15331/Pew Pew

Pew Pew
Date of Scene:	12 July 2023
Location:	Weapons Testing, The Triskelion
Synopsis:	Alexander and Nat test out the new firing range equipment and modifiers.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Black Widow (Romanoff)

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Phobos has posed:

The firing range in the Triskelion had an elaborate series of modifiers that could be applied to the situation when one was testing the heavy firepower and exotic weaponry that the R&D crew comes up with. It's important to know the effect it would have upon a piece of equipment under stressful circumstances. Important to know the effect temperature, wind gauge, illumination, curvature, obstacles, return fire, maintenance, interference, and fatigue might well have upon the implementation of a weapon.

Though rarely were these tests run all at the same time.

Luckily, for this test, it wasn't some hugely advanced weapon undergoing these rigors as the lights in the room flashed on and off. As the rounds snapped off distantly from the gun emplacements at the end of the range. As the heavy wind fans roared at times and then stilled. As the heaters were triggered on while from the vents above snow would fall and be carried off on the heavy wind. As the floating drone target duked and juked at the end of the range while other drones kept diving in the way.

No, luckily he was just testing a standard issue Barret .50 with a hologram scope and stock ammo. Though it had been given some wear and tear. And dunked into a bucket of mud, and had its sights miscalibrated. Stock issue otherwise.

On the comms, Alexander's voice could be heard, harried by the raging wind as he sighted down the barrel of the weapon. "Is this going to be one of those training things where I say it's impossible, and then you show up like Yoda and show me up by doing it yourself?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I don't even know if I can make that shot," Natasha responded over the comm. She was in the control room, having taken over from the technicians there. They had worked with her often enough that they were on friendly terms. They were also more than slightly intimidated by the infamous former Red Room operative. So when she decided she wanted to take over the controls for this particular testing, they stepped out of the way. They were taking notes, discussing over in the corner of the room, but letting Natasha do as she wished.

Which would explain the myriad of conditions happening.

"Just make sure to tell me you tried so I can quote the movie properly." And he would be able to hear the amusement in her voice. "R&D have been going above and beyond in their challenges. Be ready for the yeti." There was no yeti.

Phobos has posed:

It was strange for the young Olympian to be wincing from the pulse of heat from one of the grates beneath his feet, while feeling a chill from the wind hurried on by those industrial-sized fans. Stranger still to be hunched over a raised firing position even as he lies on his abdomen, taking in the read of the scope.

"Alright, Agent Aaron control testing long range engagement challenge Zeta. I'll be declaring my actions as I take them, Agent Romanoff observing and commenting." He tucks in as he scopes down the length of the range, "I've got a range of roughly 107 yards, though target's movements are varying that by plus or minus five yards. Laser sight not returning accurate information so using the mark one eyeball."

He takes a deep breath, then shakes his head. "Using the scope on the upper rail I've determined that it is miscalibrated. Adjusting..."

As he says that he twists one of the small knobs on the side of the sight, scrunching up one eyeball as he looks down the way. Once he seems somewhat satisfied he shakes his head. "Perspiration starting to manifest on upper brow from the lower heat, while detecting a small shiver. Impossible to gauge the wind as the directions change, though seems to be going in a... 4-3-4 rhythm. Though it does... fluctuate."

A moment as he grabs the magazine from where it rests and chunks it home into the Barrett, then works the slide.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
In that little room, without activating the comms, Natasha mutters under her breath. "4-3-4? Damn, I've become predictable." Because he was right. She had set it on a pattern without actually meaning to. It should've been set random to make it even more challenging. But truth be told, no one would likely ever be facing circumstances like those presented in that rooom. Unless there was a tornado during a snowstorm and the heater in the building running amok. Which was just silly.

But amusing.

She was tempted to push a button and change that rhythm but stopped herself. Just let him take a shot and see how close he got it. She had no doubt he'd get close. Despite all the distractions.

Phobos has posed:

She could see him from that observation booth. Clad in black and with the shifting illuminatinon giving not quite a strobe effect, but more a flowing progression of lighter to darker, though _that_ pattern was set to random, or as random as any computer system can be. Yet he focuses and then works the slide again, ejecting one of the large rounds for him to check. He shakes his head at something then slides that .50 round into his chest pocket.

