| Chase that Case! | |||||
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| What: Rumors about a mysterious and valuable briefcase on the move attract all manner of criminal and hero. | |||||
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Rumors have been flying recently. Through the internet and various underworld connections. Something valuable is being moved on March 9th. At 7PM it'll be leaving New York and heading into Gotham. But the thing is, no one really knows what it is. Some say its a massive sum of money. Others believe its a powerful weapon to give people an edge against super powered people. Several more rumors fly, surrounding the item in mystery. What is known is that whatever it is, will be in a metal suitcase in an armored car traveling along Interstate 87.
And true to tale, a warehouse in the Bronx opens and a fairly normal looking armored van starts driving. Windows are tinted and a flower-like logo is painted on the side like rumors say. About half way to Gotham, on the highway, there's the sound of screeching tires and crunching metal when a handful of cars crash into a wall of ice that sprang up in the middle of the street suddenly. The armored car slows to a stop not far from it but there's little reaction from the drivers within. Sharp eyes might spot something -in- the ice though. A hulking humanoid figure with glowing eyes slowly advancing through it...
Blue Delilah appears like a bright blue flash in the sky, coming down hard from an impressive leaps that started fifty feet away. She lands between the ice and the car, throwing a quick glance at the vehicle to assure herself nobody needs immediate medical attention. Then she faces the thing in the ice. She jabs a thumb at herself as she bellows. "I'm Blue Delilah, and you're under arrest you bad boy!"
Kilroy is worried about what this thing might be. He's sensed that the cash has been moving around in vast amounts in the underworld, and the rumors might have been deliberately placed. He's cautious, since the last thing he wants to be is another pawn in someone's gambit...not again, but in this case he is going to be as sure as he can. He flies through the air, and looks down at the ice. He's not going to attack right away since, quite frankly, he has no idea who or WHAT it might be, though Mr. Freeze is at the top of his most likely suspects. How many ice dudes could be running around? Mainly he wants to get a view of that case and keeps flying around the ice to spot it as soon as it emerges.
Goggles snapped down over her eyes, Selina Kyle had been lingering upon the top of one of the buildings that overlook the interstate. Whip snapped across her torso, she was upon all fours, lingering atop a vent that was spewing steam into the night air. True to her sources, there was the van - Selina brings up a hand to tap the side of her goggles, setting a marker upon it.
When the superheroes - and villains - start arriving.
Selina lifts her eyebrows up, letting her lips part into a wide smile. "Well, curiousity and the cat..." she says, launching herself forward off of the building then - lashing out her whip to wrap around the base of one of the highway signs, the Catwoman starting to swing onto the scene.
There's not quite chaos in the streets just yet but there is trouble. Several people have gotten out of their cars to see what's going on and others to yell at eachother. And while no one in the armored car seems hurt, there are a few people hurt in the cars that crashed into the ice.
Speaking of the ice, steam erupts in a doorway shape as the shadow figure stalks closer to the front. It obscures the figure from view and shortly after her announcement, Blue Delilah better be ready to move since a bolt of lightning is rocketing her way from within the steam.
"Pathetic Hatchling! Stand aside or face the wrath..." a voice comes from the fading cloud as a green skin, ridge-chinned figure emerges. "of the Power Skrull!"
He's not the only sign of troulbe. Nope. A semi that had been trailing behind the armored car has come to a stop too. The back of the trailer slides open and a handful of people in various snake-like costumes emerge. "Get the truck before some do-gooers show up!" King Cobra, current leader of the group, orders as he and his fellow snakey criminals rush the armored car.
Blue Delilah plants her feet firmly, intent on showing how much of a 'hatchling' she is by standing her ground and letting the bolt hit her. She balls her fists up seeing the grounp coming. "That's right, come and get it!"
Selina Kyle swings up, landing lightly upon the top of the pole that holds one of the traffic signs up. Running her tongue over her lips, the cat burglar remains out of the line of fire for the time being, watching Blue Delilah and Kilroy and friends start to respond to the mass hysteria.
Of course, Selina wasn't as keen on stopping casualties as she was about sticking her head into the car and seeing what was inside it. Another lash of her whip, and she swings across the street from sign to sign, hopping down from the sign above the armored car to land lightly atop it, pressing herself flat against the surface.
Kilroy remains flying over the car that has the case in it. He summons a penny inside of each of the armored cars and the semi truck....even ifhec an't track the case yet. In the meanwhile, he begins summoning a few Rai stones to help slow down cars that are in danger of getting carshed or crunched.
