2014-03-19 - Scorpion's Sting and Cat's Claws

It's the week before the Stark Expo, and it's from the corner of the street that the local news channel is shooting a live feed just outside the Baxter Building for the early evening news, chattering about both Oscorp and Stark Enterprises, the camera panning to each building slowly, while keeping the pretty woman in it's view who is doing the story.

It's an ordinary afternoon, the sun in the sky bleeding forth and giving way, slowly, reluctantly, to the moon in a bath of light that stains the tall skyscrapers of the skyline. Reed Richards, and T'Challa walk from around a corner, and seem to be heading into the famed Baxter Building, and the news fox almost instantly pounces on them. "Mr. Fantastic! Can we get a few moments?"

Reed looks reluctant, but nods, and answers a few questions with neutrality about what the Stark Expo has to offer.

That's, of course, when shadows begin to dot the sky after a low-flying airplane buzzes, shakes the glass windows, and the vibrations of the jet engines rumble across the street loud, and fierce. HYDRA. Cut of one head, and another rises. That template seems to almost double for their amount of thugs and villians willing to play the part of footsoilders. As they land and remove their parachutes - and, there are several dozen of them, they brazenly begin to storm towards the Baxter Building.

With them, a young girl, bearing a mask that obscures all but the top of her face, and black, tight fitting clothing. Her left hand? Is glowing, eeriely. And her tail -- yes, she has a tail, shifts from side-to-side, slowly, as if waiting, ready to strike. It's curved, and pointed, as a Scorpion's. But this isn't your Spider-Man's Scorpion. It's HYDRA's. "We only have a small window of opportunity. Team One is providing distraction to first response. Do not fail," she warns the soldiers. "You do not want to deal with repurcussions of failure."

The newsgirl only has one reaction to this: "Clive, are you getting this?!!! Do NOT lose this feed." She begins to slowly tug him away from the building, though. At least she has more sense than Lois Lane.

Hydra, for all the secret bases, code names, and general shadiness, is about as subtle as Starfire's outfit. So, when you can hear a mile away, it's not hard to hear the battle cries and rumbling of a jet flying way too low for FAA regulations. Superboy turns in mid flight over Times Square and moves to intercept. The familiar jumpsuits is all it takes. "Geeze, these clowns again. You think, eventually, one of those heads would have enough common sense to find a new hobby."

Something wasn't right.

A HYDRA patrol just /happening/ by Avengers Academy? Allowing themselves to be spotted? So, the Black Widow leaves her self-imposed exile in the Avenger's Mansion to 'take a walk' out in the New York City streets-- her comm on both Avengers and SHIELD frequencies. She's not Spider-Man, but decades of black ops and espionage work have her on edge. Something. Isn't. Right.

Under her leather jacket she's garbed in a skin-tight body suit over a trim, thin and tone body, with her stings peeking out from beneath the cuffs. She's ready and waiting, and almost eager for something-- boredom doesn't sit well on her. Blame Barton. She does.

So when HYDRA shows up? She's not entirely surprised. In fact, a smile tugs at her lips. "< I knew it, >" she mutter to herself in Russian, before pushing her way through the escapig crowd /towards/ the HYDRA mooks.

Cyberdragon relaxing on one of the Many Buildings, colored like a Gargoyle where he can't be easily seen, next to them So when the parachutes start to open and Tropps land, John holds his Ribs and narrows his eyes watching the Scorpion And then narrows his eyes. Spreading his wings Cyberdragon Swoops down and then tucks those Wings so he can rocket at the Scorpion chick. "Why is it you Guys always attack cities where the Heroes are in Force?" He says attempting to slug the Scorpion in the Face nice and hard, hoping just hoping in vain that if he take sher by surprise he can hint her and knock her out in one shot. Fat Chance.

