6091/Pirati dei Caraibi

Pirati dei Caraibi
Date of Scene:	30 April 2021
Location:	Somewhere Near the Burmuda Triangle
Synopsis:	May, Hunter, and Daisy (secretly stalked by Dottie Underwood) follow Gideon Mallick's main lieutanant, Giyera, to the site of an old galleon wreck, only to encounter a crew of animated skeletons and their frustrated Captain, HYDRA-allied pirate Pedro Cavalieri.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Lance Hunter, Dottie Underwood, Daisy Johnson

---

Melinda May has posed:
The trip to the Iliad was fairly quick, all things considered. The Quinjet lands on the deck and the crew disembarks. May greets the deck chief and the captain with a quick handshake and a brief confirmation that the small boat they've arranged to have standing by actually is. But, of course it is. Bobbi wouldn't fail her; and the Iliad doesn't fail Bobbi.

Thus, barely ten minutes after touching down on deck, the small STRIKE team, suited for amphibious maneuvers, is on its way into the heart of the Burmuda Triangle in search of... well, yes. Sunken treasure.

Is it really there? May's not actually sure. The intel seems good. It comes from a tip off by an informant that was then verified by a stolen satellite feed. There is unusual activity in the area the informant specified. Thus, STRIKE is deployed. Because they move quickly and act decisively.

Once they reach the coordinates, however, May finds herself standing at the edge of the boat, SHIELD-issued nanomesh wetsuit, a small amphibious jet back on her back, and water-suitable weapons and equipment hung off her person. Her comm will work fine within the environment of her diving mask. "Okay," she says to her small team. "Now we find out if this intel really is good. Watch your six, watch each other, and sing out as soon as you find something... weird." Because she just knows it's going to be something weird.

These days, it's *always* something weird.

Regardless, she trusts her team. She knows her team. They work well together. The water's a bit of a twist, to be sure. But they got this.

She hopes.

Lance Hunter has posed:
It'd been a bit since Hunter did an amphibious mission, but any reservations he might have had about this op were quashed by the words sunken treasure. How could he pass that up?

So equipped in the same fashion as May, he moves to the waters edge nodding, "Right, and there's always something weird, isn't there?" he asks, shaking his head.

"Anyhow count on me to let you know when I see it," he says, doing one more check of his gear before it's time to go rummage around in Davey Jones' locker.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
From the bow of the small vessel that she had charted, Dorothy Underwood surveys the horizon. The water is below her loses clarity in its depths, its mysteries shrouded in rumors. She wonders briefly what Peggy Carter is doing. Does she regret foregoing this mission? Dottie thinks she does. There was a tinge of longing in that conversation she 'overheard' between Peggy and Daniel. So even though Peggy isn't here, the near future events *should* be interesting.

She waits, just out of sight, observing.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The Bermuda triangle. Once a fabled spot where it's said aircraft and ships disappeared in rather mysterious circumstances. Sure, it's all more myth than reality but ..., the truth is the team is there now, and looking for sunken treasure? Myths do come true! Or maybe Hydra are on a wild goose chase. But knowing them they always have an angle.

It's ominously quiet when the team reaches the spot where they are supposed to go down, the triangulated activity leading to this spot. Daisy is looking at a tablet through her lenses, checking it and nodding quietly. "Yep, this is it." a look around.

"There's literally nothing around us.." Maybe that's the whole idea. She lets out a sigh, adjusting her mask on. "I should had put in more hours at the pool back at the Playground..." she complains. Clearly she didn't have the swimming legs she hoped for. But what were the odds of underwater missions!

"Look, I am all good with weird.." Daisy says to the others, "As long as I don't hear the words unleash the kraken! Or something to that effect." she murmurs, "I am mortally terrified of denizens of the deep. And tentacles..., brrr."

But then they are underwater. It's mostly clear so they have some fairly good vision around, yet their data was telling they would need to swim somewhat further down to the bottom. Which would take a bit. "Did I mention I hate sharks too..?" Daisy reminds them.

---

From afar Dottie is able to see a small group of people (most likely SHIELD agents) getting ready to go in. And one by one they do so, leaving one agent atop it to survey things. In this case Piper, who is speaking through comms to the rest of the 'gang': "Things are a-ok up here." she taps on her instruments as a small blip appeared but disappeared quickly. A blip? Maybe. But so far Dottie's presence remains fully undetected. Yet whatever they are looking for seems deep underwater.

Melinda May has posed:
"We're hunting Hydra," May says drily as the fall into the deep. "Tentacles are almost inevitable." And sharks, for that matter. Probably mutant sharks, stolen from the Atlanteans.

Oh, hell. Yeah. Let's hope *they* don't show up to complicate matters even further. She has no idea how to contact Arthur any more.

The surface water is warm, but it cools noticably the deeper they get. The aquajet on her back propels her smoothly through the water, a small harpoon gun available for her defense. She's checking the gauntlet on her forearm, however, which keeps track of their progress -- coordinates, depth, pressure... all those careful measurements crucial to their survival AND to finding their prey.

