2014-03-02 - Under Construction

Hell's Kitchen, New York City.

The apartment complexes in this area are run-down, even more than is standard for Hell's Kitchen. The few people on the street look suspiciously at the small group of teenagers moving down the sidewalk, towards where a pair of adjacent lots have an actual construction project is well underway: the steel beams and girders already set, the skeletons of a pair of buildings looming over the worn apartment complexes around them. The construction site is walled off by a cheap chain-link fence, the sign for the company working on the building prominently displayed.

"/This/ is the address?" Raptor asks incredulously, fingerless-gloved hands gripping the fence and staring into the construction site as the wind catches the edge of his trenchcoat. "Doesn't look like we're going to find much, Finesse."

Jeanne may not be much for soft and squishy things like friendship, but for whatever reason, her allies had been brought along to check out this address supposedly linked to the Taskmaster. It was highly relevant to her interests to deal with him, so, at least as far as Adam, who /did/ subscribe to things like friendship, was concerned, it was relevant to the rest of the Young Avengers.

"So, B&E, I guess. Shouldn't be a problem when there's not much to break-- mostly the entering." He shrugs, uncaring, and ready to scale the fence.

Miss America, latina, blended in perfectly with this neighborhood. Except for the fact that she was walking with a bunch of pasty white people. Where as she could have blended in they were obviously not going to fit in at all. It's her gaze that skirts around looking for the inevitable gang that might take offense to a bunch of kids definitely not from the neighborhood being on their turf. The fact that they were going to explore an address Finesse had given them was important too--but getting there in the first place, and getting out? Also important.

When they come on the construction area she lets out a soft, "Hmm," of thought. "Actually this is kind of important. This isn't a good section of town. Buildings here... they stay, you know? Or are abandoned. Someone building something NEW?" Her hand lifts to reach out and lightly hook her fingers through the chainlink fence testingly even as her gaze shifts up and over it. If there was something odd about it better she find out first. "That just doesn't normally happen."

"It is the address," confirms Finesse, matter-of-factly. "And not everyone advertises their location as the Avengers do, or the X-Men. The first rule of remaining inconspicuous, is, in fact, to appear to blend in seamlessly with the environment." She adds, "However, I do not know what we will find here."

She seems almost ready to stop Adam from breaching the fence, but only warrants, "Be on your guard. If my information is correct, this will not be an easy gambit." Instead of following Adam closely, she scans the area, looking for signs of life, movement, sounds, that might indicate a watch, a patrol, or security systems.

There may have been some suspicious looks towards the motley crew of teenagers walking along the street, but just sideward glances at most. After all, teenagers in Hell's Kitchen is not too out of the ordinary. Especially if they look normal.

Teddy, in typical Teddy attire, glances through the fence, to look out towards the construction beyond. "So...we're going in there, huh?" He shrugs and looks to have been coiling himself to jump...but thinks twice about it as Jeanne speaks.

"Well...if you really wanted to be inconspicuous, then climbing a fence is really not the way to do that." Way to be, Teddy...pointing out the obvious

"Punching our way in isn't exactly inconspicuous, either," Raptor points out. "Otherwise we'd just have Captain Sparklefists here knock one out for us." He shifts his backpack a bit, then reaches up for a higher handhold. "Besides, we're a bunch of teenagers. Breaking into a construction site sounds about normal, doesn't it?"

And alley-oop! The purple-spiked punk is up and over, landing lightly on the ground on the other side with a snort. "It's a regular wretched hive of scum and villanry over here, Finesse," he comments snarkily. "We must be cautious."

America responds to Captain Sparklefists by lifting her hand to flip Raptor the bird. Her attention was still fixed over on the other side and with a shrug she has to admit, "If you're going to be noticed any way may as well do it the most normal way possible." Lifting her hand on the fence she climbs up herself pausing at the top to look over the construction area before flipping down to join Raptor on the other side. "Come on. No sense wasting time."

Finesse looks towards Teddy, and curtly nods to him. At least someone here, besides herself, is making sense. She says, off-handedly an odd statement. "I already do not like the human factor." Still, she neatly scales, and flips over the fence without any difficulty, and soundlessly as possible, sticking the landing next to Raptor. Satisfied, for now, that nothing horrible is going to happen, she begins to take point, moving up to get into a better position to observe further into the fenced in area.

