February 26, 2016:
Another disturbance on the streets of New York …
Upper East Side - New York
Characters
NPCs: Agent Matthews, Agent Jefferies
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: None.
Fade In…
Upper East Side, New York. Location of the Themyscrian Embassy, Guggenheim Museum and Da Costa building to name a few places and several blocks from the UN Headquarters, a place that had been targeted by Psyborgs not all that long ago.
News and Social media feeds are flooding with images and footage of a riot … that seemed to come out of nowhere. But that's not all - footage is showing a fight between a Psyborg (a techo/organic being) and 15ft tall Lizardlike creature… whilst the riot carries on around them.
SHIELD has cordoned off the area and TAC Agents are trying to subdue and evacuate the civilians. One group though, including a Doctor Jemma Simmons, is making their way, slowly through the crowd.
"Matthews." Jemma nearly falls as a rioter takes a swing for their group "We need to get to that device…. " The group, Jemma and two agents, are heading to a ashcan sized silver cylinder standing next to the wall of a building - about 18 feet from them. 18, very painful feet, as the crowd is now.
A riot, seriously? A riot?! IT's a good thing Julia was on a recon run into the city today. She left Rachel with a SHIELD issue babysitter who she has come to trust of late, and had decided to sneak into the city and try to find out any information she could on her former organization.
Ball cap over her head and a hoodie on.. yeah, she's wearing a simple disguise. She has her spandex under it, and she finds herself swept up a bit in the crowd of this Riot. "What is even going on?" She asks as she gets swept along, "What's the issue causing -today's- riot?" She asks aloud. She has no idea…
The world was a big place. Certainly bigger then a stasis tube and even bigger then the lab. That had been all that had occupied Tiny's mind for the past hour and a bit now. With his fellow escapee having found them a place to crash the young man had stepped out to 'take a look around' the city and had simply just been walking and walking until the slums and streets had turned into brighter and more affluent surroundings.
That's not to say it had been smooth sailing. He'd nearly wandered into traffic almost immediately and the hurled abuse of words he hadn't heard before but could get the general gist of were still ringing in his ears. New York was a hell of a place for someone to take their first real steps into the world, loud an overwhelming…then he'd seen the TV screens and heard all the commotion. That was enough to draw him in. Eyes widening at the sight of the Liard monster and the Psyborg the man steps closer, only to look around in confusion at the growing riot and the struggle between SHIELD agents and the crowd.
The TAC agents are having hard time, the crowd seems to be growing wilder. Anyone nearing the area will feel it, but might not recognise it, the psychic pressure urging them to be dissatisfied, unhappy even angry. When questioned later, most of the rioters will agree it started with a general level of dissatisfaction but after a short while, they simply felt angry at their situation, lot in life … or some ridiculously small thing. And the anger just kept building.
Julia's question is answered with a fist … aimed directly at the side of her head. "Like yer dunknow…" the guy behind the fist says…
The Lizardlike creature lunges for the Psyborg but is met with the hiss of plasma sword that just ignited… the sword flashes and whilst it would normally dismember a human, it barely makes a dent on the Daemonite. The Psyborg tries to step back but is caught by a backhanded blow from its opponent.
A man in the crowd, turns towards Simmons group and swings a rather heavy chair at Matthews. A woman, seeing the action, lifts a small cafe table and throws it at Jefferies, the other agent with Jemma. Jemma presses on, trying to wend her way through the crowd towards that device.
It is very difficult to catch Julia off guard, but she is also very tough… she lets the punch strike her and gets shoved aside. The fact that her webs are fabricated with psychokinetic energy does help as her mind is more difficult to influence with psionic energy. She may not be aware of the attempts to influence her, but she is less susceptible to it.
However, she snarls a bit when she gets hit, but controls herself and maintains her composure… mostly. But she finds herself moving across the crowds, seeking a place she can find some cover to switch into spandex. After all, Spider-Woman needs to make an appearance here. But that's when she sees Jemma.. oh her. She smirks a bit and sends out strands of psi-webbing… all but intangible… to track Jemma's progress while she goes to change clothes.
No hero, just a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's how Tiny might be seen as he draws a little too close to the riot. Maybe it's just because he's a big guy, maybe he just looked at one of the rioters wrong, but the young man suddenly winces at the loud noise when something hits him from behind. The sound of metal cracking and shattering is loud, especially when it happens right over the side of one's head, but the impact itself? Barely seems to have done more then shocked Tiny.
