Pound Poppies (IC)

[Avenger Assembled]

Perched atop a warehouse roof, underneath a darkling sky lit by the fires of city light, Avenger watched as the huge dockside crane lifted the massive shipping container from the Eastern European freighter riding low in the water by the dock. He'd gotten a tip about the smuggling operation in the neighborhood, and had moved in to break up the operation before they could put their illegal cargo on the streets of the city. Peering intently from his invisible perch, he watched as the hard-faced longshoremen, members of a corrupt union local bought off by the Russian Mafiya, worked to quietly unload the great container. The boss was there, smoking a cigarette and pacing, guarded by men in ill-fitting suits negligently concealing Uzis beneath their greatcoats.

Frowning as he caught an odd noise, he leaned closer, trying to hear words being spoken several hundred yards away. They were prying open the container now, the boss maybe wanting to check the quality of the gear. To his shock, inside he saw not plastic baggies or huge crates, but row after row of packed animal carriers, each one carrying a large, sluggish looking dog of various breeds, the animals all looking drugged at best. Probably for the shipping, Jack thought clinically, When you're transporting live cargo secretly, you don't want it moving around or making a lot of noise...but where's the heroin?

[Lone Star]

From atop a warehouse a few yards away, Mad Dog was watching the same scene, completely unaware a similar dark avenger was near him. He glanced through his binoculars, and observed the poor defenseless dogs being observed for quality. It made him sick to his stomach that dogs were being treated in such a manner, and rage built within him. But he kept his rage inside. Giving away his position at this point wouldn't be smart. So until their backs were turned, he waited. He looked around, in the meantime. He breathed in the sea air, and felt relaxed. He would beat these monsters to submission soon enough.

He adjusted his leather mask. It was still itchy as all get out, but it protected his identity. He puffed out his leather jacket, and it brought him some relief from the evening heat. As much as he wanted to take the jacket off, it was part of the costume, at least until he could afford a proper outfit. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He was ready.

[Avenger Assembled]

As the two grim avengers watched the even-grimmer animal abuse being played out before them, the mobsters began their work with the dogs. It took Avenger only a few seconds to realize what was going on as the men pulled out the dogs and began strapping one down. As one of the big guys pulled a big carving knife, the kind used in butcher shops, Avenger made the connection. The dogs are drug mules! The Customs guy they bribed thinks they're smuggling fighting dogs or something, not drugs! And with that, Avenger was on the move, rushing down the side of the building to interrupt the slaughter!

[Lone Star]

Mad Dog's eyes widened, and he leapt from the rooftop, his huge WWII army boots clomping on the pavement. He began to feel fury rise up inside of him. This injustice would not go unpunished. As he raced towards the scene, he tightened the mask once again, and hoped it would be enough to conceal his identity.

This is what you've been training for, Gregory. This is why you're out at 2 o'clock in the morning wearing a leather jacket and a dog mask. Truth be told, the reason his heart rate was increasing at such a rapid rate wasn't fear. It was anticipation.

[Avenger Assembled]

Moving into action, Mad Dog was just about to reach the scene when suddenly everything seemed to explode. A black-clad figure moving with near-impossible speed fell among the thugs, fists and feet flying, and within the space of mere seconds the gangsters and their cronies were all down for the count, groaning in pain as they lay in puddle of their own blood, bodies battered and beaten by Avenger's onslaught. With the thugs down, Avenger stood proudly on the field of battle, thinking now about what to do with all these dogs.

A moment later, though, the scene changed: in a flare of light just behind Avenger, a humanoid figure appeared: clad in a shiny silver space suit with a heavy bubble helmet, it looked like nothing from this world. The Astronaut blurted in a mechanical voice "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! WHO HAS TAKEN MY PAWNS!?" With that, it fired a devastating beam of sizzling plasma at Avenger, scorching black leather and dead flesh as the vigilante rolled and took shelter behind a crate.

What the hell was going on?

[Lone Star]

Mad Dog arrived at the scene just as Avenger was making the first hit. He stood back, and winced as the men screamed out in pain. Damn...what a badass. Gregory thought to himself as he watched Avenger verily smack the crap out of the thugs.

His eyes widened as he saw the metal spacesuit rise above Avenger. He had to shield his eyes as the burning plasma beam struck his fellow hero. There was no more time to waste, and Mad Dog entered the field of battle, brandishing what appeared to be a leather dog collar. He grinned beneath the dog mask, and he ran up to the alien astronaut, and clambered on its back, attaching the collar to its neck.

I hope I'm not totally screwed here.

[Avenger Assembled]

Nimble despite its bulk, the Astronaut ducked and weaved, Mad Dog's stun collar failing to close on its armored neck. "FOOL!" It shouted. "IF I CANNOT HARVEST MY CROPS, I SHALL DEVOUR THE PESTS THAT HAVE TAKEN THEM FROM ME!" It raised its arm, hands glowing with awesome cosmic power, but had its aim thrown off by Avenger, whose kick at its face knocked it off-balance. Avenger's blow had been a glancing one, though, and the monster didn't look hurt. "I SHALL COOK YOU BOTH WITHOUT RESORT TO MY PLASMA RIFLE!" And with that it concentrated, pointing at the interloper, and Mad Dog felt his body begin to heat up!

[Lone Star]

Mad Dog shakes off the mental attack, and recovers within moments. Damn, that was rough. I need to take this guy down. He ran around to the strange astronaut's side, and readied his fists.

He growled in rage as he took a punch that would knock out a pro boxer at the spaceman's side. He hoped it would be enough, although he wasn't sure how much damage his brass knuckles would do against the thick armor. "Hey dude!" Mad Dog said, as he punched the astronaut. "Uhh...nice costume. What's your name?"

[Avenger Assembled]

The Astronaut staggered under the heavy blows of the two superheroes, Avenger and Mad Dog striking together like lightning as punches and kicks from the two powerful vigilantes sent the heavily armored alien staggering. "Avenger," replied the man in black, not sure to be glad or happy that he wasn't famous enough to be recognized. Tough when you can't be photographed, he thought philosophically. "Think he's staggering. Hit him hard as you can, now!"

[Lone Star]

"They call me Mad Dog, and you got it, buddy." Mad Dog lunged at the astronaut, launching his fist right at its stomach. "I don't know what you are, spaceman, but you're going the hell down." He really felt, as he threw the punch, like a real superhero. Doing team ups with a fellow dark hero! This was unreal.

[Avenger Assembled]

Mad Dog's punch sent the alien astronaut reeling, the villain staggering backwards as it clutched at its midsection before disappearing in another flash of light. "Guess we taught him a lesson," Avenger guessed. "I can't believe that thing was going to eat all these dogs..." Nearby one of the gangsters was starting to rise, and Avenger kicked him in the face hard enough to knock his teeth out. "I guess we should get them to the vet before something bad happens."

[Lone Star]

"Sounds alright to me, Avenger. Wonder what the hell that thing was. Regardless, thanks for helping out. I probably wouldn't have been able to take down that thing by myself."

Mad Dog looked inside the crates and made sure the dogs were alright. "I can take care of things from here. But it was good to meet you. Hope we can team up again sometime."