998/Gold Rush Down Under(ground)

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Gold Rush Down Under(ground)
Date of Scene: 05 April 2020
Location: New York Subway System, NYC
Synopsis: Spider-Man and Supergirl stop the Great (Subway) Train Robbery!
Cast of Characters: Peter Parker, Kara Danvers




Peter Parker has posed:
The heist was foolproof.
A decommissioned subway car had been brought back into service for a special delivery. The car was to stop on a stretch of track, where an opening had been prepared. They would get the wall knocked down, access the gold on the other side, then load it on the subway and drive it out to the yard, where a van was waiting.

However, people talk. And one talked to another who talked to another who talked to Spider-Man to avoid getting sent to Riker's for a petty charge. The crew was supposed to be a team of trained mercenaries, run by a terrorist cell leader, so this was obviously an attempt to fund terrorist operations for the next decade.

So...Spider-Man figured he was going to need some help.
He dialed the number Kara had given him, using the Spider-Man number.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara is writing. Always writing. She sits at the table with her laptop, notepad to the right of the laptop, pencil clenched in her teeth as she types. Then the call comes in. The contact shows no name, just "Electrician." It was entered into her phone that way, when she got the number. She quickly answers it and puts the pencil down. "What's up?" She asks, when she accepts the call.

Peter Parker has posed:
"I have a potential gold heist in the next ten minutes. Kinda short notice, though. Is this a bad time?"

He doesn't use her name, or her "official" name. Not when he has no idea who might be listening.

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Sounds like a real story," Kara replies. Where do I need to be?" Her reply is quick and to the point. Clearly, there is no time to waste.

Peter Parker has posed:
"South end of Harlem. I'll send you a GPS waypoint. Come dressed for action."
A moment later, a StarkMaps waypoint request pops up. DO YOU WANT TO TRACK THIS WAYPOINT?

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara, now dressed and ready, confirms way point tracking and takes a quick look at the map, then closes her phone. She could be there by the time she could send a message and Spidey could receive it. And moments later, she is circling the location, scouting, and preparing to land. She descends quickly, crouching momentarily as she lands in spectacular superhero form.

Peter Parker has posed:
The point happens to be the archway where the subway transitions into an elevated track. Spider-Man is standing on top of the archway, looking along the track. He catches a glimpse of red and blue before Supergirl lands.

Gee, why can't HE land like that? Oh, right, balance. Never mind.

"Glad you could make it, Supergirl. How are you holding up?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Never better!" Supergirl replies as she smiles up at Spidey. "I was just thinking, what kind of mischief could I stop today? And then it came to me, as if by divine intervention." She winks at him, and looks around. "So give me the short-game, and let's get crackin', eh?" Her symptoms of kryptonite poisoning have diminished to the point that she can hardly tell it happened at all. Supergirl is back in the game.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nodded. "I spent the last hour riding the rails trying to pinpoint where they intended to stop the train. I think I found the location."

