Drama Marvel Heroes: A New Breed - ~Summer 2020 Best RPG~

OOC: Combo post with @greyjedi125

IC: Zara Chang:
Undercity, White Star HQ

Cross retrieved a kitbag from outside the doorway to the sparring room. He returned and flung a set of military fatigues including equipment webbing and boots at Zara. She caught them and blinked. He began changing without embarrassment. In the military, no-one cares.

He saw her hesitate and said, "Come on, this is not a drill!"

She bit her lip and said, "These will be heavier than me, I can't... do what I do in these. I would lose control of the encounter..."

Cross remembered her file. Yes, it had said that. He huffed and nodded. He had just made the point about control himself.

"Alright you'll have to go like that, then. Here, take this at least." He offered an ear-piece communicator.

She took it. It was less than one gram. She nodded agreement and fitted it in.

"Agent Cross, where are we going?" she looked around the room. "And... how are we getting there?"

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

Michael Knight
Electric Avenue, London, U.K.

The towering Michael Knight, also known as the mysterious Subject-50, one of MI-13's secret experiments, strolled through the bustling Brixton Market, biting down on a Swedish meatball wrap he had nabbed from a pret a manger, a sandwich chain restaurant that offered him quite a bit of nostalgia from his childhood. Here he was able to become one with the tides of people in the market. Here he was able to be free from the second look that many would give him elsewhere, considering MI-13 surely must have begun a nationwide sweep for him.

He looked at the wrap in his hands, while it would quell his hunger for some time, he only had so much money, and no work. Not to mention, he had no idea where he would sleep tonight. Minor worries in comparison to his other woes, but still a major discomfort for him.

Another cloud burst sent rain down into the market and the surrounding area, causing some patrons to disperse. That’s when Michael saw them.

It was true, that youngsters were often harsh on each other, but that did not excuse their behavior.

“C’mon, do it! What’re you waitin’ for!?”

In the middle of the rain and next to a draped vending booth, Michael would see three young teens, throwing various objects at a fourth, who cowered in a corner, hands raised to protect himself against the crude objects being flung at him. Unlike the other three, his skin was as pale as alabaster, as was his hair. His wet clothes made the contrast even more apparent. Michael frowned, and felt somewhat sick as he watched the three ruffians prey on the weaker party. Michael inferred that it was probably due to his clear difference in appearance. But that was no excuse for cruelty, and made Michael angry.

“Leave me be!” He would protest.

“Do it! Do it! Do it!” The three would chant as they continued to toss objects at the lone boy, objects that grew heavier and more dangerous with each following assault. Michael walked towards them, clearing his throat and cracking his knuckles.

"I'll give you five, no three, seconds to run and leave this person alone, or I'll get involved." he warned to the three teenagers, before starting his count.

"One... Two..."

@greyjedi125

(Larry post coming soon)

 

Zara Chang
Undercity, White Star HQ

Agent Cross lifted a finger to Zara, indicating for her to ‘hold that thought’, just as his device beeped. He moved closer to her so she could see the text as their update came in.

[From: L.G; Team Cross: Your assignment is to shadow an allied team on a Courier/Escort mission in the Union Square Area. Team Psion. Support and assist as needed. Reveal yourselves if necessary. Visual profile only provided. Time of departure: Immediate.]

“Hmm.” Cross mused, then opened the visual file.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the 'portrait-like' images provided. Team Psion was comprised of three members.

Blueline: Male with facial bandana.

Aegis: Female with hood and mask.

Psion: Male with face covering and visor.

There wasn’t much else included, as he did not have access to more classified information, especially since this was simply an ‘allied’ team. He was offered only what he needed to know. Sure, he’d heard a thing or two about the Blue guy and his friends. Logistics believed they were based somewhere in lower Manhattan. Some folks believed they were worth recruiting.

“They’re just kids.” Agent Cross keenly observed.

Truth was, they weren’t just kids. These were metahuman youngsters. Their fate and that of humanity hung in the balance.

*sigh*

“You were saying?” Cross said, turning his head to look at Zara.



Tag: @Kurisan

 

Combo post with @greyjedi125 and @galactic-vagabond422

Blue, Casey & Zephyr
en route to Union Square Park, NYC

“Yes, another mission!” Zephyr exclaimed almost sounding relieved.

Instantaneously and with some glee, Zephyr willed his raiment to reconfigure about his body, his casual clothes flowing and shaping into what was now his signature outfit as Psion.

The look was simple yet stylish and sleek, it downplayed the inherent strength and durability of the carbon fiber and Kevlar material. The visor and facemask completely covered and hid his face, a necessity that often made others initially uneasy. He did like the fact that the non-reflect black made him hard to spot in the shadows.

He really enjoyed this suit, it was the last gift he got from his parents…before all ‘this’ happened, but that memory was fuzzy, hard to recall exactly when…what was the occasion…a birthday, a care package?

He also enjoyed working with White Star…it was natural that they’d be working together, of course, almost predestined, good guys being good guys, but when exactly did that start?

Zephyr cleared away his annoyance and confusion and decided to tackle them later, something must have happened at some point, and he would need time to unravel the answers to the questions, but his sense of urgency demanded that he focus on the mission at hand.

With a quick tap to some buttons on a small panel on his arm, he had the handcomp

download all pertinent data to the mission and display the details of their escort and contact protocols onto his visor HUD.


[Assignment:Proceed to the Union Square Free Market and find the ‘Refurbished Goods Vendor’ on the West side of the market. Inform the vendor you are there for Mr.Howling’s pick-up. In conversation, you will be asked; ‘Stop me if you heard thisbefore’. Your first response should be ’Stop’. Their counter should be, ‘Why?’, ‘ThisI have heard.’ Is your confirmation. ‘Clever as ever’, is theirs, at which point the package should be made available to you along with instructions for completion. Avoid H.A.M.M.E.R. at all costs.]


“By now we all know the fastest route to the Square, did you guys catch all that?

A few possible scenarios played out in the back of his mind as he waited for his teammates to confirm their readiness.


Blue rolled his eyes this cloak and dagger stuff was not his idea of what heroes did. They didn't operate in the shadows doing dead drops or speaking secret codes. What good was a hero if you didn't know they were there, if you didn't fear them intervening or felt safe knowing they could be watching. This whole situation had put a major damper on the way Blue did things. While he had no fear of facing H.A.M.M.E.R head on, it seemed his companions did and he would bow to their fears. Didn't mean he had to like the situation, or the frankly ridiculous lengths they had to go to to do what they had sworn themselves to. It felt so long ago and almost fuzzy when the trio met and formed this group.

He tightened his bandanna and nodded to Zephyr.

"Yeah," Casey spoke up tying her own bandanna around her face to completely hide her face. "Stop me if you've heard this one before." She said in an attempt to show that she was listening. It would almost be fun, the whole secret codes, and skulking about, if it wasn't for the very very real danger that surrounded them on their way to Union Square Park.

"You know the drill." Blue said moving to the exit locking eyes with his partners in this. "I take point, Psion at the back keep your ears open," He said meaning Zephyr's ability to feel the world around him more acutely than him or Casey. "Casey in the middle."

Casey nodded moving up behind him, if she know blue he would want to move quickly out the door and to the park.


Psion Team was ready. The trio swiftly moved through a pre-determined route. Each member knew their role and how important their contribution was. Despite their sometime differing approaches, Blue, Casey and Zephyr had learned to achieve their goal once it was agreed on.

Of course, it wasn’t always easy. Indeed, over time, they found that it never did get easier, but that did not stop them from facing their challenges.

With practiced efficiency, Psion Team traversed the city streets successfully, without incident, merging with foot traffic when needed, then through less populated areas, without bringing attention to themselves. The city was busy with activity as always. At every turn, there was an opportunity for someone or something, if you looked closely enough. It was simply the way of things.

Blue, Casey and Zephyr made it up to Washington Square Park, which was crowded with street vendors, musicians and all manner of people. This was a good indication that they could make it to Union Square in good time, as it wasn’t far- however, the distinct sound of a wailing child and a very distraught mother would grab their attention.

Unsurprisingly, there was a crowd forming, as folks stood around during the developing scene, wondering how it would all end. A mother and child found themselves caught by a random H.A.M.M.E.R. check point operated by two soldiers. The first soldier stood stoically facing-off with the screaming mother, while the second held the wailing girl by a hand.

“Your damn machine is broken!! The light wasn’t even green!! She’s normal like me! Don’t you take my baby from me!!”

“Sorry ma’m. Inconclusives need to be checked out. You’re free to come along.”

“You’re all monsters! Don’t you DARE do this!! Somebody help me!! Please!!”

The team was not very far from their target location. Not very far at all.


The hero's call went out, a person needed help. They had made good time, they had time, time to go off the route and deal with two jackbooted thugs. Blue's blood boiled, his heart thumped against his ribs.He took a step towards the scene and felt a hand grab his wrist. Turning his head he saw Casey shaking her head.

"We need to avoid Hammer." Casey said holding a little tighter.

"I'm not leaving anyone in trouble." Breaking her grip Blue burst through the crowd no waiting for a plan no waiting for backup, they needed help now and he wouldn't wait around. Locking on to the soldier staring down the irate mother, Blue lowered his shoulder looking to tackle the man to the ground. The bandanna clad hero always worked better from surprise and with his target on the ground.

Casey, left behind by Blue looked to Zephyr hoping that he could come up with a plan quick, they needed it, they didn't have time to waste, H.A.M.M.E.R backup would be there any minute, and even she knew Blue couldn't take on an entire squad.

Zephyr took a deep breath, he was hoping to make it to Union Square without detour or incident, but this wasn't completely unexpected.

For some inexplicable reason their fearless leader had become more impatient and reckless of late, or so it seemed to Zephyr.
Blue was more brazen that ever before and prone to sudden 'heroics', but as always his heart was in the right place and no one could really fault him for being so proactive. But it took a lot of patience to keep pace with the intrepid hero.
This justified all the long sleepless nights coming up with strategies and scenarios to keep his teammates safe and away from harm, this was exactly why Psion had to remain cool headed and focused, always keeping his emotions in check while on the field.

"Be ready to move" he said simply to Casey.
With that Psion engaged is ability further, traversing the crowds, avoiding cameras and mapping a trajectory had become as easy as breathing, now he needed to pay a little attention.

