World on Fire: The Talking Horror

Summary:
March 23, 2015: A warped creature comes through another portal - but this one can communicate.

Rotz Cracker Factory


Characters

NPCs

  • Doctor Mouab Rosh (by Howard Stark)
  • Acid Monster (by Peggy Carter)

Mood Music:


Things have been going apace in the investigation. Well, as 'apace' as something can go when you're waiting for ruptures in spacetime to occur so you can plot them on a Fibonacci Spiral. There have been two more recorded incidents, but fortunately without casualties. At least, not casualties in this time period. One portal opened up over the river and the creature drowned. A second opened up in the middle of a schoolground and the creature promptly keeled over dead. Only a kid named Albert saw it, and he started poking it with a stick. SHIELD's put him on a list as a possible future agent.

Between those two incidents and various other technical wizardly, the science brigade has managed to plot a few square blocks where the next two rifts are likely to form. Thanks to Howard's scanning frequency, they also know that the rifts are likely to form…any time now. The site of this temporal incursion is inside a cracker factory. The Rotz Cracker company wasn't too happy with the 'surprise government inspection' that shut down the whole operation, but it's hard to argue with SHIELD.

*

Paul's taken up a station against a wall where he can comfortably and casually lean back against it. He's dressed in his SHIELD uniform along with a vest and sidearm. He also checked out an assault rifle because he's qualified with them and you can never be sure when you're going to want to kill lots of things quickly, especially when you're expecting company. Mutated company. From the past. That they've been mostly harmless so far doesn't mean they're always going to be. Better safe than six feet under, as his former sergeant once said.

*

It is a sad truth that Booster Gold simply does not have the range and resources of SHIELD, as he is the only agent present of his organization, if you can really call it that. With only one of him, it takes him more time to get a reading of the anomalies and respond to them. Now he has to rely on a little guesswork and intuition, but the end result is that he is floating above the middle of the city as he scans, so as to be as equidistant as possible from any location that spikes.

*

Sara has been looking into these disappearances, as much as her schedule allows around training and otherwise proving herself to SHIELD. She made a promise, and she intends to keep it. Even if that means some finagling to get assigned to certain duties. She has a sidearm, but if things get ugly, she has other means of dealing with problems.

*

There's a reason why they are often referred to as 'FitzSimmons'. When the pair are entering the scene, they are side by side; Simmons with a set of spectral goggles fixed over her eyes, Fitz with a scanning tool developed to detect temporal disturbances. Not to mention the bulky Portal Buster strapped to his back. "I'm telling you, Simmons, I've done the math a thousand times!"
"Fitz, I definitely doubt you've done it a thousand times."
"Manner of speaking -"
"Possibly a few dozen times "
"
which, of course, you wouldn't understand "
"
but certainly not a thousand times."
" — because you missed that course at the academy!"
Simmons turns to Fitz with a frown. "Oh, just because I didn't spend my first semester drinking every Saturday night and chose to focus on my studies instead?"
"That's because a good ale exercises the brain." Fitz positively beams at Simmons, before looking back to his scanner. He's got it linked up to the Watchtower, which, while monitoring the entire bloody planet for these events, has been focused upon their location for the time being.

*

Thanks to the efforts of the scientists, they don't have to wait long for the main event. All of FitzSimmons' instruments start to pin and ping and otherwise go off the scale. Whatever monitoring Booster is doing will go off the charts as well. This is a much stronger incursion than the ones they've witnessed before. It seems more stable, somehow.

The chasm in spacetime starts to yawn open over at Boxing Station Alpha. Crackers start to fly every which way, creating a flurry of orange snow. Something shoots through, not bit by bit, but all at once. A body flops to the ground. It does not rear up to attack. Instead, it makes a moaning sound that seems…human?

The thing shifts, then tries to get to its feet. But it finds that one leg is…melted and deformed. One arm has split in half and has fused with clothing. A face has warped nearly beyond recognition, save one eye, part of a nose and a mouth. It is not attacking wildly, but nor does it seem…whole.