When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Or, in this case, what the purple clad snarky teenager does. Teddy looks up at the fence and, instead of climbing it like Adam did, he leaps up...grabbing the top of the fence and vaults his way over in one fluid motion. In fact, to the most carefully astute (namely, Finesse), it looked like Teddy may not have even needed to have pulled himself up and over. The legs swing around and Teddy drops to the other side of the fence, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he lands. He watches Jeanne take point, then shrugs and follows behind, positioning himself automatically to have Adam be between himself and America, for some reason.

Raptor's gaze is going up-- the girders look like a great hawk's nest to set up a sniping position from to him. Finesse taking point doesn't irk him at all, but her belief that this place probably has something rotten at its core is enough for him to swing his backpack around, pulling out his bow and clicking it open. He resettles the backpack on his back, but open, the fletchings of several arrows visible within.

His blue eyes narrow as he sweeps the area quickly. "Hey. There's a door in there," he notes. It's a bit too far for most people with normal vision to see clearly, but he continues. "See it? In that completed area. Weird-- you'd think they'd finish the rest of the building before setting that up. See, there's a punchcode block beside the door..." he begins filtering that way, curiously.

America narrows her eyes to turn and squint in the direction that Raptor was looking. Even as he starts describing it she frowns at the description. "See what door?" She asks with a mild edge of irritation. Was he being serious? Flitting a glance to him as he starts off she just glances back to Teddy with a shrug. "It's not just me, is it?" WIth a shake of her head she starts to follow after still keeping her attention peeled as much as possible for possible trouble. Still doesn't see a DOOR though.

Finesse pauses, tilting her head to consider Raptor. And then, his observation. She certainly does not 'see' it. And, while she may find her teammate oddly abrasive to her own manner of doing things at times, she's never known him to purposefully mislead - especially during a mission, or a fight. She pauses again, then nods. She moves to follow Adam, but in her own way, to cover more ground, and to stay out of the line of sight of anyone (or anything) that might be observing. She is still quite cautious, and highly suspect of there being some kind of danger, here.

"If the control pad is indeed active, there will be surveillance as well," she notates, evenly. "Keep sharp."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Teddy mutters to himself as he looks around the site. He didn't miss the Star Wars reference earlier...his voice was a near perfect copy of Han Solo. He continues to flank Adam, which looks rather ridiculous, considering he is unarmed and Adam has the long range weapon. Eyes flit over towards America and shakes his head. "I can't see what he's talking about either." Still...doesn't mean he isn't being cautious…

"I can't believe you guys can't see it. It's /right/ there," Raptor grouses, drawing an arrow and nocking it as he moves towards the door, his steps sure and almost rolling over the ground, avoiding detritus and stacks of construction equipment and materials.

As the four get closer to the building skeletons, specifically, closer to the far one, the door Adam had been referencing takes shape in their vision as well. "Yeah, looks like the pads lit up a bit-- so it's got juice." He scans the area, looking for surveillance cameras. "No cameras though, not that I can see."

America just shakes her head. Rather than dwell on what Raptor can see versus them she just continues along beginning to wonder herself if she was slipping somehow. When the door finally does come into her line of vision she certainly can't make out the door pad. "Now I see it," she mutters though glancing aside to Teddy she shrugs again. Lifting her gaze up she sweeps a look around even as she cracks her knuckles. "Place is pretty quiet for a construction yard," she points out. "You any good at picking digital locks Finesse?"

"It should not be a problem," Finesse concedes. And, as she can now see the door, she looks towards Raptor, curiously, "I am impressed you could see that. Your vision is above most humans." She does not, however, relax at the lack of surveillance. "Let us see what is inside, then." She moves towards the door, and the panel, keeping on the look-out for anything else suspicious. She begins to inspect the digital code lock, looking for worn digits, or smudges on certain numbers.

