Time Skip Three Weeks Later.
The Brockton Bay Docks.
An Abandoned Warehouse A.K.A The Merchants Temporary H.Q.
Managers Office.
"Bunch of dumb useless motherfuckers!"
Sherrel Bailey, otherwise known throughout Brockton Bay's cape community as the Tinker villain Squealer, withheld a grimace as she watched from the relative safety of the room's only available exit as her boyfriend screamed with barely constrained fury at the lieutenants. Who were supposed to be protecting several high-level Drug Dens and Grow Houses scattered across their territory. However, over the past three weeks, these morons have failed to do their jobs and allow whoever was raiding them to destroy everything contained within the Merchants property.
"I gave you lot one simple job, and that's to take care of our businesses," Squealer nervously watched from the exit as Skidmark slowly walked towards the lieutenants, the rotting flooring of the office squeaked ominously with every step the Merchant leader took. "And not only did ya fuck it up royally, but the five of you also made our gang look like a bunch of fools for losing over half of our drug-producing sites and the cash stored at those sites by some unknown upstart!" The Merchant lieutenants gulped with fear as their leader stood before them whilst some blue strips, identified as Skidmark's powers activating, appeared from thin air around the Merchant leader.
"It wasn't our fault, boss!" The vehicle Tinker didn't even have time to register what happened as the lieutenant that tried to defend himself and the other lieutenants were smashed into a nearby wall; the man's blood covered the impact site as his corpse hit the floor with a small thud.
Skidmark glared at the remaining lieutenants as they trembled with terror at the sudden murder of their fellow Merchant member by their leader's very own hands. The sight of the corpse didn't affect Squealer as she's seen the love of her life murder countless Merchants, and some of those deaths happened for far more minor reasons than the current situation that lead to the end of the former lieutenant.
"I don't care if this mess wasn't any of you dumb fuckers fault!" Skidmark took a moment to walk over and violently kick the deadman's corpse. "I need someone or, in this case, a group of idiots to blame and punish for the massive loss of our profits and drugs!" Sherrel felt some sympathy for the lieutenants as she, on many occasions, been forced to face Skidmark's wrath and highly violent temper. Though just because she was sympathetic didn't mean that she'd try and save them as her boyfriend was in a terrible mood and wouldn't hesitate to harm anyone that set him off.
The next few minutes consisted of Skidmark screaming a wide variety of swear words at the lieutenants whilst kicking the living shit out of those who dared to fight back against the Merchant leader. Squealer knew that not all of the lieutenants were going to die tonight as her boyfriend, for all of his faults and flaws, wasn't a person that just threw away something that still held some sort of value and fortunately for these dumb bastards, her beloved Skid's still had a use for them.
By the time Skidmark was finished punishing the lieutenants, only six out of the thirteen who arrived at the office were alive. However, all of them had an injury that, while non-life-threatening, was extremely painful. Not that it truly matters if the bastards lived as Squealer knew that Skidmark had hundreds of expendable minions that would gladly take a lieutenant position if it meant gaining more potent drugs to help feed their addictions. And with so many Drug Dens now gone, those fuckers will now be desperate enough to do just about anything that her Skid's ordered so that they can get ahold of their remaining supply.
"Alright, now that you dumb shits have been punished," Skidmark walked back to the old decaying desk that was stationed near the back of the room. "I want ya to get back out on the streets and remind the rest of the gang about the consequences of failure." The injured lieutenants groaned their understanding of their leader's orders and, as swiftly as their current wounded state, allowed left the office, leaving only Squealer and Skidmark the only occupants.
"Worthless motherfuckers the lot of them," Skidmark grumbled as he took the only seat within the office. Sherrel waited a moment to allow her boyfriend to calm down before going over to rest upon his filthy clothed lap.
Squealer smiled gently at the love of her life. "You should really calm down, Skid's; it's just a couple of Drug Dens and Grow Houses," the vehicle Tinker placed a loving kiss on the Merchant leader's dirt-stained lips. "We can easily replace the men captured by the police and buildings now unavailable for use. Within a few weeks, we can regrow the plants used to create our drugs."