*

Paul looks from Fitz to Simmons and back. "You sound like you're married." he points out. They're much worse than he and Sara. "It's cute." When the spacetime distortions start, he takes the safety off and half lifts the M4 toward the source of the disturbance. When something shows up, the carbine shifts to cover it. "Geeze. Maybe we should put it out of its misery." It. Whatever it was, now it's an it.

*

"Ugh. Here we go." Booster Gold had secretly been hoping the anomalies would just fizzle out and stop on their own, but no such luck. When that energy spike buzzes through him he takes off like a bullet, pushing his flight speed so fast that there is a minor sonic boom that rattles windows in the buildings below him.

Booster does not bother slowing down in order to be polite and use a door, because that might mean having to answer questions and he can already see there are quite a few people here ahead of him. Instead, he just smashes through some of the high factory windows like a golden meteorite, taking the most direct approach possible to get to that temporal wound.

*

Sara moves toward the result of the disturbance, Witchblade already a gauntlet on her wrist, before stopping short when she gets a glimpse. "Hold on," she says quickly. "Hold on, if he doesn't attack, give it a minute. I think…" She trails off, squinting as she tries to get a closer look. "I think this may be one of the outlying names I found. Doctor Rosh. He wasn't on Stark's list, but he was an experimental physicist who disappeared around the same time."

*

For a moment, Fitz looks toward Paul with a blank expression. As if he hasn't heard that one before. Then, he blinks. "Wot— cute?? I don't think—"

Beat.

"Whoa, whoa, here we go." Fitz points his scanner over toward the destination. "Heads up, everyone!" The scanner is promptly put away, the Portal Buster's wand charged and wielded with both hands. Only this time, he doesn't fire. Perhaps it was intuition, perhaps scientific curiosity; the portal seems stronger than ever before and he's not entirely sure if his defensive weapon can handle it. Instead, he stands there slackjawed as the thing comes through, utterly fascinated.

Said fascination is busted by the entrance of Booster. He flinches, lifting the Buster's wand to cover his face. "AIE! WOT THE HELL??"

*

Paul gets an arch look from Simmons "Hardly cute…" but she's distracted by the person who's come through the portal.

"From my latest research, the poor being won't survive long and is going to be painful for them." Retrieving her med kit from her field bag, Simmons busies herself taking samples to test.

*

The poor, broken creature tries to stand, tries to focus, but its eyes are warped, its body mostly useless. Despite all that, this bent being reads far more human than any of their previous subjects. Despite all this, it seems to look at the people with some manner of recognition in its eyes. And unlike the other creatures, it doesn't look hostile. "What….is…happening?" it croaks. The voice is certainly not human sounding. The voice gurgles and croaks.

The portal remains remarkably stable for several seconds more, then pops out of existence with the customary spray of green ectoplasm.

*

As soon as the window shatters, Paul's M4 swings to cover who or whatever comes through it. It doesn't take long to recognize who it is though and he shifts his aim back toward the mutated wreck of a human. "The door wasn't locked, you know. A dramatic entrance was totally unnecessary, especially since you now owe Rotz a new window." As the thing manages to talk, his barrel of the carbine shifts ever so slightly to the side so it's not pointed directly at it. He'll let a scientist try to explain.

*

When Booster lands, he does not leave a crater, he just transitions from 'going very fast' to skidding a little on the floor, upright, when he stops. Turning, he extends a hand towards the being that emerged from the portal, ignoring Paul for a moment as he says to the warped person, "Hello. I'm Booster Gold. I believe you've just been through a time anomaly. I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but would you please shake my hand?" He wants a more direct reading on the person's chronometric profile, and is clearly against touching someone against their will. Glancing over to Paul, he says, "I'll pay to replace their window. I just wasn't sure you guys would've let me in."

*

Most attention is on the strange figure that has emerged from the portal without the usual aggression and inability to speak of the other creatures. However, anyone still monitoring the energy will find another spike happening very close by.

A burst of static will rip through ear pieces and the factory speakers. This portal is nowhere near as stable as the one that opened just moments before. There is little sound that follows, though soon there is the creak of metal that sounds from the opposite end of the factory. Then, the ear splitting sound of metal tearing apart and a loud crash. After that, there is only the noises they make and echoes.

