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Rating: T+
Note: As always, I'm always open to comments of any kind so long as they're constructive, so don't be shy.
Rose Wilson: The Ravager #23
Int. Sapphire Industries – Night
Ravager runs around the corner of a hallway, following Jerry's directions. It isn't exactly quick going, though, with security guards constantly showing up in front of her after Jerry went and purposefully allowed them to get out the alert to the rest of the building. A test, he said, to see just how capable she is. Of course, the same rules still apply; if she fails, Becky dies.
Jerry/Comm: Take your next left.
Sprinting faster, Ravager moves towards her next left, not slowing down and practically sliding across the floor as she turns. She can't afford to take her time; right now, speed is everything. From the next corridor in front of her, several guards come around the corner in a hurry. When they notice the woman in costume heading straight at them, however, they instantly skid to a sudden halt and raise their weapons, basic stun guns.
Idiots.
Ravager ducks out of the way of one of the incoming shock projectiles, then spins away from another one, and leaps over the third. Before they even realize that they missed, she's in the middle of them and attacking. She assaults pressure points, breaks bones, knocks them out, but doesn't kill. That's the last thing she needs, for the media to spin that she's not just a thief, but a murderer, too. When all three men go down, she looks up and pauses a moment, then keeps going.
Jerry/Comm: The lab is in the next hallway, second door on the right. It's marked with white and black stripes.
In a short few moments, she makes it to the specially marked door and kicks it open. The temperature instantly drops about twenty degrees, the lab for some reason kept rather chilled. She lets out a deep breath, emitting a visible, wispy cloud.
Ravager: Alright, where is this thing?
Jerry/Comm: Near the back, there's a hatch on the wall, opens to a small freezer. It's inside.
Moving towards the back, she locates the hatch and spins the handle several times before it finally opens, a small hiss of air surging forth. The compartment within is coated with ice, and empty except for a fist sized, heavy duty metal canister, with a buttons on one side of it. Reaching forward, she lifts it into her grasp, feeling the intense chill even through her gloves.
Ravager: Geez, it's heavy, even for me. What the hell is in this thing?
Jerry/Comm: I assure you, most of the weight is the container. What's inside weighs very little.
Ravager: Uh huh, great, now I still have to get out of this place while carrying-
Guard: Freeze!
Turning to look behind her, she notices a security guard standing in the doorway. Another couple men are standing behind him, all wielding pistols and pointing them at her. Looks like they finally brought out the serious weapons, though a lot of good it will do them.
Guard: Put the container down, and step away with your hands up!
Ravager: Hey, is this thing fragile at all?
Jerry/Comm: Well, no... why?
Ravager: Just checking.
Guard: Do it now! Put it down!
Ravager: What, this?
She glances at the canister for a second, tightening her grip on it with her right hand. She then turns to the side, brings her arm back, and launches the thing as though throwing a baseball. Her enhanced strength sends it through the air like a rocket, drilling the first guard in the chest and knocking him violently backwards. His gun goes off, the bullet impacting somewhere in the ceiling. The other guards catch the man before he hits the floor, but quickly work to get into a better position to stop their intruder.
By the time they manage to push past the other man into the doorway, Ravager is there to greet them with a flying kick, drilling the first one in the head. The other man fires his gun, striking her shoulder. She grits her teeth slightly, as her armor absorbs the bullet, then spins low and sweeps her leg beneath the man's feet, causing him to flip onto his backside. She strikes quickly again with a hard palms strike, knocking him out cold. With the area clear, she picks up the canister again and heads back down the hallway.
Jerry/Comm: You threw it, didn't you?
Ravager: It got the job done, didn't it?
A small sigh comes through the other end of the comm.
Jerry/Comm: Proceed back to the stairs and head to the roof. The chopper is on its way back now to pick you up.
Ravager: Working on it!
Jumping low into a baseball slide, she zips across the floor and through the legs of another approaching security guard to avoid his gunshot. By the time he notices she's gone and turns around to face her, she's already bringing her elbow into the side of his head. He drops like a brick. She then continues sprinting back the way she came.
