11624/The Concrete Sprawl

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The Concrete Sprawl
Date of Scene: 16 June 2022
Location: Survival Training - Triskelion
Synopsis: Natasha Romanoff runs a group of SHIELD Agents through a discussion of urban combat to make some points on training and temperament.
Cast of Characters: Natasha Romanoff, Tom McCarthy, Jane Foster, Michael Erickson




Natasha Romanoff has posed:
For today, the survival area has been repurposed over as a city street. Mockup buildings established several stories tall, streets littered with barricades, barbed wire, improvised pillboxes. Lines meant to delineate minefields zig and zag over the street sections, there are positions for covering fire setup in the windows of the buildings, and there are small outposts where machine guns would be setup depending on the exercise.
    An urban jungle where a few dozen feet separated friend from enemy, the possibility for thousands of civilians that could be hostages, partisans in between everything, disruptions in communication, command and control..
    A nightmare.
    Natasha is speaking to some personnel being lined up. "Someone, tell me in a very succint form what is the proper methodology for urban combat. How to fight it effectively and win it. Something succint."

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Urban warfare wasn't something that Tom was unfamiliar with. Various missions in all sorts of cityscapes in all sorts of climates had Tom pretty well prepped for your everyday action. "If we are engaging a force in their own urban settlement, we are at a severe disadvantage. They are familiar with the terrain, buildings and defenses. They will often have more support from the locals, unless we're there to clear a regime." The man starts.

"Breaching doors and defenses need to be done quickly - focused charges. Recon and intel are critical in success." Tom comments, still looking about the would be arena, getting a lay of the land. "I don't suspect it's an every day thing, a force sent by SHIELD. A handful of agents, perhaps."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The redhead would just smile, "The normal method one wins at urban warfire is overwhelming firepower. Urban combat is something most armies attempt to avoid for a reason. It immensely favors the defender, and most military organizations have strict regulations on use of fire support in populated areas. And you are correct. Urban combat is generally outside of SHIELD's primary mandate beyond specific engagements."

She would smile at Tom, "Exactly, Agent McCarthy. The way one gains expertise in urban conflict is first and foremost by surviving it. Intelligence is critical. Timing moreso. Accurate intelligence from a half hour ago can be too late to be of any use when one is fighting building by building. An urban battlefield is chaotic."

Jane Foster has posed:
Urban warfare is not Jane's raison d'etre or her point of greatest experience, if anyone asks. Her file shows a lot of time spent on the mats or firing at stationary targets. Stressful environments with HYDRA -- so much HYDRA -- have made the proposition of a boring life as a scientific consulting agent not so likely. Not with the silent arms race between her and Jemma Simmons for scariest scientist this side of Reed Richards.

Jane, therefore, isn't telling Natasha anything about the troubles with the urban environment. Cement, glass, asphalt. Layers. So many things to /hurt/ her, hurt another. Blocked shots, civilian casualties. Besides, succinct? Tom has that down pat, and she nods in his direction. All that makes sense enough for the astrophysicist, whose idea of forced entry is probably a star entering another star's orbit around the galactic core. Weird stellar incidents that don't involve charges against a doorframe or pot-shots from a rooftop.

Tom McCarthy has posed:
There's a nod from Tom. "I used to hate dropping into cities, they were a crap shoot at best." He murmurs. "It's where I took the most fire, and where I got shot." He keeps an eye around the upper levels at the moment, looking to windows and rooftops.

"I only ever engaged in these sort of sorties when it was for a rescue. Thankfully." Tom mentions, his eyes back to Jane and Natasha. "There are other needs in that arena, of course. Elimination of specific targets and so on. Again, it'd be a very small squad."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would grin at Tom, "Quite. Something that a few too many fresh recruits forget. Or even those with field experience." There's a twitch of amusement in her lips. "Agent, please do tell our astrophysist here how things might go if you were to have to take that buliding." Natasha goes to point at one of the empty buildings setup for training, with various windows and sheets open depending on what the exercise might need to be used.

Jane Foster has posed:
An empty building spattered by windows and flexing sheets earns a look from Jane. Whatever her opinions are stay firmly behind her closed mouth, though she turns an alert, bright-eyed look to Tom in anticipation of what he might say. Unkind to give up the gig, for the most part.

"Does Agent Romanoff expect us to storm the castle? Glad I decided to braid my hair for the adventure." Yes, the hair. Nothing like lightening the mood while she waits with that solid, steady watchfulness.

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Turning to face the aforementioned building, Tom takes a good look at it. "Well, internally there could be barricades and deadfalls set to slow and stop any aggressors. The defending group will likely have full understanding of the layout, and may have modified it to make any building plans null and void." He looks then to Jane.

