9543/The Other Side of the River, or There are Two Of THEM!

The Other Side of the River, or There are Two Of THEM!
Date of Scene:	09 January 2022
Location:	Somewhere in New Jersey
Synopsis:	Sara and Cael spot the second Ghost Rider. He stops to talk, mostly due to being a very battered Ghost Rider.
Cast of Characters:	Sara Pezzini, Cael Becker, Daniel Ketch
Tinyplot:	Path of Glory

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Sara Pezzini has posed:
It was nice to get out and just ride her motorcycle, for a single moment in time just forget the fact Manhattan was a warzone she couldn't enter without drawing attention to herself. Like a firework going off in the sky, the Witchblade entering Manhattan would draw the angels, so she had been avoiding it until further plans were made. It was difficult to keep him away from the battle, he really wanted to be in Manhattan shredding lesser angels, but Sara was keeping him in check.

Cael was beside her on her own bike, the ride started in Westchester and continued winding through the boroughs, avoiding the bridges. "Hey, want to stop for pizza at Angelo's?" She asks over the comm. "Pizza and a beer, sounds good... or Chinese over at The Wok?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Either works," Cael replies into the comm. "The Wok has this stirfried rice noodles," the broad, flat ones she enjoys so much, and smothers with an unhealthy amount of sriracha sauce. With the majority of the evacuation accomplished, the city was unusually quiet. People outside of Manhattan had thought better of remaining - especially when some of the footage from the first battle had started playing on the news. Such levels of power had a disturbing tendency of bleeding out to other areas, and many schools and businesses had opted to close.
    "We're sure they're still open?"

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The bridges are closed (most places are also closed) but that doesn't stop some New Yorkers. For instance, there is another motorcycle coming closer. But it is not on the road. In fact it is running over the Hudson River.

That alone is a little odd even for New York. The fact that the motorcycle has its wheels on fire and it is driven by a battered skeleton is also very odd, even for New York. Then again, this is not a regular Saturday evening.

The flaming motorcycle reaches the edge of the river, but instead of crashing against the concrete wall, it just rides up over it and jumps on the road with a loud thud and the noise of screeching tires. Which is not normal, as the wheels are on made of fire.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"Manhattan was evaced," Sara replies, turning down the street heading for The Wok. "So yeah, they're op..." she stops speaking right then and there. She'd seen Johnny pull a trick similar to that one, up the side of a sky scraper, but this one... this one she didn't know. The bike was different, the look was different, that was not Johnny.

"Cael, you seeing that?" she asks, slowing down a little. There wasn't any traffic really, a car here and there, so slowing down in the middle of the road wouldn't cause a problem. "That ain't Johnny."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I'm seeing it," Cael remarks as she likewise pulls to a stop to watch the side of the unusual motorcycle, and it's unusual rider. "...you sure it's not Johnny? How many guys that turn into flaming skeletons can there be? I mean-" Is that a thing? Is that a thing she entirely overlooked? Are there dozens of these assholes out there?
    "I kind of hate that I just accept these things are real these days," she adds in a mutter under her breath. What happened to all of her skepticism. "Is shared delusion an actual thing?" Probably not.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The flaming motorcycle doesn't get much further. Close inspection shows it has been severely damaged to the point a normal motorcycle wouldn't be operational. The large skeleton clad of leather and chains seems also just out of a fight. The leather shredded in some areas, the left arm is bare, missing two fingers and the ulna is just some splinters floating on the flames. A metal chain is wrapped around it, probably to keep it from just falling off.

There is little traffic for a Saturday evening, and even in New York most drivers just speed up when they see the Ghost Rider. The Rider himself usually keeps moving at high speed. Not today. He has just stopped.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"I've seen Johnny two times as the Rider," Sara says, already kicking off and speeding up now to intercept where this Rider ended up. "The differences are blaring to me. Motorcycle is completely different, even flaming. That's not Johnny, so let's go find out who he is."

