17836/Snakes and Ladders

Snakes and Ladders
Date of Scene:	03 May 2024
Location:	Underground Manhattan Sewers
Synopsis:	A maraudering group of mutants and SHIELD agents stop a dangerous deal between Hydra and Trinity for magical artifacts.
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, Lara Croft, Bishop, Shun Cruz, Jessica Drew

---

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Hydra had a long fascination with the occult stemming back to the organization's roots as Nazi war criminals. While most of the time their attention was focused on the technological, they often dabbled in the mystical as well. There were a wide variety of groups on the black market that dealt in magic items. Only a few were willing to sell to Nazis. Even evil sometimes had standards.
    Here, somewhere near the Morlock Tunnels in the New York Sewers, a handoff was going to happen. Hydra purchasing something from Trinity. SHIELD didn't know what. Just that it was never good.
    So it was a stealth operation in the sewers to reconottir, breakup the sale, and gather intel. Of course.. The sewers were still the sewers.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara has been in worse places than the New York City sewer system, though it was pretty damn close to the worst yet still.

Due to her direct contact with Trinity, she was here as a consultant on the situation at-hand. She'd already provided a list of possible sales that Trinity may be offering toward HYDRA agents, and most of it revolved around items recently lost to the black market.

Dressed in tactical SHIELD attire, blacks and navy blues, Croft was armed, and donning a black cap that holds her hair out of her eyes. Her eyes are down upon a smart device, a direct feed to maps within the sewers, linked to SHIELD intel drones that were supposedly scouring the sewers to provide scouting details as the team advanced further and further in to the muck and grime.

Bishop has posed:
Mutant kind has certainly been through enough of late. Recent attacks within Mutant Town, the implications of the chaos at the Starport and a host of other matters have given some of the guardians of homo-sapian superior just cause to be on the look out for anything adjacent to matters on their radar. So it is that when word reaches a certain time displaced X.S.E. officer turned X-Man of a possible transaction happening uncomfortably close to yet another vulnerable mutant community...he takes it upon himself to investigate and potentially deal with matters on his own.

No doubt, certain members of the X-Men would not approve of such tactics and forward activity but he also happens to be a card carrying member of X-Force - a group that certainly would get their hands dirty to do whatever it takes to safeguard others and let the more brilliant teams do their work unhindered. So no probelm there.

Mind you, going through the sewers isn't exactly the sort of 'get his hands dirty' that he had in mind when this day first started.

Getting into the sewer systems was easy enough given his knowledge of various Morlock access points and the massive man now treads carefully and darkly along paths usually hidden and unmarked to others. His X.S.E. blasters are holstered but within quick reach and his dark eyes flicker about cautiously as he listens for signs of activity further in.

Shun Cruz has posed:
A separate tunnel has someone who might as well be a Morlock with his appearance. Tekkai's humanoid bug-like appearance is creeping along the sewers, trailing the Trinity end of the equation. And doing so as stealthily as he can. And from as far back as he can.

Finding someone possibly up to no good and carrying around something pining off his mystic sense was what drove him to follow. And especially into the sewers. He still wished he didn't have to smell and seriously hoped he could figure out his way back out of here.

That and his parents didn't ground him for the rest of his school years after they found out about his even being in the sewers.

The only light he has is his glowing eyes to go by so far. Figuring that magic whatever means other mystics, he's keeping from using his abilities as much as he can in hopes that he can just find out what the hell was going on down here.

Jessica Drew has posed:
It was not her first foray into tunnels; if asked, Jessica wouldn't admit that she hoped it would be her last. Not that she had any trouble with the dark; on the contrary, she could see quite well in dim light. It was the smell. Super senses have drawbacks, but she would make the best of them.

