2015-09-23 - Why Did It Have to be Ninjas?

It was somewhere off the midst of the well to do section of Gotham and what would be the suburbs. A recent number of robberies had occurred of amateur occult collectors of mostly minor trinkets, but enough to establish a pattern.

And on this night, Gotham was visited by something dark and gloomy, the same way it was on numerous other nights.

But on this night, something sinister danced along the alcoves of the low city rooftops. Danced, ran, and flew.

As the ninjas graced by the Hand Demon raced along in silence.

Batman has been keeping a close eye on this area, all the items were minor in consequence, but all having something to do with the mystical. Or at least that's what a call to Zatanna had uncovered. Keeping a close eye on the area, Batman sees the movement from his perch high up on a nearby gargoyle. Pulling out his grapnel gun The Dark Knight springs into action, cape billowing out behind him as he starts to swing down towards the hopefully unsuspecting thieves..

Logan had been trailing the ninjas for sometime and keeping his distance. they move silently and almost invisibly but they can not hide their scent from the Wolverine. He tracks them like a predator trailing a herd of prey animals through the brush and wood. Sniff Sniff Wolverine smells the air to gain their trail thinking that what ever the hand is up to isn't good and probably well worth the thrashing he would give them.

It's easy to track the horde of silent swinging and flying men garbed in dark outfits as they leap over through the air. They're definitely not the League, and out of place in Gotham. As Batman and Wolverine stalk over towards them, the lead Ninja holds up his hand, making a fist as the group 'lands' over on one of the building, all of them going into defensive positions and drawing weapons to meet their pursuers.

The Ninjas do not otherwise respond over to Batman's 'offer' in any sort of verbal sense. The orange-attired leader of the group merely holds his hand up and over in the air which had been coiled as a 'halt' symbol, and then he unclenches it as Logan goes to rush them over from the side! And the traditional swarm starts as the Hand ninjas paper the area with heavily infused smoke bombs, turning the already thick fog to virtually unnavigable.

The darkness is their friend as well. The ones that Logan slashes through seem to pepper and burn to dust, a thick scent of ash that marks those damned by the Demon as their passage as they charge over at the pair of heroes!

Two flank and lash at Batman, one wielding a large ball and chain that tries to entangle him as another tries to flank him with a nanigata. Two silent ones charge at Logan, in and out of the darkness, moving in between eye blinks in the thick fog that infuses the area, slashing out at him with heavy katanas!

"Penny one, active sonar." Batman murmurs as there's suddenly a high pitched ring that comes from under batman's cowl, his eyes glowing faintly as the smoke is penetrated by his technology. Stepping in on the chain Batman catches it with the rigid blades of his gauntlets halting the momentum and yanking pulling the chain wielder close for the bone cracking meeting of fist to nose the chain then used to wrap around the spear wielders weapon fouling it up as batman leaps in for boot to meet... foot the two opponents going down."

Logan seems to be bothered by the smoke and the dust shaking his head and grunting as if he's trying to expel it from his system. But the distraction doesn't hold long as years and years of dealing with the hand and many like them has left Wolverine with excellent instincts and muscle memory he can predict with high degrees of accuracy their next moves allowing him to fight effectively even when blinded by the smoke.

The screeching noise on the hand does hinder wolverine for a moment he can't hear the movements and the piercing shrill clouds his thoughts. "Cut it ou-AAAAAHHHHHHH" Logan snaps into a rage to help him fight through the smoke and the noise and the crowd. He lets loose with a a thrashing flurry of wild swings just charging till he felts something hit his claws. A couple of ninjas make the mistake of being in his path and receive fresh new opening in their chest cavities.

Logan shakes his head and becomes still. Think Logan don't be an animal not like creed you're a samurai warrior think clear your mind and wait for them. Wolverine stand s arms by his sides almost mediating waiting to be attacked.

The ninjas that Logan slams through are both pinned over against a brick wall, the bricks cracking under Logan's smash over into it as they were each crushed and impaled over by the attack. Another pair go to try and pepper Logan from behind with a combination of thrown kunai-darts and shuriken, poison seeping into his veins if they impacted him long enough to give them lethal doses - enough to drop an elephant.

Another pair circling over towards the Bat in the darkness as his sonar pinged their location as Batman effectively disarmed and dropped two of them, them slumping into unconsciousness. this pair were throwing something a little more dangerous - glowing projectiles, darts which as they tossed at him would burst over to flames as they were launched at Batman, a half dozen thick thrown at him at high speeds!

