Apprehending Maxwell

October 04, 2014:

Two SHIELD operatives are sent on a mission to apprehend one of their own, an agent who is engaging in illegal drug activity. Of course, does anything ever go to plan? Nope.

Greenwich Village - New York City

Known simply as 'The Village' by residents and locals, this is a mostly upper middle class neighborhood bounded Broadway, the Hudson, Housten Street and 14th Street. It has, throughout history, been very much a center of innovation and ideas - from the bohemian movement to counterculture movement of the 60's to the LBGT movement of today. It has a very college town feel to it, which makes sense because several universities have facilities within the district. The mix of academics, students and residents is somewhat unique in New York and lends itself to a slightly smaller town feel in the Big Apple.

Characters

NPCs: Agent Maxwell, a drug dealer, bystanders, and SHIELD agents

Mentions:

Mood Music: Message in a Bottle - by Matisyahu


Fade In…

Saturday afternoon, 3:15 PM. Greenwich Village. Party cloudy skies, but the cool air of autumn has finally swept over the Big Apple, dropping the temperature to a windy 56 degrees.

Leopold Fitz is riding shotgun in an unmarked SHIELD vehicle, his face frowning, eyes buried in a tablet computer. "Okay, Agent Maxwell's tracker went offline right up there." He looks up, pointing at the next intersection. "Down that road, about 100 meters." He looks over toward Triplett, his face all screwy for a moment. "I really don't like that we didn't pull Simmons from the lab for this. We've only given the seekers one field test, and it was in a relatively secured facility." Under his breath, he murmurs, "If a HYDRA facility counts."

He's nervous, because he doesn't like being in the field. It shows in the way he's chattering at himself. "Of course, I have plugged Maxwell's biosignature into the devices, so it shouldn't be a problem, but we have to make sure that they don't malfunction and end up in some bloody civilian's hands."

-

Agent Triplett is driving said unmarked SHIELD vehicle because there's one rule that he's learned before teaming up with his current agent for this field mission: Don't Let Fitz Drive. And that's been sticking in his head since the moment they walked to the SUV. He's cruising along, looking about as calm as Fitz looks nervous. Completely content with whatever it is that may be going down. Or will be going down. Etc. There's really no reason to get all worked up this early on.

"Relax." Trip remarks, keeping his eyes on the road. "If you're as smart as everyone says you are, then it'll be good. Try not to worry so much. You'll wrinkle." Trip is attempting to keep things on the lighter side of speech as he's driving along. He's more or less letting Fitz take the lead on this one, since he's the one with the tablet.

"It'd be nice to have Simmons along for the ride. Can't argue with that." There's a small smile when he says her name. Weird.

-

High up-cool breeze cuts through red costume. Must remember to pull out the heavier one for winter. Sounds rise up from below like bubbles from the bottom of a boiling water pot. A million conversations, but Daredevil focuses on one not far away.

Some suit. You can tell by the way the mixture of midgrade cologne mixes with the faint residue from the dry cleaning. There's more, a piece of spearmint gum chewed by someone else-for about two minutes too long, really. The conversation details the smooth, and that's something that Daredevil takes keen interest in from his perch from high above.

-

The smooth is drying up. There's still stockpiles of it out there for idiots to buy but the supply has been cut off. Theoretically, anyway. And while Midnighter's been spending most of his time in Gotham lately, he hasn't forgotten about Manhattan which is where he started his hunt for it. One of his sources has led him to a certain address in the Village and he's watched from the shadows as a Fed showed up, reason currently unknown. You can always tell the Feds.

-

Less then a day back from the funeral in Gotham, and Jason's already up to one of his more dangerous pastimes. It's not easy to kick an addiction, and he's already looking for another fix, just something small to ease off those shakes, and if he manages to clean up the streets while he's at it so be it.

Jason makes his way down the sidewalk, briefcase in one hand, occasionally looking about for some sign of a dealer. He'd been told there'd be something on this side of town for him, but so far he's just coming up blank and there's only so long he can stay out before he has to get back to work.

-

Fitz glances back over at Triplett with an expression that is mixed between a scowl and a frown. "Yeah, okay," he mutters, then goes back to the tablet. "Okay, there." He points over toward the intersection, then reaches down for a case that rests between his legs. He pops the case open, revealing a handful of sphere-shaped objects that could easily fit into the palm of one's hand. He eyes them with a grin, but then worry creases his brow again. "I really ought to develop some that aren't so, like, un-subtle."

Fitz jerks his head back over toward Triplett. "I'm not going to wrinkle," he argues, then goes back to his case. "I think Rick gets the job. Or T.C. No." His eyes go wide, and he points at one seeker in particular. "Higgins. Higgins will find him." He glances back toward Triplett with a winning smile. "Ten bucks?"

-

Triplett pulls up quick and parks the vehicle in just enough distance to keep an eye on things. Probably those seekers. He's also managed to park right where it'd be hard to really notice them unless you're actually looking for an unmarked government vehicle or something. He's good at that. "Why do I get the feeling that subtley is not your strong point?"

Trip flashes a smile at Fitz just to keep any hard feelings from developing. And also to attempt to lighten the mood even more. "Twenty. On T.C." Now Trip may not completely understand what's going on with these seeker things but he's more than willing to put some money on one. It's just more fun that way. "If this goes South, stay in the car."

-

Underneath the mask, Matt closes his eyes and focuses on a conversation below. He waits a moment-perhaps for 15 seconds-until the wind picks up, rustling the garbage below in the alleyway and giving him cover should he make undo noise on his descent.

The only noise the expertly trained vigilante makes is from the coil of his billy club as the end spits out into the dark and clasps somewhere unseen. The red-clad hero disappears into the darkness below.

-

The question is, is the Fed buying? Or is it a sting? If the latter, there should be backup ready to move in. And right on cue, what's most likely an unmarked fedmobile pulls up and parks. When will they learn to drive red Kias? They'd be less conspicuous. So instead of busting in, Midnighter waits to see what's going to happen. After all, he could be wrong. Not likely but it happens now and then.