Really, Karolina Dean had come into the city for a bit of peace. There was a cute little vegan place that wasn't super-expensive, and she can spend a few dollars, and chitter-chat with the people there... in fact, she was in the middle of enjoying a salad when that low-flying jet rattles all the windows, and causes most of the people in the little cafe to start clustering towards the windows. 'lina glances towards the others in the cafe, her expression twisting into a look of thought, and she brings up a hand to lightly touch the bracelet around her wrist. "Those guys are headed for the Baxter building," she notes aloud. A few moments later, and Karolina bursts out the door, to head into an alleyway and rip off her bracelet, exploding into a miasma of rainbow colour. Pushing off the ground with her well-worn sneakers, the star that was in the center of her long-sleeved t-shirt now drowned out by ~rainbow~, the young woman in old-school jeans with flared bottoms takes to the air, spying the soldiers marching towards the building. For the moment, though, she was being watchful. In the air like this, she was a bit vulnerable - and she wanted to be /sure/ before she started shooting. Or at least wait for them to shoot first.

More Victims of Heroes B.S. It makes Ted Grant sad. he doesn't really know why he even came, let alone wearing his uniform under a trenchcoat. Contrariness was ingrained in the old cat. Then ... Nazis. Crappier uniforms, higher tech weapons but still frigging Nazis. The guys who killed that nice Captain America. he doesn't even bother to slip the mask on. These bums don't deserve a beat down by Wildcat.

A trooper suddenly stands before him, "Hail Hyd ..." He stops, puzzled as his rifle is yanked out of his hand. Then he's pimp slapped twice, his nose twisted to one side. Ted throws the rifle back at him and he catches it ... just as he's kicked in the jewels. He goes down. "Pick up your weapon and let's continue. I hope you got more heads 'cause I ain't done cutting goosestepper," Ted says smiling.

The pilot of the airplane does what every pilot of a terrorist organization, or criminal empire does when facing a flying entity, Kryptonian, or not. It's in the manual. And, a union rule. A pair of twin missles erupt, these ones capable of taking out tanks if not entire buildings, and speed towards Kon as the aircraft begins to bank away from the pending explosion.

The HYDRA agents move forwards, holding up rifles and begin to half-run, half-march, and hurry towards where Reed and T'Challa - the Black Panther, are, gunfire erupting towards the two well-known superheroes, meanwhile. "How'd they know?" Asks Reed, annoyed, irritated, the camera catching the words even as the man flattens himself to merely a inch thick and 'evades' the bullets. Black Panther, meanwhile, dodges the bullet like a cat chasing after a laser-pointer pen, fast and furious. He, like the Black Widow, is heading straight for the mooks, disarming one of them nearly instantly, and then another, before scattering back from concentrated fire as more agents begin to try to push past, into the building.

As the plane continues to bank, it catches sight of the very, very obvious, and very glowing girl in the sky; and heavy artillery fire begins to resound out of it's wings as it attempts to shoot the unknown flying figure down, and out completely.

And back down on the ground? As one victim of Ted's vengence is laid down, two others move in to introduce the back of the large man's head to the butt of their rifle in a very not nice manner.

Reed streches out, first to block the entrance to the building with his body, then streching out his hands to literally knock some heads together.

Newsgirl can be heard muttering on the live feed, "I smell a promotion." Before going into her speil: "Folks, we're LIVE, in Lower Manhattan, and you are watching Mr. Fantastic, the Black Panther, Superboy and - some flying girl? Fight off a deployment of HYDRA agents. They seem to be trying to get into the Baxter BUilding."

And the Widow doth sting. As soon as the civilians are out of her line of fire, she raises her wrists and opens up with a barrage of electrical blasts, aimed at HYDRA green-suits. She gives Black Panther a nod of greeting, and a small smirk.

And they fire back. Not that she minds-- she dodges the first round gracefully, like the ballerina she had been in a previous life, a lifetime ago. She dodges, spins, and leaps-- making it from the sidewalk to landing on the roof of a parked cab in a single bound. From her higher vantage point, she continues to fire, her expression blank and cold.