Ravager reaches the stairwell a moment later, bursting through the door and running up to the roof. Another gun goes off, the bullet ricocheting off the railing. Glancing down briefly, she sees several more guards in close pursuit. Pushing herself faster, she puts as much distance between them as she can, until she finally emerges out onto the roof.
Ext. Sapphire Industries – Night
Ravager: Where the hell is the chopper?
Jerry/Comm: Almost there, hold tight.
Glancing back over her shoulder, she notices the first of the security guards come out to join her on the roof. She keeps moving towards the opposite end, taking cover behind a grouping of air conditioning units. A few moments later, the hum of the chopper's rotors reaches her ears. Turning, she sees it coming in from the east side of the building, its rope ladder already hanging out.
Jerry/Comm: Better get moving, you're only going to get one chance at this.
Well this is gonna be a blast.
Sprinting out from cover, Ravager heads straight for the edge of the rooftop. The security guards open fire, some shots missing, others requiring careful use of her precog to avoid without slowing down. Finally, she reaches the ledge at near full speed, kicks off, and lunges through the air. For a brief moment, she's hanging over twenty-five stories of empty space, nothing but the city streets below.
Holding out her left arm, she clamps her grasp around the bottom rung of the rope ladder, just as the chopper flies by. She uses every ounce of her strength to hang on without having her arm ripped from its socket, and all while maintaining her grip on the canister without dropping it. Within several seconds, the chopper is out of range of the security guards, flying back to a drop off point.
Jerry/Comm: Very well done, Rose, you've proven your value yet again.
Ravager: Screw off, a**hole. You alerted security on purpose just to make me sweat.
Jerry/Comm: And you still came through, just as I knew you would. I'll see you shortly.
Int. Rose's Penthouse Suite – Day
Four days later...
Rose stands quietly at the kitchen table, leaning forward against it with her hands pressed on either side of the newspaper. She's staring at the front page headline, which reads: 'The Blade Strikes Again, Hits Keifer Chemicals.' Tapping her fingers incessantly against the table, she moves on to the article itself, reading carefully for a few moments before pushing the paper away in disgust. Finally, she drops herself into her seat and stares up at the ceiling.
I'm a criminal now, plain and simple, she thinks, shaking her head slightly. I might be doing it for a good cause, but that doesn't matter to the cops, or the media, or anyone else.
Not to mention, she's also helping Jeremiah accomplish whatever it is he's working towards. She highly doubts that he's just sending her out to steal this stuff for kicks, he has a purpose behind it, a plan. If she doesn't figure out a way to stop him fast, without putting Becky's life in danger, then there's no telling what kind of ramifications it could have.
As Rose sits there, her cell phone begins to ring. It's not the one that Jerry gave to her, but rather her actual, personal phone. She glances at it for a moment, as it vibrates across the table, contemplating whether or not to answer. The caller ID says 'Grayson'. She wants to answer it, she really does, but she knows she can't. He's calling about what she's been doing lately, no doubt about that. With his resources, there's no way he doesn't know about it.
She can't talk to him, though, not yet, not while Jerry still holds Becky's life in his hands. If she talks to Dick, he'll want to know what the hell she's doing. If she tells him, he'll want to help her. If he helps, then Jerry pulls the trigger on Becky. She doesn't know exactly the extent of the man's 'watchful eyes', but she doesn't want to test it. Instead, she lets the phone continue ringing until her voicemail picks up, then stuffs it in her pocket.
A few moments later, she looks up to see Holly entering the kitchen and sitting herself down at the table. The girl holds her hands up to her chin, kicking her legs back and forth in her seat and just staring at Rose for a few moments.
Rose: Oh, Holly... I'm sorry, just cereal this morning. I... didn't get a chance to make anything.
Holly purses her lips in thought for a moment, then brings her hands up and makes a few motions. Rose has been teaching her sign language now, finally, and the girl's vocabulary with it is actually coming along pretty quickly.
