14:00
Luke Cage crashed into his own bed at his apartment.
“Pietro, what the fuck are you doing up there?” Kwannon asked. They walked into the webby alley that he was yelling from.
“Oh good. I didn’t have a lot of hope since most civilians should ignore a Spider-Man capture.”
“You got captured. Are you serious?”
“He tricked me!”
“You’re faster than him!”
“Just get me down!”
At the Rikers prison, detective Misty and her partner Scarfe paced around. Jessica’s body was hidden under a tarp. There were a few teams of cops preparing weapons and armor. Another boat arrived carrying Ben Urich and Karen Page.
Karen almost ran to the tarp but Misty stopped her. “Oh my gosh, who is under there?”
“Jessica.”
“Really? But how? Who?”
“Karen, you’re recording me asking the questions,” Ben reminded her, “since Eddie flaked on us.”
“Yeah sorry,” she took out her phone and started recording Ben.
“Hello New York, it’s Ben Urich at the scene of another murder at Rikers Island. Sorry this is not a live transmission, we are at a loss. And many losses to suffer as I stand here with Detective Misty Knight. Misty, it’s horrible but please inform us of the scene.”
“Well it seems while we were all distracted by the fracas in downtown, the Rhino entered the prison and turned it upside down. He especially destroyed forms of communication before busting into the prison. So far, we don’t know if he freed anyone. Jessica Jones then arrived, probably chasing him but he seems to have killed her before the island was flooded by a sudden tsunami. All this information comes from the anon who called us here. Jessica took a single large puncture in her stomach and an x was carved over her chest. Now Rhino has again disappeared. And we haven’t been in the prison yet so we are just hoping there will be no resistance from the inhabitants.”
“C-can we go in with you?” Karen asked Misty.
Misty raised an eyebrow. Then she shrugged saying, “I mean it should be fine. The dangerous ones are all shackled anyways.”
“Alright, I’ll go and deliver Jessica to be buried,” Scarfe said. “Good luck”.
Misty raised her left arm and pointed, “march!” This arm is metal as she lost it fighting Bakuto, a member of the Hand. Misty would lead with her metal arm in front of the army of armed cops and in last were Karen and Urich.
But when they went inside, the bars of each cell were ripped apart or some cells were left open. Inside the cells were the corpses of former prisoners. The corpse had scratches all over them, injuries one wouldn’t receive from fighting Rhino. Upon close inspection of one jail guard, Karen concluded, “these are the Cat Claws of Hell’s Kitchen”.
“Huh? And I thought the Hellcat was a rumor,” Misty said.
“I mean I think Daredevil fought her once,” Karen answered. “Before that, criminals in Midtown started popping up murdered in cold blood. No weapons, just clawed out. Random criminals too. I mean some were active in their crime but others were retired or even just accomplices.”
“Harsher than the Punisher and a woman? What is this city?” Misty asked before chuckling.
They found a large lift which would take them down to the levels of super criminals and super villains. On the first basement level, Misty sent some cops to scope the floor and did the same thing at the second level. At the third and final level, they all hopped off the lift. Urich felt a shiver down his spine. The third floor was one large empty room. Each prisoner was just shackled to the wall. It was barely lit yet everyone could tell about the large figure in the back corner. Karen accidentally stomped in a large puddle, wow it was completely flooded. How many of them drowned down here?
Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of the Underworld, raised his head. He was still very soppy in his clothes. “Misty Knight. Karen Page. Ben Urich. You seem to have found yourself at the bottom of the barrel.”
“You don’t like your conditions? Maybe don’t repeat your crimes next time,” Misty said. “Oh wait, you got a lifetime sentence.”
“Life can be short for many. Your bait is nothing compared to the fear we face here. The only reason I and some others did not die is because the drain in the middle of the room eventually emptied the flood before we succumbed to darkness.”
“Well you can’t really blame anyone for the flood. It was not something the City designed and it seems none of you profited off of it,” Misty replied. “Tell me, why did the Rhino visit you this morning?”
“Did he? I must’ve missed that due to the off chance that I am not in control right now! He did not visit me, I have never met the man.”
“Really? Why should we believe?” Karen fiercely asked.
“You can go ask the other survivors, he didn’t even come down here.”