Superboy's gotten good at this trick. He twists in the air, dodging the missiles, and grabbing hold of both of them, sending them up and away from anything too important. He keeps an eye on them, in case they happen to be locked onto him somehow, but, otherwise, gives them just enough time to get above the skyline before blasting them with heat vision. A bit of a multitasker, he flits around through the air, scooping up remaining paratroopers, and tying them up in their own parachutes. "Seig Heil, Doomkoff," he greets the paratroopers, his german pronunciation awful and heavily inspired by Hollywood. Oh, and then they're shooting at another flier, and he's off, Neo-Nazis in tow.

Carmilla Black, a.k.a. the Scorpion is no mere mook of HYDRA, however. She hears the sound of the suit, spots it with alertness that speaks of something of a dangerous, dangerous training. She waits until the last possible moment, then she jumps forwards, pushing down on the rocketing winged, suited hero, to backflip over him effortlessly. And, as she does so, she lands facing backwards, to face the direction she left the unknown 'hero' in.

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “HYDRA is attacking the Baxter Building in force. Engaging with Black Panther.”

Cyberdragon's Tail as he flys past liftsup attempting to lash out at her with the tail Blade. Attempting to slash at her in mid air. A Move that seems to unsettle Cyber as his Wings spread as he climbs like a shot before he Wing overs. Performing a Near 180 degree turn reversing his direction before he slows and lifting his hands up he starts to fire off at the Scorpion Chic and her Nazi relics a number of Plasma bolts.

Each one of them explode with the effect of a Flash bang. Cyberdragon wants to keep his distance. But his goal is to neutralize Her and her soldiers as he fires a number of the plqasma shots near the Baxter Building where Reed is attempting to help blind the Hydra Agents.

Karolina Dean... well, her grand plan of scoping out these soldiers? That doesn't seem to have been the brightest thing in the world. The heady booms that herald the coming of that artillery fire draws her attention from soldiers to plane - and it was instinct that lets her dodge the first volley. Eyes widening with surprise, the Majesdanian lifts her hands up and constructs a wall between herself and the rest of the oncoming fire, the shells exploding harmlessly against the wall. At least outwardly harmlessly. Each explosion of fire against her shield was like a rattle in the back of her head shaking her brain loose, and 'lina releases the shield as she dives downwards. That brings her closer to the soldiers, sure - but it would require the plane choosing to fire downwards on them if it wanted to continue firing. "Badideabadideabadidea...!" she recites to herself.

Ted drops forward as the rifle butts jab where his head was a split second before. His hands hit the sidewalk and support his weight as he draws his legs in and then let's lose with two vicious kicks at his assailants knocking them backwards.

His mask is pulled on and the coat is ditched and he turns on the troopers as Wildcat!

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “...also, if Stark asks, I am still in bed. Absolutely still in bed.”

[Avengers] Beast says, “Beast in the Bronx, Ant-Man and the Young Avenger's team got snared by a Hydra distraction. Grim Reapers running with Hydra. We have Bullseye captured.”

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “Bozhe moy. Reaper is with HYDRA? Will talk later, Hank. Stay in one piece-- *sounds of heavy weapons fire* --Widow out.”

The missles are easily dispensed with; they continue on their new course until they explode, harmlessly, into the sky, leaving only the sound of the blast, the firey plume and the smoke to follow as any sign they ever existed.

The plane, however, cannot dive down so low, nor is HYDRA so desperate or that stupid to open fire with a plane (at least without reason) onto it's own troops; this leaves the jet open from behind to Superboy's attention, even as he drags the paratrooper Hydra agents with him. So, Karolina is safe? Not especially. That just leaves her open to attack from the soldiers who've set up a perimeter, several of them have energy weapons. The same sort that Intergang was using, not long ago. How they got their hands on them is anyone's guess. But it can't be good news.

