1609/The Bells: Whispers in the Dark

The Bells: Whispers in the Dark
Date of Scene:	10 May 2020
Location:	Eastside - Queensland Park
Synopsis:	SHIELD agents and Asgardians attack the Shadow consuming Metropolis: and work to return it to prison.
Cast of Characters:	Loki, Daisy Johnson, Thor, Dane Whitman, Jane Foster, Jemma Simmons, Clark Kent, Lois Lane

---

Loki has posed:
Metropolis is in very bad shape.

Mechanical scouts sent inside view streets of people collapsed and comatose in appearance. Scans say they are still alive, but over time, their life energy is being feasted upon. Small black shadowspawn creatures of various kinds skitter the streets, assaulting anything in massive numbers that tries to come and deal with the problem.

And over everything is that massive cyclone-like cloud, blotting the sky and sun, hanging like a low monster of pollution tight over Metropolis. Ghastly long cones of darkness touch down here and there within the city like strange long, alien limbs, and the vibrating sounds of hypnotic resonance are powerful.

Something new has happened, though: heroes are consistantly poking at the monster and the city, and perhaps the monster has drawn in enough power, or become finally so annoyed that something has changed. The shadowy masses of creatures are mobilizing visibly, all moving out from under the smokey umbrella. An attack is coming, oriented to the north.

It is looking at Gotham.

It is a perfect time to either sneak in underneath, or to engage the shadowy minions to stop them from taking a second city....

Daisy Johnson has posed:
It was time to defend Metropolis, and get through to the creature. So after all the research that had gone towards it by the R and D there was only one thing left to do.

Team SHIELD Assemble!

Which meant a mix of field agents and specialists to deal with this crisis. Dressed in her normal black uniform, goggles on her eyes and commlink to connect to her teammates Daisy is just stepping out of the Quinjet that brought them here. She looks up at the cloud forming up. Yes, she had seen the mechanical scouts reports. This was serious. Very serious.

"So, what do we have to work with?" she asks, finishing getting her gauntlets in place, her eyes glancing back at the assembling team.

Thor has posed:
    In the shadow of the great funnel cloud, there is a flash of movement near the rooftop of an outlying building. Some distance from the dark, and off away from the tendrils that reach out and grasp toward the city streets. In the chaos of the moment, the whirling whorling of the dark, it would be easy to miss the two figures lighting upon the roof, landing as one releases the other and then the larger steps toward the edge of the building.
    "This bodes ill, brother." Thor turns his head to the side, frowning as he casts his gaze down and then back toward the great madness above. "If you would serve and gain my good will then aid us here and now, lest those below suffer."
    He turns, the great hammer Mjolnir swirling in his hand once with a faint whom, and that black and silver armor gleaming, "What say you?"

Loki has posed:
"Mmmmhmm. The prison the creature was contained in is broken, I looked into it last night on my own: I don't know quite what you expect me to do about /that/," Loki answers Thor, miffed, but not precisely /unpleasant/. He is in his own style of battle regalia: without the helmet today. No need to suddenly make some SHIELD ranks panic unintentionally. Intentionally is another story, of course.

"I won't be making any prisons from scratch today, for reasons I know you are aware," Loki adds, informational. He is maintaining protection against the hypnotic sonics for himself and Thor, by way of enchantments. For now.

"For reference, I didn't let this thing out. Although I know it's fun to blame me for everything." Loki watches the sky with a mix of faked disinterest. He is interested.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"The two of us, A truck full of prototype equipment being driven by a pair of geniuses, our mostly newly-issued protective earplugs, and...that looks like about it." Dane Whitman, currently also hopping out of the back of the Quinjet, "I don't know if we can get some floodlight and incendiary loaded choppers or Quinjets out here, for support but I doubt I've quite got that much pull." Dane moves over and starts working feverishly to unhook the truck that's been airlifted by another quinjet so the aircraft can get away. "So we're probably going to have to clear a path to setup the photon cannon...and we're going to have to keep the shadow-things off of Jemma and Jane while they get it deployed right under the epicenter of that....thing." He adds, a bit more grimly, "And bad comes to worse, I can probably pull a lot of the shadow creatures away."

Jane Foster has posed:
Metropolis, supposedly one of the nicer cities in the US, wins no points for tourism today. Handsome buildings under a choking mire resonate with incurious shadows, feasting on innocent citizens. Her earplugs in place and a kinetic strobing effect of rapid-cycling through distortions, she remains squarley in the field of Team SHIELD.

"Phosphorus rounds, stun grenades, daylight-modified wattage burst bulbs, magnesium flares. Dragonfire, though I really suspect that's a fancy name for gasoline with a fuse. We avoid collateral damage, all the same. None of the civilians have a way out." This brings a frown to her face, worry streaking and melting away like rain on a window. "Make sure you have Dr. Richards' backup earplugs in if you do not have ours," she advises Daisy, soft and measured. Hopefully something heard through back window of said truck or some alternate rigged up arrangement. As drivers don't read tablets or cellphone data, those are available to interpret. "We might not have enough pull, but Morse and Hill do. We get word if anything goes pear-shaped, or we end up separated. Mind the red serial-marked boxes in the back, it's a variant on an M202. It's not a flamethrower." Totally is a flamethrower. "Let's avoid the bad-comes-to-worse propositions and remember..."

Her head tilts up, peering through the windshield. The storm swirls, and she's looking out for something. Someone, maybe.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    There is absolutely no good reason why Jemma should be out and about. After being a part of a capture team that almost went wrong. Certainly for the scientist, considering the modified leg brace she is wearing around her left thigh, a Simmons special to allow her to move freely without too much assistance. But, it also means she is not running any marathons, either. Still, regardless of her physical condition, Jemma was not about to shirk her friends. And so...she is sitting in the front, alongside Jane.

    Not that Jemma is not without her own array of toys, as well. "We didn't have enough time to add cloaking to the assault vehicle." What? They could do that? Apparently. "But we did add some countermeasures to the truck to keep the shadow entities away. And we should have enough weapons in the back to light up the night." Sitting next to her, on the front seat, is the familiar case with the DWARFs in place. "And, we do have air support should we need it." The hand taps the case, while Jemma doublecheck's her own earbuds, their own design with slight modifications from Dr Richard's specifications. "If we need to, we can take care of ourselves in the truck. How about you two? Will you be okay out there?"

    There are some more dials and buttons in the truck that were not there before. Including one, with Fitz's slanted handwriting, marked 'Death Blossom'. That...must be for the grand finale. If only they can get close enough.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Music to my ears." Daisy says through the comms to the rest of the team as they start going through the plan and to all the toys that were brought in to play tonight. Yes, time for a certain shadowy monster to discover what Team SHIELD was all about. And she makes sure to get her backup earplugs in. A nod, "Don't think we will get more backup than we do right now. Besides, quinjets firing off on that thing may call too much attention on us." she says. "So sneaking in may just be what the Doctor ordered."

