2014-09-24 - Explosive Recon

Star City. Sure it was the Green Arrow's turf, but as much as Black Robin cared about people coming into Gotham he was less concerned about operating in other cities no matter what the local heroes thought about it. 
Though tonight he wished the Green Arrow was around to back him up. 
He was in a warehouse near the docks and a good dozen goons of all descriptions were fanned out around him, carrying chains, pipes, hammers and even a few guns. If that weren't enough there was Mamoth to contend with. 
The big dumb brute smiled behind his beard showing yellowing teeth. "Stupid Titan, you're going to get smashed." Then the goons closed in to do just that.
Wonder Woman had agreed that whatever was up with Light was the business of the Titans. Cassandra had said that if she was needed, they would contact the League. But that didn't mean she couldn't have more of her patrols along the West Coast, just in case.
She was covering for Wally tonight, flying through the air, looping around then as she went through Star City. She saw a flash - local thugs. Not something she should..
No. Using her enhanced vision she identified a larger member wtih them. Metahuman. Calling in along her commlink to make a report, Diana flew on an intercept course, visible off the horizon.
Black Robin crouches low as the thugs close in, then just before they can reach him he sucks in a deep breath, throws down a pellet and jumps. The pellet explodes into green stinging smoke, tear gas, which engulfs the first half dozen goons as Robin grabs the chain dangling above his head, and begins to climb. 
As he does, Mammoth strides forward pushing his underlings out of his way. "Oy you!" he grunts as he picks up a drum of some thick viscous fluid and hurls it with the same ease as a football at the escaping Titan. "Stay put!" though when the barrel hits the chain Black Robin is already flipping backwards to land on the warehouse floor behind the goons. "Tt. Make me," he counters to Mammoth as he lands and then turns and sprints for the door. 
A few shots are fired then Mammoth grabs one of the warehouse supports. "Alright!" he bellows after Robin as he rips the support free of the building and swings it like a club knocking down his men and Robin all in one go. "Didn see that coming didja?" he asks as he throws down the support and begins to stalk towards Robin, cracking his knuckles.
First priority is the structural support, being hurled through the air like a missile - while someone might not be in the way, better to not risk it. Wonder Woman's lasso shoots out, lengthening and snappinga long, a rubber band effect going as she snaps it back and it hits the ground, and hard.
Diana's lasso shoots back over to her side almost on automatic, and she goes to land on the ground, in a defensive posture. "Stay your hand villain and submit. Robin, are you injured?" Quickly assessing the situation and going on the defensive with her bracers out in front of her, trying to evaluate if Mammoth has any degree of backup.
Mammoth's back up, such as it is begins to stand back up after being knocked down by the beam. Then if that wasn't enough, a dozen more guys come throug one of the doors at the back. In answer to Wonder Woman's question, Black Robin vaults to his feet, teeth gritted. "Fine," he growls out, even as he favours his right side, from past experience, Diana can guess he has a bruised rib or three. 
Mammoth growls at the arrival of the new threat. "You," he growls, having faced the Justice League in the past. "C'mon," he bellows to his men "Get 'em." Then he leads the charge towards the heroes swinging his ham like fists in Diana's direction.
Wonder Woman's eyes narrow, "You have had your chance to surrender." Taking a quick nod at Robin, "Handle the men." She might not have fought beside him, but she trusts that he can handle that many wtihout too much of a problem. "Leave some of them conscious for questioning." With that, Diana goes to charge in over towards Mammoth.
She'll meet him, if she can, halfway, attempting to give a quick evaluatory punch aimed at his face, trying to guess how strong and fast he is and to hold back enough to make a fight of it.
Black Robin nods. "Got it," he says and with a flick of the wrist fling some sleep darts in the direction of the gun men. They drop seconds later darts sticking from their neck. Then he draws his blades and dives into the human tide, swinging the blunt edges around him like a whirlwind of steel. 
Mammoth is a less skilled fighter than the Robin. He makes a snatch for the feint opening up his left side as he does, then when he realizes he's been tricked he swings a wild haymaker at Diana's with his right.
Wonder Woman brings her gauntlets up, surprised at the power Mammoth brings as his blow deflected off her bracer, the raw strength driving her backwards. "Good, I was afraid you would shatter like dust. I can cut loose some." With that, Diana went on the attack again, still careful - she had been surprised by his strength once, best to be on her guard in case he had other abilities.
