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Summary: The Hound Caleb reveals some disturbing news to Arsenal, Domino and Etoile.
Date: June 10, 2020
Log Title Ground Control to Major Tom
Rating: R
The Future - NYC - Battery Park
With the ruined remains of NYCs Financial District serving as a backdrop, Battery Park offers a stunning contrast to the city that nearly surrounds it. Left mostly untouched by the ongoing war, its flora and fauna have run amuck, reclaiming several of the sites New Yorkers once looked at from the multitude of windows above. Situated at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, this park still provides easy access to a network of subway tunnels, naval piers, and more. A short distance away, The Sphere continues to stand proudly, serving as a reminder of peaceand resistance. One just need know where to look to find either.
It had changed here alot less than he imagined it would, despite a natural almost lattice work looking arrangement of flora it seemed barely touched. The armored form of Arsenal was skirting along one building near an array of younger trees, sprouted up and grown outwards able to move silent enough birds throughout the park in their countless numbers were still singing to the sun, partly covered in a patchwork of clouds soon though it would be cresting the horizon. Nostalgia maybe, something had Arsenal paused in place a hand splayed out flat on one saplings side as he was staring into the park, paused in his scouting mission.
This evenings patrol is centered around Battery Park, Caleb is dressed in dark grey cargos, a black t-shirt, a grey jacket, black airwalk trainers, the stone in the silver wristband on his right wrist is clear and his light brown hair is damp, he's running though the park with a scared look on his face trying to make it look like he's one of the mutants he hunts on a supply run and hoping not to run into trouble.
Arsenal's sensors caught it before he seen it, or him, Caleb though unrecognized right now was running through one portion of the park, lunging he'd spring up and grip the side of a sturdy looking tree hauling himself up it to jump further to another each leap assisted with robotic strength springing his weight around easily, a turn had him landing closer behind a upturned piece of rubble that seemed out of place and stray, a tree and some moss growing along it at an odd angle. He watches as the man runs, trying to see what was after him before scanning that direction, one of those 30.-Caliber automatic machine pistols lifting up to train on Caleb then sweep back only to re-train. Not a sound given, a word or notification of his presence. Right now was time for surveying, needing to assess the situation before taking action.
Caleb trips over on purpose, hoping to make it look genuine if any ones watching, he Hound has not had a good last couple of patrols, luckerly for him Ahab is away at the moment, changing things in the past, should be interesting, he stands back up trying to look frightened.
Interesting. If Caleb had any clue of Arsenal's power in the past and he knew he was there, not that he did, a stunt like that wouldn't ever be employed. Remnants of that anatomical knowledge ability still existed quite fine, one of the powers still capable of being used - one that could see through something blatantly intentional as a feigned trip. A trick? He studied the man's face, was he seeing a Ghost? Ironic that. The hell game was this… he'd wait and watch. No threats seemed near. Maybe he had actually tripped.
Caleb scans the area carefully, looking around for any likely targets, "Hmm, theres someone here, where are you?", he carries on running stumbling every now and then, trying to see if any mutants out there will take the bait.
Seriously? What was the game here Mr. Caleb O'Callahan, former Barnes Academy student. Actually the first Arsenal had met 10 years ago. He remained crouched where he was, pushing himself back to remain unseen as much as possible, how did he know he was here? Was he guessing…
Caleb pulls a small object out of his pocket, "Can i get a quick scan of sector 17?, i believe there may be someone hiding nearby", he phases and stops running, he'll wait here for a couple of seconds while the scan takes place, maybe whoevers here will be paranoid enough to attack.
Unless their modes of scanning had been updated Arsenal was confident he was fine. He continued to watch, trying to recall what he knew of Caleb's abilities, back then he could phase and turn invisible; not really something he was personally equipped to handle unless of course electricity could do the trick, he never tested that theory out. No, he would watch, get as much intel as he could from it and remain hidden. So, Caleb had turned? What was he witnessing here.
Great, nothing back from the scans then, lets try some fireworks!, Caleb closes his eyes and begins concentrating, his entire body begins to glow violet, "Arrrgh!", there are blasts of energy sent in every direction.
