Previous Chapters: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/fan-fic/8/ravager4s-fan-fic-archives/660884/#1
Disclaimer: I do not own any DC characters or locations. All rights belong to DC Comics.
Rating: T+
Note: I have nothing of interest to put down as a note for this one. No, really, nothing.
Rose Wilson: The Ravager #15
Int. Silverstone City Central Police Station – Day
It's been two weeks now since Rose officially started her career as a cop, and so far everything has been going smoothly. Her partner, Becky, is a lot more fun and interesting than she would have thought, and it makes the days go by fairly quickly. There haven't been a whole lot of interesting events so far during her workday, other than a couple of robberies, pulling over a few speeding cars, and breaking up the occasional domestic disturbance. Compared to what she does later at night, it's a cakewalk so far.
A long sigh escapes Rose's lips, as she pulls off her uniform. With the work day over, she's looking forward to spending some time with Holly before her bedtime. Then, it's back out on the streets as Ravager. The slums are probably a good place to check out tonight, there's always something shady going down in that region. As she tends to her thoughts, the door to the locker room opens, Becky entering through it.
Becky: Hey, girl, leaving already?
Rose: Yeah, I gotta get going and pick up Holly, soon as I shower.
Becky: You know, I seriously gotta take you out some time. I mean, you work all day, then go home and take care of your girl; when do you ever get a chance to go out and have some fun, ah?
Rose: There's a lot of things going on in my life right now. 'Fun' just isn't one of them at the moment; well, not in the strictest of definitions.
Becky: Ah, come on, you'll go loco if you never get out once in a while. Even the best parents need to escape from their kids now and then, have a night to themselves.
Rose: Yeah, and do what? Go to a club? Get drunk and end up in some random guy's bed? No thanks, not my thing.
Becky: Ha, not quite what I meant. That isn't my kind of thing, either. But hey, there's plenty of other things a couple of amigas can to together to unwind, ah? Grab a sitter for the kid one of the days and I'll show you.
Closing her locker, Rose glances back at her partner for a moment, giving her a contemplative expression.
Rose: I don't know... maybe. I'll think on it.
Becky: Hey, that's all I'm asking. Open up a little, take it easy, leave the stress of this job behind, that sort of thing.
Rose gives an ever so slight smile, then turns to head to the locker room's showers.
Rose: We'll see.
Int. Rose's Penthouse Suite – Night
Turning the faucet to the kitchen sink off, Rose moves back into other living room, having just finished washing the dirty dishes from dinner. Glancing around the penthouse, she scans the place carefully for any sign of the little girl that had been watching TV not too long ago.
Rose: Holly? Now where did you run off to?
A few moments later, Holly appears, crawling partway out from beneath the couch. She lies there for a moment, her head propped up against her hands, just smirking upwards at her caretaker.
Rose: Oh, thought you could hide from me, did you?
Holly simply shrugs, then rolls back under the couch.
Rose: Hey now, hiding under there isn't going to keep you from brushing your teeth before you go to bed, you know.
Kneeling down in front of the couch, Rose looks down beneath it just in time to see the girl making her way out the back of it and scurrying down the hallway to the bathroom. Letting out an amused breath, she stands back up again and folds her arms, smiling.
Rose: Just remember to use the toothpaste in the blue container this time. The one in the white container is the one that tastes nasty.
Holly returns several minutes later, now dressed in her pajamas and apparently all set for bed. But, it never hurts to make sure.
Rose: You brushed your teeth and washed up?
The girl only returns a vigorous nod, indicating that yes, she remembered to wash her face this time. Rose gives her a careful inspection, noting that her face is indeed still a little damp.
Rose: Alright then, kiddo, off to bed. I'll be there in a minute.
Once Holly heads off to her room, Rose returns to the kitchen for a moment to grab a glass of water, then follows into the bedroom. Holly is waiting for her, settled beneath her covers and tapping her fingers in her lap. Rose sets the glass on the desk next to the bed.
Rose: And here's your water. Just don't drink too much, you don't want to be getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Holly playfully rolls her eyes, as if the thought that she could make that kind of mistake is simply ridiculous.
Rose: Okay now, before I tuck you in, let's go over the rules again.
She hates having to have this discussion with the girl every night, but it's the only way to ensure that Holly remembers it down to the letter, especially considering the nature of the situation.
Rose: If for some reason anyone other than myself is trying to get into this apartment, you stay in your room and lock the door, then use your phone to call me immediately. The security system will take care of everything else.
Holly nods affirmatively, not once ignoring a single word. She knows how important it is.
Rose: And if I'm not back in the morning, what do you do?
Reaching over to her desk next to the bed, Holly pulls up a piece of paper with something written on it. She points at the writing firmly, causing Rose to smile and nod.
Rose: That's right, you call 911. Even though you can't say anything, they'll trace the call and send an officer over. You just let them know that I went out the previous night and never came back, they'll take care of it. You can also call them for any other emergency.