"Dibs on the flamethrower." Totally a flamethrower. And she goes to help get the truck prepared for them to get on their way, hopping up atop it.

"I have a trick I may try on them, if they communicate through sound. But we will see how it goes." because vibration is all about sound!

While she sets up the totally-not-a-flamethrower she casts a look at Jemma on the front seat. Worried? Maybe. But well, she did want her friend to get out of the lab.

Thor has posed:
    Standing tall upon the edge of that building, the Thunderer frowns and motions with his hammer, gesturing to the horizon as he frowns. "Whatever it is, it has set its sights upon the city of Gotham." He grimaces and shakes his head rolling one shoulder through its range of motion and murmurs. "Perhaps it best I gain its attention, buy us some time as you ponder up more elegant ways to offer samplings of your wit."
    As he says that he takes a deep breath, a flicker of electricity dancing across one now glowing eyeball to the other, the clouds above taking on a darkness all their own aside from the foulness that holds Metropolis hostage.
    It's a roiling of clouds that others might well notice from far and near, the way the swirl begets stronger motion high in the sky, and the way flickers of lightning lash from place to place until the first few strikes of lightning lash out toward the foul creature of shadow.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Good Call, Daisy. Do you have precise control on your frequency? Simmons might have a few she can send you to counter some of their communication and hopefully keep them off-balance." There's no armor or magic weapons from Dane just yet. That's for when they need to distract the creatures. So he grabs the next flamethrower and climbs up on the truck too, taking a moment to help both Daisy and himself get rigged with quick-release harnesses that should keep them keep their balance while along for the ride. He crouches down and slaps the top of the truck, indicating that he and Daisy are ready to go.

"Not my usual style, but I'll make do." Dane says with a grin, feeling like he should have a cigar to light with that pilot flame on the end of that flamethrower, but alas, he's not that recklessly cool.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane is thoroughly appraised of Metropolis streets, probably better than she is the Bronx or Staten Island. Her usual stomping grounds extend around Manhattan and sideways into Brooklyn, not much else. Poring over the grid so they lack a dependency on any internet connection or map program goes with the lay of the land. "We can take care of one another. That means you too, Doctor Simmons, if anything comes down to it." A narrow splint on her wrist still braces the bruised flesh and bones from a last encounter with a reluctant, malfunctioning cryopod. Still, she can maneuver easily enough, keeping a keen eye for any of the blank, unmoving civilians. Looking over them, most specifically, and for signs of those wisps falling into place.

Their path charts a cautious route into Queensland Park, piercing into the heart of things on a somewhat circuitous route to avoid the unwelcome funnel clouds daring to touchdown. Ahead of them, the world is ablaze in painfully white-blue light, small stars flanked by a few other arrays. No sudden swerves or turns, one has to hope, especially with the pair of agents in the back.

She hums a certain Wagnerian song, da-da-da-DA, da-da-da-DA, a little /too/ Apocalypse Now for the heathens.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    Brown eyes glance over to the wrist brace...then flicker down to the thigh brace...and Jemma sighs softly. "What a pair we make. Battered and bruised...and still running into danger." There is a soft laugh from the British doctor, as the song is recognized, but not commented on. Jemma does, however, keeps a close eye out on the ever-growing danger outside, as she basically is playing navigator to Jane's driver. "There are a few more surprises that we did manage to get into the vehicle. Fitz did rather enjoy himself. He likened it to outfitting to fight vampires. I swear, he may have watched one too many movies."

    Still, a couple nervous glances is cast backwards to the two others in the back....and the array of equipment. "He particularly kept quoting some random science fiction movie from the 80's. He said that I would understand once we are within range." Then...to the two in back. "Let me know if you need the frequencies. We did manage to program the drones with cacophony cannons to distrupt communications, should the time arise." Also known as really powerful small speakers. Cacophony cannons just sound cooler.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"You know, this reminds me of a movie." Daisy says to Dane while they are getting hooked up to the truck and getting their flamethrowers set up. "Robocop 2...?" then a grimace. Ugh, noone should be able to remember that movie. But Daisy is that kind of person. But things get more serious once they are off so Daisy speaks up to Dane. "Yea, I have a good enough control, should work."

She gives a thumbs up to the people on the front. "Yes, or play them for me if you got a recording and I can go from there." she tells Jemma. Then she turns on the flamethrower. No cigar either .... She is sad, but determined.

Loki has posed:
Above the shadow's main form, something is happening. An unnatural storm is brewing, in the high atmosphere. Is it related? No, it's from Thor.

The cyclone above Metropolis ... begins to move, though. It's faster than it should be, at that size. Forming out of the sky like a foot of a tornado, a city block wide, a massive limb drops down into Hell's Gate, hauling the rest of the mass after it like so much heavy baggage.

The main core of the sound has moved as well, and even from here, some of the effects show: a helicopter out of control in the distance goes spinning, until a hero responds to catch it...

Clusters of shadowspawn are released, gobs of five or so to a group, starting to exit Metropolis's center: various shadows here and there near the agents are all going one direction. SHIELD has an 'opening' to do something, as many smaller monsters move Metropolis towards Gotham. ...Of a sort.

Not every monster looks away, there are some present, and a patch of three give chase to the vehicle, their maws open and screaming. Might get to test the flamethrower.

--

"I don't need to ponder, they come naturally," Loki answers Thor, subdued, but does step forward, throwing a magical flare airborne. It streaks upwards, growing into an enormous feathered mystical summon, that crackles with thunder and light, wings expanding, magic flowing through it, conductive to Thor's storm, adding and building through it: and being a big target.

Thor has posed:
    Even as the storm rages, the wind now whipping around their perch, the Asgardians focus on doing what they can. Thor stands there brow furrowed and focused in concentration as he looks across the way with lightning still flickering back and forth across his eyes, then lancing and leaping over the silvery scale armor of his arms and over the hammer in his hand, gathering and swirling.
    On the Avengers frequencies there is suddenly the sound of that wind whistling and muffling across whatever microphone is used, then Thor's voice is heard as he calls out on the communications frequencies they use.
    << This is Thor. I am at Metropolis. Are there any other Avengers here? The situation seems dire. >>
    Peraps others in the area might pick up, or perhaps SHIELD Comms might as well.

Loki has posed:
Additionally, more of a lightshow begins high up there, flashes of red, streams of power of some kind. The creature is becoming less of a cloud, and more of a long, distended ghastly spirit, having formed two eerie legs, and some of an upper torso. The top seems tied up by the things high in the air, for the moment. But for how long?

