Summary:Vixen and Black Panther investigate a dimensional disturbance and meet a devil. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The Disaster Zone in New York is a … disaster. Crumbling buildings, rubble and detritous in the streets. People still live here though - the lost and the forgotten. The area is also used by those who wish to avoid the authorities notice - it's not common for law enforcement to patrol the area after all.
It is common for a couple of super heroes to do so though and tonight, Vixen is in the air with wings borrowed from a spirit. "I'm not seeing any sign of them, Black Panther. Maybe they've gone to ground for a bit." They're tracking some of Klaues thugs, piecing together what the supervillain is doing.
About a block from where Vixen is, light blossoms and fades and blossoms again. A huge crack of thunder follows before the area is lit up like a beacon. "Black Panther, are you seeing that?" It will take her but a minute to get there and when she does, a portal is open with what looks like horned rabbits with big gnashy teeth spilling from it.
Demons and sorcerers always make things complicated and when they're fighting over a bone, the bone often comes out the worse. At the moment, Reilly is the bone. Not that he's not grateful to Doc Magus. He did get him reunited with Matt but getting back home seems to have gone wrong: by about a hundred feet or so.
"I see it." The Cat suited man says, watching as things spill from the portal. Hopefully it closes on its own because the Black Panther has nothing for that.
"Do you suppose they're hostile?" They look hostile but who knows where that portal goes to or what exactly it has dumped onto this benighted part of New York.
Whatever was happening, the portal pulses and then shrinks … leaving the man who spilled through, the rabbit-like creatures and a large creature with red skin surrounded in what looks like flames. "Come here, Child. I will have you yet …" it bellows at Reilly.
From the creatures fingers comes a blast of flames that sear the street - and the building next to him. Bricks crumble as the heat hits them and the flames rise to where the Black Panther is perched.
"At least one of them does. Not sure about the other. We probably want to contain the two of them. Collateral damage and all that." Vixen answers, taking a chance to 'dive bomb' the flame limned creature and distract him.
It's days like this Reilly wishes he had web-shooters. He hits the ground hard and just lies there on his back a few moments, at least until the demon attacks. Rolling over, he gets his legs under him and leaps up onto the wall of a crumbling building across the street and vaults up to the top. "Insanity." he pants. "Doing same thing and expecting different results. Face it Zarathos, you're really lousy at this. Go home before you get hurt."
"Well I suppose that cinches it." The Panther mutters as he drops down from the perch he was on behind the rabbit creature.
"As entertaining as this is, I advise you to stop now." He says stepping forward and flicking his claws out. "Live him alone and we can sort this out. Or do not do this and give me a workout." He might not get a response though. Vixen did just dive bomb the guy.
At least, so far as Reilly can tell, the newcomers are on his side.
The best Mari gets is swatted with a big meaty arm. She's knocked apex over base into a wall. "Ow…" Give her a moment to extract herself.
"I got a different result." Zarathos answers, sending another gout of hellfire at the rolling Reilly. "You and your sorceror friend didn't achieve what you wanted…" The huge flame limned demon turns to face the Black Panther, the sneer on his face visible. "You think you can stop me? Come and try it… " Fire spouts in the Panthers direction as a fist punches out.
If that lands it's going to hurt.
"You seem to know this thing, how do we defeat it?" the woman in black and yellow calls to Reilly.
Oh, wonderful. Spectators. "Stay out of this. That's Zarathos, demon of vengeance." Reilly tells them, leaping onto another wall. A flaming billy club appears in his hand and he throws it at the demon. He's wearing a red costume with a horned mask and a big DD on his chest. Though his eyes skin and fangs would make it clear he's not the hero some might expect to see dressed that way. "Get the Sorcerer Supreme to banish it or hurt him enough the body he's using can't stay in this dimension. Rocket launchers are good. If you don't have one, just run away before you get hurt."
"I am fresh out of rocket launchers. I shall have to improvise." The mask and the logo. That reminds him of someone else. Someone he hasn't met but is rumored has no fear. The Panther didn't know that this sort of thing was in his line of work.
"Also fresh out of sorcerer supremes." Still. Let's see what a little bit of Vibranium brings to the party. The Black Panther is faster and more agile than Vixen and he manages, barely, to duck the fist and retaliate with claws along the arm. That follows on to a leap up and over the things shoulder and more claws down the back as he slides off.
"What did you do to upset it?"
Mari will be okay right?
Zarathos grunts as the billy club hits him, his attention split three ways between his attackers. The club hits with enough force to knock him back a step or two. Which gives the Panther an opening.
An opening that the cat suited hero takes advantage off. The vibranium claws leave gouges in the demons physical form, red ichor dripping from them like molten lava.
Zarathos roars, trying to swat the agile super hero, just nicking him before his back left with grooves from the Panther claws. More ichor starts dripping, forming pools that sizzle on the ground as Zarathos arches and bellows in pain, moving backwards quickly to try and slam the Panther into a wall. Another gout of hellfire is sent in Reilly's direction - uncannily accurately given everything.