He didn't enjoy using his abilities offensively on the living since he felt that it was a moral slippery slope, but sometimes it could not be helped.

With his power he halted the blood from flowing to the brain of the two H.A.M.M.E.R soldiers, long enough to induce unconsciousness, he checked to see if there were any bio-mechanical countermeasures implanted within the soldiers, he would disable those if need be. He also caused the battery pack on the infernal 'mutant detector' to overheat and melt circuits and the onboard datachip and motherboard, he really hated those contraptions, but he had a feeling that blowing it up might make things more problematic in the long run.

As for cover, some wild spraying from the main water fountain should serve as sufficient distraction as some of the people would disperse while others may decide to revel in the sudden 'chaos' of the moment.

No doubt that Park Security would be on its way and most likely some back up from H.A.M.M.E.R.
Psion extended the range of his a abilities to sense the movement of the crowds, if anyone was moving towards them he would know in an instant. With trained focus he readied himself mentally to safeguard his teammates and the beleaguered mother and daughter, they all needed to exit the park immediately.

If they did this right, they could do some good here and fulfill their mission with White Star, they could accomplish both objectives and succeed.
Psion set his jaw firmly; he had no intention of coming up short.


Giving Aegis a simple nod, Psion's spoke one word to his teammates through the communicator..."Hurry!"


What followed was as sudden as a flash of lightning.

No one was expecting a ‘hero’ to appear, or ‘heroes’ for that matter. Not since H.A.M.M.E.R. not since Doom.

Blue’s tackle struck the distracted HAMMER soldier for all it’s worth. Both men crashed on the floor with and audible impact, then spilled on the ground, to the shock of the crowd -who backed up immediately. The second HAMMER Soldier let go of the girl, who immediately ran into the waiting arms of her mother. With practiced motions, the second HAMMER soldier leveled his weapon at Blue and his partner, having every intention to fire, knowing that their ballistic gear could ablate the force of weapon’s fire, effectively allowing him to put down the attacker.

What he didn’t realize, was that the ‘attacker’ was not alone.

In a blink of an eye, Water burst from all around, and began spraying wildly from the nearby Fountain and service ducts in the immediate area, causing the crowds to clear the zone of engagement. The First soldier facing Blue, reacted like the seasoned military man that he was, going with the impact and drawing his side arm. He went to point it at Blue’s neck, but suddenly a swimming sensation came over him, his vision blurred and he found himself losing consciousness at an alarming rate. His side arm fired into the air, missing Blue entirely, hitting no one in the process. There was simply nothing he could do as he passed-out. Circuits on his helmet shorted out, as well as several devices on his person.

The second HAMMER soldier faired no better. He aimed down with his Rifle to fire at Blue, the suddenly collapsed like a rag doll upon the wet pavement. Sparks flying from his helmet and other equipment. A burst of weapon’s fire only managed to trace a path of ballistic impact on the floor.

The Mother held her girl in her arms, water coming down soaking them both. She seemed to be crying, but those were tears of joy. She looked upon Blue with adoring eyes. “Thank you, Blue, thank you. Bless you.”

Those were the words she spoke to the man in the bandana, before she turned and fled the scene with her child.

[Psion Team. Evac via 5th Avenue, then go up 8th Street. Security cameras and communications along those lines have been disrupted for the moment. HAMMER is sending a response team to your current location. Move out.]

The message came to the team via Doc-link.

They had about two minutes to comply.


Psion stood still for a second deciding on what to say-

‘You could have gotten us ALL killed’ or ‘That could have gone better’

In the end he opted to hold his peace as the water soaked mother spoke to Blue, hugging her daughter like the most precious treasure in existence.

‘Thank you Blue, thank you. Bless you.”

The woman’s words reached Psion deeply. Her relief, her joy and gratitude…there was a great sadness to it all.

Zephyr knew full well that it was this widespread pain that Blue sought to alleviate; this was why they did what they did, the glue that united them as friends and heroes.

How did things get so bad, when did oppression become the ‘order’ of the day?

[Psion Team. Evac via 5th Avenue, then go up 8th Street. Security cameras and communications along those lines have been disrupted for the moment. HAMMER is sending a response team to your current location. Move out.]

“Roger that.” Psion responded even though the message came in through Doc.


“This way!” the young hero signaled to his teammates with a sharp motion of his head. He was pretty much a native of the Big Apple and was quite familiar with the layout of the streets.

People were still rushing about, some trying to avoid the now weakening water sprays and others running through it, even enjoying it. How strange to see the carefree living afforded to those who are ‘PH’ balanced and the misery visited upon anyone who was gifted… a mutant, an aberration, a creature to be exploited or exterminated.


“Are you guys alright?” he asked both Blue and Aegis as he readied to head out and blend into the crowd.

Certainly everyone was physically intact, he could see that clearly, but the emotional aspect of the work was just as heavy laden.

Recapping the encounter in his mind, Psion’s face turned bright red from tremendous embarrassment and self-recrimination; thankfully no one could see that beneath his mask and visor.

He had allowed his deep-seated dislike of the ‘mutant detector’ device to cloud his judgment, too focused on disabling the electronics that he overlooked the weapons.

It was nothing outside of sheer luck that the oppressive and trigger-happy H.A.M.M.E.R goons lost consciousness right before they could find their mark.

The fact that Blue could heal from his wounds didn’t help in the least to lessen his sour feeling…. what if a civilian had gotten shot? He wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself.

‘Disarm and Disable-in that order’ He chided himself mentally.

Blinking those thoughts away for the moment, Psion directed his focus to the mission at hand.

Reinforcements hadn’t reached the perimeter of the park yet but there seemed to be a ‘slowing down’ taking place on the far side.


“So…maybe Casey can dialogue with our contact when we reach our destination, you know, she being the pretty one in the group and all?” He said through the earpiece as he ushered them out.


Blue raised his fist ready to rain down blows on the helmeted head of his foe. The gun didn't faze him, he'd taken bullets before he'd be fine. Before he could do anything more the H.A.M.M.E.R goon went limp in his hands. That was when he noticed the water spraying around like a hose without someone to steady it. Bullets fly all around him but he doesn't care. Looking up to the mother and daughter he nodded his head watching them disappear into the darkness.

They would be safe this day. And he hoped there was more than just him out on the streets tonight. The message came in and Blue knew the streets as well as anyone, though Psion had seemed to have the jump on things. He followed without saying anything more moving to take the lead once again.

"Blue, you know that could have gone way worse?" Aegis said falling in behind him. "You could have put us in danger."

"It turned out fine, that's why were a team."

"But..." She quieted for a moment. "You rushed in without us...Ze...Psion had to save you."

"What would you have me do, stand around and do nothing." He looked over his shoulder with a glare. "I've done nothing for long enough. I don't do this to stand by and let others be hurt."

"Blue..." Casey was cut off by Psion laying out the plan, having her do the talking. "You're the pretty one..." she muttered off to the side. Though his features were hidden by a faceless mask, Zephyr was the one that was the 'face' so to speak. Blue never took off his bandanna, and she, well, if she got a bad feeling things could go very wrong.

"What should I say?" she asked feeling very out of her depth.


With Washington Square falling behind them Psion was feeling a bit more at ease. He understood Casey's apprehension with handling the entire exchange by herself, the conversation needed to feel natural.

"How about you and I browse a few items before making our inquiry." He suggested.

"After we do that I can start by saying something like 'This one reminds me of a joke or maybe a story'...I think that should create a good opening for our contact to chime in, at which point you can finish the exchange. "

"What do you think, much better that way, right?"
Psion tried not to sound excited about the cloak and dagger, but to him this was one of the cool parts of superheroing.


TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

IC: Mary Formal, Nicole Gravely, boarding Alaska Airlines Flight 1-5-2-2 to San Jose, California
Location: Gate 33, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle


With Nikki in front of her, Mary joined the line of boarding passengers in marching down the air bridge that extended like a hollow metal finger from the terminal building, towards the plane, buffeted by a frigid wind that flowed up to them, indicating to her that there must be an opening along the spartan walkway.

It was making Nikki work to keep her petticoating down from flying up around her hips, and fluttering the paperwork that she had pinched in one of the fists she had pressed to her voluminous layers.

The Arcan halted mid-stride, the passenger immediately behind, walking stoutly into her and complaining aloud.

Formal ignored her, mind racing as she discovered the opening in the left wall that was the source of all this wind: a human-shaped (arms and legs out like a starfish) hole had been smashed through the thin metal at the centre of a bowed in depression, it's sides of the insertion, curved in as if to suggest that a spreadeagled person had been flung through into the 'bridge with some considerable force.

She was not smelling or seeing any blood, nor was there a layer of absorbing sand underfoot....so either the victim could have been wearing armour?

Fluttering blue-and white-plastic tape, emblazoned with 'Airport Security - Do Not Cross', crisscrossed the hole, presumably to stop people falling twenty feet onto the concrete below the 'bridge. Either it had a better tensile strength than it looked, or someone had an over-inflated estimate of how well it would support the weight of an unbalanced human.

People were starting to go around her now, as she turned her gaze to the right, tracking the hypothetical flightpath of an adult human that had not been stopped by the first wall, and found to her right, a human-shaped indentation in the opposing bulkhead.

If, as she suspected, this had occurred during the Malformed cleanup just now, she was willing to bet that Director Osborne's "toolkit" was down at least one H.A.M.M.E.R.

"Bad-dum-pa. I'm here all week," she murmured, likening herself to a successful standup comedienne, rather than the stage-struck mess that she would probably be if she ever tried to be an Open Miker.

"MOM?!"

Despite her initial start at not seeing her child amongst the throng of people walking before her, Mary could not help smiling at her baby's upbeat-sounding call. "Don't get your hopes up, Sweetheart. Mummy is still here." She raised her voice to call forwards, walking with the flow once again, "Wait for me by the stewardesses, Honey!"

"Alright!"

Mary Formal picked up her pace, finding the far end of the jetway sealed around the open door on the side of their airliner, with two of the blue-uniformed crew standing on the left, with Nikki beside them, and another stewardess on the right.
The crew were checking passengers' documents, then directing them towards the aft end of the plane.

"Sweetie, what have I told you about running off?" Mary chided as she approached the opening, and felt the flooring elevation change beneath her, as she stepped from the permanent corridor to the entended bit that met the plane.

