ISSUE #7 (December 2018)
Written by John Cheese Featuring: Dare
|
The Dolan Estate, Avalon Point, Bludhaven
Dominic Dolan was one of Gotham's wealthiest diamond brokers, and he knew he had enemies. It was why with Gotham now a city of broken towers, he'd moved to Bludhaven and attempted to make friends with the most powerful power couple in this hive of scum and villainy. So far neither Blockbuster or his girl 'Friday' the Countess had paid him any attention, but some he'd met had been enthralled with his wealth and now reported to him. "I understand," Dominic stated as he pulled a sweater over his shirt and closed the case containing diamond samples on his desk, "they've come in from Gotham then?" He listened to the response fed into his ear-piece. "Yes, I must consult with you on security, I fear these men and what they'd try and do me if they were told my whereabouts." He added as a figure silhouetted against the sky-glow approached the window of the penthouse apartment. With a smash, the window exploded inward as a figure dressed in green with rose tinted goggles, slung below a hang glider soared into the room. "Who?!" Dominic asked. "Kiteman!" The figure replied as he ran forward snatching the case of diamonds off the table. "Kiteman?" Dominic asked confused as he tried to tackle the bugler only to trip over his own feet. "Hell Yeah!" Kiteman answered as he smashed through the opposite window to the one he'd entered, soaring off into the night sky with his loot. "I might need that security now." Dominic stated as he got to his feet. "And the name of a discrete decorator and glazier as well." "I can get you those numbers for you by close of business tomorrow Mr Dolan." The figure in the devil themed helmet and racing suit stated as he straddled his motorcycle. Waiting a few moments, the biker slipped his phone into the saddlebag on his bike and gunned the vehicle's engine. "Idiot, the guy deserved what he got for not paying attention." He added as he headed towards the automatic gate on the end of the drive. Reaching the end of the drive Thrilldevil came to a stop, the gate unflinchingly barring his path. Dismounting he walked over to the motor, his hand on his holstered micro-Uzi before inspecting the slightly smoking panel. "Hey you realise you've burned the motor out idiot." He called to the security guard manning the booth and gate controls. "Let me out and I won't tell the 'Block' about this inconvenience!" He snorted as the guard got to their feet and gestured for him to come over. "You stupid or something?" Thrilldevil asked as he walked over to the slot in the booth. "Open the fucking gates mor..." Before he could finish a yellow sneakered foot lanced through the slot knocking him to the floor. Groaning he got back to his feet and removed his helmet, the visor slightly curved inwards from the blow. "I swear if you're that Dare chick I'm gonna..." Thrilldevil grunted as he wrenched the door open and unloaded a clip into the booth. Seconds later his foe swung down behind him off the roof and into his back, sending him sprawling onto the floor "...tell me where my sister is?" Dare finished as she kicked Thrilldevil’s Uzi away. "Good idea." She added as she lent on her prey's back. "I swear if I get out, you'll be joining her in hell like the two of you deserve!" Thrilldevil snapped as he tried to struggle free. "Wrong answer." Aliki stated as she removed a crowbar from the hanging stack of tools. Dragging Thrilldevil outside and throwing him against the gate, Dare smashed the parked motorcycle's headlight with her crowbar. "Now let's try and save the wing mirrors shall we." She stated sweetly, as Thrilldevil got to his feet groaning before doubling over in pain. "Firebug was the only one there when she died." Thrilldevil whimpered as Aliki tapped the crowbar against her thigh. "I came back from drinking with Stallion and went to relieve Pike, only to find the whole room aflame. What ashes were left, the Countess took." "What did she do with the ashes?" Dare asked, only to be answered by a shrug of indifference from the villain. Delivering a knockout punch on Thrilldevil, Aliki walked over to the bike and opened up the saddlebags removing the phone and a few bricks of cocaine. "Looks like your Bludhaven PDs problem now." Aliki stated as she typed in a number. "Hello, yes I want the Police, I'd like to report a Dare sighting at Avalon Hill." Courtyard Logistics, Waterloo Docks, Bludhaven The man at the end of the table was well dressed like a business man should be, but there was something off about him, almost as if he'd clawed the suit he wore off the back of a victim of his. The fact he wore the mask of a fox further enforced the predatory features of the man who wore it. "Mr Lawford," The Countess, dressed in a burnt sienna business suit stated, "I hope your drive from Gotham wasn't too arduous." "It was pleasant enough, and while I am glad to be here, I'm disappointed that Mr Desmond wasn't here to meet me or my associates." Lawford replied in a calm even voice, once that caused a growing sense of dread in his hostess. "Mr Desmond was otherwise engaged." The Countess replied