13734/Behind Bars, The Unjust Captivity of Harmless Antiquities

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Behind Bars, The Unjust Captivity of Harmless Antiquities
Date of Scene: 18 August 2021
Location: W.A.N.D. Facilities, Holding Cell
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Thor, Mockingbird, Black Widow (Romanoff)




Thor has posed:
    The return to SHIELD facilities was an undertaking. The scene where the mask was acquired was handled professionally as local law enforcement secured the area and more and more federal and SHIELD agents moved in. Every single operative who came into the room where Agent Perkins' body was left to lie with the mask still attached to her features, every single one, felt a pull from the thing. Felt a subtle draw to at the very least look at it and look at it often. Many were the people who gave it a side-eyed glance as they moved to record and gather evidence in the area. Many were the people that would steal a nervous glance. Even some would step closer than they might wish.
    It wasn't until Agent Hawking knelt down beside the mask when he drew attention. He was supposed to be running the computer 3d imaging for the lay out, no reason for him to get any closer. It wasn't until he was reaching out and almost touching the thing that a quick snapped question brought him back and gained his attention.
    But everyone felt it. So precautions were taken. Luckily SHIELD staff are trained and given some knowledge of recognizing the first hints of compulsion created from an outside source. Yet this... subverted the expectations of many who had been exposed to what was called telepathy in the current world. For one thing the thoughts seemed to come from within, as if they were a person's own thoughts. And they were subtle. Just whispers to the id and the ego playing up that assuredly they were strong enough to endure. That whatever this was they could overcome it. No reason they should be fearful. Which, ultimately, was its greatest lure.
    The transfer of the mask to WAND facilities went without incident. A Faraday cage container was used just in case there could be outside manipulations. Also the resident mage on staff took what readings she could and cast a binding spell upon the box which the mask was contained in. For all the good it would do.
    Ultimately it left the mask in one of the secure holding cells augmented for high security interrogation. For the Mask it was simply put on a little podium with it facing the 'mirror' that was the window the staff would use to watch and ideally question it.
    The unfortunate thing now, however, was when Dr. Steyr turned to those in attendance. "We believe... it needs a host. To communicate."

Mockingbird has posed:
The room was too hot. Bobbi was about to shrug off her jacket worn over tactical field gear when the Doctor's words stop her. She turns to look at him with open-mouthed disbelief, careful not to gaze at the thing on the podium. It had taken all of ten minutes in its presence to hate it, no matter how unreasonable the whispers in her head told Bobbi she was being.

Shrugging off the jacket, the agent lays it over what had become her chair, notes spread out on a table in front of her. She chances a glance at the thing then looks steadfastly away. Trying to keep her voice level, "You mean sacrifice someone to it? They wouldn't survive if Perkins is any example?

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha didn't look quite as astounded as Bobby but her eyes did narrow and her lips tighten. Which was like her screaming at the top of her lungs for those who could read such things. Bobbi would be one of them. Some of the WAND people? Not so much.

"It tracks with what it was saying. That it wanted a new host given to it. So as far as I'm concerned, we don't bother communicating with it. It's obviously evil. It's killed one agent and one detective so far. Who knows how many others before that. Just put it in a box and store it away somewhere."

Thor has posed:
    "We know a person would work," Steyr's tone is dead, level, but he looks between the other operatives of SHIELD then back toward the mask.
    Alone and without a body attached to it, it seemed rather mundane. It was made of old wood with a white paint fading on the majority of it. Its features were picked out in black. At one point it must have been pristine, but that was long long ago assuredly. Still it kept its smile, looking entirely pleased at the situation. Though the features had never moved, not even when the 'voice' had talked to them.
    "There are other options we could try. Animals? A chimpanzee? Or inanimate objects. With magic as old as this sometimes the form is what matters. We could try... a mannequin. Or a doll?"
    As the good doctor speaks some of his colleagues are nodding and scribbling in their notepads or tapping on their data displays. One is watching a variable spectrum display that bathes the mask in a variety of energies and giving what readings it has.
    "I know ultimately that putting it away or destroying it might be for the best, but we should learn what we can from it before we do so. Don't you agree?"
    Steyr looks back and forth at the other agents, a grey bushy eyebrow quirked with curiousity.

Mockingbird has posed:
Bobbi turns her attention to her fellow agent, Natasha, who shares the same outrage as she does. She caught the look that the others likely missed. She realigns the papers in front of her, straightens a pen and adjusts the SHIELD-issue tablet next to it.

"Ultimately?" Filling her lungs, she shakes her head and releases the breath slowly, keeping a violent exclamation to herself. Levelly with a hint of challenge to the words, "I'd just as soon burn it."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I agree with Agent Morse."

Which might be a surprise. Natasha usually played things a bit more diplomatically with the WAND section. Or even R&D or the Science Labs. She knew they were driven by a need for knowledge. It was like a part of their DNA.

Yet, in her heart, she knew that no good could come from talking to the mask. It had killed Agent Perkins, who admittedly was likely going to die anyway for having put it on, out of spite because it was annoyed with them for not giving in to it. How many more people would it kill if given the chance?

"You can try your inanimate objects if you want. But I wouldn't put it near an animal. Maybe try an LMD. Since it's about as close to a human as you can get without being sentient."

