Summary:Waking up in the containment cell, Steve is greeted by a demon … Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The cell was about as comfy as could be managed given the circumstances at hand. Many moundings of pillows and three layerings of class D security wards, along with chains and a muzzle AND four doses of dendrotoxin from consecutive ICER shots — all of this kept Captain Rogers in his state of lycanthropy from doing any harm to anyone.
And the pillows. Fully assume those pillows would have been gutted if he'd been able to overcome the effects of the toxin and escape from his shackles.
The sun rises and finally, around 7:46am in the morning, the moon sets beneath the horizon of the world. Excellent timing, given the amount of squirming the blond werewolf was engaging in. Agent Koa can rest well knowing Steve wasn't able to chew out of or torque either muzzle or chains.
With a quiet whine in sudden contrast to the frustrated snarling, the werewolf's true-blue eyes go wide, pin-pointed. His form abruptly seems to shrink — to deflate — and to leave a mounding of blond canine hair around him. Shuddering, gasping, the soldier then lies on the mounding of pillows as if he'd been absolutely tanked by the entire affair. A hand weakly pushes the mal-fitted muzzle off his head and away; chains rattle as he shifts and plops back down again, breathing heavily, eyes hazed.
A hard swallow is followed by a wince and a querying, "Doctor Simmons? Agent Koa?" Surely he's heard on any speakers allowing auditory access to the cell. At least, in contrast to the visual of a suddenly-shaved dog, he's still got the ragged remains of his jeans.
There's a hiss outside. A little… creature, hairless and scaled with reddish skin and a kind of beak-y face is standing outside the cell and peering at Steve. It looks… well it's not from earth. And by the red in its eyes it's not very nice. The same shade of red Koa's eyes had been the other night.
Speaking of Koa, he arrives within a few minutes of Steve calling out, carrying a coffee cup, hand in pocket. "Morning Captain." He's got a rolled up shirt and some black SHIELD issue tactical pants under his arm. "My my. Did a number on the pillows didn't you. And even ate poor Angel."
There's a little… stuffed puppet in there among the pillows. It looks the worse for wear.
There's a shuffle and as one of the doors opens and Jemma Simmons appears. She looks tired and is still wearing the clothes that Steve saw her in last night. "You've returned to us." The biochem says with a gentle sort of smile. She's carrying a tray, on which is coffee, a bowl of water and a face cloth. At the least.
"Agent…." She starts at the beaky faced creature and slops the coffee on the tray. "What the hell is *that*?" beat "Oh uh. Agent Turner has bought you some clothing too."
For the moment she doesn't approach the cell that Steves in, eyes sliding between that creature and Steve.
About the time Steve notices the odd creature hanging out creeper-like beyond the glass walls of the cell, he's been squinting at the unfortunate corpse of the stuffed puppet. When did that thing appear? Why does he have the vague memory of kicking at it ineffectually? The movement of the red-eyed creature has him glancing up and inhaling sharply. By the time both Koa and Jemma appear, he's retreated back against the wall and he'd got a pillow held out like it might act as a shield.
A spluttering sigh and Steve offers a grimaced smile; if he still had those pointed canine ears, they'd be back flat in chagrin. "I…think I owe folks an apology. I don't… I remember speaking to you, Agent, and the blood draw, but not much after that." His eyes return to the creature again. "I definitely don't remember that thing." The pillow drops a little in its readied state, but not much.
Only Steve Rogers would be absolutely certain he could win in a pillow fight.
"That?" Koa looks down at the thing and frowns. "That is a K'nert. Scat!"
The WAND agent nudges the thing with his boot and it turns to amble off, casting one more glance over his shoulder at Steve and Jemma before turning a corner with a surprisingly human gait.
Koa just shakes his head. "He's from Elsewhere. He comes around sometimes to bug me and my trainee. And no need to apologize. You didn't wind up hurting anyone. Jemma shot you a few times but it seems you got better." With an ICER but Koa just smiles and doesn't say that as he opens the cell to let Jemma in.
"Here. Change of clothes. Which it looks like Jemma brought too so take your pick. Doc, are you just bringing the Cap breakfast here or was there more on your mind?"
