2014.12.27 - Plush Christmas

At the evening of the 24th December, 19:03, Roof of the GCP.

the fire ladder leading up here made tortured sounds as someone climbed up at it, a small bag of black plastic in her hand. It took about four of five minutes for the girl to reach the roof, and then another two or three to spot the black shape of the bat signal. What followed was actually rather quick. The young runaway dashed over the roof and tucked the bag under the floodlight, then switched it on and ran for the edge of the roof to jump from it recklessly. But before the body went falling there was an almost inaudiable PLOPP sound and it vanished in a cloud of tan smoke, from which a stuffed animal fell. What hit the pavement several stories below was the fennec fox plushie Nicky called Zerda.

Swinging over to the rooftops Batman caught sight of the old familiar signal. The night sky suddenly filled with a giant batshape as he extended his cape. The cloth hardened and helped him descended onto the hard top of the GCPD building. With no Gordon around Batman's eyes narrowed as he was trying make sure he wasn't alone. Staying in the shadows he looked around and peered over the roof ledges. Leaping down the giant bat shape descended again. Taking the Fox plushie he narrowed his eyes at it, the thing was a clue.

Pulling out his grappling gun he pulled himself up to the roof. Then he waited in the shadows after turning the signal off. Strapping the fox to his utility belt the man waited to see who would emerge as the culprit.

Nothing happened for minutes, only the black plastic bag under the Bat signal reflecting some light from the surrounding buildings while Zerda was in a rather uncomfortable situation - instead of making an exit the Batman not only showed up to pick up the bag of presents, he also had picked her up, and she was intent to play just plushie, staying totally still and motionless...

Looking inside the bag he inspected the contents. Suddenly his eyes glowed blue and she could tell Batman was examining each one carefully. People used dolls as a means to transport drugs, and the like. One couldn't be too careful.

But these were... Stuffed bat plushies, from cheap fabric filled with cheap stuffing but neatly sewn, probably by hand as the stitches were a tad irregular. A black one with X-Eyes, a black one with yellow grin and X-eyes and a red tuft on the head, a Blue one with white grin and X-eyes and another black one with yellow grin. The two with yellow grin were labeled for 'Batgirl', one with an I and one with an III, the blue one had a tag Nightwing, and oddly enough someone stuffed two robin plushies into the bag too - one in red and green and black, with a I, and one in black with a III. The last, the black Bat, was intended for Batman as it seemed.

Taking off the Fox plushie from his belt he tossed it inside with the others. Someone had done their homework. Closing the bag he started to swing off with it. Thoughts raced through Batman's mind. Everything revolved around finding out who made them and why. Moving towards the Batmobile that was parked a good eleven blocks over he landed on the ground. Slowly the case to the black monstrosity that had four big black all terrain tires, Batman tossed the bag into the vehicle once the lid to get inside had popped open. "Who made you and why?" he said idly before getting into the vehicle.

As Batman tossed the bag into the car, one of the plushies fell out - or rather jumped. Zerda didn't want to find out the secret ID of Batman, and so she took the change to get lost.

Now, 27th December, Lower Gotham.

In a small shopping mall stood Nicky playing last Christmas on her flute, but it was almost devoided of life, as most Gothamites were at their families. She had had a rather lone Christmas, but at least the mall was warm...

Leaping down onto the ground Batman sudden grabbed someone he had been stalking. They were just leaving the mall. The guy was wanted in connection to all sorts of nasty crimes that involved kidnapping, and slavery rings. Pinning the suspect in question to the window of the of the mall Batman growled, "Talk!"

Anyone could have seen the guy Batman holding saw a squirmy looking man. Dirty blonde hair that was greasy and combed to the left side, an obvious combover and a bad one at that. Green eyes were filled with fear as Batman stared at him. Wearing brown jeans, a black three quarter length leather coat, and a cheap button up black shirt. The man babbled about all sorts of names, places and the like. Singing like a canary he wanted to just avoid dealing with Batman in general. "DON'T KILL ME, MAN!!"

Nicky stopped her playing as the scream was to be heard in the almost empty mall, lowering the flute to look into the direction where it have came from. At first it was only a black shade in front of black windows she saw, then it was screaming to not kill it, and only then she realized it was the Batman. A cold ran down her spine and she quickly dissembled her flute. As no one had dropped some coins of bills to the casing of it, she would quickly put it back into the groves where it belonged. Closing it, the black box ended getting tucked under her jacket. Where to go now? She peered left and right to see if there was a way to possibly go unnoticed... or almost...

No one was watching Nicky. Everyone was focused on Batman who suddenly dropped the man he was interrogating only to knock the guy out a second later thanks to a closed fist. The man fell to the ground in a heap. Grabbing the body Batman began to cuff the man to a nearby street light so it looked like he was the giant metal object. Turning around slowly Batman tried to get into the shadows.

Nicky took the left way, trying to dash down the lane so she would not get halted, the black plastic box pressed against her body under the jacket as she moved. as Batman was still catching attention, they might ignore her, even if the run was suspicious, but she didn't wanted to be caught by surprise again...

Appearing, almost out of nowhere, was Batman. He caught the suspicious running from Nicky. His eyes narrowed at her, "Why are you running?" Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure of the guilt of this person. Batman had to be sure that this was coincidence. That this person, whoever she was, had no connection to the kidnappings in any capacity. He couldn't have been too sure.

