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black-streak · 4 years

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Waiting for the Worms - The Trial

Part 18

I've just been staring at this completed chapter for thirty minutes. I've been working up to this moment for so long and to see it finally written is just. Insane. (No this is not the last chapter. There is much more to come)

By the way!!!! This chapter was not suppose to end this way! Y'all influenced this shit! Goading me into it, I swear.

CLOSED List of Beggarts I regularly feed (I'm running out of names to call you): @northernbluetongue @thethirdwheelfriend @shizukiryuu @theatreandcomicfreak @michellemagic @karategirl119 @moonlightstar64 @my-name-is-michell @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @miraculousdisapointment @dorkus-minimus @jardimazul @allthebooksandcrannies @g-arya @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @persephonescat @mycupisbroken @luciferge @18-fandoms-unite-08 @dawnwave16 @alwaysreblogneverpost @kris-pines04 @emjrabbitwolf @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @weird-pale-blonde-person @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @kokotaru @naclychilli @slytherinhquinn @clumsy-owl-4178 @ladybug-182 @darkthunder1589 @evil-elf16 @dast218 @lysslovsanime @emilytopaz @naoryllis @iloontjeboontje @thepeacetea @danielslilangel @finallyaniguana @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @vixen-uchiha @yuulxd @bleeding-heart-romantic @magic-inthe-stars @st0rmy-w1th1n

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He'll be after Jason seeing as the new Robin described him and he definitely knows about Joker's death.

They watched as the shadow took off across the rooftops, occasionally tossing out a grapple or swan diving off a ledge. Four blocks off, another figure, much brighter and attention grabbing, took a similar route, small body taking to the sky seemingly not taking notice of the eyes on him. Or perhaps used to it.

You'll watch the bird, keep him distracted. Nothing extreme enough to catch the other's attention. Just hold off any interference.

A dozen mice ran along the sides of gutters and along the alleyways below, awaiting their signal. They kept the brighter figure in their sights, drawing his attention with slight rustles and squeaks from unexpected places. Just loud and weird enough to avoid interest in any other movement in the area, drawing out a natural curiosity and investigative need in their target.

You'll play as backup. As soon as we instigate our target, I expect you to help keep the Replacement within ear range but incapable of assisting.

A fox dashed across the streets, keeping a close eye on the game between the bright figure and the mice scattered about. Any time the bird snuck up on where one hid, she hid the mouse in illusions, sometimes a real rat, other times a startled, hissing cat.

Tail swishing in a twitchy dance behind her, she awaited the main event from her perch.

You two will take to the sidelines, backup if it should come to blows. Otherwise, keep everyone updated on the others' positions and monitor the situation.

A cat slinking around corners kept an eye on all of the players, including the two unseen by the rest, coordinating positions and ensuring no one moved off course, uncomfortable in knowing a double agent held eyes in the sky and taking precautions to avoid cameras as she whispered soft directions into a comm, made by their miraculouses and impossible to hack due to the ancient magic encasing it.

By her side, a dragon crossed with a horse hovered in a tense side to side sway, awaiting her command. The other kept on tiptoe, knowing the call to assist could come at any point and from any direction. In the end, their disappearance back into the night at the end of all of this relied on her. Waiting too long differentiated between success and potential capture.

We'll take on the Bat. After all, I think it's high time he met my soulmate.

With baited breath, they watched as a shrouded man dropped in front of the Bat, making the figure twist at the last second to avoid a headlong collision. Batman turned back on the spot, dropping into a crouch and launching towards the man. The man dropped onto his back, kicking upward into a stomach and using the momentum to launch Batman across the roof while rolling back to a stand. He stayed facing away, though they saw his head tilt, listening to the almost silence behind him. As a flash of silver flung towards his back, he easily spun off to the side, dodging a barrage of batarangs as Batman methodically tossed them while placing himself closer and closer to the other before moving in to initiate hand to hand combat. The man seemed to take this in stride, shifting into the new pattern.

Across the rooftops, Robin took note of the fight and moved to aid. He made it three blocks before a fox dropped in front of him, growling. Taken aback, but knowing not to allow the distraction, he attempted to grapple upwards, only to find the grapple gone, in the teeth of a mouse like figure, taking off away from him, other mice figures crawling about his feet, holding him in place as the fox watched on, teeth bared in a silent warning. Keeping an eye on the strange creatures about him, he looked back to Batman, startling at the realization that he recognized his attacker. Jason. Suddenly he remembered the strange abilities of the lady from the night before and realized the creatures holding him captive where meant to keep him from interfering. As he made to move anyways, a voice in his ear on a private channel spoke up, asking him to stay still. Agent A.