Skidmark frowned at his girlfriend whilst kicking up his feet upon the rotting desk. The warehouse being used as their temporary H.Q. was built during the city's Golden Age before the emergence of the Endbringers destroyed the sea trade. Honestly, Skidmark was already planning to move operations to a new location within the next couple of days. This warehouse appeared to be a few more years before collapsing upon its own weight, and the Merchant leader held zero desires to be crushed to death via decaying building.
The Merchant leader knew that his girlfriend and loyal subordinate was correct when it came to how easy it would be for their gang to rebuild the Dens and Grow Houses. The greatest strength of the Merchants was their willingness to inhabit locations none of the other major primal organisations wanted. It also helped that over the years. Skidmark had constructed the Merchants public image into nothing more than a bunch of homeless drug-addicted people that would fight for the scraps of Brockton Bay and not as a drug empire that makes millions every standard year.
However, the real problem wasn't the money or drugs lost as those things were replaceable. The actual problem causing Skidmark to feel such rage and frustration was the damage done to their reputation. Reputation was everything within Brockton Bay Skidmark knew that ultimate truth even before taking over his gang and transforming it into what the Merchants are today. It had been a deadly balancing act to appear weak and repulsive enough that the other prominent gang leaders wouldn't even bother to destroy the Merchants outright and yet dangerous enough that the citizens of the city wouldn't dare fuck with them.
Some of the original members had sneered at Skidmark for forcing the Merchants to appear weak and pathetic over the years. Those morons were all dead as they could never understand that when it came to pure firepower and combat potential, the other gangs and their Parahumans outclassed the Merchants in every way that mattered. It was the main reason that Skidmark never tried to expand their Parahuman members beyond himself, Mush and Squealer. The level of attention that could've gained would've been the end of them all been seen as weak and useless was the only to survive in the city which had Lung and the likes of that Nazi fuck Kaiser running around.
The Merchants will never rule the city while the other gangs existed, end of the story. Unlike some dumb shits that thought themselves special, Skidmark was perfectly happy with staying out of the spotlight and making millions in cold hard cash via the use of his criminal empire.
"I've sent Mush over to the westside of the Boat Graveyard to try recruiting some new 'Special' help." The Merchant leader told his girlfriend after finally calming down from his earlier fit.
Squealer raised an eyebrow in interest. "I didn't know that Mush knew how to be a diplomat," the Tinker villain snuggled closer to her lover. "Besides, I thought that you hated the idea of adding more capes to our gang?"
Skidmark sighed with annoyance while kissing the female Tinker on the cheek. "Mush doesn't know the first think about being diplomatic," the guy may be Skidmark's best friend and oldest companion. Still, the Drug Lord wasn't above acknowledging the Merchant Changer wasn't the kind of person suited for diplomacy. "But Mush's the only guy among us that I can trust to meet any of the city's unaffiliated capes and come back alive." Parahumans were a prideful bunch, especially those that recently triggered if Skidmark had sent anyone else than the Merchants enforcer. It was likely that the cape would take offence to be talked to by a non-powered individual and kill the poor bastard and send the copse back as a message.
"As for the reason why I'm changing our policy on recruiting capes is because the fucker attacking us has forced my hand." Skidmark knew that the culprit for these attacks was probably the new Tinker that kicked three of his boys' asses three weeks ago. Now usually, a newbie going after his business wasn't anything new. Recent triggers that appeared on the streets would usually use him. Those underneath his command as punching bags for a week or two before moving on to fighting the other gangs, in a few months, the bastards would either get themselves axed off by the gangs' or, if they're lucky, join the P.R.T. for protection when they realise they've bitten off more than they could chew.
Basically, when new capes show up, things go shitty for the Merchants for a while before something puts everything back to normal, and the homeless gang gets back to manufacturing drugs and selling the product to the citizens of Brockton Bay.
However, the newest addition to the Brockton cape community wasn't doing what everyone else that recently triggered would do with his underlings. The mysterious Tinker was going for the heart of his operations. Drug Dens, Grow Houses and dealers that sold the drugs to the idiots of the city were being raided, and everything that wasn't of value to this newbie was destroyed beyond recovery. At first, Skidmark had been worried that the cape was trying to start up their own drug empire, but the destruction of the drugs at every raided location told the Merchant leader that wasn't what the Tinker was after.