"Just remember," she tells them. "Once we're down there, we're stuck. We can't rise too quickly or we'll end up with the bends." And that's the best case scenario.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter moves smoothly through the water propelled by his aquajet, "Sharks are no big deal, just hit their snout," he says wryly over comms. "As for tentacles, you're on your own with that one, can't stand bloody squid," he says. "Human or otherwise."

As they go deeper and the water cools, he keeps alert knowing the light will be fading along with the warmth. "Right, and we definitely don't want those," he says with the voice of someone with experience on that subject. "Wonder what HYDRA wants with this stuff, I mean isn't our big revelation that most of their leaders are billionaires? What do they need with a little extra gold?"

Dottie Underwood has posed:
As she watches the group begin to enter the water, Dottie too readies herself to dive. Her equipment isn't nearly as sophisticated as SHIELDS's or HYDRA's. Clara Starling, her adventuresome heiress with a known fascination in the mystical, although the perfect cover identity for this little jaunt, only had access to the best equipment, crew, and discretion that money could rent.

Still, it's enough to track the agents at a discrete distance. She follows only close enough that the gloomy depths don't utterly swallow their lights.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
There May goes about reminding them about tentacles being inevitable. Ugh. That has Daisy groan into the comm briefly but she is following along, using her own propeller jet to get her going fast! Technology is great. "It feels just like that Bond movie ..., you know, the underwater one..." but Daisy is also paying attention to her surroundings. Tuned up and ready for assault. In a way she almost felt like a dolphin considering how she was using her vibrations now. But no need to share. She doesn't need another superhero nickname...

"What do you mean with 'just hit their snout'?" But she lets that go, instead saying, "Could be an actual fortune down here. But yea, that's not the usual, they can get money in many other ways..."

The light indeed starts dimming and not giving them much to navigate through, entering a dark area. Darker than usual? But the instruments tell they are going on the right direction. One thing that pops to attention though is that they found no fishes in this place. Nothing. and it just gets darker the more they go.

The gloom goes on for a bit, envelopping them, but a few moments later they open up to clear waters. The catch? Apparently comms aren't working to the surface, nor are their instruments anymore. So much for technology. But something *is* going on here. Something weird..

Further down they can spot a large ship of old. Perhaps 15th century. Broken masts but .., in better condition than fully rotten and broken down. Sure, there are still some holes, some destruction but all in all it doesn't look *too* bad. Some figures are seen ahead, four of them. Dressed in dark swimming suits and similar tech to the SHIELD agents, approaching the top, one of them gesturing for them to separate and search the ship.

Melinda May has posed:
"I doubt this is about money," May says as they descend. "Nothing HYDRA's done lately has been about money." From the experiments on Inhumans and Mutants to the magic mirror in an antique shop in Queens to the fall of SHIELD itself. It's not remotely about money. She knows that.

As they pass through the darkwater, she frowns. And when she notices, on the other side, that their communications tech has failed -- save for the shortwave radios that continue to connect their masks -- well... that's disturbing.

Especially in a place fabled for its strange happenings and disappearances.

She sees the figures in the distance and guesses them to be HYDRA. "Heads up," she warns. "We've got at least four. Spread out. We need to take them out and then find out what's so interesting about this place."

Lance Hunter has posed:
"Not going to complain if there //is// a fortune down here but odds are good the squids are after something really horrible," Hunter reasons on comms before the figures are seen. When May calls for them to split up Hunter replies"On it,veering left to spread out and get a bead on the figures down at the wreck.

Pulling his harpoon gun from his belt as he moves, he loads it swiftly, and waits for the word to engage.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
It's something like a shadow-play: the ghostly figures below, illuminated only by the lights they cary with them -- like angler fish -- the HYDRA agents at the wreck, the SHIELD agents splitting through the water, a hunting pack approaching their prey. And Dottie is their audience, waiting - always waiting, assessing the odds before joining the fray.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Daisy mirrors Lance's response with a "On it." starting to swim out to intercept one of the men that went beyond the front of the sunken ship, disappearing behind it. Radio silence out of her for now. Yet emotions can still be detected, subtly quiet and calm. Already used to these kind of missions.

As they near up to the ship itself it's noticeable it's in a much better state than it had any rights to be. Specially if it's been down here for so long. But now that everyone is closer it's even more noticeable the 'no wildlife' around, that darkness around the whole place giving it quite the eery touch.

The man that Hunter is following slips through one of the large holes on the side of the ship. Cannonball blasts most likely. Whatever brought this one down was some kind of battle for sure. The swimmer sweeps past a broken doorway and further on to a room that is out of sight. A glow seems to come from there though. The man's lantern? Something else?

Both Dottie and May notice two of the men moving towards the captain's cabin, one of them clearly the one calling the shots, presumably Giyera? They near the door, a gesture from the leader and the door sliding off it's hinges and out. Yes, clearly Giyera. They swim inside.

Melinda May has posed:
May allows her emotional awareness to drift out to its full extent, not entirely trusting that the squids are the only ones down here. While it's doubtful the Atlanteans are here, there are things beyond them that lurk in the dark places of the earth... and sea. And while she doesn't expect to be able to read the emotions of fishes and monsters, anything with a human intelligence... might(?) be fair game. It's not like she's had very many opportunities to test it.