Holly smiles again and gives a thumbs up.
Rose: Good, now get some sleep. You have a big math quiz tomorrow.
Leaning closer to the bed, Rose lifts the blanket farther over the girl, tucking it around her. She then gives Holly a warm hug, and brushes back a loose strand of her hair.
Rose: Night, Holly, sleep tight.
Leaving the bedroom, Rose makes her way to her own room, immediately coming in front of the security panel and punching in the proper code. The back wall swings around, revealing her Ravager equipment.
Time to get to work.
Ext. Silverstone Slums – Night
A large box truck is parked outside an old, run down building in the back alleys of Silverstone City's slums. A group of young men are busily carrying large brick-like packages of white powder from the building to the truck, loading everything neatly but quickly. One of them, a twitchy guy by the name of Dave, periodically looks over his shoulder while he works.
Dave: Come on, Jim, hurry up. We shouldn't be out here.
Jim: And when else were we going to do this, in broad daylight?
Dave: It's not that, I just mean.. you know, she's out here. Somewhere. Probably watching us right now.
Jim: That's the point, isn't it? Quit being a baby and stick to the plan.
The two men throw up their load to the guy standing in the back of the truck, then head back towards the building to get more.
Dave: I still can't believe you signed us up for this. I mean, a buddy of mine, name's Marco, he came across her a few weeks ago while on a job. She broke his jaw! He'll be eating through a straw for who knows how long, and then he'll be in court and-
Jim: Oh would you just shut up already? Starting to give me a headache. Just stop worrying about it; it's not like we're here to fight her or anything.
Dave: But what if she catches us? What if she-
Jim: Like I said. Stick to the plan, and everything will work out just fine. You want to earn that hundred bucks I was talking about? Then keep working.
As they return outside, now carrying another bundle each, movement from a nearby rooftop catches Dave's eyes. He turns suddenly, staring upward. Most of the structures in this area aren't very tall, three stories at the most, and overall the city is built more like Gotham than something like Metropolis. Still, whatever he saw a second ago, it isn't there now. Thinking that it must have just been a random shadow, he lets out a sigh and continues with his work.
A moment later, however, a figure jumps down from the building behind them and lands just beyond the illumination of the adjacent street light. She waits only a moment before stepping out of the shadows and revealing herself, in the process drawing one of her swords.
Ravager: Greetings, boys. Out a little late tonight, don't you think?
Everyone immediately turns to look at her, half of them dropping what they're carrying out of instinct.
Dave: Sh*t, I told you, man! Move!
Without any hesitation, every single one of the men turn and run in the opposite direction, sprinting as fast as they can away from her. They don't even bother to save any of their stash, leaving the entire truckload behind. Ravager stands there for a few moments, utterly astonished.
Ravager: What the...
Usually, the people she comes across make at least some attempt at attacking her. After all, why should a group of men with guns be afraid of a single woman with swords? Half a dozen guys running in the other direction at the first sight of her, on the other hand... that's a first. Instead of chasing them all down, which would likely be far too tedious and annoying a task, Ravager instead focus on the truck and the cargo that the men left behind.
Ravager: I wonder what the reaction would be if I parked this thing right outside the station...
Moving forward, she eyes one of the fallen packages and notices that one of the corners had torn open when it hit the ground, leaking out a small portion of the white powder inside. Kneeling down, she inspects the substance, narrowing her gaze at it. Something seems a bit off about it... it's not as white as cocaine, and it seems to be quite a bit thicker, as well. Curiously, she taps one of her fingers against it and lifts it up to her lips, licking off a tiny taste.
Ravager: Flour?
Why the hell were they moving flour disguised as cocaine?
She never gets a chance to think any further on that question, as her precog suddenly flashes through her head, this time showing an incoming bullet ripping through the back of her neck. Reacting instantly, she dives to the left, just as a loud gunshot rings out and splits the quiet of the night. Almost instantly, another flash goes through her mind, forcing her to scramble out of the way again, as yet another gunshot follows. This goes on for several more shots, until Ravager finally throws herself behind the truck, blocking the shooter's vision.
Those guys were never moving anything, she realizes. They were just trying to draw me out. Whoever's shooting at me is using a sniper rifle aimed at this position, if my visions are anything to go by.
As she contemplates what action to take next, yet another precognitive image goes through her head, but this time she isn't seeing a gunshot.
Ravager: Sh*t!
Lunging up from her position, she starts sprinting towards the nearby alley in front of her, just as the truck explodes. The resulting impact launches her through the air, sending her crashing into a pile of trash bags littering the alleyway. She stays there for a few moments, rolling away behind them and sinking back into the shadows. There are a couple things she can determine from this situation. Firstly, she can't run back the way she came, or she'll be dodging bullets again. Secondly, she has to determine exactly where the shots are coming from, so she can find the b**tard.
