6195/Malta Bound

Malta Bound
Date of Scene:	19 June 2021
Location:	On A Quinjet
Synopsis:	Operation: Deus Vault goes to Malta!
Cast of Characters:	Morrigan MacIntyre, J'onn J'onzz, James Barnes, Hellboy, Damian Wayne, Grant Ward, Michael Hannigan, Hank Pym, Steve Rogers, Colette O'Connail

---

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Some plans had changed and that meant that they were no longer taking the private jet that Morrigan was providing. They were taking something James was providing. And there were going to be new faces. Morrigan had told those that were coming to meet her at the school and she was going to open a portal to the location that they needed to be at in Westchester. Mo's not a fan of using her magic, but they didn?t need to waste time on Ubers, parking cars and other things.

Plus, Hellboy wasn't going to fit in most cars.

Morrigan opens the portal from her office to the field to usher folks through, "Please keep your hands inside the portal on the way through." she tells them with a smile. She?s the last one to step through of course. She's dressed in jeans, boots and a plain white t-shirt under a leather jacket.

She's also carrying a white box.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn has no problem with using portals, magic being something he has grown accustomed to over the years. Presently still green, he wears his Martian Manhunter uniform, but that will likely change once they reach where they are going.

"Thank you Ms. MacIntrye," he offers first, then steps through the portal.

James Barnes has posed:
    Perfect timing. Just as they step through the portal, SHIELD's Quinjet is rocking side to side gently after just having hit the ground. For a second or two, it just sits there looking all official and a little foreboding, but then the ramp lowers and...
    Out walks Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, his childhood best friend - Captain America and Grant Ward - the man that brings the donuts and, apparently the cutlery to eat them with.
    "Yeah, I know," Bucky is commenting to Grant on the way down. "But it was the only way she'd let me take the jet."
    A beat and he asides to Steve, "I hope these kids don't piss themselves at the sight of you."

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy grunts a low thanks to Morrigan for the transport assistance before following J'onn on through to the field, tucking that coat of his a little closer around his frame until he gets a better idea of just what the hell they're walking into. Spying the quinjet settling down, he sidesteps from the portal to avoid anyone else just walking into him from behind and eyes the machine for a moment, then the people coming out of it, then back to J'onn's colorful self, before offering to the Manhunter, "Well, this's gonna be cozy."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Robin had left a message for Batman: 'Off to Malta, will be back.' And not much else. He travelled light, a small attache with extra consumable gadgets and a Grecian style short sword on his back in addition to his normal Robin kit.

  As opposed to the other night, he remained quite silent. But he did see that iconic man step out of the quinjet, and couldn't help but stand just a little taller around Steve, not that it helped his stature.

  His scowl never faded under that raised hood of his.

Grant Ward has posed:
He was still not sure how Bucky actually talked him into this little mission. Agent Grant Ward had just returned from a long stint undercover in a country somewhere east of nowhere to an organization that was scattered and in hiding. However, when Bucky asked for his help he simply could not turn it down. Well truth be told, Bucky was not going to stop pestering him unless he did.

"This better not go sideways. There are way to many logistics involved. To many possible variables. Too many..." He trails off and continues walking towards the jet with a purposeful stride in his trademark black suit and sunglasses. "You so owe me for this Mr. Barnes."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Being part of the Happy Harbor crew, Mike had met where Morrigan indicated they were to meet. Considering the prospect of air travel Mike is still dressed down in his Goodwillesque attire. Adding to it a simple jacket. With the marks on the neck being nearly gone, he didn't bother covering it up this time around. So the hair is pulled back to a regular ponytail. Being kind of a lazy traveler, he still had some Euro from his recent trip to Italy so that came along as well in his pockets.

Having done portals before, there was little hesitation when Morrigan indicated for them to come through. He gives Morrigan a nod before stepping through. On the other side he shifts aside so as not to block those behind him. Skimming the group at the jet, he looks past Bucky, and even Cap, before giving a curious look to Grant. Cap was easy to explain and it's not the first time he's ever been to an event they were both at. But he doesn't think Grant was at that meeting, nor does he recognize him.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym is beside himself. The wards protecting Malta had dropped somewhat. He made contact with his little friends of a sort.

