Bobblehead (bobblehead) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2012-10-19 18:57:00

Entry tags:

Gotham Fashion Week
Gotham wasn't quite New York or Paris, but its yearly high fashion show was one of the rising stars of the industry, recent and small enough that a lot of independent designers were there, big enough to start getting some of the names. Definitely big enough to draw Pippi's attention. She had her mom's handler arrange everything for her for all the events, her hotel, transport while there and so on, along with a chance to survey the town a little. She's heard all sorts of interesting things about the city - but mostly that no one there likes clowns. The circus even has to not use its clowns when they go through... she figures that's probably why everyone is so gloomy there.

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	cantkeepmeout 2012-10-20 02:38 am UTC (link)
	"..." Was she dense? Or just...surely this couldn't be an act. It was too over the top. "Yes, uh...thanks." Thomas pockets the number without thinking really, and looks carefully at Pippi, trying to figure her out. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_rogues
2012-10-22 04:42 pm UTC (link)

Fortunately for him, the sound of screams and rumbling engines fills the air and distracts everyone at the venue. The lights flicker and then suddenly go club-style into brightly flashing lights.From one end a few Jokerz storm into the fashion week tents on motorcycles, waving studded rubber chickens above their heads. From the runway comes another group on foot from where the backstage screams can be heard. To say they're badly dressed would be quite the understatement.

"Why all the panic? We're just livening up this party here. You guys just don't know how ta have fun." The leader struts down the runway and spits in his hand, slicking back his hair using some poor girl's rather reflective purse as a useless mirror. "Now, that we're all looking spiffy here, how about we get our payment for being tonight's entertainment huh? No? Tsk tsk, you know the rules about paying for services. Open your hearts and your wallets! It's Christmas time! Well...just your wallets will do. Hop to it slowpokes!" A rather menacingly size clown with a polka dot sweatshirt moves forward, swinging a ball and chain.

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	bobblehead 2012-10-22 06:25 pm UTC (link)
	Pippi turns... and starts bouncing, clapping and cheering. "Yay, clowns! Hey, do you guys have a little car you all fit in? How about an elephant? I always love the elephants. Which one of you juggles?" she asks, getting right up in their faces. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2012-10-22 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	Thomas takes the opportunity to slip away amid the chaos to go change to his Robin gear. He's brought along the lightweight version in case of this sort of thing. But it's a very good thing he did not hear the 'Yay clowns' statement. That was like a deathwish in Gotham. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_rogues
2012-10-22 06:38 pm UTC (link)

The moment the 'Yay, clowns!' comes out the whole place goes deathly silent.

Those words had not been uttered in Gotham in years. The out-of-city guests look at each other confused, the gothamites look at each other confused, and even the clowns themselves look at each other confused.

You weren't allowed to like clowns in Gotham! There were rules about this sort of thing!

Finally after a tense moment of silence, one of the Jokerz finally comes forward, armed with a large bowling pin and blindingly hideous stripped stockings, to take a swing at Pippi. "You want jugglin? I'll give ya juggling!"

In the meantime the ones on motorcycles surround the crowd to let the ones on foot go around and start demanding valuables.

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	bobblehead 2012-10-22 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	Pippi's tiara alerts her just in time, and her cheerleader reflexes help her dodge out of the way, in order to... look confused. "That's not very good juggling at all. People, don't you dare give them any money. These guys are terrible clowns. They're not even funny." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2012-10-22 10:56 pm UTC (link)

The extended moment of silence gives Thomas a bit more opportunity to get changed and get back. He slips back into the crowd and has to blink. What was this girl on about?

Of course they weren't funny! They were Jokerz! Really this was just ridiculous. And on top of that it was his duty to save her along with everyone else here.

Robin sighs and sneaks through the crowd to get a jump on one of the motorcycle ones herding people. Right before he attacks he sends a few smoke capsules rolling towards where the main group of Jokerz were.

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gotham_rogues
2012-10-22 11:09 pm UTC (link)

Ugly stocking Jokerz pulls out another bowling pin and this time throws it at Pippi in frustration. "Hey! I'll have ya know I can totally juggle like...3 balls sometimes!"

"How's this for funny toots?" Another Jokerz jumps into the frey wielding, very seriously, a studded rubber chicken.

Rather inconspicuously, Robin's little smoke capsules rolls their way to the middle of the large group of Jokerz and go off, quickly filling the venue with smoke.

Given the brightly coloured flashing lighting, and the crazy intruders moving about in odd ways, the whole place looks more like a psychedelic rave than a fashion show taken hostage.

Apparently nothing is too surreal for Gotham though.

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bobblehead
2012-10-22 11:30 pm UTC (link)

There's a weird effect going on - which might even be vaguely observable, to the especially aware.

Despite all attempts to cause random chaos, unless someone is specifically being targeted, no one is getting hurt. People randomly stumble out exits through the smoke, thrown objects miss, explosions go off just right to not catch any bystanders. Its probably the safest Jokerz attack in history.

Which doesn't help anyone they're particularly aiming at - just all the random chance odds.

Pippi is smacked with the chicken, and goes staggering back, landing hard as a bowling pin follows it up.

The indigo jewel shields her from the worst, but she's still left rubbing her head.

Thinking quickly, for her, or out of habit, Pippi goes diving for the closet where everyone's larger bags are being stored.

