Jeepers Creepers! [Nina, Man-bat, Ventriloquist]

[Deleted]

Why was she doing this? She hated everything about this assignment. If Summer Gleeson were to ever turn anything down, it would be this one. Part of her considered handing it over to her morning co-host, or even one of the aspiring interns. That thought lasted for a matter of seconds before she came to her senses. She couldn’t let someone else take her scoop despite how uneasy this made her. If she could work undercover at Iceberg, surely she could do this! With a brave face, she stood outside in the cold and dark, waiting for her signal to start. Trying to keep her white teeth frame chattering, she looked behind her to see the unkempt, ancient-looking home that loomed in the distance. 

It had been abandoned for years and was once the scene for some of the scandals that occupied Gotham’s past. Recent activity of eerie activities had been brought to her producer’s attention and he instantly jumped to make a story out of it. Summer loathed all things spooky, though the house did draw out her curious nature. Though she would have rather investigated it in the daylight, Hal assumed the ratings would be substantially better if she do so at night. “Why not throw on that costume you wore for the Halloween party for added effect, Gleeson? The Scooby-doo girl?” Though she dismissed the, comment with a laugh, she was secretly seething.  

It was not a live feed, though it would be recorded and reflected on later during her morning show with Ryder. She would be accompanied by a small team of four and the group would spend the entire night in the ‘haunted’ home. Her nerves already were getting the best of her the more that she thought about it. Not only did she have to smoother her anxiety, but she had to appear to like the experience for the sake of the camera. Some of the featured ‘bump in the night’ sounds and effects were staged, though she was sure that even those might get the best of her.  

“….most haunted house in Gotham? We will see about that.” She sent a playful wink in the direction of the camera before they called it a wrap. The spotlights that were targeted toward the redhead shut off one after another. A majority of the crew began to pack up while the few that were arranged to go inside with her prepared as if it were a simply slumber party. The once fearless redhead waited until the group was ready and then reluctantly started toward the large front door to show herself inside.  

[Nina Stenet]

Why was she doing this? Well, the long and short of the answer is because one of the good folks at LexCorp asked her to. And while she could have said no, she wouldn't be much of a consultant if she said no to everything that was asked of her, and she's been doing that a lot lately. She can't help it - the moment that the other scientists began to realize the sheer breadth and depth of her understanding of things, they began to ask her for her help on everything, not just her stated area of expertise. This particular task was eventually chosen because it sounded like it would at least be a bit of a challenge, and it didn't involve another commute to Metropolis.

Though when they approach the address the GPS is indicating, she's surprised to see so many vehicles parked there - the place is supposed to be abandoned. But on closer observation, it appears that it's some sort of camera crew for a news station, and they're leaving. In fact, the first couple of vehicles are pulling away just as they pull up.

Her own vehicle is quite odd to see at this location - it's a black Mercedes and clearly quite expensive. That plus the fact that first person who exits it is the driver - who is a very large, black woman whose manner and attire simply screams 'bodyguard' (because that's exactly what she is) - means that they probably also very look very 'official'. As Hope walks around the car and opens her door, she watches the departing vehicles. Hmm, not all of them are leaving. "Perhaps we'll need to come back at another time," she comments as she exits the vehicle. She's currently dressed in a light gray skirtsuit with a pale pink blouse and sensible black shoes.

Still, since they're here she decides that it's better to find out for sure whether or not something is going on that would prevent what she's here for, so she walks toward the house with Hope taking the lead. Once they find out who is here and why, then she can decide what to do about it.

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC: Hope Taya is normally Lex Luthor's bodyguard - I'll let you decide if Summer would recognize her or not.

[Deleted]

The fire cackled, flaring maliciously, casting sinister tendrils to snare its victims in harsh, searing heat. The luminous glow lit up the evening sky, shrouding the glittering stars in a thick plume of suffocating smoke, embers and debris fluttering into the streets around the dockyard warehouse. A chilling shriek of rage, and hatred overtook the roar of the vicious blaze, and suddenly, from the roof, a monstrous form tore through the structure, breaching the ceiling to spread it's leathery wings in front of the pale moon. The silhouette was that of a creature that brought horror upon the faces of the police and firefighters stationed below. Their terror would be short lived, as the creature descended upon them, talons flashing like razors, before burying themselves amidst tender flesh.

A dark lid drew up to display a molten, crimson orb, glowing in contrast to the tremulous darkness of the creaky hideout. The remnants of the memory still filled his nostrils with the scent of smoke, for the smell that clung to him refused to fade. Rather, it lingered, almost mockingly, to thick, matted dark brown fur. Dull senses brought upon by a fresh awakening were shook into more acceptable action, as the Man-Bat drew up to perch upon his webbed hands and knees. The wood of the ancient home creaked beneath the weight, but had it not been sturdy enough to hold him, then he would not have decided to rest there. Confident in the thought that the structure would not give out from under him, the nocturnal beast took a moment to gather his surroundings.