Dane Whitman has posed:
A burst of flame erupts from Dane's flamethrower towards one of the shadow-creatures that gets too close. "Robocop 2? You seem kinda young to be the person that saw that in theaters." He quips to Daisy with a grin, not actually enjoying himself but what kind of superheroes don't enjoy a bit of quippery while they work?

Another burst of flame lashes out at yet another creature, "If these things start throwing face-grabbing globs at us, though, I'm totally blaming you. They might be upset about being associated with that movie."

Jane Foster has posed:
Time to pay one back to Asgard for a favour, much as they can. Terra isn't without its own resources. Jane brightens the high-beams to a painful phosphorescence, splintering the shadows to pieces. Fire and light strafe the tumbling visage of the sky as she swerves into alignment with Queensland Park, going for the actual park that gives the place its name. One tremendous advantage of being someone who regularly studies the sky: she knows mathematical angles like the back of her hand. Literally. Knuckles used to measure degrees and mental equations spun to give her an accurate trajectory all come to pass. She damn well has little trouble tracking a relatively fast moving celestial body relative to her own moving location, and it's not going to hurt now.

"Jemma, how soon do you expect to get this rig going? I'm working out as clear a shot as we can get without running into the suburbs." Peassenger friend is a passenger.

One sight in full view has her knocked back a bit. "Is that a /thunderbird/? Impundulu, maybe? We have friends in the sky. Careful, cornering!" To the prospects at hand, she slows down the truck to allow Daisy and Dane time to jump out, if they have any wishes to. Otherwise, nothing like circling and letting light and fire do the trick. Or giant mirrors arranged in hexagonal arrays like telescopes, but hey. Humanity's had a few hundred years to master death rays, lasers, peering into the heavens, and they have little issue making it shiny and friendly at ground level for unwelcome shades.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Theaters?!" Daisy just laughs at that. "Netflix, Sir Dane. Netflix." the answer to every youngster that likes going over those classics. Of course, also admitting having watched it is bad enough in and of itself. But yes, it -is- good to keep the quips going. It helps to take the stress out because... Shadow monsters incoming. She unleashes with the flamethrower to create a fire barrier of sorts towards the assorted monsters, hoping to turn them into crispy lil things.

But then a communication over at their line. There's a lot of intermixing with SHIELD and the Avengers afterall, what with all the people belonging to both groups. << Quake here, we are on route to the epicenter to attempt to take the creature out. Look for the flamthrowers lighting it up >>

No jumping out for Daisy though, she keeps up on the truck for the moment.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    As Jane flicks on the high beams, Jemma reaches over to press a couple of buttons on the dashboard where the radio might have been. In fact, it really would look like a radio...and might have been. But...it definitely has been repurposed. A couple of buttons and two light bars, on either side of the truck, explode into light. The darkness suddenly becomes bright as day. As the light flares up, Jemma's calm voice breaks in on the comms. <<Just look for the brightest object heading towards the breach. Floodlight up and holding.>>

    Then, an answer for Jane. "Just get us close enough. If I know Fitz, we are going to be in for a grand show the moment we press that button. Though..." Jemma leans back to Dane and Daisy. "...I recommend you two jump out when we do this...and don't look up. The photon cannon will slide out of the back door and point straight up. If this works as designed, it is going to look like a miniature Sun. Not recommended for eye contact."

Thor has posed:
    << Ah, excellent. We will be with you shortly! Endure! >> The strong voice is heard upon the comms, vibrant and bombastic then the transmission cuts.
    "Come brother, we're leaving!" The words are uttered over his shoulder even before the lightning finishes dying down upon his limbs. The tall Asgardian turns and extends a hand toward Loki even as the hammer in his other hand starts swirling around in a blur of motion, making a low /whum-whum-whum/ sound as it builds up speed.
     "You do realize this would be much easier if you could fly." He says that rather matter-of-factly as if this was some great character flaw to be added to the list to be addressed by some intense personal scrutiny. But then there's a flash of lightning above and shortly thereafter they are on the move again.

Loki has posed:
"Why bother, you're covering it~~" Loki answers smoothly to his brother, as if Thor were somehow serving Loki's needs by providing all the transport. Loki shapeshifts into a bird, but STILL doesn't actually fly, he just adds himself to Thor's shoulder and preens his glossy black feathers.

The creature above them is continuing to form into a more physical shape, drawing power and energy fiercely from the city. Even those not in a trance may start to feel that pull, that leech. It's hungry, and needs it to continue to gain power.

Or perhaps more accurately, it is healing. Overhead, the light show continues, red flashes, blue, lightning! It starts to lean downwards, as if starting to squat onto the city.

Around the shield group, so far they've kept their immediate area clear, with the use of massive lights, but that's showy for other reasons. Is the big monster now noticing them...?

Dane Whitman has posed:
As the truck slows down and he hears the description from Jemma, Dane hits the release on his harness and hops off the truck, also setting aside the not-flamethrower that is totally a flamethrower. Given that they're near the epicenter now, it seems like it's time to draw the line of defense.

Still no magic...not until he thinks they need the distraction, but that hardly leaves him unarmed.

The entirely non-magical photonic shield materializes on Dane's left arm, and the photonic sword is activated in his right hand. Being made of pure light, that shouldn't exactly be pleasant for these things.

Then again, Mjolnir is on its' way, which might well be as attractive or more to the creatures than the Ebony Blade in any case.

"Time to start firing up those frequencies, Daisy. Try to break up any large groups and I'll try to pick off the stragglers that make it through."

He does glance skyward, towards the creature, frowning.

"Bad comes to worse, The Ebony Blade can probably kill that thing...maybe...but I think I'm going to need a pretty obvious weak spot for that to work."

It's a bit of an unpleasant fact for Dane that there aren't many things the Ebony Blade /can't/ kill, even if some of them might require particular circumstances.

Jane Foster has posed:
The truck isn't being rigged for speed given its cargo, living and engineered. SHIELD R&D can put out just as much dangerous materiel as the likes of Stark Industries. Jane thus takes no risks that would end up with them on the receiving end of a lightning bolt or shadow tentacle, or even smashing into a curb. The actual superhumans gone airborne or tumbling out the back have the advantages of survivability if things get tricky. "One of these days, we need to take Daisy to an actual movie theatre. Even /I/ get out to them," she muses, knuckles tightening as she keeps the truck on a straight, mobile path. "Fitz did right by us, or at least our friendly stallion. Not a pegasus, but it will do." With a sharp smile, she veers sharply to cut across an alley and patently ignoring the one-way sign, but not a few pedestrians presumably like zombies on the sidewalk. Veering around them isn't terribly hard.

She nudges the ICER by her holster, and looks out the window, but shooting at things isn't her job. Yet. Keep them moving, shifting target lit up like the Fourth of July and the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, all rainbows and disco gaudiness.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Time to go! But daisy is totally bringing her not-flamethrower. Reasons. She will wait until it's close to go time on them activating the cannon before doing it, she doesn't want to be too far from the truck, so as to be able to protect it.

