The City is at war, a place among the young and rich

[thepull_mods]

Who: OPEN to anyone! Tag yourself in.
When: 11:27am and onward
Where: Sector 5, Turnabout Square near Cinnegrad Cemetery and branching out through out as listed below.
Summary: Former Governor Redgrave’s funeral procession goes badly very, very quickly. Agitated spectators eventually devolve into protesters against the former Governor, this

Comments

11:27, Sector 5, at the funeral procession; open

[mentis_reae]

Edgeworth had suffered no love whatsoever for Redgrave. He'd thought him a fool and a coward, a man nearly worse than those will ill intentions for the way that he failed to act. Yet even so, no matter what the man had been in life, he still deserved a funeral with mourners; for all that he'd been a poor one, he was still once the governor of this island, the head of the executive branch. And, as such, he was due respects.

So he couldn't help but feel a wave of sheer anger when one of the rioters closest to the procession somehow got footing in the chaos to reach into his pants and attempt to urinate on the casket

[kingofrooks]

Of all the places where he expected to see his suspicions confirmed, it wasn't in bright daylight (or setting sun-light) and in the middle of a riot. Bruce leaned against the side of the wall where he had been planning to dive in to help them, but she seemed to be handling the istuation well enough and- frankly speaking, he was tired. It had been sleepless nights of trying to keep casualties down during riots in the Darkness, and he hated dealing with panicking people for the simple reason that they lashed out more.

He probably looked like he had been badly beaten. Good thing Bruce Wayne had enough excuses to not go into work for a couple of days.

Then, he was knocked clean out of his thoughts when he realized that the rioter had friends. Superpowered friends, of course- the wind was moving strangely, moving up into a sonic boom towards Edgeworth, and Bruce moved immediately, dropping down, his cape flaring out around him like wings. He knew better than to try to stop a speedster with his body, so he simply took out his grapple gun

[proxysearch]

She shouldn't have taken her eyes off of Edgeworth for more than twenty seconds at most. It wasn't right of her, especially in the middle of a riot. She was supposed to be his guard, goddammit. If it's one thing that could upset her, it would be to lose him the moment her eyes are on something else

[mentis_reae]

Though he'd not admit it, Edgeworth had been shaken by the appearance of that line that had penned him in. He'd been somewhat less shaken when he'd seen the fast-moving man appear; one of the security guards at his office had a similar ability for speed, and he was accustomed to seeing the man running around. (And, though he'd never confess it, in his paranoia, he'd given thought to how he might stop such an ability if it came to it. The guard spoke openly of his support for AGI, and any AGI affiliate could be a threat - But that was no great matter. He simply knew how to counter those abilities.)

So it was a bit of a struggle to keep from being snappish. He didn't like to be unsettled, after all, and found himself inevitably becoming defensive whenever he was - so being reminded like this of the fact that Batman was far too able to sneak up on him was certainly enough to make him hostile. "I was standing vigilant," Edgeworth said, scowling down at Batman. "I fail to see how standing vigilant is not being careful.It was a struggle,

[kingofrooks]

He averted his eyes from her wings- partly because he knew she was uncomfortable, partly because she didn't need him to stare at her like she was a particularly interesting specimen. It wasn't the first time he had seen someone with wings coming out of their back- there was Zauriel, and before him were Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and sometimes there was Hawk and Dove as well. It really wasn't a surprising sight.

Merely a satisfactory one. So he was right- unfortunately, the situation was such that he didn't have the time to brag.

"I actually can't see the difference between your 'standing vigilant' and anyone else's 'standing there doing nothing like an overgrown target board'," his voice wasn't snappish, only matter-of-fact, with the barest thread of amusement in them. He watched their interactions for a moment before he turned his attention back to his captive, who was struggling for real now.

"That won't work," it was directed towards Edgeworth. Then, he cocked his head, looking down on the strange native.

"Stop. Moving," his tone

[proxysearch]

He could look away all he wanted. The deed was done; she couldn't see the confirmation in his eyes. She didn't need to. He was being smug about it. With a frown, she glanced away. Bastard. She'd say something later, maybe, once all of this had died down.

Instead, she moved past Edgeworth to grab the man, hoisting him up with a hand. Looking up at the sun, she sighed, spreading her wings again. "Watch your back, won't you?" she shot back at Batman, throwing herself into the air. She was up and into the air again, to the opposite building and its rooftop. She dropped him down and uncuffed him only long enough to loop the tie around a pipe.

"Don't be stupid."

And then she jumped right back down, wings hurting. She needed to get rid of them before they started burning into her back.

[mentis_reae]

I'm not jealous. He was not jealous of Batman's effortless strength, the way he'd been able to intimidate that criminal with a single snarled word when Edgeworth had to rage and bluster and still struggled for respect. He was not jealous of the way that Ms. Mayer spoke of him with frustrated admiration, nor the way that all others had greeted him with hushed tones. He wasn't jealous of the way that Batman was able to save people.

He just...was annoyed by the theatrics, that was all. And by the egotism. It was irritating.