The Avengers walks along, completely in his world and conversing in a language older than primates with tiny creatures a half a world away. He pulls his mask down, sweating with the effort. J'Onn can't help but feel some ant talk through feedback from Hank's mind. A chorus with a million tiny voices.

Habnk might be forgiven for...

<BUMP> "Ooops sorry."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"That was /one time/ at that grade school, Buck," says Steve. Long-suffering resignation underscores his words, but Bucky gets a wry smile anyway. Cap joins Bucky and Ward in walking down the ramp, his shield and helmet carried loosely in his left hand.

"Welcome aboard, everyone," Steve says. He stands at the top of the ramp, one foot planted on the deck, and nods welcome at people entering the vehicle. Those he knows personally are offered a firm handshake.

Silently Cap counts everyone coming on board, a habit instilled in him from the first time he led a jump out of a plane. Always good to have the right numbers at hand.

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy slows his approach when Steve addresses him specifically, glancing at the hand, then the man, and sizes him up for a moment before grunting amd grasping the offered hand (with his normal one! He's not being THAT crabby yet), "Cap'n. Saw you on the news a lot. Not bad." Another dubious look is given to the Quinjet, as if unsure of the airworthiness of such things, and though he approaches the machine, he slows up, canting his head to the side to watch the rest of the team assemble and make sure everyone he knows about came through the porta.. No, he's not going to be one of the first ones on.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn looks to the quinjet, then to Hellboy and realizes this may in fact be a very interesting trip indeed. "You are correct, we are all about to be come very close friends."

He has become accustomed to the many voices that are Hank and his friends, they are almost white noise in the back of his own mind, but still he does his best not to invade on private thoughts, not even the ants.

Looking back to the quinjet for a moment, he turns his attention to Steve, James and the man with them. The first he knows by reputation, the second he met a few days ago, the third he has no idea, but all three are offered a nod of greeting. "If needed, I can fly to Malta myself, to allow more room inside the quinjet."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan gives a look to the three men and there's a bit of a smile when she sees Steve but her gaze goes to Bucky for a moment as he walks down. Then her gaze goes back to Captain America. She reaches out to accept the friendly handshake with a smile of her own, "It's good to see you again, Captain. Sorry it always happens when there is a crisis, BUT we appreciate the help." she tells him. "James, good to see you again." she nods to Bucky. Then her violet gaze flicks over to Ward, the white box is held out to him, "James said you liked donuts. Figured I'd bring some." she lets him take possession of it.

Then back to her group, "Ready when you guys are." she tells them. Then back to Bucky, "You guys have the coordinates of our little hold over place until mission go time. So...I'll let you handle it from here and interject where needed." she offers.

James Barnes has posed:
    "Don't say that..." Bucky and Steve both tell Grant under their breath. You never, ever, ever EVER say anything about it 'not going sideways' as then it inevitibly will, just like saying it's a 'quiet night' in the ER.
    The jet isn't THAT small, they manage tactical ground teams in these things all the time. Suck it up and love your neighbor or something.
    ...it *will be a tight fit, but it's also fast, agile and much more covert than the private jet.
    Coordinates have actually already been programmed in. The pilot - we'll call him Joe Burns - is set to take off as soon as everyone's on board.
    "Actually it was two, one in May, one in July... 2019. Swiss cheese," he retorts.
    Once everyone's on board, he stands, as seating room is limited and he has shit to say. First... "Agent Ward, pull up the satellite feed on this thing, yeah?"

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz has to consider this, take several moments to decide if he wants to cram himself into this space with that number of people. He's not shy by any means, but projected emotions and thoughts can be very distracting in such a confined area. Deciding then there was no other alternative, since he had no idea where they were going, he straightens his back and steps up onto the quinjet. He will let other's sit before he does, because if it comes to it, he can fly, in fact he could hold the entire quinjet in the air without power, but there won't be need for that... hopefully.

Grant Ward has posed:
Oh Grant Ward. Mr Fun Machine. Captain Protocol. He is doing his best to remain as stoic and mission oriented as he can, but the offering of the donuts by Morrigan causes him to raise a hand to tip his sunglasses down, peering out over them as he takes the box. His eyes shift to Bucky and there is a stare as the glasses are removed. "Oh did he now? Thank you. If he is lucky I might share one." The box is tucked under an arm as a nod of greeting is given to all others present. "Supersition statements don't exist Bucky. If it does go sideways it is because we were not properly prepared."