"Whatever *it* is, I need it out of the way." Jemma sniffs as she tries to edge around the creature. "I have to see to Steve, at the least." Whatever it is, she'll leave Koa to deal with it, as she finally makes the door as it opened. "Thank you, Agent Turner." At least the critter has moved but she's not sure she likes the way it's looking at them.
"I have coffee and the ability for you to wash up a little. We'll get you down to the showers presently." It's all said in that no nonesense British way of hers. "I do need to do a physical before I can let you out of here and there's some things we need to discuss about … ongoing safety."
"I have the results of your blood test, as well."
The tray is put down - on the floor because there's nowhere else, and Jemma takes one of the cups of coffee.
"How are you feeling, Steve?" That's a genuine question and there's real concern on Jemma's face, but something that indicates she's not going to like the answer.
"Agent Turner, I need you to tell me everything you know on this … curse."
Thank god Koa's able to goose the little creature away with such ease. Steve lets out another sigh and finally sets the pillow aside. What he was concealing was the sorry state of the jeans; with a lightly-blushing dignity clinging to him about as well as the pants — which he needs to keep in place by holding the waistline at one hip — he makes his way over to the cell door.
"Thank you both," says the Captain in earnest gratitude. The coffee smells heavenly and sets his stomach to growling audibly. "I'll take the clothing in a second here." Jemma is given a forlorn look. "I feel like a tank rolled over me 'nd my mouth tastes like the undercarriage of a public bus. There's still this…residual tingle," he tries to explain and rubs at his outer arm with his free hand. Still shirtless, the motion makes torso muscles flex. "Under my skin. I don't feel like taking you apart at the seams though." This comment is aimed at Koa in particular, again accompanied by the uncomfortable smile.
Clearing his throat, he then adds, "Kind of…need to change pants here, so…" — could folks turn around, clearly.
"That's appreciated." Koa chuckles. "I don't take it personally. I deal with beings that react to my particular nature poorly fairly often. Not that you wouldn't be dangerous, mind." It's just it's a known and quantifiable danger. Something Koa is used to even if Steve is not.
"Welllll that's not just a book, Jemma, that's several volumes. It sort of depends on what version of the curse Steve has contracted. There's a few. Turning people into wolves or wolf-like monsters was quite popular as both a weapon and a punishment for several centuries. However given that he was bitten it's most likely he's got the Loup Garou version and that's one of the more troublesome. Nightly transformations and bloodthirsty rage every time the full moon rises. And the options for mitigating it or getting rid of it are - at least from an arcane point of view - somewhat limited…"
This COULD take a while, Koa could easily make it do so, but he's trying to do some nutshelling for people here. Especially Steve since the poor soldier could probably use the comfort of SOME manner of certainty right now.
It's not until Steve blushes and mentions wanting to change his pants, that Jemma starts blushing again. Up until then, she'd been all business - letting her mind focus on the problem and potential solutions. "Uh, yes, of course…." She stutters, turning her back.
"I'm not surprised you feel beaten and battered. Some of that will be the effects of the dendrotoxin we hit you with. The other … your body transformed, Steve, into a Wolf. I imagine that isn't easy on your physiology however, your bloodwork indicates that you'll … recover fairly quickly and that's not just the effects of the Serum."
That had been something she'd had to adjust for - the Serums affects on the werewolfs-super-soldiers body. "What I'm seeing is … horrifying, really."
"Nightly transformations, Koa? Every time the full moon rises. Only the full moon, or on nights to and past it?"
Blush calls blush yet again. Somewhere, Barnes is laughing to himself. With both of his associates' backs turned, Steve's quick to swap out the wrecked jeans for the tactical SWAT pants and the borrowed t-shirt. Clearing his throat appears to be the signal that he's properly dressed again, barefoot and blond hair rumpled all to hell in its dried-sweated state.
The mostly-useless jeans are left off to one side by his feet. "What you've said sounds a lot like what Buck managed to find when he accessed the SHIELD collection of files on my case," he says tiredly to Koa, then looking to Jemma. "The first night I changed wasn't so bad. I didn't lose my temper or anything like that. This's the first time things have gone completely beyond me." His broad shoulders slump visibly.
"What'd the bloodwork have to say?" he then asks specifically of Jemma.
It's almost like May was observing out of eyeshot, because almost from one moment to the next after Steve's managed to change into less damaged clothing, she appears in the doorway behind Koa and Jemma.
