Time Skip, A Couple Of Days Later.
The Outer Edges Of the Docks.
Merchant Territory.
Henry Lowe, the very same Merchant affiliated gangster who assisted with the attempted robbery against those ABB prostitutes a couple of weeks ago, lazily walked passed the decaying structures and apartments which comprised most of his gang's territory within this particular area of Brockton Bay. The Merchant's nostrils picked up the faint smell of sea salt wafting upon the midnight breeze, which wasn't unusual since the city had been constructed on the coastline, thus allowing the ocean to cover the entire Bay in its unique scent.
Henry easily ignored the familiar scent of the ocean as his mind focused on reaching the safe house within this patch of Merchant controlled territory. The Brockton Bay police were undoubtedly searching the whole city since a lot of criminals had escaped their cells thanks to E88 launching a surprise raid upon the city's sole police station to free some comrades recently captured by the Protectorate. The nazi bastards rescued a lot of friends this night. However, their actions also benefited the other gangs.
During the chaos, Henry knockout a distracted police officer assigned to guard the holding cells meant for ordinary people. After taking the guard's keys, he unlocked multiple cells containing criminals affiliated with the gangs throughout the city. The Merchant gangster proceeded to sneak out the back door of the police station. At the same time, local law enforcement was distracted by the sudden criminal reinforcements pouring out from their headquarters. The only saving grace for the police officers was that none of the Empire's Parahuman were among the raiders.
Henry needed to disappear for a couple of days since the police will be hunting for every criminal that escaped during the raid. However, even while knowing the police were chasing him at this very moment, Henry didn't increase his pace since any unusual or agitated movements might draw unwanted attention to him. The Escapee Merchant had learned long ago that pretending everything was okay was the best method to avoid drawing the attention of heroes or police officers who inhabited Brockton Bay.
After a few more minutes of walking through alleyways and dodging police patrols, Henry finally arrived at a heavily rundown apartment complex that has served as the Merchant's safe house for countless years. Upon stepping through the front entrance, Henry immediately understood why this particular apartment building was chosen as a safe house for his gang. The whole place was beyond filthy with the smell of rotting wood, blood, piss and other horrible substances heavily wafting through the air.
He also noticed that the front desk was operated by a random Merchant whose filthy arms were covered in injection wounds from countless needles scattered across the desk.
The escapee Merchant slowly went towards the front desk while not stepping upon the piles of discarded medical needles and other drug relative pieces of trash that littered the apartment complex's lobby. After Henry finally made it across the trashy minefield, he gently tapped the bell that rested upon the front desk. The ringing noise caused the intoxicated gangster to drunkenly lifted his head, revealing bloodshot eyes and a skeletal appearance which was the sad result of countless years of drug abuse.
The front desk operating Merchant sneered at Henry revealing multiple rotten yellow teeth. "What the fuck do ya want?" He rudely asks while uncaringly jamming another needle into his barely covered thigh, thus allowing for more drugs to be delivered into the man's overly intoxicated system.
Henry ignored his fellow gangster's disgusting behaviour since it was common among the Merchants. "The cops are searching the city for me," he bluntly informed the homeless receptionist while his brown orbs momentarily darted over the unused drugs littering the front desk. "I need a place to crash until the heat dies down." It had been weeks since his last fix, and Henry desired nothing more than to grab ahold of a random syringe and inject whatever crap into his bloodstream.
Yet he withheld from giving in to that particular urge since it would only result in him receiving the beating of a lifetime from the desk-operating drug addict. Henry easily remembered how violent Philip usually got with new recruits whenever the dumb shits thought stealing from the more senior Merchant members was a good idea. Sometimes Henry felt phantom pains from how his former mentor, the bastard died several years ago after Oding, on a strange combination of drugs, used a steel pipe to enforce discipline on the newbies.
The receptionist Merchant released a sickly chuckle upon hearing the reason behind Henry's visit. "Guess that explains why you've come to The Dump," the skeletal man reached underneath the reception desk; within mere moments of searching, the Merchant pulled out an apartment key and a bottle of pills. "After all, It's the safest place in this part of the Bay to hide from those fucking pigs."
The Dump's receptionist handed over both items to Henry while explaining the rusty old key would allow access to room 41 on the 4th floor and how the pill bottle was filled with relatively strong drugs, which all newcomers received upon checking into the apartment complex.