Dust possessed the abandoned home like a wraith, drifting through the air to tickle the nose. Paint was chipped from the walls, of which moss and vines had taken to clinging to. Cracks in the flooring, and the ceiling permitted droplets of dirty water to leak into the ancient home. There was a cave in on the ceiling of the second floor, exposing the attic, and the rafters. That was where Man-Bat resided, licking his wounds, as one might describe it. The scorched patches of skin still stung, and contrary to the saying, no amount of licking was doing the wounds much good, but while they were uncomfortable, they would surely heal in due time.

He had arrived within the supposedly haunted home about five days past, having fled to the outskirts of Gotham in search of a safe house of sorts, after his former waterside residence had been torched by local law enforcement, and he wasn't alone. About a few dozen other, common brown bats had already taken residence within the rafters. They had, of course, welcomed him with open wings, or at least so much as a non sentient creature could. The bats, however, were unusually quiet. The night was young, but their moment of waking had already past. They glared anxiously at one another, as if they had sensed danger nearby. They were not the only ones aware.

It had been what awakening him that had first warned the Man-Bat of the situation. His tall, triangular ears swiveled about like radars as he analyzed the voices that echoed into the ancient home from the outside. Eyes narrowed into a predatory glare, the hunter drew upon his clawed feet and crawled his way deeper into the shadows, a flap of his wings hoisting him onto the rafters above the hole in the ceiling. He dangled there, upside down with a tight grip, talons curling into wood. He had a clear view down the stairwell, and of the front door beyond that, though his eye sight was far more enhanced than that of a human. The darkness hid him from the eyes of the intruders, but it would not hide them.

The front door squeaked as it opened to allow the crew of camera men inside. The Man-Bat analyzed them with a cold, harsh gaze. He glanced around at his nocturnal companions, noticing that they were quite disturbed. Blinking, he willed the creatures to take flight, and so they did, the furry, screeching mass erupting from the hole in the attic. A few dozen brown bats swarmed the group below, forcing their way out the open door and into the night. All the while, the monstrous creature lied in wait within his hiding spot, observing the movements of the humans below, jaws clenched, massive wings wrapped around his muscular body. The people did not resemble the police, and so he could be glad of that. At least the house would not go up in flames.

[Deleted]

The Ventriloquist tried Its best to swat away the flies and gnats that seemed to be hounding It.  No matter how much They tried, the bugs would never go away.  Probably because they enjoyed feasting off Their fast-food eating and toxin  filled blood.  Yes, fast food and processed material was all Arnold Wesker could afford.  For a college student having that type of diet was fine, but for someone pushing over 50 it had many negative affects, the least of which was the bugs. Bugs. Bugs!

At least bugs were better then plants.  Oh yes.  Much better.  

Despite this, Arnold Wesker had managed to follow the news crew. Only one member of the gang was willing to accompany Wesker on this trip, Ratso, the new guy.  Rhino and Mugsy were to spooked.

Dressed in a cheap black suit and a white undershirt, Wesker adjusted It's glasses and swatted another fly while creeping in the bushes only a few yards from the house.  

"Yo, Ventriloquist, wait up." Ratso whispered with a faint whisper.  The mook was a very small man with a pointed nose, buck rat like teeth, and freckles.   "Heh.  Neat place.  Reminds me of this time a bunch of buddies of mine spent the night at this abandoned asylum in Jersey once, man that was a night most would never forget," Ratso started, speaking in a normal tone.  Ratso caught up with Wesker, and saw the mansion for the first time. "Oh man! Talk about the movie Clue..."

dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Ratso

"Shhhhhh!  Hush Little baby don't say a word. Ventriloquist is gonna buy you a Mocking Bird...."

"Gotcha..." Ratso mimicked, placing a finger to his lips.

The Ventriloquist had come alone.  No Scarface.  At least not yet.  You never know when the voice would start up again.  A fire-axe was strapped to Wesker's back and a pistol was kept handy in a waist holster.  Ratso had a arnament of knives and a pistol of his own.  

A black Mercedes pulled up along side the news crew van.  Out stepped a large black woman who opened the door for a corporate suit.  There was something familiar about the suit.  Very familiar.

"What's the plan?" Ratso asked.

"Stay diddle diddle.  The cat on the fiddle.  Soon we'll jump over the moon.  Heeee."  