The donuts are set down in a safe space, proof that he may actually really desires such a treat and a nod is given to Bucky. "Pulling up....satellitee feed. And...3...2...1. Satellite feed set."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Once people starts boarding. Mike follows suit. Giving a nod to James, Ward, and Cap. He pauses to look to Steve "I hope the next time we run into each other it's at a charity event instead." He does not linger and continues forward. Glancing inside, he takes note of the available seating and once he's sure Hellboy found place to fit, opts for one as close to a corner as possible.

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy shakes his head lightly as people climb up the ramp and board the jet, following Michael in while he eyes the available space and finally wedges himself into a spot with a grumble and a roll of shoulders. Faintly jostling Michael as he sits down, there's a murmured, "Sorry, Smash. S'a gun, not me bein' happy to see ya," followed by a look around the interior and the other faces as people settle in for the trip. Probably not terribly considerate of aircraft load balancing issues.

James Barnes has posed:
    The feed that Grant pulls up, ends up as a holographic image in the middle of the jet's passenger area. It's of the ruins and shows little red infrared dots moving around inside. He passes out folders pulled from a small cabinet built into the hull. He actually passes the things out. "That's live feed from Malta right now," he explains. "I haven't had a lot of time to study it, but it seems like this..." he gestures to one little person shaped dot thing... "...might be our objective. The others move a lot more freely around the compound.

Steve Rogers has posed:
For civilians, it's very cramped. For government personnel accustomed to being crammed into improbably dense spaces, the Quinjet's not the worst way to fly.

Forty guys crammed into a thirty-seat jet going over France-- THAT is the worst way to fly.

Steve walks around with one hand holding the safety rails overhead. Anyone who is struggling with their harness gets a little earnest help.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym shrink inside the jet. At least for now they can get some room. He becomes a foot tall and hops onto a shelf wings whirring and tiny thrusters flaring. Then he puts his head in his hands and all but curls up into a ball in an ant call out. J'Onn's white noise increases as Hank struggles to pick out images from ants who are trying. And more join in to help. There are always more ants. Check the Youtube Crab vs. Ants video to get an idea here.

Hank is not a whiner but a million or more ants start to flipping hurt. There may be 7 million ants in an acre more are joining in because not uppity man animals are going to silence them if Pym needs help! Maybe the weather is shifting. Maybe the magic is being reallocated. It's starting to come through. Hank grits his tiny teeth in his dark corner and listens.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Robin gets into the Quinjet easily, and he doesn't even have to go into an overhead compartment. Though of course, he barely says anything after taking a seat next to Hank, though he does give FireAnt a nod of acknowledgment.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan doesn't seem to mind the space, they had a job to do and she wasn't going to be bitching about if she was too close to someone. She decides to stand since she's probably going to be talking at some point and hey, she doesn't take up a lot of space. There is a smile to Grant, "It's no problem, really. Enjoy them." she tells him. Then she's back to being quiet and allowing Bucky to kick things off.

The coordinates for the place that they are going to are a farmhouse just outside of Valleta. Open fields, probably good to land the quinjet in. Not too far from the objective either.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Mike is jostled, he gives a slight smirk to the apology. Where DOES a 300+ pound Hellboy sit? "No worries Red. Gotta sit where you gotta sit."

Managing to find a reasonably decent spot and the sardine effect managing to keep him upright, Mike crosses his arms giving a bit more shoulder room to the seatmate beside him. But unfortunately the plane ride comes with homework. Glancing up, he takes the folder offered over and glances in.

As he gets downwards a ways on the writeup. His expression shifts from relaxed to angry.

Grant Ward has posed:
Grant takes the folder and opens it, looking throgh it with one hand as he pushes a few more things on the small device that is controlling the satellite feed. The screen then shoes the same red dots, but it leaves a faint blue trail mark behind each dot seemingly marking what appears to be guard oriented paths more visible. It makes it easier to see areas that are not conceivably /noticed/ and how long a dot remains in a specific space. "This will show patterns of coverage on the compound. Where they are walking, how long they stay is below each dot with a small counter. It would be good to take note." He then looks to the folder closer, studying with a narrowed eye what was handed to the crew.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Under normal circumstances, J'onn doesn't mind cramp quarters, this is different in that there are two minds present that project rather continuously, and it is harder to block them and block the normal minds so he isn't invading anyone's personal space, so to speak.