Whoever the Tinker was, it became more apparent as the weeks went by that he/she was trying to eliminate the Merchants from the city. It frustrated Skidmark to no end that this Tinker wasn't falling for the same trick that has lead other capes and the local Protectorate to ignore his criminal operations. If things continued as they are now, then it will only be a matter of time until the other organisations smell the blood in the water and come sniffing about the Merchants territory. If Lung or Kaiser discovered just how truly powerful the gang was in money-making and size, it could spell the Merchants' end.
"So, who did you send Mush to recruit?" Squealer suddenly asked, unaware that she snapped Skidmark out of his brooding on the Tinker and what the other gangs might try against them.
"Wrath and Greed," Skidmark said the names of the two Parahumans that he'd sent Mush to try recruiting to the Merchants.
"Huh, does it have to be those bastards?" Squealer's arms tightened across Skidmark's shoulders while venom dripped from her lips. Wrath and Greed were a pair of mercenaries that sold their services to the highest bidder, moved to Brockton about a year ago and have been nothing but trouble for the Merchants. Especially Greed, who has ruined many of her vehicles and nearly killed the Merchant Tinker on more than one occasion.
Skidmark gently held his girlfriend while trying to assure her. "I hate those two as well, Squeal's," the Merchant leader withheld a frown of disdain for the mercenary duo as they'd cost him more than a few subordinates and locations for drug production over the past year. "However, if we're gonna get that damned Tinker to stop messing with our gang, then we'll need their firepower to do it." Tinkers were dangerous, especially ones that had the time to set up a workshop properly, and Skidmark was not going after the cocky bastard without having some backup. As an added bonus, there was a high chance that Wrath and Greed could die against the Tinker and thus never bother the Merchants again, so either way, it was a win, win for Skidmark.
"Huh, fine," Squealer relents, knowing that her lover was right on this subject. "Just make sure to keep Greed away from my workshop, and that Wrath stays the fuck away from me." She'd stomach the two working for the Merchants at least until the time came when they're no longer needed, and she could run them over with her Tinker vehicles.
Skidmark smirked. "I'll make sure they'll know to play nice," the Merchant leader moved out of the seat while carrying Squealer. "Now, how about we retire for the night and have us some fun." Skidmark wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the Tinker, who respond with a hungry grin.
"I say what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!" Skidmark didn't need to be told twice, and so without waiting for a second longer, he left the office and head for their temporary bedroom.
Skidmark and Squealer weren't seen for the rest of the night.
Meanwhile, At A Recently Raided Grow House.
The sound of police sirens filled Vista's ears. She, Kid Win and Velocity, walked towards the old warehouse from the police reports being used as a Merchant drug production facility for over the past seven months. Although now the place was swarming with cops, the local law enforcement was already cuffing the unconscious Merchants currently outside the nearest wall they'd been guarding the warehouse a few hours ago. And those inside that had been growing the plants needed to create the harmful drugs.
"Damn, the Merchants got their collective asses handed to them." Kid Win remarked while the two Ward and their Hero supervisor went towards the police officer leading the clean up of the now useless Merchant Grow House.
Vista had to agree with her follow Ward as she gazed analytically at the bloody injures that covered the unconscious Merchants forms. Every single gang member had multiple nails piercing through their arms, legs or even nonlethal sections of the chest. It was clear that whoever had attacked the Grow House had not only wanted to end the production of drugs permanently but also cripple the Merchants so that they'd no longer pose a threat to the civilians living nearby the warehouse or within the gang's territory.
"Yes," stated Velocity as the mover based hero stared coldly at the injured Merchants. "It would seem that Dr Robotnik is hellbent on destroying the entire Merchant gang and isn't afraid of permanently harming Skidmark's underlings." Vista grimaced at the mention of the city's newest Tinker, the vigilante had only been operating for a little over three weeks, and already the Merchants were showing signs of gathering their strength for a counter-attack against Robotnik. If past experience has taught Vista anything when the Merchants escalate, innocent people got hurt, and some even died.
