2014-08-18 - Opening Shots: Seeking Illumination

It's late. Black Robin had left with Red Robin to get back to school, but now, he's back working the bag in the training rooms like an animal. Pausing only to check his Titan's communicator to see if there are any updates on the Doctor Light situation and going back to what he knew, violence, simple and straight forward without any magic, psionics or crazy holograms and force fields.
Starfire was out on patrol along the west coast when the team scrambled. For now, having returned and read the summary of events, she is otherwise assembling with the other off-duty members.
 
Dick is currently staying at the Tower for a shift, the rest of the family being able to cover Bludhaven for a couple of days. It is late, but Dick can not sleep. As such, he has a cup of coffee in a Bludhaven Police Department mug, and is dressed for comfort in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He walks into the training room and takes a sip from the mug. He asks with some snark, "You mad, bro?"
"Shut it Grayson. If I wanted bad jokes I'd spring the Joker from Arkham," he counters giving the heavy bag a sold kick that sends it rocking on his chains. "But since you ask, no, I am not /mad/ I am just dedicated to my training. As my teacher you should be thrilled," he says, his voice full of all the snark. He leaps off the ground and slams the bag with spin kick this time before he lands, and takes a breath. He's sweaty and his short hair clings to his brow and where it doesn't it sticks up in wild and goofy angles. "So, any word on Light?" he tries to ask casually as he wanders over to a bench where he left a bottle of the horrid green concoction he sometimes drank in place of meals.
Starfire's eyes narrow over at Damian to thin, thin slits. But she does not comment. "He has not been seen since the robbery. I am sure that he will alert us to whatever he has next planned." The joy of villains is that they're practically as vaudevillian as they come. Light will let them know when it's time for his next move. After all, he could have completed the robbery without them knowing, but chose not to. Starfire is otherwise expecting that Light will come looking for them.. Soon.
 
Dick smiles, "Atta, boy. And yeah, I am happy you are dedicated, just wanted to be sure you were all right. It wasn't exactly something we were ready for, but we got out of there. Kinda hard to fight a dude who can manipulate light, and then what happened to Raven, lots of things /could/ have gone wrong but didn't." He gives a nod to Starfire, "Kory."
Damian takes a drink of his sludge, listening as he gulps down a few mouthfuls then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Difficult, yes, but you fought back when you were Robin, so it can't be impossible. How is it done?" Of course Light had made some upgrades since the early days of the Titans. "And please tell me our plan isn't to wait until /he's/ ready to attack /us/? Does the name Sun Tzu mean anything to anyone?"
Starfire glances over at Black Robin and evaluates, "Likely. Light would hardly have it otherwise." she goes on, "Have you read his profile? I would have assumed you would have familiarized yourself with it." Barb, dangled, baited.
"He's changed, and he had help. Some extra help that was able to get to Raven, /that/ is something you don't see every day." Dick says after another sip, "And I have read Sun Tzu. We will know more once we get more info on what he took. Until then, we need to improve our defenses against him. It does not help that one of our members literally uses light for nearly everything. And as darkness is the absence of light, kind of hard to create nothingness. That being said, we are working on it." 
Damian sets down his sludge bottle and crosses his arms, looking up at Starfire. She was taller than anyone had a right to be. "I read it, and I'm not saying he's not going to come for us, I am saying we shouldn't let him. It's dumb, you /always/ want to pick your battlefield, especially when he can apparently," he looks to Dick. "What's the word? Own? So many of us all by himself."
Starfire crosses her arms and looks down over at the Murderbat, "In which case logically Light was hired or is working with other villains. His temperament would otherwise not have him fleeing from a battle in progress otherwise. If he were in charge he would have let us know. Likely at some point if he is part of a greater scheme he will strike out on his own." Starfire's words are analytical. "One does not cede the field of battle to the enemy unless there is no otehr choice. But one can also be aware that there are less than acceptable alternatives. For now, our information on Light and what he has taken is minimal. So if he does not act immediately then it will give us time to gather information, gauge his plan and his allies, and how to best disrupt it. Alternatively he is likely to act preemptively which will disrupt whatever greater scheme he is a part of and it will negate whatever portion of thier plans he is a part of." Starfire went on, evaluatingly. "So for now we can do little. We have insufficient information to prepare contingency plans. Should we patrol out and search for him we would risk having ourselves cut off and ambushed. EIther Light will be working in the fold of others in which case we have time to determine what their objectives are or with his part in the grander scheme being done he will strike out in his own and we will deal with him, interrogate him, and determine what his aspect was."
 
