(Champions)

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No Rest for the Watchman, Act 3

Muffled thuds can be heard coming from a nearby alleyway.

Connie is walking towards Yoshiro's place..then stops and moves to the noise in the allyway.

Connie walks oh so stealthly like, well until her foot taps that garbage bag...she shrugs, and moves on no one heard that.

There are four thugs beating a fifth man with cloth wrapped steel pipes.

Connie sighes then walks right in flaring up her silverly Aura and changing before thier eyes her shimmering silver Aura wings spreading full span. "Any reason why you are beating that man boys?"

One of the thugs stops and glances at SilverDragon, "Just taking out the garbage, Ma'am."

SilverDragon looks closer at the man they are beating, "What type of garbage is he?"

The Thug says, "Bliss dealer, Ma'am."

SilverDragon says, "He is down now, do you think the police might want to question him before you beat him to death?"

The Thug nods, "Oh don't worry Ma'am, we don't kill. We'll let him go once we've made sure he'll never walk again."
SilverDragon sighes.."Sorry no, if he has some on him call the cops, otherwise I will have to take all of you in as well as the alleged drug dealer.

The Thug motions for the others to stop, "We have no quarrel with you Ma'am. We're on the same side".

SilverDragon says, "Same side..so instead of recording their crimes and calling the cops with proof, or capturing them in the act so once again you have proof and they can be prosecuted you just cripple them which is a crime too...so how does that make you on my side?"

The Thug says, "We both want to clean up the streets, Ma'am. Our way, we save everyone time and money."

SilverDragon says, "and break the law and become judge, jury, and exacutioner..so stop now, call the cops while can still walk and leave and I will forget this. Continue and I will take you all in. This is not the answer..."

The Thug says, "Sorry Ma'am. We've seen what the police are capable. If we left it to them, nothing would change. We have chosen to fight as our hero did."

SilverDragon says, "Your hero and who would that be?"

Jack walks down from the Maglev, whistling, a spring in his step.

SilverDragon thinks . o O (if they say Vansdis..)

The Thug says, "We keep the Watch, like Nightwatch did so many years ago."

SilverDragon says, "Nightwatch did not kill crimminals...step aside and I will take this man to the hopsital, I would suggest you file charges, and also get Vids..if you need money for this method of deterrant that is well recorded at working and also the how toos, my firm would be more then willing to help and train you."

Jack spies what's going on and ponders . o O (Cop, or Savage...?)

The Thug shrugs, "Perhaps Ma'am. I'll speak to our leader about it. Come on men. We've done enough good for tonight." They move to leave.

SilverDragon looks around...

SilverDragon spotting Jack she waves him over.."Jack!"

SilverDragon then kneels down near the bloody man.

Jack thinks . o O (Well, that settles that...) He begins to approach, reaching for his wallet and badge, "Hey Silverdragon, what seems to be going on here, gents?"

The Thugs walk past SilverDragon and stop when confronted by Jack.
SilverDragon says, "Jack this man need attention and I do not know medical stuff."

SilverDragon says, "I really would like to talk to these kids leader, but do not want to leave this man here alone in this condition.."

Jack keeps his eyes on the lead man, not breaking eye contact. "Call an ambulance, SilverDragon. Now gents, you wouldn't have been party to
this breach of the law, would you?"

The lead Thug starts to respond...

SilverDragon pulls out a PDA and calls one, "You know Jack we will be lucky if one gets here in an hour.

Suddenly a hot breeze sweeps down the street, like the dying breath of a fevered man. Shadows leap and twists like damned spirits. An apparition rises up out of the street and clasps its bloody red hands around the neck of the trailing thug... The thug screams as if his soul was being ripped out...

Jack thinks . o O (Yeah, and if it doesn't and the guy dies... What the...!)

SilverDragon thinks . o O (we are not thinking the same Watchman...this is not ancient history..shoot!)

SilverDragon eyes bug.

Watchman says, "YoUr BlOoD iS oN mY hAnDs..."

Jack yells at the remaining 'WatchThugs' "Get the hell out of here! Run!" He then stares at the spectral figure...

SilverDragon blinks...

Jack moves towards the spectral figure, trying to get between it and the thugs, "Move, you idiots!"

SilverDragon shakes the the oh shoot look off her face and then...well..ok closes and strikes out at the thing...

Watchman fades away in a burst of smoke and flame, "ThE lIVeS oF tHoSe tHaT tAkE mY nAmE aRe MiNe..."

SilverDragon says, "Ok some hero..." She looks around for the rest of the Gang...

SilverDragon says, "I am going to be filling out paper work all F-ing night now...and playing fifty questions..."

The rest of the thugs have fled. Except for the one grabbed by the Watchman. He lies motionless on the ground.

