Faulty LMD?

November 05, 2015:

Investigating another 084 incident, something happens to Agent Dugan

New York

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

There's been another 084 incident in New York and of course, SHIELD was called in to investigate. Which explains why Simmons is here - many of the 084 incidents are being rerouted to her.

The scene is a dreadful mess, not /quite/ as bad as the one where War Machine dropped one of the devices into the sewers and followed up with cluster bombs … but it's getting close. There had also been an enormous spike of energy that certain people, with passengers, might have detected.

The SHIELD teams are now in clean up mode, making sure the area is cordoned off and picking through the rubble for more clues. The biggest clue is the black / grey device shaped like a pyramid, just slightly smaller than the silver cylinders they've been finding.

Simmons has asked Jericho along, hoping that he might be able to assist in the initial site investigations.

"Once that area is safe, Agent May, we can get a better look at that device … and contain it." Simmons murmurs as she watches the TAC team work.


There is a sonic boom, it isn't close enough to shatter windows, but yeah that spike of energy and otherworldly in nature was enough to get someone's attention and get it pretty fast. Of course Nyx wasn't nearby when it happened or she likely would have beat SHIELD to the site. She had to come in from Metropolis this time.

So yeah energy wings blazing the Angel of Metropolis bursts into view high up in the sky above and then starts to active and passive scan the scene below .. agents… artifact… rubble… hey at least Nyx has learned to look before leaping right?

"…okay," remarks a voice from behind the group - deep, masculine, slightly miffed - "I swear this vest has shrunk. Or it's a size too small… what happened to my favourite? Nothin' wrong with that one…"

The voice trails off as a burly fellow with a prominent curled moustache on his face - and a bowler hat atop his head - strides past, tugging on the straps of a seemingly 'vintage' army vest worn over his SHIELD uniform. The man opens his mouth to speak again, only to wince at the sonic boom caused by Nyx.

"Hell of a way t'make a wagon-wheel…" he mutters - not realising his own choice of words. He stops over by Agent May, and offers a mock-salute. "Agent Dum-Dum reporting for therapy," he says with a bright smirk.

Again, with the words.


Melinda May nods to Simmons, then when the sonic boom sounds overhead, she reacts by pulling her sidearm and aiming it up at Nyx. But only for a moment. She recognizes the young woman and reholsters the pistol with a very faint sigh. And then Dugan is there and she quirks an eyebrow at him briefly before nodding.

"You're late," May tells the bowler-wearing, moustachioed man. Yes, she knows who and what he is, but that doesn't mean she's going to be any nicer (or meaner) to him than anyone else. "When we get the all-clear, we're going to go investigate that device. Stay close."


Simmons startles at the sonic boom and winces… she just pulled the stitches in her left arm when she jumped. Seeing May relax and finally recognising Nyx, the biochem then looks at the newcomer "Wagon-wheel? Therapy?" Looking between May and Dugan. Anything else she's about to say is cut off when the all clear comes from the TAC team leader.

Picking up her field case, Simmons looks over to May and starts towards 'ground zero'. Today is slightly different from other days, that device hasn't gone inert like the others … it's still giving off energy readings … as evidenced by one of Simmons devices sounding an alarm.

Nyx might notice that residual energy, it's not very strong but it's there … and May might notice the figure, with a baseball cap shading their face, in the crowd, that seems to be watching the group intently.


High above the figure tilts her blazing energy wings and starts to drop down towards the scene itself. »Still Active Agents» it sent to their devices and Nyx touches down by the pyramid and studies it closer now. Scanning it as she steps around it slowly watching it. The Rider is very hungry for the metals and strange technology in it. Still it has chewed a lot of unhappy meals.


To begin with, Dugan gives May a shrug of his shoulders and unholsters his rifle; it is not standard issue - rather the man is carrying the same Tesseract-powered weapon he 'acquired' in World War 2.

The man's feeling nostalgic.

Or maybe just possessive.

"Couldn't find my cabbage," he tells May - again with the words, and a gesture at his hat. "Good to go." The man turns a full circle so he can get a decent look at the perimeter… not to mention the rest of the team. Nyx has him blinking a few times, and the moustached man lifts his energy rifle to 'itch' at his left temple - which causes his hat to move up and down.

Moving about the area, Dugan gives nods to other members of the clean-up teams nearby, offering the occasional spoken greeting:

"Hey."

"Lookin' swell."

When he passes by Simmons again, he comes to a halt and glances between her and the little pyramid. Her queries: 'Wagon-wheel'? and 'Therapy?' elicit a pair of raised eyebrows from the man and he remarks:

"That code for somethin' — " He stops. "Hell is that…" Dugan points at the pyramid with his energy rifle as though staring at something… else. Something decidedly more threatening (as far as appearances go) than a little object…


"That," May tells Dugan, "is an 084. You should be familiar with that." The shrilling of one of Simmons' devices gives May as much an indication as Nyx's words that the device is still emitting something. She then touches the comm link in her ear and appears to address Jemma directly, which puts the suspicious man in the gathered crowd nearly behind her. "Trent. At my six, in the baseball cap. Apprehend if possible. If he rabbits, see how he feels about visiting Limbo for a minute or three."