-

For once Jason doesn't really recognize the car for what it is. He's a bit too busy trying to hold back his withdrawal to have full control on his environment there's an easy fix for it, but he'd rather at least try to buy some first before resorting to more drastic measures. He does however see a deal going down, and that's enough for him. Taking care to cross the street Jason does his best just to distractedly observe to see if this dealer's on the up.

-

"Subtlety is challenging," defends Fitz, while shrugging his jacket closer to his frame to ward off the coming chill. "But I'm working on it!" When Triplett mentions the ever-present possibility of an operation going south, he smirks. "Then we can give the Night-Night Gun a proper field test." His eyebrows flash twice, and he reaches over to slap Triplett on the shoulder, trying to act far more tougher than he clearly is.

Once the SUV has parked, Fitz opens the door and steps out. He glances from side to side smiling at a pretty woman who passes by. "Hullo," he says, watching her for a moment before doing a double take back to his case.

Fitz sets the case on the ground, right upon the curb and partially shielded by the door of the SUV. He pops the case and quietly counts down something in his head, before pushing a button on the control panel.

That's right. Leopold Fitz has named his seekers. Magnum, T.C., Rick, Higgins, Zeus and Apollo come alive with buzzing energy, the small globes beginning to spin about inside their case while the launching mechanism rises in the middle. As they spin faster, they begin to glow a bright yellow. Then, one after another, the spheres go bursting into the air, flying up over the SUV and zooming off in every direction. All the while, Fitz watches them go with an absolutely beaming grin upon his face. To one person passing by, he says, "Government affair, go about your business." He'll flash his badge if he needs to!

Nearby the alleyway where Daredevil just entered, there is a small deli. Only a few booths to sit at, but it's there where Agent Maxwell and The Suit are seated, having a quiet conversation over coffee.

About buying some smooth, of course. Shit's getting pretty expensive now that the supply has started to dry up.

-

"That really needs a better name."

Triplett's remark about the Night-Night Gun has not stopped him from dragging the case which contains said weapon of justice out with the rest of the stuff that Fitz is handling. He's here to make sure everything goes smoothly and that nobody dies. Fitz can handle the technological fortitude.

Unlike Fitz, the smooth soft leather that Trip wears already has him protected from the chill of the cool air. He's prepared like that. So it's that much easier for him to just deal with the weatherly elements. And then Fitz interacts with the random people around, he just gives a shake of his head. "Everything's fine, folks. My friend here is just a little over excited about playing with this toys." That should help keep things smoothed over and stop random passer-bys from drawing too much attention to the SHIELD agents. He comes up alongside Fitz and sets the Night-Night Gun's case down. "Let's try to keep 'em in our pants, huh, Fitz?" Badges. He's talking about their badges!

-

Daredevil's feet hit the ground in stride after an impressive display of timing and acrobatics. A flick of his red sleeved arm releases the end of the billy club from its mooring and it immediately draws itself in. But he doesn't wait, he's walking into the deli, stalking really, looking demonic in the setting sun through the windows as he descends upon the pair doing the drug deal.

His red gloves reach out for the drug dealer, eager to grasp him and throw him up and over the counter!

-

Across the street, Midnighter watches the men in the deli. He's a patient man when he wants to be. The wise predator doesn't spring until everything is exactly right. And… that time is not now, not with strange devices flying up into the air and heading off in multiple directions. Drones? And then Daredevil goes into the deli and he just leans back against a wall. Turning out to be a busy deli. And a very, very unlucky drug dealer.

-

Jason's only a few feet from the door to the deli when a man in red just bolts past right into the place. He's not really sure what to do other then watch for a few moments. It's not that he per say feels sorry for the dealer, more so that this puts a hamper on all of his plans. On the bright side at least it wasn't him in there trying to make the deal, and so now there's just a man in rather understated clothing with a breifcase standing by the front door of the Deli as a dealer is beaten up for his lunch money.

-

Daredevil's arrival causes Maxwell to scoot back in his seat and reach for something in his jacket. The drug dealer, believing that he's being betrayed, goes for something as well. In seconds, this small deli is about to become a shooting gallery.

That is, of course, distrupted by two red hands upon the drug dealer's shoulder. "What!?" he manages to blurt out, before he's going airborne and over the counter, crashing into the meat cutting table and landing upon the butcher's block. Said butcher? Backing away slowly.

One of the seekers whizzes past the Deli at that precise moment. When Maxwell's biosignature is read, it suddenly banks around and comes to a hovering rest a few feet away from Jason.

Back at the SUV, Fitz's tablet begins chirping. "T.C.," he murmurs. "Damn." Quickly, Fitz packs up the gear and tosses it into the car, then retrieves a handheld scanning device that is linked in to the trackers, specifically zeroed in on T.C.'s location. "Less than a block away," he advises Triplett, and he's already on the move, following the tracking signal toward the Deli.

As for Agent Maxwell? He bolts, throwing open the front door only to crash right into Lucky. Withdrawal's hell, and it's got Maxwell all out of sorts.

-

Triplett is moving fast enough to pack up the weapon and get back into the vehicle as well. "Alright. Let's get him." Trips does not particularly care for SHIELD types that don't continue to be and act like SHIELD types. He's peeling out in the vehicle soon enough. He's definitely relying on Fitz to guide him. "I only accept cash, by the way." That's about the bet that was made and all of that goodness. It should be a pretty simple takedown. Just as long as they don't hit any bigger trouble en route.

-

In a split second, Daredevil leaps impossibly over the deli counter and lands right next to the dealer. Two high fists come smashing down upon the chest of the thug, knocking him back down flat against the cutting board. From there, two knife hands to the throat and face, respectively and Daredevil reaches for his pocket.

The thug is not easily defeated, however, and throws an arm up to block The Man Without Fear's attempt at grabbing for the drugs. But the move is ill-thought.

*SNAP*

The wet sound of bones snapping-not unlike trees splintering in the rain forest-echoes throughout the deli while shocked bystanders are too scared to move. The dealer begins screaming in pain and Daredevil finally locates the baggie of the smooth. From there he shoves his foe off the table-the dealer is far too worried about his broken arm over anything else at this point-and delivers a kick to the back of his head, ending his screaming.

