| More Giant Toy Robots!! |
| Summary: | Stargirl and Jack find another Giant Toy Robot, or two, Nanali (Agent Black Arrow) joins the cause |
| Date: | (2014-10-28) |
| Related: | http://ageofheroesmux.wikidot.com/log:2014-10-20-made-in-japan |
| NPCs: | Giant Robots |
| Scene Runner: | Jack Flag. |
| Social/Plot: | Plot |
| Players: |
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They fought the giant robot recently, a quick spot of teamwork to save the day. Jack started to peel off the Made in Japan giant tag on the foot as evidence, Vance managed to secure some NASA/government friends to help research to see where the robot had come from. Everything was fine an dandy even. Stargirl doing super flying crime fighting elsewhere, Jack actually doing a patrol in Metropolis. Sure, its Metropolis, mostly spoken for but every little bit helps. All in all a good day.
Then reports come in, two giant robots in Metropolis, nearly similar to the one Stargirl was fighting. These ones a little more articulated with weapons upgrades it seems. They're only doing minimal damage, scaring the robot workers of the city. Though Jack hears of the disturbance and is en route, calling into the comsys Vance supplied them with, "Uh, more Giant Robots in Metropolis, I think I need a hand or something." Who know what jokes and jibs they've made/had with each other, but that's less a joke and more a serious request if Courtney is still on the line.
Stargirl hasn't been absent, persay, she's been heard, but not necessarily seen. Some of her recent crimefighting taking her up and down the east coast, and out of the usual places that she plays heroine. When the call comes in from Jack she is quick to respond "More of them? I'm on my way." this time she must not have been all that far, because she can be spotted flying at high speed in less than five minutes.
As if nearly arriving together, the setup seems usual. As usual as the last one was, a giant toy robot rampaging. Though, as noted, not much collateral damage. It is proceeding much like when Jack arrived last time. Accept that instead of a manhole cover, he's found news paper dispence to hurl at one of the giant robots as he and Stargirl close.
This is when things get different of course. When it hits the robot, embedding in its arm this time, the robot laughs (http://www.hark.com/clips/fcwryhxdfd-robot-laugh but louder). The arm that was hit opens up and a bunch of clockwork like toys, the size of a medium dog, start to fall, shooting dangerous sparks that seems to be sending out shrapnel. One or two could be shrugged off by durability or forcefields, but litterly a few dozen fall out of that arm.
For Jack on that ground nearing the robots, it means taking hits that shred him a little. Not damaging to him, but it is hitting nearby cars, and windows, and threatening citizens. He has to turn and start dealing with these little windup toys (little'ish).
"Well that's new and different." Stargirl says through the com as the robot's shell is peirced and littler robots come flowing out "That would be really creepy if it was a giant spider and not a robot." she isn't wasting much time with the random laser blasts at the thing. After the battle with the last one she has learned a few things. Flying in she stops short to hover in front of its face and raises her staff to fire one of the sizzling heat beams at its eyes.
Her direct laser to the face seems effective to that robot. It starts to laugh, but winds down to broken electronic garble that is weird and definitely not a laugh. Instead though, that giant robot instead breaks open too. Not just one arm to spew windup dog-sized toys that are whirling gaiting/shrapnel guns, but the other arm, both legs and the chest. Each with its own dozens of robots and their own agenda. Partially falling as she killed the CPU brain of the robot, the other arm is randomly wandering chickens, dropping little eggs like some wind up chickens do, but they start blowing up with the force of TNT. Knocking out windows of nearby cars. One leg is full of whirling razor snakes. The other leg little commando goes, running around saying "Yo Bro!" and shooting little cap guns with real bullets. The chest spinning tops that shoot out powerful lasers scorching nearby buildings, cutting cars in half and causing mayhem.
Some of that damage spilling on Jack as he is still working on the shrapnel gun toys, “Uh, this has gotten a little hairy,” he says, now focusing on not being hit by too much at once and trying to take out little toys. Like it’s a little battlefield now. Jack a giant amongst the random chaotic swarming toys of death, he can easily take them out one at a time, but too much at once could be dangerous even for him. He actually has to focus on things like technique and defense. This leaves a battlefield of dog-sized toys and one giant robot left, as if the giants were lures for heroes to come and meet with the dozens of little ones.
