Breaking and Entering

[the_caped_crusader]

Who: Batman & YOU???
When: Late at night, between 12-4am
Where: Police Department
What: Batman's looking for clues.
Warnings: As I've mentioned, I have permission from the mods to investigate the police station. However, I know nothing more than that-- not what they'll find, or the consequences that will take place. If you take part in this, your character may be subject to the whims of the mods, whatever they may be.



[ santa rosita is a far cry from gotham, it's low, suburban rooftops offering little cover by themselves if not for the almost unnatural shadow that seemed to creep at every corner. for batman, that would be enough.

he spent the first month stocking up on cheap supplies at honeybee's, the kinds of tools that he could engineer into basic lockpicks, smoke grenades, or even batarangs. while he was grateful (though suspicious) of his suit arriving at his doorstep one morning, it was more than unfortunate that it had been reverse engineered somehow to remove some of it's more important qualities, namely the contents of his utility belt. it was times like this that he had to remember his training, and that, in the beginning, he had done far more with far less.

the police station was small, serving as both a boon and a crux at the same time. there would be less to search, but it would be easier to be seen by whatever night shift remained on duty. he could remember the way they looked at the gala months back, unable to ascertain whether they possessed supernatural senses or not; he supposed he would find out shortly. once inside, he hugged to the shadows, lips thinning at the almost entirely open office area just past the lobby. his intention was to look at their evidence room, or perhaps search their files for past criminal activity in the area. harding's office he would save for last. ]

[ ooc: if parts of this prompt don't work for you, feel free to have them jump in at any point before bats enters the station, or give me your own! i'm very flexible, and available to chat at BATGUY if you'd like. ]

Comments

[grice]

[ erwin, nor cassandra, had really cared about adhering to curfew. actually, falco hadn’t told them that’s what he’d be doing tonight beyond a note on the kitchen table to just let them know he was going for a “walk”. if anything, he’ll bring something back with him, if not— it was still a walk. an investigative walk that he tried his absolute best not to appear to any neighboring robbies in, carrying with him a flashlight to shine when it was just him and the middle school. initially, that’s where he was heading.

but something had caught his eye on the roof of the police station. something hulking and and the same time quiet. something that picks and entry and slips inside with admirable stealth— falco had only saw by chance, now crouched behind one of the garden bushes lining the building’s entryway.

after a moment’s thought, he decides to rush in after the figure, doing his best to remain just as quiet as he turns the knob and slips into the warmth of an empty police station. with his heart pounding in his ears, but he makes it, to quell his curiosity and desire to find something to aid them—

the only problem had been when the sleeve of falco’s jacket had caught on the curtains enough to make a delicate zip sound of plastic on plastic, and the worst of the contact makes the entire thing shutter. his chest runs cold in being heard, scrambles to hold the curtains in place, so he drops down and bolts for the secretary’s desk to hide. anyone that comes back into the room would see that the curtains are subtly swinging— and there’s snow on the floor that belongs in the sole of a boot, fresh enough that it hasn’t melted. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

[ a large hand emerges from the darkness and pulls falco back into the darkness with it, only narrowed slits of white visible as it growls at him. ]

Keep your mouth shut. Don't make a sound.

[ a moment later, one of the officers on duty walks dangerously close past them and stares at the curtains for a moment before returning to its desk. ]

[grice]

[ falco’s single and only mmph! of surprise is short lived. he can’t see who’s hand this belonged too, but he does speak as another figure comes.

he’s made a mistake, his heart is beating in his throat— but his judgement tells him to do as he says. rapidly breathing, he holds for a moment to stay absolutely quiet, and to maybe help calm himself in the first place.

his small hands are on top of the shadowy man’s, but not rebelling against him. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

[ once the coast is clear, falco's captor unceremoniously throws him into an open office and quietly shuts the door behind him. before giving the boy time to react, his hand grips falco's shirt fiercely, batman's voice a low rumble. ]

What the hell are you doing here?