Black Widow manages to get the attention of several eyes, and a few fall, dead, in pain, or unconscious to the expert fire of the Russian-borne spy, but even more fire back at her.

Cyberdragon's tail-attack is blocked, by Scorpion's own tail. She merely tips her head at the suited individual as he rockets into the sky, and proceeds to bombard the area with flashbangs. And, she crouches, covers her eyes as they do their work as best she can, breifly stunned.

Just like the HYDRA agents at the front, also stunned by the same plasma bombs. Black Panther moves forward, disarming and taking out another two, while Reed forms one of his hands into a huge mallet, and 'swings', pummelling a random agent as hard as he can. Unfortunately, for Cyberdragon? The agent is hit so hard, he's heading straight for the hovering hero.

"HAIL HYDRA!" Cut one head, and another will rise. Ted, so far, has 'cut' three heads off. Figuretively speaking. Maybe that's why six agents are now moving towards him.

"Black Widow has now joined the fray, as has the hero known only as Cyberdragon who was briefly with the Avengers Academy according to our sources. This is an intense fight, Superboy appears to have saved several buildings, and the combined forces seem to have HYDRA agents stifled. Probably not much longer until things are wrapped up here. Keep filming, Clive!"

As The agent flies through the Air at Cyberdragon Turning his attention to the incoming guard as Cyberdragon is Forced to catch him, but Cyberdragon is not about to let this guy escape. His tail Curls up lashing around the man's ankle, and them like a constrictor snake will break his Ankle.

Of course He has to Land and using his strength and speed he will turn and Flip attempting to Hurl the Hydra Agent at the Scorpion Girl.

Hard enough to make her react if she is not hit. It's at that point Cyberdragon will lunge He's attempting to catch her in her reaction.

[Avengers] Beast says, “Code names, Please Widow. What's the status of the mansion. Either this was a distraction or they were hitting the Avenger's Academy in a multi prong strike.”

Catching a jet is Kryptonian 101. Of course, the jet is normally crashing. Superboy goes for the 'pluck out of mid air' variant, pausing only to leave his passengers tied to some nearby flag poles for safe keeping. Then he's off, easily outpacing the jet. He grabs hold of the rear fins, and the entire vehicle jerks to a stop, surprisingly without any bits tearing off, though Superboy's fingers crush the rear fins enough that the plane isn't going to be able to turn after he lets it go. He shouts out, lungs surprisingly powerful. "I smell distraction, guys!"

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “*click and pause* Mansion is currently secure.”

The Black Widow-- stops?

Almost as if someone hit pause. And then after a second, she is moving again, firing, rushing down the front of the vehicle at high speed. She's tackled by a heavy-suited green goon, but he seems to almost bounce off of her. She kicks him, hard, and he goes flying.

[Avengers] Beast says, “Any other Superhero facilities in NYC? No Spider-Cave?”

It was saf-/er/ for the girl with kalideoscope eyes. By some degrees. Heavy artillery - not so much her Thing. Energy, though? Karolina - upon buzzing the soldiers, wasn't stopping in her swooping - hair and attention going every which way but sideways as she jukes and kinda takes evasive action over the soldiers. That might make it harder for them to hit her - even if a bolt comes /super/-close. Going vertical at the very last moment to avoid colliding with the Baxter building proper, 'lina kinda leans back and somersaults to face the soldiers again - and the swoop she gives them then is a little more direct. A little more direct so she can start raining bolts of energy back at them.

Six goons with rifles. Okay, WIldcat can dive for cover and get it shot out from under him, run for it and get shot in the back, or do the idiotic tactic of rushing a squad of armed men.

How fast can you bring a rifle to bear and pull a trigger? Half a second? In that time Wildcat can lay you out three different ways. He lunges at the troopers dodging frantically and then he's among them and shooting would mean hitting your squadmate. Then he's all fists and feet and elbows.

