[ A flash of anger fills Croc as he hears he's not getting an autograph from D.Va. The politics between Overwatch and Talon have no actual bearing on Waylon's disposition, he's just choosing the winning side so he can survive the Magistrate's regime. Despite the power in the punch he threw at Nightwing, it was considerably weaker than Croc could dish out... given that he didn't break Nightwing's spine during said blow. He held back, because his heart's kind of not in it-- he knows he hasn't lived the life of a moral exemplar, and everything the Magistrate stands for is worse than he's ever been, but Croc won't stick his neck out for any insurgency. So long as he's decked out with an entourage of troopers, a position of power and security in the Magistrate's monopoly, it's gonna take a lot of convincing to change his mind. But that doesn't mean he's gonna start killing for the Magistrate if he doesn't have to. He'd come so close to putting that all behind him before Gotham turned to shit, had come so far... but now, what choice did he have?
Hana, of course, isn't obliged to consider this when she triggers the missiles. Croc doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve, either, roaring as he tanks each collision, missiles exploding upon impact. Outfitted with some Talon brand shoulder, elbow, and knee pads, Croc soon loses them to the Meka's barrage... but nothing else. He's otherwise unscathed, happy to do something for once. He feels more active here than he ever did simply swimming around to plant a bomb in a flooded subway.
"Tickles!" he says, in his reptilian tongue. He charges through the smoke of the explosion to indeed scratch the glass of the Meka's cockpit, only for Hana to steer the machine against him, pummeling him into the ground... and then to the air.
From below, Nightwing's passed through the hole in the fence and can see D.Va flying Croc up into the sky. ]
I'm fine, D.Va.
You, on the other hand... what the hell!?
[ It all happens too quickly before his eyes. The crashing of the Meka into Gotham's waters, taking Croc down with it. Though Croc's mutation has given him considerable strength and very literal tough skin, that's still the impact of a machine on a man, who's also sandwiched between the Meka and the force of the water's surface tension. Maybe it's survivable, and Croc will turn out fine, but Dick and Hana had better hope the guy's clocked out enough for Hana to escape unscathed herself.
That, at least, is the hope Nightwing invests in this situation, charging as he does to the shore of Blackgate Isle. Orca, behind him, had been knocked out by his explosives. That much is in the clear. But with at least three more Talon troopers still standing, and D.Va's life very much on the line, Nightwing wastes no time dismantling them. The time comes to use the electric charge between his two eskrima sticks, smashing them together to release a shockwave that discombobulates the troopers in his way. While that means he won't be able to use it against Croc, Nightwing's gonna have to count on other things... and he can live with that.
But he can't live with losing Hana Song. Not while so much is left unsaid, so much left unlived. ]
Hana? HANA!!
[ The comms are compromised by the Meka's submersion, damage from its collision with Croc's body allowing water to enter its systems. The suspicion of this being the case propels Nightwing to dive into the water, placing a rebreather on his mouth before he properly leaps. Swimming as quickly as he can, at the risk of overtaxing his heart and lungs even more than he did previously, it's like it doesn't matter that he has the air support. He feels it, the ever-encroaching sensation of his body bursting from the exhaustion, the over-exertion as his arms stroke through the water towards Hana, legs kicking incessantly in desperation.
Hana wouldn't be blamed for considering the use of her gun, the possibility of escape by such means. Water, after all, has started flooding the cockpit, steadily rising to also short circuit her controls. The chance of manually opening the hatch is foreclosed, short of destroying it... but at least Croc seems unconscious underneath the Meka. Nightwing swims past him as he clambers onto the other side of the windshield, where he sees D.Va. Sees Hana.
He pulls something out of one of his gauntlets, a small handheld device which he uses to spray explosive gel on the glass surface of the windshield. Nightwing gestures for Hana to swim back and brace herself, performing the pose he wants her to imitate: he tucks his head in his arms like he's guarding in a boxing match. This is in anticipation of what follows when he pulls the handheld's trigger, and the gel explodes in the direction of the windshield. Nightwing grips the outer handle of the Meka tight, and extends a hand to Hana so he can pull her out.
If she takes his hand, he pulls with all his might, exerting more of what remains of his strength to free her from the cockpit. He produces another rebreather from inside one of his gauntlets, and places it between her lips. Nightwing then places a hand on Hana's shoulder, and points down at Croc. He begins climbing down the exterior of the Meka to grab the unconscious Croc by the armpit, and he waves Hana towards him so she can pull from the other side. The hope, here, is to save Croc from getting crushed between the Meka and the sea floor, as he's too unconscious to hold his breath for uncanny periods-- something he can better achieve awake. As such, the prolonged submersion would eventually kill him if he doesn't wake up.
Expending yet more of his strength, at least Nightwing knows he has D.Va's help this time. Their combined efforts to pull Croc from below the Meka succeed, and Nightwing starts swimming upward with Croc in tow. Surely, D.Va follows suit, until all three of them reach the surface.
The chilly coastal air is freezing when the two emerge, and the water they're still swimming in is already quite cold. Upon swimming back to Blackgate Isle, Nightwing and D.Va reach the shore, whose sand leads to the grassy knolls surrounding the old Blackgate Prison. Waves lap up on Croc's unconscious body, while Nightwing takes off the rebreather and drops it carelessly, him collapsed on the sand and breathing heavily for dear life. D.Va, at this is point, is likely faring no better. ]
We did it, Hana. We really did it...
[ He sounds funny saying it, absolutely out of breath. His athleticism, which seems so natural and fluid in his execution of intense acrobatic stunts, has been stretched to its limits over the past evening. Exhaustion was already bearing down on him when first facing Orca and Croc, but now it's taken over him completely. Nightwing's limbs are lifelessly splayed on the sand, the shore occasionally lapping up on his body as well. He's lucky to not get hit with any bigger waves, but he's completely and utterly spent.
