A Rock and a Dark Place (Ravager)

An armored truck was driving through Downtown late at night. "So you believe the rumors flying around?" The Guard sitting in the passenger seat asked the driver curiously. "About some alien freak popping up on TV and the internet I mean," he clarified.

"With all of the crazy **** that you see on TV or online I wouldn't be surprised. Probably a giant hoax though," The Driver remarked offhandedly as they stopped at a red light.

"But what if it isn't? I mean, you've seen that alien chick from the titans in the news right?" The Passenger pointed out.

"Yeah, seen her once in person too- well, from a distance but I have PHYSICALLY seen her. For all you know this guy's just some freak in a homemade cosplay spacesuit," The Driver countered simply as the light changed. "Besides, we got that election for mayor going on right now," he added.

"Right right- you see one whose running against em? Some pretty red head," The Passenger stated happily. Before the driver could make a comment, a shape suddenly appeared overhead and landed right on their windshield.

"WHAT THE FU-" The Driver swore before something rammed straight into the side of the truck, sending it crashing through a wall and down into the lower level of a multistory car park. The back of the truck popped open, as the two guards in the back crawled out and tried to get to their feet. The attacker jumped down with a loud, heavy thud as they approached.

"Oh god, oh god! It's Cinderblock!" One of the guards screamed, quickly training his pulse rifle up and firing with his comrade. Their shots simply bounced off as Cinderblock charged toward them, sending them both flying with one arm swipe. The guard in the passenger side was still conscious and got on the radio, Cinderblock picking the truck up and settling it back down before walking around to his side.

"****! I NEED SOME BACKUP ASAAAAAA-" The Guard screamed as Cinderblock tore the door off, then grabbed and slammed him against a support pillar. A pair of vans parked nearby then popped open. Well dressed Gangsters started to pile out, alongside ninjas that seemed to just... appear from the shadows themselves. They immediately went to looting the truck just as a headlight shone through the entrance to the carpark.

This made the ninjas scatter in all directions as bursts of energy projectiles pulsed from a familiar motorcycle with an R emblazoned on it. Robin concentrated the shots to surprise the gangsters before peppering Cinderblock with a barrage, nimbly leaping off of it before it crashed into Cinderblock. "I'll be honest- Didn't miss seeing your ugly mug," Robin remarked toward Cinderblock, who roard angrily as he kicked The R-cycle off. Cinderblock and these... ninjas were the onle ones he was really worried about. Cinderblock could take one hell of a beating, and these ninjas didn't move like humans.

Speaking of, they came back out of hiding and were the first ones to engage him. Robin quickly whipped out his eskrima sticks. The Ninjas' morphed their arms into gleaming blades as they tried to attack him from different angles, earning a swift... smack- whiff from Robin's sticks. His attacks seemed to hit nothing but air as he quickly backed off from this surprise, Cinderblock barreling straight toward him with an overhead punch. Robin easily avoided it, quickly running up it and roundhouse kicking the giant stone man. The Gangsters seemed to be paying more attention to what was inside the truck instead of him as the ninjas seemed to be intentionally keeping him away from them. Well guess he better start trying then. Quickly dodging another one of Cinderblock's attacks, he broke into a run while raching for something in his belt. Fishing out a handful of Flashbangs, he threw them at the ninjas whie ducking into a roll with his eyes closed.

The flashbangs went off just as he got back to his feet, finding all of the ninjas suddenly... deflated. All that was left was their clothes? He didn't have time to think about that right now. Some of the gangsters that didn't get hit by the flash bangs too were barking orders to each other which loosely sounded like they were paying attention to him now...

Rose sat on the roof of the building to the East, chewing her gum and swinging her legs over the side as Cinderblock charged in. "Oh no. Watch out. My god the horror." She blew a bubble and leaned back against a box she'd set up behind her. "And boy wonder in three...two...one..."

WHAM

Yup, there went Robin. Speeding in and ramming Cinderblock head on with his R-Cycle. Of course, it's Cinderblock, so he just kicked it straight across the street, and Ravager watched it crash into the alleyway on her left. "Boy wonder, you need to treat your sh*t better than this." She strolled over to the side and casually strolled off the edge, catching herself on the fire escape and swinging forward, latching onto the wall of the next building, watching Robin from a distance at first.

Those sticks were of his looked nice and fancy, that was for sure. "Coulda swore you had a staff on all the posters." She scratched her chin and took a running leap, tossing her grappling hook to cross the street while Robin was busy trying to lay into the ninjas. She landed and slid down a wall into the alley nearest to Robin as he ducked another swing and drew a disk from his utility belt, throwing it down and creating the massive flash of light.

