15657/Always the Danger

Always the Danger
Date of Scene:	19 August 2023
Location:	Abandoned Strip Mine
Synopsis:	After falling into a human trafficking business run by a demon with particular skin, Phoebe sends a text to someone she knows will lend a skeletal hand -- Daniel Ketch, and THE GHOST RIDER.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Daniel Ketch

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It's amazing the type of people that can be kept on a contact list in case of emergency. Sometimes you get a little too into your summertime work as well, both of which have occured to Phoebe in the last twenty-four hours or so.

    The latter is how Phoebe sidetracked herself into a kidnapping situation, along with about twenty of her new besties, largely a variety of women snatched from the streets of Gotham, New York and Miami and shoved into shipping containers, peddaled within the last six hours to a new owner of said shipping containers, and shipped via two flatbed trucks to Greaser Mine, an abandoned mining site somewhere in North Western Pennsylvania, United States.

    And about five hours ago, Daniel Ketch would have received a Google Maps request to view a pin, with a transmitter to the area stating 'Could use a little heavy lifting'

    Which naturally is code for 'I don't think I can take this one on my own'.

    The mine itself used to be jasper and other semi-precious gems, and then once a coal vein was hit, had turned to coal. Now it was a mixture of dumping ground, illicit substance production, and human trafficking exchange.

    And it *reeked* of dark energies, hanging over it like rotting garbage.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Daniel would have liked to know more details, so he texted, waited, texted and... made up an excuse to leave work. Now, how urgent could it be for Phoebe to ask him for help? A lot.

It is over a hundred miles away. Couple hours for Daniel. Twenty minutes for a Ghost Rider who is not very sure this is something of his concern. But sometimes he listens to Daniel, like when the Rider expects something bad and supernatural coming. On the con side, he might be the worst choice for a hostage situation.

Not subtle either, the sound of a hellfire motorcycle engine moving at about 300 miles per hour is pretty noticeable.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Sometimes you need 'not subtle'.

    And Phoebe is intimately familiar with how much 'not subtle' a Ghost Rider can be, she's pretty sure she called the right man for the job.

    The roar of the motorcycle causes most of the proceedings about what's contained in the shipping containers (notably, not WHO), and as he makes his approach, the Ghost Rider would probably be able to pick up that although about half the crowd are humans, there's a number of occultists who have sold their souls in a literal sense, and a couple of low-grade demonic types that might prove a little bit of a challenge.

    Heavy lifting indeed.

    One man, his skin bright orange like it's some kind of fungal infection, wearing dark sunglasses even though the sun's going down on this abandoned Pennsylvanian town, and he asks in a low grow:

    "Just what in the hells is that *sound*?!"

Daniel Ketch has posed:
And if that question was his cue, the Ghost Rider burst into the mine's compound, driving through a parked van as if it was made of cardboard. It slows him down to a less 'it is a blur' speed, which was the main goal. It also sets a couple thugs on fire, which he would call it a feature, not a drawback; if he was prone to give explanations, which he never does.

"SINNERS. YOUR JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND. REPENT AND SUFFER!" He roars, his deep bass 'voice' loud enough for Phoebe to hear, if she is conscious.

He said repent -and- suffer, yes. Not given choices here.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "What the shit --" someone asks as the roar of a Ghost Rider echoes over the compound, and a lot of things begin to happen at once.

    A group of men with automatic weapons begin to unload on the Ghost Rider as the van's gas tank explodes behind him, launching the van (or what's left of it) a good fifteen feet in the air and setting more things on fire (haybales, someone's Firebird, a food truck that gave one guy REALLY bad gas), causing some of the people behind him to scatter, and finally, really give Phoebe the opening she needs.

    One of the shipping containers bursts open, and a number of young women come out of it.

    "Head up to the highway. Don't stop until you see the police, don't look back. Just *run*." she breathes out to the women who were in the shipping container with her -- and they don't ask for an explaination. They just do what they're told and flee the scene.

    "Ten down -- twenty to go --" Phoebe states to herself, and she 'suits up'. That little tinkling of Light magic that stains every magical act she does giving her position away as her jeans and blouse are replaced by black tac pants and a hood with a domino mask, launching herself to the top of another shipping container to get a view of the action.

    The man with the orange skin gives a *sneer*.

    "Seems that itch on my skull's called for aid. No matter -- destroy its body! If the spirit tries to escape we'll catch it!" he barks in command.