Ventriloquist hoped this would be a good old fashioned kidnapping, one worth a lot of ransom money. But now instead of one target, there was two!

"Heee."  


[[OOC: Hope you guys don't mind a another villain/card thrown into the mix.]] 

[Deleted]

She watched as the majority of her team began to set up their equipment. Desperately, the young redhead attempted to smoother the hopeless sigh that she had struggled to withhold from the second that she had retrieved the assignment. Standing in the driveway as a majority of her crew pulled out of the weed-covered parking area, the restless reporter decided to linger in hopes of a story. She wasn’t completely on board with the idea of forging scary sounds into the clip to reflect on later in front of her audience. Whither the facts be credible or she simply provide her rabid watchers with yet another sample of gossip to soak up – both were to be considered a success She stood in the foyer, allowing the for as the men accompanying her set up.

As a sleek, black car pulled into the drive way, she leaned against one of the studier beams near the window to get a better view. The larger figure to emerge from the vehicle was one the Summer recognized instantly. She had been there when Lex Luthor had offered her a personal tour of one of his facilities. Yes, her name was Hope. What was she doing here? Perhaps this wasn’t a place so haunted and instead was simply being used for something Luthor-related. The second woman to start toward the house seemed familiar enough. Maybe she had ran into her at one of the larger events that Gotham hosted? She was certain that she would find out. If Summer had discredited this as a story, she certainly felt as though she was on to something now. “Rob,” She said to one of the younger camera men who seemed to be adjusting something on his arm-length camera. “Make sure you get this.”

Summer opened the front door for the women as if it were her own home. “Well hello, can’t say that I expected to run into you here, Miss Taya. Though it is always a pleasure to see you again.” Never one to skip formalities, she decided to introduce herself to the other woman. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we have met. I’m Summer Gleeson, Gotham Live.” The redhead added quickly, extending her hand for a proper introduction. Green eyes quickly averting from the towering body-guard to the smaller of the two, she waited until the introduction was completed before asking her next question. “And what brings you ladies to the most haunted house in Gotham?” She asked, a dramatic flair to her voice and the roll of her eyes when the word ‘haunted’ left her lips.

The sound of high-pitched squeaks and shrieks caused the redhead to turn toward the origin of the unpleasant noise. "What is that?" Before she knew it, several dozen or so brown bats seemed to be on top of them. A nervous squeal left her own red lips as she attempted to cover her hair, fearing that one might get stuck in her treasured red locks. Crouching slightly as if the lower position might miss some of the small, winged creatures that flew toward the group, she didn’t move from that spot until she was positive they were completely gone.

Breathlessly, she turned to her crew once the madness had ended. “Did you get that on camera?” She asked, a single nod causing a smile to play on her supple lips. “Good.”

notes: thanks for joining guys <3
outfit: thisssss

[Nina Stenet]

It always surprises Nina just how many people know her current bodyguard. Probably a reflection on just how many people Lex Luthor knows. And she doesn't think that she likes it - again she finds herself missing Shawty. The young woman was considerably more discreet. Eyes shifting between the two women, she's not surprised when Hope simply responds by nodding. The woman is working, after all, and this isn't a social visit.

And it isn't for Nina either, but her work is considerably more complicated than simply making sure that a particular person doesn't die. Which has put her into a bit of a serious mood, which is being made worse by the fact that there's a news crew present. So she's not really interested in formalities, responding to the introduction and offered hand with a frown. Of course she remembers Summer from before, when she took care of that horrible scar, but she knows that the other woman didn't see her face or hear her real voice so she's not afraid of being recognized as long as she treats her like a stranger.

"Yes, I've heard of your show," she states flatly, ignoring the hand in favor of looking past her into the house. When she spots a camera pointed in her direction, her frown deepens as she stares at it and asks, "Is that really necessary?" She's not so much angered about being on camera, she's just incredibly annoyed by it. Though when Summer asks why she's here, she turns her attention back to the young woman. "I was about to ask you..." she starts, but then stops because a noise beginning to fill the air catches her attention.

The next thing she knows, Hope has pulled her away from the doorway and positioned herself in between her and the main body of the bats. Nina herself isn't scared of bats - she knows that there's no truth to the urban legend about them trying to get into someone's hair, and that the bats are likely frightened and just trying to get out into the open air so that they can escape. Still, she has to admit that she appreciates the large woman taking the brunt of any of them that makes a navigational error and bumps into someone - she remembers that they sometimes get rabies. Also, the brunt of any droppings - animals in large numbers tend to do that a lot.

Once the colony has passed (it's 'colony', right? She suspects that 'flock' is wrong...), she looks after them and quietly comments to Taya, "Strange... I'm no bat expert, but I've heard of them living in caves and under bridges, but I think abandoned houses is a new one..." She frowns and turns her attention back toward the house that they flew out of, staring past the camera crew as if the darkened bit of interior could answer the now longer list of questions she has.

