HL: Chapter 34

Jackie made his way over to the top of a nearby building where Power Girl was waiting for him. It was some kinda Bank or financial services office or some shit like that, complete with a helipad for the Corporate Types to take off and land on. Power Girl'd touched down in the middle of the helipad and Jackie followed suit, landing next to her in a crouch before straightening up and nodding at her. Power Girl nodded back, cracking a sorta crooked grin that ain't quite a smirk as she did so, causing Jackie to frown a bit. He had a buncha questions he wanted to ask, not least of which was just who the fuck this Salamander asshole was supposed to be and what'd taken Power Girl so long to show up and help out at Sotheby's. Power Girl pre-empted all that, though, making the first move, so to speak.

"Black Tiger. Heard you'd be showing up to New York City, though I didn't think you'd be sucked into the latest problem we've been having so soon." Mused Power Girl.

"Yeah? You heard I'd be coming here, huh?" Questioned Jackie.

"Yeah. Our mutual friend with the cape and cowl might have given me a head's up." Confirmed Power Girl.

"Right. And did he tell you who I was, under the mask and shit, I mean?" Queried Jackie.

"It wasn't his secret to tell, but if you feel like sharing, I'll reciprocate." Offered Power Girl.

"Gimme a sec to figure out if I trust you ore not before we do that sorta thing." Snorted Jackie.

"You don't trust me, even though I know Bruce?" Asked Power Girl.

"That ain't proof of shit. Bruce knows Catwoman. Hell, Bruce knew me before I went all White Hat." Scoffed Jackie.

"That's fair, I guess." Shrugged Power Girl.

"So, what's this new problem the City's been having?" Questioned Jackie.

"A bunch of new Supervillains have come on the scene lately. At least three in the last couple of weeks. You've met the Salamander, there's two others as well." Informed Power Girl.

"Oh yeah? What sorta Supervillains are the other two?" Queried Jackie.

"One is going by Skeletos, he's some kind of low rent Necromancer. The minions he can make aren't the strongest, but that's not what makes him dangerous. He can use necromancy to absorb some of the skills of the dead he puts his magic into. Including stuff like Sorcery and Super-Science." Explained Power Girl.

"Sounds nasty if you let this asshole build up." Mused Jackie.

"Yeah, I've had to face him twice now." Nodded Power Girl.

"Then why ain't he behind bars?" Asked Jackie.

"You realize Harry Houdini is buried in Queens, right? One of the first things he did was to absorb Houdini's escapology skills. Fifteen minutes after the NYPD put the cuffs on him, he got loose." Sighed Power Girl.

"Slippery asshole." Grunted Jackie.

"You don't know the half of it. New York City isn't like Metropolis. We don't have a Special Crimes Division with high tech gear to help keep the Supervillains behind bars here." Affirmed Power Girl.

"You said there'd been two new assholes, yeah? So what about the other new Supervillain?" Questioned Jackie.

"She's called Yara, apparently after some Brazilian River Siren who lures people to their death in the Amazon by singing. It's an apt name, because she's got a mystical voice she can use to force people to do what she wants." Informed Power Girl.

"So pull an Odysseus. Stuff your ears with wax or some shit like that. It's not like you ain't able to deal without hearing, you're a goddamn Kryptonian!" Scoffed Jackie.

"It's not that simple." Refuted Power Girl.

"It ain't? Coulda fooled me. Why not?" Queried Jackie.

"She doesn't just have the ability to enchant people, she can also use her voice to let out a sonic scream." Explained Power Girl.

"And 'cause she's magic, that scream'd actually hurt you instead of being able to shrug that shit off." Remarked Jackie, understanding.

"You know about that?" Asked Power Girl.

"I ain't always been a White Hat, Peegee. I read up on you Kryptonians, just in case I hadta face off against one of you back in the day." Admitted Jackie.

"I see. I guess it's a good thing you've changed then." Huffed Power Girl.

"Damn straight. So, what sorta shit've these assholes been into?" Questioned Jackie.

"A lot of it has been the same sort of thing you dealt with tonight. Robberies from Auction Houses, Private Collections, and so on. Usually, some sort of magic book or item has been the target." Informed Power Girl.

"Just how many damn Grimoires are up for sale in one city, anyhow?" Queried Jackie, incredulous.

