metalogs | ( open ) hunger games, bats ver

( he hears a bit of the announcement. enough to register when the voice says accelerator and turn towards it. it's not a common name, after all, and then there's the whole title of the strongest bullshit that sounds like it's coming from ace himself. he's two steps towards the direction he'd heard it booming from, when suddenly the trees start fucking uprooting themselves from the ground where he's walking, and jason -

well, he knows how to manage in the middle of nowhere, but he's a city kid at heart. he looks for buildings for a split second before realizing how stupid that is, and aims his grapple gun up towards the tallest tree that isn't currently falling in on itself. shoots it off, waits until the hook's wrapped around a branch, and jumps before it even stops moving. it's fine, he knows what he's doing, even if what he's doing is hitting a branch at mach speed from a distance where he probably should have been a little more careful.

from the branch, he's unhooking the grapple and yelling, )

Ace!

[It would be wise, in a situation as chaotic as this, to be more cautious with his battery life, but the mention of his title and that Level 0 has done wonders to set him off. He isn't thinking about collateral damage, just breaking the shit out of that drone.

Said drone is still buzzing around him, the trees having bounced off of it harmlessly. The technology, Accelerator realizes, is reminiscent of the Windowless Building back home. That thing had survived him flinging a wall at it after borrowing the energy of about five minutes of the Earth's rotation. This seems no different, just on a much smaller scale.

He's no less pissed off and he's about to dig his fingers into the bark of another tree when he hears a familiar voice and, pausing, glances over in Jason's direction. Seeing someone he knows actually helps calm his temper, just a bit.]

Oi! [His hand twitches as he resists grabbing onto the next tree and throwing it.] What the fuck is going on?!

I'd like to know why the hell I'm in a tree.

( one he jumped into, actually, but only so he wouldn't be crushed by another one. his legs are still dangling down, but since accelerator isn't grabbing onto yet another tree to throw it, jason figures he's safe to swing his legs and jump back down onto his feet.

luckily, his gear comes with gloves. no one wants tree splinters, and while his calluses are fairly well developed, they weren't built to account for swinging from trees like tarzan. )

Leave it. 's only there to antagonize you. ( the drone, he means. ) It'll leave when you start boring it.

[His hand wavers, but ultimately he decides it's probably better to listen to this advice. Instead of going for the tree, he moves to switch modes on his choker, leaning on his crutch (which thankfully came with him) and dropping his hand.]

Tche.

[He isn't happy about it and the drone gets a sharp glare before he turns his attention back to Jason.]

What the hell is this? We're not in Central anymore, right?

( thanks, because he didn't want to go swinging even more. jason's done with that. he's done it once, once was enough. he unhooks his grapple from the branch to save it rather than cutting it loose as he might have in the city, where he's got extras. shoves it into his pocket, before swinging his way down and off the tree. if he lands in a crouch that could be compared to a superhero pose - well, that's just coincidence. )

No, we're not.

( and he's--dusting off his shirt, clearing off the tree bits he'd gathered. )

We've been pulled into some asshat's game.

[Jason is being very extra, jumping down from a tree. Accelerator, being Accelerator, thinks it's pretty cool. There's a hell of a lot going on right now, but that's no excuse to not be cool.

He steps closer, frowning at the answer. A game? That makes him look around, going over what the drone had announced about him.]

... Like some kind of Battle Royale bullshit?

[Some unknown island, a game, giving away his title and insinuating he's going to have to fight - sounds like Battle Royale to him.]

Something like that, yeah.

( usually, jason'd try and be a little more careful with names where he knows people are watching - but the drone announced who accelerator is, and it's not like he gives a shit. jason on the other hand is masked and geared up, so. he raises a hand, points a thumb to his chest. )

's Kestrel now. As a heads up.

Kestrel? [Accelerator is raising an eyebrow at that, resisting the urge to say that at this rate Jason's going to run out of names to use. He shrugs instead, there are more important things to worry about than sassing the guy.] Fine, Kestrel it is.

[He can remember that!]

So, what? That means there are opponents around, right? Would it be fastest if I went and crushed them so this damn thing will have to end?