But then she remembers that other people are present, and her attention goes back to Summer. "As I was saying - what are you doing here? Do you have permission to be filming here?" she asks - and by her tone one might assume that she's accusing them of something, though she's really just asking because she simply doesn't know and wants to know.

[Deleted]

The bats did exactly as they were ordered to do, swarming the group within the open doorway before taking off into the night. The predatory Man-Bat noted the panic on a few of the intruder's facial features. Unfortunately, the fear he had hoped to distribute upon the humans had little effect afterwards. None of them showed any signs of backing out of whatever their plan was and leaving the property. The creature's large ears swiveled toward the group as he continued to observe, and listen to the words that were emitted from the lips of both man and woman below.

"Did you get that on camera? Good." He analyzed the speech of the vivid haired woman, nostrils flaring with annoyance. Then his focus shifted to another female, two, in fact, who displayed little terror in the face of the bats. He had noticed the way that one had placed herself in front of the other. Had it been to protect her? He could only assume that she was some type of bodyguard, and that the person she had been protecting was obviously of some importance. The Man-Bat gave a quiet grunt of contemplation as he pondered his next move, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of another...creature approaching the scene. It was faint, and the humans below would have been incapable of hearing it, but within the leathery radars that sat tall upon his skull, the noise of rustling undergrowth had invaded the creature's attention.

Things were getting too hot. He wasn't entirely certain as to what was going on. There was a news crew, but for what? Did they have a tip on him, an idea that, within the depths of the home was a monster awaiting the perfect opportunity to attack the public? And who were the other two woman, of whom had arrived late to the scene? Finally, there was the potential hunter, prowling ever closer, hidden amidst the shadows on the edge of the property as if awaiting to strike, just like the Man-Bat. Overall, and simply put, the nocturnal creature's anxiety had risen to a near unbearable level. Adrenaline had begun to leak into his veins. His gaze had narrowed into a ruthless glare. The bats had not frightened the potential threats away, and the Man-Bat was swift to remember an old saying, that if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself. And that was exactly what he planned to do.

Two sets of talons loosened their grip upon the wood rafter he had clung to, a massive set of dark wings unfurled to cast a ghastly shadow on those below. Crimson eyes glowed with feral hate, as the Man-Bat pushed away from his perch amidst the shadows. The wood he had been grasping splintered beneath the force of his lunge. He descended quickly, hitting the floor with a loud thump, claws scraping the tile. Powerful jaws parted to emit an eerie tone, that quickly developed into a nightmarish screech, chilling the atmosphere of the ancient residence. Saliva oozed from rubbery lips, large, carnivorous teeth gleaming with malice. There was little room to fly, and so the Man-Bat launched himself forward, towards the lead camera man, extending a wing to knock the recording instrument away. It skid across the floor before coming to a halt.

The man shouted with horror as teeth burrowed into his shoulder, a crimson stain developing upon his clothing. The human was tossed aside with uncanny ease, grasping the deep wound that had been inflicted upon him with a trembling hand. Continuing forth, Man-Bat thrust himself back into the air, crashing through the wall above the door to send debris falling upon whoever was near. Finally outside of the confines, he spread his wide appendages to take flight mid leap, a powerful flap buffeting the group with forceful winds. Higher he rose, until he was well out of reach of the others, circling the scene with his analytical gaze trained on the ground below. It was quite pleasant to feel cool air rushing past the scarred membranes of his wings once more.

Letting out a fierce shriek, the Man-Bat tucked his limbs close and continued his attack, diving back towards the earth. He swooped close over the heads of the crew, talons extended, stretching forth as if he were attempting to catch fish from a pond. His abnormally long nails caught the chest of one of the men, jerking him into the air. The force of the impact sent the male flying into the rather expensive looking black Mercedes with such strength, the glass shattered, and a large dent had been formed. The man did not attempt to rise, for he had been rendered unconscious, or perhaps even dead, rows of deep, bloodied piercings lining his chest to paint the street with red.

[Deleted]

When the bats flew out of the house, the hairs on the back of Arnold Wesker’s head began to stand up. The villain ducked behind the bush and pulled out the old Smith and Wesson M&P .38 Special revolver. Whatever was in there had some type of power over flying rodents.


“That’s what I’m talking about! Bats and guns! What a combination” Ratso said in a hushed whisper before pulling out a sawed-off shotgun. “Yo! Wasn’t that Doctor Stenet who went in there with the large black woman and after all of the journalists?”


