Working as a vigilante in Gotham City was always an adventure. There was no such thing as a quiet night or vacation. Criminals were so “dedicated” that they even worked on Christmas. Sometimes the Talon wondered why no one thought of Gotham as the city where no criminal sleeps. This same rule seemed to apply to Talons too. Sure, the Talon wasn’t one to wear her heart on her sleeve but she was on the verge of falling asleep on her perch where she sat. Assassinations mission meant nothing to her, they all seemed to blur together after a while but this was just getting ridiculous. She had been preparing for this assassination for a month straight and she was more than ready to go back into cryostasis for a well-deserved break. This would be her third assassination in six months, and the longest she has ever been out of her cryostasis chamber in her life. The Talon felt a thrill of pride in the base of her spine despite all her exhaustion. It showed how much trust the Court of Owls had that they let her stay active for so long.

The Talon’s cape caught the change in direction of the wind and flared outward slightly before the Talon shifted further into the shadows of the rooftop she was standing on. Her muscles were just beginning to show the strain of staying still for so long and the persistent need for action flared up in the back of her mind before she settled down once more. In the high-rise across from her rooftop the Talon could clearly see through a window the figure of her target moving about in his office. She was some up and coming politician who was far too idealistic to really survive in such a dark environment as Gotham but still somehow keeping her head afloat. The Talon really wondered why people as bright as this didn’t have the intelligence to move some other city to do their ‘good work’. Gotham was the embodiment of darkness and completely in the control of the Court of Owls.

In all honesty, the Talon was doing this girl a favour. Her kind would never survive in a place like Gotham and compared to the other villains in the city, the Talon was a mercy. Her method of killing was always quick and quiet. The families of the victims never suspected a thing and usually mourned their loved one before moving on. They were unaware of the puppeteers behind the strings in their loved one’s death. Just another nameless person lost to the streets of Gotham. Absently, the Talon wondered the mortality rate in Gotham in comparison to other cities in the country. She made a mental note to Google it next time she had the opportunity.

Her attention was caught by the politician once more when the door to her office opened up and a man entered. Her financial advisor, the Talon recalled correctly. Who also happened to be the man the politician was also in a secret relationship with. Ugh, this was probably the worst part of the job. The Talon thought tiredly as the two of them quickly became attached at the lips. This was also the part of the job that justified the assassinations the most for the Talon. How dare these mundane people make her watch their silly affairs for hours on end?

Thankfully, the Court of Owls had finally given the Talon the signal to proceed with the assassination that very night. Sometimes her higher-up’s sense of timing was just uncanny. The Talon stood up from her crouched position and took a moment to take inventory. It was a cold night, with the wind howling loudly against the sides of her hood and cutting through her suit with easy. Throwing a knife in these conditions would be supremely difficult but who was she to deny herself of such a perfect opportunity for a challenge. While sheep 1 and 2 were still playing tonsil hockey across the street, the Talon stepped forward to the ledge of the rooftop to get a clear shot. She slipped one of her daggers from her belt and twirled it through her fingers to reacquaint herself with its weight. There were about twenty meters between the building she was standing on and the building across from her. All things considered, a relatively easy through for some of the things she has done in the past. Widening her stance, the Talon lifted the dagger over her shoulder and waited for the opportune moment for the wind to die down just enough for her to make the perfect throw.


Words;; 778
Tagged;; @mason
Notes;; Here comes the Black Bat's first meeting with the Talon
Muse;; Some Nights - Fun

It was going to be a long night for Mason , the cold wind was blowing through his hair and had a chilling effect. It didn't botter him that much, he was quite used to the cold and his suit was insulated. He was crouching on a rooftop staring off into the concrete jungle that was his hometown. He had missed Gotham terribly , there was just something about the rooftops and the crooks that attracted him. He hated what had happened to Gotham after he had left , crooks were running about the Bats were on a hiatus and someone else had taken control over Gotham. He didn't know who it was exactly but he knew that they were going to kindly give it back to him and his family else he would take it by force if neccesary. Gotham was his legacy and the only guys he would share it with was his family he knew that only they were capable of leading the war against crime without killing.

He stood up and put his Black Bat mask on. He was ready for this he and he had the feeling tonight would be a good night for him. He jumped down and retracted the glider wings under his arms and used it to glide through the air. He soar towards another building a couple hundred yards away. While on his way he noticed something on another building. He decided it would be worth checking so he instead turned left and landed on a building a little bit higher than the person he was surveilling. 

He made sure to keep his distance and stay out of the way the wind was blowing in case the mysterious figure had some kind of enhanced sense of smell. As he examined the person he remembered the costume the person was wearing. He rembembered reading about it in the Bat-Computer some years ago , photographic memory often came in handy. It had something to do with a Talon , Mason knew about them they were a children story that was used to keep kids from being bad. It didn't help as well with most adults but it would be different if they knew the truth. These men and women were dangerous and very real. Mason knew some things about them and he knew they tried to control Gotham by assassinating anyone who was on their list.