He turns, looking at the man holding what used to be a wrench who seems more then a little startled himself that Tiny didn't fall down.
Knocked backwards by the Daemonite, the Psyborg stumbles and the SHIELD agents trying to remove the rioters from the area nearby renew their efforts to move people out of the affected area.
Anyone paying attention can tell two things: 1. The agents aren't engaging the strange combatants and 2. They seem to know exactly what's causing the riot.
One of the TAC agents gets a bit 'enthusiastic' about moving a group of rioters on "Johnson, control yourself." his partner snaps. Even these agents, with their training, are succumbing. Yet still, the crowd is starting to thin.
The guy who threw a punch at Julia is grabbed by the nearest TAC agent and hustled off "Hey Lady, you need to come with us …" another agent calls to her but is distracted by the group their ushering out.
The rioting crowd is starting to thin as SHIELD clears the area slowly.
Tiny's assailant looks startled and is about to swing again, but their hand is caught by a TAC member and they're wrestled off … "Sir, you need to get out of here."
The Daemonite lunges for the Psyborg and manages to rip something from its neck. Turning the giant Lizardlike creature barrels through the crowd, sending TAC agents and civilians flying. It's heading right towards Tiny!
Matthews and Jefferies avoid the chair and table, sharing a look that speaks volumes about guarding Jemma, and do their best to guard the disaster-magnet biochem as she finally makes it to the device.
Matthews and Jefferies. Oh lord… Spider Woman evades pretty much every contact on her path to privacy. Once in cover, she peels her sweatshirt and bluejeans off to reveal her ultraheroic black bodysuit with white spider-emblem and such. Good thing it's also well insulated and lined with material to keep her warm in the cold.
One psi-web thwipped out from nowhere, and she launches herself back towards the crowds.
Then.. she zings herself out into the air over the crowd.. and attaches a web to the ground next to Jemma. She yoinks herself back down and lands beside her. "Agent." she says to Jemma. Then to the guys, she adds, "Agents. Sorry about earlier. I'll make a formal apology later. Right now.. you guys do what you need to do.." And she goes about wresting a large scale amount of webbing to try to hold some of the crowds back.
One good turn deserves another as a dark skinned girl decides to maybe, just maybe, stay away from Gotham for a good long while. There's a smile on her face, and a skip in her step, and even a smooth tune being whistled from her lips. Regardless of the girl's good mood, it all comes crashing down once she realizes that something is happening on the street she's come across. Something insane, violent, and a bit on the 'uh-oh' side.
Keeping her distance, for the time being, she considers the events around her. Her teeth set against her lower lip as she nibbles away, nervously. One hand reaches up, making sure that her boxy sunnies are flush against her face, and with a passing brush of her flooftastic hair, she moves across the mouth of an alley way, peeking around its corner for the time being.
Well…if you're going to be in the wrong place? Might as well be good at it. Having been watching the confusion with a fair amount of his own, the tall man rubs the side of his head where that wrench had shattered moments ago and watches the agent wrestle his attacker away dumbstuck. Had that just happened? Like everything else it had just left him with more questions then answers when he'd shrugged off the blow.
Hearing the roar and noises of panic when the lizard-creature comes rushing through the crowd the man turns, but he seems frozen on the spot, unable or unthinking to get out of the way. Just as it seems he's about to be trampled Tiny thrusts out his hands in what might look like a mad attempt to stop the charging beast.
Surprisingly, as the Daemonite leaves, a portal opens behind the Psyborg and the metal man disappears. Leaving just the street full of angry rioters, a rampaging Daemonite, SHIELD agents and … heroes?
As Julia lands near Simmons, Matthews and Jefferies draw their ICER pistols and train them on her "Get away from Doctor Si—-" Matthews trails off as the Spandex clad woman gives aid.
That aid doesn't come too soon, a group of eight very angry rioters try to rush their position. It's all the two SHIELD agents can do to shelter Jemma - who is obvlious as she starts to enter a sequence on the panel that's displayed.
The Daemonite, hits Tiny's hands, bounces back a bit and roars. Cruel taloned fingers curl around the big mans arm, trying to sink deep … and Tiny will feel something trying to 'enter' his head.
