December 02, 2018:
Wayne Industries, and Dick Grayson, arrive in Metropolis to lend a helping hand.
Iron Hill Park - Metropolis
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Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions: Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
When the demons invaded New York City, it created a sea of refugees. Displaced from their homes, they found what pockets of refuge they could on the outskirts of the city, or in what became, for a time, walled enclaves, such as in Mutant Town. Those who could get out did, and they scattered from the Big Apple towards whatever area they could find that they thought might keep them safe from the scourge that had descended on the city.
Many of the refugees fled to Metropolis, many with little more than the clothes on their backs. Those who came better provisioned, with supplies or money lasted a bit longer, but as the days drew out to weeks, many of them found themselves in encampments dotted here and there in the city. Whether the local government wanted them or not, they had to be handled, and emergency shelters had been filled to capacity, and supplies were tight. Heroes and common folk did what they could, providing food, shelter, and whatever charity could be cobbled together.
Now the demons were gone, the portals closed, and many were returning to New York. Even the news of the rifts was not enough to keep them away. Especially once word began to spread that these rifts were appearing all over the eastern seaboard. Some, however, seemed to lack the desire, or perhaps the means to return to their homes. One such cluster of refugees now turned disenfranchised residents had gathered in Iron Hill Park. And if they could not find some other safe haven, well, there was still charity in Metropolis, and there had been a call for volunteers to deliver what supplies could be found. Food, blankets, other necessities.
Donna Troy had a long history of charitable work in both Gotham and Metropolis, and she had come as a representative of the Justice League, bringing what supplies she could, mostly in the form of blankets and military rations. She was in the midst of unloading an unmarked van, handing off crates of supplies to the waiting relief workers and volunteers.
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During the recent trouble Nightwing had his own demonic encounters in New York City, doing what he could to help insure that as many citizens as possible could evacuate the city and get some place a little safer. It was harrowing and dangerous and entirely unpleasant. Several days were spent in the sewers and subway tunnels beneath the city and all things considered, the dark haired vigilante wouldn't recommend that to anyone looking for a good way to pass the time. Definitely not the city's garden spot.
While that crisis may have been addressed, while a horde of demons might no longer be menacing the Big Apple, that is hardly the end of things, is it? The fight against the demonic hordes might have gathered all the big headlines, might have drawn all sorts of heroes, but far too often it is the aftermath, the devastation left behind — not just in shattered buildings and smashed property, but in broken lives. Saving people from immediate physical harm is all well and good. It's flashy, heroic even. But it isn't the true end. Just the beginning.
While he may have done some good as Nightwing during the demonic incursion, that isn't really the best way he can help here. To be sure the government, both local and more far afield, as well as organizations like the JLA have a part to play, so too do more private establishments. Like, for example, the Wayne Foundation. And when it comes to that, he can do a great deal more as Dick Grayson than his costumed alter ego. While Dick generally tries to avoid getting tangled up in Bruce's business dealings, he is willing to make an exception for the more charitable dealings of the Foundation.
A small convoy of trucks emblazoned with the Wayne Foundation logo have descended on the park carrying all manner of necessary supplies, from food and blankets to clothing and even pre-fab structures that can be put up in short order to offer better shelter then tents that increasingly just don't hold up against the growing cold. His mask and costume shed, the dark haired man moves through the crowd, a baseball cap on his head as he directs various volunteers on where to setup, his pace slowed to a crawl by the gathered refugees watching as supplies are offloaded nearby.
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The sound of approaching trucks turned Donna's head, and she was just tall enough to see over the crowd to watch their approach. But the crowd was thick, and it would have been impossible to wade through them with any sort of speed. So, she simply looked for the shortest route between her location and theirs. She lifted off from the ground, flying over the crowd to touch down in the road where the trucks were pulling in and beginning their own work. It wasn't terribly difficult to find the man in charge, even as he himself began to disappear back into the crowd she had just managed to escape. "Mr Grayson!" Even if the voice doesn't get him, it's hard not to notice a woman dressed out in her usual amazonian kit. Starfield jumpsuit, bracers, lasso, you know the drill. Also, she looks like Wonder Woman's twin. So there's that.