"Yeah, this place has a rather positive reputation among our guys as a safe haven," Henry replied while pocketing the items within the ratty leather jacket he had stolen from a clothes store a few months ago. "Speaking of which, how come those fuckwits haven't come knocking at the door?" He was genuinely curious on the subject since The Dump was literally operating out in the open for any PRT schmuck with a foam launcher to find. Hell, the police must've at least suspected the complex was under Merchant control by now.
The Merchant receptionist grunted with slight annoyance at Henry's question yet still chose to answer. "The assholes who patrol around this part of Brockton know about The Dump," the bloodshot-eyed man revealed while grabbing a glass of water from nearby, contaminated with various types of locally manufactured drugs. "We've a non-aggression pact with them, which means we don't cause too much trouble, and they'll leave us the fuck alone." Without hesitation, he swallowed the water enjoying the warmth the multiple drugs gave him as they slowly started to take effect.
"The police are turning a blind eye to the safe house's existence," Henry was surprised as most of the shit stains, which made up the majority of BBPD, tended to ruin anything their gang attempted regarding securing assets for long-term enterprises. "That explains how The Dump has survived over the years." The knowledge that police officers were secretly keeping a non-aggression pact with the Merchants in the area reassured Henry as it meant cops won't be charging through the front entrance with gun blazing.
"I see," Henry finally says after a few seconds of silent contemplation. "Well, thanks for the info. I'll be heading off to my room now for some much-needed shuteye." Without waiting for a reply, he headed off towards the staircase at the far back of the lobby.
"As if I actually give a damn about what you do." the Merchant receptionist says in an uncaring tone which is slightly slurred at the end thanks to his higher Bain functions beginning to shut down due to the drugs flooding his body's bloodstream. The guy slumped forwards until his face violently collided with the front desk. Indistinct muttering escaped the filthy receptionist's chapped lips mere seconds later while whatever remnants of his mind were left underwent the hallucinogenic trip of a lifetime.
Time Skip.
Merchant Territory.
The Dump's 4th Floor.
"Damn, these pills are really high-quality shit." Henry drunkenly smiled whilst carelessly swallowing what little remained within the pill bottle. The Merchant gangster threw the now empty pill bottle on the hallway's rotting, trash-covered carpet, which hasn't seen a good cleaning or proper maintenance ever since the homeless gang took over the property several years ago. Heck, it was a miracle The Dump only possessed a minor rat and cockroach infestation as the filthy state of the complex was the perfect breeding ground for such pests.
"I should ask who the supplier is when I get the chance," Henry chaotically walked through the hallway as several Merchant members loitered around the place whilst displaying clear signs of drug abuse. "Because I want more of that crap in the bottle." An intoxicated giggle escaped Henry's lips as he accidentally wandered into an open room that the resident Merchants had long since converted into a makeshift gambling room. The former apartment was occupied by several Merchant gangsters playing poker on a scavenged table.
A player immediately noticed the new arrival. "Hey, guys, we've got ourselves a newbie in The Dump." The assembled Merchant's shifted their attention towards Henry, who grinned like an idiot. It was evident to these guys that the newcomer was high on The Dump's 'special pills' handed out to all residents regardless of how long they stayed in the apartment complex.
"Maybe we should invite the guy to join us?" The Merchant providing the role of dealer proposed to his friends, who internally grinned since the new arrival was tripping so hard that it wouldn't take much effort to cheat Henry out of his money or whatever drugs were on his person.
"Great idea, Archie!" The guy, who first noticed the new arrival, chirps while trying hard not to snicker at the intoxicated Henry. "Take a seat, new guy, we've got plenty of drugs to gamble with." The prospect of obtaining more drugs was all the motivation Henry needed, and with a couple of heartbeats, the drugged Merchant took a seat amongst the gamblers who were regular residents of The Dump. After everyone was seated, Archie, The Dealer, manipulated the deck with a certain dramatic flair before dealing out the cards.
"Alright, boys, ya all know the rules of Texas Hold'em," Archie smiled, revealing several broken yellowish teeth and slightly bleeding gums to the others. "And remember, no cheating. This is a gentlemen's game." A few players mockingly laughed while they took the two cards given out. Soon the players settled into a commutable atmosphere as each member attempted to win this round of Texas Hold'em. It was long into the game before the Merchants around the table began discussing general topics considered essential to their gang.
"Hey, did ya hear about the incident last week?" Archie randomly inquired while looking at the two cards in his hand with a displeased expression, clearly having gotten a bad hand this round.