"Damn...he's right." There is respect tinged in that comment. Teddy is impressed. As the group closes in on the building in question, Teddy does his own perimeter check. Not looking for cameras or anything like that, but, rather he is looking to see if there is any foot traffic outside of the fenced area they are clearly trespassing on. "Noticed that, too. Not one construction worker or foreman running out to chase us off. That seems rather strange to me." From the sounds of it, Teddy may have done a little B&E before himself.

"Maybe everyone's got the day off," Raptor says dubiously. "I dunno." To the comments about his visual acuity, he just brushes them off. People need to pay attention and look more, that's something he's been used to for years. He, too, keeps an eye out for anything or anyone, bow ready to take off a shot.

"Day off on a construction site when it's not raining, a holiday or a weekend. Nope, that's not how it works," America muses. A glance is cast to Finesse when she points out that others couldn't see quite that far, but that wasn't a matter to fixate on right now. She turns around a moment to place her back to the wall while they fiddle with the actual door and code. Best to keep an eye out after all. "What is this place supposed to be any way? I mean, what are we possibly going to be getting into here?" NOW she thinks to ask.

"Taskmaster may have an interest in this area. Or be directly involved," responds Jeanne to America, "According to my information." After a close examination of the device, Finesse presses her fingers into the keypad, tapping it once. Then, entering the same set of digits in a different order. The red light turns 'green', and there is a click as the electronic lock gives. "If he is invested, or involved at this time, it is imperative that we know." She does not seem intimidated or balk at the fact that Taskmaster is, potentially, one of the most dangerous people that they've directly gone after.

She stands up, opens the door. Slowly.

Well, with Adam and his bow drawn, and Finesse opening the obviously locked door, there is really no sense for Teddy to continue with 'normal teenager' mode. Especially now that the door is opening. The normal, pasty-white teenager look shifts and disappears, as white skin gives way to a thick green hide and the scrawny look is beefed up considerably. "Might be better if America or I go in first. We tend to get hurt less if there is something bad waiting in there."

"Who-what?" Raptor considers looking the Taskmaster guy up on his holoID, but doesn't want to put his bow down. He eyes Teddy and shrugs. "Probably a good idea," he admits. “Do we punch first or ask questions first and punch later?" That query is directed to Jeanne.

"Entirely depends if they're trying to kill us or not," America points out simply. Shifting away from the wall she nods up at the taller Teddy. "Small door, only one of us can go first. You want lead?" Taskmaster isn't really someone she was familiar with.

"Be careful," agrees Finesse, stepping aside for Hulkling, turning to sweep her eyes over the rest of the area. Still clearly suspicious. She answers Adam, "Taskmaster. He runs a training school and teaches high level operatives in HYDRA to fight, is a mercenary for hire, and is highly dangerous. It is possible he is my father, as he is the only other known person in files I have found who has the ability to do what I can also do."

Hulkling offers a wry grin. "so this is Bespin and we are walking into a trap. And people think movies are not real." Star Wars reference aside, the green brute steps forward, taking the lead as he steps inside. With his size, he is an effective road block for anything trying to come at them.

"Rica...might wanna come in last. protecting our rear and all." Seems basic and thought out. Or, most likely, video game tactics...put the squishies in the middle of the tanks.

"Is having some sort of evil supervillain for a father or having your parents be dead or both like, a requirement for being a hero? I mean seriously." Raptor asks rhetorically. Of course, he doesn't know about America's particular Loki issue. Or very much about Teddy's parentage. So that might hit a nerve.

Still, he's right behind Hulkling, not waiting on Miss America or Finesse-- mission time go. He curses under his breath quietly at the initial cramped corridor, ending in a T-junction. He's wishing he'd fixed his crossbow, much more suited for areas like this. "Left or right?"

"What's Bespin?" America frowns in puzzlement not catching the reference at all. It wouldn't be the first time though. "If not a trap, not the best thing to be walking in on. HYDRA isn't a joke." Crossing her arms over her chest he waits a moment for everyone to go in. "Sure. I've got the rear--And keep in mind I'm the quick 'out' if need be. Just give me time to DO it." There was that whole concentration thing to consider after all. "My moms were heroes," she offers out deciding not to comment on the rest. Nope.

"I had not given it thought," admits Finesse, quietly, to Adam as she moves to follow behind him, allowing America to cover her back. She makes sure the door is closed behind her, thinks a moment. "Right," she answers, pointing. "I do not think splitting at this juncture is conducive to discovering the truth of this operation. It is too quiet."