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There are many advantages in being both Bruce Wayne's first ward and of course Batman's first partner. While the own trust established by his parents is no small thing, especially not after having been managed by Lucius Fox all these years, it is nothing compared to the financial resources of Bruce Wayne. That is why he can participate in something like this. And even if he didn't have his long years in the superhero community, first as Robin and then as Nightwing, he would have the immense contacts and data of Batman at his disposal. So no, it is not very difficult to recognize the contact he was given. It is no surprise that a respectful circle opens up around the formidable woman, giving him a little space as well, no matter how inadvertently. "Ms. Troy," he replies with a smile and a nod. "I was told to check in with you and see if there were any special instructions you might have before I get Mr. Wayne's people started."
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"Donna, please. Ms. Troy always makes me feel like an old spinster." Which was probably meant to be a joke, but as old as she was, well, it was probably closer to just being the truth. Donna stepped forward, offering her hand for a shake. "I appreciate the open hand of charity that Wayne Industries has extended to those in need. And that you've taken the time to deliver the supplies yourself. Though, perhaps I shouldn't be. I once had the pleasure to work with Mr. Wayne at a charity soup kitchen serving the poor in Gotham." Donna glanced at the supplies being offloaded. "No special instructions, but I'm willing to assist you in setting up the shelters. I think I might be able to make that particular job go a bit faster, and help get your people home to their own families sooner than they would be able to otherwise."
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A quiet laugh greets her words and the dark haired young man inclines his head slightly. "Donna it is then, though I don't imagine there are who would be calling you that," he notes wryly, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake. "Then please call me Dick then," he insists in turn, glancing back over his shoulder towards the convoy of trucks and vans that are already beginning to be tugged open revealing the supplies within. "It's our pleasure. I know how badly these supplies were needed and this is exactly the sort of thing that the Wayne Foundation was set up to help with. I'm glad to have the chance to help," he assures her before casting a wry smirk her way. "I'm afraid to ask how that went. All I can do is assure you that I'm definitely not like Bruce," he notes wryly, once more beginning to call out instructions to the crew. "If you want to lend a hand I definitely won't say no. For logistics reasons we've spaced out our shipments. There should be another group arriving tomorrow morning and then a third shortly before sunset. It's going to be a busy couple of days so every bit helps."
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"You'd be surprised. It's all good lighting, really. Put me under the wrong light, and I turn into the wizened old raisin that I am. From the maiden to the crone, as they say. It's good to make your acquaintance, Dick." laughter warmed the air at the comment about Bruce. "He was actually quite lovely. The Wayne charm was out in force that day as it clearly is now. So, I would hope that in this instance, you are precisely like him." There was humour in those words, as she retrieved her hand, "They certainly are. So many of the social services are already stretched to the breaking point. If it were not for charitable contributions from private donations, such as what your foundation is providing, we would never be able to tend to those in need." Donna glanced back towards the crowds, "There are too many here who would have no hope of ever surviving this trial without your assistance. I think, more than food, or clothing, or even shelter, they need to have hope, and you are helping to provide that." Another laugh warmed her expression, "Well, if you can't put amazonian strength and speed to good use, then what were you given it for? Will you walk with me? I have some preliminary plans in place for where it might be the most beneficial to build the shelters. But these are your supplies and you should have the final say, you know precisely what you've brought with you."
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Another quiet laugh greets her words and the dark haired young man bows his head slightly. "Well, he can behave himself from time to time. I guess we have a few things in common, but if you tell him I said so I will fiercely deny it," Dick replies with a grin, words plainly not meant to be taken seriously. While he might not be entirely comfortable with some of the more extreme methods Bruce resorts to to help insure that his secret identity is maintained he does quite a bit of good when the cowl comes off, something that his one-time ward certainly can appreciate. Falling in beside her, he smiles wryly once more, "I'm sure that sort of thing does come in handy. Unfortunately I can't really match that kind of contribution but I'll do my best to pull my weight," he promises wryly, starting to walk through the camp at her side. "I think that would be a good idea. You know the camp layout, you know how this will work best. If you don't mind giving me the ten-cent tour, I'll see if I can add any suggestions. Hopefully everything should be unloaded and we will be good to go by the time we get back."