The woman with the flooftastic hair will feel the psychic compulsion as she draws nearer - dissatisfaction, unhappiness, even anger … and gets stronger the closer she gets to the crowd. As she approaches an angry woman makes a flying leap for her… intent on tackling her to the ground. There are no SHIELD agents close at the moment, they're stretched a little thin.
Hiding out wasn't working, and that feeling digging at the back of her skull was unnerving. Her brows furrow as she shakes her head once, twice, and then she's being tackled back. An agil thing, Lynette was not. She was mostly good at running, hiding, and keeping to herself, but with the building discontent alight against her senses, she is caught off guard. Slamming back against the dank flooring of the alley way, the girl reaches up with her dark hands and tries to wrestle the woman off.
Her teeth grit and bare, as she tries rolling her attacker over so that she can have the upper hand. Her own natural paranoid begins to twist with a sparking rage, as one hand starts digging into her pockets to find something. "Get off!" She warns the woman, as her wrist flicks and a switch blade comes into view. "M' warnin' ya. Get off of y'gon' regret it!"
It is a good thing that Spider-Woman's webbing is strong. And Spider-Woman herself too. "Please don't make this harder." She says to the two SHIELD agents nearby. She goes into motion, leaping over Jemma and landing between her and a few rioters. "People please.. take a moment to think this through." She states, her own mind starting to succumb a little bit.. Enough that she grabs one person's wrist a bit too tightly and does some real damage before she lets go and reaches for another. She finds herself webbing up individuals as much as she can, so they're not webbed together where they can harm each other. "How about, I web, you guys tranq'em, eh?" She asks to Matthews and Jefferies before she notices Tiny over there playing Matador, "OH crap." She adds as she leaps up into the air, creates a morass of webbing about the Daemonite's feet to slow it down a bit and maybe give Tiny an edge.. and then she's back down in the crowd. She is fast… at least her reaction times are very fast.
An influence trying to make its way into his mind isn't exactly a sensation Tiny is familier with…but it's not hard to pick a threat when you've got a large demonite trying to take hold of you. While the first impact hadn't budged the man, he hadn't exactly caused it great pain either. Clenching his fists the man tries to drag in the creature that's grasped onto his limp while throwing the other hand in a rather simple but powerful punch. Something that's probably a lot harder to dodge thanks to that webbing. "Get OFF!"
Matthews and Jefferies nod to Julia, she's not an immediate threat. With her webbing people to stop them getting near Jemma, they're happy(ish) for the moment.
The woman who's tackled Lyn ignores the switch blade and tries to the pummel her, just as SHIELD TAC agent appears at the mouth of the alley and calls out "Stand DOWN! Both of you." he'll be on the pair in just moment.
Daemonites are stupid strong and dense and as SHIELD are finding out, there's not much of a match for them physically or psychically. This Daemonite though, breaks off its possession attempt as Julia's webbing slows it down, but doesn't stop it. The punch, when it comes from Tiny, causes it to stumble back a bit … before backhanding the large man with incredible force as it tries to move past him.
"There!" Jemma breathes out as she enters the last of the code … the phsychic pressure immediately disappears in the area … leaving a handful of rioters (some stuck in webs) and the Daemonite to deal with.
It will take some time for the emotion dissipate though.
Lyn isn't listening to the Agent, if anything their voice is muffled against the sinking anger swelling within her brain. The woman atop of her moves to act, and so does the girl with large hair and a snarl on her lips. The blade moves out, but not to touch the woman herself. Gripping around its handle, the dark skinned girl drives the blade into her own arm, sinking it deep and giving it a libral twist.
She doesn't bleed, or show any pain. In truth, her shirt sleeve simply gets another tear in its fabric. The woman atop of her, however, shows the effects of the attack. A sharp, piercing pain is apparent as her upper arm becomes wounded and crimson flowers and seeps through her own clothing. With a weaker grip due to a harmed limb, Lyn tries to take this chance to get out of the attacker's hold. The knife still in her arm and rotating as she gives it another dig.
Feeling the mental pressure ease, Spider-Woman seems to finally become aware that it was there. Amazing how you don't notice something until you notice it's gone. She inclines her head, then nods to the agents. "You got this." She remarks before she leaps up once more, and then with a web latched onto a wall.. she propels herself towards Tiny and the Daemonite. "Down boy!" She calls out as she comes down to aim a flying kick at the Daemonite's head.
