2014.08.18 - Cities Collide - Part 7

Fury is waiting, often the hardest part of a mission. The team of hank McCoy and Jack Hawksmoor had gone down after that blasted lady detective over an hour ago. Recently Moon Knight had showed up and offered to go in after them, but he had gotten a message from McCoy that they had discovered the source of the problem. The message was fairly clear it involved something about a Roxxon Oil facility in Jersey.
Roxxon was one of the major groups who helped fund and provide gear for the initial setup of SHIELD, it makes dealing with them a bit tricky.
Jack and Angela exit the Pod and find the Beast waiting for them. Getting out from here will not be difficult, as long as the Moloids are fiendly.
Jack Hawksmoor starts to head back to the exit. "So...the dumping ground may not be somewhere I can get to, but I can always put...leverage...on Roxxon." He flickers a grin. Intimidation. Intimidating people can be fun.
Moon Knight has followed Fury for now since it sounded like something dangerous was going on in the city, and whatever else you can say about him, he does care about protecting folks. At least so far he doesn't seem to be getting underfoot.
Can't this thing go any faster?" Before he even asks the question, Director Fury knows what answer he's likely to get. But, having waited so long already within the confines of the tiny vessel, he has grown impatient enough to risk asking a stupid question.
"You know, my people consider it very rude to complain about recieving a free ride from the king of an underground nation. Especially when you called said king when he was in the middle of the third course of what promised to be a very memorable dinner." The man piloting the craft looks back with a slightly pouty expression, as if his feelings were hurt. He's probably kidding, but it's difficult to tell, with a face like his.
The craft is basically a giant drill, and it's going at a pretty decent clip through the earth the way a submarine might go through water. But despite the impressiveness, Fury looks a bit queasy. It's probably because the craft smells like it's not been to the surface in years.
"My apologies, Rock Man. I hated to call in a favor like that, but what's going on down here involves your people too. Let me know when we get close."
Angela says, "I am an officer of the law, if possible it would be best to get a search warrant and make sure that this is shut down all nice and legal."
"You're the cop. Think you can get us one or should we ask Fury if he can lean on some people?" is Jack's response to that. He's happy to play by the rules...especially when it's convenient.
The drilling machine starts to descend, Fury can take it to Mole Man's sanctuary, or he could try going to one of the contact points where he last heard from Beast and Hawshmoor.
Moon Knight does not know whether to be more impressed by the technology, or sickened by the smell. Can't the driver ever clean this thing?
Angela replies to Jack, "I can get one, but it might take some time. Fury may be able to get one faster. SHIELD has a lot of pull.
If Moon Knight notices the rather stale air of the pod, he doesn't comment on it. "You just happen to have connections to subterranean kingdoms?" he asks Fury, though it sounds more amused than surprised, really.
"Hey man, 'having connections' is probably... 90% of my job description." Fury leans back in his chair, relaxing for the time being. "The other ten percent is divided equally between 'saving the world' and 'looking cool.'
A chuckle escapes from under Moon Knight's silver cowl. "Is that what this 'Secret Avengers' thing's about, then, networking? The right people for the right job, sort of thing? ..Or just for when you need backup for the 'looking cool' part?"
"Alright." He tilts his head. "Something's coming." He doesn't say any more than that. "We'll get to the surface and then bug Fury." He's taken Beast's map. "I'm trying to work out what the surface coordinates are and whether it's in a city."
Angela frowns, "That is not very specific, Jack. Can you tell anything about what is coming, and where it will be arriving?"
Jack can sense that something is coming because the city knows it is, and the city seems to expect it to arrive back where you and Angela were before. He can not sense what it is, however, as it is not currently in the city.
Rock Man says, "ETA 5 minutes director."
"It's heading towards the center of the city. A...disturbance. I don't think it's hostile." He tilts his head again, as if listening to some melody only he can hear.
Moon Knight wonders to the person driving the drill-submarine, "So what's the deal when we get there? Some sort of crisis that drove you after that building?"
Click. Shunk. Clack.
