Any plans for power restrictions?
Tackytaff Member
- Last Seen: 2 mos ago
- Joined: 9 yrs ago
- Posts: 317 (0.10 / day)
- VMs: 1
-
Username history
- Tackytaff 9 yrs ago
-
Latest 10 profile visitors:
-
Most recent →
TokyoPewPew,
Festive,
Bingelly,
Badarby,
Tesserach,
mickilennial,
Dyelli Beybi,
Carlyle,
Izurich,
Qia
Status
User has no status, yet
Bio
the universe is grand, but life is grander
Most Recent Posts
Sunset Valley, West Gotham
Valley High
12:00 PM
Stephanie made it as far as third period chemistry before missed sleep caught up with her. Given she hadn’t returned to home until five in the morning, barely beating her mother’s arrival, she’d done quiet well: An almost sickeningly cheery breakfast with her mother and she’d even taken notes in English. Not that any of that mattered when Mr. Stroff spotted blond hair fanned across the desk, and just maybe having heard something that could have been a snore.
“Miss Brown,” Stephanie woke, more aware of the silence in the room before noticing nearly all of her classmates eyes on her.
Well shit. She let her head fall to the desk again with an audible thunk
Stroff cleared his throat, and the silence gave way to tittering. Apparently she was past the stage of –troubled new kid gets a free pass-
“Am I boring you Miss Brown?” Steph lifted her head to rest on her arms and looked to the board, then back to her teacher.
“Do you want me to make a joke or can you skip to giving me a detention slip and get back to it.” Something about waking up in a room full of highschool students didn’t do much for Steph’s temper, or her tact apparently. Whatever amusement that had been lingering in Stroff’s face was gone.
“Beckland’s office. Now.” He slapped a pink slip on her desk with what was probably more force than needed. Principal or not, at least it was out of the classroom. Steph swiped her notebooks into her open bag, swung it over her shoulder, and winced.
Yeah. That's pulled.
She adjusted the bag and began a bee-line to door, but stopped and turned half way there. The class had already begun to settle to its normal ambiance.
“Mr. Stroff” He stopped to look at her again halfway to the front again. "I apologize for any undue sulfering" She grinned and did a mock salute, ignoring his increasingly annoyed look, and clicking her heels together before turning around to enter the hallway.
Getting sent to the principal’s office didn’t exactly instill Steph was fear. If anything a suspension would give her a chance to catch up of sleep, figure out exactly what was going on with Moxie and a dead joker, and finally track batman down and get him to tell her what the hell was going on. Not like that was going to happen, Ms. Beckland cared far to much to work at a public school. The worst punishment to come of meeting with her would be a mandatory session with the school counselor. She considered how that conversation would go as she made her way to the office, rubbing her right shoulder.
A wealthy masked man hasn't been inviting me to his basement and training me as much as I'd like so I've had to strike out on my own. Except last time I did that I got tortured and was close enough to dead that I just went ahead and let everyone think I was while I ran away.
Steph couldn’t remember the secretary’s name. Which was just as well, the past-middle-aged woman was muttering on the phone, and barely gave a raised eyebrow. The door behind her, leading to Beckland’s office, was open anyways. She was typing on her computer, and a knock was needed to get her attention.
“Oh, hello Stephanie, is there anything-“ She stopped mid sentence, staring at the pink paper in Steph’s outstretched hand as though it where some foreign object. Steph placed in on the desk in front of her, but did not sit down. The sooner she was out of there the better. Beckland continued to frown at the note as she read it, then sighed, folded her hands, and looked at Stephanie with an expression that would be more appropriate for a wounded puppy.
Oh no.
“Please have a seat Stephanie, I’d like to talk.” The only movement Steph made was to shift her weight to one hip. Beckland sighed again. “I have- had asked the staff to grant you some additional leniency, given your… Circumstances; but your behavior has continued to be erratic.” She displayed her hands outward, the same sympathetic puppy smile on her face. Steph had been more comfortable receiving lectures from Batman. Sympathy just made her unjustifiably angry, and this woman didn’t even know the half of it.