"Right it is..." Hulkling lumbers to the right, the green eyes bright and alive, peering down the hallway. "You know, you can just say 'we shouldn't split up'. Conjunctions are our friends." Light teasing aside, Hulkling is being careful. About as careful as one would expect him to be.

"You mean those green-suited morons, HYDRA? 'Hail HYDRA' and all? No joke? What planet are you from, Rica, those guys are completely use--"

In true Barton style, mocking the universe summons the worst of it. "Hey!" A gruff male voice echoes down the hallway ahead from a large room it opens into. Followed by the sounds of bullets.

"Futz. Uh, cover your eyes." Raptor looses his arrow, which catches into blinding light in midair, and when it hits the far wall, explodes into bright, BRIGHT, light.

"The human element," echoes Finesse, for the second time. It might be her new version of 'futz'. Or it might be her new version of 'Barton', in a similar fashion to the way Nick Fury, or sometimes Black Widow might curse that name. She takes cover, waiting until the bright light isn't about to blind her. Then, utilizing the advantage that Adam made with the flash-bang arrow, she makes her way forwards, with a tuck-and roll, coming up to slam her fists into one of the guards guts, and throwing him over her shoulder into two others who are equally stunned.

"Yet they keep managing to get replacements," America begins to explain before the shit hits the fan. That's what made HYDRA scary: No matter how bad they were, they always managed to get more followers SOME HOW. When the arrow comes out she ducks her head knowing this will either be explosive or... Or bright flashy lights. Lovely. "Other way?" She asks while backing up to begin that direction if people wanted to retreat. Otherwise she was ready to just head in there directly.

A large green hand flies up to block the white flash from Hulkling's eyes. As the bullets start to fly, two thick arms thrust out in a warding gesture as the already scaly skin actually seems to thicken more, becoming an effective protection as bullets deflect off of them. As Finesse tumbles into action, those muscular arms swing downward in a tomahawk slam. The slam connects with the floor, sending a shock wave through the floor that seems intended to literally rattle any guards not blinded by the light right off their feet.

Raptor follows his own advice, turning his head and closing his eyes as the flashbang arrow goes off, though he pulls another arrow out by feel as he does so. Then he's up and moving, running forward into the large room-- looks like a gathering room or rec area.

Rec... area? For what? No time to ask questions. He's up on a pool table, arrow nocked and drawn and flying towards a group of stunned men in the back of the room, the concussive blast of the explosive arrow blowing them off their feet. "All right, there's a /lot/ of guys here, Finesse!"

"Take them all out," Finesse calls back to Adam. She flows into another attack, "Do not let any escape, or warn. We must determine what they are doing here." A pre-emptive attack? Something. She smoothly transitions into suddenly fighting exactly like Hawkeye, if either Adam or America notice, when Clint doesn't have his bow with him. Chaotic movements, and quick, decisive extensions begin to make work of the guards about herself before her fighting style changes again into Aikido. "Incapacitate them."

America frowns even as she leaps in, with fist drawn back, to stare at the guys cowering in the corners. A hiss of annoyance is let out as she clenches her fist stopping herself from simply punching away at them. For this she steps back with a look of mild disgust as they group near her were still dazed and not fighting. Not yet at least. "Any other doors in here?" She asks even as she looks around. This was a break room of all things! "We're not far enough in for anything important," she adds only to reach out and grab a phone from a guy who was fishing it out to crunch it in her grip. At least she'd stop them from calling anyone.

Incapacitation. Sure...that can be done. Hulkling bursts into the rec room, sweeping away a pair of guards like a pesky gnat before reaching a couch. The couch is lifted into the air like it was nearly weightless, then hurtled towards the opposite end. The makeshift missile slams into a door, taking out an exit point...and a group of agents investigating the disturbance.

Raptor observes the rather large group of goons and thugs, all laying in various stages of unconsciousness. "Uh... so, we did good?" He skims the room. The door they came through, the door Teddy had blocked-- and one more, near where he had knocked over the guys with the explosive arrow. Hopping down and tugging zipties out of his backpack as he makes his way towards the door, he kneels beside the groaning, dazed thugs and zipties their hands and ankles.

