Jayd: Opening play (Open to Casey, others)

[Rorschach]

Rorschach's Journel, Tuesday March 16, 1986 2010

City is cold. Even this close to spring, the snow never really stops. Always there. Floating soft and pure above cityscape, corrupting to gray mush as soon as it sets down. Turned into a putrid muck that stinks of corruption and urine. Heaps on sidewalks, obstructing way. Sloshes over tops of boots, chilling feet, compliment to coolness over coat.

Kovacs would be shivering now. Chilled by it. Loved snow though, loved the promise of it. Foolish really. Purity is only transient. Like innocense that is soon lost. Virgins become whores all too easily. Too much compromise.

Working new case now. Scattered newspaper reports of metahuman attacks on citizens. Few muggings, bank robbery, three rapes. All random, out of synch with typical MO of Manhattans. Attackers were insane, incredibly strong. Police found empty vial on one, marked with the word "Jayd" chemical analysis revealed highly exotic neurotoxin with some steroid characteristics. Drug.

Police unable to crack case. Nobody talks to police. They talked to me. Hand of lowlife in bar lead me here, warehouse near Hell's Kitchen, industrial area. Few people around, even fewer cops. Better for my purposes.

Move down street, surveiling place in disguise. Discarded sign recently. No longer works effectively for camoflauge. Attracts police attention now. Unwanted. Just watching area, observing coming and goings. Looks like place. Will wait till dark, then move in as Self. Put a stop to activity. Find out is behind them. Deal with them.

[Casey Jones]

After all that craziness with the ninjas and the foul mouthed brother of Donald the duck, I was more then happy to crash in this crappy hotel. Sure the door's got signs of being smashed in several times and I'm sure I seen this room on Dateline. You know the episode they used a black light ta show all the nut stains on the bed. I didn't care so long as there was a bed and a pillow.

I hope April and the guys are OK. I didn't really get a chance to help em before... well whatever it was that brought me here. Regardless, I just need to get some sleep.

It couldn't have been more then a couple of minutes after I closed my eyes before I hear some chick screamin for help behind this roach circus of a motel. I guess things ain't no better in this version of New York either.

I hopped out of the sack and decided I ain't got time for anything but my mask and my Louisville special. Hope these scum bags don't mind gettin there asses handed to em by a sports fan in his boxer shorts. Heh, what am I saying? I don't care what those shit streaks think.

Once I snuck my way back there, sticking to the shadows just like my turtle homies taught me, I saw two huge guys manhandling some helpless chick. Trust me me when I say huge I ain't just whistlin Dixie. Ive fought Triceretons that would ask for the numbers to these guys' personal trainers. Like Raph'd say. Bigger they are the harder they fall.

"Hey slime balls! Why don't you guys pick on someone your own size? Well someone bigger then her at least."

The one standing back looks my way and chuckles at me. He then charges down the alley and punched, that's right I said punched, a dumpster and sent it skidding toward me. I jumped over it, but before I could clear it he jumped up and swatted me mid air and into the run away dumpster. He then landed on it with each foot on either side of the metal box. Drooling as he smiled. I guess he's smiling at the thought of what he'll do ta me.

"Smile at this slime ball."

I stood and swung with all I had and hit him square in the jewels. He didn't do anything more then cringe a little. Then fell face first into the bin with both fist hammering toward my head. I hopped backward and back flipped out of the dumpster as he flopped on his face. Once he reached his hand out I slammed the door on it. He screamed and reached out at me, but I grabbed his arm and dropped to my ass. I heard the bone and cartilage crack and pop across the rim of the bums buffet. If that wasn't enough evidence that I hurt the guy, that guttural scream he made was.

That puke face that ignored me while he had his way with that innocent girl finally caught notice. He quit tearing clothes off of her and focused on me. I saw some rusted old rebar hanging from one of the windows of the motel I was staying and ripped it off.

"OK tall dark and fugly, just you and me."

Sure this little bar ain't my usual sporty weapon of choice, but ya gotta make due where due is offered or something like that. The first punk I was fighting was beginning to pull him self outta the trash with his good arm. I figured I'd use that opportunity for a little fancy springboard off his mug, launching myself toward punk number two. I stabbed down with the rebar, aiming for his eye. Before I knew it though he caught me by the wrist and bitch slapped me against the wall.

