ic Playdate

[RocketLord]

GM

 

"Hey!" 

 

Arrow had leapt off the walkway at just the wrong moment. The man she tried to ambush had seen her, quickly raising the gun in his hand to take aim... only to be hit square in the face by her strike, taking him down with a single blow.

 

"There's someone here!"

 

"Get'em!"

 

The group that was huddled together over something drew weapons. Some of them, at least.

 

The lone guards to the West side of the warehouse ran towards the first shout, the first quickly coming into view and raising her gun, the shots going wide and missing the archer. "She's here! She got Jimmy!"

 

The sound of the shots being fired echoed through the warehouse.

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

Charlie was already moving when the man shouted and the shouts rang out. The others had dropped down and were taking out bad guys. Alright, cool, but Arrow had been spotted, and they were outnumbered. THey could probably take them all out, but why not put in a little insurance? 

 

"Switch to night vision, I'm dropping a blackout bomb." His voice was a whisper into the commlink, no need to give anyone else a heads up for what he was planning.

 

Reaching the elevator, he grabbed a small round object from his utility belt and dropped it to the floor below. The moment it hit, thick darkness spread out from it, quickly covering the insides of the entire building.

[KnightDisciple]

Raven III

 

While Arrow was the target of one of the guards, the other one was out of sight of the main body of criminals, distracted, and otherwise a perfect target for a predator. And while Raven was no blood-sucking monster, he was still a predator after a kind. So he simply activated his night-vision, raised a hand, and launched a grapnel line. 

 

The grasper "claw" snagged hold of the catwalks, and with a quiet hiss, Raven ascended, his cape flaring like the wings of his namesake. He pushed off just so with his legs right as he left the ground, and gave another push off just the edge of one of the standing crates as he moved. Those subtle points of contact gave him a lateral swing, instead of just an ascent. He began to move, swinging over the clouded-out group in the middle, before it became clear (at least to Nevermore) that Raven was headed right for the isolated man to the north-west. Once his swing shifted to be "aimed" at the guard, Raven twitched his hand just so, and the grapnel released. His cape flared wider as a few moments of current arrested his momentum enough that the coming impact wouldn't cripple him or the gun-toting thug.

 

Instead, the impact merely jarred the other man's bones as Raven descended more like a hawk or owl, hands outstretched. Just before impact they sparked with current, and once again the dark avenger of Freedom City grasped his target's mouth with one hand, while his other knocked the man's weapon away and delivered a pair of blows to his mid-body. Then, they struck the floor, the armored vigilante landing on top of the criminal, his prey struck low by his sudden attack. 

[Cubismo]

Arrow's grip on her bow tightened slightly as realized she made been made by the thugs. That was the extent of her frustration on the surface though. Instead of dwelling on it, she fell back on her training and started to move out to shake off her spotters. Using Nevermore's smokescreen as cover, she ran towards one of the nearby containers and ducked behind it. Not planning on staying out of the fight for more than she needed to, she peeked out from the container and looked for a worthy target.

 

Through the darkness she spied the crook that tried to get a shot off of her. Retrieving one of her "standard arrows from her quiver, she notched the arrow, and pulled back the bowstring. With only the slightest audible sound of a thwish, the arrow was  launched into the air in a rush. Halfway towards its target the arrowhead of the bolt burst and expanded into a boxing glove.

 

Olivia always though the idea of a boxing glove arrow to be utterly ridiculous, but Bowman vouched for it, and if it worked it worked.  

[RocketLord]

GM

 

"This won't do at all." One of the men that had gathered under the skylight spoke up. He was standing with his foot on something on the floor, but even with night vision goggles, it was difficult to make out in the darkness. "Do as I say, and you might make it out of here," he continued, looking at two of the men, then motioning with his hand for them to go around the elevator, on either side of the containers. He looked to one of the other men, a large fellow and nodded with his head towards the elevator. It was difficult to make out any of their features at the group's current positions.

 

While the three men moved away, he continued to speak. Something changed in his voice. There was something very wrong. It was difficult to explain, it was a primal sense of dread that seemed to spread from the man.

 

"Run along now, little heroes. You are in our house now."