Fury finishes reassembling his trusty old 1911 and runs through a quick functions check. "Looks like the old girl has still got it." Apparently he calls his trusty old 1911 'the old girl.'
Placing this gun in its holster within the folds of his trenchcoat. He slowly stands up as the craft slows to a halt. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on down there. But I don't like it, and that's enough for me. The last transmission I received from Doctor McCoy said all kinds of nonsense, and I can't have nonsensical things happening underneath American soil." He adjusts the lapels of his coat. "Thanks for the ride, Rockman. I'll have that shipment of C4 sent to you by the end of the week."
He pauses in the doorway as the bulkhead slides open. "Come on, Moonie. Time for you to impress me."
Moon Knight glances sidelong at Fury, wondering if the 'American soil' comment means that's all this group he's forming will be concerned with. He steps out after the Director though, and gives a theatrical little stretch. "Oh? Been awhile since I was on an interview, guess we'll see if I'm rusty."
Fury and Moon Knight enter a large chamber, much of which seems to be filled with a massive pyramid. There are a number of yellow skinned humanoids (Moloids) about, along with the somewhat familiar figure of the Mole Man, sitting in a throne near the pyramid.
Jack, Hank, and Angela arrive by pod not too long after, though on the other side of the chamber. Jack can sense the strangers location. Hank looks around at the evidence of unknown technology and comments, "Intriguing."
"Might have known...I think somebody got tired of waiting for us," Jack notes as he vacates the pod. "Well, at least we can ask about stuff now."
Moon Knight wonders to himself if the pyramid looks like it was assembled, or carved out from the rock. He's still not very clear on what happened with the yellow locals, and may ask the driver of the drill vehicle about what led up to the current state of affairs as they walk into the chamber.
The Mole Man looks over, "It is so rare to get so many visitors from the surface world in one day. What may I do for you Director."
Angela says, "We should go over and join them."
Jack Hawksmoor nods. "Fill Fury in before he gets confused somehow." Jack starts to head over, casually, utterly unconcerned that anyone might try to stop him.
Moon Knight is sticking with Fury, though as he wasn't addressed, he doesn't speak for now. He does however catch sight of Jack and Angela, looking somewhat surprised at the sight of the latter.
Moon Knight says in some surprise, "You're the cop they lost down here?"
Angela responds, "I was not lost, I came here to prevent further damage through negotiation with the local ruler. It seems they are having trouble with their food supply due to some kind of chemical spill,"
Hank McCoy, furry, blue, and resembling an ape-like cat or cat-like ape, adds in turn, "Someone, apparently someone on a site owned bu Roxxon Oil, created an illegal deep well injection site for Hazardous waste. Something, possibly geotechnic forces, cracked the vitrification seal and released the wastes into the Moloid farms."
As is his custom, Fury acts as if he's not only up to speed on every development, but he also manages to project the air of having been here the whole time. "Mole Man. It's been awhile. How's the wife?"
"Dead."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Oh no. Not at all. I killed her." The Mole Man looks through his sunglasses, completely deadpan before breaking out into a chuckle. "Just kidding. She committed suicide, something about not having enough sunshine. Weakness, I call it."
Fury is speechless for a couple of moments.
Jack...shakes his head. "We need to trace the source of the leak in the surface world, plug it, do something about Roxxon...and help fix their crops." At that last, he glances at Beast. THAT one is all on him.
Moon Knight answers, "No, I'm not surprised -you- weren't lost, but it sounds like they lost track of you up above." he nods to the information. "And that somehow led to a skyscraper getting sink-holed?" if he's startled by the exchange between Fury and Mole Man, a turn of his cowled head is the only visible sign. It sounds like there's plans underway to resolve the matter anyhow.
The Mole Man explains, "My subjects need a diet high in metals, but with the ore beds the farms are in unusable, they have had to gather concentrated metals to use. As the city planners in Gotham had not informed me there was a new building going up, the harvesters found the metal concentration and gathered it. It was simply a lack of communication."
"I might be able to help with that while we fix the farms," Jack says. "At the very least I can make sure your harvesters know where the building foundations are to avoid them...and thus any further conflict from that quarter."