The initial sound dying down to a subharmonic thrum that when fed back to the cowl let the man see through the fog. Breathing though is another manner as the smoke fills his lungs causing him to cough Batman reaches into his utility belt bringing out several small balls that he clacks together and then tosses into the air above everyone's head. There's suddenly three loud cracks of thunder as the high explosive balls burst the shockwave hitting the smoke to try and dissipate it while one unlucky ninja gets slammed into the ground. Batman barely has enough time to react to the glowing kunai sweeping his cape up he catches them with the thickly armored cloth that quickly catches fire and is quick released off his shoulders leaving him without the scalloped cloth, his arm slightly scorched where part of the flaming cape brushed against him.. "That was a mistake" he says launching several batarangs at the ninja in retaliation.. Quickly he tries to take a headcount to see if the number of ninja are starting to diminish or if backup may be needed.

Wolverine stands motionless. He smells something he smirks and at the last possible second whips around, batting away the darts with his claws. "Gonna have to do much better than that." Wolverine can see again though the ninjas wisely keep to the smoke. "You're gonna run away I know this but I'm gonna grab on of yah before you get away and I'm gonna pieces off of him till he tells me exactly what cockamamy plan yah got cooking just so yah know"

There are roughly six ninja left. Four now as Batman's batarangs cut through two more who had just been charging over at him as they drop heavily as there are now four left, including the orange-garbed leader who had been holding back the fight, watching the two as Logan cuts through the smoke to drop a set of them. He goes to bring his hand up then in another fist, and there are a half dozen eruptions of smoke - the telltale trace of more Hand teleporting in.

These ones look a bit beefier than the previous group - more senior ninjas, recognized to both Batman from his research and Logan from experience, wearing dark purple and blue robes then with kanji runes inscribed to them in solid black ichor.

Without the weight of the cape Batman is able to move much more nimbly as he moves to attack his attackers, one.. two .. three solid yet brutal punches later they go down, but there are still many more, and then there's the maniac with the knives for hands talking about carving.. "Watchtower, priority one signal, I've got mystics and need some muscle.." Batman says over the comms to the Justice League..

Wolverine looks at the big orange clad one "I guess you're my dance partner, bub" Wolverine steps confidently towards the demon. "I'm guessing you're the one in charge. means when I cut the info out of you I can just take you out and be done with you" Wolverine raises his claws to eye level and starts running at the man.

There's a grin from the Hand's leader, speaking his first words. "You can try.. And you can die." As Logan goes to charge over towards him, he sidesteps, turning to almost smoke then as he reappears several feet over to the side, slashing out at Logan with a long nanigata en passant then as his compatriots join in and go to charge at him and Batman!

On the League Comm, a chime comes < Acknowledged. Backup en route. ETA five minutes. >

Batman launches himself at the new beefier ninjas leaping into the air a series of small balls picked out of a pocket at some point go flying at them at the same time as his eyes go completely dark, bright points of light flare out in front of the larger ninjas as quick flares of chemical light ruin what ever night vision they might have had the Batman going on full sonar as smoke starts to erupt from his own belt meatier, thicker sounds of fist hitting flesh starting to ensue into the night air. "Make it two." he growls over the comms.

Wolverine takes the slash and grabs the weapon "Bigger meaner things than you have trying to kill me. I ain't scared of you" Wolverine pulls the naginata and either the demon will surrender his weapon or be pulled into Wolverine's claws. "Wolverine ignore the other ninjas for now till they put themselves between him and the demon then he would dispatch them with efficient force. but he is focused on his pitched battle with the leader.

The ninja facing off with Logan is disarmed, even as he goes to let Logan cleave the weapon in two, pulling out a trio of throwing darts and trying to toss them up and over to Logan at close range then over, saying nothing. The flash of chemically induced light for the ninjas thrown by Batman is literally burning hotter than the intensity of the sun for a moment as it goes out, leaving them dizzied as Batman goes to his trademark attacks. Fists flying, the Bat leaps and pounces, felling one, then another in quick succession!

Batman has taken a few hits himself, parts of his uniform are cut, a special property of the suit leaking out over his skin causing the cuts to instantly clot and stop bleeding. The septic stings like hell, but it prevents all but the most severe wounds from continuing to bleed as a third and fourth tier two ninja drops the next pulling out long, straight swords batman reaches behind him pulling out a pair of folded batarang that spring into large almost sword like bat shapes the man starting to circle the other ninjas squaring off to face the newly drawn weapons... So far the fighting has been too intense for him to speak to the other man the ninjas too skilled to allow him to glance over at the leader..

Wolverine disarms the man and instead of cleaving the weapon in to the skilled old veteran instead begins to use it. Spinning it quickly and and skill fully to deflect the darts thrown at him. then turning his attention back to the leader swinging and slashing at the leader with his own weapon. "Bring it, dog" Wolverine says ins Japanese to the leader.

The group slash through, swinging blindly at Batman then as they try and track him by sounds - but the Batman makes no sounds as he moves through, dropping them one by one then over as he moves to punch and brawl his way over through them and leaves them down one by one, even as the group is taken out and Logan goes to help and punch through, ending up entangling over in the weapon and plunging him hard to the ground, unconscious.