"Honestly, the Merchants are total scumbags that sell false comfort to the general populace for some quick cash," Vista added her thoughts on the matter as the officer-in-charge noticed their arrival. "But as terrible as they are, not even they deserve to be cripple for the rest of their lives." Panacea could easily heal the Merchant members, but Vista was highly doubtful that New Wave would allow the medic heroine to repair the damage done to the criminals as staying damaged meant that there'd be less crime on the streets. That was something that every hero organisation desired.
"It's not our place to say what the Merchants deserve or not, Vista," Velocity told the space warping Ward while Kid Win floated next to them on his hoverboard. "Our duty as heroes is to capture Dr Robotnik before they can escalate the situation to the point that we can't contain it." A war with the Merchants was the last thing the city needed, and knowing Skidmark would be a costly one that might allow the other gangs to attempt to control Brockton Bay.
Vista grumbled at Velocity as she didn't like how the Protectorate higher-ups wanted the situation with the Merchants de-escalated and the Tinker that was causing the problem to be captured and then 'persuaded' to join the PRT ENE. Without discussing the issue with the P.R.T. current decisions, the trio came face to face with the officer commanding the situation and with further delay, Velocity addressed the man.
"Officer," Velocity kept his tone professional and polite. "I see that you've got the situation under complete control." The man returned the professional stare though a slight bit of awe shone through the police officer's eyes. Vista understood why the law enforcer was awed as Velocity had been in the military before becoming a hero. That former profession earned a lot of respect from the likes of the local police department.
"As well as can be expected when it comes to cleaning up after the Merchants," the officer bluntly respond while leading the heroic trio to the unconscious Merchants. "From what we could gather from some of the Merchants that hadn't gone unconscious when we arrived, the new vigilante Robotnik pulled off a sneak attack on the warehouse whilst most of the Merchant members were getting high on various drugs. Capturing the gangsters via four robotic bees and that strange electro firearm they were reported to possess."
Kid Win seemed to become more attentive at the mention of more bee robots. "Robotnik has more robotic bee minions?" The Ward Tinker's tone held a slight nervousness as he had a minor fear of bees and wasps ever since being badly stung as a child during a friend's birthday party.
"Yep, and from what we've found while searching the warehouse/Grow House, a vast assortment of chemicals the Merchants use to try creating experimental new drugs were also taken from the place," the officer tone turned darker as he stared at the unconscious gangsters. "The chemicals weren't the only things we learned were being stored inside this place. The stupid bastards somehow managed to get their hands on some low-quality uranium, much like the damn chemicals are gone, thanks to the vigilante.
"The uranium must've been intended to be used as a power source for Squealer's vehicles," Velocity grimly stated while ignoring the nervous looks the Wards were sending each other. "The P.R.T. and the police will have to keep a sharper eye out for Squealer and capture her before she completes whatever new monstrosity that Skidmark is having her create." The whole situation was already bad enough without having one of the Merchants Tinker vehicle abominations running rampant across the city.
The police officer nodded. "I'll have the boys back at H.Q. send out an A.P.B. for Squealer's arrest and containment. Although with rumours spreading about how pissed off Skidmark currently is, I'd not get my hopes up on that bitch being held in custody for more than an hour before the Merchants try an assault on our H.Q. to rescue their Tinker." Tinker were valuable assets to anyone that got them on their side, and with these constant raids against the Merchants, Skidmark will want all of his Parahuman henchman to be at his side at all times.
"I'll suggest to the Director that a small team of heroes stays near the police station as guards when or if Squealer gets captured within the next few days." Velocity knew that Piggot would likely accept the idea as getting the Merchants Tinker permanently off the streets would be a great boon for the Protectorate and Brockton Bay. "In the meantime, we should focus all of our efforts into stopping Dr Robotnik before they escalate the situation with the Merchants into a full-blown gang war." The speedy hero had seen war with his own eyes before leaving the army and joining the Protectorate. He'd be damned before he let the new Tinker vigilante cause one to happen within the city just because they didn't understand why keeping the current status quo was in Brockton Bay's best interests.