"What's going on, A?"

"You'll see."

The figures continued on until the Bat begin to advance harder, looking to restrain his opponent, calling out to him, having deducted whom the figure is by this point.

"Jason stop!" Right as a fist went too fast to block, aimed straight to the man's nose, a cord wrapped around his fist, yanking in back. As Batman began to turn towards the source, a punch came to his face, bringing him back front and center. A possible second cord wrapped around his other wrist and the backs of his knees were kicked out from under him.

The others watched as a Ladybug held a yoyo taut, strings in a Y formation, the focal point centered between the Bat's shoulder blades to evenly distribute the tension. The Ladybug looped the yoyo over a pipe and pulled up until his arm bent back and upwards without tipping his torso down. If he tried anything, the bug could simply yank him airborne. The Bat choose to focus onto the man in front of him for the moment.

"Jason-"

"I'm not Jason."

We should switch. I have more experience with the Pit Madness than you. If I'm in your body, I can hold the entirety of it while you get a reprieve to focus on the mission. To have a clear mind while confronting him.

"What?" He demanded.

A sharp, feminine voice spoke up behind him, loud enough for the others to hear.

"I am."

Batman froze in his spot on his knees as the figure that looked like Jason sat down in front of him.

"Hello Bruce. It's good to meet you officially. Though I suppose I've known you much longer than you've known me." The lower, masculine voice was offset by its' soft lilting tone.

Despite his brain whirling with the information, he shoved it aside, firmly refusing to put it together himself.

"You're lying."

"She's not," the voice from behind moved closer, the yoyo secured on their hip to prevent his movement but free up the hands and gripped his shoulders in a crushing grip, "You see, Bruce, I hadn't been with you long enough to trust you with the secret of my having a soulmate. And you never knew me well enough to tell when we switched. Some detective you are, hmm?"

"So what, that makes this okay?" He growled.

"Patience," the figure in front of him smirked softly.

"Getting caught by the Joker at that moment, that was my own dumbass fault. You not arriving on time isn't your fault. I could live with that, but that isn't the end. I want you to look into the eyes in front of you, feel how small the presence behind you is. How tiny and young, despite being seventeen. I want you to look her in the eyes and know that she was only fourteen when she was launched into my body where she was beaten to a pulp by the Joker. Blown up. The connection broke. Then because it wasn't her body, she sat in my corpse for months before the resurrection. Had to crawl her way out of a grave and to a hospital."

The team tensed in the distance, having not heard the full story before now. Robin's eyes blew wide behind the mask, the tension in his body going slack in horror.

"Do you see that swirl of green in my blue eyes? How they look almost teal? That's from when the League threw her into the Lazarus Pits. She's combating insanity as we speak. And yet even with the healing effect it had, you can see the scars all over. There's an autopsy mark as well."

The shoulders in Jason's hands shook with his words and he looked up at Mari who seemed calm, letting the man stare at her and take in her reality.

"And none of that is truly your fault. But you know what is?" Marinette spoke up now, "That a fifteen and fourteen year old were ever put into that kind of danger to begin with. What's the likelihood of either of us ever falling onto Joker's radar without your placing us in the costume? Without making us Robin? Do you think Jason would've become a target had you not decided it was perfectly acceptable to allow children to fight criminals?"

"Jason was troubled, he needed someplace to put that anger. Something to let out-"

"Many children are troubled or angry. Do you know what other parents don't do? Allow that teen angst to turn into taking on the adult underworld. But sure, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Explain then why you couldn't care enough for Jason, for any potential child's life enough to create a permanent solution to our murderer? How many people, how many innocent kids is the Joker's life worth to you?"

"You obviously care more for the clown than us," Jason added.

"That's not true!"

"Then why? Why was my grave barely marked?"

"Two sentences in the Tuesday local obituaries."

"Swept under the rug to be forgotten."

"While you hunt us down for killing the clown. We deserve to be hunted down for avenging our own death."

"Meanwhile you do no such thing to the one who killed your supposed precious Robin. Did we mean so little to you? I wonder if the newest Robin means anymore than we did."

"So you're angry you were replaced?" Batman barked out, overwhelmed by their constant barrage of accusations.

