|
Post by Red Hood on Nov 27, 2012 18:14:17 GMT -5
It doesn't matter how good you are, eventually, someone is going to get one over you.
Tonight, someone got one over on the Red Hood.
Several hours earlier, the crimson masked vigilante was hot on the heels of the not-so-notorious-but-still-notorious Tiger Claws Gang. The former Boy Wonder caught word from a gang snitch that they were attempting to make a power play in Gotham by chipping away at the drug and weapons pushing that the larger street gangs and criminal organizations dabbled in. A series of rapid fire sales to draw in customers and new recruits looking for quick money would've been a good way for their little collective to grow substantially; a negative for the neighborhood they operated in.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Hood's snitch wasn't so much of a snitch. Rather, the gang was playing it smart.
Given his current operating procedure of going after the smaller focuses of Gotham while Batman and the like went after the bigger fish, it wasn't too surprising that the Tiger Claws figured they would be a target of Red Hood --or hell, even that Vigilante guy (whenever he got out of Blackgate at least)--at some point.
It was a smart ploy, and was one that Red Hood expected to happen sooner or later. He just didn't expect that this gang would have the resources to pull off a flawless setup. Of course, he would learn the hard way that they did have the resources, but thankfully it wasn't a flawless setup.
Members of the gang baited the Red Hood into an abandoned building that they used as a storehouse for some of their illicit and ill-gotten goods. As one would expect, a fight ensued, and it was during that fight that Jason discovered that the place was wired to explode. Crafty planning allowed the inferior combatants to escape Jason's grasp and set the structure off like a New Years firework show. Through sheer agility and a little pinch of luck, Jason made it out of the explosion relatively unscathed. Granted, he lost his leather jacket in the blaze, his bodysuit was torn, and he had a fairly large scuff mark on the left side of his (luckily still masked) face.
And He managed to tag the Tiger Claws with a tracking device. Tailing them through the city and intercepting them in downtown Gotham wasn't much of an issue after that; but it sure was a hassle. The group nimbly made their way from the streets up to the rooftops. Many were dispatched along the way, through the principal members were nabbed after a very annoying fight on the rooftops. Why annoying?
Because, as their name implied, they had claws. And that mess tended to snag.
Regardless, the goons were down, and Red Hood, intent on getting correct intel this time, dragged one hapless soul toward the edge of the rooftop. "You have 35 seconds to start talking, or I'm shoving you off of this building."
Another halfhearted swipe was made for Jason's face. In return, Jason released his grip on the man and let him fall. Panic ensued of course, but Red made sure to tether the man in place with his grapple line, he wasn't going anywhere.
You know, except for three feet lower than where he once stood. "Okay, that was a waste of seven seconds. I'm not going to ask again."
|
|
|
Post by Bane on Nov 27, 2012 18:46:57 GMT -5
The simple things in life made all the difference. And in this case, in order to hit big, you had to start small. He learned a lot of what he needed to know regarding this Red Hood. Formerly killed by the Joker, then revived and then not. It was beyond Bane's care however as far as those details were concerned. This individual was similar to Bane in many ways and similar to Bruce in many ways. This combination of affects led Bane to the simple conclusion that he would be the key chess piece in moving about the board in order to accomplish his goals. After all, the most maneuverable piece was often the most dangerous. Bane had in fact, been having some plays in the minor movements of Gotham's minor gangs, mostly because they made excellent scouts for the region. Highly active but a minimal threat, they could easily survey any area he wished. And Bane had enough clout in the underworld that a smaller gang wouldn't dare refuse an offer by him.
Some of the smaller gangs were offered weapons, others were given some basic combat training, others intel. This Tiger Shark Gang in particular however, was given something much more vital: Guidance. Bane took it upon himself to personally oversee their operations, courtesy of the simple fact that they were best positioned to manipulate the minor underworld without Bane himself getting involved directly. Making them excellent bait to catch a Robin, in particular this one. Bane knowing full well that Bruce had a habit of giving the minor tasks to the little ones, it would be habit that they would do patrols of this caliber. And making intelligent moves like Bane instructed them was out of the modus operendi of the common street thug gang. It would catch attention. Setting up a situation where they would come head on and then, giving them a seemingly good plan that would fail in detonating the building. And he watched the movements carefully. Bane had his intents and reasons for doing this and now, as he stood in the shadow of the corner of the building, he climbed fully to his feet after the approach.
