Fandom Blüdhaven

[sitanomoto]

Jess stopped, whirling around at Marcel and unsheathing her Bo Staff. "Say that again." She growled, teeth clenched in a rage she hadn't felt in a long time. "Say that again." She approached Marcel menacingly and the staff whistled in the air as she spun it behind her. She wasn't thinking. She wasn't feeling anything but rage. Somewhere inside of her her reasonable subconscious was shouting at her, telling her not to fall for it, it was what they wanted. She shut it down, and as her eyes glowed with blue fire, she felt herself tensing. "I am giving you a fair warning, NoOne." She said, grabbing her knife and holding it in the hand that wasn't holding the Bo staff. "Run now, and I may just let you live. Or apologize and leave my city. Go bother the Beetle. Either way, get out of my sight. Both of you."

 

[Sir Les Paul]

"Pathetic," Marcel replied. She knew his title. NoOne. But, he had been a thorn in their side since Alcatraz. No one knew his actual name. He had actually fought his sister once without her even recognizing him; and, she was the only one with any chance at knowing his identity. She said his name, but it was hollow. Pointless. Even the face he showed Drake not long ago was a facade using the shapeshifting capacity of his suit. Fact was, he knew everything about her, but she knew virtually nothing about him. Just that he was a ghost even Beetle couldn't pin down. "Four words, and you shift from Guardian of the city to an angry little girl," he responded. "You can't protect Bludhaven. You can't patrol these streets," he continued on, "and you don't deserve to wear the blue crest. You're no Nightwing."


@sitanomoto

 

[ChazGhost]

Drake was shocked that Marcel out right said what he said. Then he saw it take affect on Nightwing quickly as she was filled with rage. "I like to point out I didn't say anything. So if you could attack him more then me, that be cool..." Drake said pointing to Marcel. Then he started backing away keep a good distance away from Nightwing before prepare his shadow to attack the second she attacked Marcel... Through if she attack him he be caught of guard.


@Sir Les Paul @sitanomoto

 

[sitanomoto]

Jess's staff whistled through the air as she aimed it directly at Marcel's shoulder, intending to break his right collarbone. "Say it again!!!" She yelled, powerful and angry. She swung her staff the opposite direction to break one of his left ribs, then moved her fist that wasn't holding the staff to collide with his lower jaw. 

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Marcel was easily quick enough to sidestep her bo staff. She was trained, but his suit made him superhuman. As her swing missed him entirely, he repeated himself. "I said..." Utilizing the advantages of his suit once again, he grabbed the staff mid air, keeping her from slamming into his ribs and locking her into position. "You're no NIGHTWING!" he shouted back. About that time, her fist collided with his jaw. He flinched. She had strength behind her. And, training. It even hurt a little. But, what it didn't do is slow him down. She may have easily been the better brawler; especially given how much Marcel relied on his suit. But, she wasn't thinking clearly and his arsenal outmatched hers entirely. 


Marcel ducked out of the punch and let go of the staff. His motion was fluid and circular, realigning himself with Jessica now across from her. He had the strength and speed advantage, but that isn't how he intended on winning - and he did intend on winning. He lifted his hand up to Drake, halting him. A silent gesture not to intervene. His gaze, however, never left Jessica. "And, you're definitely no Dick Grayson," he said, taunting her again. He said the full name of her father to him. Sacrilege. How he even knew his name was a mystery; it wasn't as if that was public record. It didn't matter. What did was his sins against her and taunting from his hand, which shifted from halting Drake to telling Jessica to come at him.


@sitanomoto @ChazGhost

 

[sitanomoto]

Q9Jess held her ground, panting and glaring into the metal face that was standing before her. She felt her resolve slip, and her knees buckled just a little. You're no Dick Grayson......It plunged her into a whirl of darkness......


"Dick? Dick!! What's going on down there?!"


........ Silence. Jess froze as she listened to Terry. She knew something was wrong.


"Dick....?"


She couldn't take it. she grabbed the comm link from Terry. 


"Dad! Dad, come on! Say something!!!"


"Jess..."


She felt a calm hand on her shoulder. "Jess, He's gone...." 


"No. NO!! I'm going down there!!"


"Jess wait-!"


She punched in the Alcatraz coordinates before anyone could say anything else. 


