13567/An Escape

An Escape
Date of Scene:	28 June 2021
Location:	Near Mount Fuji, Japan
Synopsis:	Yaozu is 'released' from his captivity. Japanese superstitions have him accused of being a demon and a mob gathers. SHIELD unexpectedly arrives to break things up and rescue him.
Cast of Characters:	Loki, Yaozu Lin, Liansong "Song" Qing, Black Widow (Romanoff), Phobos

---

Loki has posed:
The rest of the night had passed, and half of the following day. Breakfast had arrived, as if by magic, and no sign of Loki. Now it's lunch time, and the clear sunshine has practically set the snow pack atop Mount Fuji aglow. It's very, very white against the backdrop of the blue sky. A tray of food appears within the door that's always been left half ajar. Loki's hand follows it, holding the tray up, then the rest of him follows that as he pushes the door open and walks into the room.

"Are you starting to get used to your new body?" Because it surely doesn't work quite like the old one had! The feet and legs, for one, are vastly different in how the previous pairs had worked. He walks over to the bedside table and sets the tray down in the same location it had appeared at the last meal. Loki walks to the window and gazes out for but a moment.

After that moment has passed, he turns his back on that spectacular view to regard the avian also within the room. Apparently, the avian is a much more interesting view. He looks pleased with himself, does Loki, as he gazes at Yaozu.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
During the night, Yaozu had slept. And for once in what felt like a long time, it had been a sleep that had actually felt comfortable. Though it had taken a bit of adjusting in regards to position given the changes to his body. It had been a sleep which had actually felt restful to him. There had been no pain lurking in the background, masked by drugs or use of his pressure point knowledge. Years of habit meant that he was awake with the dawn, even in this different time zone that he's grown accustomed to in the days that he's been here.

And even though he's been here for some days, the sight of Mount Fuji is still an impressive one. When breakfast had arrived, he'd already been awake, and much as with the other meals that he'd been given, he ate all of the food. It helped that he liked the food, given that it was Japanese fare. Since there was no sign of his captor, he spent the morning in a bit of experimentation in the form of checking the range of motion and movement that his altered self has. And even though the wings and tail are somewhat baffling to him (and mess with his balance), he included them as well. The lack of familiarity with his altered physical self didn't deter him from at least attempting to slowly move through the first series of katas for both of the martial arts that he practiced. It was enough that it showed him he would have to practice more in order to have the fluidity of movement he was accustomed to, and that there would need to be some thought given to the wings he now has and putting them to beneficial use.

The flicker of movement that was the tray appearing was enough to catch his attention, and his gaze turned more fully in that direction, his head tilting a touch to one side as Loki materialized along behind the tray. His right hand slips to the small of his back, resting there as he watches the God of Mischief. There is a small nod that he offers, to the question asked of him. "Starting to, hai," he affirms. It is a thing that will take time, and longer than just what one morning has to offer. There's a snick and a click of talons upon the floor, and he steps over towards the tray of food.

Loki has posed:
There is at least, that Loki had /left/ him for that morning to get somewhat used to the new body. That might have been on purpose specifically so that the man could get some sleep, and so he could start to get used to things. Maybe Loki really had decided to do this, once he got a look at the prize his brother was hiding (in his mind at least), to help. Sometimes, with Loki, it's really hard to tell if his motives are selfish, altruistic, or a little bit of both.

"It's a start, at least," says Loki with a smile. He straightens from his lean against the window sill and walks toward Yaozu. "Give me your hand," he says, and gestures with his left for the avian's left hand, specifically. Curiously, Loki doesn't hold his hand out, but rather, apparently expects that Yaozu will hold his hand out as requested. "Palm up." That's not ominous at all.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The attempt at his martial arts had been wobbly, at best. His balance wasn't as he was used to it, which had made it a wise idea to stop before reaching the higher level katas. But there would have to come a time when they are practiced as well, at least if he ever wants to make use of the moves in this altered form he now has. Just as it took practice when he was first learning, it will take practice again now in order to master them.

Whatever Loki's intentions, they hadn't been shared with him. And Yaozu wasn't going to ask after them, either. It is often best not to question Gods. He considers Loki's statement, and then he gives a small nod. "Hai," he affirms, agreeing. It is a start. But it will take time. At the request for his hand, Yaozu tilts his head slightly to one side, giving a moment of thought as to the reason for such a request. It is but a second or two, and then he lifts his left hand from his side in order to hold it out, palm up, as had been requested. He isn't sure about what's going to be done to or with his hand, but he offers it all the same. There is no sign of if he's nervous, nary a tremor or shake to his hand as it's extended.

Loki has posed:
Loki very rarely shares his true intentions with anybody but himself. Even if he had been asked, the chances are that Loki would have done one of two things. Refused to tell those true intentions, which is the lesser of the two likelyhoods. Or outright lied about what those intentions are. That's the far more likely way it would go.

Loki waits patiently for that hand, letting the avian have at least the illusion of having a choice in the matter. The reality is, the man, bird, really doesn't have any choice at all. He is what would be called... a captive audience.

Loki's eyes, that intense shade of green, stay locked on Yaozu's during the interval. And when the hand is offered. Loki doesn't even look. Despite that, his right hand reaches out to the extended hand, his own also palm up, and brings his hand under Yaozu's, so the palm of Loki's hand is against the back of Yaozu's left.