"It's New York City. We're a pretty large place." Pointed out Power Girl.

"Right. So what kinda shit's been taken?" Asked Jackie.

"Thankfully, they only managed to steal one of the items they were after. Yara managed to sneak into the Collection of Senator Walter Reilly in his Manhattan Brownstone. She managed to steal a Ninth Century Byzantine Greek Grimoire, the Picatrix, containing Byzantine Hermetic and Sabean Elementalist Spells, Islamic Alchemy Formulae, Byzantine Thallasomancy Spells, and Ismailist Geomantic Divination." Answered Power Girl.

"And where were you when that was going down?" Questioned Jackie.

"Helping out another hero, Firestorm. He'd been ambushed by Killer Frost." Responded Power Girl.

"I thought Killer Frost was dead? Some sorta tussle she had with Firestorm last year causing a big explosion?" Queried Jackie.

"She was. There's a new Killer Frost now." Explained Power Girl.

"Fantastic. Shit ain't never gonna be easy for me it seems." Groused Jackie.

"These theft attempts are coordinated. I was sidetracked by Skeletos this evening who made me chase him halfway around the Upper East Side as a distraction for the Salamander." Informed Power Girl.

"Which means this ain't just a buncha rookie Supervillains teaming up. Somebody's guiding 'em. Somebody who knows what's what." Mused Jackie.

"Seems that way." Agreed Power Girl.

"I don't suppose you'd wanna team up on this?" Asked Jackie.

"I might, actually. These guys have been giving me the runaround and I could use a partner to bring them down." Agreed Power Girl.

"All right. I guess we're calling this a team-up, then." Grinned Jackie.

"I guess. What's our first move?" Questioned Power Girl.

"Well, if we're dealing with a Veteran Supervillain organizing a buncha rookie Supervillains, we need a veteran presence of our own." Mused Jackie.

"What are you thinking?" Queried Power Girl.

"Just so happens, I have an in with some of the most veteran White Hats around. Might be time to use it." Smirked Jackie.

"Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Asked Power Girl.

"I think I am saying what you think I'm saying. Maybe we oughtta head to the Dodds Mansion and pay the Sandman a visit." Nodded Jackie.

"The Sandman's like, a hundred years old, though!" Protested Power Girl.

"That don't mean he ain't useful. He's got more experience than both us and Firestorm combined." Pointed out Jackie.

"You know, when Bruce said you were a fan boy for the JSA, I didn't believe him at first." Pointed out Power Girl.

"Damn straight I am. Ain't no school like the old school." Smirked Jackie.

"Whatever. Meet me back here tomorrow night and we'll head over there together." Sighed Power Girl.

And with that, Power Girl took off, flying her fine ass up into the night sky and leaving Jackie staring at her from the rooftop as she left. Not that Jackie was complaining. After all, it was a Hell of an ass. However, he ain't got the time to just stand there on a rooftop all night. Maybe if he hurried, Karen Starr'd still be waiting for him at the Thai joint, even though he was gonna be an hour or so late to their meeting. It was the vain sorta hope that guys who needed a Hail Mary clung onto sometimes, but it could technically happen. Jackie took off using the Resplendent Crane Takes Flight, heading for where he'd parked his Camaro to change and try and make it to the Thai joint in time to at least have some kinda meeting with the CEO of Starrware Industries that might lead to him nabbing the Green Tech for his breweries. A man could dream, anyway.

Unfortunately, that dream turned out to be for nothing. Jackie made it to the Golden Elephant Thai Restaurant only to find out that Karen Starr'd canceled on his ass without ever showing up. Apparently, she'd had some kinds big thing come up at home, though she'd told the Hostess to let Jackie know she planned to reschedule for two weeks from today. At least that was something and she ain't about to leave him in the lurch sight unseen. Still, it was a blow to Jackie's plans for expanding his business. Of course, that don't mean that Jackie couldn't enjoy a bit of Thai Food now, either. Karen Starr'd insisted this joint had the best Thai food in the City, and Jackie was gonna test that claim, Supervillain attack or no Supervillain attack. He ordered some Chicken Satay Skewers and a bowl of Pad Kee Mao, or Drunken Noodles, grabbing a Singha Beer for a drink.