By the time they caught up with her, she had found her Father's body amongst the rubble and debris and was sitting there with her head on his chest, sobbing.


"Jess... Jess you have to get up now...." She heard Terry's voice andshe shook her head. 


"No.... No I'M not.... not leaving him...."


"Jess... you have to get up now..." This was Skylar's voice now...


"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM!!" She wailed, her fingers gripping her deceased Father's arm. "He... He'll get up... He always does.... Come on dad....."


"Jess...." She felt hands grip her shoulders as Trixie pulled her up. "Come on now..." Jess turned to Trixie and sobbed into her shoulder......


Jess had frozen in place, her breathing becoming rapid and she felt herself suffocating as she snapped back to the present. She had tears streaming down her face, and she gasped for air, then fell to her knees. 

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Marcel saw her snap. He saw her tears. He saw her fall to her knees. Of all the things he predicted, this was not one of them. This type of reaction was not in any file or record. This wasn't something he planned for. Her breakdown didn't alter their course, but it definitely was worth noting. In that moment, he walked up to her, still on guard. It could be a trap. While these types of distractions were more common in different members of the Bat family, it wasn't uncommon for them to steal from their brethren's playbooks. Marcel slipped his hand gently behind her hand. If not for the disdain between them, the tight touch of his fingertips almost seemed like a comforting caress. The true intention, however, was to unmask her. And, unmask her he did. There, on her knees, Marcel Ducard unmasked Jessica Grayson. In that alleyway, she wasn't Nightwing. That blue crest was in the hands of the Ducard now; and, even if she had a thousand more, she lost that one.


He knelt down beside her and whispered into her ear a few, simple words, "Jessica... you're not Nightwing... go home." His words weren't aggressive. Not like before. In an odd way, they were comforting. Almost as if he was trying to console her. In just an odd, brief moment, the generations between the Bat Family and the Ducards culminated in just a few words. As of kindred spirits went from the ends of his lips to the edge of her ear, these words felt like those of an old friend. 'Go home...'


@sitanomoto

 

[sitanomoto]

Jess felt her mask come off and she closed her eyes, not daring to look the man in the face. she turned her head out of the light and into the shadows, so that they couldn't see her face clearly. But it was too late. The damage had been done. "........" Jess stood and looked at Marcel Ducard. "Th-..." She started to speak, say something, hold some of the sliver of dignity she had left. "I will be here." She said, her voice cracking. "When the people of this city realize that they need me again, I will be here." She turned, about to walk away, before she thought of something. Her Bo Staff whipped out again. "I'm asking you to leave. Please. For the health of this city." She pulled an extra mask out of her belt and put it on. She turned and walked, sighing, feeling completely broken. 


Not enough.


Never enough. 

 

[Sir Les Paul]

"You are the disease," Marcel answered her. He then walked back over to Drake and grabbed him by the shoulder. Firmly, but not aggressively. Something you would expect from a brother, something to let you know it was meant. "And, we are the cure..." he added before walking out of the alley in the opposite direction, pulling Drake along. "C'mon, man. This is over," he said to Drake before he stepped foot onto the streets. With just that, they parted ways with Jessica Grayson... hardly Nightwing. 


@sitanomoto @ChazGhost

 

[ChazGhost]

Drake was getting ready to fight when Marcel signaled him not to attack. Then he proceed to watch Marcel make Nightwing snap, pretty badly as well. Well  I never thought I see bat snap like this... Wait he knows her name?... He really know his stuff... And Nightwing... Or well Jessica is not going to recover from that anytime soon... Drake thought as Marcel humiliated Nightwing. "I assumed that it was after you made her crack and took her mask. By the way how much research you have done on them know who the bats really are? Because it seems like you know a lot." Drake asked as they went onto the streets.


@Sir Les Paul @sitanomoto

 

[sitanomoto]

Becky watched. Becky watched as the whole situation went down. She watched her mentor, her beloved Bat-sister, her role model, break under four damn words. For what seemed like an eternity she watched Jessica Grayson snap, silently, mentally cheering her on. Hoping for good Ju-Ju or telepathy or something to actually work and for Jess to get up and start fighting. 