The only thing more powerful than his exhaustion, though, is his relief. ]
I'm so glad you're okay, Hana. If the worst were to happen, I'd never forgive myself...
But damn. You did it. You took down Croc and pulled no punches doing it.
That's--
[ He has to stop to cough out some water all of a sudden. ]
That's what you call the "Play of the Game," isn't it?
no subject
Hana, of course, isn't obliged to consider this when she triggers the missiles. Croc doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve, either, roaring as he tanks each collision, missiles exploding upon impact. Outfitted with some Talon brand shoulder, elbow, and knee pads, Croc soon loses them to the Meka's barrage... but nothing else. He's otherwise unscathed, happy to do something for once. He feels more active here than he ever did simply swimming around to plant a bomb in a flooded subway.
"Tickles!" he says, in his reptilian tongue. He charges through the smoke of the explosion to indeed scratch the glass of the Meka's cockpit, only for Hana to steer the machine against him, pummeling him into the ground... and then to the air.
From below, Nightwing's passed through the hole in the fence and can see D.Va flying Croc up into the sky. ]
I'm fine, D.Va.
You, on the other hand... what the hell!?
[ It all happens too quickly before his eyes. The crashing of the Meka into Gotham's waters, taking Croc down with it. Though Croc's mutation has given him considerable strength and very literal tough skin, that's still the impact of a machine on a man, who's also sandwiched between the Meka and the force of the water's surface tension. Maybe it's survivable, and Croc will turn out fine, but Dick and Hana had better hope the guy's clocked out enough for Hana to escape unscathed herself.
That, at least, is the hope Nightwing invests in this situation, charging as he does to the shore of Blackgate Isle. Orca, behind him, had been knocked out by his explosives. That much is in the clear. But with at least three more Talon troopers still standing, and D.Va's life very much on the line, Nightwing wastes no time dismantling them. The time comes to use the electric charge between his two eskrima sticks, smashing them together to release a shockwave that discombobulates the troopers in his way. While that means he won't be able to use it against Croc, Nightwing's gonna have to count on other things... and he can live with that.
But he can't live with losing Hana Song. Not while so much is left unsaid, so much left unlived. ]
Hana? HANA!!
[ The comms are compromised by the Meka's submersion, damage from its collision with Croc's body allowing water to enter its systems. The suspicion of this being the case propels Nightwing to dive into the water, placing a rebreather on his mouth before he properly leaps. Swimming as quickly as he can, at the risk of overtaxing his heart and lungs even more than he did previously, it's like it doesn't matter that he has the air support. He feels it, the ever-encroaching sensation of his body bursting from the exhaustion, the over-exertion as his arms stroke through the water towards Hana, legs kicking incessantly in desperation.
Hana wouldn't be blamed for considering the use of her gun, the possibility of escape by such means. Water, after all, has started flooding the cockpit, steadily rising to also short circuit her controls. The chance of manually opening the hatch is foreclosed, short of destroying it... but at least Croc seems unconscious underneath the Meka. Nightwing swims past him as he clambers onto the other side of the windshield, where he sees D.Va. Sees Hana.
He pulls something out of one of his gauntlets, a small handheld device which he uses to spray explosive gel on the glass surface of the windshield. Nightwing gestures for Hana to swim back and brace herself, performing the pose he wants her to imitate: he tucks his head in his arms like he's guarding in a boxing match. This is in anticipation of what follows when he pulls the handheld's trigger, and the gel explodes in the direction of the windshield. Nightwing grips the outer handle of the Meka tight, and extends a hand to Hana so he can pull her out.
If she takes his hand, he pulls with all his might, exerting more of what remains of his strength to free her from the cockpit. He produces another rebreather from inside one of his gauntlets, and places it between her lips. Nightwing then places a hand on Hana's shoulder, and points down at Croc. He begins climbing down the exterior of the Meka to grab the unconscious Croc by the armpit, and he waves Hana towards him so she can pull from the other side. The hope, here, is to save Croc from getting crushed between the Meka and the sea floor, as he's too unconscious to hold his breath for uncanny periods-- something he can better achieve awake. As such, the prolonged submersion would eventually kill him if he doesn't wake up.
Expending yet more of his strength, at least Nightwing knows he has D.Va's help this time. Their combined efforts to pull Croc from below the Meka succeed, and Nightwing starts swimming upward with Croc in tow. Surely, D.Va follows suit, until all three of them reach the surface.
The chilly coastal air is freezing when the two emerge, and the water they're still swimming in is already quite cold. Upon swimming back to Blackgate Isle, Nightwing and D.Va reach the shore, whose sand leads to the grassy knolls surrounding the old Blackgate Prison. Waves lap up on Croc's unconscious body, while Nightwing takes off the rebreather and drops it carelessly, him collapsed on the sand and breathing heavily for dear life. D.Va, at this is point, is likely faring no better. ]
We did it, Hana. We really did it...
[ He sounds funny saying it, absolutely out of breath. His athleticism, which seems so natural and fluid in his execution of intense acrobatic stunts, has been stretched to its limits over the past evening. Exhaustion was already bearing down on him when first facing Orca and Croc, but now it's taken over him completely. Nightwing's limbs are lifelessly splayed on the sand, the shore occasionally lapping up on his body as well. He's lucky to not get hit with any bigger waves, but he's completely and utterly spent.
The only thing more powerful than his exhaustion, though, is his relief. ]
I'm so glad you're okay, Hana. If the worst were to happen, I'd never forgive myself...
But damn. You did it. You took down Croc and pulled no punches doing it.
That's--
[ He has to stop to cough out some water all of a sudden. ]
That's what you call the "Play of the Game," isn't it?