Adjusting her body, May changes course in the water, heading toward the captain's cabin, though she tries to angle herself higher and aft of them, since they're less likely to look up... or behind. She watches the door give way from a distance. "One of them is a telekinetc," she reports to her team. "Either that, or he manipulates water. So, stay alert. There may be other powers among them." She continues to follow Giyera at a distance, considering how best to approach him, since a ranged attack may not be the best approach.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Consternation spikes from Hunter as he takes in the state of the ship and the lack of wildlife. << Anyone else getting some weird vibes from this place? Doubling down on them being after something horrible >>

Still Hunter follows his man, taking a moment to slip through the hole left by the cannonball, appreciating the damage done to the ship. << On the one down below >> A beat before he comments about Giyera. << Great. Of course they've got bloody powers."

Lance wiggles through the hole then kicks in the aquajet to ,move to the doorway in a flash, hoping the light inside is just the man's lantern. Unless something horrible is waiting inside when he arrives he levels his weapon at the HYDRA diver ready to shoot if the man makes a move.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
And now Dottie must make a choice. She can wait, observing, no longer. It means risking detection by both sides, but to know what's happening, she has to go inside the ship. She has to follow.

She chooses.

She follows May as she moves towards Giyera.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The most horrible of sights greets Lance when he gets inside that door. Truly, the most horrible one! If one is averse to gold that is. Doubloons, gold goblets, treasures. Many with the sign of the church in them await him. It's a veritable treasure cache down here, down in crates or just quietly awaiting in the waters. The man Lance was pursuing is just ahead, back turned to him, looking around in amazement at the treasure, one hand digging into a bunch of doubloons and appearing to be laughing.

May, following the two men up to the cabin's is able to spot one of them having turned to stay by the door, on watch. But considering the position she chose to approach the place she's still undetected. The man looks around suspiciously though. Did he notice some of the lights? Something is spoken to the intercomms. Looking through some holes on the wood it's noticeable that Giyera went further through the captain's cabin, onwards to a room next to it..

As for other 'bleeps', none but the expected one or ..., what is that? A sudden feeling hunger, as if something was just waking up from slumber is felt. Terrible, bottomless hunger.

Daisy's voice is heard on the comms. "I lost track of the other guy .."

Melinda May has posed:
"Something's waking up," May warns, feeling that strange alertness and hunger wash through her. "Hungry."

She watches the way the man near the door moves and the alertness that spikes in his aura as well. Reaching to a bandolier across her chest, she slides a small device out and attaches it to the tip of her harpoon, changing the tip on aquatic projectile into the equivalent of an ICER round with a shallow impact delivery system. She sweeps her arms and kicks her legs, thinking to bypass the door and find one of those holes a little further along... meet them coming the opposite direction. Perhaps from cover, if she's quick enough and lucky enough.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Gold! May can likely feel Hunter's spike of excitement at the sight of it all. Though it was quickly replaced with cool professionalism and a bit of unease. Under other circumstances Lance would make some quip or tell the guy to surrender. Dive gear and the vast amount of water surrounding them makes that impossible, so with a little helpless shrug for the situation, Hunter takes aim and fires a harpoon at the man's shoulder. As soon as the harpoon is away, he's taking cover behind the door frame. After all the guy up stairs might not be the only one with powers!

<< What do you bloody mean something's waking up?! >> he demands over comms all thoughts of gold replaced by images of the horrors of the deep. << Also engaged the bloke on the lower decks >> he adds bringing himself back into professional mode even if the fear still runs through him.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Tailing May through the shipwreck means that Dottie *must* close the distance. She dims her lights and lets her eyes adjust. While the haunted waters shroud her lithe form and cloak her from sight, they do nothing to hide her feelings.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Shooting a man from behind?! Hydra would be proud of Lance... Not the particular Hydra agent that he just shot, mind you. No, that one is instead clutching at his shoulder and howling in pain, the hand that was on the gold reaching back out, making many of doubloons float off, one still grasped in his hand. Something appears to be said on comms and suddenly there is a spike of alertness from the men inside the cabin. The one that was by the door looks around quickly, catching a glimpse of something. May? Or Dottie? But he starts swimming up to intercept, over the ship, light pointing around and skimming over May's position..

It's when that light focuses on May that the feeling intensifies, then 'bleeps' of terror felt. Giyera is seen swimming out of the back room he was in and inside the captain's cabin again, harpoon gun shooting into that room. Wood comes loose, most likely from his powers, also shot at relative speed through the water while he continues to try and get out.

<< Oh, crap. I am feeling sudden activity. There are a lot of ..., somethings down here with us..>> Daisy says on comms, followed by a, <<Oh, shit...>>

And if on cue one hand reaches out from under the gold in the room Hunter is. Skeletal. Wrapping around the Hydra agent's ankle. He's pulled in towards the gold as what could best be described as an animated skeleton climbs up to it's feet. And apparently it's not alone, more hands slipping from under the gold and reaching for Hunter to try and grab him!

