Summary:Murder Cookie vs Spider Gwen - intervention by Thea and Hank McCoy. Gunplay, blades, fisticuffs and splody! Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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New York; end of January, and a bit on the cold side, but not too cold for spiders to be out and about. Gwen's doing her usual thing, moving about the city and keeping an eye out for people who are up to no good — and people who need help. It's been a pretty dry night, and she's on her way to Luke's to see if Hod's awake enough to cook a burger.
Her path carries her through Hell's Kitchen. Might seem like an odd shortcut, except that it isn't; she's just making a pass to see if there's anything going on. Aside from a couple of teenage girls who've climed up some scaffolding and are busy deploying some rad graffiti on the fifth floor of an abandoned building in the area, there isn't; and as for them, Gwen is more than content to leave them to it. A little art never hurt anybody, afterall.
So, she gives them a cheer and a thumbs up as she swings past, and thwips out another line; all in all she's going at a good clip, and paying most of her attention to the streets below. Not usually much action on the rooftops, afterall.
Usually.
*
It's a good night for hunting. Though wouldn't life be so much easier if the criminal elements would make themselves known, setting off alarms or doing a lot to draw attention to themselves? Unfortunately for Gwen there are some predators who know their shady trades all too well. While hunting for trouble might seem kind of dry tonight, trouble is always lurking right around a corner somewhere in this city.
Tonight it can be found on a rooftop looking through the scope of a .308 rifle. Domino didn't know what it was she had been on the hunt for but as is so often the case with her she'd know it when she found it. Somehow she always manages to find it in the end.
Like tonight. A certain Spider-Femme whom had eluded the albino's fury all too recently. Neena doesn't like being denied. The infernal creature riding shotgun with her likes it even less. Gwen's fate is sealed as quickly as her danger sense might kick in but the first bullet isn't destined to strike her while she's doing her acrobatics.
The first shot aims to clip the webline currently bearing all of her weight.
*
Gwen's weblines are strong. They can support as much weight as she can lift, which is considerable; but one thing they definitely cannot do is survive the impact of… whatever muzzle velocity a .308 round has. How fast is that again?
It doesn't matter; one moment Gwen is happily swinging through town, the next her danger sense is screaming like a pinched soprano in the back of her brain. "Hunh?" she has time to wonder alloud, looking to either side; and then she's sailing through the air, without the aid of a webline.
"What? WOAH-AAAAAIIIIEGH!!"
Arms and legs flail in panic as she plummets towards the ground; once her presence of mind returns, she flicks her wrist and fires a fresh webline at something — anything, really, that wall over there will do. It's something, and while it's not at all elegant it's at least enough to slow her decent. She careens towards the wall, bouncing off of it and plummeting a couple stories down for a hard landing on the pavement that knocks the wind out of her.
"…Okay," she gasps, shaking off all the stars and comets and cute little black holes dancing around her head. "Message received… now who thinks they're funny." She stands up, rolling one arm in the air a couple of times, and tilting her head to one side until the vertebrae snap against each other. "Who wants their butt kicked?" she adds, as she ducks down into a back alley between vacant buildings to consider her options.
*
The crack of the rifleshot comes a heartbeat after the webline goes slack. It couldn't have come from far away. The sniper must be feeling confident as the second shot comes soon after — semi-automatic rifle — from the same location. It had been meant to strike Gwen as she fell but it came a moment too late, instead snapping past the Spider's heels to punch a hole into the brownstone building behind her.
She probably won't hear the frustrated hiss as a gleaming silvery eye looks up from the rifle's sight.
The prey is in the alley. Grounded. Striking time.
Domino leaps off the edge of the rooftop and catches the landing of a fire escape across the alley, making a fair bit of noise in the process but she doesn't seem concerned. Legs hook around the railing and leave her leaning backwards and upside down in an entirely dangerous manner with the rifle pointed 'up' toward the alley below.
Gwen had better get a move on as there are many more rounds lined up to start coming at her. This albino chick -really- has it in for the Spider!
*
The second round would go unnoticed, were it not for the report. Gwen definitely has enough awareness to count, even while she's falling through the air. So, someone wants her, and wants her with some extra holes above and beyond what she's already got. Rude, seriously.
The Spider doesn't stick around long in the entrance to the alley; just long enough, actually, to set up a couple strands of webbing. Thin; hard to see, but strong and very sticky. With that done she ducks behind one of those ubiquitous dumpsters, before climbing through a broken window and into the interior of that vacant building.
"Alright," she mumbles. "Someone wants to play hunt the spider. That's fine. Let's also play 'Spider hunt you'." She rises to a crouch, and then leaps up, through a missing panel of false ceiling and amongst the airducts and dead electrical wiring above. And then, she does what all spiders are known for; she waits.
*
Fast. Not faster than a bullet but -fast.- Any other day Domino could respect reflexes like that. The merc can 'dodge' bullets as well but she still has to see them coming. This Spider seems to be able to sense everything around her! It's something which Dom had witnessed before. They've tangled for just long enough to have some idea of what she's up against. Fast, agile, and cunning. She won't rush someone armed with a rifle. She's smarter than that.
But she doesn't have the pale lady's luck.
Still hanging upside down Neena switches out the rifle's mags, losing one of the rounds as she clears the chamber and loads in something else. Just where Gwen ran off to she doesn't know but she has a good feeling that it'll be somewhere in the other building.
Domino takes aim on one of the windows.
"Down came the rain and washed the spider out—"
BLAM!
The incendiary tracer rockets out of the barrel and punches through a window, rebounding off of a hallway further inside before catching a pile of oily rags which begins to smoulder.
