| Initiation Gone Awry |
| Summary: | A HYDRA initiation is interrupted by two unlikely interlopers |
| Date: | 2014-06-22 |
| Related: | N/A |
| NPCs: | Madame Hydra |
| Scene Runner: | N/A |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. |
6/22/2014
Night, partly clouded sky, full moon. Atop a very tall skyscraper, a man wearing a black uniform can be seen moving amid the shadows. His motions are in route to a skylight which peers into a penthouse suite.
A shadowy figure embraces the cover of darkness and patrols the skies of Metropolis. Her keen vision spots the man in the dark uniform. Friend or foe matters not at this point. She swoops down and makes a silent landing behind the man. The masked woman with wings folds her arms in front of her chest. "I had no idea that peeping tom's had a union."
His neck turns slightly to the left to catch the winged girl in his peripheral vision. He wears a full face mask and his eyes are also seemingly covered. The mask contorts into a smile and his attention returns to the window. Peering down into the illuminated room he states to the girl in a whispered tone, "Official business, citizen. It would be wise for you to disembark before you get involved in something you don't want to be."
Shayera Hol raises a brow under her mask. "I'm no citizen, and if any government needs to conduct their business in secret should be held rather suspect." She refrains from reaching for her mace just yet, waiting to see how this plays out. "Empires who obfuscate are empires that terminate."
Without looking up. He states, "I challenge." in a rueful tone. And follows with, "Obfuscate isn't a word. Or you're using it in the wrong context." He maintains the hidden smile, but tone can likely be heard through the mask.
Shayera Hol blinks…. just blinks. "Wow… No wonder your planet is ripe for invasion if you're a representative. You need lessons in your native tongue from an alien." Now she reaches for her mace, her patience wearing thin. "Now either remove yourself or I will do it for you."
Figuring he got the word wrong and would lose the challenge either by tongue or fist (or in her case, mace) he motions over his shoulder with his left hand, "Come'ere. I've got something to show you." indicating that there's something she needs to see within the skylight.
Shayera Hol replaces the mace and carefully makes her way over to the skylight. Her footsteps light, like a dancer or someone well trained. She reaches the position and peers down through the glass.
Through the glass one can see a large living area where there are 16 people seated, mostly male, all attentive to one man who is standing at the far end of the room. They're all dressed in business attire and the keen eye will notice small pins on their lapels (HYDRA emblem). It can also be noticed that Blackout's right hand is placed on the glass. Within his hand is a listening device that runs a cord up through his uniform (which is actually armor) to his ears. He reaches up with his left hand and into the darkforce mask (at his ear) to pull out the ear bud that he offers to Hawkgirl. He comments as she's close, "You smell nice.", as an observation.
Shayera Hol sees the emblem, but being new to Earth, she's seen many emblems. She was lucky that her apartment came with cable. She learned English by watching a Police Academy marathon. She begrudgingly takes the earbud and, seeing where the man had retrieved it, places it by her ear and listens. At the compliment, she rolls her eyes. "Keep your eyes on the target." She whispers.
"Who says you're not already on my list?" asks Blackout in regards to her being a potential target.
The earbud allows for the voice of the head guy, "?have passed the third and final tests. It is my honor to welcome each and every one of you into the fold. Now, we have a guest speaker, whom many of you may have heard of. And for those of you who haven't, you're in for a treat." The leader turns to an out of sight entrance into the room and says, "Please welcome, "Madame Hydra."
A seductive and sensuous appearing woman with green hair and a green skin tight uniform saunters into view. Upon her hip is some deadly looking blaster pistol and other hip sports a green leather whip. The new 'recruits' stand and clap to her arrival. Her left hand signals their silence and she says in an eastern European accent, "Sit." As she moves toward the gathering.
Shayera Hol waves off the comment. "If I were, I should be dead." She turns to the man. "Unless you are *that* incompetent." She hears the introduction and shrugs. "It sounds as if it were any typical business meeting. Unless *she* is your target?"
Blackout states, "Not all targets are of the attack and kill kind. However, she is my target. But my mission is to observe, collect intel, and report back to the base. She's a major bad girl who is up to no good. She's here for more than a clan meeting. She's…"
Madame Hydra moves through the assembly of recruits and comments, "There is an American game called Duck-Duck-Goose. I have decided to adapt it for this very situation. As one of you here is a spy." Her left hand touches their heads as she passes and says, "Duck?. Duck?. Duck?."
Shayera Hol nods and sighs in disappointment with herself. "Looks like I have much more to learn about your Earth organizations. You're all fighting and spying on each other and…" She stops when she sees the woman's actions. "Looks like your spying may cause someone their death… Where I come from, the whole lot would be executed."
"Maybe you need someone to help you learn about our society a little more intimately." questions Blackout.
Many of the recruits have a concerned look about them. They may have heard more about Madame Hydra which makes them uncomfortable. While others have a psychotic confidence to their gaze.
"Duck… Duck… GOOSE!". As she says goose, Madame Hydra swivels on her boot heel and draws her weapon. With lightning speed the sidearm is pointed up to the skylight and fired. The projectile strikes the glass and causes a massive explosion.
Shayera Hol says, "Thank you but your International Computer Network is more inviting." She says, before jumping out of the way. As she does she quickly grabs the man out of the way and covers him up with her wings. When the blast clears, she growls at the man. "*DON'T* get any ideas!" She says, before standing and turning, facing the attacker.
The skylight is shattered, exploded, and still raining glass for a few seconds after the initial explosion. Blackout is taken down beneath Hawkgirl and her warning has already transpired deep within the recesses of his 'boy mind'. He answers, "Too late. But thanks for the save."
When Hawkgirl is on her feet again and turning to face the enemy (15' below), she'll note the skylight possesses a slight heat and scorched appearance and the room below will be alive with motion. However, Madame Hydra is not to be seen.
The recruits (now agents) all pull out weapons of various sort and start aiming upward toward the skylight. They never saw Hawkgirl or Blackout, therefore they have no idea what they are to expect. But they know - where Madame Hydra points her gun, so should they.
Shayera Hol grumbles, hating to defer to someone else's wishes, however her intel is lacking at the moment. "Do we confront them or do we retreat with what information you have to return to your superiors?"
Standing now, Blackout states, "Retreat.", as he remains out of line of sight of the room below. Behind him, an inky black disk forms (8' diameter portal) and he states while backing into it, "I'll call you sometime. We'll play Scrabble." The darkness absorbs his form and he disappears. However, the disk remains open long enough for Hawkgirl to fly into it if she wished. He doesn't expect it, nor is he actually inviting. It's just an event that takes a few phases.
Shayera Hol does not follow strange men through stranger holes. She takes off for the sky, once again embracing the darkness of the night.