9144/Baba Yaga: Almost Half Way

Baba Yaga: Almost Half Way
Date of Scene:	10 September 2019
Location:	Alleyway, Clinton
Synopsis:	Typhoid continues to kidnap children. What should have been number six is foiled by Daredevil. He learns that there will be more to come in the following month, unless Typhoid is stopped.
Cast of Characters:	Typhoid Mary, Daredevil

---

Typhoid Mary has posed:
Things had been going well on the job. Typhoid Mary had already picked up five targets. Two more and she'd be past the halfway point and it was all downhill from there.

In the city of New York, missing kids were a priority for the police but honestly? Some of the ones being reported were known runaways. They were probably just off to another city. So while a kid from a preschool would be missed, one from a street corner? Not so much.

Except by the people who lived on those streets. Posters had been showing up on light poles in the area, walls, any place that they could be adhered to with tape or nails. Missing boys and girls, mostly homeless or street kids. More than there usually were plastered to those surfaces. Five missing in the last three weeks. Something was wrong but the police couldn't find anything, couldn't see a pattern.

It was day six on the hunt. Two days a week was her target to have them all in by the necessary timeframe to her bosses.

Typhoid was in an alleyway, waiting. She sat atop a dumpster with her feet dangling down, like a two year old on a chair that was too large for them. She kicked her feet as a toddler would, out of boredom or nervous energy. She was dressed for work, her black costume with the half and half motif going on, her face half painted white. Her katanas were strapped to her back tonight though she didn't expect to need them. Her prey should be along any minute now. They cut down this alley every night like clockwork, headed to the gang hideout three blocks over. She just had to wait for him to show.

Daredevil has posed:
It had been Father Lathum who had brought Matt the news of the missing kids, coming by the office for coffee and bringing it up casually, keeping with their convenient fiction that the priest didn't know Matt was Daredevil. The news had shocked him, he'd been so busy with Hook, The Foot and the firm that it had slipped right past him.

Not tonight though. Tonight Matt was making the rounds of where street kids hung out in the Kitchen, hoping to hear something before another kid vanished....

Speaking of kids, the one Mary's waiting for rounds the corner at a run with something tucked up under his coat. When he reaches the alley, he barges headlong down it until when he's about ten feet away from Mary and finally sees her. He skids to stop falling on his ass, sending the bottle of booze he stole skidding across the alley floor.

"Shit, What's the deal, it ain't Halloween yet freak!" despite the shouted defince the pitch of his voice spoke of fear.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
As he ran her direction, she waited. No reason for her to rush to him. After all, he'd be within feet of her when he passed. As he drew up short and backpedaled, sending him into a sprawl, Typhoid pushed herself off the dumpster with her hands. A twist and shifting of her body in the air and she landed right in his path. Just as the bottle came skidding to a stop against her right foot.

She bent to pick it up, looking at the bottle then at the young man sprawled in front of her. "Where did you manage to get your hands on this? This is the good stuff. Costs a good fifty bucks a bottle. Did you steal this from Daddy's liquor stash or the store up the street?" she asked as she took her time tearing the plastic from around the top and dropping the remnants of it to the ground. Then she opened the top on the bottle, bringing it up to her lips and taking a long pulls. "OH man that's good. Want a shot?"

She held the bottle out in offering to the boy.

Daredevil has posed:
The boy wasn't expecting that. Wide-eyed and seated on his ass he looks up at the bottle.

"You're not a cop right?" he asks before he makes a face at his own question.

He gets to his feet all full of false bravado. "Yeah, I want a shot, an' I got it up the street, tell your friends, Diego steals only the best stuff."

He holds his hand out for the bottle.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"You ever seen a cop dressed like this? Even the ones pretending to be hookers don't go this far," Typhoid points out, opening up the jacket to show the harness and electrical tape that made up her 'top'. She drops the jacket back into place as she continues to hold that bottle out in offering.

"I'll make sure everyone knows Diego is the man," she says in a soft purr. As he holds out his hand, she takes that step forward to close the distance and puts the bottle directly into his hand.

She waits. Only once he raises it to take a swig is she moving, like a blurr probably to the kid who has only ever dealt with gang members and not really a professional killer like herself. She grabs the wrist of the hand holding the bottle. She twists it back and around, forcing him to bend at the waist or potentially have it pulled out of socket. She catches the bottle of whiskey with her other hand before it can hit the ground. "Waste not, want not, as the saying goes." She takes a swig while keeping him in that position for now.