"You'll get no complaints from me, Sir." The officer sighed tiredly while watching as police vans containing the Merchants driving off to police HQ. "I've seen what the gangs are willing to do when pushed, and I'd rather not have the whole city get caught up in a war because Skidmark felt threatened by some new cape."
The veteran hero and the policeman talked for a bit longer about everything found within the warehouse and what the Tinker had either stolen or destroyed. The strategy was discussed on how to best coordinate between each other so that it would be easier to capture them when they finally found the vigilante. By the time Velocity was finished with the policeman, the crime scene was thoroughly investigated and all evidence collected. The trio of heroes left the area and returned to the Rig so that they could report the latest finds on the vigilante to the Director.
However, as the police and heroes left the area, none saw the Robotic hovering bee that had been silently watching and recording the entire conversation that Velocity had with the leading office. The metallic bee didn't even wait for a second longer than it needed to before flying away from the crime scene; its creator would surely desire to know what the Protectorate and local law enforcement were planning.
The spying Buzz Bomber soared away from the warehouse and headed towards its mistress's secret base.
The Eastern Section Of The Docks.
The Golden Dragon.
During the city's Golden Age, the Golden Dragon, before the appearance of the Endbringers and the birth of the gangs, was a successful manufacturer that specialised in the creation and shipment of car parts. However, once Leviathan appeared on the world stage. The entrance to the ocean was blocked off by the massive oil tanker preventing boats from coming or leaving Brockton. The owner of the Golden Dragon saw the way the wind was blowing and chose to flee the city, forcing the factory that had provided many jobs to be closed down and left to rust away.
In another timeline, the Golden Dragon wouldn't have played an essential role in fighting against the gangs or the Endbringers. The factory would've simply stood there rusting and useless until either time caused it to collapse upon its own weight or when Leviathan smashed the factory into millions of pieces when it came to the Bay to rampage in a couple of years.
However, the factory's fate has changed; a particular mad scientist has moved into the abandoned building and was already hard at work, making the factory a place that she could call home.
Dr Robotnik has turned the Golden Dragon into her lair.
Golden Dragon Main Assembly Line.
"Hum, the gears beneath the conveyor belt are fairly rusted, but that's not something a good cleaning and a bit of Tinkering couldn't fix." Taylor Robotnik hummed joyfully as she analysed and noted the damage done to the central conveyor belt. Whoever had owned the factory had obviously left in a hurry as she/he didn't even take anything of mechanical value when they left the city. A boon for sure as the equipment and parts scattered around the place will allow the Genius Tinker to create a mass assemble line for her metallic creations.
Above the Tinkering genius was a swarm of three Buzz Bombers carrying tools and equipment to their new designated stations. The metallic bees yellow eyes danced across the factory, keeping an eye out for possible dangers to their mistress whilst carrying out their assigned tasks.
"Ah, some of the pulleys are too damaged to be of any more use; they'll need to be replaced." Taylor removed herself from underneath the conveyor belt with some oil and dirt patches laid across her face. "Emma!" The mad genius called out towards the factory's main storage unit. "Can you bring some pulleys from storage? The conveyor needs some replacements!" The sound of things being moved came from the storage unit a few seconds later before being replaced with hurried footfalls.
"Sure, no problem, Dr Robotnik!" Emma ran out from the storage unit with some old but still useful conveyor pulleys. Perched on the redhead's back was the first Buzz Bomber Taylor had created, which the mad scientist chose to name Atlas to distinguish it from the others besides its designation as Buzz Bomber unit 01.
"Emma, please don't call me Dr Robotnik while we're alone; just call me Taylor." The mad genius gently scolded her best friend whilst taking the pulleys and went back underneath the conveyor belt to replace the damaged ones.
The youthful redhead fidgeted at the scolding while Atlas just watched on from Emma's back. "But Taylor, you're a hero now and should be addressed by your heroic title." Taylor withheld the urge to sigh with frustration as Emma continued to try and justify why the mad scientist should be addressed with respect by not only herself but by anyone else that might be recruited into the group. Honestly, the inheritor of Eggman's legacy was beyond grateful that Emma had decided to join her cause to eliminate the gangs'. Still, the hero worship got a little annoying at times.