as she watched for any sign of emotion coming off of Lawford's body. "He did have some work for you during your stay in Bludhaven however." She added as she slipped two photographs across the table to him, one of Dare, the other of Nightwing. "Mr Desmond wants both of them dead, particularly the women in yellow, she is quickly becoming a problem." "You have some sentimental attachment to her." Lawford stated as he picked the photos up with his left hand. "The thought of her brings back memories of better times." "Not her, but her sister." The Countess answered as she tried to match Lawford's tone. "Her torture and death were what got me noticed by Mr Desmond. Now shall we discuss your fee?" "My associates and I will take our payment in property and operating rights within the city." Lawford stated as he placed the photos down on the table. "Blockbuster won't stand for any competition Mr Lawford, especially from operators who work for him." The Countess announced as she pressed a button on the arm of her chair, the door behind her sliding open letting the Electrocutioner walk into the room. "Please reconsider another form of payment." "If you will not offer it as reward, we will take what should be ours by force." Lawford replied as he got up from the table and turned to leave. "Rest assured that Mr Desmond will have his dead masks, and after that a guaranteed place in my city." Not even needing the order the Countess yelled, the Electrocutioner surged forwards and swung at Lawford, only for his opponent to sidestep his blow and the follow-up swipe. Holding his right hand up in front of his face Lawford extended three-inch metal claws from his hand and lashed out, the claws scything through the wires connected to Electrocutioner's gloves causing them to short out. Recovering from his weapons being damaged the Electrocutioner went to slug Lawford in the face only for the fox-masked man to intercept the blow and stab the claws into the thug’s hands. Grabbing his attacker by the throat with his left hand, Lawford began to squeeze. "Our business here is concluded." Lawford announced as he threw the choking Electrocutioner to the floor. "I'm sure we'll see each other very soon." He added as he walked calmly out of the room. "Giz call Soames and get him connected with our contacts at GCPD, I want their files on the Terrible Trio as soon as we can!" The Countess stated as she walked over to the Electrocutioner and bent down next to him and kissed his bleeding hand. "They will pay for this," She stated before planting a bloody kiss on his cheek, "I'll make sure of it." Wild Horses, Meal Tide, Bludhaven Aliki smiled as she took the credit-card from the patron and charged it for the beer and burger combo he'd ordered for lunch. In a short twenty minutes her shift would be finished and she could focus on her real job; hunting down Blockbuster's associates until she found a way to reach the Countess. "Allison?" A familiar voice asked causing Aliki to hand the receipt and card back to the wide gentlemen at the counter. As he shifted and headed for the door, she saw Katherine standing hands on hips looking at her. "How can I help you officer?" Aliki answered as Katherine placed a set of photos on the bar, two showing men, one showing a woman. "Do any of these people look familiar?" She asked. Aliki scanned the photographs before placing her finger on the one of the woman. "That's Vana Frake, we crossed paths in Coldstream." She stated in a quiet voice. "She was some kind of 'wreck pirate' stealing valuables from car crashes." "Well she's moved into arms dealing, in particular the dealing of bump stocks at low prices." Katherine replied. "These other two," She announced as she tapped the photos of Kiteman and Dominic Dolan, “were involved in a high-rise burglary and diamond smuggling respectively." "I'll keep my eye out for all three of them." Aliki answered as William walked out of the cellar access. "Officer Rhioden." William stated. "William Halden." Katherine answered as she headed for the exit. "What did she want?" William asked as Aliki went to clean up a glass. "Information on someone I was incarcerated with at Coldstream." Aliki answered as William nodded to a customer waving his hand. "If Katherine is anything like her two older brothers then she's clean," William stated as he took printed of the receipts on the computer screen. "Never had a problem with that particular dynasty, even was friends with her uncle." He added as he ripped the bill off the roll of paper in the printer. "Good to know." Aliki stated as she placed the glass behind the bar, her mind elsewhere. Waterloo Docks, Bludhaven Evenings were getting colder, Aliki thought, as she sprinted along the top of a highway sign before leaping over a barbed wire fence and herself onto a shipping container. Secretly she was looking forward to meeting Vana again, after all she'd been one of the inmates who'd made it impossible to have long hair after they'd used it as anything from lead to toilet brush. Scanning the area Aliki switched the lenses of her mask to a low light vision mode and watched as one of the containers opened and Vana