Girls Allowed
May 2nd, 2009 by Riff
Part One: Assemble the Team
When it rains in Steel Canyon, you know about it, thought the woman as she hurried through the rain to the apartment building that loomed so menacingly behind Icon, Serge’s unique outfitters for heroes.
She was drenched through, her business suit ruined, tights mudsplashed from unexpectedly catching the shower on her way home from work. She hunched her shoulders and marched purposefully towards the building. A Tsoo warrior moved to intercept her but a scowl from her and the restraining hand of one of his allies warned him off. This one was known by most. She wasn’t in that line of business any more but even so, no idle street robber would think of taking her on. The cape was hung up once and for all, but even so life as a hero teaches a few lessons even to those who’ve retired, and thugs who tried to intercept would find her a tough target to beat upon.
She reached the building’s lobby with relief, and stepped inside, pushing back a sodden lock of hair from her eyes, just in time to catch sight of something aimed her way. Reflexively, she tried to sidestep it but was too slow and tensed expecting the worst. The object turned out to be a soft canvas holdall.
“You’re soaked, you need to change your clothes. They’re in the bag.”
The woman started at the British accent of her friend, as she stooped to collect the bag from the floor. She looked up. “Rosie?”
“Scarlet Shocker to you hunni,” grinned the tall woman, before enveloping her friend in a huge hug. “You’re soaked. You’ll catch your death of cold.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a superhero, remember?” The shorter woman grinned but there was an edge to it. She was clearly agitated. “You’re up to something. I’m not going into the Arena for you. I’m retired.”
“I know. Come on, let’s chat upstairs,” said Rosie, and hustled her to the elevator, making sure all the while the shorter woman had the bag in hand. They were lucky, a press of the button revealed an available car, allowing them to step in. A pair of youths tried to follow them into the car grinning and making faces at Scarlet Shocker, but she simply held her hand out in a ‘stop’ motion and shook her head, pressing the elevator button for the 23rd floor as she did so.
“You’ve got a good memory. How long were you waiting for me in the lobby?”
“Not long. It’s easier when you can fly, even in the rain,” replied Scarlet.
“What do you want Scarlet? I’m retired. I’m finished. Done. Ended. Stopped. No longer a superhero!” The shorter woman was looking increasingly annoyed, feeling foolish for not having expected the spring shower, for being caught off guard by Scarlet and for generally feeling wrong-footed.
“We’ll talk inside. You still have that fantastic coffee?” Scarlet grinned, which wasn’t easy given she was almost stooping in the elevator car, her black and scarlet cloak shedding droplets of the rain.
Within moments there were in the smaller, younger, woman’s apartment looking out over Steel Canyon. Ironically the shower had cleared and a spring sunset shone into the living room. The younger woman found and towell and towelled her hair. Scarlet Shocker walked to the coffee machine and and flicked it on, as she’d done so many times before. Time was, the woman reminded herself, they were inseparable off duty.
“Look in the bag” ordered Scarlet.
“I know what’s in it.”
“No you don’t.”
“Of course I do. You went and pulled a favour with Serge and got me a new outfit, just like my old one. You want me back on duty.”
Scarlet Shocker looked up from the coffee machine sheepishly. “Am I that transparent?”
“Just a lot,” the other retorted with a grin. “Now, get this through your fat head. I’m retired. I mean it Rosie. I like my life now. I’ve got a normal job. I go to work with normal people. I don’t wake up every morning wondering if some stupid rock monster’s going to catch me and squeeze my head until it pops like a grape, or if Lord Recluse is going to suddenly invade Paragon. I’m done with it all.” She unzipped the holdall and turned it upside down to reveal the exactitude of her prediction. Lilac and white spandex, latex, kevlar and leather littered the floor.
“I need you.”
“You don’t need me. You’ve never needed me. You’ve never needed anyone. You’re Rosie la Rouge, rock ‘n’ rolling superheroine Scarlet Shocker.”
Scarlet handed her a mug of steaming coffee. “I need you and you know this better than anyone… Proximity.”
“No! I’m done with it all.” Proximity glared at her difficult friend.
Scarlet looked deflated and sipped her coffee. “Ok. But for what it’s worth, I’ve got the big one, then I’m retiring.”
Proximity looked askance at Scarlet. “The… Big One? Retiring?”
Scarlet grinned suddenly. “You’re retired. Not interested, remember?”
