2014-03-01 - The Awakening: ...The Demon Arises...

It's late, but no patrol tonight, which means it was a training night. So Damian heads up to his room dressed in his work-out pants and a black Under-Armour turtleneck that he usually wore under his uniform. Entering his room he stretches, or well, begins to, before he stops eyes going wide.

Red Hood...

He strikes terror in the so-called hearts of criminals. He has killed enough of them since he has been here, most of them not even reported as his kills to the cops. The criminals know though. Currently however, he has his metal mask loose and slips the neck of a bottle to his lips beneath it and takes a swig before setting it aside on the nightstand. He still has his boots on - which will likely upset Damian - as he stretches across the bed, pillows propped behind him, as he moves a string about to tease Little Wing. "Vicious little beastie, aren't you? Just like your master," sounding vaguely amused

He was careful not to set off security, and knows with it being tidy like this and no real dirty laundry, Alfred isn't about to enter. It will be Damian...well, hopefully not Carrie, cause seriously, does she come here when he isn't here? Damian seems the type to be protective of his personal space. Which reminds him, Damian might be pissed at him! Red Hood chuckles at himself.

However, it is the opening the door that makes Red Hood glances up, though his vision is likely messed up due to the loose metal mask. "Hey demon brat," he says with humor and is that...almost warmth in his tone. He then glances back at the cat, "Damn, am I happy to be wearing a cup right now." Cause Little Wing just body slammed his nuts trying to get to the string cat toy he flicks about the bed he lays on.

Damian freezes in the doorway. "You," he says darkly. His eyes flit towards the sword resting on the handmade stand by his desk, working out the distances. Their too close and the sword is too far. "What do you want?" he asks not moving further into the room just now. Red Hood was right, he is protective about his space.

Red Hood reaches a gloved hand for the liquor bottle and offers it toward Damian. "Company," he states. "It's your turn for my visit, but honestly? I don't care about fighting you since I actually LIKE you. So I thought we could hang, drink, and go get into trouble together for fun," he suggests.

There is then a slight pause before he says, "Seriously, I'm not kidding. If you want to make up a logical reason, Talia plays dirty and I rather not piss her off. I like my balls where they are, thank you very much, it's why you should ALWAYS wear a cup."

Damian looks at the bottle for a long while before he kicks the door closed behind him. "I'll pass on that for now, I never drink from an open bottle. Bad experience," he says. "And I'm fine with not fighting. I won't say I /like/ you, but I do see some value in your methods." He moves to stand closer to the bed arms crossed as he listens to the bit about wearing a cup. "Noted. So what sort of fun did you have in mind?"

Red Hood shrugs and slips it beneath his mask and takes a swig. "I've been drinking it. I wouldn't stress," he states. He then swings his legs off the bed, and tosses the string about the cat to make Little Wing freak as the feline gnaws at the feathers on the end of it. The bottle is still half offered, after Red Hood drink a drink from it to show it is fine.

Though he does nod toward the desk chair. "Bag on the chair, it's for you. Why don't you come out as my partner tonight? I got a place I need to go to kick some trash out. It will be fun," and Red Hood chuckles, "You do know what fun is, right kiddo? Or do you need me to teach you that?"

Damian looks at the bottle again after Red Hood takes a swig, he takes it and has a swig himself. It doesn't seem to phase him much, the drink, at least right now. He hands the bottle back to Red before he goes to check out the bag. "Sounds reasonable," he says of the suggested partnership as he unzips it and checks inside. "And I know what fun is," he insists in a tone that suggest otherwise.

Red Hood chuckles at the swig, "Nice...," on the quality of the swig. He accepts the bottle back. Damian will find a black metal helmet that would fit him and lock into place in the lower back/right side, as well as a black leather jacket, and a black padded uniform like Red Hood wears without the bat symbol. Instead, it has the old Red Hood skull symbol in red. There are also black boots. They are in Damian's size, but then again not surprising being Red Hood has been in Damian's room before and could have easily looked through his closet then.

"You sure sound like you know what fun is," sarcasm in Hood's tone. "But that's alright, I'll do what I can to teach you."

Damian looks at the costume and looks up at the Red Hood. He gives him a look as he smirks. "So I am the Black Hood tonight?" he asks as he starts taking the equipment out of the bag and laying it out in front of him. The fact that it looks to be his size does earn an eyebrow raise. "Interesting," he says. "Anyhow, from what I've seen of your work, we do have the same idea of fun," a pause. "For the most part."