    They're looking to break out some grenade launchers to try and get their Rider under a boot.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Most automatic weapons are no better than nerf guns for the Ghost Rider, barely qualifying as annoying, if that is all they have Noble is just going to grab them with his chain and burn their souls for a while. Routine work for the Spirit of Vengeance.

Except someone pulled out a grenade launcher. Now, that is a weapon that gets a modicum of respect from the otherwise contemptuous flaming skeleton. Although only if it is on the hands of an expert.

Because he can dodge those grenades all day, his motorcycle not inconvenienced by the laws of physics, it zigs, then zags, lets the first grenade explode behind him, while he showers the thug, and those nearby, with flaming stars formed from the links of his chain. Then he charges the orange-skinned man. Since he seems the boss.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Orange Skinned fellow with the sunglasses gives a smile. Cracks his knuckles.

    And then with a flick of his rist, the ground rises above Noble, forming a sharp incline of a wall -- enough that he could possibly roll up it, but the top curves in on itself, and the terramancing demon tries to bury the flaming skeleton under the mixed dirt and slag from the mine.

    "Now, this is curious. I doubt you found my little market on your own -- just /who/ could have *summoned* someone like you?" he asks idly, as ig the Ghost Rider is a curiosity and not an actual threat.

    ... meanwhile he was quite the actual threat to the people with the grenade launcher. They're screaming, but it's cut short when they expire with their souls FIRMLY going towards some method of punishment.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider tries to avoid killing, but sometimes it happens his throwing stars hit people in the head instead the arms or legs. He is not truly sorry, just a little disappointed the target didn't get a chance to repent, even when they clearly deserve it. It is like a minor failure in his records. When he thinks they deserve a chance to repent, he is slightly less brutal.

Speaking of the unredeemable, the one that just buried him in dirt definitely qualifies. Not that he can't ride -through- a mountain of dirt, it is the kind of dark power he is using. But that kind of sin only makes him stronger, and he burst from the earth mere seconds after he was buried, charging at the sorcerer at the speed of vengeance. "Fool, it was your actions that summoned me!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    :Oh, that I *doubt*. I've spent months building up this place, you'd think I would have attracted more attention. Now, you surely have contact with SOMEBODY... could it be one of the ladies? You know, we *were* going to sell them off or burn them alive -- depending on if they sold. I *do* love a good long pig roast, don't you?" he questions, and he removes his glasses.

    In lieu of eyes, there are just voids. Like holes, torn into the skin of his face, and he gives a sharp toothed smile to Noble.

    "So, tell me your name. Maybe we can make a deal, drink the blood or other preferred liquified substance of a barely-used human woman at your leisure?" he asks, his form shifting as his jaw distends, and he becomes more muscular, spikes cracking through his back.

    "Or you could spout your nonsense about repenting and suffering. It did *so* well the first time." he snidely leers at Noble.

    Phoebe dares uses some magic to quickly burn through a lock, destroying the door of a second shipping container.

    Nope. This one is full of narcotics.

    "... or I can find your little friend who's shuffling around behind my back like I can't see her." the void-eyed demon gives a smile, his borns finally growing from his forehead. "Your choice."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider laughs. And it is not a nice laugh, jumping off his motorcycle and looming closer the transforming man. Sometimes he is amused when sinner is attempts to negotiate with him. "The call me the Ghost Rider!" He raises a hand, and the flaming chain reforms on it, flashes of light returning from where they have poked holes in thugs and scenery.

"You have nothing of value I would want. My only goal is to flay your soul and make you feel the pain you have caused others," and then he breathes hellfire towards the man, or whatever the orange-skinned creature is.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    This creature of darkness is *certainly* not a man.

    There's a ripple through the fabric of reality, and the orange-skinned creature, with its horns and spikes, clad in a blue-gray business suit dodges the hellfire handily.

    "How *quaint*." he sneers as he raises his hand again and brings another wall of dirt and turf to block the hellfire.

    "Then you don't mind if I bring her here? How much for her sins hmm? They're so strong I can practically *taste* them from here." he teases the Ghost Rider, and then, the wall rises up and tries to attack Noble again, this time trying to wrap around him like a nice, warm, gentle, suffocading hug of doom and death, trying to extinguish that fire that the Ghost Rider's bringing to the game.