Misty, Ben, Karen, and the two cops with them spread out asking each villain. Doctor Otto Octavius, Leland Owlsey, Morbius the Living Vampire, Mary Walker, Zebadiah Killgrave, Willis Stryker, the Man-Bull, the Chameleon, Quinten Beck, and Maxwell Dillon just to name a few. None of them had seen Rhino that morning, “or so they say,” Karen said. Boy I wish I was Matt right now.
The lift descended again as the team from the first basement came down. They reported that the Cat Claws were all over that floor as well. Misty thought aloud, “huh well if the Hellcat has attacked the first basement but no one on this floor has those injuries, then I wonder where she went?”
The lift descended once more and opened but no one came out. Mary sighed saying, “well now you’ve let the cat be dragged in”.
“There was something he said about Rikers so you head there while we take care of him here,” Logan said.
“Gotchu, I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Pietro responded.
“If you don’t get captured, old chap,” Kwannon teased.
“Yeah don’t get captured, bub,” Logan advised.
“Shut up! You guys fight Spider-Man!”
Spider-Man swung a corner of a scraper and crashed right into Blackbolt. Both of them started to fall but then Spider-Man strung Blackbolt up into the air and took the both of them over to a rooftop. “Buddy, am I glad to see you! I was just about to look for you. There’s this crazy strong bad guy you could fight.”
Blackbolt smiled and then asked, “what of the Iron Fist?”
“Well yeah, that’s the problem. I’m so happy you care! This guy Deadpool murders him but I feel like I could take that guy. I want you to fight his water type partner. It can be like a good old Defenders team up!”
“The Defenders are not a thing. I will help you.”
“Man, you’re so simple. I was wondering if I should look for Daredevil and Punisher too.” Blackbolt nodded. “Good thinking! The more the merrier!” Then Spider-Man got a text. “Oh no! The cat is coming back!”
In the bottom basement, the lights hanging from the ceiling hit the floor thus darkening the room. Karen felt something brush past her so she grabbed Misty’s flesh arm. Misty activated a flashlight on the fingertip of her metal arm. The cops around them started to yell and fall. There were also distant shouts of dying. Karen could hear Otto begging for a full minute before he started bartering, insulting, and then silence. Leland started whistling a creepy tune and then giggled when Fisk growled at him. Willis finally relented, “MISTY! Get us out of here! You sent someone to murder us? As if we don’t have the right to live out our life sentences?”
“Diamond, relax,” Fisk commanded.
Misty and Karen eyed each other. She whispered at Karen, “do we have any information on who Hellcat is? She’s killed some of my coworkers.”
“No! All I heard were rumors, but she only did kill criminals.”
“Well we have to go,” Misty said but then they heard the lift start to ascend.
“Come to me, little kitten,” Fisk said as a threat. He stood up as Hellcat crawled toward him.
On the second basement floor, prisoner Cornell Stokes had survived the Hellcat by hiding underneath his now dead cellmate. Even with that flood, potentially I still could have had the meeting here but if there’s some grim reaper, now’s the time to go. Stokes carefully crawled out of the cell and made his way to the ascending lift.
Pietro got there crashing on the shore before dashing inside. He looked around as he passed through the courtyard, not really a prison. He decided to go inside where he found the Hellcat corpse trail. A series of unfortunate deaths. He eventually made it to where the lift was. There was a black haired woman in a white feathery dress, a snake skin mask, and carrying a katana in a white sheath. She turned around but Pietro quickly disappeared. The lift opened it’s doors so she walked in. Pietro came behind her. She walked to the middle of it and he stood behind her like a shadow. She turned to the left, right and spun around and he made sure to stay completely out of sight.
The lift stopped and Cornell crawled in. The door closed and then Cornell looked up. Where have I seen her before?
“Uh hello,” the lady said. “I’m the Tohil.” Pietro ducked so Cornell wouldn’t see his head. “I don’t know who you are,” she lied, “but I heard this place was attacked. Are you apart of the Serpent Society?”
“Cut the crap,” Cornell said standing up, “I’m the goddamn mastermind.”
“Oh. So you were Cottonmouth. Then I don’t mind your escape at all.”
“Cool,” said Cornell licked his lips, “I really meant you could take off your mask.”
“You had no reason to hide your identity from me but I feel like I should keep mine until the meeting.”
Cornell looked up and down at the Tohil. “How about we have the meeting right now then? Nearly every other member is dead. We are about to go down and find a dead Diamondback. We should be escaping but I want to see your face.”