For an instant, there's nothing. Then a sharp sensation that is part sting and part burn, reminiscent of having a tattoo being put in place, but a thousand, a million times worse. It's like every stab of a tattooing needle has been literally burned into the skin, all at once. But unlike having a tattoo done, this pain, the sharp intensity of it, lasts only for a few seconds. Then Loki pulls his hand away and the immediate pain fades, leaving only the ghost of a memory.

With Loki's hand out of the way, revealed is a brand new tattoo on the back of Yaozu's hand. A tattoo that looks as though it's always been there. The base symbol is similar to a Norse Valknut, save that each of the triangles is a single talon shape. Within each talon appears something akin to a snake or a dragon, knotted sinuously over itself. At first glance, the tattoo is plain for color. But when the light catches it, the white of the dragon-snakes and the borders of each talon glitter like a thousand particles of crytal crushed to a size smaller than grains of sand. The effect is an irridescent rainbow of light and color. A stark contrast to the black of the background beneath the dragon-snakes, which also glitters and glimmers in the light. It's effect is also irridescent, but over black it's darker colors are far more subtle.

"There," he says. "Now enjoy your meal." Those words have an air of finality, as though it might well be the avian's last meal for a good long while.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Over the course of time that he's been Loki's captive, he's learned that he'll only be given what information that Loki chooses to. Despite his curiosity, more than once, he's kept his questions to himself. He knows he has no real choice in whether or not he gives his hand, for if he doesn't give it willingly then it will be taken by force. Loki will have what he wants of him, of that Yaozu is fairly certain.

Yaozu's hazel gaze meets Loki's green one, his own holding fast. His gaze is unblinking and steadfast, and he doesn't look towards his offered hand at all either. He keeps his hand still, even as Loki's hand is moved against his own, and there is a flicker of curiosity that rises and falls within his eyes as there passes that moment where nothing happens. And then there's the sharp pain that reminds him so very much of the assorted tattoos that he has, a thing which causes him to take a sharp inhale of breath and to flinch slightly. Ow! The pain shows in his eyes, too, and in the tenseness of his jaw muscles. The flinch doesn't move his hand within Loki's, though -- that, he keeps still. The fingers of his right hand clench tightly closed into a fist, remaining out of sight at the small of his back, and beneath one of his wings. When Loki's hand moves away from his own is when Yaozu exhales the breath that he'd been holding, the tension in him gradually easing.

Yaozu shifts his hand slightly once it's free, flexing his fingers before turning his hand and drawing it back towards himself. It's then, too, that he looks down to see the mark that has been forced upon him. "A reminder of this or your own way of knowing where I can be found?" he asks quietly, a hint of curiosity to his voice. He doesn't expect an answer, though he does look up from the mark to look towards Loki, watching him. He doesn't turn to the meal right away, but he does glance briefly towards the tray before his gaze slides back to Loki. And he wonders, in that moment, just what might be in store for him next.

Loki has posed:
An answer might not be expected, precisely, but an answer does come never the less. "Yes." Okay. Not much of an answer! Loki grins, the expression quite wicked looking, when one thinks about what's been done here. And then? Loki turns and walks from the room.

Whether or not the food is eaten, Loki doesn't return. Perhaps an hour, hour and a half later, maybe two hours at tops, the tray disappears. At the same time, the faint hum that is all but inaudible to human ears but clearly heard by an avian's, is simply gone. That all but unseen shimmer that had been surrounding the room, and its facilities, vanishes entirely.

The door to the bedroom leading into the hall remains half ajar as it had been for the duration of Yaozu's stay. The rest of the apartment is just as posh as the bedroom had been. Pristine, same creamy colors. A huge television and gaming set. Beautiful kitchen. There's even a swimming pool and hottub combo visible through the patio doors. Mount Fuji is visible from there as well, since it's on the same wall as Yaozu's window had been.

Of Loki, there is no sign.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"Mm," Yao affirms, giving a faint nod. To Yaozu, that simple answer affirms both parts of his question. A reminder, and a way for Loki to always be able to find him. A permanent sort of both things. There's naught he can do about it being there other than... accept it. Much as he's had to accept everything else that Loki has done to him.

Once Loki has left the room, Yaozu heads over to the food in order to settle at the edge of the bed -- with a bit of tail adjustment -- to eat. He eats all of the food, and drinks what there is to drink on the tray as well. He ventured to stand in front of the window, admiring the mountain, after he'd finished eating. When the hum vanishes and is no more, Yaozu tilts his head slightly to one side and turns his head, looking more closely around the room. He notices that the shimmer of the barrier is gone, and that perks his curiosity.

He takes the chance to venture from the bedroom and into the rest of the apartment. He explores the apartment, as fully as what he can, and in the process of doing so, he steps out onto the patio in order to look out towards the mountain, and then to what lies closer. Though he wonders what had happened to Loki or where he had gone, he isn't about to question the coincidence too much. He crosses the room, talons tick-clicking on the floor, and he tries the door when he reaches and, upon finding it unlocked, he takes the chance at opening it. Could it be as easy as walking out the front door? It's worth a try!

Loki has posed:
The door opens with no problems, and he finds himself on the balcony itself. The apartment, more of a house, really, appears to be at least three stories high. The main level he'd come out of, one above it with rooms under the 'a' frame, and one below it. A sub level or ground level basement. There might be an underground basement as well. The siding is all rounded wood wood logs. In the distance, Mount Fuji can be seen.

