2014.02.02 - Occupy Gotham!

Social media is a wondrous thing -- it means word of mouth can spread like wildfire. All it took were a few posts and tweets about the protest and dozens were signed up to 'join' the event. Tommy Shepherd -may- have instigated the tweets and photos. He may have set up the protest and as he arrives in front of the Wayne Enterprises tower with picketing signs, banners, and a megaphone. He seems more than happy to get things started, lifting the megaphone to his lips with one hand and raising a picket sign that says, in bold letters, 'Occupy Gotham!' in the other.

"Bruce Wayne has become the dictator of Gotham! Wayne owns the city! He tells you where to work...where to shop...what to think! He's the reason that so many are so poor and only a few, those chosen by Wayne, are rich! Down with Wayne! Take back your city, Gotham! Let Gotham belong to the Gothamites!"

Others soon join him, picking up some of the picketing signs or arriving with some of their own. Their shouts soon join Tommy's and he's more than willing to pass the megaphone for someone else to get up on the metaphorical soapbox.

To be honest, Gotham is /NOT/ the female Hawkeyes city.

Not that she has Batmans approval to operate in /HIS/ city anyways.

But she does know people who live and work in Metropolis's grungy neighbor. Some of which do so in costume. Thus she does pass through from time to time. In costume. In fact, as this protest, started to form, and it hit the social media outlets, she was in the city, in costume, /BUT/ on her way to a certain florists. Thus the purple VW bug she's in (don't ask!) comes to a stop maybe a block or two from the protest as she gets clued in about it via a 'source' (okay, so her Twitter feed on her smart phone starts to go off like mad about it).

Thus in the end, well...

She finds a ladder, and starts 'the roof top run' until she reaches a point where the female archer can check it out from a 'safe' distance.

She's not actually a Gothamite, although she has been referred to as goth by people with a need to label. Zap is more of a tourist. Having been in the area and heard of the impending rally the young woman decided it might be interesting, and would at least kill some time. She stands on the fringes of the gathering crowd, blending in with her dark clothes and hair, just another face among many. There's no dipping into pockets in this crowd, no one looks like they can afford to lose any money.

Does he really believe that Bruce was responsible for the terrible living conditions some Gothamites endure? Not really, but there was no way Jason was going to miss a protest denouncing Gotham's favorite son, and his hated ex-benefactor. He pulls his bike up as close as he can without running down the protesters that are quickly swelling into a respectable crowd, and lets the engines roar die down to a light purr while he folds his arms over his leather jacket and watches. For now, his outfit betrays little of is nightime dealings -- sure the jacket's the same, and is discreetly armored, but its zipped up to cover the rest of his sleek body armor, with jeans to cover the rest. As for the distinct helmet? It's stashed away in a compartment just under the seat.

As he looks around and listens to the protests, his lips twist into a smirk and he flips a leg over the side of the bike so he can wade into the midst of them, moving effortlessly through the crowd towards the front.

Enboldened by Tommy's initial denouncement, a few others from the crowd take the megaphone to tell their stories. Many are working class, talking about how Wayne's 'ownership of the city' has screwed them over one way or another. Sure, some may be a little far-fetched in terms of linking it directly to Bruce Wayne, but the crowd is riled up enough to cheer each story on and agree with their reasons for being just plain pissed off. Tommy is busy taking pictures and posting them online to get more to join their protest -- just how many can they get to protest Wayne outside if his very own building?

Once a student finishes talking about her tale of financial woes, thanks to Bruce Wayne, she holds the megaphone out for the next taker.

And the fact that Bruce Wayne is the apparent target of these 'stories' does not cause the female Hawkeye to blink. Not as she watches. And listens.

All though as she realizes just who it /might/ be (she can't be 100 percent sure, since she is watching through a pair on binoculars), the female archer does let out a faint groan. After all, if that really is Tommy down there...

Zap can't help but be intrigued by the stories being told over the megaphone, nor the grumblings of those around her in the crowd and she wanders deeper in. The purposeful movement through the milling crowd catches her attention, and blue eyes watch the guy from the bike as he moves forward, crossing her path. After a moment she weaves through the crowd, taking a parallel path to his, not trying to keep up but moving forward as well.

Under normal circumstances, Jason probably would have picked up on his shadow within moments. As it is? He's far too amused by the situation to keep alert. When he reaches the front, he stops directly in the path of the megaphone and takes it from the woman offering it to the man beside her, flashing a grin that doesn't quite reach his eyes to the both of them before lifting the device so he can speak into it.

