5409/Astral Flux: The Standing Army

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Astral Flux: The Standing Army
Date of Scene: 20 September 2018
Location: Avengers Mansion, New York City
Synopsis: The Avengers mansion is attacked by an elusive enemy!
Cast of Characters: Iron Man, Wolverine, Black Widow (Romanoff), Spider-Woman (Drew), Hulk, Ghost Rider (Blaze), She-Hulk, Doctor Strange, Thor
Tinyplot: Astral Flux


Iron Man has posed:
    There is something very odd going on in the city today for roughly the past half hour. From out of houses and apartments, out of cars, people are pouring onto the streets. They are numbly falling into line, walking along slowly and mindlessly. It looks very much like a shot of extras from a walking dead movie: except that they do not have any injuries of note. No skeletons. It is just people, silently all trooping out into the streets, flowing out. There's hundreds, and more gathering.

    It isn't everyone. Lots of people react to this in terror, amusement, confusion. A few people are pickpocketing these strange walking people: others yelling at them, trying to get response. It's as if they were all asleep and pay no mind to anything around them. The heaviest concentration is in the Upper East Side. The population of the place is making the amounts start to be insane; people are flooding the streets near the big, well known buildings, such as the Museum, and the Avengers mansion area. The traffic jams are beyond horrible: people are in the way, cars are honking, and the police response isn't very functional, as half of them get out of their squad cars and join the walking masses.

    The Avengers mansion's automated security gets 'nervous'. The security protocol sends up all sorts of alarms at this bizarre turn of events. It isn't an obvious disaster, but what is going on? Unusual things are usually cause to worry.

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan was visiting Avengers Mansion. After all, Jarvis made the best sandwiches, and hid the best cigars. With a frown, Logan hears the commotion and wonders what was going on. Taking the last bite of his sandwich, and grabbing his cigar, Logan heads towards the noise. Honking, and yelling, and whatever. Then, the Mansion's security goes crazy. "What tha'?" Logan says, and shakes his head. "Never a quiet moment in this city, is there?" That last was mostly to himself as he opens the door, and heads out into the main drag.

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan stares at the emptiness of sirens, lights, and painful alarms while smoking his cigar and grabbing a glass of whiskey from Stark's secret stash...

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
A Quinjet arrives and moves to a landing spot outside the Avengers Mansion. The rear ramp drops down, allowing Natasha to walk out and head for the street. She's in her working uniform with her hair worn loose. She walks to the sidewalk and pauses, glancing at the flow of people and frowning a bit. A quick touch to the commlink hidden just inside her ear canal. "No visual here of what is causing it either," she reports to SHIELD.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica comes running downstairs from a room appropriated as hers. "What's going on??" she shouts to no one in particular...anyone in earshot. There is a fuzzed up...something....in her mind that is scattering her thoughts, and all she can think is...the barriers put in her mind by Stephen Strange might be causing repercussions. She, of course, has no idea yet what is going on out in the world beyond the Mansion doors.

Hulk has posed:
    As for Bruce Banner, he was just getting back to New York from another 'trip' courtesy of The Hulk having to fight a metahuman. When the taxi got to the outskirts though... "I'm not going into that, looks like a walking dead extra casting out there." The driver nervously offers in ultimatum to 'Bruce Galvono'. Inside the passenger cabin, Bruce had to groan. "Fine. I'll walk the rest of the way." A moment later, and Bruce is walking along the side of the road as he moves to enter Manhatten proper from the north.

"Looks like the lab will have to wait..." Bruce mutters.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
     Well, this is...strange. Johnny Blaze was just riding his motorcycle when he watches people walking out into the streets in droves, walking down the street in a line. That...shouldn't be happening. He skids to a stop on his motorcycle and he stands up off of it, He looks around, straightening out his leather jacket. "What the hell?" He notices the Quinjet that carries Natasha Romanova. Huh...guess they got military folk in it? Well...eitehr way, Johnny tries to use his senses to see if he can find traces of magic or even a demonic presence.

She-Hulk has posed:
She-Hulk is patrolling the city as she usually does this time of the day. Noticing the strange people moving around she blinks.. then blinks again, "Well I've been saying that this city is dying but I didn't expect everyone to take me so literally!" She looks in the direction of the Avengers Mansion, "Maybe Tony can flip a switch and fix them? Probably not but it's worth an ask!" She sprints in that direction, leaping as she goes.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    The cost of magic can be very VERY steep at times. Sometimes Stephen isn't even aware how dangerous his spells are to himself. No, he's recovering from an incredibly potent bit of witchcraft he did recently had left him in a weakened state.