[Of course, in Battle Royale the kids had to kill each other. He's hoping he'll be able to get by with just injuring people enough they have to be sent to the hospital.]

You can stick with Red if you prefer.

( he's still very red-themed, after all. and jason tends to answer to any title as if it's a name he's always had, as long as he knows it's directed his way. the benefits of being well-trained in the art of blending in: names are disposable but also easily switched out.

the drone takes off, which is what he was waiting for. jason steps closer to accelerator, looks him over carefully without reaching out towards him. the kid is durable, he knows that, but it's habit more than anything that has him checking just to make sure he's not injured. )

We don't know what the endgame goal is. I wouldn't pull any big moves unless we know how those're gonna go.

Okay.

[He's a little more used to Red, and if the younger Jason isn't here somewhere it'd be easier to go with that.

Accelerator relaxes only slightly when the drone buzzes off. They are, after all, still in some weird forest-island bullshit, with god-knows-what around the corner. At least he's in one piece? No scrapes or bruises, just his usual wet angry cat demeanour at getting unceremoniously dumped here.

He clicks his tongue in annoyance, otherwise not arguing. Why can't things ever be easy?]

What a pain in the ass. Guess we should find out what the fucking endgame goal is, then.

Yeah. Welcome to my life.

( he's fine, so jason reaches a hand out. shoves his palm against the top of accelerator's hair and ruffles it softly. starts back off in the direction of the wooded area that he was waltzing through to begin with. they don't know what's up; don't know what the hell the play is here, why they've been dropped, how they have been. but it's fine, it's not his first rodeo, and they'll figure it out given enough time. always do. )

There's a lot of shit out here out to kill us. Don't just upend the ground every time you find one. Please. I'm trying to avoid making a scene.

[Accelerator huffs a little, more of his anger at the drone draining away at the hair ruffle. While he's sure he could handle all of this on his own, it's kind of nice that Jason is here.

He follows after him, doing his best to keep up. Learning to use a crutch in a forest environment is good rehab, right? He won't complain though, he figures he just needs to get used to the ground being uneven.]

I'll keep any upending to a minimum. [There's some very slight deadpan sarcasm to that, but that's just him being a teenager. He'll rein it in.] It just really pissed me off.

I get it. I ain't happy about it either.

( livid, actually. but jason also knows better than to show that at this point. being visibly angry's just going to please whoever's pulling crap moves like this. and the last thing jason wants to do is give them exactly what they're after. if they want them to fight, to get mad, to destroy shit, he's going to do the exact opposite.

the difficulty accelerator's having with getting around is - slightly more noticeable. he stops, looks back over to him. considers how to best offer without pissing him off, because jason hates having to depend on anyone for anything, and he can't imagine accelerator does either.

so he sticks with an easy, )

You want a piggyback ride? Or an arm?

[The question makes Accelerator purse his lips and he shakes his head stubbornly. It'd probably be faster if he just accepted the help, but they've been here all of five minutes and he doesn't want to be forced to rely on anyone, even Jason, just getting around the place.]

I'm fine.

[If he can't do something as simple as walk around without help then he's worse than useless.

He opens his mouth to say something else but pauses at the sound of some rumbling noise in the direction they're headed. It sounds like... people? And with an electronic tinge, so maybe more of those drones. Cautiously he frowns, keeping a hand on his choker.]

The hell is that?

( jason's head tilts off towards the direction of the sound, hand raising to press his index and middle finger against the side of his mask. the hud comes to life, but all that's visible to accelerator from the outside is the way red lights spark on the starlite lenses.

and the way his jaw ticks when he clenches it tight. )

You don't wanna know.

( but jason's heading forward anyway. figures if they see him, they see him. they'll be fine. hopefully. )

Edited 2024-01-17 20:38 (UTC)

[??????????????????????????

He can tell Jason is doing something with his mask, so he's expecting more of an answer than that. It's very rude and he clicks his tongue in annoyance at the vagueness. At least it's pretty clear whatever the noise is can't be that dangerous, or he'd be trying to steer him in the opposite direction.