Judging from the angle, he's got to be in one of the cities at the base of the mountain. Which would put Tokyo two and a half to three hours via public transit, to the east, and a little bit north of his present location. The weather is crystal clear. The sunlight shines. People are out and about in the Villa the house is located in. Already a child is pointing up at the balcony Yaozu stands upon. Pointing at him.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
It hadn't quite been what Yaozu had expected to see when he stepped out to the balcony. He stepped over to the railing, stopping there before slipping his right hand from the small of his back in order to bring it to rest upon the top of the railing. He took a moment to look out over the collection of houses here in this area, to look unblinkingly across what could be seen of the city. The talons of his feet ticked softly against the wood of the balcony, and then he turned his head briefly to look towards the mountain.

This was a fair distance from Tokyo, where the embassy was. He turned his gaze back, and he notices the child who points towards the balcony, towards him. Feathery 'ear' tufts flick up, and his other feathers slick down. This is Japan, where superstition can run a bit rampant. Where symbology exists in just about everything. He was no longer human in appearance, and that changed things. Lifting his hand away from the railing, he stepped back before retreating within the house once more. This time, he started to make his way through the house in search of a means of communication. He wasn't hopeful, but it was worth checking.

Loki has posed:
With the keen ears that he has, Yaozu will have no trouble picking up the sounds of the child trying to get his mother to look at the 'owl man'. Her reply is less than superstitious. "Yes, yes dear. I'm sure there's really an owl man there." She takes the child's hand and leads him on down the street.

There's a change, when Yaozu goes back into the house. It's... not the apartment where he had been. The interior matches more with the outside style of the house, now. And when he'd been on the balcony, there'd been no sign of the hottub and swimming pool that he'd spied from within the apartment before stepping outside.

The simplest explanation is he'd been transported elsewhere from where he had been. Indeed, the view of Mount Fuji isn't quite the same as it had been from his bedroom window.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
It could have been a worse reaction, from the mother of the child. He had half expected a worse reaction, given his own knowledge of the country. He had retreated back inside before the child had been able to convince his mother to look in his direction. And it wasn't until he was back inside that he wondered where the houses outside had come from since he hadn't seen houses when he'd been inside. And once he was inside, he blinked and looked around. This... this wasn't the same.

He muttered a bit under his breath, and then shook his head briefly. This wasn't where he had been kept, and there would be no evidence here of what had happened the past number of days. Now what? He had to get to Tokyo, and to the embassy. That hadn't changed. He shook his head briefly, and then he went back out to the balcony before walking around it and carefully down the stairs to reach the ground level. And then... he started to slowly approach the child and his mother. If he couldn't 'borrow' a vehicle for himself -- which he didn't feel confident doing given his physical alterations -- then he would have to either rely on the kindness of strangers or public transit.

Loki has posed:
With the avian going inside, and stepping right back outside, missed is the fact that there's a land line phone sitting on a table next to one of the chairs. The mother and child are still easily within sight, and caught up to easily. Especially as the child is fighting her every step of the way. Tugging, wanting to go back to see the bird man. And then he does! See the bird man. "Bird man! Bird man! Mamma! Bird man!" The woman finally stops with a put upon sigh, and looks over her shoulder.

The moment she sees Yaozu her eyes go wide as saucers. And then she screams, scoops up her child, and turns to run away!

Yaozu Lin has posed:
It wasn't where he was from. Yaozu couldn't stay there, he was intruding in someone else's home. He wasn't moving very quickly -- the fact that he wasn't entirely used to his legs and feet in their different shape ensured that to be the case. As the child sees him and seems focused on him, Yaozu shifts his hands in order to bring them together a prayer position, which is at least the appropriate body language to speak of needing a favour.

And then the child's mother happens to look in his direction, and there's the reaction he not only expected but feared getting. "Please, it is all right, I mean no harm," Yaozu says, in fluent Japanese and with enough volume for his voice to carry to her.

Loki has posed:
The voice, however... does not come out quite how it might have been expected. He'd been fine in the apartment with Loki, but he'd been calm and not trying to speak with any carrying volume. Unfortunately, now there's stress, a woman panicking, not knowing entirely where he is, and trying to speak loudly enough his voice carries... What he intends to say, and what actually comes out are two entirely different things. What winds up emitting from that beak is a loud squark of sound that has a vague impression of words, but no real clarity to them.

The woman screams again, then starts yelling. "A monster! There's a monster! It's death! It has to be death! It's gonna eat me! Run! Hide! Protect your children! It wants the babies!" This starts rousing other people out of houses and there's more shouting. "Protect your homes! Protect your families! Kill the monster! Kill it! Kill!!"

The people are starting to gather impromptu weapons. An iron pipe here, as for a fence. A baseball bat there. Oh dear. That's a katana.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's something that happened in between his intent and when he opened his beak to try to say anything. The sound that ends up coming out is definitely not what he had intended. He'd meant words! What had happened to them? His feathers stay slicked down and if they could snug closer against him then they likely assuredly would, and those feathery ear tufts have flattened as well. And he tries again to speak, though a bit hesitantly this time. "Please, I am not here to hurt anyone. I am not death," he tries to say. He shakes his head at the accusation. He's not a monster! He's just... not... entirely... human.