"Ya mean the one involving an ABB brothel getting raided by the Police?" Another Merchant player says as the lightbulb providing the sole source for the room flickered momentarily before returning to normal.
Archie nodded as the game proceeded. "Yeah, word on the street says a lot of those girls were white and under the age of seventeen," the whole group grimaced as they collectively knew what that meant for the Bay. "Obviously, Kaiser will not allow that shit to stand, so a retaliation will likely happen soon." Hence, why Archie was staying at The Dump for the foreseeable future as he wanted to be far away from whatever attempt the Neo-nazis made against the overgrown lizard who ruled over ABB with an iron fist.
"Damn, those fucking pigs," A Merchant cursed, obviously blaming the police for the entire incident whilst the game moved towards the showdown. "They've kicked the hornets' nest, and now we're paying for it."
"I know, right!" Another Merchant wholeheartedly agrees as the player next to him folds from the game. "If those assholes cared about the city so much, they should focus on catching that Robotnik bastard!" He continued by saying how Dr Robotnik was ruining the livelihoods of honest, hard-working men like themselves. The Protectorate, along with their police lapdogs, should've already arrested the vigilante so they could get back to manufacturing drugs and running the streets of Brockton Bay in peace.
Henry, who had been barely paying attention, immediately snapped his head towards the Merchant, who mentioned the cape responsible for his time in the BBPD's prison cells. Whatever pleasure the drugs within his system gave seemed to fade into oblivion as memories of that horrid night came flooding back to the forefront of his mind. A cold shiver crawled down Henry's spine as he recalled how his body spasmed in absolute pain after getting shot by that masked Tinker's electro-gun.
"The bastard's been hitting our bases?" Henry asked the assembled players while two of them folded as their hands weren't likely to win them the game.
"Yeah, fucking asshole's taken out a lot of grow houses and warehouses during the last few weeks," Archie grumbled under his breath as it seemed the only remaining players left in the match were himself and Henry. "The damn vigilante's causing us so much trouble that our profits are getting slashed to pieces!" An angry expression was etched upon Archie's withered face since some bases were losing out on the best quality drugs as The Boss conserved them for his fellow Parahumans and most high-ranking Merchant members.
"Fuck, that sounds pretty bad." Henry's tone was concerned since fewer drug factories meant fewer chances for him to get high as a kite.
"Indeed," Archie responds grumbly while checking his hand one last time before committing to the showdown. "But don't worry, the vigilante bastard won't ever come here since we're basically protected by the cops in the area." Archie was confident about the police protecting them since local law enforcement wouldn't want the inhabitants of Brockton Bay to know how they've allowed the Merchants' to set up shop in The Dump simply to avoid conflict. Plus, many cops near their safe house accepted bribes to keep quiet about the gang's activities.
Henry wasn't as confident yet chose not to say anything. "Well, that's reassuring." He lied as the others decided now was the best time to light up some cigarettes, which filled the gambling room with smoke. At any rate, they continued the game and much to everyone's surprise Henry won the match by the skin of his teeth. Archie groaned at the loss of so many drugs while the match-winner pulled the pot towards himself with a satisfied smile. After all, just because he hadn't been paying attention to the others didn't mean he wasn't focused on the game.
Archie would've offered Henry another round. However, before he could even say anything, another Merchant stormed into the room whilst carrying a child-sized brown box. The sealed container was shortly placed upon the scavenged table, causing the Wooden construct to slightly tremble from the package's weight. Henry blinked in confusion after he noticed there weren't details on the box to indicate who'd sent it to their safe house, nor was there anything which might tell them what could be inside the package.
"Why the fuck do ya bring this boxy brown shit here?" Archie glared with displeasure at the delivery Merchant, who quickly told the card dealer that the box, along with a couple of identical ones currently remaining downstairs in the lobby, had mysteriously appeared at the front entrance. A poorly written note was stapled on the first box, which said they're filled with different types of drugs that the Boss wanted to be stored at The Dump until suitable buyers could be found for the product.
Archie's eyes shined gleefully after the delivery boy explained why he'd disturbed their card game. "So the Boss is giving us more product to store," the card dealer reached across the table and, without hesitation, dug his fingers into the box. "Well, we'd better check the product's condition since none of us wants to handle damaged goods. isn't that right, boys?!" The surrounding Merchants cheered as Archie pulled apart the top of the box, allowing everyone to see what was inside the oversized container.