"Alright, you clowns! You have ten seconds to start being funny, or else!"

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cantkeepmeout
2012-10-23 12:24 am UTC (link)

Thomas does notice, mostly because trained by the World's Greatest Detective™ and experience with Jokerz attacks makes him all the more alert when luck seems to be, oddly enough, on their side.

While Pippi goes closet diving, Thomas works on taking out as many of the motorcycle Jokerz as he can to let people escape. Though he does take note of them ganging up on her and slips through the somewhat panicking crowd to go help.

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	gotham_rogues 2012-10-23 12:47 am UTC (link)
	The two clowns going after Pippi share a confused glance then slowly advance towards the closet, bowling pins and rubber chickens ready. "Knock, Knock." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bobblehead 2012-10-23 01:18 am UTC (link)
	Pippi starts going through the things here. Lots of useful stuff at a fashion expo, but not what she had in mind. "Who's there?... and this had better be funny." she calls out. "Because I know two things you don't know." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gotham_rogues 2012-10-23 01:24 am UTC (link)
	The Jokerz snicker at each other and stop. The one with the ugly stockings rolls what looks like a giant gumball towards the closet door. "Ka." Neither notice the Robin closing in on them. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bobblehead 2012-10-23 02:11 am UTC (link)
	"Ka who?" comes the call from inside, as she finds what she's looking for, perhaps just in time. At least they're telling jokes now. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gotham_rogues 2012-10-23 02:18 am UTC (link)
	KABOOOOM The gumball goes off and the Jokerz burst into insane laughter amid the extra smoke while most of the rest at the venue stop and turn to stare at what's happening. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bobblehead 2012-10-23 02:43 am UTC (link)
	There's a loud ka-boom as the closet shatters, and for a few seconds, there's silence. From up above, where the jewel suggested she leap to, comes the blonde's voice. "That. Wasn't. Funny. Now let my try. How many evil clowns can you fit in a clown car?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2012-10-23 02:49 am UTC (link)

Robin was coming up from behind and dealing with some of the Jokerz in his way when the explosion went off. Though he knows the explosives in those things weren't enough to kill the girl or injure her too seriously, there's still a moment of panic as he hopes she's not hurt.

Good thing she was okay though how the hell did she get up there? No grappling gun that he could see...

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	gotham_rogues 2012-10-23 03:05 am UTC (link)
	The two Jokerz that had been attacking her just stare up in shock. They'd really thought that should've taken care of the issue. "None! Because you're going to be the only one in it!" And the rubber chicken gets thrown at her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bobblehead
2012-10-23 03:11 am UTC (link)

"You're really bad at this, you know that? You know what else I know?

One, you're all going to still have acne when you're fifty, if you keep wearing that much grease paint.
Two, we're going to find out how many... because I HAVE A CHAINSAW!"

Pippi leaps, way more theatrically than necessary, doing a double flip amidst the near thing dodge of the chicken, and bounding off the ground towards the head clown, pulling the chain as the chainsaw of compassion roars to life.

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cantkeepmeout
2012-10-23 03:24 am UTC (link)

This was the part where other Robins may have said 'Holy Cheerleaders with Chainsaws Batman!'

He was not one of those Robins.

Thomas pulls out a bolo and wraps up the one that once had the rubber chicken before sending a batarang to the other as a distraction. He didn't have the time to properly take her down, there were people armed with fricken chainsaws to deal with.

Chainsaws!

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	gotham_rogues 2012-10-23 03:32 am UTC (link)
	The head clown is flanked by two lackies wearing polka dot sweatshirts and armed with comically oversized hammers. The sight of a chainsaw does cause some blinking, more at who's wielding it than anything. "Well what are ya two standing around for? Take the girl down? She doesn't know comedy when she sees it!" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bobblehead
2012-10-23 03:47 am UTC (link)

Despite the horror-movie role-reversal, Pippi does actually seem to know how to wield the weapon - and isn't doing so in lethal fashion... oddly enough.

As the first hammer-wielder comes at her, she swings, cutting the head off the hammer, leaving the guy wielding a stick, before bringing her weapon up towards his chin.

"No wonder people here hate clowns. At least these guys swinging big hammers around, pretending like they're trying to hurt someone are sort of ok. You should make one of them the boss."

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cantkeepmeout
2012-10-23 03:56 am UTC (link)

He hasn't met Pippi before, and doesn't know how she works or if she goes for lethal force so being cautious is key here. Though even with a chainsaw she doesn't seem to be going for any particularly damaging hits. Good.

Robin catches up to her and dodges the hammer attack from the second thug, nimbly stepping on top of it and using it as a platform to jump up and knee the guy in the face.

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gotham_rogues
2012-10-23 04:01 am UTC (link)

While his two main bodyguards are fighting the heroes, the head Jokerz takes off, mingling in with the panicking crowd and making a break for it.

The other Jokerz that haven't been wrapped up jump on the back of any Jokerz left on motorcycles as they start to flee the place. Though a few of the motorcycles that are making their way out seem to have grabbed some prominent hostages.

Sirens can be heard in the distance.

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	bobblehead 2012-10-23 04:06 am UTC (link)
	Pippi finally notices that there's someone else fighting here, wearing red and green. Huh. "Are you part of the act? I think you're the best clown here." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)