cowledcrusader | Sixth Night [Action, Voice]

[It's been a long couple of weeks. Between falling trees, killer butterflies, a rash of disappearances with most who returned telling the same story, there was enough to keep the Dark Knight busy behind the scenes. But it gets better. Green Lantern, Terra, Hellboy, and Adell had brought in Kefka of all people as a prisoner into the tunnels. This made Batman happy beneath that cold stoic exterior, but it didn't last long. He instantly took extra precautions for dealing with Kefka being down there and preventing another escape. Without advanced technology like in his Batcave, he was forced to jury-rig a lot of traps. Many of them are surprisingly effective, but not nearly as reliable as he would like. A chief difference this time is that Batman has trapped all of the locks leading into the prison wing; anyone attempting to pick the locks will receive a nasty (but non-lethal) electric shock. He doesn't want someone breaking Kefka out or him having an easy time leaving if he manages to find a way out. The point is, getting to the prison cells is far more difficult now than it used to be. These traps can be disabled, but such a thing would take time and would be reasonably difficult.

There is a sign before the traps begin though. It simply reads: Secure Prison Wing: No Entry Permitted Without A Justice League Escort.

The Blue Rogues might have some leeway if the issue gets brought up. But you have been warned.

Anyway, the other part of his two weeks has been doing a lot of menial recordkeeping and research. For many hours, his housemates will have no doubt noticed he's been working in one of the rooms he's claimed as his. Inside this room, there are bookcases filled with various books on forensic sciences, psychology, chemistry, physics, criminal science, and many more types, as well as filing cabinets stuff with notes and records Batman has taken over his time in Luceti. There's also a ton of scientific equipment; most of it you'd expect to find in a high school science lab. Batman's access to higher technology has been limited, but he's been working with what he can take from the stores. The windows are covered shut to make sure no one can see inside, and it's clear he's experimenting with ways to recreate some of his gear. His housemates are free to enter this workroom if they so wish. He keeps his most secret records in another location. Yeah, he's kind of paranoid.

His current project is still experimenting and analyzing the corpses of a few Tease he had recovered. When night falls, Batman will go out on nightly patrol for trouble. And to raid the store for more scientific equipment. But before he leaves...]

[Voice, Filtered to Terra Branford 100%]

Terra. I'd like to speak with you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is going to be taking place maybe a few hours after Erim got attacked by River, just tagging her for our own ease.

But since Erim couldn't find someone better able to handle a certain unstable female who had attacked at least two people, there's only one option left, taking her to the tunnels and getting her into one of those cells. Of course the death goddess doesn't exactly know the process for dealing with that and really hates the tunnels.

So there is a woman carrying an unconscious woman down into the tunnels and trying to figure out who to release this girl who might be potentially dangerous too.

Of course, Batman may also have an interest in the woman bringing her down, since she was the one who left the note to Green Lantern about Kefka some time ago.]

[...Someone had entered his domain. This sight was curious, but it was clear she was heading toward the prison wing. In a rather large hurry. Either way, Batman will intercept her before arriving at the traps, skulking in the shadows like a creeper until she walks by. He figures the unconscious woman in her arms is the key to everything, but he's going to ask a question to Erim from the shadows, not revealing his location just yet.]

...Do you have business down here?

Are you in charge of the jail then? This woman attacked at least two people and appears to be mentally disturbed.

[A voice from the shadows bothering her? Nah, she may not have all her powers, but she can tell the direction the voice is coming from at least and is looking in that direction.]

[Oh, look. Someone who isn't so easily spooked. Good. No point in drawing this out. He'll step some out of the darkness so he can be properly seen.]

Do you have any knowledge of her mental condition?

[Beyond being disturbed. ...He has a feeling he knows the answer, but he has to ask. Any information helps.]

[She also wants this over with as quickly as possible. The tunnels and non-humans don't mix well.]

What little she said to me made no sense. She did not appear to hear anything others said to her and was only wishing to cause violence until I put her into a magical sleep.

[...That sounds bad. Very bad. Arkham may be bad at dealing with supercriminals, but at least their success rate with normal patients was good. And right now he wished very much he had a facility like Arkham.

He'll approach and look over River briefly before taking her into his arms.]

...I need to ask you to follow me for the time being. We have to make sure she's secure, but I need you to tell me about what she did. How she did it. What she said.

Any of it might hold a clue to figuring what might be afflicting her.

[And Erim will be glad to release River to someone who seems to have more of a clue than she does.]

That's fine. I should warn you in advance, I'm not exactly human and do not know how long I can stay in these tunnels without it having a bad effect on me.

[Yeah, she's been in them before, but only a very short time, we don't exactly want to see what happens to someone who is basically pure energy in this place, right?]

If you start to feel weak, leave immediately and just wait for me outside. Now, what can you tell me?

[He'll turn and begin making his way toward the cells. He knows the way around the concealed traps, so Erim should be in absolutely no danger.]

[She will follow him for now.] I was in the plaza going to the shops when I got attacked. She had a sword that was already covered in blood and she had already been injured, so I could tell I wasn't the first victim.

She said something to me, I don't recall the exact wording, but it was nonsense to me. Her voice didn't quite sound normal either, but she's definitely a human.

Do you need details on how I dealt with her and what I know of one other victim? [Since this would be after her thread with Sanji, she can speak of what happened to him, but hasn't confirmed the later attacks.]

[...Sounds like a psychotic breakdown, but what caused it specifically? And what led up to it... sounds like the only real answers he might get are from the girl herself or from whoever she attacked.]

Yes. Everything you can tell me could help.

As far as when she attacked me, I used a spell that would have removed any magical effects that would cause that and it did not change. That particular spell will inflict a small amount of damage while it does so and she didn't seem bothered by that.

Since it did nothing to stop her and she was still coming at me with a sword, I thought it best to stop her with non-lethal means and used a sleep spell on her. It worked so I took her to the clinic in the meantime. Since I could find no one who knew anything about this, I thought it best to bring her here.

The other two victims are a man and a woman, both will be fine and received light wounds from a sword.

Sixth Night [Action, Voice]

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