Mechanical Advantage || The Sentinel/Exonim Event, Please Read The First Post

Mechanical Advantagethe sentinel/exonim event guidelines This is a battle-thread. There is no posting order, but you may only attack an opponent once every 48 hours (unless he/she replies). Any attacks that are not acknowledged or defended against within a 48-hour timeframe will be considered successful and the role-player of the character who has taken the hit is responsible for writing that into his/her subsequent posts. In order to avoid misunderstandings, please be as detailed as possible in your attacks. Elaborate on what the attack does and what your opponent might feel/do when he/she gets hit. DO NOT, under any circumstances, write that your opponent took the hit. DO NOT GOD-MOD or power-play and try to be as realistic as possible. No matter how shiny or special or powerful your snowflake is, he or she will have to take some hits. Remember: This is only a game. Have fun, and try not to die. exonims/sentinels This thread has been tagged for the entrance of both machines. The Sentinels are humanoid machines, three storeys tall. The Exonims are smaller hemispherical machines, capable of flight and complex maneuvers. Both designs were created to hunt and destroy mutants; and are equipped with firearms, energy blasts, and various devices capable of subduing mutants. In order to not tax the Administration/Moderation team, players in this thread are allowed to role-play these machines within reason. OOC Action Movie Heroes tag Camaxtli Fandral Fox Hawkeye Loki Nightshade Shadowcaster Scarlet Sigyn Thor Odinson


Honestly.

Wanda Maximoff stood at the south-eastern edge of the Columbus Circle and looked out into the distance, Union Station and the Memorial Fountain behind her. Locks of her dark hair and the shallow folds of a waist-length cape danced in the chilled breeze. Cardinal red and hooded, the waist-length cape covered her gloved arms and upper body. Beneath it, she wore an all-black outfit and knee-high boots. Clear skies reigned over Washington, D.C. and the air was crisp.

Honestly, she marvelled as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses and started a leisurely stroll south along Delaware Avenue, it was a beautiful day.

Half a mile away, the white cupola of the United States Capitol glimmered in the sunlight. Even though she could not see them at her present location, she knew that they were there - the Exonims, the Sentinels, whatever... They were one and the same, however their makers had chosen to name them; built to identify, hunt, and exterminate mutants. The walk from the Columbus Circle to the Capitol Complex would take fifteen minutes, under normal circumstances--- But, there was nothing normal about her and she had no doubt that she would not have to walk long before that would become apparent.

Honestly, she thought as she flexed her wrists and clenched her fists, only to relax them and repeat the action - the rest of her body perfectly calm -, she could hardly wait.

* * *

“Halt. Mutant.”

Wanda took a deep breath, ignoring the mechanical voice as she rounded about Northwest Drive and continued her purposeful stroll. She had seen the Sentinels the moment she came to the junction that put her a hundred meters away from the United States Senate – twelve machines that stood three-storeys tall, carefully arranged in a neat and circular formation around the Capitol building. There was no Senate seating today. She had made sure of that before she boarded the Acela Express from New York City this morning. She was here only for them - the Sentinels.

As though her thoughts had cued them, three of the Sentinels turned their heads toward her and, in that movement, the afternoon light shimmered off their metallic bodies in a display that was almost beautiful.

Almost.

The whirl of the internal turbines that would generate the energy pulses so signature to the Sentinels and the Exonims begun in a rumble that was clearly heard, even through the sound of the human and vehicular traffic surrounding. One of the machines raised its arm and stretched out an open palm towards her, the barrel of its weapon rotating in readiness to fire.

“Hm.” With a thin and humourless smile, Wanda turned to a group of gawking tourists that had trampled across the manicured lawns in curiosity. Her voice was soft, but the warning explicit: “You should be running...” She took a step towards the Sentinels.

A mile above, the camera on a passing news network helicoptor captured the fleeting image of a massive pentagram, its diameter stretching across the Capitol grounds. The Scarlet Witch glanced up and into the face of the Sentinel before her. She lifted a hand, mimicking the posture of the machine. A flash of red coursed through the arm of the Sentinel, neutralising the energy blast that was meant for the errant mutant, and an alloy nut turned itself loose from its partner bolt. The nut flung itself, at the speed of light, into one of the turbines that powered the Sentinel’s guns - and a chain of explosions within the shell of the machine instantaneously followed, bringing it down with a thundering sound and a cloud of dust.

The tourists that had been rooted onto the grass nearby were now in high panic, screaming for both their mothers and their gods in three languages.

“That way,” Wanda murmured a direction, pausing to point due west and sending them on their flurried escape.

Her other hand, she held out, deflecting the energy blasts of the other two Sentinels. One, two - she watched the tourists scramble away – three --- the third blast penetrated her hex-field and sent her tumbling backwards…

This day had not gone quiet how he had expected it to. They had been on a normal mission. One that the young goddess had done a dozen times Thor knew. However, something had gone wrong. The Sentinel's had attacked them. Well had recognized him and he felt guilt for something that should have been painless and quick, becoming a deadly game suddenly. He had no idea where Sigyn had gotten in the mess that had followed. He could rise above the city and that had been his plan from the start, he swung the hammer until it hummed and lifted him up.

Golden hair caught on the wind and spun around masculine features as he glanced over the city. He saw a woman, beautiful, dressed like autumn. Her hair, her clothing she was in short beautiful. Thor was distracted from his search only for a moment before he returned to looking for the small pale haired woman. She was good at hiding after all she was married to his brother. It was a dry thought, it was hard to say that Loki rubbed off on his sister in law. Though there were times he had to think that.

He wanted to call out to her, but didn't want to attract too much attention to himself. Thor thought he saw her as she ducked behind a building. Thor was going to drop himself down to her side to make sure she wasn't hurt. This was the plan, at least until he heard Halt Mutant.

Than one of the over built tin buckets, launched attacks at the red clad woman. Thor could not leave a woman in need. She deflected one, two and he was impressed than the third one sent her tumbling. Thor glowered at the thing, and spun the hammer under his wrist and let it fly at full strength at the Sentinel that had knocked the woman back. "For Asgard" he intoned. Than he was tumbling placing himself in the way of the large, dented creature.

"I must insist you desist attacking the lady." he said his hammer returning to his hand. An almost feral grin spread across his face when it raised a hand and fired at him. The hammer could parry those attacks and Thor had practiced with Loki, who had far better aim. Which should have worried him but did not.

"Terminate Mutant Threat." the one that had been firing on him said. He was setting himself up for a battle. The hammer spinning in his hand. He did not look back. "My lady, are you badly hurt ?" he called to Wanda in concern.

Really now, she was not given quite nearly enough credit…

Wanda Maximoff tucked her legs in and did a tumbling roll, allowing the force of the energy bolt to bypass her body before leaping to her feet. She moved her left foot forward, and raised her hands in readiness to counter the Sentinel but a silver streak in the sky caught her eye and her brow wrinkled in bafflement as something slammed into the Sentinel before her, derailing its intent.

She was not given quite nearly enough credit for having endured a three-hour train ride from New York City without destroying a single X-gene scanner. She would never have made it to San Francisco – where she should have gone for a more efficient solution. The displeasure that had led to this very moment might have incurred something that would at best be suspicious and at worst be fatal along the way.

And now…

She watched as a tall, blond man flew into range and summoned lightning from a clear, blue sky. From behind her sunglasses, her bright, blue eyes narrowed at the impressive display – a mutant who controlled the weather? She had read that mutants had been systematically eradicated from the capital city, a place that had seen a harsher enforcement of the anti-mutant legislation than NYC. And yet, this mutant was flying around with a flashy breastplate that reflected the sunlight and a bright-red cape that – admittedly – she quite approved of.

Pushing her hair from her face, she remained impervious.

“Hurt?” she laughed softly as she begun a backwards tread towards the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial that stood a hundred and fifty metres away, “No, I’ve barely started…”

She snapped her fingers, distracting the Sentinels from the stranger in the red cape and drew their attention back to her. To the gallant man, she smiled, “Thank you for your concern, but you should go now.” Magic danced between her fingers as she held the concentration of the Sentinels and somewhere deep within the machines, circuits began to fray.

“This is not your fight…”

Washington.

More often than not business was the thing that brought him to this city. When here on business he would occasionally get to go out and see things, however as with most business trips many sights eluded him. Every once in awhile he had to get out. Go somewhere, at a time when he didn't have anything really going on. You know, a vacation.