Accelerator follows, and eventually the forest opens up to a big clearing containing the tournament ring. There are other contestants around, and above more of those drones buzzing about, some of them trying to hype people up, others oh-so-helpfully going over the rules. Compete against other contestants for the chance to win valuable supplies, partnerships of two allowed, yada yada. He listens for a few moments, then quietly reaches up to fiddle with his choker.

Supplies, huh? Well, if these idiots want him lasting more than a day then there's a chance those supplies include electricity. At the very least, winning some food and water would be a good idea.

Even if he'd rather just take a nap somewhere instead.

He takes a few steps towards the ring.]

You do what you want, I'm gonna go beat the shit out of everyone here.

( accelerator steps forward, and jason reaches a hand out to grab onto the back of his shirt. it's not a hard hold, just - one meant to stop him. )

Ace.

( more to get his attention than anything else. he wants accelerator to listen to him. )

Places like that're built to fuck you over. They're gonna find a weakness, they're gonna jab at it until it splits you open, and then they're gonna put it on display for everyone to see. I'm not going to stop you, but - just know what you're getting into.

[The grabbing of his shirt causes him to pause, and Accelerator glances over questioningly.

Wow, he sounds really serious. Like, damn, that is bleak. He honestly isn't sure if Jason is exaggerating or something, but it makes the reasonable part of him want to be more cautious. It's fighting the part of him that wants to just get in there and do some violent venting, and the part of him that's growing increasingly unsure about his choker battery.]

... You sure you're not just overthinking this?

High chance I am, but a higher one the paranoia's coming from somewhere.

( when given time, jason always overthinks. it's habit, ingrained into him through years and years of training - not just with bruce, but it'd been him who had started it. and it'd been reasonable, hadn't it? things always go south, and when shit hits the fan it's better to know exactly what to expect and have four dozen plans for each scenario.

fuck, he hates bruce.

but he's letting go of accelerator's shirt, shoving his hand back into his jacket pocket. )

I'll tag along with you.

[There's so many unknowns about this situation that Accelerator nods slightly. It's at least smart to be cautious, even if he does really want to get ahold of whatever supplies this tournament thing is offering.]

Okay. Let's go.

[Jason can handle himself in a fight, and if there's any hugely supernatural opponents he can take care of them. It's fine, it's all fine.

He's going to head into the tournament ring. Apparently this round is a king of the hill situation, big hill in the middle and all, with both other contestants and natural fauna from the island.

AKA monsters. Contestants have two minutes to get situated at the base of the hill. Accelerator glances over as he makes his way there.]

I'm pretty pissed off, so I'm going to vent a little. As a warning.

( one hand comes out of his pocket, reaches for the mask that fits over his nose and mouth to strap it on under his domino mask. and jason settles into something - a lot closer to his red hood persona over the lax way he generally acts around accelerator: his voice gets a little deeper, a little closer to a growl. shoulders straighten, and the gait he walks with shifts, too: more of an arrogant saunter, footsteps intentionally loud enough to be heard whereas jason's usual gait is silent. )

No killing blows. ( head tilting in towards accelerator. ) I know you don't need 'em.

[Accelerator hasn't gotten to see this Jason's Red Hood side before. He's seen the younger Jason, but this doesn't feel like the same thing. It reminds him of... himself, honestly. How he changes his behaviour when he's doing his villain thing. It's a little reassuring, knowing that he isn't the only one who's going to be putting on an act.

He exhales softly, giving a nod.]

... Yeah. I'll still go easy on them.

[No killing. He can do that. He doesn't want to actually kill anyone, if he can help it.

Hitting the switch on his choker, he lifts a foot and stomps it down, that one movement causing the ground in the entire arena to shudder and crack. A number of other contestants, particularly speedsters who aren't fast enough to react to their footing being thrown off, are tossed off balance. Accelerator, of course, avoids a circular area directly around Jason, so he can take advantage of the chaos.]