Edited October 29, 2020 by RocketLord

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

What was that? That voice? Charlie felt himself gripping at the railing without even really thinking about it. Why would he do that? The guy was just talking, and... he just wanted to turn back, get out of there? How? Why? It didn't make any sense.

 

A chill ran up his spine, but at least he noticed the big man that moved under him. Perfect position, he couldn't pass up the chance.

 

Reaching for his belt, he pulled out a small cylinder and dropped it on the man. It quickly expanded, exploding into a wire that tried to grab around the man. Acting faster than his size should let him, he sidestepped it, evading just at the last moment. 

 

He shouldn't even be able to see Charlie, so how did he do that?

[KnightDisciple]

Raven III

 

For a split-second, Alek actually did lock up at that voice. Something in it echoes back to his days as a child, when he was but a tool. It raised his hackles. For a microsecond, he felt fear...

Then all he felt was anger. It was good the thug he'd attacked was already unconscious, else he might have soiled himself at the expression on the Raven's face. Without even a sound, he raised his arm, fired out a grapnel line, and swung through the air.

 

He landed, a shadowed wraith, next to the cluster of criminals in the middle. Even as he lashed out at one of the men seemingly guarding the mysterious speaker, his own voice rasped out, his cowl adding just enough distortion to make his own voice inhuman.

 

"This isn't your house. This is my city. And you're the pests inside the home."

 

His hands snapped out like snakes, sparking with shocking power along the fingers as he jabbed and punched at the man in front of him. The man who didn't immediately fall down...

 

"And I'm pest control."

[Cubismo]

Just as Olivia was enjoying the rush of satisfaction that came from a successfully hit, a wave of utter panic suddenly took its place. Feelings of failure and parental disappointment and disgust invaded her mind like an arrow to the brain and for a second it was too much. Until it wasn't. She was Olivia Elizabeth Lord. Some loser goon leading a circus of low-lives could not and would not scare her. With her head cleared, Olivia reached for another arrow from her quiver and eagerly plotted out who was going to get to the face.

 

She would have greatly preferred for said target to be the nitwit who had the audacity to try and mess with her head, but the various containers blocking her way made the shot impossible given where she currently was. She'd have to move around them and the various smoke-blind tools that were looking for her in the dark before she could the give wannabe terror a piece of her mind.

 

Until then, she contend herself with dealing with the tall brute that somehow managed to avoid Nevermore's snare. Given just how big he was, Arrow pegged him as an easy target, a fact that she totally intended on holding over Nevermore's head once this was all despite her own mistakes tonight. With but a pull of her right arm and well-timed release she sent another bolt flying through the smoke-lidden air.

 

 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

"Hn." The big man moved to the side, somehow sidestepping the arrow that Arrow had shot his way as deftly as he had evaded the snareline that Nevermore had thrown at him. While the two thugs that had accompanied him moved past the containers, one of them swinging a baseball bat at Arrow, but unable to see her in the darkness.

 

The man that Raven had hit shook, trying to regain his footing, but with little luck. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure, while the other man next to him raised a gun to fire at the Raven at close range. Unable to see him properly in the darkness, the shot went wide.

 

Up close like this, the three men in front of the Raven were differently dressed than the others he had taken down so far. They wore Victorian clothes, an ill fit for the two bodyguards, but fitting much better for the slim young man that gave the orders. Even in the darkness, he smiled as he spoke once more.

 

"Little bird, little bird." His words were like shards of ice being jabbed into the Raven. "You have rested for too long. Your city is ours now."

 

Behind the Raven, near Arrow, the large man grabbed a container and threw it directly at the nearest wall. It blew through it, as he stepped forward. He towered above Arrow, his own Victorian dress shirt having the arms torn off, his clothes torn and ripped. Olivia could see the manic look in his eyes, his lips twisted back into a wicked grin. "Found you."

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

Who were these guys? The big guy moved around, not even being hit by one of Arrow's shots, the others actually took one of Alek's punches without going down and... what did he do? It didn't seem like they had spotted him from up here, but he couldn't just stay on the walkway and let Alek and Arrow deal with these guys.

 

With the crash of the container being thrown, Charlie made his choice. Reaching for his utility belt, he pulled out a small baton that quickly telescoped into a staff. Stretching out his cape with his left hand, he leapt from the walkway and landed behind one of the thugs making their way towards Arrow.