As the HYDRA agent is propelled towards her, and she, temporarily stunned, Scorpion does the only thing she can do. She can -sense- the attack coming, even if she can't see it. Her willowy frame propells her backwards in a series of backflips, and the HYDRA agent lands with a sickening crunch that he will never, ever get up from. "Reaper. Now."

That's when another agent instantaneously appears. As if out of nowhere. Wearing a midnight-bluish/black suit, with a strange helmet, cape, and a prosthetic that is an enormous scythe, the Reaper appears just behind Cyberdragon though he's on the ground, an electromagnetic blast issuing out of the prosthetic with cold, calculated precision at the armored individual.

Agents are falling, left and right, to the various tools of the trade implemented by the Black Panther's claws, Reed's malleable form, Black Widow's training and gunplay, and Wildcat's superior hand-to-hand skills, and the surprise of Karolina's offensive bolts that render more than one unconscious.

"It looks like someone else has joined HYDRA!," calls the newsgirl, "But the combined efforts of everyone here - including the glowing girl who we really don't know anything about yet, seem to be prevailing, folks. Wildcat's joined, too! We thought he was retired a long time ago, but he's showing he's still got plenty of fight! Superboy's disarmed the plane. Wait, where did the girl go?"

Scorpion has moved targets, now that her senses are coming to her, her hand suddenly glowing a brighter, more sickly green. She lurches up from the side to try and slam the toxin-infused weapon into the Black Widow.

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “DAMN! MANSION IS UNDER ATTACK!” [Avengers] Black Widow says, “Mansion--*cuts off*”

The poison weapon connects firmly with the Black Widow. She staggers, but turns, firing her stings, both of them, at Scorpion with a snarl.

For all the poison, she doesn't even seem to notice. The woman seems to pause again, and then fires. And fires.

AS Cyberdragon has someone behind him instantly the armored Dragon reacts, Tail Lashing out at Reaper's legs, The blade sharp and terrible. Cyber Takes the hit from the Blade as it slices through his Wings, The emp has no effect on him as the Wings fall off and he spins around pointing his hand to the ground and unleashes a powerful Plasma Burst at the ground is much more powerful. About the Force of a Stick of dynamite. The Wings turn into a Golden mass and flow into the Legs of the Dragon. At that point the suit gets bulkier, thicker. Much more armored.

Cyber snarls at the Reaper, "Reaper!" And now from his arms come a set of blades Ala Predator as he lashes out trying to slash at Reaper. Also John realizes he now has a very very serious problem. That short time he was at the Academy. He studied, He studied enemies known to the data base. And Reaper? Yeah.

Superboy flies down, carrying the jet. He lands it on the empty street, and, moments later, the jet engines spark and start to smoke as they break. "Know your strength," he chastises Cyberdragon, angry despite the accident, and then Reaper is there. Superboy has no clue who he is, but the motif is a fairly obvious one. "Rainbow Dash!" he calls up, gesturing towards the new arrival before blurring with motion. He snags Scorpion by her tail. "So, this comes off, right? It's not like... attached?"

One thing - one single thing - was going through Karolina Dean's mind. Well, besides the exhiliration of combat. 'Who are these guys?!' Well, it was obvious that they were HYDRA, with the way they were shouting it all over the place, but. Karolina Dean pauses as the fire that was leveled at her seems to stop, hovering there a moment where a group of soldiers was. Crossing her arms before herself, a shield erects around herself. When... Rainbow Dash? "Huh?" Confusion reined on her face as she glances towards Superboy, 'lina kinda... drifting over that way, keeping her eyes open for any leftover soldiers. "What's going on here?!" she calls.

The fact that Natasha /doesn't/ react, at all, to the overly lethal dose of toxins that'd not have only keeled over an elephant nearly instantly, but likely caused even the likes of Captain America to being dangerously close to death gives Scorpion pause. And only her training, her intense training, saves her as the guns come to bear on her. She ducks the first pistol, even as she raises her hand to knock the Widow's wrist to the side, the bullet skins her shoulder, but misses ending her. That's when the tail strikes; the tail Black Widow would know well. The one that SHIELD has it on good authority is filled with S.P.I.N. Nanites; only slightly 'safer' than newt, a little less effective in term, but will utterly remove any of her abilities that any other person wouldn't have.