Unfortunately for Blue, she doesn't get her chance to prove just how tough she is. There's a blur of red, black, and blue as someone speeds in front of her. Lightning splashes across an invisible, skin-tight forcefield and smoke rises from an S-shield. "You okay? Almost got fried there," Superboy, trademark leather jacket and sunglasses on, smiles over his shoulder at Blue. "Ah...maybe the Kryptonian hatchling will be a more worthy opponent than a terran," Power Skrull speaks up. This earns a glare from Superboy who cracks his knuckles.
Those Rai Stones help stop the few people foolish enough to keepn driving and trying to get past the ice. A penny pops up in both the Serpent Society's truck and the armored car everyone is after without incident.
When Catwoman lands on the truck, there's still no reaction inside. If she looks down at the windows she'll be able to make out the outlines of two people in the cab but not much else thanks to the tint.
There is a reaction from the Serpent Society though, at least one member. Coachwhip, the only female member of the team along for the job and the one in the least snake-like costume, smiles to herself. "I'll deal with our guest," she says, starting to jump on cars as she gets closer. Soon enough, she's leaping high. "HAA!" she calls out as she jumps in Catwoman's direction and swings one of her chain-whips at the thief. The remaining three members: King Cobra, Puff Adder, and Cottonmouth, are approaching the back of the armored car.
Blue Delilah blinks in abject surprise as she's 'rescued'. She grins and swoons at Superboy. "I am now! You sure you got this guy? I'll take care of the civs at the wall." Thusly saying she gives a leap, landing by one of the cars that had crashed into the ice. Planting both hands on the side of the vehicle she shoves, sliding the car off of the interstate and toward the sidewalk in the hopes that EMTs will be able to get to the driver.
Kilroy eliminates the obvious, but keeps himself in reserve. He just....isn't sure what the hell is going on here and is suspicious. If anyone is in danger of getting crushed or run over, then he'll save them with a pile of quarters to land in 'softly' but he focuses for now on crowd and damage control, trying to get an eye on that case. Selina hisses, "Superman."
Selina's eyes were drawn towards Superboy briefly, the mistaken identity of the young man not really an issue. "Best collect my case and be on my wa..." she says then, starting to peer into the armored truck she was lingering atop of... when the chain whip lashes out at her. Catching the motion out of the corner of her eye, she flips forward towards the side of the truck, keeping ahold of it with both her hands.
Twirling around, she lands in a crouch back atop the thing, facing Coachwhip.
"Nah ah ah - the do-gooders are the other way. Just poor little kittens here..." she says, standing up straight then, spreading out her fingers and displaying the claws on the tips, "And you wouldn't want to end up /scratched/."
"Don't worry, I got this," Superboy replies to Blue, flashing a grin her way. It's short lived, the clone quickly dodging a blast of ice fired his way by Power Skrull. Both aliens quickly take to the air, Power Skrull turning metallic and trading thunderous blows with the Teen of Steel.
There are half a dozen cars in total for Blue to deal with. The drivers and passengers inside have injuries ranging from minor scratches and bruises to broken bones and some nasty cuts. The villains are leaving her alone as long as she stays out of the way though.
Atop the armored car, Coachwhip grins as her attack misses. "I know who you are, Catwoman. And little kittens shouldn't meddle where snakes are hunting. We've been hired to take this case," she says, preparing her whip for another attack. Her fellow Serpent Society members are working on getting the truck open, Puff Adder spitting acid onto the locks.
Blue Delilah sprints to a second crashed car and peers in at the driver. "Sir, are you all right? Just stay where you are, I'm going to get you off the road. Help's on the way." She looks across the hood of the car to make sure Superboy is okay, then chides herself as if the Kryptonian would need any help. She gets a good grip on the car and, as she did with the first, drags it off of the interstate proper and away from the battle. She begins a systematic run back and forth sliding, dragging, or carrying the damaged cars away from the fight.
Kilroy can't heal those in the cars and as long as they are OK, he immediately unleashes three salt golems to try and attack the sepent society members. They are moderately large and strong but not particularly skilled. They don't have to be. Kilroy's just trying to delay them.
"Tell you what, darling," says Selina at that point, slowly unfurling her whip from where she keeps it, snapping it to one side. A beat, and her eyes flicker behind her goggles towards Superboy. Delilah and Kilroy obviously were a concern as well, but the Super brand had a long and treasured history of being... problematic towards thieves.
