Arsenal #6

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Multiverse Presents


Issue 6
Conquest

Written by Jim Crawbuck (Royharper)

Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Multiverse logo created by Tony Peterson (Starfall)

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Roy’s house mid-afternoon as he’s playing with his daughter in the front lawn.

“I think I need a repair,” says Roy, holding up a small teacup with his pinky out.

“A repair?” asks Lian.

“It means a refill, Button Nose,” he says, breaking character only for a moment before quickly bouncing back to his snooty posture.

Lian giggles. She picks a small teapot from the fold –a-way-table and pretends to poor it into Roy’s teacup.

“How’s that, Sir?” she says in her best British accent.

“Very well, Madam,” answers Roy, pointing his nose in the air.

In the distance, a man approaches. He’s hunched over and dragging his feet. He looks up and calls out.

“Roy Harper,” shouts Teddy from the sidewalk.

Roy looks up and sees him. He calmly gets to his feet. He smiles as he positions himself between his daughter and the stranger.

“Can I help you?” asks Roy warmly greeting.

“Roy Harper, my name is Ted Whalen and I have something very important to tell you.” says Ted with more conviction than Teddy has ever known.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

In the main office at Scotland Yard, Vinny is talking to someone across his desk. Mosely is looming over Vinny’s shoulder, projecting a blank gaze across the room.

“All the pieces were in place. I had Don Hubbriocca in check. It was just a matter of how long before I made it mate. You see, I planned on Teddy betraying me. In fact, I was counting on it,” Vinny says arrogantly. “You have to move your pawn before freeing your rook. You know what I am saying. I gave Teddy all the information he needs to get to my boss. This is where I lost control. At this point there’s no way of telling what Teddy is planning, when he’s going to strike or when. So I sent Mosely to tail him. Maybe I can get a where or when or maybe he can just help him from a distance. At least he becomes a contingence tool.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Flashback

Don Hubbriocca is sitting in Vinny’s office with his feet on top of the desk and smoking a big, fat cigar. His hired muscle is crowded around him.

I knew he was coming that day I just didn’t expect to find him and three goons in my office.

When Vinny enters the room, he shields his shock by looking towards the ground as he takes a knee. He reaches for the Don’s ring hand as he looks up.

“Well. Well. I see we are already here. What a pleasant surprise,” he says with a smile as he kisses the Don’s ring.

“I’ve seen all I need to see, Vincent. Now let’s go get something to eat,” demands the Don.

“What? What’s wrong?” impulsively asks Vinny.

“Nuttin I still love whatcha doin’ here. I just don’t talk business on an empty stomach. Caprice. Besides our business is done. You got whatcha need,” says the Don as his men escort him out. “Let’s go.”

I was shocked. I didn’t know where this was going anymore. For a brief second I was worried. So I hesitated. I hesitated just long enough to see what was going on outside.

Teddy is out back, trying to pick the lock on the trunk in the Don’s limo.

At this point I just stayed behind and watched. In this moment I realized not only am I brilliant but lucky as well. The Don reacted impetuously harsh. It was almost like he himself was trying to help my cause. This goes to prove that smart men do make their own luck.

The Don and his crew surround Teddy.

“Oh, this is cute. You want the key?” asks the Don sarcastically.

“No thanks. I almost got it,” says Teddy as he continues to struggle with the trunk.

“Kill ’em. Then help ’em get in there,” orders the Don.

This was the first time I got to witness my favorite hero in live action. I was awe stricken. I could not believe how it was falling into place. How it was all unfold in front of my very eyes. Like all my little players were putting on a private finale just for me. I remember thinking is this how the greats feel when it all goes down. This feeling of invincibility is intoxicating. Oh, I am sorry about that little tangent. Where was I? Yes, that’s right the Don said, “Kill ’em. Then help ’em in there.”

All three guards all draw their weapons. Fssst. Fssst. Fssst. All three are now disarmed.

Three arrows fired fractions of a second a part. Each one whistling through the air and melodically finds their target. Poetically, mercifully, violently disarming each guard before anyone of them can pull a trigger. Each guard instinctively surveys the area searching for their unknown assailant. In that split second a cord snakes through the air, burrowing itself into the Don’s shoulder. When the juice was sent through that wire that fat bastard shook like Jell-O on top of a washing machine during its spin cycle. It was awesome. He dropped that tub-o-lard with a splat. That guard who was some sort of boxing champ jump to the Don’s aid. The other two converged on Arsenal. Teddy just took shelter underneath the limo.

