Summary:The Avengers are bringing the hurt to some Denim Crows. Some Bats and Spiders decide to play too. Log Info:Storyteller: Keiko Kurita |
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Not long ago, Gretchen Jacobs went missing and a certain Greer Nelson, Tigra of the Avengers, decided to investigate. She'd gathered a lot of information that she'd shared with her Avenger teammates, who in turn, have shared with others.
The trail has been hard to follow, but it ends up here - some shipping containers converted to offices along the Hudson River Greenway. The place is owned by Denim Crows, a notorious street gang with links to the Columbian cartel El Clan del Golfo. Which means … this place is likely well guarded and the Crows well armed.
The sun has just set, the shadows are lengthening.
The containers themselves have some interesting graffiti. The Bats and the WAND agents might recognise them. Outside the first container come office are two people - Denim Crows if the clothing and tattooes are to be believed. The only visible weaponry that can be seen are sub machine guns but those gathered, know that's not likely to be it.
Inside, the count is likely another four. And just now, they saw another child arrive and ushered in.
One good thing about making your own webfluid in a lab. You can use a standard formula as a baseline design that is easy to modify.
Spider-Man has three cartridges mixed up with the special counter-agent, which, oddly, turns the webbing neon pink. That can be helpful, actually.
Spider-Man lands on the top of a warehouse overlooking the shipping-container HQ. He frowns, then taps a message in the Spider-Comm network to all the Spiders who might be on duty. KIDNAPPED CHILD. DENIM CROWS. NIGHTFALL. TRACK MY GPS.
Another tap, and the red-and-blue mask icon pops up at his location.
Thanks to Spider-Man, another pair of spiders are present. Anya Corazon, having adopted the codename 'Spider-Girl', swings into the area, following the HUD display in the left eye socket of her mask. She's not alone.
Landing softly alongside Spider-Man, she's frowning already. "These the basura you told us about?" she asks, and glances toward the person who is with her. She nods her head forward, then creeps forward on all fours toward the edge of the building in order to survey the building. "Look," she says, and points toward the child being brought in.
"What's the plan, Spider-Man?"
As the sun went down, Batman made his move. Having already spoken with Spider-Man on things, he sent a message to the web-crawler. 'Going to distract the Crows, get inside after the kids.'
The Batmobile sped from the cave to head towards the docks. As it rolls down the docks and towards the container, the lights on the vehicle come to life as it shifts from it's sports car mode to the more armored vehicle form. He's trying to draw attention to the car, all lights on as races towards the pair - to try to get them to open fire on the car itself.
And give Spider-Man and his amazing friends a chance to make their move. Whether or not he has any company? He hasn't made a note of it yet.
'Not Alone' in Spider-Grouping could mean many things. In this case, 'Not Alone' also means 'Something New'. Something few people have seen before. A dark-haired woman, wrapped solely in spider-silk for a costume and patches of bare skin peeking out from head to - … nose. Everything else above the bridge of her nose is free and clear of the silk covering. 'Silk' has arrived.
The 'newest' Spider person to make her appearance lands quietly near Anya, asking, "What in the world is a Denim Crow?"
Helena Wayne was not invited to this party. But for better or for worse, she has all sorts of alerts built into the network used by the Bats. Under most circumstances, she'd probably have respected the fact that she's supposed to be off of this case. But she's still a little bit frustrated about the way the last mission ended. And she's practical enough to recognize that if she wants to keep going out and doing these sorts of things, she's probably going to need connections outside of the ones she already has.
Rebellious as she may be though, she's still cautious. Keeping her distance from the slowly gathering heroes, she's made her way to a nearby rooftop. The black of her costume blends into the shadows, only the faintest glimpse of fair skin visible beyond the shadow of her hood and the mask over the lower part of her face.
Batman knows, and the others probably, they're on a timeframe here. Once kids are bought in, the Nightfall are notified and arrive sometime 'after'. They better move quick.
The two "guards" if that's what they are, move casually around the container, peering into the gloom and back at the structure. There's a glow as one of the lights up a smoke. The other one grunts "I suppose the tattooed freaks will be here soon. How many more do ya think we gotta bring in?"