Washington wasn't too much of a vacation spot though, more of a visit for a few days and see the monuments kind of spot. Most of the tourists here were either people stopping by on their way somewhere else, or kids on trips with their school. More of an educational experience with it's long history than a leisure spot. I guess that made him the odd one out, visiting this place like it was a normal vacation destination.

He was on the nice side of the city, where the monuments and government buildings were. A stark contrast to the run down ghetto of a city that was the other side. Hard to believe that a bus ride from the marble pillars and gleaming white buildings of the capital there existed a slum. The streets were filthy, the residents poor and uneducated, not even given a chance to use their voice in their government because this technically wasn't a state. The irony of that wasn't lost on him.

Still there was something appealing about this place, in its own way.

He was merely enjoying the sights, monuments to great men of the past, and fallen warriors. Then he heard it, not all that far from the exact spot in which he stood.
"Halt Mutant."
He peeked over his shoulder to see a dozen large humanoid robots gathering around one dark-haired woman. Those weren't very even odds.

Mutant or no, she wouldn't be able to stand against all of them herself, that just didn't sit right with him. He dashed off as soon as the action started, same as the other tourists in the area. However, unlike the other tourists he rounded a corner and found himself a secluded area. He set down the metal briefcase he'd been carrying just in case, because you never know. He popped it open, the click from the latch making a small echo in the immediate area. He could still hear the commotion, there was no time to waste.

He changed into his dark blue and gray combat suit, wearing his HUD goggles, and his duty belt. He gave himself a once over to make sure he had everything together, placing both of his pistols in the holsters. Unfortunately with this not being a business trip, he didn't bring bigger guns, but this would have to do on short notice. He stashed the briefcase, now containing his street clothes in a dark corner for later retrieval, and took off back toward where he had seen this all transpire.

He stood around the corner from the event, the sounds of it clear as day to him. He peeked around the corner, analyzing the situation, looking for the perfect moment to strike. His intention was to aid the woman rather than the machines, but first he wanted to see how things would play out if left alone for a moment. Finding out her intent was key to deciding what he wanted to do here.

He continued to observe even as the large blonde man clad in armor joined the fight, a guy who looked like he came straight here from the Renaissance fair. Strange. Though his HUD locked on the new comer and pulled up an abridged file with information on him, Thor Odinson. It gave a name, brief description, and known ability read out. Seems this guy was well known enough to make it into his bingo book, good for him.

He wondered if the woman would also pop up, but he hadn't managed to get a good enough look at her face for his software to do its thing. She was moving around too much, and his vantage point wasn't all too great. Minor information on those model of sentinels also popped up, he read it over, but from what he understood it was fairly standard stuff for what they were.

He didn't have the fancy powers of the mutants and other superhuman-types, he was all human. No super-strength, no impenetrable skin, no laser beams from his ass. He was just a flesh and bone weak human, so overpowering these things was out of the question. Instead he had to rely on his cunning, courage, and possibly mild insanity to prevail.

For now he had to wait, like a coiled viper in tall grass.

Loki was on the verge of literal explosion. His whole body shook, and his eyes were ablaze with hate and rage. How could he have been so careless. Loki pondered. His body movements were quick, fierce, and lethal. He moved with a speed untouched by most humans. Loki Odinson wasn't just angry or mad. 

He was livid.

Thor had taken his wife, into a battlefield.

And Loki intended to join them. 

He had put his trust in Thor, put his ultimate faith in his brother, to only be let down. And because of this, Loki refused to let Thor die at the hands of the Sentinels or Exonims. No. Thor would live long enough so that Loki could strangle him himself.

The God of Mischief strode through New York, the elf known as Nightshade at his heels. Loki had been surprised to find himself with a worshipper, especially one of that realm. But the God would put her to good use. She was a good fighter, one beyond many of this realm. She was lethal, as was he. Loki strode down the sidewalks and into the streets, ignoring the schemes hung of cars as they pulled over and slammed on their breaks to avoid running him over. Loki knew he could smash their cars to bits if he wanted. Especially in his new mood. Loki's eyes glittered with a hint of madness, and his cold smile was perfect and defined. But anyone who knew the Asgardian would know something was up. Anger emanated from the man. Fury, that nothing could quench.

They had reached Central Park. Loki stopped immediately and swiveled around, searching the area. To get to D.C, he'd need an anchor. Shade would be his anchor for New York, but to make the process complete, he'd need a second weight. Loki's gaze fell on a young man, merely in his teens. The god's smile widened.

"Excuse me, good sir," Loki began, his voice full of fake niceties. The boy looked his way. "Has your presence, ever graced the ways of the capital of this unbelievable country?"

The boy blinked. "Err, yes sir. D.C's nice this time of year."

Loki's eyes narrowed, and he eyed the boy for a minute. In the end, he seemed content. "You'll do." he muttered quietly. And in a shimmer of light, Loki's elegant walking staff turned into a spear of mass proportions. He swiftly and quickly brought the tip to the young boy's heart. The teen's eyes glowed blue, and Loki smirked as a weak mind touched that of his own. 

This was a game Loki knew well.

 "My dear Nightshade, I ask you to clear your mind of anything that has to do with New York. Not the towers. Not the subway. Not the underground. And you, my precious child," Loki strode toward his human captive. He wrapped his arm around the back of his head and yanked back in the male's hair. The boy moaned, and Loki's smile widened slightly, madness glittering in his eyes.

"Washington D.C." Loki whispered, smiling coldly.

A rush of dark energy enveloped the trio, cloaking them in shadow. And for a moment, all were still. Loki's grip on the child's hair remained, and Shade stood where she was. All was frozen.

And then the shadow vanished. Light peeled away at the dark and Loki blinked in the daylight. The shine of metal was everywhere. Flashes of light. Loki twisted, and then-

He found himself soaring through the air.

His  hit the concrete hard. Loki gritted his teeth and slapped his hand against his forehead. Blood spilled down his face, his own blood. Loki pushed himself unsteadily up of the ground and looked around. He had teleported straight into a Sentinel/Exonim battle. Metal met metal, and powers flashed as they hit the machines. Loki winced, but the light around him shimmered so that he wore full battle gear. The sun bounced of his gold armor, and the wind billowed out his green cape. In his hand, he held his staff, blue energy glowing in the center. All that was missing was his helmet, which Loki hadn't bothered conjuring. His head was already gushing blood, and there was no need to stain a helmet if he could prevent it.

Ready now, Loki swiveled around. He pulled his staff back and thrust it forward, blue engery colliding with an Exonim long enough to knock it down. Loki's eyes were searching. He could no longer she Nightshade. He had lost her somehow in the fray. The human male was surely dead-no. No, he was running away with the rest of the humans. Loki's gaze darkened. He swung his staff around, the weapon colliding with the side of a Sentinel. He met its gaze for a fraction of a second, but not enough time for it to identify him. He didn't need any identification. Anybody who paid attention to any news whatsoever knew him. 

He was Loki, Thor's little brother.

Loki ran past the metal beasts, ducking and vaulting over a few of the slain lifeless contraptions as well. While he may not be as physically fit as his brother, he was lithe and agile in ways Thor was not. Loki searched through the fray. He caught site of a woman clad in red, energy flying from her fingers. Then, there was someone hiding...Loki could feel them. But neither of these were who Loki was looking for. But at the sight of a bright red caps and flowing blond hair, Loki froze altogether.

He was not who he was looking for.

But he would do.

Anger and rage welled up inside the exiled Prince, and his elegant long fingers tightened on his staff. But Loki controlled his temper and used his frustration to send a bolt of energy flying toward another Sentinel, this one heading toward the woman in red and his brother. It stumbled, and Loki whipped his weapon around, knocking the legs out from under the beast without a second thought. He rose, panting slightly,  from his crouched position as the monster fell. Loki's eyes met his brother's, and the younger of the two raised his chin slightly in acknowledgement. Here was Thor, his hair wind blown, his hammer ready to summon lightning, and protecting the damsel in distress. While Loki was already tired, grimy, and sporting a head wound.

Well, we can't all be the best looking god this side of Alfheim Loki thought darkly.

