6288/Back when the statue still existed. Back from the future

Back when the statue still existed. Back from the future
Date of Scene:	21 May 2021
Location:	Elis Island
Synopsis:	Park scuffle leads to floodgates.
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Drew, Vance Astro

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Jessica Drew has posed:
A slight chill had set in. Jessica had misjudged; a wave slapped her sideways on the low glide over to the Island in her effort not to be picked up by satellite or radar. Her contact with the other hunted SHIELD agent had gone well. She had been able to report in, and neither of them had been caught. A success. Having been in HYDRA herself added to her paranoia.

A tingle that she nearly mistakes for a chill tells her that she has spoken too soon. Unless a guard has wandered off his chosen path, someone is lurking on the flat pancake of an island with its Gothic brick buildings that remind her of gingerbread. Stepping back into a shadow, Jessica observes, all her spider senses at maximum.

Vance Astro has posed:
    Lurking. Sneaky. Right... standing in a white teeshirt that is not tucked in... with the wind of the bay making the hemline flap just a bit. That white teeshirt has one decoration emblazoned on the front of it. A circle.. a recognizable circle. Red white and blue concentric rings with a star at the center. Captain America's shield. Aside from that, bluejeans, work boots, and midlength hair that catch in the wind much the same way as the shirt catches in the wind.

    His hands hang at his sides, looking mildly awkward... like he doesn't really know what to do with them. His right shoulder is just a bit higher than the left. It is as if he was used to having a weight held in that hand, and is subconsciously lifting his right arm as if the weight was still there.

    He is just staring at the statue with a bit of a goofy grin on his face. He is no youth, but not aged. He looks like a man in his thirties. But yeah. He is standing there silently staring up at the giant statue.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Walking slowly around the corner gives Jessica a view of who had walked on the web of her senses. The wind plays with her dark hair as she lurks. Leaned against the brick wall, she studies a brochure, an avid tourist on the search for a lost ancestor. She dressed to fit the part - skinny jeans tucked into purple high tops, a ribbed sleeveless t-shirt under a short jacket with the sleeves pushed up.

Puzzled, she frowns, watching the man. He is not a guard, not even a guard just off work. Reasonably confident that he isn't a HYDRA agent playing at being a tourist, she pushes off the wall and heads toward the turnstile.

One eyebrow raises as she catches a glimpse of his t-shirt. The solution to this puzzle will have to remain unanswered. She isn't infallible. Her frown deepens. She might not be infallible, but her spider senses never let her down. Jessica lets a family get in front of her, playing it safe, before giving the guard her ticket.

Vance Astro has posed:
    It's not like the guy has superhuman senses. But Vance gives a nod to himself and says something softly to himself. He turns to head towards the boat launch. He had a few dollars that he managed to get to live on since his arrival here. His stride has a bounce to it. This is a man in good spirits, despite being displaced in time.

    As a guard waves his way, he pulls his ticket out and shows it to the man. That seen, the guard turns his attention elsewhere. Vance himself steps towards the boat and pauses to look back at the family behind him. He glances at the young boy and makes a goofy face to get a laugh from the kid before he moves forward and finds a seat.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Wary, Jessica watches the man mug for the child in front of her. He has a pleasant face despite her spider senses still being on alert. On any other sunny day of her past, she imagines, she might smile and catch the man's eyes, sharing in the laughter. HYDRA's shadow looms too large for her to risk being noticed.

Head down, she walks away from the family towards the steps leading up toward the top of the Ferry for the view and a need to be on high ground. Once on top she heads toward the bow of the boat.

Vance Astro has posed:
    It is a ferry boat. And once the boat is under way, that is when Vance gets up to wander about. His feet move slowly and assuredly. He is not being sneaky. But the sounds of the boat and the water slapping against the hull... not to mention the talking of different people out there, might mask his movements. But a trained agent would not be caught off guard. Nope.

