OOC: Riveting combo with master @greyjedi125 and the exceptional @galactic-vagabond422
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Team Argus
Wall Street, NYC
Taming the Bull

Sirens wailed in the distance, a reminder of things to come, yet Team Argus could not be dissuaded from their course of action.

The Charging Bull of Wall Street bounded towards Blueline, the team leader, as he faced-off against the animated statue. In that moment, Aegis would find herself free to move any injured civilians from the area of conflict. Psion too was ready to act, as he fully understood what was needed of him. Each of their roles was critical for success; for time was of the essence.

Even as the trio did their parts, Doc sent them all a silent warning alert. Danger still lurked on the rooftops of the surrounding area. It would be prudent to still be careful.

Casey could hear the pounding hooves of the statue, feel each step it took through her feet, each thumping footfall in her chest. She couldn't worry about that now, she had a job. A piercing cry reached her and she rushed towards the sound. A family cowered likely here on vacation taking in the sights, now they faced a sight they weren't ready for. She crouched down to help the young child to their feet before urging the family on.

"Go get out of here." They hesitated for a moment. "Go." Casey commanded again, "Back that way." As the shell shocked people started moving she looked over her shoulder at Blue.

Blue stood almost unmoving as the bronze bull charged right at him. In that moment he considered his options: stand and take the hit, no doubt a very, very painful hit as 2,000 pounds of agitated metal slammed into him. Armor or not, he would be hurt, severely. The thought of just dropping prone came to mind. He could maybe slip between the hooves but, a single step would flatten his rib cage or smash his legs, more pain. His last option was to simply dive out of the way. He could see Casey out of the corner of his eye, her orange hoodie making her stand out. At the last second he dove away from the beast in a direction that would draw attention away from Casey as she tried to sheppard the lost away from the scene.

He left it to Psion as to what to do next.

Psion’s abilities allowed him to ‘follow’ his teammates movements as they became engaged in the action below, he felt both admiration and worry all at once. Doc’s warning of lurking danger made him tap deeper into his power, sensing for anything out of the ordinary, a tall order in this near chaos.

Psion focused, waiting for the moment to trap the animated bull, water fountain at the ready.

There was a sense of relief at seeing people cooperating with Aegis as she offered assistance. But tension set in as soon as Blue squared off against the bronze bull; the aggression and life-like behavior of this living statue was just unbelievable.

He held his breath as he watched the monstrosity barrel down towards their fearless leader, who doubtlessly possessed courage to spare and nerves of steel.

Then, in a feat of agility, Blueline evaded the deadly charge causing the metal beast to miss its intended victim.

That was the moment. Now!

Almost instantly a water jet would hit the Bull of Wall Street, the water would completely cover and submerge the statue and freeze, forming a giant block of ice.

The speed and spectacle of it all would probably leave any onlooker doubting what they were seeing.

From the nearby office window, Psion would keenly observe the containment, hoping that the mysterious energy animating the statue would dissipate or not react adversely.


The timing and teamwork between, Blueline, Aegis and Psion was finely executed! White Star leaders would have been 'proud' had any been watching. Aegis had remained calm when helping the civilians, Blueline hadn't risked himself needlessly, and Psion had been both practical and efficient with his capturing solution.

The Charging Bull was successfully trapped within a solid block of ice, all forward movement arrested.

There should have been cheers of celebration, feelings of relief. But Psion would find that the Bull was still animated inside the block, struggling, looking for a way to break free of its icy prison. The energy that suffused it was not dissipating at all. If the Bull managed to free itself, it would certainly continue to terrorize the immediate surroundings anew.


Psion folded his arms over his chest, obviously not at ease despite a successful containment.

Darn it, this thing is still alive, he thought to himself with growing annoyance.

He could feel the bull exerting pressure against its icy prison, trying to break free; he had to think of something else fast.

This situation was unlike anything they’ve ever faced before, this had to be magic at work, and such an unconventional situations prompted unconventional tactics. Maybe changing the Bull into a metal cube would do the trick, giving the ‘magics’ nothing to animate, or so he figured, after all this was purely guesswork.

But Psion was loath to do such a thing, it was pure vandalism, it was basically destroying art, his mind reeled against the idea, but if it meant saving lives…what choice was there.

“ Blue, Aegis listen up…”

“It’s trying to break free, I try changing its shape and see if that works, but our team may catch some bad press for disfiguring the statue.”

“But I think I can restore it if the plan works out…what do you think?”

There was some hesitation in his voice, but he was willing to give it a try.


Casey's eyes went wide as the bull passed where Blue should have been. Not seeing a body going flying or a red smear on the simmering metal she could assume that their stubborn friend actually did get out of the way of danger, something the young heroine wasn't expecting. In a moment the bull was restrained, ensconced completely in thick ice summoned by Psion. Letting out a breath she returned to her task. A group of onlookers had their phones out videotaping the incident.

"Please leave the area it isn't safe." She commanded

"Aw that was so cool. You see how it just got frozen." The man spoke not even noticing Caesy right in front of him.

"It isn't safe get out of here."

"Naw look nothing's getting out of that…" Then a crack was heard, the block of ice nearly jumping with force.

Aegis looked over her shoulder, heart starting to beat faster.

Blue stood unmoving in front of the frozen statue. He could see it struggling to escape looking right at him. It was impressive that it could still fight even when incased in ice. Casey was having issues getting the next group to move on, did they think this was a show or something.

Blue bit back a curse. There was a bull charging around the place and he was worried about damaging a piece of art.

"Do what you have to Psion." Blue said taking a step back then another as the crack grew larger. "Life is more important than art." the hero continued hoping to drive the point home. People were in danger; there wasn't time to worry about preserving art. The authorities were going to do what they were going to do, they already hated them, what was vandalism when they had Assault and vigilantism on their records.


“Alright…” Psion replied with a small sigh. The Blue Boss had given his permission.

As a prime shaper, all matter was his to control and this ability came with great responsibility.
As a hero, it was his duty to preserve and protect life first and foremost, to this end, his best effort was the only acceptable recourse.

Behind his visor Psion’s eyes flashed momentarily as he focused on the task at hand.

Pushing aside his apprehension, the dark clad youth seized that which was metal and bronze, fashioned in the likeness of a full grown bull and willed it to conform to the image in his mind, that of a simple cube, the size being naturally proportionate to its mass.

Said cube would remain inside the larger ice containment, in a strange way, this would almost look like a fancy upgrade to the Astor Place Cube, purely coincidental.

Aesthetics aside, the change would occur quickly and hopefully without issue, for Psion remained aware of the mysterious energy, the magics that made alive the metal sculpture. If the threat persisted he was ready to turn the statue into a pile of marbles if necessary.


The Charging Bull statue tried to buck once, but stopped moving in mid motion, as its shape began to flatten out into a more geometrical shape, specifically that of a Cube.

Psion would still feel the unknown energy suffusing the Cube, but there would be no ‘characteristic behavior’ to actuate. As predicted, the four sided object would remain sealed and encased within its icy prison.

Incidentally, Aegis would experience a bit more trouble now that the danger seemed to have passed. Psion’s latest ‘Art piece', that of repurposed materials, was becoming a sudden attraction, never mind the ongoing state of emergency.

To that end, sirens could be heard, still in the distance, yet drawing closer, albeit slowly. Doc perceived a level of hesitancy from those who lurked on the rooftops.

[Congratulations on your achievement.] The A.I. sent, communicating via text. [Might I suggest moving on to your uptown objective, at this point?] he encouraged. [While your window of opportunity remains open.]

