12597/Milk Cartons: Enter the Spawn

Milk Cartons: Enter the Spawn
Date of Scene:	29 December 2020
Location:	Holy Ghost Church, Clinton
Synopsis:	Spawn approaches Cloak and Dagger about the mutant kidnappings that have expanded to Bludhaven.
Cast of Characters:	Dagger, Cloak, Spawn
Tinyplot:	Milk Cartons

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Dagger has posed:
The weather outside is frightful this Tuesday night. The snow storms continue to create blustery chaos along the streets of Hell's Kitchen, which has kept most of the homeless tucked away inside their safe places. One of which is the Holy Ghost Church. Inside the old, run down church, multiple people are settled in pews, mostly sleeping, some of them mumbling to themselves about angels and demons that has been roaming the streets to protect those in need. With Daredevil out on patrol, as well as glimpses of Cloak and Dagger bringing down those who sell poison in the veins of the addicted. The shakedown gang activity has dwindled in this area of the neighborhood once the Black Dragons was taken down. It has become fairly obvious.

This is no longer your block and you are not welcome on it.

Tucked away in a corner with a large hoodie over her is Tandy Bowen, otherwise known as Dagger. When she is not in costume, she looks like any other blonde haired blue eyed girl next door, though one that fell on bad times and hard luck. She is currently chewing on a cheese stick, shivering from the cold air despite glowing like a dying star. The homeless keep their distance from her, thinking that perhaps she is one of those mutants. Glowing mutants can be dangerous, even if they keep to themselves.

The Holy Ghost Church has become a safe haven for those in need, and the rumors amongst the street level heroes that this is where an angel and demon now lives. For those who are keen may have seen them slip in and out through the shadows at night before returning in the early mornings battered and exhausted.

Cloak has posed:
While Tandy rests inside, Cloak keeps watch. He often does as he rarely seems to sleep. The shadowman can sometimes be seen perched on the rooftop like a gargoyle, or passing behind broken panes of stained glass like a ghost. He's up in the run down choir loft at present, perched like some big dark owl, and watching over Tandy as she eats.

"How's the firewood supply? I can go get more if you need." He asks of her. "...or, you could take up his offer. Go stay with them, at least for the winter. You'll be warm there. I can watch over the church."

Spawn has posed:
    It was true, the denizens who lived on the bottom of New York's totem pole tended to be fearful of most things that were 'different', and who could blame them? Often targets of scorn and ridicule, terrorized by gang initiates and general psychos and not treated much better by police or those in power. Still, even they had their guardian...'angels'. So to speak.

    Did he appear, did he slip in through the front doors when no one was looking? Did he crawl through one of the broken windows or the cracks in the ceiling? It is unsure, but Spawn stands in his full flowing cape swirling and flickering with malevolence at the very edges. Before him sits a heavyset balding wino in dirty clothes and ill-fitting cheap suspenders, and the smaller man didn't seem overly afraid or concerned about the ghastly looking costumed man with glowing green eyes.

    For his part, Spawn didn't seem like he was focused on the man's words, more just staring out into space. So distracted was he, in fact, that he didn't even seem to notice the glowing woman in the corner. Perhaps he just assumed someone set a fire in a garbage bin, one of the best ways to keep from dying of cold this time of year. At least, it was when there were no other options at hand...

Dagger has posed:
Pulling the hood back from her head, Tandy pushes herself upwards to her feet. "I'm fine, Ty. I'm not going anywhere without you. We are a team. It's either both of us, or none of us. I don't mind the cold." Her breath frosts around her lips as she speaks, creating tiny puffs of humidity against the cold air. Though while she may shiver at times, she doesn't complain too much.

"We can alway use more scrap to throw in the the fires, but we can get some tonight." Her voice trails off as she notices the new caped figure that just appeared in the back of the church. Her body tightens visibly as she takes a few steps towards Cloak. She has heard the whispers on the street about a new face lurking in the alleys.

"It's him." She breathes out softly to Cloak in a whisper as she pulls her hoodie tighter against her body. "They call him Spawn. Roberto says that he came out of hell itself and that he's an actual demon."

As her eyes towards the image of Jesus crucified on the cross, then back across the church, she shivers. Her hand tugs at the cross that dangles across her chest a few times in prayer.

Cloak has posed:
"Liar." Drawls Cloak with a voice of amusement blended with sadness. "If it'll get you someplace safe, then I'll go too. You know that."

As Spawn materializes, Cloak disappears in a soft rush of displaces air and shadow only to reappear behind Dagger. One demon regards the other with a steady, cautious stare as he drapes one arm and the end of his cloak protectively over the shoulder of his companion.

"What are you doing here?" He asks without preamble. "This is our home." He adds in that low, dangerous way that an animal might proclaim to an intruding predator.