Then Kon is grabbing Scorpion's tail. Which -- does not come off. And is not entirely a prosthetic. There's a not-quite, but somewhat warmth to it. A slickness that doesn't come from metal, but rather a near exoskeletion, with a rigidness beneath that speaks to armor, durability. Kon gets the second dose of that utterly lethal toxin-hand. Right in the face.

Reed moves away from the door, now, turning himself into a huge 'ball', and rolling over several more agents of HYDRA, flattening them. Two HYDRA agents move in on T'Challa, who makes short work of them, asking Widow, "Do you need assistance?" His voice is low, menancing. Angry. But, in a controlled, focused manner that is his nature.

And as Cyberdragon's attack comes, the blades on Reaper's scythe spin, furiously, forming an impossibly strong shield for with which to deflect such attacks, but the same thing can certainly be used as a buzzsaw. And that's just what the Reaper intends to do with it, and cleave the armored punk in half.

"This is going from crazy, to insane quick. Please tell me you're using the wide-angle lens, CLive?! The Grim Reaper just teleported into the scene! And the girl looks to be trying to kill Black Widow, and Superboy's trying to stop her. Rainbow Dash, we've come to understand, is the glowing girl's name, and she just unleashed a few energy bolts at some of the HYDRA terrorists. Mr. Fantastic and Black Panther continue the cleanup. Folks, if this isn't news, I don't know what is!" Exclaims the overexuberant newsgirl.

Roaring out, "I didn't throw him that hard!" That is John Roaring out at Superboy. Right now that Crunch is what echo's in John's mind, Even Cyber tells him it was hard enough to make the distance but not kill the guy on impact. So for the moment Cyberdragon has to deal with the Grim Reaper. Regardless of what exactly happened. Cyber's Host mentally unbalanced. The idea of killing someone forces Cyber to snap John's attention as the armored Suit recoils and takes a large number of slashes from the Blade as Cyber gives an evil Smile as he will then do a Jump back. A number of slashes on him have opened up slits but right before the Grim Reaper the suit simply closes them up. No sparks, no blood. At least not yet. So at this point Cyber opens his mouth and lifts his hands up to fire off three burst, Two at the Sythe owner, and the third a moment later designed to explode behind him. with the forced of a half stick of Dynamite, trying to get the SOB off balance.

Well, Superboy would get the dose, if she was actually touching him. His near instinctive forcefield means the toxin never makes contact with his skin. He blinks a bit, then reaches up with his other hand, lowering her hand forcibly. "If it's any consolation, whatever you just tried probably wouldn't have worked anyway. By the way, Red's still angry," he points out.

Widow jerks to a stop for a few moments. She doesn't move, or respond to Black Panther's comment.

Her eyes go from blue to red, but only for an instant, then they are back again. And she snarls, reaching forward to grab Scorpion with the intent to throw her. Hard. With all the super-strength she may or may not have.

[Avengers] Hawkeye over comms: "Avengers, Assemble!"

A beam lancing out from an errant soldier's weapon strikes the shield that Karolina had erected around herself, the young woman flipping her hair to one side, tracking the beam to its source. Superboy and... well, the dangerous looking woman were brawling with that supervillain duo - but 'lina draws her hand up, lancing a blast at the hands of the soldier that fired her, dropping her shield to do so. "Really - look! The Fantastic Four are coming out, and you guys really should all surrender!" she calls out to them, 'lina diving to land fully on her feet, putting her at ground level again - a bit of distance away from the brawl at the plane.

[Avengers] Wasp says, “I'm outside the Mansion now, behind them. Let's pin them down.”

