DIVIDED WE FALL.

ROGUES GALLERY SIDEBLOG FOR UNITED WE STAND RPG

[uwsrogues]

❝ COULSON, RIGHT ? ❞  Close - talking enough to make it obvious that liquor plays the biggest role, he offers out a hand.  Sure, maybe he shouldn’t be pokin’ the suit - wearing bear, but he can’t help it ; there’s always gonna be somethin’ funny about how these S.H.I.E.L.D. TYPES clutch their pearls over it.  Ain’t a wonder why his baby brother fits in with ‘em all so easy.

‘LEAST HE DID.

Eyes dip down to his still - empty hand hoverin’ between them, something poisonous lacing the smugness of his expression.  He knows he robbed the fuckin’ bank, here, n’look, they threw him a whole party t’ prove it.  ❝ Aw, you not a HANDSHAKER, man ? ❞  

@pjcoulscn​ !

[uwsrogues]

❝ BLACK IS YOUR COLOR, AGENT. ❞  A fluid appearance at Natalia’s elbow at the bar as if melted from the crowd, although she would not flatter herself into believing it is either surprising or unexpected.  Still, Yelena is comfortable leveraging the surrounding distraction, converting proximity to privacy with a palm feather - light against her forearm ; still, Yelena is comfortable demanding an undivided measure of Natalia’s attention.

❝ You’ll need to forgive my rudeness for not greeting you sooner. ❞

@slvicshdow​ !

[uwsrogues]

❝ YOU DON’ LOOK ALL THAT SCARY T’ ME. ❞

It’s obvious the uniform’s been ALTERED TO FIT --- --- height is a Barton birthright, bein’ broad was somethin’ Clint did all by himself to feel better ‘bout himself, probably --- --- but he looks more at home in it than he’s got any right to.  Arms crossed, sharp shoulder propped up against the doorframe, s’all casual even if his intention to BLOCK THE EXIT is loud n’ clear anyways.

❝ --- --- Heard a lotta ‘bout you, Red, I guess I figured you’d be, uh --- ❞ left hand slips from the crook of his elbow ( smooth as the day he was born courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D. medical, o' course ) to gesture up near his temple.  A brow hitches up right alongside it, pullin’ at the edge of a smirk like a junkyard dog on a short chain.  ❝ TALLER. ❞

@slvicshdow​ 

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

Stephanie stood pressed against the warehouse wall. She took a deep breath. She probably shouldn’t have followed Cass. Especially not when she saw the guards lying on the ground outside. This was serious.

But after that night at her flat, after Cass looked so broken, she promised to help, and she meant every word of it. Even if it brought her here, to a creepy warehouse in the middle of the docks. 

She’d…

A gunshot cracked through the night.

Stephanie ducked out of instinct, then leaped into action. “ORPHAN!” she yelled, shoving aside the heavy door and charging inside. Cass was there, but a quick look showed she didn’t seem to be injured from the gunshot.

Then, she saw the Black Mask, holding a gun.

“HEY!”

There wasn’t time to think, and she ran straight in with a high kick aimed for his arm, to knock away the gun. She connected, hard, and he stumbled back, gun clattering away, but he didn’t go down.

Spoiler needed to keep his attention away from that gun, and Cass. Going one-on-one against the Black Mask? Well, she grimaced, it wasn’t the worst odds she’d ever faced, right? 

“You OK?” She spoke to Orphan, knowing she was somewhere close. Then, she focused all of her attention back on the crime lord in front of her. 

She grinned. 

“Black Mask, right? Let me guess, your parents didn’t let you name the family pet.”

@casswayned

                      The sound, his silhouette gave her an idea of his next move. He was quick but she is much, much quicker. And she has company. This time, the surprise was on her sleeve.

                      She shot the grapple gun and within seconds, she was flying out where she was just standing. A little flashback to where she was a child when David Cain would should her and she had to dodge a bullet. Sometimes, he would ask her to take shot and not flinch. But those are just memories that drives her now.

                       “ I’m good.”      She answered her question and tried so hard not to laugh at Stephanie’s retort.  

                          Cassandra landed in front of Black Mask. She was not sure how much fight he was going to do but she was ready,

His gun was knocked away and his goons were down. He’d expected about as much as soon as the lights went out. Couldn’t pull the meat shield tactic he did last time with all the electronics he had on hand, and this time the Black Bat didn’t comie alone. That didn’t mean he was out of options just yet.