-

Midnighter has heard of Daredevil but they've never met. So he watches the unfolding scene with interest, noting especially the snapping of the arm and kick to the head. There are other ways to take out a normal human, ones that cause less injury and pain. He doesn't generally use them himself so nods approvingly. With the dealer down, he looks back to the fed who ran like a bat out of hell. Obviously not a sting despite the fedmobile rushing in. And… that's the guy from the docks again. He seems to be in the middle of a lot of criminal activity.

-

Running into Jason right now is like running head first into a brick wall. The way he's manages to plant his feet causing him to barely move an inch as he's smashed right into. He's more focused on the fight going on inside then the man who's just tried to bowl him over, but he does actually take notice looking right towards him as he stands blocking the path. "Going somewhere?"

-

Agent Maxwell takes a step back, looking Lucky in the eye. "You gonna stop me?" he breathes. Into his jacket he reaches… for what? A gun? A badge?

Meanwhile, the SUV is racing toward the Deli, only to find a loading truck moving into its way. "Look out!" cries Fitz, but it's too late. The SUV hits the truck and goes skidding along sideways down the street, hopping on thick tires designed to prevent rollovers. The air bags deploy, but Triplett manages to crack his head hard enough that it knocks him out.

Maxwell withdraws a pistol. Standard issue for SHIELD, if one is familiar with such things. The pistol is drawn and aimed right at Lucky's face, causing more than a few screams from people nearby. "Back down," he warns, and begins stepping away, his back still toward the Deli, but… his gun-wielding hand is twitching.

"Oh, not again," Fitz groans, and begins pulling himself from the deployed air bags. "Triplett? Agent Triplett?" He looks over to see the driver out cold. So, it's with a cold sense of irony that he reaches into the glove box for a sidearm, then pushes the door open and climbs out, wincing. The gun is held at his side, a bit nervously, and he goes limping down the sidewalk toward the Deli, where he can see Maxwell holding Lucky at gunpoint. "Bloody hell!"

-

The movement of air and the sound bouncing off of the room from the voices and the buzzing coming from the lights, all show Daredevil all about Maxwell's drawn gun. From behind, Daredevil rifles his white billy club straight away towards Maxwell, trying to slam him in the back of the head.

-

It's almost like watching television. The hero, the drug dealer, the junkie, incompetent government agents getting into car crashes. The not so innocent bystander. And Midnighter has a front row seat to it all. He's been inclined to do nothing and just watch it play out but now a gun is drawn. And while he doesn't mind the guy from the docks getting shot in the face, there are other people on the street. Withdrawing a shuriken from his pocket, he throws it straight at the hand holding the gun.

-

It's a single quick motion of Jason's hand, and he's not only grabbed the mans pistol, but he's put it right up to Jason's own head. "Got the fucking balls cowboy?" Jason asks in a cold voice having moved about as quick as one could expect from a highly trained former special forces operative.

-

"You draw that gun, you better have the brass to pull the tri-" he's either calling the mans bluff or just plain trying to bait him, but when he goes to try and make a bit more of a show from it then comes daredevil crashing through a window with his billy club, and another damn shuriken. It's almost like he just can't win anymore.

-

The seeker, a glowing yellow globe floating in the air, seems to be keeping its proverbial eye upon Maxwell. When Daredevil shows up, however, it floats a bit higher into the air and seems to be acting visibly distracted.

Fitz, coming upon the altercation, skids to a halt. He'd opted not to bring the Night-Night Gun, given it's a more than full size rifle that looks like something straight out of a Star Trek movie. However, this sort of thing? This was Triplett's turf, not his!

Fitz stows the pistol into a pocket in his jacket, then raises the control device in his other hand. Lower lip stuck out, he keys in a few commands. Suddenly, the seeker hovering nearby Lucky and Daredevil begins to emit an ear-piercing scream, the pitch designed to cause as much mental trauma to human ears within a very specific range of 3.5 meters in diametric range. Which means, Fitz will wince at the noise, but it won't do anything to him.

The others, however… well, save any metahuman abilities, the sonic scream is truly debilitating. Most people end up on their knees, writhing in agony.

One by one, the other seekers begin zooming back from their alleys, side streets, and windows to rejoin T.C. Fitz withdraws a set of high-tech earplugs and stuffs them into his ear.

Maxwell winces, the gun ripped away, the shuriken cutting a gash in his hand. But it's the noise that sends him to the ground. On his knees, he reaches up to cover his ears, but it's no good. "GaaaaahhhH!" he yells out, feeling his body stunned by the noise itself.

-

The sound is overwhelming for Daredevil who staggers back, ears pounding, as he brings his hands up to either side of his head in agony. He leans against the bar for balance and begins sliding down it in a lean. His legs bump the stools clumsily as he desperately tries to get away.

-

Three and a half meters. Eleven feet or so. Which puts Midnighter, across the street, well outside the danger range though he can still be irritated by the high pitched sound. He really doesn't need to do anything here so just continues to watch.

-

What Jason says next with a shurikin sticking right through his hand, thanks to his own actions, and the high pitched noises doesn't really sound like English. It's more just a bunch of parts of cursing stopped by the ear pain as he falls to the ground blood dripping out onto the floor from his hand wound.

-

Everything was going so well one second and went to hell the next, it feels like this is something that he should be getting used to dealing with. Jason really shouldn't have to be getting used to being shot, cut, loosing body parts, and being deafened, but it feels like it's going to be a reoccurring theme. At least this time it's not his eye.

-

The other seekers array themselves in a wider circle, each of them emitting the same noise, widening the radius. Fitz's earplugs protect him, so he rushes in, making directly for Maxwell. "Sorry," he mutters toward Daredevil and Jason, an expression of true apology upon his face, paired with anxiety. Yeah, because these guys look like they could kick his arse!

The scientist crouches down and slips his arm under Maxwell's shoulders. "Time to go, Agent Maxwell." Not that anyone will hear him say it! Fitz lifts with a heavy effort, and Maxwell, so blinded by the noise, just goes along with it, pushing up and following wherever his would be savior might lead him.

