2074/Nesting Grounds

Nesting Grounds
Date of Scene:	11 June 2020
Location:	Ruins -- Roosevelt Island
Synopsis:	Spider-Man, Red Sonja, and Owari deal with the machinations of a power-mad sorcerer.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Driver

---

Peter Parker has posed:
The Renwick Smallpox Hospital has a long, troubled history. Back when it was called Blackwell's Island, it was set up to handle those infected with smallpox. In spite of the vaccine, New York was inundated with infected immigrants trying to escape turmoil in Europe. In 1875, it became a training hospital. After decades of changing priorities, the hospital was closed in the 1950's as other training hospitals were established in Queens.

A major renovation was planned before the 2012 invasion, and since then, attentions were diverted elsewhere. The hospital became a place for rats, feral dogs and cats...

...but now something worse has taken up residence in the ruined halls.

Spider-Man arrived by way of the Queensboro Bridge. He is at the southwest end of Cornell Tech University, having sent MJ a request to meet her here.

The message over Spider-Comm was short and succinct. <Roosevelt Island. Smallpox Hospital. BRING RED SONJA.>

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane gets the message, then suits up, wearing her black and red motorcycle jumpsuit, tinted helmet, and AR gear courtesy of Spider-Man. With that, she zooms off on her motorcycle, driving rapidly over towards Roosevelt Island.

It doesn't take /too/ long, and MJ did text back on the comm, <On the way, Spidey.>

Eventually, Mary Jane pulls up, the sword worn on her back as she has the batons on her back. Shutting down the bike, she keeps her helmet on as she looks up towards Spider-Man, giving him a wave of greeting, but not saying anything aloud.

Because who else might be listening?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is standing at the edge of the university when MJ/RS rolls up. He looks to her, then to the only ruin marked as a historical site.

There is the appearance of some eldritch light reflected in the brickwork, and clouds are starting to gather. Spider-Man is not aware of what's going on, but Sonja has seen it before. The smaller ones swarm and work to summon the larger, more powerful minions, which work to summon even more powerful ones. How Sorcerers Escalate 101.

"Any idea what's happening out there, Red?" Spider-Man asked. He sounded worried.

He's right to be.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Red Sonja looks over at Spider-Man, "Aye, it's a ritual, the weaker minions summon bigger demonic creatures, who then summon bigger ones." A bit of a smirk, "Like Amway, but with demons. So exactly like Amway." Apparently MJ filled Sonja in on a few modern things.

Sonja then draws out her sword, not bothering with the batons when it comes to fighting demons, "Don't hold back, Spider. They won't. Strike hard and strike true." With that, she moves quietly towards the building in question, being surprisingly stealthy as she creeps forward.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. MJ knows very well about how he feels about killing. But these things are not human, never were.

The more powerful ones come into the world through human sacrifice, and he'll be DAMNED if he allows that to happen.
He follows behind Sonja, already thinking he might have to make a costume good for stealth. Maybe a black one...

There are a LOT of them. They spawn as the local wildlife is caught and eaten...or sacrificed to bring out the smaller spawn. And Roosevelt Island is not going to need an exterminator for some time.
Spider-Man picks up a LOT of threats. No idea how many, though.
<If we try the north side entrance, we can try to bottleneck them after they realize we're here...> He subvocalizes.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja nods, subvocalizing back, <Aye, Spider, that's the best way to do. Herd them into a bottleneck for my blade.> She smiles grimly, eyes narrowing as she takes in their numbers.

And then, she moves off towards that side entrance on the north, moving quickly and quietly through the shadows as she tilts her head, being careful to listen for any hidden sentries nearby.

Peter Parker has posed:
Is Sonja looking forward to this? Yeah. He can tell in the body language. She's like a prizefighter after months of rehab looking eager to get into the ring.

There are sentries, of course. Two of the smaller demons are at the northeast entrance, keeping an eye out for any adventurous Cornell Tech students and willing to show them more adventure than they are ready for. They do not speak, or even show any familiarity. The perfect footsoldiers.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja stops as she sees the sentries. Then makes a motion to Spidey. <I'll take the one on the left. Go high and take out the one on the right. Can't risk them setting off an alarm for the others.> She smiles and moves forward, clinging to the shadows as she seems to just vanish.