Then she'll see him hunker in close to the weapon, adjusting the grip and the resting place against his shoulder, the padded stock nesting in against the shoulder guard of the suit. His eyes narrow.

A moment then she can see his breathing steady. Tighten. Then hold.

A few moments as the wind shifts upwards, rising as it pushes some of those interfering drones off their route. Then he waits...

There's a loud CRACK as the rifle fires and one of the drones at the end of the range shatters as pieces are projected back and scatter with impacts against the rear cement wall as the round crashes into it, adding yet another black blossom from the weapon's fire. One of the drones were down.

But not the target.

"Crap."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The computer tracked the shot and data was filling screens, drawing the lab workers closer as they started to analyze. They couldn't resist. Natasha had tracked the shot itself. "That was a damn good shot though. If not for that shift in the drone's flight from that wind gust, you would've had it. Color me impressed."

And she was because it was so damn close. And as much as she teased and the like, she honestly wasn't sure she could've done better. "Why did you remove that one round from the chamber though? Was it damaged?"

Phobos has posed:

Alexander rechambered, then lifted his voice. "Pure paranoia." She could hear the smile in his words, the hint of amusement just at the edge of them. He takes a deep breath as he starts to take another bead on the floating target drone at the end even as the small robot tried to counter the shifting ebb and flow of the wind aimed at it so it could hold position.

"Thought that you might have fiddled further with the equipment, maybe removed the powder from the first round. Or something." His lip twists up as he leans in and focuses on the scope, other eye closing.

"Took the round out of the chamber and it felt... a little light. But that could've been my imagination. " As he speaks to her in that calm steady voice he's lining up the next shot. The hum and buzz of the room is heavy, then a short sharp alarm is heard, just a pair of high pitched beeps that emerge from the intercom.

To which he replies with a smirk, "Thanks for that." But she can see him taking a breath. Holding it. Finding his moment...

//CRACK!//

This round, however, just impacts at the end of the range, finding no target though it had been close.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
She waited until he took the shot to speak again. No reason to interfere by blabbing as that would just come across poorly. Like someone poking someone in the ribs before they fired or the like. Just silliness and far too obvious.

Nat was laughing when she keyed up again. "I didn't tamper with the rounds. Though I'll remember that for next time. So it was most definitely paranoia on your part. And even if I had, I would've done it with the second or third. Not the first. Too obvious."

Phobos has posed:

"Sure sure, a likely story." He says as he sighs and shifts the rifle a little in its placement, then he shakes his head. "So how many of these shots am I to take?" He hunkers down again, closing one eye as he sights down the barrel.

"If I'm not instantly successful at something my ego takes a huge hit." His lip twists up a little as he draws in a tight breath, a beadlet of sweat glistening on his brow. There's a moment as the wind rises, roaring as it buffets the drones in the room around down range, then there's the surging boil of the heating grate below. Yet he holds that posture...

//CRACK!//

Though this time the drone wavers, whirring to the side awkwardly, perhaps not hit directly but close enough to cause its flight path to deviate, or the round may have clipped it slightly.

"Oh hey, close. But... yah close counts for nada."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
A few hours later...

"One more and we're done for the day."

As they had been at this for a few hours now. Lunch break had consisted of protein bars being shipped in to him by drone. A very unhappy drone by the whine of the engines on the thing as it hand dropped the protein bars down from a few feet in the air.

He had gotten much better and the drone target had been replaced several times now through the course of things. They had even shifted to some other targets for a time to break up the monotony.

"Then we can get you out of there and into a shower. Because I am sure you are quite fragrant with that heating vent under your ass." Nat sounded far too amused at that as well. And she knew she would likely pay for that later. Thus, enjoy it while she could.

Phobos has posed:

"I'd tell you that eventually you'll have to endure this too, so you should hush up. But I get the vibe you'd enjoy this." Which has his lips twisting into a smirk as he takes up the sight for the last round. Yet after so many before... this one doesn't get a momentous effort. He does go through the strict protocol, making comment of the steps, taking the sight lines into account, waiting for ideal conditions.