"I didn't run off!" Nikki defended. "I didn't know that you had stopped to sight-see."

They were directed down the centre aisle through the already occupied seats of First Class, where the passengers there were busy exploring their new environments for the next couple hours.
They were then funnelled down the single central aisle through Business, and into the main fuselage, where the seats of Coach stretched down to the back of the aircraft.

People were standing at different spots, loading carry-on luggage into the overhead 'bins', or dropping out of sight as they sat down.

"Just keep going till you get halfway, Sweetheart. We should be on the right, at the beginning of the wings."

"My right, or the plane's right."

"Yours." Mary frowned at armrests and up the sides of the seats closest to them, although she knew they were not close to where they were sitting. "Where are the seat numbers? Can you see them?"

Nikki aimed a finger up at the ceiling. "Aisle seat number is right below the lockers"

****

Soon Mary had Nikki installed into her window seat, and with everyone seated, the plane started taxi-ing away from the terminal, and steering towards the runway.

"**** British Airways, this is way better." Mary was impressed with the luxurious feel of the black leather seat cushions, although back here in Coach, it was very noticeable that the padding was less generous than on the ones up in Alaska's idea of First Class, which was not a patch on Virgin's.

Nikki indicated the back of the seat in front of her. "But that sucks."

Compared to a lot of modern airlines, that had embraced entertainment screens embedded into the backs of headrests, Alaska Air had clearly gone in another direction.

"Well, you have your phone. We can just watch more of that colourful show."

"Would I Lie To You."

"Yeah, that."

"And suppose I have to put it in flight mode? No access to the internet then."

Mary considered this. Nikki had a point there. "We can ask the stewardess once they start coming round."

"I think they like to be called 'flight attendants', these days, Mom."

"And they assist the flying how, exactly?" Formal looked over at her child.

"I said attendant, not assistant. They don't get out and push."

"If the government weren't so keen to collar mutants, perhaps airlines could hire some that did just that."

The rumbling sounds of the engines, ramped up in volume, then the E-Branch agent felt herself pressed back as the plane started accelerating along the runway and lifted its nose into the air.

"SHIELD can build heli-carriers, but these people can't even manage back-of-seat screens?"

Mary chose not to engage. Nikki was broadcasting her disappointment on all frequencies, and certainly maintaining her annoyed pout for longer than when she had denied her permission to watch the near rout of the Malformed, earlier.

"That Costa Rica woman wouldn't have discovered her mistake until she landed, if she'd gone by Alaska."

"Alright, Sweetie."

Soon enough, the plane levelled out and the overhead controls ping'd, alerting them to the opportunity to release their seat belts, Mary releasing hers then reaching over her daughter to deal with the heavy metal clasp connecting the safety webbing across her midriff.

"This is Captain Oveur." The confident, reassuring tones of the pilot, came over the intercom. "I would like to welcome all of you to Alaska Air flight 34 to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago-"

Mary straightened with a start. "Wait, what?!" She was startled to hear this, thinking: What happened to San Jose?

"Not what, pardon."

"-assengers and fuel, and drop some of you off. And then for those of you proceeding to La Guardia in New York City-"

"You can just say 'New York'." A random voice advised from a row behind.

"-expect to touch down at 20:40 hours, Eastern Standard Time."

Mary settled and tried to relax. "Well, at least we are still going to New York." Her thoughts were in turmoil though. They should be going to San Jose down in California, and there had even been an announcement to that effect, back in the airport.
Yet the captain had announced Chicago like everyone on board ought to know.

"I hope we can stay on board the plane. I told you that we were going to be seriously under-dressed for Chicago. You know why they call it the Windy City, don't you?"

"Something to do with Weetabix?"

Nikki looked up at her, though her expression was difficult for Mary to discern, with her child's head silhouetted against the bright light coming through the oval-shaped window behind her. ".....Well perhaps. But it's not the reason that I'm familiar with."


To be continued...

 

IC: Agent Liz Merrick, The Shwarm eatery.
Location: New York, New York (well, if that's not a cue for a song, I don't know what is.)


Liz did not like the ostentatious fashion statement of the stark white catsuit with scarlet insignia thrusting from her chest, but she had to concede, as the Bounty Hunter immediately dropped his weapon, that it worked fine today.
She even felt his thoughts making a comparison between her chest logo with his, a black wolf's head inside a red circle.

Given her dogman investigations, that piqued her interest.

“H.A.M.M.E.R…..huh.”

Dr. Redstone folded his arms over his chest, and puffed up like an Emperor Penguin, silently challenging the walking tank.

“Mah apologies, just doing mah job.” The Bounty Hunter offered, then moved out of Sebastian’s way.

The E-Branch telepath released a bit of breath and tension as Redstone was apparently allowed to say ‘Good day’ and head out.

“Likewise.” Was the Bounty Hunter’s response.

One down, she thought, warily. She was not out of the woods yet, and unless Seb legged it down the sidewalk as soon as he got outside, neither was he.

She didn't know how that metal-looking helmet worked, but if it was anything like Expanded Universe stormtrooper armour, a BIT of a leap, she realised, he could have recorded their faces and be running their likenesses against a database.

The Pacific Rim stand-in briefly turned to her, and she held her breath. She had never felt jealous of E-Branch colleague', Jake Cutter's access to the Möbius Continuum before, however the ability to teleport at will would be mighty handy about now.

“As you were ma’m.”

She nodded her thanks, and tried not to visually sag too much as she expelled the held air and tension. "Th-thank you."

With that, he slung over his weapon, put away his detector and moved to the serving counter.

“Coffee to go.”

Liz kept watching the bounty hunter as he turned from her, as if they hadn't had the life-threatening encounter just now, and she noticed that the waitress hadn't popped back up into view.

“Black. No sugar.”

"Angelique? Angelique, you have a customer." The carver had turned around from the meat pole, blade still in hand, and was now looking down at the floor behind the counter. "It's alright, he has put the blaster away."

“No bag.”

"You will have to pardon my colleague. Angelique, pull yourself together! Look, give me a moment to wash my hands and I'll sort your coffee."

There was a high-pitched whimper from behind the counter, and Liz was certain that the woman was in no state to carry on working for the moment. In fact, if her Talent was any judge, Angelique was in dire need of the Little Girls' Room.

Me too, actually. She shuffled sideways on her bottom to the edge of the seating, so that she could quarter-turn and stand up from the booth. Booths could be death traps when someone got the drop on you like that Hunter had just now. Although, by definition, if someone got the drop on you, anywhere could be a death trap.

She stood, grabbed Seb's inked napkin off the table, and wound her way through the white-covered tables and chairs, towards the Ladies at the back, her route taking her close to the counter where the Hunter was trying to get service.

The British agent paused at the end of the counter, putting her a couple of metres from the bounty hunter, and turning towards him. "Say, that logo on your breastplate; what's the significance, please?"
Then she was forced to raise one finger to pause his response, her earpiece suddenly sounded hollow, which usually preceded an official communication from H.A.M.M.E.R. H.Q.

A voice with an officious and impersonal tone, stated: [[Agent Merrick.]]

"You know I could just be anyone, right?" She enquired, pressing a fingertip of the hand holding the napkin, to her earpiece, unsurprised by the silence that greeted her. Not for the first time, she wondered if the 'H' stood for 'Humourless'. She gave her counterpart a few seconds to respond, then got with the programme, lest he call her bluff and despatch a Sentinel to check her out. "Agent Merrick here."

[[We have confirmed Mutant activity in your area. Response teams have been mobilized, please standby for further instructions on deployment.]]

"Roger that, Control. Merrick out." The hollow sound disappeared from the micro-speaker, indicating to her that Control had cut the connection, for now. She called her boyfriend. "Bry' start the engine. We have a job. Mutant activity in the area."

Whatever this was, it was certain to be high risk, which H.A.M.M.E.R ops were notorious for. Probably why no-one thought there was any danger of someone nicking an earpiece and turning up to a situation.

She had heard third-hand, that the 'Queen of daytime tv', had called motherhood "the most difficult job on the planet."

She ought to come on one of our ops. Liz Merrick thought, then asked the guy behind the counter for her half-eaten Rum Baba in a doggy bag, and two Americana coffees to go.


Tag: @greyjedi125

 

Gemini IC:
~Triskelion, New York City~

If it wasn’t for the armor suit’s sensors and greatly enhanced VR imaging, Gemini knew they’d be in a lot of trouble with not much to show for it. Thankfully, they had gotten lucky that ‘the suit’ was still housed in Triskelion and very much functional.

Thankfully Quake’s attack that kept the Claws off balance, also did the same to the girl before she got away in a crack on the floor. While she was righting herself, he put his foot down (as gently as he could with her size in consideration) over the nearest part of the crack to her. Gave him slightly more time incase she tried give him trouble.

As quickly as he could, with Jarvis’ aid, he attempted to figure out a good way to contain her safely. But then…

“Whatever you’re doing, DO IT NOW!!”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he realized his superior was right. There simply was no time, he’d have to keep it basic and do his best to keep her safe.

“Forgive me for this,” he stated so the girl could hear, then knowing she wouldn’t think he could see her…used that to full advantage by quickly grasping her securely in his right hand.

“Jarvis, help calculate the best way out of the rear now! Account for Quake’s abilities to be in tandem.”

He said this so his companion could hear the way his mind was headed. If the Sentinel was incoming soon, then chances were it would arrive at the front, not knowing their own abilities and hoping to cut them off at the most logical chokepoint. If that was true, then they absolutely mustn’t go that way.

The answer came in quickly. Thank god for high-tech toys.

“Gemini, aim repulsors toward the vestibule roof due to their slant. Coordination will lead quickest results.”

“Quake!” he yelled out while aiming his left hand, “Through the roof, work with me!”

He gave her only a heartbeat or two to respond and react, because they literally only had that much time to spare. Then his hand was firing right where his targeting system showed him and his jets firing once more.

“For your own safety, just hang on,” he stated out loud for the currently diminutive girl. “Thank us later.”

Tag: Quake, Mini-Girl, Claws, Hopefully Not Sentinel @greyjedi125

 

The Ouro
-Upper West Side, NYC

The energy surged through him!

It was difficult for Ouro to not be distracted by the bliss he felt. The power was something he was still adjusting to and it took a conscious effort for him to focus. He flew higher, above the buildings, to avoid the bullets. He suspected that he wouldn't have been harmed by them, but he also thought it'd be a pretty embarrassing way for him to go out having a bullet knock him out of the sky.



