15555/It'll be a walk in the park.

It'll be a walk in the park.
Date of Scene:	05 August 2023
Location:	Alley Pond Park
Synopsis:	Silk and The Shadow foil a mugging which would almost certainly have gone terribly. Vivian takes SPARKY for a holographic walk. SPARKY doesn't heel. Police are called.
Cast of Characters:	Cindy Moon, Vivian Vision, Natasha Cranston

---

Cindy Moon has posed:
Cindy Moon, better known as Silk, glides stealthily through the shadows of Alley Pond Park, the second largest park in Queens. Her spider-sense tingles with a sense of duty as she patrols the place once inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans. The Little Neck Bay, where shellfish were once harvested, lies silent and serene, but the city's nightly perils are never far away.

Sometimes, Silk-Sense is a pain. It's great! There are SO many advantages to it! But also, sometimes, when Cindy comes running to the 'rescue' of some girl that just had her heart broken by some loser, it's SUPER obnoxious. So, it was sensitive, even if it wasn't always /right/ in the way she expected. For that reason, she's always cautious when she's listening to those instincts.

She's clad in her black and white costume, red buff covering the lower half of her face, her black hair left loose around her shoulders. Why is she in Queens this evening instead of Metropolis? Who knows! There must be some purpose, though, right?

Whatever the original purpose was, right now it seems to involve watching a couple of suspicious figures that catches her keen eyes. The sun is approaching the horizon faster than most people are comfortable with sticking around the park for, and traffic is low. Two individuals in hoodies, their faces obscured, linger near the public bathrooms. It's the middle of summer, and their attire is out of place, their movements too deliberate.

They're looking for a target, she can feel it. Their eyes scan the park, searching for an unsuspecting victim. Maybe near the basketball courts or handball courts, where people are often found relaxing even at night. Maybe someone going to or coming out of the restrooms with their guard down.

She keeps her distance, but her attention never wavers. She doesn?t need to see their faces to know they?re up to no good. Their body language speaks volumes. They're predators on the prowl, but she's the hunter watching over her territory and her Silk-Sense was pinging at her her like crazy.

She remains hidden, a silent guardian in the night, waiting for the right moment to act. She is ready, always ready, to protect those who can't protect themselves. The night is young, and Silk's patrol has only just begun.

Vivian Vision has posed:
Silks enhanced senses are not the only pain in the park. Vivian Vision, synthezoid teenager and occasional super hero, is out in the park for important science reasons. Yes she's here to take SPARKY for his first virtual walk!

Technically speaking SPARKY is over at GIRL and it's just his operating system loaded into her holographic matrix. Allowing her to project a perfect image of SPARKY her soon to be canine companion which he can control.  Which in turn allows SPARKYto get used to being out in the world doing things that a normal dog might do. Like going for a walk.

The trouble is he's rather excited by the whole affair.....

"Bad dog," Vivian says for what is probably the four hundredth time today. "Leave those poor birds alone." Not that he can hurt them. He might look and sound real to any baseline Human but he lacks a physical form and can't even run all that far from Viv. He's just a projection after all!

Viv herself is dressed in her usual day to day clothing. Canary yellow cargo pants and a green t-shirt. With holographic adjustments to hide that she's obviously inhuman. To make it easier to conduct her testing without people coming up to her and asking questions like 'Are you Skynet' or 'Can you do the robot for us?'.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    As a rule, the Shadow does not 'patrol' as often as other heroes do; she much prefers to investigate leads and strike at their nests. But one of her informants had mentioned that the crime rate in Queens had been going up, and indications were that it was being encouraged -- police response times were slightly down, some new fences operating in the area, and quite a few people whose job it should be to roll these up were being... persuaded ... to look the other way.

    Such things do not happen without a reason... But Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Man?

    The park at dusk is one big patchwork of light and shadows, and the wind rustling through the trees causes enough movements that one more silhouette flickering from spot to spot is all but impossible to see... And these two would-be hunters are far too confident in themselves to realize they're being hunted themselves...

Cindy Moon has posed:
Often, the reason thugs are thugs is that they're really not all that bright. Otherwise, they'd be world renown physicists and political leaders! Instead, they're trolling a park in Queens at nearly dark looking for easy prey.

"Pfff.. why we gotta be here? I thought we was supposed to meet up in Harlem?" one of them asks.

"How should I know? The boss says go here, so we're here. Shaddup about it and keep an eye out," says the other.

"Hey.. psst," the first one says, nudging the second with his elbow.

And with 'subtlety' (in the same way that fire dancers are subtle), they both look at Vivian. Because girl alone with a dog that could obviously care less about her commands. Easy pickings.

