Summary:Another night in the zone, another interesting incident Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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The Disaster Zone is truly a disaster - though there's been efforts by some to fix that. One of those things is the Horizon Academy that has a gala opening in the next day or so. On the borders of the Zone, the school is designed for the 'gifted'.
Tonight, a dark skinned heroine in a yellow and black costume is patrolling that area and looking for issues with physical security. "Given T'Challa's involvement, Black Panther, I wouldn't put it past Klaue to send his thugs to disrupt the opening." She's saying.
A glowing silhouette of an eagle appears behind her as she lifts into the air… not too far, but she wants an eagle eyed view of the layout below.
"I would tend to agree though we haven't seen any evidence of such movement yet." When Vixen lifts into the air she leaves behind a man in a black catsuit. That is the best word to describe it. It's black and the head of it literally is reminiscent of a cat. He's perched on the top of a crumbling four story building easily visible from both above and below. He's also clearly not worried about his footing giving way.
The Black Panther, for that is who this is, folds his arms and looks around. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Wait. "Vixen. To your right about thirty degrees. What is that?"
Meanwhile, a third figure is swinging about the Disaster Zone, and if Spider-Man seems more interested in the area of the Horizon Academy, it's mostly because he figures some ne'er-do-wells might try to make a target of the new school. But he does route his patrols through the DZ now and again, just on general principle. He may style himself as the 'friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,' but he doesn't usually pin that down to *one* neighborhood.
One swing comes to an end at its high point, and rather than spin out another line to continue onwards, Spidey lets his arc carry him to the roof of a relatively intact building not too far from the new Academy. He doesn't have the best view of it from here, but there's an open plaza which would, he thinks, make all too convenient a staging area if somebody were up to something.
He didn't quite catch Vixen's eagle, either. Maybe he would have, a few seconds sooner or later on that last swing. Maybe he'll notice it on his next.
Or maybe Vixen, and/or the Panther, will notice him before he spots either of them.
"Maybe they haven't but it's Klaue and he seems to like to strike from the shadows." Mari says, circling around the glowing eagle shining against the dark sky behind her. The woman turns to her right, using the eagles vision to aid her surveillance "Someone just made that building their perch. Go to the left and circle around, I'll come in from the right - we can catch them before they cause any problems."
It *might* be another super, Mari acknowledges that but they've had too many encounters to be anything but cautious.
She banks and starts her approach, making sure she is obvious - drawing attention from the fact that there might be someone approaching from behind.
As she flies, a glowing panther joins the eagle and cruel claws appear at the end of her fingers.
"If they cause problems. Remember we've run into non-hostiles out here before." The cat suited man takes off at a run and comes around via the rooftops. He's got a hell of a leap. That'll give the friendly disaster zone Spiderman plenty of chances to see him, though. He's moving quickly but not so quickly that there's not time to mark his approach.
"Got a visual." The Panther calls up. "Suited. Suit looks familiar…?" It does, it really does but it's not coming to him just now.
Either way the Panther makes that final leap and slides to a stop on the building, far enough away as to not seem immediately threatening.
"Nice day for a rooftop walk." He calls out to Spiderman. "Though a rather strange neighborhood for it."
Sneaking or not, Spider-Man stands up a bit straighter as Vixen soars towards him - coupled with Black Panther making his presence known on the roof behind Spidey. The hero in red-and-blue just holds his arms up, looking between the other two. "Figured I'd take in the sights," he says cordially. "Traffic's going to pick up tomorrow from what I hear, so this seemed like the best time to scout the area. Nothing sucks like a traffic jam when you've got somewhere to be, you know?"
His demeanor is casual enough, and Spidey gradually lowers his arms again, settling into a crouch that might *look* awkward, but is (for his limber self) pretty comfortable. "You checking the neighborhood out too?" he asks the Panther, inclining his head in the general direction of Horizon Academy (and Vixen). "Making sure nobody with skulduggery on their mind is setting up to make trouble for the school when it opens?"
"Nothing immediate to my eye on the east side."