Then, the sound of mocking clapping fills the air as the fog seems to decrease as the pellets wear off. "Wow! You guys look great together." A man in a black suit, with a white circle on his head that's holding, of all things, a.. Paper airplane. "Really do love it. Nothing quite like harvesting a bunch of nutjobs in pajamas for a good day's work."

"So you're the ring leader of this circus.." Batman growls and then is a blur of motion dropping the over sized batarangs due to them not being needed any more, first a handful of flashbangs are thrown in the direction of Bullseye with one hand, while the other reaches for his grapnel gun Bullseye having been watching from a higher vantage point just a single story up, batman goes to aim his foot towards the villains face trying to take him out quickly..

Wolverine growls, "Bullseye, hehe why don't you come a little closer and see if you still got the stones to talk tough" Wolverine still hold the naginata defensively to keep the leader at bay but with a cautious eye keeping tabs on Bullseye. "Let's see how many of you mooks make it out of here alive"

Bullseye dodges quickly, even as the paper airplane is tossed over at Logan, "Hey! Old bud, what can I say. And nah, I'm not in charge, I just work for them. They pay well, and I get to kill people for shits and giggles." The paper airplane is launched over at Logan with the velocity of a cruise missile, breaking the sonic barrier as it hits off the side of a gargoyle, bouncing over across the street to ricochet off a street sign, denting it in two, arcing around through the air currents towards the back of Logan's skull with the force that could puncture the front armor of a tank!

As Batman charges in and Bullseye ducks, he grins, "I've wanted to do this for a long while. Lovely meet and greet. They call me Bullseye, which I suppose you already know. I hear lots of folks here in Gotham like tricks. Here's a variation of one then to break in a new tradition. pick a card. Any card." Drawing out the Ace of Spades and tossing it at Batman's head mid-dodge!

Batman has a file on Bullseye. he's got a file on everyone, not taking any chances batman legs go of the grappling gun and drops to the ground to avoid the ballistic playing cards another smoke bomb thrown to conceal his avenue of escape he moves to assess the situation. "Where's that backup." he radios out.

Wolverine ducks the paper air plane of doom at the last second. "Cute" Wolverine says as the paper cracks a wall. "as soon as I'm done carving up your friend here I'll be having a chat with you about the properties of adamantium."

Wolverine snaps in to action swirling the naginata at the demon attacking with skill well homed from decades and decades of battle and training.

Logan is able to cut down the final Hand soldier then in a slash of fury then as it's just him, the Bat, and the Man with the Cards.

Batman's communicator chimes < ETA in Thirty Seconds. >

"You should know better than to operate in my city Bullseye." The batman says gruffly as he vanishes behind an air conditioner using it as cover he reaches down to a pouch several pellets falling out from the bottom into his hand his other hand doing the same he then leaps from around the corner heading towards the sonar location of Bullseye large chuffs of concussive force exploding from the concussion grenades along with more bright flares of light trying as Batman tries to affect Bullseye's inner ear with air pressure and his eyesight with the bright lights..

Wolverine turns his attention to Bullseye who should be distracted and takes a running start and uses the naginata to pole vault himself at Bullseye with his claws out.

As Logan leaps up and over into the air and Batman's flash bangs and concussion blasts go off, Bullseye closes his eyes while cackling, "Hey, Rat Man! You know who else is really good at sneaking around? Ninjas!" Logan is met over with a trio of playing cards tossed through the air, which ricochet over off a weather vane, bounce past a large fan over which circulates air through one of the nearby buildings, swish over a rooftop to try and hit Logan over if they can as he leaps in his unarmored gut!

As Batman blinds Bullseye and disorients him with deafening, Bullseye is on the defensive, going to flick his hand over towards the ground as he handsprings to grab up a handful of loose gravel, which is launched over at Batman in a wide thrown and chaotic arc and yet with the ridiculous power and precision the mad assassin somehow manages!

Batman's communicator chimes << Backup will be there in fifteen seconds. >>

"Must be some poorly funded ninja if they've got to hire a poor man's Deadshot as backup." The Batman says not staying out in the open long enough fore more than a couple of the pebbles to find their mark, the kevlar threading in the leather helping to stop the lethal force though it does manage to break one of his ribs and crack another.

Batman goes silent at this point fading into the darkness as he tries to move around to come at Bullseye from another angle, letting the berserker attract all the attention..

Wolverine takes the cards cutting through his abdomen. but still tries to tackle the blinded marksman. "Raaaaahhhh" Wolverine lets out a gutteral scream as he is cut open but continues on through the pain bleeding everywhere.

