batmanschmatman | 103 [voice]

It's been over a year and a half since I've been home for more than a few hours. I can pretty safely say this isn't the welcome back party I expected. [There's some humor there, but he mostly just sounds... tired. Maybe a little in shock. There's a short pause, and there's some quiet, largely unintelligible conversation with someone that sounds like Tim for those with good ears before Dick continues, and his voice is harder, more focused.

This might not be their Gotham, but they sure as hell aren't going to let it burn to the ground, and Dick is stepping up into leader mode. Which means bossy, lecture-y Bat, so sorry about that guys. :c]

I understand that for some of you, this is like stepping onto a set of a movie, but these are not characters from a cheesy kid's cartoon. They're violent, psychopathic murderers. If you see the Joker, or anyone dressed up in clown make up, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. Do not try to engage him or any other costumed criminal unless you have no other choice. This isn't me trying to lecture you on laws of reality or common sense, it's advice to keep you safe.

Anyone who's able and willing should support the GCPD in any way they can. I understand first priority is keeping your inmates and yourself safe throughout port, but I'd be appreciative to anyone who's able to help stop this from getting worse. [And here he's warden filtering directions to the GCPD headquarters and Gotham General, with a note about how he's not sure either will be operational, but they're enough of a jumping off point to orient people and he'll provide further information once he gets updates.]

Stick together, and watch each other's backs. If anyone starts getting reports of or runs into anyone who's fallen overboard, keep people informed. Keep track of your inmates.

[Filtered Separately to Steph, Cassie and Superboy]

Tim and I are headed to see how bad the damage is. [Meaning, they're finding the Manor and the Cave and seeing if there's anything they can salvage/any proof that people they care about are still alive. :|] Try to organize anyone who's willing to help to start getting things under control, and make sure someone's helping out anyone who doesn't have combat experience who decided to leave the ship. We'll be able to help in a couple hours at most.

And I know this isn't a major concern on the Barge, but try not to be too open about our identities, especially on public filters. We don't know who could be compromised, and who they could pass the information along to in this world that could endanger our counterparts when things go back to normal. [Assuming they're still alive, anyway. :|]

If we find any information about [what happened to everyone else and if they're alive or not] you'll be the first to know.

[Filtered to Steph and Cassie]

Keep an eye on him. I trust you both to be able to figure out where to start working.

[Filtered Separately to Kirk, Shego, Buffy, Dean, Sara and Steve, forward dated to after he's got some more gear]

I need to meet with you in person at your earliest convenience. Assuming you came into port.

[Private to Rorschach]

We need to talk.

[Spam for Tim]

[Messages sent out, Dick put away his communicator and surveyed the street briefly again. It felt like he was right back in the middle of the gang war, or Bludhaven, except this time, they were alone. There was basically no back up, not really. A couple Bats and Titans members did not a Justice League make, and there was no Bruce to be the detached leader, either, probably no Babs to run tech support, no anyone. Just them. And the people on the Barge, who - as much as he liked and respected some of his coworkers - weren't exactly a well organized strike force against crime in Gotham.

Which meant he was already shutting down. It was instinct, in times of true crisis, to shut down and act more like Bruce, and he was falling back on it now without even realizing he was doing it. His expression, voice and posture were suddenly altered, and while it wasn't as obvious as it could be - and would probably only be getting worse - Tim would probably pick up on the difference.

Dick just privately hoped he wouldn't call him out on it.]

Let's go. We should run by the clock tower, see if there's anything there. [Not that he was getting his hopes up, based on what they'd been able to put together so far.]

[ooc: Dick is slipping pretty heavily into Batman mode, so he probably won't reply to trollish responses, and Tim will probably be chiming in as well. Dick will be out and about in port in the Batsuit pretty much the whole time, and I'll be putting up a log for that later in port for anyone who wants to run into him, and will obviously be tagging around with him! Batman tags will probably be coming from

isthenight because omnomnom icons.

FEEL FREE TO ASSUME THIS IS A WHILE AFTER THE ADMIRAL'S ANNOUNCEMENT. I just got impatient and wanted to post. :V]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I came. Name a landmark and I can be there in five minutes.

