perhaps Lancashire? Though I could be wrong, it's merely an educated guess."

A smirk creased over his lips. The simplest of things one did or said could make the greatest impact. And even in a situation where he had no real leverage, he could easily gain leverage if he correctly played into his enemies mindset, if he convinced them of what was and what isn't. His own hispanic accent being very clear now, doing so intentionally to simply give a new thing for his new 'friend' to think about.

[John Constantine]

Finally, the excitement he craved. He'd read about this one: A South American prisoner turned crime lord, called only Bane. Apparently, he'd even managed to take on the Bat at one point, even win. If he chose to do so, this man could snap John like a toothpick. That thought was slightly exhilarating. He'd see where this went.

"You did your homework, mate," he spoke, giving a cheeky grin as he leaned against a wall. "John Constantine. And Liverpool, to be exact." He exhaled a puff of smoke into the sky, considering what he should say next. "Not looking for much anything. Ran out of cancer a bit ago and went to go get more. Just been walking around since I got off the bloody plane."

He fished the pack from his coat pocket, holding it out the large man. Someone in as good a shape as this behemoth probably didn't smoke, but offering was meant to be polite. "Did a bit of research on this nice, little city, too. Can't say I approve of it, but what you did to ol' Batman wasn't half bad. Doubt you're just some divvy, either, if you could pull it off in the first place."

Tonight was surpassing expectations. He'd hoped for maybe a mugging or two to liven up the evening, but he'd gotten one better. The whole "supervillain" trend seemed more than a bit stupid, but every now and then he'd see one of them and be slightly impressed. Bane happened to be one of them. Chas would get a kick out of this when he went home. Hell, maybe he could get a bloody autograph off him.

[Bane]

"Fascinating."

Was all Bane said towards the new individual at his manner of response. Confident and yet, gloryseeking. It wasn't an uncommon combination of traits but the thing that more fascinated Bane at the moment was his mannerisms. This man was neither criminal nor vigilante, that was for sure. they reacted in their own unique ways to being approached by Bane. This was something different however. Something he could use, this gloryseeking could be put to his advantage. For now, he needed information.

"Your...stature."

Bane said as he momentarily sled into the shadows. The biggest mistake many made about Bane was they assumed his size meant he was slow, bulky, and easy to find. that was not the case, Bane being able to hide and maneuver almost as well as The Dark Knight himself. they shared many things in common, including their ability to hide and remain hidden. He used the dark of the area around him, he needed to read more about him. Put him on his toes, force a reflexive action to see how or what he utilized as a defense. In the moment he was gone, light lamps flickered here and there and suddenly from a patch of darkness behind John to his right, he stood behind him in plain sight.

"...Is definitely not one that belongs to....a warrior. Not one of physical combat anyway....yet you're distance.....you prefer medium range. Interesting."

Bane said as he took a step closer to the stranger. And a Bane step covered ground quickly as he was literally towering above John now, tilting his body so his head was next to his ear. Bane excelled at doing small little things to instill fear and intimidate, with or without his size or reputation, the man that felt no fear knew how to instill it in others without the aid of gases that Crane was found of.

"Here's my situation.....I'll level with you here as you came seeking something specific, like myself. It's very rare for me to not know an individual. And I don't know you. That is something that can be very dangerous, to at least....one of us."

Bane let the last part of what he said sink in for a moment as he then violently cracked his neck into John's ear, emphasizing the point he was making earlier and then, glancing back towards John.

"Does this make you....uncomfortable....no, it doesn't....It would seem you've dealt with more...intimidating and dangerous figures....and considering my abilities with it, that suggests that you either or or deal with.....things that are not human. Enough to find me nonthreatening....Again, this is where we level. I am also a businessman after all. What is it that you seek in Gotham? In trade, all I simply ask is for you to...fill in the blanks. In my business, knowledge is everything. And my....John Constantine portfolio....is virtually empty."

Bane said as he cracked his neck into his ear once more and then, took a step back. The pressure he emphasized was no longer needed, now he'd play it by ear.

[John Constantine]

For someone his size, Bane was a fast bugger. He'd seemed to have disappeared when the lights flickered, giving the mage a fright when he reappeared. "Careful, mate, I'm older than I seem. Never know when the ol' heart can give out." The thinly veiled threats were amusing, and he seemed to pick up on this. After you've meet the devil, not much else can really scare you.