The seekers stay right where they are, though two of them (Zeus and Apollo) trail along behind Fitz and Maxwell, essentially running interference for them. Fitz opens the back door, shoves Maxwell inside, and retrieves a hyperneedle from the front seat. Simmons' design. "Night night," he says to Maxwell, and jabs the hyperneedle into the man's neck. The dendrotoxin will have him out for at least 24 hours. Fitz hits another command on his control pad, which causes the seekers to suddenly silence themselves and go screaming off toward the sky.

-

Daredevil is in no position to regard Fitz' apology. He stumbles over one of the stools and onto the ground, his hands still over his ears and his mouth clenched in a grimace full of agony. He writhes there upon the floor until the terrible sound stops. Even after, it takes him a few moments to gather himself.

-

Midnighter retreats down the street as more of the spheres show up, emitting that noise. He stays ahead of the debilitating effects, keeping an eye on Fitz and the junkie he's kidnapping. With the dealer out of it and the drug itself confiscated, he's more curious about who these people are. And as soon as the spheres stop their screaming, he's on top of the SUV and flattening himself there. He wants to see where they end up and which agency is responsible.

-

The bad news? Jason's hand is probably going to be completely ruined until he regenerates again. The good news? Once the ear piercingly loud noise stops filling his ears he finds himself able to pocket the pistol that he'd managed to grab from the man who was trying to do the buying. It's a long shot but he might just be able to track it back via a serial, and if it doesn't have one well he's got a new disposable pistol.

It takes Jason a short while to come back to a stand, just leaving the shurikin imbedded through his hand doing his best to ignore the pain. He's not as debilitated as say DD, but he was hit pretty hard by it. There's another set of keepsakes to add to his growing collection of things used, or almost used to kill him. Then he just looks over towards the man in red, and the small collection of reeling civilians blood dripping still to the ground as he also grabs back hold of his briefcase.

-

The weapon, of course, has no serial, save the digital type that only the best technicians can decrypt. Also, the noise emitted was designed by Fitz to only debilitate, not damage the ears. Because he's a genius, that's why.

Reclaiming the passenger seat, Fitz is going into his satchel after locking the doors. "Oh, bloody hell, Simmons, where did you put- oh! There it is." Out comes a device, a USB cable, and the device is plugged into the USB port beneath the radio.

The dashboard turns blue, and the SUV suddenly starts to drive off, of its own accord! Autopilot, FitzSimmons style.

"Overwatch, this is Agent Fitz." The scientist is a juggler of tools, and now, he's wielding a cell phone. "Beetle has been apprehended, but we're leaving a dirty scene. Requesting cleanup detail and a shadow evac, and…" He looks out the window, balefully as passersby stare at the departing SUV that is driving itself. "Please hurry?"

-

Things have gone awry. Rather than hoping for a chance to catch up to the SUV or figure out what this man bleeding from a wound has to say about what went on, Daredevil knows it's time to go. Soon, the police will be here, and the police and Daredevil rarely see eye to eye—no pun intended. He exits through the side door and disappears down the off street back away from where the SUV went.

-

With his ear pressed to the roof, Midnighter can hear Fritz even over the sounds of the traffic. Definitely government. The only question is which one. It would be mildly amusing to find out they're Stormwatch.

-

Jason moves over to the body on the ground of the unconscious crook. After patting him down to make sure he's alright, when in actuality he's just looking for a small pick me up. Moving back to a stand after confirming he's still breathing, Jason just starts to walk off from the scene of the crime, ripping the shurikin out of the palm of his own hand.

-

It isn't until they reach the East Side that the SUV abruptly pulls into what appears to be an underused parking garage. Above ground. Midnighter may notice a handful of black sedans and SUV's, a decent hint as to what's about to happen. Those cars are filled with people. SHIELD agents in plain clothes, and they've got a good vantage point of the approaching car.

"Fitz," comes a voice from the phone. "You've been compromised. Roof of the car. Take cover."

Men approach the edge of the parking garage, guns coming out. Rubber bullets and TASER rounds. They take aim, then begin firing down from above.

"What the hell!" cries Fitz, and brings his hands up to cover his face, even though it wouldn't be necessary; the rounds aren't designed to penetrate the SUV.

Back at the Deli, police sirens come into earshot, their lights flashing in the distance.

-

Midnighter, however, is designed to penetrate SUVs. As soon as the abrupt stop alerts him that something is up and he spots the agents, he slides forward to the hood, kicks out the windshield and dives in. "What agency are you with?" he asks abruptly. "And keep your hands in sight or I'll be forced to stop you." It goes without saying Fitz won't enjoy that. "I'd rather avoid a hostage situation."

-

Sirens are always a good sign when you have guns without serials so Jason picks up the pace a bit, ducking around the corner to get right back into his black Tucker. Who'd notice just another car trying to drive past? He's just a bit Lucky that no one tried to take it from the cramped alley way, as he climbs in through the window, and turns on the engine.

-

"Ahh!" cries Fitz when Midnighter comes crashing through the window. The bullets and rounds cease, but the SUV keeps on driving, headed into the parking garage. "Wh.. what?" he stammers, and brings his hands up into the air in a sign of surrender. "I don't, I mean, but it- you're big!"

Eyes flash toward the snoozing Triplett, then cast a look toward the small device that is plugged into the USB jack beneath the radio.

Fitz looks back toward Midnighter. He's pretty damned scared, but he's no snitch. A stubborn look comes over him. "I promise you that would be a bad idea," he warns.

Then, he winces. Preemptively.

-

Autopilots are good. Especially when the driver has been knocked the heck out. But Specialists are rarely down for an entire episode. Especially when there's a fight scene that needs to be present. Triplett's eyes open in the midst of the interrogation and his movements are immediate. He doesn't need to realize that the autopilot has kicked in, because they aren't dead. That's enough proof for him. So, instead, his hand draws the standard issued pistol from the holster inside his jacket and he's shifting in his seat fast enough to bring that gun up and aim it at Midnighter.

"Things just went from bad to worse." is said as his vision clears up faster than it probably would if this weren't action and adventure at its best. "Get off my car." He's really hoping by taking the attention away from Fitz and putting it on himself that the tech-wiz will bust out a gadget or something! What else is he good for?!