Vixen gives the young man a look. The mask and the logo reminds her of someone too … not someone she's met but there are rumours. She hadn't heard that he had an ability with fire though. Interesting. "No rocket launchers, as Black Panther says. But maybe this will help …" Vixen pendant glows as she summons three more spirits. A cheetah for the speed, a rhinocerous beetle for the strength and a rhino for extra thick hide.
"Incoming!" She tells the Black Panther as she barrels towards Zarathos. She's going to hit him full on, pushing him hard against that wall. Black Panther will be alright, won't he? He's got the suit and the suit should actually like this.
"It learned that possession isn't nine tenths of the law." Darkdevil answers. Avoiding the Hellfire, He disappears in a flash of his own Hellfire and reappears next to Zarathos, swinging a flaming staff at the demon's head. "Holy water? Church bells? No, that's for fairies and Zarathos isn't that cute. You know, when I say you should run away I didn't mean directly at the demon."
"Running away is still an option." Panther grunts as he's shoved against the wall. His suit does indeed protect him from that and more than that, it stores the energy from the impact. The purple glow of the weave gives it away. He takes the opportunity to apply the claws a bit more and then…
"Stand clear!" That's the only warning before he triggers the kinetic release on the suit and gives Zarathos a hit just like the one that Panther took a moment ago. Which is to say just like the one Mari gave him a moment ago.
Reilly's staff connects with Zarathos' head just as Vixen shoves the demon against the wall. That's nearly 50 tons of force at about 45 mph. The woman doesn't seem worried that she's squashed the cat-suited man either.
"I know. But you also said a rocket launcher would do …" Vixen grunts. It hurt, a lot, when she impacted and she's winded but … "He means it …" She dives at Reilly, intent on tackling the man out of the way and covering him with her body. He might blink though, which means Vixen goes skidding along the ground.
As Black Panthers suit triggers, Zarathos is thrown hard against another wall. The impact, combined with the one he just took, enough to break the body he's using. A gush of hell fire obscures everyone's view for the moment - and when it clears, there's only a Zarathos shaped shadow on the wall.
"Ngggggh… Tell me he's gone. Black Panther, tell me you're there…" Mari groans.
Reilly doesn't need the verbal warning as he has his own warning and teleports away to the top of a pile of rubble about fifty feet away. "He's gone." he assures Mari. Probably, he adds silently and walks over to inspect the shadow on the wall. "He was already weakened by the Sorcerer Supreme in the astral plane. Or wherever it was. Speaking of which…" He turns to look around at their surroundings."What city is this?"
"I am here, Vixen." Panther grunts as he picks himself up. Owie.
"New York. It is undergoing renovations." The Black Panther says, picking himself up. "Glad that worked. I did not want to have to get smashed again to deliver a second blow like that." Which he would have survived just fine, but it would have been somewhat unpleasant.
"I do not think I caught your name but am I mistaken to think you might be the one known as Daredevil?"
It's hard to blame him for making that mistake. He's never met the genuine article.
"Well that's something." Vixen picks herself up and shakes. There's a few grazes on her face and she's moving like she's bruised but apart from that, she's remarkably unhurt. Giving the Panther a quick once over, she moves towards Reilly. "I take it your suit protected you from too much damage?" That's to Panther.
"Astral Plane? I thought you were a local? As Panther says, you're Daredevil, right?" It's an easy mistake to make for those who don't know the devil of Hells Kitchen. "I'm Vixen by the way and this is the Black Panther."
Beat "What did you take of his that pissed him off so much?"
"New York?" Reilly repeats, taking another look around and shaking his head. "Impossible." Pause. "Unless I was away longer than it seemed. But this looks like it's years old." The Panther's question gets a snort. "Do I look like a ghost? It's Darkdevil. Vixen and Black Panther. Never heard of you." Charming. "He wants me to work for him. I said no. He doesn't give paid time off and works Christmas."
"His recruitment methods do seem to leave a bit to be desired." The Panther notes and gestures to the more distant, and lit up city skyline. "It is quite old yes. Not all of areas affected by the Blitz have been rebuilt. You did happen to arrive in a particularly bad neighborhood."
There's a short pause while Black Panther chews over 'Darkdevil's' words. "Ghost, you say though? I was not aware that the Daredevil was a ghost. Then again it is not like I am on his mailing list, so things might have happened. I take it, though, that you are aware of a place called New York but this one does not meet your expectations. Is it possible you are not quite in the… place you expected to be?" Not physical place, he means but more… is it possible his New York isn't actually this New York. It's an uncommon thing but having been an Avenger in the past, the Panther knows it does happen from time to time.