The Ouro took in the sight below him. This was a view of New York City that one normally had to pay alot of money to see. Clinching his fist, he looked around him. A sentinel was on the way, he could see the machine closing in at a distance. Huge. Bigger than he thought it would be. But it was too late now. It was time for him to be all the things he had wanted to be for a long time. A hero.



And dammit, It was hero time.

Ouro knew he couldn't risk a fight here, specifically in the same vicinity as Eliza and the triplets. The potential destruction and damage area could be wide. He wasn't in complete command of his powers' limits. To fight a sentinel, though, he may just have to let loose and this wasn't the place to do it.

"Alright....Time to see what I can do. AAARRGGHHHH!" He screamed. Why? Well it was what the characters in his favorite animes did when they needed to summon their powers and it was what 1980s action movie heroes did as well. Whether it actually worked or not, he felt better and could feel the cosmic energy in his surge. He exploded forward to meet the sentinel with his fists out in front of him.

BLAST, he thought, and beams of energy, larger than the ones he had released in the rehearsal building, shot forth from his hands towards the sentinel.

It was showtime.

Tag: @greyjedi125

 

Zara Chang and Agent Cross (combo post with @greyjedi125 )
Undercity, White Star HQ

Cross looked up at Zara, realising she had asked something and he had been distracted by the sudden mission alert.

"Right," he said. "How to get there. Follow me."

They walked briskly side by side through the White Star Undercity corridors. They came to a set of armoured security doors.

Cross said, “Agent Chang, I read your file. It says today is your birthday.”

She waited. The security doors parted automatically to reveal the hangar space beyond. There, a gleaming black motorbike stood waiting.

Cross continued, “It also says you got a motorcycle license, but your last ride got wrecked. So... this is for you.”

“For… me?” said Zara. There was a tremor in her voice. Shock? Horror? Confusion?

Cross continued, “This is a Kawasaki Ninja 400 – a very challenging bike for someone your size. I have also had some modifications done in the workshop. She will go like a rocket, but be very careful throttling and cornering, she is so light she is likely to take off.”

Zara said, “I have a trick to help with that, actually.”

He looked down at her. “I thought you might. Happy Birthday.”

She suddenly did a cute little dance on the spot, then beamed a grin up at him. It was the first time she had smiled, and it was so dazzling Cross had to blink twice.

“Thank you!” she said. He realised the tremor was pure joy. He thought she might throw herself up at him and hug him. And, actually, he would not have minded that so much.

Instead, her smile turned wicked and she said, “Do you ride?”

Cross grinned back, cocked one eyebrow, and said with an ironic tone, “Do I ride?”

He had not taken the Ducati out for a good run in months. And something told him this little firecracker would give him a very good run.

He shook his head and remembered the mission. He surveyed the girl again; she was just a kid, too. He hoped White Star knew what they were doing putting her in the field so quickly. But then, he would be with her.

He pointed at the helmet and boots on the bike seat. "Get ready."

He crossed to the Ducati and did the same. When he looked round she was ready to go.



TAG: @greyjedi125

 

H.A.M.M.E.R. HQ
Washington, D.C.

Emergency Inter-departmental meeting

To say that the Logistics Coordinator was presently unhappy was a gross understatement, even if he didn't show it. The ‘L.C.’ was getting a surge of unusual reports from various departments, almost all at once. His wall screen kept getting more video calls than he could answer.

At the moment he was with one of several Field Operations supervisors.

“So please help me understand. We lost not one, not two, but three Claws in the Wilds? To who exactly? And How? Do you know how much those things cost? And what was that about the operators?”

“We have recorded footage of the incident and we are working to identify the perp, sir. We should be getting a positive I.D. any moment. We are matching visual and voice prints to our database as we speak. The operators were, hitching a ride, via synaptic-interface, sir. They are presently in catatonic condition, but stable.”

“Synaptic- interface? That practice was discontinued after the Lorna Dane incident. The policy clearly states VR only. Send me their names after this conversation. In the meantime….please hold.”

The Bounty Hunter’s Liaison was now on the line.

“Sir, I think you should read this. We lost a Hunter in the Wilds and his vehicle was stolen by a man with a peculiar message. We alerted the nearest guard post to the vehicle’s location and they’re already on their way to make the collar.”

“That can’t be a coincidence. Good call. I’ll keep a tab on the situation and inform the appropriate party. L.C. out.”

Before the L.C. could do anything, he got an update from New York Central.

Three confirmed mutants were located in the Upper West Side. Response teams were sent to engage along with a Sentinel. Results were pending.

A Claw team was actively engaged against ‘unknowns’ at Triskelion, where an energy spike was also detected. A Sentinel was dispatched to the site. Results pending.

A random check point in Washington Square resulted in a failed collar. The incident was currently under investigation.

Project MASK was proceeding as scheduled.

The L.C. confirmed update reception, then returned to the supervisor he’d placed on hold.

“Any developments?”

“Yes, sir. We’ve confirm the perp’s identity as Daken, sir.”

A brief pause.

“I see.”

“Should I inform Deputy Director Sarkissian?”

“No. I shall assume that responsibility, thank you. Keep me updated. L.C. out.”

Did the supervisor just sigh in relief? No matter.

The Logistics Coordinator was no stranger to spikes in activity within any given location, that was rather normal. But something about this did seem ‘inexplicable’.

An almost negligent hand movement opened another screen.

“Connect me to Force Commander Moonstone.”

His tone and demeanor would be officious, as always. He had not planned to make a call to such a high ranking officer, but it could not be helped. The L.C. was fairly certain the Force Commander would find his update, very intriguing, to say the least.


To be Continued….

 

(A combo post between @Ameteth @greyjedi125 and myself...Mission Impossible theme intensifies)

Blueline, Aegis & Psion
Union Square Park, NYC

Merging with the foot traffic was easy enough, especially for Blue, Casey and Zephyr. Living in the city for a year made you a certified local.

The three moved together, weaving in and out the crowds, always keeping each other in view. So far, their short jaunt had been, thankfully, uneventful. It was no surprise to see a H.A.M.M.E.R. Squad Car speeding down the street in the direction of Washington Square. Hopefully that meant less of a presence at their next location.

What was surprising was the roaring sound of a Sentinel flying over. From its flight path, one could guess it was going further downtown. It seemed to be in a hurry, if such a think could actually be determined at a glance.

Many of the people about looked up, others stopped altogether, while a few took pictures, but not much else came from the sighting. That was probably a good sign.

Within moments, noise from the USQ Free Market grew in intensity, as did the crowd. A plethora of scents from foods and fragrances hung in the air, all amid the din of popular music blasting from somewhere. Keeping to the west side of the market, it wouldn’t be long before all three spied the ‘Refurbished Goods Vendor’ stall. A middle-aged man with grey hair, and a dark blue denim jacket was there, people watching; a contented smile on his face. It stood to reason that he didn’t have much business. Previously used goods were never considered ‘hot items’ as it were.

A soothing feeling of familiarity washed over Psion like a refreshing wave on a tropical beach and for a brief second he did not resist it.

Union Square Park brought back a lot of fond memories, this bustling square of multi-cultural peoples was a testament of the true spirit of the Big Apple; where the cool people hung out, where the savvy Manhattanites purchased their organic foods and handmade one of a kind thingamabobs.

Psion looked over to the Zeckendorf Towers letting out small sigh. His luxury apartment overlooked the park and offered a wonderful view of the area, sadly, it remained unoccupied for as long as they’ve been forced to go into seclusion…but when did that all start…more fuzzy confusion. He did wonder if the nice people from Housekeeping were keeping things in order in his absence.

This was also the place were they all first met oh so long ago…but exactly how long ago…he would never forget such an important date, or would he? No he wouldn’t…

Psion frowned and grunted at the return of the fuzziness…why was he having problems remembering things, there had to be a cause, but there didn’t seem to exist anyone he could trust with this.

The world felt like it had been turned upside down, Sentinels flying overhead, civilians having no rights if they were suspected of being gifted, H.A.M.M.E.R goons running the city, and heroes basically nowhere to be found…all because of DOOM.

'White Star seems to be the only guiding light in all this madness…speaking of which…’

The ‘Refurbished Goods Vendor’ stall suddenly came into view, the vendor, apparently a middle-aged man, was people watching contentedly.

Psion ‘looked over’ the stall as a security precaution, looking for other customers, hidden weapons or electronics that may be present within and to verify if their contact, the vendor, was indeed what he appeared to be.

He made sure to remain natural and ‘frosty’ (like heroes should) if he did see anything suspicious.

He modified his head covering, keeping the visor but allowing his lower face and hair to be seen, he didn’t want to appear mysterious or unapproachable during this contact.

He looked over to Casey and gave her a warm reassuring smile.

“Let’s go find a present for our friend and pick up the package.”

“Blue, I know you’ll be the look out for this one, but please stay out of trouble…or at least notify us, OK?” Psion smirked as he tried to encourage the bandanna hero to play nice.

Blue couldn't help the look gave Psion, the hardened stare of a man that didn't like to be patronized. Taking a breath he put a smile on his face under the bandanna, though it was clear it didn't reach his eyes. Casey had gotten good at reading Blue's eyes, he wasn't happy with Psion's comment but he was putting up with it. As they walked away Blue scanned the crowd on the lookout for anything suspicious, or any situations that would require his assistance. He'd at least give Aegis and Psion a heads up but he wouldn't wait around long. Not when the H.A.M.M.E.R goons were so quick to pull the trigger, or rip families apart.

For her part Casey gave a full smile and nodded her head following Psion up to the stall. Her heart was still pounding after seeing that sentinel fly overhead. It was a moment of sheer panic fo her. The looming presence of the flying purple people smasher hadn't done much to calm her down after her earlier run in with H.A.M.M.E.R. However here at least it was quiet, or at least less roaming with armed people ready to shoot her or Blue or anyone else that they didn't seem to like.

Walking with Psion she looked over the items for sale finding a toaster oven that had seen better days. Picking it up she turned it over in her hands looking for flaws or really anything of note. Nothing really came to her, but it did remind her of something, a memory from...she couldn't remember how long ago but she knew it was important, it was the first time she heard Blue laugh. Something about her mother being a Banker not a Baker. It seemed so far in the past to have almost been a story she told herself so many times it might have been true.