. Dressed in black tactical gear, she carries a P-90 slung over her shoulder in case things go farther south than intended. Not three steps behind Lara, she walks soundlessly, ears attuned to any sounds ahead of them in the long tunnel.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Few people wanted to go to the sewers. Unless they were the entirely mythological reptile ninjas that purportedly operated in them according to ancient street myth, or Morlocks. The stench, the humidity, the oppressive heat no matter the weather.. The smell of the sewers sunk into pores, and it could take days to get it out.
    A few twists and turns away from those groups coming along are two clusters of men. A dozen on each side. Those present on the behest of Trinity wearing business suits looking like they were lawyers leaving the office and going to a bar. Those on the Hydra end wearing street clothes but pacing about like animals tethered in a kennel. Everyone armed to the teeth as they were crept up on at various ends. The Trinity group holding two large, bulky suitcases that if one could tell it had a sense of muted, suppressed magic to them.. The Hydra group with one man having a briefcase of his own he was struggling to lift, reduced to dragging it along the mud.

Lara Croft has posed:
What advantages the small drones were allowing was enough for Lara to get an update through a camera feed. She saw glimpses of what lied ahead, only a few turns further down the tunnels. With a glance over her shoulder, the British woman noted Jessica with her, and offerd a light nod. She raised her device up to allow Jessica to view what was seen of the men who'd come for the meeting. "Seems we have a situation unfolding." She quietly said back to the other, as she continues to advance onward with careful steps, taking her across the concrete pathways and filth strewn floors of the sewer system.

"I'm just trying to still figure out why they chose this place, of every possible place, to elect for this meeting to take place..." She mutters under her breath, as she directs the drones to take places of cover.

Lara begins to speak in to her SHIELD mic, offering a situation report to the teams around the sewers.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Tekkai did his best to stay low. He knew his eyes glowed, so while just a kid he wasn't too keen on finding out what the suit wearing types were packing. Nor what the group they were meeting was packing.

The young mutant-mystic was not exactly the full on stealthiest, but he was doing his best to get into a spot where he could hear on the edge of a side tunnel.

Eyeing the case that the Trinity group has, Tekkai is definitely not ready for a full on fire fight.

Pressing himself against the wall, he dares to take a peek around the corner.

Bishop has posed:
A large shadow would fall over Tekkai. Bishop slowly and silently crept up upon the young mutant given that he had lucked into one of the more hidden side tunnels utilized by the Morlocks to get in and out of the area on their journeys through the network of under ground tunnels.

He quickly reaches down for the shoulder of the young mutant, while creeping up besides him and holding a finger up towards his mouth to make a 'shhh' gesture. The visible 'X' on his X.S.E. uniform should hopefully count for something to keep the young mutant from being too alarmed. He assumes he's a morlock, given how he looks after all.

"Hydra." he quietly murmers towards Tekkai, "Get back, it's not safe."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Pfft. It fits their MO, if you ask me," Jessica answers in a whisper, transmitted by her mic. With a finger pointed upward, she signals the agents behind them. "I'm going up. Let's surprise them."

The concrete wall is rough under her fingers as she clings and climbs it with no more effort than taking the stairs. Keeping pace with Lara, "I'm at your twelve o'clock.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Why the sewers? THat would require them to have the sort of mentality where they could think like Hydra. No one coul really follow the twisted logic that drove the group. At least, not without falling the risk of becoming so twisted themselves. The two groups are facing off but politely. They do have a well established business relationship.
    The seeming lead Hydra Agent gestures over to the largest representative of Trinity. They're at the point of the back and forth of 'show me you brought what you're supposed to' exchange.
    "Show me." It doesn't really matter who says it first. Everyone's hands are on their wepaons - but not at one another, they're just alert. The lead member of Trinity takes up one of those heavy briefcases and opens it, revealing a.. Very, very old and gnarled looking branch coated over in moss that looks like the faintest bit of wind or moisture would have it disintegrate. An ancient, gnarled thing. The lead member of the Hydra group goes to take out a small pouch of.. Tea leaves and finger bones, and holds it over the gnarled, twisted twig. The bones immediately start to bounce around in the bag like clacking dice. He nods, semingly satisfied.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara's left shoulder rests up against a junction in the tunnels. She's talking to the dispatcher through her headset when Jessica speaks, and begins to crawl upward. Lara watches her go for a moment, craning her neck to view in awe of the woman's ability to climb. "And I thought I was the best wall climber in the agency..." She mutters in good humor, before she lowers her eyes back down to her map device. She begins to press onward, still speaking in to her mic. "No. Dominguez was killed in October. I do not know who is leading Trinity now, but I fear it may become evident soon enough. They're clearly back in business..." She says in a hushed tone of her British voice, as she further moves closer to the target situation.

