2014-07-07 - A Bridge Too Far

A late afternoon bordering on evening in Metropolis finds traffic beginning to ease. People don't seem to like the heat of the summer day, and there's very little place to hide from it. They're hoping to get home soon, and it's making people make mistakes. Also in the traffic, moving between cars, is a black asian motorcycle that's not really taking traffic lights into account.

Going through a yellow light that the cabs also are running but normal people stop for, the left turn across traffic loses grip on the tires, and the motorcycle skids its back wheel out, heading for a post.

Yellow, that's always a problem. Though Green Lantern had been in Metropolis on business for work. The boss knowing your secret identity, power set, and able to hold the fact you owe her big time a couple dozen times, has lead to Hal Jordan, Green Lantern, Test pilot, and delivery boy." There was something at Star Labs that needed to be at Ferris Aircraft in a couple of hours. Though the motorcycle catches Hal's attention. He comes flying along next to the motorcyle, "Afternoon, good day for a drive huh?" He extends his ring and catches the motorcycle mid air by a pair of flying monkey constructs. They catch the motor cycle. A third with a giant feather pillow appears beneath Cass to fall on. "Yeah lets not tell the other Green Lantern, I just stole his thing."

Cassandra Cain 's motorbike settles into the monkeys and pillow, winding down and giving of a fair bit of heat from the engine. She didn't freak out when the bike went sideways, and seems to remain calm within her helmet. Lifting the visor, she looks at Hal's green suit evenly without sign of panic. After a moment, rather long for a person to answer a simple question, she says with a gravelly voice, "Yes. Hurried, work." She seems rather unphased by all this.

The girl looks out of the pillow, then back to Hal, and there's a thoughtful smile in the helmet that's almost evil. "Hero work," she adds as she eyes the green outfit mischievously.

Hal frowns as he tries to put all the pieces together. "Ah crap, kid. Look I'm just here to pick up something from Star Labs. I was trying to keep you from wrecking. I'm actually kind of in a hur..." He sighs and knows Carol is going to yell at him. But hey what's new, "Alright what do you got?"

The motorcyclist snickers as Hal mentions that he's in a hurry, actually reaching and patting him on the shoulder gently. "Down," she suggests as she's still held in a giant green pillow, then "Go, can handle. Just ninjas." She guns the motorcycle, settling in with exquisite balance, mentally writing Hal off as she re-settles her mind on her target. She does add: "Maybe bomb, was stupid person on phone." She can handle it, her body says. She's also lying, if anyone could tell.

Sif... Tends to draw attention. Six-foot-two, long black hair, almost pure silver eyes.... And she's dressed in red leathers, silver armor and a long white cape with a sword attached to her hip.

"That is quite the lie." Her voice sounds from behind Cassandra as she suddenly appears there. It's easy to read the girl's body language. Her hearing is quite a bit better than a normal human's as well so even from where she had been, she heard what was said and it drew her attention.

Green Lantern isn't Batman. So he can't read the body language. But he doesn't understand bombs and ninjas. He gives Cass his best crooked grin, "Uh-huh. Look Kid, She'll just have to be disappointed." He then mumbles, "Not like it won't be the first or the last time. So bombs and Ninjas? Your stuck with me." He looks up at Sif. He smiles at her, "Green Lantern. Tell me your not tied to the ninjas or the bombs."

Cassandra Cain 's head twists around when Sif speaks up. She actually visibly loses composure for the first time, but only for an instant. A warrior knows another warrior. Settling back into her normal balance, she nods to Hal and says, "Not allowed to be on duty," with that voice that sounds unused and rough. She stresses 'allowed' a bit, as if there's more meaning to it. "Never stop me yet."

"Alright. I'm not tied to the bombs or the ninjas." Sif gives Green Lantern a smirk. "My name is Sif."

Those silvery-blue eyes go to Cassandra and she smirks again. "It never stopped me either." Her arms cross over her chest and a brow arches. "I'm assuming you know where... I can get us all there much faster than flight or..." She looks over at the motorcycle. "That." Green Lantern grins, "I might argue with you about that. But I take it your a teleporter Sif? Sif as in Mythology Sif? Why isn't your hair gold?" He then looks back to Cass. "So where's the ninjas and the bomb?'

Cassandra Cain looks a little put out to be asked to give up her motorcycle, but she says, "Bridge" without waiting. "Under." There's a bridge up the road, about a mile, likely the location she's suggesting. She does however get off the motorcycle and leave it behind, no weapons visible on her person.

Sif's eyes narrow. "Lady Sif, Goddess of War, Shield Maiden of Asgard and Princess of Vanaheim. And my hair isn't gold any longer because Loki cut it off. And yes, I can teleport."

A short nod is given and the Goddess moves so she's got a foot lightly placed on the motorcycle and then holds a hand out to both. "Let's go then."

