omegafriends | [Action] Closed to Superman

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[Action] Closed to Superman

[It's late at night when Blake makes her move. She'd seen Slade's message and after their conversation and one face-to-mask encounter with the madman herself, she had decided it was for the best to stay out of his little game as much as possible.

But when rumors of this had reached her... well, she knew that she couldn't just avoid it forever. She had to see this for herself.

Slipping past the police watching the scene wouldn't exactly have been difficult, not for somebody like her, but she waited anyway. There was the fact that she wasn't supposed to even be there to consider, but more than that... she didn't want to be interrupted.

With the police gone, she quietly slips beneath the police tape stretched across the smashed door of what had once been a small, family-owned restaurant and was now a vandalized, burnt and smashed out wreck. Looking around, she steps lightly through the rubble before stopping at the far wall and reaching out to lightly touch the red paint that spells out a simple, and familiar message.]

"FROM SHADOWS; WE RISE"

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[It was beginning to look like when it rained, it poured. Devious' ultimatum, Deathstroke's open call, and now the White Fang. He'd wonder what was next, but given the trend it felt like tempting fate, and he'd rather avoid anything else, especially after seeing the remains of the restaurant. Even as he approached it was pretty clear what had happened, and given the damage it was a small miracle no one was hurt.

[As he gets closer, a few blocks away, he can see something in the restaurant, or rather someone. Too small to be an adult, but not small enough to be a child. He kept a close eye out during his approach, and when they went straight to the message on the back wall ... that raised a few questions.]

I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me what you're doing here.

[He speaks up as he lands in the burnt out storefront.]

[It's relatively rare that somebody manages to actually sneak up on Blake. But then, usually her biggest warning was the sound of footsteps which was... not really a thing when you were flying. So her only warning that somebody's arrived to the scene is the light sound of a cape flapping in the wind, followed by the sound of feet touching down.

Instantly, she turns, hand twitching toward the weapon concealed in the bag on her back... before recognition sets in and she realizes just how futile that is. She lowers her hand again, and gives Superman an even look.]

Not particularly, no.

I didn't think so.

[The fact that she didn't attack him or try to run is a nice change of pace, though. Still, it's not hard to see that she's on edge, which is probably reasonable given that they're at an active crime scene, but he's willing to be that there's more to it than that.

[He walks forward, no hostility to be found, and stops at the wall, looking at the message written in red.]

From Shadows; We Rise. The calling card of the White Fang. But something tells me you knew that already.

[He says as he turns to look at Blake. Strangely, he's not accusing her, as if she had something to do with this. The whole returning to the scene of the crime thing never made much sense, and if she had done it, what reason would she have to be behind the police cordon. He does think she knows something though, and he's hoping she'll share it.]

[Either one would have been a foolish move on her part, and she knows it. Superman's reputation precedes him, and she knows she's nowhere near his league in a fight. Nor can she realistically hope to outrun him, at least not while he's blocking her way out anyway.

She does back off a bit when he comes in though, folding her arms and watching him carefully from beneath the hood covering her nonhuman ears.]

I'm familiar with the phrase. [Though many people are. She casts a look around the shop.] Just like I'm familiar with the owners of this shop, and how they spoke out against a proposal to allow Faunus to take up legal residence in the city.

[There isn't exactly a tone of condemnation in her voice, but there isn't any sympathy either. If anything, she mostly sounds bitter about it all.]

Something like this was to be expected.

[She'd be surprised how many still try.

[As she speaks, he shakes his head, like the whole situation frustrates and depresses him.]

Maybe, but I always hope people will find another way, something that doesn't involve violence. Just like I hope that people will eventually get along and proposals like that won't be necessary.

[Superman has voiced his support of the Faunus before, because in his eyes, everyone deserves to be treated fairly, and denying people their basic rights because of their race is nothing short of deplorable.]

Edited 2014-06-06 03:14 (UTC)

[She's always considered herself a realist.

Case in point. She arches an eyebrow a little bit.]

You've made a career out of punching supervillains through walls and you hope everyone can just get along?

[She has Opinions about superheroes.]

[Clark actually chuckles at that.]

I can see how that might seem a little ironic, but yes. If the world didn't need a Superman, it'd be hard to find someone happier about it than me.