Steve's voice filters into the comms in a calm, keen manner. With the spangled shield on his back, he takes a moment to pause in the shadow of a half-fallen wall of a gutted building. His eyes behind his cowl-helmet narrow at something, but he quickly calculates that it's simply a very large New York City rat doing some rummaging.
"Coming back around to you both now," he then adds as he breaks into an easy lope to cover the rest of his travel to rejoin everyone. He hears both remark on the sudden arrival of an unknown; the immediate reaction is to reach for the shield in a smooth, practiced motion to ready it on his forearm even as he banks around the final corner of perimeter. "You got eyes on 'em?" The Captain peers up at the building from where he stands now.
"Four sets in fact." Mari quips over the comms as she comes to land on the other side of Peter. It's Mari McCabe, aka Vixen - she's known as both and doesn't hide her identity. She's also one of the 'patrons' of the new Horizon Academy - named in the release that went out recently.
"It's a Spider, Cap, come on up." She says before addressing Peter directly. "Spider-Man. Traffic will pick up, yes and we're making sure it is safe. There's been a lot going on down here. I'm Vixen, this is Black Panther. If you're patrolling, we welcome the aid."
As Cap is making his way up the building, there's a movement on the next rooftop over. "Looks like we might have company." Mari says.
Black Panther gets a glimpse of a gun - so very similar to the ones that Klaues folks use. Steve will too as he joins them.
The gun seems to be aimed at part of the wall.
Spider! Yes, that's right. It had slipped the Black Panther's mind but that's why that suit looks so familiar. He's seen it in the papers. And read some rather long winded editorials about how much of a menace this guy is. Rather polite for a menace, he must say.
The black suited man relaxes a bit and glances over toward where he knows Cap will be showing up then back to Spider Man.%r"We were yes. With everything going on it's not a stretch to think some people might object rather violently to a school like this and there have been recent problems in the Disaster Zone." A thought seems to occur to him. "Tell me, are you going to be patrolling when this place opens?" Like… during the opening? "If so keep a watch for mercenaries. Military type. Very organized, VERY well armed."
Steve's seen some of what they can dish out. Also T'Challa's mic is still open so… Steve can hear that.
"I'll be in the area, yes," Spider-Man replies. "Not necessarily on patrol, per se, but I'll be there." He hesitates briefly, then shrugs haplessly. "Day job, I'd probably be there with or without the heroic interest."
He pauses, twisting most of halfway around to look over at the rooftop that caught Vixen's attention, then rearranges himself so he's facing fully in that direction, the eyes of his mask narrowing as he focuses his attention. It was a different tingle than he got when the heroes came over to say hello, and less specific, but …
Looks like it was a good night to come around on patrol.
"Roger that, McCabe."
And yes, the Captain does faintly smile to himself at the name-play involved. He's quick to find a side-entrance to the building and make his way up the multiple floors of stairs to arrive at the rooftop looking not the least bit winded — must be that thirteen miles he runs every morning. Insofar as the company? One can see by the set of his chiseled jaw that he's not impressed.
"And here I was hoping nobody had objections to the opening," he says half to himself and half to his fellow comm-listeners even as he moves quickly to see about adjusting his angle of approach.
More loudly, he adds to Peter in particular, "Nice to meet you, met Spider-Woman not too long ago. Got to see some of her work with webs, hoping you can dish out the same." Then comes the balanced spinning discus-thrower's dance across the rooftop before he releases the spangled shield dead at the torso of the first shooter — as he sees the silhouette of another beyond. "Second shooter!" he huffs even as he lands, ready for the rebounding return of the impossible shield.
"What are they doing …" Mari muses as she narrows her eyes to see a little further. The eyes of the cat and the bird are wonderful for that. "I think the welcoming committee has arrived a little early."
The shield from Cap frisbee's out and takes the first shooter down - it's a little comical really, how the figure goes sprawling and his gun skitters away to the side.
"Can you get the second?" Mari says to Spider-Man as his spider senses really jangle. The shield has drawn attention of the second and he's turned the weapon on them. "I'll keep his attention and you flank."
The first shooter isn't out and he scrambles for that gun, rolling up onto his knees and taking aim at Steve, T'Challa and Mari.
