Serial Escalation

[Deleted]

I WATCH HOW THE MOON SITS

in the sky on a dark night, shining with the light from the sun, but the sun doesn't give the light to the moon assuming the moon's gonna owe it one.

Silv

Twitch knew he should be asleep at an hour like this, but there was just so much running through his head that he didn't even feel fatigue. He looked down at the black and yellow communicator in his hand before pocketing the device and turning to look out across the rooftop, taking note of the access stairwell, the fire escapes (of which there were two; one per side of the building bordering an alley), and the one roof low enough to jump to from this one. Not once did it occur to him that most people don't automatically case rooftops; he didn't even notice himself doing it.


He gave his mask a tap to make sure it was still in place. The fit was good enough that he didn't see the edges of it around his eyesight, so it wasn't an imparment. He had left his blank gun at his apartment, thinking that anyone intimidated by that was long since asleep. So he stood on the roof, wearing his red and silver mask and his dark coat and tilting his head as he picked up the sounds of motion approaching his roof. Without so much as turning he called out; "Who's there?

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Silv]

There were two types of people that used the rooftops as highways. There were the heroes, bright in their colors and intentions. Then there were the villains. Ravager fell into the latter category, and she did it with pride. The intel she had been sent to retrieve was safe on her belt as she raced across the rooftops of jump city, slipping from one shadow into the next. The mission hadn't been difficult at all. Either her luck was holding fast or she was getting better at breaking and entering. It was probably the luck but she felt a small surge of pride anyway.

That was about the time she heard a voice. The girl skidded to a stop, her sturdy boots barely slipping on the slanted tiles she was currently perching on. Rose ducked, glaring out across the expanse to see who else was on the roof. It could be some smoker or maybe some drunk people enjoying what little they could see of the stars. Instead, her eyes locked on the back of a boy's head. In the lack of light it looked like he had dark hair, maybe black?

She had a number of options she could take. She could skirt around him, the boring way. Or, she could continue on her path, which was the most direct one back to base, and assume that the other kid wasn't a threat. Obviously, she didn't think he was a threat because she hopped soundlessly down to the same rooftop as he was currently on landing behind him. “Taking a break from the party?” she asked as soon as she saw the mask.

Not that the girl dressed like a freaking ninja could talk.

[Deleted]

I WATCH HOW THE MOON SITS

in the sky on a dark night, shining with the light from the sun, but the sun doesn't give the light to the moon assuming the moon's gonna owe it one.

Silv

"Taking a break from the part?"

Twitch chuckled at the sarcasm that met him as he turned to meet the roof-hopper. "As if. I'm on patrol." The fresh Titan was startled to find his companion's choice of mask. He approached slowly, but confidently. He wasn't hesitating, but he wasn't rushing. It was really calm for someone who found himself looking into the one-eyed mask of Slade, albeit reversed from the pictures in the papers. He was pretty sure Slade didn't have certain other features that this person had, so he didn't call it in. He did tread with care, though; he kept his stance. She was armed; two swords were obvious. It was a good thing his training taught him how to deal with armed opponents.

He stopped his casual stroll in the ninja's general direction about five feet away from her. "That's some poor choice in masks. What's Slade got you doing? Not that it matters much." He slid his left foot forward into a loose combat stance, one easy enough to move in any direction from. "I'm not going to be able to let you do it anyway." The sounds of the city filled the air behind them, though Twitch was too focused on his opponent to care much more than just noticing them. Cars, ambulances, and people milled below while the newest member of the Teen Titans stared down a mysterious masked figure.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Silv]

Ravager shot the boy a cocky grin and stalked forward, moving to slowly circle around him like a shark in the water. “Aren't you cute,” she said thickly. “Out on patrol, huh?” she eyed the gaudy mask that had originally made her think he was coming out of some dumb masquerade party. “Just who do you think you are?”

And then he mentioned Slade.

The ninja paused a beat in her walk, her single visible eye narrowing at the blue haired boy before her. “How do you know about my father?” she asked, frowning. It was possible he worked for a rival villain. It was also possible this numbskull thought he was a hero.

He had stopped moving but she continued to walk in her circle. The girl's movements were confident. “Oh? Not going to be able to let me do it?” Ravager echoed incredulously. She made a sound between a scoff and a laugh, with a wicked sort of smile on her face. “Just how do you plan on doing that, Little Boy Blue?”

[Deleted]

I WATCH HOW THE MOON SITS

in the sky on a dark night, shining with the light from the sun, but the sun doesn't give the light to the moon assuming the moon's gonna owe it one.

"Just who do you think you are?"

Adam smiled at that and gave a flourishing bow, sweeping his trenchcoat behind him in a wide arc. "The name's Twitch." The masked girl kept walking, and Twitch just stood in the center, tracking the sound of her footsteps on the roof and listening for any anomalies, like the pause when he mentioned Slade. "I read the newspapers? He's not exactly anonymous, you know. The mask is a dead giveaway, but yours is backwards."

"Just how do you plan on doing that, Little Boy Blue?"

Oh, it's on now.

Twitch didn't say that thought aloud. Instead he regarded her up and down. She looked confident, not at all burdened by the weight of the twin swords on her back. That meant she knew how to use them, then. Twitch calmly put his headphones in and clicked play on the MP3 player, filling his thoughts with the sound of jazz and raising his hands into a loose guard. "Like this." Without any further delay, he lunged forward, faking a right hook to the ninja in front of him before aborting the punch in lieu of a sweeping left kick.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Silv]

A right hook to the face, huh? This guy certainly knew how to treat a lady.

Ravager solidified her stance, making it so that he would have to use more force in order to knock her back. She reached up her hands, curled loosely into fists, in front of her less protected face to catch the punch when she saw him shift. To go from a feinted punch to a kick took guts...or maybe stupidity. She saw the obvious shift in weight and turned so that his left sweep smashed right into the armor plating on her leg.

It hurt, but the girl didn't budge in her stance. It would take more than a feint to take her out of the game. As she felt his leg connect with hers she smashed forward with her right arm. She was going for the gut, though, because of the angle she had to twist as she struck. At the very least Ravager hoped it would force him to back off a bit.

[Deleted]

I WATCH HOW THE MOON SITS

in the sky on a dark night, shining with the light from the sun, but the sun doesn't give the light to the moon assuming the moon's gonna owe it one.

Twitch used the music to blot out his thoughts, moving without hesitation. It was a crutch, but an effective one. The kick directly into armor plating was painful, but bearable. He shifted his weight to his right leg and slid across the ground, moving gracefully just past the girl's punch so that the fist brushed the tail of his coat. There was a marked difference in how he responded: he was moving to neutralize a threat, not play with his opponent. No wisecracks were forthcoming; no taunts or quips.

Instead, Twitch just pressed the offensive, reaching out to grab the girl's arm in an attempt to flip her forward and onto the ground. He moved markedly faster, and with great precision, the serious demeanor the unmasked parts of his face displayed clearly not just for show. If this girl was Slade's daughter, she was dangerous.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Silv]

She wasn't sure how he moved like that. The dumb kid was like an eel. An eel with a stupid mask and a human body. Her fist hit nothing but open air. The girl made an immature face and suddenly his hand was gripping her arm and she felt him move for leverage. Be my guest, she thought gripping his forearm, as she snagged his shoulder with her other hand and used him as a gymnast springboard. Her legs went up and suddenly she had flipped to the other side, of her own volition. She didn't let go of his arm, however, and tugged fiercely as she whirled around kicking at his ankle to knock him off balance. Because it totally wasn't a fight unless they rolled awkwardly around on the floor.