12667/On Watch At The Watchtower

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On Watch At The Watchtower
Date of Scene: 03 September 2022
Location: Monitor Hub - Watchtower
Synopsis: Carol returns from interstellar patrol to find Superman and Black Widow at the Watchtower. Discussions of an alien insect Legion landing on Earth take place.
Cast of Characters: Clark Kent, Carol Danvers, Natasha Romanoff




Clark Kent has posed:
    Today finds Kal in the monitor room, sitting back in one of the chairs with his feet up on the desk. Nobody escapes a shift up here now and then, which is only fair to everyone involved. Besides, Earth was having a rare dry spell for Superman-sized crime which let him get in some of his hours for the month.

    Besides, after somehow missing the arrival of the Legion meteorite, a lot more eyes were watching space around the planet to try and avoid any more incidents. Which led him to his next train of thought - There would probably be people heading into the tunnels tonight if the word he got from his various contacts as Clark was correct.

    Keeping an eye on the monitors, he took a drink from the soda he had next to him. Perhaps today nothing out of the usual would happen.

Carol Danvers has posed:
The scanners conduct their silent sweeps of the surrounding solar system as Kal relaxes with his thoughts. The quiet whir of the fans and other computer components provides a nice background noise. At least for normal people, hopefully it is the same for someone with super hearing.

Though the quiet introspection might be broken when a light flashes and an alert noise is sounded by the monitoring system. The screen quickly brings up a display of the solar system, zooming in on the Earth and Moon.

A dot is put on the screen along with an alert in large letters.

Incoming hyperspace passage detected.

A few bits of data scroll up the side of the screen, providing more information as the Watchtower's sensors automatically focus in on the energy distortion of something coming out of hyperspace travel.

Within moments, a small vector showing direction and speed are added, showing a path towards the Moon, and towards Watchtower itself. A moment after that:

Cosmic energy signature consistent with white hole energy employed by Captain Marvel for interstellar travel.

Comms established. Captain Marvel identification confirmed. ETA to Watchtower: 45 seconds.

Clark Kent has posed:
    The sensor alert pulls him out of his thoughts for a tense moment before the incoming blip is identified and tagged. Kal swings his feet off the counter, dusts it off with a corner of his cape and turns to face the door.

    "Let Captain Marvel know I'm in the monitor room once she comes in." he says to the otherwise empty room, knowing that the Watchtower A.I. will pick up on the command. Which means that once she clears the airlock, the system informs her of Superman's current location and lights up wall panels leading that way.

    When Carol comes into the room, he stands politely and steps over to her, offering his hand as he greets her. "Welcome, coming back from anyplace interesting today?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers strides into the room in about the amount of time one expects to get from the landing bay up to the monitor room. She's wearing her full body uniform, a recoloring of her Kree Star Force uniform, rather than the costume she's been seen in more recently on Earth, a version of an old Ms. Marvel costume that she's been recolored to her blue, red and gold.

"Kal El," she says with a nod of her head and a smile. "Stuck on monitor duty today?" she asks with a lopsided grin as she walks over to shake his hand. After she turns to head over for a water dispenser, getting a long drink, then moving over to a coffee pot.

"Just doing a little sightseeing along the boundaries of Kree space. Making sure they aren't up to anything untoward," she comments to him. "Saw a skirmish with another race they've been feuding with for awhile, but nothing of concern for Earth." The details will no doubt go into a report for the rest of the Justice League to read. "Everything quiet on our little blue slice of heaven?" she asks, glancing out a viewport towards the Earth that looks so small in the distance.

Clark Kent has posed:
    "Well, mostly. We've got a bit of a bug problem at the moment. Somehow we missed an incoming meteorite carrying some sort of silicon based life on it."

    He turns his head to address one of the computer consoles directly (Not that he needs to, but it's habit) "Pull up holo Legion 1." The display in the center of the table that fills the middle of the room starts displaying a somewhat hostile looking insect-like creature.