Thor has posed:
    It's clear Dr. Steyr is not pleased as he purses his lips, lowering his eyes behind his glasses down to the tablet in his hand. He lightly brushes the stylus over the surface before he looks up then pushes his glasses back into place with his middle finger.
    "The decision on what to do is, of course, yours. You are the ranking agents in this matter. However, I would have to lodge a formal protest. We have no idea what we could learn and how influential it could be for future encounters with similar entities. We have taken suitable precautions. Do I advocate immediately providing a host to he mask entity? No. But we have many options to go before that possibility even becomes something to contemplate."
    It's his turn to take in a deep breath and hold it, which seems to be a signal to his colleagues as the others suddenly seem busy with their own notes. Yet he too exhales slowly turning his attention toward Natasha as she speaks, "An LMD. Would you certify the use of one for this? If so I can have one brought in in..." He checks his watch, then the digital displays on the wall before he looks back. "Ten minutes at most."

Mockingbird has posed:
Too right! Bobbi is surprised at how good that affirmation from Natasha sounds.

"Eager to do its bidding, Doctor?" The words are out of her mouth before Bobbi can stop them. That niggling self-doubt that see-saws in her head when she is around the 'Thing' makes her sound strident even to herself. They all seem to be trading too little oxygen in the room, making them hold their breath and sigh.

"No expense spared. We can try a LMD. But no humans, not even someone on Death Row, should be subjected to it. Some things are better not known." She watches Natasha for her reaction.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha meets Bobbi's glance, giving a little nod of her head that she agrrees completely with her fellow agent. This thing is--evil. Pure. Simple. At least in her mind. Just their little exposure to it while confronting it. Then watching the agents reacting to it as they worked the scene.

"I'll sign off on the LMD. Make your calls, doctor." She crossed her arms as she stared through the window at the mask in the case. "So this is the same sort of smile that was exhibited in the images of Kellogg? My guess is we know what made him go off the rails."

Thor has posed:
    There is such a thing as a pre-emptive eyeroll, it is a thing when one can see the irises sort of quiver as the person ponders rolling them but they are too incredulous to actually look away. So for a moment Steyr stares at Agent Morse, then clears his throat.
    That's when Natasha speaks and he shifts his attention to her, "I'll have one brought up immediately. No designated form, a clean slate. Hopefully it'll have some ability to interface with it. I believe there is much we can learn from the object."
    At that point he turns away, "I'd like Stephens up here to reinforce the bindings, just in case."
    "Right away, Dr. Steyr."
    Turning back he answers Agent Romanoff. "We believe so, it hasn't changed expression but the imagery does seem to mirror the mask's features. Also this part of the picture..." He turns away and starts to go through a stack of papers, "This part here..." He gestures to a smudged looking part on the darkened face, "We thought it was simply discoloration, but it correlates with the weathered pattern on the wood. Understandable with how the shot was taken that one would confuse it for the person's actual face."

Mockingbird has posed:
Bobbi has no problem with disliking the doctor, it hums under the surface of the look she trades with him. With a distaste that faintly alarms her, she looks at the picture he proffers, moving it with one finger.

"Noh masks. The Japanese classical theater uses them. They change expression with the angle you see them at. It's an art form," she murmurs. Her lips tighten into a moue of disgust that she would reserve for child pornography.

"Don't leave anyone unattended in the room. Ever. I mean that. So two people beside the LMD. Is that clear?" She lifts her eyes from the photo to gaze at the doctor, inviting his rebuttal.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
A glance is given to the picture then turned back to the mask in the opposite room. Natasha gives a little nod. "I can see it now. But it doesn't explain why the image changed in everything." She picks up the image and eyes it more closely.

"So the copycat we think was influenced by this. Or we think it was the mask involved in that as well?" she asked, considering and feeling it out verbally. "If just a copycat, guessing the change in the image is the mask being pleased something chose to follow its example."

Thor has posed:
    "Of course," Replies Dr. Steyr towards the Mockingbird, even as he's tapping a little more on his tablet and sending quick messages to other members of his team. For a time he reads some of the replies, then looks back up. "I don't think it's Japanese in origin, but the similarity is noted. At this point unless something else turns up we are going with the likelihood that the mask was present for each of the murders."
    One of the other researchers raises their voice, the young man sitting at the multi-spectrum display. "Sir, perhaps we should use one of the bomb disposal drones to deliver the LMD and perform the manipulation of the mask?"
    Dr. Steyr nods twice, "Good idea, get it in order and done."
    That said, Steyr looks at the other agents, "If you will both excuse me..." Which is the moment he's turning and moving to the door of the room. Which will, most likely, leave the other agents there to consider matters until the door into the security chamber slides open as alarm lights come to life to signify the opening of the door. A moment passes, then the large tracked drone starts to whir into the room while hauling the LMD behind it in a metal sled.

Mockingbird has posed:
One foot jiggles under the table. Bobbi would prefer to be in a shoot out with HYDRA agents than stay closed into this stuffy room peering at the Mask in the next room. The whine of the sled fills the little room behind the mirror, too. Clearly, the LMDs expeditious entry into the room means that the doctor had anticipated the order. Normally that would earn an agent high marks for anticipating senior agents' needs. Something feels off about it to Bobbi.

Hands still on the table she opens them to Natasha, inviting her commentary.

"Are you going to have the LMD take it out of the case?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the robot came wheeling in the blank-slate LMD, Natasha was still staring at the image. She'd peek at it then the mask in the opposite room. She quickly put the photo back down in the file. Then she reached for her right Glock. A quick check to make sure the magazine was in and there was a bullet in the chamber. Then the same for the left one. A quick run of hand over wristband, let to right then right to left.

Obviously, she had her concerns.

"That's be my suggestion," she responds to Bobbi's inquiry. "Bring it online and have it remove the mask, after we have the bomb disposal 'bot out of there. That way if it possesses something. it's something we can take down a little more easily." Without explosives. Since LMDs worked like people and could be 'killed'.