New in Town

[CJWrites]

A former sidekick decides to leave the shadow of his mentor and crime fighting life behind as he moves to a new city, starting at a boarding school, a college or a job in a city where another territorial superhero already has a tight monopoly on vigilantism. Yet the former sidekick can't watch people get hurt and starts to suit up once again.


@Tugboats

 

[CJWrites]

"Its great to have you on board, Drake"


"The pleasure is all mine, sir" Drake shook his interviewer's hand.


"First rule: Don't call anyone sir. My name is John. How does a starting salary of 90 thousand sound."


Drake looked shocked. "Isn't that a bit too much for a new hire?" That was enough money to support a family of four in a large house. He didn't need that much.


John raised his eyebrow. "You graduate with full honours from CMU, hacked into the World's Leading Computer Company in Security at 14, have been doing casual security work with said company's CTO and you call that high? Frankly, I thought you would ask for more. We here at IntraScience believe in paying employees their money's worth and I have a feeling you're worth more than our average employee. I have to warn you, working here won't be as exciting as at Avalon and you may spend more time helping scientists recovering hard drives than working on security."


"I knew what I was signing up for" Drake said. He could always donate the money he didn't need to charity. Besides, he had more pressing matters in this city and this company.


---


"90k huh? Why didn't you ask for more? I would have paid double if you worked for me, even if you weren't my son and even if I didn't know about all your off the books accomplishments."


"I don't need more, Morgan." Drake started. "And Avalon is known for high salaries. A research firm can barely afford me as it is. I've got to go. First day and all that."


"Good luck!"


Drake turned off his phone and looked around as John, his supervisor, came out to greet him.


"Welcome, we're not a small company but let me introduce you to everyone on this floor at least. Here is where some of our scientists work... "

 

[Tugboats]

John took the new hire towards one of the labs with less "sensitive" materials. IntraScience dealt with a good number of military contracts, and until Mr. Wu had clearance, it wouldn't do to send him to see anything classified. On their left, the two passed by a lab with no windows and a steel door. With anything short of military-grade explosives, the only way to get in would be by swiping an ID card, entering your given number, and by having someone at the security desk buzz you in.


"I was going to take you through Doctor Walsh's lab, but it looks like his team is in the middle of something and don't want to be disturbed. "They're a medical lab, focusing mostly on performing surgery through robotics. If you want to hear more, Doctor Walsh will talk your ear off at any time." John pointed to another lab down the hall. "Down there is where Dr. Simmons and her team are. They've finished their last project and are researching something new right now, so I doubt that they're all that busy."


Johnathan opened the door to a team of eight scientists, including Dr. Simmons herself. "Everyone, this is Drake Wu. Drake, this is our optics lab. Everything from glasses to telescopes, these eight people are the best of the best." John waited to let Drake introduce himself a bit better to the people in the lab.

 

[CJWrites]

Drake waved, although a bit shy. "Hey everyone, I'm Drake Wu... I'm your new cyber security specialist... Umm.... I lived in San Francisco until I went to college in Pittsburg. Nice to meet all of you."


"Aren't you a little young to be our sole cyber security specialist?" The speaker's name tag said: Dr. Fitz.


"I hacked into the Avalon Mainframe when I was 14," Yet the way Drake said it made it seem more like a simple statement rather than bragging, almost as if anyone could do it. "I think I'll be ok."


John put his hand on, "Perhaps everyone here can introduce themselves to Drake here?"

 

[Tugboats]

(I certainly hope the Fitz-Simmons reference was intentional. I love Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And pardon my slow reply. It has been a very hectic day.)


The doctors introduced themselves. Most of them came from impressive universities and carried impressive titles. Dr. Simmons congratulated Drake on his achievement, impressed by his talent, as well as by how seemingly modest he was about getting into Avalon's mainframe at such a young age.


John was fairly certain that nobody could remember the flood of names beginning in "Dr.," but he hoped that at least Drake would remember a reasonable number of their names. Lucky enough for him that they all wore name tags for most of the day. John himself hadn't really carried all that long of conversations with anyone in the lab other than a stout, quiet scientist, who he traded nods with.