Get up she did, but what she lost made Becky nearly break the concrete beneath her. Who did this asshole think he was, unmasking her like that?! She watched as Jess submitted, enraged as she got up not to fight, but to walk away. 


Becky nearly started cryin, and that was not something she did easily. She waited until Jess was out of earshot and eyesight before grabbing a piece of paper from her belt, a pencil, and a throwing knife. 


This City is not Defenseless. There are others who wear the mantle. I will be watching. Don't let your guard down. 


~BB


she attached the paper to the throwing knife and with deadly accuracy threw it down between the feet of Marcel Ducard with a snikt of metal on concrete. 

Spoiler

Becky turned and hopped down before anyone could even get a glimpse of her, then followed Jess. 


"What. the HELL. Was that."


"Not now, Becky."


"What happened down there, Jess?!" 


"Not NOW, Becky." 


"Why didn't you fight back?!" 


"THATS ENOUGH."


Becky flinched. "Jess...." They were almost to Jess's apartment building. "Are you..... are you okay?"


"I'm fine. Go home, Becky. You need sleep."


"Wait... what??" Rebecca Drake blinked, then stared at Jess. "'You need sleep'??? When did this become a thing!? We have villains to catch! Faces to punch! Hombres to cuff!" 


"No, Becky. If you want to stay, then stay. But I'm not going out again."


"Wait, you mean like... ever?"


"..........."


"Jess!" Becky's voice was a whine.


"I don't know. Maybe not ever. But definitely not tonight, or anytime soon." 


Becky was confused. "Jess, you never back down from a fight! What happened?"


They were inside the apartment now. 


"I.... I just.... I couldn't do it. I broke. Snapped. Shattered." Jess sat down on the couch and tucked her feet, leaning on the arm. 


"You had some sort of..... Panic attack... what's going on, Jess?"


"I don't want to talk about it." 


"Well, I'M not leaving until you do."


"Fine. Don't leave. Tell your dad where you are, spend the night. But let it drop, okay?"


"...... alright fine. I'll wheedle it out of you in the morning." 


"Not a chance, chickadee."


Becky rolled her eyes, then stood. "I have a call to make." 


"Your dad?"


"Yeah." Becky walked into the other room, closed the door, and whipped out her phone. 


She pulled up her contacts list and started a new message. 


To Skylar:


Jess stepped down. I need your help.


@AnnoDomini @Sir Les Paul @ChazGhost

 

[sitanomoto]

Becky's phone buzzed and she sighed when she saw it was Skylar. she picked up the phone and sighed. 


"Hey Skylar. I assume you got my text message."


Her voice was low, sounding like she didn't want to be heard. Jess had good ears, and Becky knew Jess would be livid if she found out that Becky was talking to someone about this. 


@AnnoDomini 

 

[D3lmoniko]

"Of course! What happened? Is she alright?" Skylar quickly fired those questions. For him, Jess was like a sister. He had known her since they were little, and she was his first friend. "I'm currently on a patrol, but I can come right after this and talk with her. Or, can you put her on the phone?" Skylar was focused on the phone, but at the same time, he was with his eyes on how Liam and Karoline were holding up. But, at the same time, he had totally ignored Jenna.


@sitanomoto@Demonhunter

 

[sitanomoto]

Becky sighed. "It would be better for you to talk to her in person. She won't listen to me, Sky. Maybe you can talk some sense, and some spirit, back into her." She opened the door just a Crack and peered at her mentor. Jess was sitting with her head in her hands. Not good. "Hurry please, Sky." Becky whispered, then shut the door and hung up the phone. She texted her dad.


To Pops:


Staying the night at Jess's place again. She needs help. Love ya.


@AnnoDomini

 

[Sir Les Paul]

"I know the names of every member of the Bat family from the living ones now to the brief stint of Batman Incorporated," Marcel answered Drake. "I know about virtually every person of interest Waller has a file on as well," he added. "Knowledge is my strength. I know everything and they know nothing. Not even my name. To them, I am NoOne. They will cry that no one is tearing them apart. They will break down, call on others, and one-by-one, we will disassemble them, too," he explained in further detail to Drake before patting him on the back. "They stood in the spotlight too long as heroes. Became too involved. Forgot what it was all about... "


Edit: The blade clanged against the ground, but it was far from a distraction for Marcel. Even if Drake would have turned to look to it, Marcel would have simply pulled him forward. It obviously didn't come from Nightwing, so it had to be someone else. If that someone wouldn't speak, then their voice had no value to Marcel. He ignored whatever words were wrote as a silent spit in the face to Blackbird.