“Got smart I see,” he sneered at the Bat as he rubbed his injured wrist looked between the two. “And you brought a friend. How cute.” It’d have been next to impossible for him to best the Black Bat before when limited to just his gun, but now without it and without someone else to deal with, it was completely impossible. But he didn’t have to fight them. Roman was also best at strategy anyways.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to waste my time on that,” he laughed as he watched Spoiler look between himself and the gun. “I know when I’m beat.” He smile emanating through the rigid expressionless lines of his mask though, spoke quite contrarily to those words. “But you’re not going to turn me in. Not if you want the Red Hood that is.” @spoilers-ahead-647​

[casswayned]

BLACK MASK

Things have been going well for Roman since that night on the pier. He’d finally managed to secure back some territory from the Red Hood, business was streamlined into running smoothly and the arms had served their purpose for re-instilling some fear into his enemies. But of course, it all had to come crashing down on him.

Roman was in the middle of ‘interrogating’ a potential informant when everything went black. All power went off, and the white noise of the machinery humming the the background going dead silent, and even the chatter from his coms cutting off out of nowhere leaving the pale moonlight streaming in the high windows of the warehouse the only source of information to the equally black outside world. And if that wasn’t enough of a hint, the lack of the resurgence of any power from the backup generators made the situation plain as day. This wasn’t a blackout, it was an EMP.

Staying as cool as ever though, Roman cocked his gun and shot the bound guy as he instructed his men to ready their weapons. He had a good idea as to what was about to happen next and he wasn’t about to loose this intel in the ensuing chaos if he could help it.

                        It’s been weeks. Cassandra like to think she was ready. Only giving herself a week to step back and evaluate how she had been doing it for years, Cassandra had been working. If she wasn’t training, she had been in the bat-computer, getting lessons from Barbara over comms on how to dismatle whatever system he was using. That night was horrible but there was a lesson to take away from it. That lesson she was taking at heart.

                          You can’t always punch your way through your problems. Your mind is as strong as your punch. She had been living with that mantra for the past few weeks.

                           Cassandra was born in darkness and she could dance her way through this through darkness. Even without the night vision functionality hidden under her mask, she could move around just fine. She had always used this trick, taking advantage of the situation like he did the first time. This time, she was ready.

                          Subtly, she started with the goons outside, taking them out in silence. It was easy when no one is expecting you. All there was left was the people out side and him—BLACK MASK. Another lesson she had learned was that she couldn’t save everybody and not all death are her fault. So, when he shot someone, she didn’t flinch, she could mourn about it later but for now, she had business to take care of. She decided—because tonight is her game now—that NO MORE death. She made her first strike, she threw a batarang straight to his hand that would disarm him.     “ Hello, my old friend. “    A couple more batarang flew right where his pocket should be. And then Cass hear cocks of the gun and in the darkness, she could see the goons were aiming everywhere but not exactly at her direction.

[uwsrogues]

Roman had hoped his crew this time wouldn’t be so useless as to be taken down in less than a minute again, but that was apparently not the case, and he was stuck alone again in the face of the very annoying vermin that he’d worked so hard to fend off only about a week or so ago. He hated his luck sometimes.

It was obvious that this wasn’t gong to be his game this time around, so the kingpin didn’t waste his breath answering the bat and instead just fired more rounds in the directiono their voice while he backed towards where his mental map placed to the door to be. The likelihood of him actually getting through that door and escaping was abysmally low, but that action gave him a few more seconds to think. Even without hostages or force, there may be a way out of this yet.

@spoilers-ahead-647

[uwsrogues]

@casswayned

Things have been going well for Roman since that night on the pier. He’d finally managed to secure back some territory from the Red Hood, business was streamlined into running smoothly and the arms had served their purpose for re-instilling some fear into his enemies. But of course, it all had to come crashing down on him.

Roman was in the middle of ‘interrogating’ a potential informant when everything went black. All power went off, and the white noise of the machinery humming the the background going dead silent, and even the chatter from his coms cutting off out of nowhere leaving the pale moonlight streaming in the high windows of the warehouse the only source of information to the equally black outside world. And if that wasn’t enough of a hint, the lack of the resurgence of any power from the backup generators made the situation plain as day. This wasn’t a blackout, it was an EMP.

Staying as cool as ever though, Roman cocked his gun and shot the bound guy as he instructed his men to ready their weapons. He had a good idea as to what was about to happen next and he wasn’t about to loose this intel in the ensuing chaos if he could help it.