Though even with those forms creeping up to 'life' there is only one that May can detect that's new. Inside that room Giyera is shooting towards. The hunger appears replaced by anger. Or maybe it's both things. "Really? You dare to come back here, hydra? To finish the job, eh?" a cackling laugh. "I guess Arturo was nothing but thorough." the language being old italian.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
With her advantageous position from a touch afar Dottie can, besides the activity going on near May also spot a swimmer coming out at speed from the side. One of SHIELD? Maybe. She is being followed by another swimmer but that last one appears to be caught by skeletal hands and pulled back into the ship. One of the Hydra agents disappears out of May's radar after a sudden burst of panic. Then nothing.

Melinda May has posed:
May speaks Italian. Old Italian is a little more challenging, however. Still, there is enough commonality in pronunciation that May can catch the gist of it. The fact the words carry comprehensibly through water to their air-adapted ears? Exceptionally disconcerting. Especially since the name Arturo is invoked.

"I hate magic," May says, her words carrying over comms even as that panicked spike winks out into nothing. She actually gasps softly at its sudden absence. "And we have blood in the water. Report!" She's still sure she can feel Daisy and Hunter's emotional signatures. More, now that she's focussing more sharply on her surroundings, she's sure she can sense Underwood, too. That elicits a soft curse from her.

She swings around with her harpoon as the light sweeps over her, firing at the man holding it without hesitation. Using her jets, she spirals out of the light and deeper into the darkness, sweeping up and over the wreck while she reloads her harpoon and tries to home in on just where Underwood may be while still tracking Giyera.

It's not easy.

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter's eyes go wide as the skeletons emerge from the gold. "Bloody hell!" he exclaims his words picked up by comms. He kicks off from the wall leaving the HYDRA operative to his fate. Normally he'd at least end the guy mercifully with bloody skeletons coming out of the woodwork he's willing to forego it to put some distance between the skeletons and him, especially since he only has the harpoon gun. He glances about for other weapons as he moves through the ship.

"Anyone catch what they were saying? It sounded like Italian Shakespeare," he says. "And one squid down, but the bad news is we're up a whole bunch of skeletons."

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Animated skeletons. Fascinating. And harpoons. Which Dottie dodges with skill. Still the projectiles are difficult to detect. The Italian, the first words she has heard since entering the water, confirms that this excursion is not a waste of time.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The Agent pointing it's light at May is one second too late on shooting his own harpoon, getting a bolt on the shoulder just as he is unleashing his own shot towards May. It makes his harpoon veer a touch off-mark so as to not hit May, the man going unconscious with the ICER bolt through him.

<<I followed the agent, he was caught as we were getting out..>> Daisy's breathless voice heard on comms while she swims at all speed up and over. Soon enough a dark sillouette is visible for May, approaching rather quickly, it eventually forming to be Daisy, still looking over her shoulder while she swims and almost bashing against May before she stops herself. <<There are skeletons all around this bloody place!>> she is catching Lance's infectious way of speaking apparently.

Giyera continues to break parts of the ship and toss them towards whatever is in the cabin, an angry voice again heard. "STOP BREAKING MY SHIP!" again in old italian. There is a spike of fear from the figure before it gets back to being angry once more when Giyera swims out to the outside. A large skeleton steps out from the cabin, dressed in what can be best de described as rags resembling some ancient captain's clothing. One of the legs is missing, replaced by a peg leg, a black hat on it's head and a sword in hand.

"Come closer, my hydra friends." clearly he is putting them all in the same pot, "And let me talk to you. I can let one of you live." so generous. Giyera appears to surrender when a couple of skeletons jump up to the deck, pointing swords at him. He lifts his hands.

As Hunter is escaping he comes across a pair of skeletons that are blocking that hole he came in through. They point swords at him but then in unison nod upwards to the deck. Apparently they aren't wanting to kill him, perhaps wanting to direct the man, or take him prisoner! One of those.

Figures approach both Daisy and May as well, skeletons that come out of the ship. But they don't attack either.

As for Dottie, she appears to not have yet been seen by the skeletons from where she chose to hide at.

Melinda May has posed:
Given the number of Brits in their small team of close colleagues, it's really a wonder they don't all toss Britishisms into their speach. And really? There are occasions that absolutely warrant common English curses.

"Best guess," May says over comms to her team, "we're looking at the Italian remake of Pirates of the Carribean. And they're pissed with HYDRA, but that doesn't mean they'll differentiate us."

She raises her weapon briefly as the silhouette approaches, but lowers it when she recognizes the emotional signature and then face of Daisy. "Hunter, get your ass over here. We need to stick together." A beat. "Also, I'm pretty sure Dottie Underwood is out here somewhere. If you don't know her, imagine Peggy Carter as a Black Widow." And if that doesn't explain it... well, they'll find out the hard way.

She watches the skeletons approach and then sees them pause. Glancing briefly to Daisy, she assumes a cautious neutral posture. "Think maybe they know we're not HYDRA?" She doubts it. And she's still tracking the remaining Hydra signatures -- particularly Giyera and Underwood. "I'm not in a mood to rescue squids. But still need to know what they're after." Though, really, she'll accept simply keeping them away from it, even if they don't get their hands on it themselves. Sometimes, it's wise to let sleeping sea dragons lie.

