Black Widow revisited

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

This takes place on the Saturday after Cheney's death, but before his funeral.

 

Amanda Waller and Henry Peter Gyrich, both from the National Security Council, entered the CIA Director's office. "What do you two want?" the Director asked.

 

"The agent Kinsey was talking about," Gyrich replied.

 

"Since she has superpowers, she belongs with us, not you," Waller added.

 

"Wrong," the CIA Director said. "She was a CIA agent until the NID found out, through a mole, about her and teamed up with the scientist she was investigating to set a trap. for her. Oh, the mole's dead and his body cremated."

 

"You will turn her over to us," Gyrich said. "She's our responsibility now, not yours."

 

"Wrong," the CIA Director said. "She's our responsibility. Yours is issuing security clearances to superheroes. Now leave." They left.

 

Dr. Valarie Cooper, the head of the Commission on Superhuman Affairs, arrived next. "Good morning, Val," the Director said. "What do you need?"

 

"I heard about your agent," Val replied. "She staying with you?"

 

"Yeah," the CIA Director replied.

 

"Fine," Val replied. "Don't let Kinsey and the NID get her."

 

"I don't plan to," he said. "Any chance we can get the President to close them down after siezing all their records?"

 

"Bush likes them too much," Val replied. "I'll do what I can to keep them off your back."

 

"Thanks, Val."

 

"You're welcome."

 

Former SHIELD Director Nick Fury and current SHIELD Director Maria Hill were the next to stop by. Like Val, they promised to help.

[Ephelides]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

The Commission on Superhuman Affairs' date=' headed by Dr. Valerie Cooper, is the government's superhero sanctioning agency. It also serves as a clearinghouse for federal superhero information. A superhero team's [u']official [/u]federal liaison is an employeeof the commission. However, since not all agencies trust them, agencies will sometimes assign an unofficial liaison, who, technically, has very little status.

 

So, if (say) Homeland Security tries to force a liason on a team, they can tell 'em to jump up themselves?

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

So' date=' if (say) Homeland Security tries to force a liason on a team, they can tell 'em to jump up themselves?[/quote']

 

No, they still have to accept that person. However, since the Commission is the campaign's version of the DOSPA, that liaison has to be obeyed while Homeland Security's doesn't.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

The rest of the weekend ran smoothly. At night since, due to Cheney's death, all social events were postponed, Denise, under Judy's watchfull eyes, practiced her wall crawling.

 

The funeral was Monday. On Tuesday, Senator Edward Kealty of Vermont was announced as the next Vice President. Like Jack Ryan, he was anti NID. Kinsey wasn't happy.

 

The next two days were normal. Then, Friday at noon, the bottom fell out of the stock market. At the same time, for some reason, the computers recording the transactions, started recording gibberish.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

For those who are wondering about the Fair Trade Act mentioned in Debt of Honor, the incident that sparked it occurred on Saturday afternoon and the bill was signed the Wednesday before the stock market had its problems.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

"I wonder what's going to happen to Kealty," Denise said as Judy entered the room.

 

"The FBI's going to investigate?" Judy replied. "If they find enough evidence, he'll be impeached and we'll have a new Vice President."

 

"The President's going to tumble furthur in the polls," Denise said. "I wonder if Kinsey and the NID are behind this.

 

"I don't follow," Judy said.

 

"Kealty doesn't like the NID," Denise said.

 

"I don't know," Judy said. "Of course, the Attorney-General could decide to send the United States Marshalls after the NID."

 

"Yeah," Denise said. "We just need proof that they're the NID is controlling their rogue elements."

 

"You do know that Bush likes the NID?" Judy asked.

 

"Yeah," Denise replied with a grin. "I don't like Bush."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

"I don't either," Judy admitted.

 

They listened to the news. The United States and Japan had an undeclared war over trade practices. "I'm not sure I understand the whole thing?" Judy said.