"Well," and apparently Red Hood had drank more while Damian was going through the back before holding the bottle out again. "Why don't you tell me what fun is for you, and fun is for me, and we will see how accurate you are young detective," Red Hood states. And if Damian takes another swig, Hood will wait till after it before saying, "You can get dressed in the meantime, and then we can book it out of here. Don't want to be late for the show after all."

Damian takes a swig from the bottle again and hands it back before he answers. "We enjoy combat," he says. "It's fun, it's a challenge, and we enjoy the pain it causes others," Damian says matter of factly before glancing up to check to see how close to the mark he's struck. "It's how we show them that we're better than they are," he begins to pull on the gear over his clothing.

A quiet hrm, "Actually, I don't particularly enjoy it too much. I enjoy the satisfaction of making the guilty suffer. It pisses me off when they get off scott free or just a slap on the wrist," Red Hood takes another swig of the liquor, careful not to fully expose his face. "The world isn't black and white, but damn it, be nice if there was some justice in the world somewhere, you know? But we wouldn't likely have the same perspective of that. You grew up protected, cherished, trained." Hood reaches up to lock his mask back into place and search for the cap to the liquor bottle. "Want another swig of it before I cap it?"

"You're right we don't have the same perspective, I don't understand the desire for justice others have," he says pulling on the jacket with everything else on under it except the helmet. "Except to see that those are not a help to humanity are removed and the best remain," he says with more honestly than he's shown the others in the Bat Family. He reaches out and takes one more swig from the bottle before he hands it back puts on the helmet, securing it in place. "So, how do I look?"

"Damn good kid, damn good." The bottle is recapped and dropped in the bag before Hood picks up the bag to strap to his back to take with him. He then reaches out to tap a knuckle over your heart. "That's what tells you who is worth saving or not, not your head. Talia had issues with that part of her, it's why I left. I knew I would keep going in circles if I stayed with her, just a pawn in a scheme that goes no where good. Come on kid, let's go enjoy yourselves and fuck this responsibility shit." He then goes to open the window and slip out onto the roof top.

Damian looks down at his heart. Whatever expression he wears is hidden by the mask but he says. "The heart is troublesome," he says looking back up at Red Hood. The talk of his mother gets Damian to go silent but when it's time to go he speaks again. "I could do without some responsibility," he admits and follows him out and onto the roof. He crouches down Red Hood, then a smaller dark shadow. "Where to?" he asks.

Red Hood chuckles, "To my motorcycle. This way, left a path for us," and he starts to lead the way. It won't take too long while keeping cover to escape the Manor, and Red Hood hops on his motorcycle, starting it up and waiting for Damian to get on behind him before he takes off. He then heads to Gotham City proper. It is time for some fun!

Damian follows Red Hood to the bike, and on the way takes careful note of the route, that will be useful later no doubt for his own little solo excursions. Then once at the bike he hops on and grabs hold of Red Hood to zip off to Gotham City and some fun.

There was security there, but it was either blocked, rerouted, or overridden by various manners. Red Hood is good! Still, the ride is easy enough, though he does stash his bike somewhere with the backpack before dragging you off to grapple gun on across the rest of the city to The Crow's Nest.

Upon entering, the workers seem to expect the two of you. They start to wander off, aiming for cover, and even the bartender starts to get the glasses down off the counter and put it beneath them much to some of the customer's annoyance.

In the center of the room is a waitress that works there, wearing sexy, but inexpensive clothing and fighting the hands off a gangster. He has a bunch of his friends there. They are from a small gang, not really ranking high enough yet for the Bat's personal attention. The girl looks about to burst into tears.

Red Hood actually waves, "Hey Susan baby!" He's loud, annoying, and purposely draws the attention to himself and Black Hood.

And after the initial shock, the gangsters start to pull out guns and knives. And that ladies and gentlemen is why the hadn't called the cops, and instead outside 'help'. The cops would have shut down the place to get rid of this trash...and maybe a dead cop on top of that.

Damian, ahem, no, the Black Hood didn't bring weapons to the fight, but that was fine, improvisational combat was like jazz (well if he knew anything about jazz) you just rolled with it. When the gangsters get to their feet the Black Hood sweeps an empty bottle from a table that Susan hadn't gotten to yet and starts sizing up the gangsters to pick someone to borrow a weapon from. "Are we free to engage?" he asks, he's smiling behind the mask and it comes through in his voice.

"Objective: Protect the girl, kick the shit out of the morons, and toss them out back to be robbed by the hobos," Red Hood states.

