June 05, 2016:
Detecting a signal that a portal has opened, SHIELD end up in a small township some distance from New York
New York area
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: None.
Fade In…
About 50 minutes ago an alert sounded at SHIELD. A field similar to a Daemonite portal opening had been detected. The signal was detected just outside a small town some distance from New York. It had been active for approximately 10 minutes and then went dead and it was strong.
At the same time, electricity providers in the area were reporting massive drains on their power supplies but no one was able to quantify what happened.
By the time that the SHIELD TAC team arrived, the only evidence they could find is an area that has been flattened and trampled by a number of feet. Combing that area had given nothing, so the team headed into the town, which has a small population of one hundred or so.
Agent Melinda May, Doctor Jemma Simmons and the leader of the TAC Team are each 'armed' with a small device. Something akin to a radar, this device detects Daemonites - and they're valuable - Nth Metal is a non-replenishable resource.
"So you see, Wanda." Jemma's explaining to the X-Red Representative who happened to be visiting SHIELD as part of that teams cross relation program "The Daemonites are able to shape shift or inhabit someones body and without these devices, we've been unable to tell the difference." Given that Rain was unavailable, Jemma had no qualms in dragging Wanda along or in sending out a message to a certain hacker.
The SHIELD team is currently walking through the town centre, trying to be inconspicous whilst looking for signs of Daemonites and using those detectors to discretely test the people they see.
Melinda May walks alongside Jemma and Wanda, paying more attention to the device in her hand than the two younger women talking. Not that what Jemma is talking about isn't important, it's that it's stuff that she already knows. A fair bit of her attention is also on their surroundings, making sure no one sneaks up on them or anything like that.
Wanda glances down at the device and nods. "So how does it work?" she asks. "I can probably duplicate what it does…maybe. Like, if it detects a different type of cell that they have then maybe I can make reality so that if anyone has that cell then they grow horns. Not all reality of course." She laughs at that. "But maybe around me." She shrugs. "It is just an idea. I have lots of them. Most of them are not very good." Wanda is in her X-Red uniform, she's been getting to wear it a lot lately, and she lifts her head to look at the small town around them. "You should look up sometimes. I think these daemonites can shoot you before the device knows they are there, da?"
It's not often that Jericho arrives exactly where he needs to be if Illyana is not personally involved. K'nert can't control where the stepping disks open after all so while he can get to a general area (most of the time) he can't usually just appear right where he intends to go.
Every once in a while things are convenient though. Today is one such day. A two dimensional disk opens above the area and the hacker drops lightly to the ground. He's… dressed oddly. For one he's wearing a lot of black leather. Boots. Pants. Short sleeved duster like coat that's open and doesn't seem to be able to close. He's also wearing a mesh shirt. One that leaves his traces completely exposed. Those are glowing a faint, dull red though the red is fading. K'nert drops out right behind him as the hacker takes a look around, realizing who is here. "I should have taken the opportunity to change…" He mutters. "Someone buzzed?"
"The active component is Nth Metal, a substance not found on Earth. Doctor Storm and I adapted it to make a sort of radar." Jemma explains as they walk. "Daemonites, we've found, don't like to be exposed - it's unlikely they'll shoot first." But Wanda does have a point and Jemma looks up, just as one of the TAC team stops to talk to a local.
Jericho's arrival, just in front of Jemma has her stopping and staring. The man really is fit and that outfit just higlights how much so. Blushing a little, the colour likely matching the dull red of his traces, the biochem stutters "Uh… yeah. Seems that a Daemonite portal opened here but they're gone."
"Agent May." Carmichael calls "This gentleman says that he saw what happened."
"Uh huh. I sure did. A group of about twenty glowing lizards appeared in the woods carrying something. I was coming back from river." The man shakes his head "Then I blinked and they were gone. Wife thinks I've been drinking, but I haven't."
Mays device buzzes at her as she points at the woman near the man, they'd be about twenty feet away … and as usual, there's nothing unusual about the woman to look at.
Melinda May steps over to hear what the man has to say, but the device buzzes in her hand and she is VERY careful to keep her expression neutral. She lets the man explain while her attention is actually on the woman just a little ways away. Making sure it's out of the woman's line of sight, she uses one hand to start signing in military hand signals, hoping that someone notices and pays attention.
"Then that should be easy" Wanda replies to Jemma. "If it is something that should not be here then it will show up much better than trying to find something that should be. I do not make sense a lot of time" she sighs before Jericho appears and she just has to stare…and then laugh a little bit.
"You are wearing a mesh top" Wanda notes…because she has to. "Did you come from a party, Jericho? And I think I know the kind of party." A wink for him before something is buzzing. "Will not everyone hear that?" she asks Jemma, "Including the people you are after?" A pause. "Lizards?"
