Opal City Tidal Terror (pt.2)

November 11, 2017:

Opal City is threatened by terrorists. The Suicide Squad is activated to deal with the threat. (emits by Taskmaster)

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Poison Ivy has her new 'friends' not kill those they overpower. They just muscle them, and then carry them toward their Mistress to get a kiss. Then glassy eyed as the ones that dragged them kicking and yelling, they join the mob to help do the same to anyone else alive. Ivy herself is sitting on a safety railing, feet kicking in the air like a little girl she even hums to herself as the excitement goes on around her. "So you boys need help let me know."

As the bullets hit above his head Owen of course ducks down like any normal person would. He scowls at Taskmaster and uses a razor boomerang to hopefully separate the Rigger's arm and rifle from his body.

"Cute. Try to focus on killing them, we can flirt later."

He comes out from behind his cover to push farther into the rig and hopefully find whatever they actually came here for.
"I'm the Taskmaster. I can focus on killing you and /them/ if I wanted to and still put on quite the show." The rigger's arm does actually fall off. The scream cannot be contained and the skully-merc kicks the man away from him, he'll bleed out. Probably not one Ivy wants to kiss and imbue with her pheromones. "How many of these can you control, Red?"

The central area they are in is clear, the above office is bolted and someone is ducked and hiding in there but the pumps still run, something is amiss with that. There is a lot of untouched room here.

A scratch-creak sound and an intercom sparks to life, broken English coming through, "You are all going to die here." Theres a long blank, a silence.

Taskmaster cocks his head, looks up at the intercom then at the other two with him, "What else? Where is the fucking monologue? Is that it?"

Clearing his throat he shouts, "HEY DIPSHIT, push the button down again and say the rest!!" Maybe there isn't more. A rumbling begins to quake through the oil rig, the arms stop moving and the oil ceases to circulate. It shouldn't do that Pressure would cause so much issues. This… is something different.

Poison Ivy gets a less then friendly smile as she answers Taskmaster, "I don't know… a fair sized city. At least a bourough of New York in population." It is easy when she goes with mob mentality. The 'zombies' will go for the armless man. Because he's still useful, just maybe not the way they others are. She takes out the seed of an avacado and will put it into the man's mouth.
She looks up at the office and asks, "one of you boys shoot out the window or something. Oh and use your breathers for a bit. Just to be safe." Cupping her hands as some flowers grow form the seed in them. She plans to send up a nice cloud of sleepy time poison up there. "If this causes an oil slick I will kill many many many people." Meanwhile the corpse near her feet is starting to bloat at the tummy. SOMETHING is growing inside there.

At the announcement, Owen waits for more and like Taskmaster is let down by the brief threat. "Weak."

He shudders at the thought of an entire borough of zombies and chooses to turn his attention to the control center. Sadly he misses the avocado trick. Slipping on his breather, he flings a small explosive boomerang up at the windows of the control center. It's enough to kill someone in there, but hopefully not too much to destroy it altogether.. it might be important. At the least it will certainly take care of the windows.

Ivy's response has Taskmaster swallowing and letting out a , "Heh. That shit ain't scary at all or nothin'." A look at Owen then up, "Right? Makes me just want to kill them that much more."
He can boast all he wants, Taskmaster is on the side of impressed with Boomerang's ability to tap in to the Speed Force. Not a trait he could mimic.

An eruption of fire bursts from the blown out rig control booth.

Taskmaster darts to one of the doors and yanks on it, it doesn't budge. Another jerk and hes straining against it. "Who cares about many other people. We're in here too. This door is sealed from the other side."

Water starts to pour up around a central port, oil with it. They're flooding them out. Taskmaster turns around and applies both feet to the door with arms, rapidly jerking on the handles. "Let me the fuck out! Cmon you miserable cowards! IM THE DAMN TASKMASTER! I'll rip out your spines… " A little more frantic than he should be. Drowning fear just spiked up again!
That fire above caused by the boomerang toss, its open to one side now. A gaping wound in it's side revealing the upper balcony. Taskmaster in his panic hasn't considered thats an option out. Maybe.

Poison Ivy doesn't seem too worried yet. The mob will move up to try and support Taskmaster in getting the door bashed down. "Taskmaster. You'll use up your air faster." Trying to help calm him down some. The corpse with the bloated tummy continues to distent and expan, before thick vines begin to push their way out. A large bulbous bud comes out, splitting in half to show rows of fangs as an honest to god Audrey II begins to grow and starts with eating the body it was born from. "You two come here," she calls a few of the zombies over. "I can handle the oil and slow the water. I can get us out. You two stay on -task- to retrieve what we need."

"You really need to stop telling people you're the Taskmaster. It's just.. sad if you keep having to tell them. And about as scary as callin' yerself School Marm." Yes, Owen is choosing the moment where the rig is filling with water and oil to talk about this. "Might as well say 'You all going to die here'.. at least it's classic in it's own brief way."

