i_diedtwice Tomato, tomahto. [ Batman + Others? ]
As mild mannered citizen, Buffy Summers, the slayer had been completely remiss in her duties. She'd left Max completely in the dust and hadn't visited with her ex-boyfriend once. It wasn't that she hadn't meant to, but something about the City kept her too busy or occupied to do otherwise.
As the Slayer, it was business as usual. She took out vampires and big slimy demons on a regular basis. Perhaps the City would have been pleased to know that she'd even stopped an apocalypse since arriving here when a cult of Ragnoroth demon monks tried to summon the dead water god from the docks. Cult stopped, world saved (again) and no one would be the wiser.
Sometimes Buffy forgot about Sunnydale. It wasn't that she'd meant to, but things just felt so familiar in the City. It wasn't until she remembered her sister wasn't here and Giles wasn't around to train her or she was lacking Xander's moral support that she remembered this was a new world. Was this the after life, or was it something else? Buffy had her ideas but she really needed to meet with Max and then hadn't Angel mentioned a sorcerer...?
It was like the City was trying to keep her from figuring out its secrets.
Because low and behold, Buffy was on another assignment. The City museum had a rare artifact stolen from it and the job had vampire written all over it right down to the blood drained guards. (The City never had to worry about job availability, did it?) Buffy was going to have to recover the artifact, possibly saving the world (again and again and again). How she was going to get the artifact back to the museum without being thought of as the culprit? That was going to be the hardest part.
Patrolling the City's less desirable streets, Buffy found her vamp. The vampire must have been sired at a very late age because Buffy had never seen an elderly looking blood sucker before. The artifact made a suspicious lump in the old broad's purse. Right. Well? Maybe if Buffy was lucky the vampire would have arthritis. Could vampires get arthritis?
Just as the vampire started to cross one of the City's streets (obviously heading towards its evil hideout) Buffy charged the widow maker head on.
Apparently geriatric vampires lacked in the geriatric part.
Buffy tried to grab the vampire's purse, while the vampire hissed and put up a hell of a fight.
"Oh please," Buffy grunted as she was elbowed in the gut, both sets of hands still firmly on the purse with the stolen artifact inside, "...like anyone is gunna fall for the old lady routine!"
It was probably pretty hard to make out the "vamped" out features of the undead minion's face from on top of a high rise building.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/20/2006 15:20:22
It was difficult to make out any features from the top of a high-rise building. Only actions. And the actions Batman saw from this particular high-rise sent him into fury - and action.
The descent had long ago stopped thrilling him. It was a means to an end. First the drop. Then the cable slowed. Then the wings slowed further. Sever the cable. Drop from the sky.
But as he fell closer, he saw that the elderly one was not moving as an elderly one should. In fact, the brigand was having difficulty with her, when she should not have been. His eyes narrowed.
Well before his descent should have been detected, the undead turned her face toward him.
And that was when he realized.
Too late to change course now. And his course was straight for Buffy.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/20/2006 15:34:15
Buffy looked up just in time to see...
A big, black silhouette headed directly for her. Something about the dark, bat like shape gave her a direct flashback to her encounter with Dracula. Oh! Bat!
Was it a demon or a weird hang-glider?
The three seconds of distraction was enough for Granny to deck Buffy hard across the face and the slayer spat blood. (And wasn't that strange? Buffy could probably count the number of times she'd seen her own blood. It was as if the reality she was used to had changed and blood instantly became a more common sight as soon as the bat/man/thing appeared.)
Buffy's attention snapped back to the vampire, only to find her grip on the purse was lost as the man in the bat costume slammed into her. Granny was getting away.
"OOPH."
This was not a good night.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/20/2006 15:46:06
As soon as he collided with the girl, his arms snapped around her to try to soften the blow. He was largely unsuccessful. Already, he had realized what he had done - she was the wrong mark. Even as he stood, he was drawing her up with him.
"Apologies -- I'll go --"
And he was off again, unaware that Buffy was Buffy, and that Buffy was a slayer.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/20/2006 15:53:07
"....you're aware you look crazy right?"
A quick glance to her target and from inside her (stylish yet affordable) jacket she pulled out a wood stake. Instantly she started to bolt after the fleeing vampire grandma. She was surprisingly spry for such a petite girl.
If the crash had hurt, she wasn't giving very much sign of it. There was a slight limp to her stride, but she didn't seem nearly as shocked or stunned as a pedestrian should have been.
"HEY! LADY WITH THE UGLY PURSE! I'M NOT DONE YET!" she called as she started to close in the distance between them.
She hoped the crazy looking guy didn't do anything.... crazy.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/21/2006 16:00:21
"Been told," he shot back over his shoulder, already in flight toward the creature. To his surprise, his glance told him that she had pulled out a stake and was chasing after it, too. And then. She taunted it.
A strange girl, was this.