    Even so, he heads towards the bow. He likes the view from the front of a ship... be it nautical or of the space variety. He always loves watching where a craft is heading.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The tingle moves up from the center of her shoulder blades to the nape of her neck. Every instinct tells her not to turn around. Determined not to panic, Jessica leans both arms on the rail, heated by the sun, pretending to relish in the mist of cool water kicked up by the bow of the boat. Ceding her place to a young boy, she turns ready to melt into the press of people on the upper deck and practically smacks into the man with the Captain America t-shirt. Surely, a HYDRA agent wouldn't be wearing that, she reassures herself.

"Oh, gosh. Clumsy of me!" She doesn't hide her British accent, it gives her ample reason to be rubbernecking on this iconic visit to New York landmarks.

Vance Astro has posed:
    His own voice laced with something odd. In reality, it's a New York accent, from the 70's. Combined with having spent a couple decades on alien worlds and being around other languages. Long story.

    But Vance grins and lifts his hands as if to indicate innocence. "Oh sorry!" he exclaims. "I didn't realize you were gonna turn around. I'm sorry." And he steps back a pace, "Enjoy the statue?" he asks as he gestures back to it and even turns to look that way. "It's an amazing tribute to freedom." he adds.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Up close, Jessica decides, either he is a consummate actor or is definitely not an agent. At least, not for HYDRA. Smiling, her eyes sparking with humor, she nods before turning to give homage to the Statue.

"She's beautiful. It's a brave thing to proclaim to the world, isn't it? I mean the poem but also her size and where they placed her.'

Vance Astro has posed:
    If he was an agent, he did turn his attention away, and give his back to a potential enemy. It is almost like he has no intelligence instincts. Either way, he bobs his head, "Indeed. Displayed as something of a declaration to any and all. A promise, but also a challenge. I always wanted to see her standing there in her regal glory. I mean, I saw her once as a kid, but it's not the same."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Eyes trained on the Statue, "I saw it when I came east for the first time a few years back. Odd that. I mean most people start their American experience in New York, I think. She's worth visiting again." Turning her regard on the man, her green eyes, an unusually vivid green, examine his face before flicking back to the Statue. "I take it your not from New York..." She edits herself, having been tempted to say more. He doesn't look out of the ordinary but she is sure that he is. Somehow.

Vance Astro has posed:
    "I was born in Upstate New York. So I guess I match up with that 'most people' part of it." offers Vance as he turns and rests his hands on the railing. "So -from- New York? Yes originally. But most recently I was... well, living out of the country." he adds evasively.

Jessica Drew has posed:
He's lying. Jessica hardly needs spider sense to know that. She instantly amends the judgement to something kinder. He is being evasive. Of course, as preoccupied with her circumstances as she is, she still wants to know why.

"Oh," she says brightly with her best upper-class ingenue accent. "Do tell. Where?"

Vance Astro has posed:
    That makes Vance lift his right hand from the railing to perform an -obvious- tell. If he's trained to lie, he SUCKS at it. His hand reaches to the back of his neck and he rubs there before he shrugs his shoulders, "I suppose trying to smoothly change the subject isn't possible, is it?" he asks.

    He shakes his head, "Can you accept that I really shouldn't be discussing my ..." a pause, and he chuckles as he says, "Past.. with others around here?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Whatever her spider sense had told her, he rings true. Somehow. "You're a bad liar, in any case." She shades her eyes, squinting up at the big man, "You mean with these crowds or with people in general?" A little boy tunnels between the two of them, a few strides behind him a red-faced mother apologizing profusely pushes past.

"Hardly the place to have a conversation. Want to go below or stay up here and enjoy the Statue?"

Vance Astro has posed:
    "Really, anybody. I know it sounds like some terrible attempt at a pickup line...." Vance smirks and shakes his head, "Especially when speaking to a lovely woman such as yourself. But... I really shouldn't discuss that with anyone. It's... " And he rolls his eyes, "I guess you could say it's classified." But that is when the child pushes through and he laughs delightedly as he steps back away. Almost as if he hasn't seen just kids being kids in a LONG time.

