When Were You Going To Say Something

July 24, 2016:

May drops by the 'Gym' to catch up on the goings on in Gotham

Hamiltons Gym

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Things just keep moving for the redheaded Seer of Gotham. Between helping Kane with investigating suspect buildings, sometimes patrolling and the OracleNet to maintain, she's … busy.

This afternoon finds her in Hamiltons Gym, in the actual Gym portion, working out with her Escrima Sticks. The ones made of holly, capped with rowan, and etched with Bat and other symbology. The poor work out dummy is taking a beating, as the redhead glides through her forms. So much more graceful and sure than even a few weeks ago - but still, to the trained eye, there's stiffness and she's slow.

Maybe that will never go away.

She is expecting a visitor, she's just not sure when. They're welcome to let themselves in - they've been given access, as one of Oracles trusted companions.


Melinda May shows up and does indeed juste let herself in, having realized just the other day that the past few weeks of Daemonite crisis had all but kept her completely away from Gotham. So she resolved to change that. Helps that she can also pester Babs to help her with gathering intel about HYDRA.

Hearing the sharp cracks of the escrima sticks repeatedly hitting the practice dummy, she cimply sets the things she brought with her down on a convenient bench before approaching and watching from about three meters away.


Mays entrance is preceded by a warning alarm. Nothing sinister, just enough to give Babs a heads up that someone is coming in. Finishing up the routine, the redhead rolls her shoulders and turns to give May a slight smile. She's wearing a pair of leggings and a T-Shirt - with a superman logo on it.

She might wear that to troll Bruce.

"May, it's good to see you again. Twice in one week." Of course, she's peripherally aware of the Daemonites but not the full details. She hadn't dug, she didn't need to. "Do you want tea, or would you like to work out a bit?"


"Work out first." May steps back over to her things to shed her jacket and shoes before returning to where Babs is standing. "So. When do plan on explaining?"


There's Tonfa batons, Escrima sticks and other weapons on the racks at the edge of the gym. Of course, May probably has her own as well.

Taking up a starting a position, the redhead smiles "I did mention I was thinking about the experimental surgery. I stopped thinking and did it." Watching the agent, Babs doesn't think for a moment that she's the skill to win this one outright. She's no Batgirl in that regards, but she's no slouch either.

"And not a moment too soon. I was ready for the field when Steel City happened and Kane, along with Batgirl, was missing for days. If I'd been ready …" she sighs, still watching May "… no, it still would have happened. But I might have got them home quicker."


Melinda May steps into a starting position as well. "You should have notified me. I could have made sure they were extracted quickly." She studies the redhead's stance, nodding faintly to herself in approval. "Looks like the surgery's worked out so far. And you're not having to worry about damaging the repairs?" Clearly, she's thinking of more traditional back surgeries, where any sudden impacts to the spine would very likely make things worse than before.


"I could have, yes. But you had you're own duties and honestly, May, I didn't know where they were. I used a drone to search the sewers til I found them." Without another word, Babs moves, pressing an exploratory attack on the SHIELD agent. She's quick, the moves practiced and smooth … it's just her legs and feet that are rusty.

"It did, quickly too. But I worked hard for the recovery." It's not an overstatement. "I am concerned about damaging the repairs." she admits "but the technology has regrown the nerves so the chances are greatly lessened."


Melinda May uses the appropriate blocks and dodges to the attack, actually letting a few counterattacks go by unanswered until she lashes out at the younger woman's ribcage, her strike pulled precisely so it hits with about as much force as a thrown palm-sized beanbag.


Falling silent as she parries and attacks, Babs seems to be having a wonderful time. As May lashes out, and hits, the redhead tumbles backwards, rolling to her feet and pressing her attack again. "As you gathered from our conversation the other day, things are getting darker here."


"I've noticed. WAND might have to step up and offer assistance." She backs up a few steps as Babs presses the attack again, then changes things up by catching one of the redhead's attacks and turning the momentum into an aikido throw that would land Babs on her ass if May didn't keep a hold of her wrist and control her fall.


"Kanes got a few things he's checking there. I know he was grateful for the offer the other day." As May flips her, Babs goes down again and twists, muscle memory kicking in, turning her wrist to try and break the hold and get back up on her feet.

"How are things with you, at any rate?" It's normal conversation for the Seer of the Gotham.


"Honestly, WAND could probably use Kane's help in the Gotham and Steel City areas. If I approach him officially, then he can have access to SHIELD or WAND resources." May lets Babs break the hold and steps back. Clearly, the redhead is no slouch, and the slowness in her legs is somethign she'll either work out or learn to compensate for.

"Pretty much the same as every day. Weird, Annoyng, Nasty, and Distasteful." Hyuck.


Rising to her feet, Babs salutes. "I don't know about you, but I could use tea." There's always been a quiet confidence to the redhead, but now there seems to be more. As sure of herself as she had been, getting her legs back has done wonders. She snickers at the description of WAND that May gives.

Putting her sticks away, mopping her face with a towel, she leads them to the kitchen and puts the water on to boil, laying out two mugs. "It's a good idea, May. You know how territorial Batman is about the area. And…" she smiles fondly as she thinks of the druid "… approaching him officially may work. He can be a bit … grouchy."

"Am I given to understand that you're division is growing?"


Melinda May tilts her head to one side in a sort of non-commital nod. "Things aren't getting any less weird." As Babs starts the water for the tea she goes back over to her things and carries over what she'd brought in — it's one of those bakery boxes, but the logo is in Cyrillic or something similar.


"That's great May. A testimony to you, really." Babs continues to make the tea, gesturing to the cupboards where May can find plates and the drawers where the cutlery is kept "If I know you, that's something dangerously scrumptious."

"Weird. That's one way to put it. Ask twelve months ago if I'd be worrying about Formorians, Hecetean Witches, Faeries, Vampires … I might have scoffed. Now I'm chasing building refurbishments that use semi-precious gems… go figure."

"I've still not found someone to 'sit in' here." That had been a discussion they'd all had a while ago. "I'm rewriting some of my systems to be more like an AI. Which is kind of ironic if you think about it."


Melinda May considers the possible people who could handle that job. The list is … very small. And it includes another AI. "I'm not sure I know anyone to suggest." Pulling out plates but no cutlery, she opens the pastry box to reveal what look like bread rolls though when she moves one to a plate, the edge makes it clear that something has been baked into the center.


"There really aren't many." Babs finishes make the tea, leaving the mugs to steep for a moment before transferring them to the table. "And anyone who can, should be in the field." she shrugs a little before continuing. "We knew this would be an issue when I became mobile again. I'll see how my attempts at writing the code go. If it fails, then I've few other options up my sleeve."

"Tell me what's happening on your side of the world. Or at least the bits that you can." May likely knows that Babs has 'ears' everywhere and it's professional courtesy that she doesn't dig too deep.


Melinda May proceeds to tell Babs what she can, mostly about what they've done and seen in Steel City. There's a little information about the Daemonites too, though she mostly sticks to commenting that they've been rousted from SHIELD … after pulling a keyfob like device from her pocket and brandishing it at Babs.


It's a good thing that Babs hasn't been taken over by Daemonite. That might be awkward otherwise.

Digging into the pastries that May has bought, Babs listens carefully. "Let me know if you need anything. I might not be officially SHIELD, but our missions are similar." And she's got a number of resources that others may or may not have. "When we're done here, I'll walk you through what we know of Gotham and what's happening."

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