 

"To help their manufacturing industry, Japan has all sorts of rules to limit what they can import," Denise, who had been studying reports, replied. "However, until the law was signed, we didn't have any restrictions on what we can import from them. Now that we do, their economy is hurting."

 

"I see," Judy said. "Economics makes my head hurt."

 

"Mine, too," Denise admitted. "I was quoting a state department report that the agency sent me. They also said that the justice department has no interest in going after the NID."

 

"Why not?" Judy asked.

 

"The Attorney-General is one of Kinsey's friends.

 

"Figures," Judy said.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Denise's status was the subject of discussion of a number of closed-door meetings by various people. Val Cooper stated her belief that the NID should be shut down and all the employees arrested intil a complete examination of the records determined the truth.

 

Maria Hill agreed with her and offered help from SHIELD's computer experts.

 

Kinsey called them both traitors. They told Kinsey that he was a fool and should be in jail with his NID buddies. Kinsey was not amused.

 

Jack Ryan suggested that Denise leave the CIA and join either Homeland Security or SHIELD.

 

Kinsey demanded that all the intelligence and law enforcement agencies become part of the NID. Jack told him that it wouldn't happen and, if he had his way, the NID would be desolved.

 

The "discussion" went on another two hours before breaking up.

[Ephelides]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

No' date=' they still have to accept that person. However, since the Commission is the campaign's version of the DOSPA, that liaison has to be obeyed while Homeland Security's doesn't.[/quote']

 

Ah!

 

Thanks for explaining.

 

You have a really neat story here.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Ah!

 

Thanks for explaining.

 

You have a really neat story here.

 

Glad you like it. I'm trying to keep the characters as they appear in books, comic books, and TV.

 

That means that Kinsey has to be a pompus senator who wants to be President and has taken the NID's side because they're willing to get him elected.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

I'm not sure we're doing the right thing here.

 

I wanted to have Denise captured during a break-in twice. Once by the CIA, who made her an agent, the other time by a mad scientist, who gave Denise her powers. We did that.

 

I wanted Denise to run afowl of a rival intelligence agence and a senator that was tied into them. I chose Kinsey and the NID because, like Senator Roark from Sin City, they're cool.

 

Of course, I could've had the DEA borrow her for a raid because they couldn't get any of their regular locksmiths. Evidence siezed during the raid would've uncovered the fact that a powerful senator's son being a drug dealer and daddy, who didn't want his career ruined, decided to ruin the case against his son any way he could.

 

I chose to include Jack Ryan because I wanted to include the events leading up to his being President. If I was doing this again, and using Jack, I'd have placed this story closer to his being President and, probably, ignored most of Debt of Honor.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

I am going to retcon this starting with the point where she's captured by the CIA. For the most part, there will just be minor tweaks to the story.

 

Even if it existed, the NID is mandated to oversee top secret military projects. It wouldn't, overtly, be spying. Also, while Kinsey is on their side, he wouldn't broadcast this in public. He'd just work for them behind the scenes.

 

Finally, Denise is the female version of a "gentleman thief". While she's armed, all her weapons are non-lethal.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Unaware that he was being watched, Arachne opened a second floor window and slipped into the mansion he'd been hired, through his go-between, to steal a specific envelope from. He had also been told that he could take anything else he wanted. As he pocketed the envelope, a gas pellet exploded at his feet. He then fell to the floor.

 

A group of gas masked figures gathered around the burglar. "How long did they say he'd be out?" one asked.

 

"Between three and four hours," came the response. "Oh, this burglar is a woman, just like the original Arachne, the weaver that challanged the goddess Athena. Help me carry her to the van. Once she's at the safehouse, we'll have the go-between's house raided."

 

"This is a small man, not a woman," the first man said.

 

"This burglar is a woman," the man that had been giving the orders said. "Notice her curves."

 

"It's a small guy who padded himself to look like a woman," the first insisted. "I know about these things. My son's a friggin transvestite."

