10225/Hell on Earth War: The Blue Ghost Rider

Hell on Earth War: The Blue Ghost Rider
Date of Scene:	27 November 2019
Location:	East Harlem, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Vi is taken hostage by a mad man, and Danny Ketch tries to save her. But it is a trap set by Mephisto.
Cast of Characters:	Ghost Rider (Ketch), Vi
Tinyplot:	Hell on Earth War

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Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
It was only a few weeks ago since Danny Ketch had arrived back in New York after absence of a few years. Coming back had not been easy. He had no place to stay, no friends, and barely any money. However, he figured that moving into East Harlem would be cheap, and it was. He managed to find a small apartment to live in and a garage to store his bike, for less than a couple of hundred per month. It was much more difficult to live here, in Harlem, where crime was high.

Living in a neighbourhood with high crime meant that the Ghost Rider was constantly stirring under the surface, itching to get out. And that?s what happened several times a week. At night the Ghost Rider would take over and ride down the streets of Harlem, looking for those who had done wrong to others. Searching to deal vengeance to those who were guilty.

The frequent occurrences of the Ghost Rider have led to more than a handful of appearances being talked about. The gossip and rumours about the blue Ghost Rider have spread, but no one is sure who the real identity is. The rumours have done nothing but drawn attention to the unsavoury types into the neighbourhood. More criminals in an area means more crime, which means more appearances of the Ghost Rider.

Vi has posed:
Vi walks down the streets of the unfamiliar city, her hand stuffed in her pockets against the cool air. It had been a little over a month and a half since her arrival in New York City. She hadn't know the name of city, or even country, until she heard them used. All of her time at first had been spent in the Avengers safehouse that Captain America and Wasp had taken her to, peeking out from behind drapes at the city.

Now, things made a little more sense to her. Weeks spend at Xavier's School an hour's drive north of the city had given her some time to adjust. And more recently, forays into the city with a friend made at the school had given her some confidence. Though so much was still so foreign to her. So different than the Hydra slave labor camp in which she had grown up.

With Jamie asleep, Vi had slipped out to wander. After a few practice runs she felt comfortable enough with the phone that if she got lost, she could call and get directions back. She knew the phone had a map somewhere inside, but finding it still elude her without help.

Harlem is different. Vi can feel the differences in the people and the architecture. The way they interact. The petite nineteen year old stays to herself, walking down the sidewalks, over nearest to the buildings to leave plenty of room for others. Habits formed from a lifetime of trying to go unnoticed dictate she keep a low profile.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
Danny was standing outside of the front door of his apartment building. His black leather jacket clung to his body, whilst his black t-shirt is tucked into his blue jeans. His outfit had seen better days, but Danny didn?t have much else to wear. He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and pulled one out. Then he swapped the packet for the lighter. In a single practiced motion, he lights his cigarette, whilst shielding the lighter from the wind. He takes a deep drag as he looks up and down the street. It was quiet for now.

He continues to enjoy the cigarette as he smokes it. One of the few pleasures in his life that he still clung to. He felt there was a level of irony in using a lighter with the Ghost Rider being a wielder of hellfire. But using the lighter felt normal, it felt human. It was also ironic as most would think of smoking as being harmful to the body. Yet, turning into the Ghost Rider and having blue flames coming from his body left no lasting effects on the body. He was sure that transforming into the Ghost Rider would heal any damage that a cigarette would case. Heck he could even heal from bullet wounds whilst as the Ghost Rider, yet never bothered to get checked out.

Vi has posed:
The petite teen's steps are unhurried. She's out in the cold New York air tonight to see. The journey is the point of the trip rather than a destination. And there is plenty to see. A woman comes out on the stoop of an apartment, hollering in a way that quickly gathers in two of her children, while the third requires a few extra yells and the threatening of a "whoopin'" that finally hurries the lad's step.