Reaching down to a small button on her belt, she clicks it, then waits. Another one of her new 'upgrades', a homing beacon connected to her new mode of transportation. Within a few moments, the hum of the high powered engine reaches her ears. Moving out the back end of the alley, she glances to her right to see the new bike roll up, currently acting on autopilot.
This thing isn't just an ordinary motorcycle, no, this one has been geared up specifically to act as her crime fighting transportation. The frame is sleek, extending down around the wide tires close to the ground, and built from a bulletproof alloy. When riding it, she's more lying down than sitting up, offering superb control over the beast of a machine. And the engine... well, the amount of horsepower between her legs puts her in a very happy place.
Ravager: Alright, mystery man, let's see where you're hiding.
Getting on her bike, she switches it over to manual control and revs the engine. Before taking off, however, she hits another button on her belt, this one connected with the built in micro computer installed in her new mask. Instantly, a small HUD scanning for sound waves appears in front of her eye, actually displayed on the mask's lens. One advantage of having Batman as a friend, it comes with a lot of neat toys.
Ext. Silverstone City Streets – Night
With that taken care of, she guns the engine and lurches forward, driving straight back down the alley and out the other side. In seconds, she's back on the main street, flying in the direction that the gunshots came from. Her precog goes off again, and she swerves slightly to the side. Another gunshot, this one deflecting off the side of her vehicle. Her lens HUD flickers, focusing in on the sudden loud noise.
Just a couple more now, come on.
A second gunshot rings out, the bullet embedding itself into the bulletproof glass of her windshield. The scanner focuses again on the loud burst of sound, getting closer to pinpointing the location. Rose begins swerving around traffic in complete control, never in any danger of striking another vehicles, even if some of the other drivers don't take too kindly to the apparent close calls. Then, a third shot. She swerves ahead of time, having seen the shot coming, causing the bullet to drill straight into street pavement. Finally, the scanner pinpoints where the shots are coming from, the small red target in her lens coming to focus around the top of the tallest building ahead of her, the old clock tower.
Ravager: Gotcha.
Now that she knows the shooter's location, she can take an alternate route, one that he can't see from that vantage point.
Int. Clock Tower – Night
Ravager races up the spiraling stairwell, which leads all the way up to the top of the clock tower. It's an old building, no longer in service. The only reason workers still maintain it is because it's admired for its aesthetics, a long standing part of the city since back in the early 1900's. It's the same reason why it hasn't been demolished yet, sticking around as a sort of landmark from Silverstone's past. Right now, however, it's the site where her shooter is holed up in, taking his shots.
Because it's such an old building, however, it doesn't have an elevator, just stairs, and with the thing being about thirty stories tall, even Ravager is getting annoyed at having to sprint up the entire way. She slows up a little when she nears the top, listening, readying herself. Stopping outside the door that leads into the mechanical chamber, she draws her blades. She doesn't hear anything, and after a few more moments, she quietly opens the door and slips inside.
Ravager keeps to the shadows, gazing up at all the massive gears and other equipment that once moved the large dials of the tower. They're not moving now, as the clock itself no longer runs. Leave it to the city to keep it around to look at, but not function. Making her way up to the platform in front of the clock face, she looks around carefully, but doesn't spot anything out of the ordinary. She's definitely in the right place, though, this is the only location where the shooter could have had sights on her in the slums, and on the main road coming through towards Midtown.
Noticing a portion of window pane removed from the clock face, she moves over to it and gazes out carefully, squinting into the distance. She can't even see where she'd been before in the slums, not with her naked eye alone. One thing she can admit, whoever was shooting at her certainly knows what he's doing. Even with a high powered scope and rifle, making such accurate shots in such quick succession is impressive. This isn't some street gang thug, this is a professional.
Guess I caught someone's attention, she thinks, moving away from the window. Too bad he packed up and left already.
In hindsight, the shooter never had any reason to believe she knew where he was, and so had no reason to stick around and wait for her to show up. Once she had left his sight for good, he must have decided to leave. As she turns to head back out of the tower, however, her precog goes off again. She dives to the side, flipping down off the platform as another gunshot rips through the silence. Immediately, she looks upwards to see someone standing there on one of the massive gears, a man wearing an odd body suit and silver helmet, equipped with a red optic lens over the right eye. He lets out a frustrated breath, as he glares down at her.
Deadshot: That's the last time you make me miss, sweet cheeks.
Ravager: Oh, I wouldn't count on that. So, who are you supposed to be?
Deadshot: You can call me Deadshot. Better known as the man who's about to put a bullet between your eyes.
Ravager: That so? Alright then... give it your best shot.
Deadshot: That supposed to be some kind of pun?
Ravager: Maybe.
Deadshot: Well it ain't funny.
Raising his arm, he points one of his wrist-mounted guns at her.
Deadshot: Sweet dreams.
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Chapter #16 Preview: The first of the assassins has struck! But he's not the only one after Ravager, and she's in for more trouble in the future. Right now, though, her focus is on getting out of this fight alive. In the next chapter, it's Ravager vs. Deadshot!
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