    Asleep on his couch in one of the many studies in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Stephen's body is forced to stand up and he without looking makes the treacherous journey through his house of horrors. Outside the brownstone, Strange decends the steps slowly and at the sidewalk he doesn't turn but instead walks right out into thte street.

Iron Man has posed:
* Elsewhere:
    Tony Stark relaxes in his reclined seat on his private jet, a warm towel over his eyes, fully ready for his vacation. His third drink is at hand. Technically that vacation has already started, the trip has long since begun. The alarms from the mansion come through, and he sighs heavily, not moving yet. "I hear you. Twelve more seconds; snooze this 'emergency'," Tony grumbles as if being roused by a parent to go to school. He lets the alarm continue to badger him for now. It's probably nothing, and he's comfortable. It wasn't like that was the SUPER annoying very-serious alarm sound, anyway. This one can be handled by somebody else, probably.

        ----

    * Back in the Upper East Side:
     The tone of the crowds moving doesn't change, but the honking cars? They start to get flung. And whatever is causing the cars to leap up into the air and spin to crash to the sidewalk does not care about if there are a few people in the way, although it doesn't appear that they are being targeted either. The people in the way are not the walkers: most of them are able to move. Some will be less fortunate. The cars appear to be telekinetically moved, and then flung aside, by unseen forces, to allow more walkers passage. It really does look like a pied piper of some sort is leading everyone somewhere, and clearing the path. One of the cars gets flung roughly at She-Hulk as she passes! Possibly intentional...

    To those with super senses beyond just sight, they may pick up on the edges of something more: there's some illusion here. Masked presence. Someone (or someones plural) is hiding amid the crowds.

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan is on the main steps, smoking his cigar, and looking at the commotion. He looks over his shoulder at Jessica as she comes down the stairs, and says, "Damned if I know, webs." Logan then takes the cigar out of his mouth and finishes the whiskey. Looking ahead as he sees Banner aproaching, and hears the Quinjet carrying Natasha in the distance. Logan shrugs and adds, "We'll probably be okay though." Peering in the distance, Logan notices Blaze. "Or maybe not."

    "Something..." Logan squints at the distance, and shakes his head..."What the...?" Logan frowns, and exhales the smoke from the cigar absently. "That isn't right..." Logan shrugs, and finishes his sandwich. "Illusions. Badguys. Whatever. Sandwich time." Logan says, as though he didn't care what was going on.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    The husk of Strange continues it's slow walk into the street and then across the street until he's on the opposite sidewalk. The Sorcerer Supreme is actually bumping into the building across the street from his home but does turn ever so slightly and starts the march once more eastward.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Right. That sandwich isn't gonna eat itself, I guess." Jess watches Logan and she goes on outside. Out here, the fuzz is more prominent. Even worse than inside. She is foggy. Things aren't making sense. Like she's walking in a dream. She has the presence of mind to pull out her phone, and try to call Strange. If it is worse outside, the fuzz isn't in her head. It's coming from somewhere else. Little does she know that he's running against a wall somewhere like lag in a real life video game.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
     That...doesn't make sense. Johnny tilts his head lightly as he senses this...mysterious individual. Perhaps he'll even try to read said individual's soul, if this entity has one. But, he eventually notices Logan, giving the Canucklehead a small nod. Before those eyes look to the crowd...and he's already moving in. No rest for the wicked.

She-Hulk has posed:
She-Hulk slams into the car as it flies towards her. The car goes flying back however instead of her, "My jokes aren't THAT bad!" She lands and looks around for the culprit, "I didn't realize that the walking dead was such a tough crowd or I'd have brought my ventriloquist kit.." Not seeing anyone running at her yet she continues on towards the mansion.

Hulk has posed:
    Coming into the city isn't usually this quiet, but it was an interesting change. Bruce continues to head southward from the outskirts, starting to get into the building line. "What in the... magic, has to be." Bruce mutters to himself as he walks in front of one of the walkers, examining a man in a white shirt and jeans from head to toe visually... before he takes out his eye-light and flashes it across the eyes, walking along just in front and to the side.

Then a car flies through the air way to the south as Bruce walks, distracting him briefly. "First time random person triggers the Hulk, and now this?" Bruce sighs as he starts to look for non-tranced people.

