2020-07-12 - The Jonah Incident

Summary:

An incident with Atlanteans in New York Harbor leads a team of heroes to a transformed Aquarium.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Sun Jul 12 02:32:05 2020
Location: New York Acquarium

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

gwen-stacyherculesbrandon-daviskeikokoa-turnerlaynia-petrovna

It's been on the news for the past two hours. There are Atlanteans in New York Harbor, and they are not happy. They are also not there willingly. The edges of the harbor have for the past little while been patrolled by large and aggressive marine life that doesn't seem to care about humans one way or the other but viciously attacks any time one of the dozen or so Atlanteans attempts to leave. The harbor has been cleared of surface traffic out of caution and the authorities are understandably nervous.

While speaking with the news in one of their brief forays to the surface (Atlanteans don't do well of the surface for more than ten or so minutes), one of the blue skinned humanoids said that they could hear something calling to the creatures from somewhere on land and blamed the surface dwellers for this mess. As that went out over the broadcast news, everyone knows about it and those inclined to look are very quickly led to the New York Aquarium whose marine life is also acting somewhat oddly and which, importantly, started to visibly glow as if it were bioluminescent somehow in the past hour. This of course caused it to be evacuated, so it is empty when people who can put two and two together start to arrive.

One thing very quickly becomes apparent. The building is definitely BIO luminescing. Portions of its structure appear to have somehow transmuted into a tough but decidedly fleshy mass that is glowing the same way certain kinds of deep sea marine life do and judging by the patterns emerging on the outside, that effect has spread outward from somewhere deep inside the building. It is even now creeping outward albeit slowly. It is also generating a sonic field that is clearly audible to anyone with enhanced hearing but is detectable even to normals in the form of a low grade headache.

Agent Koa Turner arrived three minutes ago. The WAND agent would have been here sooner but he had quite sensibly met one of the staff to get keys to the door. Which he is now unlocking. Ugh. It smells like the beach in there and not in a good way. Salt water and rotted plants. Ugh.


Evidently, someone from the Greek quarter in NYC was in the aquarium, because a hurried phone call got made. While it's not bandied about, it's spoken quietly that the son of Zeus once again walks the earth, striving to set things right. Hercules seems to tower over the evacuating civilians and WAND agents who might be on scene, as he walks up the steps towards the aquarium doors with a kind of deceptive gait. It almost looks relaxed, except for his furrowed brow and the way he pauses to crack his knuckles. Seeing Agent Turner with the keys, though, he smiles broadly. "Ah, excellent… we won't have to break back in.


"What is that smell?" Keiko Kurita follows Koa into the aquarium, wrinkling her nose at the smell that assaults them. It should possibly be remembered that the woman 'grew' up in central america and Limbo - surf and beach aren't really her thing.

The tattooed woman - there's not one part of her arms and shoulders that aren't covered in ink - holds a small metal rod loosely in her right hand as they move. That's when she see's Hercules and looks up …. and up … "He's huge" she asides to Koa, not particularly quietly and without the trace of a smile on her face. "Do you … know him?"


Brandon didn't really feel obligated to bestir himself on behalf of some Atlanteans but he was curious enough to watch the news about it. That they blamed surface dwellers is surprising in the same way that it's always a shock to have the sun rise in the east. When the news starts reporting that the Aquarium was glowing, it lent enough weight to their claims that he decided to look into it.

His power armor form touches down just outside the entrance and, finding the door open, he walks in. Fortunately, he has no sense of smell when he's transformed so doesn't even notice. « Eyewitnesses, gawkers, or strike team? » he broadcasts to those he finds inside. « If the first two, it would be a good idea to run while you can. »


There's a quiet landing outside, and a webstrand left hanging, as Spider-Woman makes her entrance into the aquarium behind Koa and Keiko. "Uhm… the smell is fish," she suggests. "At least, I hope it's just fish." She tightens the straps on her ever-present backpack, and moves to stand beside the others, hands on hips as she looks around.

"Well, I've been—" She pauses, and tilts her head to look around. "….Hunh? Do I look like a gawker? C'mon." She shakes her head, "As I was saying, I've been brushing up on my biology lately, and in my educated, professional opinion… I have no idea what's going on here."


