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White Widow landed on the roof of the tenement building overlooking Pell Street. It was quiet along this stretch, and she was both hoping for it and dreading it. Hoping because if nothing happened by midnight, she was going to call it a night, head home, and get up at 5 AM to get some studying in before classes. Geology was kicking her tail.
She also dreaded it because if nothing happened, that meant the Konanju Boys were going to get away with sneaking those girls into whatever brothel awaited them.
She looked around. She had left a message where Arrow had said to leave it. She hoped he wouldn't be late.
She looked down at the white paper bag with steam escaping from it.
Ollie had finished being Oliver Queen for the day, having arranged business deals with Wayne Tech but working on getting a nice deal going with Stark Industries. A partnership perhaps? Eh, it was a work in progress either way. So what does Ollie do now? the night is young, it was time to become someone else…
Something.. else
Green Arrow had found the note that he told Gwen to leave him when it was time, and he met her on that roof top after firing a zipline arrow to slide him to the proper roof. "Hey Widow. Ready for some cleanup?" of course, he was speaking of wiping the Konanju Boys from the streets, and of course he spoke with a modified voice.
Widow looked up as he arrived. "It's cat-time, as my favorite beach bum would say. Time to watch the mouse-hole, see what the mice are doing." She pointed to the bag. "They're not scheduled to do the deed for some time, and it's a cold night. So, I brought some Chinese food from the best place in town." She chuckled softly. "You favor chopsticks or utensils?"
Green Arrow grins softly to Widow, hood still over his head and bow in hand, tactical gear being worn, he shrugs as Gwen offers him some chinese food. "Eh, sure." he says casually, sitting down next to her after moving to her level, setting down his bow. "Chopsticks. Could never get used to utensils after using Chopsticks." he smiles softly then before he extends a hand as if to accept the food.
A few sniffs. "ooo, lo mein."
Widow hands him the paper carton of beef lo mein, then produces two bottles of Coke from her backpack, the bottles still cool, and hands one to Arrow. "There's fried rice, orange and lemon chicken, and some beef skewers. I bought enough for four people. The Mongolian beef is mine, though."
Oliver smiles softly then to Widow as he accepts one of the bottles of coke. "Did you get this recently? I'm surprised you kept the bottle cold if no." he teases softly. "ahhh…I guess I'll take some fried rise and lemon chicken. But no Crab Rangoon? shame on you." he says in a good-natured sort of tone.
Widow shrugs and smiles, opening the backpack wider for Oliver to see the Hot-R-Cold Pak nestled in the large front pocket. "Shame they can't be re-used." She puts the backpack down, then picks up another carton. "I connected a thread of spidersilk along the front of the gate. it'll pull a bottle across the roof and act as an alarm if we're not watching." She lifts up her mask partway to expose pink lips with the glass of lip balm, picking up a fork and pouring a little bottle of soy sauce on her meal, then places it within easy reach of Oliver.
Oliver 'ahhhs' at the Hot-R-Cold pack that Widow apparently seems to have on her. "Shame indeed, I imagine that would come in handy in more than one spot." he nods approvingly. He looks then to the bottle on the spidersilk, nodding approvingly. "Not bad." he compliments. Regardless, he offers her a kind smile as she places the soy sauce within reach of oliver, who puts some next to his lo mein in case he wants to experiment with flavor.
He sees her lip balm, but by the shape of her face, she must be an incredibly beautiful woman. But he knows she's young, so he leaves her be. "Hm, if they show at all. Thier plans could have changed. Either way, we get to sit down and eat."
Widow nods, her voice clear and young without the mask to muffle it. "Well, I wasn't sure, but I hedged my bets. I know a few cops, and I hear things. I also pay attention. Three suspected brothels run by the triad are beefing up security tonight. The only valid reason is that they expect to have to put a few people in line…like new conscripts. I'm guessing 15, maybe 20 girls coming in. All probably told they were going to work in kitchens or dressmaker's shops, I'll bet. The tried gets them strung out on smack, and then they are hooked. Slavery, in THIS day and age…"
Olli nods then. "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Even scumbags like them." he sighs then, slurping on some noodles as his eyes stay peeled on their surroundings. "That's what most likely it is…either that, or ther boss is coming in. Could be both. Either way, primetime oppurtunity to kick some ass."
