5820/Astral Flux: Fallen Stars

Astral Flux: Fallen Stars
Date of Scene:	20 November 2018
Location:	Mexico
Synopsis:	Psylocke helps those injured during the Shadow King attack.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Psylocke, Captain America
Tinyplot:	Astral Flux

---

Iron Man has posed:
    The battle in the town rages onwards, but the massive monster in the very center of it has been in death thoroes for about twenty minutes, or more. It lashes and hits buildings, refusing to die. It is poisoned and mortally wounded, but is fighting, in its way, trying to heal. It did do one last act of vengeance, which was to mind-blast everything around. Those in very close proximity got the brunt of it: the team that was close to it, and those assisting them. In the town at large, it was more like splitting migraines, but nothing that couldn't be worked through.

    Over the communicator, assistance is called for. Specifically, that Iron Man is down, but brought back to the main camp. The groups need coordinating, without him answering.

    Psylocke herself, as she's local though at the SHIELD zone, also gets a contact, from JARVIS. It is a very polite request to come and assist with those who were struck by the monster mentally. He gives location, and a short list, including Mr. Stark.

Psylocke has posed:
The battle at the villa was over but honestly, Psylocke didn't feel like they had won. In fact, she was feeling just the opposite. They had lost two valuable sources of information in the worst way possible-their deaths. One had chosen that path for himself but the other had been taken by another villain they had failed to stop.

When the communication came through SHIELD's tech but not from SHIELD itself, she was surprised to say the least. She sent the word she would be there momentarily.

It was meant literally.

Less than fifteen seconds after the message was sent, there was something stirring in the shadows. They poured /up/, taking on a humanoid form with glowing yellow eyes and a triangular red tattoo over one eye. Then that form solidified, the shadows receding to leave Psylocke in her one-piece uniform with a katana sheathed and slung across her back. "I was told I am needed," she says simply, accent distinctly British.

Captain America has posed:
Having taken a side-brunt of that vengeful mind-blast, Steve's in the small collective of folks shaking off the lingering headaches. A triage room has been set up in a building outlying the immediate 'blast zone' for everyone. The super-serum is doing its best to get him back onto his feet, but he's still noticeably squinting as if the light is too bright as he makes small talk with Tony as best he can. His voice, while tight and terse as he always is on the battlefield, is also respectfully quiet in deference to those in various levels of agony around them. Hearing a new voice, however, makes him glance away from the genius-inventor when he hears her arrive.

"I think we'll take all the help we can get at this point," he says as he approaches Psylocke. The Captain's in his signature gear, white star on his chest and buckler-shield in its placeon his back, and the set of his jaw is just as recognizable. "Thanks for being quick. What did JARVIS tell you?"

Iron Man has posed:
    Some people don't react well to the person appearing out of shadows, but it is hardly the weirdest thing going on around the area. And Tony's robotic guards seem fine with her, so there's no actual issue. Tony's in the triage area, but his ability to make small talk is stunted and grumpy. He's particularly in a snarky mode, and his psionic resistance tech? It's somewhat (entirely) overloaded, sparking. He's actively trying to fix it while unable to actually think straight. It's an interesting little show overall towards the rear of the tent where multiple people are suffering. As often is the case, Tony isn't saying anything is wrong with him, but it does show.

Psylocke has posed:
"I was told there had been a psionic attack," Psylocke answers as the Captain approaches. Despite it all, she can't help but feel a little honored considering who he is. Of course, her brother is a captain named for a country so it shouldn't be that big of a deal. She'd been one herself at one time in her youth. Yet, Captain America was something that anyone with half a brain would find awe inspiring. "I have some psionic abilities. I assisted the Asgardian people so Thor can vouch for me should he be available."

She glances around then toward the back of the tent where Stark is working. "Is he well?" She doesn't just peek into his head. That would be rude. Those that are unconscious cannot make a choice but she always prefers to ask first.

Captain America has posed:
Steve listens to her explanation still with those crow's-feet of discomfort about the corners of his eyes. Nothing to do with all, all to do with a clamoring headache. He nods, the movements still a touch disjointed as if not to unsettle his inner ear. "We're all hanging in there as best we can. Some of us took a harder hit than others." And those 'some of us' does include Tony, to confirm Psylocke's suspicions. "I'm not speaking //for// him, but if you get a chance to see if you can..." A little shrug of concern. "...I dunno, help him out, he'll probably thank you later. The tech took a hard hit as well. I'm no mechanic, so pressure's on him to fix it and give us another way to resist the creature."

