Most of the Docks were territory held by the Asian Bad Boyz, or at least a good portion of it.
Everyone knew that the Empire had declared the business district, the northern half of downtown and the trainyard to be theirs.
No one knew what powers Coil had, but it was good enough for his Organization to gain control over half of Brockton Bay's downtown. Some even said that he had tentacles in the legitimate side of things and controlled far more than most suspected.
While the Merchants controlled the portions of the city that no one wanted, the only true territory of value that they had was the ports of the Docks that the ABB didn't want.
Which meant that fights happened now and then over territory.
And yet, there were limits, there were rules. The prime of which was don't cross the line, do not bring the heat down on everyone.
Which meant that fights had to be limited, there were durations that one couldn't go pass, there were weaponry one wouldn't use.
And the current fight had gone far across the line, as tracer bullets from automatic weapons and more... exotic weapons in the form of explosives that did odd things and direct energy weapon were being used... with two abandoned office warehouse buildings being used as fortifications by ABB gangers and the Merchants.
The vagrants, the bystanders had abandoned the area once the first shot had been fired. Which left the police officers who had responded, parked outside the entrance to the street that led down to the no-man's land.
The low rumbling whine of an overpowered futuristic engine was the only hint that the police officers had as Armsmaster drove his motorcycle into the street, without a single hint of fear or concern for the ongoing firefight between the gangers..
The kickstands swiveled into place as he pulled to a stop before the firefight.
There was a soft thud from the soles of his power armor boots as he got off his motorbike. The chiseled chin with its sculpted firm and manly beard, the glimmering blue and silver armor, with the dark visor. Everything about Armsmaster spoke of a man who worked hard to be a hero, to bring the law down upon criminals.
There was a slight cough and sub-vocalization as the mic in his helmet engaged.
He paused for a moment before speaking, allowing the speakers on his motorcycle to position themselves for maximum amplification.
"This is Armsmaster."
His amplified voice was nearly overwhelmed by the continued gunfire.
"I. AM. THE LAW!"
Now, the gunfire slowed down as the gangers took in the power armored figure standing on the street as if without a single care in the world with his ramrod back.
"Drop your weapons! And surrender." He continued relentlessly, with citizens he could be gentle. With minor criminals, what needed to be said was easy. But with the situation he found himself standing amidst, he had to be overwhelming and firm, no backing down or away. "You are all under arrest!"
"This is your final warning."
His last words echoed between buildings.
A pause that dragged on before a portion the wall of the slightly shorter office building was simply carved out by a fossilized stone sword in a single flowing motion.
Armsmaster frowned as he sub-vocalized into his microphone once more, alerting the PRT and Protectorate response team of cape involvement. A new cape that had joined the Merchants perhaps a year ago.
They had assumed that Rose Red was a striker or perhaps brute of some sort. And yet, it had taken months of painstaking encounters before they had worked out what she was.
A tinker, one who had had time to build up a stock of toys.
"I don't know about that." A mockingly cheerful female voice echoed out in amplified counterpoint.
The carved out wall was kicked out to fall on the street, and the Protectorate Branch leader looked with his own eyes at the tinker that some said had taken over the Merchants.
She was tall and slender. The only nod or attempt at modesty was a simple fishnet 'shirt' that served as a short micro dress, and a black thong. A simple visor covered her eyes.
Her forearms were covered by a pair of thick obsidian bracers, the soft glow from within said bracer indicated that it was more an aesthetic sense behind the design of her equipment.
The same could be inferred from her obsidian high heel boots that reached up to her knees as she rested one foot upon the remains of the carved out wall.
Her long curly hair, tied in a pony tail, waved in the cool night breeze.
"Tell you what, Armsy. Seeing as I've been stuck here in Brockton Bay for the last little bit, I've gotten a bit bored." She looked down at the hero and smirked before continuing to speak as she thrust her thong covered crotch in his direction. "So, why don't you suck on my pussy, give my clit a good lick and I'll let you go on your way like the good little boy that you are, and I can get back to my grown up stuff."
The merchants behind her burst out in boisterous cheers and raucous laughter at her reply.
Still, as he looked up at her, he knew this would be... tricky. Given the way that she had fought and captured Shadow Stalker, before proceeding to humiliate her, he knew that she knew the concept of restrain and moderation.
Granted, that might have been because of what she had proceeded to do with the young vigilante; in the sense that she had the unconscious heroine stripped naked but for her mask before being strung upside down from a construction tower crane in the downtown core.
The girl had agreed to join the wards after she was rescued from her bindings of insulated live-wires.
And yet, her reputation might never recover from that single encounter.
This would be tricky, he admitted to himself.
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Theo Anders and the Black Exaltation omeke : Elsewhere...
Worm / Exalted
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Writer's Notes~
Figured might as well post the OTHER omake I wrote for Skitzyfrenic's Abyssal!Theo quest.