Then he settles into the rifle, holding position...

//CRACK!//

Though this one merely impacts at the far end of the range, joining the broken wall where many of the other rounds found their place. At the end of the evening it'd be replaced or repaired as it has been so many times before.

With the firing of that round all of the environmental conditions are shut down, and the pale yellow illumination of the normal lighting comes back on. The heat and cold are shut down, replaced by the gentle hum of the air conditioning. He straightens up and asks the air, "Should I pack up the gear, or did they want to scan it before it's put away?" Since some of the things they might have been testing might call for it.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The answer to that question is a quartet of people in white lab coats entering the room. The weapon is taken and cleared, despite him already having done so and having the chamber open. Protocol and all that. One could never be too safe with weapons. Then they were shooing him off toward the door as they started pulling out equipment of their own for examination of what he left behind.

And when he did step out of the chamber, Natasha was in the hallway waiting for him. There was a bright smile on her face. "You did an amazing job. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at you but you took it like a trooper." Then a hint of embarassment. "And yeah, I probably would've enjoyed that. I love the challenge."

Phobos has posed:

Alexander emerges with a slightly more at ease smile once he catches sight of her, expression amused as he stepped closer and rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. Since they were at work there weren't too many PDAs, especially when they're both under observation, but they share that small connection for a brief moment.

"I did alright. My dad would be annoyed with the results." Which, was fair, he would have wanted perfection and would have pushed Alexander back into that room until he was able to hit a higher percentage of those shots.

Falling into step beside her, both of them in their SHIELD uniforms, he walked along with a casual gait even as some of the other agents glanced after them. A few words of greeting were likely given to Natasha, since she was one of the few figures that people recognized in the Triskelion.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Your father wouldn't have hit any more than you did. Neither would I for that matter, and I'm a better shot than your father."

Which she would tell Ares to his face so it wasn't like a big secret that needed to be kept now.

"He also likely would've cheated to make it look like he was doing better than he was. Breaking out that whole god thing instead of suffering through like the rest of us humans."

Not that she was entirely human. Human Plus maybe? That sounded like it should be a thing.

Phobos has posed:

"Yeah, I dunno." Alexander answers with a slight smile, "I mean he's totally not above cheating, just he's really good when he wants to be." Which is understandable for someone like him.

The pair walk down the hallway for a time, stepping through one of the security checkpoints. Their conversation falls for a little bit as they go through those motions needed to get through, then they're back along the way until they reach the locker room door which he rests a hand against for a moment. "Alright, I'm going to clean up and will head home. You sticking around here for a while or want me to give you a ride back to the safe house?" Which is what it was, a safe house. That... they've lived in for a while. And that other parties knew about at this point. But still, a safe house is what it was. Perhaps less safe now. Considering who lived there.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Safe house. House. Tomayto. Tomahto. It was their house and had been for years now. They had taken a dusty old place filled with boxes and turned it into a home. One they had filled with memories.

"I'll meet you at the house. I brought the bike today and I know you're off tomorrow. Would hate to make you have to drive me back down here. Or worse, get an Uber." Those people were crazy. She could probably get a cab of course but still.

"I know we didn't feed you much. You want me to pick up something on the way home or...?" Since he might want to just get something on his way should he be particularly famished.

Phobos has posed:

"I'll grab some fig newtons or something in the machine." Alexander's grin widened a little as he pushed the door open into the locker room. From within one could hear the other squads getting ready for their shift, or the noise of people clanging locker doors open and closed as they finished their day. "We'll grab dinner whenever."

Since he could eat whenever for the most part.

A quick glance is given down the hall as Alex looks one way, then the other. It seems relatively clear enough that he leans in and touches a small kiss to the curve of Natasha's cheek. A small affectionate loving gesture before he murmurs, "See you at home."

And with that he turns to slip into the locker room before any of the fellas see.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As he leaned in, Nat automatically tilted her head up to make it easier. When he elected to kiss her on the cheek, she was smirking when he drew back. But she didn't push it. "I'll see you there."

And with that she turned to walk down the hall away from him, a little extra sway in her step as she did so. Purposefully of course in the hopes he might peek but he had turned to go into the room so it was likely for naught.