She unhooks herself and jumps out, a small gesture with her hand a slight directional adjustment in the air with her vibrational powers to land on the ground without falling.

"Theaters make me turn off my phone." She tells them through the comms. As if that was a prime reason not to go.

But then it's time to get up on those frequencies. She focuses, taking in a breath to reach out..., out and out towards the monsters soundwaves. The objective? To disrupt if she can.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    Shooting at things isn't necessarily Jemma's job, either. But, performing technological feats of derring do? That is definitely on her resume. The case besides Jemma is opened, revealing the DWARFs...ready for flight. But, this time, the configuration of the drones is different. The case reveals the drones arrayed in a octogon format, with a slender tether to what looks to be a facetted crystal. And...as an extra interest, there are mirrors upon the drones, positioned to point back to, for all intensive purposes, the solid clear football (soccer for those American folks). A tablet, slid in a pocket, is extracted as Jemma starts keying in commands for the drones to take the moment the truck gets in position.

    A glance is cast over towards Jane, as a small smile appears to curl the corners of Jemma's lips. "Stage one of our Death Blossom. We get this positioned and we are going to see a light show that will rival any other."

Thor has posed:
    Toward the brilliant light, slicing across the heavens and illuminated briefly against the chaotic tableau behind, the Asgardians must to the aid of their comrades. It is a rush of movement, a roar of speed and wind through the wild hair of the God of Thunder and the fathers of the God of Mischief. Until the pair draw up short, floating there for a time hovering above the side of the truck then dropping down with a /crunch/ of boots striking pavement leaving Thor there in full armor with a black raven perched upon his shoulder.
    "Agents, I bid you greetings." Thor's voice is strong and firm as he looks them over, eyes flitting first to Dane and giving the man a nod, then to Jemma. But it's when his eyes fall upon Jane and he draws up short. And there is such a brightness that touches his eyes, as if suddenly everyting stopped. "Jane." It's brief, and perhaps not noticed as he clears his throat and nods, "I trust you and yours have a plan, how may I be of use?"

Loki has posed:
Something odd is happening with the creature, it is still there, but it is really looking hard at another target, now. Over by Gotham. And it is hungrily sucking life from all it can reach, to get stronger. Or perhaps more accurately, it is healing.

Loki reforms into himself, but doesn't chatter, he throws up a mystic shield around the immediate area, with an annoyed expression. Very put upon, and it comes with a sharp side-eye at Thor. Thor's seeing this, right? Credit better be given. "It's going to kill everyone soon, by the way," Loki drawls. "Maybe we'll want to put it back in it's prison?"

MAYBE.

Overhead, the light show continues, red flashes, blue, lightning! Much excitement! It starts to lean downwards, as if starting to squat onto the city. Then there's more of a defined face, aimed at the small war of heroes. A giant maw of fangs that leads into an abyss of darkness, instead of a head. Columns of shadow reach out like thick tongues of blackened tornado, grappling. They twist and reach, giving chase to a few central targets on the edge of the city. So interested in those, it is....

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane gives Thor a nod, and seeing no mini-creatures incoming now, he calls back to the crew on the truck, "It looks distracted. I think this is our shot!"

A bit more quietly summing up for Thor, "We've got a light-based weapon on the truck that we're hoping is going to weaken or eliminate this thing. We just need time for it to deploy." A pause as he realizes who he's talking to and who's with him. Buuuut now's not really the time for introductions, really.

In the meantime, he takes the moment to peer towards the creature, to see if his illusion-piercing sight can discern some kind of truth that might lead to a surer route to victory. Maybe a long shot, but likely little harm in trying.

As he focuses on that, he catches on to what Loki says, "Prison? What Prison? And how do we get it back into it?"

Jane Foster has posed:
Forget astrophysics, Jane has a bit too much experience slaloming cars through cities. She tries her very best to avoid rolling over lawns or greenspaces out of respect for Metropolis, but sometimes a shadowy horror escaped from its prison calls for secondary measures. Until she hits the brakes, not hard, but enough to pull the truck to a stop. Seeing the Asgardian princes lighting up the sky at speed commands no less; she's only human. Also, speeding off into the opposite side of the park might give the wrong impression to Thor or Loki.

Loki, who first earns the look of those infinitely expressive chocolate eyes. They widen at once, showing white, and then narrow. Her hands tighten on the steering wheel, but the stiffened tremor runs down her arms slightly. That mild splint velcroed around her left arm covers up the uru relic clamped to her wrist, one that bites into lightly bruised flesh.

"Of course. Agent Simmons, Thor Odinson of Asgard. And Loki." New York feels a heartbeat past, not a few years, but she breaks into a smiel for just a moment. "I owe you a mead later, Thor. Agents Whitman and Johnson are in the field. Agent Simmons is controlling the array going airborne. We need to get a good shot to strike the shadows with an intense, focused beam of light refracted through the mirrors nearby. This thing is feasting on as much of enough life energy that the death toll is... concerning."

She looks away for a minute. Colour flees her skin. "So the prison. What does it take to lure it in and seal it? What do you need to make that happen, and what kind of bait, if any?"

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Save the truck, save the world." Is what Daisy pretty much tells the plan is to Thor. Simple and effective. Just keep the critters occupied while they get ready to do MAD SCIENCE! Because that's what SHIELD is about. And having damn great toys. Like the flamethrower she unleashes upon some stray creatures on a break from focusing on the creatures' frequencies to keep them out of sync.

And hol' up, is that Loki? Immediate frown out of Quake but she makes no comment. No need to start dissing out on the Asgardians. But she is still pissed about a certain event a couple of years ago!

"And yea, what's this about a prison?" She knits her brows at the two brothers. Then as an afterthought. "Also, don't look at the truck when it starts sending it's beam up." she warns. Unless they want to become blind Asgardian prophets.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    Well, for a mere mortal with no prior contact with Asgardians, Jemma seems to take the meeting in stride. The brown eyes widen in surprise for a moment or two, and then that fabled stick with it mentality that all British seem to be born with takes over and Jemma offers a curt nod to both living gods. "Basically, what Agent Johnson said." In the field and all...time to use proper names. "The beam splitter will be positioned as close to the creature as we dare, then we fire our photon cannon at the splitter. The crystal prism will then split the beam into a multitude of rays, all as brilliant as the mid-day sun." Not that Thor actually asked for a scientific explanation...but...this is Jemma. She is going to give one, regardless.

    The mention of a prison does cause Jemma to shift, her brown eyes upon Loki. "Hmm...with all due respect, sir..." Jemma falling back on protocol with the 'sir' "...but the initial plan did not preclude the condition of potential capture. Are we to alter?" A glance to the creature is given. "Because Agent Whitman is correct....if we are to use the photon cannon, the time is now."