A strawberry blonde teenager strolls down the street. And...despite looking normal, he does not do the normal innocent bystander thing, which would be run for the hills. Perhaps it was the fact that someone just called out that the Fantastic Four are coming out and the fool wants to see what is going on. Perhaps it is a really bad case of rubbernecking.

No...it appears that the strawberry blonde is rushing in to help. However, it is uncertain as to exactly how he would help, looking so typically mundane and boring. That is, until he grabs the shoulder of one of the soldiers obviously causing problems and tosses him 20 feet in the air. Yes....that would definitely help.

"Hail Hydra," is all the Scorpion can hiss, in a soft, feminine voice, once she realizes there's little else she's going to be able to do. She's thrown. Hard. And lands, just as hard. Something may break. But, the thief, the spy, the near top level agent of HYDRA does not get up. One down.

And a few spare soldiers, who are all that remain, now. Across the street, wounded, or unsconscious, and a few dead, are a pile of HYDRA agents and thugs, dispatched in a various manner by Wildcat, Rainbow Dash, Superboy, Black Widow, Black Panther, Cyberdragon and Mr. Fantastic.

But that doesn't mean that Reaper is giving up, just yet. Or that he's about to let Cyberdragon get the better of him. At least, not yet. As the explosions rock about the man, they do, indeed, throw him off balance. ... Maybe.

But then there's just not a Grim Reaper there, where there was one a moment ago. The bastard's teleported. Out of the corner of Cyberdragon's eye, he'll see the whirling buzzsaw blade of the scythe falling towards his head. But that's the illusion the Reaper is casting. The real threat comes from behind Cyberdragon. It slams against Cyberdragon's back, dispensing with it a high-powered electrical shock even as it tries to slice the hero in half.

HYDRA agents sprout wings and fly. At least, where strawberry blonde teenagers are concerned. One remaining agent of the few fires a few potshots of an energy rifle at the superpowered kid. And, even Karolina is fired upon from a forgotten agent to her left.

Another two agents remaining, and no more than that visible anymore, move up behind Black Panther, and his claws slice them apart. In that same instant, the newsgirl turns to Clive. "This is my chance. Keep the camera on me," she orders, and runs up to Black Panther. She moves her hand, to tap on T'Challa's shoulder.

The claws swing, reactively. And, reactively, they slice. Slice, where a man's chest would be. Slice, where a woman's throat is. The newsgirl - the girl who would've gotten her promotion for the story's life ends, with a gurgle of surprise, and almost instantly.

The camera, doesn't miss a moment. A civilian.

Killed. By Black Panther. On live, network television.

Superboy doesn't miss a beat. The Hydra agents and other heroes are momentarily forgotten as he moves, shouldering Panther roughly aside. He can hear the heart giving it's final beats, but that doesn't stop him from trying. He tries to stop the bleeding with his teke, and, with the word, "Hospital," he's gone to try and save the woman's life, however futile it might be.

[Avengers] Black Widow says, “Futz.”

AS the Man vanishes, Cyber is left confused for a moment. Not for one damn minute does Cyberdragon think this man is gone. As a result fearing an attack from behind yet again Cyber lunges forward as the blade connects to his back and the blade has a much harder time slicing into the suit this time, there is clear resistance as the blade discharges the energy into his body and it's enough to make him Tumble forward rolling on the ground. Already adapting to the physical cutting of the blade and now grounds out the electrical.

For a moment Cyber is seemingly left prone. Or is he?

Widow looks at the camera, the civilian, the blood. Her expression is still impassive. Damn. That was unfortunate. But what was she doing int he middle of a pitched--

No. She moves to Black Panther, grabbing his arm with a firm grip, watching Superboy try and rescue the woman. But part of her is distracted, distracted by something--

"The mansion is under attack," she says to him, quietly. But she's not moving in that direction yet, nor is she encouraging her fellow Avenger to do so.