"This way looks all... hospitally." He wrinkles his nose. "You know. White and sterile."

Finesse looks back to America. "Well done," as she cleanly takes a final groaner out. She steps over a few unconscious bodies, or those too hurt to move, to head towards Adam. "They may be aware we are here, now. We should keep moving." There's a sharp nod to Adam, conceding. "Let us see what they wish to keep sterile, then. A laboratory, no doubt. There is certainly to be more opposition. I cannot rate our success until we have completed our task."

"We did good. This is clearly some kind of worker lounge though... That or the construction workers have really stepped up their break area," America points out as she reaches out wiggling her fingers toward Raptor silently requesting some zip ties herself. Those weren't items she usually carried with her though she might add that to her pockets sometime. "Right. Construction zone and sterile doesn't really match up. But let's be careful in case it's Newt or something again. Dealt enough with that shit personally."

Finesse pauses, sweeping the area once more, then moves past Adam, after telling America and Raptor, "Whatever it is they are hiding here, they were certainly neither ready, or prepared for it to be discovered." She slips down the hall, "Follow me." And, at the end of the hall, there is a man dressed in grey and black, with a skull-type mask, a bo staff in his hand, and several small weapons along his belt. Finesse narrows her eyes, "It is one of his students. Do not take him lightly," she warns, pulling her fighting sticks off of her belt. Two other similarly dressed men move to join the first; three of Taskmaster's own minions, students. And, they're standing in the way of the door that leads -- wherever the antiseptic, sterile smell is coming from.

America stands from seeing to a few of the guys only to head down the hall that was indicated. When a figure appears she finally cracks a grin. "Sure, sure... I'll take them seriously. Won't stop me from breaking them though." The red-white and blue clad America steps forward without hesitation heading for the first guy with arm drawn back to throw a punch. If it hit it would hurt, if not then she'd just continue through to one of the guys flanking him. She wasn't picky about WHICH one she gets to hit. Just that she gets to hit someone at this point.

Adam nods quickly, and is right behind the two ladies, already drawing a third arrow. When Finesse says these guys are serious business, he's not aiming for the floor or the walls anymore, but at the goons head on. "LEFT!" he calls out, indicating he's taking the bad guy on the left. And a blue-flagged arrow whips down the hallway towards his intended target.

As America moves to punch, the man in the skull-mask is already ducking, and slamming a fist into her kidney as he rolls away; these are not your everyday HYDRA Agents. Unfortunately, they've little enough info on America herself, and don't know how resilient the young woman is.

The one on the left, meanwhile, throws a dangerous poison-tipped throwing knife towards Adam even as he ducks and rolls to try and let the arrow fly past him, rather than hit him. Of course, knowing Barton tricks, that could be exactly what Raptor wanted in the first place.

And that leaves the one with the bo-staff to Finesse. She runs forward, bo-staff, and sticks connecting solidly, rapping and creating an almost rhythmic beat in the chaos of battle. She shifts her flow, and her stance some, changing up just how she's utilizing them, but the man is - at least for now, just as good as she is, even managing to slam the staff into her leg, causing her to falter back. Her atheletics save her, however, and she manages to catch her guard again. "Where is Taskmaster?" She demands. But, gets no answer.

The ice arrow flies past the bad guy on the left, slamming into the far wall and causing a frozen patch to appear. Raptor raps out a sharp curse, ducking aside, just /barely/ avoiding the knife.

He's not as fast as his uncle, or supposedly deceased bio-dad, but he's got decent reflexes and Hawkeye's been a fairly strict taskmaster, at least as far as archery is concerned. So as he dodges, he's also pulling another arrow. The color of the tag actually brings a snicker from the youngest 'Barton', and the pink-tagged arrow is already flying towards the guy-- aiming for center of center mass, so a little low for a fatal shot. More like a gut shot, with the blunted... laughing gas arrow. And he's smoothly pulling another and nocking it, letting it fly right behind the first, just in case-- grey flagged. In midair, it explodes, and a bola whips down the hallway towards the hopefully soon-to-be laughing thug.

