2019-05-13 - Eclipse and Darque all together

Summary:

SHIELD is deployed to retrieve whatever the Nightfall has stashed at the Uni-Sphere.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Mon May 13 04:27:27 2019
Location: Uni-Sphere Queens

Related Logs

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Theme Song

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beau-sartrekoa-turnersarah-blackhelena-waynekeiko

With the plans in hand, SHIELD has been deployed to the Unisphere and Panorama in Corona Park, Flushing Meadows near Queens. There is apparently, according the dead cultists that SHIELD has interrogated (don't think on that too hard) artifacts or sacred texts or artifacts that will help in the fight against Nightfall and Plokta.

Other teams have been deployed around the city to hit other locations simultaneously.

The sun went down about an hour ago but this landmark is relatively well lit. Where the items might be is anyone's guess at the moment but a WAND divination agent has just completed a spell. As their words fade, glowing lines appear on the ground, ruling out several locations all at once. There's still a few places they might be though.

"Agent Black…" the WAND agent, Godfrey Peters, calls to her. "There's a lot here, can you use your Sight and narrow the locations we need to search?"


Nodding to Peters, Sarah replies, "Of course. Now let's hope there's not just a blinding glare from the entire site…" She takes a breath, closes her eyes, focuses herself, then opens them again, with what looks to everyone else as a bit of a faraway look.

As on the other related operations, Sarah is in black-on-black SHIELD tactical uniform tonight, the WAND insignia patch on her shoulder, and a standard-issue sidearm holstered at her hip.


Blackbird has no super powers, no magic. Not even much in the way of field experience. But what she does have is a lot of training, a lot of tech, and a lot of determination. Swathed in the darkness of her cape, she keeps a staff in one hand and clings to the shadows, just a hint of movement behind the WAND operatives in their tactical gear. As they search for magical signs, she runs her thumb along the side of her index finger, switching the vision in her hood to infrared. It doesn't help much for magic or the summoned creatures, but it might give her a hint about anything else.


Agent Koa Turner is standing by. He's in the usual tactical outfit, with the sleeves that cover the golden bracer on his left arm. The only unusual thing about him at the moment is the fact that he has a dowsing pendulum wrapped around his right hand.

He knows the reports said the area was likely to be empty. But this is something of a landmark and the public access means that no one can be certain about that. And Turner? Well… he's expecting the worst.


The Unisphere is set on a big open plaza and surrounded by fountains. Fortunately the fountains aren't operating right now.

The lines from Peters work spider out over the paving. A heavier ones head to a section to the left and a not quite so heavier one to a location under the sphere itself. Sarah's Sight shows her there's definitely something radiating power to the left. Helena's infrared detects the heat signature of a small device, perhaps under the Sphere.

For Koa, this place must prickle. There's been activity here and recently and his own senses confirm both sources. There's something though, that tickles his senses. A feeling that something might be brewing. Or maybe it's just his imagination.

All in all, there's only a matter of about fifty feet seperating them.


"I'm seeing something over there," Sarah reports, pointing to the left, toward the power source lighting up her mystical vision. "I don't know what it is yet, but it's giving off magical power." She blinks, returning her vision to normal human sight. "I'll go check it out, unless anyone objects."


"Something's giving off a heat signature under the sphere," Blackbird notes as she approaches Sarah, following the lines of light toward their objectives. She, at least, is recognizable from the briefing at the Avengers mansion. Blackbird herself seems content to remain in the shadows for now, watching the WAND agents. This is a unit, best not to interfere with their operations.


"Go for it Agent. I'll provide overwatch." Koa nods to Blackbird and gestures. It's an invitation, though not a command, to follow Sarah. It's probably best if they try to operate in teams. That way no one person is alone if things go down. Even operatives as well trained as WAND agents or indeed Blackbird can run into trouble solo.

At least Turner hasn't made anything of Blackbird's apparent age though, right?

"Careful though. There's a lot of power swirling around here and that never happens unless something's going on…"


When Sarah approaches her location, she's going to have to look carefully. The paving looks like it should but when she steps on one section, the pavers move - they're loose, there's something under there. She can pry up the paver fairly … easily.