"We can discuss the bloodwork results elsewhere," she tells Steve, looking at the other two for a moment.
She's got a brown paper sack in one hand, and those with a good sense of smell will likely pick up on cooking oil, eggs, and other meaty smells.
"It was the blood moon. Special circumstance. You'll still find the full moons quite challenging though, I am afraid. Hence the chains." Koa says sympathetically. He knows what it's like to feel that part of yourself is beyond your own control.
"Usually the night before and the night after but it can be up to a week, Jemma. Depends on how sensitive the werewolf in question. Steve appears to have taken to the curse quite well. Possibly something to do with his augmented physiology? Not sure. There's not a whole lot of data for magical experimentation on serum enhanced soldiers." Obviously. Well, maybe not obvious but still true.
"What you're seeing, Jemma, are the physical effects of something that sort of ignores physical laws. But out of curiosity what ARE you looking at? Physically that is. Cure wise the only surefire way is to hunt down the one who bit him and kill him, or her or it. Whatever. There are… potions and elixirs but they're considered longshots." Though maybe SCIENCE could help one of them be a less long shot?
"Given that information …" Jemma turns when Steve finishes dressing, nodding to May as she enters. "I don't think we should be letting you out, Steve." It's apologetic but she's resolute on that and glances at May. This discussion should be conducted in here - just in case.
The question on the bloodwork has her frowning. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm seeing. It's a virus, definitely but it seems to be bonding to your cells, Steve, trying to mutate the very nature of them. I'm running some DNA tests, we've your results on file to use a base line, but that's going to take a day or so to do."
"Agent Turners speculation is correct, there's something about the serum and the changes it made to you that … seem to be causing the virus to accelerate. I *might* be able to create an antidote, though. From everything I'm seeing it's behaving as a virus."
Koa gets a considering look. "How recent is that information about killing the 'sire', Koa? I wonder if people haven't tried to SCIENCE! it out before now."
Weirdly enough, even before May and her brown paper sack appears, Steve can be seen to sniff once — and then again, deeply, his attention diverting from both Koa and Jemma as his stomach once again makes a loud complaint. He's reminded of the cup of coffee on the tray and stoops to take it in time for May to arrive.
"Great…" he mutters at Koa's information about the curse as a whole, especially resentful of the fact that — his supposition about being in the cell for another night yet gets confirmed by Jemma.
Hearing that it is a virus, especially on an accelerated timeline, has the Captain forgetting about the coffee entirely. His empty stomach knots on itself. A silent swallow prefaces his very quiet observation.
"Somebody's gonna have to let Barnes know about me staying here for a short time. He's not gonna be happy. But — " A hard scoff is followed by a growl. It's only a touch basso this time, but still just resonant in his chest enough to be noted. "Look. The moon's there." He turns and points below the horizon in absolutely uncanny accuracy despite the cell wall and the building of the Triskelion itself. "I'll be able to leave this cell when I can't sense it anymore. Deal?"
For all the stern certainty he projects, there's still a twinkle of pleading in his eyes as he looks between his comrades.
May looks at Koa and Jemma as they explain the particulars of Steve's situation, her eyes flicking over to the super soldier in question when he speaks up and points out the location of the moon unerringly.
"I'll let Barnes know, then, and make sure he has access to see you." And perhaps to show that she's accepting Steve's personal assessment, she opens the brown paper sack and offers him a foil-wrapped cylinder — a breakfast taco undoubtedly from the food truck that regularly parks nearby.
"Do we know who infected Rogers and how to find them?" She has no qualms about going out and tracking said person down. ICERs have been proven to work on lycanthropes.
"I don't." Koa shakes his head. "WAND might be able to divine something. That's meant a bit literally. But while it's the surest way there's no guarantee that we can track the being that did this if they're sufficiently skilled. Best to be prepared with other measures."
As to Steve's safety Koa looks thoughtful. "I mean, as long as there's a basement to chain you up in I don't know that it has to be here. I think he'll be okay except on full moon nights, Jemma. Though I think you might want to spend some time in the lab to make sure the doc has everything."