Though the man himself would never say it, Dr. Brian Overs was probably one of the most brilliant scientists currently alive, and very few people would have expected it. Dr. Overs was just entering his early 40's, and time had not been kind to his figure or his hair. The man clung to a black comb-over that most people would have given up on. To add insult to injury, he was putting on a few pounds around the stomach that he could seem to shake. Nonetheless, Brian Overs was a brilliant man. He had worked on projects in every lab, quietly making his additions to nearly every project, quite a few being his own breakthroughs. Other than John himself, almost nobody had noticed just how smart this man was. He had yet to lead a project or to receive his own grants for individual research from IntraScience, like many doctors had earned through far less impressive work. But Dr. Overs was not the type of man to be upset by this or disheartened. He continued to work as hard as always.


--


Dr. Overs having a hand in most every project had been immensely helpful to John after Brian had showed up at his apartment, holding the mask he donned for his nightlife. Brian didn't chastise him or tell him that he was crazy, he just said, "I think you're going to need my help, kid."


--


John was snapped back when one of the scientists asked him why he was leading Drake around, instead of someone higher up in the company. John shrugged. "I took a couple of Computer Science classes. I've forgotten just about everything from them, but I think that's why Philippe (The CEO, Philippe Fournier) wanted me to do it. That, and he's in meetings until Thursday." John saw the doctors trying to show Drake everything they were researching. If he knew one thing about these people, it was that they could drone on for hours about "revolutionary optic technology."


John came up to them. "Drake, do you want me to take you to see your office?"

 

[CJWrites]

Drake paid rapid attention as the scientists explained their work. His mother had never bothered to teach him much other than crime fighting and what she was good at: sitting at a computer. He hadn't been a science lab since High School. It was fascinating how many applications lenses and light had. Their names went in one ear and out the other, but nametags were still pinned to their chests and he soaked in all the knowledge they fed him.


He'd done his research on Intrascience, although many may consider his methods unethical or even illegal. They were fairly small, only around 70 scientists plus management and support staff so the government hadn't given them anything too important to national security. Yet they hired great employees and trained them to be the best. It's what made him decide to work here despite the numerous other leads he could track down.


The lead.


If his sources were correct, they were about to come back with a major contract. A contract with ties to the Russian underground. It was why they hired a security consultant in the first place. Perhaps if this hunch paid off, he'd be able to find out more about what made Morgan more paranoid than usual, why she had forbidden her former sidekick from operating and most importantly, what happened to Anya and Ruban a month ago.


Then John asked him a question and Drake stopped dead in his tracks. "I have my own office?" He thought he'd be working in the same place as the already existing IT Team of around 4 or so.

 

[Tugboats]

John smiled. "Well, it's more of a closet with a computer. But it's your own space, so you'll have your privacy. Should help you fend off those pesky hackers and viruses if it's nice and quiet." John brought him to a small room with a desk and computer. There wasn't much in terms of decoration or anything of that nature. John shrugged.


"You can decorate, but for the time being, you've got a desk loaded with some paper and pens and a computer that's hooked to our server. If you haven't quit by Thursday, the CEO himself will be giving you access to the Sensitive Materials Lab and its mainframe as well. Other than that, there are free bagels every Tuesday morning in the lobby, and the coffee machines on every floor are only 25 cents for a cup of instant energy." John waited a moment before adding a final comment. "And you can come into H.R. and ask anybody there for help. People get along here for the most part, so I doubt there will be all that many times where we can't help you." John gave him the directions to the Human Resources office, which would be to take the stairs down a floor and enter the second door on his right. Failing that, the sign on the door that says "Human Resources" in all capital letters is also a good way to tell if he's in the right place.

 

[CJWrites]

Drake raised his eyebrows. This man was kidding himself if he thought Drake couldn't give access to himself by Thursday. Instead, he asked with a humorous tone "Why would I quit by Thursday?"