Lance Hunter has posed:
"Finally got your talking proper English," Hunter quips to Daisy over the comms before he's faced with the skeletons blocking the hole he swam in through. "Would love to join you and fight PegWidow there, May but I've got a couple of our skeletal friends blocking my way."

Glancing around for something he can swing at the skeleton he moves slowly forward towards the spot they indicate hoping to by some time to find a weapon or get some backup.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Dottie allows herself to drift towards a better vantage point, moving absolutely as little as possible. These HYDRA agents may provide her with access to the information she desires, that information that Lily requested, -- if any of them survive.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
<<Ugh, I cannot unhear what you just called her...>> PegWidow. And now it's stuck in her head. Daisy could had chuckled if there weren't all those bloody skeletons surrounding them. She looks up at May with a nod, assuming a defensive posture too, just a subtle vibration leaving her as she prepares to let it rip if needed. Still, Lance isn't near them yet. <<So, do you go with parlaying with them or should we start shooting..? Might not give us our answers though..>> she says to May, brows furrowed.

With Lance now accepting to go where the skeletons are leading him they start moving towards the surface. Which is a good thing, right?! All the way up through a trapdoor and up to the deck where Giyera is at. A few more skeletons are there, along with the larger one. The skeleton speaks again in italian. "Yes, come on. I don't bite. I don't even have teeth anymore.." a cackle, apparently he finding himself very funny though looking at Lance's outfit he mmms, "Oh, you don't have the kraken in your symbol. Who do you serve? Or are you initiates?" the anger is replaced with curiosity and he continues to gesticulate in Hunter's direction.

Melinda May has posed:
May might not be in the mood to rescue Squids, but there is the matter of the fellow she ICERpooned. She can't leave him floating around out here. And, he might have useful intel later. Considering the skeletons around them, she purses her lips faintly within her mask and reaches slowly into her belt for a small, water proof tracker. Fitting it into her wrist harness, she fires it so it sticks into the man's inert body.

Then, she gestures toward where Hunter is being brought to join Giyera before the Captain Barbossa stand-in. "My Italian doesn't really cover classical lit," she says dryly. "But I'm beginning to think we need to let this play out. It's HYDRA he's pissed with... He doesn't know what to make of SHIELD."

She looks at the skeletons and then to Daisy. "Move slowly. Let's see what they do. Toward the wreck, but not directly toward the treasure. I want closer to Giyera, in case we need to take them out. If the skeleton crew wants to keep whatever they've got safe from HYDRA, I say we let them. We don't have the personnel to camp it. But, if we can get the Squids' leader? We'll have what we need."

Following her own advice, she slowly starts to move toward the ship, angling somewhat toward the scene playing out on deck.

Lance Hunter has posed:
<< Welcome Daisy and roger that May >> Hunter replies over comms continuing to move slow towards the skeletons blocking his exit. His Italian doesn't cover classical lit either but he gets enough. "You will need more to convince me" he says in modern Italian about not biting. As for the rest. "Not HYDRA" he continues in the same, gesturing at his suit. "No Kraken. Just want to go." All the same he grips his harpoon gun a little tighter. <<Daisy might need your help if things get ugly, got two blocking my escape >>

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Attempting to avoid attention from all parties, Dottie swims around the ship, looking for an unguarded entrance. What was HYDRA hoping to acquire? She ignores the previously discovered door to the captain's cabin -- too exposed, too observed, -- and almost certainly not hiding what HYDRA desires. However, Giyera did put some new holes in the ship in his attempt to flee. Perhaps one of those will allow her access to the ship's bowels. She draws closer, on the look out for more skeletal adversaries.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The tracker hits the unconscious Hydra who continues to float by. The skeletons apparently ignore that one. Perhaps considering he's dead? Regardless he certainly doesn't appear to be the center of attention of this skeleton crew. The 'captain' seems to smile, if a skull can actually smile. A gesture of appreciation when both May and Daisy start swimming closer. Slowly.

"Classical? I speak true Italian you barbarian." he gets a bit affronted that not everyone can understand him perfectly. They were the center of the world before! He hmphs at Lance. "But lets get down to business. If you are not Hydra then what are you?" as both Hunter starts talking his voice appears to carry too. Yes, there is clearly magic going on here if it wasn't evident already. But somehow it appears to let them communicate.

"Yet where are my manners? I am captain Cavalieri. Once a strong adversary to the kraken, or Hydra, however you wish to call it." a gesture towards Giyera. "I was cursed by that blasted Arturo and have been lingering down here hoping for release."

Giyera interjects, "That's a bunch of bulshi--" whatever he is saying is cut off by Cavalieri driving his sword through the man's shoulder. "You should mind your manners." he tells him calmly. A gesture towards a couple of the skeletons. "Bring him to my cabin. I will dispose of him in a bit."

For his interest appears to be on his new friends. "You were here for a reason. Hunting these Hydra? Treasure hunters? Who are you?" He asks.