"Pretty observant, aren't you?" he teased. "Having a bit of trouble remembering the details, though. My wallet's low on money and my blood's low on alcohol. You wouldn't happen to know how to fix these problems, would you?" He gave a sly smile, hoping the giant would be more than willing to play the game. Any chance to make money, get drunk, and brag seemed like a fun time to John.

Having finished his cigarette, he pulled another from the pack, taking his time in lighting it. He was careful of his movements and actions now; if this man wanted to know more, he'd have to pay for it. He took a long drag, exhaling smoke into the air. He glanced along the other side of the street, looking for both a place to chat with this man in the even he'd pay (i.e. a bar), as well as to check for anyone else who might be roaming at this time or night. There was no one, meaning it would be a bit problematic if the giant decided to make a move on his threats. He'd have to get that autograph before that, then.

[Bane]

"No, there's more to it than that, Mi Amigo."

The emphasis on the suggestion of friend was pointing out that for now, Bane wasn't going to break the little man in half quite yet. He let out some important hints though, older than he looked and what he sought and his lack of intimidation. He wasn't a metahuman or alien. His reaction time and reactions spoke to that. So he was someone that utilized the unknown.

"Those are to easy to find but, you're straying from the point. I came here for a specific reason, as did you. I'm specifically offering you what you specifically seek. If you only came to Gotham for a drink and dineros, that's fine. But, if you came here for something specific, it's best not to string me along."

Bane said very harshly towards his friend, emphasizing that he wasn't some fetching tool for him to play around with. Bane had dealt with superior beings before himself so he fancied himself enough to know when to play servant and when to play master and at what levels.

"After all, considering how observant I am, the longer you string this out, the more I learn just from....observing....and then you could be left leaving Gotham without what you came for, no?"

The key emphasis of that statement was pointing out that it was best just to level out rather than string him along for his amusement.

"I will say this however....You are of a mystical sort. Not one as significant as Zattana Zatara or else you wouldn't have taken a plane or even bemused conversation to get what you seek. However, the fact that you aren't hesitant suggest you don't fear death.....or know it too well. I know a man with the same lack of hesitancy as you, I believe you may know the name: Ra's Al Ghul."

Namedropping aside, he chose those names for particular reasons. The way he reacted to each one would give him plenty of the information he sought out on this individual but more importantly, it would gap the conversation in a different direction of Bane's choosing.

"My point being, aside from myself, everyone fears something. And even if you and him don't fear death or don't know it to be permanent, that doesn't mean I won't be able to find what makes your soul shatter within it's....rather flimsy....shell. Even if you've dealt with more....experienced.....methods of ripping information out of you, underestimating my ability to slowly and painfully keep you just alive enough to suffer the maximum amount of despair and anguish possible....is not wise."

Bane took a solid moment to then walk into the flickering lights of the street towards the other end of the street to a location that was under his 'management' within Gotham. Being a criminal mastermind and former owner of Gotham offered Bane a large volume of underground and specialized properties scattered within Gotham. He knocked on a panel in a specific pattern before a retina and palm scanner appeared. Scanning Bane for a moment, it blinked green and then, a wall fell back, revealed an entrance.

"Well, are you coming? Or are you afraid that I am right and decided against getting paid?"

[John Constantine]

It was always fun to be an annoyance. Bane didn't seem to be taking the extortion well. Whether or not he chose to pay, it mattered not; he'd just see what else Gotham had to offer. It had been a long time since he'd heard of Zee. He'd have to stop by while he was in the country. It'd been about a year, hadn't it? He was due for a visit. Maybe even be a gentleman and take her out somewhere for a change. Could ever go all the pay and actually pay for it. First thing's first though; Gotham City and the large man standing over him.

"Magic? Come now, mate; we both know magic isn't real." He didn't even try to hide the fact he was lying. "That Zatanna, though. Saw her show back in the UK a few years ago. Pretty spectacular, if you ask me. Fit, too." It took him a moment, but the second name finally struck him. "That al Ghul fellow. He's another of you lot, isn't it? Some eco-terrorist, if I remember right."

He laughed at the threats; his soul couldn't break. Not literally, anyway, lest the giant wanted a trio of demons on his hands to deal with. "No reason to get your knickers in a bunch," Constantine spoke, following Bane to the secret entrance to somewhere. "Nice wall," he complimented. America sure had some interesting secrets strewn around its cities. Puffing away on his fag, he flicked the ashes to the sidewalk before straightening his tie; you never know who might be inside an evil mastermind's hidden base.