Two giant robots, toy robots on the scale of giant robots arrived in Metropolis. Not causing lots of collateral damage as one might think, but moving on a near rampage of the city. Stargirl and Jack Flag has arrived to fight the menaces. One robot was hit by a flying newspaper dispenser courtesy of Jack, the arm fell/off open as if on purpose to let out a bunch of wind up toys the size of medium dogs that are whizzing about shooting out shrapnel in a gaitling gun like fashion.
Stargirl has lazer attacked the other robot in the eye, killing its main CPU/Brain. As it fell, it split asunder. Arms, legs and chest spilling more dog-sized robots. These inlucde a few dozen more shrapnel bots, some whirling razor blade snakes (python sized), huge chickens that are dropping TNT eggs and creating divits in the street and damaging cars, 12" tall commando dolls yelling 'Yo Bro' in robot toy voices and shooting real guns, and firehydrant spinning tops randomly shooting powerful lazers that scorch buildings and cut cars.
It has gone from double giant robot threat to toy robot battlefield. Stargirl flies, but Jack is down in the mix and having do dodge evade as he takes on individual robots one at a time to break them while avoiding too much damage.
That should have been expected, call her crazy, but it wasn't. "Seriously? Who puts little robots in big robots?!" Stargirl is a bit a gog at the turn of the situation. Sure the giant robot is down, but dealing with one of those is a lot better than dealing with hundreds of the littlier ones "Jack," she spots the fire hydrant robots and gets an idea "Open up a fire hydrant…a real one, there is one on the corner. I'll create a energy hose and you can spray the hell out of this things!"
Jack, having beeng moving about smashing one here and there, is behind a car. The top is cut by a lazer top, nearly giving him a new hair cut. Squating more down, he nods, responding, "That I can do, when they get wet, can we like fry them or something?" Power line to the water even. He's not sure, sounds like he'll have his hands full. He waits for a tnt egg to blow up, then zips across the street, reaching for and ripping the hydrant out of the ground. That is after a moment of trying to twist the top off somehow and panicking in the moment (he went right-tight at first), so just ripping away. It creates a majestic spray for Stargirl to make her hose, he's ready to grab and aim ….
A situation like this is usually the purview of superheroes. But any calls about 'giant robots' attacking is now routed immediately to SHIELD, courtsey of the current world security threat. Hence the quinjet flying overhead with the SHIELD logo stamped on the top across the junction of wings to main fuselage. Said quinjet goes into station-keeping, slowing down as it comes on-scene overhead.
Meanwhile, inside, communications are ongoing as the pilot takes in the scene below and starts locking and loading gear. "Control, this is Black Arrow. Situation is not, repeat NOT, repeat of extra-orbital threat. Request immediate remote piloting on unit Victor Tango Alpha One Zero Niner. Black Arrow going Echo Victor Alpha. Repeat, Echo Victor Alpha."
The canopy of the plane retracts as those words pass over the comms. In the next moment, the average-height African woman in the pilot seat pops her harness and hops up onto the seat, then leaps out of the plane, falling towards the ground below with incredible calm. She is dressed in the black tactical array and field uniform of a SHIELD operative, a half-mask pulled up over the lower half of her face as she falls, calmly, out of the sky. No one is close enough to hear her murmuring, "Fifteen, Fourteen, Thirteen …"
When Black Arrow hits 'Five', she taps a control on her belt, and her backpack flares with blue light, arresting her fall in a harness-yanking manner not unlike a parachute … but there is no parachute. A second later, the blue light fades and she drops the remaining twenty feet to the ground, hands already pulling out crossbows from their places along either thigh, firing at the flying fire hydrants with seemingly no care at all for her own landing … until she hits and rolls, coming back to her feet already at the run. The woman's accuracy is startling. The devasation each bolt wreaks is probably also a tad scary, depending on how resistant those smaller bots really are. But those vibranium-tipped bolts would tear through the armor of heavy tanks; she never bothers with a second shot.
Stargirl hovers in the air, safe from the crawling robots on the ground and their firepower, the forcefield that forms a bubble around her easily deflecting whatever comes her way. "If the water doesn't immediatly short circuit them that may be an option…as long as there isn't any civilians in the danger zone." she says to JF over thier comms. A beam of energy shoots from her long staff, forming a dome over the fire hydrant and from that a hose of pure energy which water starts shooting through as the dome quickly fills with water from the hydrant.