A noncommittal grunt is the only answer he gets.
The warm glow of light from the inside indicates the door has opened. "I'm so done with these brats and their crying." That's a third.
Spidey speaks quickly. "Denim Crows. The thug ranks of the Nightfall. Common thugs, maybe some with magic tattoos. They touch the tattoos, they bring the images to life. Usually large, dangerous attack animals. Best course of action is to cover the tattoos. Cut off skin contact. Here." He hands each of them two small, thin cylinders. "Paint grenades. Neon pink paint mixed with a counter-agent to weaken the summoned creatures or inhibit the summoners. If you see one of the summoned images, GO ALL OUT. No risk of killing people by destroying the images, in fact they can't be re-summoned if you do. Push the button on the grenade, they go off in five seconds. I've got webbing treated with the counter-agent. Our job will be to…"
Spider-Man spots to Batmobile. If it is meant as a distraction, it's working. "Okay. Get to the loading bay area, immobilize any and all of them. If you see the kid and can get him out of here, message us." He looks to the two of them. "LET'S ROLL."
And with that, he fires a webline and swings over to the hideout, staying above the streetlights and spotlights.
"A shitty name for a shitty gang," Spider-Girl answers Silk. Then again, all gangs have shitty names. Accepting the containers from Spider-Man, Anya inspects them long enough to find the arming mechanism before slipping each into previously invisible pouches just above the hips of the black and white spider-silk she's encased in.
"Whoo boy," she mutters, before clapping Silk on the shoulder. "Guess it's official. We're a team now. Godspeed."
Like Helena, Spider-Girl has the benefit of wearing a mostly black costume. Leaping from the building, she swings behind Spider-Man, following his lead. However, she diverts wide nearing her final approach, then swings around tighter in behind Spider-Man. This brings her directly toward the fellow at the door that just opened. The webline is released, and she aims her body, feet first, toward that door and the guard inside of it.
The Batmobile speeds into the area towards the shipping container come office. Setting the automatic pilot on the car, as he gets closer to where the men are pacing outside, Batman pulls back the canopy of the car, opening it up. And then he ejects. Punched up into the sky, he opens his cape to catch the wind and starts to descend towards the men on the opposite side of the container - it leaves the men on the visual side of the container to Spider-Man.
Once free of the car, he descends towards the armed men, looking to slam into one of them with a heavy boot to take him down before he can fire.
"Got it." There is confidence in Silk's voice, processing and assessing all Spider-Man's information in the instant he gives it, and not a blink of hesitation. What is said is committed to memory, even as she holds onto the neon-paint grenade.
She turns to Spider-Girl, says, "Time for my first fight, it looks like." She's grinning, beneath the silk-mask that covers her mouth and other lower facial features. Another webline is cast up, and she zips over to the loading bay area with relative ease, swinging down, and low where her other Spider-Friends are going 'high'. The arc of her swing will take her kick directly into the second guard, freeing Batman to take out the first, while she follows up with a bit of webbing to ensure her target doesn't have a chance to retiliate against her.
Helena watches the troops move into the field - including her father. She may not be on the same channels (too easy to get caught that way), but she's watched enough of these things to read the actions. Spiders moving in the front, while Batman draws attention and fire. Lots of distraction. Which is useful for her.
With all of their attention on the gang, Helena steps lightly over the edge of the building, her own cape catching just enough air to slow her as she parkours her way down the side of the building to the ground. Once there, she sticks to the shadows, working her way around the back way.
With Batmans and the Spiders arrival, all hell breaks loose. The first guy goes with down with a grunt. The second turning to open fire. Short controlled blasts as he falls back. "The goddamned Batman." he calls out.
Only to be slammed by Silk and sent stumbling. Not over and out, this guy is good. The first starts to rise as well, turning his weapon on Batman as he does.
The guy in the door is sent flying by Spider-Girl. Leaving it clear for three more trained Crows to pile on out. Fanning out and aiming for the dark clad woman as she swings away.