Only reappearing a few moments later, when her blade whistles cleanly through the neck of the sentry on the left, decapitating the small demon as the one on the right looks shocked, about to sound an alarm...

Peter Parker has posed:
Well, he would sound an alarm, if his entire head wasn't suddenly encased in webbing. The hideous screech becomes a muffled "whuff" as the creature is suddenly YANKED into the underbrush and webbed up in a cocoon.
Spider-Man doesn't try to clear the webbing from the creature's head.
<Mine's down.>

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja nods, crouching down as she cracks the door open slightly, shaking the demonic ichor off her blade from where she decaffeinated the creature.

If there's no demons alerted inside, she'll creep inside, going low and slow to avoid attracting attention. Well, until she /wants/ to attract the attention.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man follows behind, moving up to move along the ceiling, which was still intact.

<I was able to finish early. The end is coming, dear student.>
Spidey blinks. Owari? Yeah, they could use a ninja right about now.
<Bring PLENTY of 'end.' These are demons serving an ancient evil...>

He stopped as he glanced into the center chamber. <DOWN, SONJA.>
He looked to make sure of what he was seeing. Then he gave a Sean Bean sigh.

<...they have a CAVE TROLL.>

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja hears the warning from Spidey, dropping down as she looks over at Spidey with a wry expression, <And me without my mithril chainmail. Hmmm.> She quirks a faint smile, catching the reference thanks to MJ as she nods.

<Wait for your ninja friend to show up, then we make our move?> She keeps subvocalizing as she takes a cautious look into the central chamber, staying low and (hopefully) out of sight.

Driver has posed:
    There is no explosion of smoke(yet), no one liner shouted or theme music to be played. Never the less she's arrived, peering up from the floor beneath both Spidey and Red. Two pinpricks of brilliant violet light, set within a polygonal rabbit mask.

    Gently she tap-tap-taps the hilt of her sword against the concrete, before slowly lowering her gaze to size up her prey. Pulling that sheathed sword foreward and reaching back to simply unscrew the distal end of that hilt. <<The end is here.>>

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man moves a little further into the chamber. Stealth is a lot easier when nothing is looking up.

The reason they are not looking up, though...

A summoning circle is in the center of the main foyer of the hospital building, the demons arranged around it, chittering and cackling in a language Sonja recognizes but does not understand.

There are TWO "cave trolls" moving around the periphery of the summoning circle, which has turned a darker red. One of the taller demons is standing at one end of the circle, a ragged scarf denoting it as the leader. It has its arms raised, calling to the skies.

And then two women, one of them still wearing the Cornell tech t-shirt, are pushed into the center of the circle, crying and screaming for help.

Sonja has seen this, too. When they die, something more powerful will come through...

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja grits her teeth as she sees the sacrifices, <Alright, we need to move now. If they can sacrifice those two, something /really/ powerful will come through. Probably more than we can handle. Spidey, save them. I'll provide a distraction.>

And just how does Sonja provide a distraction? Well, one of the small chanting demons suddenly falls forward, as Sonja's baton cracks into the back of its skull, thrown with brutal force. As the demons look at the little one falling over, Sonja takes advantage of that to move inside. Then she leaps at the back of one of the 'cave trolls', looking to stick her sword right through its spine.

Driver has posed:
    Theres a frown behind that mask, this was all terribly inefficient but thats what you get right? Owari slips foreward, letting Sonja take as much attention as she wants for the moment. Casually slipping her sword free, before flipping that scabbard around and locking it onto the pommel to form a Naginata. Prepared finally, she hurls a fistfull of those glass needle Shuriken after the face of one demon selected at Random.

    Then she's off, Her gear flashing over into simple matte black as she races foreward. A silent shadow hurling across the floor, until she gets into range. That blade is swung rather low and fast after a cave troll's achilles, even as she races past it. "Come now, try and kill me."