Jack immediately shields his eyes slightly as they turn -black- and he does a full spectrum scan on the area. "You think your paperwork is bad? I'm now first officer on the scene, AND crimelab tech on it!"

SilverDragon says, "Well first you need to do first aid on the drug dealer the nightwatch guys were trying to cripple."

Jack says, "First aid? I don't know first aid.. I work with the bodies that are already past that..."

SilverDragon sighes and looks for someplace to lean and realizes with that spatter there is none here..."You realize now that whole gang of clean up our street punks are all now in danger from that thing?"

Jack rapidly scans the area in IR, UV, Mental 'spectrum', and takes a look at the area the being was in with microscopic senses, just to be sure nothing's missed...

SilverDragon says, "Well ok can you find out how long until an abulance gets here?"

The Night Watch thug is dead. His eyes are gone...

SilverDragon kneels back down careful as not to muss anything and check out the man..

Flickering on a nearby wall is another burnt message...

"I have blood on my hands.

I look at the battered bodies of the two thugs at my feet. Suddenly it's 1944. I'm 17, in France, and terrified. At my feet are the two German soldiers I've just killed. It's been 11 days since I parachuted in, and already I've seen too much.

************

I have blood on my hands.

There is so much Evil in the world. I can't look away. I have to keep watch. It's 1947. I've taken the Cowl, emulating the Heroes who led us in the War. I glide through the night. A woman screams. She's been stabbed, the mugger is going through her purse. I swoop down. He never sees me. I pick her up and run to the nearest hospital. They point to the sign that says "Whites Only". I threaten the doctor, he saves her life."

Jack's eyes flick back to normal as he looks up at the message, "Friggin' smeg!"

SilverDragon thinks . o O (Argent - Ghost or mutant of an odd sort? what do you think?)

SilverDragon changes outfits so she has a jacket to warm the man with, and comforts him if he wakes.

Jack fingers the emergency switch on his radio, contacting the police immediately. "This is Jack Wednesday of the CBPD, requesting assistance at Harrisburg Lane. One wounded, one dead. Paranormal activity evident. Situation stable."

Argent thinks . o 0 (You need to trust your judgement and looks at the writings and facts in them...)

SilverDragon nods and murmurs to something and takes out her PdA and starts typing while keeping an eye out on the beaten man.

Benny comes arcing out of the sky in a really long bounce looking really paniced, he perches on the arc of a lamp post and looks down, "I was..." He looks down at the body, "Dear God."

Jack looks up, "Hey kid, get down from there. You'll hurt yourself!"

Benny back flips down and lands in a crouch next to the body, "I... took a nap. I'd been up all day and..." He looks closely at the body.

Jack steps over and puts his hand on Benny's shoulder, "Don't touch, kid. Crime scene."

Benny lowers his head in defeat, "Darnit. DarnitDarnitDarnit..." He's about to close the eyes on the body when jack touches him. He looks up, "it'll be just like the other one..."

Jack frowns, "Other... What?"

Benny says, "The first victim."

SilverDragon says, "Three there are three messages so there have been three now?"

Jack says, "Three?"

Jack looks Benny in the eye, "Okay, kid, did you see what happened to the 'other' victim?"

SilverDragon says, "the new writing..there is new writing Jack it appeared as it left.."

SilverDragon says, "two here and one on Harrisburg south."

Benny looks up at the burnt sign, "new message... two down, one got away..." He stands up and looks a little out of it, like he hasn't been sleeping and looks a little rattled, "Thinkthinkthink... what's the solution? What'll send him on? What? he didn't go after the one that got away... he hasn't followed up on his threat... what..." He rubs his head, "Darnit."

Jack nods, "Saw the writing. Now, son, are you all right? You look a little... Flustered..."

SilverDragon says, "Those that take his name belong to him."

Jack thinks . o O (Where the hell is that ambulance?!)

Benny looks at his hands, "I've been... patrolling for a week now... trying to catch the Watch Man. ya can't shoot him, ya can hit him... maybe... he's after the Night Watch. He hates 'em. He's dead, he's..." he spins on the body, "Did anyone check his ID? Anyone know where he lives." Long pause, then a almost whisper, "...lived."
Connie says, "i will be looking each write up has date, places mermories..to referance.."

Jack tries to calm Benny down, "It'll be all right, son. I'm a police officer. Some other cops will be here soon. We'll take care of all of it. Why don't you sit down, relax. What's your name, son?"

Connie says, "They are misusing his name..."

Jack thinks . o O (Need to find someone who knows who these jerks are... Warn them. They're not gonna listen to a cop... Maybe Karlie?)