Trained. Well Armed. This is what comes to mind when watching them.
At the same time. Trouble erupts from another container. The other team has started their assault.
Spider-Man and Helena will be the first to see it. The slice in the night that seems to glow darker and wider. An opening through which four people appear. Two with tattooes on their heads and faces, and two with ink covering their torsos.
There's no hesitation from this group. They split up. One pair head - ink bearer and face tattooes - towards the Bats and the Spiders. A giant glowing snake appearing and a Harpy. The Harpy screams … loudly. It hurts … and not just physically.
The tattooes on the other guys face start to glow and a mist slowly forms over their area.
Silk casts another web, and another to bring her web-slinging around, and about. The girl is fast, fluid, with her web-casts and shifts her body with the flow of her swings with near perfection.
The harpy's scream is unexpected, and causes her to lose her pace, to falter, despite her warning spider-sense because there's nothing she can react-to, physically.
She misses the next swing, and begins to plummet towards the ground but twists her body almost reflexively and with a rapidty and agility that would baffle most. From one set of fingertips five separate weblines shoot at the harpy's face to put an end to the 'voice' altogether, while her other hand stabilizes a new webline for her, allowing her to pick up her swing again.
|ROLL| Bruce Wayne +rolls 1d20 for: 4
|ROLL| Anya Corazon +rolls 1d20 for: 1
Damn, they're good. He can't help but admire how quickly they process and react.
Then the other group, the heavy hitters, move into view and so do their constructs.
But like the survivalist Burt Gummer had said about the graboids, it was okey that their opponents were smart…because Spidey and the Web Warriors (MAYYYBE work on that name) had some new things to teach them.
Spidey swung into action, heading right towards the two tattooed Nightfallen, and SPRAY them with treated webbing.
|ROLL| Peter Parker +rolls 1d20 for: 6
Pretty sure she cracked more than a couple ribs. Immediately upon impact, Spider-Girl fires a webline at the shipping container and yanks, hard. She goes flying skyward, feet first, looking down at the three that pour out from the door in her wake. A true bird's eye view.
Releasing the webline, she allows physics to carry her up into the sky. With ferocious movements, her hands fling webbing down and toward those three guards, trying to web up their arms and legs, but halfway through this her motions freeze up, as if caught in a seizure.
Hands clamp down against her ears, but it does nothing. The world spins around her as she reaches zenith and begins falling, suddenly without grace, legs flailing about and curling up against her chest.
The ordeal has her entirely disoriented, and she plummets headlong toward the ground, gaining speed.
After slamming foot-first into the first man, Batman was moving to grab a cold-iron batarang to fling at the tattoo'd head man, when the harpy's scream catches him off-guard. The attack was unexpected - he hadn't seen any of the tattooed creatures so far exhibit their own powers - so this one catches him off guard.
The batarang goes off course, striking against the side of the container - near Helena. Batman doesn't notice her, instead he's trying to block out and power through the harpy's scream as it hits the entire group.
Helena winces at the scream from the harpy, but a quick flick of her finger near her hood engages noise-canceling inside its shadow. It helps that she was on the ground already, not swinging through the air or engaged in combat. What did the briefing say? The animals come from the tattoos. Take out the animals, they're not a problem. But what about the source of the animals - the tattoos? Something about people going crazy if they were interrupted. That would be bad.
She crouches low as the batarang slams into the container, reaching up to wrench it out before she's dashing to another shadow, trying to work her way behind the tattooed casters. Mist? Well. That's just helpful. Another flick of her finger engages infrared between the edge of her hood and the golden contacts she wears.
Spidermans web hits the spellcaster, the webs covering part of her tattooes. The mist doesn't thicken, but it doesn't dissipate. It's damn difficult to see where the other Crows have gone.
Upside? It must be hard for the Crows to see as well. That's good right? Well it would be, if Spider-Girl wasn't headed for a crash landing. Bullets spray in her direction! Can she avoid them?
Silk has slightly more luck, the webs forming a gag for the flying monstronsity. It … deafens the scream but doesn't completely stop it. Now the spider has another problem, she's got a deranged glowing ghost woman diving for her, cruel talons outstretched.