It had been about 15 minutes since the news crew led by Summer Gleeson entered the moss covered mansion, followed suit by the two women in the Mercedes. Ratso was right! One of the women was Nina Stenet. When did she become all high and mighty?! Angry memories began to flood the mind of Wesker, making It very angry. That woman was one of the people responsible for ruining their reputation.


“What’s the plan Arnold?” Ratso followed up. “We’re going to miss all of the fun.”


Wesker smiled at the prospect of cutting down Stenet in addition to kidnapping Gleeson. Two birds with one stone!


“He went to the garden

To pick up the sage;

He tumbled on his nose,

And fell into a rage! Heeeeeee!”



Suddenly, there was a large cry from inside the house. Moments later a large creature burst through the roof of the building sending shards of woods falling from the sky like rain. Blood red eyes and razor sharp talons extended from what they saw. It let out a shriek which pierced the air, cracking one of the lenses on Wesker’s glasses. The forceful winds coming from Man-Bat’s wings were strong enough to blow Ratso’s fedora from his head.



The Ventriloquist let out a loud feeble scream. “AAAaaaaaaaaa!”



Ratso looked at the Ventriloquist who happened to draw the attention of the large creature with the cowardly scream. The Man-Bat dove back towards the Earth, towards their position behind the bushes.



“Look out boss!” Ratso rushed forward, pushing the Ventriloquist out of harm’s way. As a result, Ratso was the one Man-Bat grabbed by the chest and swopped up into the air. A shot from the sawed-off shotgun went off from Ratso’s grasp just before dropping the weapon.



“BOOM!”



Ratso was then thrown into the wind-shield of the Mercedes Benz, causing damages to the luxury vehicle. The henchmen let out a soft groan before rolling off the car and onto the ground.



“AAAeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” Ventriloquist let out another scream. The villain ran towards the mansion like it had seen a ghost and entered through the front into the main foyer. Wesker quickly slammed one side of the large double oak wooden front door shut.



Wesker then cowered in the corner, placing It’s back against the wall. Nervous hands caused the gun the Ventriloquist was wielding to jitter and shake in a un-steady fashion. The fire axe was still strapped to the psychopath’s back.



It laid eyes on everyone there. Making eyed contact with Nina, then Summer, the body-guard, and finally the rest of the camera crew with eyes filled with complete terror. One of the news crew members was heavily injured. In a nervous high pitched shrill voice, the Ventriloquist cried out.



“Do you know the Muffin Man,

The Muffin Man,

The Muffin Man?

Do you know the Muffin Man

Who lives in Drury Lane?........



We’re DOOMED! DOOMED!”

[Deleted]

Summer was not necessarily used to being snubbed in such a way. Though she was slightly caught off-guard as she lowered her hand, she resisted the urge to summon a snarky comment for the sake of the cameras that were all angled toward her pretty head of red hair. Besides, there was something else that Summer was focused on. That voice. Where had she heard it before? It was terribly familiar but she couldn’t place it. Zoning out for a moment as she tried to recall, she snapped back to the situation with a faint blush on her cheeks. “Of course you have.” She said with her award-winning smiling. After all, didn’t everyone in Gotham watch her show? Or perhaps she was simply far too full of herself to think that someone in the bustling city didn’t watch her show.

The bat ambush was certainly startling, but she managed to recover. Her heart still pounded behind her ample chest which now rose and fell at an alarming rate. She placed her hand over her heart as her parasympathetic nervous system began to kick in. Listening to the exchange between the two women, it didn’t take long before she was addressed once more. After all, here she stood in whatever was left of the historic home with a camera crew. “Of course I do,” summer replied hastily, quick to dismiss the topic and focus on another. “Do you work for Mr. Luthor as well?” If so, that might help her remember how she might have come in contact with her before.

Yet another unexpected event resulted from a horrible, winged creature joining them on the ground level. Another scream flew from the redhead’s lips before she could even attempt to catch it. For once, the reporter was at a loss for words as she watched it sink its teeth into the man. Summer jumped behind one of the larger men that consisted of her crew. Her mouth fell open and another series of screams followed. “What is that thing?” She asked over the chaos. Crouching down in hopes to avoid the attention of the bat-like creature if it were to return.

One of the wounded members of her crew withed in pain, screaming from the pure agony. Summer crawled over to him. Hands shaking, she eyed the wound. “I-I don’t know what to do!” She exclaimed in a panicked voice.