Mari snorts. "I think I have to work on my PR a little more, Panther." She's amused. Vixen isn't a big name, nor is Black Panther, but they get some publicity none the less. "What do you mean, 'way older'? What year do you think this is?"
That's got her confused and then some.
Panthers already asking the right questions and the spirit caller falls silent as she watches.
"He died years ago." Darkdevil tells the Panther as if this is common knowledge the man should know. "Of course I know New York, I live here." The Blitz. "What year is it? Still 2019? If it's not, I'm going to have words with Doc Magus." It wouldn't be the first time he's lost years so at least it's familiar.
"Twenty Twenty but only just." He's not that far off. The Black Panther considers for a moment before speaking again.
"The Brooklyn Blitz, though, is what I am referring to. The large sentinel attack on the city several years back? Does that ring a bell perchance?" If it does not, well, he may want to have words with the Doc Magus but he's probably not going to be able to.
"Doc Magus? Who's that?" Mari has a lot of questions coming and not many answers. "It's 2020 now. Fifth of January. But … the city's looked like this for a while. Like six years or so, when the Sentinels took out this area during the Blitz. Like The Panther says."
Daredevil died years ago? "Didn't I see something about Daredevil in social media recently?" She asks the Panther. "I didn't think he'd died …"
It's all very strange "Does Captain America, Steve Rogers, exist where you come from?"
"2020? Okay, lost a few days there." No big deal and not really surprising. "The Sorcerer Supreme." Reilly answers, not surprised at the question since not everyone runs with that kind of crowd. He doesn't normally. Blitz? Sentinels? "Captain American? Of course he does. He was killed a couple years ago and Thor transformed him into a star. I'm starting to get a really bad feeling about this. You're about to tell me he's still alive, right?"
"Quite alive yes. I've spoken to him recently. And Thor has not made him a star. Television did that." It's a little bit of humor to try to take the edge off the situation but like Mari, Pather is starting to suspect that Darkdevil is very, very lost in the 'I don't think we're in Kansas anymore' sense.
"I thought the Daredevil was in the news recently yes but I would have to check." In any case the Captain America thing rather cinches it, doesn't it.
"A star … Well, Steve's a star alright but only because he's a boyscout and is America's Ass…." because of course, Mari has noticed. "And the Sorceror Supreme is Doctor Stephen Strange. I've never heard of Doc Magus."
With a sidelong look to the Panther, Vixen sighs. "Dimensional refugee? I'll call SHIELD - they've a program for this." beat "You'll need somewhere to stay and some papers. Maybe Doctor Strange or one of the WAND agents can help you get back. My strength is fighting, not magic and all that stuff."
Spinning, Reilly punches the wall which collapses under the blow. "Doc Magus became Sorcerer Supreme after he kicked Dr. Strange's ass." he informs them without turning back. "Don't tell him that. It pisses him off." So even the Sorcerer Supreme is different here which makes kicking Doc Magus' ass impossible. "You do have the internet right? Tell me this isn't some backwater world without technology. And we're in America? Democracy in inaction?"
"Still the United States yes. The internet still has pictures of cats." Including the one who is talking to him, but Panther doesn't say that. "And this country still elects its leaders like savages instead of having a proper monarchy." That might give a little bit away to Mari about where the Panther is from but honestly, lots of nations have monarchies. Though not many have monarchies like Wakanda.
"It is starting to sound like you missed your mark by a few dimensional post codes."
"Is that how you become Sorceror Supreme?" Mari is momentarily diverted but places the call to SHIELD. After a few moments of talking with them, she nods "We've technology and internet. And I would say that America is democracy in action …" She gives the Panther a narrowed eyed look "There's few places in Africa that have monarchies." she notes. Yes. it narrows things down a bit.
"SHIELD are sending an agent to pick you up, they'll help you get settled." She adds with a sigh. "I go by Mari McCabe. SHIELD will have my contact details and I'll try to check in tomorrow, to see how you're doing."
The collapsed wall has the woman blinking though. "Sometimes we don't know our strength."
And sometimes we do. "I didn't miss it. I didn't book the ticket." Reilly points out, sounding kind of pissed off. Okay, fine. He's not in some fascist America where he'll have to become a freedom fighter and they have computers. "SHIELD. OKay, that makes sense I guess. Yeah, I'll want to talk to Dr. Strange as soon as possible. I need to get home."
"In that case allow us to at least escort you out of this part of town and see to some accommodations." Darkdevil can make more permanent arrangements after he speaks to SHIELD if that's necessary but for now he suspects that the young man would very much like a bed and a hot meal. And unless he's unusually well prepared, he's not carrying any cash.
"Shall we, Vixen?"
Mari chuckles a little. It's not funny that Darkdevil is stuck here but the snark from the young man is kind of impressive. He'll fit in well, she supposes.
"Come on, Darkdevil. Let's get you out of here. I don't suppose we'll be bothered by that guy again tonight." With a look to Black Panther, the woman starts moving … back towards the city.