"Thor!" Loki called coldly, over the sounds of fire and screaming humans that had been too stupid to leave the area. "Perhaps you'd like to explain to me what's going on, and how the hell you managed to loose my wife in all of this?" his gaze flickered back to the woman in red who Thor had spoken to. He blinked twice, and a cold scowl filled out his face.

"Sorry to disappoint you, m'lady, but this fight is very much ours as well." Loki said softly. His gaze traveled along the line of enemies that surrounded them. Loki shot another boot of energy their way, but didn't watch to see if it collided with anything. "This man here doesn't appreciate it when these metal beasts attack without cause or need. He has sworn himself to protect this realm from the horror and desolation of war. All those who needs help, he aids." Loki said in a loud, clipped tone. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"And as always, I'm just along for the ride."

Nightshade had followed Loki closely as he'd stalked along, for once not even making one comment. After all having animal instincts came in handy when it came down to sensing when someone had that 'I want to kill someone' feeling. But this was doing wonders for Nightshade's confidence; she wasn't skulking along like she didn't belong, but the sight of an honest-to-Asgard demon was probably making the screaming humans panic a lil more. As it stood she continued to trail after Loki, only standing still when he found another human to try and get them to where the blonde oaf had apparently stolen Loki's mate away to.

While her Deity spoke to a young human the hooded creature behind Loki leveled a flat stare on the hapless individual as Loki neared him. When asked NOT to think of where they were Nightshade found herself immediately thinking OF it to STOP thinking of it. Though she had a moment of confusion as shadows not her own engulfed her then she flinched as she reemerged into the light. What she couldn't fathom was why she was moving when her legs were still, least till she looked down. The shock of finding herself upon the head of one of the wretched titans that slaughter all mutantkind was rather extreme.

But she gets herself under control and closes her eyes before forming a massive blade of shadow and plunging it as deep as possible into the 'skull' of her enemy. Unfortunately considering it still walked she didn't hit anything vital. So the young she-elf mutant pulled her shadow blade free to attempt a second stab, unaware of any of the other Sentinels likely retaliating on her for this. Loki might not know where he'd accidentally dropped Nightshade but anyone in the air might spot her on her precarious perch. Downside of using her shadows like this was the fact that Nightshade had to keep her eyes closed thanks to the sunlight reflecting off her target's hide. So if something moved to strike her she wouldn't be able to retaliate unless she could hear it coming.

It had really been a simple run it was suppose to be a training exercise for them. She was going to go with him into the Capitol to see how the Sentinel's were put together. However, what had happened had been something different all together. As soon as they had arrived it was like the creatures had been on high alert to begin with and Sigyn had a very bad feeling about it. She had told Thor the same thing. That she thought she should go back home, that this was not a day for a battle. However, when it came to battle, and the Earth Realm this was Thor Odinson and Thor Odinson had no real form of common sense once he caught the heat of battle. Let alone when he was suppose to be watching over her. Oh, Loki her poor husband he was going to be furious. This was suppose to be a training exercise instead it had turned into a battle royale, to which Sigyn, for all her combat medic practices was not use too.

They had been set on by a grouping of Sentinel's and Sigyn was fine with holding her own. It was when Thor called lightening to the spot and it struck, and alerted more. Sigyn had screamed at him to watch out. That was before she'd been hit. She took a blast full on and it had knocked her into a building. Which had hurt like hell. The rock and brick crumbling around her as she had come into the main receptionist area of what looked to be a dance school. People were looking down at her to see if she was okay when she blinked her eyes open. She waved away the worried people. These people should be more than worried, since she knew in the blase that followed, she screamed and her thoughts went out and brushed her husband's. It wasn't something that Sigyn controlled really he was a constant on her mind. He was who she went to when upset or needed to be held, when she was hurt so naturally he was who her mind reach out to, but it was only a brushing of thoughts and than was gone as quick as the mental caress was.

She hurt, she hurt all over and everything parts she didn't even know she had hurt and that was a huge concern for her. She got to her feet and spun to look at the people who were moving around her. "Don't touch me." she hissed as her hands went over her person to assess her own damage. The soft blue glimmer from her hand told them she was not human. They would think her a mutant like everything else in this gods forsaken city. Normally it didn't bother her, but she was already having a bad day. All she wanted was to learn the damn things weakness's and she had achieved in getting herself knocked through a wall. Thor having to lead them away so they wouldn't go after her and Sigyn now in this mood. Since for the first time in possible history, her mood perfectly matched her husband. Everything was still fine inside her body, the baby had been bounced but felt nothing wrong from it. She comforted the little form mentally.

She stalked from the spot she had been knocked spun herself chanting a soft incantation as she rose from the ground to get a better view from the heavens. She knew that she could find Thor just look for the biggest battle after all. The small pale haired woman again began to intone in the same lyrical language as she slowly spun, the blues and greens of the magic she cast glittering around her becoming a apart of her before simply absorbing into her and there was a soft little chime, as the goddess teleported herself. She could take herself anywhere there was fidelity, and she could take herself directly to her husband any time she was in trouble and in this case she had the distinct feeling she had better make her presences known since his mind when she brushed it was cold as a ice storm. That wasn't so surprising knowing what she knew of him now.

There was that same soft chime, and that same glow of soft green and blue at the spot the goddess arrived.

Sigyn was in no mood, in fact she was past being happy today, she had lost her happy somewhere, and apparently her give a damn had broken as well. When one could be compared to a white mage one probably shouldn't be in such a foul mood but she wasn't just that. She wasn't just a goddess, she had been a nymph goddess before Odin had decided to give her title among the Asgard feeling it necessary, and Sigyn didn't not really, she would have loved Loki no matter what. This all of this poked at the woman's inner instinct the darker part of her that held that certain fey-nature. "I know your angry." she said to Loki as she glanced to him. She was in full armor at this point, a similar style to her husband, as seemed to be tradition among the Asgardians. "Believe me when I say you are no where near, and pissed off as I am." her eyes flashed silvery with her words and she rose her hands into the air, summoning her power.

Her energy glowed around her, the greens swirling with the blues, and she brought a foot up and slammed it down the energy being transferred into the ground under them, so at least three of the sentinel's in front of them were in the path of her destruction. The ground shook under her magic cracks formed, and parted, the ground where the three Sentinel's were fell in and there were live wires exposed, the sewage system broke, and water pipes busted and spurted like a vein cut. The large creatures would fall in, or fall over most likely. She fell into a proper defense stance though she her back was covered between the two Asgardians. She thought she saw a flash of shadow.

Was Nightshade here as well ? It was likely so.

She remembered Wanda from the Cafe in New York. "Its good to see you again, Scarlet." she called over her shoulder. Than tossed a look at Thor. "We need to talk about the high points of being sneaky. you and I." her tone was hissed, and still she seemed to have that fey-like pulse about her. She was not in a good place. Still it cost nothing to be polite.

Four miles away, deep in the world’s largest office building, a phone rang: “General, we have a problem.”

The man whom everyone called ‘General Castle’ put down his pen. He was tall and square-shouldered, his dark hunter-green uniform decorated with enough stripes and badges to outfit an entire army - and that was exactly what he thought of himself as: He was The Army. The rest of them were merely imbeciles incapable of doing anything but follow orders. This country - heck, the whole world - would be in hell if not for him. The perpetual scowl on his face barely moved and his voice dripped with displeasure as he depressed the ‘Answer’ button: “Fix it.”

“Uh, sir - you should have a look at the surveillance feed.”


In front of the United States Capitol, six metallic lumps lay on the ground - a mangled mess from the efforts of the Scarlet Witch, Thor and Loki Odinson, Nightshade, and Sigyn. Water jetted out of the broken pipes from within the fissure in the lawn, making contact with liberated electricity and forming a wall of death.

In the center of the destruction, three deities and a mutant wrapped in red stood steadfast. Everyone else in the vicinity had been sensible enough to evacuate, assisted by the local police department which had arrived in a whirl of sirens and flashing lights. On top of one of the still-standing Sentinels, a shadow moved, darkness and light in eternal struggle.


General Castle snarled, “Explain.”

“The Sentinels logged a positive ID for the X-gene fifteen minutes ago.” The voice over the phone hesitated, “And this is the scene now.”

“You’re all useless sons of b---” the General spat, “Deploy the Exomins,” he rest the weight of his upper body upon the two palms he had laid flat on his desk, “I want them all exterminated.”