Iron Man has posed:
    Dr. Strange's phone rings in his pocket! (Or vibrates. He's probably a 'no noise' type.) But he's not the only one. Lots of people on the street are being called, and aren't answering or noticing. It's hardly actually silent, due to that, plus the crashing cars that are thrown, the various yelling, the screaming.

    From the Avengers mansion, the Avengers are being prompted by Tony's security systems on their comms. Would they like to send out a response to the 'riots'? The drones are ready to be mobilized. Perhaps Black Widow would care for some tear gas canisters? Security robots are already in flight, scanning over the streams of people walking along.

    One of the smaller sentry bots suddenly explodes and crashes, spinning, to the ground, into the pavement just outside the Avengers mansion. POW. Also near the obviously leaping She-Hulk.

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan peers at Jessica for a moment, as he tosses the empty plate where the sandwich was on into the bushes. Licking his fingers, Logan then puts the half-smoked cigar into his mouth, and grins. With a sigh, Logan shakes his head and says, "Yeah. I know." This was to Jessica. "You okay there, webs? You seem...off." Logan looks at her, and sniffs.

    As his eyes gaze out into the distance, Logan says, "Seomthin' is goin' on, Jessy, and I think ya' need to come back here and stick with me. I don't know what the hell is goin' on, but it doesn't feel right." Logan sniffs again, and crinkles his nose. "Seomthin' ain't right..."

    Waving Blaze towards him, he says, "Matches! Over here! Get outta tha' streets. Somethin's going down!" Next, his yes see Natasha, and Logan adds, "Red! Over here! Don't go out there. We need to coordinate and figure out what is going on - look at Strange!" Logan waves towards the Doctor of fuzzy beards and watches as Banner is coming as well. As the sentry bot explodes near She-Hulk, Logan says, "Figures. Just another night as an Avenger."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the cars start flying, Natasha quickly moves back away from the street a little as she furrows her brow. There is nothing there. She can't see anything. She has no senses to pick up any oddities. While there are lots of people, there is no riot although the computer seems to be having a minor flip out moment. She declines the tear gas offer (she carries her own anyway) on the comm but begins to walk along beside some of the people. "What in the hell is going on?" she mutters as the sentry bot goes kaboom further down the sidewalk.

Hearing the call from Logan, she glances back toward the mansion then follows his line of sight to spot Strange. "I'll get Strange." Since she's already out there on the sidewalk, she opts to give it a try and begins to work her way toward the Sorcerer Supreme. Her intention is to intercept and then try to take his arm to draw him away from the line of people.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica hears what Logan's saying. She's trying to make sense of it. She can't remember what it was she needed to buy at the grocery store. Something in a green box...And that thing last night with the scorpion. What was that? She can't recall. How many people live here now? They're swarming in...She turns to Logan. "What?"

Hulk has posed:
    With the way The Hulk shreds clothing, Bruce recently opted to go with nano-tech based pants. Those pants are the only reason the Avengers card still works; a minor miracle with the beating The Hulk took down at the harbor a few days ago. "Hey you. Yes, you!" Bruce shouts to someone unaffected by the trance, a woman with blonde hair.

"Stay away from me." She does turn towards him to answer him though, which is what he wanted. So far, all responses normal. So, Bruce does the only thing he can do; he starts to head right for the Mansion so he can get on the comms.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
     Being called over by Logan, Johnny...FOR ONCE decides to heed his words. Walking over to Logan as he looks him in the eyes. "Whattya want?" That was basically Johnny's 'nice' meeting for the Wolverine, but he looks over to the walking crowd. "I sensed something strange. It's like all of these people are possessed...like puppets. Can't find the one pulling the strings." he sighs, looking towards all gathered. "Any ideas?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange is easily gathered, and able to be moved but he seems to have no will of his own, and his eyes are closed lightly, as if he was in a deep slumber, but the shadows across his eyelids indicate a lot of rapid eye movement. He's looking at something, or trying to, but he's not reacting to anything directly unless it's a physical movement such as being tugged by Natasha closer towards the Avenger's Mansion.

She-Hulk has posed:
She-Hulk finally arrives at the mansion, standing outside for a moment to see if there's any signs of life from within, "Well worst case scenario? Zombie Thor.. Zombie Stark.. Zombie Captain.. Zombie Stark will be awkward at funerals, making dead people jokes because he's dead and won't think it's offensive? I need to stop being so pessimistic.." She sighs and waits until she's certain that it's safe to go inside.