Agent Petrovna, the Darkstar was actually flying a routine patrol when the event started going south, activating her comms she radios in and learns the Agent in Charge is one Koa Turner. Oh, that's good news! Even as she is flying to the site, she calls ahead - knowing that Agent Kurita is also likely present, she reaches out to both over their SHIELD comms. «Agents Turner and Kurita, Darkstar is en route and will be on site…well, now.» She's coming that way, in fact she'll be landing outside and then running into the wall of funk. "Bozhe moi…that stench…" Entering after Brandon and the Spider-Woman, Darkstar is surrounded by darkling energy, the Darkforce sheathing her form. She is dressed in her physical costume as well, the older one from her Cold War days, not the version made of Darkforce.


Koa is not a small man. He is in fact quite solid and well built with rather broad shoulders but Hercules absolutely dwarfs him. It makes the WAND agent let out a low whistle and a chuckle. "I know of him, Keiko. And hello. Yes it is always more convenient when you don't have to kick a door down."

Well. For Hercules the convenience is probably relative. But it's definitely nicer for the people who own the door.

"Hello Spider Woman. I really really hope the smell is fish." But it might not be. Well…

"Definitely more along the lines of strike team, sir. Glad to have some help." And there's Agent Petrovna as well. Koa tosses her a salute and takes a look around the lobby. The outer portions are still stone and steel but the inner portions are all that fleshy, glowy mass. THe good news is that means there is definitely enough light to see by in here. Though it really, really does smell in here.

"Not much in the way of magic." Koa murmurs to Keiko and Laynia. Which is good news in a way and sort of bad news in a way. The floor and walls of the fleshy part are dotted with some kind of green pustule that smells even worse than the rest of the place. And then they have their first obstacle. There's what looks like a curtain of bristly hair hanging down in the first hallway about thirty feet in.It's rather stiff and while it is packed into neat rows it's close enough that squeezing through especially with the bristles is just likely to get people caught.

"Um." Koa frowns and stares for a moment. "Is that a curtain of baleen?"

Um. Yes. Yes it is. Experimentally Koa walks up to it and shoves. Unlike regular baleen, this stuff is QUITE sticky.

"Oooohkay…" He says pulling his hand back and wiping it off on the wall. "That's gonna have to be moved."

As Koa steps back his boot brushes one of the pustules which immediately begins to leak a fluid that starts eating away at his boot. The agent pulls his foot back quickly. "Ick. Watch your step." That was VERY easy to breech and some of these look like they're under pressure.


Hercules seems completely unfazed, but then, it's Hercules; hard to top the things he's seen. He does smile at Spider-Woman and Keiko, though the smile fades back into a frown as he rubs his beard, studying the 'curtain' and the pustules. "I wonder how strongly it's anchored?" He peers up at the ceiling, tapping his chin. "Although," he remarks, taking a step to avoid stepping right on one of those pustules, "I wish we could drain these first. It's like a minefield, or caltrops."


Keiko is tiny and would be lucky to make Hercules hips, seriously. "Who is he?" Ever so blunt, the small agent doesn't smile back at Herc but she doesn't bear her fangs or hiss, so there's that? Not that the Hero will realise that's her being 'nice'.

"Bay what?" she asks Koa as she pokes at the bristles with her rod, watching as the senior agent gets his shoes eaten.

"Where would you drain it to? If that's as corrosive as it looks, any leakage might eat the building away. Well, what's left of the building …" It's looking more and more like a demon to Keiko as the time passes.

"WAND Agent Keiko Kurita, and you are?" That's to Brandon. The fact he spoke in her head isn't good. "I'm small, light and agile enough I can likely get over those but I'm sure that's not going to much good. My opinion is we hit them."

Because that's Keiko's solution to everything.


Gwen lifts one hand, intent on just grabbing the baleen with some webbing so she can pull it out of the way. Except… "You know, maybe we should just work out how to go around it?" The Spider-Woman shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I mean, it's baleen, right? So it's… alive? So, if we go poking and prodding at it, it might not react super well to us doing that." She pauses, and ahems, "Which, I know, prodding things that don't respond well is totally part of the super-hero job description, but we might wanna know a little more first."

A quick jump sees her crouching upside-down on the ceiling, as she crawls up closer to the baleen. "I dunno, we're all strong here, let's just go through the wall?"