“Sir, you should see who the identified mutant is...” The video feed zoomed in onto the dark-haired mutant that stood beside the three visitors from Asgard.

“Well, I’ll be damned...” A fist pounded into the solid-wood desk, “You told me she was dead!”

“Yes, sir,” the voice on the line trembled slightly, “Yes, sir. That was the report, sir.”

“I want a body this time, soldier” Castle’s voice dropped to a dangerous low, “You get me a body by sundown, you hear, or you disappear.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And pull up the SHIELD database,” the General added, “See if we have any assets in the area...”

There was a long pause.

“General?”

“Spit it out.”

“We have one - a Clint Barton, sir, AKA ‘Hawkeye’.”

“Activate him,” the General moved to end the call, “And, soldier---”

“Yes, sir?”

“Tell him to kill everyone.”

* * *

Undisclosed Location

The fortified doors of the hanger yawned opened and a fleet of machines came into view, the lights on their polished shells blinking in response to the commands that had been uploaded into their mainframes. The low hum of engines begun, and the headlights on one of the machines blinked to life as it lifted off the cement floor. Another followed suit, and another, and another... Within five minutes of the order having been made, four Exonims were enroute towards the United States Capitol.

* * *

Just a few metres away from the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, the remaining six of the Sentinels that guarded the U.S. Capitol building moved in, herding the rebellious fighters together and forming a circle around them.

One of the Sentinels - the one with Nightshade perched precariously on top of its head - raised its mechanical arm, and flicked the elven-mutant off as one would a pest. The action would send Nightshade flying far.

“Directive,” one of the Sentinels intoned, cuing the rest of the machines, “Exterminate mutant threat.”

A second Sentinel raised its arms and from within them shot out two large, thick nets. The nets would smother precisely over Wanda, Thor, Loki, and Sigyn. The corners of the nets were welded to metal prongs that would open up into claws capable of anchoring into any surface, pinning its captives down. The velocity at which the nets would hit their targets would make them fall over.

With the mutant and the Asgardians trapped, the third Sentinel would fire off two lethal rounds of energy bolts at the targets...

In one of the rooms within the Monaco hotel, a mobile phone beeped. The man occupying the room looked up from his position on the couch towards the glass table where he had placed the device hours earlier. Getting up, he walked over to the table and picked up the beeping piece of technology. At his touch, the device’s screen flickered and an encrypted message appeared:

(“SHIELD Directive: Endgame. Coordinates: 38.8897° N, 77.0089° W. Shoot at will.”)

Not wasting any time, he pulled on a black shirt and fastened the straps of his boots. He grabbed a small silver suitcase, a quiver and a kevlar vest carrying the SHIELD logo that was placed next to the door and raced out of the room. Quickly making his way towards the stairwell of the hotel, he started his descent three floors down. Stairs were quicker then elevators, and safer as well, it was one of the first things you learned in his profession.

Rushing past the reception, he made sure he didn’t lose his suitcase, as it held his most prized possession and his primary weapon of choice, a fiber bow and extra arrows with specially designed arrowheads.

Clint Barton, otherwise known as ‘Hawkeye’ quickly made his way towards the given coordinates. He hadn’t been far away from ‘Ground Zero’ so in his approach he could already hear the noises of the ongoing battle in the distance, as well as the screaming of terrified people trying to get the hell out of there.

Many of those people were coming his way, but noticing the logo on his vest, they quickly moved out of the way for the assassin, knowing he was there to save them from whatever it was that was threatening them, or at least die trying. Now he wasn’t really planning on that last part, but then again one in his profession didn’t get very old.

The battle was intense, he could hear and feel it from his current location as the ground shook, probably from something big and heavy, he figured a Sentinel, hitting the ground. ‘Endgame’ they had activated him for ‘Endgame’ so he was sure it wasn’t something small that he was running into.

He wasn’t running into anything. He wasn’t a chicken without its head that was running around and into a battle zone. No, he was trained better than that, so he acted to his training. Dashing into an alleyway he knelt down behind a dumpster and opened the suitcase he had been carrying, pulling out his folded up bow. With one fast movement, he unfolded the bow and hung it over his shoulder along with his quiver which was filled up with arrows. He hoped he had enough on him for this battle, because he had to leave the suitcase with his extra quivers in the alleyway for it would only be in the way during the battle.

Looking around, he calculated a way up to the roof. The roof - specifically, high places - was where he did his thing best. He saw better from a distance. It was his like of heights that got him the name ‘Hawk’ or ‘Hawkeye’ back in the circus years ago, and SHIELD had taken over the name when he was signed into their services.

Seeing his way up, he took a leap and reached for the fire-escape on the side of the building, pulling himself up, he started running up the stairs until he reached the top. He could see the battlefield in front of him now. Damn, what a mess. This was his first thought when he saw the destruction that was caused. Half a dozen Sentinels laid destroyed on the ground like they had been toys that broke easily and were discarded.

Besides the four people on the battlefield, there was someone else that caught his attention. A man in obvious battle gear was hiding in the alleyway on the other side of the street from his vantage point on the roof. Clint was torn in-between watching the battle, trying to find a way to take them all out as quickly and efficiently as possible, and watching the man in battle gear across the street. There could be a chance that this man would either join the fight on his side, or theirs. Clint just couldn’t be sure of anything before the man showed his intentions.

This..was what Thor had gotten her into, all of this. She wouldn't have been knocked through a building and she wouldn't have been hurt and bleeding if Thor would have been able to reign in his more noble action. They couldn't save the world it was fool hardy to try. She should have listened to her husband. His methods at times were misplaced but his wisdom wasn't. Many dismissed it for being cynical and just grumpy. His views had merit. There wasn't anywhere for her to dodge from the way of the net. Well at least not any way that they would see. So it knocked her over and bore her to the ground. She wasn't out of trick yet by far. She wasn't a shadow porter like Night was, but she could teleport short distances using other means, and the ground she was in contact with.

So no Sigyn choose not to dodge the net as she saw them coming. Instead she turned and grabbed for her husband. Her fingers closing around the cool metal of his armor which made the anger in her cool only a touch. She was still seething. She had never been so angry in her life. Not even with the deception of marriage centuries ago. She had every right to be mad than, she had a right to be mad now as well. These thing could hurt her, could hurt Hela. She used the defense she had, which moved she and Loki by contact from the netting before the things started firing. The ground seemed to rise up vines leaves and the like from the split earth, even under the net there was a connection, and it was that contact Sigyn used to move them. They appeared the same way behind some trees a little bit away from the main scene. There wasn't a lot she could do for the others until out anyways. She didn't even know where Nightshade was, and she liked the girl.

Something told her that this was going to be worse before it was better, and that very same part didn't care. Since something was slowly unraveling in the normally warm woman. "We need cover." she murmured to Loki as she let go of him. There wasn't a fear in her for her, one hand rested over her stomach though. Her armor concealed her frame well, and was very protective but a bunch of these things could be bad news. "Loki..." she whispered softly, her eyes were bright blue with a inner fire.

"I want to see Washington burn." her words were clear and soft and held their own malice. Her magics were not set to getting a net off of anyone. Her defensive teleport had taken a bit out of her. Loki was a sorcerer and better than she was. Her powers were healing, but she was tapping into something else of her own being. Something more primal, and gave her the connection she had to the earth.

Sigyn might not know where Nightshade was but the young dark elf mutant knew precisely where she was, up way too high. Least that was how she felt after dissipating her shadow blade and opening her eyes only to see the 'titan's' hand rise up and flick her off its head like she was a mosquito. Nightshade barely managed a short cuss she'd picked up from a human she'd overheard before she was sent flying. Thanks to the swirling currents of air Nightshade found herself spun around enough that she could see where she would soon be landing in flashes.

As she flies toward the rooftop she tries to cover her head and neck while attempting to not tense up, since that would just hurt more. But sadly as the wind kept swerving Nightshade around and slightly lowering her the young dark elf mutie would soon hit her incoming landing spot back first. And sadly for a certain distracted human; her skinny form went rag-dolling from the air and into Hawkeye. Nightshade yelps as she hit the stationary form of the operative known as Hawkeye and sent them tumbling end over end in a confusing kaleidoscope of dizzying light and color. Though Nightshade inadvertently stops Hawkeye from getting near the ledge by simply kicking out with her feet as soon as she could; thus cancelling out Hawkeye's forward momentum led to her connecting with the 'lip' of the roooftop.