Mari reached forward, forcing the man to look into the teal of those eyes swirling in front of him, watching him flinch away at knowing who she was, "You misunderstand us purposefully. It's not that we were replaced. It's that you know a child died for your cause and you still insist on placing another in harm's way. You take broken children desperate for guidance, for connection, for anything and abuse that position over them. You as their guardian are meant to keep them from harm's way. To protect them from the horrors of the world until they're old enough to face it in their own way. Not throw them in a costume, train them into weapons and then let them fight the most dangerous criminals the city could offer. Yes, we made some stupid choices of our own, but you set us up to even have those choices presented to us. Does it even occur to you that had we not shown up to save the little bird, another child would have died under your care? Does that mean nothing to you?"

The Bat growled, trying to break free of his binds. The two hid grins, knowing him unaware of the young eyes listening desperately for his answer.

"You certainly haven't thanked us for keeping him alive. Does it mean less to you that he is alive then it does that Joker is dead."

"You know the rules! We don't kill!"

He fell for it. He might as well have told the new Robin his life was forfeit to his cause. The mice scurried off Robin's feet from where he stayed, a rooftop over as the fox curved around his calves in an almost apologetic movement.

"Jason swore to abide by your rules. I never did. I was fourteen when I died due to your negligence. I was innocent. I was a happy little girl with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Now I can't even keep the voices in my head from screaming in my ears at all hours of the day. But the only thing you truly care about in the end is yourself. I fear for any child that gets dragged into your mess. And I will do whatever it takes to protect them from the inevitability of your cruelty."

With that, she stood from her spot and took off into the shadows, a cat, dragon and mice following out of sight. The fox looked at the boy who stood broken on the rooftop and nudged him, dropping the illusion of an animal and holding her hand out in offerance. He looked back at the thrashing Bat.

Jason, taking hold of the yoyo once more and tightening his grip, leant closer, "I don't blame the Joker for our death. I blame you."

With that, he used the yoyo to fling Batman in the opposite direction, taking off in an off kilter path towards the others. Looking back at the patient fox figure, hand still waiting for his choice, he hesitated.

"The choice is yours, Timothy. I'll support you no matter what," A's voice spoke softly through the comms.

Exhaling slowly, he took her hand.

She lead him to their rendezvous point where he saw the mice form into one person, the two from the roof and two other unknown figures. As he looked at them, each gave a soft nod in turn before the one opened up a blue portal before them, the fox letting go of his hand to follow the others through. Eventually only him and the ladybug themed one remained. Jason.

"Come on, replacement. You can stay with us however long you like."

With the smallest smile of gratitude and the encouraging words of Alfred in mind, he followed the other through, the portal closing behind them.

#maribat #jasonette #ml x dc #WFTW #part 18 #kidnapping children the humane way

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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I honestly think Infinite Crisis was supposes to make Dick a Christ figure. His morality literally saves the world. Your thoughts?

Eh, to be honest, I wouldn’t have been a fan of that (and I hiiiiighly doubt that’s where Didio was going with that because he likes people being LESS focused on Dick’s impact, not more).

I’ve expanded on this a LOT in the past, too often to really want to go into it all that much again, but hopefully this will bring up a lot of those older posts as “more like this” options.....

But I really really REALLY dislike the emphasis canon and fanon tends to put on Dick at times as being so much more moral and pure and just GOOD than other characters, especially when its framed as something that’s innate to him, like its fundamentally just who he is.....

Because to me, that devalues it and him so much.

Doing the right thing, being good, its a choice one makes with every single choice they make. And our tendency in society to try and sort people into “good people” and “bad people” just glosses over that and ends up excusing so many of the bad CHOICES people make as they just go “oh I guess I’m just an asshole” and like....hiding behind that as though they never really had a choice in the matter, doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing was never really an option, because they are who they are and who they are is just an asshole, y’know?

And at the same time, it actually takes away from the triumph that is Dick Grayson consciously, willfully making the choice to do good with so many of his actions when there’s so much temptation and justification for him caving to making a less moral choice most of the time. I think this is a huge contributor to people hyping up the one good deed various villains or antiheroes make at times in the comics, while paying no real attention to the ten heroic things Dick does for every one of those....because there’s nothing really impressive about making the right choice, the hard choice, when its because you’re just innately a good person, a ‘better’ person than everyone around you. There’s nothing to celebrate or honor about someone making the decision to be helpful and healing and positive with their actions and contributions to stories if there was never any doubt that they would go that route, and they never really had the option to make a bad choice there and then instead.

