Worm's Finest: Darkness Rising
Shade 2.3
Over the past week, I'd gotten to know the Dennis twins a bit better. My first impressions had been... pretty spot on, actually. Deidre was vivacious, outgoing, and impulsive, while Delia was a lot more withdrawn and reserved. I suppose some might see that as a turn off, but honestly, with the late nights I pulled in costume, I doubted I could keep up with someone like Deidre.
I've jumped off rooftops with nothing but a tinkertech cape between me and a messy end. I've faced down armed gunmen with nothing but my power and some glorified boomerangs. I've fought one of the deadlier capes in Brockton Bay, one whose power completely countered my own.
Strangely, that didn't help calm my nerves as the driver Dr. Wayne had sent - a big guy named Diggle - drove me to the Dennis house. They lived in the southern part of the city, just outside of downtown. It wasn't precisely E88 territory - they generally focused on the more profitable commercial districts in downtown proper - but it still made me nervous.
Yes. That's why I was nervous. Seriously, black guy taking a blonde girl out on a date is just begging for trouble with the Empire.
I walked up to the door and doubled checked the address, but the door swung open before I could ring the doorbell. I briefly saw Deidre's grinning face before she shoved her sister through the door, closing it behind her and leaving her pinned between me and the door.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," I said back, not sure what else to say. I was sort of vaguely aware that I was considered attractive, but between Mom, Dad, and worrying about Aisha, I never really paid much attention to socializing with my peers.
We stood there for what seemed like an eternity before I heard a cough from behind me.
I looked over my shoulder. It was Diggle, clearly amused.
"Sir," he said, "I believe you're, ah, blocking her way."
"Oh, right," I muttered, stepping back and turning. As I offered her my arm, I took a moment to look her over. Her hair was tied back in a French braid, and she was wearing a red blouse and a pair of white shorts that were a little shorter than I suspect she was truly comfortable with. She probably borrowed them from her sister... unwillingly, I'd wager.
She had taken one step off the porch before stumbling to a halt.
"A limo?" she squeaked. "I, uh, suddenly feel underdressed."
"Don't," I said reassuringly. "It's a company car. My boss kind of insisted when he heard why I couldn't work tonight."
She turned to look at me, wide-eyed. "You... ditched your boss - a boss who can afford this - for me?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it. "Well..." I tried again, "...yeah?"
After that awkward start, the date went surprisingly well. Then again, maybe I was just being paranoid. We had dinner and watched a movie on the Boardwalk, and with the Enforcers, the Boardwalk was one of the safest places in Brockton Bay; it had better be, given how much of the city's limping economy depended on tourism. Afterwards, well, an almost certainly armored limo wasn't exactly a prime target for the Empire, particularly when the tinted windows kept them from seeing just what the ethnicity of the passengers were.
The only hiccup was some blonde pickpocket that tried to lift my wallet while we were heading to the theater, and Delia convinced me it wasn't worth the hassle to find and turn her over to an Enforcer. I suppose she was right. By and large, petty thieves and pickpockets were a symptom, not the cause, of the city's problems.
Of course, I had another, very different date the following night.
I silently landed on the rooftop. Rising from the crouched landing, I stepped forward.
"Huntress."
She spun in surprise. "Batman. You came."
"I said I would," I reminded her. "Here," I added.
"What's this?" she asked, accepting the wrapped package.
"Tranquilizer bolts," I said. "Tinkertech. I got in contact with a freelance supplier and got it rush-shipped." Well, technically, Dr. Wayne had. "The repeating crossbow will take a little longer." I tilted my head. "Hopefully, they'll keep you from going too far."
"Too far?" she echoed, her voice confused.
"You caused some serious damage," I said. "Some of the people you stopped may be crippled for life if they can't get parahuman healing, and the authorities frown on that sort of thing." I paused. "So far, no one's died, thankfully. This should tip the odds against that."
"Thank you," she said, unwrapping the tranq bolts reverently and tucking them away.
"So," I said, "why don't you take the lead?"
"Me?" she squeaked. Then coughed. "I mean, you want me to take the lead?"
"Yeah," I said. "Walk me through it; show me how you operate. If I have any ideas, I'll let you know."
"Um, okay," she said. "I usually patrol along the roofs, watching the street level for anything suspicious. Alleys, usually."
I nodded. "Good call," I said encouragingly. "Alleys are narrow, low traffic, limited ways in and out. Prime spots for muggings and rapes."
"Exactly!"
With that, we started.
Huntress obviously didn't have access to the resources Dr. Wayne had provided me with. Her entire kit was off the shelf, including her crossbow, a small pistol type, which made sense. Given her small stature, unless she had a Brute power, it was unlikely she'd be able to handle the pull of a full hunting crossbow easily. The repeater Dr. Wayne had ordered for her was supposed to have a self-cocking mechanism.
However, despite her youth and lack of resources, she had learned to leverage what she did have to what was, frankly, an impressive degree. Tonight, I had a much closer look at how she moved from roof to roof, phasing into her shadow form in mid-air to prolong her jump distance, and she was clearly well-practiced with it. I, on the other hand, had to make do with my grapple gun... which is not as easy as it sounds.
A couple of hours in, we were both crouched on a rooftop, watching as some skinheads unloaded a truck. The building was a small-time grocery store, locally owned rather than part of a franchise; odds were, the owner was turning a blind eye as part of his "protection" payment.
"Head count?"
"I count five," she said. "Two unloading the truck, the driver, the guard by the door, and the lookout at the end of the alley."
"Six, maybe more," I corrected. "Second floor window."
She shook her head, obviously confused. "I just see a light."
"Which means someone left it on," I pointed out. "Could be no one, could be another guard. Could be more. Could even be a cape."
"Right," she said, nodding. "Of course."
"Don't beat yourself up over it," I said. "It's easy to miss. Alley or building?"
"I'll take the building."
With that decided, I moved to the alley entrance where the lookout was standing. Flooding the alley with my darkness, I dropped down on top of him, driving my fist into his head and catching him as he went slack. I ignored the cursing and swearing I heard from the other skinheads. I had more immediate concerns. Lowering him to the ground, I moved quickly toward the cab of the truck. The driver had two options, and as the engine roared to life, it was clear which one he'd chosen.
I reached through the open window and grabbed his arm as he reached for the transmission, then punched him with the other, knocking him out. With him dealt with, I turned to survey the alleyway. I couldn't see Huntress, but the door guard was down. I took down the first loader, but the other was hidden behind the truck.
"Eat this, Batman!"
I turned and saw the other loader throwing something in my general direction. On instinct, I dropped to a crouch and swept my cape around myself protectively.
I was expecting some sort of explosion. Or maybe gas. Instead, I felt a chill run through me that had nothing to do with nerves. I stood up, and my cape cracked and crinkled unnaturally. I stepped toward the other loader, who was still looking around wildly in my darkness, but the ground was slick under my feet, and I barely caught myself on the back of the truck.
I shook my head clear and hurled a batarang at him instead before taking stock. That was ice beneath my feet, but it was quickly dissipating.
Seriously? A cold grenade? Was there some new bomb Tinker in town I hadn't heard of yet?
I pulled back my darkness and looked up.
"Shit."