Yep, that would be why the next roof over got his attention. Spidey's first thought is to just go straight in, but there are too many uncontrolled variables - like being blasted while he's still in mid-air; he may be good but he can only defy so many laws of physics at once. "On it!" he replies to Vixen, then leaps off the building's corner, launching a webline at the corner of the shooters' roof as he angles into a dive …
A dive which becomes a swooping, looping climb, bringing him back *above* roof level behind Shooter #2's back. A second webline thwips forth in the split second that Spidey's got the angle he needs, and no sooner has it adhered to the gun than Spider-Man gives it a good hard *yank* to try and disarm the guy. And if the gun just so happens to carom off the shooter's noggin, all the better … but at the worst, Spidey should be able to drag the line of fire *away* from his new friends on the first rooftop.
"Watch out!" T'Challa says, pushing Mari and knowing that she'll and on her feet. He dives off the roof knowing that sonic weapons fire might well make it an untenable place to stand. Halfway down the wall he snaps out his claws to slow his descent long enough for him to get his feet angled and kick out again in a pouncing motion toward the offending weapons.
The Panther is a melee fighter. He can throw things but he generally prefers to get close. At the same time as this is happening though, there is a pale blue-green disk that begins to form above them and then starts to vortex as if it is a small and very languid tornado.
Noooo now is not the time.
Back comes the Vibranium shield and Steve's immediately got it on his forearm, ready to block any sonic attack this time around rather than get rattled into the nearest wall for another Rogers-shaped dent.
If he sees the creation of the eerie vortex, it factors little into his decision to take a few steps back and then launch himself in a surprisingly deft launch across the empty space between the buildings. By the manner in which he cocks back his throwing elbow, the shield's going to make another play even before his landing there, its aim intended for one of the shooters somehow STILL on their feet — stubborn suckers, these ones.
Mari is shoved and tumbles from the edge. The Panther is correct in that she will land on her feet, though it's the eagle that catches her and lets her fly. She banks and climbs, readying for a dive bomb attack as that disk appears just as she nears. She doesn't get time to ask what the hell it is.
She's very, very, close to it.
Spider-man webs the weapon - surprising the shooter as he does. He also manages to 'yoink' it so the man tracks him with the weapon, just as the trigger is pulled again - a wave on sonic energy buffets Spider-Man pushing *back* towards the group as that disk opens.
Ouch. That's gonna hurt.
Steves leap is true and puts on him on the rooftop just as the Panther bounces in. Now there's two super heroes heading for the first shooter. That weapon is turned towards the two of them, as the shield pushes it high … the sonic energy, aimed for that disc in the sky.
The Panther tumbles past the shooter to let Steve get a hit in and comes smoothly around the back with a chunk of masonry which he is absolutely going to crack the guy over the head with if Steve hasn't put him down by that point. Okay, actually honestly he's going to crack the guy over the head one way or another. This is what you get for signing up with Klaue.
That sonic energy disturbs the vortex, like it's a physical thing. Like it's a SOLID thing actually. Which it does seem to be. Some concrete is drawn sharply up and just impacts and shatters on the vortex.
The itsy bitsy spiiiiiider climbed up the water spout… It sounds like a child singing but it echoes faintly as if it's coming from everywhere and… it is ever so slightly creepy.
Orrrrrr that could happen, thinks Spider-Man as he unwittingly drags the gun into pointing right at HIM when it fires - and the sonic shockwave blasts him right bakc off the roof, spread-eagled by the force, and his grip on both weblines lost thanks to getting bludgeoned full-body by an invisible sledgehammer travelling at the speed of sound.
Even with the wind knocked out of him, though, Spidey manages to fire off a fresh webline as he drops below ceiling level, and then absorbs what he can of the impact when said web diverts his plummet into an arc, his body colliding with an outer wall. He's gathering himself to climb back up when the sound of an old nursery tune reverberates around the area …
Spider-Man's mask does an excellent job of hiding the wince which travels across his face. The fact that he's probably out of line-of-sight with the others covers the rest of it well enough, as he swiftly ascends back to the fray on the roof.
"Okay, Blaster," Spider-Man calls out as he clambers into view of the others. "Time to put your cassettes away and play nicely, or do we really have to pack you back in your box the hard way?"
