Watching

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

Katalyn crouch on a rooftop, listening to the drug dealers below her, trading drugs, money, and tips about where the good cops and bad cops were, who was looking for a sale, and rumors of the Bats, the druglords, and the vigilantees. Every word they said confirmed the watcher's information, and she wondered when she'd learn to stop paying so much for the information she could collect for free right here.

But, as always, she reminded herself why. It was imperative that her information always be confirmed. She'd been caught with bad sources before, and to trust one never lead to a good situation.

Moving away from the edge she turned, and melted into the shadows. A while later she reformed on the top of Gotham's tallest building. There was no Bat here, but she shrugged, then looked around.

There was a rooftop with shrinking vines on it. Poison Ivy had been there. In back of her there were the remnents of the gangs she'd sent Batman after, struggling to reform and keep up thier bloody war. Then there were the average number of sirens, flashing lights, and fleeing crooks from other directions.

No sign of the Joker. Rumor had it Ivy had pulled him from a bad spot. He'd lie low a few days, licking his wounds, concosting his next scheme. Hardly a chance of finding him, so Katalyn wouldn't try yet.

For now she sat, playing with a knife she'd liberated from an old timer, picking on a young kid. A boy. The kid had been bugging him, sure, but still. She hadn't tried to keep it quiet. Katalyn never worried too much about being caught. She always liked meeting new informants, and those usually came about whenever a fuss was made.

Comments

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

And here came Hunter, his normally passive face strained with stress and nervousness. There was a new Bat in town, though he hadn't met him yet, he didn't want to, and was avoiding his ever-increasing stranglehold on patrol. The Bat's territory was growing wider, and he had just barely escaped getting noticed, though he knew that the Bat probably knew who he was already. There were even rumors that he was male, but he didn't really believe that right now.

He almost didn't even see the woman on top of the high rooftop until he landed behind her. He hadn't met her yet, but heard of her and he assumed she probably had heard of him. He knew of her reputation as the informant.

"This is my spot," He wound up his grappling gun as he came closer.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Well not at the moment, huh?" she said, looking over her shoulder, then looked away, stating a fact. "You're Hunter."

Moving to the edge of the build she sat, looking through the lights.

"You know the Bat'll come and clean you out of here pretty soon," she said. "Batwoman never stood for vigilantees, and neither will the Batman."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well. I don't care." He huffed his chest out with bravado. "He can try." Then he remembered that this girl was probably going to be more on his side than anyone else save Spoiler and decided to play it nice. "What do you know about 'im?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"I know things," she said, then shrugged. "I collect information, I don't deal unless I need to. But I'll say this; that Bat's more than you can handle. I would be careful, if I were you."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He cocked his head to the side, taking that information to heart. Even though he pretended he didn't care, he was wary about this new player in town.

"If you're so good, then what do you know about me?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"I know you battled the Joker," she said, eyes glinting. "But you didn't finish him, and he got away, helped by Ivy. I know you're not the Bat's league, but you do alright against robbers and regular crooks. There's more, but if we speak of it up here you might try to throw me off the roof, and I don't feel like watching you die up here."

"And I know you're scared of the Bat coming in and taking you out."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

Hunter scowled, even though he got what he wanted. At least he knew how good and accurate her information was. Not in the Bat's league. Even though that was true it still ticked him off a lot that she would say that...like that.

"How would you know what I'm afraid of? Psychic too?" A sort of petulant smirk as he twirled his crossbow around with his hand. "An' don't worry sweets, I think I'd be more worried about you dying up here."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Try it," she smiled, then walked over to him.

"Don't be fooled, I know you well. But like I said, I'm not a dealer. Just a friend of the Bats," she said.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'm a friend too. Sorta. Kinda." Not really. A wry grin as he played with his crossbow, arming it, like he was going to use it. "How friendly are you with the Bats? I wouldn't think they'd like someone like you.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"I'm an informant. There's a new Bat in town. It's always different, even if it's the same," she shrugged, then looked at the bow. "Shoot at me, if you want. I don't much care."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He twirled his crossbow around playfully with a flick of his wrist. "Nah, there's nothing to gain in shooting you. Besides, I think we're alike, you and I."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? How? I'm not a vig," she laughed.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"No, but you act a lot like one." Another flick. "You aid them. You're supposedly on the side of good, just like I supposedly am. We're both not in the official 'Bat-family' as it were. We're outsiders." He shrugged a bit forlornly. "And you have a vendetta against the Joker, don't you?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"I don't aid the vigs. Just the Batman and woman and the one who does a favor for me. And what is between the Joker and me is my buisness, not yours," she said.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"Whoa, hey," he raised his hands like he was going to back off, a cocky smirk on his face. "Your business is your business. But I got my own stuff to deal with too and if the Bats don't like me going after who I need to get..."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Who is it? I could point you in that direction," she said, arching an eyebrow.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