She falls silent at the last turn, her eyes taking in the view from the small hovering drones that have nestled up in to niches in the sewer walls to observe via their tiny cameras. Lara sees something being dealt, but she can't get a good view of it from her current vantage point. "I'm prepared to just walk up on them, if needs be." Lara offers across her team comms, as she fishes her sidearm out of the nylon holster wrapped around her right thigh.

She darts her head around the corner to peer out of a shadow down the sewer tunnel to the meeting just a handful of meters away, gun in half-gloved hand.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Tekkai has no idea anyone was that close. He just happens to glance over, and nearly attempts a backhand at Bishop.

The young mutant looks unsure at first, looking Bishop over. Reasoning takes over before he nods, and moves back. "Hydra? Kami..." Tekkai at least has the decency to keep his voice low. He glances back around. "... mystics with them."

His eyes narrow as he takes a peek then pulls back again. "... stick's something powerful. Can't tell what." He whispers.

Bishop has posed:
It is fortunante Tekkai didn't take a swipe at him - not that Bishop would have retaliated in kind but he certainly wouldn't have enjoyed taking the hit from the young mystic.

"Are there any other Morlocks around?" he asks softly, "Tell them to pull back. I'll handle this...."

His hand settles onto his blasters as he studies them from a distance, trying to gauge the type of weapons they may be carrying. IF it's energy based ... that's a benefit. Given the tech at their disposal, Hydra may very well be carrying such things. Better that thent he old fashioned bullet hell which his powers are far less beneficial against - at least without a boost to his reslience.

Such a possiblity very much exists with the 'Trinity' members. Those he's less familiar with.

"You're a magic user? Anything mystic can't be allowed to fall into their hands..." he rumbles softly. "Now get back and stay in these tunnels..."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Her ponytail dangling straight down, Jessica pauses, concentrating as a faint clicking sound reaches her. "I hear something. Dominos?" she whispers. "Quiet, there is something up ahead of us."

Two pairs of eyes peer around the corner; the faint light glimmering in Jessica's green eyes. As Lara draws her gun, Jessica forges ahead, covered by the dark curve of the ceiling. "I have eyes on them. They are armed," she sends. "Can't make out what they are exchanging. I'm picking up something or someone else further back in the tunnel."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Both groups are armed and on the alert. They haven't seemingly spotted those that are warily watching them. Satisfied with the magical item being proferred, the lead Hydra agent goes to snap his fingers over and the man struggling with the briefcase that is now caked in sewer gunk lifts it up. It's bulky, he has to use his knee to prop it up and leans backwards to hold it. Some latches on it are flipped..
    THe theatricality of the moment is stunted by the briefcase, and the man holding it being caked with sewer rot and stench, but the contents do fit the moment.
    Namely the gold bars that fill it.

Shun Cruz has posed:
The Morlock question has Tekkai looking at Bishop a bit oddly. And he whispers back, "What's a Morlock?"

He frowns a bit in the dark, his glowing yellow eyes looking Bishop over, then he shakes his head, "I can't do that."

He clenches his fists, glancing around the side again. "Besides, you're just one man."

Lara Croft has posed:
What Lara is able to see via her device, and her own two eyes, is enough for her to act. To act in a possibly ill-advised fashion...

She stands up, takes a moment to breathe a few deep breaths of stale sewer oxygen, before she turns on her heels. "Jessica. Make sure those large boxes the suited men are exchanging don't get away. They are our primary goal here." Croft explains, as her right hand fingers loosen and squeeze on the grip of her gun.

Unaware of the Mutant element here-in, Lara boldly turns and steps out in to the corridor. She raises her gun up, and begins marching right at the Trinity and HYDRA delegation. "The tunnels are armed with explosives!" Lara calls out. "Don't move! I'll blow this place to the stars if you take even a hint of an aggressive step!" She calls out, her voice undoubtedly echoing down the corridors of the sewer space around them all!