Which just so happened to be a girl that Silk recognized. Her eyes narrowed. She couldn't very well SPRING INTO ACTION just because a couple of guys in hoodies were checking out this girl she met one time at an anime convention. But, the evidence was growing increasingly damning. The mention of 'their boss' almost had her webbing them up out of instinct, but what if she was wrong? What if they were just some crass contractors?

She /could/ just pop down and say hi to them. Or to Vivian. But then she'd never know if they were up to no good. She didn't like using Viv as bait, but.. well..

Vivian Vision has posed:
Now if the thugs were the thinking sort they might notice a few little /weird/ things about the girl and her dog. Like how SPARKY never leaves a certain radius from Viv or how she doesn't have a leash. Indeed Vivian doesn't seem even remotely concerned by being by herself in a park where muggings have been on the rise. A fact she's aware of because a subsection of her mind looks up all information available about every location she's ever been to or planned to visit.

But then again she's a member of the Titans. So street crime isn't really something she concerns herself with much. It ranks lower on her list of things to worry about than if it'll be a cloudy day or not. (She is after all solar powered)

"I said heel," she says with a tone that suggests she's realised she's really not as far on with her work as she thought at the start of the day. "That means you follow alongside me. Now please be a good dog. Yes, that's it. Here." She points. "Stay along side me at that distance while we walk down the path. If you're good you'll get a treat!"

Eventually SPARKY falls in line. But not until there's talk of a reward...

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    One of the relative downsides of living in a free country is that it's considered gauche to arrest or otherwise impede people before they've actually committed the crime they're intent on doing. Judges tend to be highly unsympathetic to statements like "I knew they were going to do it." Much more expedient to catch them after they've made their move.

    Still, there's no need to wait overlong, or be too far away once they commit...

    The Shadow narrows her eyes. They've selected their target, and they're moving away from the more crowded paths. It'll happen soon. She takes one more deep breath and moves out to intercept, keeping a close focus on them to ensure she'll be able to make the grab before the civilian is endangered...

Cindy Moon has posed:
Thug A smirks, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie. He'd circled out a little so Thug B could get into good flanking position behind Vivian, but once that was done, he headed straight for her (and her little dog, too!).

These thugs are not the thinking sort. They didn't even pick a girl with an obvious bag, purse, satchel or anything else they might be able to pilfer. So, did that mean they were just after HER?

"Hey, you-uh.. ya got a real smaht dawg, there," says Thug A, apparently hoping to capture Vivian's attention so she didn't notice Thug B's approach. Thug B, meanwhile, was already reaching into his pocket. He pulled the grip of a handgun out just far enough to be seen by a keen observer, but he didn't withdraw it completely, yet.

...Nope, nope, nope. That feels like enough. Silk was just stretching out a hand to shoot a web out so she could swing into action when her her hair stood up on the back of her neck. She was /already/ feeling what was going on with Vivian and her possibly comically inept predators, so what alarms were suddenly going off NOW?!

Vivian Vision has posed:
Sneaking up on Vivian is tricky at the best of times. She has superhuman senses and processes information at a speed that's pretty much impossible for a baseline Human to fully understand, let alone achieve. And with her holographic systems turned on to project SPARKY? Well she's able to see everything around her in a sphere big enough to park a moderately sized plane in.

"No I don't," she corrects. "My dog is actually in the state of New Jersey about now. He's telepresence operating a very realistic simulation of himself." She doesn't make any attempt to turn around and adds "Your friend should know that I am functionally impervious to bullets." There's a pause as she calculates possible firing angles. "Actually given his position, build and dominant arm? He's got a sixty eight percent chance of shooting right through me and hitting you."

Of course this could just be a fantastic bluff. Maybe she caught a glimpse of Thug B somehow?

Holo-SPARKY doesn't really understand the situation. But he does let out a low warning growl.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "Indeed," comes a voice straight out of a horror movie as a tall humanoid form seems to coalesce from mist and shadow just behind Brad, one leather-clad hand closing around the back of his neck to yank him off the ground. "It would probably be best for all concerned if he weren't overly tempted to use it."

    Bright blue eyes regard Vivian from between a dark slouch hat and a crimson scarf, offering a nod. "My apologies - I had been tailing these two for some time but protocol dictates I had to wait until they made an actual move before I could act."

    That said, the figure turns to look at Andy, still holding Brad off the ground without apparent effort. "Would you care to surrender or does our other companion this evening have to make you?" the Shadow asks with a brief upward glance at where Silk is perched.

Cindy Moon has posed:
"Uh.. you don't?" asks Andy, blinking. Did this chick just insult her own dog? Why does that catch him off guard so easily. Probably because his IQ was somewhere around the same number as his age. "...Wait, what?" Tell-the-presents? "Sounds smaht ta me.."