[Dick sends over directions to a building about a block away from where Wayne Tower used to be. He'll be waiting on one of the adjacent buildings.]

[During the day Sara's been fairly careful about staying on street level and staying on the defensive; she spent most of the day escorting a badly injured cop across the city to the barricade. This was basically equivalent to escorting a wounded gazelle through a pack of lions, but in the (grim, overcast) light of day it wasn't as bad as she suspected it would be after dark.

When the sun goes down, she's less discriminating. Which finds her descending to Dick's building rather than climbing up to it, a pair of iridescent wings folding into nothingness as she lands.]

Hey.

[Dick's way more comfortable operating at night. He'd spent a good chunk of the day looking for information and trying to find out what had happened to everyone else, but once the sun had started falling, he'd known he needed to get out there and get stuff done. If Bruce was dead, he'd want them to defend Gotham, and Dick couldn't let his own feelings get in the way of what needed to get done.

He stepped out of the shadows, still feeling a little ridiculous - like he was wearing his dad's pajamas and they didn't quite fit right - but ignored it, getting straight to business.]

Hey. [He extended a hand, offering her a comlink.] Keep this on you. I don't trust the network in ports like this in case someone's been tossed overboard and integrated into the reality of this world.

[Well, there's nothing like talking to a guy dressed as Batman to alleviate what lingering selfconsciousness you might have about wearing a mystery symbiote. She accepts the comm.]

Understood. Anything else I need to be aware of, from a native's perspective?

[Yeah the whole I'm sort of dressed up as a fictional character thing isn't really helping his self consciousness re: I'm wearing Bruce's costume.]

They'll probably be confused by the presence of an unfamiliar vigilante, which means they'll underestimate you. Word doesn't always travel fast between different groups, so there's a fair shot you'll have surprise on your side for most of the time we'll be here.

I know you're more familiar working with psychotic criminals, but still approach them with caution. I don't know if the antidotes we have on hand will work against this universe's Joker venom or whatever else people have on them. Get in touch with me if you run into anyone in a costume doing something suspicious.

Arm's length when possible, take care handling mystery substances, report up when necessary. Can do. [She...probably won't do any of these things, but a lifetime of problems with authority has made Sara aware of the importance of sounding compliant.]

You said you had antidotes on hand. Got enough to share?

[Sara this is for the greater good, we need you to be a team player. :C]

Here. [And another pocket of the utility belt is being opened so he can hand her over some antidotes.] That should hopefully help you if you run into the Joker, Crane or Ivy. They're all labeled.

Thanks. [And into a zipped pocket they go.] While we're pooling resources, I can heal major wounds in an emergency. Call me if you need me.

[She doesn't add that the Witchblade tends to take its favors in blood and she'll have to end twice as many lives as she saves. She's made her peace with that, but she doesn't want to argue the golden rule with any incarnation of Batman.]

[That gets a faint, grim smile.] I'm hoping it won't get that bad, but I'll let you know.

Thanks. [She glances out to the skyline, clearly mentally negotiating her next move.] I'll be liaising with the locals most of the night. Nothing ingratiates you with a local PD like helping out one of their own.

[But of course you know that.]

[Dick nods, following her gaze a little. There's a wail of a lone siren coming from about four blocks to the south, and it's almost overwhelming deciding where to start beyond this.] If you hear anything about what happened to Jim Gordon, let me know. I'll be out.

[Doing Batman stuff. :V]

Yeah, ditto. [She looks out in the direction of the siren - it's kind of admirable that any cops are still drawing that kind of attention to themselves, though maybe it's just some punks in a stolen cruiser looking for a fight. Either they'll need help or they'll need 'help'. The Witchblade just won't shut up - it knows this is a city half-full of people society just won't miss - and she knows she'll have to scratch its itch while she still has some discretion over its targets.]

I'll stay in touch. Good luck.

[She takes a jump off the side of the building that's much more confident than she feels about her ability to jump off buildings and survive - funnily enough she doesn't fly much in Manhattan - then there's the thrumming of insectoid wings, and then she's gone.]

You too. [Dick watches her go, long enough to see what direction she's heading before heading off to his next meet up. Once everything's taken care of, he could start getting some actual work done.]

103 [voice]

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