    So polite, that Simmons.

Thor has posed:
    "Aye, indeed." Thor tells Jane with a nod, a mead for later.
    But then his attention turns and he focuses upon Daisy and Dane, eyes flitting between the two of them as he considers their words. But when Jemma speaks he nods to her and he worries at his lower lip as he gives some thought to the insight she offers him. Gesturing with his hammer, Thor nods to the others once succinctly. "You need time?" He turns his head and lets his gaze drift up and to the great swirling evilness of the creature, then he looks back and tells the SHIELD agents. "I can give you time." To Daisy he lifts a hand and commits the other aspect of the plan to mind, "I shall protect the vehicle with what power is at my disposal." Which is considerable.
    As he says that he turns and faces Loki, "Brother aid them to imprison the monstrosity as best you can if you think such is a viable option."
    Those words spoken he turns away and lifts into the air again after a whir and a thrum of Mjolnir sent heavensward. From there he will rise, to establish a perimeter as he can... and intercept what threats dare come against them.

Clark Kent has posed:
In a blurring streak of motion, a red splash of color comes out of nowhere, then slows, off the side of the SHIELD grouping, lit up like an insane 4th of July display with their intense technology.

"We're counting on you. I have to fight," Superman says, gently, to Lois, as he lets her down, and squeezes her hand. "See you soon." It sounds a little too much like Doomsday, maybe, but his gaze is strong, believing in her: before he's gone, again, back into the fight at the head of the creature.

Lois Lane has posed:
There's a quick nod towards Superman as he's gone as fast as he was there, Lois back on her feet again. There's the briefest look around, as if somehow she could watch him go, but she's left standing nearby. She takes a moment to assess where she's at in proximity to where she needs to be, and she proceeds to jog in that direction and draw attention to herself.

"HEY! Over here!" She waves her arms in the air as she does her best to head towards them.

Loki has posed:
When Thor directs his command at Loki, he gets a very dull look, a dead stare of a sort, as if he could will Thor into some painful state for giving him orders in that manner. It just means there's Death in Loki's gaze as Thor leaves and he turns his eyes on those asking him questions.

"It's too powerful to imprison right now, so I'm not sure it's all that relevant. Although I think if you time your attack with the nonsense going on over there, might get somewhere." That's his 'advice', in a tone that's irritated, but not necessarily lying. "/And/ the prison it was in is broken, and there's no time to make a new one."

SIGH. "It was originally imprisoned in a relic here in Metropolis. Someone wandered off with the pieces; about as fun as assembling a puzzle and then realizing the sunset is missing."

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Well, we might have something for the weakening, but it sounds like we're out of luck on the prison." Dane considers, watching the creature above a few moments, glancing around to make sure no creatures are encroaching though small fear of that once Thor's brought up his intervention, and with Loki's shield in place.

"Does the prison require a specific form or just a container that's capable of holding it?"

And then a voice catches his attention and he cants his head curiously, "OK, I've heard of crusading reporters but this is maybe taking it to a bit of an extreme...isn't that Lois Lane?"

Jane Foster has posed:
"I suppose that verifies I should have contact-traced the different items removed from Metropolis," Jane murmurs under her breath. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. The wry tone isn't bitter, bemused more than anything. Waving to Lois as the reporter makes her appearance thanks to the Superman Express, she halts from sliding out of the driver's side of the truck. "Ms. Lane, how can we help?" No mincing of words there.

She drops back into the driver's seat, snapping in the seatbelt again. Not everyone gets Asgardian or Kryptonian physiology to play with.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    Well, that's a sight. Jemma does manage to catch the special delivery in red and blue. It doesn't matter how educated a person may be...but seeing unaided flight (and the entity doing the flying) in the open is still awe inspiring. As Jane mentions about the should-ofs of contact tracing, a hand reaches out, fingertips pressing lightly upon the upper shoulder. "It is quite alright, Jane. We had little idea of what we were dealing with at the time."

    Yes...Jemma dropped to using the first name for Jane. There is an affinity felt for the fellow researcher, to be sure. The fingertips leave the shoulder as Jane leaves the front seat of the truck, as Jemma leans forward to speak through the open door. "Might I suggest entering the vehicle, Ms. Lane? It shall be the safest location, given the circumstances."

    Of course, Jemma doesn't mention that they are going to head directly for the creature. But, Lois wanted a news story, yes? It seems that SHIELD will be more than happy to oblige. "Oh, and do be careful. When I give the word, you will want to cover your eyes." Slightly ominous words from the scientist.

Lois Lane has posed:
"I was--" Lois starts to speak to Jane as she moves to the vehicle, but her eyes catch on Loki and she turns instead in his direction. It's not an angry glare, more of a suspicious one, before she reaches into her jacket and pulls out something wrapped in a handkerchief. "I found your piece. I'm sure we'd be all terribly impressed right now if you put that mirror back together and helped stop this thing."

She pauses. "I wonder if that would warrant a mention in the press." Another pause. "If you /can/."

Loki has posed:
Loki stares at Lois as if she grew another head. Humans doing insanely smart things always surprises him. It's like a dog learning to talk; it's just ODD. And a fluke, surely.

"Fine; weaken it, I'll bring the broken prison to... that area there, by the fountain," he decides, gesturing. His eyes slide to Dane, measuring him. "How good are you at magic puzzles?" he wonders wryly at Dane and steps backwards, twisting away in a sudden teleport of magic.

Loki MIGHT be back...

There he is. In the spot he designated, he returned, with a weirdly shaped relic of an old mirror, broken everywhere, and missing a big chunk out of the bottom left corner.

--

The monster is squatting now, low and huge, as if pressed downwards by various forces. It's in range of their cannon: SHIELD might not get another good shot like this. A huge maw, a city block wide, is opening towards Gotham, sucking in some sort of energy. Yet that side is also alight with power, as something is growing in intensity to fight back....

Loki has posed:
From Gotham, an intense attack begins. The heroes on the other side have begun their attack, a blinding force of intense laser. To the side, from the tall Titans tower, support begins to flood in as well, as heroes begin to pile on to the joint effort!

Now is the time!

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Wouldn't be my first." Dane replies to the God of Mischief, glancing towards Lois and moving to stand beside her, after a quick glance to make sure Thor and Quake are still holding the line. Sword and shield are, for the moment, deactivated.