"I, like you, have been wronged by Bruce Wayne," he begins, his voice fairly dull and flat, "Unlike you, however, I /know/ the real crimes he's committed." Slowly, his voice gains venom and he turns the megaphone this way and that as he talks, looking to the people around him and then to the Wayne Tower in front of them. "I /know/ where he lives. Where he hurts. Where he hides. I know his secrets..." He glances around, and in a lower voice that is only barely picked up by the megaphone he says, "And soon so will everyone."

He shoves the megaphone to the next person and turns to look back through the crowd directly at Zap. It took him awhile, but he finally noticed her presence, and he steadies his gaze on her just long enough to let her know that he knows, before drifting further into the crowd.

Tommy Shepherd takes pictures as Jason steps up but he quickly switches it to video as he speaks. This is awesome! A couple of folks in the crowd shout to 'Go Get 'im! Go pull him from his house!' but this isn't a terribly violent crowd. Yet. They're getting more riled up though at the fact that those at Wayne Enterprises seem completely oblivious that they're even there.

Someone in the crowd hurls a soda bottle at the front door...and it bounces right off of the safety glass.

Another takes the megaphone and turns towards the building. "Are you in there, you coward! Come out and face us! Come out and tell us why you're stomping all over us! Denying us opportunity!"

And how riled up the crowd is becoming, not to mention the thrown bottles does put Hawkeye a /LITTLE/ on edge. After all, the moment things get violent, a crowd can and will get worked up into a mob.

On the other hand, if this crowd manages to calm down, and go for more of a 'sit in' style peaceful protest, even if it's on the streets...

"Hopefully the cops don't over react when they get here, otherwise..." Zap listens as Jason takes his turn with the megaphone, her face neutral. When the man pauses and looks at her, one brow lifts and she smirks. As he heads back into the crowd, things start to get a little too interesting. There's a shift in the feeling of the crowd as some start to talk about storming the castle, as it were. Riots bring cops, and cops make 'anywhere else' the place Zap wants to be. She turns to step back through the crowd, making for the shortest path to the fringes of the group.

Jason keeps moving into the midst of the crowd, looking over his shoulder occasionally and stopping to rile up someone here, and someone there. Whenever he sees a protester who seems more angry than those around them, he stops to egg them on, sometimes standing just a bit behind them and shouting in agreement with them, before tossing in a violent suggestion of his own and moving on. All the while he imitates Zap and heads towards the outkirts, back towards his bike.

Hmmm, violence. The video is stopped as Tommy notes the mood of the crowd shifting. This isn't quite what he intended, but he's also not really rushing to try and calm people down. The police haven't shown up yet -- no doubt they have other issues to take care of before dealing with a group of protestors, but it hasn't quite escalated to the level where they might be needed. There hasn't really been any property damage so unless Wayne is going to call them for hurt feelings, they're not going to spend taxpayer dollars yet.

He does, however, note those moving to the fringe, especially the one who spoke about knowing where Wayne lived. He makes his way over to cross their path, "So, what sort of secrets, huh?"

There's a deep breath. To be honest, Hawkeye doesn't have a lot that could be used on a crowd this large. Small groups in the crowd? Sure. But odds are they'd cause a panic or cause people to get worked up even more.

Thus, she breaks down and pulls out her smart phone, fighting with herself not to call either Tommy, or worse, any of her other 'special contacts'.

Then again, if things do calm down, then there won't be a need for that.

Her path through the crowd wasn't intended to take her near Jason, but Zap ended up angling his way as the fire of outrage he's lighting in the crowd takes a foothold. After the thrown bottle there's been no more damage, not that she's seen, so maybe it will amount to no more than a bunch of kvetching. Stepping around a rail thin man with a screechy voice yelling something about slave wages, Zap spies the rabble rouser as Tommy reaches him. She pauses, watching them for a moment.

Jason slows to a stop, glancing over towards Tommy as he asks about Bruce's secrets. It takes a moment, his lips drawn into a line, before he breaks down and flashes a smirk. "The kind that'll ruin him, but I'm not about to spill them to you, so don't ask." He slides a hand casually into his pocket and keeps his eyes on Tommy as he begins to walk again, intent on reaching his bike, and when he passes him -- if he passes him -- he turns his gaze back to the crowd in general. All too aware that he's almost surely being watched now, he keeps his rabblerousing to a minimum, but where he can, he nods encouragement to those that seem most belligerent.

A pale eyebrow lifts at the not-so-subtle diss. "Sure, man. Whatever. We're all blowing a bit of smoke up here...all the better to blow off steam at a bureaucratic tyrant, right?" Tommy doesn't really seem bothered by the response. "Glad you came...glad you shared your thoughts on Wayne." He then throws a fist up to the air and bellows, "OCCUPY GOTHAM!"