« You can never tell. » Brandon answers. New York City is brimming with costumed people, many of whom are in Times Square next to the Statue of Liberty and the Naked Cowboy. At the warning about the pustules, he lifts off the ground a few inches. While it's unlikely the acid will effect him, being solid energy, it would make it dangerous for the others. « Call me Sarge. Lets see about that curtain. » Curtain of whatever. Lifting an arm, he hesitates when Gwen chimes in. « Alive? »


A smile of greeting to Koa and Keiko, and then a nod to Brandon (since neither of Keiko nor Koa seem worried about his presence), and a blink at Hercules. That is one very large, very very muscular man, and oh hey, Spider-Woman, she's seen snippets in the news.

Watching the testing of the pustules, which is a grody thought, she frowns a bit. "Well, I could create a platform for people to walk upon, and I am not sure what Baleen are, but if they live we might well aggravate something big." She discretely creates a mouth and nose cover made of Darkforce because the stench really /really/ is vile. "Or we could go through a wall, da." Her accent is upper crust Russian. "I suggest a wall, or if we can get line of sight I can create a portal."


"Sarge then." Koa nods and approaches the curtain of stiff hair like projections again. He grabs one and wiggles and their respective positions Gwen and Herc can see that while they are strongly anchored they are not all THAT strongly anchored. Someone with superhuman strength could probably just pull them off the roof. And while stiff there is enough give in them that it might be possible to restrain them with webs. Alternately she is correct, someone strong enough could just push through. The trick is really untangling yourself on the other end.

"Possibly alive?" Koa says to Gwen, Brandon and Laynia's concerns. "I mean the matter is definitely organic and the walls at this point feel kind of like very tough flesh." He makes a face. "It is enough to make me wonder if the building isn't being turned into a whale." In which case what happens to all the animals inside?"

"A platform is probably a good idea, Laynia, if for no other reason than at least that way we won't step on these acid sores or ulcers or whatever the hell they are." They still have to watch the walls though.

At this point though a new complication is introduced. Wind. Some powerful sucking force draws inward, making Koa brace to prevent from being pushed into the sticky hair curtain. It abates after about ten seconds.

"The hell?" AAaaand then it reverses. Blowing back the other way. Again, it abates after about ten seconds.

"Right well. If anyone has any ideas we should probably try them." Even damaging the hairs at this point and inflicting 'injury' to the building is probably preferable to letting it complete its transformation. And while they do have some time to play with it is starting to become unclear just how MUCH time.


Hercules feels that as well, and the stink is starting to get on his nerves. He's no stranger to foul odors, but this is starting to drag out. "Alright, let's not get bogged down here." He picks his way across the floor up to a section of baleen, peering up at the ceiling first, before reaching out to take a BIG fistful in each hand. "Ladies, gentlemen, back up a bit. Let's see what happens." And with that, he gives it a good -yank-.


"If the building turns into a whale, does that make us Jonah?" Keiko asks. No … she's not joking either, she's serious. There are *major* gaps in her education and sometimes she manages to piece information together and come out with *interesting* folk lore.

Spider-Woman gets a look from Keiko, questioning. "I'm not keen to get stuck in stuff and I'm not that strong. Making a path——" Ooooh, it's breathing and Keiko holds Koa's arm to steady herself. "That's … not good. There's nothing in this building that should do that and if you think it's turning into a whale, we might end spat out on a spout of water."

Hercules is doing is something, so Keiko steps out the way.


« Turned into a whale? » It's a somewhat disturbing thought to be walking around inside a creature. Brandon's broadcasting so everyone's on the receiving end of his telepathy. « If this is alive, was that it breathing? » Exhale, inhale. Bracing himself, he prepares for the result of Hercules' experiment. He's sure it's going to end badly.


"Yeah, I'd say the place is turning into a whale, alright." Spider-Woman pauses, and shakes her head, "Getting voluntarily eaten by a whale was really not what I had in mind when I accepted the super-hero gig, but here we are, for the protection of the people of New York and some Atlanteans." She crawls along the ceiling a little closer to the baleen, pausing to hang on tight as the wind comes in, one way and then the other.

"Hey," she cuts in, just as Hercules is getting started, "I don't think I'd— okay too late, you already did it." She lets go, dropping down off the ceiling to land beside Hercules (who probably makes her look like a tall hobbit by comparison). "Alright, direct approach it is. So, what would cause a building to turn into a whale and cheese off all the critters in the bay?"


The platform forms underfoot, a textured ribbon of Darkforce designed for good traction, Laynia doesn't take chances with /high molarity acids/, thanks. She herself will hover, but hey, not everyone can fly, after all. She can't help but shudder at the image of a building turning into a whale with THEM inside, that cannot possibly end well, not at all.

