February 23, 2018:
Jessica Jones starts her strange evaluation of Gotham's capes and hood scene by asking Spoiler a few questions.
A Rooftop in Gotham
Because Gotham has great rooftops.
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions: Kitty Pryde, Luke Cage, Daredevil, T'Challa, Batman, Red Robin
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
Jessica Jones is back on the job after being literally disappeared for 3 weeks. Stephanie might have even heard some disturbing rumors about her and dragons in Crest Hill. Or you know. Someone's ultra expensive security cameras had footage, and it was mostly three other people fighting it: Kitty Pryde, Luke Cage, Daredevil. But Jess was there, being marginally useful.
Today she sits on the rooftop of a cathedral a la Batman, in Gotham, trying to make heads or tails of how she can do something she committed to do. On what she's even being asked to do, really.
She finally calls Spoiler, and she's looking for Spoiler.
She has a brand new dark purple scarf that is actually not too far off, in color, from Spoiler's overall outfit; with her black leather jacket, boots, and jeans she could look like she's going for a motif with her friend, though it's nothing like that really. It just happens to be what she's wearing. Black fingerless gloves, too. She has two cups of coffee waiting, if she's going to call her Batfriend out to be Batlike, she might as well be kind and give her something to keep her warmed up.
*
That's not a number Spoiler was expecting to hear from. Not at this time of night and NOT pinging her GPS as in Gotham. Spoiler, having been patrolling, speeds her newly repaired skycycle toward the location and leaves it hovering above the building as she rapples down. Almost fully healed, Spoiler is still moving a little slower than is her normal as she lowers herself toward the roof near Jess.
"Hey. How are you? Everything ok? I got your message and… why are yoy in Gotham? Not that I dont' want you to be here, it's just… New York and you and.. am I rambling? Sorry."
*
"It's fine," Jessica says, frowning thoughtfully.
She leans back on the roof and says, "I'm hoping to get a Gotham 101 out of you. Gotham has kind of pinged the radar of an um."
She hates admitting shit like this.
"An international client of mine with an embassy here. He's not really looking for me to solve a case, per se, he's more looking for an in-depth analysis of your long litany of psychotic clowns and the folks that fight them. More like a siterep. But I've been here a couple weeks now, on this case and on a missing kid case, and I gotta tell you…I don't have a handle on this. I thought maybe you'd be able to get me some goddamn clarity." She offers the coffee and says, "Sorry to call you in the middle of the night like this; it just happened to be when I was up and working."
*
Letting the grapple cord retract to its place, Spoiler settles tot he rooftop at Jess's side, head on tilt. A Gotham 101? For an international client? He has an embassy. Obviously this had perked Steph's curiosity, but for the moment she's not pressing for details.
"I can try. Gotham is… it's own unique bit of convuluted crazy," agrees the aubergine batling, gloved hand reaching out to take the coffee.
"It's alright. I was awake. It's still early for me," she notes with a warm grin. A sip of the coffee leaves a purple-black lipstick stain on the rim even as she hums softly at the taste and the caffeine.
"Batman hates the amount of sugar I put in my coffee…. I think he hates me drinking coffee too, but there are some nights that… I just can't without it. Anyway, Gotham Primer. I'll tell you what I can, what I know," Spoiler agrees. Of course, who this client iis will be researched… at first opportunity.
*
If asked directly Jessica might say so, but for now she's like, "Okay. I do know that Red always says that our criminals in New York are the Diet Coke of criminals. I didn't really see a difference when the Joker has intervened in New York. Same amount of stabbing and hostage taking, maybe a little heavy on the gas and schticks."
But it's the kind of observation that invites Spoiler to talk a little bit, at any rate.
"Like I said, I think this is mostly threat assessment. This client talks in metaphors though, and poetry, more often than not, so I might have missed the actual point of what he wants. It's hard to tell. Didn't see any harm in what I understood he wanted, anyway."
It's a covert reassurance; she's of course not out to harm Spoiler, Red, or by extension any of the rest of their people.
*
The Diet Coke of Evil. Sounds like Tim. It has Steph giggling softly, coffee held between her hands.
"Sounds like something he'd say, yeah." Talk of Joker, however, sobers her.
"Really? Well, I'm glad. Joker is… He's got… That is…" Spoiler's words trail off several times. Like she's recalling run-ins with the Clown Prince, giving a mental shudder and trying to think through it to explain, only to get lost again and have to mental-shudder free. It has her lips pulling into a frown.
"I'll rest easier when he's back in Arkham," Steph finally admits, chin dipping down in a clear eyes-averted sort of way. Silent, she sips her coffee, not seeming able to talk much about him without… Let's just say Joker is haunting. And Steph's gotten off lightly. Jess's voice pulls Steph back and her head lifts again.