[uwsrogues]

SECRETARY LUTHOR

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE : / / LEXCORP INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

RECIPIENT : OPHELIA SARKISSIAN SUBJECT : re: re: re: DISPOSAL

Dear Ophelia, I've a package in desperate need of your keen eye for gift - wrapping. Would you be available to help me with some finishing touches this evening? Warmest regards, Alexander Luthor

RECIPIENT : ALEXANDER LUTHOR SUBJECT : re: re: re: re: DISPOSAL

Dearest Alexander, 

You know I am always more than willing to clear my very busy schedule for you.  Bit early for holidays, is it not?

Join me for a drink at my home on Fifth Avenue, the parking is more than adequate after eight o’clock.  I trust this is a freight elevator - worthy gift?

Yours, Ophelia

P.S. - Please allow me to introduce you to a new grooming consultant, whoever sent you to appear on CNN so unkempt deserves to be summarily fired.

[uwsrogues]

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE : / / LEXCORP INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

RECIPIENT : OPHELIA SARKISSIAN SUBJECT : re: re: re: DISPOSAL

Dear Ophelia, I've a package in desperate need of your keen eye for gift - wrapping. Would you be available to help me with some finishing touches this evening? Warmest regards, Alexander Luthor

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

              “ No! “       She said, panic laced her voice as he slipped a hand in his pocket. She knew what was going to happen if he moved a finger. No more. Thinking about another dead person was too much. It’s sick. Nausea wants to take over her body and spill her guts out. She swallowed the bile down her stomach. She clenched her fist as hard as she was clenching her teeth. At that moment, that’s all she could ever do.

  Cassandra could end it tonight, go for a swift blow but she knew she couldn’t be fast enough to he hits the button. One wrong move and one body will fall again. Her eyes remain at the box as he talked. She knew she was not going to win. He had prepared for her. He knew she was going to come for her and Black Mask seemed to hit her where it matters. Somehow, he figured all lives mattered to her.

She knew it was another trap she was going to get sucked into but she needed to know what she was dealing with. Cassandra took a peek and the first thing she saw was a picture of a couple. She looked away from the back so quick and set her eyes up to Black Mask. Eyes burning in anger but with her own hood on, it wasn’t visible.    “ You are not going to win all the time. “

“I’ve already given you my ultimatum,” Roman drawled as he casted the Black Bat a sidelong glance. “Continuing to shout at me will not change your our situation.” If he was a lesser man, he may have been gleeful at the sound of her desperation, but he’s been down that road enough times to restrain on the emotional investment these days.

‘Your not gong to win all that time’ Pah. as if he didn’t know that. Hadn’t been viscerally acquainted with that fact again and again. He wasn’t the one who had to rememer the sting of failure tonight.

“No, but tonight I am.” There was a loud clang of doors and bolts, as the first truckload of the shipment was seal off, ready for transport. Now it was just a waiting game. Of whether he was going to get his shipments to their destinations first or if she got her little bat buddies together to stop him first. Roman gave her another side glance. “I think it goes without saying, that if anything happens to that truck, another one dies.”

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

               No matter how the night ends, Cassandra knew she had failed. She wanted to scream, make him stop but as another pop rang from the distance, she knew she was too late. The hard truth came to knocked her down. She couldn’t save everybody. Cassandra couldn’t bring to look down. She never did, not when she dropping into the balcony.

                           Black Mask kept talking, she almost couldn’t keep up but she knew exactly what he was talking about. She didn’t like any bit of it. He was talking like he was already meaning. She had to do something.     “ You can’t get away with this. “      There was a little lack of confidence in her tone. In the back of her mind, he probably could. At least, at this very moment.  It was not yet over. She couldn’t go down without putting up a fight.     “ No more dead bodies. “    Maybe, she was begging but she was approximately a little over five meters away from him, close enough to end this. Of course, it was easier to make that assessment than consider it done. 

                            Her eyes struggled to settle on the package. She was ready to fight and at the same time, she couldn’t keep her eyes off his hands. She stepped away from the package, leaping a step further to the side yet casually, a little forward too.      “ What is this ? “   

Roman spared the hero an unimpressed look, then turned back to the unfolding scene below them and slid his hands into his pockets again. “Yeah? Well what are you going to do about it?” His eyes flashed again in that manner that belonged on a face that could smile. “Keep in mind of course that if you charge over there, all the rest of these people will die.” Perks of having the transmitter nowhere on his person.

