Unscheduled Full Range Field Testing [Revenir!verse]

[gadgeteerdevil]

...all this money, it would be a shame not to come up with something that Jason can use as Nightwing.

Okay, so... in Eddie's defense, he has been performing maintenance on Jason's motorcycle, as well as experimenting on weaponry improvements in the two months since they moved into the refurbished warehouse on the Metropolis docks. He took the time to create counterfeit supporting documentation for the names 'Jasper Liu' and 'Ken Malloy' and applied for actual genuine identification cards and passports.

(Jason seemed really impressed that his counterfeits hadn't been caught in the process, but Eddie didn't think it was that impressive. It was a stopgap measure until Eddie could figure out how to hack into the two different state databases to put the invented personal information in, so they could officially request genuine birth certificates and close the loop.)

But he'd mentioned to Jason his desire to update his rocket trident, and it was silly to do that without refurbishing his power armor as well. Eddie hadn't quite foreseen how much of a focus and time-sink the power armor update would become.

Some of the actuators were still in good condition, but he needed to build all-new base armor. (The look on Jason's face when Eddie had put on the old set and talked about refurbishment... well... best not to think of it. It still made him blush with embarrassment. Though the only thing Jay actually said was a firm reminder that all the money in the shared account was meant to be his as much as it was Jason's.) Maybe his first couple sets of power armor had just seemed faster and easier to construct because he was smaller in general...

For whatever reason, it was taking Eddie much longer than he initially thought. Any mention of setting it aside in favor of Nightwing-based innovations, however, were eventually met with reminders from Jay that he wanted to patrol with Eddie soon. And Eddie would resume the project.

Just as he was doing now.

While the base was located in Metropolis -- apparently "the rent is so much cheaper than it would be in Gotham City" -- Jay's Nightwing missions could and often did take him far afield, all along the Eastern Seaboard. On such cases, Jay kept in contact via the long-range communicator, which was among the first things about the Nightwing suit that Eddie updated. Eddie kept the receiver to the set close by, even as he welded and hammered and tinkered in the ground-level workshop.

Comments

[gadgeteerdevil]

Eddie tries to dive for the opening, but it seems that whatever force is controlling these things anticipated that, because he gets grabbed by an arm around the chest and yanked back. He loses his grip on the trident and it clatters to the floor of the stage.

"Hey! Let me go!"

[reformedzombiecrimelord]

"And to the Puppeteer, whose name I guarantee you not a single Titan currently remembers, I leave..."

Jason's foot connects with the puppet holding Eddie, hard enough to partially yank out the cord holding it up.

"... a boot to the head."

[gadgeteerdevil]

Eddie grunts as the puppet jerks, pressure increasing at the inanimate arm around his chest, but the extra slack on the cord holding it up gives Eddie the ability to wriggle free of the grip.

"And so, to his stupid fucking puppets, I leave my entire..."

Eddie kicks the trident along the floor in an attempt to trip up a different puppet, then repeats the recall gesture so his weapon flies back toward him (his gauntlets specifically).

"Peak voltage output."

A quick glance to ensure that Jason isn't touching one of the puppets himself, and Eddie activates the electroshock capabilities and touches it to the metal wires that run through the damaged puppet. He's hoping that the metal wires are touching the metal scaffolding and there will be enough conductivity to take out the whole system.

He could be wrong, but he's used to acting before he's certain that he's right.

[reformedzombiecrimelord]

Fortunately for Eddie's comedic timing, it appears to have been spectacularly effective. The wires holding the puppets must have been set up to conduct electricity for power and control, and the entire thing short circuits with tremendous pops and bangs.

Puppeteer, for his part, is booking it, apparently having realized he's not gonna win this one.

[gadgeteerdevil]

Eddie grabs Jason around the waist, and holds onto the trident in his other hand, then fires the rocket booster just briefly -- both of them get pulled forward by the trident and close the distance that the Puppeteer tried to gain.

Jason has yet another opportunity for a 'death from above' style attack.

[reformedzombiecrimelord]

And coming down, it's Jason with the dropkick, right at his head --

"... and one for the wimp who can't fight his own battles!"

[gadgeteerdevil]

Puppeteer yelps, but he's out of practice in the whole combat thing (especially close up, as Jason called out) and he wastes time panicking when he should have dodged.

All that to say, the dropkick lands and Puppeteer goes down with a snapped collarbone.

Eddie lands behind Jason and says (to finish the modified 'Frantics' bit), "And my entire vast fortune is to be split among the people of Gotham City so they can move somewhere nicer."

[reformedzombiecrimelord]

Jason laughs aloud as he kneels down and zipties Puppeteer's hands behind his back, not taking particular care to nurse that shattered collarbone.

They leave the Puppeteer out on the theater steps, and it takes the cops about an hour to come get him.