Bruces momentary distraction allows the Crow to close on him and it's not long before he finds himself circled by the giant snake. Venom drips from teeth, causing the ground to sizzle. Ick. The caped crusader might need some help!
The snake is so large, its flicks near Helena, almost knocking her down as it moves.
All right. Let's go in and finish the j…
Then Spider-Man's Spider-Sense goes full-alarm, and he turns to see Spider-Girl, and his eyes go WIDE.
He doesn't think. Things slow down and his awareness seems to highlight everything. With one hand, he aims it below the falling Spider-Girl, and the the wide net, neon pink, spreads out under Anya, anchoring itself a moment before she lands on it.
The other hand aims at the shooters, thinner sprays of webbing to cover the weapons in webbing…
Bad snake! Only Helena gets to spit venom at her father! She's headed toward the tattooed casters when the snake's tail lashes across her calves, sending her into a somersault. Right, so. Infrared: Great for human beings, not perfect on magical constructs. Good to know.
Crouching, Helena takes in the fight for just a moment before deciding the spider-people have the gangsters handled. This snake, though, is definitely fair game. She flexes her fingers and viciously-curved talons extend from her gauntlets. Perfect, it seems, for climbing.
Getting a running start, Helena dashes to where the snake has reared up and climbs up the coiled scales, leaving deep slashes in her wake, to try to plant the borrowed batarang at the base of its skull.
Silk's plan worked, somewhat, while not working completely it has helped by muffling the radius and overall effect of the ink-inspired magic harpy. Silk's danger sense kicks in as the harpy dives for her. She lets go. Not literally, but figureatively, giving her body up to it's natural reactions. She twists, at the arch of her swing as the harpy is dive-bombing her and now both fingers shoot out webbing as she reaches the apex of her swing and then web-zips as fast as she can to the nearest structure to cling to the wall by both feet. from all five fingers of each hand the thick webbing and mass of it aimed towards the harpy's wings to completely immobilize the flying creature, even as she's already running up the structure at full speed to jump and twist in the air again, using her speed and agility to her advantage and control the fight that way.
Spider-Girl shows no sign of recovering, at least not soon enough to avoid splattering across the ground. Oddly enough, something… begins to glow through the back of her silk costume. A large tattoo in the shape of a spider, covering her back from shoulder to waist. Bullets strike her as she falls, but they bounce off the costume, proving that either the spider-silk she used to weave it truly is bulletproof, or… this is something else.
Something else, indeed.
As she falls into the mist, she seems to be transforming. Something oozes from the costume, from her body itself, forming a shell around her.
A horrible, crunching, crashing sound happens near the Crows that were firing on her. Shards of something black and chitinous fly out from the point of impact, and the web cast by Spider-Man is torn asunder. Two of the three Crows find themselves peppered by the shrapnel, and then, within the mist, something large and monstrous rolls along the ground, spilling more of that rocky material in all directions.
Soon enough Spider-Girl, or whatever it is she's become, rolls to a stop. She climbs to her feet, dazed but at least partly relieved of the screaming that crippled her, and looks down at her arms and hands. They're covered in an ugly, intimidating exoskeleton, which has formed around the rest of her body as well. It's like something out of a nightmare, and for a moment, she's stunned. "What in the hell??"
Her eyes are drawn to the massive, snakelike creature bearing down upon Batman, and she gasps. Mind numb and entirely unaware of just how terrifying she may look to the others, she goes running for the snake, her large creature-like feet pounding the earth.
Beneath the chitinous shell, the young woman is panting heavily. Terrified, driven only by the fighting instinct that's won out over that of flight.
Shaking off the initial shock of the harpy's shriek catching him off-guard, Batman gives a grunt as the snake curls around him. He tries to struggle to get himself free — and that's when someone shows up that was NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. Batman's lensed visor /narrows/ at Helena's golden gaze as she drives in the batarang. There will be /words/ later. Not right now, this isn't the time or the place.