It's a thing that often comes out to meaning 'monster' in a lot of cultures. Yaozu stops, and his gaze flicks over one to another of the people who seem to materialize. He can't retreat to the house where he'd come from, nor can he run from them -- he's not proficient enough with his altered body to be able to do either. And there are too many for him to fight. He keeps his hands before him, still in that prayer position that he'd adopted on his approach. Here, he knows, it's a positioning that is the equivalent of asking for a favour. He takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. He was still standing on dirt at the edge of the road rather than the asphalt of the road. And rather than speak, he shifts his weight slightly before moving one of his feet and using a talon to trace in the dirt the kanji for 'help', and putting the symbol between himself and them. They could easily hurt him. And to prove that he's not a monster, that he's not here to cause them harm... it's hard to say what Yaozu might do.

Loki has posed:
<DICE ROLLER> Loki rolled 1d100 <29> + 0 = 29

The people all shrink back as the avian tries to speak again. and then they start to look angry. That pipe is lifted, several baseball bats are lifted. The katana is held a bit out to the side. That one person's eyes follow what Yaozu is doing with his foot. And he doesn't advance like the others start to do. The others all start to shout more, louder, calling for blood.

Then the man with the katana, an older gentlemen with greying hair that isn't much unlike Xiang Roulan, surges forward. The katana is raised, and it seems like he's about to strike Yaozu!

Only he skids to a stop in front of him, and turns to face the crowd, the sword lifted in protection and defiance. "He's asking for help!"

But the shouts to kill the monster, kill the demon, keep sounding. Still, the older man's neighbors aren't quite ready to kill him along with the avian.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Though he doesn't usually have a lot of words to say, much of the time, he is at least used to them working. To them coming out as he intends them to be. Yet all he seems to be able to do right now is make sounds that aren't words, that aren't even intelligible. He glances towards the mob of people who seem to be growing ever angrier. And this time, he doesn't try to say anything. His hazel gaze turns towards the man who doesn't advance, watching him, and hearing the calls for blood from the others.

When the older gentleman rushes towards him, Yaozu only moves one of his wings, to curl it around himself as though it mind lend some manner of defense, though it would be harmed just as easily as the rest of him. He was uncertain of the man's intent. Yet when the fellow skids to a stop and turns to face the crowd, to -defend- him, Yaozu is touched by the gesture and he moves his wing to his back once again. And even though the gentleman who defends him can't necessarily see the full movement, Yaozu shifts his hands to move them to his sides as he bows deeply, respectfully, looking to the ground as he does so. After he straightens, he uses a talon to etch the kanji for 'please'.

Maybe he doesn't need to get to the Embassy in Tokyo. Maybe he can reach out to Shield from here in order to arrange getting back to the US.

Loki has posed:
Sadly, that tends to be how mobs work. The simplest things can set them off, and then they grow and grow all on their own. At least there's only about fifteen people thus far in this one. For now, at least. The 'help' kanji is quite ignored by the people wanting Yaozu's blood. The older man stands his ground.

Over his shoulder, he glances briefly to Yaozu. "Run," he says. "I'll hold them off." And he prepares to do just that, standing between the bird man and the town folk. "Blue house. There's a honda. Go!" He speaks the words quiet enough that only Yaozu is likely to hear them, especially with the mob being loud and calling for the avian's blood, yelling a the man to get out of their way.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The mob mentality is definitely a thing. It's one that Yaozu has experienced before, and more than once, and from the receiving end of things. He hadn't backed down from the mob then even though he had risked personal harm, and he wasn't about to do so now. He shifts his weight slightly, to not smudge or eradicate the kanji that he had etched into the dirt. To let it stand as it is.

Yaozu tilts his head to one side, a touch further than humanly normal, which may be slightly disconcerting. And then he gives a faint shake of his head. And when he tries to speak this time, he attempts to do so quietly. He may not be entirely calm, but quiet... quiet he can be, and quiet is how he usually is, so it's not an effort to be quiet. "The armed ones will not stay with you. I cannot run, and they will follow. My life is not worth yours. I appreciate your efforts, but... if you are going to fight, then I will be at your back and defend against them without causing harm as best can be done," he says. Or at least, he tries to.

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
The mob seems intent on killing. Or beating to a pulp at the very least. Superstition can be a very bad thing. The man isn't backing down. And he notices the bird man isn't leaving. And he somewhat understands the words. Cannot run, and follow being the only bits, but it conveys the message. He nods. "I appreciate you at my back," he says. "Maybe this will work out. I'm Fox."

The crowd of people mutters darkly, the sound all but a diffuse growl of sound. That mother with the child is at the back of the small crowd of people. She's shouting along with the rest of them. The child looks sad. He might know what bullying looks like. HIs sympathies lie with the bird. Children are more forgiving afterall.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The location happens to be a small town that lies in the shadow of Mount Fuji, in Japan. There's a splattering of houses in the area, with roads that weave around them. It's sunny, with a blue sky and clouds. The streets are fairly narrow, and it would seem that a mob has come to be congregated along a stretch of the road. There are weapons or makeshift weapons held by many of those amongst the noisy mob who have easily fallen prey to the mob mentality. And there are two central figures to the mob -- one is an elderly gentleman who has a katana, and the other... well, the other is an avian. He wears robes of solid black, his feathers are black, and his long hair is also black.