"You know this reminds me of a joke..."

The grey haired vendor noticed the trio as they approached his stall and smiled at them in welcome, acknowledging their presence. The world might be going mad, but he would at least mind his manners while it did so.

In a genial manner, he did a simple gesture with his hand, signifying that they should look around at their leisure. His eyes took quick stock of the youngsters and his mind did wonder what could be their story. Everyone had a story, but it was theirs to share.

His smile grew and his eyes widened once the girl picked up the toaster.

“Good choice.” he said smiling to no one in particular, however he did pick up on her words.

“A joke? Please, do share. We can all use some levity around these parts.” He encouraged easily.

Casey blushed looking away, she hadn't expected to be put on the spot, her brain started scrambling to try and come up with something anything. Finding a collection of words she threw them together hastily and just let them flow.

"It's stupid," She couldn't even make eye contact her face was so red she could feel the heat under her bandanna. "but...um...What's the difference between a Baker and a Banker...One hands out bread the other hands out dough..."

Psion saw Casey blush, her face turning red; perhaps she was caught off guard and wasn’t ready to deliver lines.

However, Zephyr found her joke really funny and laughed with genuine delight.

‘I knew she was a good choice for this’

“ Oh before I forget…” Psion interrupted in an apologetic tone. “We’re here for Mr.Howling’s pick up”.

Psion smiled expectantly at the vendor, just another day in the neighborhood.

“Oh my, that IS funny!” The vendor said, both delighted and charmed by Casey and her wonderful delivery. “You’re a natural.”

To Psion, he nodded in understanding, acknowledging that he heard him, despite still enjoying Casey’s joke.

Blue’s vigilance would reveal nothing unusual so far, just a pair of morlocks engaged in casual conversation as they passed by. Union square being one of their more frequented places to hang out, but not so much of late. There was no H.A.M.M.E.R. presence in the milling crowd to be seen. Psion’s earlier security scan would likewise reveal nothing worth noting, except a young worker in the back of the booth, organizing what stock they had.

“Alright, then.” The vendor said, rubbing his hands as if getting ready to tell a big joke of his own.

“Stop me if you heard this before…”

Blue kept an eye out still just because there wasn't trouble now didn't mean there wouldn't be trouble later. He was still close enough to hear Casey's joke, a slight smirk pulled at his lip, not that anyone would see. It wasn't the best joke but Casey was trying. The bandanna clad hero kep his watch, only really letting his guard down for a moment.

Aegis gave a weak hidden smile looking to Psion then remembering that there were codes and responses to be given. She almost had to physically stop herself from say um or ah while she thought about it. It took her far too long before the word finally came to her.

"Stop."

The vendor raised his hands in surprise, and stopped as instructed. He gave a good humored laugh, and asked a simple question, seeming to be slightly confused to the casual observer.

"Why?"

Again it took her a second or two to reply casting an eye around to see if anyone was watching them. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel her palms sweating. Swallowing she tried to keep it natural but she could hear her voice crack as she spoke again.

"This I have heard."

Psion looked on as the code words were being exchanged, he smiled at Casey and nodded in approval, she was doing great.

The coded passphrase was almost complete and then the second part of the 'escort' mission would be revealed.

He was feeling a bit of a thrill at the whole secret agent vibe, but he was still alert as he continued to sense the movement of the crowds around the stall. He could feel that Blue was also alert, judging by his subtle movements.

'What could this package be' he wondered as he continued to listen to the exchange.

The vendor smiled easily and expressed his contentment. “Clever as ever.” He replied.

“Oh yes, Mr. Howling’s package, I nearly forgot.”

With an easy and casual movement, the vendor depressed a button on the counter. Perhaps to his surprise, Psion’s alert senses would suddenly pick-up and recognize what he knew to be spontaneous molecular and cellular division happening behind the stall, out of his view. In that instance, a boy about Casey’s age and height appeared through a partition. He wore a Yankee’s baseball cap, was dressed in a sleek navy colored jogging suit and carried a backpack on his back.

He waved at the trio and greeted them with a friendly; “Hello”.

“This is Adam. He will be carrying Mr. Howling’s package.” The vendor instructed with casual ease.

The rest of the message came through Doc-Link.

[ L.G. : Please ensure that Adam gets to the abandoned East River ‘Landing Pad’ at the end of E.Houston and the FDR Drive. You have about 30 minutes to complete the drop.]

Adam gave the vendor a Hi-Five as he came around the counter and stood next to Casey.

“Ready?”

Casey blinked twice seeing Adam just appear seemingly out of nowhere, though it was clearly from behind the stall. She gave a slight smile to him as he took a place next to her. What else was she supposed to do? The message came in from Doc and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, we'd best get going." Looking over her shoulder she saw Blue already moving to join them. "We're on the clock."

Blue just nodded his head and started heading off in the direction they needed to go leading the way, Aegis fell in behind him and she gestured for Adam to follow her. Blue always kept her in the middle to protect her, or to protect others from her, she wasn't quite sure which.

Psion stood still for a few seconds, stunned at what his abilities had revealed to him, not only surprising him, but also filling him with wonderment.
'What in the world...' he whispered to himself, mouth slightly agape.
The colors and the brilliance of the effect were mesmerizing and his mind raced to comprehend what he had just seen.
'I've been meaning to practice fission with complex organisms at some point but this...this is amazing.'

White Star issued instructions immediately after Adam was introduce to the group. The escort target was attired in a way that would blend perfectly with the crowd, Yankee's cap and all, a nice detail that made Psion smile.

Blue started the procession eastward to the designated drop-off point, followed by Casey and then Adam.
Psion closed the ranks and made sure that his sense ability covered a good distance all around the small group a full 360º, he didn't want any surprises, not from above or below. He also had Doc download maps of the area and route they were taking.

Covering his face again, he focused on protecting his teammates and their charge. He pushed away a passing thought that was born more out of curiosity more than anything else...what was in that bag?

TAG: @Ameteth @greyjedi125

 

The Ouros
Upper West Side, NYC

The Sentinel had arrived at the location as it flew in, it’s onboard systems already working.

[Unidentified metahuman located. multi-scan in progress…]

Unbeknownst to the combatants, the livestream of this encounter was being displayed to several parties, both official and unofficial.

The Ouros, who was as of yet unidentified and unclassified, but already demonstrating his abilities of flight, met the threat with a brilliant blast of energy from his fists. The dual beams hit their mark, releasing a flash and a shockwave upon impact.

The Sentinel did seem to stagger in mid air and slowed its advance, however, a soft glow of energy surrounding it could be seen dissipating; a defense erected at the very last possible moment, or better yet, a fraction of one.

[Initiating counter measure]

From below the right for arm, a shot was fire. The ‘shot’ emitted a sonic warble designed to render its target unconscious before it opened into an unbreakable net made synthetic fibers which would envelop and restrain said target.

As the initial salvo travelled towards The Ouros, the Sentinel brought out its left hand forward, palm facing out. The circle in the middle began to glow ominously as it readied itself to fire.

Below the aerial encounter, the triples continued to keep the soldiers disabled, but waited to hear from Eliza, even as Chuck slowly began to stir back to consciousness.



Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

---

Liz Merrick
Shwarm Eatery, NYC


Liz could not see the Bounty Hunter’s expression as he was still wearing his helmet, but she could very well get a sense of his reaction. He was surprised that she had engaged him in conversation, after that little ‘mix-up’.

“That’s the logo for the Wolf Pack.” He answered. “USA Chapter.”

He seemed unconcerned with ‘Angelique’s’ plight, as long as he was getting his coffee to go. He didn’t care much who made it.

Her other statement really surprised him. Was she trying to play mind games with him?

Liz moved on as she took a call from her current employer, leaving him to wonder the answer.

By the time Agent Merrick turned back around to ask for her doggy bag, the Bounty Hunter had already made his exit, eve as her mission update came though.

[Agent Merrick: Please proceed immediately to the Alvin Ailey Rehearsal Space on the Upper West Side and assist all H.A.M.M.E.R. assets engaged at that location. We are sending you a Freelance Operative already in your vicinity. He should be there any moment.]

Bryan would be the first to see him. The 6’4” tall, 270 lbs, bare-chested man with a wrecking ball for a prop, was causing a bit of a commotion outside as folks suddenly moved to one side to avoid him. With a H.A.M.M.E.R. vehicle so close, who could tell what would happen.

“Now, where the heck is this shwammy place?” he said gruffly as he looked around.

Spoiler

Tag: @Sith-I-5

 

Michael Knight
Electric Avenue, London, U.K.

“I’ll give you five, no three, seconds to run and leave this person alone, or I'll get involved."

Michael’s voice had been both commanding and unexpected. The three boys stopped in mid-motion and looked over to the speaker, then their eyes grew even wider inside their hoodies as they looked up.

“One…Two…”

Subject-50 cut an intimidating figure, which did the trick.

“Ahhh! Let’s get outta here!”

The three teens ran off as fast as their feet could take them, fleeing the towering man.

A moment of peace returned, even though the rain did not relent its downpour as the scene unfolded.

The pale boy did not move from where he was, but simply looked-up at Michael, a grateful expression on his face, right before his expression changed again, wide eyes looking to the side and towards a sound.

“N’Jol!! Where are ya! Damn kid. N’JOL!!”

The kid looked-up at Michael and waited.

Four figures in dark hoodies came around the bend. Three males and one female. Confident and brazen. These were not teens. They were athletic adults, though smaller than Michael, but more numerous.

“Who are you?” The female asked roughly, but didn’t really wait for an answer.

“You best not be trying to mess with the Dianoga. Git out the way.”

The female motioned with her chin and the three males began to move, trying to make a circle around the larger man.



Tag: @Master Vo'Un'Var

 

Zara Chang
The Mission Begins

Agent Cross took Zara to and underground garage where his Ducati was parked. Of course, Zara’s own Kawasaki was brought down so the two could ride-out simultaneously.

“Nolan, by the way.” He said casually before putting on his helmet. “That’s my name.”

Of course, that bit of information was available to her at any given moment, if she chose to read his file or peruse a report, but he hadn’t offered his name before now.

["We’re off to Union Square. Should be no problem."] Cross said, testing their comms.