started putting out her wares. Her prey hadn't changed much still possessing an exotic beauty to her, something compounded by the high heel boots, leather trousers and jacket she wore, topped off with a wide brimmed black fedora. Fortunately, Aliki mused, Vana's arrogance remained the same. Her location left multiple angles for Aliki to strike from, all of which hindered or blocked retaliatory gunfire from Vana or her customers, that is assuming they saw her coming. "Thank you, sir, your crate will be delivered to Gotham by the weekend." Vana announced, her Scandinavian accent purring as she handed an invoice to her clients, a group of thugs wearing striped shirts, bandanas and jeans. "What is Praeda Reclamation Tax?" One of the thug's asked as he pointed to an item on the invoice. "I'm now part of a conglomeration of small businesses." Vana replied as she removed a modified AR-15 from the wall of her container. "They take a cut off all my business transactions and in turn I get protection and a place in Bludhaven's re-structuring." She added as a giant of a man dressed in military grade armour plating and helmet, the visor painted with a shark tooth motif stalked around from the back of the container. "Protection?" One of the thugs asked as the mercenary wrapped his hand around the weighted chain hanging from his belt. "From what?" "From this!" Vana snapped as the mercenary pulled the chain down slamming Dare into the ground with a thud. "Leave." The mercenary stated as Aliki wriggled free of the chain and got to her feet. "Yes, Mister Shark." Vana stated as she slid her assault rifle over her shoulder and walked over to a motorcycle parked across the tarmac from her kiosk. "Kill." Shark ordered the thugs as he stepped back and gestured to Aliki. “Who the hell do you think you are?” One of the thugs snorted, seconds before Shark flicked the chain out, smashing the weighted hook on the end smashing through the goon’s skull. "Yes boss!" The trio of thugs stated as they stepped over their dead comrade and swarmed the vigilante. Throwing a punch, the first hit nothing as his target ducked and used his momentum to throw him over her shoulder. The second charged in, but ended up being tripped, slamming headfirst into a box of bump stocks, the metal case knocking him out. The final thug threw a few simple karate chops at Aliki. Normally she'd roll her eyes at the stupidity of all this, but this wasn't a fun situation. Shark had spotted her, thwarted her ambush and was now watching how she fought, how she moved. Even as she finished the last thug, she knew she'd achieved nothing, that her opponent was winning. "Good." Shark stated as Aliki throat chopped the last of his thugs. Dragging the chain behind him, the mercenary circled Aliki, keeping her on edge and guessing which direction the attack would come from. "So, I assume you're what? The Countesses new muscle after Stallion was relegated to the hospital." Aliki theorised with a level of false bravado that surprised her. Her question had an effect however, Shark stopped moving, almost as if he'd been paralysed by the words. Taking her chance Aliki rushed the five meters to her foe... As she reached halfway Shark lashed out, the hook on the end of his chain tripping Aliki up and forcing herself to save herself from falling to the floor. It didn't save her from injury however, as Shark surged forward and wrapped the chain round his opponent's throat. Choking and spluttering Aliki watched as the mercenary slammed one end into a crack in the concrete before removing a short-studded paddle from a leg sheath, the teeth glinting under the work lights. Swinging the weapon, Shark watched as Aliki ducked under the blow before delivering a blow to his wrist. Retaliating quickly shark slammed the handle of the paddle into Aliki's chest, before stabbing the teeth into his captive's chest. "You are dying." Shark stated as he looked at Aliki's pale face as he rolled the paddle length wards, digging even more teeth into the vigilante’s chest. "I am." Aliki wheezed as she desperately tried to free herself from the chain. Not responding Shark picked up the chain and pulled Aliki onto all fours at his feet. With one futile effort Aliki lashed out with the chain only for her foe to stomp on her improvised weapon with one foot and kick her back with the other. He realised his mistake seconds later as Aliki pulled back on the chain as she was kicked away, the metal links sending Shark sprawling even as his weight ripped the restraining peg free from the ground. Even as Aliki unlopped the chain from her neck, Shark was recovering and she half ran-half limped to the fence, the barbed wire topping cutting her. Daring to look back, she saw Shark calmly recovering his weapons, evident that despite her escape he was still in charge, that he had won. Disappearing into the darkness, Aliki looked back again and watched Shark track her progress in the half light of the darkness. "So, who are you." Aliki gulped as she limped away, blood dripping from the shallow cuts to her abdomen. "And more importantly where do you plan to fit in the city underworld's power structure." |