As the sudden movement came from the side of her, Nicky stumbled, her feet loosing the grip. One moment she was running, the next she was flailing to try to stay up. But as she still has forward momentum, she ends up falling, sliding over the polished ceramic tiles of the floor, just into the direction of Batman, and if he would do nothing her frame might fit to slide through under him. Though it would be a tight fit in either way. "Whaa!"

An arm lighty grabbed Nicky. His arm trying to keep her up. His gaze on the young woman. "Why are you running?" he asked again in a very firm voice.

The sliding of the girl stops with Nicky's feet just between those of the black clad man, her jacket pulled up by the thick gloved hand and her face showing shock and surprise. A moment there is silence, but then she gets out a single word "Scream?" she asks, as if that would answer it, but stress releases in a single hickup.... and then suddenly a tan colored cloud surrounds the girl, accompanied by a PLOPP!. The next moment Batman's hand feels empty while the cloud collapses, leaving behind only an arm long fennec fox plushie. For sure taller than those he had picked up at Christmas Eve, but nevertheless a fennec plushie.

His eyes narrowed at the plush. Promptly it and the case she was carrying were snagged. Tucking the plushie into his belt he pulled out a grapping gun. Swinging upward he pulled himself and his contents to the roof of the mall. Then leaps were taking off several rooftops before he stopped. Setting the plushie down he looked at it, "You're a mutant or a meta. Why were you there with the at the mall today?" Setting down the case he began to open it and examine it.

In the flute casing was.... well, a flute, consisting of just the usual silvery metal, leather in the flaps and tons of springs and screws. And, as it happened it was a quite well made exemplar, as the brand in the casing told. Not a Brannan Brothers with its handcrafted Brögger-setup, which started at some 12000 USD, but it was a Miyazawa Brögger, alone being worth a tad over 5 grand. That was like 5 times what a new standard flute would have been priced. Even as it was safe in its casing, the girl seemed not to have had the time to either dry it with the towel as the fogging inside the sterling tubes told, and neither did it tie the fixture straps. Down in the lower corner of the casing was a little stitching: a N or Z, depending on if you had the box horizontal of vertical. The plushie however was still sitting there, not moving. No blinking eye, no twitch. She tried her best to play... well plushie. Maybe he would leave her and the flute somewhere... not in a locked room at best.

Staring at the well crafted instrument he began to wipe iff with cleaner parts of his cape further up. Setting it back down he boarded it up. From there Batman started to walk away with the case. At the least he could have ran any possible serial numbers back to an owner. The owner would have had an address. Expensive items like this always had a story to tell. He was at the edge of the building listening for the cops that were coming in the distance.

Was... Was the Batman stealing her flute?! Meanie! The eyes of the plushie went wide as the batman tried to depart. But at least plushies were light and soft, and so she tried to follow silently, attempting to cling to the cape in a halfway inconspicuous way. Like... as if it had fallen or such...

"Tell me why you were at this mall, before I use the flute to track you down to your home," the words came out in a growl. Yes, he was playing possum with her. He tipped his hand enough to show the plushie, who wasn't really a plushed anything, that she was going to be questioned one way or another. Everything was in her knitted hands at the moment.

Though Nicky couldn't talk as a plushie, and neither climb to topple the batman. But, she tried to get as close to his leg as she could before trying her best to shift back. PLOPP! Again the tan cloud was there a moment, then the 90 pounds of Nicky in her jacket pressed against Batman and her elbow tried to hit the knee of Batman. "Give me back my flute! I just tried to earn some change!" She was not trained in any combat, but maybe it was enough to get him by surprise and get her posession back. It might be an extravagant flute, but it was worth more than the money to her. It was a reminder of better days

"Why were you here?" Batman asked as he staggered back a little bit. His eyes looked to the woman. Setting down the case he looked at her. Thinking on it he looked down at the woman. All the crying out she did told him that Nicky was a little more prone to tell the truth. She was so very afraid of loosing that flute. Now it meant he had leverage over her. "Talk."

As soon as the batman did put it down, Nicky tried to snatch it to press it against her, peering up at him "I play flute for some change! I thought someone might be here in the mall, but no one gave anything in the three hours." Her answer is pressed, and she bared her teeth to hint she would try to bite to get her flute back.

Hearing the brutal honesty and seeing the look Batman let go. She would have fallen to the ground. Dipping a hand in his utility belt he used his foot to open up the case again. Four hundred dollar bills were dropped inside. "I heard you playing. You're good. Don't give up." Batman turned away from Nicky and began to walk away.

Nicky glared at Batman as he opened the casing in her arms with force, almost fearing the hard plastic might break, but sighed as he just tucked in some bills. "th... thank you?"

"Why did you give me the plush dolls?" Batman asked softly. His eyes looked down toward Nicky. Staring down at the woman he was making sure there was no malice behind the potential gift. Those Xs over the eyes did have him a little concerned.

"Plushies? They are not for you. Only one. Can't a fan try to make Christmas presents?" Nicky's voice is almost an accusation as if Batman was ungrateful. She was just a girl and 17.

"Thank you," Batman said softly. His eyes lingered on Nicky before moving away. Stepping toward the building's edge then he leapt downward expanding his cape. At least there was no need to destroy the plushies now.