As I laid there barely conscious, the wild eyed manster closed in on me. To make matters worse, the broke armed and broke dicked puke climbed his way out of the dumpster and was closing in right behind him.

Usually this is where my hard shelled brothers would bail me out, but seeing as I'm a whole other world away from them. Well this may be the end for your friendly neighborhood sports fan.

[Rorschach]

Reconisiance of area provides little further information. A few thugs come and go. Doubtless couriers to street vendors. Small fish. It is the supplier that raises primary interest at this time. Need to find out who they are working for. Cut off the head, body will die. Maintain watch for several hours, ignoring cold as it creeps into disguise, leaving body chill, almost shivering. Almost. Even without true form, do not give in that much. Maintain discipline.

When darkness starts to fall, make way back to where clothing is hidden. Dumpster near seedy motel. Change in alleyway quickly, moving back out, towards building. Stopping short as see two thugs enter alleyway, woman between them Observe from shadows for moment, considering situation. Another takes iniative, dressed indecently, but with mask, weapon. Impromptu hero. Consider costs and benefits of lending aid. Too many heroes in this city, not like home New York. This place is thick with them, like lice. Almost tempted to leave him to them. Probably would do fine in fight...But instinct in gut tells that he won't be.

Move back to mouth of alley as pair gang up on him.One with injured arm, but both aparently movre than willing to finish downed hero. Predators moving in for kill.

Amateur. First rule of combat is divide and conquer. By splitting forces between both, he limits effectiveness, leaves himself open to counterattack by both. Young man's mistake.

Not young any more. Kovacs might have made error....Rorschach won't.

Casually, I pull grappling gun from coat, sighting it up carefully before firing. Sending compressed air grapnel across alley at almost 200 ft per second.

Used once to this purpose on cop. Cop shot in chest, wearing body armor at time, close range, no more than two feet. Sustained eight broken ribs, massive bruising. Lived.

This time grapnel slams into back of skull on target. Direct impact to back of skull,. cracking it as blood sprays from wound. Head wounds always bleed great deal. Mutated thug falls to ground, unconcious, possibly dead. Will assure to latter after dealing with associate.

Second thug comes at more quickly than expected. Charges like rhino, again stupid, tactice. Mutates are no Manhattans, not even Veidts. Sidestep to left, leg moving out in tripping motion, shifting around to grab back of shirt, imparting extra force into target as slams into brick wall, going probably ten miles an hour. Force of blow shakes wall, leaves second target unconcious.

Uninterested in allowing to regain conciousness. Rapists deserve no sympathy. Move behind figure, wrapping arms around neck and head carefully, deep breath and then hard twist to right. Improved muscle tone resists, but not enough to stop action. Neck snap rings loud in alley, imparting solelmn silence into proceedings, interupted as I move back to fool with hockey mask.

[shadow=white,left,300]"Stupid. Next time girl and self might be killed. Not action film, impart only effort needed, no more, no less. Leave acrobatics for circus performers."[/shadow]

Picking up my gun I turn from him, moving back down the alley, back to my original goal. Supply chain must be cut off, or these events will increase greatly. One or two isolated incidents will become crime wave. Unacceptable.

[Casey Jones]

I seen those two thugs make there way toward me as I went in and out of conciseness. Suddenly I was brought back into reality by a warm crimson spray. Before I was even able to push that brute and his shattered skull outta my lap I see a someone that's dressed like my turtle buds in public slam the other into the wall behind him.

Could it really be? Did one of them follow me through the warp? I quickly realized that it was all caused from that bitch slap to the head, and that this guy was nothing like my boys. I seen him wrap his arms around his head and neck.

"NOOOO!"

I jumped and reached forward but the concussion stopped me before I could stop him. The snap rang through the alley like a shotgun blast. He was a piece of shit but he didn't deserve that. He wasn't himself dammit.

Then the murderer turned to me. I know it sounds crazy but I swear I seen Raph's face in his. I gotta see a doc about this head injury. That image was only reinforced by the words he spoke after. He spoke as if matter of fact like that my showmanship could have gotten not just me, but that poor girl killed.

"Look here shit streak for a face," remind me to come up with something better when my head clears. "You didn't have ta kill those turds."

He ain't listening. Oh well, I'm used ta that treatment. Let's see if these guys got the ging ta pay my hotel rent. Wait a minute whats this? They had more then enough for my rent, but this piece paper seems even more important.