"But this is just a warm up. Gotham is the real gem. And, I know who our first target there is..."'


( @sitanomoto I actually had considered Rebecca, but I intended for him to ignore that. My apologies, I should have addressed it anyway.)


@ChazGhost

 

[ChazGhost]

"...I recommend you get hobby man, it keeps your mind sharp and sane" Drake said. And keeps you less crazy...NoOne kinda to obsess with the bats... Then again the original Batman was kinda the same from what I heard in stories... and little bit from my dad... How funny two men from two different periods of  time and with different goals can have so many similarity... I'd bet that would annoy the hell out of him if that ever crossed his mind... Well either way life is going interesting...  Drake thought before NoOne talked about their first target.  "So who is the first unlucky contestant on the fall of the bats?"


@Sir Les Paul

 

[D3lmoniko]

-An hour later-


Green was walking with Jenna at his side along the streets. He was in his normal clothes, witch consisted of a pair of tan pants, a black t-shirt covered by a brown jacket. His eyes went to look at Jenna, sighing. Sky still didn't know what to say to her, or how to start a conversation with her. If it was Rai, he could've asked a couple of things to start a conversation, but this was another person. He understood that Rai used her body, and Sky felt guilty about it.


Walking a few more yards in silence, they arrived at Jess's place. Sky sighed, knocking on the door. [COLOR= rgb(0, 128, 0)]"Alright, Jenna, Jess's feeling down. And I know she's gonna feel better seeing you as well."[/COLOR] Sky said, a smile flushing on his face.


@Demonhunter@sitanomoto

 

[Demonhunter]

Well this was awkward. Jenna walked alongside Skylar, although she remained silent. More focused on Sodom than anything. Why had he asked her to come with him if he just planned on continuing to ignore her? She wore something simple, leggings and a long shirt with a pair of shoes that looked like normal sneakers but had the ball separated from the heel, she planned on using any free time to continue choreographing things even if she wasn't at the studio, although she got the vibe she wouldn't have much free time, if any at all.  Her hair was pulled half back loosely and her jacket was swallowing her tiny frame. It used to fit. She looked exhausted, having spent hours working on anything she could, which usually landed her in that dance studio at ungodly hours of the night. 


She stopped at the door, sodom sitting on the sidewalk behind the pair. Skylar's words, even though they meant well, still hurt. Jenna flinches, hiding her inner thoughts. Sky, I can't fix a broken heart. I've tried.  She states blankly. She felt as though Skylar hadn't wanted to bring her along, rather he'd brought her because he had to and of course he would continue to ignore her. 


@AnnoDomini

 

[sitanomoto]

Jess heard the knock on the door and she raised an eyebrow. Becky had been shut in the guest room for the last hour, and Jess had begun to suspect she had gone to sleep so it couldn't have been her at the door. She stood from the couch, her eyes red-rimmed like she had been crying and her gaze missing the flame it so often held as Robin. She was wearing a white shirt and a grey hoodie, and a pair of black sweatpants with pockets that she enjoyed wearing often. She opened the door, surprised at who she found. "Skylar. This is a surprise. And Jenna too." Jess offered both of them a smile as genuine as she could make it. Her voice was soft like she was afraid that speaking any louder would cause her to shatter. She looked behind her two old friends and gave a broken smile. "Hello sodom. Please, come in. All three of you."


She stepped aside to reveal a mostly tidy, cozy-looking living room. The only thing that showed real disorder was the table. It was littered with sketches and crumpled papers and pencils and pencil shavings, along with a few gashes on the table's wood itself as if it had been stabbed a few times in momens of frustration, despair, or anger. The sketches themselves were dark, but beautiful in their own way, and on the bottom right corner of each page was Jess's loopy signature. 


Their host looked at her guests for a moment before walking to the fridge with her hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets. Jess opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice, grabbing a cup and pouring herself some. It looked as if she was avoiding their gaze. "Please, help yourself. What's mine is yours." She said quietly. 