Give it a little longer and the fire suppression will kick in and drench the building's interior.
*
Usually, waiting is pretty easy. You sit down in a chair, wait for your appointment, and usually about half an hour after it was scheduled for the Dentist is ready to do something about that cavity for you, and extoll the virtues of flossing. This is a different sort of wait; stressful, and with no guarantee of what the outcome is going to be.
Gwen's ears note the sound of a bullet passing through glass; her eyes catch sight of the round passing through the room below her, and then her nose detects the smell of smoke.
And then the sprinkler system kicks in, because of course there's still power for that, even if the rest of the building is shut off. She might be above the sprinklers, but there's enough mist coming back up her way that she's still getting wet; and there's the small matter of sopping wet surfaces being a lot harder to stick to.
The Spider drops down into the torrent of ice cold water so she can make a landing that isn't embarassing. Immediately her organs contract, squeezing themselves tight around her spine as she clenches her breath. "COLD," she declares.
But there's still the small matter of a sniper, so she breaks into a run, charging her way through the abandoned store fronts, pushing her way through drywall, and keeping an eye on the streets outside.
"Go on," she breathes, "Fire another tracer round, I dare you."
*
Movement. Target is on the run. Through the sights Domino quickly seeks out her prey but trying to see anything through the grimy windows of the abandoned building doesn't work in her favor. Every time she sees what might be a flicker of movement it's too late to take the shot. The one time where she starts to put some tension on the trigger..it's a rat. A very confused and ornery rat at having been caught up in such antics.
"Shit."
With some fancy acrobatics of her own she makes her way back to ground level, having somewhat interfered with her own ability to track the Spider with the sprinklers going full-tilt. The AR10 is kept snug against her shoulder as she stalks around the building, barely making a sound.
Somewhere in there is a powered woman who could effortlessly break Neena if given the chance. Would she, though? It's not worth the risk to find out.
Trying to ferret this critter out is going to take forever. She should try something—
And then Domino finds those hidden weblines at the front of the alley, the rifle sticking fast within the trap.
*
Ordinarily, Gwen might double back, to see if anything's gotten caught in her trap. Of coruse, ordinarily, Gwen would not be sopping wet on a cold winter morning. The sprinkler system has made the interior of the building untenable, so when she gets to the other side she boots the door open none to subtley, and stumbles out into the alley on the other side of the buiding from where the murder cookie has gotten her gun stuck.
Freezing to death is a sad way for a spider to go, so Gwen leaves the door open, crouching behind it as she brushes as much of the water off herself as she can. At least the suit seems to be somewhat water resistant? Just a bit? Once she's done all she can, she tears her backpack off and pulls a pair of jeans and a damaged denim jacket out, shrugging them both on for a little extra warmth. With the backpack slung over one shoulder and her hood up, she just… walks out in front of the building, bold as brass, and takes a look at the rooftops on the other side of the street.
Nothing there. No danger sense singing the high tones, either; so she meanders her way down the street, heading back to the alleyway where it all started. Might as well check the trap.
*
It's a bad time to have the ol' primary weapon stuck because Domino is -certain- she just heard a door getting busted open not too far away! She's seen the webbing in use but this is the first time she's really had a chance to experience the stuff and try to understand it. That it happens to refuse giving up her rifle is ..highly inconvenient and entirely annoying. Granted this is America but AR10's still don't grow on trees!
Shrubs, maybe. But not trees.
Gwen will no doubt hear the sounds of a very unhappy creature fighting to get her rifle back while the Spider does her casual stroll. As it turns out Neena's counting on Gwen coming back around to check. That's what web-lying spiders do, isn't it? All Dom has to do is pretend to be fully caught. They'll have a moment to share a face to face encounter. Maybe exchange a few words or threats or whatever it is that may come to pass.
Then Neena's going to let go of the rifle and bring out two sidearms to unload holy nine millimeter hell within spitting distance of the other woman. Fill the alley with enough lead and the Spider won't be able to dodge them all, right?
*
Gwen has learned a few things about topics like 'field of fire' since putting on the mask and taking up the mantle of super hero. One of those things she's learned is not to just march straight into them at close range.
"I know you've got pistols, too," she announces from around the corner. "I don't know who you are or why you're so pumped up about shooting everything, but I'm betting you're the crazy lady from the other day, and I was wondering if maybe we could have a little chat?" While she speaks, she crouches down, and fires another narrow, almost invisible sticky strand around the corner, at about the right height to be a tripwire.
"Just… y'know. Thought maybe this'd be a great time to get to know each other, maybe see what we've got in common. Here, I'll go first; my name is Spider-Woman, I can throw cars, and my favorite color is pink. Now it's your turn!"
After Gwen finishes speaking, she wipes her hands on her jeans and then jumps, adopting a position on the outside of the building about two and a half stories up. She doesn't chance looking around the corner, this time. That almost ended badly last time. This is a much better plan. Yes.
*
Hmm. 'Spider-Woman' here is learning, too. Domino doesn't get her chance to dump the mags and she's still out an expensive rifle.
But the Spider's still taking the opportunity to talk to her. Casually. Reasonably. Dom remembers things like 'casual' and 'reason,' doesn't she? Under any other circumstance this fight wouldn't make an ounce of sense. There is absolutely no reason for any of this behavior. Somewhere inside of the mercenary she's acutely aware of it, too. This is stupid. A waste of time and resources.
Unfortunately the decision isn't hers alone to make anymore.
As the rifle is abandoned Neena grunts and stumbles away from the web, catching one of the alley walls with a growl.
Is she hurt somehow..?
No. Wrong kind of growl. This is something else.