It looks simple enough, which probably means "simple" is the last thing it is, unless of course it's a double-blind and it really /is/ that simple. So the best he can do is try to focus his gaze yet again, to see if any truth hidden behind illusion reveals itself. And to check to make sure Loki didn't bug out in the meantime and leave an illusory copy behind or something.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    It doesn't take a genius tactician to see that it is now or never for the secret weapon. There isn't anything vocal from Jemma as she decides to take action. The door on her side opens as she places the case on her lap, angled outward. The tablet, sitting on the front seat, sits at the ready, with a big red button pulsating with the word 'Launch' A fingertip stabs downward, activating the drones all at once. They take off in unison, easily carrying the crystal orb with their guidewires up into the air. Another fingerpress...and the programmed series of commands takes effect. The drones, in their octagon formation, lift up into the air, rotating until they get into position...exactly where Jemma, with her own bit of mathmatical prowess, has determined that the beam of light that they are about to fire will pass through. With the creature focused directly opposite them...it is the best (and only) shot they will get.

    "Everyone take cover!" As the drones start to circle, their precious payload remaining in one central spot, the scientist reaches over and slams her palm down solidly upon the button labeled 'Death Blossom'. The back doors open wider, as what appears to be a giant spotlight slides out. Only...it has a definite look of 'cannon'. Barrel, power source, focusing lens. The apparatus slides out, positioned skyward...as a brillant blast of blue light fires directly to the rapidly rotating crystal. There is only a moment or two before light bursts out in all directions as the giant prism splits the light, sending a kaleidoscope of light rays every which way...but most all of it towards the shadow creature.
%

Jane Foster has posed:
As harrowing as a Yorkshire pudding challenge on a British baking show, the presentation of a small shard of glass brings especial interest from Jane. Maybe because Lois handing over something to Loki will always rouse her suspicion, much less what needs to be done with it. She presses back into the driver's seat, tension finally getting its due. Time to make an assessment is running like sand through the neck of the hourglass while her counterpart, Agent Lightshow Simmons, prepares to ignite the sky with that massive beam array. Just for good measure, she presses her foot flat to the brake in case the truck feels like going anywhere."Might do a lick of good were the upper right and lower central piece not rotated out of alignment. Dane," first name basis, yes, "the mirror represents a fissure in the dimensional fabric, at least if used correct. Placement counts for it to work properly. Pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. The two flanking pieces, see if the columns got reversed?"

Statement made on the fly while Jemma makes her preparations, and then the only bright decision is the best decision of getting down. Hunching down behind the steering wheel, slithering lower to get her head below the dashboard's plane. Arms loop around the back of her neck in the classic protective position, angling her splinted wrist over her eyes for that much more security. "Not the champagne supernova I really expected, I have to say," she murmurs, fairly certain 'cover' is a technicality at this point.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois has done her best to ferry the missing piece to where it needs to be and to direct those who could actually do something with it to Loki who could get the rest of the thing safely nearby. "Okay, so I can't say I know exactly what we're dealing with, but the thing certainly originally came /out/ the mirror originally." She shrugs a bit, hands in the air. "I'm not exactly used to dealing with magic-related things." She is, however, ready to move to safety if she does need to.

She's got the piece in hand, but she offers it towards Dane. "I'm assuming that you've likely got a better handle on this than I do."

Loki has posed:
Everything comes together: The explosive attack from Superman and the heroes amidst the mirror array made by Gotham, the backup energy funneled directly from the local Titan Tower. And the blast from SHIELD, Jemma's Weapon Of Doom (aka Lightshow) behind the monster from Metropolis's heart, with the assistance overhead of Thor and Hal Jordan forcing the monster to take the full brunt of all of the energy...

The tornado bucks under the onslaught, tongues pulling back in, in a hurry, blinded, as is everyone around, by the power of the blasts... it curls in, frothing, bucking against the ceiling made by Hal's green mirrors, as life force streams out of it in threads of blinding white.

...

The monster is entering a sort of death throes, violent movements of the huge, long limbs of murky shadow, as the light cuts through it, and dissolves away the mass. It's under serious assault, and with a sudden lurch, there's an explosive burst, as pieces of it fly apart, like a fire igniting so much scrap paper, into ashes!

The small shadow creatures freak out, running in all directions, phasing into shadows, trying to hide, like rats running a sinking ship. Many of them don't make it, they collapse where they are, splots of black ichor left behind.

The booming sounds end, the bells are silent, as the monster collapses backwards towards the Queensland Park of Metropolis. A thick mass lands at the side of a hotel, and starts to ooze tendrils up the side of the building, as if latching onto a ladder to climb back towards the sky. Comparatively, it's tiny: the size of a building, compared to a city, is considerable in difference.

--

Loki draws down his magical thunderbird, focused and frowning, making it twirl near the creature, but his bird is weak, and doesn't quite bait the creature. Loki's magic, so contained as it is, can only stretch so far, and the bird flutters once more and dies, a husk, collapsing to the street. Humiliated, Loki draws back, away from the mirror, starting to fade into invisibility.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane ducks down when the massive lightshow begins, studying the mirror-contraption intently, nodding a bit as he does. He has to jerk his head away when bits of the lightshow overhead catch some of those reflective surfaces, so he beckons Lois closer, more as a light-block than anything else as he accepts the last piece from her.

"The angles aren't right..." He starts reaching down and adjusting some of the surfaces, twisting and tilting various pieces just so...engineering skill as much as any knowledge of magic.

"It's a trap...the light needs to not be able to escape it."

His hands work quickly, and calmly, until he peers intently at the device, studying it from a few angles...and then placing that last piece, and setting the contraption down on the ground in front of him.

The night-black Ebony Blade suddenly appears in his hand, and he places it alongside the device before calling out:

"THOR! We need Mjolnir down here! Place it by the trap! The creature's drawn to magical artifacts!"

Thor has posed:
    In the sky and around the lightshow, with the brilliance beaming hither and yon, Thor finds himself at home. In battle. There is a wildness in his eyes, in that enthusiastic grimace as he lays about with Mjolnir. Blasts of lightning leap from creature to creature as he lashes out, the Uru hammer spinning and crashing into monstrosity after monstrosity. One hand reaches out to grab at one of the things by its neck... wrist... throat? And slams it to the ground where he drops from the sky hammer in both hands and crashes it down amidst a mass of them.
    And for a moment, a brief moment, he is clear. Near as Dane might wish but perhaps not near enough. With the creatures panicking and rushing about but spreading before him. It gives him time to spin and look up as he flips the hammer back into his hand, haft settling in his grip. "Loki you almost have it, don't give up now!" Only perhaps to earn a glare in that moment.
    There is an instant when he looks up, then back again. Shaking his head he frowns and seems to come to a decision. For he advances upon his brother and without word nor warning he draws the great hammer back...
    And slams it toward the back of Loki's neck almost viciously.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    As Jane drops the Oasis reference, Jemma offers a soft chuckle. "Maybe I should have used a gold filter." The chuckle stifles into a soft wince, as the scramble below the dashboard tweaked her left leg a little more than she was expecting. "It should only be a 10 to 20 second burst. Anything more and the power cell will overheat. We wouldn't want any fires that we are not in direct control of." Referring to the flamethrowers, perhaps.