The avian, which is what Yaozu has finished becoming over the course of the days he's been gone, looks across the members of the crowd who are nearest to him, and then he turns his head to glance towards the fellow who stands at his defense. "I appreciate you at mine as well," he affirms, giving a small nod. He hasn't really figured out smiling with the features he has now but perhaps his voice will reflect it even if his features don't. "One way or another, it will work out. I am Yaozu," he offers in turn. He does his best to speak, but he's not used to make the words with the beak he has now. And he speaks in fluent Japanese. "If only people could be reminded of the innocence that a child views the world with," he adds, his gaze falling upon the boy who had noticed him first. He shifts his taloned feet slightly, and his hands adopt a defensive sort of positioning in front of himself. He will likely be hurt, and he can accept that.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It had been about twenty minutes since the tracker came back online. SHIELD immediately scrambled the Alpha Team members who happened to be on duty. They were sent to a Quinjet, a certain redhead at the controls. Strapping in had been required. This was not going to be a comfortable or leisurely trip. The craft was going to be pushed to the limits and they were going to find their man.

He'd disappaered from their tracking a few days ago. After having been apparently kidnapped during his transport from the Avengers mansion to a SHIELD facility, by SHIELD personnel. The tracker picked up his info and vitals. He seemed fine though the info was a bit different from his norm. But he was alive and didn't seem to be in distress so that was the important part.

Coming down from the upper atmosphere, there was a bit of jostling of the craft as it headed for the point on their scanners. As the sleek black craft came into sight, the agents within were given the information. Their agent was down there near the owl person and the man with the katana. Only, they didn't see him yet.

Natasha brought the craft in to a hover, slamming a hand on the back ramp to open in case they needed to decend quickly, right above the mob. "This can't be good." She put the craft in auto mode so it would continue to hover them moved toward the back.

Phobos has posed:
    The team were four, enough to get their gear and strap into the rumble seats, the belts pulled taut over their armored forms. Faceless masks with reflective visors offer no insight into the individuals nor view of the team members and the way they moved was clean and concise with practiced precision.
    On the comms frequency shared with the squad and the jet, however, was another matter.
    "Sitrep?" One voice asked, male, abrupt. Nelson's most likely.
    "One lost sheep, has no wool. Non-lethal." O'Hara's voice comes onto the channel as they get strapped in. Followed by a series of radio clicks from each squaddie to signal reception of the parameters.
    The flight is quick, a rush and with its own tension. For Agent Aaron it is always amazing the morphic nature of time and the sense thereof. How a ship flying thousands of miles an hour in upper atmosphere can seem slow, and how twenty minutes can seem an eternity. For him the passage of time was noted by him getting through half of his playlist before the red lights flashed on in the quinjet and every started getting ready to go danger close as the Black Widow emerged from the cockpit and slammed a fist lowering the ramp. Each of the operatives attached their rappel lines to the hooks there inside the craft and awaited the word. Once that word was given, it was over the side.

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
Fox nods. "If only. But people are too prone to superstition," he says. Also in very fluent Japanese. That shouldn't be too surprising. They are, afterall, in Japan. Suddenly, that child breaks free of his mother and runs from her, shouting something that is lost in the general overall din. He slips into the crowd, shoving past whoever he has to get past to get to the front. He moves to stand next to the man with the Katana, Fox, between Yaozu and that crowd. He puts his hands on his hips and stares at the crowd of people. He can't be older than ten years old.

Seeing the child, one many of them know, the crowd falls silent. But it only lasts for a second before one of the guys at the front with a bat, shouts, "The demon has bewitched that child!" This is followed by another shout, "Break the spell! Kill the demon!"

When the jet comes into sight, a few of the people look up at it, but the majority of the crowd is too focused on the poor bird man and wanting to vent their frustrations on him. With blood at the very least. Those few start to poke their neighors in the shoulders, but for the most part, they and the jet are quite ignored.

***

On the quinjet with the others, and monitoring the vitals his pad picks up, Liansong glaces out the viewport closer to him. His feathers, mostly black with a few white feathers sticking through again, are slicked back tight to his body. "His vitals show stress," he says. "Where the heck is he?" He's scanning over the crowd, but doesn't see the man the're here for.

As they all get ready, Liansong tucks the pad off after turning it off, then moves to the back as well. He doesn't go for one of the rappel lines. For him, there's no need. If he joins them. He shifts back and forth from foot to foot, obviously anxious. It might be all he can do to stop himself from leaping out the opening ramp and flying off in search of his friend and roommate.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There was no reason for Yaozu to believe that his tracker was, once again, transmitting his location. It had been transmitting only his vitals for the past days, which he had been told was for the purposes of sowing chaos. It was an easy enough thing to believe, given who had said it. He has no reason to expect there to be anyone coming for him as of yet.

"Mm, they are. Superstitions are strong, and born of many things. Darker times. It is in the nature of people to put belief in them, and I am a strangeness that fits ill omens even though the truth is quite different," Yaozu says quite softly. Not so long ago, he was a human man. But that is no longer him anymore. This is Japan, a country quite prone to superstitious beliefs that surround many things.

And then... then there's the boy, suddenly coming through the crowd to square himself off against the mob. That was unexpected, and it's a momentarily touching sort of thing. The open minded innocence of a child. And it is met with the closed minds of adults. The feathers of the black avian are slicked close to his body, and yet... not tightly so. He's nervous, in part, slightly afraid, but he's accepting of his fate. He chose this. He could have tried to run, he could have taken other actions. There is but a brief glance give towards the jet above, for he dares not take his attention from the mob for too long. There will be an attack that comes, but from which direction and which member of the mob?