Only now, did some of the civilians present begin to recognize the local heroes.

“I knew you guys looked familiar…” One teen said to another, while elbowing his friend.

Phones and cameras began to turn in Team Argus’ direction, as if suddenly drawn by their actions.

"That's our cue." Blue replied to Doc's message, looking to his team. The threat had been dealt with and they had cameras pointed at them, with the cops on their way it was time to make themselves scarce. "Let's go." His eyes landed on Psion, the 'master shaper'. The man with a flick of his wrist he turned the threat into nothing. He gave a slight nod, a sign of respect, and approval of the job done.

Casey put her head down pulling her hood over her head to hide what little of her face was visible. Didn't want her face to get recognized by the authorities, didn't need them knocking down her mother's door, or putting her father in danger. Blue's paranoia maybe being justified in this instance.

"Yeah let's go." She couldn't help a bit of hope rising in her. Her father was alive, he was alive and in her grasp. "We've got business to attend to."

“Agreed.” Psion responded simply and courteously returned Blue’s nod.
He could feel himself almost blushing, there was a rush to feeling useful and being acknowledged for it. Still, it was quite admirable the way the Blue boss was able to make certain hard calls without any hesitation, a good mark of trustworthiness.

But as much as he wanted to bask in his leader’s accolade, the present urgency of the moment demanded a prompt egress.

“Doc, thank you for looking out behind us. Could you plot the best and quickest route to our next stop, even if it’s underground, anything to expedite our travel and cover.”

“And speaking of cover…”

By now Team Argus was already well practiced at making an exit. Psion used the water of the fountain to raise a fog over the immediate area to obscure vision and cover their ‘escape’, both Blue and Aegis would know that this was the signal to regroup and go.

So on a day filled with the chaos of sirens, living statues and impending doom, the appearance of unnatural fog would probably just add to the mood and hopefully no one would notice the retreat of three elusive figures.


TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

Mara Arsenio
Magic Shelf, LES

Had it all really been a dream?

It felt so real-

They were real people weren't they, why didn't I say anything else-

Mara startled awake and looked around the room, wondering where everyone went. The Astreal Plain...Mara took a deep, shuddering breath and sighed. She sat there for a few moments, before she realised her name was being called; and that something was very very wrong. People were panicking-

She heard her named called again, and realised it was Kelvin. He was a nice man, Mara reasoned. And the people who took her in liked him well enough. He was a hard worker, and never pressed her to talk if she didn't feel like it.

"I'm here." Mara called back, she stood up and shook the sleep from her. Keeping an eye on the window. The people below. Their afraid? But of what? She moved to her backpack and threw a few clothes and personal items in it, and then made her way carefully down the stairs. "I'm coming down the stairs."

Mara took her time, but hurried; she didn't want to fall-

Tag: @greyjedi125

 

IC: John Paul

John felt the force applied as the handcuffs were placed on his hands. John had also felt something cold and metallic being placed around his neck. An ‘inhibitor collar’. He heared its locking mechanism engage, then the small whine of activation. A jolt traveled through his system then, a strange buzz flooded his brain. Suddenly, John found himself reverting back to his normal form, surprising not just the woman, but the Bounty Hunters as well.

“Freakin’ muties!!” John heared someone say.

"Yeah I'm a shapeshiufter you might wanna get used to that." John said to the bounty hunters.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

IC: Helena Schwartz (Agent 77)
Under Grand Central Station

Helena nodded to the departing agent. She wondered what it was all about? One moment she was preparing for an infiltration mission, the next she was being summoned and told to prepare for another one.

“Y-yes, sir!” she said and snapped a salute. An agent should be ready to spring into action as soon as they are told. That was all part of the job. Maybe the other mission would come later.

After all the bad guys did not sleep either, things change and plans have to adapt. One mission gets scrapped as new opportunities arise.

It was good to be back in a large organization. It was not SHIELD exactly, but was close enough. If only there were more of the suits coming back… They would certainly use the help of the Avengers right now.

“What’s our target?” she inquired as she stood up and started walking towards Prep Room 12.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

GM Approved -

Character sheet:

Name: Frank Castle

Codename: The Punisher

Gender: Male

Age: Appears mid to late thirties

Hair: Dark brown/black

Eyes: Brown

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 225lbs

Likes: Retribution, honour, honesty.

Dislikes: Criminals, organized crime, lawyers, police, anyone who stands in his way.

Personality: No one survives a visit from the Punisher. Frank Castle has come to the full conclusion that he must go on a crusade against crime, and has no limit to what he will do to achieve this goal. He is battle-hardened, and considered to be an extremist in the way he deals with criminals. He has no issue killing anyone he has deemed worthy of death. The death of his wife and children have left Frank deeply troubled.

Appearance:



Basic Abilities: Master Combatant, Marksman, Assassin and Tactician. Frank has honed his abilities in martial arts, firearms, subterfuge and gaining the upper arts to near-perfection. His body is in peak physical condition.

Bio:

Frank Castle served in the United States Marine Corps, making it to the rank of Lieutenant. He was deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

He learned many things in the war, and made new and strange friends. It wasn't war that changed Frank. No. War gave Frank the tools he would later use on his crusade.

During his time in the Marines, he would eventually meet his wife, Maria, while on leave. They would go on to have two children, one son and one daughter. This was the happiest Frank had ever been in his life.

After they were murdered, Frank was never the same.

It was in those moments that Frank Castle became the Punisher.

And from that moment onwards, the Punisher's crusade began.

He would stop at nothing to ensure that crime would be destroyed. He was going to burn it out of New York. He would bring judgement down on the wicked.

For he was the Punisher.

 

Approaching Reckoning
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Enter: The Punisher
Midtown Manhattan

It was all going to chaos, there was no doubt about it. It was one thing to maintain order during normal circumstances and quite another during a state of emergency, especially one such as this. With the traffic jams, it became difficult to mobilize security forces, not to mention direct fleeing and panicking civilians.

Moreover, law breakers and metamin gang members were using the opportunity to loot or settle old scores without much interference.

Perched atop one of the buildings in midtown, Frank Castle had a good view of unfolding events, not only of the growing pandemonium, but also of the H.A.M.M.E.R presence attempting to contain it all. The Sapient League were sure to be about, as well as many Bounty Hunters. With his luck, he might even run into some of those do-gooders from White Star.

That was the conflict on the ground. Above Frank’s head, the city shield held as the meteor shower continued to rain down. Apparently, there weren’t enough Sentinels to stop them completely.

On the street level, civilians were seeking refuge. Two blocks to his left, Bounty Hunters were engaged with a pair of meta humans. Three blocks to his right , A squad of HAMMER goons were occupied by a mechanized menace. Some loon made a power suit to look like a Rhino and decided to go on a ‘joy ride’.

Frank was a keen and observant man, that’s why he would also notice a winged figure beginning to make their descent unto a high rise penthouse.

Tag: @Master Vo

---

John Paul
Lower East Side

[Negative, negative. Access to the ‘Gulag’ is restricted at this time, over.]

“Yeah, we copy.” The Bounty Hunter said into his radio, clearly frustrated by the news.

“Now what?” The second Bounty Hunter chimed in, his helmeted gaze roving over the two apprehended mutants, before looking back at his friend. Methodically, his rifle lowered and pointed at the two collars.

“We can’t take them to the Safe House.”

“I Know, I know.”

“So, do we take them with us, or…..”

There was a pause in the conversation.

The woman looked pointedly at John, the expression on her face and body language said it all. She was about to make a run for it.