Diana went to whip her hands up, trying to box Mammoth about the ears in a sonic clap, then assuming the blow disoriented him she would go to try and strike her knee in his gut. Efficient, precise - trying to gauge his durability.
Black Robin's battle is less leisurely. He's wounded and the ache in his side was growing more intense with every second. He rolls between two of his attackers gets to his feet and throws a pair of smoke bombs behind him before he makes a leap for the chain again. His fingers begin to wrap around it when BOOM, the sonic clap reaches him knocking him off the chain and back down onto the floor. "Nnngh," he groans stunned for a moment before he rolls to his feet and begins to climb a beam to get out of the reach of his enemies. 
Mammoth for his part shakes off the sonic clap, but takes the knee to the gut with a groan as the flab and muscle contract with the impact of the strike. Growling he tucks his head down and charges like an enraged bull trying to grab Diana around the middle and drive her through a couple of supports and into the wall behind them.
Diana braced herself, but the charge from Mammoth sent her smashing through several of the supports, her at the other end of him smashing through like a freight train! Hissing, she called into her commlink. <<Watchtower, link me with the Titans' general frequency.>> A moment for the automated system to do that. 
<<Robin, status report.>> Diana going to whip her hands around to try and chop Mammoth on the back of his neck.
<< One sec >> Robin jumps from the beam onto a catwalk and starts looking around as men begin to climb up after him, while other, more smarter men, run around to take the stairs. << Minor injuries. Roughly eighteen opponents left standing. I can take them though if you can fight alright in the dark. >> As he talks he pulls Batarang from his belt and twirls it between his fingers. 
Mammoth, grunts and goes to a knee when he's chopped but then rallies and makes a grab for Diana's head to try and slam her into the ground.
Again she's just a hair too slow, grabbed by her hair and smashed over into the ground by it. <<Acknowledged. Let me know if you have difficulties.>> With that, even as her head was smashed again, Diana went to try and hook her ankle out, going to use it for leverage to try and hook it over beneath Mammoth's ankle and then slam him hard over into the ground.
<< I will. >> Black Robin replies, then he gets to work. The batarang is held in his hand as the men get closer to him on the catwalk, then once more luring them into striking distance he jumps clear of the walkway and sends the batarang spinning for the cable running to the lights. There are sparks when the weapon hits and then the whole warehouse goes dark before the cable falls to the walkway sending thousands of volts through it and the goons standing on it before the breaker goes. Robin lands hard, grunting as he does and rolling to land behind some boxes. 
<< Most of the support are down >> Robin reports as Diana is able to slam Mammoth into the ground. The big thug groans, stunned for a moment in the dark.
Wonder Woman speaks to her commlink as she exchanges blows over with Mammoth. <<After you've disabled the rest of them, are you capable of sweeping the rest of the structure? If there is this large a hive of thugs, this must be either a primary operating facility or they are using it as a staging base for something greater. Either way, there is the possibility for hostages or further adversaries within. I will hold up above.>> As the lights go out, Diana's own eyes flash as she goes to try and reach up and grab Mammoth by the back of the head, and then go for a somewhat different move than her normal techniques.
Yanking him if she could by the back of his head, then going to try and smash her knee up and over to his face while her hands gripped him by the back of the neck to hold for the smash.
Black Robin flicks on his nightvision and replies << On it >>. Then he's off. The remaining men, scattered, afraid and making entirely too much noise are easy targets he drops them one at a time, swiftly, efficiently and quietly. Then when it's done he injects himself with a painkiller and heads through the metal trap door into the basement to explore what's below. 
The knee smash takes the stunned and blinded Mammoth by surprise, he grunts as his nose flattens against his face sending twin rivulets of blood streaming over his lips and down his chin. Then, the groan turns into a final defiant roar as he rips himself free of Diana's grip, leaving some tangles, greasy hair in her hand as he does. Then still blinded he swings a flurry of punches wildly in the dark while he staggers drunkenly for an exit.
Wonder Woman is able to go on the defensive now, dodging her opponent's desperate flails, calling out, "Leaving so soon?" Going to lash out, this time over with her lasso then to try and loop it over about Mammoth's upper body if she could to try and yank him back over towards her to smash his face if possible.
<<Let me know what you encounter. I'll secure the upper levels. Inform me if you need backup.>>
The manoeuvre works. Mammoth in his battered and blinded stupor has no chance to evade the lasso in the dark and so he is bound yanked towards the Amazon princess and smashed firmly in the face laying him out on his back. 