But later? Oh yes. Instead he reaches into his utility belt and pulls out a small aerosol spray. Peter's anti-tattoo formula is sprayed into the face of the creature, trying to further disrupt it and break it up.
Peters webs fan out, cradling the falling Spider-Girl. The shooters weapons are all … webbed up. With a snarl, they drop them to the ground and draw Kabars - knives - advancing on the Spider-Girl with menace. One turns to look for Spider-Man though, knowing he has to be there somewhere.
Silk finds herself in the fight of her life. Well, the fight of her life for this ten minutes. The harpys talons rake at her only to be caught in the webbing, her wings no longer able to keep her aloft. She plummets to the ground, landing heavily with a crunch. She .. twitches. How on earth is she still there?
Helena's claws leaving gashes in the snake that leak glowing ichor to the ground. She can injure it, at least. The batarang to the skull, Batmans aerosal have the creature slowing and starting to fall. Spider-Girl can finish that off.
Where … are the Nightfall?
Spider-Girl - or, whatever the hell she's gonna call herself now that this has happened - leaps upon the snake creature not far from where Helena has first attacked. Claws upon her fingertips sink into the snake's body and cling, and her eyes spot one of the gashes created by Helena.
Reaching down, she grabs for one of those grenades. The shell around her body falls away, allowing her to access it, then forms back over when she's got it in her hand. The snake's body whips about, but she holds on tight, long enough to arm that grenade and jam it into the wound.
With a gasp, Spider-Girl lets go, and is flung off the creature violently. She lands in a skid, ripping up pavement beneath her armored feet, and literally ignores the shells pelting off her armored back for just a couple of moments… long enough to watch the grenade explode.
The one looking for Spider-Man finds him—in the worst way. As he advances, he steps in something spongy. By the time his foot makes contact, he is stopped in his tracks. And then the punch comes out of nowhere, clipping his jaw and knocking him out.
The Spider-Comm link displays, "SHOOTER DOWN. SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING INKS."
Sorry, not sorry. Although it's hard to pick up even that much from as much of Helena's face as is visible. Especially when she sees Spider-Girl headed up with a grenade. Standard grenade safety suggests she should vacate the area at that point. Although, to be fair, standard Batman safety suggests she should have done that about ten seconds earlier.
She slides down the side of the snake, using her claws to slow her fall and rip a nice path on the way down before she hits the ground. Flexing her fingers once more, she sheathes the claws and takes off for the container - presumably there's still a child in there.
Silk divebombs the harpy in return, several webs shooting out in succession as she freefalls towards the harpy, pinning the inked creature to the ground, along with bound wings. She glances to Spider-Girl - or, what used to be Spider-Girl, and notes within a few seconds as her next webline shoots out to give her another arc and swing forwards that the chitinous monstrosity-thing is at least acting like Spider-Girl. It's in control. And, … it has her voice? Okay. "Confirmed. Everything okay? Old Man didn't tell me that we could do -that-," Silk says, a measure of both curiousity and wonder in her tone.
She goes higher, "Taking high ground. Looking for them," she joins in, searching for movement, or any sign. Her paint bomb isn't forgotten, but she's saving it for one of the Inkers.
Silks attack inflicts mortal injury on the Harpy. The creature turning to smoke that speeds into the mist.
Anya's grenade takes what's left of the snake out. It took turns to the same glowing blue smoke.
There's a scream from the mists that echoes the dying cries of the spirit creatures.
Can they find the inkers? Sort of … the portal opens as the four tumble through it. A hasty retreat from the cowards.
Good news? There's kids in that container.
Spider-Man looks around, then sighs. (Spider-Comm) "Looks like they bailed, but they left empty-handed. Check for hostages, secure any combatants trying to escape…and then call the cops."
Helena makes it to the door of the container, stepping to the side to check for any remaining combatants before she looks inside. The mask and hood are probably not the most reassuring facade, but she can at least adjust the voice modulator in her mask to remove the slight growling undertone in it, leaving just a touch of a purr beneath the words. "Hey guys," she says softly. "Who wants to go home?"