Aiming down the sights of her handgun, Lara is quickly aiming it from one of the enemy team to the other, letting them know she's got a trained shot on each one should they decide to draw on her in return!

Is the tunnel actually armed with explosives? Of course not.

Bishop has posed:
"You are -not- a Morlock?" questions Bishop softly as he studies Tekkai a little more closely. There's no real way for him to accurately estimate just who or what this mystic is but it seems rather clear to him that he's not exactly a trained combatant.

"...We'll have a talk about the wisdom of skulking around on your own in the sewers in Morlock territory some other time...."

With that, he brings his X.S.E. blasters forth and begins charging them, readying himself for an assault. "Besides. You'd be surprised what one determined cop can do..."

Or - not - for it seems that Lara has opted to steal his heroic moment! Bishop frowns and snaps his attention back out into the tunnels in full and then gives Tekkai a meaningful glance before options to step forward out of the tunnels.

"Looks like the calvary is here after all..."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Startled but unsurprised at Lara's bold move, Jessica takes advantage of her position overhead. Gambling on the sounds she heard earlier, being friendly, she booms, "You are covered from all sides. Drop your weapons and turn around."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Never say the phrase 'he's just one man'. Or woman. All it takes is one determined being with will and little to lose and a willingness to carry through with something whatever it takes. As Lara goes to snap out with her weapons, one of the men from the Trinity group.. Pauses. "Ah, the little sociopath herself? You might not care about burying yourself with us.." He would cluck his tongue and gesture grandiosely up above.
    "But enough explosives to collapse the tunnel will collapse the street above, and I'd like to think that you're not like our dear friends here.." Meaning Hydra.. "Willing to kill several hundred people over a vendetta." Grinning at the rest of his men while briefcases would be snapped up.
    "Kill them." That's the cue for an awful LOT of weaponsfire to pour out! Bullets blasting through the sewers - at everyone that's spoken. But an awful LOT over at Lara.
    This is personal for both sides after all.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara most certainly did not have explosives planted. She did have a couple of small drones, however, and they were equipped with a number of smoke pellets. It wasn't ideal, since smoke would conceal the enemies from her own shots, but the Brit did prefer that over being filled full of bullets! Both SHIELD drones, mounted to the niches in the tunnel walls, began peppering the floor of the tunnel when the enemies barked back intentions of hostility! They'd called her bluff, but she had expected them too. Her goal was to keep their eyes on her, and not up on Jessica, afterall.

Two shots run out from Lara's handgun, as smoke began to fill up the corridor she occupied, while making a mad duck for cover behind a series of metal pipes lining a support column.

Concrete debris shot around Lara, the enemy weapons fire spattering across the spaces she'd been in mere moments ago.

With her gun held up, Lara took a moment to peer around the iron pipe work, seeing others in the sewers with them. "I think they might have backup. That's not good." She states, confusing Biship and Tekkai should they make themselves visible in the growing chaos.

Shun Cruz has posed:
The apparent teenager just looks a little guilty, "With all the magic that thing is carrying? I would be stupid to not at least try to stop them. I don't even know what Morlock is."

Seeing Bishop step forward, however, has Tekkai taking a chance.

He moves his hand in a twist before throwing it forward like he was tossing something. Red-orange sparks fly forth, connected as a lengthy whip that he grabs the end of. His aim isn't a goon, however. It's the case with the ancient looking stick to try to yank it over to him and Bishop.

He comments towards Bishop, "I know that one. Don't suppose you know these tunnels too well? I get the feeling they may want this back."

Bishop has posed:
When the gunfire begins, Bishop ducks back into cover, flattening himself up against the side tunnel wall while also using his large figure to try and shield Tekkai from any spray of concrete from the hail of bullets. That answers that question at least. Bullets. Go figure. His peak human conditioning saves him but he's forced to stay in cover as the initial assault pops off, a deep frown furrowing over his already dour features as he readies his blaster.

"I suppose it was too much to ask for them to be super villains and use something like some sort of plasma rifle..." he gripes.

Well his 'cheat code' may not be immediately useful for this situation but dealing with projectile fire is part and parcel of the job and once an openig presents itself - he blurs out of cover into a roll and then springs upwards, unleashing a torrent of devestating concussive blasts towards the goons with the accuracy afforded by a lifetime of military combat.