A few things happens at once. That figure materializes behind Brad, seizing him, and the mention of bullets has Andy's own hand coming out of his pocket, handgun held in a one-handed death grip (tilted sideways, because thug). Just as he starts to push it into Vivian's face, there's a *THWIP* as a thick bolt of webbing catches the side of it, knocks it from his hand, and anchors it to the ground.

Andy stands stock-still for a moment, looking horrified at the predicament that he's gotten himself into. Slowly, very slowly, he brings himself to look over in the direction the Shadow had glanced in.

From the limb of a nearby tree, Silk is lowering herself, upside down, on a length of webbing. Her long, dark hair hangs loosely towards the ground as one hand reaches up between her feet.

"Well, this just feels like over-kill, at this point." Her dark eyes momentarily shift towards the Shadow, eyes squinting in a smile that's otherwise hidden behind her half-mask. "Nice entrance. I need to learn that."

Of course, Andy starts to take off running, and Silk sighs.

Vivian Vision has posed:
"SPARKY off," Vivian says with a sigh. And the canine just vanishes. Not that he was ever there in the first place. "He's a holograph."

It's probably for the best he's a holograph though. Viv is still working on the safety protocols for her canine companion. And chances are he'd have made whatever Cindy & Natasha would have done to stop the thugs look pleasant.

"If you want I can.." Her eyes glow. "Encourage him to stop." She doesn't wait for a response. Tilting her head and firing a blast from her eyes than strikes in front of Andy. Sending up a shower of sparks and scorching the path. "One more step and that will be your thigh." She's not actually going to seriously injure someone. Just scare him into pausing. Probably long enough for Silk to snag him with a web.

"I do hope it's not a disappointment that I was in no danger? I wasn't joking when I said I was immune to bullets." A beats pause. "But thank you both for your diligence in fighting crime."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "The notorious Silk, I presume?" the Shadow inquires with a nod of the head, still holding Brad in the air one-handed. "... Oh, and stop struggling or I will drop you on your head."

    As Vivian blasts the ground in front of Andy, an eyebrow goes up. "I had figured these two were not the cream of the crop, but I seem to have underestimated their incompetence. Still, I'm sure Brad here will be more than happy to tell us about his 'Boss', even without any... incentive. Won't you?"

Cindy Moon has posed:
Andy draws up suddenly short with the blast strikes the ground in front of him, skidding to a halt with his hands raised from his sides. "Alright, alright! Don't shoot!"

"Good choice. Her looks can kill," Silk quips. "Hands behind your back."

As soon as Andy complies, she shoots out two more webs -- one that catches him around the ankles, off-balancing him, and another that hits the small of his back, trapping his wrists in place and sending him face, first into the grass.

With that done, she finally flips over, lands gracefully on her feet, and lets go of her web so she can walk over to the unwebbed trio. There's still something careful in her movements, though.

"Ooh. /Notorious/. I like that," she preens. "Beats Amazing or Ultimate. That's me. Not going to lie. I'm still a little jealous of that entrance. I bet you've got a really cool name, like 'the Apparition.'"

To Vivian, though, Silk's smile softens. "No disappointment on my part. It just makes my job easier. I might need to use you as bait more often." Beat. "Not that I was using you as bait..." She totally was.

Meanwhile, Brad is still squirming and struggling, kicking his legs helplessly. "Whatever you want!!"

"That's... a surprisingly effective interrogation technique," Silk comments.

Vivian Vision has posed:
Vivian Vision shakes her head. Like she's faintly embarrassed by the whole business. "If you're after information," she notes. And then there's a chiming sound from each of the thugs phones. "Then feel free to check their smartphones. I've unlocked them. You'll be able to see their full contact lists and all messages." It's not clear if that's directed to The Shadow or Silk. Possibly both! Perhaps they'll form a team-up to bust open a nefarious crime ring.

"Actually I do not kill people. It's immoral. But I am able to generate various types of energy. Including microwaves, which gives the unpleasant sensation like you're on fire as the water in your cells starts to heat up." Which of course can lead to fatalities if not properly controlled. Not that she'd ever do that. It'd be evil.

"I don't really do patrols looking for criminals," she explains to Cindy. "I just run a predictive model and feed in data from social media. Add crime statistics and then... you know. I just know what will probably happen." She coughs. "Not that I can predict the future but... Humans are creatures of habit and it's not especially hard to calculate their actions in advance."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Something that's probably a chuckle crackles in the air. "An interesting guess, but no. I am known as the Shadow." A brief bow, and Brad is dropped to the ground. "If you'd care to restrain him as well? I've only a few questions of him and then we can leave him to the police. I'm sure Brad here would love to spend the night in a comfortable, dry, well-lit cell..."