“GRRRRRRRRRRRR” muttered Prox and tossed the holdall at Scarlet. “You… Ooooh…” She’d been caught. Scarlet had her interest now and she knew it and…
“Ok tell me the story.”
* * *
Proximity woke late and yawned and stretched with the sudden awful realisation that her hangover was destined to keep her company all day. She might be able to take Rosie six times out of ten in the Arena but she couldn’t ever keep pace with the tall woman’s alcohol intake. Probably because of that damned trick of hers. Even so… she climbed out of bed realising she was an hour late for work. She walked into the living room with a sense of impending doom. She was right. Her costume was laid out on the easy chair, her laptop was open on the coffee table. Beside it was a glass of water and some seltzer. A bright yellow sticky note on the screen: Drink this and press send. She looked at the laptop and tapped the finger pad to get rid of the screen saver. It revealed an email in composition from her to her manager; ‘Dear Boss, won’t be in today. Saving world. Will call when saved.’ Eric, her manager, would be livid.
Proximity sank onto the sofa in front of the coffee table her head in her hands and groaned. “Scarlet Shocker I hate you sometimes.” But, ironically she drank the selzer and tapped the return key on the keyboard once. “No going back now, why the hell do I even listen to you?” But within forty-five minutes she was back in the spandex for the first time in a year.
* * *
The woman with the braids looked up from reading her book. She was sat in the chair by a large bookcase from whence her reading material had been extracted. The dark red wood and the soft yellow lighting gave a pleasing light that was relaxing. It seemed ironic to the woman that what she was relaxed at the junction between two worlds. “Hello Scarlet. Nice to see you. We’ve never formally met I don’t believe.”
Scarlet Shocker cocked an eyebrow, and grinned. “Hi. Thanks for meeting me. How’d you know it was me?”
“Empathy, dear, empathy, ” replied the woman enigmatically. Scarlet only nodded. Once you’d been in the hero trade this long very little phased you. She hovered from behind the woman, who placed her book carefully on the wooden table and stood, proffering her hand. Scarlet accepted warmly and formalities over the two women sat, at 90 degrees to one another on the lounge sofas. A waiter appeared and was immediately despatched with a request for coffee.
“So why the Midnighter Club, and how do you prefer me to call you? Mother’s Love or Mumsie?”
Mother’s Love chuckled and it was rather musical. “I don’t mind either at all my dear. And the Midnighter Club because, well I find it relaxing, odd I suppose given the Midnighters history. But I suppose Magical environments is one of the most relaxing for a mutant like me. We… mutants (I do hate that term by the way) don’t really affiliate so well I think. But, enough of that. What brings you here?”
The coffee arrived and the both spent a moment or two getting their drinks perfect. Scarlet sipped hers then spoke. “I am putting something together and I need someone with your particular abilities.”
“I’m hardly unique in what I can do. I’m not by a long shot the only empath in town. Or the only psychic one at that. Why do you need me?” Mother’s Love seemed genuinely interested, leaning forward earnestly.
“Bottom line is simple: This doesn’t have official sanction from up top,” Scarlet jerked over her shoulder, but Mother’s Love immediately got the inference. Were Freedom Phalanx to hear of this, they would take a dim view at the very least; running an unauthorised mission could get a hero suspended, at best. Especially if it went wrong. “I heard you’re skipping Paragon for pastures new. I figured if it goes belly up you wouldn’t feel it such a loss to be suspended from Hero Corps. I know they won’t ever prevent you returning but, I guess you’ve got less to lose than some.”
Mother’s Love looked Scarlet hard in the eyes. “That’s not totally confirmed yet, nor indeed is it common knowledge. I’d be interested in knowing how you found out, but I doubt you would tell me. But I admit it, I’m interested and you have my word nothing goes beyond this room.”
* * *
She was meditating on the molten, heaving surface of Mercury when the laser beam reached her, summoning her to her friend on earth. Corona sighed inwardly – and began to use her mutated energy from the sun to draw matter as she sped towards the blue planet, third from this system. She hated it there now, now that she was concious and sentient, because to be there she needed matter, and matter has mass. Mass could be affected and although she couldn’t ever be harmed physically, her physical body could often be damaged, and it took her more and more power to hold herself together while on earth, so she spent less and less time there. Scarlet, however had made the call, and Corona would answer it for her friend. There were compensations to being on earth after all. She sped earthwards, gathering matter to herself, space-dust, ions, protons and micro-meteors, coalescing them into her inner being, within her energy shell. By the time she reached Earth’s atmosphere less than ninety minutes from receiving the signal, she was fully formed as a blazing humanoid creature.