"What the fuck?!" Archie's expression turned livid when the box revealed none of the drugs that the Merchant desired. "Why is there a fucking toy ladybug inside our drug delivery!" The gathered Merchant's sneered disdainfully at the cartoonish toy replica of a common ladybug. The Merchants noted the metal ladybug was around the size of a human torso with a motorbike wheel attached to its undercarriage. However, the toy wasn't entirely cutesy, as it possessed deadly-looking fangs and a pair of tiny bone-white claws at the front.
"How the hell should we know?' A random Merchant cluelessly replied whilst Archie carefully picked up the metallic ladybug from its packaging. "Perhaps the boss decided to hide the drugs inside this thing to better protect the product from the cops."
Archie grunted since carrying the metal toy took a lot of effort. "Hm, maybe you're on to something," he acknowledged while examining the massive ladyboy's outer shell for any signs of an access hatch. "Quick, someone grab a screwdriver or something to smash this stupid thing open!" Archie stared greedily at the toy as several Merchants went off to find something which might help with busting open the metal ladybug. Soon the contents of their recent delivery will belong to The Dump's residents.
Meanwhile, Henry watched the proceedings with a worried expression as something about this situation didn't feel right to the recently freed Merchant gangster. His suspicions grew when he took a moment to study the metallic ladybug, as its cartoonish design seemed hauntingly familiar.
"Wait a minute," Henry's skin turned pale as he finally noticed the eerie similarities between the mechanical ladybug and the robotic bee that took down his friends during that awful night. "That thing looks similar to that fucking nightmare bee!" A warning was at the tip of his tongue. Yet, it was far too late as pitch-black eyes flashed into existence within the Moto-bug's eye sockets. Archie released a startled scream when the robotic ladybug's wheel whirled to life, causing the metallic creature to sail directly into the Merchant's torso.
The sudden impact caused Archie to collapse onto the unclean and trash-covered floor of the gambling room. The Dump's resident Merchants quickly backed away from their downed comrade as they were more concerned with their own safety for the moment.
The Moto-bug wasted no time revving up its engine. Before anyone realised what was happening, the robotic ladybug ran straight over Archie's ugly face, thus leaving behind a comically oversized skid mark. The mechanical insect darted around the room at incredible speeds, and blood was soon sent flying. At the same time, Moto-bug performed a series of last-second course corrections, allowing the robotic ladybug to avoid the criminals' attempted retaliation strikes whilst it happily slashed away at undefended limbs.
Amongst the chaos, Henry took the opportunity to question the person responsible for bringing in the box. "How many of those fucking boxes were delivered to this shit hole?!" He demanded to know as the Moto-bug crashed through the scavenged poker table thus causing pieces of wood to explode everywhere like makeshift shrapnel. The delivery Merchant swallowed nervously as several Merchants collapsed upon the floor while their legs bled heavily from the multiple slash wounds received from the Moto-bug's claws.
"Maybe thirty or thirty-five boxes," the Merchant delivery boy fearfully says whilst Moto-bug uses a turned-over couch as a makeshift ramp in order to send itself sailing directly at the recovered Archie's head. "I don't know, man. I wasn't paying that much attention to the things!" Both Merchants winced as they witnessed Archie's nose shattered underneath the stress of having a lot of metal remorselessly slam against his face; crimson liquid gushed violently from the badly broken mass of flesh.
"Well, that's just perfect," Henry's tone was utterly sarcastic as Moto-bug rushed off to torment the other occupants of the gambling room. "And I bet those robotic bastards downstairs are already causing mayhem for our guys." The Delivery Merchant grimaced at what his comrade had just said, as it meant reinforcements wouldn't be coming to the 4th floor to assist with capturing or eliminating the Moto-bug.
"Who the hell sent these things anyway?" The Delivery Merchant fearfully wondered whilst watching as his comrades were taken out one after the other by the speedy robot insect.
Henry sighed at the question as he had a pretty good idea. "It's obvious that fucker Dr Robotnik," he grimly told the delivery boy, who paled at the implication of having to fight against Brockton Bay's latest vigilante. "They're the sole Tinker I know of that uses cartoonish robots in battle." Henry shivered at the idea of going against the cape as last time ended with his entire crew getting their collective butts handed to them, and worse, caused him to spend weeks behind BBPD's cells waiting for the courts to decide his fate.