Peter Parker has posed:
The alert is sounded as the lead demonspawn looks at Red Sonja, and utters the line all villains use when dealing with longtime nemeses:

"*Y O U !!!*"

Wanda and Kayla are still pleading for their lives when they are suddenly yanked up and out of the circle. They both scream, attracting the attention of some of the demons, before looking into a mask they both recognize.
"SPIDER-MAN!" Wanda breathes.
*My adoring public,* Spidey thinks wryly. "Don't worry. Just going to web you up here and out of the way!"

The cave troll Sonja has attacked BELLOWS as he feels Sonja on his back, reaching for her like an itch it can't scratch. About ten lesser demons come to its aid, swarming towards Sonja.

Owari has her own problems. Although the demon with the sudden porcupine face is falling, another eight or so are coming to take its place, and Owari is able to get one good shot on the back of the troll's heel, causing it to roar in pain, before they come after Owari like army ants, literally climbing over each other to get at her...

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja looks over at the demonic leader, then laughs, "Yes, me!" She then stabs deep into the cave troll's back, punctuating each word with a stab into the hapless creature that can't quite reach her. "Me. Me. ME!" She then kicks at a lesser demon that gets too close, then leaps acrobatically free of the cave troll, landing at the edge of the circle as she grins at the demon.

"Surprised? You should know that your desecrations wouldn't be unanswered." With that, she works on carving up any of the demons that get too close, blade singing as she might not be a disciplined ninja, but the thing is... her way does seem to work pretty well.

Driver has posed:
    Owari is as swift and as precise as ever, lancing out a blow into one demon's face and driving it home to pole vault up overtop of him. Another sweep of the off hand as she glides over top the mass, pitching a fistfull of tiny grenades down into the crowd. Touching down behind just as the little fragmentation and ground glass powder grenades explode.

    Then comes the fusilade of jabs and stabs and little tweaking slices towards the crowd, picking out throats and eyes, tendons and exposed stomachs in a flurry. "Come now, is this truly the very best you have to offer?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man winces as he watches the two of them go to work. Sonja is like a blender, slicing up any creature that gets too close. Owari is more like a Cuisinart, the grenades pulping demons even as she slices and dice with startling precision. Two different styles of combat, but both are equally effec...

Then he sees the cave troll advancing on Sonja. It is wounded, but too bull-headed to realize it is not long for a world that doesn't want it anyway. The other cae troll is similarly wounded, but it is also moving on Owari with brute stubbornness.

Spider-Man dropped down, arms reaching out...

And then both trolls stop. They look puzzled, unaware of the weblines reaching from their backs to the human spider between them. They strain in an attempt to reach their intended targets...but they can't.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja twirls and moves with a feral, acrobatic grace, any demons swarming to get close getting limbs or other parts removed for their audacity. Eventually, the horde seems to thin around her, thanks to the cave troll critters being held back by Spidey, and she points her sword at the demonic cult leader.

"Tell me what you planned for this world, and I give you a quick death." She grins, "Otherwise, well..." She trails off, keeping her sword out as she advances on the demonic leader. Knowing he's just a pawn of something bigger.

Driver has posed:
    Owari rushes foreward, before hurling a smoke charge and well all but vanishing in the blink of an eye. It's excellent cover for her to pitch another fistfull of grenades after the rabble, and focus on the heavy hitter. She takes a knee, before digging out that neat little shaped charge. Normally of course it's what she'd use to defeat armored cars and vault doors, but for this? She ties on a length of ribbon quickly, before dashing foreward.
    She heaves that soup-can like charge after the "Cave-troll", that fluttering length of ribbon behind providing just enough resistance to stabilize it. It's a perfect arc, and distractions are of course provided aplenty as she takes off in a low sprint towards the troll's uninjured leg. Hoping it'll be enough to keep him from worrying about that charge.

Peter Parker has posed:
The demonspawn leader grins mercilessly.
"You cannot stop us this time, She-Devil! Kulan Gath will take this city...then his rule will bring Him-Who-Lies-Sleeping, and then ALL of your lives are forfeit! Not even a Hyborian BITCH like you can stop him! Conan is with his toothless god Crom, and YOU SHALL JOIN HI-!"