Dick nods, and says dryly, "Bird, bird is the word." With his tone shifting to be more serious, "Right now he has the advantage of knowing what the hell they are up to. In this case it is not a matter of picking how to win, it's almost picking how to not lose horribly until we have more information. Playing defensive and gathering information is our best course of action at this point. We do have other options, but I'd rather not call in the big guns if we do not have to. So until we have to call them, or we find out what the heck is going on, we wait, we protect, and we watch." 
Damian stands, arms crossed, fingers tapping on a bicep while he listens to the logic of the other heroes. There's a faint downwards tug of his lip when what they say makes sense, but he answers "Fine," dropping his arms with an outrush of breath. "You're the 'superheroes'," he says with air quotes as he sits down on the bench and looks up at both heroes now. "Waiting, protecting and watching feels a lot like sitting on our asses."
Starfire glances over at Damian, "One does not always have the opportunity to strike when it is optimum tactically. For now, we are fortunate to a degree that we are facing Doctor Light." Light does not work well with others. And that is something that they can quickly exploit. "What does one call a completely optimized battle plan that has been prepared for every contingency?" One that has been done after the battel has been fought.
 
Draining the cup, Dick says, "Because sometimes it is better to do nothing than to do something and cause even more harm. It's a terrible truth, but sometimes it is the only option. They are ready, or at least have some semblence of organization while we would be going out there blind. Next time we can bring M'gann with us. Telepathy doesn't require light and we can fight him on a different level." 
Damian quirks a brow at Starfire's question canting his head upwards he replies dryly. "Something my father would devise," he says dryly knowing that was not the answer she sought. The point was made though. To both senior Titans he says "I get it, wise man say, only fools rush in," yes, he quoted Elvis, Red had got him started on music the same way that Dick had got him going on movies. "So... what now?"
Starfire nods lightly at Damian, "Unfortunately yes. For now, we prepare. Next time we encounter them we will go prepared to counter them. Cyborg can likely equip us with weapons to help neutralize or limit LIght's abilities and M'Gann can help shield us from his associate's assault and help backup Raven. It is also likely as well that the next melee will be larger. So their battle plan will not be as optimized as it was this time."
 
"Gathering assets will be most useful, as well as figuring out whatever they stole from the school /could/ be used for. Gonna leave that to Tim and the others who are more... sciencey, than me." Dick shrugs, "Once we get a bigger picture, the more we can do. Odds are that whatever they stole is only a piece of the puzzle and they might need another." 
Damian stands "Leaving it to Robin? Why don't we build whatever it is they're building /for/ them?" he snarks but without much fire to it. "And I understand the need for more resources but there is something to be said for self-sufficiency," he remarks before he says. "I assume speaking with Batman about this is off-limits? Team autonomy etc?"
Starfire glances over at Black Robin, "If you believe he would aid us. But as well as the team members have thier individual pursuits and we will no doubt have other fights as we prepare for this. It is likely that you will make additional forays back to GOtham shoudl Batman have need of you. We may be split apart should we have to respond to multiple incidences or other of our adversaries strike. Existence is not in a vacuum." The Titans are a big, squabbly family after all.
 
Dick shakes his head, "Nah, tell him, but inform him that we do not require his aid at this point. He would be mad if he was not kept in the loop on stuff, and I do not think he would interfere unless it was absolutely necessary. And Tim is good at this sort of stuff, as is Victor. We are going to solve this problem ourselves if we can, but I am not going to let Doctor Light win simply because of pride." 
"Right," Damian says to Starfire. "We're the casual team of superheroes," he says one can almost see him wondering if the Justice League would be willing to lower their age requirements. "Anyhow, it works I suppose, given I have my duties and studies in Gotham. As for ," a pause as he almost calls Batman, Father, "-Batman, I'll let him know, and if he has anything to offer I'll pass it along. That said I should be going, classes tomorrow, but, if there is /anything/ going contact me. I am not missing taking down Light for a lit class."
Starfire nods over at Black Robin, "Of course. We know that Light is workingw ith at least two others." But they only at least know of one. So why is she saying 'two'? "One who could induce such fear as to overhwelm Raven, if they were in charge, would have broadcast thier identity and not have been willing to wait as a backup. So they are working for a greater party." She considers, closing her green eyes, "Light is likely to work only for either an immense sum of currency or technology the likes of which he favors.. Eitehr should be possible to backtrack on."
 