The escapee Merchant pushed those memories to the back of his mind since he needed to focus on the present. "In any case, I'm getting the hell out of here before that insane Tinker shows up." He'd suffered enough electrocutions for one lifetime, thank you very much. Plus, Henry wasn't about to allow himself to be sent back to jail after escaping confinement a few hours ago. Besides, it wasn't as if his contribution to the fight would change the outcome, so why not save his own skin while stealing as many drugs as possible on the way out.
Sadly the Delivery Merchant wasn't precisely on the same wavelength as Henry Lowe. "We can't leave our guys to that thing!" He pointed at the ongoing battle, slowly but surely winding down as the Moto-bug reduced its enemies until only three of the original eight remained.
"Dude, we're Merchants," Henry, currently sneaking towards the exit, glanced back at his fellow gangster with a dispassionate expression. "Stabbing each other in the back to save our own skins is how we survive in this hellhole of a city." Henry would've said more. However, a trio of bright blue Buzz Bombers suddenly came crashing through the boarded-up windows. The metallic bees glared evilly at the still-standing criminals while aiming their built-in nail cannons at the assembled enemies' vulnerable limb joints.
Henry cursed up a storm whilst making a break for the room's exit, completely ignoring the bloodcurdling screams of the other Merchants that bloomed into existence when the Buzz Bombers fired wickedly sharp nails directly through their unguarded knee joints. The escaping Merchant risked looking back and, much to his annoyance, saw the Delivery Merchant trying to fend off the swarm of machines while also attempting to pull a heavily wounded Archie towards the exit. The idiot was overwhelmed within a few short seconds.
"That's what ya get for trying to play the hero." Henry ran outside the room while ignoring his still-conscious comrades' desperate pleas for help as more Buzz Bombers swarmed through the broken windows. The fleeing Merchant dashed for the staircase, which was thankfully left unguarded by the mechanical army currently invading The Dump. A joyful grin appeared on Henry's face as freedom was now only a few floors away, and all he needed to do was avoid confrontation with the Tinker Robots.
He could almost taste the sweet night air!
Time Skip.
The Dump's 1st Floor Lobby.
"What kind of sick fuck makes robotic caterpillars?" Henry winced in pain while carefully limping down the final steps of the staircase that lead into the apartment complex's lobby. "The bees were bad enough, but those wormy fuckers have one hell of a nasty bite!" The fleeing Merchant grimaced as he felt the blood pouring from the wound on his right leg. The injury was received from a Caterkiller, hiding within the shadows of an open door on the 2nd floor, who'd leapt out and taken a chunk of meat out of Henry's leg.
His sole saving grace was that the metallic caterpillar was slow as hell and thus unable to properly pursue its target when the man beelined it straight for the final set of stairs leading to the lobby. Henry was fortunate regarding the Caterkiller being the only robot patrolling the 2nd floor, which, unlike the higher floors, was swarming with angry Buzz Bombers and Moto-bugs.
"Fuck, I need to get out of here and find myself a doctor to look at this damn leg," Henry swallowed back the urge to scream in agony as he put some weight upon his wounded limb. "But, first, I'll need to get past those Tinker robots guarding the front entrance." From his position, Henry saw several Moto-bugs zipping across the lobby, searching for more prey. Caterkillers gathered around cardboard boxes, happily biting into the containers like fresh leaves, and two Buzz Bombers were hovering above the front exit.
The situation wasn't ideal, especially since the Merchant receptionist from earlier was unconscious on the floor and thus unable to assist with Henry's escape from the invaded safe house. He could attempt to go back upstairs to gather help. Yet, somehow Henry thought the other Merchants wouldn't be too happy to see the guy who left them for dead. It was better to stick to the plan rather than run the risk of his fellow gangsters deciding revenge was far more important than leaving the building alive.
Gulping down what little remained of the saliva within his maw, Henry prepared to make a beeline for the exit. However, before he even got beyond the staircase's final step, something heavy was smashed into the back of his skull. A pained yelp was violently ripped from the Merchant's lips as while-hot pain flooded his veins. Henry collapsed shortly upon the lobby's filthy carpet. Unfortunately for him, the noise attracted the attention of the horde of robots who didn't hesitate to gather around the hurt criminal.