“We are here to help you Stephanie. I would like to help you Stephanie, to move on from the death in your family and make you comfortable here.”
Dying was the first decent thing my father did in 16 years.
Before she could respond, Steph’s phone vibrated in her pocket. Out of apathy for the conversation, or mental exhaustion; she answered it. Beckland’s smile stayed in place, even as the rest of her face strained to keep it there.
“Hello?”
“Hi Steph, do you have a minute? I’ve got something that might be important.” Leslie Thompkin’s voice caught Steph off-guard, and she sat down immediately, ignoring the tapping of Beckland’s pen on the desk.
“What’s going on?”
“Well it might be nothing, but we received four patients last night pretty beat up, one was in critical until just an hour ago.”
“Miss. Brown I really have to-” Dropping the first name didn’t seem like a good sign. Steph bit her lip and did her very best to look on the edge of tears.
“Critical condition? He made it? Will he be okay?” It got Beckland to back off, but Leslie paused and resumed with audible confusion.
“I- well yes he’s fine now. The problem was how they were brought in. Dropped off in a stolen car, no one with them.” There was another pause on the phone, Steph waited it out. “They’re all saying it was some kid dressed as Robin Steph.”
“What?” Not, that couldn’t have been right, Tim would never leave anyone at the door of the hospital. Steph glanced up at her principle "Do you think it was?”
“I don’t really know, their stories all match, even though the one was unconscious since they were brought here, and a cut on one of the other could be a shuriken. But all their descriptions say it was a kid, definitely under thirteen” Well that couldn’t be Robin then could it? Right. Just some other young kid with a red, yellow, and green suit who was able to take out four thugs somewhere in the Narrows. Steph covered her face with her free hand.
Damn Bruce and his stupid secrets.
“Steph?”
"I’m here, but I really don’t know what it could mean." She chose her words carefully, and avoided eye-contact with Beckland.
“Well there’s just one other thing, the main problem really. The stab victim, the one that was in critical, Robin stabbed him, in an artery Steph. It was a lethal strike.” Steph’s stomach twisted.
"An accident?" Leslie gave a bitter laugh in response.
“I don’t know, it’s something of a one in hundred chance to just hit an artery at random, but I’m no detective. I’ve tried calling the cave but no one’s been answering.”
”Of course. I’ll be there as soon as possible”
“What? No you don’t-” Steph had already hung up the phone and was wiping away fake tears from her stubbornly dry eyes. Beckland offered her a box of tissues, sympathy face plastered right back on.
“I’m so sorry Mrs. Beckland” Steph spoke slowly, as though to compose herself as she took one of the tissues and blew her nose. “It was just- my-” Her mind raced for a suitable candidate ”-Uncle Ross got into a car accident last night, we’ve been waiting to hear about it all day.” It was probably best not to mention ‘Uncle’ Ross was a failed bank robber she hadn’t seen in two years.
Beckland sighed for a third time.“If your family needs you of course you should go.” Steph was already standing before she’d finished “- But I am making you an appointment to see consular Abrams on Monday, over lunch.”
So close. Steph nodded silently and walked out the door as quickly as she could manage without breaking into a run.
--
It was still early noon, which mean Crystal Brown would be sleeping off her double nightshift. While it wasn’t the worst discovery her mother could make, Steph didn’t like the idea of explaining why she was dismissed from school early. So, she climbed the oak tree that hung over the back of the house and leapt to the roof, where she removed her shoes and quietly ran across to her where her own room was located. Her window was unlocked, as always, and she swung in almost silently, freezing when the panel slammed back down into place. When there was no sound of other movement in the house, Stephanie allowed herself to breath again. That would have to be fixed at some point. She gave a longing glance to her un-made bed before rummaging through the laundry in her closet to find the carefully buried Spoiler costume.
