Lets Burn[open]

[question]

The Humvee had been ditched soon after leaving the base, once he was well out of harm's way. Vic knew that he could not stay around it,the rest of the distance had to be travels on foot. Quite literally he only had one good one that he was working with, an dare not pull the round from the joint of his shoulder out of fear of damaging it further. He knew that taking of his mask was not going to do any good, He could have been Identified by just bullet wounds alone as the Question. An no good would ever come from that.

He decided it was best to avoid any an all major roads on foot. Limping was his set pace now down some back alley, He was far from lost, he just had no point of direction. He had no want to involve another in this. Just simply wished to find his car right now at the given moment. Where ever Nina had stashed it. If he could find her well then that would have made things a hell of a lot easier.

That however was not an option, He continued to use the wall for what it was worth to help himself down the twisted back alley's maze like settings. As much as he wanted to do this on his own, that wasn't an option. He could only get so far before his ankle would give out. It was only just a matter of time before such things occurred.

[norafreeze]

The plan had been simple. Get out of Gotham. It really should not be so hard, except she had no sway over who they let out and who they didn't. After all, she obviously could have been some sort of crazed killer that was just wanting to go on a murdering spree and homicidal rampage in Metropolis. Having the cold weight of bitterness thrumming within her heart, Nora wrapped her arms around her self and walked quickly back towards the city skyline.

She could feel autumn was in the air, getting nippy and keeping her from quite warming up enough. Trying to keep out of sight, knowing that she was neither in the wisest place for a woman, nor in any condition to fight someone off, Nora slipped into an alleyway. She scanned the area, she was now starting into the city, and she could hear the far off honking or taxis and shouts of angry people on the wind.

Nora paused. Holding her breath, there was someone not to far ahead of her. Limping badly and clinging to the wall as if it was the only thing keeping him from falling over. She looked around, unsure of what to do. She had no way to call for help, and if this person was just faking she had no way to defend herself. But, this was the sort of thing Victor wouldn't understand...she had to try to help. Even if this person meant nothing personally to her, it made her human to care.

Hesitantly, walking as quietly as she could, Nora approached from behind, weaving to the other side of the wall, rather than just sneaking up. "Do you need help?" Nora said in what she hoped sounded like a confident tone, trying not to seem like a tiny, barefooted woman that was scared almost witless that this was some sort of a ploy. Unfortunately, she was nothing special and all the above was true.

[question]

Vic Kept moving even though he picked up on the soft foot steps of someone behind him before they even spoke to him, so she needed to not worry about surprising him, That was in itself a hard feat to accomplish. Help, yeah, he needed it but it wasn't something as such a simple task as it sounded. An right now he wished for his hat, to help hide his lack of a face. The last thing he needed to do was frighten someone who was only trying to be kind, or feign it for all he knew.

This was the part about being a crime fighter that all of them surely hated, once the adrenaline started to wear off, the pain from fighting slowly ebbed its way to replace it. Vic turned his head towards the wall before he spoke, "Not much you can do for me, best if you just keep moving. " Every word of it was true, he would be safe no where in the city. The Feds were probably watching the hospitals in case of a man to walk in with gun shot wounds in the ankle an adjacent shoulder. He was now an enemy of the state an possibly an order to be executed on sight. Any one associating with him quite possibly would be given the same treatment, He wished that upon no one.

The hatless Question continued to limp in no where particular down the alleyway.

[norafreeze]

Warily, Nora kept pace with him... If she walked away, for all she knew this man would die before he ever got to help. She took a deep breath, this was what it meant to be human. This was why she had run. Because not everything had to be about her, and what was in her 'best interest'. Other people mattered just as much as she did.

"I'm willing to at least get you somewhere. No point in passing out in...an alley way...is that blood?" Okay, that was the point of no return, she was not letting a man what was bleeding continue to stumble around in the forgotten backstreets of Gotham. She was not in any way a Doctor, but she knew enough about the human body to see this man was not going to make it much further with how he was currently looking.

"I'm Nora. I currently have nowhere better to be, other than helping strange men to hospitals." She said softly as she walked over, the choice made for her by his current situation. She was small enough to fit under his arm if needed, to help him get some weight off what looked to be a bad ankle. "Now...which side do you need me?" Her voice caught, hoping that she seemed more sure of the situation then she was.

[james]

A shift of patrolling the further reaches of Gotham wasn't what Gordon had envisioned when he'd told his wife that he was working late. The work he'd been doing the past few weeks had made him feel like he was rookie cop, filing other's reports, and so though it wasn't what he'd seen himself doing, it actually was a nice reprisal from the busy work. So far the night was quiet, but he'd learned to never trust that. He turned down a side street, steering slowly do as to shine a light into the dark crevices of the alleys and nooks that lined the roadway.