Iron Man has posed:
    What's creepier than the quiet marching? All the people talking together. It's infinitely creepier. It also reveals that some of the people walking along were just walking along to see where they were going, but are not part of the 'mass'. They all talk together.

    "YOU HAVE NO POWER ANYMORE HERE, THIS PLACE IS HIS," the crowd says, monotone, flat.

    The crowd segments into parts: the major museums (cultural buildings of significance, perhaps, or the crowds just love artwork) each get a mob. So does the Avenger mansion. The guards at the front end up joining the mob that is now attempting to just walk inside. The Avengers' security responds, with non-lethal means for now. Robots begin to taze people, though they don't hit the guards. The guards, of course, can just walk right into the mansion: the robots filter them as friendly. The tazing seems effective, those folks definitely fall down, but they start to get trampled! There are no apparent weapons on anyone, only sheer walking masses of people.

    * From the private Jet:
    Tony's hooked in and set up to try to make sense of what nonsense he's getting from the mansion. "Having a party without me?" Tony asks on the comms loudly. "I'm not nearby, but let's see what I can give you. Okay. Mobs. Talking in unison. Always creepy. Guessing mind control? Pheromones? Magical flute? A big sale? Maybe 'he' likes his bargains; --- heads up, I'm seeing a few potential targets as controllers, I've got a lock on someone that -- wow, okay, they shot down my sentry bot. I liked that one, even if it was old tech. REALLY old tech, but still good enough. I was calling it Steve...."

    Additional flying drones arrive in a cluster as they get deployed by Iron Man's remote orders, and peel out of the defensive formation, one headed to each obvious 'Avenger' or ally, to back them up. If they weren't on communications, they can be with the drone assistants.

Thor has posed:
    Above the shuffling and shambling mass of humanity and crashing debris, the sky has grown overcast and grey in an angular pattern, the rush of the weather seeming to darken as the clouds grow heavy with the threat of rain. There's a distant crackle of thunder, but barely able to be discerned with the sounds that assuredly inundate around the vacant people who seem taken with their grim approach upon the mansion itself.
    In those clouds, resplendent in the black and silver of his armor, the Thunderer seems to float within the grim depths of that stormfront. Red cape snapping in the wind behind him as he holds Mjolnir in his hand, he looks down upon the people and the crowd below. Lifting a hand to his ear he speaks into the comm frequency, his voice carrying to those who have theirs and are active, though assuredly at the least Tony's.
    "What ill has befallen the people of Manhattan? Magical flute? I see no musicians, Stark."

Wolverine has posed:
    Nodding as Natasha does her thing, "Logan shouts out, "Be careful Red!" His eyes then find Jessica's, and narrow. "Jessie. You okay?" Logan takes a step forward, and says, "Something must be going on...shake it off!" Logan takes another step, as his eyes get drawn to the noise Banner was making. "Banner! Over here!" Waving his hands, Logan tries to get his attention, while remaining fixed on Jessica.

    "Yeah Blaze. It is just like that. No idea who is behind it." He eyes the man, and then looks at Jessica again. "Weird." Then Jennifer arrives. "Glad to have you here, Green Genes." Logan says with a smile. "Zombies...ugh...really?" Logan plops the cigar back in his mouth, and sighs. "Why can't it be easy, like unemployed pizza delivery guys?"

    That was then the announcement commences. "Uh oh..." Logan says, and backs up. "I'm not good at the "non-lethal" countermeasures, gang." Logan says, motioning towards his claws. "Stark, that you?" Logan says, as he was about to consider popping his claws. And to top it off? Thor arrives. Great. "Goldilocks." Logan says.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "This place is his." Strange tells no one next to him, and everyone, before he starts to turn towards the mansion and walks, regardless of the fact that anyone might have a hand on him to prevent such movement. The wizard has a goal now and thanks Natasha, you brought him that much closer to what 'He' wants Strange and everyone else to do.

Hulk has posed:
    Bruce was still a far ways away when Logan shouted to him, but he does wave to the fellow Avenger from on top of the bicycle he 'borrowed' from somewhere.. A bit of debris nearly trips him, and Bruce tumbles just a bit as he rights himself. "I need to-" The drone arrives next to Bruce, "-get to the mansion. These people give me all the impression of sleepwalking. I don't know if knockout gas would work." Bruce huffs as he rides along. The Hulk might be the epitome of a physical powerhouse, but Bruce sure isn't.