"Phew, that was a close one," Henry slightly raised his head towards the staircase, thus allowing him to see an unknown individual, a teenager, if their height was any indication, wearing a pitch-black welding mask. "Dr Robotnik would've been most displeased if they'd learned someone escaped the trap." The newcomer, a girl, judging by the muffled tone of their voice, sighed with relief whilst lowering their chosen weapon, a monkey wrench around the size of a standard bow staff.
The girl also wore a red and white striped shirt, slightly covered by black overalls with various workers' tools lining the visible pockets. Red gloves, with images of clockwork gears operating in perfect harmony, protected delicate hands from receiving damage from small knives and other minor hazards. Completing the assailant's mechanic-themed costume was a set of twin black safety boots that appeared to have gotten several strips of metal welded to increase the items' potential to protect their owner's feet.
"You goddamn bitch," he painfully wheezed whilst the Buzz Bombers raised their nail cannons in silent warning. "The Boss isn't going to allow this shit to go unpunished." The Dump was an important location as it allowed the Merchants to distribute drugs across the surrounding areas without worrying too much about police intervention. Henry was confident Skidmark would raise hell after learning about the massive loss in potential profits. That wasn't even considering the number of illegal drugs soon to be lost forever.
Sadly Henry's threats didn't seem to phase the masked girl. "Humph, Skidmark hasn't the brainpower to pull up his own pants without an instruction manual." she mockingly replied as the robotic minions drew closer with their respective weapons held at the ready encase the Merchant tried anything funny.
"But, enough about your utter failure of a leader," Henry couldn't see it, but he was sure the bitch was smugly smiling behind that damn welding mask. "The Doctor's waiting for me to report back, and I'm sure they'll want to meet someone who managed to avoid the Badniks for so long." Henry's blood turned cold at those words as the implications weren't difficult to figure out. A plea for mercy was upon his lips. Yet, gentle footsteps echoing from the front entrance halted whatever promises he planned to make in order to avoid meeting the Tinker.
"~That wouldn't be necessary, Gadget.~" Henry shivered upon hearing an icy synthesised voice that provided no hints of the owner's true gender. "~Mr Henry and I are already well acquainted.~"Dr Robotnik soon stepped into the Merchant's field of view, thus revealing their custom, which had undergone massive improvements and upgrades since the last time they crossed paths.
The first noticeable difference was the midnight-coloured bodysuit which covered everything below Robotnik's neck. Another new feature was the black, white gloves which seemed to have tiny keyboards installed on the palms so their user could have an easier time remotely operating machines. Covering the vigilante's torso was a white poncho complete with a hood with the sole purpose of hiding the user's head from view, and located above the heart was a stylised mechanical skull that grinned evilly for the whole world to see.
However, the mask was the most intimidating addition to Robotnik's costume, at least in Henry's bloodshot eyes. A construct of cold, unfeeling steel forged into a parody of humanity with a grill-styled maw morphed into an unsettling grin. The 'eyes' were built from reinforced crimson lenses, which glared without a hint of emotion at the frightened Henry, who swore he saw the depths of hell shining from within those strange orbs of crimson.
"Hm, I surrender." Henry squeaked after he finished analysing the new and improved Dr Robotnik.
The Tinker chuckled with amusement as they pulled out a weapon with which the Merchant was familiar. "~Oh, Mr Henry, we both know there wasn't any other option for you.~"Before he could react, the Electro-gun was fired directly at his torso. Much like the previous encounter, the Merchant was subjected to the worst pain imaginable, at least to him, before sweet unconsciousness took hold of him.
Gadget poked unconscious Henry with the tip of her boot. "Wow, I thought the guy would've put up a much bigger fight, what with him being an escaped convict." Robotnik's assistant tilted her head slightly to the left, allowing crimson locks to carpet past her shoulder blades in a fiery display, much like a freshly ignited bonfire.
"~you'll be surprised how gutless these low-level thugs can be when confronted by a superior foe.~" DrRobotnik replied whilst typing new commands into her glove keyboards. "~Especially when the opponent in question has already thoroughly kicked his ass.~" The assembled robots quickly received the new orders and, without delay, began gathering up the defeated Merchants throughout the complex to place them in the lobby.
Gadget nodded in understanding. "I suppose such a thorough humiliation would dampen anyone's fighting spirit." The masked assistant watched as the Buzz Bombers came flying out of the staircase with random Merchants' held within their mechanical claws. The metallic bees uncaringly dropped the unconscious criminals onto a pile of trash which scattered throughout the lobby upon impact. Once the gangsters were gathered together, the Moto-bugs raced into the lobby whilst carrying valuable loot upon their backs.