"I've got you covered!" he shouts towards Lara as he strafes the tunnel and moves for another side passage to prepare to duck behind cover for potential return fire.

Tekkai's boldness doesn't go unnoticed though and Bishop shouts at him, "Be careful! Get back!"

It was a bold move but also likely to paint a target on him.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The smoke floats upward covering Jessica as gunfire flashes in the dark. A concrete chip grazes her cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood which she ignores. From her spider's eye view, Jessica thwicks three well-aimed webs at the foremost gunners aiming for those firing on Lara. After ensnarling them, she drops lightly to the floor, ICER firing at the ones grouped around the box just as something flicks around it from the opposite direction and someone shouts they are covered.

"Something is up. Someone is trying for the box!" she shouts.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It's the normal chaos of a gunfight as smoke bombs go off, obscuring the view. The Hydra and Trinity troopers are being flanked - by the Consultant (and Agent) of SHIELD and the Mutants on the other side. Energy blasts and bullets ricochet back and forth as screams are heard going back and forth as individuals would be hit. Being shot, being struck hurts.

Tekkai goes to send out a magical tether and yanks on the case. There's a struggle for a moment before the man resisting goes slack. Someone's shot had struck him. Tekkai is able to yank the case back over to himself. And the magical object within. Which definitely was not something that Hydra should get thier scaly claws on.
    Bishop's powers may not work quite the same way when it comes to kinetic fire. But he's had more than enough experience in the what may be future to handle himself with it. His shots are quick and careful and despite the chaos of the smoke and fire, they strike their targets. And as Tekkai goes to reel in the case, and it would be yanked there were yells in the air. The case was bulky, but it's abscence was noted. And that had three men with automatic rifles going to shoot in the direction of Tekkai and Bishop. Three men that knew how to shoot in a chaotic environment and were going to suppress. And one of them was going to prime a grenade.
    And there is Jessica calling out an alert to Lara of a third party. This was going to be so much fun as the stealthy spider-spy goes to dart in, effortlessly dropping her targets with ICER, webs, and perhpas even a bio-shock.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara is taking a moment to speak to the SHIELD dispatchers on the other end of the mic pinned to her collar. "We need backup down here immediately. Pull the other teams in." She frantically says as she hears the combat breaking out in unexpected directions. She can hear Bishop's call out, and after a moment of thought, she reconsiders the affiliation of the others she'd seen in the opposite tunnel.

Lara darts back out in to the open, her gun back up, aimed through the wafting clouds of smoke from the twin drones. She advances forward to the next set of pipes mounted to the wall ahead of her position. "Don't let it out of your sight, Jess!" Lara calls out to her more nimble companion on this assignment.

When the automatic weapons begin to go off, Lara spies one of the gunmen through the smoke, and with a narrowing of her eyes, she pops off two more shots from her own handgun aimed toward the man's profile!

Bishop has posed:
Kinetic energy is fine actually. It's bullets tearing into his skin that's the problem - at least without the ability to use stored up energy to enhance his physique to full on superhuman levels. Which ...he has none so can't.

So it's good ol'fashioned blasters, marksmanship and combat training and movement that's aiding him now.

When he hears Lara and Jess after Tekkai nabs the case, he grimaces.. With them being an unplanned for addition to whatever strike team this is - it can be easys to assume they are after the box for nefarious reasons and get two groupings turning against them. No good.

"Don't worry. He's on our side." Bishop's deep voice calls out quickly down the tunnel so that Jess or Lara don't get the wrong idea and turn their ire on Tekkai.

"You!" he says towards Tekkai, deep voice stern and brooking no arguement. "Stay in cover."

He fires off a few more shots of energy from his blasters and then adds.

"And nice work. If you can generate any sort of energy with your mystic abilities do it and direct it at me. It doesn't matter what kind. But hurry."

Got to give credit where it's due.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Tekkai nods, after throwing up a pair of fiery mandala shields into the air and using them to get out of dodge.

He looks at Bishop, as if trying to figure out the 'why' but finally just shrugs. "Mostly solid objects, but here goes."