Accepting the folder, he looks through it but his face reveals nothing of what he is thinking. That is his usual way. "Ms MacIntrye, I believe this changes a few things," he offers plainly, then looks up to Morrigan. "I wish to make it my priority to locate Tyler and extract him. I believe I have the best chance of doing this, while the rest of you deal with the Cult."

James Barnes has posed:
    "A'ight, so... from the intel in those folders, you can see that we're not facing just one obstacle in getting Tyler out alive, but two. British Intelligence has a bead on the kid and want him dead." Bucky's jaw clenches a little, but he's keeping his cool in the face of how much that bit of information pisses him off.
    "I think me and St... Cap, should go in first." He pulls five small beads from his pocket. Anyone familiar - which might not be many- would recognize them as Kimoyo beads, Wakandan tech. "... we can plant these along the four walls, leave one with Agent Ward and he'll be able to see inside that place as if he was in it, through the walls. From there, I guess I need to know what everyone else can do?"
    Him and Steve, their job is obvious... they hit stuff... hard. After being sneaky about planting those beads.
    He looks over at his old friend and asks, "You up for an air drop?" That's never fun...
    "We can drop in close, Grant can lead everyone in after the jet lands?"
    Then he actually defers to Morrigan. "If that's all right?"

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy takes the offered folder and eyes the hologram for a moment, his attention shifting between the dossier, the hologram, and Bucky as he explains what they've dug up. He as well gets about halfway through the papers before grunting and taking on an expression that could best be described as 'not THIS crap again', before sighing and reading the rest. A purse of those big lips and he settles back to focus entirely on Bucky and the hologram and it's moving dots, just listening to the explanations for now.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike glances over to J'onn. "How far away can you get him from there?" It's one thing to get the kid out of the building but if there's fighting going on that might not be far enough. Mike could get distance real quick with the dream travel... But he doesn't know how fast J'onn is. Maybe he teleports?

Hank Pym has posed:
Acuity. Someone might have noticed he'd left. Or not. His folder unopened. Silly humans.

Acuity, meaning he knows the intel report is incomplete. The little friends told him, their voices suddenly coalescing like a sonic beam.

Hank rolls out of the cubby he was in and over Robin's hood to the deck. He's mostly normal size when he hits the deck, making a three pint landing and croaking weakly, "Intel is wrong... I'm getting through." He swallows hard and gathers himself to explain...

James Barnes has posed:
    "Whoever goes in after that kid needs to know, he's unlikely to go willingly." Bucky's expression clouds, thoughts and emotions both racing. But he outwardly keeps his cool. Poor J'onn. "It's why British Intelligence wants him dead. They think he's too far gone, too far... conditioned. He'll have to be knocked out fast more likely than not."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn waits for Morrigan to decide, but he already knows the boy won't be willing and it doesn't matter. Willing or unwilling, he knows he can handle that because he knows what he's capable of. Just as he had mentioned to James a few nights before, his mental abilities are such that the boy won't be left with a choice, he will be asleep before he can even realize what is happening. Morrigan knows this, he has never been shy about sharing with his friends what he is capable of doing.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan was looking at things, she already knew about the MI6 and killing Tyler plot on the other side of things. Which Morrigan was having none of. "J'onn, he'll trust you. Not that he wouldn't trust Cap or James, he just doesn't know them. So if J'onn could go with you, that might make extracting him a bit easier. Unless he's completely gone." she frowns. "But...yes. That's fine." she looks to Bucky at that. Then there's a look to Hank, "What's going on?" she asks him.

Grant Ward has posed:
Grant reaches over and takes a plain donut from the box, taking a bite and flipping through the folder in front of him. "Oh we could totally screw this up." Another bite taken as he seems to be lost in his logistical mind, his free hand going to rub the back of his neck. "This whole thing. This mission. It needs to go off as if it never happened. Ghosts. We need to be ghosts." He looks up from the folder to the group. "I'll be the eyes. You will not go in blind. But, if you have a..." He look around at all of those on the Quinn Jet and shakes his head slowly. "...a silent mode would suggest it. If the British intel is not there, we do not want them coming. And we do not want to give them time to evacuate the boy before we get to him. Suprise will be key. We go in guns blazing so to speak we are asking for Hell and not in the form of a big red guy." He looks to Hellboy and takes another bite."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn looks to Michael, "I can take the boy into the ground, through the ground, as far away as needs to be as quickly as required. I can move and near light speed, but that would be dangerous for him, needless to say, I can move very quickly while protecting him from the effects of the movement. In the ground, above the ground, in the air, whatever is required to get him to safety."