* * *
Ouroboros is maybe a strange place to chill out, but then nobody had ever accused the young girl in white and gold of being ordinary. Some wouldn’t even call her normal, but that didn’t bother her much. Not very much did these days. She was happy in her work, keeping Paragon safe, and seemingly nothing affected her buoyant mood. For now she was happy just chilling, listening to the mystical bells that were a constant around Ouroboros’ hanging rocks. She leaned back in the grass, idly wondering why it never grew high, or how you’d get a lawn mower up there if it did. It’s probably just a Nemesis plot anyway she mused, and plucked a stalk of grass and stuck it in her mouth, chewing on it, contemplating nothing, everything, the nature of time and well… what’s that shadow. She opened an eye to see a tall, but obviously recognisable silhouette standing in front of her.
“Hi Golden Girl, I’ve got a job for you,” said Scarlet Shocker.
“Okay, let’s go,” she grinned and stood up, then looked at Scarlet and winked.
“Don’t you want to know what?” Scarlet asked, slightly bemused by Golden Girl’s lack of obvious curiosity.
“It’s ok, I know already.”
“You do?” Scarlet frowned. Golden Girl, or GG as she was affectionately referred to at times, grinned back, “We’re gonna smash the bad guys and save Paragon, right?” She winked again.
“Um… yeah. But you need to know some stuff.” Scarlet was slightly uneasy now, but there was no denying GG’s skill in a fight and when she committed to something she always came through.
“Okay, so tell me.”
Chapter Two: Leadership
Scarlet stood at the planning table – a large table with a holograph at it’s centre. Around it stood seven other people, dressed like heroes. They were dwarfed by the immense, but otherwise bare room. She looked around at them. In addition to those she’d assembled that morning, Gravikoi, Pathfinder and Alexia Flame had joined them. Inwardly she was touched that nobody had failed to heed her request.
“Ok, let me just…” she tapped out on the keypad. “Ok the base is sealed. No entry or exit. No monitors either. Now, get a bit closer people, you’re miles away I don’t want to have to shout.” She grinned in an attempt to lighten the mood. Proximity moved closer as did Mother’s Love. Pathfinder crossed her arms and sat down. GG winked and shuffled one seat up.
Scarlet punched up some details on the control console in front of her and then tapped in a code. “Ok thanks for coming girls. It’s appreciated, sincerely. But remember, this is a seriously risky operation and also remember, it’s not in any schedule, so if we drop the ball, Freedom Phalanx won’t be about do a 7th Cavalry on us. But you’re here now and it’s too late to back out, so I hope you’re cool with that.” Sometimes she hated leading a team but nobody dissented and her nerves calmed. “Ok now I know you’re all busting to ask questions, so before I go into details of what we’re going to do, anyone got any questions? It’s not traditional to begin a briefing presentation with a Q&A session but who said I’m normal?” Her self-deprecation caused a rippling chuckle amongst her friends.
“I’ve a question Scarlet,” said Mother’s Love. “Why us? You’ve got a renowned Supergroup and plenty of friends.”
“Yeah and why all girls?” chimed in Golden Girl?
“And how long is this gonna take?” scowled Pathfinder.
“Ok, ok one at a time,” grinned Scarlet, waving both hands downwards in a pressing motion to calm the girls gently. “Good questions and I’ll answer them simply: I didn’t want this to be just about me, or Shock Tactics. I also needed to know that if we screw up the rest of the group members don’t carry the can for my mistake.
“This mission is about sending a message. So doing that with a team of relative strangers strengthens that message. It stops anyone claiming it was some kind of mad vendetta by me as a swansong. It’s about the heroes of Paragon, past and present and determination.
“As for why girls? Well that’s a bit more easy to explain: Lord Recluse doesn’t understand women. Let’s face it, his only real female companion’s a ghost.” That elicited a chuckle from most of the team. “That and the fact that we’re going up against my clones, and I don’t know any of my male friends that could honestly look at an exact copy of me and put it down without mercy. Sure they are all capable, but that moment of hesitation could be fatal.”
“We could all hesitate Scarlet, because we’re your friends.” Gravikoi smiled softly, the shortest of the team she was dressed in an outlandish ensemble of gold, royal blue and shocking pink.
“Thanks Gravi and I know that but I just figured… well we’re way overdue for a girly night out huh?”