Owen is at least multi-tasking by making his way towards the command center. Glancing back at Ivey as she directs them, he sees the Audrey plant sprout. "Okay that's just straight gross.. not even a bit turned on…" Glancing back at Ivy "Fine. Maybe a little, but reluctantly." He continues to climb whatever ladders and railings he can find to make his way upwards, ignoring Taskmaster's fight with a door.

"Yeah yeah." Taskmaster huffs trying to calm himself as the flood of Walking Dead start to add their bulk to the door, it actually buckles in the center yet not enough to fit anyone through.

"It's called marketing ya shit!" He yells at Owen. No clue where he is at now as hes fixated on the door.

The plants birth likewise overlooked.

The command center is mostly consoles, a table, an elevator and a man curled in to a ball behind the computer, the boomerang that struck did considerable damage to one portion of the primary console but the rest appears to be intact.

A lot of computer screens with schematics, readouts, nothing anyone can figure out without paying close attention. Gibberish largely to the untrained.

Yet another rumble, the water and oil being handled by Ivy's… pet.

"Don't hurt me!" The man on the floor says in clear English, "I'm not one of them." A pretty clear lie as he is armed and wearing the same gear. His weapon's safety is still on though. It doesn't look like he was prepared to even take a shot. Only Owen will hear his pleas.

The two zombie guys that shuffled over to Ivy are touched on the chest. From each of them a red something starts to coat them. WIthout a thought they both walk toward to water then, the red algie spreads from them to the water and working on the oil in there.

Meanhile the Audrey II continues to eat and is rapidly growing. "Not a mission without a heavy hitter," says Ivy strokign the plant as it is rapidly grown to the size of a compact car and continues to grow. She smiles hearing the guy beg for merch. "Come out, meet me and I won't let the men harm you. Nobody will. I promise you that. We just came for information."
Looking around the room, Owen does try to speed burst and look through all the screens, and just gets confused very quickly. He grumbles and gives the man whining on the floor a solid kick. "Shut up. Tell me what the hell this is… and how to shut it down." Maybe? Owen isn't super clear on the objective again. "Or I'm going to deliver you to the crazy green lady who is all kinds of terrible."

Owen doesn't really have time to chat with Taskmaster now, as he is desperately trying to figure out exactly why they were sent here and what he should be doing now that he's 'here.'
The door gets more bodies piled against it, the buckling creates a whine of metal on metal at the hinges, Taskmaster's shoving the zombies back to draw out his shield and ram it, a very Captain America spot on imitation, the power behind it almost as impressive as the real deal. Not quite though. Taskmaster lacks that added umpf of the world's most famous super soldier. "Cmoncmon. Give."

The plants mass expanding makes the command center start to look small, the gushing of water halted but the rig maintains its shaky wobble. Abruptly there is a tilt, steel frames around them sway and twist, water seeps through higher portions of the rig itself, washing over its deck and pooling up around the central chamber. It is as though Poseidon himslf is targeting them… webs of the Atlantic seeping back only to roar forth again, the sea rising as one of the outside cranes is thrown off the platform, slamming down off the side with a bang to fall upon a cluster of those outside ships, dragging them below the depths with it.

"This… this… " The man rises up and slams a key, "Its a simulation! All of it, this rig is a husk. They set it up to house something in one of the cargo holds, I don't l know what.. I'm not paid enough! I'm just here for work. Please, please, believe me." Clambering bravely up he tries to grab at Owen, a gesture not to be threatening but to beg further. The threats of Ivy have him looking over, he can hear her out there, wanting to meet him. Asking for information.

"Its from the cargo holds, you can't shut it down. Its in one of them. The northeast… "

Poison Ivy motions to the Aurdry as it uses it's strong vines and mass to start shoring up the breaking rig. Bracing it as the kelp grows from the bottom and the algie spreads on the oil. It's cleary Ivy is starting to strain though as she works to do all this and keep the 'escape' raft ready to go. Some of the 'zombies' add their mass to the water and leave to make room and less thingsf or Ivy to track. "I'm gonna kill our so called boss," she snears.

As the rig lurches, Owen stumbles a bit. He manages to right himself in time for the man to lunge at him to grab on. With a grimace he pulls the man toward him and knees him hard in the gut. "Stop whining. What is in the cargo hold. And if you say you don't know.. I will stab you a thousand times while we wait to drown here."

To his comms Owen relays "Our target is something in the northeast cargo hold. And I would love to see your plants lunch on our lovely boss lady any day…" Not that he has anything against Waller except that she constantly puts him in situations like this.. but then again, he volunteers. Weirdo.

"And where is north east?"

