Two Heroes and a Drug Deal

Summary:
August 18 2014: Kate Bishop and Teddy Altman bust up a drug deal in Bronx Park. Marshal Nashoba gets the arrest.

Bronx Park

Neither as nice nor as spacious as Central Park… still has drug deals though


Characters

NPCs

  • Drug Dealers

Mood Music:
[* None]


Bronx Park doesn't have the same sort of shady reputation as Central Park does, but once it starts to push toward evening, things go downhill all the same. There's a corner of the park where drug deals aren't a particularly uncommon thing. The police are just occupied with bigger fish. Which means vigilantes and teenage/young adult superheroes know exactly where to go to get their fix of justice. Kate has found herself a perch in a tree nearby, and watches a trio of thugs as they work through a deal with a teenager. Something looks like it's about to go poorly, given the way they're playing keep away with the goods.

*

If Thomas had an ounce of sense, he'd avoid parks altogether. Every time he walks into one, something happens. Today seems okay though. Park is getting on toward 'probably time to go elsewhere' hours but dang it, his car is parked on the far side because you can't park anywhere in this city. Virgil trots at his side giving him a mildly reproachful look.

"Yes I know it wasn't politic but really. I'm fine working with the NYPD but I have my own things to do and when it comes right down to it, I have superior jurisdiction in this matter." Another look from the dog. "Well what would you have done?"

*

Hulkling smash crime. Yeah. That's … really a lame battle cry, so, come up with something better.

Theodore Altman is not himself today. Today, he's a big green guy with armor and a bad attitude. Except he's not quite green. He's crouched against a short wall, and he's exactly the color and pattern of the wall, kind of like a smarter chameleon. He's waiting to see if the 'deal' is going to result in someone needing to be spanked. Probably. Maybe. If he can help it.

*

One of the thugs reaches out to take the teen by the back of his hoodie, leaning in. "C'mon, now. Price goes up after the first hit," he leers. "Hope you brought the extra. Otherwise…" Before he can finish, Kate draws back her bowstring, aiming at the thug's feet.

"Price already went up," she murmurs as she releases, a flash arrow landing right where it was supposed to in a spray of sparks that has thug and teen alike scrambling away from the sudden light and fire.

*

It's the fire and sparks that get Thomas' attention, more than the commotion. Now the reproachful look from Virgil says something more like 'I told you we should have gone around.' "Ugh. This is getting old. You'd think Parks would have more of a dedicated police presence." Turning on his heel the Marshal breaks into a run to see exactly what's going on. He gets the feeling, just because this is how these things go, that he's not gonna like it.

*

Bright light! Ow! Hulkling blinks for a moment as he tries to make his eyes re-adapt. Teen Buyer is an idiot but not as much of an idiot as the thugs who were selling to him, and he jumps — THOOM — to land on the other side of where the thugs are running to, flipping over in the air so he comes down facing them. He's got his Hulk expression on, too.

"GOING SOMEWHERE?"

*

While the thugs are distracted by the flash of light, Kate slings her bow across her shoulders and hops lightly down from the tree, whipping out a pair of batons. She's managed to sweep the legs out from under one of the thugs with them just as Hulking lands, and that's enough even to give her a moment of pause. "Not through you, they aren't," she says after a beat, going back to rapping the baton at the back of her thug's head with a flash of a grin.

*

Thomas rounds the corner on the footpath to see…

"Totally listening to you next time Virge." A collapsable baton flies into his hand. "Get 'em. Well, not the green one. Yet." Drug dealers are fairly easy to pick out. Something about the way they carry themselves. Thomas goes for a pair of them, neatly relieving one of his gun before introducing him to the ground. Perp, meet Sir Isaac Newton. The dog flashes past Kate to grab the knee of one of the baddies and begin worrying and dragging.

"Someone wanna tell me what's going o- oh no! Stay down you." His foot get planted on someone's back and he kneels down to cuff 'em.

*

Hulkling looks at the thug who couldn't stop until JUST before he hit the green relatively-giant teen hero. Said thug expresses his discomfiture by expressing his bladder.

"Oh, you did NOT just …" Hulkling grimaces, and shoves the guy in the chest, a 'sit down in your shame' sort of movement, with enough force to offset him but not break him. His partner thinks this is his chance to escape, but if Hulkling's left arm suddenly outthrust in a clothesline doesn't stop him, well, Kate's still got arrows.

*

"Looks like a drug deal gone bad to me, officer," Kate answers Thomas cheerfully, flashing a grin at Hulking. "Nice. No smashing, even." Because this is…totally ordinary? Ordinary enough for her, apparently. The clothesline maneuver in combination with Virgil's leg grab brings thug number three down hard, leaving only the would-be buyer to run off. Kate watches him for a moment, shifting her shoulder as though she might draw her bow again, before letting him run off. Head count? Thug one: baton'd to the head, on the ground being cuffed. Thug two: going nowhere fast in his wet pants. Thug three: Clotheslined, on Virgil's watch.

*

"Uh huh. And you two are…?" Unlike most cops, Thomas has no investment in arresting vigilanties who aren't psychpaths. Mostly he just shrugs and says they're PD's problem, unless of course they pop onto one of his lists. Then things get tricky.