Mercurial eyes open and look up, pupils widely dilated like the stare of a great cat about to pounce its next meal. Pointed teeth bare as she looks up to the level where Gwen is still hiding around the corner.
Gwen might hear a subtle click, the sound of something flicking through the air then the pinging of a stamped piece of sheet steel bouncing across the alley floor.
"I like black, and I throw smaller things."
Like the armed frag grenade which comes peeking around the corner right around Gwen-Height shortly before detonating.
*
Right around the moment the word 'black' is being uttered, Gwen's danger sense is doing its soprano thing again, only this time it's the paniced screaming of an opera singer getting squashed in a trash compacter. Gwen's eyes go wide; She rolls leaps sideways, and is airborn by the time the grenade comes around the corner. She twists, stretching out her arms and firing one webline at the wall, giving a hard tug to redirect herself, and at the same time launches a second line at the grenade.
Where anyone else might have tried to get the grenade as far away from themselves, Gwen has noted one thing; the two teenage girls who were doing the graffiti earlier are across the street. The gunfire spooked them, as might be expected, but they didn't know where to run, so there they are. Gwen twists hard, swinging the grenade on the end of her webbing, and flinging it straight into the second-story window.
There's a smash of glass, and a deep, powerful blast; glass, water, and shrapnel fill the air just outside the building, peppering Gwen with all of the above. Her suit absorbs some of it; but an ordinary human would still be very dead.
Luckily for Gwen, she's not an ordinary human. She lands on her back in the middle of the street, bleeding from multiple shrapnel wounds. She rolls onto her side and props herself up on one arm, coughing loudly, as she looks up at the two kids. "Get out of here!" she shouts at them, and coughs again, spitting something red into the front of her mask.
That can't be good.
*
The problem with airburst grenades is that they tend to send shrapnel EVERYWHERE. Then Gwen had to go and do something like change where it goes! Though in truth such a stunt might have saved Domino at the same time. Some bits of fragmentation pierce through the building and find their way back to her, nicking and scratching but not causing any serious wounds. The building did a pretty good job of keeping the dangerous debris away from her. Fancy that.
There's just the matter of the webbing blocking the alley. Quick thinking has her grabbing a nearby trashbag, slicing a gaping wound into the plastic before throwing it all toward the alley to, quite literally, see what sticks. Then it's a matter of getting a running start and rushing up a wall to vault over the highest of the lines and hit the sidewalk in a tumble.
And there sits poor Spider-Woman.
In truth it would be a lot easier to take a shot or twelve at her right now, but… The same part of Neena which wants the Spider dead also doesn't want her simply -dead.- It wants something FROM her as she departs from this realm.
This time she's got a karambit in hand, the wickedly curved blade gleaming in the streetlight as she stalks toward the wounded Spider. Now it feels like a proper end is in sight…
*
Another problem with them? They make a LOT of noise to go with the huge amounts of shrapnel. As it happens Hank was in the neighborhood, he'd been asked to reach out to a student having particular issues at university, a favor from the one of the Deans. He'd just finished up with that task, potentially giving someone hope when they needed it most…which for Hank is a /damn/ fine use of his time, he'll have to thank his friend the Dean.
And then he hears the explosion, sadly he was too far indoors to hear the earlier rifle shots. Either way, he immediately morphs his clothing into armor, his reading glasses forming the visor the armor anchors to and off he runs at highway speeds towards the danger. Because…hero. In fact he's rather a Big Damn Hero all things considered.
Bounding over, under and round traffic, he bounces off some walls and just in time to land with a beefy THUD between Gwen and her knife wielding stalker. "Oh, hello there. Sorry to say that murder is off the menu, though I do believe there's at least one more fight in me, want it?"
*
Gwen shakes her head, watching the albino bear down on her with a… knife. A knife? A knife.
"You can't be serious," she sputters, as she pulls herself backwards with her hands. "First a grenade… then a… knife?! You know I'm still stronger than you, right?" Is she? She hopes she is. Either way, she lifts one hand towards Domino, and with flick of hte wrist presses that little paddle at the bottom of her palm, and…. nothing.
Click. Click. Clickclickclick.
Apparently webshooters don't hold up super well against shrapnel, so there's that. Gwen tucks that piece of information away (optimistically) for later, and is just repositioning so she can try the other arm, when a very large person lands between her and Domino.
"…Oh, so that's what that feels like," she gasps, and allows herself to collapse on her back in the middle of the street. "Okay. I'm tagging out. Your turn. I'll help in a minute, I promise."
*
Hank would immediately recognize the pale lady with the black spot over one eye. Beneath the weapons and combat rigging she's wearing the very thermal suit which he had made for her. So nice to see that it's been working out! But what he might remember of her back at Luke's when the two had made eye contact and conversed… That part is somehow different. Like the person whom had attempted to buy his silence at one point has checked out and whatever's causing her eyes to gleam like polished steel has checked in.
This had not been part of the plan. Still, all is not yet lost. Perhaps she will feed even better than anticipated tonight.
Shoulders hunch and head bows as those wild and hellish eyes stare back at Hank. The hooked blade remains in her one hand but a handgun is slowly brought into the other.
It's all the warning he's going to get before the monochromed woman becomes a blur while rushing -straight for Hank- with a snarl while snapping off nine millimeter rounds at him. He's a big target, hard to miss! She's hoping to catch him by surprise. Honestly, would anyone of her size an stature rush toward someone of HANK'S size and stature? That's just crazy!
At least Gwen can take a rest. Luck hasn't completely forsaken her just yet.