When he gets near the mansion though, Bruce squints at the walk ins, "Are those guards supposed to be just walking inside?" Bruce inquires, confused, "Damnit, I think they were taken." He gets off the bicycle, "We still have some of the sonic amplifier equipment in the basement. I'm going to try and modify it to incapacitate anyone who isn't us." Bruce explains as he starts to jog onto the mansion grounds.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
     Eyes widen as it appears that Strange has joined the fold. "Shit." Johnny says with a look of 'THIS IS A PROBLEM' on his face. Regardless, he looks to Logan. "No kidding." Though he looks up as Thor seems to arrive. Yay...Thunder God. Though Johnny's attention looks to She-Hulk. the other green giant! Though as Logan shows concern for Jessica, Johnny soon follows suit.

     "We need to find the source and fast. As in, right now." Johnny trusts the fact that he's a duality to help provide a immense defense against...whatever this is. Johnny can't find whoever's doing this..and that's a scary thought. He doesn't have Avenger comms, so sadly, he can't hear Tony.

She-Hulk has posed:
She-Hulk looks to see her cousin, "Bruce!" She doesn't know whether to bring up the awkwardness that is the other night so she doesn't, "Sooo.. not a zombie. That's a bonus! I guess we're having a slumber party in the mansion.." She starts to talk a bit louder so that Stark can hear her better, "..and since we're cut off from society in here, I guess we'd better take a stock of our resources right? I hope Tony's a glutton!" She starts to walk towards the kitchen area.

Iron Man has posed:
    "This might be a good time to mention I was working on a dimensional-walking gate device to sort out these Astral problems in the mansion labs; I have some mobile posts set up at a few of the buildings nearby to ground the thing." There's a long pause. "Honestly it doesn't seem like me to get up and walk away from a project that important," Stark says, a more serious quality creeping into his normally flippant voice. Where did this idea to go on vacation come from, anyway?

    "I feel like I'm the only one seeing this commander in the crowd," Tony says into the comm, questioning. "Thor, you don't see her? She's doing a lot of hand-gestures. Not nice ones. I'll remote pilot a suit and see if I can light her up for you. Or use the drones; they're getting targeted, though; I think she knows they see her."

    Meanwhile, the museums are being entirely mobbed, filled with people, and violence is beginning. Destructiveness. All of the people are being told to tear things apart. This includes the mansion. The tazing of the robots can't keep up with the people.

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan hears what Strange is spouting, and frowns. "Not good." Looking at Banner, Logan says, "Do what ya' gotta do Banner! Anything can help right now. I don't know what it going on, but use yer brain, and think of somethin'! You and yer cousin!" Logan steps forward, nodding to Jennifer and Banner, then frowns and takes a moment to look down at his hands. Clenching and unclenching...

    "Yeah, Matches, Thunder Gods, Zombies, and Strange." Logan regards Blaze for a moment, and says, "It's never easy. Yer right. You got the mystical whatchamacallit, kid. What does it tell you? Maybe Goldilocks there kin help ya'?" Logan taps his left temple, to emphasize the point and motions towards Thor.

    "Stark! Thor! I have several hand gestures in mind! I don't see what you mean! Direction is good!" With that Logan sighs, and says, "Here we go again...target rich environment" 'Tasha?" He says, looking at the red head.

Thor has posed:
    "I can see only the unfortunates." From far above matters look different to the God of Thunder. He can see the rush forwards, the ebb and flow of the people, the way they seem to move ahead yet there are parts of them that seem to move around areas of something akin to emptiness. It almost looks as if there were small bumps in the river of humanity that it must flow around. He frowns to himself and lifts his voice, "There may be something hidden." He's shouting as the wind grows louder around him, causing the comm system to crackle with the brush of static.
    "Logan!" He turns his head as if scanning the surroundings looking for the mutant Avenger but not seeing him from where he is. "Perhaps your keen senses can discern the villain who torments us." And as he says that there's another rumble from the clouds but instead of lightning there is instead the beginnings of a steady patter of rain. Droplets falling, heavier, faster... until there is at first a misting and then a haze of rain that's far from a downpour but enough perhaps to offer an opportune outline.