 

"Comin' through!" 

 

Not the best battlecry, but he just needed their attention for a moment as he jabbed the staff into the first guy's solar plexus, then pulled it back and swung up, hitting him straight in the jaw and knocking him down. Moving up, he leapt above the falling man and slammed the staff down on the next guy's shoulder, drawing an audible snapping sound. While the thug stumbled, Charlie spun around, slamming the staff into the side of the man's head to knock him down.

 

Finally, he moved forward, pushing the staff into the ground and using it to leap ahead of the big guy, tumbling around while shouting for him, hopefully drawing his attention away from Arrow.

[KnightDisciple]

Raven III

 

For just a moment, the man's words once again stopped Raven in his place. And once again, the vigilante simply grit his teeth and moved through. 

 

"You don't know fear. You don't know pain. I do. Let me show you."

 

He moved suddenly, with a force and ferocity that seemed inhuman. He angled for the smaller man who spoke with the strange power, but one of the bodyguards put himself in the way at the last moment. Raven just smirked.

 

"You'll do."

 

In the blink of an eye, the bodyguard was suddenly held as surely as if he was bound in iron chains. Raven held a single hand against the back of the man's throat; the guard's face was pressed into the ground almost effortlessly. The vigilante crouched on him like a predator, a single foot somehow placed just so such that the man's hands were restrained along with his body. His feet were free to move, but Raven was well clear of any kicks. The dark avenger just smiled, his teeth gleaming, the gloom and darkness shading it such that one might wonder if he had fangs. 

 

"Still think this is your city?"

[Cubismo]

Behind her mask Arrow's eyes narrowed as she saw her shot go wide and go right past what should have been an easy target. That glare turned into an outright grimace when one goon with a bat tried to get swing off of her while she was momentary distracted. Though she deftly dodged the blow and allowed the blind idiot's own momentum to send him running right past her in the dark, it hardly improved her mood.

 

She had planned on making a few shots on the apparent leader that Raven was currently tangling with after dropping the tall enforcer but fate apparently had different ideas in mind as said enforcer was slowly but surely making his way towards her. 

 

Fortunately, Charlie managed to stall the tall man's approach just long enough that she was able to get at another boxing glove arrow from her quiver. Using the extra time she had from Nevermore's distraction, she pulled back her bowstring in an usually aggressive fashion to add an extra bit of draw power to her shot. Confident that she'd get the tall bastard this time around, she aimed right at his head.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

The big guy grunted as he moved his arm up, catching the arrow in his forearm instead of being hit in the face. He grunted, pulling it out and throwing it to the side, before charging forward, straight towards Arrow. 

 

"Sidekicks."  His tone was derisive. Arrow and Nevermore were clearly beneath his notice. He swung a massive fist down towards Arrow, cracking the ground where he hit on his miss. Up close, he looked up to be in his early twenties, maybe 25 or 26 at the most, but his features were warped and distorted, impossibly muscular.

 

"You don't know anything, little bird." 

 

One of the bodyguards moved in between Raven and the spooky man, being caught in the grapple instead. The man took a few steps back, his lips parting in a wicked smile. He was young. Around Alek's own age, but there was something about him.

 

"You will learn to fear us again, little bird."

 

While the bodyguard caught in Alek's grapple tried to break free, the other raised his gun and fired. The darkness distorted his aim enough that the shot went wide, the bullet flying just past the Raven's cowl.

 

"The House of Usher is everywhere!"

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

Did he just block an arrow with his forearm like it was nothing? Charlie moved out of the way while the big guy charged straight at Arrow. He couldn't just let him do that, he... and he missed.

 

And did he just crack the ground? This wasn't just a regular arms deal anymore, was it?

 

He took an arrow like nothing, he threw things way heavier than them. If the big guy caught them, they were history.

 

Flicking a switch on his staff, Charlie sent a charge through it, while he ran towards the big guy.

 

"Yo, don't forget about me!"

 

Dropping to his knees, he slid under the big guy and thrust the staff up into his ribcage, sending a massive shock into his body.