He pulled out his tablet from his backpack and firing it up. "The thing is, the gold is apparently from some Maggia cache. Kept in lockdown, but a few low-level goons knew of the place, and they hired mercs with specialties in grand theft to loot the gold. Problem was that THIS guy...
He tapped an icon, and a Pakistani man with the name Emil al-Saleed came up. "...He knew the mercs, and they plane to take the gold for themselves and leave the goon who hired them holding the bag."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Awww...poor form, even for scumbags," Kara replies, looking at the tablet as he gives her the play-by-play. "So this guy tipped you off, hmm? Maybe there's salvation for him, yet. Or....maybe his only scruples lie in self-preservation. Either way, we've got to head this off."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Yeah...but I think the best time is AFTER they have gotten the gold and are making the getaway." He taps the screen, and a map of the subway system comes up. "I think they are going to come through this stretch of track, here..." He runs a finger along one dotted line. "If we catch them beforehand, we have them on weapons charges, maybe explosives stuff, but the mercs get sent up, al-Saleed goes free, and the gold stays where it is. AFTER, on the other hand...al-Saleed and the mercs are WITH the stolen gold. NYPD can arrest a terrorist, a bunch of mercs in the process of the crime, and can impound all the gold for evidence, which gives the Maggia a huge loss to boot..."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl looks a little strained at the thought. "Let them...steal it first?" Common sense tells her that he's right. But her mantra was always to stop villainy before it can start. She blinks once, slowly, and shakes her head as she takes a deep breath. "You're right. Of course you're right. Very well. Then we need to set up, and make sure there are no civilians in the area that could be harmed."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighs. "You're going to find out that a lot of crimefighting can involve timing. We can't arrest for the crimes we expect them to make but haven't made yet. Catching in the act is key. We have to make something that the district attorney can make a solid case on." He taps the line. "This runs for 3/4 of a mile without any stops. It's also a side track, so if we stop the car here, it won't jam up the entire system. I have a plan. I'll get along that stretch and provide something you can track. Okay...question. This is a subway car running under its own power. What do you think is the best way to stop it?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Stand in front of it," Supergirl replies without hesitation. She looks from the tablet back up to Spider-Man. "I'll do that, if you can stand back and web up whoever spills out of it." It's a simple answer, requiring no forethought or planning. But she isn't used to working with people. She's used to working alone. It seems the simplest solution to her is always the shortest distance between two points. "I'll stand in front of it."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Okay. If you stop them at this point...wait." He blinks. "Hold on...wait. No, we can't. I just realized that that car is going to have an unknown number of gold bricks in the car along with a number of people. That car stops suddenly, the inside is going to be like a rock tumbler..." He frowns. "Okay...can you get behind it, grab it, and slow it to a stop>?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl considers the request for a moment and then nods. "I can do that. I'll fly in from above so they don't see me coming. With any luck, they won't know what's stopping them till they're stopped."

Peter Parker has posed:
"They'll feel the weight shift. But I'm going to be distracting them so you can get in and get a good hold. By the time they realize something's wrong...you'll have it all well in hand." Spidey grins under the mask. "I suspect it'll be brown trousers time when they see *you.*"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara crinkles her nose for a moment and shudders. "Well, in that case, try not to get in too close to secure them. Definitely not something you wanna handle up close and personal." She half-grins and nods. "Sounds like a plan. Just be careful, I'm sure they're going to be armed to the teeth."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nodded. "Thanks for helping out. Okay. I figure we have about 15 minutes to get into position..."

Twenty-five minutes later, Walter 497 (formerly of the repair yard) begins rolling.

The seven men within are smiling and congratulating each other. The one in the rear conductor's section does not smile much, though. He is looking at the swag. Eighty-seven gold bars, each weighing 27.4 pounds, each worth over $600K. A king's ransom's worth, a dragon's hoard's worth.

al-Saleed was already planning to offer the bottle of wine in a couple of minutes. These infidels would be half-soused before the poison kicked in...

Then there is a thump on the front glass, and it is suddenly filled with the sight of Spider-Man.

"Hey...THIS isn't Pelham 1-2-3!"

"SHOOT HIM!" al-Saleed barked, moving forward and raising his own rifle.Spider-Man ducked below the glass panel a moment before it was blown out by sustained gunfire...

Kara Danvers has posed:
The distraction was a risky one, and Supergirl strongly disapproves, despite the laugh she snorts at the sight of the bug on the windshield, so to speak. By the time they are emptying their weapons at an empty windowframe, the car is slowing, steadily, on the tracks. Once it's stopped, she moves to the engine panel and delivers a punch to the engine that rocks the whole car. But the motor, for its part, is destroyed. The car isn't going anywhere, now. And it's late enough in the game that the occupants were going to know she's there within a matter of moments, anyway.

Peter Parker has posed:
When the car begins to slow, al-Saleed wonders if the idiots had shot something important. He moves forward, aware that the deceleration is causing the large gold bars to slide forward, a few tumbling off the stacks and thumping to the floor of the car.

Their shots had pitched forward as the car slowed, but Spidey had crawled around to the left side of the car as they perforated the front. Not big on the IQs, these guys. Times must be tough.

al-Saleed got to the rear of the car in time to hear the crunch of metal, and looks through the window.

What he sees makes his eyes go wide.
A woman worthy of any of the 72 virgins promised to him was currently slamming her bare hand into the cavity where the main motor was...and that the motor was suffering damage instead of her hand.
Then he saw the symbol on her chest and felt a cold chill filling his spine.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl backs away from the car as she looks up to the windows, and she shouts to those inside. "Please keep your hands and feet inside the car until it has come to a complete stop. Now that you have arrived at your final destination, you may exit the vehicle in an orderly fashion. Please watch your step, and be considerate of your fellow passengers. You will each receive equal attention, so there is no reason to push, or shove."