When the man hits America he DOES indeed hit. It wasn't just that she was tough and durable though--she was TOUGH, and DURABLE. It's felt, and causes a small grunt but more of annoyance than any issue. The muscle that the hit impacts is tight and firm and hard and unyeilding. America just grins as she swings her arm back out trying to hit the guy.

Then there's laughing gas exploding causing her to swear. "RAPTOR! That is.. NOT..." Funny? Must not laugh. Must... did she chuckle? Dammit.

The 'Taskmaster' trained men are certainly dangerous; there's no doubt. But, between the laughing gas, and the element of surprise, one is bola'd, the other taken aback my his own well-timed, and well-placed blow not having the intended force or reaction for his followup, causing him to be rather stiffly planted by America.

As far as Finesse? It takes her a bit longer, than it might, than it usually does, but eventually she manages a leg-trap for the bo-staff, before smaching one her sticks into the windpipe of the skull-faced goon. All three of them are down for the count. "I do not think," mentions she, furtively, "They were graduates of Taskmaster's school." Or, she too highly praises Taskmaster's ability to teach the right people. She pauses, before her own snicker erupts out of her. And then another. And another. She pulls her arm up to her face, and quickly begins to move forwards, "Raptor," she says, nearly sounding, briefly, like a human being whose utterly found a giggle fit, "Warn me. Next time." But she's escaping the area before too much of the stuff can be inhaled.

Raptor laughs too, but it may not be the gas. "Sure. That's my only one like that with me, though," he assures them both, bolting down through the gas to not expose himself to much of it, drawing another arrow and nocking it, scanning the hallway. "Door-- looks like to a lab."

"Fuck doors," America blurts out only to laugh out loud with the others now down. For being tough guys they were certainly easy! She had enough of this at this point though, and she hauls back to slam her fist into the door. By now they knew they were there and she wasn't keen to waste more time. Not while already laughing and feeling breathless from the gas she'd inhaled.

Before Finesse can do anything, the doors to the lab are torn asunder. There's another little laugh from the normall stoic Finesse, though. "Yes," she says, trying (perhaps too hard) to control the gasses effects. "It does." Another short snicker, followed by a glare to Raptor. Then, she's moving through to examine the laboratory area, scanning, to try and put the entire picture together.

Raptor bolts in, scanning the lab as well. It's... wait. It's not really set up yet. The tables are there, but there aren't any scientist types. Or beakers or whatever. Several wooden crates, but they look unopened, still packed up.

"Uh..." a giggle escapes. Damn. Stupid gas. "I think... maybe..." another laugh. "It's not set up yet?"

America shoulders the door the rest of the way open as it was dangling off one hinge and she moves to keep it from swinging back at all. The examination of the romo is met with chuckles and shaking of her shoulders trying to restrain further laughter. "No but... why would they have so many guards if..." She can't even say it as she's forced to bite back on her words again with a laugh.

Finesse makes a face that doesn't quite equate with the snort that comes out of her, and she steps further into the room. Another giggle. "Because," she breathes, trying to expunge the foul gas from her system, "They. Wanted to be sure." And, yet another giggle, "WHen it got here. Was protected. Less. Noticeable. Than bringing a group. All at. Once." She again stifles, surpresses a few breaths.

And, lapses a few moments, until the laughter hopefully begins to die down. "They will abandon it. Now that it's been identified." A slighter, lesser giggle.

America grunts only to crinkle her nose when she tries to giggle again. No not giggling not her! Biting her lip she turns away back to the entrance muttering, "We should... get out of here before..." Snickering she claps a hand over her mouth while shooting a dirty, DIRTY look at Raptor. Laughing gas arrow is OFF the list.

Raptor leans against the wall, snickering. "You sure they will... abandon it?"

"It is," breathes Finesse, in and out, rapidly, in succession, purging her system of the gasses effect in the quickest manner she thinks possible. Her own laughter from that laughing-gas arrow is starting to finally die down, "The most likely scenario." There is a quiet snicker, followed by a frown. "They will cut their losses. Before we discover what they were going to do. Relocate."

She pauses, eyes shifting to consider the space before them. Replaying the trekking here. "Perhaps it will suit."