For Blackbird, as she approaches the sphere, she'll see a tubular section seems to have been modified. She'll need one of her gadgets to pry it open and see what's inside it.

Koa on Overwatch might feel this is a little too easy. That sense of unease doesn't dissipate. He gets a flash of something moving through the shadows just to his right and his senses spike just as he does.


"I have a loose paver here," Sarah calls out. "Something under it. I'm going to take another look with The Sight before I move anything." Koa's not the only one who thinks this is a little too easy. The opposition must know that various means of perceiving magic might be employed, and her investigator's mind says this is much too obvious — like no real effort to actually conceal whatever is under there from someone with the right means of seeing it. "I'm thinking this might be a trap," she adds, "It's a little too easily found to be something important to our opponents."


And with that, Sarah shifts her vision again, to peer at the not-so-hidden power source from closer up.


Blackbird takes her time moving toward the sphere, keeping her eyes open and cycling through a few of the views on her hood as she goes. Infrared. UV. Night vision. And when she gets closer to the sphere itself, she doesn't rush in there either. If there's anything she's learned from her mother, it's how to avoid security systems.

As she crouches by the spot where the section has been modified, she checks the area around it for anything else out of place, any signs of a trap waiting to be sprung. "Ditto that," she echoes over the comms, pulling her cape a little more tightly around herself as well, for what protection it can offer.


The patch of grass nearest to Koa dies. It just withers away and a blue shield springs to live over his right arm. In an instant Koa is unholstered and shooting. The echoes ring out over the plaza. Sarah and Blackbird can hear them both clearly.

"Confirmed, it's a trap!" Agent Turner calls into the radio. Another patch of grass dies and his arm and weapon are both surrounded by a green aura.

"Peters get back!"


Sarah has time to note that under the tile is a box. An ornate thing really. She might have time to recognise the stylised Moon eclipsing Sun motif. Or not.

Blackbird manages to avoid surveillance and also get the tube open. She can see a scroll inside. That's when a lion roars right near her ear — a blue glowing thing that leaps right at her. Where the hell did that come from?

Koa can see the tattoo wielder now as they start to call their second animal just as a portal opens up and well dressed man floats through. The mystic will recognise him from the reports. Master Darque.

There's a bolt of energy shot at Koa, almost casually, from the man.

"Did you really think we wouldn't be watching?" That's to Sarah as his necromantic power reaches out and starts to tug on her lifeforce.


Sarah grimaces under that assault, but wheels to face its source as she gestures with both hands, speaking a few quick, ancient words as she does, The resulting fiery bolt lights up the site in oranges and reds as it streaks toward Darque. As it does, she snarls, "Did you really think we weren't bloody expecting you?"


Stitch, pardon, Agent Stitch tonight, is out of the way where he belongs. He is here in a purely medical capacity. Just dressed in SHEILD's black tactical uniform as opposed to a lab coat or worse: An white outfit with a red cross. He doesn't get away with it completely. The large combat medic bag that is strapped to his chest is orange, easy to see. Which is great because as soon as the bolts start to fly, he takes cover.


Staying under the radar seems like a great idea right now.

Now that she's sure the traps are clear, Blackbird reaches in and snags the scroll with one hand even as the other pulls a grenade-like object out of one of her pouches. Grenade is traded for scroll, and she dives underneath the lion, flicking her wrist to extend the claws in her gauntlets.

As she dives and tumbles, she rakes the claws as deeply as she can along its underside, shoving the grenade into the tracks and pulling the pin on her way out.

The claws may not be cold iron. But the paint inside that grenade is full of it.


Agent Turner turns his shield and takes the blast on it. The magic spalls off in all directions and the force of the attack rocks him back. He crouches down, moving to the right, firing, his weapon now discharging emerald bolts of energy. The fire isn't aimed. It's rapid and really mostly in their general direction. He wants to make them move for cover. He can see Blackbird is in a fight of her own but he can't offer any help there right now.

"Agent Stitch, get to Blackbird. Now!"


Sarah finds Darque throws up a shield that deflects her with deceptive ease. He laughs and the drain on the woman seems to intensify. She might feel it call … to another part of her. Darque's power is laced with energy from the Dark Dimension. She can feel that.