“It’s not a bomb, if that’s what you’re worried about.” His voice was incredibly smug. “Just a little something to make this game more fun for me. You see, these people aren’t my people, even before they found out they’d gotten a bomb planted inside their skull. No, they’re annoyances, foolish little citizens who thought they could get in my way.” He turned again to watch the Black Bat, eyes shimmering with maniac glee. “So either I get my arms shipment or I get to rid myself of few more pests. I told you you’re not going to win tonight.”

There was more yelling below and the workers, just like before, begrudging got back to work with shaking hands and trembling shoulders. “That package is a copy of the files I have on them. All the details of their little families waiting at home, worried about them, their work, their friends. Something for you to look over and over after you help me send them to their grave. I told you that you’re going be the one call tonight. So, are you going to give me my shipment or let me have my revenge?”

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

                          What would Batman do? It was the question that was running in her head. For a moment she was left stunned, almost defeated even. This guy—just like any other bad guys, really—played around people’s lives like they are gods. With the wrong intentions, it just dawned to Cass that it was very easy for people to play god as they succumbed to the darkness. She couldn’t say she understood them, it wasn’t like they hadn’t given a choice to be better—she knew because she had it rough too.

                          Cass was wearing the symbol in her chest and at that moment, it was pulling weight down to Earth’s core. She remembered how it made her feel despite struggle to get a grip on it. It wasn’t pride like what he said. She wanted to hold her ground not because she would look like a stupid puppy that just got her gut kicked. If she would back off, what kind of hope she was giving this people.

                          Maybe if moves fast, he wouldn’t be able to lift his finger. All she needed to do was to take him down anyway. 

                          Every single one of them made their choices tonight. Black Mask decided end a life just because he would and the workers below them decided to work for him.And Cassandra? She knew she was not winning wither way but she couldn’t let him win either.

                        Cassandra took a big leap knowing too well she was going to regret everything no matter she would do. While in the air, she shoot the grappling gun and once the hook latched onto something, Cassandra swayed through the air, eyes focused on a target.

If Roman had eyebrows still, he might have raised then at Black Bat’s response to his suggestion. She clearly was not about to back down. “And in the end she still chose pride.” His tone gave off an air of exasperation, but his posture remained the same. Such as outcome was hardly an eventuality that he was unprepared for afterall.

“I’m guessing that you’re thinking you can stop me before I kill the rest of them,” Roman said, then he slowly drew his hand out from him pockets and lifted them palm splayed in the air. They were empty. “But like I said before, that will be a gamble. And they are watching you, hero.” His eyes then flashed in a manner that betrayed a smile on his expressionless face. “Or maybe you don’t care. Is that it little bat? Are we picking who gets saved or not now? If you wanted to choose you could’ve just said so.”

There was another poping sound down below followed more screams as another body collapsed limply to the ground. “Don’t test me little bat. I do keep my promises.” He then casually strolled back over to where he’d been sitting and dug a stack of files out with his heel before kicking the package towards Black Bat. “You have no play here. Regardless of what you do tonight, I will get what I want.”

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

                       Alarm sirens rang in her head when her presence was acknowledged. But then again, most crime lords knew at least one bat will come for them. It wasn’t her first encounter with Black Mask either. Cass might be in for a special treat and she didn’t like where this was going.

                      Her slow, precised movement came into a sloppy halt and slowly, she looked up, eyes locked of him. He seemed pretty at ease from where he was standing and that worried Cassandra. No, Cassandra was not in the mood for games and no, she didn’t think this Joe person was feeling the excitement for her arrival by the was he choked out his plea. She tore her gaze away from Black Mask to this fellow her was talking about and she knew that look so well, the face of terror.

                      At that moment, Cassandra knew something was about to go terribly wrong. 

                       His words spilled out of his lips, echoing in her head as she processed them. Holding her breath, she was just taking it all in, skin tingles as she came down to the realization. How many did he kill because she had been interfering his operations? Sure, there would be collateral damage, she knew she couldn’t save all lives but what was really going on after she called it a day?

                     “ Terminate? “     It was almost inaudible but that was more of a question for herself than to his.  Her eyes shifted from him to the scene below, the anticipation was killing her. 

