2014.02.11 - The Second Shipment

It's a Tuesday morning at 10:30 am, and Dinah didn't get her cup of coffee. For once, she hadn't even noticed--she was running on adrenaline. Weeks ago, she was having an unrelenting series of dreams about impending doom, and while that was due to Scarecrow's drugs--hardly an omen--but the emotional impact still resonated with her. She wasn't going to let it be an omen. She knew that if she didn't find these high-tech weapons the Maggia were bringing into Gotham soon, it'd be too late. She didn't know the plan, but she knew that time was of the essence.
Getting records from the city, cross-checking them against falsified information, the paperwork alone took two hours at City Hall, as she waited for their administrators to care.
It only took her ten minutes to cycle over to South Gotham--the centralized warehouse for international 'art dealer' Luciano Costa. En route, she called Tony Stark, asking for him to rendezvous at the site. "Tony, I think this is where the second shipment of weapons ended up."
After arrival, Dinah was so worked up, she wanted to kick down the front door and start busting heads. But, being more reasonable than that, she quietly climbed to the roof of the neighboring building with a pair of small binoculars and watched for movement.
Jack Hawksmoor had been sitting in a smokestack of one of Gotham's many poorly regulated factories, the thick fumes filling his 'lungs' with their chemical pestilence, nourishing his inhuman physiology with toxins. Since there wasn't much to look at in a smokestack, Jack scanned the signals in the air, flickering through radio stations, cellphone calls, wifi networks, "This morning on KGOT" "I can't GET NO.." "Do you feel lucky, p-" "the second shipment of weapons ended up." Hmmmmmmmmm. That last one was no movie, but a private broadcast, on a relatively well-encrypted frequency. Worth checking out.
Moments later, he's capering across the Gotham rooftops, leaping across wide alleys, bouncing off of flagpoles. His skin absorbs the soot clinging to his skin, the grey-green patina of pollution fading, even drawing into his pores off his clothes like a mist, only that sharp chemical tang to his scent remaining as he finally finds himself nearing the source of the signal...
Over the skies of Metropolis..
Tony is out for a little flight, taking in the sights of the city from the air. Times like this give him time to think, and clear his head.
Well, what little time he can get, anyway.
Flying not too far above the rooftops, Tony picks up a familiar face on his HUD, appearing to be trying to flagging him down. Coming in with little room to touchdown, he choose to hover instead of land in his usual manner. The faceplate retracts revealing Tony's face. "You know, Canary," he says, teasing a little, "we have to stop meeting like this. It's how rumors get started. What's up?"
Dinah squatted in a cold corner on the neighboring rooftop for a few minutes, occasionally peering out around the area to check out the scene. She noticed some small, concealed security cameras on her third sweep. Shit... she missed those before. Did they see her climb up? She had her doubts, due to the quiet and lack of response.
She feels a sense of relief with the armored flight of Tony in her sight. She waves her arm, trying to get his attention, which works.
"Tony," Dinah decides not to explain the background--Tony knows half the story anyway, so she just gets the point. "Can you scan inside the place next--"
Before Dinah can finish the sentence, she felt a whipping, crackling scorch in air, a few feet over her shoulder. The raw heat seemed unnatural, and she shuffled to her left to look: it was some kind of freakish, loud, bright, sustained energy beam, and it was being fired at Tony, hitting him on his shoulder, piercing his armor!
"Tony!!" Dinah shrieked, and lept along the edge of the rooftop towards the source of the beam. She'd dropped her binoculars, but she could still see someone with a plasma rifile on the roof of the target building. It looked like a woman, and she continued to fire at Tony. Dinah wasn't sure what to do, but considered sneaking down and up to the neighboring building. Why hadn't she considered this possibility?
Jack Hawksmoor had just caught sight of Canary and Tony, crouching across from them and about to make his presence known when the energy blasts start to come in, making Dinah dance and hitting Tony hard. Jack, like Canary, zeroes quickly in on the source of the attack, the woman firing from a building catty-cornered to his current perch.
Seeing nothing else for it, Jack leaps into the air, somersaulting until he lands on the edge of the rooftop with a shout, "Hey! If we're going to play lazer tag, I insist you give us at least a five minute head start!" he calls. A bit ham-handed, perhaps, but it will hopefully give Tony and Dinah time to breathe...and draw the attackers attention from the spindly, metallic antenna behind her, detaching itself from the building and beginning to scurry like tiger-sized spider, intending to pounce...