Tag: @Tay Neir

---

Mara Arsenio
Lower East Side

The door was open and Kelvin stood right outside the door, hurriedly motioning for Mara to join him. With one hand he beckoned, on the other he had a helmet meant for her, as he already had a helmet on. Just outside on the sidewalk, a blue Moped could be seen.

“We should go, it’s not safe around here. They’re coming!” Kelvin urged.

Stepping outside would be like stepping into another world for Mara. She’d go from the fantastical Astral Plane, into the normal mundane world, then step out into something that seemed unreal.

A clear sense of fear and confusion would assail her senses as a wave of uncertainty washed over her vicinity. Kelvin would have moved to start the moped as he still held out the helmet towards her.

“Mara!” He would call out.

A sharp spike of survivalist panic would grip Mara’s attention in that moment. She would see the woman in her mind’s eye before turning her head involuntarily- just down the block. Two Bounty Hunters had collared two mutants, a male and a female. While the male seemed calm, it was the woman’s strong emotions and intentions she would feel- she would know that this woman was desperate- and ready to gamble her life with her next action.

She would flee for her life.

Tag: @TheSilentInfluence, * @Tay Neir (mentioned)

---

Shelly Van Kasser
40 West 77th Street, Aunt Thea’s Apartment

“Uhm….are you Ok, Shelly?” Colin asked, his voice evincing some concern. “Did you hit your head or something?” He added, as he shared a glance with Tony.

“I see no evidence of head trauma.” Synthia reported cheerfully.

“How do you know about…that?” Tony asked carefully.

Seeing that they had already eaten, Colin began to put away their dirty dishes in the automatic dish washer. Aunt Thea did say she didn’t mind him using her place, as long as he kept everything clean the way he found it.

“Well, at least you look rested, if nothing else.” Her friend commented in regards to her ‘nap’.

“As she should.” Synthia chimed in. “You slept for exactly 137 minutes.”

The whine of an emergency vehicle passing by was heard as it raced down the street, a sound that was increasing with ever growing frequency as a result of recent events.

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty crazy outside.” Colin observed somberly.

Tony nodded in firm agreement. “I need to think.” he said.

“Maybe some coffee might do the trick, right Shelly?”

The trio had found shelter for the moment. The question now was, for how long?

Tag: @Ktala

---

SGC
Wundagore Citadel

“I will go with you.”

The voice was deep and gravely, as it belonged to a tall figure with a great frame.



“Lord Bengal…!” The feline mage exclaimed aloud with some surprise at the appearance of the armored figure, even as he stepped aside.

“It is not meet that one should abandon one’s friends to the whims of fate.”

Tenzin looked up in marvel at the great armored tiger who stood well over seven feet tall.

“We would be honored, sir. Thank you.” The Monk intoned with a humble bow.

“I will not brook the presence of demons, anywhere in our lands.” Lord Bengal declared with finality, great claws extended, then retracted from his armored hand, underscoring his intent.

With their course decided, Tenzin began to make a circular motions with his hand.

“No, save your energy. Please allow me to create a portal for your passage.” Lord Rakshasa graciously offered.

“You have our thanks.” Tenzin responded, a soft smile of gratitude etched upon his features. The Monk stepped aside to give the feline mage room to craft his magic.

As Rakshasa spoke his arcane spell and gestured in intricate patterns, opening an eldritch portal that would bridge the distance between Wundagore Citadel and the Transia Woods, Tenzin looked on SGC, his pupil.

Events were transpiring quickly, life changing events. This wasn’t how he had envisioned his mentorship- and now he wondered, if he had done enough to prepare his pupil for such an experience.


Tag: @Mitth_Fisto

---

Blueline, Aegis & Psion
Team Argus

He would see the greyish fog he had created, covering all that he could see. He would still hear the ambient noise surrounding the area, that of fleeing civilians and sirens, as he waited for his teammates to join him. After all, he was patient.

Indeed, the fog was an excellent cover.

Four figures came into view, but Psion would not see or hear them.

Blueline would recognize three of them at once.

G-13.

Gustavo leered at Blue, his eyes already black. He looked as if he’d been running, despite his affected composure. Brolik was already massive and bulked-up. From behind him, a darkly robed female stepped into view, her pale hand was open with splayed fingers, directed towards the unmoving Psion as invisible energies flowed from her.



Reverb moved to the side, assuming a flanking position on the Argus leader.

Gustavo looked around as if looking for someone else, before his black gaze settled back on Blue.

“Brought a friend, a ‘Mind Witch’ to even the odds.” He said in mock innocence.

“Round two, I guess, yes?” he intoned menacingly.

In that moment, Brolik lunged towards Aegis, even as Gustavo began to grieve Blue, a knife appearing on his right hand as he attempted to dominate the team leader.

Reverb bounced on his heels, grinning excitedly as the conflict began.

In essence, Team Argus’ rendezvous at Hudson Yards was being somewhat delayed.


Tag: @Ameteth, @galactic-vagabond422

---

Daken & Angela
Washington Squared

There were simply too many people who had gathered to watch the meteorite spectacle in the park, despite the State of Emergency ordering them to seek shelter indoors, for in truth, the city-wide shield did offer a spectacular view.

There were screams-a-plenty as many civilians fled the scene, but not all were so fortunate. Already, the bronze Garibaldi’s statue had wounded over a dozen civilians with its swordsmanship. Sirens could be heard in the distance, but Law Enforcement had to contend with a massive gridlock.

Both Daken and Angela could well appreciate the evolving pandemonium as they came-in for a landing.

Unsurprisingly, no one in the panicking crowd even spared them a glance, as they were too focused fleeing for their lives.

Tag: @darthbernael

---

Agent 77 & Agent Cross
Prep room 12

Agent Nolan Cross explained as he and Agent 77 changed into their mission gear. Only a thin opaque screen separated the two White Star agents.

“Nothing has changed. We’re still on the extraction mission. It was aborted ‘officially’ on paper, for official reasons.” Nolan explained as he removed his standard uniform and slipped into the provided H.A.M.M.E.R gear.

All weapons and electronics were laid out for both agents on a nearby table and rack.

“We’re only going to get one chance at this.”

Moving with practiced efficiency, the large man proceeded to fasten all pieces of flex-armor.

“We will be acting as an official security team with clearance to escort our target to a specified remote location.”

Finishing his adjustments, Agent Cross made his way to the table, where he began to inspect the assigned electronics and weapons, before donning them.

“From what I understand, the Holding Facility at Hudson Yards may be experiencing some irregularities, so we’ll need to move quick and think on our feet.

Nolan finished inspecting the Sonic Sidearm before holstering it.

“We’ll be taking a H.A.M.M.E.R hovercraft for this op, so we won’t need to worry about ground traffic.”

The man was ready. He certainly looked the part.



In a smooth motion, he produced a communicator device and flicked on the holo-projector.



“Have you flown one of these before?”

Tag: @TheAdmiral

---

Agent Viper
Activation

A secret room.

A secret mission.

[The time has come for the sleeper to awaken]

Sequential beeps and flashes. Light and sound.

[You are the hunter. Tireless. Relentless]

Air hisses, a lock is released.

[You have one purpose alone.]

[To seek and destroy]

[Target download: Complete.]

[Go. Eliminate;The Reaper]

[Viper activation: Complete.]

[Execute]

Tag: @AgentViper007

---

Uatu
Causality

The burden of seeing and knowing belonged to the Watcher.

For his people, action had led to tragedy, ensuing in a vow of inaction.

When then, was the right time to act, if at all?