Scary and accurate, the vibranium is overmatached against the toys. The firehydrant sized tops shooting lazers succumb one by one to the onslaught of Black Arrow. Some ironically pop open, shooting confetti into the air. Which sparks and flames. Though in the middle of the street, they have little affect other than to create little burning parcels that float to the ground. No wood to catch fire here. Something missed by Jack as he was simply punching his toys to flatten them. A subtle treat only Toy Man could appreciate, and something for him to work on apparently.
As much as Stargirl could probably control the hose too with more effort, him moving to help with that end of the energy hose makes for better teamwork. He doesn't know who's come to help, not wanting to look away from immediate threat of large toys in his area, such as the razor snakes and chicken egg bombers. Instead he thinks they may be bursting into confetti flame on their own, "Water a better idea, they're blowing themselves up now too, have to keep them from getting near a building."
Though, eventually a small fire or two may start in all fairness, amongst the mayhem unleashed on the street today.
Black Arrow continues her headlong sprint through the formation, taking preferential aim still at the flying targets. That doesn't mean she doesn't leap over or kick others as they get too close, but her weapons fire - vibranium-tipped arrow after arrow, punching contemptuously through the targets to release their delayed-incineration confetti contents - remains concentrated solely on the airborne targets, until there are none. Even when that means she's standing still, firing while waist-deep in a watery spray.
The appearance of the SHIELD agent is noted by Stargirl, "Yay, the calvary!" she cries out glad that they are getting an assist, even if it is just one agent "You got the hose under control?" she asks Jack before relingusing total control over the energy construction to him. Letting Jack and Black Arrow take on the small robots she flies around the remaining larger robot, looking for a way to deactivate it without puncing more holes in it and releasing more of the littlier robots for the others to fight.
The airborn spinning targets with lasers come to an end once a few dozen are downed. All that was released form the giant robot cavity. Leaving Black Arrow amidst other random robots including Yo Bro action figures, razor snakes, tnt egg chickens and the clockwork shrapnel guns.
"Ya on it," responds Jack, using the hydrant connected energy hose to make quicker work of the land based robots. Seeing the figure in the middle, getting sprayed the same, he'll aim the hose away from her at least, "Sorry … thanks … didn't see you come in." Not until she got into the thick of it and took a stance at least. "If you can shoot them, we can stand together …" Called out, offering some defense with the spray of water so Black Arrow doesn't have to dodge but can open fire with virbanium arrows and such. He continues to spray to take out other toy robots.
For Stargirl, she begins to size up the situation, curiously enough, like most robots, on the back side - right next to the switch for english/spanish modes - is a big on off button. Right over a large batter case. Some options perhaps, as if depowering could prevent the 'let robots loose' directive once the 'brain' is destroyed. Or it will just let out a bunch more little ones to wreak havoc on this part of the city.
"Cooperative defense. Good idea." the African woman calls out, accent clear in her voice as she moves quickly into a position back to back with Jack, reloading her crossbows with fresh 'clips' of additional arrows as she starts taking aim once more, working her way through what seems to be a very clear priority of targeting: TNT chickens, followed by shrapnel canons, followed by Yo Bro action figures, and finally razor snakes. Whomever the black-clad woman is, she's a very cool customer, very mobile, agile, and capably hostile. Thankfully, only to the enemy.
Okay, an obvious power button was not quite what Stargirl expected to find. She is understandably leery of actually using the thing. The button could totally be a trap and make it go all explodey or worse…if there is worse "Who ever created these things was commited to accuracy…it even has a power button." well there is only one way to find out if it works..so she flies at it, using her high speed along with her body to push the big red button…it has to be red!
At least closer to him, Black Arrow may realize Jack isn't the best at dodging, his own uniform seemingly torn here and there from bullets, shrapnel, other explosions and the like. His defense generally more a stand and take it thing versus the agile show she displays for them while moving and shootig the robots. He comments to Black Arrow, but in the Guardians comsys, "I used to like Yo Bro toys … I'm throwing my collection out." Maybe not, not yet at least.