When the blast hits, Tony. Two things happen: 1 - the faceplate immediate engages and activates and 2 - Tony is knocked ass over tea kettle a couple of times by the force of the blast. He's in a heap, and the shoulder joint of the armor itself is severely damaged.
"Sir," JARVIS says from within the helmet, "I am reading critical damage down to the superstructure layers of the armor. All actuators and systems in the right arm are non-functional and immobile."
Tony is panting a little, as he gets his bearings. He hears Dinah coming closer, and shakes the cobwebs out. He rolls to his side and gets himself up to one knee, because standing right now would be stupid. "You get the license plate of that truck, JARVIS?" he asks as he does this.
"Yes, sir. The force that hit us, cross referenced with the ionic charge ahead of the blasts are consistent with plasma. Triangulation places the shot as coming from two roofs over and from a range of approximately sixty yards. Tracking the aggressor now, sir. Incidentally your vitals are normal. You are uninjured."
Tony nods, "Start working on rerouting systems so I can at least have flight stabilization in that hand. As he says this, a small rack pops up on his left shoulder, and sends a couple of the mini-missiles towards where the shooter was. He didn't get a lock, though, and was largely shooting from the hip out of reflex.
The woman firing the plasma rifle was Lady Bullseye, and she was being paid to run security for the warehouse. Caught off guard, she ceases her assault on Tony Stark when Jack starts taunting her. She turns to him--seeing the little antenna moving, and gives it a confused-mixed-with-frustrated growl. She hadn't gotten any briefings on this guy. A wildcard She tosses out a small device from her belt at the moving antenna, showing a remarkable aim and reaction time. The device unfurls quickly into a metallic net and wraps itself around the walking-antenna. The attacker grabs a large hunting knife from her belt and tosses it with lethal aim towards Jack's neck. "Best run along now," she says matter-of-factly, "You don't know what you're up against." She took a few paces back and scoped the situation below.
Dinah Lance had rushed back over to Tony once the plasma rifled had stopped firing, and saw some mild, stinky smoke emanating from his armor's shoulder. She hoped he was alright, and quickly pounced onto the ladder she'd taken to get up to this roof in the first place. She was heading over to the target warehouse, but before her head dipped below the roof, she told Tony: "I'm heading over there."
Jack Hawksmoor watches as the electro-net hits the antenna, wrapping around it. Of course, it feels nothing, so no real harm done, other than countering the first line of attack. The thrown knife is countered with a springing back flip, Jack kicking the knife to spiral up into the air as he lands back on his bare, metal plated feet with a clank.
"Ah, see, now, I knew you were a bad guy, but not that bad. 'You don't know what you're up against'. Tsk tsk, I do hate a plagiarist," he says, holding out his hand and catching the knife at the hilt before it can hit the ground, "See, that's -my- line," he says and leans forward as he exhales thickly, drawing the fumes contained within him from the smokestack from where they were stored within. He's already leached some of the toxins, leaving merely a grey-black cloud of choking smoke that pours from his mouth and nose, swirling and diving like a trail after a jet as it tries to consume Lady Bullseye in its choking embrace.
Iron Man nods, "I'm good. I can't get airborne yet so I'm stuck lobbing ranged weapons until I can get off the ground." he looks over to Canary. "Get her." is all he says. JARVIS is continuing to re-route power so that he can get off the ground. "I should have you flight capable in one minute, seventeen seconds sir." the AI lets him know, and places a counter in the lower right hand corner of the HUD.
Lady Bullseye realized she was now up against a genuine metahuman in Jack, and she needed back-up. So she back-uped, quite literally, diving off the roof, latching her rifle onto a back strap. On her way down, she fired a small device from her belt--and a cable was released, latching itself onto the warehouse's wall, which slowed her descent down three flights to a non-leg breaking speed. Two seconds before hitting the ground, she tossed up smoke of her own, throwing a handful of dust-cloud like pellets into the air, meant to obscure Jack's view--a chance for her to plot her next move. She thought she was pretty slick here, grinning as she landed in a running-ready stance. This was when Dinah lance came into sight in front of her. She slid her arm down to her belt once again, reaching for her plasma rifle. She figured she had enough time to hit Dinah--but didn't know if Dinah had the nerve to use her Canary Cry at this range. Considering the situation, she took the calculated risk to get her gun instead of running.