Hulk has posed:
    Jennifer gets barely a glance as Bruce runs by, heading for one of the storage rooms where he keeps leftover technology. It doesn't take him long to open the guts of the thing and start to get to work. The adjustments are audible, typing into the control panel to tune the frequency to overload human neural systems without permanent damage. A number of the devices are grabbed and adjusted the same way. "This should do it..." Bruce mutters to himself as he turns on the posts in a small square formation.

A high pitched whine can be heard from the devices easily throughout the mansion, though it isn't enough to cause pain. "I have two sets of four sonic emitters down here to act as walls against the people. They'll deal with the people without serious injury. We just need people to get them over to locations being attacked." Bruce calls out over the comms, "Jennifer, Thor?" He asks as he fine-tunes the emitters.

Iron Man has posed:
    "There's some people I think might be under duress in the mansion. Security's on it," Tony says quickly into the communicator, assisting Banner's goal. "Focus on those devices, Banner." The guards that managed to get inside and were starting to be destructive are handled by the cleaning robots.

    There's also a robot in the elevator Natasha may recognize. It almost takes out Strange with a fireball, but makes a chirp instead. Hello Strange! "Dr. Strange is with us? Good. Get that man a communicator," Tony says into the comms.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica has stopped fumbling for thoughts. She is no longer wondering about unreachable memories. She is standing where she was before, staring, head cocked as though listening to something. She isn't talking, not speaking the words that others are. But she seems utterly oblivious to Logan's words or anyone else's actions. The wind tosses her hair carelessly, but she's focused on something she can almost hear. Almost.

Wolverine has posed:
    Ignoring the rain, Logan concentrates, and with his enhanced senses, cooroborates what the others were saying. She's out there...an illusionist...pushing his abilities to the limits, Logan closes his eyes, and points her out with a wave of his hand. "Thanks Thor..." Logan says, all that he needed was a push. Too bad it was from the God of Thunderthighs.

    Ignoring Jessica, Nat, the Banner's and everyone else, Logan says, "Blaze. There." Pointing her out, Logan says, "We got ourselves someone able to control things. Banner. Walters. You got that sonic thingy ready? Aim it for her." Logan says, glad to not be stabbing for a change.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    The elevator descends after Strange enters it, though a bot does appear and seem to recognize the wizard. Though Strange doesn't seem to react to it other than somehow knowing he's in an elevator while asleep and with a specific goal as far as the floor. The floor with Stark's previously mentioned tech.

    Once on the floor, Strange departs the elevator and walks slowly, as all the sleepers have, towards the lab with Stark's portal, repeating to himself, "You have no power anymore here, this place is his."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
     Blaze always did like the rain, ironically enough. However, his eyes seem to narrow as the rain reveals the figure of the mysterious individual. Johnny looks at Logan, giving a nod. "I got it." and he already starts to move, eyes glowing like purest Hellfire.

     the mystery person was going to burn for this.

     He walks right past Jessica, and makes a straight b-line for that crowd. His eyes as if locked onto the mystery individual.

Thor has posed:
    On the comms, Thor's voice is heard shouting over the growing whorl of the wind. "On my way!" Most likely towards Hulk. Abruptly he tilts over and his hammer lashes out and forwards, leading him down out of the clouds with a rush of movement almost faster than the eye can see. He swoops low, over the roofs of the cars behind the mob and then past to hover for a moment just in front of the mansion itself. "I think I see the hidden one!" Thor's voice is sharp as he calls out, though the static crackles his comm.
    "There, near that..." He extends Mjolnir in his hand as he lands on the second floor balcony above the lawn area of the mansion, gesturing through the gates. "Near that ugly square vehicle that Rogue drives."
    To which someone lifts their voice, perhaps from the crowd asking, "Where?"
    And Thor, in exasperation, brings Mjolnir up and around and sends it flying straight towards where he believes the hidden one must be, the hammer /whomming/ through the air and then striking the ground there with a short sharp static /CRACK!/ of the impact.
    To which he says afterwards, "There."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
There is a rage and sorrow that cannot be consoled. It cannot be rocked or cajoled. From the time we form a filter, it is suppressed, oppressed, and restrained. But like waters in a flood, if it is blocked at one stop, it will surely find another outlet and rage forth.

Dr. Strange had placed the barricades in Jessica's mind to block out the telepathic dangers to which she has become vulnerable until her own barriers can heal. But what blocks out, also blocks in. And when the dam breaks...