Another wide card was thrown into the mix when an unusual man joined the group. While she managed to smother a scream, she did jump at his arrival. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression. He seemed to be just as panicked as she did, but the foolish redhead didn’t recognize him at first. She stood up and moved over to him, trying to be soothing. “Shh! Shh. Calm down and don’t say that. We are going to be okay. Okay? We just have….we have too…” She raised her hand to her forehead, feeling incredibly dizzy from all of the excitement and the blood that stained her poor camera man.

notes: hope I didn't miss anything! Sorry it is soooo short!
outfit: thisssss

[Nina Stenet]

The completely dispassionate expression on Nina's face as Summer smiles about being recognized seems to hint that while, yes, she's heard of the woman it's not like she's a fan or anything like that. She actually only very rarely pays any attention to the news and other current happenings of the city and the world, and when she does it's usually by reading it.

Frowning in slight annoyance when Summer says she's allowed here, as it would have made things much easier for her if they didn't, the question she gets asked in return is easily fielded. "Not really," she answers truthfully - she doesn't work for him, she's a consultant. Which is almost like working for him but... not really.

She's opening her mouth to say more when there's a sudden movement in the darkness of the house. The next thing that Nina knows she's being pulled away from the door - and not too gently - by Taya, who has abruptly decided that she needs to be kept away from whatever it is. This is a problem for Nina, who would feel much better if she could see what was going on. Especially when she hears the scream of the cameraman - maybe she can intervene! But she's never discussed that with Taya, as she's sure that the woman would immediately report it to Lex, and to put it mildly she does not want that. But this is why she wants to be able to get Shawty back at her side as soon as possible.

Suddenly, a large flying beast of some sort appears, but once again Nina finds herself a little bit too well-protected. Her first instinct is to go see if there's anything she can do to help the cameraman, but again Taya is in the way - probably concerned that there might be more of whatever that is in the house. But when the beast fails to fly away and instead swoops down for another attack, what Nina's priorities should be are perfectly clear: it's more important to stop the creature from hurting anyone else than it is to tend to the currently wounded - otherwise there's probably going to be more wounded.

Now if Taya would just get out of the way so that she can see! She doesn't technically need to be able to see what she's doing, but it helps. In fact, a distant and moving target is virtually impossible without being able to see it. But the large bodyguard has her corralled on the porch - clearly trying to decide what to do next. Is the house safe? Otherwise, where do they go? Their vehicle has been damaged, and that's a problem. So far the bodyguard has failed to pull her gun, perhaps supposing that it would be difficult or useless to use against such a large bat - but she's extremely good at hand to hand combat so it's reasonable to assume that if it came close enough to hurt Nina it would also come close enough for her to show it what she's made of.

Fortunately for Nina, a distraction suddenly appears - one of greater immediate concern to Taya than to herself. Is that the Ventriloquist making a beeline past them and into the house? That's a concern, but a much, much lesser one than the giant bat, so Nina uses Taya's distraction as a chance to get a long look at the flying bat. The bodyguard is too busy trying to keep tabs on multiple, unexpected threats to continue to block off Nina's view of the bat so perfectly. Now the gun is pulled - she may suspect that it's not worth trying to use on the bat, but as Taya recalls her boss isn't that fond of the puppet man so she has no reason not to use it on him if he gives her a good reason.

Though almost all of Nina's education is on humans and her power requires her to know exactly what she's doing if she's to have any hope at all, bats and humans are really not all that different from each other on a microscopic level. They're both mammals, after all, and the differences in their bodies are mostly a matter of sizes and shapes. So it's not that difficult for her to find first a blood vessel then a nerve that she recognizes - and from there it's easy to find the spine.

And as she 'looks', she comes to the sudden realization that whatever this creature is, it's more similar to a human on the inside than she was expecting. Could that thing be a person? The question is troubling enough that she abandons her first instinct to kill it and instead works out how to stop it. Which is a tricky thing because its airborne - if she just paralyzed it then that would probably work out to be the same thing as killing it when it fell. But though she only knows so much about flight, she does know that it takes more work to fly and gain height than it does to glide and lose it. So she simply finds the nerves that connect to the flight muscles and quickly disables some of them. The bat creature would feel nothing but the sensation of his wings becoming weaker with no explanation of why unless he had some reason to blame the woman cowering on the porch who is simply staring at him. And with surprising calm too - she's probably the least worried person present.

[Deleted]

A painful sting burrowed itself amidst the Man-Bat's senses as he realized that a bullet had grazed the skin of his leg from the shotgun that had been cast from his victim's grip. His feral gaze scanned the landscape below, seeking out potential threats, and others that might be equipped with deadly weapons, fur rustling in the wind that his monstrous wings stirred. The huge creature parted his jaws once more, dreadful teeth gleaming with lethal capability, and uttered another series of chilling shrieks, talons flexing as the beast prepared for another attack.