Holly: What's wrong?
Rose: It's... nothing, don't worry about it. I've just had a lot on my mind lately.
Holly: Are you worried about Becky?
Rose: Yeah... I am.
Holly: I'm sorry.
Rose smiles gently and lets out a small breath, shaking her head.
Rose: It's alright, really... everything will be okay, Becky's healing well. The doctors are even considering taking her off the painkillers today, so she might be awake when we go see her later.
Holly smiles at this.
Holly: That's really good!
Rose: Yeah, it is...
Though Rose still tries to smile, the sad, depressed look on her face is still pretty clear. Seeing this, Holly gets up from her seat and walks over, giving a big, friendly hug. Rose swallows a knot in her throat and returns the hug, breathing in deeply.
Rose: Thanks, Holly.
Int. Silverstone City General Hospital – Day
Rose knocks very gently on the hospital room door as she opens it, slowly peering inside and hoping for a response. Holly stands behind her, rocking back and forth on her toes, hands held behind her back and waiting patiently. A short distance away, the figure lying down in bed moves a little, turning her head to look at them.
Becky: Hey... you guys came.
Her voice is raspy and weak, but she's alive; that's good enough for all of them. As Rose sees Becky awake, she can't hide a pleased smile. After days of watching Becky lie motionless and asleep, condition barely improving, it gives her a newfound wave of relief to see her friend actually talking and moving again.
Rose: Of course we came... we've been here everyday, you know.
Becky: Yeah, the doctor told me you have. Thanks, I mean it.
Rose: Hey, you did the same for me, right? That's what friends do.
A weak smile comes across Becky's face; she's still in pain, but she wanted to be awake long enough for this visit.
Becky: The very best, right?
Rose: Nothing less.
Holly comes forward, all smiles, and starts rifling through a series of hand signs.
Becky: Ha, slow down there. Afraid I don't know sign language.
Rose: She says she's glad you're better.
Becky: Aha, gracias, Holly, I'm glad too. Though, I still got a long way to go, ah? Hurts just to breathe.
Sitting down next to the bed, Rose leans forward and takes one of Becky's hands into her own.
Rose: She, uh, she's not the only one who's glad, you know. I... I was really worried there for a while.
Becky: Easy there, girl, you're gonna make me blush.
Rose blinks a moment, then looks down and quickly pulls her hand back, embarrassed.
Rose: Oh, right, sorry. I was... just a reflex. I, uh... held your hand a lot when I was here before, guess I thought it would help or something. Stupid, right?
Becky: Nah, it's sweet. Thanks.
Clearing her throat, Rose looks away slightly, fidgeting in her seat. Now she doesn't know whether to feel embarrassed or flattered. Maybe a little of both.
Rose: So, uh... I don't suppose you've seen the news yet?
Becky: Si, watched it this morning. Didn't I tell you that Blade person was bad news?
Well, guess that was a bit too much to hope for.
Rose: Uh... yeah. I guess you did.
Becky: I mean, I can't say I expected something like this to happen, but I knew she'd be trouble. Looks like we got a lot of work to do once I get back to work, ah? That is, of course, unless you guys catch her before then.
Rose: I wouldn't count on that...
A small, somewhat amused sigh escapes Becky's lips.
Becky: Ha, yeah, she's a tough one, I hear. Probably one of those metas or something. Boy do we have our hands full.
A brief silence passes between them. Rose shifts her position slightly, bringing a hand to her head and gently runs her fingers through her hair. Holly, meanwhile, walks over to the other seat and hops into it, then grabs the remote and turns on the television hanging from the wall.
Becky: So, what do you two have planned for today, anyway? It's Sunday, right?
Rose: Yeah, Sunday. But we don't really have much going on today, didn't make much of a schedule. We'll probably stay here a while, unless you need your rest?
Becky: Please, I'm good for as long as you're here.
The two women smile back at each other, a brief moment passing.
Rose: Then... yeah. We'll stay here.