He moves his hands forming a pair of mystic whips that he sends at Bishop.

And the kid did just close an eye, thinking perhaps he may have just made it where Bishop got killed.

The mystic energy keeps going, though, since Bishop is a lot closer than the case was, and he apparently has just the one mystic ability going.

He does notice something, and says towards Bishop, "Grenade!" Then he sends a mystic tendril at the one priming the grenade to try to smack him straight upside the head. Not the smartest thing to do, but there should be enough sewer and filth to maybe muffle it or supress it somehow. Or so he hopes.

Jessica Drew has posed:
A gossamer line webbing her to the culvert above, Jessica swings over the gunfire, intending to drop behind the first group and snag back the box. Confusion reigns for an instant as a booming voice informs them of friendlies coming from behind the second group making the covert exchange.

She can't stop herself mid-swing and drops where the box had been. "Give it back!" she commands as she shoots a goon from the other group and drops him.

Over coms, "Who are these people? Did anyone catch that weirdness with the box?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It's chaos. It's a gunfight. The Hydra troopers are intent on fighting to the last, even as they shoot at everything that moves. They're disciplined, and good shots, but at their core they're fanatics. So when push comes to shove and they're cornered like rats..
    "HAIL HYDRA! HAIL IMMORTAL HYDRA!" The twisted, terrifying chant goes out from them as the remaining cultists shoot in every direction, even as shots take them down one by one or they're beaten down by other means. Those members of Trinity still present are now trying to disengage in the smoke and chaos.. Though one particularly big one goes to grab at the heavy briefcase of gold, going to heft it with one hand, and his fingers would go to blur as he would start to chant. Tekkai can recognize it as a teleportation spell. Intending on taking the money and booking it.
    And now there are two groups seemingly after the box - are they on the same side? Do they even know who is what? There's magic, there's fire, there's fuel to the frenzy.

Lara Croft has posed:
"There might be some friendlies here with us." Lara calls out in to the SHIELD comm network. "Two, maybe three. Hard to tell right now." She relays, before she ducks back out in to the greater space of the tunnel. She can see most of their enemies have been neutralized, or seem to be attempting a quick exit. keeping her gun up, Lara peers down its sights. "Be careful, Jess." She says likely loud enough to be heard through their shared comms and in the tunnel itself.

"I am Agent Lara Croft, with SHIELD's WAND division!" Lara calls out in to the corridor, unable to spot any targets fore firing upon that she has an actual sight upon.

"Identify yourselves, or we'll be forced to engage!" She warns, trying to make her voice as intimidating as possible for a London native to come across!

Shun Cruz has posed:
Tekkai calls to Bishop, "He is chanting a spell!"

"I think he is trying to get away! I do not recognize it completely!" Tekkai says as he goes to one knee, sending mystic energy at Bishop still. More to stay in cover and make himself a smaller target. Mostly.

He blinks a few times, keeping the energy going before he comments to Bishop, "Sounds British."

Young teenager mutant and mystic that's just kinda being used as a battery from a side tunnel.

Bishop has posed:
The attention on Tekkai was exactly why him getting the box wasns't ideal in this chaotic situation. As the shotgun fire blasts about him, Bishop pulls back into cover again and then, upon seeing Tekkai's movements out of the corner of his eye, he steps out once more in time for the energy whips to go crackling out and lash around an outstretched arm.

"Drop the box! It's fine!" he commands the young mutant while letting the energy from the mystic construct blaze into him. It might not be getting charged up by a handy Cyclops or Havok but it's certainly enough for him to redirect internally to super charge his physical abilities.

"Move away from the case!" he shouts to Tekkai before suddenly lunging forward in a blur of movement that would make Captain America proud. He vaults onto one of the walls and then uses it to spring forward - trying to cover the distance between himself and the teleporter and to bring a massive leg and knee up towards the big fellow to hopefully slam into him and put an end to his magic attempt.

"Bishop." he shouts out in mid leap.

"X-Men."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Energy crackles in the tunnel as the gunfire stops and relative quiet descends. Oblivious to the magic in the air, Jessica ignores the man chanting near her and centers her attention on retrieving the box. She turns toward where she had seen the box disappear just as a man seemingly barrels out of nowhere, shouting, "Bishop!".