"They will have positions marked, to better offer firing arcs on the aggressors. They will have bottlenecks and killboxes, where they can rain down bullets, molotovs and grenades." A look around. "It's ... a literal death trap, if you go in one of the existing entries."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would smile at Jane, "I expect you to be able to survive when you storm the castle. Yes, you have exceptional combat skills anda bilities, Doctor Foster and I have seen you od things which the vast majority of our agents cannot match in the field. But Urban combat more than mos tother things requires awareness of everything going on around you."

Natasha would smile over in approval at Tom McCarthy< "Excellent and quite right." She speaks in approval over to him. "If you're after a target in a building to extract, they could be on a different floor than the one you were told they would be on five minutes ago. Normal entrances, exists, and abnormal ones are death traps. That's why most modern militaries treat urban combat as something to be handled by seige."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    In the midst of this, Agent (esque) Erickson appears, walking out across the far end of the 'street' with hands in pockets. Walking along as if it were, indeed, a proper stroll through the neighborhood. The man's black hair is slicked back and glittering with moisture from a recent shower, or perhaps gelled into place - it's so hard to tell, sometimes. The heat, apparently, is something he likes. Lean muscle rippling under the thin material of the singlet he wears over BDU pants tucked into combat boots. A faint smile rests upon his lips, rather amused for a man going the wrong way through a simulated exercise.

    But here he is, all the same.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane manages to not roll her eyes with 'extraordinary combat abilities.' "Hiding behind a table is extraordinarily cowardly. I'm quite good at avoiding live fire by removing myself from the vicinity," she notes dryly, rubbing the back of her neck against the collar of the SHIELD-standard coat. For training, standard duds are fine. It's only in the field she almost never wears standard secret agent attire. With a grimace, she shakes her head slightly and glances to Tom. "She's talking about you, you know."

Because the most accomplished thing Jane has done in the field, aside from throw a black hole -- an accomplishment in itself -- probably amounts to jumping into a dumbwaiter shaft and falling out, somehow, with Zola. Or Zemo. Or someone Z-like. Zatanna? Nah, she'd escape!

"Are we assuming multiple internal targets or just the one? A sweep with infrared probably helps narrow options. Lots of entry and egress points." Few of them a spider. She tilts her head, and then glances back. Here Michael is, all the same, and she waves. "Another person more competent at this than bog-standard science folks. Excellent." More people to be questioned!

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Of course, he doesn't understand what Jane is speaking after. "I suspect that she's talking about all of us?" Tom hasn't a clue. "Regardless, even if the agent has tech or abilities that make things a non-concern for them, there are still your teammates. Everyone who goes, comes back. That's what I always strove for, in missions."

"Infared can usually help - though high-tech targets may adjust for that. Your standard revolutionaries might not have thermal cloaking equipment or methods." A smirk. "Or be thinking in that aspect. I suspect that our people tend to go in when things are a bit more dire than clearing out a pocket of rebels."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would glance over at MIchael, "Ah, back amongst us on Terra Firma?" She would call out and then smile over to Jane, "And yes, I do consider that level of sel fpreservation something that is not uniform amongst agents." She would go over then to speak to Jane.
    "Doctor Foster, do tell us how many ways that Agent Erickson might have gotten killed walking about in some of the setups that Agent McCarthy has given us. You do have quite a mean, wicked soul, I'm sure you can give us some good inspiration."
    As Tom would go on she would smile, "Exactly. So when we go in, expect it to be even harder." She would wave at Michael, "And Agent, how would your own doctrine for urban combat treat a situation?" As far as the Shi'Ar military went? With all the disparrity in tehcnology, a soldier from a race could recognize Stalingrad no matter the battlefield.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane fiddles with the zipper pull on her coat, dragging it up a little higher to achieve a better fit on a garment meant for someone a bit bulkier or broader than herself. It's still light enough not to completely smother her in the heat. "Teamwork makes all the difference in the world. No one can be good at absolutely everything." A wry grin widens. "I've got no desire to be Doctor Simmons' patient. Anyone else, like the chief, can have my allotted share of time in a hospital bed. However, it probably wins no points to be the type to seek cover."