[KnightDisciple]

Raven III

 

Raven was not a man given to fear, to abject terror. Terror had been beaten out of him at age 4; fear had been pruned and thinned by age 7. But he could certainly feel concern and surprise. And the statement that this man represented the house of Usher, a group he had thought defeated permanently and utterly? That was enough to rattle even him. Rattle him enough to see the bodyguard slip his grasp and rise up to challenge him directly once more.

 

'I need to hit the training room harder. Charlie does too. Maybe we'll both wear Vests.' he thought sarcastically to himself as he slipped into a more active stance once again.

 

As the one thug took aim, he merely had to lean his head slightly to one side, which he did with utter calm. 

 

"Your house may find that it's been built upon treacherous ground, petty thief."

 

Suddenly, his cape whirled forward. The bodyguard in front of him might confuse it for an attack in and of itself, at first. It is not; the cape is merely a distraction. The real attack is a pair of blows that land like hammers. The first strike is to the man's right shoulder, just where the collarbone meets the shoulder proper; a joint, a weak spot. The other blow is a more traditional one, delivered with gusto to the man's solar plexus, driving the air from his longs, and perhaps his lunch from his stomach. Both of Raven's gauntlets continue to course with electricity, seeking to cause locked muscles and painful spasms in his target. To leave him essentially useless on a battlefield.

 

And make no mistake, this was a battlefield indeed. 

[Cubismo]

Arrow watched aghast as her muscle-bound freak of a target blocked her arrow as if it was an especially annoying gnat. "Oh you have to be-" She stopped herself mid-rant. Lords didn't whine, and Olivia did not plan on breaking that tradition, especially with Nevermore and Raven around. More over there was the continuing fight that she still had to attend to.

 

Giving a Nevermore a quick, and slightly begrudgingly, nod for his takedown of the big guy, the archer promptly moved out again in such of fresh targets. She rather quickly not one but two under the warehouse skylight. Raven seemed to have one on the ropes but the two still looked capable of carrying on. Wanting to remedy that unacceptable situation, the archer rapidly fired her shots at the two goons, each one primed to release another punching glove to the dom.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

The bodyguard shook his head, turning and shifting, unable to get his footing. He stumbled about, trying to figure out what was up and down, while the other took aim directly at Raven, pulling the trigger of his gun again and again, not that any of his shots found their target.

 

The Usher sneered, looking at Arrow. He had been scratched, even as he moved out of the way of the burst of arrows that had flown his way. "Birds and arrows, all together now. You will not move another inch, Little Arrow." Intense fear rose from him as he stared at Arrow, threatening to paralyze her.

 

Then, he pulled back, quickly turning and starting to run to the North, away from the heroes. 

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

Ha! Even Arrow had to respect that move! 

 

Charlie was brought out of the victory the moment later when he heard shots being fired at Alek. The boss could take them, of course he could, but... didn't hurt to go take a look, right? He aimed for the ceiling with a grappling hook, quickly pulling himself up and letting go in time to land on the catwalk just above the boss, just in time to see someone running away.

 

"Hey, nobody said you could leave!" A quick throw of a Ravenrang at him and... his shot went wide, hitting the floor where the guy was moments before. He really should give it a bit more practice.

[KnightDisciple]

Raven III

 

"No one said you could leave." came the inhuman growl from the Raven. His mouth was set in a snarl, and he snapped a powerful right cross at the wavering bodyguard in front of him. The blow landed perfectly, striking the man hard enough to drive the wind from his lungs, again, and lifting him up just right. Which meant that the hard elbow to the side of his neck struck the pressure point with the correct amount of force, aided by the sparking taser-gloves, to render him completely unconscious. 

 

Without even stopping his rotation, Raven moved like lightning. His cape whirled through the air, a brief distraction as his foot snapped up in a classic hook kick to his solar plexus. The blow left the man bent over and wheezing, which let the axe-blow to the back of his neck land soundly. The second guard wasn't entirely out of the fight yet, but he was sufficiently slowed that Raven could afford to activate his commlink.

 

"Some overwatch fire would be handy right now, Bowman."

 

Some heroes would hate asking for help like that. Raven didn't care; the Mission came first, before even his pride as a warrior, as a hero. 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

As if on cue, glass shattered above the group. A body fell, hitting the floor hard between the Raven and Arrow, where he lay still. Even in the darkness, their night vision goggles made it clear that it was the Bowman. 