*

"Doctor Rosh?" Sara steps a little closer after the ectoplasm-goo-splosion, starting to crouch down by the scientist. "Do you know where you-" And then she cuts off with a stifled cry as her earpiece crackles and whines, Witchblade turning half to armor as she raises a hand in the direction of the crash.

*

Fitz looks down from Booster Gold, steadying his panting. "That is why we like RSVPs," he quips, but the last word is choked off. Now staring at the creature, even while it talks, a look of recognition begins to form on the engineers face. "I don't believe it," he whispers, then powers down the Portal Buster and slings the wand behind and onto the power pack. "It's Doctor—" He glances to Sara. "Yes, Rosh! Brilliant man, experimental physicist, he…" The floodgates are promptly shut; Simmons warning just registered. Hot on her tail, he comes over and tries to put on a pleasant face. "Doctor, I'm Doctor Fitz, this is Doctor Simmons. You're in good hands, she's the best biologist on the planet." He's forced to stifle a wince; while that may be arguably true, it certainly wasn't where Rosh came from. Fortunately, Booster's there to explain things in a concise way, so for the moment, he hangs back, hoping that Simmons is able to either ease Rosh's suffering, extend his time, or, blessed lady of miracles, perhaps accomplish both.

Instead, Fitz allows that wince to come through, but it has everything to do with that noise coming from behind them. It was a newbie mistake, putting his scanner and Portal Buster away. He glances towards Simmons and Booster, muttering, "I think he's been followed."

*

"I'm Dr Jemma Simmons, as my colleague here has just said. I'm going to do what I can to make you comfortable." How does one explain you've timetravelled and become warped? Checking the results of her tests, Simmons schools her face to an impassive mask and shows them to Fitz.

The results show that the good Dr is only 35% unwarped human DNA and there is a lot of residual temportal energy is his body.

The screech through her earpiece causes her to cringe and she looks up as Fitz speaks "What have you got, Fitz?"

*

The creature that was once the brilliant Doctor Mouab Rosh of New York University's Applied Physics department blinks up at Booster with a lack of comprehension. He looks down at what should be his hand, but the appendage isn't more than a melted flipper. "What. Is. The. Year?" he manages to force out. He turns to Sara, looks at her arm, then back to her. His mouth opens more widely, showing a complete lack of teeth. He tries then, to focus on Simmons. He calms a little, perhaps registering her as a fellow scientist in an ethereal way. "It. Was. Not. Successful. Matter. Stabilization. Impossible? Perhaps. Not. Designed. For. Us."

*

"So instead, you decide to interrupt a SHIELD operation." Paul states flatly. He's used the same tone when he was NYPD. "If you're going to insist on staying, just do what you're told." He's pretty sure the guy's not going to leave willingly and he's not inclined to shoot him. At the crash, he spins to face the direction it came from and advances toward it till he's put himself between it and the scientists. "Fitz. Simmons. Stay back till we know what that was. Be ready to run."

*

Booster Gold still has his hand extended towards Doctor Rosh, but does not grab for him. Instead he turns slightly to point at Paul and he says, "If you SHIELD guys would just share some of your information I wouldn't have to smash in this way." He sounds irritated, but when he speaks to Doctor Rosh again, his tone is respectful. "Sir, it's 2015. I'm trying to track the source of these anomalies to shut them down." He glances aside when he hears the other crash and continues a little more rapidly, "I'm a time traveler as well, and I'm…" Does he say 'expert'? That sounds pompous, even to him. "I'm hella knowledgeable in temporal mechanics, I'd love to discuss them but I think things just got way more unsafe." Despite Paul's warning, he flies towards the second anomaly.

*

From the opposite side of the factory, silence reins for a few more minutes while some focus on Dr. Rosh and others on what might now be on the factory floor with them. The resonating sound of smaller pieces of metal ping every once in awhile, coming closer. Those scanning the area can hear something getting closer, but there does not appear to be anything there.