James Barnes has posed:
    Gibbs slap, that's right, it comes from Bucky and it's aimed at Grant. At least it's his right hand? Right to the back of the head if it lands. "Stop with the jinx talk, Ward," he grouses. Otherwise he's waiting to see what Hank says is wrong with their intel.

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy was really paying most of his attention to Bucky, half distracted by thinking of anything he can suggest, but its the phrase 'big red guy' that has him zoning in on Grant's comment. Eyes narrow a little and he grunts, "Buddy, if you gotta problem with me, don't go beatin around the bush. And I'm not sittin in the car like yer family dog, so don't be lookin at me like that either." Well, that mood turned a little sour fast. Setting his jaw, he sits back a bit and refocuses on the hologram, running over the patterns of the dots in his head while he glares at them.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve frowns in concern at Hank's ominous foretelling. The intelligence of the insect world never fails to surprise him; it's the next best thing to precognition.

"Go ahead, Dr. Pym. Don't leave anything out," he encourages his fellow Avenger with firm nod.

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym takes a breath. Brains are dripping out his ears and nose he's sure.

No one cares. They expect you to soldier on. So get what you learned out and find a corner to curl up in or throw up in. You wanted to play hero. He slowly gets to his feet.

"The ants in and around the fort have shown me a lower level that thermographs could not scan." Because it's an insect world and we just live in it. But try telling anyone that?

"There's a lower level where they're holding kids... thirteen. Not just Tyler. Some abused, some starved, some ill. I'll try to learn more." He goes to a seat and flops down next to Robin. Closes his eyes and tries again. "Humans," he whispers.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn moves to sit himself beside Hank, laying one hand gently on his shoulder. He says nothing, merely offering his presence to the man who seems so out of sorts. He can hear the voices, thousands of them, but dares not attempt anything to help sooth Hank right now. He can offer his presence and the reminder that Hank is not alone.

James Barnes has posed:
    Bucky's eye twitches. His jaw clenches, his left hand curls into a tight fist at his side. In his mind's eye, this damned cult is just another HYDRA lurking in the shadows to destroy lives, using people for like tools to their own means. He doesn't speak, he doesn't trust himself too. Red's bleeding into his peripheral vision. Yes, the former Winter Soldier is seeing red. DANGER!

Damian Wayne has posed:
     "Do you not all see he is..." Robin comments, finally having been fed up with people not seeing how this was draining Hank. Shut up, Robin. He was cut off as Hank continued on, and Robin slumped back in his seat, arms folded and his own thoughts flashed violence, the anger he thrived on just being let out, imagining not just generic placeholder people, but Bucky in particular.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike gives a slow nod to the explanation. Alright. Light speed. Ok. Same deal only faster. Got it. Now stripped away of how he previously thought he could help the situation, he looks over to the exchange between Ward and Hellboy and then over to Hank. The revelation of more kids being in trouble is less than pleasant. The folder in Mike's hands crumples inwards as his hands grasp together tightly. Less than pleasant thoughts indeed are going on under the musician's head.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan gives a glance to HB, "No one is making you sit in the car." she points out. "Maybe we just need to go straight in instead of stopping between things." she frowns at the news from Hank. Her eyes do go back to the others. There's a look to Robin as he comments and there's a bit of an apologetic nod to him, "I'm sorry." she states. "We'll try to get this done as fast and as safely as possible...so we can get everyone home." she tells them.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Soldiers have a habit of pushing each other around. And you learn to go with it; a friend tackling someone out of the line of fire, or pushing you through a doorway before a grenade goes off.

A hand clamps on the back of Bucky's armored shirt, gripping it and giving the tiniest of shakes. It's a handhold meant for hauling a wounded comrade from the line of fire.