It didn't take long for Mason to suspect them of trying to seize control over Gotham , this was something that angered Mason and that was something you would not want to deal with, an angry Mason could be very dangerous. He noticed the person  stepping forward and grabbing something out of her pocket. He used the telescopic vision in his mask and zoomed in to see that it was a knife. Great, an assassination that Mason could ruin. As he noticed the Talon grabbing the dagger above her shoulder he grabbed a batarang from the pocket he kept them in and aimed it at her. He threw the black and red batarang into her direction and jumped from the roof only to glide immediately after. He landed near the Talon and revealed himself.

"So, let me guess you were going to kill one of those two people over there and then make a run for it and didn't expect me to show up and spoil it for you... Right?"

The Talon had a sudden, nagging feeling of someone watching her which made her hand hesitate mid throw. Of course. Just when she was about to complete her mission some – the Talon glanced upwards at the approaching figure – bat obsessed freak came to ruin her fun. Were they multiplying somehow? Because this didn’t look anything like the Batman she remembered. Glancing at the man with a more critical eye she could see the (small) differences between him and the Batman from her memories. Different physique, stance, and uniform definitely not the Batman but if you’ve seen one Bat, you’ve seen them all. The Talon side stepped the projectile he threw and aimed an unimpressed look in his direction. Really? Couldn’t he have shown up five seconds later? This assassination was so much more trouble than it was worth.

The Talon stepped away from the edge of the building and slightly further away from the other vigilante. Time for some good ol’ banter before the fight. Some things never change in this city. The Talon had never personally been a fan of the whole ‘Let’s have a chat before we fight so I can try and weasel your tragic back story out of you’. She was more of a fight and not talk option but vigilantes (and most villains) in Gotham always had a custom of being very chatty. Still, for this guy’s sake she would let him have the chance to use his vocal cords before she forcefully ripped them from his throat. The Talon stood perfectly still as he spoke and only acknowledge that she was listening with the slightest tilt of her head in his direction.

“Yes.” She said promptly to his question. There was no hesitation in her voice despite the hint of sarcasm in his tone. “That was the plan. Until you stepped in. Now I suppose I will be killing three people tonight instead of just two.” Talon commented breezily. She twirled the knife in her hand through her fingers expertly once before returning it to her sheath and continued to stay in a relaxed stance. Time for her brace the old Gotham traditions of repartee before she continued on with her night. After all, it wasn’t every day that she was met with resistance during her missions. Very annoying resistance, but resistance none the less.

“I guess you’re going to attempt to stop me?” The Talon said, parroting his words back at him. She took a few steps closer to him, the sash around her waist swaying in the wind but kept her body language decisively peaceful. She stopped short of him by a few feet and rocked back on her heels, ready for an attack. The Talon was never one to look for a fight but this man obviously was. “Emphasis on ‘attempt’.” She shot back at him. Her hands rested on her hips as she looked him over for any weapons. The Talon was fairly confident she could take him in a fight, but the question was: could she finish her assassination mission as well? If she wasted time fighting him, her targets might move on to a new location thus making her mission that much harder. This meant she had to finish this fight as soon as possible.

The Talon chanced a glance over her shoulder at her target and saw her still… busy. Well that certainly increased her time frame marginally. The Talon tried really, really hard not to think of the average time it takes for a couple to finish.


Words;; 591
Tagged;; @mason
Notes;; Vittoria is really irritated by Mason
Muse;; None

While looking at the Talon , who was apperantly a woman Mason was trying to recall as much information on the Court of Owls and the Talons. He did not have much information on them since they were a secretive organization , he did know that the Talons were undoubtly skilled fighters an assassins, but so was Mason. He definately did not fear these owls , he had lived with some of the most dangerous assassins in the world for 7 years , he was no stranger to them. He kept a close eye on the Talon and noticed the confident tone in her voice. The Talon sheated her weapon again , was she really trying to go toe-to-toe with Mason? Either she was that confident in her skills or that stupid. He was wondering what kind of skills this female had , if this got to a fight it might be helpful to stall this fight a bit so he could learn as much as possible about their way of fighting. A handy edge for future encounters with others , if there were any. 

As she took a few steps closer Mason became slightly more wary but did not show it , if you show weakness in front of your enemy you have already lost , is what Ra's always used to say. Though he hated to admit it Mason did learn alot of handy things from the man and these things came in handy. He was now standing a couple of feet from her and folded his arms over each other. He looked at the woman and examined her as she had examined him , looking for weapons or potential weapons but also potential objects of interest. When he finished examining her he spoke in the Black Bat's gravely voice. "You really are confident in your skills aren't ya? Well you know what they say about arrogance, right?"

