Showdown at Slaughter Swamp

[newoutsiders]

Batgirl and Green Arrow have been riding for a few hours now, on their way to Slaughter Swamp: the last sighting of the mutated, truck driving zombie dubbed "Gingross." The red-tinged air pollution of Gotham fades behind you, giving way to the muted moonlight of a cloudy night sky. The swamp carries something of a supernatural reputation, as you're well aware- if the "hauntings" in Connor's building can be traced anywhere, Slaughter Swamp is as likely a point of origin as any.

Eventually, you run out of road and park the Batcycle. The nearest source of real light is coming through the window of a nearby, small wooden shack right on the edge of the swamp.

Comments

[newoutsiders]

It's super effective! The heat of your starbolts alone seemed to be irritating it, but the sheer force of the explosion releases you in a rain of goopy chunks of flesh. A now hollowed, open cavitied body with a startled human face stares back at you, struggling for its three legs to support it.

Longlegs scrunches up in concentration, attempting to regenerate- but instead, he crackles with electricity, sending a current through the swamp, as a flashing responsometer falls out of the open cavity and Longlegs collapses in a lifeless heap.

Toon Zombie spasms from the flow of electricity, as does Fleshflood, tensing up her hold on Steph. Connor gets a shock for the second time tonight, but stays on his feet.

[not_easy_being_green]

Sal...

Connor isn't really sure if those animated by the responsometers are "really" the people they were in life. But it's hard to watch Starfire just... demolish the man who he'd watched start crying over his family. Connor feels the urge to vomit, something not helped by another jolt of electricity, but he clamps down on it. Takes a brief breath to help him think.

He looks at the man next to him, still on the ground and disoriented by the blast of electricity. He recognizes it as Perry Veto, another of the missing tenants.

He could go for the responsometer on Perry now... what would that even do? If they can put it back, is it the same as killing him? Should he take the chance to take him out now and focus on getting Steph out?

Then again, given just what Starfire did to Sal, maybe it's the more merciful option.

Oh right. Starfire. Connor calls to get her attention, "Starfire! S-Batgirl's trapped! Can you get her out?"

He turns to Perry, and, making a decision, moves for his responsometer.

[newoutsiders]

The Responsometer is stuck on there good- but with a concentrated effort, you pluck it off him. Perry's body contracts to normal human proportions at your removal, and then goes completely limp. The responsometer in your hands starts blinking, as if in a panic- and shocks you again.

Now that one really hurt. It glows, as if amused with itself.

[stephbrown]

Steph forces herself not to panic, even when the thing contracts around her. She can get to her belt, but her arms won't move past that, so she has to go by feeling around. She opens a pouch and manages to pull out a cryorang. She remembers hearing that Plastic Man was pretty much screwed when it came to extreme temperatures; here's hoping these things have the same weakness.

She hits the button on the 'rang to start the countdown and braces herself for the cold.

[newoutsiders]

Making like Mr. Freeze, you feel the undulations of Fleshflood slow to a halt, mounds of flesh crystallizing before you. Her responsometer sends a shock through the ice- but your suit's insulation protects you from the current, and it only serves to shatter the already glue-hardened chunk of her grabbing you into pieces. You're free of her grip, and Fleshflood is on the ropes.

[glowymeatshield]

Starfire reaches for Batgirl, to pull her away from the remains of Fleshflood. Her movements are a little sluggish compared to earlier. Her solar batteries might just be running a bit low after that last blast.

"Are you alright? Is everyone alright?"

[stephbrown]

"Cold," Steph says. "And really, really happy for all of this nice oxygen. How are you?"

[not_easy_being_green]

"I'm... okay." He gestures vaguely at the remains of the captives. Or what's left of them. "What should we do about... them?"

[stephbrown]

"I don't know," Steph admits. "I mean, we can't just leave them here. They were people before all of this. They deserve to be buried, but... I don't really know how to go about doing that."

[glowymeatshield]

"I'm alright, though I'm fearing how much shampoo I'm going to go through later."