---

Dottie is able to get into the back room of the cabin through a few loose boards that had indeed been broken loose by Giyera's telekinetic pushes. Within she finds but a rotten cot, a few broken crates yet on the cabin itself there's more. A large, closed chest that appears to have survived the test of time, and a table where a few navigational instruments still linger. Against one of the walls is a large Hydra symbol. Seems like whoever this guy was he might have been Hydra once.

Melinda May has posed:
Since the Captain seems to be inviting conversation, May, as they drift a little closer, decides to oblige. "We are SHIELD," she tells him, speaking perfectly acceptable modern Italian. It's all she knows. In his day, there might have been the Brotherhood of the Shield. The Shield in the West. The Spear in the East. Perhaps they parallel them, standing against HYDRA, yes? "And, really, we're just here to stop them getting whatever the hell it is they want."

A beat, she adds. "So... this curse thing. I'm guessing that doesn't make you Arturo's biggest supporter, right?"

She glances to Hunter to make sure he's still okay. She doesn't much care what happens to Giyera, as long as it's bad. Unless, maybe... they can get him back. "Because, if so... maybe we can come to a little accommodation."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter lets May handle the talking here, her Italian's better for one thing, and for another she knows the players better than he does. He falls back a little from the skeletons in his way and makes no sudden moves.

He does however keep an eye out for PegWidow wherever it is she's gone.

Wouldn't do to make peace with the extras from Pirati dei Caraibi only to be get killed by a prototype Black Widow right after.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
The chest, of course, stands out as the obvious object of interest. However, she scans the table first, looking for a log book or a diary. Information truly is the greatest treasure.

There is a tome upon it, badly damaged by time. Rather than attempting to read the entries now, she removes an underwater camera from her divebelt and begins documenting anything remotely legible.

She also takes a few pictures of the preserved HYDRA symbol and the trunk, some memorable evidence in the likely event that her research is interrupted.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
May will feel a sudden urge of disgust and fury from Cavalieri when she announces them being SHIELD. Clearly there must have been something similar in his time. "Adversaries to the Hydra." he nods in a solemn manner, respectful. Yet his gallant gestures seem nothing like what he is feeling inside. "So you survived to this day.." and then he lets what resembles a sigh, ".. and so did Hydra.." he doesn't feel happy with either outcome. "My only solace is that the assassins I sent after Arturo did their job. He is dead now, while I still linger." another brief cackle.

"I was fleeing Arturo's ships, carrying a cache of their treasures when they caught up to me. They shot me down yet by a twist of fate one of the items on the cache cursed me and my crew." he appears to be getting angry again as he remembers it all. "So what I propose to you is this. You help me break the curse and in turn I can help you as well. Arturo had other caches around the world. If you are here it means Hydra is looking for the lost treasures. I can offer information. And in return you break this curse. What say you?" he sounds so reasonable. But there's malicious intent lingering under the surface.

Daisy joins Lance as backup, looking around and then up to him with a shrug. She is ready for this to go either way.

A couple of the skeletons start dragging Giyera over to the captain's cabin where Cavalieri promised he'd handle the man later on. He clearly has other priorities right now.

Melinda May has posed:
"A generous offer," May says, her tone carefully neutral. "Arturo was a formidable opponent. I'm quite certain." And she is, since the bastard found a way to survive that particular assassination attempt.

Still, she felt that surge of fury and disgust from the dead pirate. (And chooses not to contemplate just how collossally WIERD and FREAKY that actually is.) In her experience, HYDRA likes to turn on itself. She's beginning to suspect these two were somehow rivals -- Arturo and Cavalieri. There's too much animosity in the captain's awareness for it not to be somehow *personal*.

True, he doesn't *have* to be HYDRA for it to be personal, but his dislike of SHIELD tends to make her fairly certain he is. Which means lifting his curse, despite what information he has, might not be in their best interests.

"You seem a resonable man, Captain," she continues, lying through her teeth as she decides just how much she should reveal or not to him. So, she plays for time. "We *might* be able to break the curse. But I really can't say without knowing how it was cast in the first place. An artifact, I take it? Arturo was fond of artifacts." She's guessing. After all, there was that mirror...

She can sense Dottie moving within the ship. She's not sure *why* she's moving within the ship, but she's fairly certain it has something to do with why they're all here. "Tell me about it. Then, we can negotiate its worth."

Lance Hunter has posed:
The fact negotiations with the skeletons were going well didn't make hanging around them any less creepy, so Daisy's arrival brings visible relief to Hunter's form. He gives her a thumbs up. << Daisy and I are on together on the lower deck, can respond if the talks go tits up >> he remarks over comms.

Then to Daisy over a side-channel. "Really need to stop ending up missions meant for WAND," he grouses. "Can't bloody shoot ghosts and skeletons."

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Despite her fleeting attention to the writing on the pages she photographs, one word stands out "medallion". Perhaps that is the prize inside the chest. It will be locked, of course, but what's a lock?

Dottie crouches beside the trunk and begins to assess the mechanism. The trunk itself is surprisingly heavy. There must be an abundance of guarded riches within. What adventuring heiress wouldn't carry lockpicks on a deep sea dive in Bermuda triangle? Dottie Underwood is prepared, and so Clara Starling also must be.

Just as she begins to make headway with the lock, she hears movement outside the cabin door. They, whomever they are, are drawing closer. She's out of time.