Benny shoves Jack out of the way, "You Don't GET It! The Watchman ain't resting! He's DEAD. He's a ghost! Holy come back from the freakin' dead to avenge his name-action!" He stares at Jack then at the body, "Gotta find out where he lived... if he has friends, maybe they'll tell me where to find the leader of the Night Watch Gang..." He turns and walks towards the corpse, "Nobody dies on my shift."

Jack stands between Benny and the body, "Son, the cops will be here soon. Don't make a big mistake here. Just calm down and let's talk."

Benny wobbles a bit then straightens up as his fist starts to swell up, "I lost one, I saved one, then I saved one, now I lost one. Lost the first one 'cause I was too slow. Lost the last one 'cause I went to sleep. No. No more. Nobody else dies. Now help me or get out of my way."

Jack nods, "I'm going to help, kid, but we need to wait until the police are here. That way, we can get clues and figure out how to stop this maniac. You wanna help us do that?"

Benny speaks softly, "I know how. Ya can't kill him, ya can only scare him off. He just goes..." He tosses his hands in the air, "POOF! Gone! no more ghost, eyes gone too, but he wants it over. I think I figured it out. I need to talk to the Night Watch gang, they need to disband or die. Can't save them. Can't be everywhere. They disband, he has no reason to kill them." He rubs his forehead, "It... has to work. There's no other way."

Connie looks like she is about to say something then shuts up and keeps an eye out on the injured man.

Jack nods, "Okay, you're probably right, kid. Now... Why don't you catch your breath and we'll do this together?"

Benny steps back, "I'm Fine." He frowns a little, "Nothin' wrong with me. I'm perfectly ok. I'm indestructable! Nothin' hurts..." He glances at the body, "...me." He closes his eyes and swallows once

Connie says, "Jack still no abulance, would it be safe to wrap and move this man?"

Jack sees what the boy is going through, and steps once again so he's between the boy and the body, hopefully blocking the view, "Listen, kid, you might be okay, but I'm not. This thing makes me queasy as hell. Would you mind if we just took a breather here for a sec, before we set off to.. Uhm.. find the rest of the Watchmen?"

Jack shakes his head 'no' at Connie.

Jack checks his PDA to see the progress of the emergency vehicles.

Benny looks at jack, "The Watch Man is the ghost, The Night Watch is the gang.

Connie says, "They are claiming this thing as their hero?"

Sirens wail in the distance as the police and EMTs draw near.

Jack thinks . o O (Thank the lord)

Argent thinks . o 0 (Do not say the name too much and also warn the boy, if it is a spirit and one of vengance, your words can carry to it when you invoke its name)

Jack says, "Okay, right, kid... Look, I'm Jack, Jack Wednesday. What's your name? I don't wanna keep calling you 'kid'."
Connie thinks . o O (Goodness Argent you really give away your age with that, we are not in the dark ages anymore and, well, not everything weird is supernatural..)

Benny laughs! "Yeah... yeah... they imitate him... that's the problem." He tries to run his fingers though his hair but because it's all one piece he just runs it over his head. He stares at his hand, "It's... the little things I miss." He looks up, "Do you know how lucky you are you have hair you can comb?" He stares at his hand and slowly makes a fist, "Benny. Just Benny."

Connie mumbles to her self..ok I will tell them quit pouting..

Connie says, "Hey guys if it is like "ghost" maybe the name should not be invoked so much? You know of that thing that kill that thug, bcause he seem really possessive of his name."

Jack nods, "Yeah, I know. Hair is nice. It's nice to meet you, Benny. Wish it could have been under better circumstances..."

Connie thinks . o O (Happy now Argent?)

Argent thinks . o 0 (yesss)

Jack nods, "Thanks for the heads up, SD."

Benny blinks a few times, "Jack... yer a cop?"

Jack nods, "I work for the CBPD. You wanna help us out on this one?"

Jack thinks . o O (Just keep him calm...)

Connie mumbles..the things...do ........Argent

Benny streaches out his arm and grabs Jack by the shoulder, Then as his arm shrinks, he suddenly pulls himself closer to Jack until he looking Jack in the eye by hovering a good foot or two off the ground. He speaks quietly and with great deliberation, "A week ago, the first victim was a drug dealer. We saved someone else. He's in the Night Watch. The cops wouldn't tell me his name, where he lives, or anything..." He licks his lips, "You can find out." He stares pleadingly at Jack, "Please."

Jack nods, "I'll get you the information, but you have to do something in return, okay?"

Benny speaks without hesitation, "What?"

Jack says, "You need to go home and get some sleep. I know you rested, but if we're going to go after this thing, you need to be at the top of your game. That means getting a good meal in you, resting... Where do you live, Benny? I'll take a cab with you there..."

The police and ambulance come to collect the body and the injured dealer.