The shit was real good, if a bit spicy for Jackie's taste, though that ain't as much of a deal breaker as it'd been before Jackie'd gone all in on his Uncle's Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Jackie finished his food, had a couple beers, left a big-ass tip when he paid, and headed out the door into the night. As he got back to his Camaro, however, he heard a scream. New York City may not've been Gotham City, but it seemed muggings ain't something that New York lacked compared to Gotham. It took just a couple moments for Jackie to suit up as Black Tiger again before heading in the direction of the scream. Entering an alleyway near the Golden Elephant, he found a Dude in a Balaclava menacing the Hostess from when Jackie'd walked in with a knockoff Glock nine millimeter pistol.

A quick dash forward and an elbow strike to the back of the Balaclava Asshole's head knocked the Asshole out. The Hostess thanked Jackie Profusely in Thai, which Jackie, thankfully knew how to speak, 'cause the Old Man'd made him study a buncha different languages as part of Jackie's training. Either way, Jackie responded in the same language, much to the Hostess' apparent shock, trying to ensure she knew that she ain't gotta bow and scrape to him for him to save her like this.

"No need to thank me. Trying to do better for folks, is all." Waved off Jackie in Thai.

"You speak Thai! I didn't think most people here did!" Exclaimed the Hostess.

"A lotta folks don't. I studied, though." Smirked Jackie.

"Here. Take this, please." Offered the Hostess, thrusting a handful of cash at Jackie.

"I don't need the cash. Keep it for yourself." Refused Jackie.

"Generous too. Thank you! You come by the Golden Elephant and I'll have the chef cook you a meal free of charge. We have the best Thai Food in the City!" Boasted the Hostess.

"I believe you, Miss. . ." Trailed off Jackie.

"Milin. Milin Waraha." Introduced the Hostess.

"Well, Milin, I'm known as Black Tiger, and I might just take you up on that." Smirked Jackie.

He would too. After all, ain't no way Jackie was gonna pass up free food. 'Specially not the sorta free food he'd just eaten. That shit'd been absolute culinary dynamite. Besides, if he ain't gonna take money for helping folks out, but they still insisted on paying it forward, he could do a lot worse than free Thai Food from the Golden Elephant. Grinning, the Hostess, Milin, winked at Jackie, who nodded back at her, before using the Resplendent Crane Takes Flight to leap up into the air and fly up into the New York City Skyline. After all, the night was still young, and New York'd just proved it ain't too much less dangerous for the average citizen than Gotham. He oughtta be able to get in a quick patrol before heading back to his primary New York safehouse.

In the end, he stopped three more muggings and an attempt to rob a Pawn Shop by a random Thief wearing unfamiliar gang colors, Red and Green on a Bandana tied around his bicep, out near Koreatown before packing it in. The Thief sputtered as he found his ass hauled bodily into the air as he tried to pick the lock on the Pawn Shop's door, shouting all kindsa bullshit about how the Imugi'd deal with him for this. Jackie paid it no mind. He was beyond revenge from a buncha Gangbangers at this point. All in all, Jackie figured it'd been a decently successful night of Superheroics.

As he made his way back to his Camaro after dropping the thief off at the Local Police Department, though, Jackie never noticed the nondescript Asian Cop watching him drop the thief off. Just as he left, that cop picked up the phone and made a call that Jackie saw and ignored, thinking it'd be official cop business. That, it would turn out, wouldn't be the case, and Jackie would find that out soon enough.

For now, however, Jackie headed back to his Camaro, considering tonight a successful evening. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Jackie not only manages to get Power Girl to agree to a team-up with him, he also gets more info on some of the new faces in Supervillainy in New York City, while also planning their next step. Of course, he also sows the seeds for another confrontation in the same night with the Koreatown Imugi, a Gang named after the Lesser Dragons of Korean Myth as well, but strikes and gutters. He also hears about a new Killer Frost on the scene. Yes, those of you who know DC Comics will recognize this to be Louise Lincoln, a friend and research associate of the Original Killer Frost, Crystal Frost, who took up the Mantle after Crystal's death.

At any rate, the next chapter will be Jackie and Power Girl heading for the Dodds Mansion to try and get advice from Wesley Dodds. Then we'll enter into a bit of a training Arc before having an interlude with the Professor, showing more of his organization. I'll also have a few more images out afterward as well.

Stay tuned. . .