Many of the people below had scattered with panic, surprised by the ambush and terrified of the creature that hunted them from the dark skies above. Some, he noted, attempted to take shelter back in the manor of which he had burst from. Tucking his leathery wings close to his body, the Man-Bat descended at a swift pace, swooping over the heads of the few who were yet to take shelter, while the villain continued to encourage the fear he had instilled in the hearts of his prey. Rising back into the air, triangular ears angled toward the scene like miniature radars, the bat like monster began to rely on echolocation to track the people inside.

The majority of them were huddled together in fright, attempting to hide from the nightmare they had walked into. Just a couple remained on the porch. Luckily for them, the Man-Bat had no intentions of putting himself in such a vulnerable position by entering the home. It was too cramped for flight or much maneuverability. Huffing to himself, the creature banked away from the scene, limbs beating the air as he rose higher into the sky. Suddenly, however, and without any apparent reason, the creature's wings began to fail him.

They weakened as if he had been in flight for hours, when his attack had only lasted a few minutes. With an ache developing within the limbs that could not be ignored, Man-Bat fell into a badly maintained glide, dipping toward the earth once more. He aimed himself at a patch of nearby trees on the property, and attempted to land with some amount of grace. His talons tore into the wood, large wings tangling themselves in the branches of the trees, showering the ground below with splinters and leaves. He latched onto the tree as securely as he could, ignoring the discomfort it caused him.

[Deleted]

Surprisingly, Summer's attempts to calm Arnold Wesker down worked.  The man took a deep breath and then nodded slowly.  Looking around, Wesker noticed that they did outnumber the creature at least 4-1.  They were also armed with an assortment of weapons.  Despite all of this, it was Summer's sincerity that had managed to ease the anxiety of the cowardly villain.  Looking up, Wesker noticed that the blast from Ratso's shotgun had indeed injured the Man-Bat.  

Wesker smiled at this before steadying his hand that was holding the revolver.  Just then the lunatic noticed that Gleeson was holding her hand to her forehead, and noticing a symptom of what it could be, helped steady the reporter in a non-taking advantage type way.  

"Y---you'll be fine too." Wesker stuttered.   "Here, take this for protection."

Wesker handed the reporter the gun.  For some reason, he was not hearing the voices of either Chipper or Scarface at the moment.  Maybe the kindness of the red-head had driven them away?  Or maybe it was something completely else.  Wesker's main motivation at the moment was getting out of here alive.  There was the sound of a light crashing into the bushes outside of the house, in addition to the sound of light scratching of wood.  Something had happened to the Man-Bat outside, Wesker looked to Dr. Stenent and suddenly recalled the encounter they had many months ago.  In a moment of lucidity, Wesker spoke to Nina with a stutter as well.

"B---believe it or not, I'm not here to h---hurt you.  M-----mister Scarface is the one to b---blame for everything, and another one of the voices had t-----told me to come here to kidna---kidnap the reporter.  B---but I don't want to do that anymore.  I---I just wanna get out of here! B----but first someone should check outside to see what happened to the monster!"

[Deleted]

Summers breathing was rapid and irregular. The absence and possible murder of her camera man was not only distressing but she was in constant fear that she would be next. After all, would the one with bright red hair stand out amongst the crowd to the flying, blood-thirsty creature? Or were bats blind – that was the saying, wasn’t it? By taking on some sort of a consoling role, she was able to distract herself from the scene before her. Specifically paying attention to the man beside her rather than the massive pools of blood helped her avoid fainting. Her hands were stained with the scarlet substance and continued to shake uncontrollably. Whimpering as she continued to speak in the most soothing tone she could muster, she squealed as the plump man handed her a gun.

“Oh my…what?” She exclaimed, dropping it instantly onto the hardwood floor. “No…I don’t- I can’t work a….why do you just have a gun?” Summer asked, still failing to recognize him in all the chaos. The frantic redhead continued to audibly panic, bringing her hands to her restless lips. The larger man began to ramble in the direction of the mysterious woman (and quite honestly the one whom Summer was beginning to feel safest around with her take-charge attitude). “What?” She asked in complete disbelief, her expression as if she was attempting to determine whether or not this was real or a horrible dream.

“Kidnap?” She repeated, backing away from him and growing closer to the side of the room with Taya and Nina. Despite his ‘change of heart’, she still didn’t feel safe around him. “Stay away from me.” She ordered, folding her arms across her chest. The bat-like creature had stopped terrorizing them, causing Summer to peer out one of the shattered windows. “Did- did you kill it?” She asked Nina, almost hoping that she had and their problems in dealing with it were over.