    "I can always see if someone in my home neighborhood is interested in *you*."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"Do so, I will gladly punish them and send them back to their lairs, broken and bleeding," replies the Rider. He then punches the wall of dirt, likely shattering it, jumps forward and launches his chain, aiming for the neck of the not-man with orange-skin.

A little behind he, the motorcycle with the wheels on fire is moving again, without a rider, manoeuvring to flank the creature.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Always so cunning these bikes.

    The orange-skinned not-a-man creature gives a toothy smile, and tries to dodge the punch -- but can't quite dodge the chain!

    There's a flare up as the chain manages to burn his suit, his void-like eyes glistening wit h their darkness and emptiness as he howls in pain, apparently having underestimated this spirit of vengence.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" he calls out in pain, and tries to break the chains even as the motorcycle coes around to flank him, fire errupting from his fingertips as he tries to burn away the chain itself!

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Rider pulls from the chain, but not too hard, as the motorcycle is the weapon of choice this time. It suddenly rushes forward, rearing on its back wheel as the front one is aimed for the monster's head. Even if he breaks his chain, he is prone to get run over.

Both the chain and the motorcycle are parts of the Ghost Rider's body, regardless of the appearances. It is painful when they get broken, but it is just a setback. Even those who should know better tend to forget. "Broken and bleeding, like you will," he states.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There is again so much that goes on.

    The thugs with more guns arrive on the scene, and they were about to open fire again when they saw their boss wrapped in chain and attacked by a motorcycle!

    And subsequently, the unnamed orange demon witht he void eyes and entirely too much confidence bursts into a bought of hellfire, fairly exploding his physical form once struck by the motorcycle, and melts down into its composite parts, bone meal, earth, and blood.

    It really didn't stand a chance to dance with Noble.

    The second shipping container is freed, and told much the same as the first -- run, don't stop until you see the highway.

    And she gets the alert that state troopers are moving in to their position -- hesitantly, due to the fact that some of the coal vein has decided to catch on fire.

    It's getting hot in here, and the surrounding area is beginning to get very smokey and hazy.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Rider turns to the newly arriving thugs, and it seems he is grinning (technically, he is always grinning). "Burn," he states, ignoring the firearms if they are fast enough to use them. Hellfire burst from his head and hands, engulfing the closest men and then jumping to attack the others.

It might be they will fry in the mine's conflagration, but before that they are going to experience the pain of their victims.

Speaking of whom, if they are some danger, the Ghost Rider suddenly stops. Hollow eyes studying the containers as if he was seeing them for the first time.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    They were in danger.

    They're now running like Hell itself was on their heels, but they're being closely guarded. On top of one of the shipping containers that once held women, now Balm, mage, harbinger of light has her eyes squeezed shut behind her glowing blue domino, and her hands outspread. A lazily spinning eight-pointed double-square star with heiroglyphs is between her and the fire, making sure none of the women are burned by the Ghost Rider's flame.

    There is one container that is full of firearms, and one container full of drugs.

    The bad guys, in the mean time, are slowly being reduced to ash, punished and damned to torture below.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Hellfire is not going to kill them.

However, a burning coal mine probably will. It is not the Ghost Rider's business, they are not innocent people. If they survive or perish is not of his concern, but he gave them one last chance to repent, as it is his duty.

One thing remains, is to take the victims to safety, but if looks like Phoebe took care of it. His mission is finished.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Balm stands up on one of the shipping containers -- just because her healing factor LETS her breathe the smoke, doesn't mean it's PLEASANT.

    "Police will be here in about ten minutes. HAZMAT is also on their way." she calls out to Noble.

    And she looks around at the still living bad guys, who are definitely going to be heading towards a jail in short order.

    "All the victims are cleared. We can head out. Thanks for coming for the heavy lifting."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider studies Phoebe for a few seconds, in that weird judgemental way he has despite the lack of facial expression (or face, for that matter). "You are welcome," he replies eventually.

And since it is actually better if he doesn't have to deal with the police (he has a bad relation with them, to put it mildly) he summons his motorcycle and rides away into the sunset. As usual.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a grim smile to Noble as he turns to ride off into the sunset -- and she wouldn't lie if pressed, she knows the weight of her own Sins and always knows how RISKY AND STUPID it is to call upon a Ghost Rider -- but she didn't want to contend with the hostages AND Orange McDemonSkin.

    Better the Demons you know, and all that.

    So she gives a huff of breath, and shoots a text to Daniel in particular:

    >Thank you for the save. Owe you coffee.

    And with that? She disappears herself into the night.