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"I think I am unlikely to meet him again, so I believe this revelation will be quite safe." Donna began to move through the crowd, seeming not to notice the stares and whispers she received. Nor the whispered name they send in her direction. Not Donna Troy, but Wonder Woman. Well, perhaps some of it did come through, as she offered in a tone low enough not to reach far beyond the two of them, "I did keep trying to correct them, but, I suppose it's more noteworthy to say you saw my sister than that you saw the also ran." It was lightly said, though there was less humour in her eyes than in her voice, but the implication was clear. 'Let them think what they wanted to think.' As for not being able to contribute, "I don't believe that you are meant to. We all have different skills we bring to the table. Mine happen to be more physical in nature, but that is no poor judgment on you. I think people like to believe that being a hero is something to be looked up to, and perhaps it is. To have spearheaded this donation and to be willing to manage the delivery and setup, that is heroic. But I think too often people forget that being a hero has more to do with your heart and your desire to do good, than whatever superhuman abilities you might have." Donna nodded, at Dick's words and began to walk them through the camp. "We've tried to separate the various classes of refugees into groups that make sense. Younger folk together, so that they might find that they are close to people who share their interests, families together so that they can share the work of caring for children, and the young ones can have playmates, and so forth. It isn't ideal, and we have had some troubles to deal with, but the hope is that in so doing, we can give people some foundation to build a community, for as long as the camp needs to last.
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If anyone would know a little something about the difficulties of living up to the standards set by a mentor it would certainly be him. Afterall, the Dark Knight can walk amongst gods and aliens, amongst kings and space cops as an equal despite being nothing more then a man, a very rich man with issues, sure, but still very much a man. And he can hold his own. The World's Greatest Detective. A man who can face down individuals who should be able to literally squish him into a fine paste and yet prevail time and time again. Someone who has little interest in limitations, particularly he is own. Dick spent a lot of hours growing up brooding over the impossibility of measuring up to that, in believing that he would always be weighed and judged and found wanting. Getting past that was no easy task. He hears the murmurs, he sees the looks and he casts a sympathetic gaze her way as he offers a small nod of his head. Oh, he understands. He's just not really in a position to explain how he understands. "I'm sure you do. And some of them might never see anything but your sister when they look at you. But to some of them you're going to make all the difference in the world and they'll remember that it was Donna Troy that made that difference in their life," he murmurs quietly, expression serious as he turns away, though it does not last long. Soon enough the smile is back on his expression. "Don't worry about me. Trust me, I know we all have our own gifts. I think my pride will be able to stand having you sling around a few tonnes with no difficulty without questioning my manhood," he promises wryly, glancing around the camp and the layout of it as she points it out. "Makes sense. Hopefully these people don't have to stay here long, but if they do we can at least make it feel a little more… human. The pre-fab shelters beat tents. The generators will provide power too. I'm afraid the experts won't be here until tomorrow to start getting everything hooked up, but it's definitely a step in the right direction."
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"In all honesty, it is probably best for all of them if all they remember is Diana Prince. I am a very different animal from my sister. There are things I have done, things I have no doubt that I will do in the future that Diana would never consider and would certainly not condone. In many ways, we are polar opposites. She is peace and light. I tend more towards a scorched earth policy." Donna shifted their path, moving down closer towards the waterline, "I have been considering seeing if we could petition for volunteers to hold classes. Many of these children are missing school, and I know a number of parents are concerned about their children falling behind in their studies. I have been fortunate that we have been able to provide some books and lesson plans, but having something more structured in place might also help to provide a sense of normalcy, as well as giving the parents some much needed time to take care of themselves. I fear many of them have had to delay their own self-care to handle their children." Again, that humour edged its way into her expression, "But is that not what caused the great uprising against the amazons in the legends of old? The undermining of manhood? What will we do if we have no stereotypes to live up to?" She shook her head though, at that last, "These people have been scraping by for weeks. Even the possibility that they might have stable housing in just a few days time is a blessing." Things did tend to move more rapidly when you had a rather large amount of money and resources to through at a problem. "Have you spent much time in Metropolis, Dick? or are you also based in Gotham, as Wayne Industries is?"