When Herc seems intent on just ripping the hair-like baleen apart with his hands, she floats back, and angles out of the path of the breath.

She is actually a bit bewildered by Keiko's question, particularly when she realizes it is serious.

"Mor importantly…/who/ would cause a building to turn into a whale and cheese off all the critters in the bay, da, Spider-Woman?" Laynia asks.


Fortunately, the response that Brandon is bracing for is muted. There IS a response though. There's a rumble deeper within and the places where the baleen was hung start to weep some kind of viscous black fluid but there's no earth shattering rumble. There IS another cycle of 'breathe in, breathe out' though which makes navigating the passage sliiightly tricky.

"Well much as I might like to say 'magic' and act all wise and mysterious, I have no idea either who OR what." Koa answers the questions of 'what the actual hell.' "I can tell you that it probably ISN'T magic based on my senses. Which means it has to be 'natural' somehow." Which is slightly disturbing.

"Breathing is the working theory, though, yes." Koa notes to Brandon and just gives Keiko a look. Her reading comprehension leaves something to be desired.

Herc's direct approach does reveal more hair but there's only a few layers after that. The whole 'wall' was only about five or so feet thick and once enough hair has been pulled down or moved out of the way they can proceed down an increasingly organic and increasingly MOIST corridor.

"Occam's razor says that it's most likely that both things have the same cause given that they happened around the same ti-holy smokes…"

The corridor had wound about a bit and so Koa had been thinking out loud as they moved through an increasingly pustule filled environment but now they have come to a room that has clearly warped some from its original proportions. At the far end, about a hundred feet away, there is what is a 'valve' which is to say a circular opening of flesh that can expand or contract to let things pass through. It is currently shut. Between where they presently are and that valve is a pool of the same kind of acid that the pustules contain. Only, you know, about a hundred feet around. The room is being fed by four fleshy, conical openings at the top which are draining acid in at a fairly steady rate and it must be draining because the room isn't filling up any more than it is already. The valve opens a little bit periodically but whenever the acid laps against it, it squeezes shut again.

Koa rubs his face and looks about. It STINKS in here.

"Alright. We need to find a way to shut those acid vents." They're in the stomach aren't they? This feels like the stomach. "Keiko I don't suppose Araranet can climb over there and tickle that valve to open up when we get the acid down a bit?"

That acid… it might do cloth. And it might do leather. And probably flesh but… armor? Hrm. Well maybe not. And Herc's tough enough that maybe, just maybe, he'd be alright getting it on him. Though, possibly not his clothes?


Hercules makes a gagging sound, and curses quietly in ancient Greek. "Blast. I'm glad I didn't have lunch yet." He glares at the pool of acid, and shudders. "I think we are in the stomach, Agent. Or some analogue. This sort of… sorcery can be inexact at best." He pauses, then continues, "To be honest, I don't think I've seen this sort of thing before — ever. Perhaps our darkness-conjuring lady could help plug the vents as well?" This really is an -unpleasant- adventure, and at this rate he's going to have to burn his clothing, he just -knows- it.


Keiko can see the looks from Laynia and Koa and ignores them. She's good at that but she does wonder what she said this time.

"Natural? How? Have you seen any reports about that technology?" Because she hasn't. Not that that means anything - Keiko really doesn't read and her education of the world came mostly from Spanish Telenovellas.

"She can, yes." The spirit spider, a huge South American Bird Spider that has a leg span of about 24 inches, appears. It's slightly deformed with scales instead of hairs - giving a vaguely demonic aspect. The spider is already starting to climb the lining of the stomach but waiting to be told when to move.


« You hurt it. » Brandon says after Herc's effort gets a response. « Whatever is causing this, the creature itself is innocent. » Yeah, stomach definitely seems likely. « I doubt this is deliberate. Turning a building into a whale is stupid. It would die since it can't get to the sea. »


"Well I did have lunch and I'm refretting it right now." Gwen puts one hand over her stomach, and sighs softly, before looking up at Laynia. "I'm willing to bet if we find what's causing all the changes, we might get some insight on that, but right now my priority is not ending up like the corndogs I ate an hour ago."

She gulps audibly, and looks upwards at the… "They're called sphincters, incidentally. And yes, I guess we need to close them. I feel like my webbing isn't going to work here but it can't hurt to try."