"I suppose poems are better than riddles," Spoiler comments, an almost smirk on her face. "Riddler's…. I'm glad he hasn't gotten loose recently, but I've read up on him. WOrd plays within wordplays, riddles that if thought through incorrectly end up killing people," Spoiler shakes her head lightly, lips frowning again. "I know the others have probably had to deal with him. I'm not sure any of them but Ro-… Red are really going to talk about it. Maybe. I guess, it depends on his mood? It does sound like he talks to you more…" Steph cuts herself off before letting herself ask over him. He's been quiet again. Not unusual, but given their history, Steph still feels… It's complicated. Best not to think about it in front of others.
"Catwoman's on the loose again. So far, just petty crimes; her usual cat burgerlary. No pattern beyond shiny and cats. Which seems typical. So, if your contact has anything shiny or cat-motiff'ed, he's probably better off not even bringing it into the city. She'll be all over that in a hot minute."
*
"Hasn't Joker been in and out of Arkham several times? Why do they keep putting him in there, and not, say, the Raft, which is a lot more secure? I mean if it didn't work the first— how many times has he been in that prison? For that matter, what have they done to up security there? It seems like there are an awful lot of escapes."
This was the right move, pulling on this thread. Now that they're talking about it Jess does in fact see a lot of questions, lots of avenues for investigation.
"Haven't talked to Red in awhile. We're not snubbing each other; we're both just busy. Eventually we'll circle back around, we always do, but honestly I figured…you might be a little more up to talking to me frankly than he would."
She frowns. "Shiny and cats…so what, she's just…quirky? That doesn't even sound like someone worth catching, Catwoman."
*
"I don't know. Maybe Batman just doesn't want to infect anyone ELSE with Joker's brand of crazy. Although, if he is starting to expand beyond Gotham he might end up getting pinned by someone else. If they have more luck with him than we have, much respect from me on that front. I've only really had to face him a few times, and trust me that was MORE than enough," Spoiler replies, giving a physical shudder this time, and taking a fortifying sip of coffee.
One badly times sip: We're not snubbing you know. Spoiler coughs on a half spit of coffee at the sudden and intrusive mental image of… Just… No.
Cheeks bright pink, Spoiler turns to cough and wipe her face with a wipee from her utility belt. Ugh! Coffee up my NOSE!!!
"Ehmm… uhh~… yeah. Totally never ever considered it. Ever. Really. Scout's Honor," Spoiler gets out quickly, fighting to banish that train of thought as fast and as far as possible. Her cheeks are slow to pale back to normal.
"She's… I don't really know. She's something, but I know that from what I've read that it's cats and theft. If there's more to it, I haven't found it," Spoiler replies, missing in that very well-played embarassing mental image of ex-boyfriend with current friend that Jess basically just said that she's asking Spoiler because she's easier to get information out of than said ex-boyfriend is.
*
"Well, Joker assaulted my sister and stabbed my adoptive mother last year," Jessica says dryly. "At WNEX in New York. This year he sent clown cars to complicate a battle with demon infected robots on the streets of New York. I'd say Joker's branching out. Granted when he assaulted my sister it was all to make sure the radiowaves heard he missed Batman. I was not amused, but decided at the time that it wasn't necessarily prudent for me to poke that bear again, that he'd done what he came to do and I didn't want to make Trish more of a target. How the hell does Batman get a say in where he goes? No offense, but I mean…I get that he catches him, but isn't that up to the courts and the justice system around here, once he's caught? I've never heard of a vigilante saying where the catch goes."
As Spoiler chokes and turns red Jessica looks increasingly baffled, but she decides to just. Let it lie. Clearly she stepped into something there. And she's just gonna un-step in it and wipe it right off her shoe.
Of course, Jessica also is not trying to be offensive by saying that she thinks Spoiler will talk to her easier. She and Stephanie have become friends; Red has usually kept a very polite and professional distance from her. Allies, but not people who have a close personal relationship, for all that Red has done a great deal for her. It's less malicious and more practical. Jones is hardly a big political player.
*
"Yeah. Yeah. I heard about that. And … wait. You were there? So was I! So was Batman. I…" dont' really remember the end of the fight because I got knocked out.
Let's not talk about that, shall we? Back to Joker and Batman. Spoiler has to shrug.
"I…I don't even know. I just know, Joker gets loose, Batman eventually gets him and hauls him back to Arkham. Honestly, Joker scared the living poo out of me. The less I have to face him, the happier I am." A pause and Spoiler frowns. "Which makes me sound like a complete wuss. I'm really not." I don't think! "Most of the time. " Dammit mouth. One job.
"It's just that he has a way …of getting into your head. And… I don't know, Jess. I really don't. I don't even want to try to figure it out, because that would mean trying to figure out Joker's headspace and having gone undercover once and having a bit of bad-guy headspace myself… Joker's isn't really a spot I want to visit… ever," Spoiler says, glad Jess just leaves the reason for the choking alone. Spoiler is going to pretend it never happened. Ever. That? Going to the grave.