[grice]

I—

[ his tone lowers into a careful hush. he’s not one to go around acting brash and tough— even as he’s thrown in, he gets on his feet and stands with his back erect and eyes forward (like he’d speak to an angry, commanding officer for something he’s done wrong). even if he was intimidated. he swallows through his dry mouth and continues: ]

I saw you come in, sir. I thought it was something— [ forgive the wording, ] strange.

[the_caped_crusader]

Yeah, I'm dressed like a bat and I'm breaking into a police station. It doesn't mean you follow the bat.

[ IF YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A BRIDGE, FALCO... batman checks over his shoulder to make sure nobody else is coming before continuing. ]

You can't be any older than thirteen. What are you doing in the middle of town this late anyway?

[grice]

[ it’s precisely why he followed the bat. who dresses like a bat? falco even wants to ask “why are you dressed like a bat?” but— he holds his tongue. he’s not in the right position to be asking questions and still keeps on the alert. ]

I was going to the school while there was no one there— to see if I can find something. [ the man . . . all things considered, didn’t look like he wanted to hurt him. if anything it looked more like he was one of them, in that sense that they don’t belong, and starts fishing for his jacket pocket. ] I-I took notes, and I left a door open.

[ little flashlight aside, the notes are folded and scribbled on back to back. he’s young, but he’s not stagnant. as for the door, he hopes no guard has realized and closed it. ]

I just want to go back home, sir.

[monomachy]

[Diana had partly joined the neighborhood watch just to have an excuse to be out after dark. She remembers how different society had been back in the '60s, and Santa Rosita seems to follow those rules. She'd raised a few eyebrows when she'd first joined up, but eventually, the neighbors had simply chosen to pretend she hadn't. It's awkward, but it works.

So she's out, having ventured a little further than her own neighborhood, when she sees a dark figure moving towards the police station. On top of the roofs. Even without her abilities, she's able to make out a semi-familiar shape (suit, really), and presses her lips together. She dodges around pools of light beneath streetlamps, staying as silent as possible in her sneakers as she follows him. There aren't many people who lurk like that, and she has a hunch who it might be.

She catches him just as he's finished picking the lock, sticking to the shadows as well, whispering just loud enough to carry.]

Why are you breaking into the police station?

[She isn't in the mood to mince words tonight.]

[the_caped_crusader]

[ he finishes with the lock almost as soon as she finishes with her question, a satisfying click that announces his success. he doesn't surprise very easily, so he only glances back over his shoulder. ]

I'll give you a wild guess.

[monomachy]

[Her lips press into a thin line. This is absolutely illegal, but--]

I'll come with you. The search will go faster.

[the_caped_crusader]

[ he raises his eyebrow. ]

That was a quick turnaround. You commit crimes with strange bat men often?

[monomachy]

[She gives him a wry look.]

You are strange, but not in that way. Are we going in or not?

[the_caped_crusader]

Hm. Try to keep low and quiet.

[ a wry look himself. there's something familiar about her, though he can't place it. when they move into the police station, they'll find it's rather small, leaving them with little room to hide, but not far to search. bruce-- batman-- begins to lockpick a door. ]

You should cover your face with something. CCTV predates us by twenty years still. What am I supposed to call you anyway?

cw smoking

[m1895]

[ Vasiliy finds himself, well, around, just like in Chicago, much more frequently than he'd prefer. It's an unfortunate reality: the career he has now operates at the periphery of the career he had then, or at least at the fringe of the occupation of the cops who wish they had the career he had then. This is one such night, and at the moment, he finds himself walking across the parking lot with an aluminum clipboard under his arm, head craned downward, one hand cupped protectively around the flame from his Zippo as he lights the end of the cigarette hanging from his mouth.

He looks up when he knows he's getting close to the double doors and— Someone's there when there was nobody else in the parking lot a second ago, taller than any of the guys who have the night shift (Vasiliy has always had a memory for these sorts of social details, especially when they may, at some point, jeopardize his life). He also isn't dressed like any of them, not even a regular civilian, and he's not behaving in the way someone in an emergency would, which is damn near the only reason someone would be coming in to a police station at this hour.

