2016-10-10 - Demon Ninja Invasion

The Summer Set skyline overlooks the bay, and is the scene of the evening as a crowlike figure marred with splotches of red sits hunched atop the Wayne Tech building farther inland where there had been a break in not so long ago. The figure of Azrael stares down at the parking lot, observing pedestrians with the moon at his back, oblivious to whether any look up to notice him.

The evening is typical for Gotham. Somewhere not so far away, car alarms are going off. Likely the Bat signal is shining for some reason unrelated to that. There's always something going on here, but that's not the business of this swordsman.

In the shadows, things lurk. Dangerous to the shadwos themselves. Forged of the shadows. That war within the shadows. Some heroes face the demons and win. Some heroes face the demons and lose. For some heroes who lose to the demons, however, there is only damnation. For those heroes who lose to the demons but in turn are used as little more than weapons by them after.

For one woman, would be hero slain by the Hand and corrupted by the essence of the Demon that stalks through the shadows. The White Tiger.

For the man-beast that has given them his devotion and been taken back from Death's poisoned embrace. Kuroyama. In the night they and others stalk on a deadly mission, accompanied by others of their brethren.

Bat signal that means time to work, Nightwing visits with the Commish on the matter that causes the lighting of the symbol and then heads off to work on that problem little knowing the different issue his night will get him involved in.

The shadow knight isn't oblivious to anything, his senses are slightly more than mortal. Whether it's supernatural, or simple mania, he himself doesn't know as he is perpetually motivated by the haunted voices of the dead who came before him wearing the armor of Sorrows. He knows something is happening tonight, but what?

His hands are never far from the paired swords at his hips. He sits there watching the flickers of movement before. Waiting for whatever is meant to happen tonight.

A concussive blast reaches out from the shadows with no warning; a blast sent toward the dark figure of Azrael, from yet a third shadow in the night. As the blast goes, the dark hand opens to signal the attack, though it may be unnecessary. Generally firing energy blasts is sufficient, the battle is joined. And the tall, heavily built man known as Black Tarantula walks up between the other two. Three to one? Poor odds even for Michael.

And that's when the full strike happens to Azrael as he goes along on his patrol. The first blasts designed to hopefully throw him off guard and otherwise disorient him. The next series being a frontal assault by the dark crimson clad agents of the Hand. From out of the shadows they come to strike moving like liquid fire, dark robe clad beings slashing out with mystical blades, weapons, and almost bolts of hellfire blasting out then!

Sitting back, the White Tiger, corrupted essence burning, waits along with the dark warrior standing alongside her. The first wave is to attire him, to get him off balance.. Then the Elites will finish him.

From behind his pale metal mask with a red bird like glyph emblazoned across it, Azrael's eyes widen at the incoming attack and he tumbles away from the edge of the relatively low building. In moments, he is cutting a swath through the darkness with paired burning swords, one red one blue, to illuminate the night. Twirling his swords, he takes up position in the middle of the rooftop he is on, his voice ringing metallic through the face plate,"In nomine patri et fili spiritu sancte...amen. Let them come. They will fall like harvest grain."

He takes up his personalized combat stance, Sword of Salvation gripped in reverse fashion with the blade defensively to his rear, the Sword of Sin gripped in traditional saber fencing style to his fore as he lets the warriors come to him. This rooftop is his fortress for the moment.

That's when Kuroyama goes to press a small remote on his side then. The rooftop that Michael Lane has leapt over to use as cover suddenly breaks out even as the ninjas dance and swarm over and Michael braces himself, and the ninjas speed, rush, and then fall back - and the rooftop erupts in flames. Fragmentation mines setup along it that break out in fire, blasting over the top of it then as it erupts in shrapnel rounds blasting up and over the roof. There is a few seconds for the blasts to subside, right over before the ninjas rush in again.

Black Tarantula's mild surprise to see someone avoid his concussive blast, from behind, without warning, is hidden within his dark mask. He watches Michael fight, side by side with the Elites. Time for his blast to recharge, while the ninja fodder whittle down his stamina. No man can stand forever. They wait, though there is a sense of anticipation to this. When the time is right, the three rested, ready warriors will obviously step in.