-

"I heard your breathing change as you regained consciousness." Midnighter informs the agent as his hand comes up to slam the gun (and Trip's hand) into the SUV's ceiling, twists the gun out of his grip, and tosses it behind him. Then he reaches forward to yank the device out of the USB jack before slipping it into a pocket. (Never play poker, Fitz.) He can figure out what it is later. As the SUV stops driving itself, he figures out what it is. "Since I prefer not to hurt you, I'll be getting out here." Before the other agents arrive. "Tell your junkie friend you saved his life. Maybe he'll forgive you for kidnapping him off the street." Opening the back door, he jumps out and makes for the shadows.

-

The rev of an engine as sirens come into view, as an old black Tucker with a mirror polish shine to it pulls out of a side alley way. The windows aren't tinted making the horrifically scarred driver visable as he sits the briefcase to one side, trying to get out of their without too much attention drawn. It proves difficult, being able to drive with a hole in his hand but he's just pushing through the pain.

-

Fitz closes his eyes when Midnighter goes to work on Agent Triplett, pressing himself against the door of the SUV as if he might go through it.

By now, the call for backup has gone out, and those agents two levels up in the parking garage are on the move. They're back in their cars and headed down level as quickly as they can.

Fitz opens his eyes, very wide now, just in time to see that Agent Triplett wasn't killed. When Midnighter snatches up his AutoDriver, however, a lot of that fear goes away. "Hey!" he blurts out. "You can't -!" But then he shuts up. Hands are still in the air, and he just stays very still.

Meanwhile, back in Grenwich Village…

The police don't pay any regard to Lucky and his vintage Tucker of good fortune. A good day for him, it might seem.

-

There's something about dealing with people that are more advanced than you are in combat and strength and whatever else. And that something is being whooped up and disarmed faster than can be realized. Which is what happens to Triplett. His hand is in pain (as well as his head still) and his gun is no longer within his grasp by the time the blur of speed finishes.

Attention turns to Fitz. "I don't like him. Remind me to whoop his ass the next time we cross paths." But with more agents en route, Triplett figures its safe enough to get out of the vehicle. It's likely time to regroup and all of that. Plus, he needs some air that's not coming through the lack of a windshield. Or parking garage air. Whatever, he just needs to not be sitting inside the car right now!

-

Fitz, you might or might not consider this a bit of good luck on your part. The call for backup that went out was heard by more than the agents two levels up in the same garage. With the higher pitched snarl of a racing morocycle engine (Ducati, if anyone knows bikes), Agent May is travelling at seemingly very dangerous speeds from ground level to where Fitz's distress call originated.

-

It's been barely a few minutes before Jason has to slam on the breaks skidding to a complete halt in his Tucker as he's almost broadsided by some woman on an expensive looking bike. He presses the horn to honk at whoever this is deciding to throw all caution to the wind, before doing the not very bright thing and trying to fallow her so he can give her a piece of his mind. Maybe it's the blood loss, maybe it's the withdraw, but he just feels like he wants a fight.

-

The moment Midnighter is gone, Fitz shoves a hand into his jacket. Out comes the remote control for his seekers, which were send into silent mode back in Grenwich village. He depresses a button, causing the devices to go back online and begin converging on their location.

"Ruddy bastart!" Fitz seethes. "He took my AutoDriver! That's extremely sensitive SHIELD property and we've got to get it back!"

Now, Fitz turns his attention upon Antoine. "Does it hurt?" he asks. "It looks like it hurt. I got some good news, though." He motions toward the back seat, where their wayward Agent Maxwell is cuffed, snoozing, and very much apprehended.

And Fitz managed to do it himself, it seems.

The young engineer gets out of the car as well, eyes roaming the area. The shadow evac unit is approaching, but he's eyeing the skies for his seekers. "Come on, boys…"

One of those wayward seekers finds itself dropping from the sky and following Lucky. The devices had been set to biosig mode in order to track down Maxwell… which means that they've now got biosigs on Lucky and Daredevil as well.

-

Triplett's movements are taking him around the back of the car. He peeks in the window and offers a small impressed smirk at the fact that Agent Maxwell is all trussed up with nowhere to go. But that's the only moment that Fitz is going to get because Trip is focused on trying to catch sight of the Midnighter. But then again, the chances of actually trying find someone that wants to not be found are really hard.

Trip shakes his hand out a little bit as he looks on the ground for clues. AutoDriver. Which gets snatched up and held up. "Fitz." Yeah, Triplett found the exciting technology that belongs to SHIELD. And then his face frowns up. He can hear the purring roar of a specific motorcycle. The look on his face should say it all to Fitz but he's going to say it anyway.

"… May." Yup. They are probably in serious trouble now.

-

The motorcycle's only acknowledgement of Lucky and that land yacht of his is a very slight course correction to skim past the huge car's chrome front bumper. May doesn't slow down. She might even been continuing to accelerate. Well, at least not until she brakes abruptly enough to almost (but not quite) stand the motorcycle up on its front tire next to Tripp and Fitz's SUV. And of course, she does so close enough to the two men to possibly make one or both of them flinch. "Sitrep." Yeah, hello to you too.

-

Deeper in the parking garage, the sound of a stairwell door opens and closes. Not that Midnighter intends to use the stairs. If they want to chase him, they're forced to divert resources to cover them. He's just going to go out over the edge since, between his training and implants, they're not high enough to make the jump worth worrying about.

-

As of yet Jason's not fully sure that he's being tracked about, and he even pulls right up to the outside of the garage, before slowing to a halt of his own. He might be pissed off, but he's not sure if he really wants to risk his rather comfy job over this. Clenching his fist tight blood dripping down the steering wheel he tries to decide the next course of action as that little tracking device circles its way around.

-

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" Fitz, impatiently, goes back to the passenger seat to reclaim his tablet computer. He's only distracted when Trip calls his name, and holds up his AutoDriver. "Well, thank goodness for small miracles!" Heavy sarcasm, there. "Quarantine it, we need to analyze it in a clean room for contamination or tampering."

The shadow evac unit is already on the move, dispersing in an effort to locate the third party, while two agents stay behind to keep an eye on Fitz and Triplett.