This was the Watcher’s meditation.

And so, it was a voice he would hear, as if that of a Living Tribunal.

A single word was given.

Causality.

There was an insidiously subtle layer to the events at play. It was imperative for Uatu to watch, to see, to spy that single elusive opportunity.

But would it be his hand to do the deed? To snatch humanity from the snares of dark and diabolical schemes?

There was no way to know, too many variables were still at play- but the moment was certain to materialize itself- and perhaps become apparent- only if he watched.

Doom

The time was drawing nigh.

Tag: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Agent Viper (formerly Patrick Robertson,,)
Location: Unknown

He didn't know what happened.

All he knew was that he had come for a mission, had started that mission briefing, then was told he had another mission.

Then…nothing.

He once had a name. He once had a life. But it was gone now. Wiped away clean by ehatever had happened to him.

Now he was Viper. Agent Viper. Was that his old callsign? He didn't know that either.

There was information, some sort of voice telling him something. That he was a sleeper, a hunter to seek and destroy. To kill someone called The Reper. He guessed more information would come on that.

But he knew what he had to do, he had one purpose now. To terminate. To be unleashed on the enemy.

He stepped out of the chamber.

It was time for this Viper to track it's target and when the time came…would strike.

And he would succeed…or else.



TAG: @greyjedi125

 

IC: John Paul

John looked over at the woman and saw her expression and her body language. She was about to make a run for it but John had other ideas. He could use this to his advantage.

"I wouldn't try running Ma'am that'll make your life a lot harder than it needs to be" John said towards the woman loud enough to hopefully be heard by the bounty hunters. He then turned his head enough so that his left eye would be out of view and winked at the woman trying to tell her that he had an idea. He would try to use the bounty hunters to free himself and the woman if he could but right now he was a priority.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

Zephyr Vaillancourt
Wall Street, NYC
In the Fog


Psion folded his arms and was about to start tapping his foot as the time for regrouping began to stretch a little too long.

“Come on now, surely you guys didn’t get lost in this fog…” he teased half-jokingly.

The young meta frowned with rising concern, the plan was to move swiftly and with urgency to the Hudson Yards Metahuman Holding Facility and get Casey’s dad out of there by any means necessary ( a tall-ish order for sure). This slight delay was uncharacteristic since all members knew full well the critical importance of a timely exit.

His body went rigid and his hands went to his sides, fingers tightening into fists as he realized that he no longer sensed Blue or Aegis, as a matter of fact, he didn’t sense anything around him, there was only fog and total silence.

“How in the world…” his mind raced, now fully alarmed. How did he not notice this change, was this a byproduct of interacting with the magically infused statues? Was he transported elsewhere or had he sprung a trap?

For some reason he felt that this was a challenge, he had bested the construct and now the source of the magic was ‘upping the ante’.

Psion took a calming breath but it was not quite working, he could feel the ire rising inside, his friends could be in danger which meant that he had to forgo being so conservative with his abilities.

Honing more of his power the prime shaper initiated a thorough search scan of his surroundings, he could feel himself, the floor, the air, the fog. He didn’t need eyes to ‘see’ the world, conventional sight was actually quite limiting, so now he prepared to investigate whatever was happening, molecule by molecule.

“Aegis, Blue, do you read me?” his voice seeming to disappear into the fog.

“Doc are you still there, I need your assistance.”

As he waited for a response Psion tried to make sense of what he could, but he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that he was in big trouble if no one answered his call.


TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

Blueline & Casey
Round 2 Fight!

Blue came closer, moving at a light jog towards Psion. "Psion, let's get…" Blue stopped himself short when he saw three figures approaching them. His eyes narrowed a bit as they came into view. Gustavo, and his merry band, or should he say Greifer. Though at the back of them there was a fourth that Blue didn't recognize, a pale skinned woman with her hand outstretched, an eerie power rolling off her.

“Brought a friend, a ‘Mind Witch’ to even the odds.” The leader of the thugs said with a casual tone. That must be why Psion is out of it. Blue knew he'd have to do something to break the hold or, whatever it was the Witch was doing. Though it did make him wonder if she was the person behind the rampaging bull. Psion had seemed unsure of how it was being animated, and magic was as good a means as anything. Though that thought caused another one.

"Was this a trap? You cause problems, we come running you get your rematch…" He said these words backing up not giving the pair the chance to out flank him, but in such a wide open area that was easier said than done. As Brolik took off running Blue tried to move to stop him but his legs fought him, it was like moving in cement. The bulky bruiser barrelled past the hero without a second glance. That just left Blue caught between the leader and the lookout. The knife appeared and Blue readied himself for a fight though he wasn't sure how good he would be, given that it felt like he was fighting himself more than anyone else. Gustavo rushed forward his knife gleaming in the light. Blue tried to block but his arm wouldn't respond. The blade cut easily through the simple cloth and skin underneath. Seems Blue didn't take the armor that was provided.

Blue held in his pain letting out a hiss between his teeth. Fighting though the pain and Gustavo's control he reached out his hand. Gripping the side of the villain's head, a weak grasp but the best Blue could do at that moment. He tried to drive his thumb into Gustavo's black eye. There was no power behind it, no energy, but that wouldn't stop Blue. He had to keep fighting, to keep Greifer's power focused on him, to force the other guy to use up his energy. The bandanna clad hero could take the hits could take the pain, of that he was sure.

Casey meanwhile stood frozen as Brolik lunged toward her his fist connecting with her chest sending her flying back, missing one shoe. The armor protected her, softening the blow and redirecting the energy. That didn't stop her from moving with the momentum but, it did prevent her internal organs from rupturing. Slowly she got to her feet, the fear rising up in her. Borlik was going to kill her, the armor wouldn't hold forever. She could feel the monster slamming against the cage, ready to be released.

As the beast marched forward Casey closed her eyes. In the darkness she could see the yellow irises of the other girl.

Go, protect Blue, protect Psion. She said in the darkness of her mind. Mentally she opened the cage letting the monster loose and stepping aside.

Her eyes opened the blue irises now shining gold. The other girl was in control now…but at least it was with Casey's approval. Though the question remained, could Casey put her back in her cage when it was over? Those questions were for later as Casey lept forward her fist catching Brolik in the side the force of it echoing in the space.

The battle of the titans had just begun.

TAG: @Ameteth @greyjedi125

 

SGC’s 28.57^3
Wundagore Citadel

“I will go with you.”

The voice was deep and gravely, as it belonged to a tall figure with a great frame. Hearing a name exclaimed SGC soon knew that this was Lord Bengal.

“It is not meet that one should abandon one’s friends to the whims of fate.”

Tenzin replied, “We would be honored, sir. Thank you.” The Monk intoned with a humble bow. SGC imitated his Master, it was what he had learned was the polite thing to do.

“I will not brook the presence of demons, anywhere in our lands.” Lord Bengal declared with finality, great claws extended, then retracted from his armored hand, SGC did not understand why he would show and remove a weapon? Was he prepared to go into battle, testing them? Had they been sticking lately? Very odd.

Lord Rakshasa offered to open the portal. Tenzin thanked him. The Transia Woods soon had a portal to it that was here, Tenzin looked on SGC, his pupil.

SGC nodded back, “Quick and quiet to not attract demons if they are not there, if not then we warn and join defense?” Knowing time was of essence SGC hoped his retelling of the plan so the new joining member on the trip would understand what they were doing was not rude, nor wasted. Sadly claws seemed to want battle. SGC hoped they would not find it so that the gypsies would be fine.


