4266/Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls
Date of Scene:	13 April 2018
Location:	Queens, New York City
Synopsis:	Conflict in Queens, lots of fighting, bad guys caught, random interactions, boom, pow, pew-pew.
Cast of Characters:	Blackout, Svetlana Kuznetsov

---

Blackout has posed:
A few days back, Blackout was in the news. He was acting as a bodyguard to a businessman identified as Hawking Manchester. An international corporate mogul. The only reason they were in the news was because Manchester was attacked by Chemo and Equinox. Other heroes were on hand during the fight in Metropolis, and there was a lot of collateral damage <+bbread 15/195 for synopsis>.

While tonight is potentially something entirely different.

Rikers Island is located in the East River and the closest land connection is Queens, more specifically LaGuardia Airport. Rikers Island is a massive prison complex designed to hold normal and hypernormal criminals. Regardless of its design, it's still subject to break-outs and escapes. Especially in a time of the metahuman. Rikers and LaGuardia can be seen from College Point, Queens, which is just across Flushing Bay to the east. Along the bay shore are various restaurants and bars.

It's pushing 11pm and Riker's Island becomes more illuminated than normal. Sirens are heard across the bay and LaGuardia also illuminates in the northern tip (nearest the island). Gunshots, red lasers, blue lasers, and a lot of knowing <being half the battle> takes place on the island.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana has been making regular forays into the city, and the more comfortable she gets the bolder and deeper into the subway system she goes. Tonight finds her in Queens. Slurping on a Coke, she's eating a hot dog and watching out over the river. For a girl who lived in a village outside of Moscow, Lana has really learned to like the big city.

She's watching the planes take off and land from LaGuardia when the sirens go off. Gunshots... she knows THAT sound... and the multi-colored lasers tell her that not all is right over across on the island. The girl curses softly in Russian, then takes a couple more quick bites of the hot dog while she considers what to do. Can't let food go to waste, after all! The cursing she learned from Darcy Lewis, but she's discovered that it's much more socially acceptable if it's delivered in a language that few people understand. Other than Agent Romanova and Agent Barnes, of that is.

Blackout has posed:
One thing that stands very 'out of the ordinary' is a woman with long, raven black hair is standing before a railing that overlooks the bay < http://tinyurl.com/yarhl5zy >. Her left arm is covered in some sort of mechanical/electronic bracer with a computer display, keys, controls, etc. It projects a holo image just above it. The woman is wearing a luxurious black body suit with revealing swatches cut out to expose skin and lovely go-go boots. There are two men flanking her. They wear the very familiar green encounter suits of undercover HYDRA agents. No masks, not advertising HYDRA, but recognizable to Lana as she has a history with the group. Other patrons in and around aren't necessarly near her, but not avoiding her either. They are watching across the bay for action and adventure. Lana is not close enough to see what's on the holoscreen, but will recognize that the woman is remoting something from a distance. Facing Rikers, it's likely that she's controlling something over there.

An explosion happens on the island, small, but big enough to know that the trouble is expanding.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana isn't a technical wizard, but she's very bright. And she has seen enough in SHIELD's base to recognize the basic signs. ("It seems to run on some sort of electricity...") The agents are another matter entirely. And very, very familiar.

As far as anyone here is concerned, Lana is just a typical New York teenager out for a walk tonight. Yes, play the role. She walks a bit closer, taking another bite of the hot dog as she sizes up the agents. And the woman.

The girl drops her Coke, causing the glass bottle to shatter in a spray of soda and glass. One of the agents is distracted, which is enough of an opening. Springing forward, she plants a foot on his thigh and swings her other leg around to lock his head between her knees. She swings her body around, putting him on his back with his head still trapped between her legs. And even as they land she's reaching into his jacket for the gun she knows is there.

Blackout has posed:
Going down with the HYDRA agent, Lana will easily find and pull the weapon from the agent's jacket holster. The other agent is also pulling his side arm and will draw it to take aim.

Agent Cheesecake (the woman with the raven black hair) is also distracted by the commotion. She turns, annoyed. Such that there's even a red ring around both of her irises (or maybe that's an indication that she's been reprogrammed). She reaches and will draw her own weapon. She exclaims, "Foolish child, you're interruption will cause the loss of your life!"

Meanwhile, on Rikers, another few red and blue lasers are fired willy nilly. Another explosion, and then the clear evidence of an escape as a being in bright yellow is seen leaping into the air, through the beam of a spotlight. The arc of the leap will soon land him near to Lana's location.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Lana clears the pistol first and there's no hesitation. Two rapid shots to the throat will drop the other agent, so much for any flak jackets. With a twist and roll she finds her feet, holding the dark-haired woman at mutual gunpoint.

"Shoot, then." she declares in Russian-tinged English. "We will see whose bullet is fired first." No further consideration is given to the remaining agent, who remains on the ground. And even the bright yellow arc landing nearby doesn't distract her.

