2013-12-19 - Welcome to Bludhaven

War Journal XX

After receiving a lead from a junkie in Hell's Gate who had dealings with the target, I tracked Nikita Vasilevskiy to Bludhaven. He has a front he has set up alongside a renowned but decaying gym named Grant's. This meeting isn't going to work out for him... End War Journal

Bludhaven isn't what it used to be, urban decay has done its job. Shops are closed, marketplaces that used to teem with people searching for a deal sit idle. On top of all this the homeless have moved into whatever crevice they can find. Bludhaven doesn't have a future at this rate...

With the middle of the night approaching Frank Castle takes a hard right down an alleyway in Bludhaven, coming upon a Russian who calls out in the usual accent, "You better turn around my friend..." Frank shrugs at that and unholsters his 1911, firing a shot into the forehead of the guard at the door. Frank drops the gun down by his side as he steps over the dead man to the door, which of course is locked. Frank peers up and down the empty alley and gets to work setting the door with explosives. After a few moments of setting the C4 Frank plugs the blasting cap and moves down the alleyway, setting the detonation cord behind him

..................BOOM

While Bludhaven may sit in the shaodw of Gotham, its lifeline cut by the interstate, it still has a protector. Nightwing is on his way to gather information on the front by Grant's Gym. He is too late. Nightwing is only a block away when the gunshot and detonation cause a scowl to appear on the man's face. Quicly poking his head down the alleyway where he hears the noise, Nightwing grips one of his eskrima sticks, but waits to see what this new figure is doing in his city.

1...2...3...4..

Frank waits and sees two figures appear out of the smoke, the first he downs with another gunshot, causing the silhouette to fall through the smoke with blood gushing from his neck..

Terrible shot. Need to clean that up...

Frank ducks behind an old dumpster as the other target finally decide to return fire with his automatic weapon, most likely an AK-47. Frank smirks at this as he unplugs a M84 stun grenade from his plate carrier, pulls the pin, lets it cook for a moment and then tosses it down the alley. The small explosion and brief pause of returned fire allows Frank to rise from his cover and double tap the guy holding his ears. Frank moves back to the door and inspects the explosion damage.

Can never have enough C4...

Frank slowly steps inside the two-story building and calls out in Russian, "Come out Vasilevskiy, we have business!"

Well, this is really bad. Nightwing then has both eskrima sticks out, and certainly not pleased to see people outright murdered in his city. He would have acted sooner, but it is usually a bad idea to bring a stick or two to a gun fight. Letting the conflict resolve and using the action to provide a distraction, Nightwing is able to move relatively quietly down the alley, readying an eskrima stick to bring down on the man who is killing people in his city.

After a moment of silence in the old building Frank pauses and peers up the stairway and he hears someone trying to ease their way up to the roof. Frank goes ahead and changes the clip in his 1911 as he begins making his way up the stairs himself. Coming to the second level Frank peers into the office and sees it to be empty. His eyes move to the safe in the corner that is opened and emptied, as if someone was looking to exit real quick after the stir downstairs. Frank smirks at that as he heads up to the roof with his 1911 leading the way.

Nightwing scowls as he cannot make the distance to attempt subduing Frank, but he at least can pursue, though electing to take the fire escape instead. After putting his sticks on his hips, he silently climbs up it, though with some speed. The metal occasionally creaks as his feet land on them, but could easily be confused for simply being the sounds of an old fire escape.

Nikita was going to make his way down the fire escape, only to see another character making his way up...

Frank exits the stairwell onto the roof and comes before a man clutching a briefcase rather tightly, scared for his life. Frank keeps the gun trained on the man as he comes upon him and takes the briefcase aside, tossing it back towards the stairwell.

Frank then says in Russian, "stanovit'sya na koleni..." The man gets down on his knees and offers in broken English, "We help you! Name price friend!" Frank points back to the briefcase and says in English now, "You've already paid half my price.." Frank puts the gun to the man's head and asks in a single word, "Intergang?" The man kneeling shakes his head yes and Frank's finger moves to the trigger.

The efforts of Nightwing to hastily make his way to the roof is hindered by the fact that he has to actually jump to the roof, the ladder going to it having been broken, a sign of the city's slow decay. With a standing jump, Nightwing is soon climbing up the remains of the ladder, but hearing the instruction to kneel from this mysterious figure is enough to spur Nightwing onward, upon reaching the roof he quickly draws his sticks, "Stop." he clearly orders, "You have already done enough damage."

They always show up at the worst time...

Frank unholsters the revolver from his back and pulls the hammer while pointing it at the newly arrived costume and he says, "This doesn't concern you." Frank peers down at the man and adds, "This trash has caused enough damage to society." Frank goes to squeeze the trigger of the gun pointed at the kneeling man.

"False. This is my city," Nightwing says as the man draws a gun on him. It is not the first time he has had a gun pulled on him, so he doesn't flinch. "And you are no better. Killing him accomplishes nothing more than continue violence. Lay down your gun, now." He drops into an athletic stance and begins to charge the Punisher. Yep, today is just not Nightwing's day.

Frank kicks the man kneeling on the ground in the face, wanting a clean kill out of this and he takes the costume's charge center mass for his trouble. Trying to stay upright Frank grabs hold of anything he can, seeing that he's the slower fighter in this situation.

The one thing that seems to go right for Nightwing seems to be turned against him. While speed may be an asset, being grappled by Frank is surely not in his plans, rendering the eskrima sticks less than useful. Being grappled, Nightwing tries to slip his leg behind Frank, hoping to disrupt Frank's footing further.