The Spider-Woman holds her wrists up and lets fly with a couple of big globs, aimed at one of the valves. Are her webs acid-resistant? Well, no, in all honestly, but if she can time it right and gum one shut, it might still work? Maybe? Maybe.


Thankful, more than thankful that she thought to mask up early, Laynia blinks when they see the 'stomach', and even with her efforts this room is /foul/. She really doesn't want to think what it would do to someone with super senses, honestly.

The Darkstar smiles behind the filter-mask she improvised, and then she floats into the stomach chamber, extending the platform for the team. "Well, my constructs are about as strong as tank armor…I could plug the vents without too much trouble." Indeed, she creates a wide platform for everyone to stand on.

Provided nobody objects, she'll do just that, plugging the vents with large 'corks' made of the pseudo-material that is Darkforce, neither matter nor energy but something of both.

"It is interesting that this is a 'natural' process, though. It seems more in tune with magic." She ruminates even as she creates her 'corks' and plugs the vents.


"Well when I say natural I mean it is not putting off any obvious magical energies that I would associate with spells or rituals or the like. So it's either very subtle magic or someone has come up with some really gross superscience here." Or both. Sometimes people blend the two to break all kinds of rules.

At any rate while Spider Woman's webs are not acid resistant they also don't dissolve instantly in it and she does succeed in gumming up the first sphincter and it will probably stay gummed for a while. Definitely long enough. As Laynia goes to work on the others the acid level starts to drop and it's enough that when Araranet reaches the vent at the far end it can tickle it open and on they can go. Though after they get the vent open two little sea-bug like things climb out of the acid and start chasing the spider. They're not big enough to be a threat to any of the people but if that spider gets pounced on Keiko is going to be hurt.

Also those things - like everything else in here - are gross.

While that is being dealt with one more thing presents itself. About fifty feet past the now open vent there is something at once both normal and unusual. It's a metal and thick plexiglass wall. Which is curious. It's probably the remains of one of the aquarium tanks but it hasn't transformed for whatever reason and it's blocking their path.

What's the bet that behind that is whatever is causing this mess? Fortunately… there are people here who can remove and obstacle like metal. Even more fortunately, the odds that blasting it or otherwise tearing it apart will hurt the building are fairly low. Probably.


Hercules crosses the nyctolithic bridge formed by Darkstar, as the valve opens. His jaw clenched, he pauses to put his fingertips against the metal and plexiglass wall, sensing for vibration or some sign of 'something behind'. "Unless someone has a better idea," he politely informs the others, "I'm going to give us a door here. Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be fresh air behind it." His tone strongly suggests he doubts it, but then again, you never know, right?


"Or maybe there'll be acid or worse. What is usually behind the stomach on most beings?" Keiko asks, distractedly. She's watching Arananet and has that weird double vision thing happening - seeing the world through Arananets eyes and her own.

"By the Darkchilde!" She swears as the two sea-creatures appear, Arananet scurries to get away. The Spider isn't a fighter, not really - she's a utility spider and she normally relies on stealth. The spider drops from the wall, in her hurry to escape - into the acid that lines the floor.

Almost immediately, blistering burns appear on Keiko's arms as the spider is burnt and slowly evaporates to smoke ….


Brandon turns to look at Keiko at her exclamation but then flies through the valve with the others once he sees she's only injured. From something. And the valve won't stay open long. Hovering in the center of the room, he looks at the plexiglass. « Can you see anything on the other side? » he asks the god. « Does the other side appear to be filled with water? » It's difficult to tell in this lighting. « You okay?" he asks Keiko.


Spider-Woman cups her chin, "What's usually behind the stomach? Uhh, a body. I haven't recently disected a… a building turned into a whale or anything, but I'd be guessing flesh, bone, gall bladder, liver, kidney, all that sort of stu—WOAH!"

Gwen watches as a pair of critteres go after Keiko's little spider-critter, and she dashes forwards (as much as she can), holding her hand out to… nope, too late, much too late. "No! no no no no, not the little spidey, he was so cute why did he have to get dissolved? Now that's sad," she complains, standing at the edge of Laynia's platform and holding her hands up to her face. "In these disputes between Atlanteans and Humans and Buildings turned into whales, why is it always the little ones that have to suffer?"


Laynia moves to Keiko, alas she doesn't have any sort of healing power. Worse, she was too slow to get a platform under the falling Arananet, double fail. Not cool.