Tracking Batman by his voice, Bullseye quips, "I dunno. I got to hand it to a guy. If he hasn't shot himself dead yet, his rep can't be that bad." The kevlar of Batman's armor taking the impacts, but even them leaving marks akin to high velocity bullets on his armor. Likely leaving some bruises come morning. But, Batman has an opening as Bullseye is deaf, tracking him by where his voice last was and Batman is running silent flanking, and Bullseye's attention is on tracking Logan.

"Hey, Wolverine! How about you and I play a little game I like to call spit roast!" Going ot whip out a trio of throwing knives, tossing them at Logan in straight, fast arcs as Logan charged him!

Batman takes that opportunity, leaping out of the darkness from behind Bullseye The Batman quickly grapples the man one arm moving up to cut off blood flow to the brain as well as air to his lungs the other arm moving under one of Bullseye's arms to come around and lock in the hold, batman doesn't stop there twisting his hip he pulls Bullseye off balance to slam the top of his head into a near by wall bringing the 'glass cannon' down.

Bullseye might be many things, but in the end he was just a human. A brutal, sadistic, outright psychopathic one with improbable abilities, but still human. A loud SNAP was heard as Bullseye was smashed down hard to the ground, and he could only be heard to groan out, "Hits even harder than Daredevil." Before dropping unconscious.

Wolverine Takes the throwing knives cutting his flesh and bouncing off his bones with a tiiiinggg sound. Wolverine watches the mysterious man in black dispatch Bulleye's and he walks up to him his wounds gushing blood but healing closed quickly. "Well that was something bub. who might you be and what business did you have with the hand?"

Flying through the air then, Wonder Woman rockets towards the rooftops and.. The fight seems to be over as she goes in for a landing, having arrived literally three seconds after Bullseye dropped.

Batman handcuffs Bullseye with a set of bat shaped handcuffs that he manifests from one of his many belt pouches. "I have business with anyone that wants to commit crimes in my city.." The Batman says gruffly looking over at the various piles of clothes that are emitting smoke as even the ninja that he punched out turn to ash and fade away. "You're not from Gotham, I assume this started somewhere else and is passing through the city. " he deduces as he stands tall his uniform torn and bloody. "What do you know?" he asks in that voice that brooks no word mincing.

Wolverine looks at batman sort of cockeyed taken by surprise by his attitude. "I've got history with these jokers I don't know what they were doing. I smelled them up to something and came to ruin their party I had no idea this was /your/ city" Wolverine says that sounding completely unimpressed.

Wolverine looks at the arriving Wonder Woman "Who's the gal?" he flashes her a smirk and wink. "She's late for the party."

Wonder Woman arrives and quickly sweeps the area, "Is the perimeter secure?" She has her hands up and over in a 'ready' position as she looks at the fading ninjas. "And it seems like you've had a most interesting evening."

Wonder Woman glances over at Logan, "And is he a friend or merely a late arrival?"

Batman reaches up and turns off the sonar his glowing white eyes fading out to reveal normal human eyes behind. "You can stand down, Penny One says satellite on the area shows no movement, and he helped out, several magical constructs, or summons were stealing minor mystical artifacts, apparently they hired Bullseye as human backup. Gotham PD will be by soon to pick him up, I'll see about questioning him to try and get a lead as to who ultimately hired them." he explains to Diana not even looking her way as he keeps his eyes on Wolverine. "You called them Foot? as in Foot Clan?" he asks.

"late arrival? you're one to talk darling trust me the perimeter is secure ain't no one left. cowards and poor dumb dead bastards that's all" Wolverine quips at Wonder woman.

"The Hand they're called the hand. I thought bats were good at hearing." Wolverine retracts his claws. "This bozo here is just an associate. If I had to wager, he's working for whoever called in the hand to do this job."

Leaning down, Wonder Woman carefully picks up one of the cut off bands of cloth, "So you're saying they essentially came out of nowhere then?" She gives a nod over at Batman and then an assessing nod over at Wolverine. The quick look from Wonder Woman to Batman of the 'do you trust him' variety then as she scanned the area.

"I'll keep that in mind." Batman says not rising to the quip, he said what he said and meant to say it the way in which it was said. Catching the glance from Diana he gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head before moving to pick up the unconscious man. "Police will be here in three, five minutes tops and I doubt you want to be here when they start asking questions Wolverine" he adds as sure enough, sirens can be heard off in the distance, Gotham's finest coming to pick up what's left of the fight.

Wolverine glares at batman. "Don't get too cozy point ears I ain't given yah my name yet, eh bub." Wolverine walks over to Diana. "name's Wolverine, friends call me Logan. perhaps we can get touch and meet up and you can all me Logan too, Darlin'." wolverine gives her a smile and turns to leave.

Diana gives a light and almost imperceptible nod over to Batman at his motion, "Understood. Let us know if you need help again." Likely in reference to the League then. Logan is just given a -look- then before Diana goes to fly off.