"Limbo, Wanda. I had just stopped by my apartment when your call came. Clearly it wasn't quite that urgent." Exactly why he might be dressed like that after having been in a minor hell realm Jericho does not address. He's armed. It's not real likely that he carries guns in hell but he's got one at his hip now and there's his blade case swaying behind his back.
"What are we looking at, Si-" Then the buzzing starts. The way Jericho tilts his head is a bit like a dog. Mmmmm? What's that now? He doesn't say it but he's clearly thinking it.
"Uh…" is all Jemma can say to Wanda and then she's cut off as Mays device buzzes and her eyes widen.
The TAC team do see Mays hand gestures and move in to surround the woman who's saying "Now, Victor, I know you were drinking. You were just seeing things…"
Victor looks blank for a moment and then nods slowly "Yes, Gwen, you're right. I was just seeing things."
Carmichael looks blank as well, shakes her head and frowns before giving the sign that they're feeling some kind of psychic pressure.
"Psychic manipulation" Jemma murmurs to Wanda "Be rea—-"
The woman finally realises that she's surrounded and her psychic pressure hasn't worked on all of those gathered and blurs towards Jericho and May.
Melinda May pulls one of her mithril swords the moment the woman blurs toward her, though she's nowhere near fast enough to truly be ahead of the daemonite-possessed woman. She mentally hopes her leyline pendulum is going to help her out again this time, or they are in very, very deep trouble.
Wanda is a little psychic herself…and a lot more if she ever controlled it…so she is aware that something is happening. New voices in her mind. Strange, alien sounds. But it is enough for her to draw forth her magic and fling up a wall of crackling scarlet chaos between her and Jemma to begin with. As the woman 'blurs', the witch looks rather concerned. Magic is one thing, alien physiology is another. "I could try and trap her?"
Jericho's traces hum and Jemma - well, everyone - gets a good look at them going from dull red to bright blue in an instant. They flash and there's a deep thrum and half a second later there's the demonwolf that many would be familair with. He flanks May, waiting for her to lunge before he comes in from the side. If this woman is what he suddenly suspects, this is not in the least overkill.
The Daemonite possessed woman manifests claws made of light. They seem to grow right out of her skin as she reaches for May, trying to sink them in. The Mithril blades bite, not as deep as you'd expect on a human and Jerichos' attack lands as well. And then there is a 15 foot tall glowing lizard standing over the body of the woman, snarling and still trying to get its talons into the SHIELD agent.
"Yes, do, please. Wanda. It might work…"
Melinda May has no choice but to let Jericho get between her and the Daemonite, but only long enough to swing around and aim for the thing's leg as a distraction. Pease aim for decapitation, Trent. That seems to at least slow them down.
Fifteen feet lizard? Where did that come from? Wanda doesn't seem too confident anymore but she'll try. Fingers flex as she mumbles ancient words to herself, building her power. The wall in front of her grows and grows until with a sweep of her arms she hurls it at the giant lizard. The glowing, crackling chaos enveloping the alien beast…or at least the top eight feet…and hopefully restricting its ability to move. But it is taking a lot of effort and a lot of concentration from the young witch and she hopes the others will do something quick.
Jericho crashes into the lizard. It's like a kaiju movie writ small but no less destructive for all that. Digital claws rip into the beast and his traces spark and whine as the hacker takes hits. That muzzle isn't for show either. Though a foot shorter that just means the demon wolf can snap at the daemonite's neck. Careful May, that tail's whipping around as Jericho tries to keep his balance and throw the big thing down. Decapitation may have to wait, but he's sure May will have that covered if it comes up.
Wanda's approach with magic is inspired. Jemma knows from the testing that Rain and Ryden did in the lab, that the taller Daemonites tend to have a higher tolerance to magic - but the Scarlet Witch isn't attacking the creature, she's using the environment around it - the creatures movements are slowed significantly. She'll have to hold it a little longer though.
Mays aim is true and the mithril blade bites into the leg. It doesn't go through, but it sorely wounds the creature as Jericho's digital claws rend it.
With Jericho's jaws locked firmly on its neck, the Daemonite is lifted and felled, landing heavily on it's side - May should be able to take the killing blow.
"Can you supercool things, Wanda? If so, that also stops them. We normally cryofreeze them… " Jemma glances to the witch at her side.
Flailing tails on both super tall beings. That's… a challenge. But, the Daemonite hits the ground, and she takes the chance, darting around to go for a decapitation blow, holding her small sword with both hands to put as much strength behind it as possible.
Wanda has never tried to freeze anything before, that's Bobby's thing, but how hard can it be? It's just changing the reality of the heat in the air. Drawing it away. A deep breath before she refocuses her magic and tries to do just that…and hoping she doesn't freeze May along with the beast. Wanda's body shudders with the effort as the temperature drops around the alien…rapidly; ice crystals forming on its flesh.