Steve stares at Bucky, fearlessly inside his personal space. Direct eye contact. "Lock it up," he says. The words are low and quiet, appealing to the orderly, structured side of the soldier's torture-wracked mind. "With me." He shakes Bucky gently again. "Right? End of the line."

Steve doesn't break contact until Bucky acknowledges he's not going to just dive out of the cargo port, and Cap looks to Morrigan. No concern on Steve's face. Captain America doesn't lose his cool. Not where others can see him.

"Given the new intel, I'm not sure a stealthy extraction is feasible," he points out. "Evacuating thirteen kids is going to be tough. We'll need the Quinjet to do it, and that means the ground team will need to steal a vehicle or exfiltrate on foot."

He looks at the map, then points at a spot five kilometers away. "Dr. MacIntyre, how does this look for a rally point?" he inquires of her. "Can you get us out from there? Or at least help us hold position until another Quinjet can be dispatched?"

Grant Ward has posed:
Did Grant just get bapped in the back of the head. Oh no he didn't. The light slap is taken with a raised brow and a shake of his head, and it looks as though he was going to say something, but then the plane explodes into: ant talkers, angry red guys, vein popping Bucky...he dropped his donut. Okay Grant reset. A reply to Hellboy goes checked and he looks about to everyone gathered, feeling it best to just keep quiet for a moment as things tense. There is only one thing to make the mood lighten: Grant exrends thr box of donuts to anyone who will take one as Steve re-assess the plan and speaks.

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy gives Morrigan a slightly annoyed, but placated grunt, but then frowns a bit more as Hank starts talking about /several/ children under capture. He pauses for a moment and glances at the other faces, then focuses mostly on Cap and Bucky, about to ask when Steve answers the VERY question on his mind. Instead he closes his mouth and grunts, looking less annoyed and a little more thoughtful back at that hologram map.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn starts to consider, to rethink, even as he listens to the others. Thirteen children. "So we know if Tyler is kept with other children or in another location?" He asks, not having heard if that was mentioned or perhaps it got lost in trying to block out James and Hank's minds. "Ms MacIntyre knows all that I am capable of, I will leave it to her to decide where she best thinks I should go. You are of course, permitted to share with the others here what you think they need to know of my abilities."

James Barnes has posed:
    It takes a beat longer than it usually does, because Bucky's had an absolute SHIT few days. ... weeks even. But it does happen. "Yeah, end of the line," he murmurs in reply as his pale blue eyes clear and focus on Steve. He offers a firm nod and then another. "Yeah, with ya."
    That done...
    "We take out the sorcerer, Morrigan's portals work again, she gets all the kids out through one," he suggests. "Just gotta find the head of the snake."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan looks to the map and to where Cap is pointing, she gives a nod to him, "Aye. I can move you guys easily from place to place. Not directly in or out of the compound until the magic is brought down." she nods. She looks to Bucky after that, looking to see if the guy is going to be alright. Then to the others in the jet with them. Checking on Hank and others. "J'onn, If they say it's fine to go with them then we can do that." she tells him.

Hank Pym has posed:
the sad blue eyes open. He blinks wishing they were handsome compound eyes. Works his jaws up and down in an oddly unfamiliar manner. He reaches for Robin's arm with a limb he does not possess, then uses his hand.

"Young man, could I trouble you to get me a jelly donut?"

Embarrassed smile. "I am hearing there are cliffside passages in. I think... what if we get Morrigan in and she opens a portal for the kids? I can shrink her and we can fly in on ants. About 1200 are volunteering now. You guys keep the sorcerer busy so he drops his shields. Or make him go away. At worst, I can make them think the kids are gone unless they look really hard."

James Barnes has posed:
    "The objectives in the basement," now that Steve's snapped him back, looks like he's back stay... but calling them kids is just too much strain. "...they could be some sort of sacrifice. Thirteen? Isn't that a big number in that crap?" He points at that one dot on the feed again, the one that's obviously not allowed free reign of the compound. "I think this is Tyler, their meal ticket, they wouldn't keep him with the 'fodder'. So, we need someone on that dot." He points to J'onn as he says 'someone'.
    "Grant," hey, this isn't SHIELD official right? "I need you to rig up anything you can... to causes fucking chaos without bringing the building down."

