First Contact

August 28, 2018:

Maxima makes contact with SHIELD, while Peggy brings back up in the form of a few X-Men to ensure everything in Midtown remains intact. Tony Stark arrives to make things awkward.

Outside the Triskelion

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Hal Jordan

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

This was being brought down upon SHIELD because of the Green Lantern. He had told her that she needed to take a time to go visit them and make herself known. She wasn't immediate about this, partially because she was still exploring and partially just to flip the bird to Lantern 2814. He could not and would not command her. Now, however, she feels she has waited long enough. Depending on how much attention people were paying, they'd see something incoming at high speed. Hypersonic fast. The blur of flying woman would come to a near immediate spot right before what she assumes to be the front of the Triskelion and is flying roughtly at the middle level of the building's height.

Her arms crossed, she looks over the building slowly, seeming to try to assess it before she slowly drops down to the ground and her feet spread to shoulder width as she looks around. Her arms move down to her side as she then begins to stride forward, heading toward a set of doors. Her white cape flicks and flips around behind her as she holds her head high, shoulders back, and barely pays any attention to anyone who doesn't look official or important.

*

Luckily enough for SHIELD, the strange earthquake in Central Park and their general look out for those and events of a strange nature has already put them on alert. Peggy Carter reached out to the X-Men for their help in a confidential manner to deal with something or someone that could create a large earthquake in the middle of Manhattan.

The Triskelion has been on alert to be on the lookout for anything strange and to alert Peggy when it does happen. And so, the woman arriving with supersonic speeds in front of the Triskelion is immediately brought to the former founder's attention. Setting down the phone, she exits her office and tells her assistant in a calm voice: "Execute the red protocol. Emergency level." Arranging herself, she tucks an ICER handgun behind her as she moves purposefully toward the door. In doing so, she passes by Agent Albright and gestures for her to follow. "Stay well behind," she tells the junior agent. "I want you to be prepared to wash away any bystanders should they become in the line of fire."

That taken care of, she keeps moving, a smooth motion pushing the doors open so that she can step outside. Her hands raise and she looks to Maxima, aiming to stop her from entering into the building proper.

An eyebrow is raised and she watches the woman in front of her. Protocols are in place, people are on their way. With that air of authority Maxima seems to want, she asks, "What is your business here?"

*

With an armload of folders and a tablet set on top, Sloane's job today has been a lot less exciting and a lot more pedantic— the thing they never tell you about joining an exciting international peacekeeping organization is that you'll be doing as much paperwork as you are jetting around the world solving crimes. Setting the small stack down on the desk of Agent Carter's assistant, she doesn't even get the first word out before the legendary agent comes striding out and immediately issues orders.

Taking the cropped black jacket off her shoulder and slinging it on, it doesn't take long for her to fall into lock-step with Peggy the whole way through to the front entrance of the Triskelion, giving the only answer she needs: "Will-do, ma'am."

Once Peggy is outside, Agent Albright— Merrow— suddenly falls a few steps, then a longer set of strides behind the ranking SHIELD agent, rubbing the tips of her fingers together, feeling out the moisture in the air.

It's been a good summer for humidity in New York. She'll have a lot to work with, if she needs it.

*

Xavier's School for the et cetera et cetera has a special relationship with SHIELD. SHIELD keeps things quiet and tidy for them in the media, the school does their best to make sure young mutants don't become young political problems. It's a very specific balance that encourages the passing back and forth of additional favors, just to keep things cordial.

By the time Peggy calls the alert and makes her way out of the building to confront the hypersonic intruder, the X-Men delegation is also entering the field. That's premium service for you. The two present figures arrival by air, slowing speed as they arrive over the building to take a more leisurely approach on landing. It appears to be more of a floating situation than a more-typical flight posture.

Avid watchers of superhero media may know why: one of the two is Rachel Summers, former member of Excalibur and also noted psychic. Telekinetic flight means you can relax in transit. She's not particularly dressed like a dangerous combat asset, favoring a leather miniskirt with a silver side zipper, under-the-knee lace-up boots, a silver knit crop top, and a leather jacket with a giant fire bird emblem patched across the back.