After a quick check, Cross lead them through an underground passage that released them via a secret exit to a Grand Central Terminal underpass at 42nd Street. That area was a maze all its own, so their cleverly disguised and well coordinated egress into the streets went unnoticed.

Cross did not take any main roads, as usual. Avoiding H.A.M.M.E.R. check points was non-negotiable. Despite taking a longer route, the two agents made it to Union Square Park in good time.

The first thing Cross noticed, was that the place was crowded.

“hmmm.”

There was no real place to park either, which was fine. Standing ‘idle’ was a better option, incase they needed to move suddenly.

[“Your helmet has a zoom feature you can use.”] He informed Zero G as he engaged his own, by activating the feature through pressure points on the side of his helmet.

Absently, he wondered if she would go out dressed as she was during Winter Ops, but that was neither here or there. First order of business was locating the ‘Refurbished Goods’ stand which would link them to their marks.

[“You see anything?”] He asked after a brief pause.



Tag: @Kurisan

 

IC: Zara Chang, Union Square Park, On Mission

Zara followed the Ducati at a reasonable speed. She enjoyed the Ninja's feeling of coiled power but this was not a time to see what she could really do. They arrived at Union Square Park and Cross talked into her ear through the comms bead.

She played with the zoom feature on the helmet, checking out the crowds. "Cool!"

Union Square was full of its usual bohemian circus atmosphere, a small festival of rebellion against the oppressive rule of the current order and its HAMMER stormtroopers. The irrepressible freedom of expression was one of the things about America Zara had fallen in love with. She saw many people who looked almost like mutants with their body modifications, tattoos and piercings. Jugglers, acrobats and other street artists added to the vibe amongst the market stalls.

A shadow loomed. Zara looked up and scowled. A SENTINEL was on its way somewhere on jets of fire. The party went quiet for a moment as everyone looked up. She wondered, just for a moment, how she would possibly ever try and face such an opponent.

Cross' voice came again and she listened. [You see anything?]

Zara focused. No sign of HAMMER. The sentinel had passed and the fear and awe it left in its wake had dissipated now - people were going back to their business. She could not see the exact stall, but a group of people moving through the crowds caught her attention.

She had glimpsed Cross' comm-pad and the description of the other team members. A guy with a bandana covering his face was there. There was another man, with a strange visor. The two others between them were non-descript. In fact, individually, none of them would have been noticeable. But together, Zara had a hunch.

[Are they the ones?] she whispered into the comm, and nodded her helmet in the direction for Cross to follow.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

The Ouro
-Upper West Side, NYC

The smoke from his blasts cleared and the sentinel emerged, with some sort of shield having dispersed his blasts. Ouro noted mentally: I'll need to put more behind the next beams. See how much this thing can take.

Before he could summon anymore blasts, a net emerged from the smoke. "Crap!" He veered right as hard as he could, barely escaping the net. Hmm...he was faster than he thought he was. He watched the net disappear into the city below. Awesome! His speed was-

And then a blast hit him in his back to send him flying toward one of the Upper West Side's nicer penthouse apartments. He crashed through the glass ceiling and broke the floor with a mighty impact. "Ow...Hero note #1...Never take your eyes off the enemy, dumbass."

But, on account of his smart remark, he realized he was not dead; Nor was he in significant pain. Was his durability at a super level as well? This Star Brand was full of surprises. He stood and rose from the ground. It was time for a round 2. The Star Brand felt hot on his skin as he drew on its power. He would take down this sentinel. For Eliza and for the triplets. But also because that's what Kevin Connor would've done...

Wait...who was Kevin Connor? He didn't know anyone by that name...yet it felt like he did.

He darted out to the airspace again. Charged up and ready to go. This time he launched salvo after salvo of more powerful beams as he started flying around the sentinel. He was beginning to feel the brand's power.

Tag: @greyjedi125 (combo??)

 

Shelly VanKasser
Alhambra, Arizona

When at last the last of the folks at the table turned to leave, Shelly once more rode with Marla back to the park. From there, Shelly would walk home, after Marla had left. SHe had much to learn. Once home, she whipped out her laptop. She used a private VPN, setting her address to someplace out of the US, and then began doing research on this new timeline. What was going on in the news, and what was happening around the world in this place. Shelly's eyes grew wide, as she read the stuff. The more she read, the more she was shocked. Those metal things. The Sentinals. Wow. This stuff was like reading an episode from the Twilight Zone.

While she worked, she also grabbed her phone and erased all of the messages that had passed between Tony, Colin and herself. This place sounded like a police state, so she wanted nothing on her that would get anyone else in trouble. She checked to make sure there were not anything like curfews and stuff like that. That was important. There was a store nearby, and tonight, Shelly was going to do a bit of experimenting. One, she needed to see if her powers still worked. And if that was what was keeping her memories intact. Two, she needed to see if she could stay hidden while walking the shadows. Luckily, she had not seen any Sentinals in this neighborhood. At least, not yet. But whatever experiments she would try and do, she would make sure to do them far away from Mrs. Wesley's home. And with this new state, there were probably cameras all over the place. So she would have to disguise herself when she conducted her experiment.

She wondered if there was anything about this Dr. Doom. She did a dark web search for that as well. She was careful to not to stay online too long. She was sure that things were most likely monitored. And she was not going to bring any trouble if she could avoid it.

For now, Shelly decided so sit back, and watch the cable news programs as well, to get her caught up on what has happened in this timeline.




TAG: @greyjedi123

 

IC: Bryan Dale, Liz Merrick, HAMMER Ford Explorer, and 'The Shwarm' eatery
Location: West 80th Street, Upper West Side, NYC


Looking across the road, in through the restaurant windows, things seemed to have calmed down.

For a start, the Bounty Hunter had lowered his weapon, which was enough of a good sign that Bryan started to wonder if they had enough groceries in for when Mary and her supposed daughter turned up that evening, and that line of thought had been started by spotting a nearby grocery store, big enough to have the name 'ZABARS' above three doorways in orange.

Perhaps doing some shopping so close to where this Hunter had challenged them might not be the best idea though.

His girlfriend's voice came through his earpiece: "Bry' start the engine. We have a job."

"Really?!" Bryan was surprised. "Any details?"

"Mutant activity in the area."

"Of course it is." He allowed her a moment to add some more information, and when she didn't, figured HAMMER HQ didn't have any more. Maybe the NYPD would know a bit more.

Keeping an eye on Liz' side of the street, he picked up the handheld microphone from its holder on the dashboard, and called their switchboard at One Police Plaza. "HAMMER Vehicle 82 to Central, K."

"Central, copy."

"Any mutant activity going on in the vicinity of West 80th Street? K."

"H.A.M.M.E.R. forces reported to the Upper West Side area, in an attempt to apprehend one or more mutants. K."

"Any particular block?" Dale paused for response, then remembered to add the sign that his transmission had ended. "K."

"405 West 55th Street, Eighty-Two. Suspect is airborne and trying to evade a Sentinel, so I wouldn't rely on a specific block, anymore. Follow the sounds of destruction, I guess. K."

"Okay, thank....stand by, Central." Bryan took his thumb off the [Transmit] button as he stared across the road, and in the direction where the Hunter had come from. He had already spotted the bald head of an apparent celebrity, Vinnie Jones, beyond the tops of cars on the other side of the street, although other pedestrians appeared to be shying away from him, rather than going up to him for autographs and selfies. The notorious British footballer had disappeared from the game after jump-kicking an abusive match-side 'fan', only to re-surface in Hollywood films, playing on his notoriety.

****
'The Shwarm'

Liz watched on as the waitress emerged from behind the counter, closer to the telepath, than where she had first seen her drop from sight, and run into the back, disappearing into the Ladies, where Liz had wanted to go...Blast!

The sound of the Bounty Hunter declining the offer of a straw, returned her attention back to him and the carver, who had passed over a sealed medium-sized cup.

She looked up at the former: "Sorry, you were saying?"

"That’s the logo for the Wolf Pack." He obliged, apparently unconcerned with ‘Angelique’s’ plight, as long as he was getting his coffee to go. "USA Chapter."

Crossing her legs, Liz was full of questions: who was his tailor - that armour looked perfect for vampire encounters; did the suit have its own straw, or would he have to take his helmet off to drink his coffee; did it have a 'Contactless Payment' application - she hadn't seen any sign that he had paid, and the store worker was not pushing the issue.

[[Agent Merrick.]]

Merrick glanced away from the Wolf Pack member as she raised a finger to her ear. "Merrick."

[[Please proceed immediately to the Alvin Ailey Rehearsal Space on the Upper West Side and assist all H.A.M.M.E.R. assets engaged at that location.]]

"Understood."

[[We are sending you a Freelance Operative already in your vicinity.]]

She perked up at this news. If she had to wait for someone, 'immediately' clearly did not apply. "Well, till he, she, or it, gets here, I'm going Ten-Ten (10-10)." Never mind that they weren't NYPD, or that the old Ten Codes had been discontinued after Hurricane Katrina, the code meant "Out of service, pending call."

[[He should be there any moment.]]

"Blast!"

She looked up to see that the Bounty Hunter had disappeared with his coffee, two cups were on the counter, and the carver had disappeared. A noise from her table attracted her attention to her window booth, where Angelique's workmate had poured her Rum Baba and the saucer that it had been sitting on, into a brown paper bag, lifted it an inch off the table, and dropped it.

The sound of ceramic hitting table, rang across the shop.

She felt her eyebrows go up in surprise. "That's how you put food into a doggy bag?"

"In my defence, not a waitress." He gently pulled the saucer, sans dessert, out of the bag, so there was no doubting his methodology. Turning down the bag's opening to seal it, he waved it at the slowly closing doorway. "Your Terminator left."

"Yeah, I noticed. That was a shame; I had more questions."

"No." The carver wound his way through the tables, bring her bag over.

"No, what?"

"No, he doesn't want to be a German U-boat when he grows up."

Liz' frown deepened, then cleared as she pointed a finger at him. "You are referring to the Wolf Pack being something to do with submarines, right?"

"Clever girl." He tried to pass the bag to her, but she waved it away.

"You can bin that. Any bacteria on the table, you transferred into the bag with my food."

"Hey, I run a clean establishment!"

"I'm sure you do. How much for the coffees?"

"Six bucks." He moved behind the counter, dropped the bag into a hidden bin, and started to ring up the sale.