Of course, with a light that bright, the alley she hid in wasn't perfect to hide her visage anymore. In just a flash, Robin would be able to catch a glimpse of a very familiar looking mask. Instead of a hard metal armor, it seemed to be made of cloth. But at a distance, it was hard to tell too many other differences.

Rose quickly ducked down behind the dumpster and growled to herself. Boy wonder had to have seen her, right? There was no way he hadn't. She quickly assessed her situation, and searched other possiblities. The best way to gain his trust now would be to fight. Regardless of what Robin thought he'd seen.

The girl leapt backward, flipping over the dumpster and onto the truck, landing above the well dressed gang members. She was certainly dressed in a way that invoked memories of that most dangerous adversary. Of him. Of Slade. She drew one of her smoke grenades, pulling the pin and casually chucking it into the back seat of their getaway car. "I really don't recommend getting in that car anymore. Unless you like being a mess on the pavement." She smiled a dark, intimidating smile. It was a smoke, not a frag. But none of them had any way of knowing. Not at this time of night. Not without getting in the back seat and checking.

She dropped down off the truck, shooting between the legs of the first as the mobster behind him drew his pistol. Ravager quickly drew her bo staff with a flourish, knocking the gun away from the mobster as he cried out in pain, sweeping his leg immediately after and slamming her staff into his forehead, now standing with a foot over his chest. "F*cking babies." She muttered quietly, looking to the rest. Some were slowly backing up, others were drawing more weapons.

"Hmph...hey boy scout, you good to fight tall gray and tasteless? Or do you want to switch?"

He HAD seen something, enough of something that he felt his hands clench around his eskrima sticks on reflex by a memory or two that flashed through his mind. Was that- why is he- no not he. Why did they have a mask like his? Unfortunately he would not have time to ponder this, as the big ugly gray thing was still technically behind him; and quite mad. Cinderblock roared into action again, forcing Robin to switch his attention back to him but it would be Cinderblock regretting this decision. Cinderblock swung low as Robin flipped over it, quickly leaping up with an uppercut. Using his other hand, Robin quickly swung on Cinderblock's other arm and kicked off from it- hitting Cinderblock with a flying kick that managed to stagger him. But Robin was not done, he was for the moment overtaken with rage and adrenaline that he needed to work out of his system. After landing behind Cinderblock, Robin would quickly throw a couple explosive disks into his back to further disorientate him, and make him buckle forward for a moment from losing his balance.

Robin would then finish up by charging forward, seeing Ravager on the other side by the gangsters. Robin would use Cinderblock as a springboard, kicking off from him. Seeing Ravager helping him, for the moment he'd just keep an eye on her until Cinderblock and these goons were dealt with. "Who are you? And WHY are you wearing THAT mask?" Robin demanded, understandably out of sorts at the reminder of one of the biggest threats the titans had ever faced. It was then that one of the shadows on the ground moved on it's own, a hand extending along the ground toward Robin too fast and suddenly to be caught in him. It immediately pulled, literally dragging Robin's foot out from under him and making him fall flat on his face for a moment; only for a moment. More shadows seemed to slither out from the darkness, mostly joining the gangsters aid as they rose up and immediately moved into attack.

They didn't just throw themselves at her, they coordinated with eachother almost like a hivemind. One just leaped at her straight on, it's legs morphing into blades as one of it's comrades whipped it's now long, sinewry looking arms at her. The others would flatten along the ground and slither around, waiting for an opening before trying to shoot up and strike her. Some of the gangsters with guns would then bark at their friends before taking shots at Ravager while the rest tried to make run with some of the contents of the armored truck.

Back over by Robin, he would wrestle with the hand trying to drag him further away toward a dark part of the car park. Quickly grabbing his grappling hook, Robin fired it and wrapped it around Cinderblock as he was getting back to his feet. The wire grew taut, Cinderblock about to snap free as Robin quickly fished out another flashbang and threw it at the darkness where the shadow hand was coming from. It IMMEDIATELY let go, retratcing just before the flashbang went off and illuminated the darkness. But nothing was revealed as Cinderblock picked up a car. He threw it straight at Robin who barely had enough time to get up, only to dive back down before the car crashed into him. And then ANOTHER ninja emerged from the ceiling this time, trying to stomp down on Robin who rolled out of the way.