The injuries to the Rider weren't obvious from the distance, but the damage to the bike was. He'd been working, but Sara found herself wondering if this Rider was also Vengeance or something else. It really didn't matter, he might need help. The closer she got to the Rider, the more Witchblade screamed in her head. There was danger of course, the unknown of this one and just like had happened with Johnny, Witchblade was on alert.

The other thing noticed as she got closer were the wounds, he'd taken some damage, but that didn't stop Witchblade from wrapping the metal tendrils around the sleeve of her jacket, he was learning, and forming the gauntlet... just in case, as she skidded to a stop not far from the Rider's location.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael follows after Sara - but she's a few car lengths back. In a shoulder holster, under her jacket, she wears her pistol - but she leave it where it is as she aproaches cautiously, seeming to let Sara take the lead on this. She has more experience (and a better rapport) with Johnny - maybe that'll give her a better notion of what this is and how to handle it? Besides, so soon after the dam in her mind has broken, freeing up all the trauma it'd been holding back - she wasn't sure how much she trusted her decisions under pressure.
    She does make sure she pulls up to a stop on the opposite of the road from Sara, though - even though that means she's facing the wrong way in traffic. The last thing she wants to do is set this guy up to take them both out at once, if he is a threat.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider fails to pay attention to the women until they are just a few yards away. Humans just don't stop to chat to him (with a couple exceptions) so their behaviour qualifies as strange.

He turns, the entire motorcycle turns with him, to face Sara. Or rather, to face the Witchblade, because that is what he looks at first. For a few seconds, before looking at Sara's face. That was vaguely rude of him. But the rider social skills need much, -so- much work.

"Who are you?" He asks without preamble. His voice is a deep bass. It doesn't feel evil or dark, like Johnny, but it is unsettling. It feels as it is heard in the bones, more than in the ears.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
With the bike stopped a short distance from the Rider, Sara swings her leg over and stands, leaving it to rest against the kickstand. The sensation from Witchblade wasn't quite the same as Johnny, who was human and demon combined in one. This one was human and something akin to angelic, or so it felt, which did explain the flaming skeleton clad in leather that looked much like Johnny, but was clearly not Johnny. Witchblade offered the same caution he had against Johnny, but even without him, Sara intended to be cautious.

"I'm Sara Pezzini," she offers, reaching up to pull her helmet off and fully reveal her face. At she does, the eye on the back of the gauntlet blinks once, looking at the Rider. "Wielder of The Witchblade... and you are a Ghost Rider. What name should we call you by?"

There are no obvious weapons on the woman, just a leather jacket, thick pants, and a pair of work boots... and of course, Witchblade. Most knew nothing about him. They may have heard stories, had dealings with past wielders, but what he was, and what he was capable of doing was quite often a mystery.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "//A// Ghost Rider? How many of these spooks are there?" Cael asks - her teeth gritting at the way the voice rattles through her bones. Voices you can hear while deaf... She'd had enough of them in the last few days, and they were growing tiresome.
    "Cael Becker," she offers simply - even though the being wasn't looking towards her. She remains seat on her bike for the moment, her gaze locked onto Daniel, and watching for any threatening actions. "Looks like you've been injured. What's the deal?" she asks simply.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider looks again at the gauntlet. Witchblade. He feels he should know what it means. He doesn't, and with his typical lack of curiosity towards anything not related to avenging, he doesn't bother to ask.

"I am the Spirit of Vengeance," he turns his skull to look at Cael. "Whom some humans call the Ghost Rider. I have had other names with the passing of the centuries. It... does not matter." Also, no one had asked his name in decades. "Noble Kale." He adds, even though it doesn't matter. Really.

Then he looks at his arm, which is not healing fast enough. The splinters are rejoining, but the bone is not growing in seconds as it usually does. "The creatures that attacked Manhattan harmed me. I should be well soon and there shall be a reckoning."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Do the Ghost Riders know each other? Are the allies, enemies? Sara found herself wondering these things as she studied Noble Kale's wounds, then her blue eyes shift back to the flaming skull, the eye sockets. She doesn't seem shaken or upset, afraid or even effected by the fact that this being is a flaming skeleton.

"Creatures?" She snorts. "That would be the heavenly host, the angels of The Presence, or God as most call him. Wouldn't think they could hurt someone like you."