Peter Parker has posed:
Wow. Supergirl's snark game is on point today.

The mercs rush out of the car to find...Supergirl. Right here. Supergirl. With Spider-Man?

They look confused, but there is a sudden commotion in the train car. A few grunts, a few OOFs, and then al-Saleed flies through the open window to land on the tracks. Don't worry, the cocoon he is in provides sufficient insulation and padding.

Spider-Man appears in the window, then gives Supergirl a thumbs-up.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl looks to the flying cocoon, and watches it bounce on the tracks. "Good shot!" she shouts to Spider-Man, as she approaches the open door, and those who are pouring out. "Goons on the left, mercenaries on the right. Please form two lines along the car, and mind the personal space of those around you. Place your hands open and flat on the outside of the car, and await your turn," she instructs calmly, fully expecting that few, if any, will obey the compelling instructions.

Peter Parker has posed:
If it was just Spider-Man, they might take the chance. But the girl is SUPERGIRL, and if she is anything like SUPERMAN, they were screwed, blued, and tattooed. Better to deal with prison than the other option of getting beaten up and THEN prison.

They grimace, but move to the side of the subway car and place their hands on the side of the car. Spider-Man hops out and webs everyone's hands to the subway car panel, just to simplify things.

"So...do you want to notify the NYPD and i'll call Transit Authority, or the other way around?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
"That works for me," Supergirl replies, lifting a hand to touch an all but invisible comm piece in her ear, twice. "NYPD, central dispatch." She waits for just a moment as she smiles at Spider-Man. "Foiled heist now well in-hand. Please send responders." She continues with the number of perpetrators, their semi-permanent positions, and their exact location." She turns back to Peter. "ETA seven minutes to responders," she says.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, picking up an emergency phone on the nearby wall. "Transit Dispatch. Hi, it's Spider-Man." He pauses. "...no, really. I'm Spider-Man." Another pause. "Look, I'm reporting a stopped subway car along the Red line between 64th and 78th. North lane. Because it has eighty-seven gold bricks in it and the NYPD has already been called."

Spidey shakes his head. "Yeah, please send someone down." He hangs up. "No respect, I tell ya. I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of the superhero biz."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"You've got respect. They thought you were an imposter. That means they're out to protect your rep," Supergirl replies with a wink and a nod. "Don't think for a second that nobody respects you. After all, you single-handedly apprehended these guys. All I did was bark orders."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Really? Well, let's put it to a vote." Spidey turned to the mercs, then said, "All those who gave up because of Supergirl here, say aye!"

There is a resounding chorus of "ayes."

He turned to Supergirl, then said, "The defense smugly rests his case."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl grins and circles around Spidey, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Someone came to YOU because they knew you could stop it," she says softly, then backs up, hands folded in the small of her back beneath her cape as she turns. "Shall we get lost, and let NYPD do their job?"

Peter Parker has posed:
"Hang on."

Spider-Man walked back towards the front of the subway car, then picked up one gold bar that had fallen out. He looked at it for a long moment.

No one would know but him...

The bar made a dull clanking sound when he tossed it into the car to rest on the pile of gold bars. He took a picture, then walked back to Supergirl. "Let's wait until they get here. Prove we didn't take anything."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Supergirl's brows arch in surprise at the implication that anyone would EVER think that they had taken something. Then she nods. "That's a fair call," she says, as she watches Spidey for a moment. She doesn't believe for a moment that he was even tempted. "Should we take a group pic?" she asks, looking back along the car at the line of men who are sighing in frustration. I bet your photographer friend would love a shot at this."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckled. "Sure, let's break the Internet."

By the time the NYPD has arrived, the selfie is completed - a picture of Spider-Man and Supergirl standing next to each other, Spider-Man hooking a thumb at Supergirl with one hand and giving rabbit-ears to al-Saleed, who is propped up next to the mercs against the side of the train car.
A few of them are even looking over their shoulders and smiling for the camera. al-Saleed is not smiling, but no one seems to care.