The reality is what it is. She grins ruefully at Michael and then shifts her attention off him to Tom and Natasha again, the redhead earning a raised brow. "Standard revolutionaries in a building have the advantage of height or mass. They could rig up common landmines to go off on approach. Tripwires, pressure plates, proximity triggers could all be used to detonate explosives easily enough. He's in the open, therefore he can be shot. As Agent McCarthy said, they can rain down nearly any kind of improvised weapon or take shots when his cover is limited. Sight lines would be available from the front of the building and the top, though anyone at the sides would be disadvantaged and forced to engage on foot or shift their position. An uncommon if plausible route would also be running him down from the entries. They could use a physical barrier to prevent him from hitting them, even if it's using a door as a riot shield. Imperfect, but possible. He also loses the elements of surprise and visibility for enemies if they see him coming; that gives them time to hide, hunker down, embed deeper, or employ decoys and hostages. They might simply kill whomever the target was if they didn't want to escape out the back. Am I headed in the wrong direction?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    Is he worried about having waded through a warzone, virtual or no? Michael nods once to the collective, turning upon Jane's query and looking back down the way. "Imperial urban combat doctrine," he affirms, "Involves bombardment with biological or radiological weapons ahead of advancement upon a population center - usually, of course, after the civilian population has been given a chance to evacuate. The majority of defenders are usually sludge upon the advance, leaving all this..." Michael waves vaguely. "Largely unmanned. Battle armor soaks up the majority of traps that aren't sufficiently disabled." Oh good. More magic from the Big Book of Alien Imperialism.

    Michael looks back to the trio. "Is this a lesson of some kind? I was walking the grounds, enjoying the sun. Can't wait for it to properly warm up." Because a hundred degree weather and choking humidity isn't 'proper', apparently.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Michael, "EFfective." That was the point of learning other doctirnes after all. She would give a nod over at Michael. "Oh, this is merely a discussion for training for some of our personnel that occasionally rotate in and out of the field. And you offer quite a good variety of suggestions, Doctor Foster. You've done your research." Natasha would qiup lightly while going to glance around.
    "Anothert hing to tkae of note is that often the local defenders will have secondary routes of access for transit purposes. Tunnels, subways.. Enough to move individuals through to allow for some level of reinforcement and redeployment. If you make noise, they can try and withdraw or send in backup. If they know you're after a target they'll put up a fight toe vacuate them."

Jane Foster has posed:
"Tunnels and subways? That's another thing to worry about." Jane adds that to the pile of problems she might encounter in the field. Her dark eyes scour the grounds as though she might uncover hidden warrens and tunnels hidden under the floor. "Remind me never to encourage war with a properly robust culture such as your own." Aside made to Michael, she looks up with a hint of a smile that lightens the weight of the statement. "From here, should we deploy Agent Erickson to climb up the scaffolding or are we about to be bombarded?"

The nice things SHIELD agents get to ruminate over.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "It is entirely a matter of necessity," Michael says to Jane, brows quirked. "Urban combat is the most lethal and slogging phase of battle to unfold - it is like a knife fight, you do not go into it with an expectation that you'll not be cut to ribbons yourself. You just need to ensure that you bleed less." A glance, then, between the two women. "Did you discuss rubbling yet?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would smile, "Oh, this is merely a briefing, after all. We want them to know what's going to possibly happen, then we send them in to see how they do, then we take them back and talk to them afterwords to debrief. Then we train. Then we do it again." She would nod at Michael.
    "I would assume that having to take a planetary ecumenopolis relatively intact would be something nightmarish."

Jane Foster has posed:
"Rubbling. As in making rubble?" Jane quirks a look again at Michael. "Or searching for treasure in a derelict building?" Hey, it's a different meaning from her neck of the woods and science than some, but who doesn't love spelunking in buildings for cool poster or signs?

The elements of the field exercise spelled out by the redheaded Russian fit together neatly enough. The building isn't a perfectly neat example of a place she's been, but sufficient to imagine paths in and out of the building. "Taking any settled planet is bound to be massively difficult due to the sheer size involved."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Easier to starve it out and force capitulation by blockade," Michael replies to Nat with a nod. "Or simply obliterate the planet entirely. There are many ecumenopoli in known space, after all. Some things are simply too much trouble to preserve."

    Then to Jane, another nod. "Urban combat is purely the domain of the defenders," he explains. "Though it causes damage to one's own home, destruction of buildings and other infrastructure into rubble, girders, and other detritus creates cordons and barriers that are not always easily surmounted by invading forces. Even Imperial forces struggle with this, especially when even though we have antigravitic armor and the like, it is difficult to survive when a city block is being brought down around you to cut off the advance." He's quiet a moment, then looks between the two. "If I may make a point you've likely already made, Agent Romanoff: To attack a city is a nightmare. Every building must be cleared, every tunnel purged. Behind every door a rifle or an explosive charge, every structure a waiting deadfall that can crush whole battalions beneath its mass. It is, truly, the most expensive form of warfare. Commanders go into it aware of this, and must be ready to spend dearly the coin of their soldiers' blood to successfully take a city - a city of which history tends to record there will be very little left when the proverbial smoke clears."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Jane, "Exactly, Agent Erickson. Taking a city is a death warrant. To those within it. To your own troops. To the city." She would let Michael take over. "In conflict, anything and everything acn be a weapon. In a city.. This is particularly so. Anywhere can hide a booby trap. Anything can be used for cover or concealment. Even wehn you clear areas and think that they are secure.. Well, the defenders can always seep in. They know the layout. They will move in while you sleep. Blocks will trade hands several times a day. Fighting in a city is death."
    The woman that lived through the eastern front of the second world war would note.
    "The way one takes a city? With blood."