"You really need to stop having these parties without me." Trent says. Over the comms. He can see the guy without even looking. How? May knows and so does Jemma. Even Nyx knows. The hacker tenses a little. May's getting good at spotting him, so there's that to think about but really he's just preparing to run someone down if he has to.

Who is Trent? Doesn't look like much of anyone really. Non-descript, of vaguely middle eastern extraction, tall. Himself wearing a baseball cap and a long sleeved tee with a leather case slung behind him. The only thing that calls him out, if you can get a good angle, is the glowing amber eyes, shaded by his cap.


Stopping as soon as her devices start sounding, Dugan's comments pretty much lost on her as she checks her instruments and she frowns. "Well, this is strange." beat "Normally they go inert." Nyx can tell that the energy is steady, only a little, but it's definitely there. This really isn't anything her passenger will want to eat, though. Then there's a faint whining sound… similar to the one that others have described and Jemma looks to May "Clear the area." She's not going to take any chances.

Jemma looks at Dugan, realising that he isn't staring at the device. "Agent May, we might have a problem…" Just as she slips on some rubble.

The baseball capped man tries to slip back into the crowd, using it for cover as it looks like he's got something in his hand.


Nyx will frown at the pyramid. "Well this is disappointing." she eyes the device and the increasing whining. "I take it this is bad Agent?" glancing at Simmons. She shrugs and reaches out.. she fully intends to snag the pyramid and then throw is straight up.. okay she didn't take physics and this may be disasterous but she can throw almost like a kryptonian if nothing goes wrong.


Dugan gives May an arch look - standing upright, chin tucked eye, eyebrow raised - and smirks. "I reckon I know an H-Two-Oh when I see one, Agent. And that ain't the prob…"

Very carefully, very gingerly, Dum-Dum Dugan creeps toward the pyramid - or something supposedly quite close to the pyramid - rifle at the ready. He appears fixated upon it, wetting his lips with his tongue, peering forward from beneath bushy ginger eyebrows at it.

"Titanium out casing… Dummy interface… vibration sensor… Jesus Chrysler. It's a VEGETABLE! GET DOWN! Fire in the holy…" Dugan makes a dash for Nyx, to wave the winged agent off.


Jericho has already seen the man try to slip away. Unfortunately with things going to hell in a handbasket over where Nyx and the bearded agent are, there's no time for subtlety. He turns and breaks into a run. Folks get out of his way if only because the first person to be a bit to slow just gets run over. "You!" That's all he gets out. Hopefully the guy looks his way. Its instinct. And it causes people to hesitate. Trained operatives, or soldiers, just bolt.

And if this one doesn't he's going to get tackled and then find out what level four MAC looks like. Hint. It's not pretty.


Jemma nearly ends up on her rear, sliding down the rubble like she's riding a skate board. She might have just pulled the stitches in her arm open - but no time worry about that now! What on earth is Dugan going on about?!

Nyx tosses the device in the air, just as the whineing reaches it peak… thank goodness the young woman has the strength of a Krypotian … because there's a bright flash of light and 'boom'. Here's hoping there isn't any planes in that area… and… oh yeah, Nyx might want to 'catch' in a moment. The laws of physics still apply - what goes up, must come down.

May has been distracted directing the other agents and doesn't see Dugan 'freaking' out. Simmons, on the hand freezes when Jericho calls 'you'… she /might/ be a trained operative!


Samanatha aka Nyx looks downright confused at Dugan when he … talks all that talk at her. What the hell is a vegetable. "I think he … may be broken Agent Simmons… also Agent Simmons is bleeding." then she shakes her head and flexes those energy wings snapping them under her. Where they touch the rubble it vaporizes.. and then she is flying up to catch the pyramid again before it lands on a building going fast. Maybe she will bring it back for SHIELD…. maaaybe not.


As the devices goes 'boom', Dugan spins about - changing tactics on the fly - and instead launches himself toward Agent Simmons. "Get down, Peg!" he orders her as he attempts to shield her with his body from an explosion he clearly believes should take them all out.

"It'll be all cucumber, Peg. I promise. Stupid Nazis…" Dugan's breathing is extremely erratic, his brow sweating profusely despite the fact that he has barely exerted himself. Glancing up and around, he peers in places where there is apparently nothing, and fails to see other things that are clearly 'there'.

"Mission's a beagle," he mutters again. I'm callin' it off… Stay down or you'll get yer puppy blown off!"