Blackout has posed:
Suddenly, from above, the yellow being lands with a crash between the two women < http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/jackhammerpt.htm > with his back to Cheesecake. Instinctively, Cheesecake pulls the trigger. The exploding round strikes the back of Jackhammer. But it strikes a control box causing it to flash and send out a pulse of energy. Knocking Cheesecake back into the railing and dazing her.

Jackhammer lets out a yelp of confusion and says, "Did she just shoot me in the back?" - seemingly asking Lana who also has a gun pointed at him (by default). Then says, "Lemmie guess, you're gonna shoot me too..."

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana is waiting for the shot, and makes a quick judgement based on the angle of the gun. But there's no need to dodge when Jackhammer crashes between the two of them, getting shot for his trouble. Looking from one to the other, the girl's expression becomes amused.

"Da. Apparently she did." Lana replies. Shrugging at his next question, she asks. "I do not know. Do you think that is something I should be doing?" Taking advantage of Cheesecake being dazed, Lana casually puts a round into the woman's shoulder to discourage repeated use of the gun. "Why are you here?" And no, the girl apparently doesn't know that the island across the water is a prison.

Blackout has posed:
Sparks fly from the bullethole when Lana shoots Cheesecake.

Cheesecake's eyes turn from the red glow to a blue glow around blue irises as she slumps to the floor, but still leaned against the railing. She doesn't seem in pain as her eyes move from Lana to the turning of the Jackhammer (to look down at her).

Jackhammer answers, "I'm here because of her. But..." He glances at the fallen HYDRA agents and then back to Lana. "...I'm pretty sure things are about to turn ugly."

Cheesecake's face twists in anger and she raises her weapon up to point at Jackhammer. She exclaims. "Put him down! He's HYDRA!" and she pulls off two more rounds into Jackhammer's armored chest. The rounds are deflected.

Meanwhile, on the island, the skirmish continues but at a lower decibel. Less, if not any blue or red lasers. However, something yellow is seen rocketing across the bay toward Lana's location < http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Mandroid_Armor >

Jackhammer flinches and leaps off to the side to clear distance (10 yards to Lana's right) between him, Cheesecake and Lana. His arms raise up and turbines whirl within his gauntlets. Both hands point at Cheesecake and Lana (right and left respectively). He's about to fire some energy pulse.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana's dark brows knit, her gaze shifting from Jackhammer back to Cheesecake. The girl is confused. She's a soldier, used to people wearing uniforms to identify which side they're on. So now Jackhammer says he's here because of Cheesecake, except Cheesecake now is trying to shoot him because he's HYDRA.

Just like the two agents Lana put down already, who were protecting Cheesecake. Blink-blink.

The landing of the armored figure helps her to decide, especially when it points one of those weapons at her. Lana tumbles over to the injured Cheesecake, a knife-hand strike and a twist of the wrist removing the gun from the woman's grasp. "You will stop shooting people." she declares, already turning the woman to use her as a shield against the impending energy blasts.

Blackout has posed:
Disarmed, Cheesecake is used as a shield against the energy blasts. Both striking her in the back and destroying much of her mechanical inners causing a subsequent explosion outward, casting debris toward the general area of Jackhammer who raises his arms up to his face to shield them from the shrapnel. Cheesecake powers down. She goes limp.

Enter Blackout. The darkforce covered man appears a few yards away from Lana, facing Jackhammer. Suddenly the entire area goes black (area being 100 yard radius sphere from Blackout's location). Blackness that cannot be seen through with normal sight.

Jackhammer exclaims, "What the hell?!"

Patrons around the area have been taking shelter from the gunfire/conflict. Not they're in darkness, some scream.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Cheesecake gets hit, goes limp, and then yet another combatant just *appears*. Everything goes black. Lana freezes. Out of instinct she sinks into a shooter's crouch, head tilted to listen. For anything.

Lana has been trained to fight and to shoot. And even though she lacks a lot of experience, she's pretty good with both. But this whole idea of figuring out who is on which side? That is very new to her.

The darkness gives her a moment to take a mental tally. Of everyone here, the only ones she KNOWS are on the wrong side are the HYDRA agents. Everything else is still really fuzzy, so when in doubt of a clear target she holds her fire.

Blackout has posed:
The Mandroid armor lands with a heavy impact thud as the rocket jets cut out. The armor stands perhaps 10 yards to Lana's right. Blackout was a few yards in front of her. And Jackhammer was 10ish yards to her left. With the water behind her.

The Mandroid armor states, "NPYD! Everyone, drop your weapons and lay faced down on the ground. You will not be harmed if you comply!"

Jackhammer exclaims, "What the he...." and his mouth is silenced by some form of gag and then there's a thud as he hits the concrete.

The Mandroid armor intones, "Blackout, I can see you, faced down, now!"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Okay, so even Lana knows what NYPD means. The girl relaxes, rising slowly and putting the pistol on the ground. Just in case the Mandroid can see in the darkness.

"Der'mo..." she mutters in Russian. Shit.

