2013-07-11 - Mission: Intergang: And Through The Windows

Intergang, a criminal organization that seems almost religious in nature from the 'other' Earth has been rising in influence and activity since the assassination of Kingpin by the Joker. Could Joker have been an assassin, or was it merely a random event? Either way, the Joker is still out on the loose, and the gangs have already began to bicker over Kingpin's territory. That was, at least until Intergang showed up. Steadily, they have been putting pressures on the gangs to either join up with them, or die. Simple enough offer really.

And honestly, Traveler wasn't planning to get involved with this, but her hopefully final trip to Egypt was postponed and she wanted to check the status of things. Right now, she is at the edge of a roof in Hell's Kitchen, her knees bent, forearms resting against the tops of her knees as she leans forward a bit to peer over the dark streets as most of the lamps are broken in this section of Hell's Kitchen.

Daredevil has likely has had his hands full, but matters are only going to get worse. Right now, Intergang is taking down a rival gang in what appears to be an abandoned apartment complex. In reality, people know there are druggies and gangsters that stay there to not have to pay rent or rather not much to their illegal landlord. Through some of the windows there are flashes of eerie light from energy rifles going off, a greenish tint.

Traveler's cloak is pulled up to cover her red hair as she mmms softly, thoughtfully. To get involved or not? She has been struggling with indecision lately...and she doesn't seem the type to defend bad guys from other bad guys as long as innocents aren't caught between them.

Iron Lad shouldn't get involved in this thing either. Gangs are a problem for the police. The Avengers are supposed to take care of serious threats, like alien invasion, or powerful super-villains like Dr. Doom or Ultron (or Kang). He did pass Hopes warning to Tony Stark, but then he didn't hear anything. Maybe Stark told SHIELD? More likely he told the NYCPD.

But he was patrolling, and his armor sensors picked up the energy spikes of energy weapons that shouldn't be around in this time and place. He changed course and descended to roof-top level, and then he spotted another recorded energy signature. This time a time-travelers one.

Yes, he remembers she said she wouldnt get involved. But he is not very surprised. That little redhead does not seem the kind that can not get involved. She is probably in the middle of it all, which means Iron Lad should get there too. Hmph. What would Reed Richards do in this situation? Scan for those advanced weapons using the sensors of the armor, perhaps. That should locate all the armed goons of one of the sides. He also opens a communication channel with the Academy. Iron Lad reporting from Hells Kitchen, coordinates... he gives a string of numbers. Illegal use of high energy weapons. I am going to investigate and try to make sure no one gets killed. Please contact the police. Seems strange they are not here yet.

His appearance in Hell's Kitchen in time to catch the gang fight being par of the course at this time. Others may hesitate as to if they should intervene, but Spider-Man doesn't. Lasers or no, he plans to save everyone... Even the people who'll no doubt start shooting at him when he tries to save them.

The most effective means of entry to the building for Spider-Man would involve crashing through a window. Still, that would provide some surprise and potential cover as the glass goes flying, and the nearest room to him has three gang members trying to hide behind an upturned table which isn't surviving against two Intergang goons. One gang member seems to almost start burning up, screaming in pain. This...isn't a happy sight. Iron Lad would be able to sense this is a total warzone, as life signs flicker and disappear. If they are going to do something, it will have to be quick.

The screams surprisingly don't bother Traveler, she has grown up hearing them. The pain of death and suffering were a daily part of her life practically. But she does notice the light in the air as Iron Man's jets glare obviously against the dark backdrop of Hell's Kitchen. Her heart seems to almost skip a beat suddenly, his words flowing back to her. "This is...insanely stupid." But she then starts to move finally. She stands up and then steps back. With a running leap, she then flies up into the air and takes one of the preferred methods for Spider-Man, through a window. Her body girls up at the last second as she smashes through and rolls across the dirty, trashy ground, grunting at the impact and hoping she doesn't get stabbed by any needles on the way. The room she selected though, is empty.