                      Something snapped and the commotion started. There was the answer. Under the mask, Cassandra’s eyes grew wide open in shock. Her guts were churning in. It wasn’t the first time she saw death in front of her but she didn’t really get any better at that.     “ You…you sick…you are sick. “     It was all she managed to get out, fist clenched. She couldn’t exactly call anyone because who knows what he was about to do. 

                    Her grappling gun suddenly weigh twice from what she remembered. All her possible options lead her to only herself. She slowly stood up, barely holding herself. So much rage was building inside her. All she knew was she needed to get to him. It sounded simple in her head but she didn’t know how to get to him without shedding more blood.    “ You can’t do this. “ 

“No, I don’t have to,” Roman corrected as he finally turned around to properly face the vigilante, hands still casually tucked away in his pockets. The Black Bat, as expected. The obvious rage emanating off of her was a least some recompense for all the frustration she’s caused him. He considers her calmly, not an ounce of give in his posture. “But, if you continue to try to interfere, I will. Just like I’ve done all those other times you left me with liabilities while dancing away into the dawn.”

And then, as if in queue, the foremen below started barking out orders and the workers reluctantly put themselves back to work again. The body was hauled away everything ground on like clockwork below, even while the workers periodically darted trepid glances their way.

In truth, the numbers he’s taken out as result of the various Bat activities weren’t nearly as atronomical as he implying. He was a businessman afterall and the expense of bringing new people was not worth the trouble most of time. Usually, the beaten up workers would be, threatened, then cut off for a while until they healed up before being brought back on. But there were still of course the liabilities that couldn’t be left in such a way, and Roman was making sure the hang that out in the air for the Black Bat to see. This was a game of leverage, and he was far from being above shedding some blood to hit these so called heroes where it hurt.

“So, if you want these men and women below to go back their families tonight,” Roman continued, this time raising his voice so the everyone in earshot could hear him, could take judgement on the consequences. The choice is now sat firmly in the Black Bat’s hands. “Go home little bat. Unless you want gamble their lives for the sake of your pride.”

[uwsrogues]

casswayned‌:

                     That was way too easy. Years of tracking down criminals and this thing shouldn’t be hard. Years on street, set her to be intuitive more than anything. It was a little mix of everything that made her better at this. But Cassandra knew something was off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it yet but she felt like a child being lead on to a wolf house by breadcrumbs.

                      Regardless, there was no turning back. Cassandra looked at the crates, the subtle clink of metal as it was being moved gave her an idea of what it was. Soon, it will be on the hands of people with bad intentions, people who kept polluting the streets of Gotham. This was a big win if ever. Also a big loss of ever.

                      Cassandra, being small and all, slipped through the opening between the roof and the ceiling, wedged through the tiny space to get a better view. For someone who was trying to sneak in huge crates of who knows what, he was awfully relaxed. She knew that guy was not the type to give a damn about anything. She knew about him and with the demeanor he was giving off, Cassandra was not really liking her odds.

                        With the crates still moving, she didn’t think she had time to figure out what her gut was telling her. She started to move towards where they are moving the shipment, already assessing her entry point.

He couldn’t see them, whichever one it was (probably the Black Bat considering recent developments) but by now Roman’s developed a sense when things, and now was the time to get through rolling. Smoothly setting down his wine glass, the kingpin rose out of his seat and stepped out of the shadows onto the open moonlight fron of the balcony. From below, he could see Joe looking up, trepedation clear in the man’s eyes. It’s honestly going to be a relief getting rid of him, watching constantly jitter and cower was getting tiresome.

A graceful glide of leather and tightly woven frabic finshed with Roman sliding his hand into his pockets, hips canting ever so slightly with poise and power as the villain continued surveying the scene below. “I hope you’re in the moods for games tonight,” he then casually said to the open air. “Because Joe down there’s been waiting for you for quite some time now.” He watched as said worker then froze on the spot, his eyes darting about to the shadows as a tremble started overtaking him.

“Please”

The sudden turn of behaviour had the other pausing as well, though they, not privy to the same knowledge as Joe, merely looked around with confusion and agitation. “You see, I’ve been getting a little tired of this old song and dance of ours,” Roman continued, completely unmoved. “I hire new muscle, you take them out, I have to terminate them. It got a little repetitive. So how’s about this? You get to terminate them for me this time. Well, I’ll leave that decision in your hands.”