*
"Yeah, I was there," Jessica says, hitching a shoulder. "But wasn't really tracking the full heroic line up cause you know. Killer robots, killer trucks." Discovering she could fly. Getting really high because someone touched her. It was kind of a day. "I even missed seeing Batman there."
Jessica gives a laconic shrug when Spoiler says she is scared. "We all have people and things we're scared of," she says. "Fear is wise. The problem with people like us is that most of us forget that being really damned good, or powerful, or any of it does not mean we don't have weaknesses. And that someone else out there has a strength that will hit those weaknesses like a Peterbilt truck gone out of control. I'm scared all the fucking time, so whatever it says about you goes about ten times over for me. I'm scared of shit everyone I know laughs off. I was scared of driving. I am scared of driving, I just make myself do it."
And her face darkens as she says, "And anyone who gets into heads is worthy of being scared of. And worthy of being taken down and brought to the fucking Raft."
She exhales. "Anyone else?"
*
Spoiler just nods, shoulders hunching up around a tiny frown on her face. Joker scares her. That's all there is to it.
Anyone else? Stephanie sips her coffee again, pondering.
"Loose or lethal? Not really. I heard a rumor that Ivy was loose, but… I haven't really seen anything. She likes plants. A lot. That's all I really know. Her file makes her out to be like an eco-terrorist? I've never encountered her personally, so I really don't know. Hmm… Harlequin. Joker's girlfriend? Not girlfriend? I have no idea what that's all about. Sometimes they're inseperable, but sometimes I see them working seperately and… It's another one of those things that I just trying not to think about to hard while still trying to keep my cool if I run into them. I know that Harley's just as cunning as Joker. Has to be. But she's been quiet too," Spoiler adds, trying to think of anything else.
"I don't know, Jess. Maybe you should just tell your contact: Gotham's wacky at night and just… stick to daytime. It's USUALLY calm during the day time. Unless the Royal Flush Gang is out and about, breaking into shopping centers for who knows WHAT reason…." Spoielr fails to prevent that from sounding like she's annoyed that personal shopping day got ruined by aforementioned persons.
*
"Who is the Royal Flush Gang?" Jessica asks. She stays silent on what she'll tell her contact. She now has things to investigate.
Potential corruption at Arkham prison, for example, which is allowing this guy to get loose again and again. That's more interesting to her than whether Batman is overstepping himself, which is what T'Challa sort of hinted he wanted to know. Then again, if Batman didn't investigate that possibility or just continues this Keystone Cops routine with Joker again and again, what does that say? Jess doesn't know. She knows she has a starting point she didn't have before.
Spoiler is more helpful than she imagines.
And if nothing else, she knows what to watch out for while working her other case in this city.
Owen might not be a bad person to talk to about all this either.
"Is there any normal crime in this whacky place?"
*
"No clue beyond Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. Yes, like the playing cards. I know. It's stupid, and individually they really aren't much of anything. As a group, it's annoying to manage, but I've done it. I had unexpected help but… yeah. I managed. With an unarmored quick pull over suit and limited belt, but i managed.
"Normal crime? Like, muggings and drug store robberies, attempted rapes and the like? Yes. Nightly. Sometimes daily." Because to a bat, there's a difference between night and day.
"I stop what I can unless one of the two sides is a small fish that could lead me to a larger one that I'm investigating. It's the worst thing in the world, and I hate that I have to just sit back and watch sometimes, but… If I can stop the source, then that small stuff goes away too. Of course, if it's a violent thing, I always step in. I don't care if it loses me the trail or sends them back to hiding. Someone's life isn't worth it. But a purse snatching or pawn store robbery? If I need to follow the criminal back to a hide out, I'll just wait for them to finish what they're doing," Spoiler replies, snipping her coffee again. The weight of the knife's edge that sitting back and doing nothing is clear on the blonde's face, face turning so that her gaze has to be on the horizon.
*
Jessica contemplates that thoughtfully. "It seems like the Batclan really is doing the bulk of the law enforcement around here. Is the police force even more useless than New York's or is something else going on?"
She certainly has no judgment on Spoiler's technique. Jess just follows her cases. She doesn't go looking for crime to stop. She finds plenty of trouble just doing her job. Not that she doesn't stop things that land right in front of her, but nobody's ever going to find her going on patrol.
Or at least. Nobody will ever see that again. Her first attempts led to some bad places. She may joke she's a superhero now, but she's sure not that sort.
But then her phone rings.
"Trish? Everything okay?…"
A pause.
"Yeah, I can be there in a couple of hours," she says.
She looks over at Spoiler sheepishly. "My sister needs an ear," she says. "Looks like I'm taking an unexpected detour to DC for a night or two. Thanks for letting me pick your brain. It's way more helpful than me doing the broody rooftop thing. I can't even do that properly without booze or cigarettes, you know?"
Not that the whole Batclan doesn't manage without those things.
But this is Jess. Rooftop Brooding comes with certain accoutrement. That she's given up. "We'll get together for something more fun than this shit soon. Call me if you need help beating anyone up. I'll be back by Monday."