She does have a bit of basic medical training, and will (if allowed) treat the burns as best she can with limited resources and tools to work with. "Do you wish a portal…?" She offers to Keiko.

"Definitely focused on the gross aspects." She answers Koa, and then a nod to Hercules about making a door. She keeps concentrating on the platform, even extending it to give the Lion of Olympus room to work on that door.

She can't help but wince as she sees the injuries to Keiko's arms. She doesn't know the spider, but ooh, consumed by acid, awful way to die. She so gets Gwen's distress.


"There is something." Koa says peering. "Some kind of… I don't know. Machine? Go for it, Herc. Or… anyone else who cares to get this thing open."

One way or another the wall comes down. Hercules does not find it difficult nor would Brandon if he decides to pitch in.

"It'll be back, don't worry Spider Woman." Though Keiko is going to be burned for a bit.

There is indeed a small machine about the size of a large metal clip board sitting rather incongruously on a plastic table in the middle of yes, what definitely was a drained tank. Herc's wish for fresh air appears to have been heard. The tank has functioning ventilation. Probably it was the water pump system but it is moving air at the moment.

The table itself has wires and such running all over it and the device is hooked up to them. "Is it as simple as…?"

Koa unplugs it. And yes. It is that simple. There's a shudder in the building and then it begins to change back. Slowly, but back all the same. Another half hour or so and it will be back to normal.

There's a window in the device and something is inside but it's not clear what because of the angle it's at. As to who made it? Not immediately obvious but it is definitely land-dweller tech. Maybe a closer examination will bear fruit.


There's something satisfying about feeling metal yield under your hand. Hard to explain, really — but Herc thinks of it as similar to how a blacksmith feels working metal with tools. The wall now has a nice big extra-large door shaped hole in it, and the god looks around suspiciously before eyeballing the device. "Seriously?" he points at it, looking at Koa. "I know, I know, size isn't everything but…" His expression is utterly confused, as he approaches, peering into the window on the device. "What technological deviltry is this?"


« Probably governmental. » Brandon suggests. « They have the resources to develop something like this and the strings to pull to get it installed in here. Or one of the marine scientists got ambitious. There would have been security cameras. It should be possible to see who did this if they didn't take steps to avoid being recorded. »


Gwen can pick up a car and chuck it, but she's got nothing on Hercules' strength and she knows it, so just this once she stands back and lets him do his thing. With a nod given to Keiko while she waits, "OKay, that's a relief and I'm glad to hear it. I hope you're okay, too."

Once the hole in the wall is made she springs across the intervening distance, and scrambles through the hole and up onto the ceiling on the other side, just in case. In time to watch Koa unplug it.

"Well… that was anti-climactic," she points out. "I mean we literally had to find a way through a ginormous stomach to get here and you just… unplug it, and everything starts going back to normal? Keep your eyeballs open, I'll keep my danger-sense peeled, that can't be it." She points at Brandon, "Sarge has ideas, he might be onto something there, too. This whole thing stinks. And not like fish."


Laynia is just…flabbergasted at the relative ease, once through the most disgusting funhouse ride ever. Eyes narrow as Brandon suggests government conspiracy. That resonates. Of course former KGB from the Cold War? Everything and anything can be a conspiracy plot!

She then just shakes her head. "This is madness, why make such a device? I am not technologist." Far from it. "But…this…this has no possible use I can discern, turning a building into a whale?"


Keiko's face is a mask. There's no pain showing despite the fact that the blisters are obvious on her body. "I'm fine." Is all she says to Brandon because you don't admit to being injured or not ok, that's a sign of weakness.

Gwen nearly makes Arananet and that makes Keiko look at the woman. Most people run from the spider in terror. "Arananet will recover. It is the convenant we have." She says in that mutt of an accent of hers.

"No portal." That's to Laynia. She knows that people are just trying to help - but it's so ingrained in her to just not … do it.

As to the device, Keiko waits to see if someone will take it - if not, she will. "Maybe we interrupted whoever was doing this …" Or maybe it was a sprat to catch a makeral. "Can we get the video footage from today?" That's to Koa.


"If I had to guess, controlling the sea beasts was the point and the transmutation was just an after effect." But Koa is guessing. He keys his radio. "Turner to Baywatch, any change in the sharks?"

"They just started dispersing. I'd say whatever you did it worked."