Shoulda gone to MacDonalds. She thought. In her peripheral vision, she could see a tall bald figure with a bare chest, whose head wasn't too much lower than the top frame of the window. Holy sh-

"Now, where the heck is this shwammy place?" He could be heard asking gruffly through the windows.

"Angelique, we have another customer!"

"Actually, I think that he might be here for me." Liz admitted ruefully as she counted out the dollar bills from zipped pouch on her arm.

"Two men in twenty minutes? What're you, speed dating?"

"You wish." She glanced wistfully at the still closed toilet door.

****
Across the road

For Bryan, he had seen that the bald man was holding a massive black ball against the right leg of his striped, prison-type trousers, just as easily as if he were holding a briefcase.

Y'know, probably not Vinnie Jones. He glanced to the right, spotting Dengar leaving the eatery, and walking away from Jones. If anyone looked like they deserved getting scanned, it was the footballer.

He got a picture, and got Jocasta (the vehicle's renamed onboard computer, rather than the SHIELD original) to run it through the available databases.

"We have a hit. Sanctioned Heroes Database."

"And?"

"Carl 'Crusher' Creel, The Absorbing Man. New York native." She reeled off the important facts about the man, as Liz came to the door of the restaurant, and gestured with one of her cups, to greet the musclebound man and his wrecking ball.


Tag: @greyjedi125

 

SGC
Mystic Masters Sanctum, NYC

“Thank you.” Tenzin said with an unnecessarily officious bow. He seemed shaken, but able to manage.

“Yes, please take your robe with you- both of you.” The monk added, answering SGC’s judicious concern. “I must apologies, as I have not trained you in spatial travel or the use of a Sling Ring. That's an oversight I will soon correct.”

Nodding at that SGC was glad to know what his next lesson was going to be, in some odd way having an idea of what was to come even in some small fashion was a form of stability. A stability he had at one time lived and breathed always, then lived without for a good period of freedom, yet somehow he found he still in some small way craved and accepted that stability with great joy. Tenzin looked over at their guest, Larry. The troubled man with the wings. The monk instructed his pupil and his guest to stand apart at arm’s length.

“Relax yourselves and relax your mind. Visualize the person you wish to be seen as, imagine it as completely as possible: their height, weight, eye color, voice, hair length and color, disposition, gender, presence, all the nuances you can possibly bring forth….”

Tenzin began a soft melodious hum as his hands weaved patterns in the air, faint glows of luminescence trailing his motions.

“‘AkAra Navin VarPas’”

SGC focused, doing his best to try and think of someone he had seen on the streets of the city. Someone that would be alright to be seen anywhere in the world. He tried to focus on an later life short and non conspicuous man. Oriental. Surely that would be overlooked easily enough.

Both SGC and Larry were engulfed in a shimmering light, which sought to coalesce into the image of the being they now imagined themselves to be. Only as the light formed his mind wandered to a stray thought, of a pair of persons that not only was seen as someone to be ignored but someone to be seen as admired. One of those couples flashed in his mind that he had seen outside the sanctum before and then as he looked down feeling it over and light faded, he saw he had made an egregious error in letting his mind wander at a critical point.

Looking down in overwhelmed shock he found he was. . .was not what he had intended! Looking up quickly he held his arms out to the side as he stammered, flustered to Tenzin, "Uh, Master? My mind wandered. . .do we need to do it again or is time critical?" he asked uncertain if the spell could not be revoked and stacked or whether it was a taxing affair as he knew the next ones likely were that they would be faced with.

TAG: @greyjedi125 , @Master Vo'Un'Var

 

Michael Knight
Electric Avenue, London, U.K.

Michael laughed out loud with the arrival of the others.

"Dianoga, really? Like that tentacle eye thingy from Star Wars?" He jested, and continued laughing for a few more seconds, before straightening himself and narrowing his eyes at the others.

"I don't think I am going to get out of your way. This kid doesn't look ecstatic to see you, so I'm guessing maybe you're not welcome either?" he asked with a crack of his knuckles, his face frowning as he looked the woman in the eye.

@greyjedi125

Larry Stone
Mystic Masters Sanctum, NYC

Larry closed his eyes and formed a mental image of what he wanted to transform to. He thought through a few options for a moment, before he suddenly shifted into someone else.



He looked down at his hands, and then felt his face, noticing a rough beard, he then paused as his eyes widened.

To his misfortune his mind had wandered to an old comrade of his during his time in the army. However, his friend never made it home. A painful memory immediately resurfaced for him, until he turned to SGC, and let out a short chuckle.

"An interesting choice, to be sure." he remarked, amused at the thought of the two being together. They didn't seem like the kind of people who would be seen together. He turned to Tenzin, waiting for his next instructions.

@Mitth_Fisto @greyjedi125

 

Daken
The Wilds

A total of six vehicles arrived and surrounded the one Daken was in. Four of them belonged to H.A.M.M.E.R while two had the wolf and red circle logo; all vehicles sported logos emblazoned by the door. With what was clearly a coordinated effort, they formed a circle, taking positions at his 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o’ clocks of Daken’s vehicle, who was now in the middle.

The two ‘Bounty Hunter’ vehicles occupied his 4 and his 10.

All vehicles had their headlights flooding him, as he was clearly corralled. Almost in unison, four armed and armoured passengers stepped out of each vehicle.

All 24 men formed a perimeter, but none came close, at least not yet. From one of the H.A.M.M.E.R. vehicles, he would hear a voice from a loud speaker. He would also note one man from each vehicle already had a rifle pointing in his direction.

“Step out of the vehicle and hold your hands up so we can see them.” The voice commanded, this from the vehicle directly in front of him.

Conversation from his 4 o’ clock would also reach his ears.

“He the one that killed Gary?”

“Dunno, yet.”

“So, what’s he doing in Gary’s ride, huh?”

“Dunno, yet!”

“Bet you he did him in. Dirty sonava….”

“Pipe down!”

Of course, with his keen hearing, only Daken would pick up the distinct sound of Kieran lightly grunting in his sleep, likely objecting to the all the loud talking threatening to wake him up.


Tag: @darthbernael (combo ? )

---

Aegis, Blueline, Psion & Agent Zero G
Union Square Park, NYC


Adam moved in time with his escorts, the two boys and the girl. They were curiously dressed, but that didn’t seem to be a concern to them.

“Are you taking 14 Street all the way down?” He called out to the boy leading them. He hadn't yet learned their names, and absently wondered if he would.

“Well, at least the weather is nice.” He commented, keeping pace with no trouble and trusting in his three guardians.

Blueline would notice no false movements from the crowd before him or to his sides. He was more than seasoned enough to know what to look out for. The one thing he did notice, were the two ravens flying some distance away, just at the edge of his peripheral vision.

Aegis likewise would notice nothing amiss this early in their journey, nothing other than Adam’s attempt at small conversation.

Psion’s ability granted him awareness of a larger area, but for the moment, no vectors of trajectories from the crowd matched their own or seemed to intercept their path.

Still, he knew they could never be too careful. White Star depended on them to make this drop.



Tag: @Ameteth , @galactic-vagabond422

**************************************************

Zara & Cross

[Affirmative. That’s them.] Agent Cross confirmed and held up a gloved hand, indicating for Zara to hold position.

[We want to shadow their steps, but not too closely. Let’s give them a little breathing room before we follow.]

Then added; [ We also need to make sure they aren’t being followed.]


Tag: @Kurisan

********

Not too far away, a local man was enjoying a lively chess match, and while waiting for his opponent to make a move, his eyes caught something that caused him to do a curious double-take.

Could that be??

He mused to himself, his eyes narrowing at the sight.

TBC

---

The Ouro
Upper West Side, NYC

[Unidentified metahuman energy output level increase detected. Re-classification in progress…]

The aerial battle between The Ouro and the Sentinel continued. Indeed, The Ouro was both speedy and powerful. At first, his attacks didn’t seem to affect the enormous robot, as he flew around his target and unleashed his newfound powers. Each salvo he released impacted with great force against the Sentinel’s defensive shielding. The Sentinel would in turn gesture and fire beams from his hands that would narrowly miss the new hero, but would also miss any nearby structures.

[Defensive shield efficiency at 85%, at 80%, at 79%, 75%]

Soon, scorch marks began to appear on the robots surface plating.

[69%, pattern detected.]

Suddenly a wide angle beam flashed from the Sentinel’s chest, catching The Ouros by surprise.

Below, at street level the Stepford triplets continued with their own issues

“We have to put them to sleep! is the only way.” Phoebe insisted, as she was concerned their extended efforts might actually damage the soldiers.

“Fine!” Celeste agreed, although she didn’t seem to share the same concern. Mandee simply nodded.

With a unified surge, the triplets mentally induced a deep sleep to the armed soldiers. Celeste turned and waved a hand at the ones who were trying to take them by surprise.

“No. I don’t think so.”

They went down like rag dolls.

The sounds of thunder and flashes of light caused them to look up. All three girls gasped when Monin had crashed into a penthouse, then sighed in relief when he shot out flying from the rubble to continue fighting.

“No one was in the penthouse.” Phoebe confirmed, but wondered how long their luck would last.

“Uh, miss….” Mandee turned to Eliza. “We really must get going, before more bad guys arrive.”

Back up in the now empty rehearsal space, Chuck managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He felt very dizzy and groaned audibly from discomfort. He felt as if he were having the worst hangover and migraine ever, all at once. He vainly tried to recall what exactly happened as he looked all around him through bleary eyes. There was a big hole in the rehearsal studio wall.

“What in the world….?”


Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

---

Bryan & Liz
The Shwarm, NYC


Crusher Creel stood in the middle of the sidewalk and noticed three things. The Ford Explorer with the H.A.M.M.E.R. logo, the sign for ’ ‘The Shwarm Eatery’ and the woman with the H.A.M.M.E.R. logo on her chest at the door of the restaurant, gesturing at him with a coffee cup in her hand ( the last one not likely in that order).

Crusher’s face lit up with a big smile as he took several steps towards Liz.

“Guess you’r the contact, eh? Not bad if I say so m’self.” He intoned appreciatively.

“I’m told there’s some perps dat need to be brought down a peg or two, you know anything ‘bout that?”


Tag: @Sith-I-5

---

Michael Knight -Subject 50
Electric Avenue, London, U.K.