Another chuckle, and then Corona spoke softly but her voice sounded like a tunnel of flames from down the ages. “We’re to destroy Recluse and your clones?”
“No. Recluse is the one person we don’t want to take down at any cost. But we will be taking his Henchmen down in front of him and as many Arbiters as possible. Scorpion, Widow, Scirocco and Mako. We take them all down but we leave Lord Recluse.”
The entire team looked thunderstruck for a long, uncomfortable pause until Golden Girl spoke. “I don’t get it. If we can take the entire team, why not take him too?”
“Good question GG and the answer’s simple: Look around this room. Only you and Alexia are on anything like active duty. I had to beg Prox to come back for this one, and the rest are on the verge of retirement or are already semi-retired. If we fail, we won’t be so badly missed. There’ll be plenty of people to deal with any repercussions. If we succeed it reinforces the message. But once we’ve done, recluse will be too busy rebuilding his empire to come after us or more specifically, you and Alexia. He’ll be trying to plug the gaps left by the power vacuum, or trying to spring his four favourite henchmen from the Zig. It gives Paragon breathing space, whereas if we take him down too, that decapitates the entire Rogue Isles government. When any dictator falls, there’s invariably a bloodbath to settle succession – and I don’t want any innocents hurt by this.”
There was a murmur of agreement. Alexia cleared her throat, “What if we don’t take them all?”
“Then we’ve failed,” said Scarlet. “Ok, any more questions?”
Nobody replied. “Good. Then here’s the plan I propose, feel free to interrupt if you have questions.” She flipped the console and holographic map switched to the Rogue Isles.
Chapter Three: Clubber
As is almost always the case, Pocket D was noisy, dark and full of sweaty bodies. Scarlet and the team entered via the lifts and headed to the bar by where War Witch normally stood, overlooking the dance floors. Today, for some reason, she wasn’t there.
“Why Pocket D, Scarlet?” asked Proximity.
“Best way of getting to the Rogue Isles without a submarine,” shrugged Scarlet.
Proximity’s mouth opened. Then closed. Without official backing, no helicopter, no gunships or Longbow support. From here on in, the team was on its own. Proximity signalled the barman and handed him a bar of impervium. “G&T for me and this is for you if you keep anything you hear to yourself and the drinks flowing. If anything out of the ordinary looks like it’s happening, I get to know about it.”
The barman smiled and pocketed the precious metal and poured Proximity the G&T she’d asked for. Scarlet’s martini was already made the way she liked it. Proximity decided Scarlet was too much of a regular to Pocket D.
The eight girls grabbed a table close to the bar and hunkered around it as their barman, Alphonso by name apparently, brought their drinks. A Tank Swiper from the Freakshow, clearly a couple over the odds staggered slowly past the group and sneered at them, “I’ll… I’ll shee you in Talosh” he leered. GG winked at him impishly. Pathfinder, the one closest to him, stony faced, reached for her drink, a simple coke, and poured it down the Swiper’s left leg. In itself the drink would do little damage, but the sugar would leave him a cleaning job. In his inebriated state the Freakshow failed to feel the drink, however Scarlet didn’t. “That’s ok hun, we’ll give you a head start,” she said and leaned back in her chair, her arm and index finger outstretched. She touched her finger to the coke trail and sent out a bolt of electricity. Nothing damaging but the Freak yelped as the electronics in his leg shorted and sent a jolt back to his nervous system. His leg spasmed and he toppled over.
Alphonso was on the case, a button pressed and the offending, snarling and incapacitated Swiper was spirited away by a couple of Zero’s heavies.
Scarlet grinned at Pathfinder. “Nicely done.”
Pathfinder nodded. “It seemed ok.”
Corona poured something alcoholic onto her tongue and it exploded in a whooshing fireball of small proportions, a spectacle but not much more, then Zero appeared, overburdened with ingratiating smarm as normal. “Ladies, ladies lovely to see you, how are you all? Scarlet lovely to see you so soon, but I do hope you’re not planning something. To see all of you dressed so divinely in your spandex looks like you’re going out hunting a bit later on. Just let’s make sure it’s not here please darlings. Now if there’s anything else you want, Alphonso will help or if not then ask Julian at the lower bar, ok dears? So how’s the hero business treating you? Mumsie I’ve not seen you in absolutely ages, not since that unfortunate episode in the chalet…”
“Jeez don’t you ever draw breath?” interuppted Alexia.
Zero sniffed and looked down his nose at her. “Well some of us enjoy the art of conversation, don’t you know?”