On reflex, she raises her hands defensively, orbed in green energy, and releases a shock of bio-energy. "Arg, no, a friendly!!" she yells, and jerks her hands to the side, missing him.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Ther'es a bit of confusion in the mix of things, but the good guys seem to be sorting it out. Then there's a body check as Bishop goes tos lam over into the big man before he could teleport away. And he goes down with a load of bricks. Multiple hundred pounds of pure weight smashing into you is going to hurt like the dickens. And break a few things..
    Well, ones that Bishop already broke, so no harm. And the sewers are quiet. And they're left wtih the smell. Right as the reinforcements Lara has called for arrive.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara heard the words shouted out by the big man, that she only caught a few glimpses of in the dark, jumping around like some kind of beast!

"X-Men." Lara says in to the SHIELD comm network. "Seems we have some of the fabled Mutants amongst us..." She adds in, having had next to no interaction with the X-Men in her few years of working out of the United States, but she still knows of them.

Lara walks through the questionable water that flows through the center of the main junction corridor, her boots sloshing through it as she advances toward where the younger or of the two Mutants had deposited the case. Holding her gun aimed down, Lara offers him a nod, exhaling a bit of adrenaline out of her lungs, she gives a glance toward Jessica. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes go to the case in-question, and with a few more steps, Lara reaches down to open the case up.

Once the item within is revealed, she draws in a quiet breath. "Well, this is quite a sight." The Brit announces in a soft tone of her voice, while the comm chatter of the arriving SHIELD teams can be heard in the backdrop.

Bishop has posed:
It is fortunante that Bishop specializes in guzzling energy of all kinds up. Even the bio-energy of Jessica. Something he'll no doubt note for future reference as the more friendly energy blasters around if he's present the more teamwork stunts that can be pulled.

But that doesn't account for the momentum of him trying to recover from his slam into the big goon and as the bio blast hits he goes tumbling over and slams rather un-fabled like, into the ground. Luck prevents him from going straight into any sewage but still--he doesn't escape getting some filth on him. They are in the sewer after all..

He takes a second to catch his breath and then pushes up to his feet. "We're lucky my abilities thrive on drinking energy in. Friendly fire indeed." he rumbles before shaking his head and then looking around and then calling to Tekkai. "It's all clear!"

As Lara reaches the case and claims it he explains.

"I was monitoring these events as these tunnels are Morlock territory. I'm sure we can all agree that another mutant community, such as it is, being in the line of fire of third parties was not an ideal situation. I trust the matter is under control now?" He's no interest in the mystic item, naturally. No interest in that Abracadabra Stuff.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Yes, I'm fine," Jessica replies, her British accent bright with misgiving. "I missed him, I think."

She takes a step toward the subject of her misfire as he gets to his feet. "It looks like you survived." Eyes narrowed, "We need to talk after things have calmed down. X-men, is it?"

She glances at the man's accomplice, eyebrows rising at the glowing yellow eyes, then nods in greeting without comment.

To Lara, "Have you got it then? Whatever -it- is."

Lara Croft has posed:
Down on her knees in front of the case, it has garnered Lara's full attention.

As the torches mounted to the weapons of the incoming SHIELD teams flash around the junction corridors, Lara pulls the gnarled branch out from within the case.

"I've got it." She answers Jessica, holding the staff up in the few lights flashed upon her, and it. "It's the Boneweaver." She says, allowing a light exhale to escape between her lips as she turns the staff over in hand. "The staff of Merlin's apprentice. Vivienne. It's had a rough life, but... well, it has some life yet left within it, I suspect."

With a glance around her, Lara returns the gnarled length of wood back to the case it had been claimed from.

She puts her eyes upon Bishop then, as she closes the case, and rises up with its handle in her grasp. "Thank you, for your help." She offers the large Mutant man. "It is quite appreciated."

Agent Croft regards some of the SHIELD team unit leaders. "Lets do a full sweep of the tunnels near here. Make sure we do not leave this place unsafe... Clearly it is of importance to others. We'd hate to be bad guests..."