After a quick glance to ensure that nothing looks disturbed, Dottie darts behind the captain's table, using the floor length wooden support as cover. From her hiding spot, she tries to recall the skeletal Captain's outfit. Could he have been wearing it?

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"To break the curse is simple." The old captain says, clearly pleased to find such a reasonable woman to deal with him. He reaches under his ragged shirt, skeletal hand around a medallion which he takes out. Unlike most of the ship it looks weathered and old. This one felt the full brunt of the passing time. It looks brittle but still in one piece, a few writings around the edges. Mayan, if any would know of those. "This medallion is the curse. For it to be broken it has to see sunlight once again. Bring it up with you, hold it to the sun and you will see my soul finally passing on.." the malicious intent is still there. In fact he's very eager.

"In return I can offer you information about the caches. One in India, another in France. If you have a map I can pinpoint you the locations." He explains. "Simply give me your word you will bring the medallion with you." he states. "Fair is fair. I only want to pass on and die."

Daisy looks up at Lance, "You need bashing weapons for skeletons, Lance..." Daisy nerds up at other Agent. ".. everyone knows that."

The two skeletons reach the entrance to the cabin and just in the nick of time Dottie hides from their empty gaze. Giyera is brought in and tossed over towards the table, letting out a grunt of pain, twisting a bit on his side and he appears to catch a glimpse of .., someone? His eyes fix on Dottie, widening before he frowns. He isn't sure what to make of this one. Friend or foe? But he doesn't announce her presence. Instead staying quiet and expectant, watching her.

Melinda May has posed:
May can't ignore the eager, malicious intent in the skeleton's awareness. To her, it's like a really big, flashing neon sign: DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! Softly, in to comms, she says, "Hunter? Daisy? Get ready to fight." Because the captain's not going to like what she says next.

"Mm-hmm. Here's the thing," she says bluntly. "Arturo's not dead. So, either you failed or you're lying. And I haven't met a single HYDRA head yet who wouldn't turn on his fellows at a moment's notice." A beat. "Especially, if it furthered his own ends."

A beat. "Also? I really hate magic."

She starts to swim, moving around so that she can perhaps see just what's happening with Giyera. "I think you both want the same thing and the medalion was either his way of preserving you or sidelining you so he can go after it, himself."

She gestures toward the ship. "So, the only trade we're making is that I'll take the Squids off your hands, so they don't bother you any more, and you get to sleep for another half millennium."

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter snorts into his mask. "Nerd," he chides Daisy, though he does turn his harpoon gun around so he can use the butt as a weapon. So, advice taken. And well timed too as May disappoints the scary ghost pirate. Never disappoint the scary ghost pirate! << Roger that >> he says to May. "You hear that Daisy? I think our best bet is blasting our friends here and re-grouping with May. What do you think?" he asks laying out the battle plan and hoping the skeletons don't understand English mumbled around scuba equipment.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Dottie lifts a finger to the front of her diving helmet over the respirator in the universal 'shhhh' gesture. She winks.

"Time to get us out of here," she says softly to Giyera. Her words carry, but not too loudly. It seems that the magic which allows the skeletal captain to speak affects the whole ship indiscriminately. She starts to pull the wounded man towards the holes he'd made in the ship. As she passes by the book on the table, she remembers the last page.

"You really should try to break that medallion," she calls out. Upping the ante in the ensuing skirmish should provide herself and her own prize ample cover to escape. At least that's the plan.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
The news that Arturo isn't dead brings a furious shiver on Cavalieri. One that seems to replicate on the rest of the crew surrounding the deck and the rest of the SHIELD agents. "WHAT?!" he is angry. Much more than anything else that has been said here so far. "How can he not be dead? He CANNOT have bested me in this.." spite and jealousy on both words and feelings. This was a proud captain in his time...

As May moves though so do the rest of the skellies, starting to surround her.. Following after Giyera may prove to be hard .., for now. They aren't attacking just yet, because Cavalieri still wants to know what the heck is going on. "Tell me how he can still be alive and you will live. And the Squid is mine." he needs to vent his frustrations somewhere!

When Dottie speaks out they should break the medallion there is true fear that May can feel coming from Cavalieri. And then he shrieks. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Daisy looks up at Lance, not understanding what the skellie said but .. "He sounds angry.." and it's a good cue to start blasting. She points her hands towards one of the skeletons closing a fist as vibrations overtake it and it literally explodes. The other rises it's sword towards Lance..

The ones around May get aggressive, nearing her with their blades to start trying to take a slice out of her! Cavalieri brings the medallion to his chest in a protective manner and raises his sword. "I was supposed to have been the leader. But that damn Arturo..., no matter. I will wait for other stupid treasure hunters to come here!"

Giyera appears to accept Dottie's help easily, nodding in her direction and starting to try and swim out with her. He is wounded but he is managing somewhat, following Dottie out of the blasted ship. He didn't get his treasures but at least he's keeping his hide!

Melinda May has posed:
Despite the fact the suggestion comes from Dottie Underwood, May actually thinks it's a good one. Especially when that fear spikes from the ghoulish thing. "Magic," The Cavalry tells Cavalieri (there's gotta be something ironic in that). "How else?"