"Because the scientists will drive you up the wall with questions. PhDs and can't figure out how to run the troubleshooter." A woman peered in from the doorway, two other people stood behind her. "You're our security specialist? I'm Miya and these are Ivan and Stephen. We're the other IT people. I'm the other person you report to. Hopefully they won't bother you here but still... we might send people your way when we're swamped"


"And we're usually swamped" Stephen agreed.


"Nice to meet you all." Drake said, shaking their hands. "I'd better get to work."

 

[Tugboats]

John said his farewells to Drake and headed back to HR. He sat down in his cubicle and finished up the last remaining paperwork for Drake. John wasn't sure what to think of their new security specialist. He wondered why Drake had left Avalon. The company had more money and positions to offer to someone like him. John wondered if perhaps it was trouble with someone within the company. Perhaps he and the CTO had an argument and Drake had decided to go elsewhere.


John decided not to sit and wonder idly about his new coworker. He finished penning in the last few spots of the sheet he was filling out and dropped it in the HR director's box to have her sign off on it. He himself took a few phone calls and patiently waited for his workday to end so that he could punch out. He had been antsy today and wanted to bust out his mask and staff. Someone had shared information with him that there was a large shipment of cocaine coming in on a couple of trucks. He didn't really care all that much about stopping drug distribution at the current time, but the money from these shipments went to the bigger fish that he was looking to fry. John tapped his pen a few times and looked at the clock. It was going to be a little while.

 

[CJWrites]

Drake finished the rest of his day without much fanfare, the rest of the IT team took him out for lunch and he started his analysis and inventory of the current security measures taken. It wasn't as bad as he was expecting but there were definitely improvements to be made.


He left work at 5pm sharp.


"How was your first day?" His roommate asked, not even bothering to look up from his textbook. Ahmed Khan was his roommate at CMU as well and by chance, he'd decided to go to law school in the same city Drake was moving to.


"It was ok," Drake answered vaguely. "I mean... it's not the same level as an IT company but then again, what was I expecting?"


"At least, you don't have to wear the giant apple on your head like you would have for your first day at Avalon. I really wanted to see that..."


Drake rolled his eyes. "I'll get started on dinner."


Ahmed nodded, preoccupied at the moment. Yet once food was on the table he seemed very talkative. "Are you going to go out tonight?"


Drake glanced around, although he knew there was nobody else there. "Morgan has forbidden me from going out remember?" He pinched his chopsticks with a little too much force and the tofu broke in half, falling back into his bowl with a sickening plop.


Ahmed looked unconvinced. "After a quarter of city hall and half the police force were charged with corruption, anarchy reigns in the streets at night. The hawk and the new police chief can't expect to take all that on their own. They need help. You're an established superhero. You've been doing this job for almost 8 years now."


"Four as Evanescence and four as Longshadow" Drake agreed. He moved his vegetables around the bowl, trying not to make eye contact.


"We were listening to the police scanner in class today, discussing the crimes committed and possible defenses," Ahmed confessed. "The word is that the Russian mob is trying to gain a foothold in this city. They're coming in with a shipment tonight."


Drake stopped. "Are you sure they were Russian?"


Ahmed nodded. "Maybe they can help you with your... sibling issues."

 

[Tugboats]

John clocked out at 5:15 and made his way home. He turned on the lights, started up a sitcom on Netflix to make the neighbors think he was there, and geared up. With a bit of effort he appeared on the roof in a flash of very dark, blue-tinted smoke. After that he just made his way towards his contact, a slumlord who, after a few broken fingers, agreed to be his snitch whenever there were big movements in the criminal scene.


"You're certain?" The Hawk stood in the man's room, his voice heavily modulated by a machine within the mask.


"Yeah. The cocaine is in the middle truck. The company is Johann's Brothers Construction, should have a New Mexico license plate. They've been a front for drug money for a little while and any cop who's figured it out is either buried in money or 6 feet of dirt."