Tag: @greyjedi125

 

Frank Castle
Midtown Manhattan



What a mess.

He had eyes on it all.

When try to order calm in the midst of chaos, you ask the thugs, killers, thieves, and filth to come out.

It was all noise to Frank. It helped him operate. Brought him back to Afghanistan.

He had his binoculars, a .338 lapua magnum sniper rifle, his modified M16 with an attached grenade launcher, and his 1911. He had a combat knife tucked into his black combat boots, in case he ran out of ammo. It was highly unlikely someone would actually be able to take Frank on in physical combat if he hadn't run out of bullets.

Besides this essential gear, he had his kestrel ballistic meter, and a small, grimy notepad to write down calculations for his shots.

That was the conflict on the ground. Above Frank’s head, the city shield held as the meteor shower continued to rain down. Apparently, there weren’t enough Sentinels to stop them completely.

On the street level, civilians were seeking refuge. Two blocks to his left, Bounty Hunters were engaged with a pair of meta humans. Three blocks to his right , A squad of HAMMER goons were occupied by a mechanized menace. Some loon made a power suit to look like a Rhino and decided to go on a ‘joy ride’.

He'd seen the HAMMER squad. He had his eyes on it, but his scoped rifle was fixated on the bounty hunters. That had caught his interest. He took a good look at the situation, before leaning back and grunting.

He paused, noticing an anomaly in his surroundings. He raised his binoculars, and looked to a high rise.

He saw the winged figure begin to drop down, and his binoculars would likely allow him to get a good look at who, or what, this thing was.

Gears began to turn in Frank's head. If he noticed the winged figure was a threat of some sort, he'd take the shot. If not, it wasn't worth his time, and he'd find the threat and shoot either the mutants or the bounty hunters.

A well placed bullet in the Rhino suit would also suffice, neutralizing or severely impeding it.

No matter what, he'd find something, and he would take the shot. This was his crusade.

@greyjedi125

 

Agent Viper
Location: Unknown

The data uplink was successful and operational

[Target Data: Confidence rate: 73%
Codename: Reaper, Human, male.
Affiliation: H.A.M.M.E.R.
Classification: Elite soldier.
Specialized weapon: Scythe.
Metahuman: Undetermined.
Current location: Estimate; Local, working….
Action required: Termination.]


The Agent found himself entering a new chamber, one with an open space filled with a large variety of weapons and vehicles. From the large door at the side, he could surmise that he was underground. There were no distinctive markers to be seen anywhere, not even on the blinking computer screen atop a solitary desk.

On a mounted screen, events playing outside would be clearly seen as televised. The city scape shown was that of New York City, so that was a small bit of intel, as far as what was being shown.

Pertinent data continued to stream through the uplink, updating the Agent of what he needed to know to carry out his current op.

Tag: @AgentViper007

---

John Paul
Lower East Side

The Bounty Hunters grew silent having heard what John had said. Horrified by John’s words, the woman hesitated, then froze in fear, under the helmeted gaze of one of the Bounty Hunters. Her window of opportunity had been shut in her face by a fellow mutant. There was no escape.

“What’s that you said?” The first Bounty Hunter demanded of John, while jabbing him on the side with the muzzle of his rifle, a move meant to intimidate the metahuman.

The second Bounty Hunter kept his eye on the pair, even as he placed a hand to his ear, to better listen to incoming comms chatter.

“Best to sedate them.” He suggested to his partner.

Tag: @Tay Neir ( @TheSilentInfluence )

---

Team Argus
Encounter within the Fog

Through his abilities, Psion would sense parts of the world fade in-and-out of his perception. One moment his friends seemed to be ‘there’, then they would seem to be ‘edited’ out by a strange absence his perception. The molecular scan would take place, haltingly, as if delayed - but it was somehow fuzzy, strangely so. The same would be true for Doc’s response, as it would sound warbled and unintelligible because of this strange effect. However, ambient sounds seemed constant, as well as the fog’s presence.

***
Gustavo cursed as he increase his power over Blue, causing him to spasm, even as he took a few steps back, his blade slashing out, gashing Blue’s offending hand.

“You think you’re such a big deal, hero?” The G-13 leader mocked. “When I’m done with you she’s going to be MINE, hehehe. Know what I mean?”

Griever’s leer turned cold and malicious. Black tears started flowing through his eyes. He had to expend more power than he'd anticipated. Apparently, the bandana clad hero could muster a lot more resistance than the two-bit thugs he was used to dominating; which meant he would burn through his dose of Metamin faster than he’d intended.

“Time to meet your maker, freak!”

Gustavo lunged forward intent on slashing Blue’s neck wide open.

A few yards away, Aegis caught Brolik with a solid punch to his jaw, causing him to spit out a gob of blood. The impact had been loud enough to be mistaken for the sound of a snapping tree.

“Why you little….”

Angered by a blow he'd actually felt, Brolik moved with a speed that defied his swollen bulk. He quickly grabbed Casey in a powerful bear hug.

“I’m gonna pop ya like overripe fruit!”

The enlarged man then squeezed with more than enough power to bend a steel beam. Brolik’s expression was wild with exhilaration and the exertion of borrowed strength, strength beyond that of his wildest imagination.

Ecstatic at the sight, Reverb simply cheered-on his gang mates, anticipating a resounding victory.

The Mind Witch however, had a worried expression on her face, as sweat began to collect on her brow. She didn’t dare focus on anything else.

“His mind…! Why didn’t they…..ugh!!” She muttered to herself before inhaling sharply and refocusing. She could do this, she needed to prove herself, if it was the last thing she did.

Tag: @Ameteth, @galactic-vagabond422

---

SGC
Into the Woods

Tenzin made sure to go through the portal first, incase there was anything unpleasant waiting for them on the other side. He didn’t know how close to the gypsy camp the feline wizard would place them, or if demons would be waiting for them. Still, he didn’t wish to risk his pupil going in first, or be further indebted to the Wundagore Knights.

As the Monk stepped through the swirling eldritch portal, his mind briefly wondered about his counterpart in England, though not for long, as a deep silence greeted him on the other side. Dusk seemed to have come sooner than he'd imagined, additionally, he also felt a biting chill in the air.

The trio had emerged in a small clearing, but they had yet to look for any markings that would lead them to the gypsies. A glance up revealed an odd meteor shower streaking through the darkening sky.

“An Omen.” Lord Bengal’s deep voice supposed, as he was taking the rear and SGC had been placed in the middle.

In truth, the Transia Woods seemed to be eerily still.

Too still.

“Maybe we’ll run into a patrol?” Tenzin whispered, his voice low.

“Of demons?” The large armored tiger said aloud, having heard the Monk clearly. On that note, he began to sniff the air, intent on investigating which scents he could decipher.

Tenzin tried not to sigh.

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto

---

Frank Castle
Midtown Manhattan

From his vantage point, he could see what the two metahuman lawbreakers could not. They were engaged with one set of Bounty Hunters, but another set was converging on them from their flank, thus far unnoticed.

H.A.M.M.E.R soldiers were having a tougher time of it due to traffic. There was an APC in the vicinity, but it was stuck in gridlock. A response unit had to hoof it to the location of conflict, while a low flying surveillance drone kept the scene in view.



With his tools, Frank also had a great view of the developing situation, as well as a variety of ‘solutions’, should he feel so inclined.

When glancing up at the flying figure landing on the Penthouse balcony, his reconnoissance would reveal that he too had been spotted.



What to do...?

Tag: @Master Vo

---

White Star Underground HQ
Midtown Manhattan

“I think I’m getting a hang of…whatever this is.”