Robin as he got up immediately tried to sweep, once again finding that his attack may as well been hitting air. The ninja retaliated with a kick of it's own, being blocked but pushing Robin back slightly. This one was dressed differently and had more presence to it. Was this the ringleader? The Ninja glanced back at Cinderblock and pointed toward Ravager, to which Cinderblock grunted in protest for a moment before turning toward Ravager and charging toward her. There were so many questions burning in his brain right now. But he wouldn't get the ones he really wanted right now as long as these guys kept getting in the way. Robin roared and charged forward, engaging the newcomer in hand-to-hand combat!

Rose sighed as the public freakout began. "Look, you can either complain about it now, or we can fight these guys and talk after we beat them." One of the mobsters jumped as a hissing sound rang out from the back seat of the car, and Rose smirked. "...Yeah, it was smoke. My bad." She sprang off the ground and brought her staff down on another mobster's head, knocking him out cold.

As the next drew his gun, and another, Rose quickly shrank down her staff and drew her blades, giving them a brandish as she did. The gunfire started and so did Ravager, slashing bullets out of the air left right and center, slowly moving toward the mobster with his gun, until he emptied his clip. He clicked it twice, pathetically, and Rose kicked it into the air and out of his hand, slashing it into 3 with her dual blades. "Ya done?"

And that's when the shadows came. "Oh. Great. These again." She blocked the first leaping strike, intentionally catching the pin of another of her grenades as she slid under the ninja to dodge the next swing from behind her, causing the pin to pull. She dropped into a three point stance with her blades in a reverse grip, slashing away at the ninja assassin. Of course it wasn't doing damage, but it was delaying him.

She blinked and sighed, flipping her blades back around and turning, beginning to spin the blades and block the bullets again, right up until the flashbang grenade on her hip exploded, shooting light everywhere. Just like she'd seen Robin do moments earlier. She made her way up to the mobsters, slashing the barrels off of two of their guns, disarming the next and slashing his weapon in half. If they were dumb enough to approach, she would put them down...nonlethally, obviously.

Then she heard the roar behind her. She slowly looked over her shoulder as Cinderblock covered that distance fast. She felt a clawed ninja hand reach out of the floor and yank her foot down, keeping her from jumping out of the way. "What the hell are you-" She looked down and looked right back up. "Oh hoLY NIIIIIIGHT!"

WHAM

Cinderblock had scooped up the white haired girl and barreled her through the building she'd hopped down from, dislocating her shoulder and breaking her rib, leaving her buried in the next wall. Rose groaned and immediately put her shoulder back into place, letting her healing factor start to stitch up her ribcage. "Any time now, Boy Wonder..." She called out. "You were kinda supposed to have this guy."

"Kind of busy here," Robin would call back as the new arrival started attacking him, using the same kinds of attacks as it's friends but with the exception that it wasn't simply throwing attacks at random until something stuck. It also had the intuition to keep him from going for his belt, trying to grapple him every time he tried. And despite not having any physical mass, it was a pain trying to get free again. At one point he thought it was going to try and pull him down through the ground. But he pulled out one of his birdarangs and on reflex sliced one of it's hands clean off to get free. It didn't even acknowledge it, the nub instead sprouting over a dozen tendrils that Robin had to slide under to get away from.

He'd use this chance to go help his unlikely ally. Throwing one of his birdarangs and thwacking Cinderblock in the back of the head with it- more to get his attention than hoping it would actually harm him. Cinderblock growled with annoyance, letting Ravager loose and turning around. It seemed to have work as he brought his hands up over his head. Robin knew what was about to happen now and reached for his belt as a familiar foe suddenly latched on. Robin quickly twisted his body and used his free hand to instead throw a few disks at Cinderblock's face and arms. They hit their marks, instantly incasing his upper body in ice before Robin was pulled off his feet again. Cinderblock growled through the ice and started to thrash about, trying to break out of the ice.

Robin was really getting tired of that other ninja though. Reaching for his belt again, the ninja's other arm extended quickly and grabbed a hold of it to keep him from doing so aswell as pull him faster toward it. The Gansters meanwhile, would be dragging their comrades back to their vans and started piling into them.

Rose groaned in pain and tried to force her way out of the wall as Cinderblock's hand wrapped around her head, yanking her out and flipping her over his head, caving in the floor. That was a number of broken bones. "Oh, busy. My bad. I didn't mean to imply you should multitask. That's on me." The sass Rose spoke with was very much still there, but she sounded beaten up and exhausted.

She felt her healing factor start to kick in as the birdarangs smacked Cinderblock in the back of the head, drawing his attention. She rolled over and used the curtains to drag herself up to her feet, watching Cinderblock encase in ice. With a sigh of relief, she pushed her bones back together with her arms, forcing her healing factor to kick in. "Okay Rosie...push through the pain." She scooped her swords back up off the pavement where she'd dropped them and sheathed them, drawing a few more grenades from her own belt. These ones were round, almost baseball sized. "Work through the pain..."