Daredevil has posed:
Diego's eyes bug at the sight of Typhoid's top.

"Yeah, guess so," he says as he reaches for the bottle and begins to lift it to his mouth. "You waiting for somebody, 'cause we can hang out if you-"

Then she has him Diego had been in some fights, the little scar that bi-sects his right eyebrow tells that tale but not like this. Before he knows he's being attacked his arm belongs to Typhoid.

"What the hell" he shouts as he's bent forward by the tension in his arm. "Thought you weren't a cop!"

On the rooftops the shout is heard and Daredevil turns in the direction of the alley, bounding over the last remaining rooftops in a mad rush to get to the scene...

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"Cop would've thrown you on the ground first. Then cuffed you. Then read your rights." Typhoid twists his arm purposefully, intending to bring the pain as she begins to lead him down the alleyway at a leisurely pace. He can choose not to follow. He might dislocate his shoulder but he does have the choice.

"My version. You have no rights. You will do what I want when I want or I will break something. If I get bored breaking things, I will start cutting off things." She looks at him with a feral smile. "Please bore me. I haven't gotten do any amputations at all on this job so far."

Daredevil has posed:
Diego drags his feet at first, but the first little crunch of his shoulder join and the searing pain of twisting tendons, get him moving.

"What you want? I can get you whatever you need just let go of my arm!"

The begging comes up short when she mentions amputations, caught between fear of immediate pain or an uncertain future.

He doesn't have to debate long. A light smashes down the end of the alley, and a figure drops from the rooftops to land ontop of a dumpster with a bang. Even in the darkened alley, it's clear who that figure is, after all there were only so many people running around with a horned helmet.

"Let the kid go, or I promise you, your night will be anything but boring."

Typhoid Mary has posed:
At the sound, Typhoid is already turning and yanking poor Diego around in front of her like a human shield. The bottle is dropped, falling to the ground with a clatter and listing onto its side to start spilling the amber liquid within around their feet. She puts her arm around Diego's throat, holding his arm up behind his back now.

She peeks over his shoulder, the white side of her face visible as she spots the person making all the noise. "Speak of the devil!" Her laughter is ...off. Not quite right. It's got an almost hysterical edge to it yet shouldn't which is just enough to raise hairs on the back of a neck. "Not that we were speaking about you. I just couldn't resist saying that." She leans in to say in Diego's ear, in a conversational tone meant to be heard by the man in red. "And I was just complaining about being bored. You'd think he isn't listening or something. Bad manners, I say." She smiles, that edge to it again as she considers the 'offer' that was made. "So...if I hurt him just a little bit more, you promise?"

Daredevil has posed:
Typhoid was fast. He'd drawn his second baton when she turned but he wasn't fast enough to throw it before she had Diego in front of her. His nostrils flare and he takes a moment to consider her more closely, the muscles of his jaw twitching at that laugh of hers.

"Let him go," Daredevil repeats, ignoring his mistake to try and maintain a bit of control. "And you and me can have some fun."

The eyes of the suit are fixed on Tyhpoid, even as Daredevil senses sweep out to find something he can use to his advantage.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
For a long moment, they remain as they were. Then she flings Diego bodily to the side, hopefully hard enough against the wall to knock him out so he doesn't go wandering off.

There she stands in front of Daredvil. Nothing to block his shot if he wants to take it. She smiles as she reaches her hands down to her sides to draw the machetes that hang there. Her katanas remain across her back. After all, they were for special occasions and who knew if the Daredevil was worthy of their attention.

"Let's dance." Then that weird laugh again. "A dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. Now that's funny."

Daredevil has posed:
Okay, Daredevil had to admit that was funny.

A little "Heh," of amusement escapes his lips then it's on. He doesn't takes that shot, trying to beat the machettes being drawn, the baton aimed for the bridge of her nose.

Then he's leaping from the dumpster to (hopefully) catch the baton on the rebound and take the fight close quarters.

As for Diego, the unlucky teen hits the wall with a thud and drops dazed to the pavement.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
That throw is the indicator of how this is going to go. As he lets fly, she is already leaping to the side as the machetes clear the sheaths. She rolls to her feet even as the baton ricochets not once but twice and ends up right back in his hand as he is charging forward.