BWOCK — the shield makes its impact off the shooter's chest and angles back to Steve once more, leaving T'Challa more than open to crack the shooter's head with his purr-loined piece of masonry. The Captain jumps to catch the shield with the smooth motion of long-practice and lands again in a readied crouch behind it.
The singing is something that grates to his ears like the run of sharp fingernails against the lay of his hair. Grimacing, the man risks a look over his shoulder towards the oddly-hued maelstrom. "'m gonna guess nobody's responsible for the lullaby here?" he calls out over the general ruckus of the tangle with the shooters.
Having seen the Spider-Man get hit dead-on by one of the sonic shoots — ouch, Steve knows that well enough — he's in the process of darting over to see about helping the young man up onto the roof. There the young man is, after all, and Steve pulls up short in his quick jog, only to look at the disc and back at Peter.
"You know this thing?" he asks, giving Peter a searching look likely a little intense in the moment.
"What in Anansi's name is that?" Mari calls, winging away from the vortex and landing beside the Panther as he scones the gunman with a piece of masonry. Her hand brushes her pendant as she speaks. "You looked like you recognised it …" She'd caught the look.
"Cap, how's Spider-Man…"
Steves shield certainly sends the second gunman sprawling. The guy lands on the roof near Spider-Man as he climbs up. They should probably make sure that he's out this time.
Doooooown came the rain and waaaashed the spider ouuuut. There's brief, high pitched echoing laughter, as if from a child. And then a loud mechanical noise and a frantic, much more adult scream.
Honey! Get away from the window! Get down, GET DOWN! Another mechanical noise, shattering glass. A child's scream. The vortex turns from a pale blue green to a deep, ominous purple.
We need to hide. A child whispers. We'll be safe here, Mister Snuggles.
The vortex spins wildly and then explodes outward. The force of it… isn't all that great. Just enough to feel but not enough to really push anything but violet energy washes over everything and every one. The Black Panther shakes his head slowly. "This place is… disturbed. But then you know that. We'll need to keep an extra close watch on it."
And the iiiiitsy biiiiitsy spiiiiiider climbed up the spout again… That last echo fades and then once again everything seems normal.
Hard way it is, apparently - although Spider-Man doesn't really get any more licks in. He doesn't *take* any, either, for which he's thankful; he's going to be sore for a while as it is. "Not someone I actually know, Captain," he replies quietly to that most American of heroes, "but what else was I gonna call him on short notice?"
Once he catches his breath, Spidey's apparently well enough to take care of making sure that the shooter is both unconscious, and not in serious danger from getting knocked unconscious - nothing life-threatening, or the like. "So, any idea who these goons are?" he asks Black Panther and the others, rising to his feet once he's done with that check.
"Looks like he walked it off," Steve quickly asides to Mari over the comms, his attention still on Peter. Confirming his suspicions that the web-slinger doesn't know the villainous disc, he quickly turns in place as he hears the eerie singing vanish away like mist in the sun. The backwash of energy from the detonation of the maelstrom has the fine hairs on his neck tingling.
Down goes the shooter in finality and Steve looks to T'Challa and Mari both before back to Peter again. "These're folks who're gonna regret whatever they just thought they'd try 'nd pull tonight," he says, reaching to tuck the shield to his broad shoulders again. "'ppreciate you being present, Spider-Man, kept a lot more trouble at bay." He offers Peter a sincere, curt nod of his head, still militant in his composure even as he walks over to join the small gathering of those still standing.
Mari frowns as the vortex fades and glances to the Panther. "I think we should visit your ancestors…" she murmurs. With the gunmen down, she nods to Steve and Spider-Man "Great help, thanks Spider-Man. If you ever need a hand, look me up or Cap." She'd offer the Panther but he's not as easy to get a hold of - if he wants he can offer his own contact details. "You can find me at McCabe Industries during the day, normally."
Nudging one of the guys with her toe, she shakes her head. "Let's get the police to pick these guys up and then check out the wall and see what damage, if any, was done."
It's going to be a long night and Mari suspects she'll be alert tomorrow during the Gala.