She started running forward, dashing around the encased Cinderblock as the ice started to shake. She threw her grenades onto the cracks that were forming in the ice, causing them to erupt into a glue-like goop, making the ice that much harder for Cinderblock to properly shatter. And if he did manage to? That glue would all collapse on him, binding his limbs to his torso.

Slowly, Ravager pulled her bo staff back out, using it more like a walking stick as she made her way over to try and help Robin. She pulled the pin on a grenade as she did so, walking forward slowly. "I really recommend hiding things in your gloves where you can, man. Makes reaching things easier." A few seconds later, she chucked it one handed into the assassin. Another flashbang. "Please let that work..." She muttered as she did. And then it went off, letting off a huge flash of white light.

Whoever she was, she was not becoming any more endearing the more she talked. But Robin was as he said, busy trying not to be dragged off into the dark or worse- Hanging onto part of a car with one hand as he watched Cinderblock try to get free. But with some adhesive grenades, she managed to keep him bound and trapped. That was one less thing to worry about then as she tossed what he hoped was another flashbang. Whatever it was in the brief moment she threw it, Robin's grabby attacker immediately let go of him and seemed to quickly recede into cover before the flash went off. So unlike the others, this one could recognize when something was a threat and likewise tried to avoid it. It couldn't be sentient though right. "Thanks for the tip," Robin deadpanned in irritation, in response to everything.

Hearing the vans' engines roar to life, Robin's first reaction was to get back to his feet, pull his remaining birdarange back and sent it flying at the tires of one of them- only for the ninja to whip an arm out and smack it out of the way before it's shape glided quickly after one of the vans. Sirens were also drawing close- about time. What had kept them? Robin sighed with frustration, wanting to pursue but having something that only reminded him of bad times. Plus he wasn't about to go after them and possibly run into a trap without the others. "Not that I'm ungrateful- but you have some explaining to do... when you're up to it," Robin said seriously, conceding the fact she was injured and that he was slightly concerned.

Cinderblock seemed to be rightfully stuck, managing to get himself glued to a pillar in his thrashing about. And Robin wanted to also use this chance to figure out what they had been fighting, and what these gangsters were after. They weren't dressed like any of the local gangs so they were obviously from out of town- from across the globe to be exact. So who were they? Why were they here? And how did they broker an alliance with Cinderblock? Robin moved over to one of the crumpled clothes of the downed ninjas, keeping Ravager in his line of sight as he investigated. There was literally nothing, except for... a paper man? It looked like someone had cut paper into the shape of a human, noticing the... clearly arcane symbols scribbled all along the edges and in the center of it. Another magic user. Great, something for Raven to look into later.

Rose watched the ninja like creature slink away, narrowing her eyes as it did. She prepared her staff for it to leap back on, but no such action came. Instead the engine behind her revved, and peeled out and off the street. Immediately, Ravager turned to run them down, but collapsed in a heap.

She cursed quietly under her breath and dragged herself upward with her staff again. As she panted, both teens could hear the clicks of her spine sewing itself back together. "Right. Questions and answers. I should be good in...around 10 minutes?"

She stood up and started walking toward the nearby building as the sirens came closer, using her bo staff like a makeshift crutch or walking stick. "In the meantime. I'm not gonna talk to cops."

She started walking up the building. Straight up it, as her spine finally cracked back into place. She rolled her shoulders back and groaned in pain. "Cinder blocks hurt."

She stood at the top and waited for Robin, crossing her arms. "Sorry for the scare, by the way. I'm Rose. I wanted to get this sit down with you for a while. Contents changed since, though. I don't think my Dad would like me making certain types of friends."

Robin nodded to her as he continued his investigation before the cops would get here, probably seal everything off and do their own investigation. The guards were all still out cold so they'd be no help as he checked in the truck itself. Stuff had been knocked loose and had spilled out onto the floor after Cinderblock had presumably rammed the side of it; mostyly technical parts from the looks of it. Also some mechanical parts which he recognized as gun parts. What were these guys transporting? It couldn't have just been a fluke that this gang picked the right place and right time to ambush the truck, only to make off with some odds and ends. He'd quickly pull out his computer and scan the area while he had the chance, cop cars pulling in with a truck for Cinderblock. No fingerprints, they had been wearing gloves- and he wasn't getting any other dna traces right now.