    And, sure enough, after about 15 seconds, the lightshow dissipates. The drones are still in flight...awaiting their next command...which could be either return...or align for another shot. If that is even needed or at all possible.

Jane Foster has posed:
Countless shining stars abruptly go supernova in front of Jane's closed eyes, despite the protection of her arm. "You might have, but we wouldn't want to leave the Americans jealous of your stylish weapons," she quips. "I hear it worked out badly for the Canadians in the Fifties?" Radiance leaves her momentarily dazzled, despite still keeping her focus wholly down. When the dust and the shadowy rubble settles, they can eventually all perceive for themselves the effects. Retreating umbral creations, dissipating darkness in retreat as a second artificial dawn breaks the backbone of night for a second.

Twisting around in the passenger seat, her hand goes for the ICER gun in the backseat. Potshots at the monster hastening away from ground level might not do much, but the white phosphorus rounds they are loaded with surely might. That is, until a certain hammer goes rising, tracing a dangerous arc intent on impacting Loki's neck. Her breath blows out of her gritted teeth. "Thor, what are you..."

A question she can't answer. Forget the ICER. Forget it entirely as she hastily changes plans, ripping velcro open and wiggling her hand free from the splint. Some really impressive yellowed bruises there, multicoloured patchwork in play. The splint falls between her feet as she tugs on the bangle, willing it over battered knuckles, maimed knuckles. "Come on. Off, I need you now. /Please/." A wrenched motion clears the bracelet over her fingers; something pops and pain blooms. She ducks forward, hissing, her arm clamped to her stomach. "Whitman, catch." But her good hand is still free, so she tosses the golden bangle out the window to Dane. It's about as unimpressive as a nice lady's bracelet can be, no Ebony Blade. Unless one is fluent in Aesir.

Lois Lane has posed:
There's a lot going into this. Lois does, however, know she's in over her head. So she stays back, even going so far as to take a few steps back, letting the others handle the chaos. She instead turns to spectating, trying to assess what's going on. What /does/ catch her attention is Thor, and she goes a bit wide-eyed. Is this really the time for sibling rivarly? She's not even sure what to say to that, she's more worried about this thing ending up trapped.

Loki has posed:
Loki didn't expect to get hit in the back of the neck by Mjolnir. He falls on his face, and reacted at first in indignant rage, as his pride has been struck harder than he physically was. It isn't the first time the hammer has bashed him onto the ground, but this was a little uncalled for, he was HELPING, and....

/Oh/.

The rune branded into the side of Loki's neck by Odin, bright and fiercely gold and red, splinters into shards as Thor breaks the seal. The seal on Loki's lies... and magic.

There's a pulse of presence as Loki flexes, and the whole park starts to tilt a little bit, as if reality were being processed through an irritated Loki-shaped kaleidoscope. But the villainous Asgardian picks himself up with a brush of hands down one sleeve, then the other, his battle regalia coming into full golden flare. The horned helmet melts into place, in shimmers of bronze and liquid gold powder. The magic flows and ebbs around Loki as he creates spheres of crystal and elemental forces around him, decorating the air like floating lanterns. It's a DISPLAY.

And the monster is interested. It charges the group, forming a frothing maw of black teeth. The sounds aren't bell like, they are more like metal crashing into anvil, hard, angrily, without reason, only rage.

"You're ready with the trap, I //presume//?" Loki snarks. He is lit up, eyes pulsing with a fierce blue fiery chaos. His body starts to distort with a darkness not unlike their foe's, shadow-shielding. "/Do/ hit it when it gets close, not me." Magical blue flame summons on it's heels, forcing it even faster towards the group.

Ready or not!

It passes directly at them, licked with flame, goes through the shadow-guarded Loki, and is abruptly upon those with the mirror, just after the bangle lands in Dane's hand... And more fire erupts on it's ass, from the aggressive use of fire from Loki, thrusting it forward.

Thor has posed:
    Once Loki is struck down, Thor stands there for a time over him, looking down not with regret... nor remorse. But with a wariness that has his features shift grim. He shakes his head and even as the trickster regains his helm and the gleam of life to his form, Thor's voice lifts as he tells him. "Do not make me regret this, Loki."
    And that is all that is spoken. For now at least.
    A glance is given over toward Agent Whitman and the gear assembled, then he rounds to see the approach of the monster with its forthing maw and dark visage. He scowls to himself, hammer twirling in a blur of movement before it lashes upwards and lifts the Thunderer off the ground rocketing into the sky.
    For it is in that instant that Thor God of Thunder rises up like a giant uppercut thrown from a malevolent giant, seeking to crash with an intense power straight into the monstrosity's jaw as it passes through the illusionary Loki. Attempting to stun it at least, to perhaps check its charge and grant those below the time they need.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Thaaat's a little close for comfort, but the best laid plans...

Dane catches the glittering bracelet, and drops the loop around the Ebony Blade's hilt. He steps in front of the mirror and jabs the tip of the Ebony Blade into the concrete just a few inches in front of the mirror, a few sparks flashing there on the ground as it slides about half-a foot deep. Two immensely powerful magical artifacts...now the bait on the end of the hook.

And with that in place, Dane has little desire to be in-between the creature and the trap, so he combat rolls out of the direct path and throws up his photonic shield, adjusting the controls to have it form a shallow dome over his crouched form. He knows he's not going to be able to entirely avoid the creature's brushing by at that size, but hopefully a field made of pure light particles will provide enough protection to keep him from getting swallowed up.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    Still safely ensconced under the dashboard...mainly because she doesn't seem all that eager to move with her leg...Jemma reaches for the tablet on the seat in front of her. Fingertips flutter over the screen, as the drones' tight circling seizes. A frown escapes Jemma as she sees the creature coming for the SHIELD team...specifically the mystical artifacts...and Dane rather too close for comfort for the doctor's tastes.

    But...that doctor does have control over a mini air force. And....it is equiped with some little nastiness for their shadowy friend out there. The drones shift, remaining in that tight pattern, but all of them pointing what appear to be portable ICERs towards the creature. And...then with prompting from Jemma, they fire....a quick burst of white phosphorus rounds in a straight line...between Dane and the creature. Angled in such a way to encourage the creature to head to the artifacts....and not the modern day knight doing his best turtle impression.

Jane Foster has posed:
Surprises at the worst possible time for a shadow monster! Jane might ask about certain things later, but she murmurs prayers in rather good Latin. Or she has words for the All-Father that begin with a chosen kenning or two, "Hello, Farmatyr, we on Midgard..."