Schwariz Bypass
12:37 AM
Really the most dramatic part of the situation was the screaming. Whatever of the rest of her training, Steph had not let her physical fitness diminish. It was not a question of if she could pull him up, but rather how to pull him up, keep him close-by, and praying no passersby looked closely enough to see a masked assailant holding a young teen over the river. After a minute of cursing and fending off vain, clawing attacks from the boy's free arm, he lay on the ground in front of her, head on the pavement, and staring blankly into the streetlight. The drug had kicked in harder, or the panic of nearly falling to his death had tried him out, or maybe the pain had made him loopier than before. Steph took a moment for her own heartbeat to recover. Her shoulder almost certainly had a pulled muscle, but that pain wouldn't set in till morning.
“Alright Chuckles; school night, time to get you home.” She gently slapped his cheek and lifted him with her as she stood, minding his shoulder. No sooner was he on his feet, than she leveraged one arm beside his neck and in one movement popped his joint back into place. Whatever calm had been gained was lost. Her companion howled, and turned to swing at her with a blow she dodged and returned with an uppercut strong enough to knock him back off his feet. Perhaps too strong, she realized, looking from the fallen boy to her fallen bike. She used his more compliant position to swab his mouth with a piece for gauze from her utility belt, before dragging him to the motorcycle. When she did eventually get him to sit on the damn thing, he swayed precariously; leaning far to either side each time Steph tried to adjust him.
“I did not just do all this for you to go flying off at eighty miles an hour.” She huffed, and eventually conceded to flex-cuff his arms around her waist as she drove. Tempting as it may have been, Gotham wasn’t a city where you could leave a drugged stranger on the street and just hope for the best. She’d have to drop him off at the nearest hospital. Which of course with Steph’s ever-lasting fortune, was Mercy West; first exit off the bypass, staffed by one nurse Crystal Brown. Who, if she heard even a whisper of a purple-hooded figure prowling at night would at best end whatever tentative relationship Stephanie had tried to reform. If not just kill her outright.
The patient in question had no thoughts to offer on the matter, aside from fractured laughter, interrupted by the occasional wince of pain.
Well then, if it's all the same to him...
She went to the police station instead, just north of the Narrows and before the bridge that would take her to Wayne Manor. It wasn't like the kid was dying, and besides going off the highway in that part of town would only lead to more trouble. Still, it wasn't exactly something Batman would have done.
He seemed almost passed out when they arrived, very much alive but placid even as Steph cut the flex-cuffs and dragged him up the station's steps. Inside she was met by a sole, somewhat shocked, officer who took the boy with what was probably the proper amount of suspicion.
"The hell are you supposed to be?"
“A good samaritan.” He looked her over again, boots, cape, and all.
"Right. I'm going to need ID for processing..." Steph shifted uncomfortably, should have just left him outside.
“Look officer, just get the kid some medical attention. I really don't know anything about him and have to get going.” The cop looked at the boy she'd brought in again, sitting on a wire chair across from his desk.
"There's paperwork-" She was already outside again, kicking her bike into gear.
-
Bat-Cave
01:03 AM
It almost surprised Stephanie to find the cave was empty. Not that it was normally a hub of activity, but she’d never been alone inside. Even Alfred, whom she'd half expected to come down and throw her out, was no where to be seen.
Unsupervised computer use, how liberating.
Her pace slowed as she passed the bat-mobile. Strange maybe, but not terribly unusual that it was still there. Unguarded, and no one had specifically told her no…
Bad idea. A joyride, even in the bat-mobile, wasn’t quite worth losing her access to the cave again. It took some scouting of the area to find the drug scanner; the entire place seemed to have gotten even bigger. Steph put the gauze in and went to the computer while she waited for it to process.
There was a flashing alert before she could even sign on. Wayne industries security breech. So that was where everyone was, and Steph wasn’t invited. She brushed the feelings that thought brought up off before they could settle and keyed in her ID. A schedule opened on the screen, dated back a full month. Training. But she hadn’t even gotten so much as a call from the cave in that long. The screen flashed again, a new notification.