Ow. The demonite's blow staggers back Tiny so much harder then the man with the wrench had managed…but he's nothing if not stubborn about stopping the monster. That sudden halting of the psychic pressure pretty much goes completely unnoticed by the large man as he gives a cry of anger. No words or warnings, just something primal and instinctual while he leaps at the daemonite fists swinging.
Spider-Woman connects with a thud at the back of the Daemonites head, barely rocking the Lizardlike being as she does. Did we mention they were stupid tough?
Daemonites … are not stupid, for all that look like dumb lizardlike creatures. With the dual attacks from Spider Woman and Tiny, the creature moves fast … so fast it blurs. Ducking Tiny's fists, though a couple land and seem to have an impact, and trying to land ones on him, the Daemonite starts to move away … it looks like it's out of this fight … and seeing discretion as the better part of valour.
As for Lyn? The woman, whose arm is now bleeding, screams out in pain and lets Lyn go. Just in time for the SHIELD agent to reach the pair and pull the now bleeding and enraged woman away. They've not yet noticed the knife sticking out of Lyns arm.
with the crowd starting to calm down, the SHIELD TAC agents start rounding them up and removing people from the area. Matthews and Jefferies remain in front of Jemma, not moving until they're sure the danger is over.
Lyn pants, her heart still pounding with a need to act, fight, protect. As it begins to soften and leave, she moves to stand upright and yanks the knife out of her upper arm. The blade 'shusks' back into its sheath, and is put away as if it were never there to begin with. She glares after the woman behind the cover of her sunnies, and reaches her free hands back to dust off her bum and thighs. "De hell is wrong wit dis place…"
And now it's leaving… Spider-Woman felt the shockwave from Tiny's punch and she drops down to stand hear him while she watches the Daemonite flee. "Nice right cross you got there big guy." she says his way before looking back to the SHIELD personnel. "Everyone okay?!" she calls out.
Watching the monster flee Tiny does feel the urge to give chase…but that damn thing is fast and his chances of catching it on his own were probably slim. Sighing, the young man gives a little shake of his head and finally reaches up to wipe his hand over his face where there's still a few pieces of metal fragments stuck in his hair. "Thank you," the man says and looks over his shoulder before seeming to stare a second too long at the oddly dressed woman. Maybe he'd never seen a costumed hero before. "I'm…uninjured."
With the crowd under control and the Daemonite away, Jemmas agents finally part to let her through. Making her way to Julia and Tiny, the biochem brushes an errant strand of hair from her face. "Spider-Woman. I uh… I'm fine thank you for the help." Matthews and Jefferies give the woman a look. Looking up to Tiny "Doctor Jemma Simmons, SHIELD R&D, I'm… glad you are uninjured."
Jemma's probably bruised from the jostling but nothing major!
Lyns question from the shadows gets her attention "Sometimes people just a little riled." she says as another SHIELD scientist starts to remove the ashcan sized device back to one of the waiting SUV's.
"Right. 'Cause dat's what happened. Sometimes big ol' monsters jus' happen, too?" Sniffling, she rubs at her nose with her sleeve and moves to step out of the alley way. Eyeing the agents, the super spider lady, and the other man with small flecks of wrench in his hair, she turns and buries her hands into her pockets. Turning, she starts to head down the sidewalk, that skip in her step long since gone.
Okay, now that things are less tense, Spider-Woman turns to face Matthews and Jefferies. "Okay, formal apologies. You should know.. you may have reports to the effect that I am something of a persona non-gratta now to the organization -you- guys were screwing with. So thanks for that. My 3 year old daughter was on -their- hit list. So yeah… life's not a cup of tea for me either." she adds with a bit of bitterness, "But it's good to know who I was, and am not.. working for anymore." She looks to Tiny and inclines her head. "Glad to know you're okay." she adds, "I go by Spider-Woman in this getup. You got a name?" She adds. But she holds a hand out towards Jemma and looks back her way, "Thanks for helpin' here Doctor." She adds.