However, the redhead saw it hurtling back down to the earth a great distance away. A squeal flew from her lips before she could smoother it. “It’s still there! It’s over there!” She pointed as she backed away. The creature fell to the earth with a lack of grace, as If it had forgotten how to fly. Summer looked toward one of her remaining men. Two desperately were understandably tending to the wounds of the injured, though no one was filming. Grabbing a small, simple handheld camera out of one of their many bags, she continued to film the situation.

notes: hope I didn't miss anything! Correct me if I do via PM or IM <3
outfit: thisssss

[Nina Stenet]

Her attention focused on the creature, Nina misses much of everything else that's going on around her. It's only when she sees him descend into the trees that she lets her focus drop. Has she done enough? He should be grounded for quite some time, unable to fly, but she supposes that doesn't mean that he can't crawl around quite a bit if he wants to. Hopefully he's smart enough to not do that? Without the ability to attack them from above the tables are probably turned.

The first thing she notices once her attention returns to her more immediate surroundings is the Ventriloquist stuttering at her. Feeling fairly confident at this point that either way they're relatively safe - if there's humanness at all in that creature she hopes that it will stay put because she's not concerned about the ability of everyone to defend themselves with it land-bound - she straightens and tries to decide what her next move is. And the Ventriloquist is an obvious first step. "I trust you know who this is?" she asks him, motioning toward her bodyguard. She remembers that he knew who Lex's other bodyguard, Mercy, looked like on sight so she's guessing he probably knows who Hope is too. "I don't suggest doing anything that would make anyone have to hurt you," she notes, figuring that's sufficient. She'd hope he remembers that she can defend herself even without a bodyguard - he's one of the few who knows that.

Then her attention turns to Summer. "You can calm down - I think that shot got it good, but it took awhile for it to feel it. I don't think it's dead, but it looked like it can't fly - if we stay alert and ready we should be fine, but there's a good chance it will decide we're too much for it and leave us alone. Do you have a phone to call 911 with?" she asks. She'd never admit that she had anything to do with the creature's fall from the sky, and she quickly points out an alternative explanation. There's only one other person present that knows about her abilities and she intends to keep it that way - especially since quite a few present are somehow related to the media.

If anything, the most remarkable thing about her right now is how dead calm she is. She's not meaning to come across as authoritative right now, but when you're the calm one among people who are panicking a bit... well, someone has to approach the situation from a logical standpoint. Feeling like perhaps the situation is more under control, her attention next goes to the cameraman - in spite of everything else, she certainly hasn't forgotten about him. Or the poor man who was dropped on her car, but tending to him would be more dangerous and it's better if she waits to see if the creature will return before she ventures over there.

One of the other members of the crew has the cameraman pulled off to one side, attempting to figure out what to do with all the blood. "Let me help, I'm a doctor," she says as she approaches them, and the other man quickly gives her some room. Her expression is concerned as she she looks at the wound - it appears to be quite serious, and even with her abilities she can't save someone who is simply dying too fast.

[Deleted]

The Man-Bat gave his thick skull a shake, clearing it of the clouds that his hard landing had produced. Untangling his thoughts proved to be a bit easier than freeing his limbs from the clutches of the tree he had landed in. The oak creaked beneath his weight, bending toward the earth as if pleading for some kind of relief. He wasn't entirely certain that the large plant would be able to hold him, and so getting free of it was his first priority. The stings of the scratches that branches and splinters had carved into his flesh made the beast's movements noticeably more rigid, and the aching in his muscular wings made lifting the massive membranes difficult.

Huffing with frustration, he pulled powerful talons from the depths of the bark. They had penetrated deeply, and sticky sap plastered the fur of his gnarled fingers and toes. Ignoring the discomfort, he began to ascend at a snail pace, slowly pushing himself through the tree branches and toward the ground. As he reached for footing on one of the thicker, wood covered limbs below, the resounding groan offered only a second of warning before it was followed by a heart stopping crack. The branch snapped, and the Man-Bat toppled after it with a shriek of panic. The descent was not at all enjoyable, and after crashing through a few more branches, he struck the soil with a painful thud.

The beast drew himself onto his feet and scanned his frame for serious injury, but found none. Stretching his wings, he examined them as well, but while they still burned as if struck by overuse, nothing noticeable caught his eye. The thin, leathery skin had not been torn. He folded them close to his masculine body, and gazed back toward the house with hatred. They had caused him all the pain he was in at that moment, but without the power of flight, there was little the villain could do about it. Bats did not belong on the ground. They were predators of the sky.

Aware that he was exposed and apparently unable to fly, the creature turned away from the house, slipping onto four limbs for easier maneuvering. His frightful gaze glowed against the dark background, and the Man-Bat slinked into the shadows with nary a sound, becoming just another object in the night.