A rumbling and the further groans of metal entirely overwhelm the noises inside, the rig itself sways heavy, more so than last time. The central drilling unit tilts under the next tidal wave that strikes from outside, all around them not just from below water starts to penetrate the seals, tearing them apart as crumbling is also audible, one of the rigs actual legs is now buckling.

A mountainous ridge of a watery crest looms outside, approaching rapidly only to begin to sweep over the structure…

Another slam and Taskmaster knocks one of the doors open pilingdriving through it with a horde of those controlled plantzombies behind him, the cluster of bodies causing him to tangle up and slide towards the south, a mess of limbs, bodies and watery darkness. Portal open at least.

Ivy will see the swarm of her minions pour out of that doorway behind Taskmaster, like a stack of Dominos, their pupose served at least. Hard to imagine they were all once coherent and sentient people one and each. The oil and water that was pushing up in gushes is now burbling heavily, a torrent flood up, this room is gone.

As that man struggles to grasp Owen he suddenly doubles, a wheeze escaping him from the knee. "That… that way." He points out the door Taskmaster opened but its the opposite direction that the man and the meatpuppets slid, /up/ as the angle of the rig is bowing.
"There, oh god. We're dead. They're activating it on US!"

No lie in that. The next 'explosion' of water starts to buckle the central portion of the rig under it's weight and impact, the twisting noises sound like a scream of a monster from beyond. Limited time. It is going to require action scene levels of mobility to make it out if they're relying purely on their own prowess.

Outside the rig is tipped, a table with one leg and going down that direction, its twin starting to bow. One structure yet stands and that is the cargo hold indicated by the weepy fellow.

Ivy's breathing harder as she struggles. Pumping almost all of her power to make Audrey II grow stronger and bigger. "Feed yourself to her," she says as the hoard that is left beging to offer themselves to the plant. The vines as big as oak trees punch through the walls and being to lash at the weakening girders to buy them time. Ivy is on the move now, trying to keep up with the guys, "You two can breath and plants can be aquatic. The flooding won't kill us right away but failure will." She's headed for the prize in the North East. "Drag mister helpful along, his eyes or hands may be needed."

Right as Owen is about to drop the guy and make his way out, he hears Poison Ivy telling him to bring him. Well, Owen's not super strong but he can judo toss someone. "Ivy! Catch!" He attempts to hurl the poor guy over his shoulder and out the window. Yes, there is a good chance Ivy's plant is too busy keeping things from breaking, but it's the best Owen can do right now. He catapults himself out the window as well trying to make it to the open door. He's about 80 less full of witty quips right now as it becomes an actual life or death situation, versus the normal kind.

The storm outside is to be expected, something out of a thriller. Taskmaster is nowhere in sight, he slid far off to the opposite direction they should be he'll be lucky if he hasn't been swallowed by the dark abyss that surrounds them.

A rumble, a lurch and that bowing extra leg drops just that much more. The structure the guy spoke of is there, illuminated by lightning cracks. A lightsource is also inside yet beyond, around them other than strikes of lightning is spreading flames. Flames that oil is encouraging, ripples of explosive pops here and there. This puppy is going down.

"Nono no no please!" The man sails down and tries to get ahold of the planet, its no use, hes being engulfed by the water and oils now flooding the command center, his thrashing drowning out his cries. Those zombie plants even in this state turn and begin to pile in to Ivy's abomination.

With the current position of the rig, ti will be an uphill climb on slick and sliding debris to get to that last upright structure. The source.

Poison Ivy at least had made those kelp forets under the rig to maybe help Taskmaster. Ivy doesn't even try to save the guy, let him drown, better him then her. She sees the light and the way the oil is starting to burn, that black smoke makes her a bit nervous. Pollution isn't exactly her best friend. "Going to kill Waller," she mutters under her breath. Even as she pushes for the goal, "Knew I should have brought the water barrel cactus."

"Please tell me that crossbow can also double as an rpg." Once Owen is sure he's going to make it to the door, he can focus a little more on banter, or you know the actual goal of the mission. Mentally going through the checklist of what he has left for weaponry, he doubts he has anything capable of taking down whatever "it" may be.

Still no Taskmaster as Owen and Ivy with Aubrey II make way for the cargo holding under the crashing waves. It's a true test of athleticism and their metahuman gifts to get there, the door peeling inward to reveal an outer room, security it was once but the men and women who were in here have been dashed back and forth until they were rattled dead or near death on the floor, water seeping throuh. Past the entryway inside a larger room beyond they stand now. This chamber more lab and prison cell, medical devices set up around it, it is flooded more than the rest, in one corner a cocoon lies. The machinary within hosting cables that stab in to it, thrust through, it looks like a combination of living tissue and non-organic, a bio-construct now out of something that was once, months ago on the news everywhere. An InHuman cocoon.

