Winging it (Closed)

Participants: Abner Krill/The Polka Dot Man, Dick Grayson/Nightwing, ninja goons.
Open/Closed: Closed
Location(s): Gotham city streets
Time of Day: Middle of the night
Weather: Cloudy (as usual for Gotham)
Summary: Seeing the otherworldly nature of Abner's powers as a threat in more competent hands, Ra's al ghul has sent some assassins to dispose of him just in case. However a mutual enemy steps in to aid the spotty villain in surviving the night


"Damnit Krill! If you burn through my floor again, I'm going to kick your ass back to Blackgate myself!" Barked a rather burly bartender, the slam of his fists onto the bartop being enough to sober anyone up in an instant. For Abner, this meant fumbling the bottle in his grip so it splashed a wave of cheap booze all over his face and cap. 

Unbuckling his cap and reaching for some nearby napkins with a sigh, Abner started to wipe himself clean of the dripping alcohol. His eyes closed in resigned frustration as he noticed the source of the bartender's outrage. All over his face, golf ball sized lumps were sprouting. Wincing as the paper cloth sailed and glistened over each bump, he knew it wouldn't be much longer till the employee's fears came true. Leaving a crumpled wad of 20's on the table to cover the tab, Abner placed his hat and goggles back over his head with a labored lumber towards the back alleyway outside. Shakily bracing himself against the nearest wall, it didn't take much effort before a rainbow lightshow emanated out of Abner's mouth, spewing a waterfall of multicolored dots onto the concrete below, searing tiny potholes all over the expanse. 

Wheezing and panting, Abner stood up just in time to find a shuriken embed itself in the wall where his head had been moments prior! A barely audible squeak escaping his lips in place of a scream, he peeled off a rather large dot from his chest, expanding into a sturdy shield magnetized to his wrist! Crouching behind it, a few more stars scraped against the defenses, exposing the hidden wiring and circuitry within from the rips and tears left behind. 

"W-what is going on?! Guys! Help!!!" Abner called out to the fellow D lister villains occupying his favorite hangout, though it appeared his cries for help went unnoticed past the loud music and chatty gossip. Seeing no other choice, Polka Dot Man fumbled with his right gauntlet as the left was occupied shielding him. The same dots he had expelled earlier fluttered out in a graceful breeze, before a whipping movement of Abner's arm sent them hurtling towards the unknown assailants! The unprepared villain could only hope his blow connected as his shield got more worn and weakened from every blow against it.

Dick Grayson

Nightwing leaned against a brick chimney on a nearby roof, blending into the dark Gotham night sky outside the glow of orange street lamps below. He was conscious to take low, slow breaths to keep his heart rate low and his breathing soft. There wasn't much traffic in this part of town at this hour. Even during the peak times of traffic this area didn't see much in the way of action. Most Gothamites knew well enough to stay away from the neighborhood - this is where the burnouts and the lowest of Gotham's crime hierarchy calls home. While you weren't likely to get hit with a dose of fear toxin or Joker gas, you likely wouldn't walk out with your wallet or car either. It was a neighborhood that was too small for the police to care much for and far below the Batfamily's notice at time. He caught what he thought was movement out of the corner of his eye but, in reality, was just a plastic shopping bag being lifted up into the air by a breeze. Nightwing relaxed his posture and flattened himself back into the darkness as he kept his attention fixed on the bar in front of him. He was flying blind tonight. He had turned off his communication device that connected him to Oracle and the Birds of Prey to maintain as much silence as possible. Make no mistake, however, he wasn't hiding from any of the sad sacks and lowlifes in the bar he was watching like a hawk - but by whoever else may also have their eyes on the place. 

Oracle had picked up something on what was thought to be an untraceable frequency a few months ago that hinted at unusual activity and some calling signals of the League of Assassins. They had even gone so far as to bring in Damian to get his opinion on the matter due to his familial connection - a fact that Damian liked to lord over the rest of the family. He had confirmed what Oracle's concerns were, however. After a lengthy absence, the League of Assassins had moved back into Gotham and had picked a target... one that wasn't Bruce or Damian at that. In fact Dick couldn't believe what Babs had briefed him on. Of all the big players and power brokers in Gotham, Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins were targeting... him?! Gotham was fun. Just when you think you've seen it all, then something new blows into town. 