Jericho stands, one 'paw' planted on the Daemonite's chest as May's blade comes down. He rather hopes that finishes it but if not he's ready to do it himself.
The projection from his traces is apparently solid enough that blood sticks on his maw and fangs and muzzle. It gives him a rather ghostly, horrific appearance. Almost…
Well, almost demonic.
May is going to have to work to get that sword through the creatures neck, but it eventually it does pop off … just as Wanda's spell hits and the creature freezes. That should hold for the moment.
Jemma has already called in back up, the Quin Jet with the cryotank will be there … soon and the creature can be transported.
Victor passes out after seeing his wife … do that. Gwens body is crumpled on the ground - there's a sword wound to be tended but after Jemma examines her, she'll be given a mostly clean bill of health.
The biochem shakes her head "What do you think, they left her … it behind to cover their tracks?"
Melinda May isn't satisfied until that thing's head is completely removed, and then she steps away, both the cold and the ache from a still-healing hole in her arm causing her to nearly drop her sword. "That's a possibility, Simmons."
Wanda continues to force the warmth away until May chops off the head of the lizard. Then she relaxes because that is the end of it…right? It's not going to get up now. "If it is covering tracks then that means that the rest went somewhere else. These people would have seen them. Even if they were just a group of people. And if they were giant lizards…I do not think they would have been missed even if we have to dig in their heads for the information." A pause before she looks worriedly at the others. "I mean that they may have psychic blocks. I do not want to torture anyone."
"It may have planned to eliminate the witness." Jericho points out, not dropping his field yet. Clearly he doesn't think it's quite over or thinks that there's a chance anyway. "Either way it doesn't seem like they've anticipated your reaction time. Nice work by the way Wanda." He's not quite sure why May has her here but he's damn glad she was. That thing might have gotten away without her.
Not that it's going anywhere just at the moment. The claws on his foot dig into the daemonites chest as he flexes them. "How did you find them? Detectors working?"
It's not the end of the Daemonite. As Jemma and Jericho know. "That will hold it for now. They have a habit of regrowing appendages, unfortunately." But it won't get immediately, anyway. "Maybe, Wanda." Jemma sighs "Or it might have been left as a greeting party for others." She'll leave the decision about 'interrogating' the townspeople to May.
"We've been watching for the 'signal' for the portals put out, Jericho. And yes, the Detector identified the woman…" There's a small degree of pride in her voice.
A Quin Jet puts down not too far away and cryo-tank is wheeled out along with a SHIELD scientist. They'll see to the downed Lizard in a moment.
Melinda May directs the arriving agents to finish dismembering the daemonite and putting it in the cryo storage as well as questioning the locals to see if they noticed anything else unusual going on. For her own part, she's REALLY trying to hide that her arm is hurting a LOT. The SHIELD medics are without a doubt going to bitch at her for aggravating the wound in her arm.
"Even heads?" an incredulous Wanda asks Jemma before she is conjuring her magics once more. Just in case. "Thank you" she remembers to say to Jericho's praise. She does like the man but there is always that undercurrent of evil in him that Wanda notices…and she can never understand why others don't. Though as long as they seem to be on the same side then she will take him as he seems rather than what she fears he may become.
And then the lizard is being dismembered and Wanda has to turn away, her energy dissipating into nothingness. "These creatures are here a lot?" she asks, not having seen their like before. There seems to be a lot going on in the world that she is unaware of.
"Certainly more often than I'd like them to be." Jericho finally drops his power field which… gets him some odd looks for his mode of dress from the arriving SHIELD agents. The glow eyed hacker gives them an inscrutable look in response and then turns back to May, Jemma and Wanda. "I trust you have it under control? I should head out."
"May, I'd like to see you in the sickbay when we get back." Jemma has noticed "I've something to discuss." She'll look at what pains the woman as they talk. "Yes, Wanda, even heads. And they are most certainly here more than we like. It looks like a big contingent just came through too. We'll have to work out where they went too and what they bought with them."
Jemma doesn't think this is good, not at all. "Thank you Jericho. If you can, see if there's any footage from traffic camera's? I doubt they went straight to the roads, but you never know…" Maybe the camera's caught glimpses of … something.
There'll be a little more work to calm to the townsfolk down, but before long, the SHIELD team will be departing.
Melinda May doesn't actually frown at Jemma, but it sure feels like she did. She does nod, though, acknowledging the biochemist's 'orders'. But until then, there's work to do, sorting out the civilians and collecting as much intel as possible about what went on here.
Wanda will just watch as SHIELD do their thing. She didn't even know there was an alien invasion much less how to deal with it…she will let Brin and Bobby know though. Jericho gets a wave goodbye as Wanda will be travelling by QUIN jet back to New York rather than through magical means. It has been an interesting exchange for the witch.