Jessica closes her eyes, her face contorted in rage and fear. She screams primally, with all of her soul. Something has lost its hold. The dam has been breached.

Iron Man has posed:
    Stark's attention isn't on Dr. Strange, though, once the mansion appears clear of husks walking around. It's on what Tony said he'd do: remote control of a suit. It comes flying out of the lab area in a blaze of Iron Man colors. "Hey Strange," the suit emits Tony's voice as he wings past him, out to the exterior, and glides down to the mess outside. Thor is already on the attack, as is someone Tony's unfamiliar with. Which means Tony is more than happy to have the suit launch repulsors, to try to push and clear some of the crowd around the target he has on visual. "Watch out, human shields," Tony warns into his comm. "Annnnnd telekinetic pressure on my suit. Okay. I'll just be a distraction," Tony says sharply.

    Suddenly the controller appears, as the fight to not be made into paste takes her attention. She's in a hood and expensive jacket over it, jeans, boots, which makes her identity impossible to get. She's directing things with her hands, masses of thick dark purple energy whirling over her wrists and legs. She dodged Thor's attack, having to openly RUN to not be hit, but it ripped her illusion apart. She fell back into the crowd, which gathered around her protectively, and the others there abruptly attempt to mob Thor. She's clearly trying to lose herself in the masses of people, using them bodily to guard herself. Her hand is currently raised against the Iron Man suit, but she starts to fade out again. She's shaking, trying to do so many things at once, it's straining her to beyond a maximum.

    And Blaze? He'll feel the leak of wretched energy off of her. She's being squeezed by something powerful. Something very horrible indeed.

Thor has posed:
    As the people begin to gather around Thor he announces at the least into the comms, "The villain is revealed!" But his attention is quickly lost from the task of pursuit of that being and instead he has to keep himself from being overwhelmed by the surge of humanity and the rush of human shields seeking to interpose themselves and to bog him down. He holds them off as he can, being terribly gentle to be fair. Yet that lack of smiting turns causes him to be slower than he'd like.
    "Banner, it may take me some time to reach you..." He says as he pulls one man over his shoulder who thought it was a good idea to jump onto Thor's back. A quick swing around sends him flying into a crowd of his friends knocking them back and down but still he is under pressure from the others. "Bide a moment."

Wolverine has posed:
    Logan stops. Blinks. Frowns. Watches as chaos erupts, and says, "Um. Hope that Banner and Walters thingy works here, cause we have a mob to deal with, and I'd rather not start stabbing anyone that is not in their right minds today." Taking a deep breath, Logan tries those anti-anger meditation things that Jeanie has been teaching. As a few of the people start to get close, Logan smacks a few, hard, to knock them out of course. "Avengers! It's getting real! If we are going to do something, do it quick! I'm the only one here who can heal!"

    "Banner! Walters! Thor! Blaze!" His eyes find Jessica, and sees the state she's in. "Dammit! Where is Strange when you need him?" Logan hits another poor victim on the head, knocking them senseless. "Dammit, where'd my cigar go?" His eyes look around the ground furiously. "Stark! Now would be a good time!" As he gets tackled by 17 people, buried under a mound of arms, legs, and blue jeans!

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange-Zombie has made it to where he was aimed and is standing next to the device Stark has been making in secret Strange has no clue what it is, but his current master knows exactly what the lab created structure is And HE does not tollerate this incursion Strange lifts his hand and places it on a nearby panel and begins to work with a prowess he hasn't shown since his days in surgery His fingers are fast and nimble and the device is rigged quickly enough

    Outside, around the mansion, the ground itself would swell from the sudden force in the basement, and yet, there's suddenly nothing
    No mansion
    No building
    No foundation
    Nothing
    A large hole where the mansion once stood and a whole slew of figures, people left walking on floors that aren't, cowering behind desks that are no longer there The mansion and anything inanimate in the vicinty is gone, all the way up to the gate and the fences there's a huge empty gap with water and sparks starting in the hole where the pipes and electricity ended, or began

Hulk has posed:
    "Of course..." Bruce mutters once again as everyone else is busy. He's a mutterer today. "I'm going to see if I can find the spare set in the other storage room." There's a moment of pause, "Did you say Strange was in the building, Tony?"

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny then seems to undergo his change when he gets somewhat close to this woman. His flesh burning away like paper, his muscles soon followed...until all that was left was that skull, wreathed in Hellfire flame.