Cassandra Cain grips Sif's hand, something she never expected to be doing in this lifetime. Literally. After, perhaps, but not during. She leaves the helmet on, though, her secret identity being frail enough as it is.

Green Lantern shrugs, "Yeah, that's who I thought you were. Well guess, they myth folks didn't get that one right." He says stealing another look at Sif and giving her a smile. Then he turns back to Cass, "Okay Ninja, bombs, and bridge. In Superman's town. Somebody wanting to get punched in the face."

Green Lantern nods, "I went out to do some house calls with Hammish. His training as a doctor is going well." He smiles, "I left him with a couple of the wise women comparing remedies and them whispering about finding him a wife. Poor kid. Well not on the wife thing but you know." He laughs, "Yes, new rule no one but us in the suite without announcing themselves." Then reaches out to take Sif's hand.

The Goddess returns Lantern's smile. "Your myths have many things incorrect. I am far from a Goddess of wheat and harvest..." She gives a wink.

With a hand on both people and her foot on the bike, all three of them and the motorcycle diappear and seem to immediately reappear in the spot indicated by Cass. The nice thing about Sif teleportation is... it happens as quick as thought.

Hell's Gate Bridge, leading across the river into the lower districts, has medium traffic. There is, however, a convey of trucks going toward the local stores to stock up the shelves and three police cruisers trailing a speeding car. They seem to have it under control, and the ninja that's spotting on top of the bridge barely moves when they pass by.

Underneath however, is a parked barge with three ninjas hiding in the shadows as well as ninjas can. It's really kind of their thing; that and failing to beat super-heroes and avoiding paying import fees. Only three, but Sif's amazing hearing would detect that there are more on not only the other end of the bridge, but also on the main support. Three sets in three locations, each with what seems to be a device of some sort.

As soon As they appear Hal smiles, "Well I'll keep my comments about bountiful harvests to myself then." He says bring up his green protective barrier. "I'll tell you what Ladies, I'll take the high road and you two take the low road?" He says taking to the air. "So how does one find a ninja? I don't suppose with a giant flash light and yelling here ninja ninja. Thought got to remmeber to do that to Bats." He though begins to scan the bridge for hiding lifeforms that were human sized.

Sif's eyes narrow and her head tilts just the slightest bit. The sword at her hip is drawn, hilt given a sharp twist to extend the second blade and then 'snapped' in half so she's wielding two swords.

"There, there and there," she says, point out each set. "And make whatever comments you want... Just remember that it's Thor your myths claim as a fertility God so if your making remarks about bountiful harvests..." And then she's moving.

Cassandra Cain is moving too, aware that she's likely the slowest of the group. Not that that's saying very much, but she has no way to fly or teleport and she sees the most likely place for a ninja to hide in this area. She hasn't spoken a word in a while and has slipped into the shadows herself, though both Sif and Hal may have seen her move.

The ninjas certainly did, and they move to intercept her before she can reach this end's device, and a war in the shadows begins.

Green Lantern laughs, "Relax Lady Sif, your not the only Goddess, I know. Though Wonder Woman would probably have some good tales to share." He looks down to check on the silent Ninja they brought with them. He turns back to the top of the bridge. His ring homing in on the bomb on the support structures. He lands next to the bomb. He looks around. Then turns to the bomb. He goes to looking at it trying to figure out how to disarm the bomb. When he turns to look at the bomb that's when a Katanna goes to stab Hal in the back.

Sif rolls her eyes. "I'm getting quite tired of being compared to her. Behind you." Sif rolls her eyes, sheathing one sword to flick a hidden throwing knife into her hand and then throw it at the assailant behind Green Lantern. Whether it hits or not, her other sword is redrawn and her own set of ninjas engaged immediately. She could, easily, teleport to the bomb but... A little fight would do the Goddess good right about now.

When Sif moves to the furthest group of ninjas and Hal goes to the middle bomb, Cassandra engages her own. She ducks low, coming in with her hands splayed open on the two she can see, guessing that a third would be with the bomb since she can't see him right at the moment, and notes their weapons. She chops at the hand of one, making him drop the short blade, and gets a slice from the other across the helmet that scores the metal and twists her head around.

Managing to wrestle the blade from the second one, she actually gets kicked in the ribs by the first ninja and the second one yanks her helmet off of her head. Then, against all possibility, the ninja slams her helmet into her face and she goes down to the ground hard.

Only for a moment though. The world spinning, Cassandra ignores the pain and stands up again, right into the oncoming fist of the first guy who nails her squarely in the teeth. She kicks out his knee while taking the hit and slaps both of his ears, dropping him to the ground, and spins to get the helmet in the stomach, doubling her over.