The Hawk nodded to him, thanking the man before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He waited on a rooftop along the path that the shipment would take. He was ready to strike whenever the trucks showed up. He held the staff in gloved hands and waited with eyes and ears open.

 

[CJWrites]

Drake frowned. The research just didn't add up. With the amount Ahmed remembered from class it hadn't been easy narrowing the suspect pool.


Yet here he was, waiting for the truck to arrive. But why would they be in league with the Russian mob? The so-called construction company had been smuggling for a while now but their toes were to South American drugs cartels rather than their Russian counterparts. Even so, it was unlikely the Romanovs were involved.


Still... Even if it were just a fraction of a percent chance he had to take it. Just then he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.


His face paled. The Hawk. He didn't even think about what he would do if he ran into the other vigilante. He scrunched himself closer to the wall, hoping he wouldn't be spotted. Even if he was it wasn't like he was wearing the costume. He hadn't bothered, opting for a hoodie with sunglasses instead. He'd worn spiffier clothes for work but it was still less trouble to change into that than his Longshadow outfit.

 

[Tugboats]

(Sorry. Busy day yesterday.)


The Hawk sensed something moving near him and turned his head, trying to sense movement. His powers had offered him the ability to sense motion, and after whatever it was didn't move, he wrote it off as a cat or something. The step was too light to be a Russian mobster, or likely even a person. He kept watching as the trucks finally began moving into his sight. Johann's Brothers Construction was painted across the trailer, while the other two trucks were blank. He flicked a switch on the side of his mask and pointed the beak at the Russians opening up the trucks, picking them up with a directional microphone.


"Get this stuff unloaded. Take the coke down to Icebox and everything else down to the warehouse." He was surprised to hear the Russian speaking English, but he realized that the people unloading the truck weren't Russians. These were hired help unloading the trucks. The men mumbled to each other, but still did their work, confirming that they were paying local criminals to do their work. This was another half of the foothold they intended to get. The Russians were looking for trusted workers.


The Hawk prepared to attack.

 

[CJWrites]

Drake wasn't stupid enough to attack while the Hawk was. No, he definitely couldn't be spotted by him. First of all, the Hawk would inform Morgan if he figured out his identity and Drake would be screwed. Second, the hawk could mistake him for another dealer and it would be pretty hard getting himself out of that spot. So he lay in wait for an opening.


Then he saw it, the Hawk's back was turned and he darted into the front of the truck, making sure to keep within the shadows.


He shuffled around the dashboard, looking for any signs of Russian interference. A sheet of paper caught his eye.


It was a work order in Russian. Drake frowned as didn't know Russian though but one thing was clear to him. It was signed Nikolaevich. Quickly he took a picture of it with his smartphone and started to sneak out of the truck.


Nikolaevich, son of Nicholas. It was an alias used by Anya's family to hide their dirty dealings. When she arrived, he hadn't thought much about her last name, it wasn't uncommon after all. He had no idea how deep the connection went.


in

 

[Tugboats]

The Hawk appeared on the ground behind the truck, immediately using his staff to disarm the man watching over the work. Spinning, he knocked the legs out from under one of the man carrying cocaine, sending him sprawling and spilling small bags of white powder out into the street. One of the other workers immediately began to run, having already taken a beating from The Hawk. John chose instead to take care of the other armed man moving across the trucks by throwing his staff which, on contact, hardened to a metal-like quality, knocking the man out and likely leaving him with a concussion.


Their hired help gone, it left only the guard scrambling to pick up his gun and the man who had been driving the front truck to deal with the Hawk. He engaged the unarmed one, pulling him behind the truck and throwing a few blows and disappearing to grab his staff. The next time he reappeared he held it in both hands, striking downward quickly enough to put the man back on the ground, just in time for his disappearance as a hail of bullets whizzed by from the muzzle of another Russian's rifle.


After a puff of smoke, The Hawk was on a nearby balcony, watching the two men clearly worried about where he would appear next. They stood back to back, so he moved above them, falling with a sweeping kick that dispatched one of the guards, landing and quickly wrenching the gun of the other man upwards before grabbing the man's arm and pulling it behind his back painfully, pushing his head against the truck.