Which then culminates in so much of the nit-picking we see in fandom (and with characters in canon) as people attack and condemn every single little thing Dick does wrong even at the exact same time they gloss over other characters in the same stories going around committing murder, betraying and backstabbing other friends or family, and a hundred other things. Because Dick is SUPPOSED to just be ‘better’ than everyone else, and innately just a good person while everyone around him has to STRUGGLE with their morality, any time Dick does anything that’s less than 100% noble or that prioritizes himself in a selfish way or even just is him expressing bitterness or resentment at his own mistreatment.....this is framed and contextualized as a FAILING of his. He’s failing to live up to the standard of “the best, most moral person in the DC universe, the multiversal constant” instead of accepting that he’s just a man like any other character, and every choice he makes is the end result of his own internal struggle against right or wrong. The fact that he so often makes the right choice or the more positive or helpful choice, even at his own expense a lot of the time....THAT is what makes him Dick Grayson....and that IS to his credit.....but the problem is, he never gets that credit when he’s just cited as being so good and pure and noble, because people are like “well duh, what else was he going to do? The wrong thing? The selfish thing? LOL, that would be OOC.”

And so he’s put up on a pedestal he has no reason to be on any more than anyone else does, and condemned every time he fails to live up to the impossible expectations that come with being placed up there......which means, he either never slips up and does anything that would go against the idea he belongs on that pedestal....in which case he’s rendered two-dimensional and cast as ‘impossible to relate to’ given that nobody is just so innately good that they make the right choice all the time, no matter what......

Or else he does slip up and does things that go against the idea he’s supposed to be on that pedestal and STAY on that pedestal....in which case people call him OOC or write essays about how what he did was so fucked up when what he did was like....have one fight with someone where he said mean things to the person saying mean things back, and somehow this ends up magnified to being on an equivalent level to actual murder, torture, cheating, betrayal and other things that are associated with other characters as their ‘flaws’....

Because this is what people point to as his flaws, and thus when talking about characters and flaws in general.....these things end up on the same level as those other things and thus get blown entirely out of proportion, when those same choices or flaws on display with any other character would barely warrant a second glance with fans.

So I just really really really dislike any association with Dick and Christ-like imagery or symbolism or implications, and extend that to pretty much any and all talk of him being so much ‘better’ as a person than even other DC heroes, or just innately good or kind-hearted or virtuous....

Because Dick Grayson is all of those things, I think, yes....but he’s all of those things by CHOICE, because he makes the choice to do things and act in ways that lead to him having that reputation, even when he has every reason in the world to lower himself into the muck and roll around in it like every other character gets free rein to do when they’re recovering from trauma or facing someone who’s hurt them or taken a lot from them.

And that’s not easy, but the difference between him and so many other characters isn’t that its any easier for him to make those choices.....its that he does it any way, despite the difficulty.

And that’s why I always spend so much time focusing on the fact that Dick killed the Joker, and that he was originally intending to kill Zucco before he decided he had more to lose and nothing to gain from it. And why I talk so much about the fact that killing didn’t break him, and likely wouldn’t break him if he felt he had to do so in the future in defense of his own life or to save someone else, or even to avenge another family member like with the Joker and Jason, or if he did so under someone else’s control or while brainwashed by the Court of Owls, etc....like, he’s not ‘too good’ to kill someone without it destroying who and what he is, the way that’s often framed with him.

And its why I’m so defensive about Dick’s infamous temper, and never because I think its OOC for Dick to be angry, but because I think the problem is he’s never ALLOWED to be angry, never considered justified, with his anger portrayed as something readers and other characters understand and support him expressing, and instead is pretty much only ever just labeled a character flaw, with it coming up in the context of him being TOO angry, TOO hot-tempered, TOO hair-trigger. Unreasonable, irrational anger, the kind that makes him hard to deal with instead of someone you root for when they get angry because they SHOULD be mad, the situation calls for it.