    "Ever run into these on your various travels? Apparently they're eating glass and fiber optics, scientists think to make more of themselves. They also seem to have a very adverse reaction to radio waves, a number of people have been injured or killed for carrying radios or cell phones."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff has been paying more attention to things in space in the last few months thanks to the establishment of the spaceport and a permanent presence on the planet of various star empires. So she's been working over on familiarizing herself with the state of intergalactic politics. Normally the provenance of SWORD, but also something that's likely going to be something the Avengers will be called in. So with the fought off invasion of some years ago from the Chitauri, the attack last year of the Imperial Guard that had reached a detente..
    She now had to ensure that she was caught up over on current interstellar events. Another whole level of threat to acclimate to them.
    She would glance over at the others while she would enter in. "I encountered some scouts of their's underground that had taken over a subway station. They were driven off. I don't believe they were any remotely large scale hive network. A scouting or salvage party. They were capable of being injured by small arms fire in concentrated barrages." That's how Natasha called it after all.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol turns back from the coffee pot with a mug of coffee. The mug reads "World's Greatest Dad". She gets a slight grin as she takes a sip from it, wondering whose it is.

The blond woman walks over nearer to Superman and the monitors. "Doesn't look familiar," she tells him. Switching the coffee mug to her left hand, Carol works the arm-mounted controls of her suit. It quickly interfaces with the Watchtower computers. "And, nothing in my suit's database on them," she confirms.

The woman's head swings to the side as Natasha comes in. "Nat, didn't expect to see you here," she says to the super spy. "Thinking about joining up, or just come to enjoy the view?" she asks in a half-teasing voice.

Looking back to the screen, Carol says, "I'm willing to help with them if you need. I assume we're trying to keep them from getting established and spreading? Any plans in place to relocate them or is a more permanent solution being employed?" she asks. Such as small arms fire in concentrated barrages perhaps.

Clark Kent has posed:
    "Well, at the moment they seem to be somewhere under New York and keeping relatively quiet, so the usual people are battling over what to do about them. Scientists want to study them, the military wants to eradicate them, and various animal and alien rights groups are trying to get court orders against hurting them. Since they're not a clear danger to anyone yet, we're kind of sitting on our hands here. Which is why it seemed like a good time to get some of my hours in up here."

    Looking over as Nat steps through the door he greets her with a simple "Hello Natasha, anything we can help you with?" then says to Carol "Natasha was one of the people who went into the subways after these creatures blocked a train and attacked some of the people in it. That's where all our current info comes from, in fact."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Carol, "Consider me interested if the offer is open. I'll be more than happy to take it. It's better to coordinatea mongst the various groups. I'll understand if there is some information in turn you don't wish to be shared with the Avengers or SHIELD and I shall do so if you request it." She would go to gaze out along the horizon.
    It is a very nice view. And one she rarely has time to appreciate.
    "I'd presume they're insectoid in nature. They're not the Brood nor do they appear an offshoot. I'd surmise they have a hive intelligence with more organization if they can send out dedicated foraging parties and reconaissance groups. I'd guess they communicate by psionics or as you noted, some sort of radio or electromagnetic waves."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol makes a bit of a face. "Never been a big fan of giant bugs," she comments. "Though I try not to hold it against the sentient ones. Still kind of weirds me out," she adds with a little shiver.

"Well, I suppose communication would be the first thing to try? Maybe get Martian Manhunter to try telepathy? Or if he's not available, I might be able to call in a favor or two and get another," she says. Thinking of a little school in Westchester.

"But I imagine sooner is better than later if they might spread. And if they are attacking people?" she says, then taking a sip of her coffee.

Clark Kent has posed:
    "Some of my contacts have gotten word that the city has asked some interested parties to head back down the subway and into the opening they created, kind of scout out what they have going on." Turning to Nat, he continues "In fact, I heard both your and Clint's names are on the list for that little excursion. I'm sure Tony has some body-cams you can wear down there, which would give the rest of us a look as well."

    He sighs a bit, "My vision isn't actually doing a very good job on this one. There's so much old lead piping in the depths of the city that there's whole sections where I can't make anything out, and on top of that, they kind of blend into the surrounding rocks. No body temperature either. They are very good at remaining unnoticed unless they want to show themselves."