( this is where jason excels.

he's got his own set of meta abilities now, sure, but he intentionally never uses them where anyone's going to see. and he doesn't need them, not here. accelerator gives him a leg up by not hitting him, which - jason would've told him not to bother, but he'll take advantage of it anyway. he slips forward, shoving his knee into the sternum one of the contestants who just happened to get close enough. throws them down to the ground with his weight on top of them, then cuts the edges of his palms against the outside of their neck. it's enough to hurt and disorientate them, but not enough to cause any permanent damage. the next closest doesn't get the same treatment.

a throwing knife's pulled out of his jacket, but he's not throwing it. he's shouldering into the next big guy who comes his way, then shoving the blade down deep just behind his collarbone. it'll bleed especially bad if he pulls it out - otherwise, it's just a real big pain. especially given jason's kicking him over two seconds after, straight down to the ground.

it's meticulous - the way he approaches each of his opponents, hurting them just enough to keep them down. the monsters are treated less gently, using thin wire connected to knives to trap their limbs down against the ground that'll bite hard if they struggle too much. a few of the bigger competitors get the same treatment when they prove a little too much to keep down with more direct strikes.

and the hits jason takes? he takes them just right: moves his body into the motion moments before it connects to keep the damage to a minimum, uses their momentum against them. energy blasts, lightning, and all the fun other abilities people throw at him - some get luckier than others, catching him across the cheek here, burning a hole through his suit in his side that'll sting later, but it never catches him enough to slow him down. )

[Jason steps forward, and Accelerator takes a small step back. Then there's a loud sonic boom, accompanied by a blast of wind, as he launches himself straight to the top of the hill. He can use a lot more precision when moving, but that isn't what he's going for. Being careful isn't very dramatic, after all.

He lets out an exceptionally villainous cackle as he lands at the top, denting the earth, his voice high and squeaky. If these bastards want a show, then he'll give 'em a show.]

What's with all these fucking third strings?! How boring!!

[Unsurprisingly, making himself a huge derisive target causes a few long distance magic attacks sent his way. They're all basic shit though - fireballs, some ice spears - so some bounce off his reflection and rocket into the sky harmlessly rather than back at their sources, and others explode into bursts of light. He hasn't fully figured out how to control his reflection when it comes to magic, but whatever, no one's dying so it's fine.

All the while he's keeping an eye on where Jason is. Partly because it's the easiest way to take his positioning into account when manipulating vectors for attacks and counterattacks (namely, to keep the effects away from him), and partly because it's kind of cool seeing someone so efficiently taking opponents down in a fight. Being entirely reliant on his ability and mind in a fight, Accelerator has no real physical skills himself, so it's interesting to watch someone who does. Even that Level 0 isn't this good.

Once some of those larger monsters start gaining ground and getting in close to him he'll throw some punches. His form is total dogshit - he might have gotten slightly better at taking a punch, but he still isn't very good at throwing them. Regardless, he's laughing like some crazed maniac all the while, and combine that with seeing some twig of a kid knock an armoured rhino-esque creature straight out of the ring with only his fist is kind of absurd.

Which is the entire point. Freak everyone else out so they're too scared to attack and just forfeit instead.]

( the cackle is almost, almost close enough to another laugh that jason really hates. luckily, the cracky, high-pitched, almost squeaky quality of it is all accelerator. he'd snark at him for it, but they're a little busy right now. and while pinning down some of the closer-to-human bodies was nothing special, the bigger beasts are in a weight class of their own. one runs straight for him, and jason just barely, barely manages to step out of it's trajectory, avoiding what would have been a real nasty wound via goat-like horns. it turns back around and starts towards him, which jason takes as cue enough to reach into his jacket and pull out a few small capsules. with his mask on, there's no risk to dropping them hard on the ground as it runs straight for him again - a light-colored smoke drifting up into the air around them.

the beast drops, knocked out cold at jason's feet, which gives him plenty of time to take several throwing knives attached with wire to pin it down to the ground, too. one them, he presses a switch close to the hilt of it, setting off the electrical current that runs through the blade and also through the wire itself as soon as it's jostled at all.

it'll keep it down for a bit. hopefully.

and it gives jason space to turn his attention to accelerator who's throwing a punch that would've broken knuckles on anyone who wasn't relying on vectors to do the punching for him. jason almost, almost winces at it, but knows better than to show it.

instead, tilts his head to the side and puts a hand on his hip. )

That's gonna hurt later.

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