2014.04.08 - Gargirls

Rook is waiting. Normally she would wait somewhere else, at home, perhaps, or on the street, anyplace where she could go without the mask. But the nature of the operation requires that Rook be present longer than she would like, and she is not someone who likes to linger. Especially when it is merely dusk, and the sun has not yet fully disappeared beyond the horizon. Rook waits on the rooftop of a medium sized building, one of the art deco monoliths erected by New Deal labor that has since fallen into disrepair. Streaks of rust run down stylized gargoyles from flagpoles exposed to too much rain and not enough maintenance. At least the flags are replaced semiregularly. Normally Rook would sit quietly by an air conditioning unit and contemplate the universe before making her move, but the universe isn't quite cooperating today. Bored, she rises from where she sits and wanders to the side of the building to watch the evening traffic, all those white collar workers trying to make their way home.

White Collars are not exactly what Robyn is after, but the Art Deco building Rook perches on has an advantage - it is a tad higher than the apartment in a neighboring skyscraper, that houses a major drug supplier. Almost a perfect point to eye into it - and possibly even start an assault to it, but then again the building has bulletproof glass and Robyn no explosives to breach it. When the night drew close, she opened the rooftop access, the bow and arrows on her shoulder, the eyes scanning over the area in front of her. Seeing noone in her front, she closed in on the gargoyle to get into her observation position, turning the head once more to scan behind her - stopping in the movement. Was that a figure?

This is why Rook doesn't like to be early to things. She stands out too much in the black gear as opposed to the normal street gear. She hears roof access door open and turns around in time to see Robyn start to make her move towards one of the gargoyles. Just as Robyn looks back, Rook teleports away. Not quickly enough, it seems, as Robyn catches a look. The black-clad infiltrator now waits on the other side of the rooftop access, and leans forward to get a look around the wall to determine where Robyn is going and who she is. Rook's eyes narrow behind her goggles, the memory of her last encounter with the archer apparently not a pleasant one.

It takes a few seconds, in which Robyn stays silent and still, then she resumes her walk to the Gargoyle, setting a foot atop it and then letting herself fall, a leg hooked over the stone figure to get under it, grabbing for the mouth of the beast with her hands. It takes her a minute of rearrangement, then she is kneeing on the ledge just at the feet of the monster, the back pressed to the cold stone to hide her own figure from onlookers on the apartment she was about to observe.

Rook only hesitates for a moment before deciding to put her plan into action. Really, she just can't resist. Once Robyn is nice and settled, Rook teleports to the top of the gargoyle's head, no sound of approaching footsteps to give her away. Then, she simply leans forward so that she get goggles on the archer. "Batman is going to be pissed when he realizes some floozy with a bow is using his gargoyles." She notes deadpan, hands stuffed into her pockets.

Robyn shifted her eye up just enough to see the person, pulling an arrow and her bow free in an instinctive movement. Two seconds later, the triple edge of the tip is gleaming in the light, between one blue and two covered eyes. "Interesting, that I met the fucking Captain twice but never the Batman in the town he claims as his. And If he minds me, he must also mind that Green Arrow guy and all the other archers."

"Archers are lame." Rook says without hesitation. "Seriously. Who shoots a bow? Ring ring, Agincourt called, Henry V wants his superweapon back." Apparently not impressed by the arrow pointed at her, the diminutive woman turns to sit on the gargoyle. "Don't both trying to shoot at me. I'm a holographic projection for the real Rook who is somewhere nearby. And you're not exactly like the others, are you?" Rook tilts her head. "You're the Bloody Arrow. You get off on killing dudes on the street."

"Is that so?" Robyn chants back, chuffing on the Bloody Arrow comment "Not really. I don't hesitate to hurt them, but I don't kill them outright. And I certainly don't get off on it." she remarks, shifting her position so the tip once more aim at the head of Rook. "and not too sure about you being a holo."

"Then you have two choices." Rook replies. "Either I am a hologram and you take the shot, potentially hurting someone below when the arrow goes right through me, or I'm not and you are the killer they say you are." She spreads her hands open, as if inviting Robyn to make the choice. "You carry a lethal weapon. At best you're maiming people just trying to get by. I'm curious why. I deal in information. It's my business."

"Then go and find you your own information but let me dry out the supply for dusterniss." Robyn replies, mentioning the name of the altered cocaine that was trying to flood the streets after the spectacular heist on a crack den. What Robyn didn't knew - and likely most people - was that its supplier just stretched the drug with demon blood to achieve a drug which not ony shifted the perception to somewhere beyond normal, but also was very highly addictig and withdrawl symptoms were quite deadly.

"You didn't shoot me." Rook observes. "Holo-me, that is. I consider that a good sign." She rises to her feet. "Talk to me about this dusterniss. I look out for the streets. I'm one of the few friends they've got, when you get right down to it. Going after a few dealers and middlemen doesn't dry up anything, it just gets a lot of people hurt. Make the case that this stuff is really bad, that it comes from a bad place, and I might help you." - "Going after the dealer raises demand. Demand spurrs the supply line, which makes it easier to follow. Start at the root of a mountain if you want to climb it. And if you seek Dusterniss, just watch over there." Robyn tells, pointing at the apartment which just was starting to get illuminated. "If you have seen what Crane's gas does, you have seen what denial does to Dusterniss users. Still trying to figure out if he makes it or just gets it shipped."

"Send people just trying to get by to the hospital, ensuring they can never support their families based on dubious economics. Well, you're the Bloody Arrow not the Bloody Ph.D." Rook replies with a slight shrug of her shoulders. There isn't even sarcasm in her tone, everything is stated matter-of-factly. Nevertheless, she turns towards the illuminated apartment to watch. "Scarecrow? That's bad shit." Rook admits. "Drugs don't seem his style, though. I'm leaning distribution."

"That guy isn't Scarecrow, just the effects of withdrawl seem similar. I don't even think he is involved." Robyn states, lowering the bow enough to get the arrow aimed at Rook's foot - where the tip will hit the stone figure's horns and stay put if it passes her form. "If you are as well informed as you claim, doublecheck what you think you know." Releasing the arrow she starts to dash to the exit - no need to stay today.

Fwip! Rook nonchalantly looks down at the arrow sticking out of her ankle. Then she looks up at the fleeing Robyn. "And here I was playing nice. Note to self: stop playing nice. One day you won't be paying attention and she'll /actually/ stick you." Rook doesn't pursue, she just disappears, leaving the arrow behind.