A moving truck is disgorging the accumulated lifetime of a young couple, their faces adorned with the smiles and optimism of moving in together. Down the street a light flares as Danny lights his cigarette, his face lit for a moment from the surrounding dim light scattered by streetlights near him.

Vi continues down the sidewalk in the same direction, glancing with curiosity towards the things coming out of the truck. At another time - is it fair to call it another life? - she'd have waited for them to be occupied elsewhere, to carry something off that might fetch in trade something to stave off a day's hunger. Those instincts are still there, trying to pull Vi towards the back of the truck. But instead she just glances at the furniture and the boxes, a voyeur with a tiny peek into the couple's lives.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
Danny looks up the street and first sees the moving truck, and the young couple unloading the truck. Then he notices the young woman walking by herself. Danny notices as she watches the belongings of the couple with more interest than normal. Danny shrugs his shoulders neither he nor the Ghost Rider care about petty theft. It?s not the type of crime that requires vengeance.

A man on the other side of the street does catch Danny?s attention though. He stares at the young woman, almost through her. The young couple do nothing to catch his attention. His sole focus is on the young solo woman. Danny watches as he realises that this man is hesitant. Something inside him seems to be pulling him into two different directions. And the way he has his sleeve over his arm indicates he is trying to conceal something. Then Danny notices a glint of something that peeks out just below the sleeve.

Danny begins to rush up the road, the young woman and couple seem to have not noticed the man on the other side of street. His feet thunder down the road as he tries to get to young woman before anything happens. But the footsteps catch the man?s attention. He looks down the road and spots Danny. This seems to break the daze that he was in and forces him to make a decision. He rushes across the road

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
a knife is pulled out of his sleeve. Before anyone seems to realise the man has grabbed the young woman and dragged her out of sight and down a dark alleyway.

Vi has posed:
While Vi is usually quite alert, she's used to looking out for guards or for people that are themselves watching of what she's doing around their possessions. The malice on the man's face is missed by the petite girl as there is so much else to see. Her eyes are up on the building on her side of the street, eyeing the windows, some of which have festive holiday decorations around them, adding cheery light from multi-colored bulbs.

The sound of footsteps draws her attention back just about the time the charging man reaches her. Vi is a small enough thing, she's easy enough for the man to lift completely off her feet and pull her into the alley.

Vi freezes, lacking the training that might have led her to react in a wise fashion. She tries to call out but a hand is over her mouth and she feels what she thinks to be a knife pressed against her chest.

Panic surges in the girl and adrenaline surges, drowning out any more measured thoughts that might have led her to do something effective in that first initial moment of surprise.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
Danny continues to run down the street and tears around the corner into the dark alley. He sees the man holding the young woman in his arm, a knife is pushed to her skin. Danny sees panic in the woman?s eyes. The man backs away from Danny, trying to escape. But there?s just something this is not quite right about the situation. There?s a look of something in the man?s eyes that Danny just cannot quite determine.

?Rough, day?? Danny asks. ?There?s no need to do whatever it is that you are planning. Just let the young woman go. Then we can talk this through.?

?N-no. You don?t understand. I have done terrible things. I can?t stop now. He is making do this.?

?Who is making you do what??

?T-the m-man. The man is making me do this. He says that I have to.?

?What man??

?The man with the red face.?

Danny thinks for a moment. Ideas running through his mind. There?s so many with men with red skin. Vision

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
, no, he is a superhero. The Red Skull, no, not the kind of thing he gets himself involved in. Azazel, not him either. Mephisto, of course, this is probably his trickery. Danny could kick himself.

?Do you mean Mephisto??

?D-Don?t say that name.?

Vi has posed:
Vi finally manages to control that rush of fear enough to start to act rationally. She begins to burn the pewter within her stomach, consuming the metal fueling her mutant power and increasing her durability, should that knife get used.