The speech is cut off sharply as one of the trolls is violently beheaded by the sudden explosion, and now Spider-Man is only restraining one of them.

Spider-Man grabs the line with both hands and YANKS, the troll wearing a look of stunned surprise as it is bested by the skinny Spider, landing flat on its back (and squashing another demon as it falls back.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja grins and lunges forward, blade leading in to stab deep into the demon's belly. Gut shot, really, it's not going to be a quick death, for certain. "Maybe not, if I was by myself. As you can see, cur, I'm not." She hmms, "Him-Who-Lies-Sleeping? Well, I'm certain the sorcerers of this era know a bit about that. So thanks for the tip."

She winks, "And even if you're a vile cretin, I'm a woman of my word." And with that, she pulls her blade out of its guts, then swings out, cleanly beheading it with one stroke, the head bouncing backwards to stare sightlessly at Spider-Man.

Driver has posed:
    Owari's still got work to do, because Ninja -never- get to trash talk the bad guy. She raises one arm to throw out a line, and explodes skyward in a short series of three weblines to get her enough altitude. There she finally cuts free to roll over and give a few bounding strides across the ceiling, before she hurtles dirtward oncemore. Hurling a fistfull of smoke bombs before her, before vanishing into the clouds of bright pink and purple smoke.

    Her target of course is that second cave troll, diving down with the full force of her body weight to hopefully sheath her blade in the big guy's throat, and perhaps end this before things get any further out of control.

Peter Parker has posed:
The cave troll does not take too well to its unscheduled tonsillectomy, but it also is past caring a split-second later.

As the last cave troll falls and the ringleader expires, the remaining demons begin to lose corporeal form and expire, losing cohesion and literally falling to dust.

Spider-Man looks around, then heads back up to unhook Wanda and Kayla, bringing them down slowly (and strongly suggesting to Kayla that relationships than come out of extreme circumstances never work out). "Well, I should probably keep this area clear for analysis." He looks to Sonja and Owari. "I'll get these two back to the dorm, then come back here and analyze the HECK out of this place. You two all right?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja nods, "A few nicks and scratches, nothing too bad, Spider." She glances over towards the ninja, "You fight well, if quietly. It's good to see." She gives Owari a friendly grin, "Nice to meet another friend of the Spider." With that, she cleans the ichor off her blade as she looks back at Spidey.

"We'll have to ask that Satana about the name this filth dropped, too. She might have more information we could use."

Driver has posed:
    Casually Owari steps out of that brightly colored smoke, popping her Naginata apart and well giving that transparent blade a peer before resheathing. That nice white polygonal rabbit mask now has a busted ear and is splattered with demon blood, but yeah. Owari seems fine at a glance, not that she'd let on if she want. "You know back home when other heroes call me for help it's usually to set up their routers, or reset their passwords or something."

    "I am the Kunnoichi known as Owari, A pleasure to meet you."She gives Sonja a small bow and a nod. "I am burdened with the great task of teaching Spiderman, who refuses to carry a sword or even high explosive. It's a terrible burden really, I mean he's quite hopeless."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks heavenward as he escorts the women away from the hospital. "Ah, verbal abuse, how I have MISSED thee! Face it, Owari, that last crack was worth about .78 Doc-Ocks in terms of cutting remarks. You'll get there eventually, Teacher."

He chuckles, shaking his head as he gets the civilians out of there. He's sure that Sonja and Owari won't indulge in some kind of honor-battle thing.

...mostly.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja snickers, "Yes, he does have that code, but... well, I'm still coming to terms with this time." She gestures to the remnants of the demons around the room, "This is something I'm far more used to. But yes, I'm Red Sonja. Well met, Owari." She nods in exchange, then shakes her head slightly at Spider-Man as he leaves, looking a bit amused at the quip.

"Well, he did well enough saving the sacrifices, and disabling the cave trolls, so... there's definite potential there."