Jane Foster has posed:
With a quiet twist of her mouth, Jane murmurs, "Stalingrad." Of course, trust a Russian to know the story that acted as the catalyst and microcosm for the Great Patriotic War. On such heroism and horrors were an entire generation or two raised, until the collapse of an iron curtain let light from beyond in. Her fingers cable the edge of the coat and she unzips it slightly again, since she won't be climbing anything soon. "Let's be clear, though. If we are attacking a city, something has gone entirely awry. We are not spies then, we are combatants in a war. One of our own. We went through that with the dead, the angels, even the invasion of New York. Let's hope to avoid such situations for at least another six months."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "It is with this in mind that I mined the entirety of Murray Hill when the so-called 'angels' invaded Manhattan," Michael points out. "And armored Grand Central Station. I wanted to ensure that should they come through the neighborhood, divine or not, these creatures would not do so again. They recognized this, and left that part of the city alone." A beat; he glances at Natasha a moment before turning his attention to Jane. "At the Battle of Stalingrad - the most extensive and famous example of urban warfare in this planet's history, I believe - an average of twenty thousand died per day for a little over five months. At Cora'gha Prime it was three hundred thousand for a year. On Mantacha, two point seven million for two. No matter where in the galaxy, the same reality prevails: cities are meat grinders, and the bigger and more established they are, especially on a galactic scale, you can lose the equivalent of planetary populations in manpower before victory is achieved."

    This said, Michael turns to look back down the street course, hands on hips. "Right. This is a competent setup. Eater-virii and neutron radiation waves aside, it would give an unaugmented unit trouble."

    Then he looks back to Jane. "You make a good point, Doctor Foster. However, might SHIELD agents not find themselves deployed undercover in existing warzones? Perhaps this training might aid them in surviving what goes on around them. I found myself dealing with partisans and such during my own military service before being fully rolled into the intelligence service, for example."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod at Jane, "Exactly. If we are attacking a city then something has gone horrifically wrong. If we are sent into a city in numbers against a specific target.. We have to be aware." She would go on and listen to the two. "But we all nee dto know it. How to handle it. What hte costs are. Exactly what the costs are." She would smile over at Michael.
    "YEs, and that battle famously broke the back of the Axis army. If not quite so much as it deserved by reputation." She would take a few moments to consider then as Jane would depart.
    "Are we supposed to fight this way? No, SHIELD doesn't have the numbers for it."
    She would continue, "But our agents need to know -how- these fights go. To understand desperation, brutality, and creativity. And that's something one can't learn without the experience."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "One cannot understand what it is to be stabbed until one is in a knife fight," Michael agrees with a nod. "Nor what it is to be punched until a fist is in one's face." With Jane taking her leave, Michael turns fully toward Natasha now, his expression turning slowly into one of mild amusment.

    "Funny," he points out, "How I tend to see eye to eye the most with the Russian operatives. Yourself, Dasya. Though I can see the hand of my own people in programs like the Red Room on this planet." A faint frown. "I do not approve of it, of course. But. We are here all the same. Best to find fellowship."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod soberly, "Just as we have the same viewpoint and perspective does not make it the right one. The Russian way of fighting in spies and war might get results, but that deos not mean that it is a good one. It does not mean that it is right. I fear that the things that made us.. Are all too common throughout the cosmos." Her tone somber.
    "So we are best served by stamping them out and ensuring that no more are made."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well said, sister." The man offers her a forearm to shake - and in doing so, a good view of the tattoo on his shoulder. Inked in metallic gold, a stylized raptor's head, and beneath in black squared glyphic letters what appears to be unit markings. The style is there, if not the understanding. "Well. Let us commit our brutality to just ends, shall we?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would dip her head over to Michael, "Da." Glancing over at it and gesturing. She would be musing now, even as on the other side of the 'training' field different agents would be going through the setup for different positions and eqiupment. "Let us hope that by making them go through the misery now they do not repeat it later."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Indeed." He withdraws his arm, then, and gives the course one last surveil before looking toward the campus. "Well. I have reports to write. Agent Romanoff, remind me later - I should see if you'd enjoy plying your craft offworld. Take care, won't you?" And with this he gives her a final smile and a duck of his head before heading off toward the towers, happy to have talked shop properly for the first time in a while...