Daisy inwardly hoped that she sounded more confident than what she was feeling. The strange glow around her was now barely perceptible, and the tingling sensations were almost completely gone.

“Well, you haven’t ‘quaked’ anything to dust in the past ten minutes, so I’d say that’s an improvement?”

“Ha. Ha. Funny, not funny, Cameron.” Daisy retorted dryly to her Deputy’s humorous jab.

[Agent Gemini is correct.] Agent Lane reassured. [You have managed to gain a great measure of control over your mysteriously enhanced abilities with instinctive rapidity. That’s quite an impressive feat.]

“Thank you, I guess….?” Daisy said, looking at Cameron for support. He simply gave her one of his knowing smile and a thumbs up, which caused her to roll her eyes and laugh as a result.

“You’re impossible…” She told him. He simply grinned at her all the more.

[We have a situational update.]

Agent Lane paused only to provide visual footage on a near by screen.

[Two H.A.M.M.E.R comsats have gone down after registering an Omega Level signature entering Earth’s low orbit. Wakanda, Great Britain, China and Japan are responding to the developing crisis. It seems 'our friends' in Russia will be playing the waiting game. How would you like to proceed, Chief?]

“Omega Level…?” Daisy’s looked to Cameron as real worry came over her features.

“Show me.”

[As you wish]

On the screen, a floating figure moved causally among rocky remains and that of decimated Sentinels, even as he continued to descend through the atmosphere.



[Chief Johnson, how would you like to proceed?]


TBC

 

John Paul
Lower east side

John felt the muzzle of the rifle jab his side. It hurt him but he wasn't about to give the hunters what they wanted.
"You heard me did you not" John replied. He watched as the other placed a hand to his ear.
“Best to sedate them.”
That was when john struck. He launched himself at the hunters. He was already arrested, how much worse could it get? That was a queue he would soon find out. He was aware of the other. He would try to not hurt her but if he had to, he wouldn't hesitate.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

IC: Agent Viper (formerly Patrick Robertson)
Location: New York City

His target came up through the new link he had received during his, well what could be described as transmormation.

A tall man wearing black and silver, one hand had a very large scythe. A purple cape and a helmet with what looked like spikes. No doubt a dangerous individual.

As he stepped into a new chamber he knew he felt…different. His body felt stronger, like there was something different, something new had been added as well as taken away.

This perhaps was his new home. There were weapons and vehicles galore. He had been supplied with what he needed, he just needed to…what was it? Blend in, that was it, from his agent training.

Looking at the screen he could see what was going on. New York City, had he been transferred here or had he been here for a while? No matter. But what he did see was chaos, so if he needed to find this Reaper he would need to fit in to the goings on in the city.

And he was not going to do that with no clothes on.

Time to suit up and get moving. But what to wear? He used to be a cop, that filtered through maybe that could be good to move around in. He picked out a NYPD cop uniform and put it on. There was a cop car too so he was sorted there.

Now weapons. As a cop he needed the appropriate weapons so he took a gun and ammo as well as a shotgun and shells. But to tackle that blade….inside him was something that told him if he concentrated hard enough….

He felt his arm move, sharpen then solidify. A blade. Normally people would wonder what had happened to them. For Viper it was simply a new version of himself. A better one. To help terminate and eliminate enemies.

Another bit of concentration and his hand transformed back. Perfect. That should deal with the big scythe.

He headed over to the NYPD car, grabbing a baton along the way to complete the look, attaching it to his belt. Getting in the car and stowing the shotgun it was time to go to work. Starting the car he headed out.

Time for one of H.A.M.M.E.R' goons to be terminated…

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

SGC’s 28.57^3
Into the Woods

Tenzin made sure to go through the portal first, perhaps he wanted the gypsy camp to see a familiar face first. The trio had emerged in a small clearing, but they had yet to look for any markings that would lead them to the gypsies. A glance up revealed an odd meteor shower streaking through the darkening sky.

“An Omen.” Lord Bengal’s deep voice supposed, as he was taking the rear and SGC had been placed in the middle. SGC stifled his own misgivings about taking an omen from something that would of happened whether you were there to witness it or not. Rocks would fall from space as gravity tried to consolidate matter. Predictive powers of noting that falling group of rocks meant nothing, after all great evils and great good happened under them just as the common person had a common day.

The Transia Woods seemed to be eerily still. Too still. Having lived not far in another patch of woods alone for a while SGC was quick to note that 'too still' to the aspect of nature.

“Maybe we’ll run into a patrol?” Tenzin whispered, his voice low.

“Of demons?” The large armored tiger said aloud, having heard the Monk clearly. On that note, he began to sniff the air.

SGC chattered his mandibles as he rubbed his back arms as if to stave off the cold. It wasn't the cold of course, "Something before us has the intent of death. I doubt the gypsies would cause such fear in the woods." Which was his way of course of saying he agreed with the large armored tiger. They were more likely now to meet the enemy, and SGC felt pressure inside himself. . .anxiety. He was anxious.

"We need to find them. Now." he chittered as he tried to prepare himself for battle.


Tag: @greyjedi125

 

Zephyr Vaillancourt
Wall Street, NYC
Clearing the air


If it was possible to feel frustration, relief, alarm and amazement all at once, then that is exactly what Zephyr was feeling, and he didn’t care much for it.
But the relief part was welcome, the fact that he was able to briefly sense his friends provided a sense of hope, a catalyst that spurred him into action.
It was also a point of reference, it meant that he was still alive ( he didn’t feel dead) and so were they, mostly likely in some form of trouble like himself.

Psion stood motionless for a moment, collecting his thoughts; something strange or supernatural was going on, and it felt like a trap.

The fog that he created to cover Team Argus’ egress had somehow been turned against him, impairing his abilities, that was impressive, but he couldn’t spend time figuring out how.

He just knew that he had to do something, anything to cause a change. A chuckle escaped him as he remembered a code phrase between him and his friend Zack whenever they were about to so something random, ’Solve for X’.

With a quick strategy in mind Psion engaged his powers dissipating the fog he had created hoping to let in the ambient light to reveal the world around him. He would also fly speedily to the top of a nearby building and get a better view of the what was going on. He had every intention to snatch Blue and Aegis from whatever trouble beset them, be it magical construct or cruel bounty hunter, they had more important business to attend to and their window of opportunity was not going to stay open forever.


TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

Frank Castle
Midtown Manhattan

There was a frown.

Frank lowered his binoculars, his eyes locked on the winged man, now a small figure in the distance.

Frank had been spotted. By the looks of it, the winged feller looked like trouble.

Hell.

Frank looked back to the group of bounty hunters, raising the binoculars to gain more information on the scene, before fixing back his attention to the winged figure.

His frown furthered into a grimace.

He had taken note of the Rhino-suited hooligan. There was an ATV moving in, but all that was holding it back now was a group of H.A.M.M.E.R. goons. That could wait. The other two issues were more pressing to Frank. He had taken another look at the bounty hunters dealing with the metas, which would grant him more clarity on the situation. But something about this winged figure rubbed Frank the wrong way. He got the idea that he was one of the types that acted like the city was his own, flying around above everyone else.

And that usually meant trouble.

Frank had seen him, and he had seen Frank.

If Frank needed to neutralize him, he only needed one shot.

Frank stood, his eyes fixed on the winged one. His message was clear.

This is my city now.



The Punisher had come to New York.

 

John Paul
NY, Lower East Side

There was a rush of sudden and unexpected movement. Intent, expectation, results. Everything seemed to occur all at once.