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Looks like we have a confrontation going on below. Not sure we'll be able to find our agent until we get this resolved." There was nothing she was seeing that gave an indication the avian being below was their agent. The man she knew might have the hair but that was it. She tossed a small monitoring unit to one of the team. "This will help us pinpoint him in the crowd."

Once the ramp has stopped movement, she brough her arm up and motioned. The team were to join the ground, the plan to land between mob and trio. She hooked a line herself and leapt with the others, sliding rapidly down and pulling herself to a stop just before she hit the ground, literally able to just tilt her body and let her feet touch the ground as she released the line.

Phobos has posed:
    It was a clean deployment, the whir of kevlar fibre rappel line slithering through leather handgrips is a distinct sound and it ended only as the five SHIELD agents hit the ground with bent knees, then came up. Each of the squad covered a different angle on the crowd while the team fanned out with Natasha given the head of the rough triangle they created.
    Icer rifles were held in the arms of the operatives near Natasha, non-lethal weapons but not pointing at the crowd, merely gripped with an ease and readiness. For most of the team there was a tension that kept them taut on edge, but a ready one.
    For the one known as Phobos, however, his manner was calm and controlled. Yet it was a manner of calm that seemed in some ways contagious for as he stood there with weapon held across his chest, there was a subtle feeling that might permeate the tension in the air. A feeling that might ease some of it for assuredly this is a situation that does not need violence, for the fear one sees when faced with the unknown is a conquerable thing. All one needs is the courage to do so.

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
The words are more clear to understand now, and Fox nods, but doesn't speak again. Instead, he readies himself for the rush he /knows/ is coming. The boy stands defiantly, shouting into the crowd, at the crowd, but his words are quite swallowed by the voices of the adults calling for vengeance and to put the demon down to break the spell on the boy.

The crowd doesn't move, doesn't move, and then one of the quiet ones, the one with the metal pipe, leaps forward, toward the bird man, swinging the pipe at the avian's head. The child flinches, and then throws himself at the guy's middle, knocking him off balance and slowing him at least long enough for poor Yaozu to dodge the incoming blow.

***

Liansong shifts from foot to foot, his pale, arctic blue eyes following that tracker. And he snags it and gets it set in his grip, then leaps out on the heels of the others. His wings snap open and he sprials to land, just after the others, on the ground. Behind them and somewhat off the side. He's not wearing his lab coat today! Instead, he's dressed like the field agents.

As it happens, the team lands just as the child unbalances the adult. Liansong isn't looking at that though, letting the more qualified handle that part. No, he's looking at the tracker. He turns in a half cirlce until he's facing the other black bird, and looks up. Then down at the tracker. "Yaozu?" He looks baffled.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Feathery ear tufts flickered briefly and then perked up, though they weren't a thing that was necessary for hearing. Yaozu has rather good hearing, now that it has finished shifting to be that of an owls. Rappel line makes a distinct sound as it's being used, and it's not the first time that he's heard it. And it's a curious thing to be hearing now. To be hearing here.

Yaozu doesn't look in the direction of the sound, not just yet. He dares not. His instinct proves to be a fair one, give that the man with the pipe leaps forward at that moment to attack him. An attack was expected. And the child is quick to put himself in the fellow's path. Yaozu shifts his weight, half turning to dodge out of the path of the pipe, his long braid whispering across the robe he wears as he moves. He lifts his left hand and reaches back then, towards the end of the pipe that had been intended to hit him, making an attempt to grab it from his attacker.

He doesn't look towards the agents who have come, distracted as he is. He hears his name then spoken in Liansong's familiar voice, his hazel eyes blinking with a moment of surprise. "Liansong?" Or at least, that's what he tries to say, but speaking with a beak is different than having a human mouth!

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha is about to step in when the child throws himself at the man and the Avian moves to block that pipe himself. So not without skills at least in some form with the speed of the movement.

She makes sure her squad has remained where they are, between the mob and the others outside that lone attacker.

When she does open her mouth to speak, it is in perfect Japanese, as if she was native born to the tongue. "Please calm down. Can someone explain what is going on here?" Even as she is waiting for Song to do his thing and try to track the location of their missing agent in this mess.

Which is when she hears the new avian behind her saying a name. Her brow furrows but she doesn't turn around to look. It can't be...

Phobos has posed:
    The Agents of SHIELD in their Tactical Response Team gear are not exactly designed to look gentle. They present that image of dehumanized martial effectiveness that is so often sought by the militaries of the world. The reflective visors go some way toward that, casting the image of the people looking at them back to them. But when they snap to the ready as Natasha speaks, it's the precision of the movement that might also lend some small element of trepidation in those with ill intent.
    The attacker is handled quickly, the ICERs come up and flicker on with a subtle low resonant rumble that signifies readiness. The grips are shifted not aiming at anyone in particular but all it would take is a shift back and a forearm raised to have the weapons brought in line.

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
That end of the pipe is claimed, but the man keeps hold of the other end. He shoves the boy roughly out of his way, sending the lad tumbling to land on the narrow paved road. The kid's eyes get big as he looks up, and they fill with tears. What self respecting kid isn't going to cry at least a little when they get a skinned knee? And then the heart stricken howls come.