*
Having landed in a crouch, one hand in front to brace off, the man-mountain takes in the tableau. Over his shoulder to Gwen, without taking eyes off Domino. "Right then, catch a breather, young lady." Not that /twenty-four/ is OLD! Still, size and garb do tend to give him a bit more 'age' at least appearance wise. And the costume? Yeah, Dom has seen it before.
He does take something off his belt and toss it behind him to the wounded spider. "First aid kit, compact."
And then he's being rushed and shot at!
The 9MM round hit his armour in several spots, doing little more than smudging it, though he grunts with each impact. ONE bullet, however, one bullet hits him in the arm - and bright red flows as the massive forearm is punctured through and through. That gets a bit more of a reaction, though he doesn't quite scream.
HIS turn to lock gazes. "Neena…you do NOT want to do this."
Yes, he's bleeding, and yes, off balance at the furious assault. "Please." He asks her. At the moment he's full defensive and Neena has drawn first blood. Though — he's a VERY big lad, and very strong. How many people are willing to keep fighting after getting shot THROUGH a limb?
*
A breather. Yes. That sounds like a great plan right about now. Gwen is laying there on the pavement, thinking through the sequence of events that have led her to by half-blasted by a grenade, while a scary lady is busy trying to get through a man who's twice the size of both of them put together, to try to get to her with a knife for some sort of bizzare death ritual.
The first aid kit skitters across the road to stop in front of her, and she reaches out to pull it the rest of the way. A little press of the button on the top opens it up, and it's got… well, all kinds of stuff, presumably.
Gwen looks down at herself, and the amount of blood that appears to not be inside her body where it's supposed to be. Where do I even start? flashes through her brain.
So, for the moment, she doesn't. She just flops on her back, looks upwards, and tries to piece herself back together mentally before attempting physically.
*
Hank will barely have enough time to say 'please' when the assassin formerly known as Neena hisses and lunges right for the massive mutant, intent on driving the hooked blade neatly across his throat. If his words are getting through to her at all there's no sign of recognition! -Something- has her all geared up for a murderfest and the Big Damn Hero's now become her prime target.
*
The kit has several jars of mixed pills, none labeled, and a small injector with three cylinders labeled 'Pain', 'Antibiotics', 'Artificial Adrenaline'. Yeah, this is CLEARLY meant for use in combat type situations. Who knows what the pills are, but…they're pre-sorted, so presumably useful?
The slice at his throat /barely/ draws blood, but what it really does is snap what little restraint the Beast has. A low and throaty growl, his lips part in a savage snarl showing he does indeed have him some fangs.
Bleeding from another wound, he leaps forward, using his mass to drive Neena back, and then spins /way/ too fast for a guy his size, braced on his uninjured arm as he mule kicks Neena with legs about as thick as her torso. Enraged or not, the attack is mostly meant to knock her back and buy some time.
Again, over a shoulder. "Ignore the pills, use the injector."
*
Gwen rolls back onto her side, and spends a moment looking at bottles of pills that don't… have any information as to what they are. But hey, can't hurt to guess, right? You take the blue pill, you wake up in the morning if you're lucky. You take the red pill, you grow a third eyeball and see through time and space?
Hank's advice comes at just the right time; Gwen picks up the injector, and presses the little button for 'Pain'. And then the one for 'Artificial Adrenaline'. …And then for good measure the one for 'Antibiotics' too; can never be too careful, and that grenade was probably very unsanitary.
She stabs the injector into her bicep and squeezes the trigger; as the emptied device clatters to the pavement, Gwen sucks in a deep breath. "Holy crap," she gasps, as she rises back, still somewhat unsteady, to her feet. "Alright, Woman," she breathes, as she starts walking forwards. "Now I'mma kick your butt."
*
You know who else can move shockingly fast?
That would be the owner of those size 20 feet now launching a feral albino across the street. Where there had formerly been an aggressive little color-phobic lady there is now empty space and another broken window in roughly the same shape of her in the very same building she had triggered the sprinklers in.
Domino is fortunate that the double impact of so much foot surface area manages to prevent getting a rib or four fractured. She's even fortunate in all of the water damage helping to create a somewhat softer landing than what could have otherwise been in store. She's even -triply- fortunate in that the thermal suit is polymer-based so she doesn't turn herself into a merc-cicle. Then the final piece of her good fortune is that the sprinklers have since gone empty so she won't be getting rained upon any further.
This sums up what remains of her good luck. Now comes the bad in the form of two displeased metahumans whom she's already drawn blood on.
*
"If you start to feel woozy, take the pills…ONE bottle only." Dropping to the ground after that massive kick, Hank is still clearly more than a little feral at the moment, he doesn't even pause, the moment Dom is airborne he is running on all fours like a wrecking ball with legs! Indeed, he clips a dumpster en route and half mangles it, the thing literally bounced off a building's wall as he steamroller's forward.
He neither slowed down nor appeared to even notice the dumpster.
Four hundred and two pounds of /angry/ genius crosses the street, a passerby with their phone up to record literally leaped over as he crashes through that window into the room with the water and the Neena.
Of course fortune favors Neena - kind of her thing - Beast lands on loose cardboard box, and it is damp enough that he ends up sliding just past Neena into steel pipe. PTANG! He isn't /too/ hurt, but…Neena has a bit of time she might not have otherwise.
*
Gwen uses her one good webshooter, and nabs the first aid kit with it. "One bottle of pills," she gasps. Well. No time like the present. She picks one bottle, cracks it open, and lifts her mask up to her nose so she can tip the contents of the bottle straight into her mouth. She swallows in one gulp, and drops everything back on the ground.