Rachel waits to see where Peggy and her understudy end up, then alights upon the ground a few paces back from them. A warm, surrounding feeling touches upon Peggy and Sloane's minds.

«Looping you in the psi-link. I've got you shielded on the astral. I'll let you know if I see anything.»

She's otherwise silent. This isn't her show. Plus, her power level is high enough that she can look sassy just standing there.

*

Hisako Ichiki, a.k.a. ARMOR, has come well dressed for the occasion.

Hisako's clothing is the yellow and blue protective synthetic uniform of an X-Man. It's pretty stock other than the sleeves being removed in favor of gloves. It LOOKS like a uniform - but not a fancy one, or one of rank. The glowing red field of curvilinear force surrounding her - the psi-force-matrix in which Armor herself is embedded - DOES pop to the naked eye, or to more subtle senses. For it is no force-field belt, but something manifested by her stark mutant will alone!

Also it's shock absorbent.

Hisako lands, her feet remaining a good eight inches off the ground, and she looks over towards Merrow and Agent Carter, giving the both of them a deep nod that threatens to become a bow. After this she turns her attention towards the Guest, keeping her hands - with a little effort - unfolded and unclenched.

«If anything goes wrong, I'll block for you,» Armor informs them, before her attention snaps back to Maxima.

She tramps down on unease. Let SHIELD lead, she tells herself. You can't judge an alien until you know how they look at the world.

Her eyes turn to the back of Rachel's jacket. I should ask if it's custom, she thinks, before her eyes snap back to Maxima. AFTER THE MEETING, Hisako tells herself.

*

Before being allowed fully inside, the woman is stopped by Peggy and she blinks at her. She considers the woman and then looks past her to the others. She notes an entourage and realizes that perhaps this woman addressing her might indeed be someone of import. The rather tall woman looks down at her from her height only further enhanced by heels. She stands with the regal authority of her own office as she places her hands on her hips and states, "I am Queen Maxima of Almerac. I have been told it is appropriate for visitors to your world to present themselves to the organization known as SHIELD." SHe gestures to the building and then looks to Peggy and the others, "I presume that is you."

She idly looks to Rachel a moment though. Armor gets a glance but it is Rachel that the woman is watching a bit closer. She hasn't fully removed her eyes from Peggy but the way she positions herself makes it clear she's wary of Rachel. For her part, Rachel can tell she's not dealing with the average mind. This woman, whomever she is, is powerfully psychic. It's not obvious what her strength is but there's almost a thrumming about her on the astral plane. Like some great vehicle idling its engine while awaiting what comes next. It isn't just that this woman is a psychic, it is that this woman /is/ psychic. Every fiber of her being is threaded with her psychic power, weaved into her very existance as if she had been simply born knowing what she was.

*

The mind link has Peggy blinking a few times, breaking her general stoicism to look about her to hear where this voice in her mind is coming from. This is not something she is used to and is not - generally - something she would be in support of going forward. However, for now, it works.

«Okay, thank you,» Peggy thinks to Rachel - it sounds very loud, as if she is shouting into a phone, unsure if that goes properly through the link. She has not yet met Rachel, nor Hisako. Being new to this telepathic thing, she is very much like a grandmother attempting new technology: pushing random buttons. «I have no idea who these two are, I hope they are able to deal with aliens that possibly cause devastating earthquakes.» Studying Maxima, she keeps her ground, raising her chin. Being British, she knows something of royalty. «Hopefully alien royalty is something like British Royalty. British Royalty is already sort of alien.» As time goes on, it seems clear that Peggy does not know how a telepathic link works. All of her thoughts are being broadcast to others without her knowing.

"I am a part of SHIELD, yes. What is it that you are doing on Earth, Queen Maxima?"