"Like hell! We going to skin you alive man!" That was the gang leader, the one moving a knife too close to Susan's throat. Course, something flies out of Red Hood's gloved hand and it is revealed to be a throwing star, inserting itself into the guy's hand and forcing him to drop the knife in pain as he screams! "I'll cover!" And that is exactly what Red Hood does as he pulls out his guns, providing cover fire and taking down morons so Damian can get in close and let loose his pleasure or displeasure. Red Hood wants to see how 'Black Hood' does in hand-to-hand, without a sword.

The Black Hood doesn't have to be told twice. The bottle is crushed in his hand as he rushes the gangsters. The first guy who comes at him gets a chair swept at his feet, then, the Black Hood launches himself off the same chair to slam the glass filled hand into his face, and follow it up with a kick to the chest. The guy screams and falls back and Black Hood lands down beside the chair. He twists grabbing the chair by the top and hurls it at another gangster before rushing in behind it and scooping up the knife the leader had dropped. He rolls and gripping the blade with both hands drives it through the leader's foot into the floor, before he body checks the girl out of his grasp and into one of the nearby booths.

As Red Hood fires, he is moving, leaping atop a table, flipping over it into the air still firing. He doesn't seem to get vertigo or lose his sense of placement. He doesn't gaze people, his bullets hit, but they hit arms and legs, even shoulders a bit. He doesn't want wild bullets and goes after the gunmen first, leaving Black Hood to save the girl. He does appreciate the beauty in motion that is the demon spawn, but he refuses to be distracted. His guns are tucked away with ease as he flips up over another table, and when he comes down he is bare-handed as he depatches the few gangsters left, breaking arms, snapping kneecaps, and punching their lights out. He moves with violence and confidence, taking his aggression a notch higher than Batman normally would with ease and no regret.

Susan had screamed during this and actually clings to the wiry frame of Black Hood after getting body checked by him and pulled into cover. She whimpers softly, crying a bit. Her terror was real, very real.

Susan gets a look and a "Tt," when she grips him in her terror. "Get off me," he says and pushes her away, albeit into the safety of the booth. Then he turns back to battle at hand, taking a moment to watch Red Hood work. He's impressed, his bearing suggests that clearly then he joins in to make sure he's not left out of the action. He slams an elbow into the leader's groin as he passes him then leaps into action himself. He keeps low, knowing that Red Hood insists on using guards, but it works to his advantage when the goons duck he's there waiting for them. No weapons this time, just fists, elbows, knees and feet. His movements are efficient and he holds nothing back. The men will wake up but they'll need serious medical help. He didn't want to admit it but it felt good to let go like this. To shake off the disguise he had to wear to keep his Father, to keep Carrie, to have a home. He continues on like that, fully Damian al Ghul and not Damian Wayne.

It is not till they are all bloodied and out cold from pain and knock outs on the floor that Red Hood finally stops and stands there in the center of the carnage with Black Hood.

The other patrons had run for it, forgetting about their drinks and just wanting to get out of there! They didn't want hit by stray bullets! They are wise enough to know when the getting is good.

Very slowly, the help staff start to come out from their hiding places and actually sees that most of the damage is surprisingly minimum if you don't count the damage to humans!

Susan goes to pick herself up, shivering as she does so and looks about. She then laughs, a breathless sound, that is a cross between panic and happiness. "He...he won't be able to hurt me anymore." And then she starts to cry, really ball her eyes out, mascara bleeding. One of the other waitresses, an older woman comes out to fetch the young girl and shhhes her, going to take her in the back to get cleaned up.

The bartender stares at the mess and says, "Let's get cleaned up. Drinks on us since you kept it to a minimum. They chased most our patrons out, cost us a lot of money, but I didn't want to fire a girl over one stupid mistake," and he sighs at that.

Red Hood has to shake himself, mentally and physically to come back to 'reality'. "Ya," he says. "No problem. Black Hood, lets carry out the trash to the back."

Another bartender there, a younger man says, "I...I got a truck. I can help you take them a bit...a bit away, you know?" No ties to the bar that way, least not directly.

Red Hood nods, "Good thinking kid. Let's get this done so we can actually enjoy a drink." He moves to place a hand on Black Hood's shoulder, "Good job," he says. "Not a single innocent was injured, and we had fun kicking the shit out of wastes of space."