Int. Rose's Penthouse Suit – Night
Later that night, Rose stands in her bedroom and looks down at her mask, taking in a small breath. The more she does for Jerry, the more she hates putting it on, and yet she doesn't have a choice. It takes her a while to finally pull it over her head and continue getting dressed, but eventually she's fully geared up and ready to go. According to her phone conversation a short while ago, this is her last job, at least for now. That means she's running out of time. Whatever Jerry is trying to accomplish with the things that she's been stealing for him, he's almost done. She needs to find a way to stop him, soon.
But I can't do that as long as Becky's in danger. So what the hell do I do?
Letting out a frustrated breath, she holds a hand against the wall, while bringing the other up to her forehead. She stays like that for a few moments, just trying to think of something, anything. Nothing comes to mind. Eventually, she pushes herself away from the wall and heads back through the penthouse to leave. When she gets to the living room, however, she's stopped by the sound of her cell phone going off, her real one.
Glancing back at the coffee table, she stares at the phone for a moment, watching it glow and vibrate. Then, she walks over to it and lifts it up, reading the name. 'Grayson'. Breathing outwardly again, she places the phone back on the table and continues on her way.
Sorry, Dick, can't come to the phone right now.
Ext. GenTech Enterprises – Night
Ravager leaps through the window, blowing apart the glass in a shower of tiny shards. Having been on the third floor, she's now plummeting through thirty feet of empty air. She braces herself for impact, tucking and rolling when she hits the ground. Her above normal durability prevents any broken bones, though she can still feel more than a few bruises already springing up, and her ankle feels a bit funny, like it's partially asleep.
As she sprints across the grass outside, she glances over her shoulder to see the building's security staring at her from the broken, third story window. None of them are about to make an attempt in following her. Looking straight ahead again, she continues towards where she left her bike and hops on, placing the strange electronic device she stole into the back compartment and then gunning the engine. In seconds, she's racing down the street.
Ext. Silverstone Outskirts – Night
Ravager: It's done.
Jerry/Comm: Very good. I'm sending someone to meet up with you back at the toy factory. Go slow and stick to the back roads, we don't want you catching the attention of the authorities, after all. That would be most problematic.
Ravager narrows her gaze, as she slows up a little, returning to a normal speed. Veering left at a fork, she stays on the lesser traveled roads, the ones that will snake their way back into the less busy areas of the city. Getting noticed by the police and then caught up in a high speed pursuit right now would not be desirable.
About ten minutes into her ride, she begins to become acutely aware that she's being followed. Glancing down into one of her mirrors, she watches the vehicle behind her, another motorcycle, maintaining a decent distance; he's just far enough to be less noticeable, while still close enough to keep an eye on her. When she speeds up, so does her pursuer. When she slows down, he does the same.
Ravager: You know, I'm really getting tired of you having your goons follow me around.
Jerry/Comm: What are you talking about?
Ravager: The guy behind me is one of yours, right?
Jerry/Comm: I assure you, he is not.
This time, Ravager turns her head and looks behind her, giving her follower a long look. Now that he knows he's been discovered, the vehicle speeds up and begins to close the gap.
Ravager: Someone's tailing me. Not a cop, though.
Jerry/Comm: Deal with it, then, and be quick.
Squeezing the breaks, Ravager spins her bike around with a screech of the tires. In a brief second, she's now facing towards her pursuer, just sitting there and waiting for him. Whoever this guy is, she intends on putting a stop to him quickly. She really doesn't like being followed. When the vehicle comes closer, however, and she realizes who is riding towards her, she tenses up, sitting straighter and glaring with a mix of confusion, surprise, and frustration. A few moments later, he comes to a stop and sits up, staring at her from behind the familiar cowl.
Ravager: What the hell are you doing here?
Red Robin: Rose, we need to talk.
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Chapter #24 Preview: Red Robin attempts to find out what's going with Ravager and stop her current crime spree, but when she refuses to talk, the two come into conflict. Next time, it's Rose Wilson vs. Tim Drake in a battle of former teammates!
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