*

Assess, identify bystanders, confirm your exits and cover: A mental checklist being run down by Sloane as her eyes flick from side to side while Maxima presents herself— and while Armor lands to one side, drawing fiery orange eyes for obvious reasons—

The white noise of her thoughts comes into better focus as Rachel loops her in; a flit of surprise flickers across her face before her head slants to look the direction of the fashionable redhead, and then it clicks.

Sloane's certainly had the orientation and meetings on the basics of mental defense, but she's never actually encountered these abilities in the field before. Her surface thoughts are a little loud at first, not quite having had the hang of this feeling before.

A few stray thoughts shoot across her surface thoughts before she seems to get used to the 'sensation':

«Holy crap it's like a giant clear robot thing what the hell is that made out of.»
«Holy crap I need that entire outfit I need to ask her where she got it.»
«Wait she's like a space queen? What even — like do they have space castles and monarchies?»

Unfortunately, the thickness of her east Boston accent lurks in her mental 'voice,' even if she's mastered keeping it suppressed in her audible speech. «I'll wash the area out if we need it.»

*

Rachel's astral body is intertwined with the hungry-burning celestial flame that beats eternal and untamed at the heart of all creation. It makes her kinda sparkly. Everyone's got a thing going.

Rachel returns Maxima's look with an expression of cool detachment. If this is a front or not, that expression is all there is to go by. Her thoughts are locked up nice and tight behind artfully-crafted psi-shields.

«She's psychic. Not sure if it's just a self-boosting thing — oh.»

In the real world, Rachel can't help but look over at Peggy with a widening of her eyes to hint at her widening sense of horror.

«Oh, honey, no, stop — okay, I got you.»

Peggy gets put on telepathic mute for the moment. Sloane, who seems to be getting the ideal a little faster, must only live under the threat of future mute. Rachel expected spies to be… spyier? If the idea of being in a room full of cops didn't give her a headache, she'd offer to run a class.

«Alright. So she's got moves. Just rest assured I've prepped a… I won't bother explaining it, it's a psychic thing in case she tries to superspeed punch you.»

*

«It's a field of psionic energy,» Armor helpfully explains to Sloane in her best mental friendly-but-authority voice. «It's just about impenetrable.» The outfit question passes by, as her attention turns back forwards, towards Maxima.

She endures the transmissions from Peggy Carter, because Rachel's on it. At most her jaw tightens for a moment, and then she takes a deep breath and lets it out, before inquiring first to Rachel: «Should I armor down?»

And then speaking. With her mouth! "Welcome to Earth! I hope you're enjoying your time here," Hisako says, bowing at the waist if without taking her eyes off Maxima. She pauses, as if there was more but it is being Reserved.

Also to Rachel (if with room for Sloane to overhear): «How fast should we warn her about the Brotherhood?»

*

Maxima's mind is locked away as well. Her eyes going over to Peggy after giving Rachel a more solid look for a moment, she states, "My full business is my own, however, I am here to see if what I heard of this world is true and if it can offer me a proper test." She nods her head, "So far I am not so sure I'm impressed by the greeting I have received. There are those that aren't fully without proper respect and regard, however."

She turns her gaze to Hisako and nods to her lightly before turning her gaze back to Peggy, "I was told wisdom would be for me to come here and present myself to prevent issues in the future. I am not an invasion force though given what I've seen if this world I could see how I might be taken as a threat alone."

*

The sudden muting, again, makes Peggy blink. This is not exactly what she was expecting. But, without other people talking in her head, she is more focused and uses that to study Maxima very closely. A part of her wonders what might be telepathically discussed, but for now she feels better without other people talking in her head. A look is given to Sloane. If she's not on the mental link, that means that she is now the woman in charge of that. If they need to relay something to her, it will go through Sloane, in her mind.

"Generally," Peggy tells Maxima, "When foreign dignitaries visit, they give word of their arrival so that preparations can be made. I know little of Almerac. What is the procedure there?"

A test, Maxima offers. That does not generally sound like a good thing for Earth. "And what sort of test is it that you are looking to pass?"

By being the one at the forefront, she attempts to allow the others to fan out and flank. If this should come to a fight, she will be the main focus and the others, with their multitude of powers and abilities can use them to subdue this queen who may be a threat.