Still a lunatic. The boulder formerly a chunk of a buildiing erupted in a spray of shrapnel after being struck by a stray blast, Arsenal was lunging from behind it, one weapon raised up and pointed at Caleb as he rolls to a crouch, in his other hand a second weapon drew up this one more snubbed than the other one, not quite same construct but same origins. A plasma beam handgun. Jakob's face was obscured by the glossy black faceplate, the tattered remains of a SHIELD uniform was visible though, red bands and add-ons displaying Field Agent ranking. " Be enough of that if you would. "
Caleb grins, "Finally!, i thought this trip was going to be boring there for a minute!", he superspeeds so that he's only standing a few feet away from Jakob, "Hmm, a SHIELD uniform?, you weren't there when we destroyed that Barnes place were you?"
"No, I was in Kentucky. " A lie. Like a straight answer would be given, the 'we' destroyed was more than enough to have him taking aim again even as Caleb did 'superspeed' not sure how fast he moved but it was quick enough to put him up near Arsenal, the machine pistol would lift up pointed towards the magical man's temple as the other joined it. "By saying we, whats that mean, you were part of this before Barnes went down? " His voice masked as well, having changed over the years abit deeper, more gravelly - influenced by cybernetics.
Caleb raises an eyebrow, "I have always served my Master, why are you talking like you know me?", he knows he shouldn't listen, his Master told him that the Rebels would try to fool him, but he's intrequed, he phases in case a gun is fired.
Correction a brainwashed cult-level lunatic. Talking like he knew him? Arsenal didn't realize he'd even eluded to that in his word usage, the man was phasing and he'd not yet tried to fire, he shoved the machine pistol down into it's holster at his side instead his hand remaining down there as the plasma handgun stayed up still leveled but not firing. "So in service of your master you run around acting like you're being chased or hunted? A rather clumsy baiting game. "
With all the wild animals and overgrown plants in the park it makes a pretty good place for a hungry mutant to gather food. Which is what Chloe was doing before people started shooting up the place. Something that generally is worth checking out, even if it's just to report back in at base. Thus she slips cautiously into a vantage point, watching the two with interest while idly chomping her way through a rather tasty piece of tree.
Caleb smiles, "My orders are to capture any mutants i find, and they are so ready to help a poor scared teenager, so that act just makes the round-up easier, but you don't seem to have as much compasion", he crosses his arms, "Now answer my question, why did you just sound like you know me?"
"Any idiot who falls for that one deserves being caught. " Harsh words but somewhat true, they fall for that trap once they're bound to fall into similiar stupid traps. "How many has that actually worked on anyways? " Arsenal was still unsure where he was coming off like he knew Caleb who hadn't aged in 10 years by all appearances. His hand closed around the rounded object at his hip and he gave it a slight tug freeing it from his LBV hoping the talk and weapon against the Hound's head was distraction enough to keep this unseen. Having no clue Chloe was near.
Chloe raises an eyebrow at the exchange. It's not clear if it's at Calebs approach or that anyone might actually fall for it however… Her hands flicker in a quick weapons check, confirming everything is where it should be, should she need to spring from cover.
Caleb thinks for a second, "At a count, about twenty three i think, people care way too much", he then grins and turns invisable, Jakob can't fight what he can't see.
Arsenal hadn't forgotten about Caleb's ability to turn invisible, a bothersome trick but this brought trouble to mind concerns and questions. Caleb was compromised, an enemy now - one of the Hounds of Ahab and here he had assumed the man was deadmeat, more slag at the bottom of a Sentinel boot. Not the case, not in the least. His multi-optics instantly began shifting through various spectrum changes, one after another trying to find a degree they could see Caleb in, thermo most likely, heat-signature shouldn't be a major issue on targeting. His hand came up as the filter on his blast shield corrected for the incoming starburst the flashbang was now give out, a violent abrupt eruption of white seering light as this occurs his plasma handgun takes aim and fires at where he believed Caleb was, aimed at his torso.