"I'll take the case safely away from all of these meddling heroes, and I'll give it to you later?"
A beat further. "Kitten's honor, I won't double-cross you," she says, letting her smile track wider.
Thankfully for the thieves, Superboy is rather occupied. Up above, he's throwing punches and dodging ice and lightning blasts as he fights Power Skrull. He'll be a bit distracted.
A couple of the civilians are awake enough to talk to Blue and confirm they're okay. Surely enough, the young hero's work saves those people. And that's for the best, chunks of ice starting to fall off the wall and crashing down onto the pieces of interstate where the cars had been.
Coachwhip laughs, matching Catwoman's smile with one of her own. "How about we skip the chatter and get to what we know is going to happen?" she asks, snapping her whip to the side as well. She snaps her other wrist, a second whip unfurling from her gauntlets. "You're someone I've been hoping to fight one day. The word is you're one of the best there is with a whip."
The remaining three members of the Serpent Society don't notice the golems at first. Puff Adder's acid burns through the locks enough for the doors to start creaking open. There are three humanoid forms inside...but they don't seme to be moving or reacting at all. When the snake-themed men finally realize they're under attack, they put up a fight. King Cobra and Puff Adder perform rather well. The king's elastic nature and enhanced strength make snapping limbs off the golem rather easy. Puff Adder 'puffs' up to match the mook in height before spitting that powerful venom of his on top of it. Cottonmouth has much worse luck. He bites into one of the golems and while his bionic jaws easily penetrate the beast, he ends up spitting and cursing at the taste of the salt.
Blue Delilah gets the last car off of the road, ensuring each driver that they're going to be just fine. She turns to survery the scene, trying to orient herself to what's happening. Superboy's holding off Uglyface fine, check. There's a flying guy over..." Wait. Am I really seeing Catwoman? And...fighting on our side?" She boggles at the salt golems-no idea what to make of those. Yells. "Superboy, I've got the truck." She sprints toward the battle at the rear of the truck, balling her fists up as she charges the Society.
Kilroy creates two more golems to replace those dispatched. The golem forwhoever Delilah attacks will work with her to flank the villain but Kilroy still holds the bulk of his power in reserve in case of a suprise that needs to be kept in check. He keeps watching for the case, but is also watching the dueling whipsters.
Oh, certainly. Catwoman was fighting on your side, Blue Delilah.
Stretching out her spine a little bit, she lets her eyes draw shut, a luxurious sound leaving her as the second whip makes its appearance. "Patience is a virtue, Coachwhip," says Catwoman, letting her eyes briefly draw towards the heroes proper. "And I've just about run out of it," she says, her tone of voice sweet.
But there was a certain hardness in her eyes. Catwoman leaps backwards off of the truck, and lashes out her whip at the same time. What she was hoping to do was lash onto Coachwhip's waist and kinda use her as a pivot point to swing around and into the back of the truck, kicking a goon or two in the meanwhile. And if it ends up yanking Coachwhip off of the truck, bonus, right?
Otherwise, she would just land on the ground below the truck.
"What?" Superboy asks over his shoulder. Distracted by Blue, he gets blasted with an electrically charged punch and sent crashing into the ice wall.
Coachwhip isn't so easy to beat. She leaps back as well, flipping to avoid the whip and landing on the opposite side of the truck. She avoids the attack but she's out of Catwoman's way. And inside that truck...one might expect guards and yelling and guns. But there's none of that. No. Sitting in the back of the armored truck are three dummies in guard uniforms. One has the mysterious case cuffed to its plastic wrist. Through the little window in the truck, Catwoman will be able to see into the cab...two more dummies up front and some kind of remote control tech on the wheels and pedals. Clearly something isn't right...but hey...there's the case.
Cottonmouth is pinned down but ends up saved when Coachwhip's whips pull the golem off him and smash it. She seems pretty irritated Catwoman didn't stick around to fight. King Cobra scowls, repeating his smashing before rushing towards the armored car. "Hands off the case, cat!" he demands.
Puff Adder meanwhile is melting a second golem. He doesn't notice Blue Delilah charging him until she crashes into his back and sends him stumbling off balance. "The hell?!" Blue Delilah missed what happened to SB. She plows into Adder, grinning. "Everyone out of the pool!" Her powerful thighs and calves constrict and then expand like a small explosion, launching her thirty feet straight up onto the air. She brings her knees up to her chest and throws her arms around her shins. She comes down in cannonball formation until the very last instant, when she kicks out both legs at the ground. Her intent is to use her weight and her strength to create a siesmic impact when she lands, just enough to hopefully make all of the earthbound combatants take a hard sit.