Energy blasts are the sort of thing that gets noticed, even in Gotham. Nightwiing the dodge blast light up the sky from a distance and breaks off his other business after all this seems ot be a more immediate problem and he starts heading towards the disturbance.

He had his chance to perform his battle ritual, so Azrael's mind is fully committed. He won't go down easy! The swordsman's blades dance from ninja to ninja, cutting a swath through them as the voice of Geofrey de Cantonna rings out in a fashion that only Michael can hear,"These men, their methods are not dissimilar to the League. Thou must needst be wary."

Michael answers the voice aloud, his voice a growl as he cuts through katanas and blasters alike to pummel one after another with tae kwon do kicks,"Indeed, these men...their attire, if anything is more demonic. They are not servants of Ra's, however..."

Azrael's ears are ringing, his path takes him from the ruins but his armor is formidable. It spared him the worst of the damage and shields him momentarily from the flames. It won't be long before he swelters though, if he can't fully clear.

As the explosions erupt along the rooftop, bathing it in flame, fire, and shrapnel blasting superheated through the air then, fragmentation rounds erupting and the rooftop being bathed in smoke, the ninjas directed attack again. They move bathed in flame and darkness, lashing out with magical weapons and smoke. They move like demons, slashing through the shadows and all focused on their single target. They lash, attack, and fall back as necessary to keep numbers hammering Azrael. Brooking no quarter. Attacking with blade, stave, and mystical fire.

White Tiger watches and smirks, speaking quietly in the demon tinted words of the Hand 

The swathe of ninjas are cut down. Most of them fall then in the exchange of blows as fire erupts over the rooftops then, and bodies fly about. As each is struck a killing blow, they explode into literal dust. 

The agent next to her pushes a button as Kuroyama gestures up, holding his hand in a gauntleted fist. The rooftop erupts in flame and fire then as White Phosphorous rounds blanket it, acid fire literally bathing it in heat and napalm enough to almost liquefy anything atop it, resulting in a vacuum from which no air exists, just a raging inferno. The fodder served their purpose. They kept him pinned for a few moments.

And the seven foot tall persona of the Black Tarantula is the first to engage. The other two are milliseconds behind him, but the gigantic form of the spider-man villain is first, his fists crashing down as the final ninja falls to dust. Speed well beyond human, his hands are capable of cracking the rooftop wide open if they miss, though is skill is surprising. The elites enjoy a good fight too, after all, and this one has shown his skills. Unfortunately, they've seen his moves now and are ready for them.

Azrael's movements are circular, carrying him fluidly from one target to the next as he cuts and pummels his way through the ninja attack teams. Whether it's instinct, or the literal specter of Sir Geofrey watching over him noone knows but he slides away from the engagement to take cover under a slab of cement against the phosphorous barrage.

The maelstrom of white hot fire threatens to cook him as the air is sucked from his lungs, his skin parched from the amazing heat beating around and eventually from his cover. When the barrage passes, he gasps and crawls out. Only the fact that his hands are gauntleted likely allows him to touch the ground to rise to his feet. He takes a dry breath to prepare himself for the giant Black Tarantula warrior approaching.

Nightwing arrives at the fight already well in progress, he notices Azrael in the thick of things and mutters to himself, "Why am i not surprised he is involved. I officially owe Selina a Coke." He then swing into the fray aiming for White tiger he launches himself into the throng on the roof as he quick, "Is this a private party or can anyone show up to dance?"

As White Tiger turns to face Nightwing, she hisses, and glances at Kuroyama, "Keep him occupied. We want his weapons. Whether his hands are still on them does not matter." Kuoryama gives a bow and then leaps up and over to the rooftop. Tossed around it then are tear gas grenades and puke gas lathering it. Which Tarantula and the freakish Ninja were both immune to. Hard to catch your breath and focus to use your powers when you were trying to avoid throwing up your lungs out. The attacks would be brutal and hard, Kuroyama leaping with blade to try and flank, hammering from one side to let Black Tarantula go from the other. Giving him no rest and no quarter. Going from different angles so he could not defend himself against both without leaving himself open to one or the other.

White Tiger's claws went to glow as NIghtwing went to leap up and over at her. "Anyone can dance. They all end in the same way. Leaping off the abyss to nothingness." She went to blur, a slash cleaving through nothingness as her claws went to leae almost an afterimage from her charge at him!