It's only through the careful scanning and monitoring of the fading time anomalies signature, or perhaps process of elimination that might make one look up into the rafters. A greenish-yellow liquid drips to the ground, almost the same color as the ectoplasm. However, as it touches the ground, the cement crackles and bubbles, indentations suddenly dotting the ground with a hiss. The beam above the group makes a groaning sound.

*

"Okay, kids, let's argue about who's jumped into whose jurisdiction later, yeah?" Sara grimaces as Booster and Paul go at it. Booster takes off, and she tips her chin toward Paul. "You want to stay here with science, or take your chances behind door number-" Acid? Dripping acid? Hasn't she seen this movie? The Witchblade spreads over her head and shoulders, protective, though that doesn't do much for the fact that Sara starts to look up. If there's an Alien up there, it is on.

*

"There's a lot of residual temporal energy in his body." Fitz looks from Simmons' readings to a Booster. "Don't touch him!" He quickly retrieves the scanner, turning to face the direction where Paul is looking. "Uhhhh… chaotic readings, like the time portal in Central Park. Guessing whatever came through there isn't friendly."

Doctor Rosh's beleaguered words draw him back. He absolutely will heed Paul's advice! He thinks for a moment, when something comes to him. "Maps. No, not maps. Blueprints!" He approaches Doctor Rosh, urgency in his eyes and tone. "Doctor, did you design something to create temporal disturbances? Did you base it off some… ancient blueprints you found?" He's not ignoring what is clearly Nostromo Alien Acid-Blood dripping to the ground, he's just worried that they're running out of time with Dr. Rosh.

*
Simmons was just about to place a hand on Dr Roshs' shoulder and stops herself at Fitzs' statement. "The year is 2015, Dr Rosh." and casts a quelling look at Fitz. They have a little bit of time here. Settling beside the Dr, Simmons lets him answer Fitzs' questions as he can.

Ignoring the dripping acid, she trusts the others to let her know when to go, the young biochem does whatever she can to make Dr Rosh comfortable enough to answer the questions.

*

Doctor Rosh opens and closes what's left of his mouth and looks up at Fitz with sad, pain-filled eyes. "Time. Travel," he whispers. "It. Was. Working. I. Was. Imp…impatient." He closes his eyes. The readings start to dip. He has more human DNA, but in this case, it seems to be working to his disadvantage. His systems are starting to fail. "Thought. I. Cal..made. Human. Pass."

*

Drip, hiss, sizzle. Paul looks from the ground which is bubbling to the groans coming from near the ceiling. "I did not sign up for the next Alien sequel." he says, as the carbone rapidly shifts to cover the ceiling. "Fitz. Simmons." It just seems natural to address them both at the same time. "See if you can make a stretcher from something in case we need to move the doctor in a hurry."

*

Booster seems torn. There is a thing that probably needs subduing, but the data Doctor Rosh is sharing is vital. He exclaims something which does not sound like a current-era Terran language, because it isn't, although if translated would still be a fairly mild expletive. Paul and Sara seem competent and can probably fight the thing if it needs fighting. He flies back and floats just over Doctors Rosh, Fitz, and Simmons, and a protective translucent golden dome forms over himself and them.

*

While the Alien reference is apropos, the creature they catch glimpses of in the beams does not have the large headed anatomy of the chest bursters of legend. Instead, from what they can see, the creature is lithe and dripping as if emerging from a shower. The beam it stands on groans again as the acid pools around its feet and then rains in drops and rivulets. The weight of it will not support much else for very longer.

Instinctually understanding this, the creature starts to slide down one of the beams, creating its own finger holds as it goes, quick and feral. When it is close enough to the floor, it makes no sound other than the hissing and screaming of the complaining iron its passage creates, but it leaps toward those closest - Sara and Paul - a spray of the corrosive substance coating it preceding the attack.

*

So, so, so not good. The creature springs, and Sara lunges in front of Paul, a shield flashing broad and tall in front of them. The Witchblade is practically eternal, but that doesn't mean she actually wants to take chances with whether or not it can stop whatever that thing is spitting. "Any thoughts on this one, Paul?" she asks her partner, a spear forming in her other hand. Distance seems like a good idea on this one.