Anya shields herself from the impending explosion, which turns out to be unnecessary. "I don't know what this is," Spider-Girl answers over the Spider-Comm. She sounds unsettled but in control, likely thanks entirely to adrenaline. Had this happened any other time, she'd likely be crying, or worse, getting sick.
"See?" she tells Batman. "Learning." Then she's off, making to rejoin the others inside the building.
Once inside, she gasps beneath the armor, and stares at the kids behind the giant bug-eyes they are upon her face. Odds are, the sight of her in such a state is only going to freak them out even more, but the moment she considers that, the carapace begins falling away, leaving a pile of what looks like old obsidian on the floor. "It's okay," she tells the children, arms raised. She glances to Helena, arms still raised. "It's okay." Then back to the kids with a nervous smile. "We're the good guys."
"No other combatants," Silk calls back through the Spider-Comm. She takes another trip overhead with her weblines, and then she's lowering her swinging until she can perform a double sommersault and land on her feet onto the ground near the marked container, standing beside Helena. The other female hero is assessed, before her eyes look to the children. She watches them a few moments, silently, and then looks to Helena.
She is not chatty. Like, Spider-Man. Or, perhaps, even Spider-Girl. She watches Spider-Girl, as the chitin armor falls away, then looks back to the kids. "You're safe. The police will be here soon, to take you home," she agrees. "She's Spider-Girl. I'm Silk."
She might look a touch intimidating, but her voice is kind. Warm.
Insider the container are four children. Two with newly made tattooes and two without. The two without have only reported missing in the last few hours.
They huddle together when Helena comes in and scream when Spider-Girl appears. The quiet soon as the carapace drops away, eyes wide as they tremble. "Who who are you?"
Then Silks there, answering some of that question. They're eyes turn to Helena.
It's when Spider-Man arrives, loitering in the back that they seem to relax. "Spider-Man…" one of the kids whispers to the others. "Can can we go home now?"
A good nights work for the Bats and the Spiders. Even if the Nightfall got away … again.
"Nobody important," Helena assures the kids in a gentle voice, the corners of her eyes crinkling with a smile that's hidden behind her mask. "Just some people who are going to make sure you get home safe." She doesn't seem unsettled by Anya's carapace…but then again, she doesn't really know it's not normal for her. She does know that Batman's mentioned the spiders are all young though. Which means…
"I'm guessing you guys didn't drive here, huh?"
Spider-Man smiles reassuringly to the kids. "Soon, kids. We just have to call the cops, and then they'll get you back to your parents."
Spider-Man turns to look at Helena. Yeah, she has a Look about her, but who is he to talk? He does turn that under-the-mask smile on her. "We're New Yorkers. Who DRIVES anywhere?"
"Looks like everything is okay, now. I'll go double check." Silk turns, and casts a webline up, and begins to soar out into the night, to do a double-check on the area, making sure there are no further Nightfall. Also? It's a good excuse to not be around when the cops show up, given her current status.
"Swinging beats traffic," Spider-Girl answers, her voice still trembling a bit. She turns to glance at Spider-Man, giving him a nod of gratitude… even if her fall shattered his webbing. Had it not been for the carapace, it would have been a life saver.
"Touche, Spider-Man," Helena smirks behind her mask, though that tremor in Spider-Girl's voice draws a glance from her as well. "You okay?" she asks, though she keeps her voice low, rather than alert the kids that something may be up. "He's probably making sure the authorities are on the way," she adds, leaving little question in her voice as to who 'He' is. There's definitely a capital letter there.
Spidey is about to speak when he stops and headtilts. a few moments later, there is the far-off sound of sirens.
"Okay, kids. The cops are almost here. Sit tight, and they'll find out and take you back to your parents." He checks the buildings, then says, "I need to get going. I think my job here is done, and I still have a price on my head. I'm literally worth more alive than dead."
Spider-Girl looks toward Helena, and she slumps a little, perhaps feeling embarrassed. "That's… never happened before," she admits, clearly referencing the armor. Her back itches, which is also super weird. However, when Spider-Man alerts then that the cops are gonna show up, she's upright and ready to move. "Then let's get the hell out of here."