When it looks like Jakob might actually be at risk from the Hound Chloe sighs and slips out from cover. "Arsenal right? Got a dog problem here?" she asks with a grin, flicking an energy spear into life and twirling it around lazily. "The names Etoile, but everyone calls me Chloe. Codename never caught on. Was there when your ladyfriend with the pistols came to visit."
Caleb reappears as the blast goes though him, "That the best you go mate?, i was hoping for a minute there you were going to be an interesting fight, hmm, who's this?", he turns to look at Chloe, "Well hello there Chloe, so nice of you to introduce yourself".
Arsenal grunted behind the blast shield, it would seem the flashbang and energy blast were both ineffective and it wasn't much like he had any of Caleb's other weaknesses available on hand. Hearing Chloe he gave her a slight quick look before hes speaking, "Yeah, Arsenal and a pleasure Etoile. You have a spare bone we can throw this mutt?" Not one to turn down assistance in times like these, not when dealing with a Hound, nor even the Hunters. Survival was key. He begins to walk slowly towards his own right moving further back from Caleb but keeping the handgun aimed, his left hand empty. Sensors manually scanning outwards making sure noone was coming to back up Caleb.
Moving with quiet careful steps Chloe moves in towards the sound of Calebs voice. "I'd rather keep my bones where they are for now. But I'm sure I could feed him some of his own ribs," she replies cheerfully, twirling the five foot long spear a little faster. "You should feel honoured by the way. Usually I don't bother saying hi until /after/ I've gutted a puppy." Her own gear selection seems much lower tech than Arsenals, an Expandable baton with a side grip and two butterfly swords. Plus a selection of throwing knives and what appear to be cigar tubes.
Caleb smiles at Chloe, "Big words for a little girl, tell me have you got a death wish?", he may be sounding confident, but he wasn't really prepared for this, he's gonna have to stall them for…, about four and a half minutes.
Unseen lips would split into a grin, Arsenal liked this woman already. "He is kind of scrawny, may have to feed him more than just his ribs." He added to her viciously amusing response, "Waste of time though unless you have some way of pulling his cowardly Casper ass into reality. " Still backing up once far away for comfort he was jumping to get a higher vantage, better aim and easier escape route.
"If he doesn't want to play then we might as well leave," Chloe points out with a shrug. "Because much as I enjoy cutting Sentinels into little bitty pieces I've done my nails recently and you have no idea how hard it is to find nail polish these days. Especially in shades which match a cameo pattern." She shifts the angle she's twirling the spear, then lets the blade brush against the ground, carving a line through the dirt without seeming to slow down.
Caleb shakes his head, "I'm afraid i can't let you leave, see my Master just left with Timeslip, and i've been told to collect mutants for when he gets back", come'on one minute left.
"Timeslip?" Arsenal questions, "Besides pal, not like you can keep us here. What are you going to do, I figure while you're phased out and untouchable like you are right now you can't hurt us and vice versa. Talking us into submission just aint really going to work." He gave one sidelong glance towards Chloe, "No Sentinels incoming yet." He states towards her, her humor at the moment lost on him.
"Back from where…? Let me guess he's got a /really/ bad case of fleas and needed to head to a country where they can still make a flea bath," Chloe asks, taunting in the hope of getting a little more information. "He's obviously playing for time. Sentinels will come past eventually. Not that he could stop me at least, although I suspect he might be able to tail you. For a while at least. No doubt constant power use will drain him eventually."
Memories..She could sing the song if she knew the tune, thankfully she didn't and this was not a scene that would really put her into any mode of amused. Anyone could hear the roaring in the distance and the thunderous cacophony of footsteps that belonged to the Sentinel's. She was atop a nearby building with her gaze peering down the line and through the scope of the SIG sniper rifle with the added silencer to the end, whispering lightly to herself. "Come on..Unblink yourself you little shit."