"You have the right to remain silent." Thomas starts to go through the spiel. He's arresting the guy for fighting. PD can work it out. Virgil is leaning over his man, growling and glaring. Frightening dog is frightening.

*

“Hulkling, apparently," Teddy answers. "Unless you want to see my driver's license, but it won't match very well."

He's not trying to be a jerk or anything, he just doesn't want to give his civilian ID when he hasn't really done anything illegal.

*

"Hawkeye," Kate answers cheerfully, pushing her purple-tinted glasses up a bit to keep her eyes hidden. Hawkeye? Isn't there already a Hawkeye? A dude, no less? On the other hand, bow, purple. Sort of? "Awesome. I don't even have to do the tying up and calling part," she grins as Thomas starts reading the thugs their rights.

*

Thomas rolls his eyes as he stands up. "Relax. I don't want to arrest you. You're taking out drug dealers and not even doing it with guns. Not exactly legally kosher, but I'm not so hidebound as to think law equals justice." Frequently it does not. Just look at the court system.

"Mostly I was wondering what a woman with a bow and kermit the frog's angry older cousin were doing busting up drug deals. Cause if this is a habit of yours I'd stick to less well policed areas. Queens is a good start."

*

"Kermit is totally not my cousin," Hulkling says, in Kermit's voice, because he has to, it's just too obvious a joke. He shakes his head and continues in a regular voice, "I heard about this place earlier in the week. If it's well policed, they aren't paying attention, these three doofs are part of a bigger group."

Yes, being a shapeshifter. Hanging around with scum. Undercover for the win.

*

"This is the first time I've had someone waiting for the whole reading of the rights," Kate agrees with Hulkling's description of the area, shifting the quiver across her back. "But seriously? Anyone looking for a score knows to show up here, so either someone's getting a cut, or they're just getting lazy with their patrols. Or the department's gotten a budget cut. I always leave them tied up in a nice bow, though, scout's honor," she promises with a grin.

*

Thomas makes a so-so motion with his hand. "Well, I was thinking more for you than for them. Three hoods in the park being overlook is one thing. You…" He gestures to Hulkling. "Bit less overlookable. Hey, I won't kick up a fuss. I'm US Marshals. Unless you guys go off the rails I'll never see your names." And privately, he really does think this kind of thing is inevitable. With crime out of control the way it is, especially in Gotham, is anyone surprised?

"I'd just hate to see it happen, y'know. You two seem to mean well."

*

"Oh. Yeah," Hulkling says. "I got that. I'm pretty good at being overlooked, if I need to," and he steps against a brick wall and matches its pattern again. BRICKS. Thank goodnes it isn't plaids. Or Paisley. That would be hellish.

"See?" and he steps away from the wall, shedding the camoflage. He may not turn INTO inanimate stuff, but a color/texture match? If an octopus can do it, Teddy can do it. With fewer tentacles.

*

"That…is both awesome and maybe a little bit weird." Kate observes as she watches Hulkling's camouflage trick, head tilting, before she looks back to Thomas. "Totally not off the rails, here," she assures. "Officially approved and everything. Sort of. All the same, plenty of New York to patrol," she grins.

*

Thomas chuckles. "Good. Okay. Unless you two have a supersecret clubhouse to drag these guys off to, I'm going to call NYPD on these guys. See you 'round Hulkling and… Hawkeye?" Or perhaps not. Probably not, would be for the best, but you never know. Thomas has had some odd coincidneces in four years.

*

No super-secret clubhouse, but Hulkling does have a place to be that isn't here… there's a coffee shop that's open a little later, with attached bookstore, near here. He heads for it, walking unconcerned, but as he turns the corner, his shadow changes shape. The unique ear jewelry remains the same on the shorter, black-haired young man with the blue eyes, wearing a trenchcoat. He doesn't have the hipster moustache, and looks older than twenty-five. He walks slowly enough for Hawkeye to catch up with him if she wants to.

*

Kate Bishop follows at a safe distance, brows rising when the change takes place. Well that's a neat trick. Her tracking gets a little delayed while she pulls a loose-fitting t-shirt over her uniform, but she manages to follow along until she can come up beside Hulking. "Hi," she announces herself with a grin.

*

"Hey. Nice trick arrows," Teddy says, using the same voice he had as Hulkling (but not Kermit). "You've been doing this? Approved, not off the rails? They offer permits for costumed adventure now?"

His grin is slightly too toothy, but that's to be expected when you're imitating Cumberbatch but not actually matching him.

*

"I've got a mentor," Kate shrugs. "And he's approved, so it sort of crosses over. It's not perfect, but I guess it's better than doing it entirely on my own. He's pretty cool, at least," she admits, looking over with a quirk of her brow. "If it's the costumed part that needs a license, seems like you're covered, though. Not really a costume, huh?"

*

Teddy grins. "What you see is what you get. Although, I do have actual clothes that look like this, when I need 'em. I would love to get something like the stuff the Fantastic Four wears, though. That would be pretty amazing."