Because Dick has the same spectrum of emotions as any other character, and to deny him the same access to all of those emotions, not just the good or happy or positive ones, is to cut him off from a full half of his potential portrayals or depictions.....which y’know, pretty inevitably leads to a less realistic, less fully rendered or three dimensional character....which is what people often cite as why they don’t like him as much as other Batfamily characters, why he’s harder to relate to. Well no duh, when you restrict him from displaying or acting on half the emotions that make up the human experience! He’s going to seem less human, more ‘pure/noble/above it all’ - and nobody’s going to find someone’s struggles as compelling when the likely outcome of those struggles is expected to be Dick making a choice that’s so good, so honorable, so PURE, the mindset required to make that choice would be virtually unattainable for any of us - thus there’s no incentive, or even the possibility, of placing ourselves in his shoes, trying to view a situation through his eyes.

And Dick has the same option to make the negative choices, the harmful choices, the toxic or vindictive or vengeful or selfish or self-centered or callous choices that are available to every other character and every reader when following his stories and picturing themselves in that situation.....but when Dick never ever makes any of THOSE choices, and indeed, is never given even the option by the narrator, of making those choices - and has no chance at the forgiveness or understanding of readers, SHOULD he make those choices.....then again, of course you’re going to wind up with a character people find harder to relate to, and see little reason in putting in the extra effort to do so.

Because who wants to follow the stories of a character who makes them feel bad or dirty or ‘lesser’ than him by virtue of the fact that he never acts on a situation in any of the more negative ways people feel they might act if they WERE in his shoes....who wants to actually project themselves into those shoes if the end result is just going to be them feeling UNHEROIC simply BECAUSE they tried to relate to the hero and came away with the impression that this was a wasted effort, because they could never be as pure and good-hearted as that, they’d be too tempted to make the more selfish choice at times, the more vengeful choice, the more HUMAN choice....

And all of the above stems from just one simple thing, one sole mindset....

The idea that there are some people who are just innately good, and who don’t have to struggle to MAKE the good choice, the noble choice, the heroic choice....because they’re just so pure, so down-to-the-bone honorable by virtue just of who and what they are......and thus, if we’re not that way ourselves, if another character isn’t similarly regarded....there’s not even any point in trying to relate to that first character or be more like them....because its impossible.

You’re either that good by nature, or you’re not. You’re either Dick Grayson, or you’re no Dick Grayson and by extension there’s no point in even TRYING to be. No point in aspiring to be more like the example he sets in-universe or out, no point in trying to view him as an ideal to strive for instead of a benchmark for how far from a good person you are by nature and should just make your peace with being less ‘good/pure/noble’ than.

And so I’m always going to be knee-jerk UMM NO and also BUT HOW ABOUT NOT any time any discussion of Dick’s pure-of-heart status, too-good-too-noble-to-kill-and-not-be-just-shattered-by-it status, or any allusions to Christ-like symbolism or messianic narratives come up. I’m just always gonna be like, NOPE, no and also thank you but I like my Dick Grayson the same as any other hero, anti-hero, villain or just casual lookie-loo watching the superhero brawl happening downtown on their lunch break.....just a person, no innately better or worse than anyone else, with the same temptation to do wrong, be selfish, inflict retribution as the next person, and occasionally falling prey to his worse inclinations or instincts or behavior....

Because THAT’S what makes all the times he DOES rise above that behavior and set a standard in-universe for what a hero should be like, COULD be like, an example that actually CAN be followed, and met by others striving to make similar choices to him because they’re inspired by the fact that he makes those choices rather than resentful because they can’t imagine ever even being capable of making those choices....

THAT’S what makes all of that actually mean something, IMO.

Not his status as the DC universe’s multiversal constant and just all around best, most virtuous or good-hearted guy, an unreal gift that no mere mortal could ever actually hope to match or live up to.

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jack87354 · 4 years

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Syndrome Chapter 5

Log entry 5 Agent: UNKNOWN Western Market district, Halcyon city, Time: 2300 hours, Date: 19/04/2144 Status: Standby