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"Different strokes for different folks," Dick replies quietly, tucking hands behind his back casually for the moment as he strolls along at her side, gazing still shifting across the entirety of the camp. He might not be the World's Greatest Detective but he has been trained by him, trained to be an observer, to take note of details. To take those random details and put them together. To develop usable facts. It is organization, and any undertaking such as this can always use a little of that. "There are a lot of different paths to walk, and many of them end up leading to the same place, no matter how different or twisty they might seem at first," he points out mildly before sweeping one hand around him, towards the makeshift camp that surrounds them. "You might prefer a scorched earth approach, but that clearly isn't the approach you feel the need to take every single time. You are building something here. It might be out of necessity, but that doesn't change the fact," he points out with just a shadow of a smile. "That sounds like an excellent idea. We can probably convert a couple of the pre-fab units into something that would serve as a classroom or two. It's the nice thing about the modular design. It's very flexible. And with this many people some of them have to be teachers. They'd probably welcome the sense of normalcy too," he muses before once more tossing an amused smirk her way. "Point. But I'd like to think we've come a little ways in the past few thousands of years. At the very least you should be safe from me getting all bent out of shape," he promises with a quiet chuckle before shaking his head slowly. "I haven't spent a lot of time here, but among the many advantages of being Bruce Wayne's son is the fact that you tend to get around pretty well. I tend to spend more time in Gotham and New York, but there I get out this way now and then too. Honestly, I'm not really much for the business side of things. It never really interested me, but if you want to get stereotypical, being the bosses' son has it's perks. It means that I can get involved in projects like this now and then. I guess I haven't mucked any of them up really badly yet because they keep letting me show up," he replies with a self-deprecating smile and a small shrug.
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"Of course not. Every situation is different. I suppose the difference is in what the fallout of your choice might be. If there is an enemy force and a problem to be solved. The aftermath of a peaceful negotiation is going to be quite different than if you simply went in and killed everyone who was part of the problem. The former tends to lead to people feeling uplifted, the latter? They're glad to be there in the end, but they're even more glad to see the back of you." Donna paused, as she reached the end of the walk, the path making it nearly to the edge of the water before it curved away back towards the slope leading back into the park. This was clearly the area where some of the older residents were settled. They could be seen milling about, not as interested in the noise of the trucks and the supplies, many of them sitting quietly together handing out some of the food that had clearly been made from the supplies they had been given. "That's good to hear. I'd hate to have to cut off a breast." Donna laughed. It really was one of the most absurd ancient stories about the Amazons. "There is a strangeness here. A time out of time. When I first arrived in this universe, I had thought to settle in new York, where the Embassy is, where Diana spends most of her time. I chose to, I suppose give her her space and separate myself from her a bit, and I decided to live here. But there is something odd about Metropolis. A nostalgia, which, while I have no doubt is quite purposefully cultivated, still allows you to feel as if you are living in some long lost year. In many ways, coming to this city after New York…I think it has left people very disoriented. The way that you might feel if you stayed in an amusement park for too long." Donna shook her head, a smile crossing her lips, "Well, I imagine, even if you had made a complete budge up of it, who is going to tell you that, and risk your father's displeasure?"
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"That's a fair point. The right tool for the job I suppose. I'd just say that from what I've seen here so far it would appear to me that you're doing an excellent job," Dick agrees mildly, his stride breaking, slowing and finally stopping as he swings his backpack off of his shoulder, unzipping one of the compartments long enough to draw out a tablet, tapping at it for a moment and calling up a map of the park and of the camp. Once more he falls in at her side, adding various notes and details about what he's seen, the layout, the items she has highlighted, fleshing out the picture as he glances up from time to time, both to check on what is going on around them and to observe her. "See? We definitely don't want to bring some stereotypes back," the dark haired young man agrees with a laugh, sneaking one last peek at the map on his tablet before apparently sending it off, folding down the cover and tucking it under his arm. "It's interesting that you say that. Nostalgia. It's not something that most people would associate with Metropolis. I mean, it's the City of Tomorrow right? Always looking ahead. Always bigger and brighter then yesterday. Skyskrappers to touch the sky itself, all glass and steel, sleek and modern. And yet manages to feel like it is something out of the past," he muses before flashing her another smile. "You have an interesting perspective on things," he notes admiringly before chuckling. "I'd rather people be honest, truthfully. Amazingly enough I think I can say the same about Bruce too. The truth isn't always pretty but it's usually better than the alternative, especially in the long run. I'd rather know what I'm mucking up so I can fix it instead of burying my head in the sand," he notes with a small shrug. "Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to walk me through the camp. I updated our site maps and sent them off. Like I said, most of the experts will be coming tomorrow, but we have a couple of site engineers here right now so they will add in their feedback, if there are any concerns as far as sanitation and the like go. Otherwise I think we should be about ready to start getting these people some decent shelter and see to their other needs."