Grinning at the new arrival, Tarantula nods at the tactics of his teammates, agreement of Kuroyama as backup. They've trained together, it's obvious now from their movements. But his focus is on the swordsman, knees and elbows striking without mercy, relentless. Chasing Michael across the rooftop, he gives the man not an instant to breathe, let alone think, and if Azrael stops to even catch his wind, he'll find a superstrong, superFAST pair of hands trying to tear his arms literally off of his body.

"It's only a dance so long as one of you is awake. Then it's a game," he says as he chases Michael away from Nightwing, making sure that they can't get together to work as a team, and making sure that he can't get away from the gas pockets.

Azrael's mask hides his exhausted expression, but his armor is radiating heat and most of his cloak is burned away. He nods mildly to Nightwing, but the gesture is all the time it takes for him to find himself face to face almost disbelieving how fast this man moves. He flips away from the man, slashing at him as he goes to get distance and keep from getting pressed by two at once!

His strength is beginning to flag, and now holding his breath as well? It isn't good at all. He parries the assault of one with his his reverse blade countering his close up style while slashing at the other to try to keep his distance as best he knows how.

Nightwing was not prepared for the speed of her attack, her claws bite into his shoulder and he reels back drawing his escrima sticks to help him parry he next attacks. He stays on the defensive at first trying to place her style so he can work on countering it. "Always the women with claws, I think I need a new agent."

The constant pressure is designed to not let Michael have time to rally. No time to breathe. No time to think. Practiced and orthodoxy. Ritualistic in brutality as the demon-infused warriors assault him. Kuroyama attacks and leaps out at Michael. A looped and weighted chain is launched through the air, intent on having it if it can land hard about his neck and torso. Trying to snap it hard. Not so much with intent to capture him, but to pin. TO immobilize. To limit him from withdrawing or getting otu of the glass cloud. Hounding him like a quarry. As he would get more tired, he would get sloppier. As he got sloppier, he would get more desperate. As he got more desperate, he would make mistakes. Sufficient brutality to reach a conclusive end.

White Tiger is focused on NIghtwing, attacking at high speed and with high grace. There's something brutalistically simple in her motions as her attacks seem to literally cleave like light. He's able to parry her, but she has far more force behind her blows than he does. T his isn't likely someone he'll be able to hold off with acrobatics - she's superhuman and has a speed edge. He'll have to be on point and efficient as she went to cleave at him. Her style is something like what League Executioners might use - brutal speed and overwhelming fire, using superior strength, speed, with a twisted edge to maximize efficiency. She can turn almost on a dime and redirect herself at ease.

With Kuroyama's grappling attack, Black Tarantula uses his superhuman speed and utter, massive physical power in an unending blast of attack, attack attack. A glistening of colour on his fingers suggests that even this isn't enough, and his hands are likely coated with something unpleasant. Or is it just there to unnerve Michael even further? Because as the giant slices past Michael with a set of front kicks that clip him, hard, he also drops poison pellets to further pollute the air. There is simply no respite!

Then, the Black Bat comes in like a wrecking ball. Batarangs seem to simply appear from every direction at once, materializing out of the inky blackness of the night and striking at the villains like lightning bolts which explode on impact! One, two, three, five, seven, a barrage of exploding batarangs out of nowhere followed by the flickering cape of an attacker launching herself onto Kuroyama and the Black Tarantula like a tornado.

Not a word, as the tiny figure snaps kicks that could shatter concrete into both men with as little warning as they gave Michael. But with far less effect, as BOTH of them are armoured against such attacks and have less than optimal damage taken from her striking.

The timing of the attack may not have been quite right, as Azrael has just figured out the bigger man's fighting style. He's seen it before, when he was in the military a lifetime ago. He raises a boot to meet the bigger man's incoming knee in a traditional Thai counter, using it to elevate himself off the ground and leap literally up and over him! As he rises up, he strives to prevent being grappled by stunning him with a pommel strike squarely to his crown then delivering a slash as he comes down behind him, hopefully clear of the incoming chain.