The coffee shop is here, and relatively empty — it stays open because there's a campus nearby that causes it to fill up at certain times, and it's between those times.

"Want a coffee? I prefer their tea, but I hear they don't make bad bean juice."

*

"That stuff is crazy expensive," Kate sighs in regards to what the Fantastic Four wear. "You could get, like, ten Dior gowns for the price of one uniform. If, you know. They actually sold them to the public." She offers out a hand, smile flashing. "I'm Kate, by the way. Nice to meet you. Or, you know. Whichever you this is."

*

Hulkling takes the hand, and rather than doing the Gomez Addams thing, he shakes it firmly and says, "This disguise is Tay-o-dore, but I'm Teddy in real life."

He pulls a business card. Everyone does business cards, right? All the cool heroes have 'em. This is just a green card with an email and skype number. ten.rezimynona|gnilkluH#ten.rezimynona|gnilkluH

*

Kate grins as she gets a look at the card, laughing. "Nice," she approves. "And nice to meet you, Tay-o-dore," she adds, drawling through the name with an exaggerated accent. "How long've you been doing the Hulk thing? Because that's…a pretty cool trick. I mean, you know. Hulk's scary because…well, Hulk. Being able to do that and still make decisions is impressive."

*

"Not really gamma powered," Teddy says, "So I don't have to worry about giving everyone around me cancer. Other than that, I've been trying out the hero thing since my first term in college, because really, with great power yatta yatta also bored. I've been getting stronger since I was 12, but it only became outrageous recently."

He thinks for a moment. Trained, mentor, etc. There's a guy who has shown up on a handful of twit-feeds and blogs, Purple Arrow Guy. "So, you're Hawkeye Junior?"

*

Kate arches a brow at that. "I guess it's better than Hawkeye Girl," she mutters after a moment, shrugging as she looks away. "I was Hawkeye for a while, while he was sort of, you know, dead. Ish. He hasn't complained about me keeping the name and using it too, though."

*

"Huh. Not bad. I guess it's like Flash and Flash-not-kid-any-more, huh?"

This spawns memories for a moment and realizes, he needs to go see what this business with Titan Towers was. He hasn't even had a chance to go there yet and it's been blown up? Awesome. No, the other word that means the opposite.

*

"Only way cooler," Kate replies confidently. "Besides, I'm not really a sidekick, never was. Just the newer model," she winks. "So do you do this sort of thing regularly, or just a sort of weekend job? Because I know some places where it wouldn't hurt to have a little more muscle along…"

*

"Not really Hulk's bastard child, either," Teddy says. His dad was not a tortured outlaw physicist, he was a hero. Mom says so.

"I've been kept annoyingly busy by my muggle life, but when I'm here, I'm a new associate member with the Titans," Teddy answers. "Want an introduction?"

*

"Yeah?" Kate tilts her head, considering for a moment. "Sounds interesting. Could be fun." A slow grin curves as she thinks it all the way through. "Could be all kinds of interesting. Way more than the park muggers and the like I've been dealing with lately. I mean, if I just wanted to do that sort've thing, I would've become a cop, right?"

*

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Teddy says, smiling slightly. He takes the beverage that he ordered when coming in, and drops enough to cover his drink and whatever Kate ordered, and asks her, "Could you leave the tip? I'm out unless I break into my school book fund."

*

"Got it," Kate says cheerfully, stuffing a twenty into the tip jar without even pausing as she takes some sort of complicated concoction from the barista. "And yeah, of course there's nothing wrong with being a cop. Everyone should do what they can to help. If more people stood up for other people and did what was right, the world'd be a better place, no question. But sometimes there are bigger things you have to stand up to, you know?"

*

Teddy notices the twenty. Yeah. Dior gowns too. This one is not the one from Royals; she clearly does come from money, she may even be Crystal, Maybach, and diamonds on her timepiece. No apparent tigers on gold leashes. Yet. And she's not a spoiled brat and she's got a social conscience. Awesome.

"Yeah. I still haven't articulated my reasons for what I'm doing to myself. But it seems like I need to know how much, and what, I can do, and the best way to do that is to do it for other people, because the ones who do it just for themselves are kind of dicks."

*

"Totally," Kate agrees. "So, Titans, huh?" She props her chin up on one hand as she slides into a seat, considering. "Wasn't there some sort of…thing with them? I was kind of busy this morning, but I thought I heard something on the news. Didn't they have an archer, too?"

*

"You can never have too many archers. I heard something about two squads, but I'm not sure, I haven't been back there in a while now," Teddy says. "I was going to go by tomorrow … want to join me?"

He sips at the beverage, something with an entirely overblown name that comes out in English to be 'tea with milk and honey' but that would be neither ironic nor ornate, so we can't have that. So the name is in Kurdish. This week.

*

"Yeah, sure," Kate answers, grin flashing. "Sounds like a plan. I've got to meet up with Hawkeye the first in the afternoon for some target practice, but I should be free after that." She pauses, tilting her head. "I was going to ask if they'd be touchy about their headquarters and all, but I guess when you've got your own tower and the like, it sort of isn't exactly a secret where to find you."


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