Other voices in the crowd echo him as the protest continues. It's not a quiet 'sit-in', but they also have ceased throwing things...for the moment. They're back to telling stories of how they're screwed over, albeit quite loudly, with the megaphone.

Telling stories is always good. Blowing off steam is good. And the fact that they're doing that instead of continuing to do that...

Is enough to make Hawkeye relax enough as she slips her smart phone away.

For now anyways.

And yet as she does that, she pulls her binoculars back out, and tries to find Tommy and/or any major rabble rousers in that crowd (not that she considers Tommy a rabble rouser).

The brief exchange captures Zap's attention for it's duration, eyes slightly narrowed for a moment in concentration, studying both men. As someone right beside her adds their voice to the shouting she winces and turns, walking out of the crowd, putting some distance between herself and the noise. If the rabble does get worked up again, she wants to be far away.

Despite Jason's best efforts, it appears the crowd is just uninterested in escalating to a mob, and finally he reaches his bike. Briefly, he turns to look back over his shoulder, checking one last time there's really nothing to be done about turning the protest into a mob, when he catches sight of movement on one of the roofs. For a brief moment, his mind turns to the Batman, but eventually he realizes the frame is too small. It might be Tim, but unlikely... Either way, his curiousity is peeked, and he hops on his cycle and drives it straight into an alley. Quickly he parks it, flips the seat up and pulls out his helmet, lowering it over his head and waiting a moment for it to form a seal before he unzips his jacket, glances up to plot his ascent, and kicks off a nearby dumpster to reach a low hanging fire escape.

The crowd is on the edge, but they don't seem like they want to go about destroying property or looting. Not yet. They live in Gotham. They've seen what violence does and no one wants the Bat folk to come down on them or hang them off of buildings in retaliation. For now, though, they are some very angry protesters.

While Tommy isn't having to egg them on now, he's certainly making sure that social media knows what is going on. if he noticed the figure on the roof, he didn't really cause it any mind. Not yet, at least. Last report he's seen, no one has listed 'speed' under what Batman can do, so he's fairly confident that he can outrun anything that comes his way.

Of course if Tommy has his cell phone on him, or better yet a smart phone with the YAL app on it, he will recieve a text. One that reads:

'I see you Speed. Don't work them up too much. -Hawk'

Of course up above, as the female archer in purple finishes sending that text, she takes a deep breath...

And continues to watch.

Climbing hand-over-hand, Jason eventually reaches the rooftop and pulls himself quietly over the lip. He crouches there, an inch from falling as if it were the most natural perch in the world, and eyes Kate before he draws an M1911 points it towards her back, and says, "I've got to say, the Bat sure has changed the color scheme since I last ran into one of his birds. So who are you supposed to be? The Peacock? The Mockingbird? Unless..." He eyes her bow for a moment, before letting out a laugh. "Oh man. Don't tell me Huntress recruited her very own kid soldier?"

Tommy does get that text and he grins, widely. He quickly sends a text back:

'But it's so much fun! You should come play! '

His eyes then glance about as if trying to find her among the crowd...or, well, anywhere nearby. His gaze finally lifts higher and he catches familiar colors up on a rooftop...as well as a second person. Another text is quickly sent:

'U OK?'

And as she hears that voice behind her, Hawkeye... Grins?

"Not a bat. A bird. Sort of. And Gotham isn't my usual beat." is said as she /DOESN'T/ turn around. Instead, she just kind of stands there, continuing to watch the crowd.

"Hawkeye. Young Allies. Justice League. Friend of the other Hawkeye and SHIELD. Not to mention Arsenal, Green Arrow, and Black Canary."

Then slowly, she reaches for her smart phone in her quiver, and lets her finger brush against one key before it drifts towards her bow.

"Besides, I think Mockingbird is someone else."

And thanks to that key tap, the answer that Tommy gets is one letter.

'n'

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'm not really in the habit of shooting kids in the back, but I'll make an exception if I see your hand go for that bow again," Jason chastises, cocking his gun simply so she can hear he's got one. After all. It's not a single-action revolver. It doesn't need to be cocked. Pulling the trigger does that. Unlike the movies would have you believe. Regardless, he steps down from the ledge and says, "Arsenal, huh?" For a few seconds he eyes her, before he slips the gun back in its holster and crosses his arms. "So, friend of Arsenal -- what is it you want in the Bat's city?"