Nightwing is used to fighting folks both bigger and faster then he is so has to first smarter. He waits for the right attack and then instead of parring it he used he training in akido to turn he own strength against her flips he towards the edge of the roof, he know this will notlikely me more then an annoyance to her but he uses the break it gives him to slip gas fliters into his nostrals after all the Batfamily is used ot dealing with gasses of various sorts.

The sudden ferocity and ambush style that comes from Black Bat gives Michael Lane what he needs, hopefully. In the chaos of explosions, of poison clouds, of gas, of acid, and the second degree burns that are coating his body as his exhausted form is almost at the point of shock to keep going and on raw adrenaline. A few hopeful precious seconds to breathe and recover. The exploding Batarangs drive Kuroyama back, and otherwise force enough of the chain to go off target then that he can't get a good angle to further engage Azrael. A quick look is given from the dark, twisted figure then over to Black Tarantula. Handle him.

He will handle her. And Kuroyama advances towards Black Bat. There is nothing ~to~ read i his form. There is just darkness. It is looking into the pitch black of the void. Cassandra has seen insanity. She has seen chaos. She has seen evil. In the form of the Hand Ninja coming towards her she would see the DEMON. Dark, twisted, nefarious hellfire and the form of the damned. It is looking into the abyss, the void, the literal darkness of the condemned of those who have given their souls for power. Or worse, having had their souls taken from them and been bent to serve the darkness no matter their resistance. His blows are brutal, fast, hard, and deliberate. He is the Executioner.

Nightwing is able to use the opening he has to quickly get the gas filters over in place. Her fighting style might not be familiar, but the tactics of it are. Maximum efficiency, minimum waste of action. NO unnecessary acrobatics. Just offense with a brutal edge. Claws alternate with glowing strikes of blades, her seeming to switch between katana and razor claws with almost manic and magic ease, alternating with brutal efficiency. No mocking. No banter. Just attack.

As Azrael leaps over Black Tarantula, he finds that the pommel strike rebounds like hitting steel. The likely effect is similar to the strikes of Black Bat; not as effective as hoped, and he finds the sword strike to be almost entirely avoided as he lands. A leg sweep as the giant drops, much faster than he has a right to be (how can a man that huge be this fast?!?! It's unfair!) spins underneath Azrael just as his weight is settling to the ground, as the Tarantula uses his immense speed to turn, spinning low. And hand reaches out to steady Azrael, to keep him from falling, and to break his right arm which holds one of the blades. Black Tarantula is not fighting clean, not tonight. He will go to any lengths to win this.

The world is beginning to tilt as Azrael's lungs burn, He knows he has to end this now, and he goes for it while his one arm is being grappled. He doesn't need to stab with both to be effective, his sword of sin drops from his broken arm as he grunts loudly from the intense fracture. Wasting no time, the pain fueling speed and reaction, his blue bladed Sword of Truth stabs up at the giant! He utters with the last of his held breath,"Know the truth of...what you do and seek!"

Black Bat backs away from Kuroyami, looking uncertain. Nothing she's thrown at him had any visible effect save for perhaps the exploding batarangs, and she's clean out. The chain lashes out at her and she tries, she tries to avoid it, but without being able to read him she's just normal. And normal isn't good enough against this monster. Stepping away, her arm is hooked and she's dragged toward him by her left arm, and she's plagued by indecision; what will he do, how should she react? She NEVER has to think about this stuff in a fight normally!

Luckily, luckily as all hell, she has spent some time without her powers, so there is a little to draw on. And she runs toward Kuroyami, to tackle the DEMON. If she's to fall, he is going with her, and the rooftop is close behind.

Night knows he is likely in over his head but he has a plan. every chance he gets he tries to throw her or makes similiarly unharmful but grating attakc back while his primary focus iis avoiding the claw he is trying to goad her into anger hoping that when she gets angry she will make a mistake.

The chain impacts the Black Bat rough, sending hers taggering. Each thing she swings at the man seems to register about as using a katana to cut the raindrops falling from the sky. He goes to swing at her again, alternating chain with a brutal katana that he wields as if it the weapon were a scythe. Broad, cleaving strikes. She's on the defensive, and thrown off, but she can hold him off. Once she adjusts to -not- reading him and -not- reading the darkness. He is powerful and fast and comes HARD. But she can survive him. She just can't break his defenses. Then she goes to charge him. And hits him in the gut and slams him over and off the roof. And his hands go to slam up and over her, trying to get over her in a spine crushing bear hug if he can as the pair tumbled, trying to make sure HE was on top as the pair tumbled through the air!