The smoke bombs might've worked well against an average opponent, but Jack's senses are far greater than mere eyes, the bricks and mortar of the city itself tracking her movements for him. When Dinah arrive to confront the villainess, Jack decides a bit of assistance might be in order. Binding his will to the dumpster towards the rear of the alley, he commands and it obeys, a loud groan coming from its rusted frame as it flicks down the alley to try and collide with Lady Bullseye. Jack has a firm grip, able to stop it before it could reach Canary, attempting to either knock LB into Dinah or to at least provide a significant distraction.
Dinah at once saw the rifle pointed at her, and desperately scattered to hide behind something. But there weren't many options. Lady Bullseye's grip slid around the plasma rifle, taking just a split-second to bask in the thought of being the one to earn the rep of killing Black Canary, but the moment was interrupted by the godawful clanging drone of an animated garbage dumpster racing bumpily at a high velocity in her direction. She turned her head to see what was heading towards her, but wasn't going to let this moment slip away, squeezing the trigger multiple times, firing at Dinah wildly. She cursed that she wasn't making aimed shots, but her attention was quickly taken, as she screeched at the dumpster hurling towards her. Lady Bullseye tried to dive-dodge the monsters, steel box, but her legs and lower-torso were hit with a slam, and she spilled out onto the already-broken asphalt ground below, reeling from some severe blunt force. Some bones were broken, but she didn't have time to analyze it. She plucked at her ear with one hand, while trying to drag herself along the ground with the other. "Backup. BACK-UP!" she shouted.
5..4..3..
"Sir, we're becoming flight ready. Also, tracking the trajectory of those blasts and there are several that will strike Black Canary if not deflected."
"Or absorbed," Tony mutters. He grits his teeth, jaw tensing from within the helm. "Alright, plot us a course. Let's see how many of those we can take care of." - This is gonna hurt. Lots.
"Course plotted, sir." the AI responds "2..1..flight rest--"
"Do it, JARVIS."
Iron Man flies forward at six percent velocity. He moves horizontally like a diver executing an Olympic grade move. Three of the five shots from the rifle would've hit Black Canary. Tony reduces that to zero, taking shots in the armor's chest next to the reactor, abdomen, and upper leg between the thigh and the knee.
The armor goes careening after taking the shots, slamming up against a buildings wall, leaving an Iron Man shaped hole there before sliding down to the alley. There are all sorts of sparks, arcs, and billows of smoke. He doesn't move, and the armor's glowing blue eyes flicker unsteadily.
Jack Hawksmoor lands in the alleyway on top of the dumpster, arriving in a crouch, the soft red glow deep in his irises as he looks down at LB. As she tries to call for back up, he snatches the signal from the air and starts speaking. Jack's voice comes not only from his throat, but out of the bud nestled in her ear, "I'm sorry, your call could not be connected at this time. If you'd like to try again, please wait until you reach jail, 'cause they will allow you a call there. Just the one, though,"
Dinah let loose a flurry of panicked, colorful phrases when she saw Tony get blasted protecting her. "TONY!!" she shrieked, and ran towards him to investigate his condition, noting that somehow a garbage dumpster had been let loose on Bullseye, and she was on the ground. She didn't understand what happened there, but her non-technical mind just thought it must've been some magnetic-trick Tony pulled. She stood over his armor, watching it crackle in the aftermath of the assault, bending over to look. "Tony--" she said, her tone frazzled and worried, "Tony--" She felt anger, and her eyes welling up with tears. If he was dead, it was partially her fault... she'd pulled him into this. She'd made him a sitting duck.
The warehouse's door opened, around the corner, and one particularly large, vacant-eyed mobster came strolling out, armed only with a handgun. He was investigating the noises--they'd practiced firing these plasma weapons out here before, it was pretty dead around here, but it might be more this time. He spotted the four people on attack and just stood there, dumbfounded.
"Shoot them, you idiot!" Lady Bullseye shouted, now pulling herself towards her dropped rifle, keeping a panicked, wide-eye on Jack.
Within the hud, there are red warning lights flashing all over the place. Tony coughs, which can be heard outside, but the sound's different. It's not a digitized sound like normal, but more like someone trapped in a tin can, which Tony effectively is right now.
"Sir," JARVIS says, voice sounding scrambled a bit "There's massive damage to the armor. Re-routing power to anything is impossible, as the first blast severed one of the main power couplings. The shot to the abdomen has destroyed the main power cross-junction, and the shot to the leg took care of the battery backup system as well as flight countermeasures. This suit, sir, is effectively destroyed. I've already begun fabrication on a replacement at the Tower, but you will be out of power in twenty five seconds. I'm advising you to eject, sir."