Koa folds his arms and keeps thinking. There's a lot to try to work through in this case and with Steve pricking his predator senses that's easier said than done. "Well, Jemma, the information from that particular remedy dates back to the twelfth century. I doubt anyone has put serious research into this. Or at least not that I know of. Loup Garou were nearly hunted to extinction in the 17th Century when people got sick of being massacred every four weeks so bites from that point on have been pretty damn rare. I'm ALMOST surprised that one was around to even BITE Steve."
Something about Koa's stance gets a sharp look from Jemma. Something is wrong with the Agent but she can't put her finger on it. At least the two men don't seem to be trying to Alpha each other.
Yet. Or is that again?
"Agent Turner's right of course, it doesn't have to be here but I do want to be sure that if it's possible you'll turn for the next few nights, that … " She takes a deep breath and looks apologetic again "… they won't end up like the Angel puppet over there." She's not going to make him stay and the Super Soldier seems to be sensible about this.
"Bucky can use the …" she blushes and peters off.
"So it's possible that no one has tried to Science this and find a cure. I'll confess I'm fascinated that the virus might have a 'parent' that keeps it alive, but there's nothing in our experience that would lead me to believe that."
"Do you think, Steve, you could sense them? Finding the one that did this to you might be useful for research."
Foil crinkles as Steve peels it back. May got an effusively grateful look when she offered the breakfast burrito and the Captain's decided to ignore the twist in his stomach. Hunger is winning out. The food stoppers up his mouth while the others talk. He chews ravenously and frankly, the speed at which the breakfast burrito disappears is probably either a world record or would be nausea-inducing in the standard human being. He licks off his fingers with obvious gusto.
Swallowing his mouthful and licking his lips, Steve considers Jemma's question. "If the virus's from a sire, 'nd killing the sire'll end this, then that seems to be the only logical option." Of course the Army's favorite lab-gerbil would try and approach from the SCIENCE! half of things. "Whether or not I can sense 'em is moot. Barnes can track a snowshoe hare in a blizzard. I was out at the Park a handful of days after I got bit, when I was back to normal," he's sure to clarify, " — and found the attack site. Blood's got a funny smell. Dunno about tracking it in particular, but…'nd it's rained since then, but could start there?"
His attention shifts to Koa and the Captain can be seen to become still. It's a passing freeze, but something dark flickered through his eyes like the tuft of a tail in tall grass. Shaking his head, he finds his train of thought again. "I can take Barnes 'nd start with areas where…where a werewolf might hide." His nose wrinkles. Yep, he just said that aloud.
May offers breakfast burritos to Jemma and Koa as well, but upon seeing Steve pause while looking at the WAND agent, she quickly pulls another burrito from the bag and all but prods the super soldier in the chest with it. Yes, she's very much aware of how much more food his metabolism requires. She prepared for it.
"You'll need to be back here before sunset, Rogers, and you and Barnes both are to contact me if anything." This is not permission to run off and start playing bloodhound, though. May is simply putting conditions on his doing so IF he gets the go-ahead. "Simmons, Turner, can either of you think of a better way to track down the carrier of this virus?"
Koa is facing Jemma and May when Steve looks at him and stills. But when the super soldier does that he can see a ghostly image partly separate from Koa's form. The 'head' of his astral form turns, emerging from the body, to look over the shoulder at Steve for a moment, making direct eye contact. Koa himself makes no sign that he's aware of what Steve is doing so either he's oblivious or he's very, very good at managing his inner beast. And at knowing what it tells him. Then the astral head turns back forward and vanishes.
Jemma and May might find that kind of disconcerting too.
"Not that will work faster, no." There's some risk to Barnes but Koa figures that Barnes can handle it. "If you find the thing I'll lend Jemma my expertise when I'm not busy fending off an extradimensional invasion."
So yeah let's just drop that there…
"No, thank you Agent May." Jemma refuses the breakfast burrito. "I had a muffin and some granola earlier." She's been here all night and looks like it. "Let Steve have mine, it looks like he needs it. I'll whip you up some electrolytes and protein mixtures, to help with that appetite."
"I don't have any suggestions at this point, Agent May. If I can think of something … I wonder if satellite imaging might detect something. Let me think on that. Steve, come up to my lab, I'd like to run some more tests before you go - there might be something in physiology that we can use."
She doesn't see Koa's astral body - and she might be thankful about that.
In a showing of massive self-control at the appearance of Koa's Astral form, the Captain simply swallows down the urge to bare his teeth — and itches at the back of his neck briefly, shedding more blond hair over his shoulders.
