I can't stop this feeling

[exceptfebruary]

WHO: Calendar Man, a bunch of people who signed up, and also an open thing!
WHERE: Times Square
WHEN: New Year's Eve & New Year's
WARNINGS: Violence, fighting, monsters
SUMMARY: Calendar Man! Monster Father Times! GIANT BABY! Have a happy new year.
FORMAT: Whichever is preferred.

Comments

[futurebatwoman]

Batman and Hellion have the baby (and she wasn't sure whether she wanted Dick to know she was here or not), and she's running low on things that explode anyways. For a while she works on crowd control, but the alert in her phone for posts by people she was keeping an eye had gone off a while ago. She pulls away eventually to check it, and ten seconds later she's in the air, circling and searching for Calendar Man.

There's a trail, if you're looking for it. Rubbish and discarded gadgets that indicate he'd been here, and fighting. Within a few minutes she was in the city somewhere. She'd lost the trail for the moment, but she'll pick it up again soon, hopefully.

[a_relative_hero]

And she wasn't the only one on the trail. Houston had arrived to rescue panicked civilians and shuttle the injured to safety while occasionally trading a blow or two with whatever small monster appeared. Then there was the giant baby which was far out of his weight class. He was about to try anyway when he noticed a trail. Seeing other heroes engage the monster made him feel safe enough to go after Calendar Man.

Along the way, he'd lost the trail. He's not aware that Batwoman's looking as well though.

[nottheanswers]

"You didn't think it would be as simple as that, did you?"

The voice comes from behind as a faceless figure in a fancy suit walks in, hands in his pockets. The Question hadn't made an appearance in a few months, and Vic found it a little freeing to be in the mask again.

"Not all trails will lead to the destination you seek, and believing otherwise can let the other guy decide where you end up."

[a_relative_hero]

Houston jumps, whipping around at super speed. Seeing the Question, Joel frowns.

"So you think Calendar Man is somehow leaving a trail that doesn't lead to him?" the goggle-wearing young man asks carefully. "Do you know which way he did go?"

[futurebatwoman]

She stands up from examining a lost piece of costume and looks back, flashing a grin. The two voices had startled her, but she pushed that down, refusing to let it show.

"I'm a little prepared," she says calmly. "But no, I didn't think it would be this simple." The mask is familiar from history. A member of the Justice League's expanded roster, she believes. The Question. The other one she recognizes from Batman's capture of the Joker.

If she remembers right, the Question was especially noted for his detective skills. Another eye or two on the path could never hurt. "If you've got any better ideas, I'm all ears, Question."

[nottheanswers]

He tap his forehead. "The obvious answer is to go in the direction he's in. Though not directly, necessarily."

The points a bit off to the side from where the trail leads. "That direction would be a start."

[a_relative_hero]

Houston jumps when Batwoman speaks, having not noticed her. He doesn't recognize her but the whole 'bat' thing keeps it from being too big an issue.

He looks in the direction Question points and frowns. "So you've got a plan for taking him down then?"

[futurebatwoman]

"And you know what direction he's in?" Max asks. The tap on the forehead, that seemed to indicate some sort of mental power - telepathy, maybe? He hadn't had anything back home. "Mind if I ask how?"

With a nod and a glance, she seconds Houston's question. If they're doing a team-up thing, she'd like to know what they're getting into.

[nottheanswers]

With a touch to the brim of his hat, the corners of where his mouth would be, must be, curl. "We all have our ways."

He slips his hands back in his pockets and tilts his head at an angle. "A straight path might be dangerous, it's what he'll expect. We'll want someone to skew that, come in from a direction he won't."

And with little more fanfare, he starts walking in the direction he pointed before. In a straight line. "Could use a decoy to sell it a little better. Coming?"

[a_relative_hero]

"Okay, what directions should I take?" Houston asked. "With my speed, I could probably come at him from any direction and he'd never know," he offered.

Following quickly, he nodded. "Coming."

[futurebatwoman]

"If you'll come from a different angle, I'm willing to help Question provide a distraction," Max says. "I'm sure between the two of us we can keep him plenty occupied for you."

She's running low on ... well, everything, really. But it should be enough to keep things colorful, especially if there's two of them. So she heads after Question, bringing a batarang to the tip of her fingers in preparation.

[nottheanswers]

Oh, speed would help. Vic's mostly improvising, so catching up with his new colleagues might be wise.

"I'm estimating he's about twenty yards out. You might try thirty to be safe, and give us time to catch up with him and get his attention."

He inclines his lack-of-a-face toward this new Batwoman. "And what can we expect from you?"

[a_relative_hero]

"Got it. I'll rush him once you have his attention," Houston replies. He looks to Batwoman to make sure there's no objections before he's off. He takes a route that will take him around where Calendar Man is supposed to be so he can head him off when Batwoman and Question strike.

[futurebatwoman]

She nods at Houston before he leaves, and then moves to the Question's side as they head along.

Overselling herself is not an option, but she's not sure what to say. "Martial arts, a few tricks up my sleeve," she settles for. "The normal Bat assortment, approximately." And then she falls silent. They're getting closer.

[exceptfebruary]

Calendar Man was in worse shape than before. His costume wasn't quite the same, the parts he hadn't gotten rid of were ripped and torn. He was sporting some new cuts and bruises. He was running out what he had prepared. He fingered what gadgets he had left under his sleeves. Not enough. At least he was out of Times Square now, but he couldn't relax. Not until he was somewhere safe, somewhere hidden. He kept to the shadows, the side streets.

There was a whole new year ahead of Julian, and he could not afford to be caught.

[nottheanswers]

The normal Bat assortment was anything but standard, lately, but he doesn't argue it. When they reach to the right block, he taps a finger to where his mouth would be, and motions he to try coming up from the side.

Diversion of a diversion, he pulls a few smoke pellets from his belt and lobs them between himself and Calendar Man, before calling out loudly.

"Going somewhere, Julian Day?"