     The figure turns Brad around and looks him in the eyes. "Let us keep this short and not waste any time. I Know that you and Andy are, at best, freelancers, because you're too unreliable for anything better. I Know that these are not your usual haunts. I Know that someone you trusted told you to try your luck in this park, as well as where to fence any loot..."

    The figure looms over Brad, blue eyes boring into the thug's face as if seeing directly into his soul. "And I Know that you're going to tell me who told you, and where you were going to take your loot. Now."

Cindy Moon has posed:
/You'll be able to see their full contact lists and all messages./

*Ding* *Ding*

"Seriously?"

/Including microwaves.../

"That's pretty hot..."

/I just know what will probably happen./

"Yeah. You guys are giving me a serious webferiority complex..." Of course, it's said with a smile that reaches her eyes.

/I am known as the Shadow./

"I knew it! See?! Even /cooler/ super-hero name."

As soon as Brad is dropped to the ground, Silk raises her hands and, unlike many of the Spiders who use web-spinners, her webs seem to come organically from her fingertips. She lashes Brad's legs together and then moves to his wrists, securing them behind his back.

"I ain't tellin' you all nothin!! She already said killin's immoral! You can't do shit to me!" cries Brad.

"Actually, Brad, I think she said she could microwave your insides and make it feel like you're on fire... I'm not an expert, but there's at least one universe in which that's worse."

"Malone!.. Brick... Brick Malone," Brad confesses. "We--we call him Boulder."

Vivian Vision has posed:
"Outsides," Vivian corrects. "The majority of pain receptors are in the skin. And if I applied microwaves to the internal organs it would be extremely fatal very quickly." She frowns. "Besides I am not here to stop your crimes. I was just walking in the park... You need to be concerned about those two hurting you. Not me..."

Of course she cloned all the info on each phone for her own records just in case. No harm in uploading it into the appropriate databases. Even if the Titans and Avengers are not exactly known for tackling street level crime.

"There is probably a functionally infinite number of universes. So yes it's statistically likely there is one parallel universe where she's correct. Although I can't imagine it'd be very close to our universe..." She looks at the two thugs. "I'm probably just confusing them aren't I..."

She shakes her head again. "I suppose I should resume my walk. Although SPARKY is probably far too excited now to heel. Maybe I should give him a rest and try another night."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    It's hard to tell someone's expressions when the only visible part of their face are their eyes, but there's a certain crinkling that suggests an amused smile at Cindy's comment. "The compliment is appreciated," the Shadow replies, then looks back down at Brad. "Thank you, you've been a great help."

    Finally the figure turns to Vivian. "I believe we've met before. Could I trouble you to call the authorities to have these young men picked up?" the Shadow asks. "Oh -- and it would be best if you called a precinct outside the Queens district. The local forces have developed a tendency to drag their heels unless someone with sufficient authority makes them move expeditiously."

Cindy Moon has posed:
/The compliment is appreciated./

"Credit where credit's due!"

/Outsides./ "Don't microwaves cook from the inside?" /The majority of pain receptors are in the skin.../ "That sounds..." /..fatal very quickly./ "I mean, yeah, that makes sense..."

When the talk turns to statistical likelihood, her eyes sort of cross.

/I'm probably just confusing them aren't I.../

"Pffffft... no. We're all hanging in there right there with you. Right, Brad?"

"Uhhh..."

"Well said, Brad."

There's the mention of calling the authorities, then, and Silk nods.

"Actually, that would be great. I'm /technically/ not supposed to be here, so, I might just slip back out again. I was just killing a little time before an ... um... auction. It's a long story. Nice to meet you, Shadow!"

To Vivian, Silk turns and offers a little bow.

"Ms. Vision."

And then she's reaching up towards the trees, web-lines stretching out that she pulls back on.

"Oh! Don't forget their phones! Seeya!"

And then, like being launched from a slingshot, she's flying up towards the trees.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    The Shadow watches Silk swing up and away, then turns to Vivian. Their face is still almost entirely concealed, but it's still easy to imagine a smile underneath that scarf. "A charming young lady, wouldn't you agree?" the figure asks rhetorically, then lets out a soft chuckle. "As for me, I have a lead or two to follow up on. My apologies for the interrupted evening, and a good day to you."

    With a bow and a tip of the hat the Shadow turns to walk away -- and even Vivian's photoreceptors somehow fail to record the moment where the figure is swallowed by darkness and fails to re-emerge...

    Boulder Malone isn't an unfamiliar name, although the fact that he'd started expanding into this district is news. A visit will be in order, and a brief discussion. And then... The Shadow will KNOW...