2014.03.28 - Gotham By Night (Pt. 2)

">Any luck?<"

The voice belongs to Jennie, one of the 'Action Scientists' behind Tesladyne -- Robo's company. In a strange twist of legal finagling, Atomic Robo is not considered a citizen of the United States, nevermind a living, sentient being; he's actually property of Tesladyne. Which he owns. Which makes him... technically, property of himself. Lawyers have made /careers/ studying Robo's case.

">Yeah,<" Atomic Robo responds -- the 'metal man' is a squat machine with a rounded head and two bright, luminescent blue eyes. He's currently clad in a semi-scorched honolulu shirt (so bright it's nearly radioactive) and cargo pants. He's on his way down one of lower Gotham's streets -- it's night, when shadows and muggers rain -- but the criminal element is giving the metal man a wide birth. Probably because he looks like he could throw a tank. ">Found them. Had one of Tesla's guns.<"

He's currently chatting with Jennie via his headphone -- basically, it's a cellphone, except in his head. To onlookers, it appears that he's talking to himself.

Some day, somebody should fix that. For right now, what Jack notices first of all IS that dearth of muggers. It's a little ripple in the flow of the city. There should be crime here, there isn't, and silently the god of cities drops into a nearby alleyway. It's...a robot. An out and out, 100% robot. No wonder the street crooks are evading... "That shirt should be arrested," he calls, now, from the side of the street. "Not you, mind. Just the shirt."

">Did you recover it?<" Jennie asks on the other end.

">...uh, not exactly.<"

">You destroyed it? Robo, we've talked about this--<"

">Look, it was really dramatic, and -- can I call you back? Somebody's shouting at me--<" *CLK*. Robo's finger descends from the side of his metal head; those luminescent eyes rise up to settle on Jack Hawkmoor. And... "You're not wearing shoes. Are you -- you're a crazy homeless person, aren't you?" And at once, Robo's reaching into his cargo pants, searching for his wallet. "Hey, here, I can give you something--" He's dead serious.

Jack Hawksmoor snorts. "Don't need it. Donate it to a food bank or something." He's not wearing shoes, but that might be because he has weird...seriously weird...feet and doesn't need them. Right? Rubber soles. On his actual feet. Or otherwise-invisible shoes.

Robo's in the process of pulling out a twenty dollar bill when Jack mentions this; one metal eyelid descends, the other staying raised -- giving him a cock-eyed 'Really?' expression. "--alright, I mean, if you're sure..." Back in the twenty goes! "--sure you don't need shoes or something?" Robo can't /see/ his soles; at a glance, they just look -- seriously scarred. "I could definitely get you shoes."

"I don't *need* shoes any more than you do, although you seem to be wearing them." He shrugs a bit. "Besides. You're a robot," he points out, far too cheerfully. Although from his tone he might as well be mentioning Robo's skin color. Or even hair color.

"What? Of course I need shoes. Everybody needs shoes. Have you ever kicked somebody with your bare foot? It hurts." The wallet is now back in Robo's pants; his eyelids descend to narrow at Jack. "I'm a -- really? What gave me away? Was it the glowing eyes, the metal skin, the synthesized voice --...?"

"All the time." And he flickers a grin at the robot. "Nah, nobody human would wear that shirt." He has a feeling he can tease the robot. A little, anyway.

"What--" Robo stares down at his shirt. Then back up at Jack. Eyes narrow a bit more at him. "--is wrong with my... nevermind. Y'know, you're the jerkiest hobo I've ever met." And with that -- Robo is heading off! Stomp, stomp, stomp.