Nathaniel is a born strategist, very good making plans. Give him a problem, any problem; he will solve it in a quick, efficient way. Jumping through windows without a plan... that is not him. But that is just what Hope did! And there goes a famous here, Spider-Man.

Also, someone is dying in a room not fifteen yards from him. Multitasking! He dives, to follow Hope into the building, and his left gauntlet reconfigures the standard forceblast into a precision X-Ray laser. A short burst is fired, which go through the concrete of the building as if it was paper, the cuts a half an inch thick hole into the Intergang members energy weapon, leaving it useless. So getting involved, after all? He says to Hope.

Spider-Man's entrance is the window. He swings through feet first, twisting in the air so as to best fire off webbing. He intends to disarm the nearest of the Intergang thugs. "You kids and your new toys. Are you trying to make me and my web shooters look bad?" Spider-Man's moving as soon as possible, trying to draw attention (and fire) and then making sure he doesn't actually get hit. For now the other heroes don't get too much attention from Spider-Man, he's more focused on trying not to get cooked.

And Spider-Man will need his spider senses in the close quarters of the small apartment. As he twists to dodge bullets and an energy rifle from the thug beside the one Spidey just knocked down, he can see the eerie lights flash about him. Pretty, isn't it?

In either case, someone else is moving down the hall, a redhead with an energy handgun herself, though she only has one out right now. She moves quietly, but quickly and actually moves to sneak up to the one in the main living quarters of the apartment, shooting into the bedroom at Spider-Man and the two surviving gangsters. At the last moment, the gun is slipped into her thigh strap and she instead pulls a knife from her boot. Suddenly, the Intergang member is flying backwards over Hope's shoulder, and instead of breaking his gun arm, she uses the knife to slash a muscle there...disabling it entirely which requires less strength and time than breaking the mobster thug's arm. Though she does make a swift kick to the head to then knock him out, giving Spider-Man plenty of opening to take down the two shooting happy gangsters. Though honestly, at this point, one of the two is shooting an empty gun as his last bullet flies in Spidey's general direction. Awwww, looks like Traveler listened to what Iron Lad had to say after all!

Though Iron Lad may draw the quick logical conclusion...Traveler only got involved to watch heroes backs, though she didn't realize Spider-Man was there till she saw him bouncing about in the room after being drawn to the gunfire.

Iron Lad was also going to mention Spider-Man was around, which in his never humble opinion is pretty cool. But looks like Hope is not even listening. On the other hand, she seems to know what she is doing, so he goes for the next cluster of gang members, one floor up. Bursting through the floor, he sends an electromagnetic pulse trying to disable the energy weapons electronics. It doesn't help when the regular gangers open fire with normal handguns. But they are steel weapons, so he creates a magnetic pole to try to draw them off their hands.

Spider-Man twists, flips and leaps around the room, using what little space is available to him with surprising efficiency. He fires webbing at the normal hand guns, while avoiding the blasts of energy. He can clog up guns with webbing, energy weapons require more thought. "Wow guys, I've got to say, all this attention is flattering, but maybe next time you can try something a little less violent." He frowns a little at the EMP pulse. "Wow... I should really start carrying tech with me... gadgets definitely help. Though I'm pretty sure my budget's stretched keeping my costume stitched."

The floor above Traveler and Spider-Man suddenly finds its electronics inoperable, including...the alien tech within the energy rifles. Well...let's just say, the Intergang thugs are more than willing to run right now.

While the gangsters are hopeless, Traveler then says, "Shouldn't you knock them out or something? I'm going down, away from the tech myself." She looks like she has some high tech on her, so big reason she would want to avoid the EMPs. She sounds young when she speaks, but the tone is confident and firm as she then moves into the hall, knife held in one hand, and pulling an energy handgun in the other. She didn't kill though...and she had the chance to.