A quiet tense moment between Tohil and Cottonmouth would go on until interrupted by Pietro’s out loud thinking, “Are they roleplaying or something?” They turned around to him but he sped around and stole her mask. The lift opened it’s doors to Karen and Misty and so Pietro kept speeding into that basement.
Karen and Misty dropped their jaws at the sight of Colleen standing next to an escaped Cornell. Cornell dropped his jaw recognizing, “you the Asian bitch who helps Luke and Misty”. Then Cornell turned around to Misty and Karen. “Misty!”
“This is not a good day,” Misty said.
“Cornell Stokes, what are you doing here?” Karen asked.
“I live here!”
Fisk once again headbutted Hellcat onto the ground. There were a few shallow scratches on his bald head and he had taken a few blows across his body. She leapt at him again but this time he jumped on top of her. She squirmed out from under her feet. Willis was close enough to see the losing fight Hellcat had. “Heheh, you don’t look so scary anymore shawty.” Hellcat stared at him huffing and puffing. Fisk is still shackled to the wall.
“What if I hired you Hellcat? None of the people you killed here were my rivals but I have those in Manhattan and Brooklyn you could spend a better time with.”
Pietro stopped in between Hellcat and Fisk, “Who?” he asked.
Fisk was taken aback by his sudden appearance. Hellcat stood up defensively. Then Fisk answered, “none of your business.”
“Right. My only business was checking this place out. What kind of prison is this? There’s dead bodies everywhere, even in this room. You smell bloodthirsty as hell, lady.” Hellcat pounced at Pietro who moved behind her and ripped off the mask. Losing her anonymity, Trish stood up straight feeling incredibly awkward. “You’re cute”.
Over at the lift, Misty used her metal arm to hold Cornell in the air, “neat, when did you get this?”
Colleen said, “he just confessed to being Cottonmouth, leader of the Serpent Society. That’s why the meeting was supposed to be here, his partner was going to be Fisk’s old ‘Diamondback’.”
“Fuck-”
“Great news Colleen. But I wish your mask didn’t fall enough. We still need to know the other identities. Unless Cornell wants to do us a favor.”
Cornell punched Misty freeing himself. He then jumped backwards to retreat into the lift. Colleen unsheathed her sword and slowly approached. “What a fucked up situation.”
Colleen quickened her pace as she came to slash Cornell. Things seemed to slow down. I remember, when Bakuto was training me, he used to say that time may slow down for those who are about to die. My thoughts are racing but I am slowly inching towards Cornell. He can’t kill me so, she slowly turned her head to see Pietro flipping through the air. “Colleen? Colleen Wing?”
“Yes?”
Pietro’s foot connected to the side of her face and he stomped her into the wall. Her skull was completely crushed with her eyeballs flying into Cornell’s open mouth. Her teeth clattered as they hit the floor one by one. Pietro landed and then checked the bottom of his shoe, “needs a wash”.
“Wha-what the FUCK?” Cornell shouted. Karen dropped to her knees and clasped her cheeks.
“Are you Misty?” Pietro said, giving her the most sinister look.
“No-no,”
“Liar, cops keep ID’s on them,” he said suddenly much closer to her and flashing said ID card.
“Bu-but”
“Sorry to kill someone who only protects the law,” he said, raising his other leg.
Karen blinked and Pietro had stomped Misty’s skull into the ground. Pietro’s face looked grim as he asked Karen, “who are you?” She just shook her head and started to hyperventilate. Pietro swiped her card. “Karen Page? I don’t need to kill you.”
Trish’s night vision had allowed her to see this from her dark corner. Fisk looked at her confused on where Pietro disappeared to. Pietro then returned. Trish took her defensive stance again. “Sorry we were interrupted. Uh what’s your name? We can be nice to each other.”
He’s…he’s super fast. That’s all. “I’m Trish.”
Fisk frowned his face as he did not know who Trish was. Pietro said to her, “That’s nice. Well this is a crazy situation. Since you don’t look so scary anymore, wanna get out of here?”
“Sure,” Trish said, feeling helpless.
Pietro quickly carried her to the lift, pushed out Cornell but left the corpses in, and covered her eyes as they traveled up. Then when the lift opened on the surface, Pietro carried Misty’s and Colleen’s bodies to the shore next to where Jessica still lies since he sent Scarfe into the river. Then he returned to Trish and carried her to Staten Island for a potential date.
4 dead, 8 remaining.
tdwriter 