'N'? What the hell does 'n' mean? Tommy peers at the text a moment before the proverbial light bulb goes off. Oh! The phone is pocketed and, since the protest seems to be going well enough without him there to egg them on, he feels comfortable leaving them.

It's quite possible that most wouldn't even see him leave either, given the speed he runs over to the building that Hawkeye is perched on. He barely takes a fraction of a second before figuring out how to get up to the roof and stand between Hawkeye and the guy with the weird helmet.

"Hey, Bullet-head. Pick on someone your own size, huh?" At some point, he's slapped his goggles on for a modicum of anonymity. Wake up!!

"You mean besides the fact that Green Arrow and Black Canary operate out of this city too? So this city could be considered as much theirs as it is Batmans? Going to see them wouldn't be a reason to be passing through? Or maybe I was in the neighborhood, saw this, and just wanted to check it out? Would that qualify as a good reason to be here?"

As that's said Hawkeye starts to move her hand away from her quiver as she turns to face the hood.

And then Speed arrives. And as she hears his voice, Kate smiles.

"Of course, as I said, the Arrows aren't my only friends. I don't suppose you'd be willing to drop the gun now?"

Jason lets out a snort at Tommy and Kate and pats his side, "It's already holstered, but don't let that stop you." They can't see it, of course, but he grins beneath his helmet, saying, "If you want a fight, I'd be more than happy to oblige." After a second or two, he leans back, relaxing on the ledge while he speaks, "However, you know as well as I do, Superman himself could move into the house next to the Mayor's and it would still be Batman's city. Arrow and Canary are the side act," he waves his hand as if it's all meaningless, "That said, I wouldn't mind in the least if he lost his edge and was forgotten. As for your reasons for being here, I'd say your defensiveness is a pretty good give away that you're not just 'visiting.' So, again..." Red Hood tilts his head to the side a bit, "Why are you here?"

"No, seriously, man...what's up with the weird hat?" Speed asks brfore looking between the two. He doesn't seem to be concerned about the gun at all, holstered or not. He lets Hawkeye talk, lets Jason talk, and then crosses his arms and answers, his voice quite smug, "It's a free country. We can be here if we want...I didn't see any signs that said we weren't allowed. First Amendment and all. There's also the 'It's None Of Your Damn Business' Amendment, but I guess you don't know about that one.

"As I said, passing through. Checking this out."

To be honest, it is the truth, and Hawkeye knows it.

Then she motions towards the crowd down below with one hand, while her other drifts down towards the staves strapped to her leg.

"To be honest, I agree Wayne could be doing more, but I wanted to make sure this didn't become too violent, or go out of control. After all, we all remember seeing the pictures of what happened on Wall Street and Oakland when police over reacted, and those were with peacful protests. Mix one that goes violent and the reputation that this cities police have, and it's a recipe for disaster."

Heck, as that last bit is said, the costumed archer flashes the costumed speedster a /look/. One that makes her almost smile, and almost shake her head, but she just doesn't. not with Jason here.

Jason doesn't bother mentioning that only moments ago he was trying to do the exact opposite, but he does glance towards Tommy for a moment. "If I cared enough for you to know 'what's up with this hat,' I wouldn't have to tell you," he says flatly, before turning his eyes back towards Kate. "The irony is that you can't even begin to fathom what Wayne is doing for these people, and yet you're right. He's /not/ doing enough." He then lets out a sigh and stands up a bit before taking a step back up onto the ledge again, "That said, I didn't come up here to get your take on the protest. I thought you were someone else. Someone more interesting. Tell Arsenal, Red Hood sends his regards and to keep his phone close." With that, he steps backwards over the ledge and out of sight.

"Yet there's still this maassive poverty and all this crime. He's more of a Nero, watching Gotham burn than doing anything..." Speed starts, but then Red Hood gives his name and steps off of the ledge. Green eyes blink behind his goggles and he then turns to Hawkeye, "Uh. Are we supposed to know 'Red Hood'? And seriously, what are you doing? Spying on me or something?" He's grinning though so there's some jest with the question. Wake up!!

'Red Hood'?

"..."

After Jason jumps, Hawkeye takes a deep breath (and probably closes her eyes), before turning around (and probably opening her eyes, but it's hard to tell with those 'sunglasses' of hers on).

"Speed, trust me. Money can't solve everything. Especially not all at once. And he's only one man. Trust me on this." is said, before the female archer massages her temples.

"And I've said it already. I was passing through, and just stopped to check things out when I heard about this. That's all."

Meanwhile she makes a a note to track down Roy soon and have a bit of a chat with him about 'The Red Hood'.