The Ghost Rider had arrived. And it wasn't taking no for an answer. Though the Rider notices the woman who appears t obe running is also eing possessed by something EVIL, Johnny draws that silver, bladed chain that was hiding in his leather jacket sleeve...and the Ghost Rider proceedsto lunge forward with it! attempting to ensare her with it to trap her long enough for the Rider to do it's job.

However...Jessica's scream gives the Rider pause. A friend was in danger.

Wolverine has posed:
    Buried under a mound of people, and feeling the eruption as it occurs, Logan tenses, and knows this is going to hurt...a lot. Clenching he waits for the impact, and is hit by something, falling into unconscious bliss. Another day as an Avenger.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
And then...The mansion is gone. LOTS OF things are gone. And Strange...is gone. Those inside the mansion have fallen into where the basement was. And suddenly more clear of mind, Jessica springs into action, moving to the edge of the hole and webbing people in twos and threes, pulling them as gently as possible out of the hole. It's no more effort than catching a fish, but even fish are easily frightened. She pulls staff, Avengers, and allies of all sorts from the hole and checks them as she releases them, for injuries.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Uh. The... mansion is missing," Tony says into the comms, by way of answer. It's gone. Somewhere. The relays to the drones are all a mess now, and he has to spend time working on that. Meanwhile, those poor robots stop being quite as helpful. A few are assaulted by the mobs of people. "Nothing's responding. Working on it," Tony comments, his curt tone proving his focus on this issue. "Still have this woman over here, though." Iron Man's mobile suit is still clearing people, trying to reduce her shields without harming them.

    The woman is forced back, and throws four people into the way of the rider, smirking at him. "Go save your friendssss," she snarks at Ghost Rider. "Weak." She waves her hand at him, shooing him off. "Making this so easy." She keeps the mob between her and the heroes, starting to again weave her illusion. "Next up? Justice League," she taunts them all, starting to fade out of sight.

Thor has posed:
    As the mansion disappears and the hidden one being under such pressure, some of the possessed begin to fall to the ground, shaking their heads, trying to come back to the here and now. It grants Thor enough time, enough of a gap that he can step forwards and extend his hand, Mjolnir slashing through the air towards him and landing in his palm. He leaps into the air, now free of the grasping hands and tangled limbs of the innocent.
    "Hold her!" He shouts as he spins in the air, whirling to the side and then backhanding Mjolnir back into the air and off towards the woman that had been invisible. The hammer /whoms/ through the air, a metallic sound as it slices towards her... and then past.
    For an instant it might seem as if Thor had missed her as it strikes the ground some distance behind her. But then he draws his hand back... and summons the Uru hammer back to his hand.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny seems to hold still for just a moment, before a fume of fire exhudes from the Rider's bony nostrils as it sighs. Before those hellish eyes fall on the woman. "No." Johnny trusted his friends. His allies. They can handle it. He's more needed here. The Rider tightens his grip on the chain and pulls hard to keep those chains TIGHT around the woman...hopefully leaving her immobile enough for Thor to whallop her.

A God and a Devil working together. Who would've thought. Though the civilians tossed in front of Ghost Rider can seemingly do absolutey nothing to stop his walking pace. as if they didn't have the physical strength to hold him back.

Hulk has posed:
"What was-" Static.

One moment, the mansion is there. The next, Bruce has... disappeared into the hole. He's gone as well.

Iron Man has posed:
    "You WILL back off, fool," snarls the woman, with a flex of power. She presses hard on the soul and mind of the skulled hero, with a blisteringly potent high level. Her own power starts to shred her, she bleeds slowly from her left eye, and her nostrils, as the thing possessing her pushes too hard.

    WHOM.

    She collapses in a heap as the godly hammer slams her in the back on its way back to Thor.

    Everyone around her stops doing what they are doing. Many of them just simply are confused. Tony, via the Iron man armor suit, is glad to broadcast right away through his remaining drones: "This site is unsafe! Please return to your homes, and clear the streets, while we handle this!"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica picks through the pile of writhing bodies, revealing Logan beneath them. "Logan!!" Not waiting for a response, she fires two webs at the man beast, and pulls him from the pile, laying him gently on the ground. She can hear ...feel the telepathic pressure...that suddenly stops. Jessica continues doing the only thing she knows to do. The chaos around them completely confounds her. It is time to mend. Herself, and her friends. She kneels by Logan briefly, sighs, and stands again to continue pulling people to safety.