Koa finds himself under attack as well. But not from Darque. A second mage has appeared. This one dressed in all black with a yellow circle emblazoned on his chest. The mystic can feel the psychic pressure on his mind. Forcing him to give up and put his weapon down …

For Blackbird, it's probably good she's wearing gloves when she takes that scroll - it took has the stylised Nightfall image stamped on it. The Lion roars, claws raking at her chest as it lands. It's not multicoloured as the grenade explodes. Blackbird knows the paint won't dispel it, but … it should weaken the spirit, right?

The emerald shots from Koa forces the Nightfall spirit caller to keep moving. There's a yell as the paint hits the Lion. Stitch will see the man, arms covered in tattooes, head towards Blackbird at a clip. In his hand, a metal quarterstaff.


"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." Stitch takes those few seconds to freak out but even then he's on the move. And those few seconds are all he needs. He's already in motion, wheeling as fast that his shoulders will push to Blackbird. By the time he's with her, he's calm. That eerie calm of a doctor used to working under pressure, under fire. He sees the tattooed man, yes. But he doesn't hesitate to get to Blackbird. He does look at him. He isn't much but that look says, 'You will have to go through me.'


Feeling that relentless tearing at her soul, and seeing her riposte having had no effect, Sarah calls off, "Delta Three! Repeat, Delta Three!" Blackbird may not understand the meaning — or she might, given her parents. But the SHIELD personnel will: 'Change dance partners.' And with that, Sarah looses another fiery bolt — at Yellow Circle Man.


Blackbird thrusts her own staff upward as the lion pounces, deflecting to roll to the side and get herself clear. These damned things…

Coming to her feet, she steps to one side, forcing the lion to turn to come after her. Study. Practice. Stay cool. She gives her cape a flick like a matador, staff spinning in her other hand.

The plan is clear: Stay clear, come close only long enough to strike, and make each strike count.

She does, however, toss another grenade to Stitch — one of Spider-Man's design. "It's paint, deactivates the tattoos," she calls over.


Koa fires off two more shots and his gaze cuts toward Sarah. Delta Three. Well okay. "Cover me!" He calls out. No time to worry about Stitch or Blackbird. No time to worry about the man with the eclipse on his chest or the other Nightfall mage. He gathers power. Plants and insects all around him die. A black bird drops out of the air near, er, Blackbird.

And then a glowing translucent beast explodes for Koa's chest as he collapses backward. The specter — something of a mad cross between a wolf, a shark and a man — zips through the air right toward the Necromancer that was attacking Sarah and slams into him at what has to be vehicular speeds.


"Little mage, please… feel the power of Darque…" The man intones as he intensifies his attack on Sarah, ignoring the others. They're all being dealt with right? "You will serv——" his words cut off as he's tackled by the Shark-Wolf-man thing.

It takes him a moment to recover, which may well give Koa the edge. Then Koa feels it, the blast of necromantic energy that comes right at him. Darque isn't holding back — he's going to drain the Agent and take his soul.

Eclipse is taken by surprise by Sarah's blast and knocked back. He recovers quickly enough and turns a blast of light on the WAND agent. It's powerful enough to knock her flying.

Stitch faces down the tattooed spirit caller, who twirls their quarter staff and just laughs. "Oh… please." The accent is strong. Somewhere in South America, probably. Without further words, the staff spins out and catches the edge of the chair, trying to spill the medic from it.

As for Blackbird — it's bird against beast. The Lion screams in pain as the staff catches him. Which makes him more dangerous, as he snarls and lunges for the woman again.


Sarah is sent flying… until a portal snaps open in her path, and its twin appears — behind Eclipse. And Sarah appears out of it, landing hard, but on her feet, semi-crouched to absorb the impact.

And her gun is drawn. *BLAM-BLAM*

"How about the power of Glock, wanker?"


Stitch takes a backwards tumble but he's used to falling. He expected to fall tonight. Thank goodness for seatbelts, leg straps, and a healing factor that renders the knock he took to the head a non-issue. "Note to self, use the anti-tip thingys on missions." He mutters to himself. He'll push himself up pretty easily…as soon as he lets loose that grenade. Thrown with indignation, the paint 'nade out of his hands and sailing towards the spirit caller.