"Ugh.." Tony says, sluggishly, Do I have time for one more trick before I get out of this thing?" and coughs again, "Yes sir, but only one. Your vitals are also looking a little shaky. It appears that you have a hairline fracture of the sternum, a slightly bruised kidney and a bruised femur. You'll make it sir, but you'll be moving slowly for a few days."
Tony grimaces, "Noted. Target all remaining mini-missiles on hostiles and fire, and activate the final solution for the suit. I'm punching out. See you back at the Tower, JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
Three things happen at once:
1. The pod on the left shoulder fires the remaining two mini-missiles on the rack, streaking towards Lady Bullseye and her thug(s).
2. The suit's front retracts into itself, and Tony manages to stand, limp severely a couple of steps and then fall to one knee.
3. Three seconds after Tony leaves the suit and kneels, there is a loud hissing sound as a thick grey liquid covers the suit. Over the next several seconds it melts into a puddle of thick, viscous goo and begins to evaporate.
Tony coughs again, wincing, "That sucked." he says roughly.
Jack Hawksmoor is about to say something pithy and biting at Lady Bullseye, only to see Tony's missiles streaking their way. He leaps in the air, one foot touching a missile as if he were using it as a stepping stone, going high and flipping over. As he does, he flicks his wrist and the top layer of grimy, alley asphalt peels and rolls, trying to grasp Lady Bullseye and roll her up as if with a carpet.
Dinah's expression shifts fours times over in rapid succession (sadness, to surprise, to confusion, to relief), as Tony emerges from the suit.
Lady Bullseye reflexively threw her weight forward in an effort to lunge away from the missile that headed her way, despite her injuries. She might've even dodged it, too, had it not been for Jack's asphalt trap. The explosive impact hit her legs, and she grunted, nearly passing out; immobilized. More missiles, to Dinah's surprise, immediately turned towards the corner of the building. JARVIS was following Tony's command, and had detected some more henchmen about to show their faces. Their faces were met with large chunks of concrete volleyed into them. They fell over, screaming and whining pained obscenities into the normally quiet warehouse district.
"Something tells me these weapons were made specifically to for this purpose," Dinah says, trying to subtly wipe away her tears, sounding back-to-business. Dinah didn't like showing her feelings in the middle of a conflict. She turned around to look at the scene behind her, seeing the damage the missiles had wrought. And then spotting Jack. She wasn't sure who this was--he didn't seem like a Maggia grunt, but they were never hesitant to outsource. She stepped forward, feeling protective of Tony, and called out to Jack. "Are you going to be a problem, too?" she quipped.
Iron Man takes a few moments to shake off the grogginess of the blast, and stand up. He leans against the nearest wall and looks over to Jack, "Actually I think he was helping us, Canary." he gets out his phone, "JARVIS, send a car but take your time. We're not quite done here. Also - don't tell Pepper about this. If she asks, I'll just say I slipped in the shower or something."
"Of course, sir."
Tony looks back over to Dinah and smiles, "No worries. I'm fine."
Jack Hawksmoor sits on the ground, legs crossed Indian style as he feels the pulse of the city beneath him. It's strong, powerful, a rippling sense as he tracks any who flee, "I was, although I'm sorry I couldn't keep you from getting cracked like an egg, Mr. Stark." he says, "Jack Hawksmoor, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
While still giving Tony's suggestion the benefit of the doubt, Dinah approaches Jack cautiously, trying to surmise what he's up to. "Thanks for the assist," she says in an even-mannered tone. "I'm... Black Canary. Justice League. Would you mind helping us check out the interior?" Dinah says, nodding and turning slightly towards the door to the warehouse.
Iron Man waves a hand off, "Call me Tony. I tend to be informal with people I fight alongside, and don't worry about it. That one was do for an upgrade anyway. Was that you, with the dumpster and the asphalt and all that? Nice piece of work - TK?" he asks, curious. He hears Dinah introduce herself and ohs, "Justice League also..and Avengers." he makes a few steps over, limping a good bit as he does so.
Dinah's looks concerned as she eyes Tony's limp. "You're going to stay here," she says, like she were directing a puppy. "Got any way to contact SHIELD? They're going to be interested in this," Dinah comments, gesturing over to the rifle that Lady Bullseye had dropped. "Same kind we found at the last spot." Taking a few steps towards the warehouse, she continues speaking. "We'll need to bring her in for questioning. Bet she knows more than the others."
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