Kilroy is torn because he's getting REALLY bad vibes about this car....but he has Veolus summon two more salt golems to distract the snakes but buys Superboy a bit more time by summoning six Rai stones rotating between the Power Skrull and Superboy. He does this only long enough to let him catch his breath and then goes back to watching the car...and the case when it emerges. Catwoman was nearly certain that there was a trap there. But there was the case... the irresistable case. Eyes glittering with a certain excitement that bordered on the unspeakable. Running her tongue over her lips, she glances over the dummy guards. Lunging forward, she sinks her claws into the case, turning around.
"But you didn't say please!" she calls out after King Cobra, bringing up her feet to kick one of the dummies his way. Hoping to distract him enough so that she can start slipping around him, presumeably to make a getaway.
Superboy is fast to catch his breath. He rockets out of the ice, slaming fist-first into a confused Power Skrull.
The Serpent Society keeps fighting the golems, Puff Adder turning in time to see Blue jump. And then she comes down and sends things rumbling. Car alarms blare, some of the dummies in the armored truck fall apart, and members of the serpent society are knocked off their feet.
In the car, King Cobra curses as he's hit by the dummy and sent sprawling. Catwoman's got an opening to get away with the case...and the mannequin arm its attached to provided she doesn't get knocked off balance by Blue or caught by another hero.
Blue Delilah woots when he foot stomp succeeds. "You bad boys are all under arrest." She spies Catwoman dashing off and grins. "Gotta admit, that lady has style." She growls at the Society snakes. "You guys stay down. I mean it! This fight is over." She bends over, digger her tiny fingers into the asphault. With a grunt she rips a small chunk of the street free and holds it over her head. She bellows. "Catwoman! Drop the case and heads up!" Then she throws her chunk like a discus, aiming for the legendary criminal's legs.
Kilroy doesn't need anything anywhere nearly as violent as he just adds a penny inside of the case. And done. But he's more concerned with examining the dummies DRIVING the car. What is actually powering this thing? Is there some kind of a transmitter? He will wrap Quipu around those who have been knocked prone to keep them that way.
Of /course/ Selina takes the opprotunity to try to dash away. Bouncing over a fallen bit of rubble, she clutches the case to herself. Leaping forward as the chunk of asphalt! Was thrown at her legs with a bit of force, Selina just barely manages to clear the asphalt...
But her foot didn't quite make it. Falling head over heels as she was knocked off balance, the case goes flying away from her as she tumbles to the ground in a heap.
The case and mannequin arm clatter away, coming to a stop in front of a VW Bug abandoned by its driver when the chaos started. The serpent society is bound up and Superboy has the Power Skrull busy. If anyone wants to make a dash for the case or see what's inside, now is the time to do it. The truck is completely normal aside from the tech attached to the pedals and wheel. Cameras and transmitters...someone rigged the whole thing up to be controlled by remote
Blue Delilah busies herself tying up the Society trio, using whatever materials happen to be handy; even a lamp post if need be. Once they're secure she looks up to see how Superboy is faring, and looks at the other flying guy. She decides he's a hero likewise and glowers at the Society before she breaks into a run, intent on getting the case.
Kilroy is rediculously paranoid but he keeps expecting the truck to blow up or the case to blow up or....it's just too....he is ready to cover any explosion in Rai stones if he needs to. He's waiting.
From her position on the ground, Selina gives her head a shake, bringing up her hand to pull her goggles off of her head. Bringing up her whip, she lashes it above her head, before striking out - hoping to catch Delilah's ankle as she runs towards the case.
There's no explosions, no fires...everything seems normalish. Aside from the remote control tech in the armored car full of dummies.
Superboy's doing fine, gaining the upper hand against the Power Skrull up above. That fight will be over soon enough. The only conflict left is on the street to get the case.
Blue Delilah squawks when Catwoman's whip hisses around her ankle. The tiny hero hits the ground with a thud, making the ground shake a bit. She flips over on her back to see what got her, and is much surprised. She gawks at Catwoman. "But you were fighting on our side! You know I can't let you take that case." She looks up at Kilroy, shouts. "Hey, hero! Get the case!" Then she sits up, wraps both hands around the whip, and begins reeling Catwoman toward her.