"Not quite."
Bane said with a looming air, intentionally presenting himself in a vague manner. The area they had to fight and the roof's gave Bane the advantage. Acrobatic maneuver's were dangerous were one throw could be deadly. And backing up and moving constantly made range combat difficult too. Rooftops favored hand to hand, close combat, wide roof or not. Bane however, wasn't here to fight. He moved over towards the tethered underling, not even an enforcer for this particular gang. He gripped the rope and ripped it off the tether, before tossing the tiny barely adult thug over to the other building with a hard thud.
"Fail again and your spine will land on my knee."
Bane said, despite the fact that he succeeded in the mission he didn't tell him about and rather, failed the false mission he gave them to kill this bird. Merely a ruse and Bane grinned as he stood before Jason with a plan in effect, that much was obvious. Bane contemplated putting this one into submission first but decided it was better to play the part he intended: Of the man with a plan. His performance in Bludhaven would obviously be fresh also, making hostility more than likely.
"Highly impressionable. Easily manipulated. Very gullible. The little ones trying to reach the infamous levels of Gotham's notorious underworld, with no hope of reaching it. I however, am a reasonable man. You wish for Gotham's people to be safe and free. When I take over, I can easily take that into consideration. Ridding the city of the diseased ones such as The Joker. As you know, not all crime is evil, sometimes just necessity. Violence however can be eliminated when presented with an unstoppable force. You know this from experience. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement and do what Bruce won't: Kill the scum of Gotham."
Bane said in a winded manner, being plain intentionally to hide the obvious fact that despite a rocky partnership, he made valid points. Even if they were convoluted in their nature. Bane knew better than to preach in the same way as one would preach to an evil or absolute good in an individual. It was about convincing someone they could do what they want to do for you.
"Bludhaven was beyond saving and you're brother proved incapable to restoring it to being salvageable, so I rendered it to ash. Gotham is near that point, killing the disease is the first part of it. There are things happening in Gotham, big things. And everyone wants me in the loop, but I don't want them to survive and pollute my city. So, I'll offer you a compromise, something Bruce would never consider. I'll let you determine who needs to die and what is or isn't illegal. You write the rules. And I'll govern. I've grown tired of the constant war, haven't you?"
Bane asked carefully, he chose his words specifically to tickle certain emotions for a reason. Brother, comparing Bludhaven, Compromise, and giving Jason the power in the situation. It was all a delicate ploy to run the gambit of different options against the grain and see which one was on Jason's mind. It was all an allusion to see what the idea of all of this created and then, guide the conversation or assault accordingly.
|
|
|
Post by Red Hood on Feb 23, 2013 2:42:42 GMT -5
"Not quite."
It wasn't much of a statement, but it was one that caused the vigilantes ears to perk up in surprise. For the most part, the Tiger Claws were an Asian gang, made up of those largely of Southeast Asian ethnicity. Sure, they allowed in a Caucasian every now and then, but that wasn't the norm. So, having someone speak up with a thick, South American twang to their voice was not something Red Hood expected in this confrontation. Unless, of course, the Tiger Claws were partnering up with one of the South American gangs in Gotham. It was a possibility, but not one that immediately stuck out to him.
He was far too focused on the fact that this person sneaked up on him.
Yeah, Jason Todd was never the most graceful of the Batbunch; being more known for rushing head first into things rather than sticking to the shadows and striking like some demonic beast of the night like his former mentor and father-figure, but stealth was something he was good at. Sneaking up on someone was something he was good at. Knowing when people were trying to get one up on him was something he was good at detecting.
He didn't notice the newcomer; at all.
By time Hood's body shifted to bare witness of the sudden arrival, his snare was severed--bare handed at that--and his momentary captive was hurled across the gaps of the Gotham rooftops and to relative safety. Ninja-like ability to sneak up on like-skilled ninjas. Ridiculous strength. Jason didn't even need to look at the statuesque figure (he looked over at him anyway) to even realize that he was dealing with the man who nearly ended Bruce Wayne.