He even had planned for not hitting by being sure he wasn't without his weapon. Her evaluation of him went three times higher with that single move.

Then things turn more serious as she brings one of those blades around now that he is within range. It's nothing fancy but a swing for the midsection, to either cut him open or make him dodge back out of the way and give her a little more room.

Daredevil has posed:
Damn she was fast.

Daredevil catches the rebounding baton midflight bringing it around to block the slash at his midsection, while he stepped in instead of back trying to get inside her other machette arm and deliver a dazing heatbutt to put his foe off her game before that speed of hers became a real problem.

By the alley wall, Diego stirs and rubs his head, staring with disbelief at the fight going on in front of him.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
That was not how this was supposed to go either.

Having expected him to back off, Typhoid is caught off-guard by him stepping closer instead even as he barely avoided that sharpened edge with a thunk of his baton against it. The headbutt connects and she staggers backwards a step.

Immediately she is on the defensive now instead of offense, pushing his baton away forcefully as she brings up to a guard position.

Even as she does so, she's smiling. Not the feral smile when she was dealing with Diego. This is more peaceful, zen like, as though all is perfect with the world.

Daredevil has posed:
Blade meets baton, helmet meets face, then the baton is shoved aside as Typhoid creates the space she'd sought to force out of him. Daredevil can't see the smile on her lips but he can feel the dozen or so visceral cues that express the same thing. She wasn't fazed.

It gives Daredevil pause and he halts offensive a beat when he should be following up and trying to smash through the woman's defenses. The beat becomes, two, then three as he slips into a guard position across from her. "What do you want the kid for?" he demands, halting the battle at a standoff trying to get the guage of the woman across from him.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"No idea," comes the cheerful response. They might as well be chatting about the latest movie in the theaters while having coffee. It isn't the type of tone usually found in an alleyway fight. She holds her blades at the ready, watching him carefully for any cues he is about to move or attack, even while that happy smile is still on her face. For his senses, he will note she is running a temperature. Her heartbeat is slightly elevated as though from excitement, not from the physical efforts she has made. Breathing is normal.

"I pick them up, take them in, get a paycheck. Don't you fucking move!" comes the snarl out of no where as she points a machete in the direction of Diego. "You will move when one of us tells you that you can! Or I will go over there and gut you like a fish!"

Then it's gone. All the anger, the snarling venom, the fury. In an instant. The conversational tone is back. "So why don't you let me get back to work. I have kids to raise, cats to feed, at least six dogs or something stupid like that. You buying it?"

Daredevil has posed:
Well /that/ was telling. The excitment the sudden on a dime turn of her moods. Whoever this person was they were definitely not all together, Daredevil was going to need to end this quickly.

He lost an opening when she turns to Diego, moving to counter any attacks coming that way when just as quickly Typhoid is turning back to him all jokes and smiles. Daredevil moves then, diving himself into the space between Typhoid and Diego, feinting with the baton, as he lets his momentum take him into a wheel kick, trying to drive her back like he she had with her slash at his middle.

"Not happening," he says on an exhale about her getting back to her job tonight.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
As the wheelkick comes her way, she has to dodge back to avoid getting hit. It's just easier that way. Certainly she could've opted for a few other things to do but simplicity is sometimes the best choice.

As soon as she is clear, she is frowning now. He put himself between her and her prey. She needs that kid. Now she has to go through the Devil if she wants him. Is it really worth it? After all, there are lots more kids.

"Not buying it. Too bad. Cause now I have to get all grumpy. We could've had a lot more fun if you'd just agreed. The Other kind of fun," she adds with a wink of her eye.

No more distance, no more keeping away. Now she drives in with purpose. The machetes lead the way but they can be kept from meeting their mark with his batons. As she has them busy though, she goes for a simple front kick aimed at his midriff. Then immediately follows with a jump kick aimed for the face.

Daredevil has posed:
"Spoken for," Daredevil retorts about the other kind of fun as their dance continues.

First the machettes, they're blocked one after the other, but only to open him up to the kick at his midsection, that too is blocked and for a moment Daredevil allows himself to believe he's got the better of her.