She frowns, looking at the remains. "Call in the authorities? Maybe Waynetech labs?" she suggests. "That's where I took the police officer who was exposed." A frown. "I imagine Oracle will be alerting Batman to what happened here as well. The Swamp isn't in Gotham, but it's close enough to be a concern for him." And Dick will be concerned, she knows that much.

[not_easy_being_green]

"Waynetech... sounds good." He looks down at the responsometer in his hand, then decides to secure it in one of the pockets of his belt before it can electrocute him again.

He looks back at the fortress. "Grundy's probably in there."

[stephbrown]

"We should secure the building before we call anyone in," Steph says. "If Grundy really is here, we don't want him crashing out and throwing cops around like confetti."

[not_easy_being_green]

Connor looks askance at Starfire, who's still showing signs of exhaustion from that starbolt earlier. She's their heaviest hitter here, by a large margin. "Starfire? Are you okay taking point?"

[glowymeatshield]

Starfire nods, and takes a few steps ahead of the other two. "Do we want to see if Oracle can send us anymore backup before we try to take Grundy on?" she wonders.

[newoutsiders]

The entire swamp bubbles up as rockets go off below the Hall of Doom. Slowly, but then steadily, the base begins to take flight.

[not_easy_being_green]

"Batgirl? Do you think we can-"

He's interrupted by the flare of rocket engines.

[stephbrown]

"Take it down," Steph yells. "Before Grundy can get away!"

She's glad she took the time to stock up on 'rangs before patrol, since she's going through them like so much water. She only debates for a second before grabbing a tracerang; if they can't take it down, at least they can follow it. She tosses it towards the retreating building.

God, her life is weird some days.

[not_easy_being_green]

Connor looks down at the bow in his hand, then looks back at Steph.

He's hoping Starfire can do something here, because his arrows sure won't.

[newoutsiders]

The tracerang meets its mark. The base is about 20 feet in the air.

[bat_by_another_name]

Silent mode works even more effectively than Batman could have possibly hoped. She makes a note to compliment Jean Paul's mechanical skills when she returns to the Temple. She has even been going out of her way lately to not break her equipment lately.

Hopefully it's a trait she can continue.

With a silent ejection far from the scene, Batman exits the Egg and lands deep in the marsh. She rises steadily from her landing and watches from the shadows. She recognizes everyone immediately -- though she may not have met with Starfire directly, Batman has extensively reviewed her family's files and knows their histories with other heroes such as the Titans -- and is curious about what has brought them all together.

She could always ask, but that's not how she chooses to approach.

Stephanie -- Batgirl is here. She is an excellent Batgirl, just like Batman always knew she would be. That's why she gave Stephanie the mantle. Because she knew Stephanie would earn and honor it. Batman doesn't even have to see for herself to know that much.

But as Batgirl -- and the others -- seem to already be handling the situation, she will watch for now. Batman's there if they need her, but Gotham always calls.

[not_easy_being_green]

"Starfire? Do you think you can - wait." He turns, squinting in the direction of the new arrival. "Did you hear that?"

[stephbrown]

Steph goes on the defensive, spinning and grabbing another cryorang. It never hurts to be prepared. "What do you hear?"

[not_easy_being_green]

"There's someone over there." He gestures towards the direction of their arrival, and calls out, "Whoever you are, come out!"

[bat_by_another_name]

Behind Batman's mask, Cassandra huffs in slight annoyance. The added protection and stature of the armor must effect her stealth more than she originally estimated. That's something to correct in later training.

Of course, she knows Green Arrow's skills are not something to underestimate by any means.

Still, she has to maintain Batman's reputation. She doesn't move from the shadows entirely when she moved forward, instead using them to add to her stature.

"There was lots of... activity," she says thickly. "I'm. Investigating."

[newoutsiders]

The engines spitting fire from the bottom of the Hall of Doom seem to glow a duller flame as it loses altitude. The years have not been kind.