[And he seemed to really mean that. The smile on his face faded slightly, looking a little ... tired, almost.]

I became Superman because I believed I could use my powers to help people, and that's what I try to do. Some times, that means fixing things when they're broken, and other times ...

[He turns, looking around the burnt-out restaurant around them.]

Other times it means facing down the bad guys where you find them. Sometimes it means helping them find their way.

[Blake listens quietly through the whole thing. She's always taken anything like that with a grain of salt but to hear him speak about it and sound so... sincere. She glances downward as uncomfortable thoughts come up in her own mind.

Why had she become what she is today? What had she chosen to fight for? In a way, it was what she'd been raised for. She'd spent her childhood being told that humans were the enemy. That they would hurt, use and exploit her kind if they were allowed to do so and the only way to stop that was to strike first.

She follows his gaze around the building. Of course... once she'd actually stepped out into the world, she'd discovered something quite different.]

Why are you telling me this?

Edited 2014-06-06 05:18 (UTC)

Because you asked.

[He's quiet for a moment, as it isn't hard to see that this was hard on her.]

What's your name?

Edited 2014-06-06 22:10 (UTC)

[Because she asked. That earns him a flat, more than a little jaded look. Sure, she'd heard all kinds of stories about the Man of Steel being surprisingly uncomplicated in person, but really?

She tilts her head a little, considering his question before sighing quietly.]

Blake.

[To put it lightly, clarity and understanding are things Clark puts a lot of stock in. When you're someone as powerful as he is, it wouldn't be all that hard for people to be nervous around you. They need to know the truth so they won't be afraid, and so they know that they can trust you. Going back further, Pa had always told him that if folks understood each other, really got what the other side was saying, that people might just get along that much better. Going through life, that's just seemed more and more true to Clark. The truth is a powerful thing, and that's half the reason he's a reporter.]

Blake.

[He repeats, nodding, and making sure he remembers it.

[He starts to look a little more serious now as he shifts his focus back to what's in front of them. When he speaks, there isn't any harshness. He doesn't believe she was involved with what happened here, but the fact that she was in this crime scene, looking at the message on the wall and knew about the owner's stance on the faunus proposal meant that she more than likely had some idea about it. He's going to give her the chance to do the right thing, and hopefully she'll take it.]

I'm not going to force you to tell me why you're here. That's not how I do things. But if you do know something, anything about this, please, tell me. Help me make sure nobody else gets hurt.

[And Blake had grown up being taught something very different. In her life, there were certain gaps that simply couldn't be bridged by just hoping that people could "understand" one another. As for the truth... well, she won't argue against it being powerful, but it's also a dangerous thing. There are certain truths that are better to keep to oneself. Surely, somebody with a secret identity could understand that.]

[When he asks for information, she opens her mouth to flat-out refuse but then hesitates. He actually sounds sincere about it... not wanting anybody else to get hurt.]

I don't know anything that can't be figured out by looking through public records. [That much is true. She's not surprised to see this place hit but she doesn't exactly have access to a list of White Fang targets or a timetable any more.] As for why I'm here...

[she trails off, looking toward the message on the wall again.]

... I'm not sure I have an answer for that either.

[He does understand that, and he doesn't judge people for having their secrets. Clark knows just as well as anyone that sometimes, telling the truth can be the hardest thing in the world. As Blake's gaze turns back to the wall, he begins to get the sense it's something she's familiar with as well.]

I understand.

[There's something in his voice though, something that suggests he's here to listen if she wants to try.

[He tries to go where he can help, wherever he's the most needed. There are times when that's very hard to tell where exactly that is, but right now, it's a quiet night, and Venture City is quiet for once. And in front of him, he sees someone who is dealing with a lot, someone who might just be lost in more ways than one. He can't help but feel that he's needed right here.]

Somehow, I doubt that.

[Granted, somebody like him probably had good reasons to keep his secrets as well. Still, it's different when the people you're keeping that secret from would celebrate you if they found out. Blake's fear is a much different one.]

Let's just say I've had to come to terms with some very difficult truths lately.

[He can take that however he likes. She's fairly certain if he wanted to, he could easily figure out her little secret from one of those dozens of visions he's supposed to have.]

I see.