Moon Knight nods his understanding and says, "Sounds like everything's under control if I'm getting this right.. except to find out what the hell Roxxon was thinking."
The Mole Man states, "It is unfortunate that, while my subjects have a great capacity for rote learning, they have precious little understanding of the technology they maintain. While I am certain something they have the ability to create could solve the problem we are having, they mainly follow orders and do not think originally."
Angela says to the Mole Man, "While it is a pleasure seeing you again, it seems it is now faster to return to the surface using the digging device."
The Mole Man nods wearily, "Saying good bye is rather tiresome. Be on your way and help my people."
While they travel back, Jack looks at the map. He frowns. "Gotham, but too far out, I think. I'll re-map it in my head when we're up there, but I don't think I'm going to be able to go seal the leak myself. Maybe this friend of Fury's can do it."
Moon Knight says, "What friend is that?"
"The guy driving this thing. Maybe he could go look in it." Without Jack, of course. Well, he'd probably not get too sick in the suburbs, but...
Moon Knight looks towards the driver, dubious. "..You can seal up a crack in a well of chemical waste?" still, Fury did call him 'Rockman'. Maybe he can.
Hank McCoy states, "That seems to have a low probability of success, this device appears to be intended for burrowing. While it may close the rock behind it, if it were to penetrate the vitrified layer of the waste shaft, it would in all likelihood cause an expanded pollution release."
"We'll work something out, then. Fury probably knows somebody with rock manipulation or the like. Let's get out of here." And back to Gotham where, hopefully, they can get that warrant.
Moon Knight says, "So, what, we need some way to merge a wall of rock and metal together? ...That's a tall order."
He doesn't know they're off after a warrant-- that's admittedly not been something he cared much about in a long time.
"If it was in Gotham proper, I could do it," Jack says, quite casually. "But I think it's too far out. I'll check the...fields. It's hard to explain."
Rockman says, "My car is limited, but Abyssmia has the technology for sealing the task. I will have to travel back there and return."
Moon Knight ohs..? He sounds honestly impressed as he asks Jack, "Could you, now? When we're not burrowing back and forth between the surface and this slice of the underworld, maybe you could explain." because it sounds like they may be turning around again for equipment..?
"Okay. How about you drop us off on the surface first and we'll get that warrant?" This guy's a friend of Fury's, so jack's going to basically trust him. "I'll do my best to explain...later.
Rockman says, "Can do, I will put you back right where I got you, just a minute."
Moon Knight wonders, "Warrant? If this guy has a way to seal up the well, can't we do that under ground without ruffling any feathers?" he looks to Angela. "Or did you want to catch them red handed and polluting, Detective?"
Angela says, "Well, that depends. If we just want it stopped for now and save the Moloids from damage, he can seal it. If we want evidence to convict someone so they hopefully do not do it again, left alone would be better."
"Except that as long as it's open..." Jack frowns. "Well, now I've been to their city and got a read, I can go back any time and help them with their metals issue, at least."
Moon Knight says, "Sounds like if everyone's going to be happy that warrant better be a quick fix."
Angela nods, "That is Fury's job, if this place is out of my precinct."
"It is. It's in Overdale if I'm reading this right. So, yeah...halfway out to the sticks." Jack lets out a breath.
Moon Knight says, "If the warrant is going to be a problem--" but he makes a grunt that almost sounds distressed, shaking his head a bit.. and falls silent as if he hadn't said anything at all.
Khonshu is a great believer in more permanent ways of dealing with hard-to-reach criminals, and Moon Knight does as Khonshu wills, but Marc is trying to be better than that, now. Besides, airing such possibilities in front of the Detective is probably a bad idea either way. "If Fury's as good as they say, maybe he'll call ahead for your warrant." he says instead.
Angela sighs, "Well, what is going to happen I am sure is that they will claim they had no idea this was going on, that it was a private venture by some middle manager who is in charge of the specific site. The company may have to clean up, but will not be otherwise censored. These guys are rich as Croesus and have lawyers up the wazoo. Still, they probably will not do it again and the Site will be cleaned up...not too bad a solution."
Category:Log