That done, she clicks her tongue to activate the Spider Comms. "Angel," she gasps, "If you're in range… Hells Kitchen… Grenade… could use some help." …Of course, her Comms are damaged, too; why wouldn't they be? She can't receive messages anymore. Could she even send? Who knows?
"Alright, Murder Cookie," she groans, as she approaches the building and steps through the… recent renovations. "Where are you? Butt Kicking as ordered. Prepare yourself."
*
Then again..maybe Dom's luck hasn't -completely- run dry just yet! The larger mutant wrecking ball flies right past her and nearly becomes one with the rest of the room. She has a chance to act. Hank's already proven himself to be a little more than she can tackle at the moment and last she saw Gwen was in really bad shape. Plus, now she's completely undefended!
The somewhat battered and only marginally bloody mercenary is just about to jump back outside when a Spider-Woman jumps right -up- and blocks the exit.
No worries. The hellbino wants to get at her, anyway. Now less chasing will be involved!
The karambit got lost somewhere within the building but she still has a pistol complete with large hardened steel spikes lining the handguard. She can do some damage with that. Now it's Gwen's turn to deal with a Murder Cookie Blitz, the sound escaping the crazed lady sounding way more like an animal than a human -or- most mutants.
Though it's still not as impressive as The Beast's battle roar.
*
What is even more lucky for Gwen, is the fact that Thea is already out and about on the island of Manhattan - it is not unheard of her to just wander around less 'desirable' parts of the borough looking for 'trouble'. She rarely doesn't find it, if she's really looking.
There may be just the ping of response, before 'Angel' is using her own display to run headlong into battle. Gwen's there, that's all she needs to know. Well that and the spunky little blonde spider is hurt. She's already in work mode, so she may as well. Gwen will be looked for and fixated on. Once she's in range, Gwen will feel those familiar sensations of tingling and warming heat that will tell her not only of Thea's arrival, but the biokinetic is in top form.
Hair is a deep red, loose over the black leather trench paired with her dark jeans and knee high boots with thick soles. Her face is made up, and it looks slightly different somehow from when it is bare of makeup. Her eyes are brown, as well. "I'm telling you, Sunshine…" She says as she's heading up to get Gwen's back - the words dropping off suddenly. "Domino!" She says, the name bursting out - hey look! Thea actually sounds surprised! Looks it! It may be a first - or at least a rarity. At least she didn't burst out with the merc's real name. "What the hell is going on?"
*
Hank rang his own clock—force is mass times acceleration and thanks to slip-slidery floor he had a lot of all those things. Of course he's more than a little durable, especially against blunt trauma. An irritated growling as he pushes off the wall, his face having dented the pipes he hit, ouch. He turns eyes narrow slits as he looks for the combat Oreo.
The pills that Gwen downs when combined with the shots essentially burn any traces of fatigue poisons from her blood, shut down /all/ her pain receptors, clear her mind, and kickstart her energy levels to dangerous heights. Yeah, probably not the safest medical cocktail - but DAMN if it ain't useful in a fight!
Unaware that there's an Agent Harman en route, Hank's enraged but still working mind computes some angles, then bounces off the ceiling in an attempt to land /on/ Domino.
Clearly he's done talking!
*
As The Mercenary bears down on her, Gwen uses her one good webshooter to grab a piece of rebar that got blasted loose by the grenade; she brings it up in front of her and blocks the incoming spikey-pistol, with a loud clang of metal on metal. Still, in her state, she gets driven back a step; and she's definitely breathing heavily, with blood dripping off her lips sine she's forgotten to tug her mask back into place.
"Come on," she gasps. "What the heck'd I ever do to you?" She lunges with the rebar, and immediately goes down on one knee. Apparently continuing to fight after taking a grenade and a bunch of strange drugs just isn't the greatest of plans.
And then the drugs kick in.
Gwen leaps back up to her feet, and swings the rebar with renewed bar, slashing at Domino several times; connect or not, she drops it after the fifth go, and then just jumps forwards, aiming a powerful uppercut at the mercenary.
And it that commects, she'll spin around and snap her foot out to boot her in the chest for good measure, too. It seems talking-time is over, and fight for your life while high on drugs and stuff is now in progress. "These drugs are good!" Gwen pronounces. "I need these all the time." …And they're definitely good for mental states, too. Is that an adverse reaction?
*
What the hell is going on?
Demons of Thea's past.
The biokinetic can immediately tell that not only is not all right with Domino but Thea's felt this, and dealt with this, before. The unusually high levels of dopamine and adrenaline, the accelerated pulse, and a peculiar energy which had never been a part of Neena when they first went through the portal to be dropped into the abyss.
Whatever hellish entity had entwined itself with Neena and had somehow gotten them back home years later has grown some in the weeks following their return. Now it would seem that it picked a fight with not one but -two- other powered beings..soon to be three. It's probably fortunate that no one here is psychic, Dom's mind is not a nice place to visit tonight.
Meanwhile the fight with the Spider just got real. Dom's other pistol comes into play but it's primarily so that she has a fighting chance against the rebar which keeps coming at her with a stunning amount of force! The occasional shot is taken but they can't reach Gwen while the two are caught up in melee, fresh holes going from floor to ceiling amidst the clanging rattle of steel against steel.
This is -exactly- why she had those handguards installed…
As Gwen goes for the uppercut Neena JUST manages to avoid getting her chin inverted but it gives her a chance to see Hank coming in for a landing. Those liquid metal eyes stare wide an instant before the albino just..drops and rolls..right in time for Hank to catch Gwen's chemically boosted kick on his way to the floor. Friendly fire is a very real concern when dealing with a luck-bender!