No need to get involved in familial disputes or quarrels over Aesir justice. Pale lines grooving her face speak to the old wounds reworked, but she offers Jemma that discomfitted smirk, tight and taut. "No clasp," she explains. "You and I need to go to Tiffany's after this." Where's Ms. Lane in all of this? She cranes around cautiously to look and see how far Lois is, a sharp nod in place. "You, of course, are invited. We can get ourselves something sparkly. Lots of fire in it."

A low, rasping laugh plays over her lips seeing the phosphorus rounds go off, a succession of sparkling pips bursting in air. Something anthemic to all of that. She can reclaim the ICER belatedly. The car window makes an excellent support, if needed, for it is intentionally aimed high into the building-sized monstrosity and definitely away from Dane's shield. Three shots will be fired in a relative triangle. Aim isn't perfect, but this is not her forte while feeling the after effects of squishing her hand through a bangle. "Speaking of, those flamethrowers are a lovely last ditch option, aren't they?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Given how close everything seems, Lois does her best to continue to back up, determined not to get somehow caught up in all of this. She finds something for cover, ducking safely out of the way. She glances over her shoulder towards them, but with all the light it's a bit hard to. This is certainly going to be an interesting story to try and put together.

Jane's words are noted with a small smirk. "Sounds like something to look forward to," she offers.

Loki has posed:
With a hurling motion, the screaming monster is flung forwards, electrical attacks, phosphorus rounds, and fire surging over and through the tornado-like form of it's body. Disoriented, it plows ahead, trying to eat the magic, to save itself; it meant to eat the bait, but it gets flicked sideways by the shield. Still, it tries to eat the shield, get at Dane's treasures... and instead, finds the prison.

Oh, it knows, for sure. It tries to stop, shrieking in tones rich and harsh, before the impacts throw it bodily through the mirror's surface. It clings to the outer edges, talons of shadow raking and cruel. It tries to grasp, to get at Dane as it's flung forwards!

Loki assists: shielding the relics from being eaten by offering up a curl of living magic over them instead.

It eats that, quickly, and tries to turn.... However, the trap is strong, and peels the shadow inside, the surface trembling and pulsing with the power there, as the inside of the mirror stops reflecting properly: instead it is black, inky with the disoriented, raging shadow now caught within.

Thor has posed:
    As the creature fades, Thor slowly sets down lighting upon the ground and setting Mjolnir upon his hip. He frowns and looks on the prison with furrowed brow, but then spares his attention mostly for Loki even as he nods a bit to Dane, Jemma, even Jane only gets a part of his attention.
    For Thor turns toward Loki and is there admonishment on his lips? A word of warning? One might be able to see it in those bright blue eyes. But no, instead he nods slowly and he murmurs quietly. "Thank you, Loki."
    A pause as Thor once again turns back to see what was accomplished by the many heroes here this day. He takes a deep breath, holds it, then looks again to his brother. "Your aid was of much use this day." But then he turns to Jemma and Dane, smiling a little at Jane as he steps towards them.
    "And you, fine worthies all. I am honored to have been at your side when this city was saved."

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane's photonic shield ripples and buckles...and then "shatters." For a moment, it appears that Dane is about to be pulled right along with the creature into the trap, but then the photonic blade lights up in his hand and as he feels his life being drained away he manages to stab it into the "wrist" of the Talon, which seems to cause it to reflexively recoil, dropping Dane to the ground.

He doesn't land gracefully, though it's really not that long of a drop. He lands bonelessly and lies still, by dint of luck alone not hurting himself with that "light saber" that rolls from his grip, still ignited.

The good news? He's still breathing once anyone manages to check on him, and the vitals don't seem place him in any immediate danger, barring a borderline case of hypothermia.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
    With a most definitely pained expression, Jemma manages to pull herself out of truck. The tablet in her hand, the button to return is pressed, which sends the drones on their pre-recorded descent, guided by sensors to return to the open case in exactly the same way they left. Which is awfully convenient, considering that Jemma is already limping her way over to Dane to perform that very same check. Being the battle cleric, of course it was Jemma's duty to ensure that Dane is safe.

    Which is just the case. Jemma does offer a tired smile towards the God of Thunder, as she remains seated on the ground besides Dane. "Thank you...for everything." It seems appropriate...though in Jemma's mind it was certainly more SHIELD providing support than much of anything else. So, she remains seated on the ground, besides the engineer. Eventually they will both get up, but for now, the rest was probably deserved.

Jane Foster has posed:
Things go relatively well when everyone comes out more or less intact. Horrible monster flung in its reliquary, lightning not melting the tires of the truck to the pavement, that sort of stuff. Jane wrenches the door open and halfway tumbles out the door, freeing herself from disentanglement with the seatbelt. Falling on her face might be quite the look for someone who wasn't dueting with a shadow, and she carefully sidesteps the perfectly functional photon blade resting on the ground. If it has an obvious way to deactivate it, she kneels and makes that happen with perfectly patient tolerance for Jemma doing the battle cleric moves.

Sometimes, it really sucks to be the team adept. One day! "Stable or do we need to call in the Quinjet?" she asks, glancing upward in case there happens to be an angry white horse circling around or a fleet of horse-bound women. You never know nowadays. There is nothing that will convince her to pull the bracelet off the Ebony Blade if it happens to be present, as well, but if it vanishes, then recovering her bangle and threading her fingers back through on the right arm is enough.

She brushes her hair behind her ear and nods sharply to Loki, still giving him a pointed look that speaks volumes enough to fill the missing Library of Alexandria. Probably double that, all the same. Those dark eyes travel to Thor. "Thank you. We'll need to know whether the rest of the population is safe."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois emerges from cover as it appears they've handled the situation. "Well, at least that worked..." She mutters, looking relieved. She's not entirely sure how that would have worked otherwise, but she won't dwell on the idea. That's a little dark. "Well, okay, no one's dead," she assesses, glancing around to make entirely sure that's accurate. "So I guess that means I've got to go get this story out."

Loki has posed:
Loki started to lift his head, to glare back at his brother. But instead there are compliments? Loki seems taken aback. He doesn't snap at his brother, though he did open his mouth and then shut it. "Just don't think we're going to hug," Loki sniffs. It's a form of acceptance, really, from Loki. Fortunately, he gets a distraction.

Shadows all around them, the blobby forms of the little demons, start to gather. "I'll deal with those, shall I?" Arrogantly, a little forced in the arrogance, Loki flips his hand around, a toss of wrist, and abruptly just strides away, without much more of a word. The little demons follow along after him, like eager little rats after a new piper.

SHIELD can enjoy their new pet mirror... and the aftermath of the rest of it, as the city wakes and tries to understand what /just happened/.

Jane Foster has posed:
For the sake of wisdom, Jane throws her coat over the really pointy blade and wraps it up, carrying it off.