Robin lingered to finish up his sweep and make sure Cinderblock got in the truck without too much issue before he finally followed after Rose, listening to what she had to say. "Your dad?" Robin said. eyes wide her words. That naturally explained everything about how she dressed, and also why he had gotten so angry earlier. He was still understandably suspicious of her. "And why's that? Wanting to see me I mean. He doesn't seem like the type to let people walk away when they don't agree with him," Robin asked grimly, remembering his time as Slade's apprentice, and of Terra's.

Rose watched Robin work from the rooftops. Slowly but efficiently he combed over what evidence he had access to. And she learned. Good to know. Good things to store for later.

"Aw, he never mentioned me?" She gave a smirk and looked down at the floor. "It's sort of a...you know he's been gone. I haven't seen him in 3 years. Said I was disappointing as an apprentice." She looked at Robin and shrugged. "I really don't know what I'm hoping to get here. Don't really have much going for me, you know? So...I dunno. Trying to make friends with the people who did my old man in."

Robin's expression was still hardened. It was obvious this was not a pleasant subject for him to talk about. He was also more focused on trying to figure out what she was trying to accomplish here, she said as much that she didn't know. And make friends with them? That was- that didn't make immediate sense unless they had just as bad of a relationship as he had with her father. It could have been worse, he didn't know. How long had it been since he left Batman and started the teen titans? Granted, his leaving wasn't on terrible terms. He could only imagine what their falling out- if it had happened at all; had been like. But what if she didn't know that he was alive again? What if this was still a ruse?

"Seems strange when you say it like that," Robin remarked after an awkward pause. He didn't know of any other way to put it. So what was he going to do about it? She had helped him, and seemed... sincere enough. "So would it be safe to say you two didn't get along either?" Robin deadpanned, wanting to see where this went for now. He still didn't have enough information one way or the other.

Rose exhaled through her nose and smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty weird when I say it out loud. Beats the original plan though." She walked across the rooftop to an old stack of boxes, probably something the owners were getting ready to throw out. She sat down and started wrestling with the knot tying her mask together.

Once she'd gotten it undone, she removed her mimicry of her father's mask, and brushed her hair out of the way. At the very least, it explained quite clearly why her mask only had one eye. Her left was a scarred disaster of what remained. A massive, nasty looking scar, cauterized properly for sanitation reasons. She stared at Robin for what felt like ages. "That's the biggest understatement I believe you've ever said, Robin." She thumbed with the bandana, watching his movements from across the roof.

Robin naturally was curious as to what the original plan was- considering his intution and what she was saying. Either way it was probably bad at it's worse, and not as bad at it's best. He watched her walk over to some boxes, and start undoing her mask. Robin blinked in anticipation, not missing the possibility that she actually was missing an eye. But once she revealed it, it was confirmed. His jaw tightened out of empathy. Robin was still more concerned with whether or not to disclose that her father was alive again. She seemed like a loose cannon, to describe his first impression lightly. And even though Slade hadn't come up since Trigon, that didn't mean he wasn't lurking in the shadows. It depended on what he hoped to get out of telling her, which was further confirmation, or another potential ally should Slade resurface. Robin sighed and ran a hand through his hair for a moment before fixing his gaze back on Rose. "Well, then I feel like it's only right to tell you that he's alive- atleast I think he is, since we fought Trigon," Robin said darkly.

Robin had learned that it wasn't always a great idea to withold information. It almost cost his team in the past. So he thought it'd be better to get it out in the open. He was definitely starting to trust her more and felt bad at the idea of keeping it from her if she really was sincere. Which the evidence currently leaned heavily in that direction.

Rose had a small, reassuring smile on her face. "It's honestly not as bad as it looks. I mean...it probably is, but it doesn't hurt anymore. It's been a couple years." And then the bomb dropped.

Her smile shook for a moment, slowly fading from her face, and she slowly looked down. "He's...alive?" The one eyed assassin shook visibly with rage, slowly pulling her mask back over her eyes, inhaling deeply, and then exhaling.

"Very well then. He will be brought down and dealt with." She said bluntly, crossing her arms and standing up. "I assume I can expect you and your team to help with that, yes?" Boy she really didn't sound like she was giving him an option or asking a question.

Robin couldn't say he was surprised by the reaction if her eye was any indication. He solemnly nodded when she asked for confirmation, glad that he had gotten this out of the way now rather than later. It probably would have been MUCH worse later down the road, especially if she found out that he had known. "When he DOES come out of hiding, he will have our full attention," Robin went with the most diplomatic response he could think of off the top of his head. "But we'll bring him down like we do every criminal," Robin added firmly, clearly implying that they weren't going to kill him... again. The last time hadn't been his decision in the first place, and it had cost someone else their life (at the time) in the process.