Really? He needed her to tell him that?

She decides to test just how fast these walking bone piles really are. Flipping in the water, she ups the speed of her jets to max and streaks downward, aiming towards the captain. Hey, if Daisy were with her, rather than Lance, she'd just have her quake the damned thing off. But, since Daisy's not here... and May *again* left the ragestaff in its vault (she's really gotta consider adding that to her normal equipment)... She'll settle for bashing with her fists or a blunt harpoon tip.

That's the problem with water... it's really hard to get up enough force behind a strike when you're not Atlantean. Water resistance sucks.

Lance Hunter has posed:
"Very angry," Lance agrees, to Daisy. When the sword swings his way, :Lance parries with the harpoon gun then grabs hold of the skeletal hand on the other side of the blade and twists for all he's worth. Sword trumps a harpoon gun when it comes to fighting these skeletons and he /wants/ that sword.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Dottie guides Giyera toward the surface and her personal pleasure rental and the awaiting crew. The agents will be able to handle those skeletons, she's sure of it. Especially after her handy little tip.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Then bring me with you." Cavalieri replies to May. "I will help you kill him." And that much appears to be true. Still, when that charge comes directly at him he lets out a sneering sound. "Really? A woman believes she can best me...?" A 15th century pirate captain. They didn't think much of women at the time. And that overconfident vein appears to overcome the old captain.

"Stay out of it." He tells the rest of the skellies who stop trying to kill her.

The creature brings it's sword up to parry the blow, deflecting and attempting to skewer May. It moves fast but with a bit too much swagger. And clearly not convinced May can beat him in a fight.

Lance is able to disarm the skeleton. Literally. He gets the sword and skellie hand to go and a good bash gets it crumpling down unmoving. Which just leaves them to get up that door to the top deck.

Daisy focuses and points her hand up, shooting the trapdoor off the hinges (and taking another skellie in the process) before starting up. "Let's go!" she calls out to Hunter!

Both Dottie and Giyera start getting more and more distant on May's radar until they get out of her range. Though she can also note they left together, along with the one she put the tracker in. Giyera says over to Dottie. "Don't know who you are, but good job. We always reward those who help us." he tells her with a grin. Clearly she has made a new friend.

Melinda May has posed:
May is hampered by water resistance she's not genetically made to overcome. That doesn't mean she doesn't know how to fight -- and fight swords, at that. "Worse," she says, dodging the sword aiming to turn her into an Inhuman shishkabob. "A tiny, Asian woman." She's kinda used to being doubted by arrogant, over built guys. This guy's only different because he's missing his meat.

Her water jets help her overcome much of the resistance and she uses the harpoon gun to tangle his sword. Kicking hard, she yanks, activating the jets' turbo boost. Hey, if Lance can rip an arm off one of the thing's minions, maybe she can rip his arm off.

Dottie, Giyera, and FishFood disappear from her emotional radar and, in the midsts of the fight, she doesn't have quite enough awareness to be sure which way they were going just before they disappeared. 'Thataway... maybe,' is about as close as she can get.

Because: Busy!

Lance Hunter has posed:
Hunter manages to get the sword free and then shake off the hand that was still attached to it. "Gross," he says before smashing the pommel into the skeleton's face sending it staggering back. That and May wrestling with the main pirate's arm gives him an opening. He wasn't a fencer but swords weren't too hard to figure out. He lunges past his oppoenent the small surface area on the point of the sword overcoming much of the water resistance as he aims right for the medallion.

Dottie Underwood has posed:
Once they all are aboard Dottie's little boat, and she can remove her diving gear -- can't smile flirtatiously from behind a respirator -- she introduces herself, "Clara Starling," she says winningly. "And it's always nice to make a new friend." She takes in the figure before her admiringly. Then she gasps, "Oh, but you're hurt!"

Of course she'd noticed the wound before, but then there was no opportunity to tend to him in an ingratiating manner.

"And your...associate, too," she says, observing the unconscious HYDRA agent.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Then come at me and die." Cavalieri challenges May, the skellie still rather spry for how old it must be. And as for swordsmanship? Top notch. Yet ..., damn technology. He certainly isn't expecting the use of treacherous water jets! It gives May the boost she needs to really get sword out, along with the arm. Cavalieri shouts in frustration. "Damn you!" and he is just about to shout, "Kill the-" when Lance breaches past his attention and cleaves the medallion. It was brittle already when he hits it breaks.

Cavalieri looks down at Lance, incredulous, then to May. The skellies Daisy was busy bursting into pieces start to crumble away into dust.., fading. The old captain sneers, "So this is it.. Very well." at least he takes defeat sportingly. And in a way the curse will stop. "Do kill Arturo for me, will you?" he goes to say something else but then he also fades into dust.

As for the ship itself, it starts to break but they still have time to retrieve the trunk from inside the captain's cabin.

Up on the surface Giyera clearly seems pleased with the gracious Ms. Starling. "It is fine. I am sure I will have time to recover. Now let's go, and you can tell me on how you found yourself to be in such a place by yourself..."