A mutilated one by SCIENCE! Inside of it through the dim blue glow a curled up form exists, wiring and tubs jutting out of it. It is hard to tell it's exact age, but it is smaller. Perhaps a teenager or tiny adult.

This is the weapon of mass desctruction they sent to retrieve.

A bang sound, a clang and pulling himself up on a grapnel line through the security door and in to them is Taskmaster, almost walking along the western wall as its becoming the floor.

"Where the fuck where you guys!? I almost died out there. What is that?"

She keeps up with the news, and recognizes it. Soon as Ivy sees the teen in the coccon she mutters a curse about Waller. Ivy has few weak spots but kids can be one of them. "It's an inhuman. Or at least most of one. Idiots didn't know what they were doing." Ivy springs to the machine. "WE're going to need an exit that gives us distance. This will rig will make a splash and then a suction whole as it goes down." She doesn't have time to be nice. "Audry, no eating." But the plant is being commanded to use its powerful tendrils to wrap up the 'prize' and then keep it safe in the bulbous head. "It will keep her or him til we're clear. Best we can do."

"Well shit." Owen knows enough to know that it's a person in there, even if he doesn't know much more than that. He looks around trying to figure out the best way to get them as far off the rig as possible. He has no good ideas. "How do we get far enough away… Ivy can your plants keep us safe if we go down?" Yea, he's grasping for ideas.

"I don't suppose you brought some extra jet packs there boss?" Is said to Taskmaster, no Owen doesn't expect jetpacks, but he certainly wouldn't be sad to see something like one materialize.
The cocoon enveloped by the plant monster and Taskmaster is turning to head back out, "Nope. I look like the Rocketeer to you?" Gracefully almost he monkeys on out of the door hanging from it and trying to peer around, doing his best to see past the raging storm. "We're going under though, no matter what." The comms picking him up, radio silence earlier broken.
"I think we're fucked. Sheba can't even get in here."

"Maybe if we can make it to that yacht. It's not been drawn under yet and is free coasting… "

Poison Ivy looks at Owen, then at Taskmaster. She sighs, "Men. I swear." But she can save them but she doesn't have to make it comfortable. "Don't kick," she orders as the Audrey II grabs at both the men to make for a very nice tight fit inside Audrey's mouth. AT least it smells sweet, save for the boot stuck on a tooth with a foot still in it from the operator room guy. Soon as the 'cargo' is secure Ivy starts to grow a rapid twisting vines of banyon tree and roots, "I'm sorry babies, I wouldn't do this if there was another choice." Then she is Trazan sliding down the wet smooth roots as they sprint for the yacht. Groaning under the weight Audry II comes with everyone else. She can start the boat later. AFter she has Audry give them a BIG shove away and wretch, yes wretch, the things in her mouth onto the back deck.

"I'd complain but…" Owen just closes his eyes and goes with it. Either he dies or he lives in a super gross way: living is still better. He manages to not throw up during the whole ordeal, which he counts as a plus. Once on the deck, he shakily gets to his feet and unzips his jacket and starts pulling off gear. "So do we just give this.. whatever.. person to Waller?" Yes, it's probably a bit late now that they are on the yacht and there is surely surveillance but still, it sits wrong.

Taskmaster can't decide if death which death he would prefer, drowning or dissolved inside of a plant. Crushed in there against Owen and the cocoon he makes a wretching sound, "Fuck, that smell you or this thing? Smells like diesal and whale farts." A shake, an adjust and an elbow jab. "Scoot the fuck over."

Breathing a moment to calm Taskmaster, "We give it to her or we kill it. I think we should kill it." Probably the smartest thing hes said all night, "We want her putting it through more torture and using it whenever she feels like it?"

Further discussion will end up outisde them being spat out and sprawled upon the floating yacht, the weight of Audrey II upon it causes the thing to lift at the front. Like someone on a bodyboard.

The skies start to brighten, the swirl of the oceans calming yet the rig is going under, burbles coming up as it pulls in everything around it. They yachts own struggle in there but its far enough out they appear safe.

Poison Ivy is quiet a moment as they are all safe on deck and then a slow smile comes to her. "The girl was in close contact with my plants." She glances at them both. "You two were to. If we don't want all members but myself to die. We'll have to go to my lab for treatment and protection." Sure it's a lie, but if Waller wants to call her bluff the bitch in a suit could be out two assests and her WMD teen. She gives Audry a kiss and then has the big plant back flop into the salt water. It'll feed the coral and other things, it was already turning red with more of Ivy's own oil eating algie to help contain any slick from happening. "So which of you knows how to navigate this boat to Gotham?"

Nodding to Taskmaster as he lays it out, Owen says "No one wants to hand this over but.." thankfully Ivy has a plan… again. He catches on quickly and says "Yea, that'll work." He is headed for the cabin almost immediately "I can do that… probably" Well this is certainly new, for once he agreed with some of the other people on a squad mission.

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