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy finally takes a deep breath and looks at Bucky and Cap, "If he," *guestures at Hank with his normal hand*, "Has a way to get ants run to the kids and get them all out all sneaky like, then let me go in with you to get the sorcerer. Finesse him all you want, I do a pretty good job of getting folks to focus on me and I can take a beatin'. Just don't miss, right? Not in this to get stuck there all day."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn nods once. Tyler will be his objective, the rest will be up to the others. He looks over the map now, to ascertain location and his best approach. He will keep his comm open, ready to respond should someone else needs him, once Tyler is safely out and in the quinjet of course.

His hand remains on Hank's shoulder, it will not move from there until his friend wants it moved.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     "Sure." Robin says, his voice softer, much softer than he had ever spoken before. If Hank or Mo, or Mike pays attention, it sounded familiar. Before any more though, Robin's gruff voice was back, and so was the attitude. "I will do what is needed." He comments, finding six napkins and the requested jelly donut. "But it is obvious that this mission has had three operators fall through the cracks as an afterthought."

  Robin's gauntleted arms hold out the pastry to Hank, presented palms out.

Grant Ward has posed:
Grant looks to Bucky with wincing shake of his head and a slight shrug. "Well no. Technically not I mean It involves members of SHIELD and a quinn jet, but technically there will be no follow up report submitted...so no?" Oh making Ward walk that line that breaks the Handbook, but it is for the children. He sets the folder down at his feet and gives Bucky a quick nod. "I can give you chaos. Yeah, let me see what I can do. They will not even see it coming. You will all know when to go. I will make sure the compound guards are all headed to one direction. Just give me few minutes first...alone."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve nods at Morrigan. There's a silent understanding there, and he examines the holo map with an intense focus.

"If it's a trap, we're ready for it. If it's not, there's no way we skip it." He points at the map again. "Multiple teams. Pym, Hellboy, you're with me, Buck, and Ward. We'll make the approach from the south-east and drop into the motor pool here. Barnes and HB will move on the sorceress; Hank, you're the ace in the hole. Take out the generators if you can, or at least cause some chaos in the meanwhile." He makes eye contact with the others. "Neutralize her if you can, kill her if you have to. Ward, you get a vehicle and try to get those gates up front open. Make a lot of noise to get them looking the wrong direction. Hannigan, you and Robin are our forward teams." Damian gets a straightforward look and a short nod. Steve's treating the young man like an adult.

"Take out the perimeter security over the SE approach, then the north gate. We'll need to make a fast getaway."

"J'onn, priority for you is Tyler. You get him, you get /clear/ and stay clear until you get a signal. We don't know what the sorceress can do and you're our element of surprise."

He looks at Morrigan. "Doc, I hate to do it, but you stay on the Quinjet. The kids are going to need someone to calm them down and we need you frosty when something goes amiss. Get them on the jet. If the flight path is clear, you'll portal us out. If not, then we'll find a ride home on our own."

Steve points at a spot a distance out again. "If we all bug out, that's our rally point. Five miles, everyone here should be able to get there in under forty-five minutes. If you get made, fall back to the safe house in Valleta. We'll reconvene there."

Steve looks around. "Any questions?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym finally grabs his folder and starts sketching what he thinks the level looks like on a printout of the fortress. He does want the hand off now. Drawing. Drawing is much too romanticized by people. You merely look at something and record it. A cathode ray tube can too. The loving illustrations of Charles Schultz oor Steve Rogers is another matter. But technical drawings, plans, He does decent plans and diagrams. He hands them to the Captain. "I work with the little friends. I'll go in and sow chaos you require. I will shrink the kids out of sight though they can only stay shrunk for an hour."

James Barnes has posed:
    Bucky pulls those beads from his pocket again. He rolls them around in his hands a moment before plucking one of the five up between two fingers. He holds it out to Morrigan. "You take this. Me'n Steve can drop the other four at the four corners of the building along the way. You'll be able to see inside, you can let us know the exact location of the magic bitch or bastard behind this."
    Does she even get the step he just took? Trusting her with that? It seems she has Steve's 'recommendation' though and that's all it took.

Grant Ward has posed:
The plan Steve lays out seems to put everything into place. Grsnt is one for logistics and he would never question a plan laid out by Steve Rogers, but it certainly is sound. "I will have a vehicle and the gate open. You can be sure they will be dealing with something else on the other end of the compound and that anyone left standing will not be able to follow us." He does not elaborate, but it seems to hint that there will only be one working vehicle when it is time to depart."