From inside her hood, the woman scrunched up her face and huffed disdainfully, though she did pause for a moment, as she noted the big fellow clearly didn’t know being ‘Dianoga’ was serious business.

“Take ‘im.” She said.

Immediately the three young men that were flanking Michael went into action.

The first went for a reverse sweep, looking to knock him off his feet, or at least unbalance him, water splashing up in an arc as he made the motion.

The second launched a powerful kick to his midsection, clearly looking to kick the wind out of his sails, while the third went to grab his right arm, to both keep him from using it and hold him in place so the other two attacks could succeed.

In truth, it was all well coordinated. The woman began to leer, already predicting the result of the encounter.

N’Jol brought his arms around himself in an attempt to keep from shivering and patiently waited.



Tag: @Master Vo'Un'Var

---

SGC & Larry
Mystic Masters Sanctum, NYC


Tenzin simply stared for a moment that seemed to stretch for twice the time it really took for it to happen. Had he not explained that focus and visualization were key factors for the illusion to work?

SGC’s illusory transformation, according to SGC, was a result of ‘distraction’. Tenzin was tempted to inquire of his pupil as to the exact nature of the viewing material he had access to, but decided against it. There might be time for that later, much later.

Larry’s image was not a far cry from his original form, but at least his wings would not be an issue, thankfully.

“Time is of the essence, I’m afraid.” came the monks reply to SGC’s question regarding a do-over. His pupil would just have to do the best with the transformation he had wrapped himself in.

“Just remember that your illusions work on minds, not machines. Otherwise you should have no issues with your fact finding.”

Tenzin walked up to both his pupil and his guest and nodded in satisfaction. Even their voices sounded different, as they should.

“Remember, you have an hour. Go, mingle, see what you can find out. Are there any questions before you go?”

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @Master Vo'Un'Var

---

Shelly VanKasser
Alhambra, Arizona

There was a lot of information to take in for Shelly. The differences from what she remembered and the current state of affairs were significant, though the more she tried to remember, and the more new knowledge she learned, the harder it got to remember things, that is, unless she shadow-melded. Here, her thoughts seemed clear, and her powers worked just fine.

Using her phone as a recording device, Shelly would find that she would have to will herself unseen while in the shadows, only then and only then would her phone not record here presence. Also, when she melded into the shadows, lit places would feel like they were separated by a barrier to her, a sort of wall. Again, she would need to will herself to emerge back into the lit areas. Moreover, while in the shadows, Shelly would also find herself able to traverse spaces and objects which were also in shadow.

This would take more experimenting, of course.

Shelly would also notice tow things. The deeper she moved into the shadows, the greater the distance she’d travel, but not only that- she could also sense something watching here from the depths.

Information on Doom was for the most part clear and forthcoming, depending on the search parameters.

Victor Von Doom was the Sovereign Monarch of the Kingdom of Latveria.

A kingdom of advanced technology and science, that has not only managed to slow the spread of the Malform Virus, which infects both human and metahuman alike, but has also successfully fortified most electronic and computer systems against the Ultron Virus. In return for his benevolence, he has decreed to usher the world into a better age.

What else could beleaguered nations across the globe ask for?


Tag: @Ktala

---

Quake & Gemini
Triskelion, NYC

With their powers combined, Quake and Gemini created a clean breach through the Triskelion vestibule roof.

Daisy winced at seeing it, feeling a pang of guilt, but she did not entertain the feeling. The former Head of SHIELD didn’t even look as she heard the Sentinel land at the entrance of their abandoned Head Quarters. She immediately flew up and held onto Gemini’s neck for dear life.

“FULL BURN! FULL BURN!!” She ordered, as she tucked her head down.

This was going to be a very rough ride, but the alternative was far worse than what needed to happen faster than fast.

They needed to escape in a blink of an eye.


Tag: @Darth_Elu (Yes, combo!)

 

IC: Zara Chang, Union Square Park, On Mission

Zara nodded understanding of her orders. She studied the team and those around them, then the Manhattan skyline. She could go high, but waited for the order. She did not want to blow the cover.

TAG: @greyjedi125

 

IC: PSION
escort mission, en route to ERLP
(East River Landing Pad)

The group walked at a normal pace, just like everyone around them, generally indistinguishable from the average flow of people in the area.

So far no one within a certain distance from them was even looking in their direction or seemed interested, The upper floors of nearby buildings and passages and tunnels underfoot all ‘showed’ normal activity, the way ahead and the path behind all seemed clear.

There was nothing of note or to report at the moment, but Psion did not relent on his vigilance.

He wondered if this was some not only and actual job for White Star, but also some sort of proficiency test and a trust test.

His curiosity about the content of the package was gnawing at him, he could easily take a look, but that could be part of the trust test as well; it was possible to set off a device that would give him away, or perhaps if he did see the content, would his commitment to the cause change or would he remain loyal. He recognized that his curiosity was spilling onto other distracting thoughts and quickly put it all aside.

One thing he felt for sure was that White Star could be trusted, in the absence of the established heroes, they were the foremost organization that risked their lives working against Doom and his evil machinations, and Psion wanted to be part of that effort, even on a ‘small’ thing like and escort mission.


“All clear so far.” He announced to the group as they walked.


It occurred to him that their charge wasn’t wearing a mask and he stood out a little as the only person in the small group without one, but NYC being one of the most diverse cities and the fact that no one was paying attention to them as they passed diminished the idea to naught.


“Hi Adam, you can call me Psion, sorry we didn’t take a moment for introductions back there at the shop.”


Zephyr made sure to sound cordial and friendly as he spoke, with his face fully covered on the field of missions, it was hard to evoke a proper welcome. He also never gave his real name during missions or at least tried not to, it was important to keep his private life private and separate from the superhero stuff, or as much as possible.

“Blue, the one in the front, will determine the route we take, it all depends if the way looks clear of possible ‘complications’." His senses triple checking for anything suspicious as he spoke.


“But don’t worry we’ll keep you safe and make sure you get there intact, it is a nice day for a stroll tho.”

Unseen behind his visor and face mask Psion’s eyes grew wide with a possible realization, what if the ‘package’ was Adam himself?

“So Adam…” Psion started to ask with great interest.

“ Were you at the shop all the time or did you somehow appear out of thin air? I didn’t notice any Stark or Richards technology inside? was that all you?”

“Hehehe, sorry for the barrage of questions…” he added quickly, blushing behind his mask and visor, so impressed was he with what he had seen that he almost couldn’t help wanting to know more.

“It was quite a surprise, and a really neat feat for sure.”

Young Adam seemed to be a good natured fellow and Psion hoped to connect with their charge in a positive way, after all they were all in this fight together. Moreover, should trouble find the group, the darkly garbed hero wanted to ensure the trust and cooperation of their charge.

Thus they walked, having simple conversation.




TAG: @greyjedi125 , @galactic-vagabond422

 

OOC: A grand combo with our illustrious GM, greyjedi125!

Gemini & Quake IC:
~Escape from Triskelion~

Gemini didn’t even blink when Quake grabbed on immediately after helping him breach through the vestibule roof. It had worked just as well as Jarvis had said.

“FULL BURN! FULL BURN!!”

Didn’t need to tell him twice. His armor was already beeping at him about the new arrival out front. Good thing his guess was good on that, because it gave them that much more of a chance to get the heck out of dodge.

As his superior was still in the middle of yelling for his max speed, he was already blasting the jets to do just that.

“THIS IS GOING TO GET ROUGH!” he yelled back, unaware he was echoing the woman’s thoughts.

He held as securely, and safely, to their recovered little “Mini-Miss” and began to shoot out of Triskelion like they had the devil himself on their heels.

The Sentinel took only a few seconds to observe them, then raised an arm, palm facing out and panning alongside Gemini’strajectory.

[Sir, I believe the Sentinel is attempting to lock-on to you.] Jarvis announced.

Gemini grimaced and immediately replied to his AI assistant. "Fire defensive flares. Now!"

The very second they were deployed, he tapped into his power of invisibility, willing it to extend to the two ladies riding with him. Mini-Miss shouldn't be very difficult, current circumstances considering, but Quake was another matter. Still, practice makes perfect. And he had had plenty of that over the years.

As soon as they were cloaked in his ability, with the flares hopefully being effective as well, he angled down low over the water and flew all out toward the rest of looming New York City.

A powerful bright beam was released from the Sentinel’s hand which flashed with incandescent power, narrowly missing Gemini and his passengers. Both the beam and his flares lit the sky for a moment, becoming the only evidence of their developing encounter.

[Gemini; Agent Lane here. Your invisibility will not fool the Sentinel, but it will work on the people in the city. We got your back. Approach on stealth mode. I’m sending you coordinates to a Safe House, please slow your speed for the Director’s sake. Lane out.]

There was a flash of light next to the Sentinel and Jarvis simply displayed what he saw for Cameron for as long as he was able, even as Triskelion receded in the background as they flew on.



The new figure moved with blurring speed and surgically precise movements. The sword would have been impossible to track were it not for the traces of light it left in its wake. The Sentinel’s arm had been cleanly severed at the elbow, followed by both knees. A blindingly speedy slash separated its head from the rest of its frame. All in a matter of seconds.

The figure was about one third its size.

The last images Jarvis was able to capture was that of the Claws emerging to attack the sword wielding figure.

Gemini slowed immediately, though still going at a decent speed, now that he knew a capable ally was present to cover their retreat. To put it mildly. Agent Lane of all people. He remembered SHIELD doing its best to keep tabs on that one, but in the end…still no one had ever seen the White Star operative in person. Just VR portraits being available. This was definitely the closest he had ever come to achieving that first sighting. Then again, they were White Star now. Apparently. So that might change a lot sooner than thought.

There was something about that voice, digitized though it was, that felt…familiar somehow.

In any event, he wasn’t surprised either to hear that the invisibility wouldn’t work on something like the Sentinel, but the fact that it would work on the people was the other half of the reason he had done it anyway. Time to just focus on getting to safety.

“Thank you, Lane. We appreciate the assist. Stay safe back there.”

From there he and Jarvis processed the incoming coordinates and proceeded to the Safe House at a more reasonable clip, mindful of his passengers the whole way. He moved the one in his hand to being (still securely) cupped in both hands now, so perhaps she could attempt to sit at least and not feel so trapped.

Tag: Quake, Little Passenger, GM Powers That Be @greyjedi125