John Paul struck out bodily, almost taking down one of the Bounty Hunters. The attack had been so sudden that he’d fumbled his rifle. The second Bounty Hunter turned to assist his partner, that’s when the woman in cuffs suddenly bolted - running for her life, her legs propelling her with all her strength.

The second Bounty Hunter cursed. He saw that his partner was reaching for his stun baton, even as he struggled against the bound male mutant. Raising his rifle, he took aim and shouted after the woman.

“Stop or I’ll shoot!!”

The woman did not listen and continued running desperately up the block. Shaking his head once, the Bounty Hunter adjusted his sights. This was just part of the job.

Seeing the back of the fleeing woman through his scope, he was just about to squeeze the trigger, when something crashed against his head, spoiling his shot.

Bang!! He fired and missed by a mile.

“Frak!! What the…!!?”

Looking around, he saw a blue helmet on the floor rolling away. He was immediately outraged by the attack, as he now leveled his rifle to take aim once again. That’s when he saw the young man (Kelvin), beckoning the woman to himself. He was wearing a blue helmet.

It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots. The Bounty Hunter knew a troublemaker when he saw one, and he did not like troublemakers. He swiveled his weapon to the side, took aim at the young man, then fired.

As expected, his target went down. The fleeing woman cried out as she hunched down, but did not slow her pace. What surprised the Bounty Hunter, was the woman who was stepping out of the adjacent building at the moment (Mara). She had reacted as if he’d shot her! The way her hands flew up in the air as she turned and collapsed, her hair becoming wild and disheveled upon the sidewalk.

It was...uncanny.

“Uh, control, be advised. We have a Runner in sector 9, Runner in sector 9. We’ll also need a medical team on site.” The second Bounty Hunter said, speaking into his communicator.

Just behind him, a voice cried out as a series of electrical zaps were discharged. The first Bounty Hunter had just neutralized John Paul with his electric stun baton.

“Idiot!” He declared while getting up, after pushing off the now unconscious mutant’s body off himself.

Sighing with mild frustration, the first Bounty Hunter took out a control device and depressed the button. A wailing scream was discernible in the distance.

“Belay that control, this is Team 13 - Alpha. Runner under control, medical assistance still required.”

The first man shook his head. “Why do I have to keep cleaning up after your mess.”

The second man simply shrugged, offering no answer.

“Let’s just get him in the vehicle, then go get the woman. Let medical handle the civilians.”

Being unconscious, John Paul could not know if his gamble had succeeded, nor would he have any answers when he woke up much later, in a remote holding facility.

Tag: @Tay Neir, ( @TheSilentInfluence , for story )

---

Agent Viper
Midtown Manhattan, On the Hunt

The NYPD patrol car would emerge from a long underground tunnel and surface somewhere near Grand Central Station. Viper would be greeted by the developing situation of a Metropolitan City attempting to effect a complete lockdown.

Most citizens were attempting to seek refuge, yet there was a distinct criminal element taking advantage of the situation. Viper’s patrol car would suffer no better fate than that of the H.A.M.M.ER units trying to navigate a near city-wide gridlock. Skirmishes and all manner of unrest would be evident to the disguised agent.

Though stopped in traffic, Viper’s target search still showed ‘in progress’.

It was then that a distressed woman spotted the patrol car and approached it while she cried out: “Please officer! Help me! My daughter! She’s stuck!!”

The woman half turned to point to a nearby building. The glass doors to an automatic teller had closed in the emergency, separating mother and daughter. The young girl was trapped inside, her face streaked with tears as she cried.

“Please help us!” the mother pleaded in desperation.

Several blocks ahead, a confrontation between Bounty Hunters and a pair of meta humans grew in intensity.


Tag: @AgentViper007

---

SGC
Silent Witness of Trees

“I can smell them in the air.” Lord Bengal declared with a low growl, his great claws extending in response to the unseen threat. The corpulent armored tiger turned, as if to go in defense of the group's rear.

“Wait…!” Tenzin called out. “Let me try a detection spell.”

Lord Bengal emitted another growl, but held his position, giving the monk a chance to do his part. Tenzin quickly spoke an incantation after tracing invisible symbols in the air and speaking the corresponding words.

'Vyakti Bhavati Mayika'

A flash of diverse swirling colors surged before the monk before suddenly disappearing almost as soon as they had appeared.

“Oh!” Tenzin exclaimed suddenly. “I guess we are not alone.” His face blanched visibly.

“You two find the Gypsy Camp. I’ll draw out the enemy and deal with them.” Lord Bengal declared.

Above them, an eerie rustling came from the forest canopy, even as the area darkened.

“Go!” The Armored Tiger ordered.

“Now hold on a second, we should stick together!” Tenzin interjected.

But Lord Bengal was past listening. The Armored Tiger gave a great roar and leapt swiftly, up through the boughs and unto the forest canopy. Immediately, the awful sounds of feral conflict filled their ears.

The eerie sound of rustling continued, drawing closer to Tenzin and SGC's position.

Tenzin turned to his pupil.

“We should go!”

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto

---

Psion
Argus eyed!

The fog around Psion seemed undecided if wether to remain or allow itself to be dissipated, as it strobed in place, until it finally relented and disappeared. The light of day seemed to bathe the area as did clarity. The Wall Street Bull was still encased as it was only moments prior, the traffic gridlock had found no relief as of yet. Psion had flown speedily to a nearby building, to land atop its roof. From that vantage point, he would be able to see.

In that moment, the scene below revealed familiar faces, at least some more than others. Psion would see:

Aegis, who found herself caught in Brolik’s vise-like bear hug.

Griever, pouring his will to dominate Blueline, while exhibiting every intention of eliminating the Argus Team leader- evinced by the bladed weapon he had in hand.

Reverb, who was supposed to be their lookout, distracted by the spectacle as he enjoyed what seemed to be a clear victory over rivals.

Near the members of G-13, a pale white haired female garbed in black robes, cried out in stifled distress.

“I lost him!! Where did he go…!? No, no, no!! Damn it!”

She spun around in place several times, as if looking for someone- her hand outstretched.

[….an you hear me? Please acknowledge. Psion? Please respond.]

Doc’s voice now sounded completely free of interference.

[I repeat, please evacuate the area immediately. In the absence of Sentinels, H.A.M.M.E.R is sending Claws]

Tag: @Ameteth, @galactic-vagabond422

---

Frank Castle
Midtown Fracas

From the balcony of the elevated luxury Penthouse, the Vulture looked down at Frank, a sneer of contempt etched upon his face. He wasted not another moment, as he backed away out of sight. There was no time for useless posturing, for time was of the essence.

That left Frank with two active options developing on the ground.

Standard issue gunfire was having no effect on the armored Rhino-like power suit, however, the suit’s mounted armaments possessed sufficient gatling power of their own to shred through civilian vehicles. It was clear that H.A.M.M.E.R would respond with equal, if not, greater force- but how soon was the question. For now, the two seemed to be at an impasse.

As for the Bounty Hunters and the metahuman duo, the encounter appeared like a scene from a strange circus.

One of the meta humans, a female, giggled mockingly at her would-be-captors, as she zipped back and forth with incredible rapidity. She seemed to have wings which buzzed like that of a Humming Bird. So far, the Bounty Hunters had not been able to shoot her down.

Similarly, her counterpart, a mischievous male, appeared to become a Specter, sometimes visible and semi-solid and then not. He would emerge through objects and physically harass the Bounty Hunters while the female served as distraction. To them, the encounter seemed like some kind of game.