"Coming to SHIELD is certainly wise, I would say. You can declare your intention, we can work from there. If you do not intend to be a threat, you need not be considered one."

*

Sloane doesn't look in Peg's direction, but her mouth pulls into a bit of a line as she starts hearing things she doesn't need to hear or think. Never will she ever share anything that went out over the party line.

She hadn't expected to be heard at first, but — mental party line. Her reply to Armor is pretty straightforward: «Oh…. Damn. Cool.» She doesn't even need to question it right now— later, definitely. For now…

«Thanks,» she also replies to Rachel. «— I mean for the cover. I appreciate it.»

This mental talking thing is so… weirdly nice? It takes no time at all!

Merrow looks ahead to Agent Carter at the glance back, giving a much more subtle nod. She's got this.

«This doesn't look like it's going to escalate, but I want to be totally on the level with both of you: There should be Agents— security, mostly— taking position around the area under cover. If they're there, don't worry about them right now— Agent Carter's got this.»

Another moment, then she adds, «I'm Sloane.»

*

«Let's make sure she knows that only some people can shrug off earthquakes on this planet before we start worrying about all that mess,» Rachel replies to Hisako. «Though I wouldn't put it past those two trying to recruit.»

Rachel settles back into her earlier relaxed posture. The meeting seems like it'll only be one of 'aligning expectations and setting boundaries,' as dad would put it.

That does leave time for gossip.

«No problem. I'm Rachel.» Rachel's psychic attention turning back to Sloane feels a little engulfing, but it's more like being submerged in warmth. It's best not to think about how the symbolism suggests the thing doing the submerging is astral flame.

«Does SHIELD get rowdy tourists like this often?»

*

Armor is momentarily at a loss, but Rachel is using legal names, so she chimes in, «Hisako» without looking away. She is more used to this, no doubt, than either of the SHIELDicans. «Got it - I figured you'd have a perimeter - but just… You know, don't feel like you have to get blasted, OK?»

Externally, her brow furrows slightly at the 'test' part of what Maxima says but she doesn't shift posture. Maxima may be getting a bodyguard read off of her, which is not even entirely wrong.

«Your boss seems cool,» Hisako gossips to Sloane covertly. «Is she British though? I thought SHIELD was American.»

*

Tony Stark arrives from West Side.

*

"Frankly I wasn't aware that your planet was even really on the intergalatic stage until I arrived." She then clears her throat, "And I am not arriving in a wholly official capacity." She nods her head, "This is a personal quest, as it were." She nods her head and then gestures, "The procedure for the Almeracean Empire, typically is to accept foriegn dignitaries that wish to surrender peacefully without provocation." She shrugs and nods.

She then turns her gaze to the others briefly, no humor, just a look before looking back to Peggy, "And this isn't a test that is necessarily pass or fail." She shakes her head, "However, I am testing myself against the strength of this world and those that seek to harm it. I have heard much and so far I have only found one, maybe two, that have impressed me by their strength."

She glances to Rachel briefly, "The second one may be here now though I am unclear as to what her real power is." She cuts her eyes at Rachel briefly before looking back to Peggy, "My full intentions, as I stated, are my own and while I understand yours and Lanter 2814's trepidation, I assure you, that if I wished harm to be done I'd have already done it. Simply do not offer me disrespect like teh man in the park did and I will not offer it in return."

*

Cut off from the mental link, this gives Peggy a way to get in Maxima's face without other people in her ear. Rachel, Hisako and Sloane are able to move about and plan as they need to do. She will effectively tank Maxima.

"I think the problem is that Earth doesn't need to prove ourselves anymore. We care about power, but there is more to us than brute strength."

Tilting an eyebrow, she adds, "Who is Lanter 2814?"

The confirmation that it was her that caused the earthquake in Central Park is certainly noted. "We will not disrespect you, however you must also respect our own planetary laws. If you wish to protect this world and not harm it, you must adhere to our rules. Who is it that you expect to be fighting?"