"Hey Inkblot? You know someone called Owlsley?"

[Harvestman]

* City's cold tonight... just the right temperature for snow to be reduced to grey slop, sticking to everything like peanut butter. Springs definitely taking its bloody time to get here. Costume doesn't provide much cover against the elements, not sure how the rest of 'em can stand it. Have stay more active on patrols... those with thermals help stave off frostbite...*

* It's not like finding anything to do is hard since the city... when the world went back to 'normal'... at least as normal could be.*

* I rub my left arm as I survey the surrounding area. Place has been a hotbed of Mutant activity lately... nothing as extreme as it could be... but enough to put the department on alert. Robberies, Rapes, random acts of violence without a hint of rhyme or reason. The only thing that the police found off of the last mongrel they put down was a vial labeled 'Jayd'. Some new kind of drug to the market... Maxes out one's natural attributes at the cost of their remaining sanity.*

* Been snooping around this stink hole to try to track this back to its source. This isn't the kind of crap that any moron can cook at home... more like one of those designer numbers. Find the wholesaler, I can find who designed this poison. Cut off the head, and the Body withers and dies.*

* Leads are few and far between... only thing I've got is a warehouse down here in Hell's kitchen. Better than nothing. Find myself sidetracked by a woman’s screaming en-route. While shutting down this drug factory is top priority... I'm not about to turn a blind eye to this. I sling my way to the scene as fast as possible... shouldn't be too difficult to pin down, considering the rest of the ruckus that’s arisen. Sounds like somebody's trying to stop whatever's going down.... and isn't faring too well.*

* By the time I get there, I'd say someone adequately beat me to the punch.*

* Both perps are down, and by the looks of it not likely to be getting back up. The victim scrounges her clothes together and makes a speedy retreat. Not like I'd really blame her. Got two more left... one being the likely recipient of that ass-kicking... considering how he was rambling on about excessive force not being necessary. Some road warrior wannabe in sports fatigues and wearing a hockey mask, who's currently getting told off by a very familiar 'face'.*

" Fancy meeting you here."

* I comment before hopping down from my roost, making a 3 point landing in a semi-congealed mass of slop. Alley slop...As if regular sidewalk slop wasn't bad enough. I take a breif moment to look over Rorshach's work. Two tweaked out genefreaks... One with his cranium split open like an overripe melon... another laying with his neck twisted back in an unnatural position. Effective and to the point.*

" Still not much for subtlety I see."

* The other guy mentions some name off of a business card he found in one of the DOA's pockets. Sounds vaguely familiar... but I don't know if there's any merit. Drug suppliers aren't stupid enough to hand out calling cards. I just make a pointing gesture with by thumb back at him over my shoulder*

" Who's Jason Vorhees over here?"

[Rorschach]

Typical self rightous behavior. Save man's life, get harrassed for nessecery steps taken to prevent event. Just like Daniel. Heroes in this world are too soft...too like Daniel. No events to pressure them to be better, stronger. To cast off compromise, do what is nessecery to stop evil. Fight and squabble with villains. Tie them up, let them go to prison. Serve time, get back out on streets, do it again.

Cycle doesn't work.

Death breaks cycle effectively.

New associate blathers on about 'deserving it' about state of mind. Both are irrelavent. Explain this to him, answering second quesiton at same time.

[shadow=white,left,300]"Man gets behind wheel of car drunk, kills whole family in car wreck. Did they deserve it? Drunk brought on own state of mind, these scum did the same. Maybe next time too late for poor girl. Unacceptable. Problem must be dealt with. No compromise, justice prevails. Never heard of Owlsey. Know who to go to on these two scum though. Users of new designer drug called Jayd. Have lead into source. Going there to check out now...would not mind company, if you can figure out how to shut up. Name is Rorschach."[/shadow]

As soon as first issue is dealt with, second presents itself. Harvestman. Perhaps not issue....if more of these at warehouse, assistance would be acceptable.

[shadow=white,left,300]"Not know his name....Assume, looking into Jayd as well? Not much other reason to be in this area...Nothing but drug dealers and whores in area...Industial sectors breed scume like stagnant pond. Full of crime, weakness. Have lead into Jayd self, warehouse. Going there for information."[/shadow]