A quick glance is offered toward Cael, but only a for a second.

"And what of your mortal host?" She then asks plainly, getting right to the point. "Does he have a name? In answer to the question you aren't asking, yes... I know another Ghost Rider."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Fucking bloody angels," Cael mutters under her breath, still sitting astride her bike, her left hand on the handlebar - her right hand resting on her leg.
    "So what sort of reckoning are we talking about here? I'm not necessarily opposed to a good reckoning," she delivers in a deadpan voice - while Sara asks after the being's full identity.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"Another...?" The Rider looks from a woman to the other. "Is it true? Ah, but that is how it is," there is a moment of doubt, and then acceptance. It is pretty much impossible to read the expression of a skull on fire, but there was hesitance in his eerie voice, if for a second. He didn't know.

And a few seconds to digest what Sara and Cael are saying. "My host name is his alone to reveal, so I shall not. And these angels," he addresses Cael, "whoever they serve, they have harmed innocents, and therefore they will be punished. Vengeance is due."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Now Sara seems to relax a little, though Cael probably has no idea why. Folding her arms lightly across her chest, right arm on the top so the eye can watch Noble Kale, she offers him a smile.

"Yes, there is another, and he also seeks vengeance against these angels who serve at the call of the Archangel Michael, to test humanity and a few hundred other amazingly annoying things..." here she pauses to get her brain back on the right track.

"You however, should not be attempting your attacks against them alone. The Justice League Dark, along with SHIELD and a few other organizations and groups have banded together to fight. You of course can keep going at it alone," she then comments with a slight smirk. "Of you can take a moment out of your vengeance, let your host meet up with some of those in command of the fighting forces, and perhaps get a chance to meet the other Rider."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Oh, hey, cool. I'm an innocent now," Cael remarks in a dry voice, without offering Daniel any further context for her statement. She can see Sara relaxing out of the corner of her eyes, though she seems far from reassured that the being before them poses //no// threat.
    "It's good to know we have a common enemy. Though... yes. You should probably get in touch with out people. We can do the most good if we coordinate our efforts - and have come cover to prevent further injury to yourself or others."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider looks back at New York. Is he growling? It looks as if he was. His bike is noticeably less battered that it was a few minutes ago. But his body is regenerating far more slowly. His fire is spent and he should retreat into the Void.

But vengeance beckons strongly. He needs to do more.

"I seldom ally myself with humans," he explains. "The find me unsettling. I find they lack... conviction." But he has few options, really. "Where are your armies gathering?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Now Sara smirks, the talon-like finger tips of the gauntlet tapping lightly against her arm.

"Do I look unsettled?" She asks, looking to Cael then back to flaming skull man. "Do either of us seem to care that you're a flaming skeleton? Yes, Cael might be a little disturbed, but she's got good reason to be. Shit's happened."

Tilting her head slightly, now she smiles, "The Justice League Dark is comprised of more than humans. There are homo magi, the other Rider, a couple of immortals, a few humans, myself, Witchblade..." Now she holds up the gauntlet so he can get a good look at it, turning it slightly before returning it to being folded across her chest.

"I can give you the phone number of the leader, Jonathan Sims... but you don't have pockets," she gestures to the flames. "That aren't on fire that is... and you should understand that your host will also have to agree to this."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I don't trust anything or anyone I don't know," Cael replies simply. "So - you know. Nothing personal. ...besides, I think the other Ghost Rider's a bit of a dick," she states dryly.
    "Sara likes him, though. No accounting for taste." She flashes a brief grin towards her roommate, apparently attempting to tease the other woman.
    "If you just wan't a location - Grand Central Station is where the forces opposing the angels have been organizing."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"Indeed?" There is a touch of disbelief in his voice. Or perhaps amusement. "My host, you say? He is a just man, as righteous as any. But I loathe putting him in danger, as I am sworn to protect him."