As soon as she'd kicked Hawkeye away in their impromptu tumble Nightshade seemed to disregard his presence as she checked herself for damage while trying to stand up. Her willingness to ignore her enemy was likely going to bite her in the tail when Hawkeye found his feet.

When Sigyn appeared by his side, Loki regained a small sense of calm. He had felt her mind brush his, but had thought little of it. He did not want mental Sigyn. He wanted real Sigyn. His Sigyn. Not her comforting him through some silly little mind link they had. So when she joined him, he relaxed ever so slightly for a matter of moments. And then, he bristled entirely, and a murderous look crossed his face. She was bleeding. 

Someone was going to pay for this.

Loki ground his teeth together at her words. And through clenched teeth, he spat out. "I'm not sure how that's possible..."

And then his wife was using her own magic to destroy Sentinels. The ground opened up underneath them. Pipes burst, electricity crackled, and Loki continued to shoot energy bolts. He almost removed the casket from his cloak, but thought better of it. He didn't know the power extent of the device. The angrier he became, the more uncontrollable the casket became. And he couldn't risk hurting a mutant. He had a deal with them, and if he was to gain what he wanted, he had to uphold his side.

And then there was the petty humans Sigyn and Thor loved so much...

The next Sentinel went down, the blast of energy exploding on contact.

The machine caught aflame and Loki smirked evilly. As he watched the remains of the Sentinel burn, Loki didn't notice the net as it flew through the air. It launched itself into the ground over top of them. Loki's blood smeared across his forehead as he braced himself against it. But Sigyn went down. Loki turned and caught sight of the Sentinels warming up their blasters. He turned to Sigyn, arm outreached, his fingers straining to grab a hold of her hand. He didn't know what he was going to do. He needed another anchor to teleport and had none. There was nothing he could do. It was too late to raise his staff to fight back, the Sentinels would roast them...

But then Sigyn was using her magic again. She grabbed at his metal armor first. And then ground split open with leaves and vines and earth. Using them, Sigyn moved them away from the destruction, behind some trees. Oh. Right. Earth powers.

Loki's breathing was labored. His gaze flickered to Sigyn. "I forgot you could do that." he whispered quietly. "I thought...I thought..." he didn't continue on. It was obvious what Loki had thought.

Loki nodded and Sigyn's mention of cover. His gaze fell to her stomach where her own hand rested. Loki inhaled sharply. "You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be anywhere near here!" Loki seethed. His eyes flashed dangerously. "My intents were to avoid this battle entirely. You know my thoughts on this war. It's useless, completely useless. And the fact that my dear brother dragged you into this...!" Loki was fuming now, absolutely fuming. And slowly, a hint of blue began to touch at his fingers as his rage wavered in and out of control. "I trusted him, I trusted him to protect you! But he's foolish, he's reckless, he doesn't think about anyone but himself! And he doesn't know! He doesn't know about the child! I'll kill him, I'll rip his limbs off one by one, and I'll face Sif alone. I can take care of myself. But she doesn't know, he doesn't know..."

But then Sigyn spoke his name. Loki went quiet, and his gaze rose to her face. No emotion flickered across his features. But the words she spoke next caught him off guard.

He was silent for a few moments. He saw her rage, her anger. She seethed with hate. And then Loki spoke in a clipped tone. "Not but a few days ago, you spoke of neutrality and saving the likes of others. You know there are innocent people here. I know you do."

And then his gaze flickered downwards once again. He placed his hand on hers on her stomach. "It's because of him, isn't it? The baby?" Loki whispered.

Loki leaned in, and kissed Sigyn's forehead. He then pulled away, and smiled darkly. It was jagged, but his eyes were bright. "Sigyn, Washington will burn. I apologize, but I cannot help the foolish humans. And I cannot, will not aid with the likes of Thor. Sigyn, I have been keeping secrets from you." Loki rose to his full height.

"Neutrality is impossible. Avoiding this war is just as inconceivable. The time for humans is done. Mutants will rise to a new age and grace. For you see," and Loki's smile widened. "They have promised me something in return."

And suddenly, flames began shooting across the ground in all directions. They continued to travel until they met wood or gas, anything that could be set aflame. The trees they stood behind caught fire. Loki leaned down and kissed Sigyn gently on the lips.

"Fire and ice, you and I." Loki whispered as he pulled away. "Completely different. Utter opposites. But when they come together..." Loki laughed softly.

"Are you ready, my dear?"

This was somewhat exasperating.

Wanda Maximoff tumbled to the ground as a netted wall of Vectran hit her. The impact of the synthetic ropes had hurt more than the fall and she gritted her teeth together in restrained annoyance. She heard, but did not see, the cyclic movements of a large gun. There was no time to turn around to intercept the energy blasts that exited the barrel of a Sentinel’s arms. This must have been how she had ‘died’.

Never again.

A hex-field shimmered around Thor and herself, the only ones left within the blast zone. The energy bolts lit up the world around them, burning white-hot – but they did not burn her nor the man beside her. For an instant, she squeezed her eyes shut, the light searing red across the back of her eyelids. And then, it was over. For a radius of three metres around her, the grass and the ground were on fire. And then, she realised that a flame had licked the hem of her red cape, setting it alight. She gasped and tugged at the button that held the cape over her shoulders, ripping the material away and dropping to the ground in a roll. The cape was left behind as she curled her body into a protective ball and rolled in-between the feet of a Sentinel, a charred mark of scarlet in the soil.

The Sentinel she had rolled under swivelled its body around to track her, locking in her movements as a target. She leapt to her feet. The electrified wall of water crackled, ten metres away, and she was running even as she cast a hex at it. Behind her, an errant bolt of electricity sparked as it escaped from the constraints of the water and leapt across the air to hit the knee of the nearest Sentinel. A net of electricity engulfed the machine and its circuits disintegrated…

The Scarlet Witch stood at the edge of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, silhouetted by the sunlight as she watched the scene before her. The Sentinel burned and toppled over, bringing down the rest of the Sentinels in the circular death-trap. Tracks of sandy soil covered her black outfit and her red fingerless gloves. Her dark hair was a mess, but none of that crossed her mind as she shut out the hum of power that raged in her veins, the white noise in her mind, and calmed herself.

And then, there was fire.

She whirled around, suddenly confused about the source of the flames. The gods kissed and she clenched her fists, lovers in a battlefield… She was right – this was not their fight.

She had realised who exactly the red-caped man was when another dark-headed man had appeared and addressed him as ‘Thor’. The subsequent sight of Sigyn had only served to confirm that knowledge. Any other person might have thought differently, to be aided by the god of thunder, a master of mischief and his wife, but Wanda was disturbed. It had never been her intention to turn the afternoon into a battle. She had come here for something – for someone – but this had turned into a veritable disaster.

Across the block, fire alarms went off and sprinklers burst to life, pouring water into houses and offices, hallways and rooms, upon people and animals alike. The Scarlet Witch reached out an open palm and the pentagonal nut of a nearby fire hydrant loosened itself as its internal valve opened. A jet of water gushed out, five meters into the air. In a circling pattern, all nearby fire hydrants mimicked the action and the ensuing fountains of water doused the flames that had destroyed the trees.

“ENOUGH.”

The word was calm, clear and non-negotiable – all this destruction had to stop.

Jim stood there watching as the battle unfolded, his vantage point allowed him to see almost all of it while shielding him from stray attacks and onlookers alike. Things were getting more and more crazy, little by little the whole scene was descending into madness. At first he was thinking of which side he should be supporting, however now it seemed as if supporting either side would be the choice of a madman.

The machines in the battle seemed to only be increasing in number as they were downed, as if there truly was no end to them. Almost like some sort of machine queen was somewhere at the end of this long line birthing these things, but that would have been ridiculous. Likewise the number of super-powered types joining in was increasing as the battle raged on. The involvement of both of these conflicting forces only added to the destruction of this nation’s once beautiful capital city.

The sight of these monuments to the past greatness of the nation that he had at one time sworn to protect infuriated him. He didn’t care about the conflict between humans and mutants, he didn’t care which side won the battles and eventually the war. Hell part of him hoped the less rational ones would just wipe one another out.

Though, he didn’t usually entertain those thoughts.