Red Hood might not have personally dealt with Bane or bore witness to what he did when he broke Batman--being dead tends to make one incapable of witnessing such things--but he's heard more than enough about the man through Talia, the League, and the various assassins and mercenaries he encountered prior to making his return as the Red Hood. And what he knew about Bane was that the man was bad news. This was a guy who was more than capable of being Bruce's tactical and martial equal, and he was hopped up on some super steroid that'd likely make Deathstroke jealous. This was a very dangerous situation Jason was in.
So, what should he do?
Thanks to the Tiger Claws, Jason wasn't well stocked. A lot of the gadgets and equipment he typically carried on him were stored in the lining of his jacket; a jacket that was rendered ash. Yes, he did have on his webgear and utility belt, but that didn't carry nearly as much equipment as the Bat or his other estranged family members. But, he did have his knife in the sheathe alongside his back, and he did have a P226 strapped to his right leg; both of those could come in handy if this encounter turned sour.
He'd just have to get himself into a situation to where he'd be able to use them if the need arose. Despite his size, Bane was remarkably fast, which meant pulling out any sort of weapon in such close quarters would be next to useless until Jason nimbly managed to avoid the man long enough to get some distance. That is, if you ignore the fact that Venom enhanced muscles, which meant that Bane's speed would increase right with his strength. And unlike Batman, Jason wasn't well versed in tackling people with enhanced speed and strength; at least not up to Bane's potential levels. A slip up could mean that his back would broken. So instead, Jason didn't act and merely listened to the man, backing away as the Santa Priscan continued to speak.
"Lofty goals, Nacho Libre," Red Hood remarked, the smart ass remark seemingly betraying the fact that Jason felt like walking away from this encounter, "But what makes you think you know what I want?" Jason knew he was being mentally poked and prodded. Why else would Joker be brought up, let alone what Jason would consider to be Dick and Bruce's shortcomings. After all, Bane wasn't necessarily wrong in what he was saying, but Bludhaven, him being Bane. Nothing pointed toward listening to the man as being a good idea. But for the time being, he had to listen.
Until he came up with a plan, at least.
"What makes you think you know what the city wants?"
|
|
|
Post by Bane on May 1, 2013 13:16:51 GMT -5
"I didn't come here just to shoot a guess and hope I'm right. You should know that like your mentor, I don't casually make decisions or conclusions on anything."
Bane stated very matter-of-factly towards Jason with a solemn point of acid in his tone. Reinforcing the fact that he knew what he was talking about as a small token of ignoring the attempt to egg him on to react to the wise ass remarks. Bane cracked his neck once in a loud manner before glancing down towards where he threw the Tiger Claw underling.
"Make no mistake about it however, the next individual I toss off this roof won't survive their fall. And I'd rather not have to toss another man today, it's quite the dull activity. And trust me, that is how any physical altercation with me in this environment will end. But, allow me to answer your question."
The threat was real, to reinforce the fact that even if he'd prefer this to go without breaking another Bird, he wouldn't put it past himself to break the child. Skilled or not, the simple fact was Bane stacked the deck in this encounter, like others. He glanced towards the child once more before looking towards Jason.
"Actions speak louder than words mi hijo. Your targets. Your actions. Your decisions. You don't tolerate weakness and you consider men like The Joker, Nygma. And even, if my memory serves correctly, your own brothers to be weak. More importantly, you care for those that can't protect themselves. And in this world, that is your glowing light. The one thing you can do. And for Gotham, your time to save it runs thin."
Bane knew that he was intentionally dancing around what he was saying, many things simply thrown into the conversation to gauge reactions and ideas. And then, he figured the moment had come to see what would happen.
"I'll be honest, I don't need your assistance for this matter. Gotham will be cleansed, one way or another when my time to inherit the League comes, which will be in the near future. I'll cleanse Gotham and instead of you, I'll have an Ubu run Gotham once everything is finished. But, the Ubu are just grunts. Puppets and guardians. But you, you are an equal to a younger Bruce, a fitting leader for the New Gotham.....rid of the trash that Bruce refuses to dispose of......Joker......Cobblepot......Dent.....And you will get to protect the people with your own justice. Or you could refuse."
Bane said as he took a single step forward. For most, it wouldn't be much of something to pay attention to. But when someone like Bane made any forward motion towards you, it clearly meant to pay attention if you valued your life.
"And watch Gotham burn."
|
|