As for the red switch of justice, it is defended by some lasers yet, sensors and reactions opposed to Stargirl flying speed is laughable. The entire robot is firing and turning just as she hits the button, it torse at a 90 degree angle as it slumps over. Not even a dying robot laugh from the big one. By the time she does this, Jack and Black Arrow seem to have the bulk of other robots flooded or arrowed, leaving cleanup of strays wanding and shooting at other things. "Don't know how to shut this off," admits Jack, ready to put it down and start chasing the little buggers himself.
Black Arrow definitely dodges a good bit, but one thing that might become apparent eventually is that she takes hits, too … and keeps on going. She's obviously wearing some kind of lightweight body armor. But unless they know Black Panther really well, it's unlikely the Guardians would realize just how good that light mesh body armor really is. For the second time, the SHIELD agent reloads her crossbows, and continues down her targeting hierarchy, cleaning up the few that are left without worrying much about what Jack decides to do; so long as he's there, she defends his back and expects him to do the same for her; but if he leaves, so be it. She has gone it alone before. She also doesn't seem to have a quip for Jack's humor, though she did hear it. "Looks like we are mostly clear. Shutting off the hydrant requires torque applied to the large bolt valve at the top." she advises.
No explosions, no more tiny robots coming out of larger robots…the button worked, and Stargirl gives a sigh of releif as she robot stops its rampaging and powers down "That god for anal retentiveness." because if you are building large rampaging robots that have exacting detail like that, you're anal retentive. Dropping to the wet ground, she kicks a few of the robots out of her way and appoaches the dark SHIELD agent "Thanks for the timely assist.
Alas, while Black Arrow cleans up, Jack turns back to the hydrant that he destroyed to open up. If only there was a shut off valve left, he could plumber wrench it closed with his hand. Instead, he takes both hands to what remains and tries to squeeze the metal closed like the broken out bottom of a tube of toothpaste. That doesn't work quite the same, but he can get it to more a squirting trickle at least, until the city robots can do their busineess and shut a valve further up the line to replace the hydrant. Turning to see if more need to be done, it seems to be finally going quiet in the arrea. "Ya, thanks for that assist, that was awesome bow'ey action." He strikes a crossbow holding pose. All while standing in front of the hydrant like its not utterly broken, hiding up what's become of it maybe. Its still squirting up higher than his back and head can cover.
Once the targets are dealt with, Black Arrow closes her crossbows and puts them away. She'll end up walking around and recovering every last arrow she fired, too, but not right now. "Callsign, Black Arrow. Agent of SHIELD. Good to meet you both. Glad I could help." she offers, fishing out a badge to prove herself, then tucking it back away. "You are … members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, are you not?" She has been reviewing briefing packets with their intel, so it's fresh in her memory banks.
"Robot attacks are currently all routed to SHIELD for evaluation, due to certain ongoing security concerns." Black Arrow explains to both heroes, to keep things brief. Sure, they know about Mongo. Have they realized that the golden shock troopers are from there? Obviously SHIELD has. "Was anyone hurt?" she inquires, wondering at the point of all of this. It would have made a wonderful distraction from another operation, but she's not sure what that other op would have been.
It's a fuuny scene once the danger has past, robot remains everywhere and water fountaining up behind her team mate, it's enough to make Stargirl start to laugh, but that's quickly stifled in the presence of the SHIELD agent. "Stargirl." she probably doesn't have to tell her that, but it is the polite thing to do, "And yes, two of many Guardians members. Is that because of the Mongo threat? That
Jack would take another round of talking to deduce robots and SHIELD, but he more smiles at being recognized, not quite considering being in SHIELD databanks and such as a bad thing himself. "Most of the street was clearing when we got here, before the little robots were set loose," says Jack about potentially hurt individuals. No one is coming out shouting for medical attention. Most of the damage is collateral damage from the smaller robot toys rather than the giant ones. Those were simply a deliver mechanism it seems. "Black Arrow huh? Sounds appropriate." He looks at some of the crossbow work thanks to her and her vibrainum tips.