"May?" he asks, and pulls out of the SUV. "Agent May? What about h— WOT the HELL!!" He staggers backward for fear of being run over by a Ducati, and blinks to clear his eyes when he realizes that yes, Melinda May can respond for backup faster than a VTOL.

A chirping sound comes from his tablet, drawing Fitz's attention. "Uh… May, I think you've been tracked." How's that for a sitrep? "It's Higgins, he picked up a biosig, one of the two people who weren't us, and were trying to apprehend Maxwell for God knows why." He offers the tablet so that May and Triplett can see.

The seeker named 'Higgins' floats in the air above Lucky's car like a good boy, waiting for its next order. The tablet map clearly dictates Lucky's location to the others.

"I'll deploy the others to try and find the bastart who hitched our ride."

-

"What he said."

Triplett makes sure to give a nod in Fitz's direction. Unlike Fitz, though, there's no flinching or cowering at the arrival of Agent May. Specialists don't flinch. Flinching is how you get killed. They do, however, continue to occasionally look around to see if the jerks that made a disarming impact on him are still lingering. Just in case.

"Got him." Trip keeps the explanations nice and short, or as he likes to call it: May-nese. He reaches backwards to open up the back door of the SUV to reveal the agent that was likely taken care of by Fitz. Since Trip was out cold. Which, for the record, he will always be leaving out of his report.

-

Melinda May looks from Fitz to Trip, then nods to the latter as she moves to step away from the still idling Ducati. "Let me see," she tells Fitz, turning to try and get a look at what the engineer's gadgets are telling him. She's left the bike running so that she (or Trip) could take off after either of the two people just mentioned on a moment's notice.

-

With his good hand Jason reaches over to the radio nob, turning up the volume to rather high levels. The sounds of Alabama Song, by the doors filling his car, as he finally pulls his hand from the steering wheel, just to look down at the blood. He's already lost a good deal of blood, but it shouldn't be anything too bad. For the time being he just forgets any danger he might be in, and lights up a blood soaked hand rolled cigarette. As the smoke starts to roll he just sticks his hand out the window and offers a middle finger to the sky.

-

The tablet shows a map of the immediate area, with all agents accounted for. An unmarked yellow blip signifies the seeker that hovers over Lucky's car.

Fitz leans in. "Aaaand switching to video." A button is pressed, and the vintage car is viewed. It zooms in… just in time to record that middle finger.

"Oookay." Fitz scratches the back of his head for a moment, but leaves this 'threat' to the others. There's a sitrep to blurt out!

"We located Agent Maxwell at a Deli in Grenwich. That's when our car was hit by a truck. The seekers reported an altercation at the Deli, and since Tripp was down, I investigated. Two guys were engaging Maxwell, unknowns, so I triggered the seekers' scream mode and got Maxwell out of there." He winces a bit. She probably knows about scream mode. "I've already called in a cleanup crew."

-

Trip was trying to leave that out of the report, Fitz! God! Anyway, Triplett just lets Fitz run down everything because it is that much easier to do so. He closes the back door of the SUV and leans against the vehicle. There's no need to give chase when the other agents are off and dealing with it. "There was someone else. Moved faster than I've seen in a long time. He's the reason we don't have a windshield anymore." Trip explains. "He's long gone by now. Not sure who or what he is or who he works for." So far, it sounds like the only thing that's in their favor is Agent Maxwell's apprehension.

-

Melinda May visually studies the tablet display for a moment longer, you know, just long enough to see Lucky flip off the little Seeker, then looks at Trip and nods to the Ducati. "Follow up on the one still nearby." She reaches to take the … whatever that gadget is from the agent's hands so he can't use it as an excuse for not taking the bike and going to 'say hello' to the man in the ancient black car.

-

Pulling his hand back inside of the window, Jason leans back in his chair, trying to keep a loose look out over this parking garage. The radio's playing some forgotten song, while he just takes a big drag from his Cigarette, with the blood loss he can't exactly do much driving at the moment so he's pretty much just stuck here until he can finish bleeding out. "Dammit all,"

-

"Just like the guy in red," Fitz says, looking from Trip to May. "At the Deli. One of the people engaging Maxwell was dressed in red, like one of those vigilantes, and he moved extremely fast. Give me a minute and I can pull surveillance video."

-

Trip goes back into the vehicle for his gun, holsters it and is on the Ducati. He gives a nod to both Fitz and May before he takes off to get out of this parking garage and makes sure to put himself on the quickest pursuit route of chasing down that profane vehicle. Oh and the driver as well. It's fine. It'll be good to be able to let a little frustration out when he catches him. And he will catch him. It's what SHIELD does.

-

Melinda May lets Trip leave to track down Lucky, then nods to Fitz even though her gaze lingers perhaps a moment or two longer — gauging to see how the engineer is holding up in this rather unpleasant situation. Then, her eyes return to the tablet. "Do it." She's confident that if there's anyone out there that is still close enough by to be apprehended, Trip will catch up with them.

-

Jason leans back a bit further rolling up the window of his car just so he can let the smoke fill up the inside of the car itself. The radio is cranked up enough that even outside the music can still be heard from a few feet away the vehicle stuck off to the side leaving just enough room for people to get in and out. If he thought he could he'd have already left, but for now he's just playing the waiting game.

-

"Be careful!"

Perhaps surprisingly, Fitz is doing better than might be expected. Adrenaline is pumping, but he managed to do something in the field that he was trained to do; to think quickly, compartmentalize, and make quick decisions. It'll all catch up with him eventually.

He turns from Trip and nods to May. "Alright." Then, taking back the tablet, he begins going through the motions of accessing everything he can find. Traffic cams, security systems, even those 'closed circuit' systems that are in convenience stores and Deli's. Where SHIELD is involved, 'closed circuit' is a relative thing.

"Here we go." The footage is a bit grainy, but it's taken from the cameras inside the Deli itself, and paired with footage from an ATM across the street, providing two angles. Agent Maxwell can be seen, engaging in a drug deal with a sleazy, suited dealer.

"Is he… is that… he's actually buying drugs right now, isn't he?" Daredevil sweeps in and busts up the drug dealer, and while Maxwell bolts, Daredevil can be seen lifting something off the drug dealer's person. A small baggie.