"When did the NYPD begin using attack robots for law enforcement?" the girl asks, half to herself. As for this... Blackout? She's not really sure whose side... no, wait. He worked alongside Iron Man recently in Constitution Plaza.

Blackout has posed:
Blackout states, "Sorry, can't do that." Lana will note that his voice is closer to her than a second before. But before he can act there's some sound of a pew-pew that strikes him in the back. He exclaims, "OW!" The lights come on. The darkness fades and behind him by several dozen yards is a hovering VW Beetle sized craft that just shot him in the back < http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/hunterhydra.htm > . The impact of the pew-pew attack knocks him directly into Lana and instinctively he opens a portal beneath him and her. They fall into the darkforce dimension, the portal closes behind them just as the Mandroid armor opens fire on the Hunter floating HYDRA craft.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana blinks as her eyes adjust to the *relative* sudden light (such as it is in Queens at night). Her gun is on the ground, and before even *she* can react the dark man falls into her. The portal swallows them both, and then... nothing.

Darkness. Falling. Instinctively Lana clings to the dark figure. "Where are we?" she asks, disoriented in the darkness.

Blackout has posed:
Blackout is dazed for a few seconds more, the impact hurt pretty bad. They both land softly upon a floating darkforce island. All around the dimension seems to take shape within their field of vision. Lana can see floating chunks fo darkforce, a distant purplish horizon and glow off in the distance offering some illumination. When they land, Blackout will groan and take in breath. He'll mutter, "Fuck." softly and his mask will fade from his face. He'll also move to uncouple with Lana and get a better look at her. He doesn't answer the location, he's still blinking off the shot to the back.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
"Blyad'..." Lana agrees in Russian. Slowly the two untangle, the young woman getting off of him carefully. Brown eyes narrow as she regards him. "You will tell me what the hell just happened." she declares. "I am still deciding whether I shot the right people and did NOT shoot the wrong ones. You are named Blackout, da?"

Blackout has posed:
He uprights, seating himself on the floating island of darkforce material. He rubs his face and says, "Yeah, that's me...sorry about that. I was really trying to help Cheesecake... the LMD. But I'm gonna guess that scene is done. Hey. So let's try and clear things up for you. But first, who are you?"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana settles into a crouch, one knee up and the other down. Like a good little Spetsnaz agent. "I am Svetlana Kuznetsov, presently a ward of SHIELD. I can tell you this since you are a good-guy, da?" She smiles at that, looking pleased to have sorted -something- out.

"I was HYDRA experiment in 1950, until they froze me and locked me away." she offers, like it should explain everything else. "What is an LMD?"

Blackout has posed:
"Life Model Decoy. It's a robot made to look like a human. Secret tech that these agencies use as decoys or operatives when in need. But, Cheesecake was SHIELDs, until HYDRA got her and reprogrammed her. I met her a few months back during an operation. Found out her true nature when she seduced me. It was disturbing. Anyway, I'd been trying to find her for a few days now. I had a friend track her signal and found her - albeit too late. SHIELD is likely there by now." He sounds disappointed. "But you.. 1950s. Dang."

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Ooooh! Lana's expression flashes understanding and she nods. "I understand robots." she declares, having seen more than a few movies by now. "Like the droids in Star Wars." Her gaze narrows, then. "So. The LMD-woman used to work for SHIELD, only now she is with HYDRA. And she ...seduced you?"

The girl makes a face at the last. Then she shrugs. "Da. I was frozen in 1950. Agents Romanova and Rogers found me in Siberia in an old HYDRA base."

Blackout has posed:
"I don't know the details about SHIELD vs HYDRA and her employment. But she wanted something I had. And at that time, she was with SHIELD. I'm gonna guess she was undercover, infiltrating HYDRA when you caught up with her." Blackout notes trying to put it all together in his own head while relaying what he's suspecting.

He then comes back to realization that they're within the Darkforce and says, "That's kinda messed up." referring to her history. Then adds, "Where can I drop you off?"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana shakes her head. "I honestly have no idea. There was a... man... who was with her. I think she just broke him out of somewhere. There is a prison on the island, da?" Shrugging at his question, she replies. "It is not so bad as all that. I am learning many things. And I like America."

The girl relaxes, then, curling into a crosslegged sitting position. "In New York, preferrably near a subway station." She pauses for a moment, then adds. "And far from where we left."

Blackout has posed:
Blackout stands. The mask reforms covering his head/face completely and he says, "Yeah, I'm sure the police and SHIELD will get it all sorted out. This should do for ya..." He turns and a portal opens. Beyond the portal, she can see into a subway station somewhere in New York. The sign that she can read indicates it's in the upper west side.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana turns towards the opening portal, then pauses to look back. "I would like to see you again, Blackout." she replies. "Too many times people help me and then I never seen them again. Thank you."

Blackout has posed:
Blackout says through his mask, "I'm sure we'll run into one another again." and he'll raise his right hand, offer a departing wave.

People in the subway don't yet see the portal mouth, as it's in a side hallway peering into the main terminal.