*

Rachel puts her hands on her hips once Maxima starts talking about peaceful surrendering. She has opinions on empire-crazy alien species. They are not pleasant opinions.

Maxima gives her another look. Rachel narrows her eyes, though apparently more in dubious consideration than malice. The phrasing of all this — strength, testing — is causing a few memories to pop into her admittedly eccentric sense of recollection. At least there's not a live studio audience this time.

YET.

«Is she about to challenge me to enter a tournament? I only do tournaments if they're on private islands.»

*

Rachel's warm — not like a blazing inferno, but a steady heat. Sloane has to wonder what she feels like herself… water is kind of the obvious thing, isn't it? Calm and raging and dangerous but also lifegiving? Though fire can be like that too, can't it?

Though she tries to keep those thoughts to herself, they likely bleed close to the edge of her senses: This psi-link stuff is so weird!!

«I mean technically we're international. But she is super British.»

She's trying to avoid psi-cross-talk, but 'those two' and 'the Brotherhood' leave something of an ill taste in her mouth— and mind— before her mouth presses into a line. She's trying to listen, take notes— Almeracean Empire. Accept dignitaries that … surrender. That doesn't sound too good.

But it doesn't seem like she's here to cause too much trouble? Maybe?

«Kind of. By the way, if you run into a talking raccooon keep your phone hidden because he might turn it into a long-distance nuclear toaster that also shoots lasers.»

*

Rachel, immediately: «Is the talking raccoon an alien or extradimensional?»

*

Hisako's expression doesn't change so much as grow more stonelike and un-animated as Maxima keeps talking. There is the psychic suggestion of a grunt in her party line with Rachel and Sloane.

«I'm getting a feeling from her, Rachel,» Hisako transmits forwards. «Like she doesn't like whatever it is she's doing. I mean she's obviously hiding something, but I don't think she likes it, like she's not acting the way —» Before she can finish the example, she psi-laughs.

«I'm sorry?» she asks Sloane, about the raccoon thing. «Like, what? Maybe that didn't translate right, can you think it a little differently?» (Rachel gets a private 'send' of «am i hallucinating? is that a cartoon? i don't watch cartoons»)

*

A shrug, "Your Green Lantern for this sector. He has yet to give me his name and at this point I'm inclined to only call him 2814 in perpituity." She nods her head. Maxima then clears her throat, "However, I will say that I will respect your rule of law as long as you keep in mind that since I have arrived here, I have been accosted by your Lantern, attacked by a woman named Fairchild, though I admit we did see a movie and make up to a degree, AND I was challenged by a man claiming to be a Juggernaut." She nods her head, "Though admittedly, while I could not fully halt his forward movement, I did end up putting him in the ground none the less which has led to the crater in your Central Park." She nods her head.

She takes in a sharp breath, "However, you do have a Princess of an Amazonian island who seems nice, a supposed god of thunder who offered me delicious food to try, and so far this conversation has been quite cordial." SHe considers, "Though that thunder god was quite handsy…of course he did have those abs." She looks distant a moment and then shrugs before looking back at Peggy, "Either way, I have heard you are often under attack by super villains and have powerful beings. I wish to meet them both in person and perhaps in battle."

*

She holds up a hand briefly to forestall further response and then looks to Sloane, "Though I have been meaning to ask. Do you have an underwater civilization sharing your world here? I had not thought to look." She looks Sloane over briefly and glances back at Peggy.

*

Their Green Lantern. That gives Peggy, at least, some information as to why Maxima came to known on SHIELD's door. Not that she finds this a bad thing. Now she has more information about Maxima and also the strike team that X-Men will send SHIELD. While she does not exactly know the psychic conversation, she eyes Maxima. The people she discusses are met with nods. She knows each of them and how they contribute to the international world, much like SHIELD does.

"There are villains that attack, but we are not generally acquainted. If you wish to help us, to prove your mettle against the villains of the world, you should join us. We can help you and to set you against trials that are truly worthy of your mettle, Queen Maxima. If that is what you truly wish. Otherwise, we are glad to show you about the sights of Earth."