Their behavior was consistent with thrill-seeking Metamin users, and not with that of actual meta humans, who understood the great risks of being captured and incarcerated.

For the moment, Frank could rest in the knowledge that he was free to act - or not, but the window of opportunity could close at any moment, as the flow of events were destined to change with every tick of the clock.

Thus far, the surveillance drone capturing the conflict below, had no reason to look his way.

Tag: @Master Vo

 

IC: Agent Viper (formerly Patrick Robertson)
Location: New York City

Chaos, utter chaos.

And Viper was stuck in it. There was a never ending traffic jam, people were running around all over the place either in fear or looting the place.

Whatever was going on it seemed no one had control, there were H.A.M.M.E.R units going nowhere either so they didn't have control either.

But he had his mission to focus on, but there was no further information as yet on where this Reaper was. Perhaps even his masters were having trouble trying to find him in this lot. He tried not to tap the wheel impatiently.

However he had been spotted but not by those fighting up ahead. There seemed to be people with….powers? They didn't seem fully human but those that were fighting them were putting up a good fight.

He had though been spotted by a woman, and it seemed her daughter was trapped behind glass doors. He looked at the woman and her daughter and then at the fight up ahead. That fight did not concern him for now and there was no further information coming regarding the target so this would have to take precedence.

Viper would have to be careful. To reveal too much about his new self would mean possibly being spotted by those who opposed his masters and alerting the target.

He acknowledged the woman with a nod and got out of the car, but he kept his eyes carefully on the woman and her child. This could be a trap, and he would have to react if it was so. But was it?

He stepped forwards approaching the doors. He gave the doors a glare as if they were in his way and then using his newfound strength began to try and pull the doors open.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

Blueline
Fired Up

Bule's hand let go of Gustavo's head recoiling from the knife that slashed across it. The wound healed but he'd lost position. Now his muscles were locked up his body tense as he could feel the fibers of his muscles firing almost at random, it was like his body was at war with itself.

“You think you’re such a big deal, hero?” The villain mocked black tears falling from his eyes. “When I’m done with you she’s going to be MINE, hehehe. Know what I mean?”

Blue did in fact know what he meant. He would harm Lourdes…that couldn't be allowed to happen. Anger flared in him, a righteous fury at the very thought of this monster even getting near the daughter of Ernesto. Gritting his teeth he took a defiant step forward. Seeing the slash coming he dropped his chin to his chest turning it towards the on coming blade. The edge slashed across the hero's jaw and chin leaving a cut that went all the way to the bone. It hurt but the pain just drove him forward, made him more angry. He took another step his blue bandanna stained red where the knife had cut him.

"I…won't…let…you…touch…her." He growled out between gritted teeth.

Casey
In trouble

A resounding crack echoed in the space. Casey followed up with two quick strikes to the monster's gut as he spat out a glob of blood. She was close, maybe too close. She wasn't thinking about strategy, it was just attack, with everything she had. Brolik's arms swiftly wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her side. She kicked out with her feet, the armored shoes slammed into the chest and gut of the monster. It was getting hard to breathe her eyes widened and her heart beat against her chest.

Fear was a tool of the villain to force the hero to give up. But, to Casey it was the power that drove her monster forward, that pushed her strength higher and higher.

Brolik would soon regret making Casey scared.

With her arms pinned and legs flailing she did the only thing she could. She brought her head back and snapped it forward smashing her forehead into her opponents nose. She did it again and again using her head as a battering ram against her thick enemy. Baring her teeth she sunk them into the cartilage of his ear biting down with all the force she could muster in her jaw.

She had to be let go, and she would do anything to be free once more.

@Ameteth @greyjedi125

 

Zephyr Vaillancourt
Wall Street, NYC
Entangled


Clarity, wonderful, glorious clarity was his again, but instead of rejoicing, Psion was filled with frustration and flash of anger.

The sight of his friends being hurt and bloodied was something that he would never get used to, nor did he want to become acclimated to it,
but this was also part of being a hero, getting down and dirty and bloody.

But there was really no good reason why this fight was taking place other than the members of G-13 appalling predilection for violence, which was beginning to really irritate him.

‘Figure this out, help them.’ he thought to himself as he quelled his growing ire and focused on what to do.

Blue and Griever were locked in bloody battle of wills, quite literally, the knife attack looked vicious and painful.

Aegis was holding her own against Brolik, she was certainly no push-over, but the longer she remained emotionally agitated, the greater the chance for Casey to lose control of her transformation.

And there was Reverb, was he cheering…really?

The fourth member was definitely new, nice ‘neo-goth’ styling, Psion noted off-handedly, probably very pretty without the maquillage.


“I lost him!! Where did he go…!? No, no, no!! Damn it!” she sounded distressed.

From his perch, Psion watched her spin around in place, her hand outstretched like some sort of indicator or feeler.

‘So she must have been the one who disoriented me and messed with my senses.’ His silvery eyes narrowed slightly with displeasure as he began to feel vulnerable.

‘At least she didn’t ‘brutalize’ me’. A factor that he would take into consideration.

Doc’s message came in loud and clear and the urgency of it required immediate attention.

They would need to go back the way they came in, more or less.

Finding deeper cover, the prime mover engaged his power and readied his exit strategy.

First step; remove support units.

Both Reverb and the Lady in Black would find themselves suddenly enveloped by the material of their own garments, except for the noses and mouths they would be cocooned and restrained.

With any luck they would cry out for help, possibly creating an opening for the two heroes locked in combat with their Metamin empowered counterparts.

“Blue, Aegis, disentangle! Claws are coming!” Psion’s voice came through the earpiece, carrying all the urgency and vehemence he could muster.

“Tell him Blue, tell Griever that the Claws are coming!”

He was ready, silvery eyes glowed behind the visor, like coiled muscles waiting for the moment to act.

At the instant of separation Psion would whisk away his teammates and escape into the back alleyways and tunnels, also restoring his enemies garments as they went.

But everything felt like it was moving excruciatingly slow, which brought on a real sense of anxiety on top of the urgency.

Griever and G-13 were bad guys for sure, but the Claws were created strictly to bring death and murder, they were killing machines devoid of humanity.

Psion had never faced such evil, such darkness before and the thought did make him afraid, partially because the Claws were literally monsters, but more so because of what he may be called to do to survive such an encounter in defense of the people he loved.


TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

SGC’s 28.57^3
Into the Woods

Lord Bengal declared with a low growl the danger, his Master Tenzin applied the mystic arts, skin loosing blood at the results.

“You two find the Gypsy Camp. I’ll draw out the enemy and deal with them.” Lord Bengal declared. That seemed brave and noble, but SGC had a feeling that this one that had itched for a fight as to display his weapons nearly constantly merely was tired of not fighting.

Above them, an eerie rustling came from the forest canopy, even as the area darkened.

“Go!” The Armored Tiger ordered.

“Now hold on a second, we should stick together!” Tenzin interjected.

The Armored Tiger gave a great roar and leapt swiftly, up through the boughs and unto the forest canopy. Immediately, the sounds of feral conflict filled their ears.

The eerie sound of rustling continued, drawing closer to Tenzin and SGC's position.

Tenzin turned to his pupil.

“We should go!”

"Yes Master." SGC replied with a bowed head. An enclosed space without clear lines of sight was good for all his gifts. Turning he used his back arms to lift and hold Tenzin against his back so that they were back to back. No one was going to drop or sneak between them!

Turning then he began a healthy jog toward where he thought they needed to go.

Tag: @greyjedi125