"Well done, apprehending someone we could have easily handled," Edgeworth sneered at the man as Ms. Mayer ascended with the criminal. "You're certain you didn't want to put a second pair of handcuffs on the one we'd already arrested? You would have looked quite glorious with that." He looked over at the man, his lips thin. "Because, truly, neither of us is interested in glory like you are. We wouldn't have minded

[kingofrooks]

Edgeworth's hostility pierced through him even though he was trying to not show it, and all the more now Bruce was glad for the lenses of the cowl. More than just the gadgets he could built in them, they were useful simply because they hid his eyes; his expression. He kept his lips thin, his face frozen in uncaring blankness.

It didn't hurt exactly, more of a sudden heavy resignation that this was what he had asked for when he put on this costume. When he created the personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman and hid himself in the spaces between the masks, those little flashes of grey that could barely be seen nowadays. He asked for this when he lied to everyone about who he was

[proxysearch]

She hadn't caught anything of Edgeworth's preliminary remarks, too caught up in her work to pay much attention. The crowd was loud enough to muffle his voice and she imagined he was simply instructing Batman or starting up some argument. Maybe he was immediately berating him for the incident in his office. ...No, it would be foolish of him. Now wasn't the time. He knew better than to start a fight now

[mentis_reae]

Edgeworth clenched his jaw and scowled at Batman. The man - he hadn't even seen fit to insult him back. Edgeworth had been harsh and petty, cruel and nasty, childish - and Batman hadn't responded in kind. There hadn't been so much as a flinch to let him know the insult had landed...

And now he looked the fool in front of Re-l. Re-l, whom he admired with...Well, with perhaps a bit more ardor than he should show, considering they were coworkers, but...Well. He admired her. That was all that mattered.

You bastard. You complete bastard.

"Studying her weaknesses then, are you?" was what he wanted to ask, but he knew that would only confirm the impression of him which Batman was trying to foster. So, instead, he simply said, "Is this truly the best place in which to have this discussion?"

[kingofrooks]

"No, it isn't," In fact, if there was any of his choice in this, he wanted to just go. He was tired, tired of masks no matter how necessary, of barely sleeping, of clawing and clawing at saving people in a city that wasn't his. He missed Gotham; missed her smog and fog and smoke; her gargoyles and her night-dark and oil-slick voice. Miss the way her winds carressed against his cape and her lights threw orange over his uniform.

His eyes were closed behind and unseen. Bruce breathed out, and barely kept it from being a sigh.

He turned to Re-l. "Back to the station, then?" He cocked his head, eyes landing on Edgeworth's form. "Or would you rather your office, or your apartment?"

[proxysearch]

She looked at them both for a moment, shaking her head. It might not have been the best place for a talk like this but what could they do? Re-l lifted her gaze to Batman, instinctively uncomfortable with how he asked where they wanted to go. She hesitated and then shook her head once more.

"I can't go." She looked at Edgeworth. "I'm going to take you far enough away from this crowd that you won't need to worry, and then I need to come back here. Under martial law, the SPPD need everyone they can get out here to help stop this."

Fratley, Bigby and Jayden would be somewhere out here. "I need to stay. I'll deal with this," - and here she gestures to her wings - "when I have time."

[mentis_reae]

Edgeworth frowned at once. The people out there were violent fools, yes, and it would have been easier to simply flee from this situation. Indeed, in some corner of his mind he could even justify it. This was not his area of expertise; he was no combatant, nor indeed a peacekeeper. He was just an attorney. And yet if there was any way - any way whatsoever - that he might help these damned fools, might slow the course of death and destruction, then it was his responsibility to do so.

"I'm staying as well." He set his jaw stubbornly. "As I said. I can handle myself, as I've proven, and I'm not going to abandon you nor the police department without assistance. You're short-handed as it is. I can provide support."

And, made all the more petty by those implications of pettiness, he frowned at Batman. "I'm certainly not going to allow you near my apartment again."

[kingofrooks]

Bruce had the distinct, sharp urge to throw his hands up and call them both idiots, especially Edgeworth. Re-l's wings were practically smoking in the air from being burnt in the sun, and Edgeworth wasn't a combatant, not matter how much he was insisting. If they had any sort of wisdom or self-preservation or common sense, they would leave

[proxysearch]

For just a moment, brief as it was, she gave Edgeworth a smile. She may not want him to be in danger but if it was his choice and if he was going to stay with her, then how could she just deny him? She would just have to protect him better, but she was confident that they would manage. She turned her eyes to Batman's

[mentis_reae]

"Jesus - " Terror gripped Edgeworth - absolutely gripped him - and he was paralyzed as he watched that act of brutal self-mutilation. He could smell the flesh as it burned, smell the blood, hear the ripping and cracking of flesh and bone - and he could hear the pain in Ms. Mayer's voice. With wide eyes he watched, and with horror in the pit of his stomach, and with a mouth too dry to call out for her to stop.

God. Stop.

He'd have cheered her words under normal circumstances. He'd have turned to Batman with a smug and sanctimonious nod, a confirmation of her acid words. But - God, with those wings still burning in the sunlight...He shot a single, terrified glance at Batman which he knew he'd regret to the end of his days, a shameful look that asked in no uncertain terms Jesus, what is she doing; then he pushed through his paralysis, stumbling towards her, choking, "Are - Good God, are you all right - "