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Characters: Bruce Wayne
Location: Whichever sector you fancy.
Situation: Bruce is braving the increasing hostility of the kedan radicals to be his usual arrogant, playboy self out in the public sector.
Warnings/Rating: None yet! To be updated if anything occurs.
Notes: I'll do action or prose with equal verve, so hit me with whatever you'd like. Just pop a note in your subject line about which Sector you want and off we go!

[Reconnaissance is more or less his superpower. He's reached the end of Devin Craig's immediate usefulness, and Batman can only do so much from the shadows. Sometimes, the man for the job is the one he feels least like being: Bruce Wayne.

The blood tests he took from the site of the executions were inconclusive. Hard to do much without the resources to run them through the proper battery of tests. The blood has abnormally low levels of albumin, but beyond that it's structurally similar to that of a human. Close cousins. It doesn't have any of the same markers in common with other shapeshifters he's encountered, and he can't do more without proper equipment.

What he does know is that the scraps of cloth he gathered from the bodies are congruent to fabric samples of the upper east side in the Fire Sector, which at least confirms their territory. A night's tracking lead him to the headquarters of the Black Kirin, formerly one of the most affluent presences in the sector. The place had been left in ruins, and was still a smouldering mess when he found it. Any insignia the gang had used to identify themselves had been smothered with graffiti, torn or burned.

Turf wars.

Not a thought he likes to entertain. Not when he doesn't know the locals, the customs, the movers and shakers of the underworld. Handling such events in Gotham takes every ounce of his not inconsiderable resources and the marshalling of everyone in his network. He has to operate differently here.

But that isn't why he's out here today. Today, he has business of a different sort to conduct. He needs to start amassing capital. Lieuen's little show of wealth wasn't impressive so much as tasteless and wasteful, and Bruce still hasn't abandoned the idea that the entire execution was staged between Lieuen and Evandau. But the question is - was it for the benefit of the kedan, or the 'foreigners'?

And what did they mean about saving? Everyone he's asked about it has been maddeningly vague, to the point that he's considering finding some unsavoury individual and holding them upside down off the tallest building in the Metal Sector.

Hm.

Still. For the time being, he's speaking with shop-owners, negotiating where necessary. He's chatty, amicable. If he happens across any foreigners, he'll smile and wave. Bruce Wayne, ladies and gentlemen. He's a charmer.]

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[Kon had flown around the city a few times, keeping a sharper eye out thanks to the attack at the festival. What a way to bring it all to an end, it was pretty fun until those losers had stepped in and made a scene. With his people as well! Yeah, Kon thought of the 'foreigners' as his people, all on the same turtle.

He dropped down just inside the fire sector to take a look on foot, sometimes height and lack of telescopic vision had its drawbacks. He sighed as he looked at the people, not sure what to think, though totally on edge and ready for anything.

Except walking into someone and jumping back from the surprise.]

Hey wow! Watch it! Geez, can't a guy go for a walk without some idiot running into the-- Oh hey, you're one of us, right? A [air quotation marks go here.] foreigner.

[Something about this guy was familiar, but he didn't know, so he wasn't going to say anything. Until he gets a name.]

[Bruce manages to keep his expression more or less neutral. Which is quite a feat, given the fact that all he wants to do is glower. It's not that he doesn't like Kon. He's Tim's best friend, and Kent has given the boy his blessing many times over.

But he's so... young here.

Though Bruce isn't terribly surprised at their sudden encounter, he forces his heartrate up a few beats per minute to mimic the symptoms thereof. No sense in letting Kon think he's hard to rattle.]

Uh. Yes. Yes I am. Bruce Wayne.

['Has anyone ever told you you look like Superman?' No. That would be cruel, even if it's something that Bruce Wayne would conceivably say.]

[Kon squints a little at the man and then there he has it. A name, his mind is racing to figure out the name and the face and just how it rings a bell. So when it clicks that this is Bruce Wayne, I own the world, Kon can only snort and raise a brow]

Big man, doubt flashing your money's gonna get you anywhere now.

[What an ass.]

[Bruce's smile is perfectly congenial.]

That's all right. I'm not averse to working for a living.

That so? Not the kind of stories I've read. Heard you just sit back and let everyone do everything. Always ending up in the headlines for being a total doofus.

[His hands are on his hips now. Okay, he feels a little. Maybe he took it just a little far.]

Do you believe everything you read?

[He arches an eyebrow as he speaks, amused more than anything. His public image was a great deal less flattering in Kon's day. He's cleaned it up since then. Still, he's not particularly surprised.]

No, sometimes I believe it if it's on TV. I don't read the business part, that's boring. Headlines though? Yeah. Making the nine o'clock news because you were a jerk or whatever, yeah. Sure you do good, but sorry Mr. Flashypants I'm gonna remember the bad stuff over the good.

Take me for example, I make one mistake and suddenly everyone thinks I'm worse than Doomsday. Saved people from a crashing plane? Who cares, you trashed the lawn.

