Chapter 22
Once Tock is all alone, we open the skylight, to which I slowly descend on a spider line, and Blake landing on the rafters.
Ruby: “’The angry drug lord drank alone.’ You know, I think there’s a poem in there somewhere.” She seems surprised to see us, but doesn’t exactly show it. She barely even moved.
Tombstone: “Wouldn’t know. Wasn't exactly the literary type.” As she took a big swig of the bottle before closing it and turning around, with a big sledge hammer in hand. “Gotta say though. I wasn’t expecting you lot here for a while longer. The place is a mess.”
Blake: “I have to agree, the place reeks like alcohol.” As she drops down. “I can’t say I’m a fan.”
Tombstone: “Hey, kitty kitty. How are the claws doing, hm?”
Blake: “Fine, no thanks to you... Tock Barrie.” Her eyes go wide from hearing that... before she starts laughing.
Tombstone: “Heheheh. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh man, now that’s a name I haven’t heard in two years.”
Ruby: “We know about your accident with Diox-3, the reason behind your invulnerability.”
Tombstone: “And? After my accident, it was declared too dangerous and all supplies of it was destroyed. If you were planning to cure me, then there’s no way you found any to develop a cure from.”
Blake: “Maybe not. But we don’t need a cure to stop you.”
Tombstone: “Confidence, I love it. Then let’s get started!” As she pulls out a grenade, pulls the pin with her teeth and throws it. I let go of my line and use a web to catch it and throw it up through the skylight before it blew up in the air. She comes at us swinging the hammer around. Blakes claws cut the head off the handle, to which Tock threw it away before using her fists. We had to be careful when dodging to keep her from hitting the tanks. She hits these and they blow, we’re all gonna be out cold, leaving either Tock’s gang to save their leader and capture us, or the cops who’ll eventually find this place from the ruckus and arrest as all, both cases eventually leading to our identities being exposed. I try to get in close to use the inhaler, but I can’t seem to get close to her face without her blocking me. And then she grabbed my ankle as I kick at her and toss me aside, to which I try to use a web net to prevent a crash. Blake tries to go in for some swings of her own, using her fist rather than her claws, but they’re at a standstill.
Ruby: “Ngh... Come on Rubes, think.” I mutter to myself as I watch as they break their hold and Blake grapples up a little to back off. My visor auto analyzed the cable, showing it’s made of titanium, much like her claws. That’s it! “Black Cat! I’ve got an idea.”
Blake: “I’m open to suggestions.”
Ruby: “When I say ‘now’, use your grapple.” I use my webs to blind her before shooting a barrage to pin her arms to her sides. “Now!”
Blake: “I see where you're heading.” Before Tock can free herself, Blake used her grapple which attached to Tock’s shirt before she finagled it to wrap around her several times before pulling to tighten it and keep her arms pinned.
Tombstone: “Grah! Why you little-!” As she struggles, I jump onto her back and use the inhaler. She still puts up quite the struggle as I prolong her exposure, before she eventually moved in a way to pull Blake along and smack her into some crates, followed by Tock flexing enough to snap the grapple cables and break free from my webbing. I try to hold to continue applying the gas before she eventually did manage to grab me and toss me aside. She looks rather angry afterwards. “I don’t know what you dosed me with, but if you think it’ll be enough to stop me, you’ve got another thing coming!” She says as Blake recovers.
Blake: “Ngh! Maybe so. But it will even the odds for us.”
Tombstone: “Grr!” She grabs a nearby steel pipe and charges in swinging as we dodge and fight back. Blake’s claws cut the pipe in half, forcing Tock to throw it away. She continues to fight, but her moves start getting sluggish as the anesthesia finally starts taking affect. “Ngh! Uh, what is *yaaawn* happening?”
Ruby: “Now we’ve got her!” We get in close and dodge one last attempted attack before delivering a barrage of punches before we jump back and we slingshot ourselves at her to deliver a final double punch to the face, which launched her into her alcohol supplies. We get in one look at before she finally closes her eyes and slips in a deep slumber. Blake goes ahead and sends an anonymous message to the police before some of Tock’s men barge and see standing her unconscious body.
Biker 1: “The hell!? The boss lost! Impossible!”
Biker 2: “You two are gonna pay for this!” We give each other a quick look before smirking, despite the fact you can’t really tell with me because of my mask.
Ruby: “We still have time before the cops show up, right?”
Blake: “I’m up for a few more rounds if you are.”
Ruby: “Then let’s do this.” And so, for the next little while, we continuously fought the currently present members of Tock’s gang until they are all out for the count up until we start hearing incoming sirens. “Okay. Sorry to fight and run, but we’d better get going.” We escape through the skylight and jump to a different rooftop to observe the police to assure Tock’s arrest. Thankfully, the dose I gave was quite effective, as she was still unconscious when the cops picked her up and placed her in the back of one of their large trucks meant for gathering large amounts of criminals.
Weiss: “Nice work guys. Hopefully they’ll be able to contain her once she’s convicted.”
Blake: “It won’t take them long to figure how special she is. They'll set her up in the Vault once they work that out.”
Yang: “Best to let Qrow and Vernal handle all of that.”
Blake: “In the meantime though, I’m exhausted. I just wanna go home and take a nice long bath.”
Ruby: “Yeah. I’ll meet you at home, Sis.” And so, we all head home for the night to rest. And for the next few days, we kept an eye on the developments of Tock’s case, up until they finally announced her conviction and sentence.
Lisa: “After a few days of spreading chaos throughout Vale, the leader of this biker gang known as Tombstone has finally been arrested, and has recently been declared guilty of all charges. Further investigation revealed Tombstones identity as a crocodile Faunus named Tock Barrie, as well as a chemical induced infliction from her childhood that made her physically invulnerable and incredibly strong because of a now extinct concoction known as Diox-3. Due to MS. Barrie’s unique condition, her sentence is to carried in the Vault to assure successful containment.” All the while us and the cops have working to clean up any stragglers of her gang who continue to cause trouble. There are likely still more around the city but are laying low with their operations slowing decaying post Tock’s arrest. The developments were also being watched by members of the Maggia as we cut to Don Paul Parrot.
Parrot: “So the so-called ‘heroes’ managed to get one over on Tombstone, huh?”
Thug: “I’m afraid so sir. Her gang's numbers have been steadily dwindling in the days since her arrest. And those who remain are staying off the grid.”
Parrot: “Regarding her crew, it doesn’t really matter. But regarding Tock herself, it does ruffle my feathers a bit to hear she’s been defeated. Seems like we’ve been underestimating these upstarts for too long.”
Thug: “So what do we do sir?”
Parrot: “Continue to observe them. Especially the superpowered spider girl. Best we remain vigilant for the coming future.”
Thug: “Yes sir.” He leaves as Parrot fixes himself a drink.
Parrot: “I’m certain the other families are doing the same as well. With all of us watching her, we can rest easy. And if she tries to fight us, then I’m sure she won’t stop us then either. Tock may have been a large gang. But the Maggia makes five whole gangs. No way she can take us all on. They'll learn soon enough... that this city belongs to us.”