A combination of the howls of the kid, the team arriving, and Phobos' influence bring the crowd to ease back. Weapons lower. The kid's mother rushes forward through the crowd and skirts around the team to get to her offspring, hugging him to her. She glares at poor Yaozu. "Now see what you caused! Evil thing! Demon!"

Fox blinks and steps a bit further to the side, putting himself closer to Yaozu and a bit further away from the very armed team that is now there.

In front of Natasha, the 'ringleader' with the loudest voice melts back into the crowd at the show of force. The mother glares at Yaozu then looks to Natasha at her perfect Japanese. She points a finger at Yaozu. "This one! It's a demon! It's cursed and is going to bring disaster to us all!" Oh dear. She goes pale as the icers come on, but doesn't back down from her belief that Yaozu is a demon.

The guy with the pipe on the other hand... he releases the pipe into the bird man's care, raises his hands in the air, and backs slowly away.

***

Liansong doesn't speak Japanese. He can't really understand what's being said. He steps closer to the guy with the katana (the only one with a weapon that isn't improvised pipe or baseball bat), and then around him. "Yaozu? Is that you?" His feathers puff out, and his ear tufts lift up, perking toward the other avian. His beak gapes open in that owl grin of his. "You sound like a fledgling!" He glances to Natasha. "We have him," he says.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The avian tilts his head to one side at the Japanese from Natasha, his hazel gaze turning towards her. He glances briefly towards Fox, considering what ought be said in order to answer her question. He doesn't have answers for all of the questions that will come, he knows. Yet his attention is forced back to the man with the pipe, who keeps hold of the other end of it.

When the boy is shoved, he keeps his hand on the pipe and was about to take a step towards the boy when his mother rushes forward. And that makes him stop, though his gaze turns to the boy for a moment, then back to the woman. He shakes his head, then glances swiftly to the man who releases the pipe. And he drops the makeshift weapon, letting it clang to the ground. "I did not push him. I did not hurt him," he tries to say. It doesn't come out quite as intended, but very little of what he's tried to say has, thus far. He gives his head a brief shake, then lifts his hand nearest to Fox to attempt to touch his shoulder, to get his attention. And much as he had done before, he uses one of his talons to etch a kanji into the dirt, the kanji for 'friends'. And he lifts a hand to gesture towards the agents, to indicate them.

Yaozu doesn't try to argue at all in the face of the woman's superstitions. She is a believer, and anything he might say would have little impact, or so he believes. His gaze turns away from her, readily, and he looks past Fox (the katana wielder) towards Liansong, his ear tufts perking anew. He gives a little nod to Liansong, and his feathers puff out, relieved at being recognized for who he actually is. "It is me, ah'Song," Yaozu says softly, this time attempting English. Beaks get in the way of making words, though, and it doesn't likely come out quite right. But he tries.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Hearing that Song has the lost agent, that is all Natasha needed to hear. But she can't let them beat up this poor bird man...wait. Now she does actually turn her head, just enough to catch sight of Song and Yao in her peripheral vision. That's Yao?! What the hell was going on here.

She turned her attention to the woman, having noted the figure fading back at the arrival of agents with live weapons but not worrying about him. She needs to focus on the current threat.

"He is not a demon. He's a person who happens to have feathers and owl like features. He's an agent who has done his best with his life to help keep other people safe. I know it may seem otherwise but I can assure you, it's true. We will take him with us and you all can go back to your lives but I hope next time you meet someone who is different, you might take a more calm approach and find out answers first."

Phobos has posed:
    At the declaration, one of the four squad members taps fingertips upon one of the wrist-mounted data displays, sending signal back to base and the jet that they have gained their objective, that the situation is currently non-violent, and that the jet will be needing to land.
    An electronic modulated voice comes from the mask of one of the agents, perhaps not their actual voice but a recorded message given in Japanese that declares simply, "Please step back. Please clear the area."
    Even as above the Quinjet begins a steady descent towards the clearest nearby area, its pulse engines shifting to a steady whine as its VTOL drive allows it to make that descent smoothly.

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
Liansong grumbles half under his breath, a sound which is audible now that the crowd is silent. Then, louder, he speaks in something more than just a wordless grumble. "He's no more a demon than I am. I'm am doctor. And he's a good man. A much better man than I am," he states.

The weapons are all lowered now. The crowd steps back as they're directed, and all start to move off as the jet spools up its engines in preparation for landing. Even the mother gathers up her son, and still glaring daggers at Yaozu, she leaves too.

Soon, all that's left is the team, Liansong, Yaozu, and Fox. Fox takes a moment to sheath his katana. He bows formally to Natasha, and then to Yaozu, and then to Liansong, and finally to the others. "Take care, Yaozu," he says in Japanese. And then he, too, turns and walks away. Whether he'll get any guff for this later isn't clear.

Liansong watches him curiously, then steps up to Yaozu. "You're well? Not harmed?" He spies the man's left and and peers at it. "What's that? That wasn't there before," he states. His ear tufts have flattened and his feathers all slicked back again.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Natasha's words bring Yaozu's hazel gaze over to her, his feathered ear tufts perking in her direction as he listens to all she says. He bows respectfully to her after she's finished speaking, in the Japanese fashion, his arms at his sides, gaze lowered. And he holds the bow for a moment before he straightens. "Thank you, very much. Your words are very kind," he says softly, respectfully, switching back to Japanese easily. Kind, and true.