Outmanuevering is one of Helena's best skills. Thanks to a certain Robin's training, she's got a handle on the acrobatics required. She toys with the lion, distracting with a wave of her cape, darting in with a blow from her staff. But she knows that won't finish off this opponent.

So once, she darts in, slashing her claws across one spectral eye. Then again, across the other. Until she can plant her staff on the ground and vault up onto the lion's back and start digging toward its spine to sever it.


Koa should never have gotten this close to this mage. He outclasses the WAND agent in every possible way and the only reason that he got blindsided was because he wasn't expecting something like this. That means he's got one shot before the man is able to apply his full power. He can feel the tug on his soul now. But he's got a trick of his own.

He has never tried this on a person before. He knows it isn't good. Knows there are consequences for even attempting this, but he has no choice. With a bellowing roar Agent Turner — or the thing that came out of him anyway — jams his claws into Darque and begins to pull in his own way. Not drawing on the soul but the magic. Rending and tearing it from the inside to consume it. He's completely discorporated spirits doing this before. When he does it to small animals they wither and die near instantly. On a mage this powerful? It won't be that fast. But maybe it'll make Darque think twice about being in this position.


Blackbird is indeed good at this and she baits the lion perfectly. A crazed, hurt lion that is very dangerous but also one that isn't thinking. As she digs into its spectral backbone, the thing screams in pain and … dissipates into smoke.

Leaving Blackbird with nothing holding aloft. At least she got the scroll, right?

Sarahs tactics are sound. Or they would be against a lesser foe. The bullets hit a solar shield instead of the mage. There's another blast of magic thrown her way, causing the ground in front of her to explode.

Someone in the city isn't going to be happy about the maintenance required here.

Eclipse is off though, opening a portal and heading on through.

Stitches grenade coats the spirit caller in paint but that doesn't slow their movements with the staff. It crashes down on the pavers near the medics head before they too start running, diving through the portal that Eclipse has opened.

As for Koa. This is really, really bad. The magic is pure Dark Dimension and it's … addictive … to some at least. Darque snarls, sending another blast of energy towards the creature, knocking him away, moving towards the portal and disappearing …


Picking herself up as the opposition's retreat portal closes, Sarah looks around quickly. Her voice is a bit rueful, her accent a bit more pronounced as she says, "Well, that was abrupt. I'm not sure I'd say we 'won', but at least they left. Is anyone hurt? Sound off."


"I'm alright." Stitch says, pushing himself up to four wheels. "I hit my head falling and I'm really reconsidering doing field work but I'm fine. Anyone need a medic?"


Blackbird hits the pavement and flexes, tumbling into a roll that takes most of the force out of the short fall and has her moving toward Stitch as well. But his attacker is running away before she can get there. She flicks a tracker/bug after the mage, a last-ditch effort to gather any more intel, before she's kneeling next to the agent, the corners of her eyes crinkling above her mask with a grin.

"Hey there. Thanks for the cover." Once he's upright, she steps behind him to get a look at the back of his head. "Blackbird okay," she notes over the comm, then back to Stitch. "Do you need a medic?"


Koa is sent tumbling skyward but doesn't come down. When he stabilizes he remains there, hovering in the air. The previous blue tint has gone rather purple-black and he sweeps his gaze over the people below. They linker particularly on Blackbird as though she looks… tasty. His clawed hands flex and clench almost like he's fidgeting.

After a rather unsettling moment of that, though he shakes himself and flies down to where Koa Turner the man is still collapsed in the grass and just flows into… himself.

His eyes open, but they're dark violet orbs and not regular eyes. Still, he sits up with a groan.

"Ow. Kahuna here. Still more or less in one piece."


There is a small amount of blood matted in his thick blond curls but no wound. Not anymore, at least. Stitch waves off the concern and grins. "We're on the same team. I cover you. You'll cover me." He sighs. "I'm fearless and impulsive. Not terrible traits for a combat medic for superheroes, I reckon."


Agent Peters drops the shield he was holding and goes to retrieve the box that was under the paver. "There's news coming in from the other teams. They've recovered the items at their locations and the Spider-team has taken a captive." He says. He'll get the scroll from Blackbird in a moment.

"I'll call in a team to do clean up here and we'll provide a briefing as to what's been recovered."


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