This part of Gotham is rather scarce in population this time of night, at least scarce in the kind of people you'd want to run into in a dark alley. He pondered that thought a minute, surmising that anyone in a dark alley, probably isn't someone you want to run into. He reached up quickly to take his glasses, the night air is fogging them up. He pressed his foot to the brake only long enough to wipe the lenses before he's off again.

Rats and the occasional stray animal leaped from the reveal of the hi-beam light or dart in front of his car. He'd come to almost the last alley on the avenue when he catches not one, but two figures. He stopped the car and squinted to make them out. Obviously one was female and the other, beyond appearing hurt, or maybe drunk--he can't tell with the figure still being a little ways away--he knew was male. Gordon, threw the large light into the front seat, but left the cruiser running, as he got out. He retrieved his own flashlight and stared walking towards the duo, hand poised and ready to draw his gun at any moment.

"This is a restricted area," he called to them, seeing them coming closer to him. "Stop walking and please remain still."

[question]

People Like her were few an in far between, It was refreshing to see someone not out to save their own skin. She was one of the reason why he an others put their lives on the line. "Listen, you really should just go for your own safety. " He didn't want to put her in a position to end up being shot at.

"Thats the First place anyone would look for me, I can't go there." He knew that he intentions were only to help, nothing false about them from what he could tell. He completely over looked the fact that yes, it was indeed blood leaking from his shoulder. Question knew that using it meant the round would move with it, more than likely tearing deeper into the meat of his joint. He wasn't sure of the round that was used, only that it was either Armor piercing or fired from a high caliber weapon. He wasn't entirely sure of which, seeing how it could easily be both.

Vic knew that right now knew that if he could get to his car, he could get to his Phone, an get the mask off. Head lights. Great, just want he wanted to see.. Not. Head lights meant a car, the spot light said cop. The police were working no doubt with the Feds. This wasn't looking good. Like hell he was going back in a cell, time for plan b. Question started to step back away from the man until he spoke, It was one of the few cops on the force in this city that was actually worth trusting father than one could throw them. This one was even trustworthy to Batman, which meant something to Vic.

He stopped moving. He had to be sure that Gordon's allegiance hadn't been swayed. Question faced him, knowing that the senior cop would know who he was, "Who's side are you on?" Vic hadn't the time to use fancy words, his mind was strained as well. He had already exerted about ever ounce of energy left in him. Regardless he needed to know the answer. Knowing that the next Actions would define the next move Vic made.

[norafreeze]

Okay, this was very bad. Nora froze in place, her hands going into the air on instinct. This was so bad she didn't even know how to describe it. If this man she was helping was a criminal, that would get her arrested for sure...then again, she might get pulled off the street for looking like a lunatic. With her lack of shoes and her flowing blue dress, she might be able to use sleepwalking as an excuse for being in the streets...if she had been caught alone.

Wincing in the sudden light that eminated from the Policeman, she glanced at the man she had been attempting to help. Her eyes widened. He had no face. Just bulges and dips where his features should have been. She noticed him backing away. She didn't dare do the same, she kept her feet in the same place as when she had first been spotted.

The question from the man with no face struck her as odd. If this was the police, than there was only one side to be on, right? Nora had not been told to keep quiet, but she didn't want to get caught in the middle of a confrontation. The less she was noticed the better.

[james]

When his light caught on the void space of the man's face, or lack thereof, Gordon instantly paused. He did in fact recognize the man. He withdrew his hand from going towards his pistol. The weapon was uncalled for. He also relaxed in his posture and was prepared to answer the posed question when he recalled the woman in their midst. At first glance he was instantly very confused. Her attire is absolutely out of place as he took in not only the frail, dress on her, but also that she lacked any footwear.

He raised a brow and seemed to look at Vic for explanation to the woman, though the man's features would give him nothing. Besides, he has a question to answer.

"Your side." The reply is simple enough, he understood why he was requested to state his loyalties. The F.B.I. it was no secret had its sights on the vigilantes and the like as well, and if anyone knew that it would Vic. However, the light he still had dangling in his fingers illuminates something more, something that spoke for the sluggish way he was holding himself. The dark stain on Vic's clothing caused Jim's eyes to widen just slightly.

Again he looked between the barefoot woman and now the Question who was obviously shot. "You need help, you both do it seems. I can patch you up," his eyes went to Vic at the last declaration. He knew that taking the man to a hospital was out of the question because of what was going on, though he had no clue what had actually happened to cause the man's injuries.

[question]

That was a bit of relief. Only a moment though, fleeting once the situation hit him a bit more. Now not only was this woman he didn't know endangering her own well being but Gordon was as well. Vic knew this man had a family to look after. the cop couldn't afford to be caught helping him. This went back to exactly what he was explaining to the girl in the compound. That doing the right thing was sometimes against the law.