    "We just aren't sure what they are up to. They landed in upstate New York, burrowed to the city, had a single incident with the subway, and haven't shown themselves since. We need information badly so we know what stance to take."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "Yes, I'm going to be joining the assault party. It's well within my level of experience." THe woman that had been in tunnel fighting as a young child would note with almost a look of cheer. "We'll need to get some reconaissance data. Until we do it's not clear if we'll be going with a sweep and destroy maneuver or trying to simply gather data. We'll have to figure it out on the way." She would nod over at Clark.
    "There are other ways to detect them beyond body temperature, but given how well they tend to mesh to the tunnels an areas we'll likely be ifghting them, we'll likely only be able to tell when they're at close range. I prseume that they'll use ambush tactics to strike at us and try to pincer and flank the team. They'll likely cut us off at a point and try to run us down by attrition. Heavy losses are acceptable to ensure the safety of the hive, particularly if the drones can be quickly replaced and supplies and morale are not a limitation."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol leans back against a counter, moving her other hand back to hold the coffee mug with both as she takes a sip. "Have they shown that kind of insect mentality? That is, just because they have that form doesn't mean they necessarily behave like Earth insects. There are plenty of examples out there of insect hive mentality without the form, or of the form but civilization not that different from us. By which I just mean, if we haven't actually spotted that yet, might not want to make too many assumptions," she suggests.

Another sip of the coffee. "Anything else on our radar of late?" she asks Kal-El. "I think SWORD has dealt with the intelligent space slime infestation finally," she adds. That was one the Justice League hadn't needed to have a hand in.

Clark Kent has posed:
    "Once again, not enough information. They've only been encountered the one time, and seemed to be going by instinct to attack anyone with a transmitter. They didn't seem to pay attention to losses, from the reports I've read from Natasha and others who were down there. That's part of the reason for sending people in, to try and figure out exactly what we're dealing with."

    He shakes his head, "Nothing new that other groups aren't handling, anyway. Sometimes I think people look at calling the Avengers or Justice League in as the last resort once everything else has failed. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, I think it makes people feel a little safer to be able to go "Well, Iron Man's not here, so it can't be _that_ bad."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod, "I'd primarily call this something of more of a SHIELD level operation. Matches the parameters an da number of personnel that are likely to go along. We can pass along what information we get to the res tof you. A nd ultimately this is quite likely goingto be a strike mission. We need intelligence on them. That best suits SHIELD unless the circumstances escalate."
    She also doesn't say that it gives them mroe tactical leeway than some of the Avengers or Justice League might be comfortable with if they need it.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers moves back to the coffee pot to refresh her cup. One shortcoming of long long interspace flights. No fresh coffee.

She stirs in a little more sugar and cream before turning back. "Alright, well I'm available if needed. And I agree with you Kal. And probably for the best sometimes if we're not all called in. I mean, Hulk. Collateral damage," she says, giving a faint grin. "Though the same can be said of me at times, so I shouldn't throw stones."

She gives a little stretch to each side. "Looking forward to getting in a shower. It was a three day scout and I only touched down on one planet to get to clean up," she says, making a face.

Clark Kent has posed:
    Superman nods, "Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the idea of not flinging energy bolts and the like around under the foundation of a major city. Quick and quiet with contained violence if they're forced to it is best for a scouting party like this. Between Natasha and Clint I'm confident that any attackers can be handled without blowing out whole sections down there."

    Glancing up at a digital display, he says "And that meets my hours for today, so I'll also be heading out. Natasha, I'll be at the subway station when you guys go in. If you get hit by anything just yell and I'll head into the tunnels. Figure that's the best way to handle not being able to bring radios or phones in without drawing an immediate attack."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Carol and Clark, "We'll see what we can find. And who is deployed. But yes, a smaller scale military operation and strike team is more efficient and doesn't risk collateral damage. Based on what we know if the moment. Having the rest o fyou on standby for backup if needed or if we find circumstances permit heavier hitters ot join in is useful. We'll have a better ideda when we hit underground."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers looks over as another of the Justice arrives to take their shift. She moves nods a greeting but moves away from the monitoring console to not distract them as they go through the normal checklist of someone just going on duty.

"I'll probably head back down to the mansion," she comments. Not against using the teleporter rather than flying when it's close at hand as it is. "Don't suppose either of you know how the Red Sox are doing? I miss getting to check the scores when I'm away," she says with a grin.

Carol finishes off the cup of coffee and then goes over to wash it out and replace it in the cupboard.