He then casually lifted a hand of his pocket and lifted it up, waving nonchalantly at Joe. “See Joe down there?” Said man nervously waved back at Roman while quiet pleas continued spilling out from his lips. “Joe’s got a microchip implanted in the base of his brain. Now with just a thought from me -” there was pop down below followed immediately by screams from the rest of the terrified workers. Joe’s body crumpled to the ground, dead.  “He dies. Same with all the rest of these employees of mine. I think you know how it goes now,” Roman intoned as he slid his hand back into his pocket. “You touch me, or any of them or my equipment, and they die. You try to interfere in some other way, they die. So now you get to choose for me, which one of my failing employees should I terminate?”

[uwsrogues]

@casswayned

Joe was nervous. Roman could see from his shadowed and hidden overwatch, the way the man kept turning around left and right, his movements twitchy and hyper alert even as he worked with his “colleagues” to unload the crates of weapons onto the docks. Roman hadn’t told him what was in the crates, but he had his reputation, he didn’t have to. But that wasn’t was made Joe so deathly fearful of his situation by the harbor.

No that was cause of few, inconvenient (well, maybe not for Roman), happenstances that made him privy to the exact consequences of certain events, whereas the others just had the usual vague dread hanging over their heads. He’ll be the first to go, for dramatic effect and all that, Roman was fairly sure the man knew that eventuality as well, but here he was anyways, working away, desperatly clinging to that sliver of hope that he just may survice this night if he kept his head down. Fear did funny things to people.

Roman absently sipped a glass of appropriately expensive wine as he continued watching Joe and the other workers going about their drudgery. He wasn’t here for them though. He expect his foremen to keep their lot in line. No, here was here for the show.

A distant flutter of something like wings, a slight shift in the shadows below. Roman gracefully put down the glass with a near inaudible tink, smiling about as well as you could expect a man without lips to smile. Time to get down to business.

[uwsrogues]

slvicshdow‌:

THOSE WILLING TO BRING STEVE ROGERS TO HEEL    remain scarce, though the uptick of public pressure to do so seems only embolden by social media at large. Even more so by men like these, and processes meant to sate the worried minds of those who laid their trust in such structures.    “    I wasn’t arguing the indignity of his death, nor the miscarriage of justice.    ”    she clarifies.    “    ——-    Just that public perception can be difficult to manage. I’m finding that more and more.    ”    Blue-green rests comfortably on the hand she’s meant to watch, passive interest laying beyond something resting in sinew and bone.    “    You have a keener eye for it.    ”    

A partnership is interesting.

The time for bad ideas forgone by better judgement had slipped by. The world’s axis has tipped in the favor of hands more capable of the small finesse between balled fists. Natasha had tried, exhaustively, to keep them together but now it was time to let go. She allows a moment to pass by, and then two.    “    A press conference? Would you like me to attend?    ”

❝     MY FATHER WAS A YOUNG MAN WHEN BATISTA CAME INTO POWER.     This was 1940, you understand, the world was at war yet again.     ❞     Lex flips the manilla folder open, perusing its contents with a lukewarm expression.     ❝     He was a soldier of no great importance. Only twenty years old, when forced to take part in his first firing squad.     ❞

Like cast iron, Lex Luthor has taken his time to heat up ; like cast iron, Lex Luthor stays scalding hot long after the fire has been extinguished ; like cast iron, Lex Luthor appears outwardly unchanged despite the pain he is capable of inflicting.

Like cast iron, he will live on.

❝     ------     In America, public executions are conducted by the press. One would think this less barbaric, wouldn’t you agree     ?     ❞

A tight - lipped smile.

❝     Are you looking for your own personal Sarah Huckabee Sanders moment, Natasha     ?     ❞

[uwsrogues]

UWSROGUES

USEDSHIELD

GOD, there were just some people who shouldn’t live. ( If God were listening, he probably wouldn’t much like Steve thinking things like that — if even his ma was listening, she probably wouldn’t like it either. ) But the pair of ‘em were like the fucking HORSEMEN; Crossbones was playing War, Sin playing Pestilence, both tearing the world up as they went. 

Hatred was too small an emotion for what Steve’s feeling, and he wants to turn back — to make sure HIS TEAM is ready for the two — but he’s got to trust ‘em all, trust that they can take of themselves as well as each other. This is what they’ve prepared for. 

“WANDA, SAM — Watch yourselves.” The warning slips through all the same, and Steve stops running. “And give ‘em ALL YOU’VE GOT. I’m goin’ in.”

He doesn’t wait anymore. They’ll do their job, same as him. 

