24 - Couldn't You've Put On a Proper Uniform?

[thinkb4ublink]

[Here's Slater in his usual long coat and 'you're all a pain in my backside' expression.] Listen, I don't know where you new lot are coming from, but stay out of the way unless you know what you're doin'. Unless you do know what you're doin'... in which case just don't get in my way, all right? Enough trouble...

Just here. [He sends the latest intelligence of what's going on.] Don't leave a mess.

Comments

[lastmanstanding]

[Detective Hoffman of the GCPD has perhaps heard speeches like this before? He's just gonna sit here and glare.]

Influx of new people might mean something. I just wish they weren't all fucking-civilians.

[thinkb4ublink]

[Lieutenant Slater gives him a highly sceptical look.] Mean what? Mayor's taken to using our criminal element as a tourist attraction? 'Gotham: Welcome to the Gangster's Paradise'? [Pause as he considers.] Mind you, wouldn't be surprised.

[lastmanstanding]

Some way to generate capitol to help the rest of the civilians still here? Anything to rebuild the infastructure?

Throw me a bone here I have something like twenty people near the stadium who're excited about all of this.

[thinkb4ublink]

[Slater shakes his head.] You don't blow up something before you rebuild, that's villain thinking. When did we ever get so much as bone, Hoffman?

Yeah, this is a laugh-riot. I'm havin' loads of fun, aren't you?

[lastmanstanding]

Can't think when chief. What's important is we're still here and still doing what we can for the people who're left. [Even if it's a struggle day-by-day-by-]

Not the day to day activities. I'm talking about all this extra network chatter. You might want to say something to people so they don't get excited.

[He looks amused] ...I feel like a detective again, actually doing some sleuthing.

[thinkb4ublink]

[Slater says nothing about the little speech. He's too tired to care. He does this job just to do the job. It's not like other jobs are all that safer any more. Problem is they all need gimicks and eventually that's going to be accounting or paperboys.] Already have.

[He doesn't look terribly amused.]

[lastmanstanding]

[He snorts] How'd they take it? Such violence is par for the course normally right, so this must be turning some heads.

[There's some shifting behind Hoffman and a small child climbs up over his shoulder. He gently moves her back down. Tilting the viewfinder there's about ten people who look like they've been living the hard life behind him including someone in the remains of hospital scrubs.]

I went out looking for survivors and found these guys. Are we prepped and ready for about ten-fifteen more?

[thinkb4ublink]

Some woman is on her high horse with 'what's necessary'. Usual bullshit schtick.

[Quick assessment.] Yeah, we've room for about fifty.

[lastmanstanding]

It's getting harder and harder to tell who escaped from Arkham and who was living in the city as a normal citizen.

...I think these new people might do us some good.

[thinkb4ublink]

They're unknowns in an already tense situation. They're makin' our lives more difficult.

[lastmanstanding]

Does it really matter if they've come to help us? [There's an edge of desperation in his voice]

It's Dick Grayson. Bruce Wayne's ward. He's back, if he's back maybe they're not gone or dead. Maybe they're alive, maybe the world hasn't forgotten about us!

[thinkb4ublink]

I'm sorry but when did 'I'm going to kill people' become 'helping us', Detective? Relyin' on civilians to do our jobs for us, when they can just as easily stick on a uniform, is wrong! You know why they hide behind masks? So that when they screw up, when they hurt people, they can just walk away, scott free!

You remember what it was like! When every other beat had someone taking money from whatever mobster with the readies! How are they any different, Hoffman? Who's gonna stop these guys when they go off on a power trip?

Yeah. Well, good on him. Just means he escaped somehow, don't get carried away.

The world hasn't forgotten about us, Hoffman, they're just too scared to help. [Which may not be better, but hey. More accurate.]

[lastmanstanding]

I don't see that as being scared sir. That's Bruce Wayne's kid, he-

Who threatened to kill people? one of these new arrivals? I did hear something about inmates sir.

[thinkb4ublink]

Never said they were scared. [Power mad was what he was going for.]

Yeah, I heard it too. [He's been watching your filter, Hoffman.]

[lastmanstanding]

[You're a good Lt. Slater.]

So do we have any contingency plans in place for that?

[thinkb4ublink]

If they commit a crime, they're criminals. If they help, let them. If they get into trouble, see if you can help them out. Otherwise, just keep your eyes peeled.

[lastmanstanding]

Yes sir.

[beat] They said Bludhaven was looking for ways to assist. Bruce Wayne reaising money for supplies.

[thinkb4ublink]

[He does not want to talk about the mess that was Bludhaven or anything related thereof.] That's something we can worry about when this is over.

[lastmanstanding]

Yes sir. [Flinching? Maybe.]

What do you want me to tell these people if they come asking?

[thinkb4ublink]

It'll take us time, but we'll make it through. [This is honestly more for Hoffman's benefit than anyone else's and he sounds confident enough to make it seem almost believable.]

[lastmanstanding]

...I think I might be starting to believe that.