Spawn has posed:
    The Hellspawn seems distant, distracted. But when Tyrone got brave, the amicable drunken wino got nervous and tried to flatten himself against a nearby wall. And for good reason, the owner of the -other- magnificent cape seemed to almost grow in size(or rather just stopped slouching), and that cape opened and unfurled even as numerous chains uncoiled from around Spawn's body and started hovering in the air like cobras waiting to strike. And through it all, that deep, smooth-yet-gravelly voice rumbled out from the masked man, his eyes glowing bright green and illuminating his side of the church.

    "You can take the bass out of your voice when you talk to me, boy. I'm not here to start any trouble, but I won't hesitate to make you go outside and cut a switch if I need to."

    Sensing danger, the wino(herefore referred to as 'Gerald') nervously steps between the two parties, stammering but speaking up all the same.

    "W-Whoah, wait guys, there's no problems. My buddy here he's not gonna hurt anybody, I promise. He keeps us safe in Bludhaven."

Dagger has posed:
As Cloak and Spawn faces off, Tandy unzips her hoodie to reveal her own costume beneath it. A pure white leotard with a sword cut out down the front. It's risque, that's for sure, but efficient. The light that simmers around her suddenly surges to life around her as a pair of long blades slip free of her palms, humming with living light.

"Then.. why are you here? We know of your reputation. It's not a gentle one."

With the swirls of Ty's cape moving around her, his darkness cools the fires that burn within her subtly as she feeds him strength with her light in return. Though she may appear nervous, she is not frightened.

Cloak has posed:
"You're the one who decided to show up in our home uninvited. I'll speak to you how I want." Growls Cloak in response as he rises up and squares his shoulders, the faintly striped fabric shrouding him billowing and rustling of its own accord like a beast raising its hackles.

"And clearly he can speak for himself." The shadowman directs at Gerald. It's clipped and dismissive. Clearly he finds no threat with the wino, only an annoyance. "...whoever you are."

"So speak and do it quick." This back to the Hellspawn with a show of white teeth in a dark, shadowed face. "What do you want?"

Spawn has posed:
    Indeed, Gerald slunk off again, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever this was.

    For his part, the masked man stepped closer toward the duo. Not so much as an attack, but merely as a display of...boldness? Dominance? It certainly wasn't a tactical advantage, but it didn't have the aggression of an outright attack. Additionally, as he gets closer the chains get less aggressive, some going back to draping around him like fashion statements.

    "I'll go wherever I want, when I want to go there. But this isn't purely a sightseeing trip down memory lane. Yesterday, a couple of candyasses came to my territory trying to take a woman's daughter right out of her hands."

    As he speaks, the eyes of his mask somehow, impossibly seem to narrow as he remembers. And when next he speaks, his voice lowers a few octaves, becomes a little less friendly and amicable than he previously had been.

    "It was the last mistake they ever made."

    Even as he speaks, the candles and occasional bonfires flicker and dim, and the glow from his eyes gets even stronger. His shadow upon the wall becomes a mile wide and for a moment, everything gets real quiet. But after this moment of silence, the world returns to normal and it's like the world around them breathes a sigh of relief. When next he speaks, he sounds more like the 'normal' Spawn that they've been getting to know.

    "At some point during their rehabilitation, one of them broak and squealed, and told me little he knew. It wasn't much, but it was enough to send me here. So here I am, in your house to fix your little problem for you, just like a good samaritan should. Aren't you two lucky?"

    It might be hard to tell given the tone of voice...but was that very dry sarcasm? Was that some small form of humor? Was a creature like this even capable of that? Apparently so.

Cloak has posed:
Shifting shadows are common sights to Cloak, and the presence of the Hellspawn alone doesn't seem to spook him. Maybe in some fleeting sense, he recognizes that they're kindred spirits. Demon-ridden cousins, once or twice removed. His own aggression refocuses from defense of his home and partner to the narrowing focus of an aperture. Now he smells blood.

"We destroyed the Dragons. Good riddance to any like them. Was this girl a mutant?" Cloak asks gruffly and sounds utterly unconcerned with the punishment or even demise of the gangsters. "They've been the targets. Kids, in particular."

Spawn has posed:
    "Who knows what anyone is anymore? Magic swords, alien rings. I suppose we'll know if she's a Mutant when she starts wearing gaudy yellow and takes a few levels in 'annoying'. Even still, her and others like her are on my turf, which means they're under my protection. I suspect the two of you operate under a similar philosophy over here."

    By now, the chains have all gone back to being decorative, and the cape once again drapes around him as if he were Count Dracula, or a certain Bat down in Gotham.

    "You said something about 'The Dragons', who are they?"

Cloak has posed:
"Black Dragons." Supplies Cloak as he crosses his arms, or at least gives the impression of such. There's no signs of visible arms in the void under the folds of the cloak, only the impression they make on the ghastly fabric.