Once outside, Maxwell is blocked by Lucky, who is soon held at gunpoint. Lucky pulls the SHIELD agent's gun up to his own head in a daring move, only to have that gun taken away in a flurry of red. That's when Fitz's seekers swoop in, and suddenly, all three of them go down in fits of anguish. The security footage next shows Fitz rushing in, grabbing Maxwell beneath the arms, and dragging him out of the camera's view.

Fitz rolls back and freezes the image on a still frame of Daredevil and Lucky, who are both on the ground in pain.

-

Not that Agent Triplett needed any assistance in getting to the location of the classic vehicle, there's also the fact that there's smoke and music. The Ducati doesn't take long to catch up and Trip makes sure that it gets stopped just to the right of the vehicle. He climbs off and he keeps his eyes locked on the vehicle as he makes his approach.

It isn't until he's close enough to notice the smoke inside does he draw his weapon. His steps don't need to be too quiet, considering that there's music blasting and all of that jazz. He comes up alongside and walks past the door and off towards the front of the vehicle. Probably not the best place to be but he's pretty sure that standing here and firing a shot at the windshield, on the passenger side, should be enough to get the attention of the smoker on the inside. Warning shots.

"Out of the vehicle." Who knows if he can be heard over the loud music. It doesn't matter. Trip's just covering his jurisdictional bases.

-

Melinda May watches the video feed as Fitz displays it, and can't help but comment, "Looks like that scream mode works." When the image is paused on the red-clad man and Lucky, she stops herself from squinting at the image. "Zoom in on this man." She indicates Lucky. "Get an ID."

-

"Really don't want to do that kid," Calls out a very gravely voice from inside of the Tucker, over the sounds of the overly loud music. He's not planning on getting out yet, but if he starts shooting he's going to regret it fast. "Get yourself hurt," Jason calls out again with a bit of a choking laugh, his shirt now covered in blood, as he just continues to bleed to death, his special cigarette at least numbing the pain of it.

-

Fitz can recognize a compliment, and coming from Agent May? That's a lot. A big old smile appears on his face as he fondly thinks of his little seekers. "Yeah."

Orders are given, and it's back to business. "On it." He takes the tablet back, fingers dancing rapidly as he starts digging through the SHIELD archives. "Whoa, wait a second." He squints at the tablet, blinking owlishly. "Give me a second to verify this." More tapping, though if Melinda looks over his shoulder, she'll already see a file showing up. "Jason Lucky. Not much available on my clearance level, but he's listed as a deniable asset. From forty years ago." He looks over at May. "RED tag." Retired, Extremely Dangerous.

-

"So should I engage or what?" That statement is sent over comms to both Fitz and May because he's really trying to figure out if this is something he should continue doing. Things get mentioned like Asset and Trip is not even sure he should continue to make sure this dude gets apprehended. "What's my play here, guys?" Slightly impatient but he's keeping that gun aimed at the vehicle. He's definitely not letting it out of his sight.

-

Melinda May appears to be far less surprised by that than Fitz does. Likely because she has worked with Logan on and off for many years. Then Trip speaks up and her head turns to look toward where he went. "Hold position. I'm on my way." She looks at Fitz, then at the other nearby agents. Vehicle swap. She sends the agents off with the damaged SUV and trussed-up Maxwell to head back to base while she and Fitz take their car to go give Trip some backup. Get any gear you need FAST, Leo.

-

Taking one last long puff from his Cig, Jason rolls back down the window, smoke rolling out from the crack. As the smoke clears he can actually get a good look at the man on the other side, and vice verse. He just looks like an average man in his twenties that someone had taken an exact-o knife to. Covered in burns and scars, along with old stitched up bullet holes, he offers a small wave towards the man with the gun through the smoke.

-

'I'm on my way.' It's like a fire is quite literally lit under Leo's ass. He tucks the tablet, rushes over to the damaged SUV, and snatches up the seekers' case and a satchel bearing the majority of personal-sized hardware he'd brought along for this mission. He eyes the Night-Night Gun in the back seat, briefly biting his lip while deciding against it. "Take good care of that gun," he instructs the agents taking the car, and looks over his shoulder while rushing along just behind May. "And don't shoot it at anyone unless you really mean it!"

Much better response time. Leo climbs into the other SUV mere inches behind May, setting the stuff on the floor and clearing the information from his laptop after archiving it to the central computer back in his lab at the Triskelion.

-

"Copy that."

Triplett doesn't dare make a move. He's like a SHIELD statue the way he stands in front of the vehicle with his gun held at the ready and he's just waiting for May to arrive. He's more focused on not blinking or trying to see through the smoke on the inside of the car than anything else. "You're injured. I can help. Just get out of the vehicle and keep your hands visible." He has to change the speech up. He's definitely not trying to sound like a police officer. That would just be too weird. He's so far above the police. "And turn the music down. Or at least pick a better station." Quipping is part of negotiation, right?

-

Apparently May needs to have Coulson sit in on training mission debriefings more often. She gives Fitz an approving nod and then they're off to catch up with Trip.

Once again making it look like she's trying to run Trip over, May pulls the SUV to a stop directly in front of Lucky's land yacht and distressingly close to where the agent is still aiming a pistol at Lucky. As soon as the SUV is stopped she gets out and walks around to the driver's side door.

"Jason Lucky. Please step out of the car."

-

The music goes off, the Tucker turning oddly quiet, as he shuts off the engine completely. There's someone who knows his name that he doesn't recognize. "Almost got me into a wreck" he calls out rather at random, still not moving from his spot, the smoke continuing to clear from the vehicle, as he idly begins warping up his own hand.

With the car turned off completely things sound a good deal more quiet, though new york will always be new york. "Threaten to shoot me," he calls out again, just counting it off on his fingers as he ties off the not on the cloth around his hand.

Jason takes care flicking out what's left of his cigarette from the window "Might be safer in here,".

-

Fitz remains in the car. It's bullet proof, and he's not at all interested in putting himself in THIS situation. He does, however, pay very close attention to what's going on, and peels hands that were clenched tightly around armrests (thanks, May's driving skills) free in order to retrieve the control device for his seekers. While waiting, he idly checks the status of the other five… so far, none of them have picked up on Midnighter's trail. Or Daredevil's.