"Some of the angel creatures wild strong mystical abilities," he looks again at his shattered arm. "Give this number, the flames won't harm what I want to preserve. I will go to the Central Station as soon as I have healed enough."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara shrugs slightly, though she now understood the relationship between angelic nature and the human host a little better. "A just man is a good thing, like many who are part of the League. I'm human woman, no different than any other human out there, but with Witchblade I'm capable of amazing things and damn near invincible. There are ways to harm me of course," she snorts for some reason then adds, "Now that I tell anyone.." as if she is talking to someone or something else. "I hope you offer your host the same choices and he, like you, would be a welcome member." Glancing around at the apartments they were standing in the street by, she notices that a few more sets of curtains had been closed, but other wise it was quiet.

Reaching into the pocket of her jacket to remove a slip of paper and a pen. Even with the gauntlet on her dominant hand, she writes the number down then walks right up to him.

"Here you go," she says as she offers it over to him with that right hand.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I gotta say, I'm a little leary of talking to any being that inhabits another," Cael remarks in a dry, distrusting voice. "I've head some trouble with such entities in the past, so I hope this isn't an entirely... well. //Forced// situation. I'd feel beteter talking to the 'host.'"
    She watches Sara approach to offer over the phone number, still remarking cautiously alert as the encounter with the unfamiliar being continues.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider doesn't immediately answer Cael's question. It is not simple. And it is not something he has given thought, as it is not his prerogative to question the workings of the universe. In many regards his mindset is alien; humans have much more free will than he does, and tend to be far more complicated creatures.

Instead he reaches for Sara's hand.

There is no heat when the leather-covered hand grabs the note. It goes straight to his side pocket. The Rider has no cellphone, but Daniel has a cheap one. And despite the Rider intentions to keep him away from harm, Daniel will definitely call Jon. And get into trouble. As usual. But the Ghost Rider can't sight, he has no lungs.

"It was forced," he tells Cael. "To both. Such was our fate. I no longer question such events, although he does, as humans always do."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara wasn't worried about being burned, but the fact that there was no heat did surprise her, one brow lifts at it in fact. Johnny had explains to her what happened to him, how it has become a Rider, and it was in fact a forced situation. She wasn't certain how similar it was for thus guy, but at least he admitted that it was a forced thing for both host and spirit.

"Make sure to mention Cael and I when you or your host speaks to Jon," she states, taking a step back but not turning her back on him. "And a little FYI, mine was forced too."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael frowns, tension in her back and shoulders increasing at the being's words, though she makes no aggressive moves against it. "Forced by who? Or what? Since apparently you got no choice in it either."
    The whole situation was making her uneasy, as her hand tightens on the left handlebar. She could still see that angel, looking out of Chas' eyes at her...
    Shit. Shit. She takes a few deep, slow breathes.
    "I'd really feel better talking to your other half," she insists.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Rider stares at Cael for a few long seconds. Then looks back at Sara. "But your life was protected, wasn't it? Such are the ways of fate. He... would have died, I had made a binding promise, and blood ties do exist between us. I will say no more for it is also his story to tell, not just mine."

And really, he hadn't a conversation this long in many, many years. Maybe these humans are different, showing little fear. But really, he is a man of action, not words. Or maybe a skeleton of action. Vengeance won't be achieved by talking! "I will go now. Perhaps we will see each other in the future. Farewell."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara nods once to Noble Kale as she says, "Yes, he saved my life, but that's enough of that. Give Jon a call, but don't go into Grand Central like this... you'll scare the shit out of the normal people hiding there. SHIELD agents wouldn't have an issue, Jon won't, but there are just common people around."

She walks back to her bike, picking up the helmet to put back on. "My number is on the back of the paper as well, if you need something... call." With that she swings her leg over the bike and stands it back up to start it. "Cael, you ready to go get some food?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael answers Daniel with a dubious tone - clearly less than willing to simply take //his// word for it. "Probably best to listen to Sara on this. Who knows how jumpy people are going to be these days?" She herself seems to be growing increasingly on edge. As Sara mounts up, she offers her a simple nod before concluding with, "I could use some noodles, sure."
    And with that, the pair peel away - Cael driving a bit faster than strictly necessary to help her clear her head.