"Good to hear. Send a team over and we'll-"

Koa is GOING to answer Brandon and Keiko because of course the footage is a good idea and yes they can get it. But he doesn't get the chance. As Hercules bends over to look at Gwen's spider sense goes nuts. A fraction of a second later the device sparks and begins to arc blue-green energy everywhere. Gwen can avoid it easily. The others might get struck or have to work at it.

Either way just a fraction of a second after that there's a wave of energy from the device that Brandon will identify as 'close to psychic' and abruptly everyone everyone's vision switches.

Water. Lots of it. There is the sound of drums and large outrigger canoes slicing through the waves. Shouting. People at war. They can see what appears to be a fleet of outriggers, people with wooden spears and knives and clubs fighting looks like an army of sharks. The great aggressive fish attack the boats or leap up and try to knock the people on them into the water. In the water itself divers try to rescue those knocked overboard and a desperate bloody struggle stains the sea red. Some sharks attack others, supporting the humans and some absolutely MASSIVE shapes battle it out deep beneath. Blue skinned humanoids also fight, mostly against the sharks attacking the humans.

And then they're back. They're all back and the device is dead. Inside, what Hercules was trying to look at, is a very, very old shark tooth necklace.


Hercules pretty much gets a full dose of it, and when his vision clears he's on his back, more startled than anything else. "Poseidon's beard," he splutters. Sitting up, he shakes his head. "Did anyone else see that? The… vision? Atlanteans and surface humans, battling sharks and sea-beasts?" He clambers to his feet. "I wonder if I set it off…" he remarks ruefully. Thankfully, it doesn't do it again, and he studies the sharktooth necklace inside the box.


"LOOK OUT!" is all Gwen manages to get out before all hell breaks loose — or rather, a whole bunch of electricity. She jumps from ceiling to wall, and ducks behind a… a something (let's face it she wasn't really checking what it was) just in time to not get flash-fried by electricity (it was electricity, right?)

That doesn't stop her seeing the vision though, and that is… that's something else.

"Yeah, I saw it," she gasps, poking her head up from behind her hiding spot. "I could'a… could'a gone all day without seeing that, and I'd have been perfectly happy, let me tell you. Could'a just webbed up a mugger or two, had my corndogs and enjoyed them, maybe gone to White Castle for sliders later… isntead of seeing that. 'Poseidon's Beard' is right, what the heck did we just see?"


…Once he comes out of it, Brandon walks over to look at the box then take a closer look at the necklace once he sees it. « That's the cause. » he decides. « All the wires and technology was just to harness the power and maybe direct it. » If so, not very well. « That has a psychic resonance which we just picked up on. So the question is, did whoever did this try to start a war with sharks or was this an experiment to figure out how to use it against a war with sharks that might be coming »"


Laynia staggers, and all her constructs fade away - which makes her very glad she was in her physical costume, and not a constructed one. Leaning against a wall, she nods. "Da, visions of blue skinned bipeds, and sharks, fighting." She confirms.

Looking about, she crinkles her nose. "Still a bit whiff."

Unfortunately she has no mad skills of a technical or magical flavor. Looking to Brandon she shrugs. "Either way is not pleasant."


The psychic vision doesn't set well with Keiko and obsidian scales seem to form on her skin. When the vision subsides, she's dug her claws - yes claws - into Koa's arm and it's an effort for the lizard eyed creature to call herself back.

But call herself back, she does - the scales receding and disappearing along with the claws.

"We'll need to get the mystics at WAND to look at this. They might be able to tell us more." It's likely they won't but hey, they need to try, don't they.

"We're staying to secure the building, yes Koa? And then heading back." It doesn't matter if she's injured, that's the job.


Koa is blinking and shaken when he comes out of it. "Ow." Keiko gets a look. Claws! Ow! "We are staying yes."

"There are old, old stories of a war between humans and sharks but even those of us in the weird world never thought much of them." Seems they might have been literal. Is this then a relic of that time? And if so, yes, is someone trying to start a new one?

"SHIELD will be arriving shortly to secure the area. Those of you who don't work for us you have my definite thanks and if you don't want to be interviewed Agent Petrovna can portal you out. If any of you want to follow up on this just call WAND and ask for Agent Turner." Or do their own investigation which he suspects some might.

Speaking of which Herc will most certainly notice that the shark's teeth have designs carved into them. Easy to memorize and something he can definitely ask his own people about later.

And with that Koa turns his attention to coordinating with the arriving teams as the Aquarium slowly turns back into a place that smells like fish and not the inside of a fish.


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