"Easy, Damian," Dick says with a tone that suggests the young Titan cool down, "We've been doing this for a while, and we do what we can. There is a reason I am Nightwing now, we are the big kids. Even the junior team is not to be pushed around. We have impressive resources as it is and I'd like to use our own systems first before we go asking for a lot of outside help, because maybe someday they won't be there." 
Damian opens his mouth to argue with Nightwing, and list the many flaws he'd observed in the junior team, but the final part, the part about self-sufficiency and the warning to calm down a little gets him to settle for a snort and "Fine," as his arms cross over his chest again. However those arms lower when Starfire speaks, and while his expression is still stormy, that storm had eased off some and one of his brows raised thoughtfully at her suggestion. "I'll look into it," he promises with an attempt at neutrality to hide his sudden interest. Using computers or fists, that search was better than nothing.
Was that her intent then? To give him something useful to do or to give him the purpose of something useful to do? Perhaps. "I trust that you can handle an independent investigation in tracking such things under your own initiative?" The comment to Nightwing and Black Robin both then. "Light has his own obsessions, so whatever he has been hired for will pay him in such a thing as to advance this. That should narrow the leads you have to pursue substantially."
Dick nods, "Yes, this is something you can do to help the cause. Once we can get this puzzle a bit more complete, we can start making predictions about where they will strike next or even lay a trap for them. Even better if we know and they don't know that we know. Knowledge is power." He grins and relaxes a little. 
The gears are already turning in Damian's head as he nods absently to Starfire. "Of course I can," he says. "I'm a Robin." Dick might note that it's the first time Damian's made reference to his codename with any sort of pride. "I'll find what they paid him in," he promises both the senior Titans as he steps back out of his head and into the real world. "Anyhow, I should begin my search and inform Batman that I will be late returning to Gotham."
Starfire nods over at Nightwing, "Of course. And keep the rest of us informed." She adds then, for otherwise hopefully nudging Damian's cooperation by putting it in terms that make sense. "Shared information allows for better tactical integration and coordination. If we are kept abreast of your discoveries, that allows us to integrate them to our own plans, and allows to avoid performing things which would overlap or interfere with your investigations and increases efficiencies and preparation on our end."
Dick grins at the little bit of pride from the Batkid. "Sounds like a plan. I had best head back up to teh monitor room. Last thing we need are more things showing up on our watch. If I get anything related to this, I'll send it your way, squirt. It's only a dead end if you quit looking." 
Damian nods. "Of course, I'll report in every twelve hours? Unless I find something." he puts forward like a kid fishing for a later curfew. His mind is already slipping back into the visions of beat up crooks dancing in his head. Though he is aware of what's being said enough to add "And don't call me squirt."
Starfire trusts Nightwing to best monitor Black Robin, "As you feel best fits your circumstances in teh field." That is put out neutrally for Dick to say what he feels is best then. "Should we encounter any furhter information we will keep you updated."
 
"Do what you need to do, kid. But try to be back in Gotham soon enough, there is work to be done there and in Bludhaven, heck you can take a lot of this on the road, most of it's doing research." Dick shrugs. 
Damian blinks. Operational control? That was new. He recovers quickly though and starts heading for the doors before Nightwing changes his mind. "Done," he calls over his shoulder. "Expect my first report soon."
As far as Starfire is concerned, this will keep Damian out of thier hair for at least a day or so, and hopefully give him some operational experience as well from the end of having to do a substantial amount of research and evaluation to prepare to pursue leads. Otherwise, with her back to Black Robin, a half smile forms on her face then as her eyes close.
Dick Grayson says, "Yeah, there is no way that this can end poorly" He rolls his eyes at Damian's reaction to getting some responsibility. The kid is eventually going to be a leader at some point, may as well give him some experience, even if it is on a short leash. "Make it every 8, that way I know if you are actually getting sleep." With that, Dick raises his empty cup to Kory, "I had best head up as well." He heads towards the door. 
"Sure," Damian says before the doors slide shut behind him.
Starfire laughs quietly then as Damian leaves, "And he will learn that no battle plan survives operational contact over with the adversaries, and hopefully learn some of the benefit of field improvisation and adaptability."