A shrug then as he starts making sure one of his arrowheads is on properly while editing it on the spot.
Widow nods. "I've been meaning to ask. What drives you, Arrow?" She pops the cap off of her Coke, sipping at it. "Of course, you don't have to say boo to a ladybug if you don't want to. It's just…this is not a job. It's a *calling.* I never imagined doing anything like this a year ago. When I was 100-percent normal human, of course."
Green Arrow keeps on fixing his…well, arrow as Widow asks him a rather driving and personal question. He turns then to Widow with a soft smile. "It's simple. I've been doing this for years now, but the original purpose has always been the same. The people in this city are good..and I was one of the people who didn't care, until I had one of those defining moments of life happen to me. Then? after all I saw of the cruelty of the world, I found much of it going on even in this city. I refuse to fail it, so I picked up my bow."
Widow nods. "My father was a good cop. He taught me that if you have gifts, there is an inherent responsibility to use them to help others. I thought of becoming a lawyer, maybe even a cop. Until I had a defining moment of my own. I lost someone I loved, once…and then I lost my father." She looked to Oliver. "If you see something happening and you do nothing, that blood is on YOUR hands." She looks down at the road. "No more sitting. No more…hiding. I'm here, and you're here, and the bad guys are going to have to deal with it."
Oliver nods then. "Yeah, it's tough…but hey, everything happens for some reason or another, or so we're told. Not so sure about htat one yet." he shrugs then, being pretty blatant with his words. "Either way, we're here." he nods then with a smile, patting her on the back before he sips his coke.
Widow smiles warmly. "Yeah. We are, aren't we?" She continues to eat, then says, "I just wish I had some of the cooler toys that some heroes have. Not easy to get the high-tech stuff on my budget when you have to choose between mending the costume or making sure you have enough firewood."
Ollie chuckles a little bit to Widow. "Heh, yeah." he smiles warmly then. "Huh, if you need some toys I can probably help with that. As long as you don't want like a spider-tank or something. Then that's on you." he teases her softly because he knows what's up. He winks though!
Widow tilts her head. "I just had an image of a tank jumping from rooftop to rooftop. How weird is-"
CLINK-CLINK-CLINK-CLINK!
Widow's head whips around as the bottle skitters across the roof before wedging itself in a corner. She peers over the ledge. "Panel truck, coming in. They're early…"
Oliver chuckles faintly before he instantly turns and draws an arrow when he hears the sounds of clinking. Becausethat's just how he trained his reflexes. When he realizes that there's nothing immediately awaiting them until they look over the ledge, he smiles softly and relaxes his arm, moving towards the ledge.
"Better early than late. I'll move to that rooftop and flank them."
Widow nodded. "I'll web the driver and anyone on the other side. After we incapacitate them, then was can call the cops and open the truck." She pulls the mask down. "See ya in a few, Sure-Shot,"
Then she fires a webline and swings to the opposite side of the alley, waiting for Arrow to get into position.
It goes unsaid that no one was to be killed. She felt she didn't have to say it to him.
Arrow nods softly to Widow before she zips off. Nocking an arrow from his quiver, he fires what looks to be a grappling hook arrow before he himself starts to zip off towards one of the nearby rooftops. crouching down near the ledge, he draws an arrow and just…waits.
Few guys incoming, and while Arrow had no problem with killing, he knew how this spider chick operated. and he'd rather not have a spider-chick enemy. So he'll play nice.
Widow moves along the ledge, then stops.
Showtime.
Benny Cho stepped out of the driver's seat, looking forward to cutting himself a piece of some fine Beijing poontang before he delivered the girls. They were half-starved, gaunt, but he discovered he liked them when they were…helpless.
He licked his lips as he walked along the side of the truck. He wondered which he would take…
And then he was vaulted into the air, rising up to the ledge, the wind temprarily stolen from his lungs.
He turned to look into the cartonnishly-large eyes of the White Widow. Who wasby no means helpless.
"Goodnight, Gracie." One head-thump later, and he was tagged and bagged and hanging from the ledge.
One down.
Ollie had been chilling there on that ledge as he picked his targets.
Check those corners…..oh,there's two. Tow men just chilling behind the truck having a smoke before they 'got down and dirty', so Ollie fired an arrow between them. Literally. Right between them. Both of them looked shocked until they literally were. Two discs shot out form the sides of the arrowhead, sticking to their necks and sending quite the jolt!