MATCH FOUND
CUCKLES – 2:1 MDMA:JOKER VENOM
DISTRIBUTED: MAXI ZEUS – STATUS; INCARCERATED
CUCKLES – 2:1 MDMA:JOKER VENOM
DISTRIBUTED: MAXI ZEUS – STATUS; INCARCERATED
Well the nickname had fit. Steph frowned. A dead Joker and imprisoned Maxi, one apparently still dealing out to the suburbs. Recreational drugs where decidedly not the Joker’s style though, and it was some venom supplies where still lying about with his crew mostly scattered. Just waiting to be found by other criminals, in which case, the supply would eventually run out.
Shame I’m the impatient type.
She removed her cowl and settled more comfortably on the seat before opening all files pertaining to both the drug and Maxie's known associates in the West-Gotham area.
Sunset Valley, West Gotham
Valley High
12:11 AM
Steph was favouring her right side again. The bullet wound had healed perfectly ages ago. But it's disuse had made her less dependent on it. Didn't help that she hadn’t been getting any real combat training, with Batman & Co all going dark right after giving Spoiler his blessing. No practice, aside from the small time punks that pestered the suburbs. They weren't even good enough to be considered practice really. The one directly in front of her was gearing up for a roundhouse so obviously she almost felt bad. Steph ducked sideways, careful to keep her footing. Her opponent had put too much weight into the swing and staggered forward just enough for Steph to bring her knee to his chest, spin, and drag him down on his back. His two friends still hesitated.
"Who are you?" To his credit the he looked about ready to give up then and there, but the third of their merry trio went around and circled her, and on cue he began to charge towards her.
“If you don’t mind I’m a little busy” She pulled a thin metal rod from the back of her belt, with a very quiet click it stretched out to a full bo staff. Just as she placed one end of the ground, the attack from behind hit her, hard. Fat kids apparently. She lost her balance, but used the momentum to lean on the staff, and roll into the opponent in front of her. Two down, her staff a few feet away, and her cape had flipped itself, blinding her.
Very smooth.
But these where suburban teens, not even a gang. She spun in what she hoped was the last one’s direction, stepping on another along the way. She didn’t make contact, but her cape fell back into place and she could see him going after her bike. In two swift steps she kicked his shins out and buried her elbow into his back, hard.
"Ow. Bitch!"
“Yeah well don't try to steal from crazy people in masks.”
All three stayed down, but only the last one was hurt, even then not badly. Clearly, they weren’t looking for a fight, or even trouble. Unfortunately for them, Steph had been. Practice. Not that the three combined had been worth much more than one of Oracle's fortune-cookie bots.
Yes, curse these suburban streets free of hard crime, you'd think I was in Metropolis.
She pulled her bo staff out of the ground and collapsed it while staring at the brick wall of her high school. A rather wobbly but recognizable bat symbol was sprayed on. She kicked one of the cans the vandals had dropped and tried not to laugh.
Spoiler; fearsome vigilante. Trained by assassins, master martial artists, and the world’s greatest detective, protecting the streets of Gotham from tacky street art.
“Don’t supposed I can get one of you to sign my community service form for this.” A groan and what was very close to a whimper was the only response.
They were just kids, messing around with spray paint at night. Truly the dark underbelly of Gotham’s suburban crime. Getting pushed around a bit was probably enough to knock some better sense in. Not to mention the nearest station was eleven miles away, her motorcycle could only hold two at a time, and Steph really had better places to be.
“Thanks for the dance!” She kicked her bike into gear and headed for the west bridge, going over a number of possible greetings once she got to the cave. Oddly it would be easiest if Batman was there. Hoping to run into the Bat was an odd change of pace, a sign of how much she really had changed. Or she really had just gone plain crazy.
Stephanie slammed her breaks forcing her bike to a halt with a screech loud enough to wake everyone in a four mile radius. Since she was halfway across the west bridge well after midnight on a Tuesday; that would be no one. The dark figure she'd so nearly run over appeared not to notice and continued to walk across the bridge without even looking up.