*
There is a lot to take in - there's that huge super smart guy from the bar who was supposed to be doing something to help Neena - Gwen is clearly on drugs of some kind - and Neena herself is not the one in charge right now.
"I should have watched you closer." Thea says, trying to catch Domino's attention. "I should have known it wasn't gone." There's some guilt Thea is feeling, but not /that much/. Not enough to stop her from joining in the fight, in her own spectacular style. Gwen will feel Thea's powers stop as quick as they started working on the Spider. Now her full focus is on Neena as Thea works to get close to the mercenary to try and protect her -even as she uses her powers on the albino. She will flood her muscles with blood, freezing them in tensed positions to all but freeze her in place. "Everyone calm the hell down!"
*
Luck so IS a super power.
Hank is fast. Hank is strong. Hank is skilled and well trained. Ordinarily such things would have probably resulted in a Domino pancake, probably a PAINcake too. Not this time though, because one thing Hank is NOT is a luck manipulator.
That full extension kick from Gwen connects right at his sternum. The impact sufficient to send him crashing through the ceiling above, and bounces him off the ceiling up /there/ to hit the floor, and crash through.
Thud. He lands on the ground flat on his back, stunned for the moment when Thea makes her entrance and blood-locks Domino's limbs.
Sadly…he is /really/ angry right now, it will take a bit to calm him down in this feral mind state.
*
There's no such thing as magic. Actually, that's nonsense, there's totally magic, and thee combat drugs are it. She was right about to wind up for a massive punch, when she pieces together what just happened; Domino rolled out of the way, and she kicked Hank. Y'know, the big guy, who just gave her the awesome combat drugs. "Oh, crap. I am so sorry."
The spider leaps after Domino, and then throws her piece of rebar at one of the Mercenary's guns, while she aims her webshooter for the other one; not so much to take it, as just to plug the barrel. She doesn't wait to see if it connects or not, though, she just uses another webline to grab the first aid kit from where she left it, and bounces over to Hank's side.
"Uhm, are you okay? Need some pills?" She holds up one of the bottles amd gives it a little rattle. "I think the injector is empty… uhh… are you okay?" She glances over her shoulder, and nods to Angel. "Thanks for coming! I'm on drugs. They're amazing. I think they're affecting my brain." She turns a little further, so she can stay by Hank and keep an eye on Domino at the same time. "Also, she's mean."
*
If there had been enough time to recognize Thea had entered the fray Domino might have cut her losses and made a run for it. While there are plenty of threats in this strange new realm it's the likes of Thea which is -absolutely- a threat. Chemical boosters and agility aren't going to get around the biokinetic's party trick.
Dom's not yet gotten back to her feet when the wholly unsettling and unfortunately -kind- of familiar feeling of her muscles fusing into place occurs. The demon in her has gotten stronger but the albino's muscles and blood have remained the same.
What's left is a fairly disturbing living statue of a subtly fanged creature poised on one knee and one gun-laden hand which is now stapled to the floor with a bent piece of rebar. Quite the glare is being cast toward the others but she's lacking Medusa's powerset so no worries there. So little of her can move anymore that any attempt at a hiss or growl comes out sounding pretty damn meek.
Thea's remote override strikes again.
*
"I can tell, Sunshine. You need to be careful with those." Thea wouldn't offer idle cautions, either. But the biokinetic's eyes are on Domino, and the mercenary will see how torn up Thea is - just for a moment. There's guilt there - a sense of failure and pain.
"Sunshine, I know you're amped up, but I need you to cool down, okay? I know her." There's a nod of her head towards the albino. "She's not herself right now, or she wouldn't be beating on you and the big guy." She will glance away from Domino to look at Gwen. "Can you trust me on this? She needs help, not an ass beating."
*
"Oh…s'fine." Hank mumbles a bit as he shakes of being pinballed through the ceiling and back flopping through the floor above to return. A shake of his head. He frowns a bit, the girl's reaction to the drugs a bit off. "Actually, be careful - a second dose of the pills could kill, a third probably WILL kill you. They're meant for emergencies in battlefield conditions…you'll crash pretty hard in about six hours." A nod then. "And yes, the injector is single use, and no, I don't another field kit on me, though there's a full medical kit in the trunk of my car."
Considering how much he's talking it would probably be a safe bet that the big guy is a lot less berserk. When Thea chimes in to support of caution on the drugs he offers her a nod of thanks, before he address both the bio-kinetic and the Spider-Gwen. "Hank McCoy, though I'm in costume so I go by 'Beast'." Which, yeah, seems fitting. Now, Hank is pretty famous, though not as Beast - he's world renowned as a Biochemist and Geneticist, so Gwen could very well know his name, and depending on Thea's studies and interests she might too.
The wound at his throat already has stopped bleeding, though the GSW through and through the forearm is still a bit sluggishly going. Either way, he rolls backwards and to his feet. It really really is /wrong/ how fast and bendy he is! Dude should be a musclebound wreck - and isn't. Somehow.
*
Gwen definitely does recognize Hank! Afterall, they met the other night at Luke's, but Gwen was waiting tables there as Gwen and not dressed up like Spider-Woman, so she can't fault Hank for not knowing that. What does take some concentration is not simply blurting that fact out right here and now. Secret identities, y'know, and all that.
"Cool," is what she manages to say. "I'm… Spider-Woman." She looks back and forth between Hank, Thea, and Domino, and then gives Thea a nod. "Sure, Angel, no problem. Just… just as long as there's no more grenades, okay? Grenades bad. Also bullets. And sniper rifles. And ugly looking curved knives."
The Spider looks down at herself, and for the first time, really takes in just what the effects of close range shrapnel have been on her. She's still feeling pretty good, all things considered, but has to admit that that's probably the effects of drugs.