They fall unconsciously to the floor without much trouble. Then Oliver moves do ground level, using the shadow of night. "one…two…Arrow's comin' for you…" he whisper sings to himself.
Two others hear the discharge of electricity, look to each other, then raise their rifles and head towards Arrow.
Until they suddenly find their feet webbed to the ground. Inertia causes them to fall forward into the ground, with webbing suddenly encasing them up to the neck.
"One little, two little, three little Indians," Gwen sings her own song softly.
Arrow is -more- than ready to take out the two men coming up from around that corner, but imagine his -not- surprise when he sees Spider-Gwen take out those two in a rather severe case of webbed feet. HAH! puns….no? okay…
But Arrow keeps on moving. "Let's see…only a few more…Oh, there you are." he forgot about the driver! He draws a punching glove arrow and fires it straight trhough the window! knocking the man literally out of the truck. "3…" another arrow, fired blindly behind him at one of the men trying to run away, tazer arrow to the back of the head.
Ouch. "4….better stay asleep…"
Last one. Where's the last one?
Widow's Spider-Sense tells her before her eyes or ears do, and she spins to shoot a glob of webbing to coat the front of the pistol. The man looks at it, then at her, then aims at her.
"Uhhhh…not a good i-"
BANG.
The pistol blows apart in the man's hand, and he falls grasping his wounded hand. Widow walks over and punches him before spinning up a bandage to stop the bleeding. "Can you check the truck while I attend to this guy, please?"
Ollie sees the guy get his gun all webbed up and he even chimes in. "I wouldn't-"
BANG!
….do that." He sighs a moment, putting his bow on his shoulder as he nods softly to the White Widow. "Yeah, I got it covered." he nods then, walking away. "aaaand that's why dumbasses don't get guns." he sighs a moment before he knocks on the truck and opens it. "Everyone okay in here?" he asks as he opens the door. He silently swears to god that if there's a gunman in here just lying in wait….
Well, wouldn't be the first time.
No gunman. Probably a bit of a risk to put one man in with 25 royally-PO'd women. They almost rushed Oliver before they realized he wasn't with the gang. They stopped, puzzled, staring owlishly at the man in green.
Widow stopped the bleeding and headed to the street, looking for a phone booth. "Never a phone booth around when we need one," she grumped as she headed back to the trailer. She spotted the women eyeing Oliver and quickly said, "<We are friends, not enemies. We are here to help you,>" in stilted Chinese, then in Japanese, then in Korean, which they responded to, smiles creasing their faces as they moved forwrd to hug Oliver gratefully. It was not the kind of group girl hug Queen might fantasize about, seeing as they were malnourished, half-starved, a few FAR too skinny to look healthy.
Ollie has an arrow drawn when he opens up the truck, though he lowers it when he sees a horde of women charging at him. "Easy, easy!" then White Widow hapens to speak apparently well enough in Japanese….then in Korean. Seems this White Widow is more than meets the eye. Either way, he was then grup hugged, which he didn't mind. Too skinny to be healthy or no. Though he starts speaking in fluent Korean too.
«No need to be afraid. You're safe now.» he smiles then.
Widow looks relieved and surprised at Arrow. "Jeez, it took me half an hour to say that in three languages." She shrugs, apparently working hard to provide at least some reassurance, even if it's all she knows.
"Listen, I'm going to call the cops. I know a couple working tonight who'll give these women a fair shake. Can you convince them that they're not going to automatically be deported, please?"
Ollie glances over to Widow and chuckles faintly. "Years of practice. you'll get there….and live in Korea for a month or two, you'll get it." okay, he was extremely intelligent and he caught it pretty quick, but even still..practice makes perfect! especially when you -need- to know it, you learn fast.
"Sure thing. I got this, go." he looks back to the women then. «Do not be alarmed, the police will be notified of what happened here and you will -not- be deported. You have my word.» he says in perfect Korean. One might confuse him to be a native.
Widow looks at him before leaving the alley. It must be nice to have your act together completely, to have years of doing this sort of thing to fall back on. Whereas she seems to be continually living from one moment to the next, getting by on luck rather than skill.
She sighed and headed for the phone booth at the end of the street to call it in.