The man then steps to one side as if granting silent permission (that he doesn't really have) to approach Tony. Hearing someone quietly calling him, he looks that way and nods once. "I'll be nearby if you need me further," he assures the young woman before striding out of the triage area, like as not off to take an incoming report or attempt to formulate the next plan of attack.

Iron Man has posed:
    "/He/," Tony speaks up from the back, voice irritable, "is doing everything he can to not order everyone here to leave or for the robotics to do certain actions, with a really nice demand echoing in his head. We're all very happy I have a lot of willpower right now." Tony's cranky.

    "Why have I not been brought my set of test leads?" Tony demands of a small robot edging in near his left. It veers off as if in a panic to go find the item. Tony didn't ask, that's why it wasn't brought. He's taken apart most of the psionic resistor on the bedside tray next to him, parts littering the cot. A truly terrible patient that won't lay down: and nobody's going to tell him to.

Psylocke has posed:
"Lay down and stop acting like a fool."

Psylocke stalks toward him, shaking her head. "All of you little machines, shoo. Go away until I call for you." They probably won't listen. Doesn't keep her from saying it. She walks over to stand near Tony as she eyes him with slight annoyance showing on her face.

"You all have been psionically effected by a being with powers that are beyond comprehension. Your gadgets will do no good if you don't have more than pate left in your skull. I can be off assistance but I would like your permission to do so since it will involve going into that mind you are so very fond of."

Iron Man has posed:
    The hard directive surprises Tony. People don't take that tone with him unless they're villains or Pepper. He squints at her through his mental storm of awfulness.

    The robots don't move at all, but Tony handles it. "Get the leads /and/ my repair kits M1 and B1," Tony snaps at them. They scatter. He looks at Psylocke with probably surprising reasonableness. "Seems like a good idea. What do you need from me?"

Psylocke has posed:
"Sit. Laying back might be better since I'm not sure how complicated this will be," Psylocke says as she watches the bots take off to do his bidding. Then she focues on the face of Tony, her tone and expression softening slightly.

"I'm called Psylocke. I am a telepath and I just want to see what sort of damage may have been done by the attack. I have experience at this sort of thing so hopefully will be able to repair whatever was done. If you are agreeable...?"

Iron Man has posed:
    "Okay. You have Thor speaking for you. Pretty sure if you make me into pudding that he, and the world, will want words," Tony explains. He's weighing her with a sharpened alertness to his brown eyes. There's some age there, too, that comes out when he's in pain. A longer path in life than his years: though his years also aren't so few, anymore. Stark has a world on his shoulders, whether or not he acts like it.

    "Happy to lay back," Tony says, with some flirtatious undertone he just can't help doing. But it's also strained. He's forcing it. His head is not jello but he's not fully able to think either. He's like a normal person or something. "Permission to touch granted. But just for you." Still forced.

Psylocke has posed:
"Thank you," Psylocke says, not rising to the forced undertone at all. Even if it wasn't forced, that likely would've been her response.

She moves to the side of the bed, moving the table a bit to the side so it is out of the way. She doesn't need to touch to use her powers but sometimes it will help focus. She takes his hand in hers as she allows her mind to settle, drawing her power to the fore. A glowing purple shape appears, just an energy signature that looks much like a butterfly, around her eyes.

A moment later he will feel the gentle brush of something touching his mind. She is letting him know she is in there, though she could've done it without that sensation. Again, something she does to be polite when the time calls for it. Her initial glance to see what she is dealing with in there.

Iron Man has posed:
    Tony was hit with a pretty clear command, though it has no actual words to it. It is a strong compulsion to take his toys and leave, essentially. A very smart order to push onto a leader of an opposing team, that's for sure. Tony's doggedly fighting it, and it isn't as bad as it could have been: his tech did help. But he's left with this cowardly pressure in his head to cause the whole of their group to leave, and the sides of his mind are starting to accept the directive and find real reasons why they SHOULD just leave....

    Tony doesn't do anything weird with her hand, but he does lay back some and watch her. His mind isn't on flirting or even on her really, beyond to try to maintain a front of being just fine for all people looking at and depending on him right now.