*

A few blocks away. On top of Stark Tower. Iron Man stands with his arms crossed over his chest. His enhanced gazed turned towards the East Side.

"So JARVIS? They blown anything up yet?"

"No, sir. They seem to be keeping it quiet tonight."

"…well isn't that a nice change." Tony pauses a moment though as he smirks behind his mask. "Call Pegg would you?"

"Yes, sir."

Which is when Peggy's phone goes off. And it is totally Tony's ringtone.

If she didn't have a Tony Ring Tone. She does now.

It is. Of course. Iron Man.

*

«Alien? I think. Like there's also a tree and it's — a whole /thing/. To be honest I'm probably saying more than I'm allowed but the raccoon literally drove up in a humvee with a bunch of pizzas in front of reporters once, so uh.»

If she could mentally wheel her hands around in a nebulous gesture, she would be.

The crease to her brow speaks as many volumes as her thoughts: Lantern 2814? What was that supposed to be? Is this one of those things that's a bit above her pay grade?

Peggy seems to have things well in hand; even with the glance fired her way from Maxima she looks somewhat unsure how to answer. "I'm actually— from above the sea, ma'am, sorry." she offers, lifting a scale-backed hand somewhat nervously.

She also has that perfect northeastern accent without a hint of that Boston drawl mentally.

«If there's anything else you can pick up from her— either of you— it'd be cool to know. I don't know if Agent Carter's still looped in, but this is the first time I've done anything like this.»

— and then 'Iron Man' ringtone.

«… God damn it, Tony.»

*

Yes, Sloane is on a first-name basis with the Iron Man. It's a long story.

*

Rachel glances over to Hisako. Their private conversation gets a reply: «Grabby animal people from other dimensions are a big problem.»

But it's an alien. «Oh. Good. Relatively.»

Rachel makes no comments on the discrepancy between Sloane's accents. She knows how this goes. Sloane's secret is safe with her. And Hisako. But not Peggy.

«I'm just getting a surface read. Anything more and I'd need to take a swing at her shields, and that seems inappropriate in context. My surface read, for the record is that she sounds a little whiny. Princesses are gonna diva, though.»

A familiar ringtone plays. Rachel's expression narrows in mistrust. A moment later, Sloane confirms the worst.

ELSEWHERE, RIGHT NEXT TO TONY

A second Rachel appears right next to Tony in a sparkle of flame. She gestures aggressively.

"She's literally bargaining with a needy alien princess who's currently daydreaming about Thor's abs, do you really need to troll right now?"

Astral projection. Fun at parties.

*

Hisako's face twitches fractionally as Maxima relates things. She shares an oblique image-referent to Rachel that isn't exactly verbal: it's a photo that circulated on the campus intranet of an anxious person who kept appearing in the background during a class trip to the mall, who spoke with the cops about students several times.

Hisako shifts back on her feet. She takes a deep breath —

the phone rings

"Is that actually Iron Man," Hisako blurts out, having been startled out of her reverie of disciplined watchful waiting and peace and all that other good stuff.

*

Iron Man tilts his head towards the sudden appearance of the spiritual apparition that pops into existence next to me.

"Awww, Firebird. Are you keepin an eye on me? I'm touched."

…because of /course/ that is what Tony's takeaway from that was.

*

"I'd say I'm always watching you but we both know you'd be too into that," says Rachel's astral projection.

*

Maxima looks rather pointedly at teh ringing phone that Peggy has for a moment, tilting her head a little but ignoring it if Peggy does. Her eyes glance again to Rachel. There's soemthing there, her gaze looking at her carefully a moment before she turns her eyes then back to Peggy. Seems people are being rather intrusive today.

"Join you?" Maxima looks at Peggy carefully and states, "As in SHIELD? Join your SHIELD group?" She tilts her head, "I do not see why I could not join you in some fashion. I cannot simply forgo my being a Queen completely but I am sure there is something that can be worked out." She nods her head and then looks again at the sound of Iron Man's ring, "Is there, an urgent issue?"

*

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