*
Looking toward Simmons, Fitz knows there is little hope for Rosh's survival. It's there in his eyes, that knowing look; that sinking feeling that they're robbing a good man of his final words by interrogating him. And yet, Booster forms that protective shield over them, upon the coattails of Paul's suggestion, giving them precious moments. "Doctor," he presses, looking back to Rosh. "Please. People are being hurt — killed — because of this research. Is there any way to stop it? Any way to stabilize it on this end?"

*

Simmons knew from the moment she saw Dr Rosh that his time was limited, just not quite as limited as now. With anguish in her eyes, she looks over to Fitz, he's asking the questions that need asking. "Maybe you have some notes on you, Dr, that may help us save others." she murmurs quietly, trying not to stress the man too much.

Booster's protective shield gets an appreciative nod. "Are you able to help us move him, if need be?"

*

Rosh closes his eyes and shakes his head. "The box. It. Must…" he sucks in a sharp, pained breath. "….singularity. At the central…axis." He seems to be sorting out how his lungs are working, how his mouth forms words. It's coming easier now, even as his vitals start to dip. "So. Sorry. I couldn't…sleep. I just wanted to sleep. The pills addled my mind. I see that now." He laughs. It's a rough, otherworldly, heartbreaking sound. "I left my…preliminary research in Tangier."

*

As the thing climbs down to the ground, Paul slowly backs up. Step by step, inch by inch. The carbine is trained fully on it now but he doesn't fire since it hasn't yet made any threatening moves. When it sprays the acid, he leaps back till his shoulder blades hit Booster's forcefield. Fortunately, Sara jumps in between them so he only gets a couple drops on a sleeve and pant leg. They sizzle nicely. "Any thoughts? Fuck yeah. Don't move." Why? Because he takes a step to the side and fires a short burst at the creature's torso.

*

"Yes, ma'am," Booster answers Simmons, eyeing the creature. He has the utmost faith in his forcefield, but there are people here who are not behind his shield. Despite his snapping at Paul earlier, he says to him, "If you or anyone needs to come in here, tell me. But you won't be able to attack." Turning, he asks Doctor Rosh, "Sir… when did you come from? I haven't been able to read the origin points on any of the portals, the chronal signatures are… are mangled."

*

Both Booster and Sara's protective shield protects those inside it, though even the magical and technological marvels sizzle at the touch of the time-warped acid. Not slowing down or even caring that the others are retreating, the nimble creature runs, aiming to crash into Sara and Paul - or the Witchblade's shield, as it were with all the focus of a predator with prey in its sights.

*

Paul's bullets hit the creature in the side and it finally makes a noise. High-pitched, inhuman and brief, it carries the sound of pain and anger. Only one or two bullets carry enough velocity to create exit wounds. Where it does, a burst of acid sprays behind the creature.

*

Sara holds still for Paul's return fire, but once the gunfire ends, she steps forward to meet the creature's charge. The spear in her hand has lengthened and broadened, now shaped like a boar spear with a wide guard at the end of the blade to help push back against a charge. "Staying inside sounds like a good plan," she calls back to Booster and the science team.

*

"A singularity?" Fitz's eyes are wide now. Screw that LHC nonsense; if this spiral ends with a singularity somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard, it could be total annihilation of the planet. "I understand that," he urges. "But what do we do with the box?" He could have asked what box, but that's needle in a haystack material. No, there are enough people working on this. He's no detective, he's a bloody engineer. A wince comes when a splatter of acid sizzles against Booster's shield, but he doesn't relent.

Instead, the engineer does something entirely brash. He turns on his scanner, squints his eyes, and touches his hand to the Doctor's shoulder, eliciting a preemptive gasp when he does. Let's see what that temporal energy does to someone on this side of the time vortex, for he's quite certain it's going to bleed away when when Rosh finally passes.

*

Tangier? Simmons frowns a little "That's in Morocco… why does that sound so familiar?" she murmurs to Fitz and her eyes widen "Captain Rogers said something about Mr Stark calling him from Morocco… " Focusing her attention back on Dr Rosh, the young biochem presses "Where is the central axis?" Fitz could possibly work it out, but the answer may save time.