Frank's hold on the costume lessens as he backs out of a legsweep, stumbling away in the process. Regaining his footing Frank sets his 1911 down and says, "This doesn't have to go this way kid." Frank moves back in with a grunt, throwing a hard jab at the faster target.

Damn. Shouldn't have given up the grapple. This kid is too fast for haymakers.

"Yeah, you could easily drop the gun and turn yourself in, but I don't see that happening," Nightwing's tone betrays his disdain. He is somewhat shut up by the jab to his chest, but backs up and tries to bring one of the eskrima sticks down at the man's hand. Getting in a boxing match is not in Nightwing's best interest.

Frank grimaces as the stick comes down on his hand, breaking a finger or two at the knuckle. Regardless of the pain, Frank stays in close, not fearing the rather handy sticks. Jockeying for position a moment, he goes for an uppercut, trying to put this kid to the dirt before he gets a better opportunity to inflict damage.

These guys always have sticks or stones or can fly and they break bones every time...

I'm not letting this guy go. He's mine to send to hell and no one is going to stop me.

The effectiveness of the eskrima sticks does not bring joy to Nightwing. The uppercut doesn't either. Taking the hit on the chin, it does not knock down the protector of Bludhaven, but he is forced to back up a little, staggered. He brings up his sticks defensively, taking a split second to recover.

Frank lets the kid go and says, "Enough, we can end this scum together." With his busted hand, which has begun bleeding rather profusely, he points at the cowering Russian and adds, "This piece of shit was pushing drugs in your city. His family has gotten him out of jail three times with no prosecution to speak of!" Frank steps towards the costume and he says, "You won't be stopping me tonight."

Nightwing scowls, and says bluntly, "No." Sticks in his hands, still defensively, "It is not our place to be judge, jury, and especially not executioner. Now that we have him, the police will do what they will to they can." He glares from behind his mask, breathing heavily, using his left fist, still keeping the stick in it, to wipe away the blood at the edge of his lip, apparently he had cut the inside of his mouth with that hit. As Frank steps foward, Nightwing attempts to step to the side and bring the stick down at the man's knee.

Frank lets the stick thud against the padded knee, which stings a little but doesn't have the intended effect, with that sting in mind Frank aims for a right cross, hoping to put a little more blood across this kids face.

Judge/Jury/Executioner is the only way to be sure the job gets done. These costumes don't get it. There's a reason they fight the same criminals over and over.

Ruh roh. Armor beats stick, and apparently fist beats face, literally in this case. Nightwing is sent falling to the ground, losing one of his sticks. Spitting a little blood, Nightwing scowls, trying to again take a defensive stance, this man is clearly someone he does not to go hit for hit with.

Frank keeps up the attack and moves to kick the costume while he's down and moving into a defensive position saying in the process rather grimly, as if expecting the opposite, "You're asking for this kid. You can stop it, just let me do my work and you can do yours."

My work puts an end to their shit, they just prolong the inevitable gruesome death this trash will meet.

Nightwing takes the kick, roaring in anger as he takes the time granted by Frank moving back to find his feet again. "My work is to stop you from doing yours, in this case. I cannot tolerate murder, just as I cannot tolerate drugs." Now with only one stick, and knowing going for the other was only asking for trouble, Nightwing charges, hoping to strike at the man's head with his remaining stick.

Frank tilts his head and takes the stick in the neck, as well as the side of his head causing him to grunt loudly, which echoes off the nearby buildings. "You little..." Frank gets angry now as he pushes the stick-wielding costume away and then lunges forward to take him down. Frank goes to grab hold of the kid and pummel him, injuries be damned!

Sticks do break bones and muscle and everything else. This kid isn't getting it. I don't want to hurt him, but I will if I have to.

Nightwing takes the shove and the hit, but despite his speed, getting that close to Frank was probably a bad idea, perhaps a different plan would be in order, if he wasn't grabbed and begin taking hits from Frank.

Frank keeps the offense going, punching the kid in the face over and over and finally while still holding the kid close and probably up at this point he asks, "Are you done yet?" Frank peers over his shoulder and sees that his target has left the rooftop, angering the man even further. "You've messed up weeks of intel and work. You think you deserve to leave this rooftop?"

This kid ought to go flying off the rooftop, we'll see if he's like the Bat after all.

Nightwing takes the beating, certainly not enjoying it and will have some bruises and swelling that will make him hate life a little. When given the question and noticing that the man is now gone, "Heh, yep." In a last-ditch effort, Nightwing takes his stick and tries to strike the wrist of Frank, hoping that he will be let go and hopefully escape.

Frank winces as he takes the painful slap on the wrist and he lets the kid go and steps back to retrieve his weapons with broken and bleeding bits and pieces all about him. Over his shoulder he says into the darkness, "We'll probably meet again..."

These people tend to show up from time to time, need to have a strategy for each. This one isn't super powered but those sticks did a number I can't take every night.

Taking the little opportunity to get away, Nightwing snarkily says, "Maybe, maybe not, but remember, this is /my/ city." With that, he sneaks over to grab his fallen stick and stealthily goes back over the edge, landing on the fire escape, and away from this place as soon as possible, no doubt the police would finally be rolling in at some point.

Frank peers down over the edge of the building and grunts as he takes a recorder from his belt with his broken fingers, he speaks into it as the sirens of the police can be heard in the distance.

"War Journal XX... Costumed fighter in Bludhaven disrupted operation Red Moon. His symbol was something winged, likely a member of the bat family, similar to the female met in Gotham. He wielded sticks, he was faster but I was stronger. Gotham and Bludhaven need to be vetted, there seems to be costume for every district. Further recon needed. War Journal End."