Scarlet stood up, irritated and leaned down to putting her mouth close to Zero’s ear. “Shut it you little worm or I’ll tell the girls about Snaptooth and the dog collar.” It was a stage whisper that simultaneously caused Zero to palpably blanch and go wide eyed and the other girls to burst out laughing. Even Pathfinder raised a small smile. Zero sniffed once more. “Well then drink on the house ladies, must dash, tara,” and he vanished with a surprisingly efficient gliding mince.
“Snaptooth and the dog collar?” chortled Mumsie.
Scarlet grinned. “Ask Snaptooth. Why do you think Zero’s so scared of him?”
Mumsie chuckled again. “I’ll try and remember.”
Proximity checked her watch and nodded to Scarlet, mouthing “It’s time” to her in the gloomy dim. Scarlet tapped the table to get the team’s attention. “Ok there’s something else to the plan that you need to know people.”
The team broke off from their individual chats and looked at Scarlet.
“They know we’re coming!”
A few gasps and exclamations then silence to be punctuated by Pathfinder, “You’re an idiot!” That simply got the android woman a frown from most.
“I don’t necessarily agree with Pathfinder, but do you might telling us why Scarlet?” asked Mother’s Love.
“First, as I’ve explained, we’re sending a message,” said Scarlet. “Secondly, I don’t want any civvy casualties so letting them know in advance gets that taken care of. Thirdly, I want them where I know they will be.”
Pathfinder shrugged, looking unimpressed. Scarlet looked at her. “Problem Pathfinder?”
“You’ll get us killed.” She was stony-faced and matter of fact.
“You knew that was possible when you signed on. I told you from the very start this was highly dangerous. You’ve known you can get killed any time on any mission. It’s what we do. It’s why we’re heroes. There’s no heroism without risk. Now saddle up and let’s go to work.”
The team stood in unison, Scarlet at the lead and they walked down the stars, across the dance floor, side by side in a line. The dancers and revellers moved out the way. This wasn’t simply a heroes party – there was too much purpose in their stride and nobody had the courage to get in the way. The moved on, past the vault and the entrance to the VIP lounge, then to the red side of the club.
The guard at the elevator looked at them and straightened. Most Arbiters loved to get the Pocket D gig, it was a cakewalk. Arbiter Freeman got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Things were going to be very bad if he wasn’t careful.
Scarlet stood in front of him. “Open it.”
“Villains only. No unauthorised access to the Rogue Isles, you know that,” said the Arbiter. “You’ll regret taking another step.” He brandished his rifle across his chest and squared his shoulders in front of Scarlet.
“I’m not negotiating. Open it or get carried out of here on a stretcher,” warned the Shocker. Her tone was low and menacing. Nobody doubted that she meant business, least of all Arbiter Freeman, but he steeled himself. “One more step and I’ll have Zero escort you off the club Scarlet Shocker. Yeah I know who you are, now clear off.”
Scarlet reached out and a bolt of electricity shot from her fingers into his neck and he began to convulse uncontrollably. Golden Girl leapt into the air and kicked him backwards to the floor, landed nimbly in a squat beside him and winked at him. Proximity concentrated a moment until her fist glowed with her pink mutant energy and finished the job. He was unconscious but aside from that he’d be fine.
Pathfinder walked to the elevator controls and placed her palm over them. Wire tendrils snaked from her fingertips, filament thin, worm-like and insinuated themselves into the electro-mechanical door control.
“Ew, that’s gross!” exclaimed Golden Girl with the ubiquitous wink. Pathfinder shot her a withering look but said nothing, as her eyes became slightly luminescent. Within moments there was an audible hiss, and the doors to the elevator slid open smoothly. The android withdrew her hand and strode in without a backwards glance. The remainder of the team stepped in together and the lift carried them through the trans-dimensional barrier to deposit them in the corridors leading to the Rogue Isles. Scarlet led the way to the St Martial entrance.
“We ready?” she held out both hands, palms open. Proximity and Corona grabbed a hand each and did likewise. The entire team held hands as they stepped into a cold grey St Martial dawn.
“Ok girls,” said Scarlet. “Let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
You can play the resulting mission in the City of Heroes Mission Architect: Arc ID: 142351 Scarlet Shakedown. Comments welcome
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Words Copyright (c) 2009 Crucialcomicbooks.
City of Heroes, City of Villains & related IP are trademarks of Paragon Studio and/or NC Soft.
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