    "Oh that's okay ma'am. No harm done." And he steps back from the railing, "I'd love to have a conversation. Just not sure if I could share much." he says to Jessica.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica rolls her eyes rather than flutters her lashes. "Classified it is then." She is faintly disappointed. There is something about the man that at another time she would investigate till satisfied. Times change. That thought pops the buoyant mood that had descended on her while the two of them pretended to be normal tourists.

"I'm going to grab myself something to drink. Want anything?"

Vance Astro has posed:
    Opening his mouth, Vance realizes he has -zero- idea what sorts of beverages people really drink in this day and age. Well, people drink water, so that's safe.

    He nods, somewhat to himself as he adds, "Just a water would be great." And now, he isn't oblivious to the world. He feels that something shifted, and he knows it was likely his fault. I mean seriously, who says things like 'my past is classfied?' couldn't he have made something up? God, Nikki always told him he would've made a terrible spy.

Jessica Drew has posed:
With a nod, Jessica walks away, thinking how refreshing it was that he didn't insist on getting the drink for the two of them. How odd. In fact. She pushes through the crowd toward the kiosk, widens her eyes at the atrocious prices and buys two bottle of water.

A sound, the creaking of metal from somewhere above her, makes her look up. A woman gasps and another screams as the very large flag flying above them, affixed to the roof of the captain's bridge, begins to sway and dip toward the crowd below.

Vance Astro has posed:
    Ack! Cracking sounds. Vance looks back over his shoulder and his eyes go wide. For a moment, he hesitates. But not long enough that anyone might be hurt. Just giving a quick thought of caution.

    But then his eyes flash with pinkish energy and that same color energy flares about the flagpole and flag... before the whole thing flies off like it was shot out of a cannon, out over the water where it won't hurt anyone. He steps forward however, to peer over the railing on the other side and making sure it's not heading for anyone else.

    "Mommy. Why did that man's eyes glow?" asks the little boy.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Why, indeed?" Jessica subvocalizes to herself. Clutching the bottled water hard, she has to insist that people move out of her way as she makes her way back to the man. For a moment, she feels vindicated that her spider senses had picked him out. Now, she must find out who he is.

After a reassuring nod to the mother with her boy, she hands the stranger his bottle of water. "That was neatly done," she observes wryly.

Vance Astro has posed:
    Doing it took a bit of effort from Vance, and indeed, his forehead is creased with sweat from such a minor exertion. He shakes his head and reaches for the water, "Thanks." he says. "I mean it's... well it... well shit." he mutters before slapping his hand over his mouth and turning to the mother, "Sorry ma'am, for cursing in front of your son."

    But he sighs and opens the water. "Psychokinesis." he remarks before he takes a gulp. "Maybe we should go below after all."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Yes, let's," she replies, opening her bottle and taking a swig of water without taking her eyes off of the man. In a lower voice, she adds, "Likely this is not a conversation for public consumption." After a quick scan at the crowd to see if anyone else had caught his act, Jessica nods to the stairs. "Lucky that no one else caught you."

As they head down the stairs, "We can be the jaded New Yorkers, rushing to get to the next thing they want to do. In fact, I'm hungry."

Vance Astro has posed:
    "Right. I'd forgotten that was how people were back...." a pause, and Vance just shakes his head, "In the states." he adds... another terrible lie.

    But he thinks about gesturing for her to go first, then thinks better of it and just heads that way himself. "To be honest, I'm not used to hiding my abilities." he adds when the two of them have a bit more isolation.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica takes a deep breath ready to comment on all the ramifications of those two sentences and stops herself. Her green eyes study him a moment before she nods to herself. Speaking slowly, she chooses her words, "You don't seem surprised that I'm not surprised. Believe me when I tell you that nine hundred and ninety nine people out of a thousand would be gasping and not in good surprise. Be careful. But thank you for saving those people. Get used to hiding your abilities. Especially now. The world has changed and does not welcome superheroes with open arms. I'm making assumptions, of course." Jessica gives him a meaningful look.