"…I think I should sit down," she mumbles. And then she does so; cross-legged, right there.
*
Domino growls.
*
Thea will spare Hank an amused glance, even in the midst of the chaos. "Yes, we've met. At a nice little bar called Luke's. Where you designed the suit my friend here is wearing, because she said she was cold all the time. Only now I think I know /why/." Thea had thought perhaps it was just the contrast - they had been in their hell for four years, after all - plenty of time for blood to thin to accomodate higher temperatures they had seen. Not everyone is as biologically flexible as Thea herself can be.
Gwen will feel a mild tingling along her injuries, not anywhere near the feeling of Thea at full blast. The biokinetic has another priority at the moment, keeping one albino locked in place. "Tell me, Doctor, what is your theory on possession?" Her voice sounds mildly curious, even as her head tilts and she will look directly at Domino, stepping closer. She will each reach out, fingers moving to slide under the collar of anything the albino is wearing, looking for a certain pendant.
*
Hank moves to hunker down next to Gwen, and helps keep her from falling over. "You've lost a lot of blood, Spider-Woman, and even with the combat meds you're going to need proper medical attention." When Thea points out they'd met, he peers and then looks mildly chagrined. "So we have, apologies, I was a bit distracted and you did change your hair color, hair style and makeup." Okay, now that he DOES know they met, and having been given the location, he clearly remembers her very well indeed.
The growling Dom does get a curious look, but she's doing an excellent job of playing statue, so he'll not worry about it too much.
"Demonic, Spiritual, Unquiet Dead or Psionic?" He asks the girl drily. "In all cases I'd probably have to refer you to a specialist in the rarified field in question. Fortunately I /do/ have extensive contacts."
*
"I can't… go to a hospital," Gwen replies, quietly. "Have to keep my secret identity, y'know, secret." She pauses, and blushes fiercely beneath the mask — which finally gets her around to thinking that she should tug the bottom part back down over her chin, which she does so. "Also, don't need my Dad hearing about his daughter getting hit by a grenade."
Gwen seems to be alright for the moment; just sitting down is good, and the combat drugs are still affecting her, afterall. Hank is correct, on the other hand, she's definitely going to need some fairly major help, and soon.
"So… wait up, she's possessed? So it's not even her that's been so desperate to detach me from this mortal coil?" She looks over at Domino, who's still… holding her guns. So she lifts one hand and fires a webline at the little lever that ejects the magazine, for the one gun where she can see it. "Well… sounds like she needs help, then. Glad I coud keep her contained until you two got here."
*
Thea will find what she's looking for around Domino's neck, the very same amulet which she had claimed is what allowed them both to survive their journey and live to tell the tale. What differs this time is if Thea attempts to remove it from the mercenary; Where back in the abyss it seemed to resist Thea's every effort now it simply handles like any old piece of jewelry which can be easily separated.
Shouldn't that be a good sign..?
There won't be any spike to Dom's pulse or any internal defenses kicking in should it be removed, either. It's just a trinket from another realm.
With Thea being closer she'll become the primary target of such an unnatural glare, comprised of one part fury and one part fear. Whatever's inside of Neena knows well enough that River can stop it with alarmingly little effort.
Gwen's able to stack the odds a little more in her favor so long as Thea's got the albino on lockdown. Trying to pull the guns out of her hands isn't likely without a little assistance but the mechanics can be gummed up or cleared of rounds without a problem. She's still just..chillin' out on the floor and looking mighty ornery about it. Still, it beats the alternatives if Thea hadn't intervened. Neena can appreciate having such good fortune sometime later.
*
"Demonic. She and I were in an alternate universe sort of hell. Something tried to take her over - I thought coming back here, I thought she was safe." Why it picked Domino over the biokinetic, Thea has never even thought to wonder. She will snap that pendant free from around Domino's neck. "It started when she found this. I am going to destroy it. Though I'll wait, especially if you have some sort of contact who me be of use in such an endeavor."
Thea will sigh, crouching down in front of Domino. She will look her in the eye, just watching - looking for Neena and not whatever was in charge at the moment. "If you can't pull your shit together, you know I'm going to have to put you out, right?" It's that bland, bored tone Dom used to hear after a long, hard day in hell. "Get your shit together. I don't have time for this."
*
Hank grips Spider-Woman's shoulder a moment, and then straightens. "I will get my full kit, I'll be a few minutes." He looks to the only one there that's unimpaired. "If you have a safe location I can tend their wounds, but if you can put Neena out, that might be the safest way to proceed." He looks thoughtful. "I do know a person or two who know something about such, I'll see what I can find out. In the mean time may I have the amulet? It might be helpful when I go to my sources." He nods. "Please, don't destroy it quite yet."
He looks to Neena, watching that silver eyed glare — not affect Thea as the woman rather firmly tells Neena to get her head in the game.
A nod then he heads out the door. "I'll be back, '78 Grenada, silver trim, whitewalls, we'll relocate to a safer locale and see about sorting things."
*
The biokinesis that Gwen is receiving from Thea might be just a trickle, but it's still helping. Not that she can really feel it; the drugs still have her innured against pain. She's really just sitting down because she has the good sense to know that drugs won't stop her from agravating her injuries any further.
So the Murder Cookie's name is Neena, hunh? She files away that detail for later.
The Spider looks up at Hank as he squeezes her shoulder, and bobs her head. "I'll try not to bleed on your seats," she offers, as he heads out the… door? Is there still a door? There's definitely some holes in the building front that could be used as doors. So, for the time being, Gwen contents herself with staring at the growling Domino, sitting still with her hands on her knees. "Angel? Please make sure she doesn't have any more grenades. I'm serious about my one grenade a day policy."