He slowly walked around the woman in a circle while keeping a close eye on her. To be completely honest , Mason was kind of excited and curious to this person's skills. A Talon wasn't something you came by on a daily basis and few people have ever survived an encounter with one. The mere thought of this made Mason's blood boil but he maintained a calm composure , the key to this was not showing too many emotions when on the job , they would get you killed. He calmly walked around the Talon like a predator stalking it's prey , thanks to his ability to read her body movement he could see when she was going to attack possibly even before she knew she was going to so he found it better to keep on his toes in case she tried anything.

"You know , if you make it out of here in one piece I'd suggest you tell your superiors that they will definately meet some resistance." He said as he stopped and took one step closer towards the woman. "The Bats are taking back Gotham and there is nothing you or your Court can do about it!"
He took some more steps towards the Talon until he was slightly more than an arms length away from her. 
"Am I clear?"

The Talon had the crazy urge to start giggling at the sound of Black Bat's voice. It sounded completely ridiculous but who was she to judge? Quite honestly, Black Bat's voice sounding like he had just gurgled a mouth full of marbles was low on the list of things completely wrong with the vigilante. Higher things on the list would be the need to jump around the city like a bat out of hell - pun intended - after numerous criminals, or trying to clean up a city as dark as Gotham. Special mentions to the guy actually wanting to take on a Talon. But that was neither here nor there.

The man began to circle her and the Talon felt a primal, instinctive urge to tense up and strike out at her adversary but she quickly reined in the urge. Instead, she shifted all her weight to her other foot and crossed her arms across her chest in a stance that showed how amused she was by the Black Bat's advances. The Talon shrugged one shoulder dismissively at his words and tilted her head to the right. "Confidence is an essential skill in assassination. As you should know." The Talon quipped; knowing exactly what kind of affect her words would have on him. If there was one thing the Talon truly appreciated about the Court of Owls it was the extent of their knowledge when it came to their bats. The Court had gotten some unconfirmed reports of a bat joining the League of Assassins, but it was more a stab in the dark than a real accusation. She turned her head just slightly to watch the man for any reaction to her words and found herself genuinely curious if the reports were correct. If they were... well then, it would her night that much more interesting.

The Black Bat had stopped in front of her and the Talon felt the way the tension between the two of them kicked up a notch or two in that single moment. Again she had the urge to giggle at his words. This guy was just so delusional. Did he really have no idea of how deep the Court's hold was in Gotham? Obviously not. Then it was the Talon's job to educate him on such important matters such as who this city really belonged to. "What is a pebble to the power of a mighty river?" The Talon said. "You're 'resistance' will be nothing more than a thorn in our side. If you really think that some cheap imitations of Bats," At this, the Talon looked the Black Bat up and down in clear distaste. "can stand up to the force of the Court of Owls then you are more naive than I had originally thought."

The Talon took a step of her own towards the Black Bat and gazed coolly up at his looming figure. "You will have to pry Gotham out of my cold, dead talons." She hissed.



Words;; 503
Tagged;; @mason
Notes;; Vittoria is feeling very sassy today it seems
Muse;; Price Tag - Jessie J

The Black Bat was kind of getting sick of talking with this girl and became eager to test her skills , he had never fought a Talon before and found it usefull to gain at least some knowledge of their style of fighting. He was still wary of the woman though and tried his best not to under estimate her. He still had no idea how dangerous she was and what she was capable of. He noticed that she began to slightly follow his movements as he circled around her like a predator stalking it's prey , so they were both wary of each other it seemed. "Confidence is an essential skill in assassination. As you should know." This sentence caught Mason off guard , was she really aware of what had happened in the past 8 years?  Or was she just bluffing? Either way this meant that the Court had at least some intel on him that most others had which meant that they could perhaps have more. He made a mental note to be extra careful and find out what the Court knew about him.

Perhaps it were those words that the Talon spoke that made Mason's mind flash back at some of the darker things he had done. He remembered things he'd rather forget , photographic memory was a burden at times. He still saw clearly how terribly he had behaved in the past years , the torture , the dead bodies he had left it was a sensitive spot for the Black Bat and this Talon had hit it , she was good she was really good.


Mason was slightly entertained by the woman's belittlement of the Bats , of course he was eager to prove to her that the Bats were much more powerful than she thought and he had a feeling that this night would be a contest of two symbols instead of just two people , the Bat and the Owl fighting for the title of the superior creature of the night. His left eyebrow raised when she likened him to a pebble and the Court , and by extension herself, to a mighty river.
"Even the mighty river cannot destroy the small pebble , trying to drag us with you is okay but when enough pebbles work together you get yourself a dam."

The Black Bat felt especially called out by her last comment regarding how he had to pry it out of her talons, probably pun intended he thought to himself. Mason took a step backwards and reached out for behind his back , and took his trusty bo-staff into his hands. He twirled it around a couple of times before striking the ground with it.

"Very well then, I guess you leave me no choice." He said as he lashed out at the Talon with his staff.