If you were a tourist, then Halcyon city's market district would've caught your eyes so tightly that you would've had to have them surgically removed from the scene. Buildings of all kinds lined the streets as the bright neon lights pulsated like lava lamps. It was pure eye-candy for people with loose pockets who didn't know their way around, but if you'd lived in this city long enough, then you'd know that the real attractions were things that you had to find through whispers and a few bribes. The room was located right underneath a simple butcher shop, nothing special about it, but carefully hidden from any wandering eyes and the occasional health inspector. A crowd of spectators had gathered in shadow, as a single white lightbulb hung from the ceiling to illuminate a small table with eight occupied chairs positioned in a circle. Jason hid underneath his hood to shield himself from the crowd, but the other occupants of the table could clearly see his face as he held his cards close, making sure that no one else could peek at them. He smirked in triumph, but in all honesty, he was cursing his luck on the inside. A three of clubs, a seven and ten of hearts, an ace of spades and finally Mister joker. The odds of him winning: quite low, The other occupants (In all honesty, in underground poker, it was never really a good idea to give your name, unless of course you were prepared to face an unhappy player who wanted their salary returned) wore similar faces, all except for one; a man who wore a simple white vest, revealing muscular arms and a green dragon tattoo that ran down his left bicep. His shaven head reflected the light like a mirror and in his left hand, gripped by the dragon’s mouth, were his cards. His pencil strip goatee stretched as he grinned. To Jason, it made him look like some villain from stories that the old folks told. He'd won most of the previous hands last hands and was celebrating with a few tankards of alcohol. He'd even called ahead to be greeted at home with a girl. He was probably an enforcer for some gang, either that or a dealer of some sort. Under normal (Or rather, casino) circumstances, there would've been nearly ten thousand credits worth of scrips on the table, but in these underground arenas, no one at these tables ever betted with credits. Instead, it was all top quality gadgets and gizmos. Tablets, radios, semiconductors, hell, he'd once seen an entire arm augmentation get wagered on. "Let's see what you still got in those pockets of yours," Jason thought to himself, as a smirk crossed his face. This was the last hand of the night and the stakes were pretty high. Almost a thousand credits worth of equipment was collected on the center of the table and every eye in the room was solely focused on the thought of walking out of here with it. Perfect. The man started the bidding and threw down a chrome ignition coil, worth around three hundred credits. "Lady luck's my girl tonight!" his boast, slurred by the alcohol. Two players, a man, and women folded at once, and after a few more moments another man folded as well. "Too rich for my blood" With a triumphant laugh, the man drowned another tankard, as if the two remaining players didn't even exist. Poker was a game of calculation, advanced psychology and pure dumb luck. "I'm in," the almost stern voice said from a side of the table. The words held a touch of a proper accent that was elegant and refined, much like their speaker. The woman was beautiful, to say the least. Her face was delicate yet fierce, with a perfectly sculpted jawline, a slender nose, creamy skin, and voluminous ice blue hair and eyes. Her body, buff yet at the same time curvey and supple with well endowed 'assets'. She wore an expensive-looking white jacket and sausage pants combo and as she folded her left leg onto her right knee revealed black leather heeled boots that looked like they were worth around how much was on the table. Every eye in the room was now shifted to this woman and to be frank, it was a mystery why all eyes hadn't been on her before. The drunk, finally managing to settle his eyes, looked at her with the lust of a predator eyeing its prey "Tell you what darling," His breath reaching even Jason who was at the opposite end of the table "Put everything you have down and we'll call it even" The woman smirked "Funny, because I was about to say the same thing to you" Theatrically, she produced a golden chip from her breast pocket and gave the man a sinister smile and probably a rise in heart rate. It landed on the table with a smack. It was a flat golden square with fluorescent green lines running along with it's faces. A Titan corp high-end terabyte processer, made for the top of the line computers and military-grade equipment. It seemed almost out of place among the pile, but it was worth far more than anything there. Heck, it was probably worth more than the pile itself The man's eyes were wide for a moment but he chuckled to himself and proceeded to place all his loot on the table "Your turn" the woman turned to Jason He snapped back to reality "Uh, pardon" "Are you in or out?" she asked, with a tone that felt a bit condescending "Oh," he replied, glancing at the money on the table. He'd taken three hundred dollars from Arcemedes and of that he'd already lost about half. Then again, there was always the chance that he could make it back up in one hand. Matching the woman's smirk with one of his own, he bet the remainder of his money "All right then boys. Let's see what you have" The drunk smiled, the swagger he'd lost returning as he flipped his cards to reveal all four kings accompanied by an almost out of place four of diamonds; a four of a kind hand A few gasped in surprise while others (more specifically the players who had folded) groaned in spite and frustration- which was to be expected. Not all bets