Instead he tried to be positive, but try as he may with the idiots and fanatics escalating things on either side it was not an easy thing to do. He was truly someone who was neutral in this, despite the circumstances of his birth, he would not be forced to choose a side in this ridiculous conflict. His goggles had also picked up on something else as he was standing there.

A man, one dressed in black and carrying a bow, most likely a government agent sent to help and deal with this mess. His HUD gave him a read-out almost immediately, it seemed Clint Barton was within his files. This was interesting, but aside from the basic data not exactly relevant to the current situation. Though the presence of his file made it obvious that he would become involved, no one of remote importance would be sent to merely observe this type of situation.

Jim slinked around the building he’d been using for cover, completely concealing himself from the situation that was occurring only a stone’s throw away. He reached into one of the pouches of his belt and pulled out what appeared to be a rolled up poncho, which he immediately donned. This poncho was actually optical camouflage, during the night it rendered him almost completely invisible, while it did the same during the day the distortion from the light being bent around him was made all the more apparent when he was in motion. He then activated the jump jets in his boots to assist him in leaping up to the roof for an ever better vantage point. He slowly made his way to the ledge, to avoid being detected by any of the forces that were present on this battlefield.

He overlooked the battlefield, seeing the four super-powered beings present, and the destruction their actions were causing to the city. There was a great amount of fallen machines at this point, still they kept coming. Then something caught his eye, a young woman flying through the air and abruptly colliding with the archer. Jim choked back laughter, as the only thought that ran through his mind at that very second was, that this was the funniest thing he had seen all day.

Still he couldn’t let that side-track him. He was angry, angry that these people would defile such beautiful history. He had to push what he’d just seen out of his mind, because it made him smile just a bit inside.

Now was the time to spring into action, there wasn’t a second more he could waste watching things just descend into insanity. This had to STOP! He thought as he leapt from the ledge toward one of the towering sentinels, using the jump jets in his boots to both propel and accelerate himself. He let fly a single concussion at the back of where the head and neck of the sentinel met in order to open up the outer structure if only a small amount. He had a great knowledge of the structural integrity of military-grade hardware, and these things would prove to be no different. The point where two surfaces met was always the weakest, and the most prone to damage.

His grenade had exploded and opened a small hole in the back of the top of its torso and the bottom of the back of the head, only a few moments before he was to collide with it. He maneuvered himself in the air to be able to meet its back with his feet as he slammed the knuckles of one of his stun gloves into the palm of the other to generate a small electromagnetic pulse. This fried the circuits of the sentinel he had chosen to attack, the hole he had opened in the outer shell of it had given the pule an avenue to deal its damage.

When his feet made contact with the sentinel at the speed he was traveling that was all it took to topple the massive machine without its systems keeping it standing. He rode down on the back of it, dust and debris from the immediate area being kicked up at they both landed with excessive force.

Jim did not just stand there following his abrupt, and in his own opinion, awesome entrance. He immediately tossed out a total of five of his miniaturized sticky mines. The adhesive substance bonding onto a part of each one of the Asgardians’ bodies, and nearby the woman clad in red. The final mine landed less than a yard from where the archer and the other young woman were.

He pulled out his blaster pistol and held it in one hand, the other holding a remote detonator, only his legs, hands, and some of his face were clearly visible with him wearing the optic camouflage still. The goggles gave off a glare in the sunlight, on top of concealing the majority of his face. He laughed loudly before calling out to those around him, the ones nearby or even attached to the explosive charges.
“This madness stops here!” His voice was somewhat hoarse as he called out with anger, his voice projecting from his chest. “I recommend leaving this place and calling it a draw!”

The room was relatively small one, cramped and filled with computer screens; the air was a bit stuffy but relatively cold as it was recycled by the air-conditioning. The lighting was dim, only a few red lights indicating a sort of emergency and the light from the back-lit screens illuminated the room. Four government agents sat at their own terminal. It looked as if they were lazing about playing video games rather than hard at work, but this was one of those times when appearances were deceiving.

The terminals they were stationed at weren’t the run of the mill government computer, connected to a large database and painfully slow. No these were state of the art pieces of machinery on their own dedicated network in order to control drones remotely in real-time. The screens were feeding them visual data of what the drones were seeing, along with the other information not visible to the naked eye that was being relayed to the via a heads up display. Their headsets were giving them a rendering of the audio from where the drones were, as well as a microphone attachment to allow them to transmit their voices as well.

This small room inside of a government installation, was something that lacked a certain flair for what it was. Surely the mutant menace would imagine such a thing in a more grand way, like an evil villains lair inside of a skull-shaped volcano on an island. The truth however was far more mundane than that, it was just a small room no larger than the basement of an average-sized home for a middle-class family. This was a command center for the feared Exonims.

*****
In the skies over Northern Virginia, about five hundred meters above the ground, four aircraft flew in formation leaving contrails that ran parallel one another. They were screaming toward the capital, the unmanned Exonim drones used to eliminate dangerous mutants, traveling at a speed that rested somewhere between mach one and mach two. At their current velocity they would arrive at the scene in a matter of mere moments, as soon as they crossed the Potomac River.

“Well arrive momentarily sir!” A voice called out from one of the machines.

“We are entering visual range!” Another machine transmitted.

“Reducing speed and descending now!” A third called out.

Just like that the Exonims came upon the scene, slowing down from such a great speed to a near complete stop in a matter of moments. The air whipped around violently as the large machines slowed to a drifting hover above the grouping of people. The air they brought with them was incredibly cold from being at such a high altitude, intermingling with the heat given off by their jets.


“Stand down Muties and we’ll fire!” The speakers on one of the unmanned drones relayed.

Almost immediately after, not even waiting for the simplest of response the machines moved into an attack pattern. They surrounded the targets on the ground and let loose rounds at high speed from their electric cannons. The Gatling-style cannons let out a whir as they spun at high speed, the sound of the rounds being fired would be deafening.

The rounds were fired at high speed, in a cone-shaped area with a width of about one meter toward the ground where their targets stood.

Gravity comes to Earth with a speed of 9.81 m/s˛, meaning that with each meter an object drops, it’ll gain speed. Or in simple language, the higher the drop, the faster the stop. As a shooter Clint knew this like no other, it was a rather vital formula to calculate where an arrow would land or a bullet would hit its target. Of course it needed more math then that, but it was one of the vital ones.

Clint had been just one second to late with looking back towards the battlefield, although would he later think about it, and do the math, he was sure that one second didn’t matter. There would have been no way he could have avoided getting hit by the mutant tossed his way by one of the sentinels.

The Archer let out a loud ‘Ooof’ as the dark skinned creature collided with him, sending him backwards into the grave. They looked like a pebble bouncing over the waterline as they traveled over the rooftop until Clint got hit my something, probably the mutant, and crashed into the gravel to stay there.

Cursing, in any language he knew, he tried to get back up on his feet. Thinking about doing it, and doing it seemed to be two very different things as he became light headed as he stood. Feeling something on his forehead, he reached with his hand, only to find a wet spot. Pulling his hand back to examine it, he saw that his fingers where red. Great, he was bleeding.

Looking around to see where the mutant was that knocked him off of his feet, he also noticed that his bow was nowhere to be seen ”Oh great” he muttered. Not wasting any time, he quickly pulled a dagger from his both and faced the mutant on the rooftop with him. He was surprised with what he saw, he was sure it was one of the strangest mutants he had ever seen. ”and what are you supposed to be?”

Behind him, the battle was escalating, and he prayed to god that he wasn’t on the losing side. Ugh this would be World news material if his guys lost, and he was sure, would he managed to get back to SHIELD in relatively one piece, he wouldn’t hear the end of it for the next few years. As he kept looking at the mutant in front of him, he heard a familiar noise of Exonim drones coming to the scene. Okay, maybe he wasn’t alone on this one.

Paying attention to both the mutant and the drones, Hawkeye failed to notice the mine landing less than a yard away from them.

There was very little that Sigyn felt right now other than spited and angry, she had never been abandoned by anyone before.It was something that had been growing in her though, each protest, each death, each bit of blood on hands that would never wash off, which would never wash clean and Sigyn was ill with it. She was so sick of everyone at each others throats all the words Loki had spoken to her and Thor that night haunted her, how could she defend these people, how could she care about them when they gave nothing in the area of care in return. Would kill there own and mutants to get at them. Would do something terrible to make a point, to one up each other. It was sad and it was petty, war made beasts out of everyone. She was coming to learn.