Kilroy finally decides to 'take a side' though he was far more interested in tracking it. He summons a Rai stone above and below, and lifts it into the air. Is he curious what's in it? Sure he is, but the remote control drivers is....an ill omen. If he's going to open it he's going to do so in the middle of nowhere thousands of feet up in the air. But for now he's just going to lift it up and FAST along with himself.
Well, Catwoman couldn't fly. And right now, she was a bit tied up anyways. Eyes widening as the young woman starts easily reeling her in, Catwoman digs her heels in at first, until she kinda topples backwards onto her rear. If Deliliah drags her in close enough, she would bring up her foot and give the other a kick - otherwise, at this point, she would just be attempting to escape.
"Look out!" comes a call from Superboy. Why? Well he just clashed with Power Skrull and after an electrical explosion, the dazed shapeshifter is heading rather quickly for Delilah. She may want to get out of the way.
Meanwhile, the case doesn't seem to be reacting much at all. It just heads up into the air on the rock, waiting for Kilroy to open it. Still with a mannequin arm attached.
Blue Delilah glowers at the legendary criminal she's dragging toward her. "I'm sorry, but I have to bring you in." She hears Superboy's yell and jerks her head up, then yelps. She throws herself frantically to one side, screaming at Catwoman. "Look out!"
Kilroy begins slowly constructing a Rai Stone suit on top of his coin chain mail, to increase his toughness, but he slowly also constructs a salt hand which begins fiddling at the latch of the case remotely.
"Not this time, little kitten," says Catwoman - with her whip released, she yanks it back, leaping away from the site of impact of the Power Skrull. The powers being thrown around were way over her ability to handle - and so her main alternative right now? Running. Running towards the side of the interstate, bringing her goggles up over her eyes again - and glancing up to the case, 'clicking' them in so that she can track it.
The latch on the case is easy to open, not even locked. Then it's just two simple clasps and the metal case can be opened. It's slightly heavy for a case but that's easy to overlook. The case is lined with a thin layer of lead. No ticking...no beeping...seems safe to open.
Power Skrull crashes down into the pavement and ...well that just looks gruesome how he hits and kind of splatters. Most shockingly...he groans and starts getting up, green body shifting and shaping back to normal. Skrulls are handy like that.
Blue Delilah rolls and kippups to her feet, looking astonished. She peers around for Catwoman and uts, scolding herself. Then she balls her fists up and squares her shoulders facing Power Skrull. "It's over. Stay down, you're beaten."
Kilroy finally finishes constructing the Rai stone suit and opens the Case. He's now beginning to wonder if it's Grey Poupon or some kind of publicity stunt of 'what would you do for a Mentos' but....he is still curious and opens it up anyway.
And Catwoman is safely away at this point - lurking as best as she can out of sight, her eyes fixated at the case.
The case slowly creaks open....and cue the sound of party favors and party poppers. Confetti pops up into the air and there's an automated 'Yaaaaay!'. Along with that, something comes flying from the case!...a boxing glove that thumps against Kilroy's armor then starts falling. A plastic rabbit head with clowny face paint on a spring bops and sways in the breeze emitting a tinny, goofy voice again and again. "Gotcha! Hahaha ha haha! Gotcha! Hahaha ha haha! Gotcha! Hahaha ha haha! Gotcha! Hahaha ha haha!..." It's got a buisiness card attached to it too. In bright, colorful letters it reads: 'You've been pranked by....THE PRANKSTER!'
Power Skrull looks at Delilah and at Superboy as he lowers down, ready for more of a fight. His eyes trail upwards towards the case and he grows at the sight. "This was a waste of time," he snaps, pressing a button on his wrist and vanishing in a flash of bright violet light. Teleport escape.
Kilroy laughs in spite of himself, but will take a very thorough shower when he gets home in case it was like...an ebola boxing glove or something. At this point he then carefully flies, and sets the case down where he last saw Cat woman run into the shadows. Maybe she can get $50 at a pawn shop or something.
He then uses some Rai stones to move the wrecked vehicles in some easier ways to ease traffic but flies off still smirking. With a little snort, Catwoman slides off into the night. Yes, she sees Kilroy leaving the case - but she wasn't /that/ desperate for money - just new and unique things. So she vanishes into the dark, never to be seen again tonight.
Superboy stares for a moment, pushing his sunglasses up. "What the hell?" he mutters, shaking his head. He starts moving to help clean up cars and demolish the ice wall.
And somewhere in Metropolis, The Prankster is laughing and spinning in his chair because that's how he rolls.