Domino was darting eyes between the scene with Arsenal, Chloe and Caleb, the weapon aimed at where Caleb had last stood, flicking for any signs of motion where he could reappear - her other hand prepping the line of explosives from her belt, small in appearance, but they packed one hell of a punch. The detanor was placed between her dark stained lips for a hold while the others were set and slid into another pouch on the belt to keep them aside. Now, they would need to be used. A quick jump down the ramshackle fire escape and she could be there with the two, but right now the spook needed the element of surprise, and she had just his ticket.
Caleb smiles, "He's gone back in time to make a few changes, but that the least of your worries", he points in the direction of two incoming Sentinels, "Have fun boys and girls", he unphases and flies up into the air.
"Back in time!?" The handgun lit up, a beam sliced through the air towards Caleb. Three beams in rapid succession. A parting gift of course, "Chickenshit." Arsenal oath's out into his helmet.
"That info needs to return to base. Make sure they know Ahab is using Timeslip to fubar time," Chloe says calmly, turning to face the oncoming robots. "Anyone is expendable compared with getting that info back. Got it? If we don't let command know we might as well just shoot ourselves now and save them the job."
There he was, the SIG followed Caleb once he unphased and began flight. "Ground control to Major Tom, take your protein pills and put your helmet on…"The detonator bounced in her lips. Okay so Domino did sing something with the exhale of air before the trigger was pulled and the bucket silently whipped out towards Caleb's rising form with the needed expectations set of where his path may lead into the air. Caleb was retreating but what was incoming was a bigger problem in more ways than simple physicality, the SIG was slung across her back and she moved, keeping low but with a predatory ease to swing down the crumbling fire escape while hands worked to the pockets of prepped explosives, retrieving them and peeling the protecting plastic off the sticking bases of two of them. Domino trained on the first one coming into sight and her target, thumping the two explosives by the ankle joint of one of the sentinels and running between Chloe and Arsenal. "Give the big guy room!" The detonator was pulled from between her lips
Caleb is hit by both shots from Domino and Jakob, that and his overuse of his powers knock him out cold, he falls out of the sky and hits the ground hard, alive, but severely injured.
A ground shaking explosion had a Sentinel plummeting downards one of it's legs at the knee gone. It's partner would rocket over it, landing with an arm outstretched giant hand closing around Caleb both shielding and collecting him in it while it's free hand opened up blasters on it igniting as it fired in a wide curtain of red energy towards the Chloe and Domino. Arsenal off to the side, not in range for it.
Chloe didn't have to tell him or Domino who'd just appeared twice on that. Something he'd already figured out anyhow. "Sure." A curt simple reply, command, the hell was she talking about Arsenal had not seen a structure like that in the underground yet. Very much in the dark about things at this point he figured, "Lets split before more show, I have heavy incoming on my sensors. " His weapons holstered and he jumped down from his vantage point taking off in a full sprint.
"I'm getting back to base," Chloe informs. Clicking off the energy spear. "I can make it back in no time at all, try not to die okay? Oh and nice shot." Without waiting for a reply she turns and vanishes with a sonic boom. Complete with a trial of dust in her wake.
Her running didn't cease, she fet the heat blast from the Sentinel and her thought to double back and retrieve the wounded body of the warrior was nixed. Her eyes sought to ensure the safety in Arsenal's distance before she did what was known best in defense when you had to move hastily, sloppily, and quick with little self damage. Domino tuck and rolled, landing beneath a large fallen piece of rubble and using that to shield from any possible harm in the blast.Silently and still she waited there, peering out once the one Sentinel left, leaving the downed one behind. No body of Caleb which was just peachy. The final explosive was pulled from her pouch and slipping from beneath the rubble she made a silent yet swift dash to the remaining one, slapping the explosive to his head and once again running for cover. Following the others would come later, something of all this would come of use.
The Sentinel cradling Caleb in it's hand would fly back towards it's base. Defense of the Hound right now it's primary task. Leaving behind it's fallen mechanical twin. Arsenal watched from a distance, knowing Etoile had gotten away with ease and Domino, she was a scrapper she could handle herself. Both of them out of sight he made for a haste retreat, what he came here for could wait until later.