Even she.

She saw the look that had crossed Loki's face it was usually reserved for Koli. Sigyn knew that look though he did well to hide it from her. Did well to protect her from his darker self. The thing was Sigyn had loved him to long to not be privy to his thoughts and moods."Believe me, I am." her eyes were that shade of blue they went when she was furious. Right before she started to hurl china. She said nothing else as she might have. There was no trying to reassure him it would be okay, when it was not okay. It had not been okay, and would likely never be okay again.

The worked her magic, fast and with the skill of someone sure of herself who knew what she was doing. She had gotten Loki caught up in this because she was caught up in this. Because blasted Thor, though it was a great idea to take her to train, than left her in a building. There was a healing wound along her hair line, it had made her hair a little red and Sigyn pushed her fingers back into it, to keep the strands out of her eyes. She was not going to find herself a target of the sentinel blast. She did know enough of them to get out of the way. It was in that moment that the decision she made and would always make happened. She pulled Loki with her, he was her husband. The two went through ivy and leaves to appear away from where the damage was being done. They would still be able to help out.

She flashed him a smile that was meant only for him. "I have more tricks up my sleeve my love, than to allow us to die horridly on some field of battle." she said with a wink. "I try very hard to come up with back up plans." she murmured. Still she did not shy from his gaze or his look. "We were suppose to be looking in on how they were made, how they were crafted, I don't know how it became this" she motioned with a small hand to around them. "Thing is we are here now, and there is no avoiding it." she murmured softly. She could tell he was fuming his eyes were like emerald flame, and Sigyn had not been one to push Loki when he had that look. She would get him a book or tug him to bed. There was sadly no book, no bed and no calm to share with him. His own emotions were effecting hers."Loki, my love." her hand caught his for a moment and squeezed. "You can contemplate killing him later, we are in the middle of a danger zone." she whispered. "No he doesn't know about the baby, no one but you , I and Night do." she stressed softly.

Sigyn tipped her head to the side and her eyes went almost into tiny slits. "No one is innocent, Loki." her words were hissed softly. "No matter where you go what you do, no one is, we all fall short of some amazing grace, but I have come to the point where, I would rather fall, than die fighting for something that it seems is only going to happen again and again and again, and I should feel ashamed of myself, I have always been the one to say violence doesn't work, and yet I am forced to push my hand into that arena. No where is safe, and nothing is sacred...but you to me." she said "What ever happen you have me."

"Now is not the time or place to discuss such matters, but because of her." she said as she peered up at him. "We have to have a side even if its just our own." she listened as he spoke of holding secrets "I know when you are sick with it, and I know when you've done something that bothers you, that you can not tell me, you stay in bed the next day. I never judged you than, and I will never judge you now, what have you done ?" though he could tell she was also gearing herself up for something more, She pulled her boots off as she spoke to him. Giving her a even closer connection with the earth that she felt pounding in her veins.Even the earth was angry, because all of the fighting and scarring being done to her. Sigyn's blue eyes took on a silvery rim when she touched her powers.

He kissed her and she leaned into rather than pull herself away from such a display in public. Her fingers in his hair. "I will follow your lead, I will aid you, and your allies, and I will make sure Hela, is safe, as I can offer her." Sigyn said in a low tone.

She nodded her head at being asked if she was ready, the fire raced along the ground igniting the trees which didn't do too much as one might think but her own powers lines. Sigyn was about to say something else when the water splashed them both. She was immediately grateful to not be the Wicked Witch of the West. She didn't care what anyone thought really about what went on between she and Loki, sometimes battle was battle, they were gods, they did things in a different way.

The trees that lived along the side of the roads however, began to creak and there was the sound of wood groaning as they up rooted themselves. Sigyn began to motion to them, urging them up, calling to them. They seemed to gain a life of there own--for the moment. Eyes opened as old as wood and blinked as arms grew from them and there branches seemed to become more animated. They were now trents for the time of this spell, they would not attack humanoids since she couldn't explain the difference between human and mutant to them in the time needed, they were to hurt the things firing on people, the metal me. When they could roughly lift fifty tons, it was not an issues they moved to attack the new found threat with powerful blows from their fists, that was how these creatures attacked with there fists. She didn't have to give verbal commands to them, the spirits that strengthened the trees, that animated them knew what she wanted.

Giving the group a chance to figure out what they were doing. Sigyn wasn't heartless she was just done with niceties.

WRITTEN FOR Sentinel Thread CHARACTER The Gang ON In The End-Linkin Park IN 600 WORDS. OOC: The Trents are very durable to bullets normal ones would ping off of their barky exterior, they are badly hurt by fire, they have super human strength they can lift up to 50ft tons.This is for reference purposes and combat.

There was very little that Sigyn felt right now other than spited and angry, she had never been abandoned by anyone before.It was something that had been growing in her though, each protest, each death, each bit of blood on hands that would never wash off, which would never wash clean and Sigyn was ill with it. She was so sick of everyone at each others throats all the words Loki had spoken to her and Thor that night haunted her, how could she defend these people, how could she care about them when they gave nothing in the area of care in return. Would kill there own and mutants to get at them. Would do something terrible to make a point, to one up each other. It was sad and it was petty, war made beasts out of everyone. She was coming to learn.

Even she.

She saw the look that had crossed Loki's face it was usually reserved for Koli. Sigyn knew that look though he did well to hide it from her. Did well to protect her from his darker self. The thing was Sigyn had loved him to long to not be privy to his thoughts and moods."Believe me, I am." her eyes were that shade of blue they went when she was furious. Right before she started to hurl china. She said nothing else as she might have. There was no trying to reassure him it would be okay, when it was not okay. It had not been okay, and would likely never be okay again.

The worked her magic, fast and with the skill of someone sure of herself who knew what she was doing. She had gotten Loki caught up in this because she was caught up in this. Because blasted Thor, though it was a great idea to take her to train, than left her in a building. There was a healing wound along her hair line, it had made her hair a little red and Sigyn pushed her fingers back into it, to keep the strands out of her eyes. She was not going to find herself a target of the sentinel blast. She did know enough of them to get out of the way. It was in that moment that the decision she made and would always make happened. She pulled Loki with her, he was her husband. The two went through ivy and leaves to appear away from where the damage was being done. They would still be able to help out.

She flashed him a smile that was meant only for him. "I have more tricks up my sleeve my love, than to allow us to die horridly on some field of battle." she said with a wink. "I try very hard to come up with back up plans." she murmured. Still she did not shy from his gaze or his look. "We were suppose to be looking in on how they were made, how they were crafted, I don't know how it became this" she motioned with a small hand to around them. "Thing is we are here now, and there is no avoiding it." she murmured softly. She could tell he was fuming his eyes were like emerald flame, and Sigyn had not been one to push Loki when he had that look. She would get him a book or tug him to bed. There was sadly no book, no bed and no calm to share with him. His own emotions were effecting hers."Loki, my love." her hand caught his for a moment and squeezed. "You can contemplate killing him later, we are in the middle of a danger zone." she whispered. "No he doesn't know about the baby, no one but you , I and Night do." she stressed softly.

Sigyn tipped her head to the side and her eyes went almost into tiny slits. "No one is innocent, Loki." her words were hissed softly. "No matter where you go what you do, no one is, we all fall short of some amazing grace, but I have come to the point where, I would rather fall, than die fighting for something that it seems is only going to happen again and again and again, and I should feel ashamed of myself, I have always been the one to say violence doesn't work, and yet I am forced to push my hand into that arena. No where is safe, and nothing is sacred...but you to me." she said "What ever happen you have me."

"Now is not the time or place to discuss such matters, but because of her." she said as she peered up at him. "We have to have a side even if its just our own." she listened as he spoke of holding secrets "I know when you are sick with it, and I know when you've done something that bothers you, that you can not tell me, you stay in bed the next day. I never judged you than, and I will never judge you now, what have you done ?" though he could tell she was also gearing herself up for something more, She pulled her boots off as she spoke to him. Giving her a even closer connection with the earth that she felt pounding in her veins.Even the earth was angry, because all of the fighting and scarring being done to her. Sigyn's blue eyes took on a silvery rim when she touched her powers.

He kissed her and she leaned into rather than pull herself away from such a display in public. Her fingers in his hair. "I will follow your lead, I will aid you, and your allies, and I will make sure Hela, is safe, as I can offer her." Sigyn said in a low tone.