No. He's sneaking.

And somehow, in some way, Dale Harding and his lackeys may associate this with him. He's the only newcomer who visits this place semi-routinely, and even though Harding's seemed less anti-Soviet than most of his peers the few times they've crossed paths, he's an American. The tune will change, as they say, as soon as something happens. He keeps his voice low, acutely aware of the asymmetrical weight of his belt, of the Nagant revolver holstered under his jacket. This guy's likely armed, but, after all, so is he. ]

You— What are you doing?

[the_caped_crusader]

I'm breaking into the police station. I thought that was obvious.

[ batman continues to tinker with the door before the click of the tumbler frees the lock. ]

Now keep your voice down.

[m1895]

[ If the man's presence was a surprise, his bluntness about what it is he's doing, something that could get him drugged or killed or thrown into prison, is a bigger one. It's like he's unable to comprehend danger, or doesn't want to, or both. It actually warrants momentarily taking his cigarette out of his mouth and switching the clipboard to rest beneath his other arm, away from his holster, as he does so. ]

Y— Do not! They will kill you, or put you in prison. Are you stupid?

[the_caped_crusader]

If they see me. Maybe I'm smarter than I look.

[ batman stands up, all 6'4 of him, as he regards vasiliy indifferently. ]

They don't plan on letting us out of here. You suggest I sit around and wait for a solution to fall into my lap instead?

[m1895]

I do not know anything about what you are saying! [ He does. ] What you want will not matter when you are dead! [ It's offputting, the height difference, but Vasiliy doesn't step back, just straightens his spine and keeps his feet planted exactly where they are on the cement sidewalk—it doesn't result in that much of a change in stature, seeing as he already stands pretty upright, but it's reflex nevertheless. ] Go. Go before they will strap you into electric chair or interrogate you.

[ No survival instinct. None, at all. What does he think this is, some action movie set in pretend land? No Russian in their right mind would ever do something so overtly suicidal and idiotic. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

I think I'll take my chances.

[ batman turns his back dismissively and reaches for the doorknob. ]

My suggestion to you is to walk away. Like you said, who knows what they'll do if they see you here talking to me?

[hoshikiri]

[Batman was being Watched. He might have picked up on the feeling as he made his way to the police station. That someone was tailing him from distant shadows. Takame didn't offer his abilities to the neighborhood watch for no reason, if something posed a threat to those like him, those pulled away from their worlds, he would silence it.

He knew by now that the station posed more of a threat than any untempered native or newcomer, hence his surveillance on this night. But in his experience those who walk in shade rarely had good intentions either.

Whether he was detected early on or not, it was clear his steps were well practiced. Barely disturbing the earth and gravel beneath his feet as he stalked with his conspicuous horns and scales hidden behind a dark hooded coat and shawl he found at the general store. It wouldn't be until Batman came to a complete halt to his destination or elsewhere that Takame would make his presence well known, first by dragging his heel against the ground to cause a soft rustle, then by speaking. His voice and accent may be passingly familiar.]

Who are you and why have you come here?

[the_caped_crusader]

[ batman was waiting for him, standing next to the door, arms crossed and foot propped up against the brick of the building. ]

I'm delivering a pizza.

[hoshikiri]

[The FUCK is a 'PEETZUH'?]

In the dead of night. [Takame would call that out even if he didn't work with delivery people on the regular. He mirrored Batman's posture, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to his heel.]

I see no delivery in your hands. Do you take me for a fool?

[the_caped_crusader]

[ deadpan: ]

That depends entirely on whether or not you think I'm serious.

[hoshikiri]

Clearly you aren't. [Said with a downward tilt of his head along with a wider scowl. Just cause he doesn't know what a Pizza is, doesn't mean he's stupid.]

So why have you come here, then?

[the_caped_crusader]

I'm obviously breaking into the police station.

[ batman crosses his arms, his mouth twisting wryly. ]

They do have breaking and entering where you're from, I assume.