 

Once at the safehouse, Arachne was carefully put on a padded table. Thereher captors removed her backpack, jacket, boots,, and webbing. Once these were set aside, her gloves were removed, revealing well cared for, feminine hands and manicured and polished nails. "As I said, a woman," the boss said.

 

"Bull," the man who know about transvestites said.

 

"Now to unmask her." The boss slid her headlamp off. A ski mask followed. Under it, were tinted goggles, a two-hole balaclava, and, on her ears, small devices that looked like hrearing aids. As the balaclava was removed, shoulder-length red hair fell into view.

 

"I know this lady," a man who hadn't spoken before said. "She's a supermodel. I've seen her in the tabloids and my wife's fashion magazines."

 

"Good cover for a burglar," the boss said. "She got any burglar gear that we don't know about?"

 

"Nope," came the reply. The team hit the go-between's house yet?"

 

"They're doing it right now," the boss replied. "We'll give Arachne her injection, put her jacket, boots, and gloves back on, place her in her cell and wait for her to awaken."

 

"Wonderful," Arachne said to herself as she woke up. "I'm unmasked, in a cell, and my gear is missing. At least whoever did this let me keep my clothes."

 

"Good morning, Arachne," came a pleasant voice from an overhead speaker.

 

"If you say so," she said. "What do you want?"

 

"We want you to steal exclusively for us for at least the next four years. If you think your go-between will come for you, he won't. The FBI raided his house earlier this morning and caught him with a known Arab terrorist. They were ordered to surrender. When they didn't, they were killed. The FBI also seased all their files."

 

"What happens if I don't cooperate?"

 

"Your civilian identity will be killed off and you'll be thrown in the deepest hole we can find before you know what hit you. The same thing will happen if you agree, and later stray.'

 

"How will you know if I stray?"

 

"We injected a tiny homing transmitter into your upper left arm."

 

"Figures. What happens if I accept your offer?"

 

"You will be well paid and have a life full of excitement. We'll throw in a penthouse apartment, plenty of high-tech toys, a housekeeper, and a high-performance sports car."

 

"Fine," Denise Dumont said. "You have yourself a cat burglar."

 

"Good. Your code name is Black Widow. We don't Arachne associated with the CIA."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

The next three years proved to be good for Denise and the CIA. Then, a mission went wrong and she was caught by a henchman of the mad scientist whose house she'd broken into and knocked out. As she came to Denise found herself in her underwear and strapped to an operating table. Wires connected her to various boxes.

 

"You are?" he asked.

 

"Going to kick your butt," Denise replied. That earned her an electric shock.

 

"Answer my question," he roared.

 

"I'm Arachne," she replied.

 

"The cat burglar?"

 

Yeah. You have something I want."

 

"My dear Arachne, I'm about to inject you with a retroviris that's been made from the DNA of several kinds of spiders. If this treatment takes, I'll place you under my mental control. If it doesn't, it'll kill you and I'll turn your body into mulch and feed you to my roses."

 

"You're crazy," Denise said. The scientist laughed and injected her with the fluid. She then screamed and did her best to compact herself into a ball.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

A few notes before we rejoin Denise.

 

Since the campaign is a Dark Champions, TAS one, I'm trying to be as realistic as possible.

 

Being a supermodel and cat burglar, Denise works out regulary and is in excellent shape. She is a skilled acrobat, climber, and martial artist. Although her prefered use for her martial arts skills is knocking her victim out, Denise can hold her own in a fight.

 

Her prefered weapons are a suppressed pistol loaded with knockout darts, a telescoping baton, and pepper spray. She doesn't use an electric stun gun because it can kill and she doesn't use chloroform because the dose needed to knock someone out, more than the few drops shown in movies, is considered lethal.

 

Although she does tie her victims up, always with whatever is at hand, Denise never gags her victims because doing such a thing could easily lead to suffocation.

 

She's, more or less, a cinematic cat burglar.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

"We'll remove the wires and unstrap her," the scientist said. "Hold her hands while I reposition her." The henchmen did so. Denise contracted tighter into a ball. "I'll straighten her out," the scientist said.