Cassandra snaps the second one's ankle from her position, then stands up letting her head hit his chin, knocking the second one out. Spinning to look for the bomb, her vision blurs and she can't quite see where she's going.

The sword smashes into Hal's back and crinkles up from his energy shield. Sif's knife finding it's mark. Hal creates a pair of wire cutter constructs and snips wires. A protective bubble forming around the bomb as he works to keep from going off early. He looks down at the dead ninja, "Right, your more Big Barda, than Wonder Woman. But least you don't get compared to Guy Gardner." The bomb disarmed. He stands looking to see a pair of ninjas coming after him.

Sif makes short work of her own ninjas. They're slow, really, compared to Sif. The bomb, on the other hand... "Hey, green candle! Do you know what to do with this thing?" She then turns her attention on Cass and those near her as well as any left near Green Lantern. It's nice, oddly, the banter in battle and it causes the slightest pang in Sif which in turn causes her to become somewhat more agressive towards the ninjas. It a vicious circle really.

At this point, with Cassandra unable to properly focus due to getting her head hit with the helmet, Cass is hunting for her remaining target. Her eyes actually cross for a moment, and she forces them straight with sheer willpower, then spots the soon to be dead ninja. Running full-tilt toward him, she watches him hit a button on the device as she flies toward him and takes him out.

Too late, the device is activated, and the bomb goes off, enveloping both her and that end of the bridge in lethal flame, buckling the bridge and potentially killing everyone on this side when it collapses. Unless someone stops it from falling.

Hal looks up from where he is going to answer Sif and then the bomb goes off. "Damn it. Don't let yours do that. Throw it into orbit or something." The says moving to fly to create steel struts to prevent the bridge from buckling and keeping everyone from ending up in the river. "Okay be okay kid. Please be okay kid." The expenditure of his power taking all his concentration.

Sif takes Green Lantern's advice as literally as possible. She throws the bomb as far as her strength allows and then disappears, appearing only a second later with Cass in her arms. Teleporting at the speed of thought... Got to love it...

Once Cass is teleported a safe distance away, she turns her attention back on Lantern. "What do you need?"

Cassandra Cain is let down to the ground, still in the 'stop the bomb' zone, her eyes wide. No helmet, so people could see the whites of her eyes as she can still see the explosing coming her way. She thinks, inches. I failed...by inches. Settles to her knees, out of the way while the powerhouses step in to do the fixing for her screwup. Inches...

Green Lantern doesn't look at Sif, his eyes clothes and sweat trickling down his brow. He class out through gritted teeth, "Get the fire out and get the civillians off the bridge." He says with a frown, "This Bridge isn't going to last long."

Sif looks over at Cass for a moment. "It isn't the victories that teach us or make us strive to be better." And then she's moving again. "I can't do anything about the fire. I can move the people though." Which she starts work on immediately, teleporting them individually or by the car full as needed and able.

The bridge doesn't completely crumble. All told, it needed all three bombs going off to do REAL damage. As the bomb's fire settles, with nothing to really keep it going, it becomes evident that this end of the bridge took all the damage and the middle and far supports are fine. A large section is being held by Hal's ring, but it could actually be buttressed from below with a little heavy lifting, assuming the barge could be shoved under the bridge as a wedge.

Cassandra Cain sits down quietly to think. She has a lot to think about. How she could have come in full stealth, her original plan, but how dangerous it was. She didn't even think about the danger before. Now she very much does.

Green Lantern keeps the bridge shored up. He opens his eyes, "Come on, Hal. You've lifted heavier. It's been a while. But it's just llike riding a bike." His construct glows just a bit brighter and he goes to rise in the air. "If you want I can try helping with the barge. Don't know how much I can help though."

Once she has people clear, Sif reappears as close to Hal as possible just in time to hear what he says about the barge. "Let's give it a try." She doesn't have Thor's strength. She's never really needed it before. However, at the moment, as she begins to lift the barge, there's that faint flicker of envy. This, of course, only makes her angry which she in turn channels into lifting the barge that's irritating her to begin with.

Cassandra Cain has little to offer, though she does start checking on the injured. She feels awful about all this, and has gone quiet again. She's made a decision on something in her head, and it's not about giving up over this.

Green Lantern leaves the bridge with a construct holding it up. He nods, "Alright, Though your doing the heavy lifting. This is all willpower and stubborness." Then though stronger than he looks a construct of Hercules helping to pick up the barge. The construct no where near the real Hercs strength but it should be enough to help Sif do her job.

The Goddess falters for a moment, trying not to laugh. "Odin's beard... Really?" She shoots a 'look' at Green Lantern before turning her full attention back to the barge. Between her and 'Herc' it's lifted and wedged into place. And for the first time, the Goddess actually found herself straining to do something like that. It's definitely a new feeling. One she isn't at all sure she enjoys actually.