As Fitz touches the Dr's shoulder, Simmons fixes him with a glare "Fitz! Don't…." but she's too late.

*

"Nineteen…forty-eight," Rosh manages to get out. He's fading. His vitals start to drop like a stone. He's losing cellular cohesion. His heart is strained and starting to arrest. The contact with Fitz seems to hasten things along and dissipate the temporal energy that was allowing him to stay together.

The moment Fitz connects with Doctor Rosh, a bolt of energy shoots up his arm and wraps around his head. It will cause his body to convulse and his nose to bleed. By the time the young scientist has stopped shaking, Doctor Rosh is dead.

*

No, actually. Staying in there does not sound like a good plan. "Hey Mister superhero!" Paul calls. "Instead of hiding inside the forcefield where it's safe, why don't you get your ass out here and put it around the thing trying to kill us instead?" The forcefield, one could assume. Not his ass. "Stepping to the side to get a clear shot, he fires off another burst, this time at the thing's knee.

*

"1948, thank you, Doctor!" Booster Gold exclaims, although he is looking towards the creature. He does not see Fitz reaching for the man. Booster's fists are glowing with energy and he extends his arms, firing at the time-warped acid spewing thing with stun bolts. While it is true that anyone under his shield would not be able to attack through it, this does not hold for him; it is his shield, after all. "Look, dude," he says, frowning as Paul criticizes his methods. "I have my reasons." The forcefield seems to collapse, then, outlining Booster in a golden aura and he launches forward intending to punch and/or tackle the creature.

*

The creature smashes against Witchblade's shield, snarling with a mouth that only seems to ooze and drip. The sound that emits from there is only a gurgling. Each place it touches the magical barrier, smoke and hissing attempts to eat away at their protection. The fire that Paul shoots at its knee hits squarely where it is aimed. The thing stumbles backward at the impact and the bullets are somehow absorbed. The leg limps slightly more as it attempts to attack again.

*

As Booster's shield collapses and then wraps around him, he is easily able to attack the creature. It is so focused on trying to get to Sara and Paul, that the attack from above comes as a complete surprise. His golden shield hisses and spits everywhere it touches the creature, leaving behind wide swathes of pocketed cement as they both tumble to the ground. It shrieks, punching, biting, hissing at the shield. Every movement sprays more acid in arcs about them.

*

"This is not a long-term solution," Sara grunts as she presses back against the creature from behind her shield, tendrils of the blade writhing as they try to replace what's eaten away. Still, a drop here and there slips past, searing her skin. She goes down to one knee as Booster blasts the creature away, giving herself a chance to rebuild.

*

Images slam into Leopold's retinae, dreamlike and fuzzy, but some things pop out with distinct clarity. The image spins, and a reflection stares back at him - Rosh's reflection, but as a whole man, handsome yet drawn and tired, with beads of sweat on his forehead. Fitz can feel his exhaustion, the fuzz of drugs.

Another flash, and Fitz yelps. Blueprints pulled from faded hieroglyphics, cobbled together into a cohesive whole by way of Rosh's brilliant scientific mind. Then comes the voice, a woman's voice, muted as if it came from underwater. "Doctor Rosh?" Peggy Carter, behind whom stands Howard Stark and Edwin Jarvis. Fitz can feel Rosh's panic.

They're here to shut me down. I have to prove it works!

Rosh's hands reach for something; a button attached to a blue box with symbols carved into its surface. The button activates a time portal. Rosh's mind, too addled by far too strong an Rx for sleep aids, distorts his sense of reality… and he throws himself through the portal.

The arcs of energy fade, and Fitz snaps out of the hallucination. He collapses then, falling on his hands and knees with a desperate gasp and blood pouring from his nostrils.

*

Simmons looks unimpressed, worried but unimpressed. "Fitz!" Seeing that Dr Rosh has passed, she turns her full attention to Fitz, pulling her med kit to her. Passing the other scientist some guaze to staunch the bleeding, Simmons directs "Keep your head forward." as she takes out a small rectangular package. Activating it, she places the now icy pack on the back of his neck "How are you feeling, Fitz?"


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