Then the jump kick slams into his head and rings his bell. Staggering back Daredevil's raises his baton defensively as he tries to clear his head.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"So?" is the immediate retort to him being spoken for. "Oh God, you aren't one of those who believes you should be monogamous?" As her foot connects, she feels a rush of satisfaction to finally have scored a hit.

He's good. Really good. Typhoid is smart enough to realize when she is outclassed and she has the feeling this is one of those times. She needs to end this quickly or she's going to have to beat a fast retreat.

She brings her machetes forward and down, trying to get through those batons of his. Not the exact same tactic as this time as she goes for a hooked leg instead of kicking him, trying to bring him down onto his butt in the alleyway.

Daredevil has posed:
"'fraid so," Daredevil says with a tight grin on his face, which had more to do with not letting her see him sweat than any actual amusement.

Daredevil's head has cleared enough to see the machettes coming. He raises his baton two handed to meet the blow with a piercing scrape of metal on metal.

Then his legs go out from under him. He tosses the baton against the wall as he falls sending it rebounding back where he thinks Typhoid might be if she rushes in to take advantage. When his back hits the concrete he rolls to the side coming up in a crouch next to Diego.

He was going to have to stop falling for stuff like that if he was going to win this fight.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
It worked! She does go for the advantage and is reminded that he is scary with those batons.

All lined up, ready to bounce then BAM! The world goes dark a second and she falls over to the side as little birdies fly circles around her head. Figuratively, not literally. She finds herself on all fours, machetes still in hand at least, with the world all wonky as she tries to clear her head.

Which means she is entirely too vulnerable. She turns quickly and lands on her back only to flip up to her feet and dance backwards several steps to be sure he isn't going on the attack.

The world is still not quite in focus and she glares in the direction of the two men. "Fine. He's all yours." She takes a few more steps back cautiously. "His name is Diego and he stole that whiskey from the store up the block. He only steals the best stuff. He said to be sure to tell my friends." She giggles like a schoolgirl. "You're the first friend I've made in a while so figured I should share."

Daredevil has posed:
Daredevil doesn't press the advantage the baton gives him, when she dances backwards he rises stepping between her and Diego, hands raised defensively in a boxer's stance.

When she takes those additional steps, Daredevil doesn't follow, a sign he's willing to let her skip out now. It was the safest way to be sure Diego didn't get it in the crossfire.

"Thanks for the tip," Daredevil offers in a dry deadpan. "I'll have to thank you another time."

Diego tries to rise behind him and Matt kicks him back down on his butt. "Stay put," he says without turning his head from Typhoid.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"Yeah, stay put, Diego. Wouldn't want you to be avoid going to jail. That would be wrong." Typhoid can't help but laugh as she slowly lowers the machetes. They aren't put away. She doesn't trust Daredevil to not throw another of those batons and put her lights out the rest of the way. As it stands, she's pretty sure they are on the dim setting for now.

Time to make her exit. She is working her way toward the opposite opening of the alleyway as she watches the pair. "The Devil of Hell's Kitchen. To think I had told Elektra I'd never run into you then here you are. She mentioned you have an arrangement, so you don't interfere in her work. How do I go about signing up for one of those?" she asks curiously. All she has to do is duck out onto the street now and disappear but she waits to see if he'll answer.

Daredevil has posed:
Diego blanches, "You're not going to throw me-"

Daredevil kicks him again.

He frowns in Typhoid's direction, "Stop stealing kids and we'll talk about it." Not that he was really going to go for that, he doubted Typhoid would keep any deal for more than a minute.

Typhoid Mary has posed:
"Damn, I hate math." Typhoid takes a moment as she does sheath one of the machets. "Two a week. Carry the seven. Alright. See you in a month then and we'll talk aboBut that deal!"

And with that, Typhoid ducks oBut of the alleyway and disappears into the night.
But now Daredevil knows this won't be stopping for another month. The question is: Why?

Daredevil has posed:
Daredevil takes in the count, she had a quota, which means she'd keep doing this and tonight was only round one.

Sighing Daredevil collects his batons and then lifts Deigo to his feet.

"Your lucky night, you get a pass on that bottle, but if I were you, I'd get off the streets. Anything, is better than what she was going to do with you."

He didn't know what that was but he didn't expect he was wrong.

Diego nods and Daredevil lets him go. Fleeing in the other direction from Tyhphoid. Giving him a short lead, Daredevil leaps his way up the fire escape to the roof top making sure Diego gets home.