Black Arrow nods to both, accepting. "We do not speak of that threat." Not aloud, in public. "But yes, that is why." SHIELD is an organization of super-spooks; they don't talk about secret stuff that could panic the public where the public might hear of it. "Glad there were no injuries. We'll want to do a sweep, see if this was cover, a distraction for something." As one might expect, the SHIELD agent is all business, but she's not impolite, just a tad brusque and business-like. Hence why she starts walking around, yanking out crossbow bolts, recovreing them to her quivers as she moves along. She'll leave nothing behind. "Good job, managing to keep the second delivery platform from releasing. That could have been much harder than it was."
An eyebrow arches, over the goggles that cover Stargirl's face. She is't quite used to be shut-down like that. "Okay." she drawls, giving a shrug to Jack. Obviously the Guardians don't have rules like that. "It's similar to the attack last week. Only it was just one robot and it didn't give birth to baby ones.
Considering that a moment, Jack doesn't take it as a shut down so much as simply arouses his curiousity. "Like Voldemorte, if we say it, they'll come?" As far as tracking it down, he thinks SHIELD can easily collect what Vance's government buddies have on the giant robot attacks too, probably better than they could even. "So, really SHIELD - can I ask … are you like buddies with Captain America?" Not sure if Black Arrow might notice his mannerism, but Stargirl might and its bordering on fanboy in the way he coyly ponders Agent Black Arrow knowing the Captain personally, cuase it would be pretty cool for Jack if she did.
The SHIELD agent nods to Stargirl, and makes a note to herself to check previous reports so that she can correlate all of the relevant data. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." she offers, politely. She's not trying to 'shut down' anyone; just maintain proper operational security and avoid civilian panic.
For Jack, Black Arrow is … cool. A tad stand-offish. Unsure quite how to respond. "We don't mention things in public that could lead to questions and public panic." she offers, honestly. "I am aware that the Captain is a member of SHIELD in good standing." She even met him - the real one - decades ago during World War II, though she doesn't admit that to anyone. Who'd believe her, anyway? "But I have never met or worked with him. I am sorry." Bummer, right?
The question from Jack about the Captain has her facepalming "Seriously Jack. Just because she is a SHIELD agent, doesn't mean she is BFFs with Captain America." when Nanali confirms that she nods "See, she hasn't even met the guy.
Indeed, Jack does seem bummed, "Oh … yeah, just asking …" He sighs a little, as if realizing the damage to the city which the little robots are starting to attend even as the speak and other responders come to the scene secondary to hero intervention of the robots. "Say don't mention the … other robot things in public, or the planet. Gotcha Agent Black Arrow." He confirms hearing what she said, though he might still have loose lips. "Don't be sorry, just hopeful is all." Then a smile even, "Not that what you do isn't awesome, if you had an old trading card, I'd collect it." Then again, he might be more curious if she did have a WWII era card. "Especially if you were like holding the bow, standing on a robot all victorious like … you should … you should pose like that." Maybe they all should, maybe its inappropriate to pose like that. Not quite santa claus the robber beat up snapchat selfie, but its up there.
"I do not generally pose for publicity stills." Black Arrow answers. There might even be a hint of humor in her tone of voice. But not a lot. Just a little. "And I am not sure my 'robot hunting license' accounts for this many in the season." Yes. More bow-hunting jokes. Once Black Arrow has all of her bolts recovered and tucked away, she glances to the two heroes. "Glad that SHIELD could be of some assistance. Thank you for your help. I should be going."
The SHIELD agent steps away from the two heroes, and taps her belt buckle. A quinjet powers overhead, hovering in place as her backpack glows blue again, and she crouches low … and leaps off the ground, carried higher and higher and higher … until she manages to clear the side of the fuselage. The blue glow disappears, and she drops into the pilot seat. "Victor Tango Alpha One Zero Niner. Resuming manual flight operations. Situation clear."
Not quite getting the first bit as a joke from Black Arrow, Jack thinks its serious SHIELD type stuff. Thus, the joke about robot hunting season and the quota alloted to her catches Jack by surprise. A chuckle even, that one blind sided him. "Heh, do we need a license for this," he quips towards Stargirl as Black Arrow collects arrows, gives a farewell thanks and zooms off into the sky. Then more to Stargirl, "Can we keep her? SHIELD won't be made if she goes into space with us will they?" Then they go about, doing what Guardians do when no one is looking.