Eventually, however, his nose curls. He knows that smell. He looks back to the others, and points at the cigarette while calling from behind the glass window, "Did he just throw a doob out into the street!?"

Yeah, Lucky just threw a doob out into the street. Fitz stares, dumbfounded.

-

Trip stands down. When May arrives, things are going to be handled thusly. And so it is with no hesitation that he puts his gun away and takes a step or two away from the vehicle. He does, however, stay close by in case this Lucky dude decides he wants to get physical. Not that May ever really needs any kind of assistance. But Triplett is a team player and that includes being ready to back up the Star.

-

Melinda May looks at Trip and sees that he's already put his sidearm away. She always did think he actually had a few working brain cells. It's not that she's the Star, but that she's more willing to put herself in front of this extremely dangerous person — according to Fitz's computer search — than someone younger and with more of a long term future in SHIELD than she has. She's nothing if not a realist.

Stepping forward, she reaches to open the car's door. She is doing a VERY good job of acting like she does not notice the very distinctly-scented smoke, or the doob (Fitz's term, not hers) flicked past her into the street.

-

Blowing more smoke from his mouth, Jason unlocks the door for her, ready to fight back if he has to. Even high he's still got a lifetime of training to fall back on, if he needs to, as evidenced from his maneuver with the gun earlier. He looks right towards her with a calm expression, the kind that says a lot more then words.

-

Fitz' eyes dash to Tripp, who is holstering his weapon, then back to May, his finger still extended. "It was a doob," he mutters, only for himself to hear, before lowering his hand. "Simmons isn't going to believe any of this…" He keeps a close watch on the situation. He may still have his own sidearm hidden inside his jacket, but really, he's far more dangerous with the bag of tricks at his feet.

Just to be sure, however… he fishes into a pocket and retrieves those earplugs. They're pinched and twisted into his ears, designed to specifically eliminate the frequency his seekers create while in 'scream mode'. He really needs to issue these out, but he hasn't yet. The seekers are, after all, still prototypes! Hopefully they won't be needed again.

-

Triplett continues to hang back. But not too far back. He's focused on making sure that he's there for assistance if that's the case. He looks back to check on Fitz but then he's focused on making sure May doesn't need any back up. He too may also be slipping some earplugs in.

-

Melinda May isn't donning earplugs. She isn't aware that she might need them. Pulling the door open, she looks at Jason and waits for him to exit the vehicle under his own power. Any time now, Lucky.

-

Jason calmly steps out from the vehicle, keeping his hands visible as he moves. There's not a whole lot of quick movements coming from him, and it doesn't look like there are going to be any in the near future. He looks Melinda right in the eyes, and asks "Got an explanation?" there's no way that this man is the same one mentioned in the file, but the biometrics don't lie.

-

Fitz is pulling up information as he steps out, matching up what the file says with readings coming in from his hovering seeker. It's a match. The biometrics don't lie. "It's him!" he starts, but then reaches for the comm unit again, so that they'll hear. "It's him. Positive match on the bio's."

-

Agent Triplett pays close attention to everything that's happening between May and this Lucky fellow, as well as listening to Fitz through the comms. He's got everyone's back and he's keeping an eye on both member of the team, just in case this entire thing is a big trap or something.

-

"Yes," May tells Jason. "You were present in the middle of a SHIELD operation. An opportunity to debrief you and do something about that hand," Yes, of course she noticed the hand, "might be useful to us both."

-

"I'm who?" The younger looking man asks, just holding onto his own hand. It might just be what he was smoking, or he just might not know."I know that name," Jason says rather quietly under his breath, trying to work things out in his own head. "It keeps coming up," He takes another step away from the car before asking "You guys are government right?" placing his good hand on the side of his head

-

Great. Addled on top of everythying else. She tries to keep the impatience from her voice as she says flatly, "Yes. We're with the government. Now, will you let us help with that hand?"

-

It takes him a moment to regain his composure, but Jason calmly nods his head. "I'd fix it myself, but don't want to waste the bullet" joking about on an odd topic, his voice picking up with a bit of a small laugh.

-

Melinda May's eyebrows draw together at that. Delusional AND suicidal. "Come with us, then. We'll have it checked out for you." She gestures slightly toward the SUV where Trip and Fitz wait and watch.

-

Jason trusts this about as much as he could throw that van, but for the moment there's not much choice in the matter. Anything about shield is a bit hazy in his mind, but he might be able to find some answers this way so he makes his way over to the van. He even presses the button on his key chain activating the alarm he had installed, since he might be gone for a bit.

-

Triplett climbs back onto the bike, perhaps trying to see if he can get away with it. Y'know, before May says something. Besides, she's the one that talked the weird dude out of the car. He might as well let her ride with him. "Time to head home?" is asked of May as he revs up the motorcycle, hopefully in preparation of getting the hell out of here.

-

Melinda May gives Triplett a look, one that he can easily translate to, 'you hurt that bike, you will answer to me'. But then she nods. "Head back, we'll follow you there." She's careful not to name the Triskelion. Just in case.

-

Tossing his keychain back into his pocket the badly scarred man just hops in the back, unless hindered for whatever reason. Despite being seemingly quite addled he's still got his balance in check, and is keeping his eyes open. Worst they can do is lock him up till the prison rots away.

-

There's a small salute that Trip gives to May. It's more about the bike than anything. Then he's kicking off and taking speeding away on the bike that doesn't belong to him. Clearly intending for the SUV to eat his dust so that he can get a little fun time with his chosen vehicle of the moment. Not everyone gets to ride Agent May's Ducati.

-

Melinda May leads Lucky back over to the SUV appropriated from the other agents, then has Fitz drive them back while she takes the opportunity to start trying to do something about that hand. THis is one of the many reasons why SHIELD SUVs always have first aid kits.

-

The state that Jason's hand is in should be causing him a great deal of pain, but his self medication has solved that problem. He's not much of a problem on the ride, mainly just looking towards the back doors of the van, and keeping quiet. Though oddly enough he is just covered in various military tattoo's, some of which look to be visible cover overs of preexisting ones. When he finally does speak it's to ask "How do you know me?"

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