And White Tiger latches over at Nightwing, and goes to muse as she attacks him, "Yo know, we've been scoping out this city for awhile." She then starts out throwing out addresses as she engages him. Attacking. Orphanages. Church soup kitchens. Hospitals. Emergency clinics.

Nightwing nods at her, "Good to know." then he shifts he does get mad but gets mad like a bat. His combat style completely chances becomes much more like his mentor, the quips are gone instead he becomes more efficient in his motions. Something that might unnerve Black Bat, right now he is moving a lot more like Jason then like Dick normally does.

Black Tarantula's hand is on the single sword the instant that it falls from Azrael's right hand, with triumph on his features under the black spider mask. But the sword of Truth is buried in his gut in the same instant, as he looks down at Azrael on the rooftop beneath him. His eyes widen as the power of the spell takes hold, forcing him to see the consequences of his actions. The light shifts around him, as his hand rests on top of Azrael's, the sword buried in his stomach. Tightens, harder and tighter, then the man steps back away from Azrael. A slow grin spreads over his face, and the giant's voice says, "It'll do. Tally ho, angel of light." And then he's turning, leaping from the rooftop, with sword of Sin in hand.

Nightwing slams over into White Tiger, who is on the defensive as he goes into a brutal, focused style. he strikes her. He's slamming his fists over into her hard then, slamming her hard up and over in the gut and brutally pressing the attack.

There is a loud, nasty crunch from where Kuroyami and Cassandra fell. It heralds pain, and likely only one of the two getting away from it safely. Seconds pass after Tarantula took the sword, before one of the two reappears on the rooftop, and it's...the demon. The dark form of Kuroyami appears, climbing to the roof with what appears to be a single hand. "Bitch broke my wrists!" he says as he signals White Tiger time to go. He's literally unable to pick up the sword from Azrael, it appears that if Cass went down, she went down like a grappler. And she's mean when she's losing.

That's when there's machine gun fire going off along the rooftops. And a series of arrows hitting them simultaneously with exploding batarangs.

WiIth the revving of a motorcycle engine, the cavalry has arrived.

Everyone in town.

Emphasis on EVERYONE.

There is the brutal takedown of the Dark Protector of Gotham flying through the air, launching with a grapple and a landing. Of Robin leaping right after him as Red Hood peppers Kuroyama with machine gun fire to backup Black Bat on the ground. As Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress launch themselves to literally smash him away from Black Bat. From the rocket engines of Zinda's plane above as Mockingbird deploys in a power dive. EVERYONE has come.

There's a wide eyed look from White Tiger. "We have what we came for!" Get out. The remaining ninjas litter the building and the area with smokebombs, fleeing.

Azrael can't hold his breath anymore, he's breathing the noxious fumes and it causes him to slip his mask long enough to vomit at the feet of the White Tiger. Classy. He's bracing himself with his sword, bad form but his whole body is in pain so that's pretty far from his mind. Then...the Cavalry arrives. Woot! Too bad he hurts too much to actually cheer.

Nightwing lets up at the arrival of the cavalry his anger subsided somewhat or at least dulled by the throbbing of his shoulder and the numerous other cuts he has received in fighting the White tiger, in the end end that round of this fight is likely a draw as both took and dished out some hard shot but neither fell.

Landing with a glide to the ground, The Bat of Gotham comes in. Quickly assessing NIghtwing to make sure he's okay, then glancing over at the fallen Azrael. Robin is racing over towards him to give him medical attention. He speaks. "We'll handle it from here." Not 'I'. 'We'.

Cassandra Cain is not reappearing. Luckily, she fell on her head; her hardest part according to Oracle who's had to try and beat reading and writing into her for ages now. Also, the bat team is particularly good with concussions.

Black Bat is helped up over by Black Canary, who quips "It's okay, it's her hardest part. She'll be fine." The rest of the group that isn't securing the perimeter or tending to the injured is racing off again, trying to get a bead on the ninjas who have fled into the night.