There's a thunk as Jericho tackles the other man in the baseball cap. A brief tussle ensues in which Jericho discovers that this man is also a trained combatant but the hacker has weight, reach and experience on his side, It's not long before the man is on his face in an arm lock with the hand that was holding the device firmly in Jericho's control. Nyx… He flashes code toward her, hoping she can pick up on it. Agent near Simmons seems to have lost it. Big guy talking nonsense. Make sure he doesn't do anything unfortunate? I've got this guy. I think.


The baseball capped guy does struggle, even after Jericho has him arm locked. Jericho might need to knock him out, although he does have the device… Three SHIELD agents are approaching him, ready to offer assistance and take his captive into custody.

Nyx does catch the device and later Simmons will wonder what happened to it but for now she's being rushed by the big man and she nearly slips on the rubble again … oy, what a day. "Calm down, Agent Dugan." she speaks quietly, trying to get the man to stand down. "The missions a beagle, I agree. Let's get out here." Hopefully Jericho isn't held up to long… Simmons is … worried.


Dugan barely hears Simmons.

At first.

He looks up - but sees something other than Nyx with the 0-8-4. In fact, whatever he /does/ see has him glaring bleakly at the heavens as if the sky were the wrong shade of gray, in a world where everything is the wrong shade of gray.

Letting out a long breath, he glances down at Simmons again and slowly climbs to his feet. "All clear," he tells her with an affirmative nod.

Taking a step backward, the man stumbles - and something sparks right /inside/ his left eyeball, lighting it up for the briefest of moments. "I'll do another perimeter dance, then report back to library. I-I-I ain't feelin' so g — "

Dugan's whole body stiffens, then topples over backwards.

"Grape."


Jericho turns the suspect over to the SHIELD agents. After slamming his face in the pavement to get him to stop struggling. By the time he makes it back over to Simmons and Duggan, the latter has apparently siezed up. "Uh… Simmons?" He's looking at Duggan and clearly wondering if he needs to summon a SHIELD medical team… or a psychologist.


Simmons blinks and goes to try and catch Dugan, but misses … of course. That arm of hers is going to need care again. But she hadn't missed the spark in the eye and she … sighs. "Mr Trent." she looks between him and the man on the ground. "I … I … think …" she shakes her head "His eye /sparked/, Jericho, like a short circuit. I wonder if he has some form of prothesis." The problem with LMD's is just how lifelike they are.

That's when the message from May arrives to her and Jericho (she's obviously seen what happened, but is involved elsewhere on the scene)… three letters only … "LMD"…

Do they try and restart him or bundle Dugan into a van and head back to the Triskelian for more analysis? That's the question, right there.


Dum-Dum's blue eyes open.

"Wow…" he murmurs, staring directly upward. "I'm alright. Situation green. Everyone o' ya jus'… take a breather an' — wait." Dugan blinks.

And blinks again.

Lifting a hand, he passes it in front of his face once… twice… thrice… and lets it rest on his vest. "Ooooookay. Sliiiight problem. Ol' Dum-Dum's blind. Or one o' you lot turned out the lights. Can't see a tango. Jus' lie here? Wait for an evac? Cap? Cap?"

Dum-Dum frowns again.

And suddenly looks really sad.

"Oh. Yeah. The Captain's… doorknobbed. Damnit. How'd I forget that?"


"Cap's just not here." Jericho has met Steve Rogers. Has a lot of respect for the man too even if they come from very different armies. "You with us here in the present there Agent?" That's when he gets the message. He blinks. Once. Twice. This man is a robot?

Clearly he doesn't know. "We'll have to get you to a hospital." Or a workshop. That's SHIELD's mess not his.


A SHIELD medical team arrives as all this is occuring. "Agent Dugan. These men will evacuate you." Simmons advises, speaking quietly … feeling for the man, that look of sadness saying it all. Looks like it's going to be a long a night for the bio-chem.

As Dugan is ferried away, Simmons looks to Jericho and starts moving "Do you know how to find Samantha? I really would like that device that back."


Dugan doesn't protest the med-team's intervention. As he is lifted away to the quinjet for evac, he looks over at Simmons and smiles encouragingly at her. "Don' worry, Fontaine. We got it covered. Director Fishy always got a plan."

He lets his head fall back on the repulsor-sled used to move him, and lets out a sigh. "I really could use a drink. Good ol' tomato. Someone open me a tomato-tab when we get home. Tomato, tom — "

The man appears to flinch, then spasms… then goes completely still, grinning.


Jericho shakes his head. "I do, and I'll see if I can get it back for you. She might have, er, eaten it by now." Jericho glances away, possibly in the direction she is. Or at least, might be. "Seems like you've got an issue here with Agent Britian. I'll swing by later. Good luck." That last rather archly as the hacker blends into the crowd and vanishes.

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