*
|ROLL| Domino +rolls 1d2 for: 2
*
It's the equivalent of somebody throwing their hands into the air and declaring 'whatever, YOU deal with it!' Clearly they aren't getting anywhere so long as the infernal is in control. It's also much easier to dump the aftermath upon the host's consciousness rather than try to deal with such alien complexities beyond 'rip and tear.' Demonkitty does not like dealing with Thea any more than Thea likes dealing with it.
Thea will note the subtle changes within the albino. Pupils contract. Pulse slows. The dopamine hit which kept driving her forward enough to stand toe to toe with an amped up Spider-Woman gets cut off. Gwen isn't the only one who's in for a hard crash and Dom's is going to be much more immediate. She's been pushed too far, drugged by her own system. In a matter of seconds all that's keeping her from collapsing to the floor is Thea's metahuman hold.
*
"No grenades, Sunshine. She's not going to be in any sort of shape for anything like that." Thea will try to let Neena slump to the floor slowly, and not hurt herself more. "I will probably need help carrying her to the car, to be honest." She could just give herself the mother of adrenaline spikes for the strength, but someone should be chemically balanced.
She will tuck the amulet into her pocket for now, until she can turn it over to Hank's expert friend. "Damnit." She says under her breath, looking at Domino. But as she eases the hold on Dom, the power shifts to Gwen to heal the damage.
*
True to his word, Hank isn't gone long, he returns about ten minutes later, the Grenada parked out front before he comes back in. He's not in costume anymore, instead apparently wearing jeans and flannel and massive boots. Once parked he comes inside and will not have a problem lifting and carrying Neena the Napper, does that make him a Napster?
Regardless, the back seat has been lined with a tarp, and it is clearly fitted, get the impression this is not the car's first stint as substitute Ambulance?
Once everyone is loaded up, he looks to Thea. "Where to? If you don't know anyplace, we can get a motel room, I know a place near by that won't ask too many questions."
*
Gwen nods to Thea. "Alright," she replies. "Well… gotta check. That's my motto. Once grenaded, twice shy." She plants one hand on the ground as she hears the car pulling up, and pushes herself back up to her feet. "…Thank you, by the way," she adds. "I can… feel what you're doing for me, and it's wonderful. And so are you."
Somewhere along the line, she lost her backpack. Leaving it slung over one shoulder will do that. Fortunately, it's within view, and a quick webline and a little tug brings it back into her possession. Of course, right about then her phone beeps triumphantly, so she reaches into the pocket holding it to silence the thing. "Not now," she mutters, taking a step forwards towards the car.
Fortunately, it's not far, so she just sprawls onto the back seat. "I'm gonna feel this in the morning," she comments.
*
Neena's return doesn't bring much of a contribution to the ongoing discussion. A heavily slurred voice mutters "..God..dah…" before she's down for the count. There's a fair bit of dead weight to clean up thanks to her. It's probably worth grabbing the webbed rifle from the alley on their way out. Nothing to see here, NYPD!
Dom's so out of it she doesn't even get a chance to compliment Hank on his car.
*
There is a small, quiet thank you for Hank as he picks up Domino and handles her more gently than some might, all considered. "I don't know where I could take her. A motel may be best. I can pay for that, have somewhere I can keep her that isn't attached to any of us." Thea isn't wanting to take this home, thanks. Not even for Neena.
Thea will make a quick sweep to pick up anything identifiable to try and protect them all from investigation. She works more on healing Gwen, though she keeps an 'eye' on Neena to make sure she's stable, at least. "And once we're in, I'll order food."
*
Hank gets the car loaded, Domino in the front, separating her from Gwen but that much at least, and Thea and Gwen in back, this way Thea can reach both women if there's need. A nod to acknowledge the thanks. "Of course." Hank ponders the answer he's given, and then nods. "Motel it is, then." The car has a VERY stiff suspension, so the ride is a bit rough, the sound system is frankly /insane/. Currently playing is a bunch of 40's swing music, but low enough not to be obtrusive.
He did make a point of taking away the pill bottle Gwen held, recovering the spent injector, and the field kit before they depart. The drive only takes about twenty minutes, and then he leaves the car parked as he gets a room. Two fullsize beds, and in the back.
Offloading doesn't take too long, Gwen in one bed, Dom in the other, Hank and Thea probably at the table. "You're definitely going to feel it in the morning." Hank agrees with Gwen.
*
Before leaving, Gwen leans out the window of the car and fires one last webline; this one to grab Domino's assault rifle and pull it into the car, where she fiddles with the little lever to eject the magazine and pull back on the action to remove the chambered round. (Hang around with a police Dad long enough and you eventually pick up a few things.)
"Not gonna leave this laying around for kids to find," she explains, dropping the weapon on the floor by her feet. She's pretty quiet for the rest of the trip, and all too happy to flop down on a bed once they arrive at the motel.
Ordinarily, she'd fall asleep at this point. Ordinarily, anyone would fall asleep at this point; but she's amped up on drugs, so that's not happening. Instead, she just stares at the ceiling, and nods once in response to Hank. "Yeah," she agress. "I'm feeling it right now."
*
During the drive there's a moment where Neena stirs at the sound of police sirens. A hand carefully comes up to her forehead and her eyes slit open, looking ahead down the road.
That the next traffic light happens to switch to green right as Hank's Grenada approaches it, and that -another- nearby light turns to red and provides a little gridlock for the responding forces, is probably all one big coincidence.
A low groan and she's back out again, raised hand thunking against the passenger window on its way back to her lap.
*