"~Indeed,~"Robotnik smiled beneath the metallic mask as they commanded the robotic creatures to hand over the money while destroying the Merchant's entire store of drugs. "~And how is the equipment I built treating you, Gadget?~"The Tinker's synthesised voice held curiosity as they organised the final stage of the Merchant base raid.
"They're incredible, Dr Robotnik!" Gadget hopped up and down in joy whilst tightly grasping the wrench staff gifted to her by the scientist. "My mask interface is so cool, allowing me complete access to the Badniks computer network!" The interface also gave Gadget the ability to command the Badniks whenever the Tinker wasn't around and relay new data to the closest units or transmit it back to their secret base if necessary. Gadget had other goodies hidden on her person, which can prove to be rather nasty for unprepared opponents.
"~Well, I'm glad you're enjoying them.~"Dr Robotnik waved for Gadget to follow them towards the exit. "~now, we'd best be leaving since someone must've heard the chaos by now and informed the authorities.~" The energetic assistant agreed with her Boss; within minutes, The Dump was picked clean of anything valuable, and the duo vanished into the night, leaving behind the Merchants for the police to find and send back to jail.
Dr Robotnik was even kind enough to leave behind a diagram, spray painted on the lobby walls, explaining how ineffective the BBPD's current methods are in regards to handling the gangs and several pointers on how to improve their obvious crime-fighting flaws.
The eccentric Tinker believed it was a nice gesture on her part since the police would never grow passed their current limits without at least one person pointing out their mistakes.
Time Skip.
A Random Rooftop Near The Dump.
"Well, isn't this interesting."
Shadow Stalker watched from the relative safety of the rooftops as the BBPD swarmed the most well-known Merchant hangout within this section of Brockton Bay. A ghost of a smile worked its way to the vigilante's concealed lips as the idiots pretending to actually give a fuck about the city dragged a couple of heavily wounded Merchants into police vans. Even from this distance, Shadow Stalker knew those injuries were caused by Brockton Bay's newest Tinker, who was showing themselves to be quite the predator.
The shadowy-themed vigilante wholeheartedly approved of the brutality since the criminals of the Bay deserved to suffer for all the bullshit they put the average civilian through daily. Plus, she thought the diagram was a nice touch as several police officers investigating the lobby held furious expressions while they examined the very detailed and subtly insulting review behind the reasons why their department sucked at their jobs.
Stalker lowered her crossbow; she'd been using the built-in crosshair to spy on the local law enforcement and hummed thoughtfully at what she'd just witnessed. The newbie was proving to be far more committed to taking down Brockton's criminal elements than the police or PRT. The shadow vigilante knew from previous investigations that the Merchants were bleeding heavily in money, manpower and, most importantly, to those idiotic addicts, their supply of various types of illegal or self-made drugs.
Perhaps she could team up with Dr Robotnik since both of them wanted the same thing: to remove the gangs from Brockton Bay. Plus, the Shadow vigilante knew that she needed to find allies as the Protectorate was still attempting to capture her after the incident involving a low-level criminal getting nailed to a wall with crossbow bolts. Although, Stalker believed the bastard deserved far worse after catching the man trying to sell drugs to a bunch of kids under the age of thirteen.
Shadow Stalker's internal musing came to a halt when the rumbling of a high-powered engine filled the street. A hateful sneer was etched upon the vigilante's lips as Armsmaster's customised motorbike thundered onto the scene. Without wasting time, the shadow vigilante activated her powers and melted into the darkness on the rooftop. Stalker had zero intentions of getting caught tonight by the biggest jackass of E-N-E protectorate branch especially not after finding a person that might help with her crusade against the scumbags of the Bay.
Shadow Stalker, still within her shadowy state, disappeared into another part of the Bay, leaving behind the hero and police officers as they tried to figure out how to hunt down the Tinker responsible for the latest attack on this Merchant stronghold.
Neither group of individuals notice a crimson skull watching the crime scene from another rooftop. The empty eye sockets studied the police officers and Armsmaster for a few minutes before shifting to the other building where Shadow Stalker had just been standing. A dismissive grunt echoed from the crimson skull's metallic teeth whilst the bulky form attached to it slithered backwards, allowing for the shadows to gently swallow the mask.
Wrath had seen enough and now must report back to his newest client.