Hellboy has posed:
Hellboy sits up a little and simply bobs his head at Steve's assessment of the team breakdown, grunting, "A'ight." He rolls his shoulder a bit to avoid punching Mike accidentally when he flexes that huge red hand, and settles himself back down, this time glancing at all of the other faces, before craning forward to get a better look at the rally point Steve called out. Not that he's very good with remembering details like that later, but hey, there's effort, right??

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan's head snaps over when she hears the familiar voice from Robin. Alright, not the time to call him out. That would be something incredibly stupid to do. She's just trying to keep her cool while she tries to figure out how to get her students and a dozen other kids back to the states alive.

And then Steve grounds her. You just didn't argue with Captain America, "I'll stay here and get ready to triage the kids." she agrees.

Bucky is holding something up to her and it distracts her, her violet gaze looks to the bead that he was offering for her to take, then to his, "Are you sure?" she asks him as her hand reaches out to carefully take it. "I won't let anything happen to it." she promises.

James Barnes has posed:
    "...and don't forget to keep eyes peeled for company. We could still wind up with Brits up our asses," Bucky reminds. Two of those beads are tucked away again, the other two are handed off to Steve. "North and East walls, I'll drop mine South and West anywhere you can get them. If we can, we pick them up on the way out. If we can't, I'm pretty sure Shuri will kill me, but... only a little. She'll kill me more if I die out there."
    He doesn't vocalize agreement to Steve's plan otherwise, he doesn't need to. To the end of the line, they follow each other.
    "Yeah, I'm sure."

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym takes the donut and... the napkins. He smiles at the gruff young man. "Thank you. I don't want this to indicate I consider you a sidekick. I'm certain that you could tie me into a knot armor or no armor." He extends a hand. "Call me Hank if you want." The little friends thrill to the sensations of carbs being eaten gingerly, after Hank's ritual of two napkins on each thigh, one in the left hand and one around the donut, He eats like a starved man. The ants want payment.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike glances over to Robin, brow raising before looking over to Steve as he goes through with the general assignments. Ok. So... Punch people out quietly. Yeaaah guess he could do that. He gives a nod. Titling his head to Hellboy's response while shifting his body away from the shifting red man.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Robin smirks just a little before responding to Hank. "I am not even Batman's sidekick. I am by myself for this op. Not a Titan, not a Bat."

  He takes a seat, and places the dossier to his side. "Hank." He said, very unlike himself to use someone's first name, much less not use someone's doctoral prefix. Of course, he was much more comfortable around adults than his own age group.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    On a hilltop not far from the farmhouse where the Order are headquartered, a pair of land rovers are parked up and a small group of people are standing around with shotguns and binoculars. This is not a particularly uncommon occurance in Malta -- they are hunters, and there's an enthusiastic and frequently somewhat criminal hunting community on Malta. They're in constant conflict with Maltese authorities over the hows and whens of permissable hunting, and they're notably troublesome about the Maltese government's adherence to EU laws on conservation, and their enthusiasm for encouraging tourism. It is thus somewhat more uncommon that they have a tourist with them, but it's amazing what a rich American tourist willing to throw around significant quantities of daddy's cash around can achieve.

    Said tourist is in fact Colette, a teacher at Happy Harbor. She was not part of this mission, though she has been taking an interest in it from the start. She had been following the planning from afar, and had mentioned to Mo that she had been wanting to take a vacation to Malta for a while to take in the sights. Apparently this is one of those sights. She is leaning against one of the land rovers, looking through a pair of binoculars, while the hunters are standing around looking rather bored. Several of them are smoking.

    "Is something going to happen then?" one of the hunters asks Colette.

    "Probably not," she replies. "At least not right away. Just watching for now."

    "It's your money," the hunter answers nonchalantly. "But I'm not happy about the idea of a child being kidnapped on my island." He pauses a moment. "Are you sure you shouldn't tell the police?" It's not an easy thing for him to say. These hunters really don't see the police as being the good guys.

    "It's not that kind of situation," Colette replies. "Besides, there's already something planned. We're just here for a little backup in case it's needed. Get on the radio and ask the other team if there's been any sign of the Brits."