Even more surprising -- she was keeping up. Better than keeping up. But he had size and power on his side. His hand snaked out to seize the creature's shoulder and turned into the spin he placed there, enough to face the vampire towards his newest young partner-in-crimefighting. She had the weapon, after all. And something about the evil reeking from the creature eliminated his usual desire to see criminals sent to trial and prison (or Arkham).
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/21/2006 16:30:39
Crazy person doing something crazy! Crazy guy being crazy! In costume! Crap, she really didn't want to have to look out after weirdos dressed like comic book super heroes.
Granny, for her part, must have been around the block a few times. She went for a jab to the exposed part of the Batman's face before attempting to toss him. Buffy just hoped that in the scuffle, the dude didn't get too hurt but conveniently out of the way so that she could go for a nice staking. Then maybe some artifact rescuing. Then maybe some crazy people lecturing.
Hopefully that costume was made of something a little tougher than rubber. She couldn't tell very well.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/21/2006 19:29:20
This creature moved faster than he had expected. Batman compensated, taking the blow to the face and letting it throw him back enough to let him clear for a well-placed sweep to the vampire's feet. At such close range, it meant that they both would go down, but he was prepared for that as well. He was counting on it.
What disturbed him was not the monster he wrestled - no. It was that slip of a girl playing superhero. He had half a mind to lecture her about the dangers of these City streets.
After he. They. dispatched of the creature.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/21/2006 19:55:05
Buffy stared. Really, she didn't want to let the crazy guy in the costume get himself killed. She was going to have to step in eventually. Buffy sighed and as if separating two squabling kids, very nearly lifted Bat-Dude with.. one arm.. onto his feet.
Super strength: one of the perks of being a chosen one vampire slayer thingie.
She gave Bats a look as she said, "Who wears a cape anymore?"
Granny vampire was on her feet almost instantly but just as quickly had a wooden stake in her chest. The cheap D&B knock off fell to the floor, artifact inside, and Granny gave them both a mean sneer just before she poofed into dust.
"Okay... look. The super hero thing? Not for every one. You could have gotten yourself killed. And the costume? WHO WEARS A COSTUME? Someone could totally grab you by the cape and then where would you be? And the mask, must totally obstruct your field of vision. Did you ever think it might be a bad idea? Can you even hear with all of that over your ears?
"Look, I'm trying to be gentle about this, but my job is hard enough without some people running around playing dress up crashing into me."
At least she paused to pick up the purse. Opening it up she found the artifact, and thankfully it was still in one piece. "Wonder what she wanted this for..." the blonde muttered to herself.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/21/2006 20:03:12
He. Stared.
She was young enough to be his daughter. If he had one. Besides the other one that wasn't really his but was. And she was lecturing him.
It took a second (a decidedly long time) to process her words before he responded. The truth was - she was not just some slip of a girl. The power in her grip had assured him of this fact. But if she wasn't.... Then what was she?
"Are you all right?" he finally asked, his voice dusky and rough.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/21/2006 20:09:46
"Yep!" Buffy tucked the stake back into her jacket, "All part of the slayer package. No fuss, no muss. Are you okay?"
Sure she was concerned... as to whether or not he learned his lesson. No, Buffy Summers had not heard of Batman and she was only vaguely aware of millionaire Bruce Wayne because of the huge tower in the middle of the City.
"How do you think you return a stolen artifact to a museum? Hey... you loose this? Swear I didn't take it, really..." Buffy frowned quizzically. If Giles were here she could give it to him and let him handle it.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/21/2006 21:18:38
Slayer. Package.
Was she some sort of--
But her next works caught him swiftly. He bent and looked at the museum piece. Yes. It had been quieted down, but the museum had indeed lost that piece.
In the past, when things had to be returned, Batman had simply handed it back to the owner. There had never been the concerns that the girl was now voicing. But he and she were two different entities.
"Stealth," he advised. "Break in. Hope you do not get caught returning it yourself. Or deposit it anonymously with a wealthy patron of the museum and let him be the hero, if you trust him to return it. Or you may give it to me. And I will return it."
He doubted she would take him up on the offer. But it was still one he would make.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/21/2006 21:24:08
Buffy stared.
"...Do you have a concussion or something?"
She sighed. "Besides, it wasn't like it was that hard for them to take it in the first place. Maybe I should find out what it is first. I bet it's magic. It's always magic. Maybe it summons some kind of demon or something. You don't happen to know anyone with a good research library on magic stuff, do you?
"Or.. maybe old ladies just like to accessorize?" she offered.
From: i_crusade Date: 05/22/2006 19:09:59
But he had stepped into the shadows again and they welcomed him.
"Good luck to you, Slayer."
And before she could raise her eyes to look for him again, he was gone.
From: i_diedtwice Date: 05/22/2006 20:17:06
"Wha--"
Buffy looked up from her mid-ramble and the artifact in hand when she realized the crazy guy in the totally over done costume was gone.