"Out of Singapore, from what we've determined. Kidnaps mutant kids and ships them over. Experiments, black market body parts, who knows. Lead by someone called The Madame. That's all we know." He indicates Dagger with a tip of his head.

"The X-Men joined us once or twice on raids at the docks. I don't know what info they have, though they took one of the ringleaders with them. Haven't heard any more from them on it, but news suggests they got new problems."

Spawn has posed:
    "Color me surprised."

    Clearly, he wasn't overly impressed with the 'X-Men', but it was easy to get the impression that he wasn't overly impressed with anybody.

    If they're sending people off to Singapore, then I'm assuming you two have already re-checked the local shipping yards and have had no luck. Maybe they're changing tactics and taking to the air. Might be worth running surveillance on local airports, or old hangars."

Dagger has posed:
"After we took down The Black Dragons along with the X-Men at the shipping yards, we took down their freighter ship as well when we rescued the kids, we haven't heard much from this mysterious group. We are not sure if they moved on to a new city, or if they are currently laying low. We haven't heard any rumors of other children starting to disappear."

Tandy returns to the pair of them once she is sure the rest of the homeless moved on to another part of the church to keep warm. She folds her arms over her chest, still glowing like a bright star in waves of living light.

"We teamed up with The Beacon over in Gotham and she took down a gang that was hired by this Madame as well. So we know they operate in other cities. We are not keeping our guard down though, regardless. We have a reputation amongst the streets of Hell's Kitchen now, so those that look to harm children are being far more cautious now."

Cloak has posed:
"Till now. It sounds like they may have moved." Cloak remarks as he looks from Tandy back towards Spawn. "Not that people ain't yanking kids off the street plenty of other times, but if the trail led you here then I'd say they're related. Bludhaven's on the other side of Gotham, so it makes sense they'd spread."

He falls quiet for a short moment as he thinks over things, his eyes narrowing in consideration as a low growl-like sound comes from him. "Hrrrm. They have technology, some kinda cyborgs. So maybe they did move to planes, or cloaking themselves. What did they tell you?"

Spawn has posed:
    I hate when they're cautious. I prefer the target out in the open, that way I have them down my sights at all times."

    The Hellspawn looks away for a moment, speaking as he takes in the surroundings seemingly for the first time.

    "Not much, just a couple of painted face morons in red batting helmets called 10th Street Strikeouts. They were paid a lot of money to round up a few kids, but these idiots figured the best approach would be to terrorize the locals, knowing they wouldn't be likely to call the cops. It might have worked, if they didn't get my attention.

    After that, is mostly a blur. Lots of incoherent crying, sobbing, begging. A bit more prying got a little more information, apparently the twins that recruited them are walking around with a bit of built-in hardware. And that's about the end of their usefulness. What little they gave me led me here. But eventually, I'm gonna find those two jackasses, and I'm gonna send their asses straight to Hell."

Dagger has posed:
"If you are talking about The Bob's, we have already destroyed them a few times. They just build more. They aren't real people. They are machine turned men, programmed to be sarcastic jackasses while packing a ton of firepower and augmented strength."

Tandy frowns visibly in thought, then settles down into one of the pews as she plays with a ball of light across her palm.

"We can contact the X-Men and have us all meet up. Perhaps they may have more information. When it comes to mutant children, they have made it clear that they want to be heavily involved and aware of what's going on so that they can support us. Cloak is a teleporter, but Singapore is too far for him to manage. Our goal is to strike them at the heart, but we don't know where to begin. It's too big of a job for us."

The pair are barely adults as it is.

Cloak has posed:
"We were hoping they'd learn the message and get out." Cloak remarks with a scowl etched onto his face. "But sounds like they're not hearing us. Between this trafficking and this cure nonsense, the local mutants are being terrorized. Going to the source and cutting off the head may be necessary. Dagger's right, though. We can't get there on our own."

There's a look back towards Spawn as he says, "We can let the X-Men know that they're still in business. Maybe they have international contacts. You know where to find us, clearly. Where do we find you?"

Spawn has posed:
    If it was possible for someone to roll their eyes while wearing a full-face mask that completely hid the eyes, then it just happened. Glancing over at the duo, Spawn replied curtly even as he started turning toward a nearby wall, one beneath a partially broken window.

    "You can tell the X-Men whatever you'd like, I'll be busy wiping these bastards off the face of the earth. As for finding me, I'll be sticking around for a few days. While I'm here I'll let you in on anything I find, and maybe I can even commandeer some transportation. We'll see."

    With that, the man suddenly is a blur of movement, scurrying up the side of the wall and slipping out into the frigid, frozen night sky. Impressively, he didn't break that window even worse.