Black Hood is shaking with barely contained emotion and he drops the thug he was beating on to the bar room floor. "Sure," he says after he's taken a breath to steady himself. "Let's get rid of them," he says of the thugs and he gives the one in front of him a kick. He looks back up when Red Hood puts a hand on his shoulder. It's a wary look at first but he relaxes after a second. "Yeah, it was good," he agrees. "Noticed you shot them in the extremities instead of going for center mass, going soft are we?" he asks as he begins dragging a goon out to the back.

Red Hood chuckles, "Is that your question?" That's right, Black Hood gets to ask a single question. Working with Jaybird, Black Hood will notice that the man is in nigh perfect physical condition. He lifts bodies on his shoulders and tosses them in the truck in the back alley with ease. He will travel with the bartender to drop the bodies off where hobos can rob them and police and ambulances can pick them up, before the small group heads back to the still empty bar except for the staff.

Damian does note the ease with which the Red Hood moves the bodies. Which is made all the more irksome in that Damian, at least for now lacks that strength or the height to employ it properly. He drags rather than carries his bodies out to the back. The question about his question gets a shake of his head. "No, that's not my question," he says as he goes back to the bar and takes a seat at the bar. He would likely need alcohol for the answer to this question. "Why did my mother choose you?" he asks Red Hood looking over at him behind the mask.

"Then I'll simply answer no to going soft to that question," no further details provided. As for the actually question, Red Hood is silent during the trip. On the way back? He says, "I need more to drink before I answer that." And then it's back into the bar! He unclips his helmet, but leaves it in place. Damian will notice this will compromise his vision if he does the same thing, but does permit him to drink with the helmet on while protecting his identity mostly. Red Hood goes to sit at the bar itself, on one of the stools. He lifts a glass that was poured there and carefully drinks it, not knocking it back fully as that would knock his helmet off. He then sits it down with a obvious tap against the wood of the bar and sighs. "Damn, I'm not sure I can answer that one fully, but I can try," Red Hood finally states.

Damian follows him to the bar, unclips his helmet in the same fashion. He notices the lack of vision but his face is too well known in Gotham to do otherwise. He looks over at Red Hood. "I expect mother was not forthcoming, but you can perhaps provide some insight into her motivations, or at least, I hope so."

Jaybird gets another drink, drinking that one, the drinks also provided to Damian. He then asks for a beer. Yep, he's going to get drunk tonight! Digging up these memories deserves it. He is still quiet for a while before he is finally speaking into his beer mostly, "I think she sees herself as in love with your old man. She isn't. She's obessed with his power, what his potential is. She doesn't really love the man he is, she doesn't even understand him. It's the illusion she likes, the fantasy she lives in." He then shrugs.

"Maybe, I reminded her of him, maybe I didn't, maybe she thought he would owe her and she could cash it in. But she found me, took me in, and helped...anyway, shit happened." More beer is drunk before Red Hood says, "I respect her. Don't trust your mother, think she's a total cold-hearted bitch, but I respect her. You should respect her, but don't trust her kiddo, never trust her," he advises.

Hood falls silent again. He doesn't seem done, but he isn't sure how to go on, caught in the middle somewhere.

Damian leaves the drink put in front of him untouched at least until Jaybird starts talking. Then he needs a drink. He finishes his first and asks for a second, a shot of something hard, he doesn't ask what or check to see nothing has been added to it. Both odd for him, but it's an odd night. "Of course I respect her, she's my Mother," he says the capitalization clear in the tone. "And trust is for fools," he counters, sounding so much like her, though there is a little bit of reproach in that tone as well. He did trust his mother, or at least believed in her having his best interests at heart. "And of course she doesn't love my father, love is chemical, a weakness of the flesh, but she respects him what he has become. That is more worthy than succumbing to the base needs of biology don't you think?"

A snort, "There isn't anything so 'noble' about your Mother's obsession kiddo. Obsession is obsession, I should know. Not that I think of your old man like that, ugh, yuckie!" Red Hood does a shutter at that. "But the entire reason I became Red Hood? His fault. So," he picks up his beer and salutes the air, "To fucking obsessions!" And he drinks to that!

The beer bottle taps the bar top. "I owe your mom a lot, but I sure as hell don't want to pay her back. Taking it from my flesh would be nice of her," a smirk in Red Hood's tone. "In the end though, I don't think she took me in for me...in the end, I think she did it for the old man. As if he would actually be thankful," and he snorts at that.

Red Hood then asks, "Does that at least mostly answer your question?"