Taylor opened her mouth to try for the eleventh time to get Emma to stop addressing her as Dr Robotnik whilst alone in the factory, only to pause when Buzz unit 04. Who the genius had ordered to stay at the Merchant Grow House she recently raided and spy on the aftermath of the raid so that she might learn just where the E.N.E. Protectorate stood when it came to the current state of affairs with the Merchants.
"Ah, Buzz Bomber 04," Taylor Robotnik greeted the returning metallic bee. "I trust that you've gathered the necessary information from the police and local heroes?" Buzz Bomber 04 didn't verbally respond to its creator; instead, its eyes flashed into miniature T.V. screens that immediately started to play out Velocity's conversation with the police officer, complete with high-quality audio. Once the footage was finished, the Buzz Bomber bowed respectfully before flying off to join its brethren.
"Hum, tragic yet not unexpected from the so-called heroes of Brockton Bay." The Tinker let out a frustrated sigh at witnessing the heroes caring more about the status quo rather than actually doing something to help the city's populace.
Emma, on the other hand, stared sadly at the place Unit 04 had previously been. The redhead had always respected and admired the heroes of Brockton Bay as she'd seen them as valiant protectors, so to witness them only caring about the status quo was heartbreaking.
"Oh well, nothing we can do about those fools," Taylor finished the repairs to the conveyor belt. "Our main priority is the destruction of the Merchants; everything else is just background noise." The genius Tinker walked towards a switch on the nearby wall while being faithfully followed by Emma, who was nervous about the idea that they might have to fight the Protectorate at some point.
"Huh, Dr Robitnik, shouldn't we be a little more worried about the P.R.T. finding us and running everything you're planing?" Emma asked her best friend while they neared the switch.
Taylor glanced at Emma from the corner of her eye. "Not really," bluntly replied the mad scientist, much to the surprise and confusion of the redhead. "Unit 04 returned with the information that will help us avoid the police and the Protectorate's superheroes without much difficulty." Once at the switch, Taylor placed a hand upon it with a thousand-megawatt grin etched upon her lips.
"Besides, with the enhancement formula I've concocted and injected into our bodies, any normal human will have a hard time taking us out of a fight." Emma held her left arm in phantom pain as she remembered how Taylor used the stolen chemicals from the Merchants to create some kind of enhancer that permanently strengthened their bodies beyond what an average person was capable of doing. Heck, Taylor had even demonstrated how much more powerful they were to an average human by punching and shattering a block of ice into a million pieces.
"And the most important thing that separates our group from the Protectorate," Taylor pulled the switch causing the conveyor belt to come to life. Metallic skeletons of Moto Bugs came slowly down the line while robotic arms started to add machinery and other vital parts to the skeletal frames. "Is that we've got an army to fight beside us!" The mad scientist laughed maniacally as the beginnings of her robot army were being born right before her and Emma's eyes.
Emma had to admit that seeing the beginnings of a legion of deadly machines was awe-inspiring. As more skeletal frames of various types came rolling down the assembly line, Emma knew that her hometown was never going to be the same again.
The Protectorate and the gangs' would never know what hit them.
A Dark Random Alleyway.
A bloody and wounded Mush hit the wall with a sickening thud. The Merchant enforcer released a whimper of fright as the sounds of heavy metal boots came marching towards him. The heavily injured Merchant could barely open his eyes to witness a crimson grinning skull mask surrounded by shadows stared with contempt at the hurt Mush.
A massive meaty hand came out of the darkness and lifted Mush into the air until he was face to face with the grinning skull. "Tell Skidmark that we accept the contract." The voice echoing from the skull was malevolent in nature, the kind which made heroes fall to their knees in despair and sent non-powered humans running for their lives.
Mush nodded to show that he understood, and before the Merchant could even scream, the crimson skulled cape violently throws the Merchant into the wall and then vanished into the darkness.
Wrath and Greed have now joined the war.