He sprints out in the open again, sprints as fast as he can and then faster still, and when he gets just a little closer, just enough, he uses the next car to propel himself forward right at Brock Rumlow’s UGLY MAW. There’s A GUN in Steve’s hand, and it doesn’t matter that he’s never been great with the weapon ( he’s no SHIELD agent ), it doesn’t take an expert to pull the goddamn trigger.

Here’s the trick: HE’S JUST THE DISTRACTION.

WATCHIN’ SIN WORK WAS ITS OWN THRILL, the swath she manages to cut right through the ex - Captain’s cavalry impressive in about every way.  Distraction comes for Rogers first : he’s givin’ orders like he’s still got that flag on his chest, and maybe the papers were right, MAYBE HE HAD FINALLY LOST IT.

They still gotta flier, and wherever Rogers is, Barnes can’t be that far behind.  ( You gotta wonder ‘bout them, that way. )  Brock keeps up his dodge - and - weave between cars even as space opens up wider the further back in t’ the garage they get, head spinnin’ around best he can to try and figure out where BARNES has gotta be hidin’ up high.

( A fuckin’ WASTE, is what it is ––––––– all that time, all that attention, the Soldier was supposed t’ be the best of them and it turned out he was just as WEAK as the rest of the rats that didn’t go down with the ship. )

Brock spins to face Rogers again, another TAUNT half - formed before Rogers launches himself forward, wavin’ some pissant nine millimeter like he thinks he’s SOMEBODY.  Gauntlets engage with a metallic crunch while he plants his weight, reachin’ out to twist the gun from Rogers’ grip before he can hurt himself PLAYIN’ WITH IT.  ❝ Don’t y’know these ain’t toys — — ? ❞

SO MUCH HAPPENS INSIDE THE NEXT SECOND IT SEEMS TO TAKE AN HOUR TO UNFOLD : Brock sorts out Rogers’ gambit a split - second too late, takin’ the full force of that weight to the torso like a freight train ; a SCREAM echoes, but he can’t spin back to see from where ; a SHOT RINGS OUT, not close enough t’ be the sidearm he’s doin’ his best to crunch into garbage inside a metal fist ; that question gets answered a split - second later when Brock buckles with an animal’s noise, his left knee foldin’ up like broken china beneath him.  BARNES.

The gun tossed aside, Brock grabs at whatever bit of the Captain he can reach to DRAG HIM DOWN T’ THE PAVEMENT along with him.  He tastes salt, tastes sour, feels his own blood poolin’ up inside his boot as they both hit the pavement in a messy GRAPPLE, the sound of his gauntlet windin’ up again loud even past the helmet’s soundproofing.  He’s gonna gut this fuckin’ rat himself.  ❝ YOU FIGURED OUT WHAT HE’S GOOD FOR, huh ? ❞  Hell, it worked once.

THEY THINK THEMSELVES A TEAM     it’d be cute if it wasn’t so damn funny.    (    Funny like blood pooling in her mouth, like the stray hail peppered down by Falcon that grazes her cheek and tugs something raucous from her, teeth gleaming blood red.    )    She hears Captain Nothing command them while the rest of the lemming recalibrate, position themselves. 

With the witch down and out, twitching like an old dryer and Hawkeye tending to her, there’s another that needs tending. But Barnes is like a fucking shadow.    (    Made well, at least.    )    Still, she hears that wounded sound from under the pulsing of blood in her ears and sees them, there, rounding out on Crossbones like she was told they would.

There are things to do, events to allow to unfold. She was told so, she always does as she’s told    ——-

“    ——-    Fucking wings.    ”    Any move made towards rounding off the group and evening the odds matters little when the eclipse of blood blocks the streak of red heading her way. The glorified glider cracks into her with another laugh escaping from the pop of ribs buckling under the pressure. Grappling line wrapped quickly around his neck. Guns and knives and that fucking bird while her feet dangle over the concrete end below. It’s red, red, and red still with her face slick with it, with the wall caught by the mess of limbs and struggle. 

The comme pops and crackles, maddening in its own way, yet still she spits out.    “    Handle them.    ”

[uwsrogues]

USEDSHIELD

UWSROGUES

RICHOCET ALREADY LEAVING     a near delicious bruise to her shoulder, air huffs out with some form of delight at the way in which the last few rats of the Avengers seemed to always catch themselves off-kilter.    (    The rest would follow like lemmings once news broke of the soon to be Martyr America. Father always seemed so certain of the world filing in behind.    )

But Crossbone’s voice cuts through the pounding exhilaration   ——-   Strucker’s pet, first. 