@AnnoDomini @Demonhunter

 

[D3lmoniko]

Skylar smiled, clearing his throat. "The best guests are the uninvited ones! Or at least that was what dad said." Walking in, he stood next to Jenna, before throwing himself into the couch. "So, what's up Jess? You have more circles around your eyes than me and Liam put together. Plus, where's the happy and snarky sister I know, huh?" Skylar said in a rather cheerful tone. Pulling out his phone, he sent a message. "Has she been crying?"


@sitanomoto

 

[Demonhunter]

Oddly enough... Sodom seemed to like Jess. He didn't growl nor did he continue his god awful stare.  It was strange, he liked her, yet treated Jenna as if she were the devil. Jenna stepped inside. Jess did look god awful and she could almost smell the tears on her. She glances down at her phone. Jess, you look like you could use a large meat lovers pizza.  She offers, sweet smile spreading across her face. 


She may not be able to fix broken hearts, but pizza could. It always did for her anyway. Sodom seemed interested in sniffing of the jug of orange juice on Jess's counter seeing as he was large enough to reach it. Jenna's tactics weren't to immediately ask what the problem was, as that usually got people all defensive. She hoped to get Jess to spill on her own, buuuut Sky decided to bring it up. She sits on the other side of the couch, leaving a space in between her and Skylar to sit. 


@AnnoDomini @sitanomoto

 

[sitanomoto]

Jess looked at Skylar and shook her head with a dry chuckle. "Not enough sleep I guess. I haven't really been myself lately." She looked at Sodom and raised and eyebrow, then smiled a little, grabbing a bowl and pouring a bunch of orange juice into it. "help yourself Sodom, just... don't spill too much, okay? I have to clean up enough around here already." She walked over and sat between Jenna and Skylar, shaking her head. "I'm not hungry, but thank you Jenna." She smiled back at Jenna's smile, but it still had that broken feel to it. "The real question now: why are you both here?" Her voice was quiet and free of suspicion and accusation.


Becky was staring at the ceiling and listening to the soft murmur of Jess dodging questions when Skylar sent her a message about the Guardian of Blüdhaven. 


"Yyyeah. she has. Quietly, but yes."


Becky sighed and looked at the door, wondering if she should go out there. After a brief moment of contemplation, she decided against showing herself, knowing that doing so would have made Jess suspicious.


@AnnoDomini @Demonhunter

 

[D3lmoniko]

Skylar looked at his phone, reading the response. He put it back in his pocket, frowning a little, the clearing his throat. "Well, Jenna was free, and Liam got to work on a serum for a werewolf, so we taught to pay you a visit." Sky said, looking at Jess. "How's the situation here? Back in Star, I can tell, it's crazy. If it wasn't enough that people are starting to wear masks, now we got werewolfs hunting people." He simply sighed, looking around. "And where is that little protege of yours?" 


@sitanomoto

 

[Sir Les Paul]

"Commissioner Ramirez," Marcel answered. "A corrupt political figure that keeps the police force from doing its job properly. He was given the position out of context of being a dutiful, Hispanic cop that would fight for minorities rights and was humble through a strict Catholic heritage... really, he's just another pawn in the system. Beetle has tried to have him removed, even brought to light some of his scandals, but always failed. Once we hit Gotham, the first thing I intend on doing is succeeding where he failed and pushing the GPD to revitalize itself. Believe it or not, bud, a lot of our plans will require a properly functioning police force," Marcel explained. And, just like that, he went from ranting about the Bat Family to overthrowing the Gotham police. Granted, if what he said was true, it made sense; and, from the way he spoke, he wanted a strong police presence in Gotham. They weren't pigs or pointless jerks in blue suits - like a lot of the thugs Drake had met believed.


"How's that sound to you?" Marcel asked. This also marked the first time Marcel actually asked Drake something, and he genuinely seemed interested in his answer.


@ChazGhost

 

[sitanomoto]

Jess shrugged. "Nothing's really going on here. Just bludhaven being bludhaven." She said, but kept staring at the ground. She didn't want her problems to become Skylar's problems, feeling that if she told him everything it would be too much of a burden for him to bear. "Becky's in the guest room. I have no idea what she's doing in there. Why?" She raised an eyebrow at the guestroom, wondering what Becky was doing behind that shut door.