Ooh, another breakfast burrito. It's more than enough to fully distract him. With yet another grateful mouthing of 'thank you' at Agent May, Steve tears into the foil and into this burrito with the same fastidious if hurried appreciation.
"Figure 'm not stupid 'nough to be caught outside after moonrise," he mutters grumpily in response to May's suggestion. "Barnes won't let me be that way anyways." If Jemma's burrito is offered to him, you can bet the super-soldier takes it and it vanishes into his mouth at yet again a brisk pace. Three crumpled balls of foil are stashed away into the pocket of his pants at this point.
"Of course, Doctor Sim — Jemma." Old habits die hard. "I'll take whatever you've got. It takes a chunk outta my energy. Been a long time since I've felt like I was a wet rag."
May has no qualms with handing Steve burrito after burrito from the bag after he's done scarfing Jemma's refused meal. Koa's … unusual way of responding to the stare from Rogers earns him a brief look of her own, but not too much of one. She's aware of his status as a WAND agent, after all, and said agents are almost expected to be, shall we say, unusual at times.
"Good," she says to Steve's grump about being out late. "I wouldn't expect him to, but it can't hurt repeating. It has been said, after all, that you can sometimes be a bit on the stubborn side." How she manages to say that without so much as a twitch…
Koa is all kinds of unusual, really. Just ask the people he hangs around with. Actually no don't do that. They are ALSO fairly unusual, really.
"Also Simmons fill up an autoinjector with a solution that's eighty seven percent water, twelve percent silver nitrate and one percent puree of aconitum. IF for some awful reason you get caught out, Steve, that will prevent you from hurting anyone while changed. However, warning, you're gonna want to die when you use it. And someone's going to have to come get you and take you some place safe before you burn it off."
Oh yay. Diluted werewolf poison. Well, it does sound like WAND has some experience with this.
May gets an equally curious look. Which winds to mild alarm when a being steps out from behind her, right out of her shadow. A being that Jemma and Steve just saw a little bit ago. A K'nert.
He's looking at the whole group rather speculatively.
"Well then, lets get you to the showers before you come to my lab…" Jemma wrinkles her nose, the super soldier smells a bit like wet dog "And then to my lab and we'll get working." beat "Yes, Agent Turner I'll do that and I'll see about modifying our Dendrotoxin mix as well."
Just another project to add to her list. Maybe Hank will be by sometime and she'll be able to talk to him about it. Without mentioning names that is.
She's turning to go when K'nert steps out again. "If that's your pet, would put it on a lead, please… " It's creepy and Jemma's not going near it.
Steve almost rolls his eyes. Almost. "You don't say," the super-soldier deadpans towards May. Somewhere, again, Barnes is laughing. With hands now stuffed in the pockets of his pants, the Captain glances over at Koa. To hear of the tranquilizer darts filled of the particular blend is to get another wince out of him.
"…better let Barnes know about those too. He'd…you wouldn't keep him away if I managed to go AWOL. Don't know a better shot out there." His murmur is regretful, in a way. Still, Jemma provides him with a task and this keeps the super-soldier from becoming too mixed up in his head; between the competing signals wanting to rid the hallway of poor Koa and his stomach still churning and the lingering effects of the dendrotoxin, Steve knows getting grumpy isn't the answer even if he wants it to be.
"'m on your six, Miss Jemma," he replies to the Doctor before he spots the K'nert.
And immediately goes still. "…not feeling too friendly towards that thing right now." His words are tight.
May folds up the brown paper sack around the remaining burritos, then at Jemma and Steve's reactions pulls a taser baton while turning to look at where they're clearly focused.
"Na dongxi daoda sha shenme?" she utters in Mandarin with a hint of surprise to her voice. And yes, unless someone stops her, she IS going to try to swat the little demon-thing with the baton.
"I don't either. It's a demon." Koa says rather flatly. "I thought I told you to 'git'!" He says, now firmly nudging it with a boot. That gets the thing moving again. Well it's not clear if it's that or May swiping at it but either way it scurries away (after being zapped) and disappears back into a deep shadow. Koa looks annoyed but not discomfited.
"Well, Simmons. I hav some time to spare. Why don't we go to your lab and I'll talk to you about arcane toxicology…"