There it was. A scream. A cry for help in a dark alley and an unmistakable glow of rainbow colors. Either he had missed where Ra's men were perched or they moved effortlessly in the darkness. Dick took a deep breath, mentally prepping himself for a fight with any number of professionally trained killers, and leapt off the building towards the street below. Acrobatics and tumbling was all about keeping momentum. He landed on a small awning below him, but rolled through with it and launched himself over the intersection of the road. Dick's gloved hands reached out, grabbing the post that held the traffic lights and swung from it towards the building across the street where the scream came from. He took a moment to jump step from the side of the building and grabbed the railing of the fire escape with his free hand. He made a small clang but, thankfully, the scene unfolding below him was more than enough to keep the League of Assassins busy. Behind a giant, glowing polka-dot was Abner Krill, cowering for his life against men that could chew him up and spit him back up. 

He had been skeptical. What was it about this particular person that shook Ra's so bad that he sent a kill squad after him? Nightwing took an escrima stick from it's holster and threw it at an angle at the nearby brick wall, causing the stick to rebound back and catch the unsuspecting masked killer on the side of the jaw. He was noticed by his friends before he hit the ground. Dick saluted the man faces and heads that turned up to the fire escape where he was still standing with another escrima stick drawn and his eyes fixed on the second that was now lying on the alley floor. "Good evening, fellas. I'd tell you that we could do this the easy way or the hard way but it's pretty apparent which way you're going to answer, so let's get on with it." 

Dick leapt over the railing, flipping forward and landing boots first on the back of one man's head before cracking another in the jaw with his weapon. Dick rolled backwards away from a slashing dagger and picked up his second stick along the way. Polka Dot Man was standing beside him now as Nightwing twirled the sticks between his fingers. "So, Polka Dot Man, what did you do to tick off the League of Assassins?" 

The other League of Assassin members were programmed to adapt to any situation. Even know they were studying Nightwing's movements and reformulating their attack. Abner looked stunned, startled, and smelled like he had already drank his fair share of booze for the night. Even sober he wasn't sure how well the man would do in a fight which meant Nightwing was going to be on his own by all accounts.

Abner Krill

What was it with everyone trying to kill him lately?! It was absurd! He knew everyone hated his guts for one reason or another, but this was on a whole different level! With many a clang and a clatter, the mediocre mad scientist watched helplessly as his makeshift defense was slowly being withered away by the barrage of blades and stars! 

That was when he saw it. The telltale skintight Black and Blue of the former Boy Wonder. Of course. Of COURSE it had to be him. Second only to the Bat himself in how much he loathed the brat's guts! If it wasn't for the two of them, his life wouldn't be the cavalcade of chaos and misery that it had steadily declined into! Was he here to help the masked assailants finish him off? Or just to get some more jabbing mockery in at the moment of his demise?!

But no. In what may be even more humiliating, the vigilante had instead come to bail him out in his time of need. Great. Just how much lower could he sink in one day. Still, if it meant living another day, he was willing to reluctantly accept the help. 

"The league of WHAT?!?!?" Krill managed to blubber out in utter astonishment at the former sidekick's statement, his jaw dropping almost as much as the ninja that took the first Ecrisma Stick impact. Regaining a shred of his composure, Krill ducked just in time for another throwing star to whizz past his head, leaving a knick in the aviator cap he had been wearing!

"Why would someone send a bunch of hitmen after me?! I paid my bar tab!" He yelped, the shield attached to his wrist finally crumpling to nothing at the repeated battering. 

"GAH!" Krill exclaimed in horror, wincing in panic as he thrust his arms out towards the gaggle of goons. A colorful confetti burst of polka dots sent blazing forth like a flamethrower of sprinkles! The deceptively delightful looking display instead showing it's true deadly design, searing speckles of spotty holes into whatever they came across! Be it brick, blade, cloth, or sizzling assassin flesh!

Dick Grayson