“What the hell!” She shouted jumping off the bike and chasing after the unknown person as it toppled to the ground. “You're really-”
Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit.
The man, -the wind had picked up enough to push the hood of his sweater off his head- was climbing the damned guardrail.
Manually identify fingerprints? Sure thing.
Kick the teeth in of a man twice her size? Probably.
Double backflip onto different elevations? Did it blindfolded.
Play grief counselor to a potentially suicidal teen? …
Well the first thing would probably be to get him the hell away from the ledge. She took a few steps towards him.
“Bit late for diving practice.”
Wow.
Stephanie was very confident in her limits, there where things she could, and could not do. Ten seconds in, and already whatever it was she was doing, was falling deep into the latter. Not that doubt had ever stopped her before, and it wasn’t like she could just watch a teenager jump into Gotham River. She’d have to go in after him. The guy was shaking, from the back it was impossible to tell the cause, cold, fear, tears?
“What’s your name?” That didn’t get a response either, Stephanie took another step as to stand beside the teenager. He turned to face her – smiling. Laughing. Vacant eyes with dilated pupils, even directly under the street-light. Joker venom was the first thought that came to mind, but that wasn’t possible, Joker was gone and his recipe with him. Not to mention the man’s laughter was more akin to a giggle than the maniacal ravings of venom’s victims. Still, Steph knew a user when she saw one, and this guy was certainly wacked out on something, something that reminded her of the data she’d had to study in the cave over a year ago. She took a more stable stance and reached out, ready to grab his arm.
“This conversations gotten a little bit one sided for-Hey!” He stepped forward.
Always have to say something don’t you Steph? Even to the hyped up junkie that wasn’t listening.
Her hips slammed hard against the guardrail, trying to brace against the weight of the man now dangling some hundred feet above the river. Judging from the pop and following shrieks bellow, she’d dislocated his arm.
Half an hour before everything went to hell. Well done Girl Blunder.
In
VIGILANCE: Blood & Justice - A Superhuman Roleplay (Always Open)
→
8 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Roleplay
@FantasyChic
Where you still looking for ideas for Priya at this point?
Where you still looking for ideas for Priya at this point?
<Snipped quote by Tackytaff>
Me too! Honestly good Steph/Damian interactions are like 50% of what I've wanted since I first started playing Damian at all. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out and what kind of dynamic they'll develop because the interactions they had in some of the comics were probably some of my favorite things for Damian as a character! Super excited!
Trips to the zoo? Soccer games? Damian's eyes popping out when she tries to compare growing up with Cluemaster to R'as?
Edit: @Ruby I'm fine with group NPC unless someone wants to do it alone.
@Tackytaff Perhaps Tim could vouch for her. We all know the kind of relationship those two have....
Yeah maybe, but their relationship would probably invalidate anything he has to say on the matter. Again, she just came back from a year out of the game completely plus the last thing people remember her doing was sending all of Gotham to hell. Go for it by all means but it would also be up to the other batfam members to not shoot down the idea right away. I'm going to send you a PM about their relationship by the way, looking forward to many over-dramatic moments that could have been sorted out by just talking!
I can see the fallout now if Damian works out any of the details between Tim and Steph if Tim vouches for her.
'Forgive my ignorance Drake, I wasn't aware that kissing ability counted as a qualification for vigilantism. Ah wait, I take that back. I'm actually confident she's more than capable of replacing you. But then, would that not cut into your plan to spend long moonlit nights awkwardly staring at her while hoping your pants don't become tight enough to impede your already disappointing combat abilities? No no, I've entirely changed my mind, having her around will be much more entertaining.'
lol I'm stupid excited for Steph/Damian encounters, I think the timing is just right that they would never have met before, as she's been away for a full year (and back for a few weeks) and he's been around for just over one.
Nah, the more I think about it the more I like where she is now; Batman disappearing shortly after she reveals herself. Not to mention without Cass I don’t know who would vouch for her, and making Cass a NPC just isn’t something I want to do. She’ll probably stay as Spoiler throughout.
© 2007-2025