2013-12-18 - No Pun-isher Intended

The night's are turning cold and long as the beginning of winter comes to bear, a place that is hit especially hard by the falling of temperatures and snow is the area with the most homeless and despair, Hell's Gate. On this night the slum of Metropolis has found itself as it usually does, with crime running rampant across its cold, poorly-lit streets... Atop one of the crumbling warehouses of East New Troy is a man hovering over another, both letting their breath rise above them into the air, the glow of a burn barrel illuminating their outlines on the roof. As the barrel crackles and a flame rises up, the gleam of a handgun is seen being thrust into the face of the grounded man.

'Dear Diary...

Okay, I know that Stephanie keeps a diary, and so does Cassie. It's this earth idea of being able to record your personal thoughts. Probably not always a great idea for someone with a secret identity, but still... it's good to get my thoughts out. Just going to do another sweep of Metropolis quick - seems like a pretty easy day. Just that grounded oil tanker off the coast of Japan, a few bank robberies and muggings on the East Coast, a fire in Washington (the state, not DC), and a few planes with engine failure.'

'Rao, I swear, if the public knew how many times I had to save planes from engine failure, no one would ever fly. Heck I wouldnt if I couldnt on my own.

Just going to check out Metropolis again before I go back to check on Streaky. It's usually not too bad in Metropolis though - most of the smarter criminals don't mess with a city where my cousin is.'

Kara looks down and sees, in the distance in Hell's Gate, a man standing over another man. She peers, and sees the gun pointed at the man on the ground. Time for action, as she flies down at the situation with superspeed.

'Then again, who said criminals are smart?'

The grounded man, on his hands and feet, backs into an old industrial air conditioning unit and is stopped cold as the standing man raises his weapon obviously suggesting an end to this situation. The man with the gun proceeds to walk back and forth before the grounded man, letting the light of the burn barrel cause an additional shape to come into view, a small skull on a dull background. After a few more breaths the man with the skull fires the gun, aiming for the forehead of the man on the ground.

Suddenly there's a blur, and the man on the ground is no longer on the ground, the bullet hitting the floor instead. Then from behind Frank, there's a girl's voice. "You know, usually people don't try committing murder in Metropolis. Well.. not without a whole lot of precautions."

She thinks. "Or because they're crazy." She peers at Frank and the skull shirt. "I'm going to go with choice B, right?" she says as she puts her hands on her hips. "So... are you going to put down the gun?" she asks. Behind her is the man who she just saved on the ground.

As the man is given a reprieve, Frank sees the reason and lets out quite a bit of steam as he holsters his weapon. He then crosses his arms and says, "It's not crazy to kill sex traffickers. They bring little girls from Europe to be exploited." Frank walks towards the edge of the warehouse and adds, "You probably aren't too concerned with that when you're up there saving 787's." Frank points to the darkened sky which has numerous planes moving about to their respective destinations.

Kara Zor-El looks back at the man on the ground. He's a sex offender? She looks back at Skull-Boy. Well at least he knows enough not to shoot at her. "Er.... okay well, if that's true... assuming it's true.... he belongs in jail. Pretty sure you can't go shooting them." She pauses. "So yea, it's a little crazy." She crosses her arms. "And yeah, I'm concerned about it. Also concerned about who you are and that you almost executed him here in the street. If he's a criminal, you could have brought him to the police. He's pretty clearly 'down' now. Who are you anyway?"

Frank lets out another big breath of steam as he looks off towards the distant skyline, finally he says rather grimly, "I am no one. I just do what has to be done down here on the street." Frank turns back from the skyline and says pointing at the still downed man, "This roach has gotten off twice because he's the grandson of a circuit judge. Go ahead, take him to the police and watch him walk and be back to working over little girls who don't speak English." Yeah, well, all bugs like this end up in the roach motel eventually, just a matter of time. "He isn't a 747 and he isn't going to get you on the front page, but when you stomp these types out, you make a difference."

Kara Zor-El rolls her eyes. This guy is something else. "Wow... you think I'm saving people to get on the newspaper." She pauses. "You know, you could testify AGAINST him so that he doesn't get off. However..." She peers. "I'm guessing the reason you don't testify is because you're probably also wanted by police for shooting lots of people who you decide warrant the death penalty? So who's fault is it that people like him are not getting sentenced?"

Kara looks Frank over. "Look.... sometimes I think the same way, actually. But you can't go and just play executioner and put yourself above the law. It's just... just wrong. You know?"

Frank peers around the girl before him and he says as he eyes the guy on the ground like the piece of fresh meat that he is, "Who says it's wrong? That guy?" Frank points at the meat marinating on the ground and he continues, "Whatever you are, your idea of justice is wrong." Frank smirks as he turns back and walks over to the edge of the warehouse, after a moment he climbs up onto the ledge and onto the rather rusty old fire escape. Just about to lower himself down, the man with the skull points up and says angerily, "Might as well leave him, he's no 747..."

Kara Zor-El pauses. "Hey! You know, I'm supposed to ... like... take you into the police for attempted murder. You know that, right?" She pauses and looks back at the sex offender on the ground, then at the psycho guy who keeps insulting her for saving 747s. What's with the 747 digs?? But can't really bring herself to actually grab him given her insecurity about all this stuff.

Kara Zor-El murmurs to herself, "jerk. Wouldn't save -him- on a 747..." Then calls after him, "If you try to kill anyone else, I'm going to have to take you to jail you know!" She looks down at the sex offender. "Okay um... I guess I'll take you to the police. Better that than a bullet right?"

The man on the ground opens a battered eye and sniggers in a Russian accent, "Why yezz, police me please..." Coming down the rusty ladder Frank peers up at the roof of the warehouse and says himself, "Need to figure out how to get around those people..." Coming back to his van parked just up the block he grabs his recorder and starts recounting the events... "War Journal XX Trafficking and powered entry... "On 18 December, 2013 I tracked Anton Nesterov to a warehouse in Hell's Gate. He surrendered quickly after first contact was made. He gave me the names and whereabouts of his contacts in Romania and Hungary where the girls are being shipped from. I had what I needed and no longer needed Anton. As I attempted to dispatch the target a super powered individual known as Supergirl appeared. She appeared very young, as I've seen in the news, but powered beyond anything I've encountered. She was faster than I could see and standing down was my only option. She took Anton, who regardless of incarceration will likely find his way into my crosshairs at a future date. Note to future encounters with power of this nature, get access to files on possible weaknesses if any." End War Journal