Effigy they can hang their hats on, this one is young enough to not see the grapple that hangs loose around her ankle. Not when there can be attention paid toward pressing some condensed force so tight against Sin’s head she nearly falls dizzy with it.    (    Liberation in the pain of it all.    )    Exalted breathe escapes as her vision narrows just enough for the perfect land of electric charge high enough to leave the girl twitching for hours, barring she can take it.    “    Wanna see what we can do with her.    ”    

But, of course, there’s the rest. 

The wire sinches, sending her up-up-and-up.   “    Hey, bird brain,    ”    she calls, the only real discussion she wants to have with any of them before the end.    “    Catch.    ”    

GOD, there were just some people who shouldn’t live. ( If God were listening, he probably wouldn’t much like Steve thinking things like that — if even his ma was listening, she probably wouldn’t like it either. ) But the pair of ‘em were like the fucking HORSEMEN; Crossbones was playing War, Sin playing Pestilence, both tearing the world up as they went. 

Hatred was too small an emotion for what Steve’s feeling, and he wants to turn back — to make sure HIS TEAM is ready for the two — but he’s got to trust ‘em all, trust that they can take of themselves as well as each other. This is what they’ve prepared for. 

“WANDA, SAM — Watch yourselves.” The warning slips through all the same, and Steve stops running. “And give ‘em ALL YOU’VE GOT. I’m goin’ in.”

He doesn’t wait anymore. They’ll do their job, same as him. 

He sprints out in the open again, sprints as fast as he can and then faster still, and when he gets just a little closer, just enough, he uses the next car to propel himself forward right at Brock Rumlow’s UGLY MAW. There’s A GUN in Steve’s hand, and it doesn’t matter that he’s never been great with the weapon ( he’s no SHIELD agent ), it doesn’t take an expert to pull the goddamn trigger.

Here’s the trick: HE’S JUST THE DISTRACTION.

WATCHIN’ SIN WORK WAS ITS OWN THRILL, the swath she manages to cut right through the ex - Captain’s cavalry impressive in about every way.  Distraction comes for Rogers first : he’s givin’ orders like he’s still got that flag on his chest, and maybe the papers were right, MAYBE HE HAD FINALLY LOST IT.

They still gotta flier, and wherever Rogers is, Barnes can’t be that far behind.  ( You gotta wonder ‘bout them, that way. )  Brock keeps up his dodge - and - weave between cars even as space opens up wider the further back in t’ the garage they get, head spinnin’ around best he can to try and figure out where BARNES has gotta be hidin’ up high.

( A fuckin’ WASTE, is what it is ––––––– all that time, all that attention, the Soldier was supposed t’ be the best of them and it turned out he was just as WEAK as the rest of the rats that didn’t go down with the ship. )

Brock spins to face Rogers again, another TAUNT half - formed before Rogers launches himself forward, wavin’ some pissant nine millimeter like he thinks he’s SOMEBODY.  Gauntlets engage with a metallic crunch while he plants his weight, reachin’ out to twist the gun from Rogers’ grip before he can hurt himself PLAYIN’ WITH IT.  ❝ Don’t y’know these ain’t toys --- --- ? ❞

SO MUCH HAPPENS INSIDE THE NEXT SECOND IT SEEMS TO TAKE AN HOUR TO UNFOLD : Brock sorts out Rogers’ gambit a split - second too late, takin’ the full force of that weight to the torso like a freight train ; a SCREAM echoes, but he can’t spin back to see from where ; a SHOT RINGS OUT, not close enough t’ be the sidearm he’s doin’ his best to crunch into garbage inside a metal fist ; that question gets answered a split - second later when Brock buckles with an animal’s noise, his left knee foldin’ up like broken china beneath him.  BARNES.

The gun tossed aside, Brock grabs at whatever bit of the Captain he can reach to DRAG HIM DOWN T’ THE PAVEMENT along with him.  He tastes salt, tastes sour, feels his own blood poolin’ up inside his boot as they both hit the pavement in a messy GRAPPLE, the sound of his gauntlet windin’ up again loud even past the helmet’s soundproofing.  He’s gonna gut this fuckin’ rat himself.  ❝ YOU FIGURED OUT WHAT HE’S GOOD FOR, huh ? ❞  Hell, it worked once.