 

Then, he received a surprise. Denise, who had been playing possum, kicked, hard and fast with both feet. The scientist flew, backwards, into the wall and knocked himself out. His two helpers, Stew and Lou, released Denise's arms and reached for their guns.

 

As they did so, Denise came to a squat position and kicked Lou in the jaw. He fell down She then kicked Stew, who was looking at Lou, just behind his right ear. He landed on top of his partner.

 

With nobody left to pummel, Denise searched the lab for notes and formulae that might help the CIA, information on what they'd done to her, and her gear. She found her gear first, then she found the information she was looking for.

 

As she was packing it away in her backpack, the scientist came to, grabbed a gun, and shot at her. She was startled enough to jump, straight up, and land on the ceiling.

 

"What the...?" Denise asked herself as she clung, spider-like, to the lab ceiling. More shots rang out and the lights went out. "You killed the fuse box," Denise called out.

 

He yelled something impolite and threw his pistol in her general direction. It missed and smashed a shelf full of chemicals. "Missed me," she called out.

 

"It's going to explode," he said, running around. Denise dropped to the floor and ran for the nearest exit. She was outside the property line when the polace exploded. The scientist, on the other hand, who was on the porch, was impaled and decapitated by flying debris.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Denise's powers in this version are identical to those in the other version of her. However, instead of an NID agent, she stung some terrorist who tried to attack her contact.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Two weeks after her test, Mary Patricia Foley, the CIA's Deputy Director of Operations, called Denise in.

 

"You wanted to see me, Mrs Foley?" she asked.

 

"Yes," she replied. I got a call from a friend in the DEA today. They're going on a big raid tonight and they need someone to act as their locksmith. You interested in doing it?"

 

"Sure," Denise replied. "When and where do I meet them?"

 

"Here's the information," Mary Pat replied, handing Denise a slip of paper. "Have fun."

 

"I will," Denise laughed as she left.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

Denise appeared at the time and place requested, wearing, also as requested, black clothes and carrying her equipment in a plastic tool box.

 

"We're hitting a major area distributor tonight," the team leader said. "Denise, you wait outside until we let you know that we're clear."

 

"Understood," Denise said.

 

They hit the place hard, then, once the occupants were arrested and read their rights, Denise was called in. Although gloved, she was able to feel several hidden compartments. When they were opened, they revealed drugs, money, automatic weapons, account books, and video cassettes labled with names and dates.

 

The occupants were taken to jail, but not processed. This gave the DEA agents enough time to get warrants to make more arrests. Denise took part in some of them.

 

One of the people arrested was the son of a politically powerful United States senator who did everything he could to cause problems for the DEA. When a contact told him that the locksmith the DEA had been using was a CIA agent who was an expert with black-bag jobs, he jumped on that and pointed out that she wasn't permitted to work within the United States.

 

The CIA stated that the senator's contact was lying and that the agency was permitted to loan its agents out to other agencies. When the senator insisted that she be come forward and identify herself, the agency said that she wasn't available.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

"Jack, did you see this report about a senator's son?"

 

"Yes, Mr. President. The senator's son was caught dealing drugs by the DEA."

 

"A CIA agent was helping the DEA agents. That's against the law."

 

"There's nothing wrong with the CIA loaning the DEA an agent, Mr. President," John Patrick "Jack" Ryan said. "If you'll look closely, you'll note that she was acting as their locksmith."

 

"Locksmith?" the President asked.

 

"The DEA often hires locksmiths to open safes and locks in suspects' houses. According to this report, they asked the CIA to provide them with someone having those skills. What happens? They send an agent who has these skills."

 

"Why, Jack?"

 

"They might not have had a locksmith available."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Black Widow revisited

 

I'm considering a major revision of this character. It'll result in a new thread, "Black Widow revisited, version 2.0".

 

In it, our heroine is an African-American woman and was recruited by the CIA from the theatre department of a major university.