<< I'll be zzzrffft >> Black Robin says before the comms are jammed. Coming to the foot of the stares he sees a workshop and a little man floating above the entrance to the sewers below. "Inventive what you did with the lights," he remarks to Black Robin. "But let's see you invent your way out of this," then pressing a button he drops down through the sewer access and rockets away. 
"Out of wha-" Black Robin begins before a pair of tentacles made of chains hoses and barbed hooks lashes out of the back corners of the room to grab him. He ducks one and the second snags his leg and yanks him painfully off his feet. Hanging there he finds himself face to face with a counter, hurriedly counting down from 60 to 0. 
Cursing Black Robin, twists to avoid the first tentacle again then drawing his sword he slices, one, twice, three times in quick succession to cut himself free. He drops to the ground in time to roll out of the way of the first tentacle again and fling a batarang at a device he spotted on one of the work tables. It crackles and explodes and when it does the comes become clear again << Wonder Woman, there's a bomb, get clear >> Then he dives down into the sewers hoping to get some cover before the counter reaches zero.
There's a hiss over from Wonder Woman, hitting her comm <<Understood. Do you require aid in evacuation?>> Her eyes flash over into the depths fo the warehouse, and the dockyard hwere it was located.. Identifying each unconscious or disoriented thug, along with Mammoth. Taking a breath. SHe was not Flash.
This was going to be dangerous. But she had to try.
Then she wetn to zoom on in, towards the unconscious, disoriented, and scattered men. Intent on using her super speed combined over wtih her lasso to charge on into the building, to grab them, one by one, or in groups. To fly out and get them out of the blast zone, along with Mammoth.
Splash. Black Robin lands sprawled in the sewage under the warehouse, the pain in his side a thankfully dull ache with the drugs in his system. << I'm clear. You have 30 seconds >> he says as he gets up and begins to limp towards the first junction he can reach in the next 30 seconds. 
Above ground Diana has her work cut out for her, the men are scattered around the warehouse in clumps, and fast as she is, the Flash would be needed to get them all out in time. 10. 9...
But try she will. Diana goes faster and faster, intnet on leaving none of them behind. <<Good, evacuate yourself. Get out of the blast radius.>> Diana is charging in, using her lasso now to try and literally reel the men along after her, pushing herself over to the point of exhaustion then, beyond what her powers let her do.
A thundering boom sends even the mighty Wonder Woman staggering as the warehouse is obliterated by whatever devilish bomb Gizmo had cooked up. Though she's not alone outside, all twenty four goons lay scattered around her, some badly hurt, especially those in the last batch, but alive. 
Down below its an apocalypse of dust, echoes and the smell of burning sewage. Still as the smoke and dust thins, Black Robin wiggles his way free of a drainage pipe blood trickling from his ears and his whole head ringing. <<WONDER WOMAN. ARE YOU CLEAR?>> he bellows into comms unable to hear himself yet.
Wonder Woman gets up. Painfully. Slowly staggering to her feet. <<...I Still function.>> Likely having some broken bones of her own then. But she's alive. And Mammoth is unconscious. And all of the men are outside. <<Did.. You catch what those within the facility were up to?>> She might be in pain right now from having pushed her speed powers beyond what they were able to do, but she still has her pride. And she focuses through the pain.
Black Robin can only just make out Wonder Woman's words. << There was something on the wall ->> he takes a breath, coughs some and steadies himself against the wall. His head hurt, but he forced himself to breathe through it and focus. He still couldn't hear right but he makes his best guess to adjust the volume of his voice. <<-Gizmo had schematics on the wall of his workshop. I saw the Queen Industries logo on one of them >>
Wonder Woman closes her eyes, and then speaks over into the commlink. <<Acknowledged. See that you receive medical attention. Otherwise, I would request that when you make a report to the Titans you forward it to the League as well.>> She will make a note to contact Green Arrow and give him a preliminary alert.
<< Understood >> Black Robin says as stands up straight and starts to limp his way along the sewer tunnel towards the Star City STAR Labs and the teleporter there <<Returning to Gotham, will file my report and copy in the Justice League.>>
Wonder Woman gives a nod < I will maintain security at the area and hand off the perpetrators to the authorities. You did well. > Then going to click her commlink off.
<<Thanks >> Robin says before the coms click off and a fist comes out of the darkness, knocking Robin out cold. “Yes, you did well,” intones Deathstroke as he steps from the shadows Ravager and Gizmo by his side.