His gaze lifts towards the Quinjet as he hears the whining of its engines, and his gaze passes lightly over the other agents who have come before his gaze turns back to Liansong. His chin ducks at Liansong's words, and his hands come together before he extends his arms to bow to him, this time in Chinese fashion, the movement just as respectful as the bow he had given Natasha. "Thank you, Liansong. Your words are too kind," he says quietly, in English. He doesn't feel that he lives up to such things.

Shifting his feet to turn and face Fox, he gives a small nod before bowing formally, respectfully, to him. "Thank you, Fox. I will not forget you or your efforts on my behalf today. Be safe and well," Yaozu says softly. He watches the fellow depart, hoping that he will be safe.

His gaze turns to Liansong, and he gives a small nod. "I am well. I am not harmed, thanks to your arrival," he says softly, attempting a smile. He lifts his left hand when Song mentions it, and he actually offers it towards Song to have a closer look at it, if he wishes. "A mark from my captor. He put it there this morning, with magic," he says softly. He doesn't try to hide it, for perhaps he realizes such an attempt would be futile.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the crowd disperses, Natasha finally turns to look and see Yao more clearing. Why in the world was he an owl. Which had her glancing at Song then back to Yao. She did catch a glimpse of the words sketched into the Earth in kanji form. Two scuffed. One the clear Friend one that was last done after the confrontation. Please. Help.

As the Quinjet came to a landing, she motioned that they should head that direction. And quickly. She did reach up to the commlink in her ear, changing frequencies and sending through a request. The man, Fox, would be watched over by a SHIELD agent from afar. Just for a bit to be sure he's alright.

"Let's get on the plane and get airborne. I want to know who made a mark on you with magic. Who took you."

Phobos has posed:
    The squad don't take the time to consult or console, they are primarily concerned with securing the perimeter at first as the jet comes down and lands on its gear, the body of the variable thrust plane jolting a little with the reassertion of gravity upon its body fully. The ramp extends to a full down position and around that is where the squad take up positions to make sure Yaozu has a clean ingress.
    The ICERs are returned to a neutral position and powered down, slung over shoulders and set to some measure of ease though the agents do not offer any further words beyond the occasional recorded sentence in Japanese.
    "Please stand clear."

Liansong "Song" Qing has posed:
Liansong makes a sound very much like a 'pft'. "Not too kind. The truth, mate," he points out. Also in English. It's his preferred language, most days. Liansong looks to that mark again, and nods once. He looks like an owl studying a mouse, as though pondering whether or not he's hungry enough to bother with the mouse. He blows out a breath through his nares and raises his eyes, moment passed.

Fox would never know it, but he would be grateful if he did. An older gentleman, but still quite healthy and just at the far end of his prime, hair still dark, is length bound up in several interweaving braids. He soon disappears around a corner, sheathed katana held easily in his left hand.

Liansong nods to Natasha. "A pair of questions I would like to know the answers to myself," he states. He turns and starts to usher Yaozu toward the jet and safety. "Your readings were.. not good sometimes. Very stressed." He doesn't elaborate, but from the way his feathers are still slicked down, he hadn't been happy about them at all.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Mostly owl, part human, but... still himself, inside. Still the same person. Yaozu doesn't look towards the kanji that he had marked into the dirt, but he does look to Natasha at her words, and he gives a small nod. Once Song has had enough of a look at the mark on his left hand, at least for the moment, he lowers his hand back to his side. "It was the same to do one as the other. I will tell you," he says softly.

His gaze turns towards the agents, looking over each of them in turn, perhaps attempting to put names to them, though there is a challenge in doing so given their garb which intentionally makes them look so similar. He tarries a moment before he starts to make his way towards the ramp of the Quinjet.

He pauses, though, at Liansong's words, his gaze turning towards his friend and roommate. And he doesn't, at least, argue about the words that had been said. And he gives a small nod, about the readings. "Yes. I expect that they were. There were... reasons. I am sorry, ah'Song. He sought to cause chaos, or so he said," he says softly, lifting his gaze to Liansong's. He tries for a bit of a smile, and then he turns to head up the ramp of the Quinjet, to get on board of it.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha moves with the rest toward the ramp. She's pretty sure they are safe but honestly, no one is safe until they are out of the threat zone. One of those people could have a weapon aimed at them right now from the brush or their window. She kept herself somewhat behind Yao, purposefully to foul aim of someone. If she was lucky.

Once everyone was in the Quinjet, she would push the button to close the ramp. Already the craft was starting to rise into the air, triggered by a remote piloting command. She worked her way toward the front, intending to take the stick personally for the flight back home.

Phobos has posed:
    One of the Tactical Response Team members steps up to offer her aid to Liansong and Yaozu, the medical kit already open and at the ready though she remains quiet, not wanting to supersede the more learned physician's efforts. The rest of the crew take up positions on the ship for take off, one of the other men in the visored helmets lights up a data display to try and make sure the drop area is clear as the exterior cameras come online. So far no external threats.
    On the comms a voice is heard, Aaron's, "Looks like we're clear. ETA twenty-two minutes back to the Triskelion if we depart now." The one who spoke and the one who was at the display seem to be the same as he looks up from there to the others, making sure that the situation is set before he nods toward Natasha as she passes. The team gives the clear, operation is free to move.
    And so it does.