"No, get her out of here. neither of you can afford to be seen around me. I'll manage. " even though the help was appreciated, it could cost these people everything. He continued his trek backwards.

[norafreeze]

Nora kept her hands up, trying to make sense of this. She wasn't sure if she had just heard a cop confess loyalty to another one of those insane criminals...and if so, was she going to be in danger for it? The biggest question that was rolling through her head was why that fellow could talk and breathe...he had no mouth.

At least this cop seemed not to want to toss them into his car and haul them away quite yet. Nora slowly lowered her hands, hoping it wasn't going to get a gun pointed at her. She shot a look over her shoulder, the man without a face was still backing away. She couldn't see how he could possibly 'manage' because he was currently heading back down the long stretch of back alley he had just left. There was nothing down there.

She wanted to shout at the man with no face, tell him that it was ridiculous to head off into the night to suffer, when chance had seemingly brought two people willing to help. But, she was completely out of her depth here. No face was obviously some sort of...mutant thing, and there was a turn-coat cop.

Helping a man to the hospital was not a problem. Figuring out what she had gotten herself into, that was a bit trickier.

[james]

Gordon nodded silently and turned to the woman. He gave her a friendly smile in order to let her know that everything was alright. He wasn't planning on shooting her or even of harming her in any. In fact, looking as she did, he'd decided she was also in need of help. He offered her his hand.

"C'mon miss, I'm sure I can help you. I'll have to take you to the station, unless you need to go to the hospital." He looked her over, but saw no injuries from his perspective. He didn't need to ask Question whether the woman was with him, the answer he was getting was 'No.' He turned away to return to the cruiser, but mid-step paused.

He'd gotten so used to seeing vigilantes, and the work had been piled on him so much recently he'd almost forgotten what Batman had told him. The Question had been caught. Batman had no motive to lie to him about such things. So...Now it all made sense. By the look of it, the escape hadn't been too long ago.

"So how many of them did you take out?" He couldn't help the smirk that flitted across his face at the gruff question.

[question]

"He's a good cop" He said to the lady with a slight nod. "you can trust him. " The question though that was asked was some what expected an slightly surprising. Apparently word travels fast. "A few less then I would have liked to. "

He would have liked to taken the whole organization to its knees. Making it second guess its reasons for attempting such a stunt.

There was nothing that could really be done to change that now, Oh well. Question was sure a second chance would present itself.

[norafreeze]

An encouraging smile from the cop, and Nora stared at his outstretched hand. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about taking it. Tonight was just too weird to go trusting people at the drop of a hat...or the offering of a calloused looking hand.

Nora winced as he mentioned the Police Station, the last thing she wanted was to end up there. It would be easy to find information on her, after all, her husband was had a tendency to devote his obsessive criminal doings to her quite often. When the cop turned to head back to the car, Nora was surprised he was just expecting her to follow.

Encouraged to trust the cop, she wondered how exactly he could be 'good' when this faceless man was probably one of those spandex wearing headcases.

"I see...so, the wounded, bleeding, man who for reasons I don't want to guess has no face and can still talk, can stumble off into the night without a problem, but the young woman who has nothing to do with you two needs to go to the police station?" Nora said in a soft tone, her eyes darting between the two men. "Honestly, you seem to have priority issues, Sir." Not raising her tone, Nora was not angry so much as absolutely baffled. She shook her head, eyebrows raised. She wasn't going to run, Nora was not going to even start down the path her husband had taken... but still, this had turned out to be a strange night indeed.

Walking towards the police car, she spared a final glance over her shoulder. "Good luck." With sincerity, Nora called to the faceless man, hoping he got the help he needed. She really couldn't do anything more.

[james]

Gordon made it to the car and turned to her. He'd been mulling on how to tackle her comment and figured to start out simply, but perhaps a little bluntly would be the best deal. He nodded to Question, smirking as he recalled what he'd said in reply to his own request before his expression softened.

"You're not in trouble. You new to Gotham? That man works with the law, at least, I think he does. He helps keep criminals off the streets and he's proven himself quite capable of feigning for himself and it would do him no good to go to a hospital because they'd lock him up. Not everyone believes his mission for cleaning up the streets, but I do." He hoped he didn't sound he was treating her like a child. He meant no such thing and was only informing her because, she seemed very unfamiliar with what was going on. That was another reason he was concerned about her.

[question]

Question knew that his priorities were a bit skewed when someone on the other side look at them. To him it made much more sense. Valuing the life of another's over his own. Vic continued the trek back towards the way he just came. There was little any one could do for him that wasn't another with resources or more like himself. He paused Leaning against the wall for a moment. There was only so much further he was going to be able to push himself.

The slow blood loss over the hours was his main concern. The placements had been in crucial parts of the body that no matter what he did, moved with every motion. He Looked around the corner. It was clear. The next thing on his mind was where the hell was his Car.