"Tell me about Icebox." The man spat back at him and spoke some Russian. John assumed it was insulting, but chose not to be all that upset about it. He pressed him harder into the truck and asked again. The Russian spoke slowly. "Icebox is the death of men like you." John threw him onto the ground, stepping onto his chest and grabbed his staff, having it hover just around his throat.


"One more time. For your sake, this had better be a clear answer." The mobster grinned, tobacco-stained teeth pointed upwards in a sneer. "You might hurt me and put me in a cell, but my people will crush you like little bug." The staff struck him and he laid around for a bit. In the quiet, John held still and tried to see if there was anything moving around him before he assumed that things were safe.

 

[CJWrites]

-- Flashback --


"So Morgan won't tell you anything?" Ahmed asked incredulously. "And you couldn't find the files in her system?"


Drake shook his head. "It was locked back between. It would take me hours on end without her detection to break into. It'd be impossible. She spent a lot of time securing them specifically to keep me out."


"But they're there." Ahmed noted "If nothing else, your mother is a data hoarder. Voice recordings, video, files the must exist and be backed up."


Drake nodded. Anya Ilyinichna Romanova was shrouded in mystery. It was definitely her real name with the pride she said when she spoke. Little records other than a birth certificate to Ida and Ilya Romanov were present along with a brother named Sergei. No school records, passports and not even tax records.


The official story was that she had been trafficked into the country and Morgan Bates adopted her. Even now, his mother maintained she was part of a smuggling ring she broke up. But that was a lie.


-- End Flashback --


Drake gulped as he darted out of the truck, hoping his dark outfit would hide him from any eyes and enable a swift and silent getaway.

 

[Tugboats]

John grabbed a phone from the pocket of a Russian and dialed 911. He spoke into it with his modulated voice.


"There's a package for you on 19th and Ontario drive. You'll want a few cars." He dropped the phone before sensing that same light motion again. He teleported towards it, and looked down the alley he had heard it in.


"Who's there?" He called out, wondering who or what it was that had been moving around him.

 

[CJWrites]

Longshadow slowed, startled by the call.


"Shit." He muttered under his breath and kept running, hoping that somehow the Hawk hadn't spotted him.


He was definitely not fast enough to outrun a teleporter. His hands reached towards his ears to activate HARII but he stopped himself. He'd rather explain himself to a strange superhero than his mother, even if he wouldn't be surprised if she already knew. What could she do for him at this moment anyways?


(Note: HARII Stands for Highly Advanced Research and Information Instance and it's basically JARVIS)

 

[Tugboats]

He caught sight of the figure, running quickly. It was probably faster than he could have caught up to, but being a superhero has its perks. He appeared in front of whoever it was running away and held the staff out. It was far enough away that they could avoid running into his vigilante self, but close enough that the only way to do so would be to stop and turn around.


"You aren't going to be able to get away from me. Tell me what Icebox is and I'll consider keeping you out of the hospital."

 

[CJWrites]

Longshadow reacted automatically and slid down, underneath the staff and through the other man's legs.


He could have kept running but instead, he turned around and looked at the Hawk.


"Icebox? I haven't heard of any outside appliance stores and history museums. After all, this isn't my turf. If I were to guess, he's a local man and your concern, not mine. However because I'm infringing on your territory, I will leave you the supplier in good faith. The name is Sergei Ilyich Romanov and calls himself Nicholovich. He has his hands in more than petty street drugs. You can't touch him, but I can and I would appreciate your hospitality while I follow some leads. As you have seen, you will barely notice me."


He turned to leave, no longer in a hurry. He needed to get out of sight and then sneak back into his apartment.

 

[Tugboats]

Seeing the face under the hood, John froze for a bit. Under the mask, his eyebrows shot up. Another piece shot into place in the puzzle as to who Drake was. If he trusted him, then Drake could be a good ally to have. But if this was an elaborate set-up, it could mean that he had a co-worker with the Russians, as well as someone seemingly capable of doing a lot of harm on the streets. He wondered at the idea that Icebox was a nickname. Perhaps the way the Russians were speaking was simply grammatical errors, and that they were referring to a man.