She nodded her head at being asked if she was ready, the fire raced along the ground igniting the trees which didn't do too much as one might think but her own powers lines. Sigyn was about to say something else when the water splashed them both. She was immediately grateful to not be the Wicked Witch of the West. She didn't care what anyone thought really about what went on between she and Loki, sometimes battle was battle, they were gods, they did things in a different way.

The trees that lived along the side of the roads however, began to creak and there was the sound of wood groaning as they up rooted themselves. Sigyn began to motion to them, urging them up, calling to them. They seemed to gain a life of there own--for the moment. Eyes opened as old as wood and blinked as arms grew from them and there branches seemed to become more animated. They were now trents for the time of this spell, they would not attack humanoids since she couldn't explain the difference between human and mutant to them in the time needed, they were to hurt the things firing on people, the metal me. When they could roughly lift fifty tons, it was not an issues they moved to attack the new found threat with powerful blows from their fists, that was how these creatures attacked with there fists. She didn't have to give verbal commands to them, the spirits that strengthened the trees, that animated them knew what she wanted.

Giving the group a chance to figure out what they were doing. Sigyn wasn't heartless she was just done with niceties.

WRITTEN FOR Sentinel Thread CHARACTER The Gang ON In The End-Linkin Park IN 600 WORDS. OOC: The Trents are very durable to bullets normal ones would ping off of their barky exterior, they are badly hurt by fire, they have super human strength they can lift up to 50ft tons.This is for reference purposes and combat.

Wanda turned her eyes from the entrance of another figure into the battleground, the unidentified objects he had thrown out in all directions – one landing barely a feet from her –, and the strange appearance of his face and body. She could not discern what exactly he was, what the objects he had distributed were, nor what exactly he was shouting but all of it were rapidly rendered secondary by the arrival of four Exonims.

Taking a step backwards and into the shadow of a nearby willow oak tree, Wanda lifted an arm to shield her eyes from the glare of the sunlight on the polished bodies of the Exonims and the dust and leaves that were blown up by their thunderous engines. There was little time to comprehend the senseless command of “Stand down, muties, and we’ll fire!” There was, in truth, little time for anything at all.

Wanda had spent many days and nights imagining how it might be, should she come face to face with an Exonim attack ever again. Months ago, Operation: Red Hot had purported to claim the lives of her brother and her. While she had, contrary to all reports, defied death, she had lost her brother – someone whom she had so often considered more important to her than life itself; and as often as she had relived that fateful day in her nightmares, she had vowed to never again allow the Human Coalition such domination over her life.

That was all well and good – but now, she was running even as the first bullets hit the ground and pelted onto the soil and concrete in a deafening noise. The smell of gunpowder and smoke filled the air. She fled towards the green-tinted shape of the Ulysses S. Grant memorial, diving behind its marble base. Her heart and mind raced, her thoughts grappling for some semblance of control – but all there was was chaos.

Against her back and beneath her feet, the monument and the earth trembled. Strange sounds rippled through the air and the trees came to life. Nothing made sense. She crouched down and buried her head under her arms, and even after the rounds of gunfire halted she still heard the sounds of ordnance echo through her mind.

Chaos.
Crisis.
Blood and sacrifice.
Can these things become routine?

When Wanda dared lift her head, her green eyes glistened with tears. A strange and shifting movement to her left caught her eye and she turned towards it, almost ready to unleash the full force of her fear and rage onto its source should it prove unfriendly. However, it was a familiar shape, an indistinct outline of a man, his body disguised by some sort of urban camouflage, his features concealed by the goggles that both hindered and aided recognition.

Wanda leapt to her feet and raced towards Jim Steele. The Exonims had arrived immediately following his entrance and she wondered if he or his actions had somehow aided in their arrival, or if those objects he had scattered aided in their triangulation. She sprung at the figure and almost hit him in the face. Instead, she grabbed the collar of his camouflage-poncho, the impact of her sprint into him pushing her forearms against his torso and almost knocking him over. “Make them stop!” she commanded…

The exonims began their hail of bullets over the area where the sentinels had initially been downed, firing upon those that remained there. The kill and casualty radius however was fairly wide as they moved a bit in the air to spread it out. Rounds were spread outward from the immediate area where their central focus was, to as far as where the Asgardian couple stood and mere feet away from the building Barton was on top of. They were being careful not to hit him with friendly fire, despite the presence of a mutant right where he was.

The trees then began to move, being magicked to life by the furious Asgardian woman below, not that the pilots of these drones knew the difference.
“The trees! They’re alive!” One of the exonims called out.
“It has to be one of the Muties! Kill ‘em!!” Another commanded.
“Yes sir!” The other three called out in unison.
The focus of their fire shifted from the main area to the now animated treants, the 25mm rounds colliding with their hardened wood bodies at high velocity.

The rampaging tree beasts were durable though, not going down immediately as the bullets tore away at the outer layer of their bodies instead. They were being peeled away in layers instead of being immediately pierced, the air around the ones taking heavy fire being clouded with sawdust, splinters, and chunks of wood. The exonims remained in a relatively slow hovering motion, using evasive maneuvers to direct their guns and attempt to avoid the rampage of the treants.

They took a few strikes from the monsters, despite being as high up as they were, their shields deflecting the damage. This did of course make for a more turbulent course of movement, but it wasn’t too very taxing on the highly armored drones. While their gunfire had been primarily focused on these beasts, the strikes they did end up taking would cause some of the shots to go stray here and there.

He stood there atop of the defeated sentinel holding out the blaster pistol and remote detonator, appearing almost victorious as he attempted to turn this into a sort of a Mexican stand-off. This victory however, wasn’t one he could savor as he felt the large amount of air being forced down by the hovering aircraft mere seconds later.
“Ah, hell…”
He said to himself as one of the Exonims spoke through its booming speaker system, the threat being projected loudly. Mutie? He wasn’t a mutant, but he didn’t have time to dwell on this. The mini-guns began to rotate, and he knew he had to escape now or he would be turned into human soup garnished with shredded clothing.

He reacted quickly, holstering his blaster pistol and pulling out the mini-wench and firing it in the same motion. It latched onto a nearby tree as the rounds began to fly, he started to retract the line to pull himself away when something unexpected had happened. He found himself being whipped up into the air as the trees started to move, he cried out in a long yell as he was hurled through the air like a marionette being played with by an aggressive toddler.
“Release! Release! Release! Release!”
He shouted to himself from somewhere between ten and twenty feet off of the ground, it was hard to estimate with him moving so much. He was frantically trying to press the release switch to free himself from what he was being subjected to.

The grappling claw released the portion of the now completely animated treant as the line continued to retract into the mini-wench. He plummeted to the ground, yelling out all along, the remote detonator slipping from his hands as he tucked and began to roll in preparation for his impact. He was lucky to not hit the pavement, landing mere inches away in the grass; The detonator however wasn’t nearly as fortunate landing on the pavement and shattering into many pieces, this however caused the mines he’d tossed earlier to detonate accidentally.

His body tumbled like a rag doll across the ground, before forcefully colliding with one of the treants, causing him to utter out a cry of pain. He looked up to see an irritate treant looking down at him, he managed to dive out of the way as it tried to stomp him. He jumped up and took off into a run, pulling the hood of his optic camouflage over his head to render himself much less visible, not transparent being in motion but definitely translucent.

He was sprinting away, trying to avoid being flattened by the tree monsters, while at the same time avoiding being mowed down by the hail of gunfire coming from the gunships. He remained in his run, when out of nowhere the dark-haired woman dressed in black sprung up right in front of him. He hadn’t seen her coming because so much was going on, it was as if the world had gone insane all of a sudden, why did he even bother getting involved in this again?

They collided and he lost his balance, as she had grabbed onto his poncho and planted her forearms against his chest. He fell to the ground as she made her demands for him to make this stop. What the hell? Why was this funny stuff happening to him!?
“Hey lady! Just what do you think I am!?”
He yelled at her as he grabbed onto her shoulders and rolled her onto her back, looking down at her from above her now. He pushed off and jumped up, looking over at the madness happening all around them for a quick moment before looking back at her, his head turns were quick and smooth rather than frantic, he was managing to somewhat keep his cool.
“I’m just as confused by all of this as you are!”