[Listen to him, trying to give Bruce all of these tips on things. Don't be a jackass and you won't be thought of as one.]

This sounds like a personal issue you have with your own treatment by the media rather than any particular problem you may or may not have with me.

[Because seriously, bro. Seriously.

tim come collect your clone boy damnit.]

I'm over how the media sees me. They don't know me and I've not got a problem with you.

[He's frowning and then there's a moments pause as he thinks over what he just said. 'They don't know me'...well Wayne didn't uh...okay whatever. Kon huffs now.]

If you say so.

[He knows deep-seated issues when he sees them, Kon.]

I don't suppose you brought any other superheroes with you, hm? It sounds like we could use them.

[Huff, shut up Bruce. You don't know what he has going on in his head. God, they only got bad when it wasn't Tana sad face.]

Sorry buddy, just me. Well, there's Nita but I never brought her. Don't worry, we'll stop any kidnappings.

Kidnappings?

[An odd thing to focus on, given the crime levels on Tu Vishan. Maybe Kon's seen or heard something he hasn't.]

Well if there was almost live executions then I won't be surprised if the losers take to grabbing people. Kedan or us.

[Don't worry, he doesn't expect someone like you to...well you really should understand. Gotham and everything. Geez Wayne.]

[Bruce 'hmms' thoughtfully.]

I don't see what they could possibly hope to accomplish by that. They'd never get away with asking for ransom in such a tightly controlled economy.

Sometimes it isn't about money. Sometimes it's about power. Showing other people who's boss and sometimes it's just for fun. They clearly don't care about us, right? They'd happily kill us as well.

[Oh, Superboy. Times like these and Bruce remembers why you're Tim's best friend. In your future, anyway.]

Then it's probably best that we stick together as much as possible. We should work out a system to ensure that if anyone is endangered, our resident superheroes can be informed and get to them immediately. Do you have, ah... super hearing?

[Playing ignorant is so irritating. But also vaguely amusing. And it's not like he's not used to the concept.]

[Pfft, sometimes he can just pull something out that surprises people. He taps his lips and then looks up at Bruce.]

Uh yeah. It's not as good as like the big mans though. Hmm, think that would work? I mean I don't even know how many other superheroes are here! But yeah, we should totally all stick together, things would be easier.

I think there's at least two more, but I can't be certain. It's not quite as... clear-cut as things are back in Gotham.

[He shrugs easily.]

What's your opinion on a Batsignal-type scenario?

[Everyone knows his very public opinion on Batman, but if the police commissioner has used the system for as many years as he has, it has to be at least a little effective, right?]

I know there's Nita and she might as well be a superhero, I'm pretty sure she'd help out.

[He pauses and thinks about that for a moment. It would be effective that was for sure. He shrugs at it.]

As long as it isn't the actual bat thing then I guess it'd be cool? I mean you'd see it, right? So you'd know that something was up. Only problem is, where would it be and who would run it? And how would you know that someone was in trouble? I mean, something tells me the police here won't be too happy with us running about fightin' crime. And we don't really have our own networked community.

[Wow, Kon, he actually didn't expect a thoughtful reply. Colour him impressed, enough such that he raises an eyebrow in speculation.

Of course, he's not about to show his hand, or even share the real plans he has, but... it won't hurt to shunt himself into some idle gossip.]

I could fund the production of one for each District. The housing complexes are generally in the same area, or grouped around a focal point. We could treat it as a community resource, and allow each of the foreigners access to it. There might be a few scenarios in which someone is all too willing to cry wolf... but better a few false positives than the alternative.

[He shrugs, careless.]

As for the police, let me handle them. I may not have the same clout as I do in our world, but I've dealt with their type often enough I think I can manage something. Networking may be more difficult, given the consoles. I'd rather everyone have some sort of cellular device, honestly.

[But that's just so impossible, gosh. And it's not like he's been planning it since he got here.]

[Kon, full of surprises. Some were good some were...well the other ones don't really get talked about any more. It's for the best really. He's listening, actually listening and paying attention. This was something that could benefit the whole foreigner population. They really needed to find something to call themselves that didn't sound like dirt.]

So you building a name for yourself here as well? Kinda seems like it;s expensive and this place isn't exactly buzzing with the latest gadget.

[He pauses for a minute and then grins like a kid who just got let loose in a candy store.]

I like it. It's not too complicated for people and it means we're all involved. I'll leave the cops to you, I haven't made friends with a detective yet so can't use it to my advantage.

I'm going to give it a try. Just between you and me, I don't think I could sit around doing nothing. No matter what my reputation [he puts a very slight amount of stress on that word] might say to the contrary.

[Oh his smile is just so completely cavalier.]

Of course. I'll speak with them as soon as possible.

How do you think I feel? I'm used to fighting King Shark and hanging with YJ. Think it's worse for us heroes though, cause we're...saving people and stuff. [Kon laughs a little and ducks his head.]

Cool, you gotta keep me updated.

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