Lyn's comment earns a sideways look from Tiny for a moment as if it took him a second to work out sarcasm from truth before looking back at the other two women, the Spider-Woman and the doctor while he lowers his hand for a moment. He at least knew what a handshake was but that greeting wasn't directed at him. "My uh…friend calls me Tiny," the man says in akward deflection.
Jemma winces at Julia's words "I'm sorry they targetted your daughter. They really aren't very nice peopel though and … I'm glad you got out of there." taking the womans hand and shaking it firmly "You can call me Jemma. What are you going to do now? Do you have work?"
Seeing Tiny offer his hand, she shakes his next "Call me, Jemma." she smiles "That's one punch you have there, there's not many I know that can a blow from Daemonite or give one back either." Drawing Lyn in with a look, the biochem nods slowly "In my line of work, sometimes they do, unfortunately. Are you alright?"
"What am I doing? I'm hiding out. Well, when not in.." says Spider-Woman, gesturing to her costume and shrugging her shoulders. "I came into town to do some recon and see if I could salvage anything after the late night bug-out we did. But… yeah. I think if you check your files, you might have information on where I'm at. Your friend.. the smokey one.. he set us up with some round the clock security, and a babysitter with a badge. Only reason I Was able to go -out-." she adds.
Then.. she takes a deep breath, "Look, I think there may be some residual effects from that.. mental.. whatever. Or maybe I'm just venting at you because you were there."
She looks to the two guys following Jemma and adds, "I really am sorry for what happened. In my defense.. I thought -you- were the assholes."
"Just lucky I guess," Tiny says with a shrug, nodding his head at the introduction and moving to take a step back while the other two go talking about some clear history. Given that he's only been outside of the same four walls for less then 48 hours, it's not likely something that he knows anything about. Stepping back once more he turns away, trying to drift back into the now much calmer crowd.
"There may be information but it's likely above my paygrade." Jemma answers Julia with a wry smile. That's amusing given what she'd been doing when she met Spider-Woman. "The device has an effect. It will wear off soon enough. You seem to have strong mental discipline, that will help."
Matthews and Jefferies acknowledge Julia's apology "It's done now." is all Jefferies says. Their job is to protect Jemma.
Watching Tiny leave, Jemma makes a mental note of the man. He seemed to have some special abilities.
"If there's anything I can do to help, Spider-Woman." the biochem offers "Just .. uh… not babysitting, ok?"
Smirking a bit, Spider-Woman shakes her head, "Fighting crime in the streets, fixing tech that is more complicated than anything I've ever heard of… that's all okay. But making lunch for an adorable three year old girl, that's right out huh?" she asks before taking a breath. "Well, most of my stuff is apparently telekinetic and requires mental discipline and effort. So.. I have an unfair advantage there. But yeah… I'm doing whatever I can to -not- be on their radar. So maybe -I- can help -you- and you can help me?"
Julia really has to ask herself if she wants the biochem making sandwiches for her daughter. Jemma's likely to explain the chemical breakdown and composition of every component! Then again… maybe that's not such a bad thing!
Jemma blushes "I'm sure she is adorable…" she nearly trips over her words trying to reassure Julia she meant no offense "… I just don't think I'd be very good at it."
Looking curiously at Julia, she slows down "Telekinetic? oh that is interesting … and uh, I don't see why we couldn't help each other. But I'd like you to meet Agent May, one of my Senior Agents."
Nodding slowly, Julia shrugs, "Sure. Whatever you think is wise. I'm fairly well trained in the whole business. Just.. by the wrong people. Maybe I should get debriefed or whatnot." She shrugs, "I'd like to work for the -real- good guys, y'know? Something I could be proud to tell me daughter someday."
"Well, I'm sure we can help you there." Jemma smiles "But SHIELD isn't for everyone. Some people don't like the way that we do things, but I rather like it." Julia can probably tell that, given the trouble that Jemma finds herself in.
A member of the science team appears beside the biochem "Doctor Simmons, the device is loaded and ready for transport."
With a rueful look at Julia, Jemma hands over a card "Give me a call, we'll set something up. But I'm sure your daughter … what was her name? … is proud of you already. You're her Mom, after all."
Grinning a bit, Spider-Woman knows she didn't give out her daughter's name. She isn't going to say it on the street in public y'know. She just nods and says, "I'll be in touch." Before she holds her hand up and a psi-web forms to whisk her away.