Damian has another drink, then calls for another. "I knew her better," he says. "It was noble. Father showed her both of his faces, and she respects him. I know she does." Okay maybe the drinks were getting to him. He takes in the rest in silence as he plays with his new drink, just turning it on the bar and staring into its amber depths watching the ice cubes clink together and against the glass. When Jaybird is finished Damian nods. "Yes," he answers simply. "It answers it. Though it does leave room for more questions, but those questions are against the rules. So, for now, it's enough," he says with a nod to Jaybird. "So, what now?" he asks before he downs the drink in his hand.

"Just cause you respect someone, doesn't mean you can't obsess or love them kiddo. Hell, sometimes you can completely hate someone, but still love them. Human hearts are fickle things, they aren't right or wrong...and maybe it's weakness, maybe not, but you aren't human without the flaw of your heart." And he reaches out to rest a hand on your shoulder. "Don't know, how about we drink, get shitfaced, crash at one of my safe houses, and then I can send you home in the morning to a pissed off old man?" Jaybird nods, "Ya, that sounds like a great plan, especially the shitfaced part and the pissing off your old man part."

Damian looks over at Jaybird head cocked to the side "See this is what I meant about hearts being trouble. They make you do all sorts of stupid stuff you know you shouldn't be doing. Better off without them if you ask me," he says with a nod that shakes his helmet loose a little so he has to adjust it. While he does he says "Anyhow, I'm on board with your plan. I even promise not to unmask you when you pass out, which will happen before I pass out by the way. I'm genetically perfect," he informs him solemnly but there is just a hint of a smile in his voice. "Another round," he calls to the bartender.

"That does it, calling bullshit on that brat. Genetic perfect or not, I'm badder ass that you," Red Hood declares! And that ladies and gentlemen is what starts the drinking binge! And the drunken walk to where the backpack is and motorcycle. Only the backpack is grabbed, motorcycle remains hidden...and the drunken trek to a nearby safe house. More drinking inside said safe house, and then passing out thank you very much!

And the entire time...Red Hood, asks questions...like what was training like, did you do things with your mom growing up, things like that. And he talks, like...how Talia frowns disapproving when he killed one of the teachers she hired for him, or how damn angry he is all the time, but...he seems less angry around you, and how women are a pain in the ass and troublesome, and Batman...like he doesn't see anyone else's viewpoint, or how he can be wrong, and how damn stubborn he is! And how frustrating it all is! And how...he has to settle things, or else...at that point, Jaybird wasn't make much sense obviously. Yep, it's fun to be drunk!

Damian for his part listens more than he talks, he answers the questions though. His training was varied, following his Father's lead of having many different teachers all of them in Gotham; yes he did things with his mother, she told him stories about Alexander the Great, and taught him swordplay and business, his two favorite subjects. He laughs at the story about Jaybird killing his teacher and has a similar story himself, though to be fair that teacher had been trying to escape at the time; he agrees about women, except for Carrie who is perfect by the way, and he agrees about Batman, definitely agrees about Batman, he's stubborn and controlling and he gave Wayne Enterprises to Tim and seems set on denying him the mantel as well. He's not sure he even wants the mantel but it should be his it all should be his. It's then, before he devolves into angry tears about it all the booze catches up with him and he passes out, and before Jaybird too.

It's actually right after Damian passes out, that Hood nods in agreement about stubborn asses, and starts to share a story that doesn't make any sense cause he is just THAT drunk, when he finally realizes Damian is passed out. He grabs the kid to drag him onto the mattress on the floor and goes to lay down himself, he only remembers to lock his mask cause Damian's is all lopsided and crazy and he tossed it aside before he starts snoring he is so out of it! Luckily, Damian will sleep through most of that metal echoing snoring...that, and Jaybird kinda fell asleep with his shirt half off...stuck on his helmet. Talk about awkward awakenings...Jaybird is going to feel the pain tomorrow.

It is the next morning, that Red Hood finally finishes his mission with Damian over black coffee, breakfast bars, and a cardboard tube with a drawing inside:



It is only then that Red Hood will offer to drive Damian back home if he wants, dropping him off where he can sneak back onto the property if Bruce hasn't already found the security breach.

Damian wakes the next morning and when it's presented he looks at the picture in the tube as he chews his breakfast bar. "My boots?" he asks with a faintly bemused grin. Though only after studying it for longer than he would have if he was simply dismissing it.

When the ride is offered he takes it, getting dropped off beyond the grounds of the manor so he can try to sneak back in without a confrontation with his Father. With his skills, he might almost succeed. Almost.

Article: GG: 2014-02-01 - Wounded Men Found in Alley