were played on the table. Sometime the audience themselves would bet on who would win and losing a bet was never a good feeling. After all, it would only take a few losses and a bit of alcohol to have people punching the walls and/or others. The woman chuckled "My, my. Impressive hand," she feigned a look of sadness as he flipped her cards, causing nearly everyone to awed in disbelief "But I think I've won this." The man stared at the cards in pure shock and the cards stared back at him. An eight, then a nine, followed by a ten, then came to the prince, before finally the blood-red queen of hearts; a straight flush. The woman rose from her seat and prepared to claim her winnings, but the man also rose to stop her, anger and bloodlust boiling behind his eyes "Chea-" was the only thing he could say before the woman's foot slammed into his stomach, sending him to the floor. Nobody said a word, and while Jason himself had seen a few of these violent outbreaks happen a few times before, it never lost that sudden shock that went through your system whenever it did go down "Oh, I almost forgot," the woman's voice, taking his focus away from the man struggling to breathe on the floor. Jason looked up to find her gaze on him, a bit of curiosity on her face "What's your hand?" Now there are times in life where being a smart ass can get you in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately for Jason, being a smart ass wasn't exactly something a guy like him could simply switch off. After all, if his mouth ever got him in trouble, he could just rewind. He flicked his cards up and to the utter astonishment of everyone in the room (even the guy on the ground), gave the woman an arrogant smile. The ace of hearts, then spades, then diamonds, then clubs, before finally, the court jester himself, the Joker. The Joker was the wild card and whenever he was in play, absolutely nothing could beat all the aces and the Joker; the legendary five of a kind. "I think that stack of gizmos belongs to me" He said, folding his arms. The woman blinked, then blinked again, before closing her eyes and giving him a small chuckle "I suppose it is, I suppose it is," she reopened them and stared at him with something that looked between malice and interest. But before they could say or do anything further, the man on the floor finally rose to his feet. To say he looked mad would've been an understatement, his head was practically a tomato, red with rage. He snapped his fingers and two brutish looking men stepped out from the crowd. "This doesn't look good," Jason thought to himself, as he eyed the men. In all honesty, he was rather fit and athletic, and he could even hold his own in a few street fights, but these guys looked as if they were only given protein packs as food. It was a safe assumption that these two would be able to easily snap a few bones, and Jason was the kind of guy who preferred to keep his bones together as much as he could. He slipped his hand into his pants pocket and held his thumb over his phone's screen "The two of you cheated!" the man growled The woman sniggered and turned to him "Why aren't you a sore loser." she waved a hand towards Jason "Claiming that two people cheated when there's only one winner" Jason suppressed the urge to look at her in disbelief. "What are you doing lady?" he said to himself The man gave his two bodyguards a glance and they nodded in response. One stepped forward to grab the lady while the other went for Jason "Okay, time to go!" Jason thought to himself as he tapped the screen of his phone with his thumb "POLICE!" the single word screamed loud enough to echo in the enclosed room, but by who, no one knew, and nobody cared. For a moment, everything had paused and a deathly silence fell over the entire room. It's in the rare moments like these, that the people who act come out on top. It takes a sharp eye, but you'd often see the small details that could save you skin. From a tiny moth flying into a lightbulb to a rat skittering about in the background. Or, maybe even a door that you'd failed to realize was hidden away in the darkness. "Oh duh," Jason thought to himself as a plan of action popped into his head. With as much force as he could manage, he kicked the bottom of the table up, sending the pile up in a hail of tech. The effect was nearly instantaneous as the crowd jumped from the shadows and in a wild frenzy, hands started snatching whatever they could. Jason swiped his own hand through the falling metal and grabbed the golden processer, then, without a single glance back, he dashed for the door and threw open the door. Once through he slammed it shut to ensure that at least no one followed, though, in all that chaos, he highly doubted that anyone would. The threat of a police bust would scatter those still down there in just a few minutes so it was best that he made himself scarce He navigated his way through the basement until he found a flight of stairs and as quickly as he could, made his way back up to the main shop. Once there, he exited through the backdoor and smiled. The rush you got when you did something risky like that never got old, but it never got easier either. "Seems like you enjoyed yourself" Cyclop's robotic voice came from behind Jason turned to his robotic companion and showed him his prize "Well I walked in there with a few simple power coils and I walk away with a processer that'll give one heck of a boost to your CPU, so yes it was rather enjoyable," "I thought you humans felt regret when you cheated?" The sarcasm practically dripped from Cyclop's artificial voice Jason smirked and adjusted the sleeve of his jacket, letting four simple playing cards fall out onto the ground "Cheater's just a fancy word the people from the Elysium district use for the winner."

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