Gotham City had become a warzone.
What had begun with a strange story about the Joker and a mutated tiger, had snowballed into a major incident that even by Gotham City standards was starting to rock the very foundations of to its core. From whispers of Joker and his poison money, to the rumors of Hydra-Cobra and their involvement paranoia spread like wildfire. The police were overworked and then? The attacks began in earnest.
Home grown thugs with an enhanced sense of their own importance, led by the cities freaks in terrorist acts, uncaring of anyone or anything in their way. The Narrows themselves, blown up into a massive riot that had spread and threatened anyone caught in its wake...With dark reprisals caught on camera for it.
The bodies of the fallen, attacked by the Batwing were trending now, courtesy of the Riddler, showing off the chaos elsewhere that the heroes were too caught up in, or in the midst of stopping to end.
From the Narrows various exit and entrance points flooding with angry mobs, led in two places by the Hate Monger attacking police barricades to the thugs on the street and the other, destroying a neighborhood, indulging in anarchy as they used their new weapons to destroy everything around them. It was little wonder the National Guard wasn't called out to deal with the threat just yet.
The entire city was an arena. The world, its audience and people reacted in the ways they knew best. Some angrily, others mourning the victims, still more petitioning outsiders to ACT.
And yet, hope remained.
Outside the Riddlers hideout, would be several people...Seeking to cut into the heart of all this.
Facing off against the clowns, the Batmans son and others would be seeking to stop them.
And all the while, even as deals were made and the Inquisitor bowed his head and left Poison Ivy, the Bat Signal would be shining bright.
Yes, hope remained in Gotham City despite it.
It would be that hope, the Foot Clan would burn as all four of the Elite performed a final task before they left the city proper to the Inquisitor and Hun, staring out at the gates of Arkham Aslyum before moving in.
And then, no matter where you were in this city, the following message would play.
"Citizens of Gotham City... Behold, your sins come to roost. Behold, the root of all your fear, reflected in your worse vices. Greed...Violence...Arrogance. Your city has been abandoned by all and those who seek to stop it, will fail."
The head beneath the hood looked up briefly, a flash of an eye revealed. Hypnotic and dark in its allurement as he hissed.
"And now, a message to those seeking to stop this for good...You cannot. I will make this city, a shrine to Fear itself. And upon that altar, I shall offer your corpses. That is my promise to you. The countdown begins now, before the end."
That was half an hour ago.
Now if the traffic before wasn't overwhelming, imagine how it was now? With every gothamite familiar with the Scarecrow, fleeing for their lives.
Just one more addition, to the already incredible mess that Gotham City seemed to be in.
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He had seen the news and would have immediately dropped everything to have left. It didn't matter that he wasn't sanctioned, or even that it wasn't his city or it was too far. Though the drive had its problems, the checkpoints had waved him on and there was little to no trouble after.
After all, they knew who he was.
It wasn't till he had gotten to the bridge that things first got bad, the mass of cars and the panic spreading making him grimace. He was going to have to leave the bike behind. He set it to park on the side by the police, got off and unpacked. The effect was nigh immediate and he could see all eyes on him now, borne of sudden hope. He wasn't the Guardian of Gotham City, he wasn't their local hero...But he was here to fill in at least, until the Batman managed to fly back or however he did so to Gotham as he spoke to the police.
"You don't need me here. Just be calm, show them there's no need to panic." A show of strength, in a time of emergency did much to quell fear, especially with a task at hand as he began free-running his way across the bridge. Over car and around, he moved and ducked and word began to spread.
And in one of the cars, as the man rushed by, a girl gasped aloud as she looked down to her hand, back up to the figure outside as he ran past. The color from it in comparison to her toy was all but gone, the red and the blue paint chipped and charred from encounters violent and world changing.... But there was no mistaking that particular tool. Used time and again, in defense against tyranny and hate. Against those who used fear as a weapon to oppress.
And on his comm, angled to every channel the man broadcasted in the hopes of someone answering.
"This is Steve Rogers, approaching Gotham City. What can I do to help?"
@Gands @Michale CS @thatguyinthestore @C.T. @OrlandoBloomers @Schnee Corp Lawyer @Sir Kaltao @york @Chewy Rabbits @Indolent @Everybody