The smirk grew. "C'mon. How much would info like that set me back?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"My information is reliable. Why would I set you back, anyway?" she scowled. She didn't like her confirmed sources being questioned. "Tell me who you're after and I'll get you to him. If I wasn't going to help I wouldn't be offering anything."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

His eyes narrowed, the smirk slowly falling off of his face. He didn't trust her, no matter how reliable that information was, or whatever she said it was.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Fine. Find who you need by yourself," she said, snorting. "Good luck. You should be warned, though, if you don't do any better with whoever you're going after now than you did with the Joker..."

"Let's just say people dissappear in Gotham. And then you will really need my help," she said, a bit annoyed. He should at least be thanking her for offering. Information was hard to get in Gotham. Very, very hard. She was trinyg to be friendly.

Puh. She should know better.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"I can do it on my own." He said, the humor out of his voice. He didn't get that she was trying to be friendly, it was just coming off the wrong way to him. And he didn't like his failings to be known so well, he knew he failed often enough and it felt like a salt rubbed in the wound.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Puh," she said aloud, then stood. "Who are you after, tell me that much."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"So you can warn them?" He scowled.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"I don't warn people unless they pay me," she said. Then she rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to watch your back, you idiot."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

The anger didn't leave his face, but instead he shrugged. "Why'd you care about watching my back?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"You helped me out, a little. I owe you," she said, face even.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"You owe me?" He was obviously unused to the concept with this crowd.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"You gave me information regarding the Joker," she said, eyes flashing. "I'd almost lost him. Your battle relocated him, and I've got him pegged again."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"Huh." He looked a little confused behind the mask, but then shrugged. "Well. Whatever works, I guess."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Besides, ask anybody. If I'm not going to tell the truth I won't open me mouth," she said, heckles up a bit. Her rep was one of the most important things she had, and she did not like it questioned.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He had that impassive look on his face. But he understood how one's rep was important. In this job, it was important, very tangible. "Okay, sweets. Let's pretend I trust you for a sec. What if I need to get ahold of you again for stuff? Where can I find you?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"You as a homeless person or two if they've seen the goldeneyed freak, and I'll find you," she said, looking at him. "Nobody finds me."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"Ah, the mysteriousness of it all." A smirk. "I don't think the golden eyes are freaky. A little unnerving, yes. But not freaky."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Well thanks. But tell it to the riffraff in the alleys who are largely paranoid skitzos," she said, rolling her eyes.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He chuckled a little, then turned serious. "I'm thinkin' of taking your offer. But if this guy gets wind that someone out there is askin' 'round for him, he's gonna split."

He shrugged. "I know you'll figure out some fantastically mysterious way not to let him get known, but you don't know these guys, these people. They'll find ways. And if they bury him any deeper than he's already buried, I don't have a chance."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

She looked around, then got closer.

"Who?" she said, watching him.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He laughed, it wasn't really a humorous laugh but more like a release of energy. "Look, didn't you hear what I just said? I'm not gonna spill the beans. I don't know how you operate just yet. Maybe soon, we'll see. I know you say a lotta things, but I'll watch ya to see if they add up or not."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

*Thunk*

Her fist came up under his chin, and she snorted before she took a cigarrette out and lit it.

"The Batman trusts me," she said, and then was gone.

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

He saw stars for a moment, and heard her words, but by the time he shook his head to clear it, she was gone. The acrid smell of a burnt cigarette and her mocking tone in his head was all that was left of her.

"Well, I don't trust him," he muttered, rubbing his jaw with his gloved hand. "Batwoman, yeah, maybe." He tramped off, scowling, hoping that no one saw him get socked by that woman.