Of all the fire that Karolina Dean endured so far - it was the guy making a potshot that she never expected that strikes home. Crying out as the beam sizzles into her shoulder, 'lina kinda falls to her knees for cover's sake, lifting up her hands to erect a shield of ~rainbow~ around her as her eyes flick in their search for the shooter. It was during that search that she sees Black Panther strike that newswoman - and in a moment, well. Karolina just stands in shock, clutching her shot shoulder and staring openmouthed.

The first shot from the energy rifle catches the teenager in the upper arm. There's a cry of anguish from the do-gooder, which deepens in pitch as he changes, shifting from the all-american high schooler look to a big, green, and certainly pissed off brute. The next couple of potshots do little to affect the big green bruiser as he closes the gap between him and the agent, snatching the gun from shocked hands and crushing it into a mangled mess.

Then...green eyes look up...and catch T'Challa just as he cuts down the reporter. The look upon the face of Hulkling is one of stunned silence. He simply cannot believe what he just saw.

"Looks like it's time to go, punk. Don't worry. We'll meet again, to finish this," confirms the Reaper, smiling very, very grimly at Cyberdragon. Then, he teleports away - and this time, there is no sign of his return. He knows when his number is up. Perhaps he's headed to the mansion?

Reed unfurls from his ball-state, recognizing exactly what happened. His arm streches out, and grabs the camera from poor, frozen, white-as-a-ghost, utterly stunned cameraman Clive. He tosses it and the camera skitters across the ground. But the recording light is still on. And it still broadcasts the sound, even if visuals are all messed up. Again, Reed's arm streches, and pulls Natasha's arm off that of his friend. Then, taking huge, monster-steps, he yells to Black Panther, "We need to -run-. Get you out of here. NOW." And, he scoops up the silent, still Avenger in massive expanding hands, and is already moving with strides that are impossible to catch up with as he disappears down an alleyway, over obstacles and fences as quickly as he can. Reed could be just protecting his friend. But, on camera? It looks condeming as hell, and can only make the unfortunate situation all the worse.

Karolina's shooter runs off in the opposite direction, the lone 'survivor', perhaps. Bob mutters to himself, "I really need to get a new job. This is -not- working out like I planned," as he attempts to hightail it out of there.

And, despite Superboy's best efforts, there is no turning back time. She's dead. No hospital, no technology can reverse that, now. And she'll never be that pretty again. Her last story, indeed, her swan song.

When the reaper leaves Cyberdragon will recover as he stays there reaching up to hold his Chest. Ribs still healing, the Morphine in his body starting to wear off as the pain comes in full force. He simply remains kneeling there, coughing and Exhaling. Either hurt or wounded in the battle. Slowly he starts to Rise up and move to the Baxter building just to get some place for shelter. there is no attempt to leave or escape. Cyber and John are reviewing what happened. To be exact what happened to the Hydra agent. But for now... he just nurses his injuries.

With T'Challa gone, the Black Widow is off at a full run, heading towards Fifth Avenue. She's moving faster than a regular human, even at peak, should.

But as she said-- the Mansion is under attack as well. and she can do nothing else here.

There was that sense of being caught - of holding a television or something in front of a broken store window when the cops roll up. For the longest moment, Karolina Dean just continues to gape, her eyes flicking briefly to the running HYDRA. That seemed a great idea. Briefly, so briefly, Karolina's eyes go to Hulkling, a little frown tugging at the corners of them. The rainbow-colored teen takes off again - finding solace in flight briefly as she rockets away, taking off over the rooftops, heart pounding with leftover adreneline and what she had seen there.

The Black Panther and Mr Fantastic...just ran away. How....how could they run away from what just happened? Teddy's mind is torn in two. What should he do, if two of the people he has admired just...left? A moment or two more, and he decides. The green hulk turns, and leaves, shifting into a different form...a typical tourist, so obviously out of place that he looks to fit right in. Perhaps it is to leave without being detected, but, for Teddy, it is simple. He doesn't want to be himself. Not now. Not after what he saw.