“Two on one, boys. Right idea. Wrong ingredients,” chuckles Roy.

The first guard throws a punch. Roy catches his arm and pulls him across his body using the guard’s own momentum. The second guard goes for a kick but accidentally hits his partner. Roy still holding his arm used the impact of the kick to keep the first guard balanced. Then he catapults himself off the first guard hiding his kick that lands on the forehead of the second guard. That blow renders the second guard unconscious.

He so confidently enters the confrontation but doesn’t get distracted by it. I see him eyeing the Don and the third guard the whole time.

Roy drops the kicking foot to the ground and slides it into a strong base. He release the first guards arm and unleashes a flurry of body blows. Just as the guard is about to buckle, Roy snaps to an upright position leading with his right hand above his head. Which translates into a devastating uppercut. CRACK!

I heard that man’s jaw break while I was still inside. That boxer doesn’t fall for Roy’s trap. He realizes Roy watching him and just squares off with him. I don’t know why he didn’t go for a gun. Maybe he thought he could take Arsenal. If there was any thought there at all.

Roy smiles as he squares off with his next advisory. “Ding. Ding. Rocky,” he says tauntingly.

I sat at the window, watching Arsenal play alley cat to the boxer’s field mouse. He was just blocking, dodging and laughing until he got his fill. Then when he reaches his limit he ended it with a taser. The man is most impressive. He also picked a fitting name. To call this man a living weapon is doing him a great injustice. He is a human Arsenal.

Yadda. Yadda. Roy and Teddy flee as the cops arrive. I played relieved, innocent business owner. Oh! Yes! The kicker to this part’s they arrested that crew for the attempted murder of Teddy Whalen. There was nothing in that trunk. What Teddy was doing we’ll never know but who cares. Let’s fast forward a bit.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Vinny is sitting in a cheap wooden chair at a visitor’s booth in a jailhouse. On the other side of the glass is the Don.

“Don’t worry it’ll never hold up,” reinsures Vinny.

“I know. Especially with the resources we have. The briefcase in your office is filled with all our major players’ contact information. They all know you are in charge in case of an emergency. So get out of here and get one of the lawyers to get me out of here,” says the Don, getting angrier with each word.

I love how all his ‘ mines’ transform to ‘ ours’ when he’s behind bars.

“I’ve already taken care of everything, Frank,” says Vinny losing his subservient tone.

“Yeah! Like you have a handle on that vigilante,” says the Don, trying to regain dominance.

Vinny starts to fix himself, using his reflection in the dividing glass and rebuts, “I never told you I had a handle on him. I said I had control of the situation and I do.”

Vinny exits, reveling Mosely in the neighboring booth. On the other side of the glass is recently incarcerated Ray-Ray. Ray nods yes and discreetly reveals a shiv to Mosely.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

We return to Vinny’s office where we see he is talking to Ray-Ray.

“You are well aware of the rest my friend. You kill him. We spring you. We all live like kings,” says Vinny, as he’s poring champagne. “That silly Titan thinks he’s won.”

Vinny hands a glass to Ray-Ray. Then he hands a glass to Mosely.

“Let’s not start underestimating him now, Vinny,” says Mosely.

Vinny agrees non-verbally. Raise his glass and says, “A toast. To you two which without whom none of this would be possible.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Meanwhile at the Harper residence, Roy is dancing around his living room with Lian standing on his feet. Ollie enters. Roy doesn’t stop dancing with his daughter.

“So what’s the waltz all about, Royster?” asks his one time mentor.

Roy dances into the kitchen. Dances back to Ollie now holding his daughter and a beer. Lian now holding her father and a beer. Lian hands her beer to Ollie.

“Parrrty!” she says.

“Why?” laughs Ollie.

“Because I took on the three major Drug and arms traders in Brooklyn and I won,” shouts Roy with glee.

“Just like that, huh? No fuss? No muss?” teases Ollie.

“No fuss. No muss,” Roy beams.

“Yeah! No fuzz! No muzz!” says his over protective daughter.

Ollie rolls his eyes.

“Well, your lack of confidence in my ability is sooo flattering, old man,” sarcastically states Roy. “Can’t you just enjoy this moment with me?”

“Yeah, I can. I mean what else do we have to do,” answers Ollie.

He gets up and starts dancing with a phantom partner.

“You know me, Roy. I’m all like ‘Go Team Arrow’.”

The end for now