[center][img] https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/314245695609503757/319606713223479304/stephbanner.png [/img][/center] [b]Sunset Valley, West Gotham Valley High 12:11 AM[/b] 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. [color=7ea7d8]"Who are you?"[/color] 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. [b][color=DDA0DD] “If you don’t mind I’m a little busy”[/color][/b] She pulled a thin metal rod from the back of her belt, with a very quiet [i]click[/i] 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. [color=DDA0DD][i]Very smooth.[/i][/color] 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. [color=7ea7d8]"Ow. Bitch!"[/color] [b][color=DDA0DD] “Yeah well don't try to steal from crazy people in masks.”[/color][/b] 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. [color=DDA0DD][i]Yes, curse these suburban streets free of hard crime, you'd think I was in Metropolis.[/i][/color] 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. [color=DDA0DD][i]Spoiler; fearsome vigilante. Trained by assassins, master martial artists, and the world’s greatest detective, protecting the streets of Gotham from tacky street art.[/i][/color] [b][color=DDA0DD] “Don’t supposed I can get one of you to sign my community service form for this.”[/color][/b] 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. [b][color=DDA0DD] “Thanks for the dance!”[/color][/b] 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. [b][color=DDA0DD] “What the hell!”[/color][/b] She shouted jumping off the bike and chasing after the unknown person as it toppled to the ground. [b][color=DDA0DD]“You're really-”[/color][/b] [color=DDA0DD][i] Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit.[/i][/color] 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. [b][color=DDA0DD] “Bit late for diving practice.”[/color][/b] [color=DDA0DD] [i]Wow.[/i][/color] 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? [b][color=DDA0DD] “What’s your name?”[/color][/b] That didn’t get a response either, Stephanie took another step as to stand beside the teenager. He turned to face her – smiling. [i]Laughing[/i]. 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. [b][color=DDA0DD] “This conversations gotten a little bit one sided for-Hey!”[/color][/b] He stepped forward. [color=DDA0DD] [i]Always have to say something don’t you Steph? Even to the hyped up junkie that wasn’t listening.[/i][/color] 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. [color=DDA0DD] [i]Half an hour before everything went to hell. Well done Girl Blunder.[/i][/color]