Psylocke has posed:
"Very good. You don't seem to have sustained physical damage. There are just a few bits floating around in there that might need to be removed, a present from your foe. This may be a tad uncomfortable at times, like a bit of pressure. I give you my word that I am doing you no harm."

While Psylocke is speaking, she is having to delve in further. His desire to try to reassure those around him is commendable. She is going to try to help keep that going for him. That compulsion is wearing down his will. It has to be removed.

She begins looking for the bits and pieces that make it up, try start bringing them into a single location where she can contain them before trying to exorcize them from his mind.

Iron Man has posed:
    He'll start to overthink as soon as even small pressure starts to be removed. The multitasker at work. It isn't good: it's the same pattern you'd expect from someone that injured their leg. As soon as the leg was even a little better, there they are walking on it again right away. He's got things to do, after all. It clearly isn't intentional, though, no more than walking on an injury intends to hurt it.

    "Sure. I'll try to keep my thoughts reasonably clean." The thoughts promptly go less clean, but then he focuses and diverts back to fixing his device, and some plans about city repairs, and---

Psylocke has posed:
"You are going to be a difficult patient, I can see," Psylocke says with a smirk as she feels his mind trying to ease into those spaces she is starting to get cleared. Thoughts begin to rush and it is already straining what was not well yet. "What do you do to relax, Tony?" She uses his first name purposefully, to make it more friendly, more intimate.

Asking the question will hopefully have his mind shift to the thoughts of what does and give her that moment without the added pressure. Each bit is pulled into the psionic ball, each hint of urging from the Shadow King corralled. Once they are all together, she draws them as close to the surface as possible.

There is a slight flare of power, the psionic butterfly going bright. The ball of compulsion is subjected to the equivalent of her psiblade but without the pain to the brain that might come from using it. This is a scalpel, not a katana. One moment it is there, the next it is gone.

Iron Man has posed:
    Tony doesn't even notice the name use, not really. Usually he corrects people to call him Tony, so he just didn't need to do that. He has an automatic, easy casualness when he's not upset or on edge. He's starting to chill out into that more as she adjusts in his head. "I throw parties. I drink." Pepper comes to mind quickly, a brief little burn of his strong feelings towards her. They're pure, and real, even if he doesn't fully accept that they are.

    "I saw your butterfly," Tony reports, thoughtful, curious. And thinking about what would manifest that, and some ideas for his psi-blocker. Then he focuses more on the relief she created. "Well. That seems to have worked. I'm cured." He thinks so, anyway.

Psylocke has posed:
"I wouldn't go that far. You need to find ways to relax your mind sometimes," Psylocke says as she does one last quick sweep. Finding nothing else threatening or foreign, she withdraws from his mind. The butterfly fades and disappears.

"I would suggest meditation or yoga. Perhaps both." She releases his hand, not wanting this to seem weird by standing there holding it after the deed is done. "Is there anything else I can do do assist you before I move to the rest?"

Iron Man has posed:
        "Thanks. Me?... no, please start into the rest. I'm great," Tony says, upbeat. His mood has vastly improved without the pressure on him. His robots have arrived anyway. Tony isn't staying in the bed, though. "Bring that to my lab area," he redirects his robots, and flashes a smile to Psylocke. There's no stopping him when he's going into something. He pauses, though.

    "By the way, would you be willing to help test a few psi-blocking inventions I'm working through? I really could use some high power test subjects to push on the defenses, so I can calibrate them more properly," Tony questions. He doesn't push though. "Think about it!"

Psylocke has posed:
"It would depend on what they will be used for. I can't go helping to assist any government agencies that might be after my teammates or myself," Psylocke says as she turns to walk toward the next bed where another hero is resting. She is going for those who are not awake first, then will move toward the conscious.

"If I can be assured it won't be used against me in the future, I would be glad to assist. Good luck, Tony."

Iron Man has posed:
    Tony looks surprised. "No. Avenger use. For fighting monster mushrooms with wrecking balls aimed at our palaces of the mind," Tony replies with a flutter of fingers near his head. "If my reputation is still an issue with that, we'll have to talk later. But no: I'm not in the business of supplying the government with anything at this point," Tony says, a with a rueful smirk. He lets her get to work: and gets to his own, exiting the tent with a crunch of snow. Thor's little snowfall is still around, though melting over time, much like the Shadow King's hold on the area.