Iron Lad is happy to see the energy guns are not shielded against pulses. Not that advanced, after all. But still much deadlier than the slug-throwers of the other gangsters. Which are still being fired, and he is now a target too. "Stop shooting at me! We are trying to save your worthless lives!" He sounds more annoyed than angry. "Okay, have it your way..." he grumbles. Again, he needs a few seconds to reconfigure the weaponry of his gauntlets, but then he starts firing repulsor-like force blasts to the gangsters. Set to stun because he is trying to play by the rules.

The young girl gets a glance from Spider-Man, he doesn't seem inclined towards knocking out anyone he doesn't need to, instead he goes for simply webbing those gunmen he's managed to disarm, to whatever handy surfaces present themselves. He seems to pay them only a half mind as he makes to check for more trouble. "Now you stay there until the cops come. No reason you should be shy... I get a feeling they'll really want to see you."

Traveler is soon down the stairs to the next room, this time trying to shoot at arms and she has to aim for legs. The blood is...perhaps even greater than a kill shot, as it splatters repeatedly over the walls. But she takes people down without costing them their life, and when a battle comes close, she goes in with knees and elbows, violently and effectively bringing them down, using a head butt on a crack head gangster to knock him out. Chaos incarnate is Traveler's fighting style.

Still, it leaves the middle floor for Spider-Man to double check. And finally, after Avengers Academy getting involved, do the police sirens finally get heard within the night.

Iron Lad comes down when the last gangster is unconscious and the gunfire has ended. He has a chance to compare Spider-Man's neat and mostly harmless webbing with Traveler's more bloody, go-straight-to-the-hospital system. Yes, looks like Hope is not Avenger's Academy material. Not a big deal for him, but it is something to consider. "Looks like we caught most of them, and all the high-tech weapons," he picks up one to see if he can learn anything useful with a cursory glance. Also taking readings for the Avenger's files. "So, this is the Intergang business you mentioned last month?"

Spider-Man gives the Intergang guns some attention, muttering to himself he makes a note of learning more about them and how they work in the future. Then there's the sound of sirens and Spider-Man's making to leave the building before the cops arrive. It would seem the Webhead is shy.

Traveler does reappear at that point, and nods as Spider-Man departs. Though her attention then turns to Iron Lad, "I'm out of here, and...yes," she states. "And any deaths weren't by my hands, but many need medical attention." Compromise, how about that? She moves to tap the chunky metal bracelet on her wrist, some keys upon it within a hidden compartment.

"I know you didn't..." starts Iron Lad, then he turns to see Spider-Man leaving. "Wait, I..." gone. "Damn, I would love to talk with him. He is quite the legend in my time, did you know?" He looks at Hope again. "Do you have to go? I would like with you too."

Traveler pauses, and looks up at the tin laddie. "About what?" She sounds wary. "And does it have anything to do with the cops that I already hear car doors slamming as they get out?" Ya, definitely doesn't want to stick around for the cops.

"No, if you want I can take you out of here," replies Iron Lad, gesturing in direction to the shattered windows. "I just want to talk about time travel, culture shock, events and details that I find strange and interesting and that everyone else seems to find boring and normal. Perhaps over dinner?"

"Wait, culture shock and time travel is normal?" A pause, "Wait, you mean normal for -us-, don't you?" See, Traveler gets it! "Seriously, dinner?" Alright, she sounds confused and looks a bit unsure. Is this really wise? Still...she...doesn't really have anyone else she can talk to about this stuff. She has to keep her distance from Cable, and keep secrets from everyone else...but...she finally nods. "Not so sure about dinner with me in this getup, but guess you can grab some fast food and we can eat it on a roof top or something," Traveler suggests. "First, we got to get out of here though." She walks toward you, moving to wrap her arms about your neck as if...ya...she's used to doing something like this. Still, she mostly did it with Cable and a little bit with Warpath back in the day.

And that ladies and gentleman, is where the mysterious 'first date' begins...and those awkward moments are not for sharing!