"As long as you're not here to do any harm to my city, consider us friends. If you need to speak with me, send messages through Sergeant Austin Kendall at the station. If you want to hit them in a more fortified location, you might need someone like me." He put the staff away. "That said, if you prove to be an enemy to my city, I can get you a reservation at the finest prison you've ever seen." Sirens approached as the first car headed towards the Russians and the truckload of cocaine.

 

[CJWrites]

Longshadow nodded and slipped out of the light being cast upon the alleyway.


He didn't wait for the other vigilante to disappear, instead calmly walking away. He took a couple of sharp turns slipping into the city underground and onto a deserted subway platform. Nobody would care about Drake Wu being Longshadow once the logical conclusion followed. No. The real danger was the world finding out that Morgan Bates was Clairvoyant.


He arrived home where Ahmed was still studying.


"Hey, have you ever heard anything about Icebox?"

 

[Tugboats]

The Hawk was gone into the night long before anyone showed up to clean up the mess. John himself had been at home, apparently finishing up the final season of a reality show in addition to a sitcom. In reality, he was combing the internet for anything he could find on Icebox. Nothing came outside of an interesting, but altogether useless article on the outdated appliance.


His gear stored away in a false back panel of his wardrobe, he laid there and listened to the police radio he had stolen from a criminal that had original gotten it out of a police car. For the time being, the crimes that showed up were minor, and very few of them violent. With his big bust of the night finished, John decided to try catching up on sleep.


Sleep was difficult to come by. His thoughts bounced between Drake, The Russians, and his city as a whole. By the time he fell asleep, he certain wasn't going to be rested when he woke up.

 

[CJWrites]

Ahmed looked at him.


"How am I supposed to know? I'm a law student, not a police officer."


"Right..." Drake sat down at the table. He signed and ran his hands through his hair. It was frustrating starting in a new city and he didn't want to take up the Hawk's informant. If anything, the cops would be protective of their existing hero if not hostile to all of them.


"By the way, your mother called. She asked you to call back. I told her you were out with friends and you'd better have a good story ready."


Drake's eyes shot up. "Morgan did?" Shit. She'd know if he were lying. He turned on his smartphone and dialed her number


"Hey...."


"Where were you?"


"I... was at a bar" He cringed at the lie. "With my coworkers. I was designated driver. It was down by the harbour."


"And the reason for turning off your phone while with your.... coworkers."


Because Drake knew Morgan could track his phone "Because it ran out of battery. I forgot my charger at work today."


"Well then, we'll see on the news tomorrow won't we."


"Paranoid bitch." Ahmed muttered under his breath.


"Guess that makes me son of a bitch." Drake smirked. "Somthing happened last month. I intend to find out what."


--


Drake didn't catch much sleep last night and yawned as he swiped his entry card. He spotted his manager.


"Good morning, John."

 

[Tugboats]

John put on a smile when he saw Drake, masking the more genuine curiosity. He figured that if Drake did notice that John was curious, he'd simply attribute it to more idle wondering why someone who worked for a much larger company for much more money was currently at IntraScience. "Hey! Welcome to your second day. We have meetings with the departments at 9:30. I think you should head to IT for yours. Not really sure what department you fall under, but I'm sure they'll be happy to have a new face around. Plus, their meetings take about 5 minutes unless the servers go down or something like that, so you'll have the rest of the hour to socialize."


John wondered what Drake was actually doing at IntraScience specifically. He was certainly no simple security specialist, though he was a talented one. John was more concerned with what his intentions were and whether or not he'd be a problem that needed to be taken care of. He hoped to avoid having to fight him if Drake really were with the Russians. It concerned him that they were all moving in around the same time, but made his story at least plausible. He was going to be keeping a close watch on his new coworker for the time being.