She hesitates then, considering taking more action to free herself from the man. But hearing that something, someone, is making him do this gives her pause. As it seems like the man who has come to her aid might be getting to the bottom of the source, she just stays poised to act and lets the conversation continue.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
?I?m going to take that as a yes,? Danny replies then he mutters under his breath. ?Mephisto, you bastard. You?re the one behind this, are you?? He looks at the man again, and he feels a pull from within himself. The Ghost Rider is starting to stir. ?What have you done??

?No, please. I can?t say, such horrible, horrible things.?

The Ghost Rider continues to try to break free, but Danny struggles to keep the Ghost Rider locked away inside. He is worried that sight of the Ghost Rider might cause the man to do something drastic. He needs to keep control over the situation and himself. For the sake of the young woman, it?s not her fault that she?s wrapped up all in this. Whatever Memphisto?s plan is, Danny is not sure whether even he is part of it.

Vi has posed:
Vi gets the impression that the man who came to her aid, Danny, has gotten what information he needs to know who is responsible. Mephisto? She has never heard the name before, and doesn't even try to imagine what kind of control someone would have to exert to cause the actions of her assailant.

But Vi doesn't plan to be under the knife's blade any longer. Within her stomach, she flares the rate at which she's burning pewter, strengthening her muscles beyond the levels of the strongest men. She burns flakes of steel in her stomach next, pushing on the knife to keep it at bay as she reaches up and grabs the wrist of the hand holding the knife. She reaches up then, taking the knife from him forcibly by the handle.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
Danny is surprised at the sudden turn of events. He looks over at the would-be attacker and sees that he looks as surprised as he feels. Danny had assumed that young woman was defenceless and yet her she was taking care of the situation herself.

"That was certainly unexpected."

The young woman's actions distracted Danny's concentrated efforts at keeping the Ghost Rider at bay. He falls to his knees and screams in pain as the Rider takes over. His flesh is burnt away as the blue hellfire radiates from his body. Eventually, all that is left is skeletal form of the Ghost Rider. The Ghost Rider stands up from his kneeling position. He takes one look at the young woman, before turning his attention to man.

"Guilty," the Ghost Rider says in an unearthly tone of voice. He stops straight over to the man who backs away against the wall. The man begins to tremble at the sight of the Ghost Rider.&r
"No, please no. Have mercy please."

The Ghost Rider grabs the man by the neck pinning him against the wall. The Ghost Rider unleashes his Penance Stare on the man as the man screams in pain and terror. Then Ghost Rider notices that the three of them in dark alley have been joined by another presence. But it's too late. The trap has been sprung. Mephisto steps out from the shadows.

"You are too predictable, Danny Ketch. Just like your brother."

Mephisto begins to grow in power as the Penance Stare's effects continue to work.

Vi has posed:
Vi moves back away from her assailant once she has the knife, able to pry his hands away if they haven't released her yet. Though the transformation that Danny undergoes takes Vi's attention a way from the man. She steps back a few more steps, the knife slipping from her fingers to clang on the pavement, thought he sounds are completely unnoticed as the girl stares at the skeletal, burning Ghost Rider.

The appearance of Mephisto adds another four steps to Vi's retreat down the dark alley, the ground of which has patches of dirty snow amidst the pavement. She looks between the Ghost Rider and Mephisto, not really sure what is going on. Her brain finally starts processing again, and realizing she dropped the knife, she pulls on it, the knife flying off the ground up to where she catches it with her hand. She reaches down to her pocket pulling out a small vial. The top is popped with a thumb and she quaffs the contents, refilling her pewter supplies which she'd drained quickly making sure the knife wouldn't harm her.

Ghost Rider (Ketch) has posed:
The Ghost Rider and Mephisto pay no attention to the woman as she backs away. She is of no importance to either of them. Once the Penance Stare is over, the man lies still dead. The Ghost Rider turns to face Mephisto, whom laughs as he disappears again. With the dangers now gone, Ghost Rider reverts back to Danny Ketch to leave him to deal with the aftermath.