 

He was bruised and battered, glass shards stuck in his body in several places. His costume was ripped, the bow he still held in his hand was broken in two. He was barely conscious, struggling to rise. 

[Cubismo]

Arrow shook off another mind attack that tall, dark and bothersome tried to hit her with. It was a bit easier this time around, but still didn't make fighting it off any less unpleasant to deal with. The archer was of a mind to pay the head goon an arrow to face as recompense only to be blindsided by something, no, someone plummeting right in front of her as she was about to pull said arrow from her quiver. It did not care her long to identify the fallen body.

 

"Bowman!" A part of her wanted to chastise herself for screaming out when there were possibly goons about who would spot her position. Another though couldn't be bothered to give a damn. In the end, the latter won handily as she moved to her mentor's side. Working quickly, she fetched several new instruments from her utility belt that would help figure out what the hell happened to Bowman.

 

Despite his fall the prognosis was... well it wasn't great but it wasn't catastrophic either. He'd live, though, Arrow severely doubted he'd be of much help for the rest of the fight. Through her comms she said as much to Raven and Nevermore even as her eyes searched for whoever got him in this state in the first place. "I have Bowman. He's stable but he's out of it and I don't have eyes on who got him."

 

 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Usher moved back further, towards the wall. He smiled, made a quick bow.

 

"A broken bow will have to do, I think." He pointed at the Raven. "Don't worry, little bird. We will find you again."

 

Putting his hands out to the side, he moved back towards the wall, eventually passing through it, as if it wasn't there at all.

[RocketLord]

Nevermore II

 

"I got him!" Quickly aiming his gauntlet to the skylight, Charlie sent a grappling line up towards the window.

 

With a quick tug, he let himself be pulled up towards it, quickly rising. Ravenrang in hand, he leapt up, stanced himself and... Nothing.

 

He turned, looked around just to be sure, but nothing. They were just gone. He reached for his cowl, sending a quick message to the others.

 

"Roof's clear. Whoeever did that to Bowman is gone."

 

So, what now?

[Cubismo]

 

Nine out of ten Nevermore’s empty-handedness would have set off Arrow ire but instead of giving him a pithy remark she let it go. Or maybe she was just in a more appreciate mood at the moment given that her mentor wasn’t going to die today. Either way, she focused on getting him back in HQ for some real medical treatment.

 

“We wouldn’t have had time to deal with them anyway. We need to clean up this mess and get out here quick,”

 

She carefully hefting the ailing hero up and tried to get him back on his feet. “Can you stand on your own?” She asked seriously before quickly adding in a lighter tone, “You’re not exactly a featherweight and your deadlifting regimen isn’t in the same league as your archery training, sorry to say.”

[KnightDisciple]

Raven tensed as Bowman fell, and he started to move for the pretentious criminal...and then the man was gone.

 

"So that's what that feels like. Hn."

 

He turned to the two young apprentice heroes. His face was carved from stone, even as he took Bowman gently from Arrow's arms. It was clear he had an easier time with his fellow hero's weight than she did. Probably due to his out-massing her by a decent margin. 

 

"Arrow. Overwatch on the balcony. Nevermore, keep him stable. I'll get our ride out. The police have been tipped off; I know the Captain on-duty but best we're gone."

 

The dark avenger of Freedom was entering commands into a hardened palm-top computer even as he spoke and handed Bowman off to Nevermore. 

 

"After he's loaded I need both of you to burn any trace of him. I don't trust our gentleman's agreement with law enforcement to stop enterprising busy-bodies if the get blood samples."

 

As he spoke, a rumble like a barely-leashed beast grew louder, before stopping right next to one of the big loading doors. Raven's free hand flashed out, and a feather-shaped throwing weapon sprang out to hit a lever just so, causing the door to raise even as the feather flew back to his hand. He caught it and tucked it away, manipulating it in a long-practiced move that had it reducing to a quarter of its previous size. Outside, the intimidating bulk of the Unkindness rumbled, a side door folded open to show a pair of passenger seats. More than a brief glance showed they were made of some type of slick plastic with no grooves or holes; clearly the potential situation of "transporting a bleeding and injured hero" had been anticipated.