[He tries to avoid doing that when it comes to people if it isn't necessary, actually. The truth is though that he doesn't need to. He's an investigative reporter, putting the facts together is part of his job. Someone doesn't come to a crime scene like this unless thy have a reason to be there. She knows more than the average citizen would about the plight of the Faunus, and even though she's been very careful about what she says, her reaction towards the message ... it all points in a certain direction.]

How long were you with them?

[Blake flinches. Just slightly, barely even noticeable to the point that just about anybody would probably have missed it.

Not that Superman is "anybody else."

Her eyes shift, watching him from the corner of her eye and her stance changes as well, subtly switching to the tense readiness of somebody prepared to bolt. She's not sure why she's even having this conversation... maybe she just wants to say something. Put some part of the whole mess into words. Maybe she's just curious to see what he does.]

My whole life. Until recently anyway.

[He doesn't seem to adopt any more of an aggressive posture. Was he surprised? Yes. It wasn't an answer he'd been expecting. The White Fang members he had met were people from all walks of life, who were fed up with there mistreatment, something he couldn't blame them for. Growing up in that culture ... he can't even imagine it.]

So why did you leave?

[He asks, genuinely curious as to her answer. But it was clear from the look in his eyes that he ... he felt bad for her. He didn't pity her, but ... she's been through a lot. More than he had thought.]

[All the same, she's keeping a close eye on him. She's not sure what she would actually do if he did make a move but... at least she won't be caught off guard.

She's quiet for a moment, thinking back to events that were all too recent. Events that, on a practical level, she wouldn't want her involvement with getting out. Voices bounce around in her mind, her own and another one. Familiar, even if it had been colder than she'd ever heard it before.

"What about the crewmembers?"

"What about them?"]

... Does it matter why? Not all of us agree with... [she gestures at the room around them] this.

I'd hope not.

[Superman runs a hand over the polished wood of a nearby table, his fingers coming up covered in ash. He rubs it between his fingers for a moment before shaking it off. When he talks, there's a melancholy in his voice, at the pointlessness of it all.]

This doesn't accomplish anything. All it does is leave more people hurt.

[There's a bit of tension in her as Superman finally moves away, but it vanishes just as quickly. Stupid. It's clear that he isn't here to come after her.. and even if he did, it wasn't like she'd be getting any kind of warning.]

... That easy to say when you're not the one being hurt if nothing changes.

[She turns her head away, scowling at the floor and folds her arms. There's a definite trickle of anger in her voice now.]

We've tried everything else. From peaceful demonstrations, talking, even just staying quiet and trying to live our own lives and most of the time the argument is still between whether we should be considered trespassers or fugitives. The only constant is that nobody wants to hear from us.

[He listens, hearing the bitterness in her voice clear as day.]

You're right.

[He turns to face her.]

The Faunus aren't given a fair chance to air their grievances and live their lives. It's an injustice, plain and simple, and you have every right in the world to be angry about it. But this--

[He gestures to the burnt out building around them.]

--isn't going to make things any better. With every bombing, every raid, every threat, you're sending a message, but it's not the one you're intending. You're telling the rest of the world that they have every reason to hate and fear you. Instead of listening to the Faunus, humanity is only going to push them further away, and the more animosity and mistrust that builds on both sides, the more this is going to escalate.

[She holds onto that anger for awhile. It's hard not to, even if she can't bring herself to blame every single human as others seemed to. There's still that part of her that says that it's deserved, that this was what needed to be done for the good of her kind.

But was silencing voices against them really going to change anything?

She doesn't quite meet Superman's gaze and slumps a little bit as she loses some of that anger.]

Maybe it's inevitable.

The future isn't set in stone, Blake. There's always a chance to change things for the better.

[If only it was that simple. The truth of the matter, to her eyes, was that the two species were on a collision course and when they met, it would inevitably end in disaster.

So, she isn't convinced as she lets out a quiet breath.]

Or the worst.

[Something Clark didn't believe, even for a moment. People, human or faunus, aren't perfect, but he has to believe that they can see past their differences and that cooler heads can prevail.]

And you're willing to accept that?

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[Action] Closed to Superman

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Ugh. Sorry for the ridiculous wait. Feel free to ignore this if it's been too long.

Don't even worry about it. I'll backtag to infinity.

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