2012-09-09 Saving Shield

Once might have been isolated. But a second report of a shapeshifter in Manhattan? It -might- have been a coincidence, but that there was yet another tentacle-faced alien taking over the role of a relatively insignificant citizen, was getting odd. Answers would have to be found...

But first, Roy had to chase down the running alien, who happened to be currently in the guise of a short, fat Italian plumber. So anyone who was watching would have to wonder just why a SHIELD agent was chasing down a man in overalls.

Pantha, for her part, has been traveling. She started in Science City, Russia, but thanks to a few freighter cargo planes she's finally set foot upon the good ole USA. She's coming to visit her misplaced 'son' Baby, or rather, Wildebeest as he likes to be called now - currently though, she's unaware that he's actually moved on from the Titans.

Either way, Pantha can currently be found high upon the rooftops, her felinoid form easily jumping from rooftop to rooftop, as she methodically makes her way in the general direction of the TItan's Tower. Sure, she may be taking the more scenic route, but that doesn't seem to bother her.

It's only as she pauses on the edge of one of those rooftops that she'll finally notice the movement below. It catches her attention because it's going against the normal wave of traffic, and so, with a faint chuff of curiosity the feline pauses and peers downward. Her head cants to the side as her sharp eyes takes in the fat 'Plumber' being chased by a not so fat Shield Agent. "Oh, come on." She growls to herself, "He's fat. Take him down already."

If Pantha were possibly just a bit closer, she might notice something... wrong about the scent of the plumber. The agent smelled of sweat and deodorant and aftershave, with maybe a whiff of lavender soap (don't ask), but the plumber wasn't even apparently -sweating-.

"I've almost got him, corridone off this block, but be wary - he could change into anything if we don't keep sight on him. Need eyes in the sky... ahhh DAMN!"

The plumber had turned into a back street, and Roy doubled his speed, trying to maintain eyesight, before...

The street he'd turned into showed no signs of a running plumber. Just an ordinary looking back street leading to the trash bins for several stores. He'd morphed, and morphed quickly, but what?

The plumber (conveniently) runs into the alleyway that Pantha's currently above, and because of this, Pantha has quite the birds eye view of just what he changes into.

Pivoting slightly upon the rooftop edge to keep the man in sight, Pantha will settle into a crouch, as she watches the man(?) turn into a second garbage can, equally dented, dirty and filled with stinking garbage.

Again there's the faintest of chuffs from the feloind as she spies the man's morphing capabilities. "Huh. Weird." When Roy turns into the alleyway, Pantha stays quite silent from up above, as she waits to see what the Shield Agent does. Seems like Pantha is going to be of no help just yet, sorry Roy. She's finding this cat and mouse chase (pun intended) to be too interesting to interfere just yet.

Okay, calm down, Harper. Think. Think. A quick glance upwards to see if there were any birds flying away. None were seen, possibly because any had scattered up there. No trees, so that was out. Rows of garbage. Oh god. That could be anything.

"Secure the block, keep an eye out," Roy says into his headset, as he walks down the street. "Okay, come out, come out, wherever you are..." His crossbow is drawn, and Roy makes like an Obsessive-Compulsive Detective, poking everything on the way down the street JUST IN CASE.

And why yes, he did poke the trash can and kept going. Because, really, what use is -that-? That they desperately needed those tech goggles coming soon... well, requisitions were always slower than field operations, dammit.

The outline that Pantha presents against the backdrop of the sky could easily be mistaken for an unmoving gargoyle. Only the occasional flick of her tail against her ankles betrays the fact that she's a living creature.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">It's only as Roy prods that garbage can that's really not, that Pantha will give her head a quick shake. "Hey Stupid." She finally cat-calls down towards the alleyway below and to the Shield Agent. "You're gonna miss the creep you're lookin' for. He's three trashcans behind you."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Her tail uncoils from around her ankles, as Pantha rises slightly upward from her crouch. She's not necessarily expecting anything to happen, but should it, she'll be at least ready to leap to safety.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">The aforementioned trashcan -explodes- into what would be described as a giant beast, with muscles on muscles, all teeth and fur and muscles, at Pantha's warning, and Roy spins around. The crossbow is quickly up and aiming at what -might- be an eye... well, if he could fire off that shot. Not so good, as he's backhanded and sent flying, into even more trashcans.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Pah." Exclaims Pantha, as she drops the little backpack that was being carried over a shoulder. All her worldly possessions in that little pack, but for now it's dropped carelessly to the rooftop.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Don't they train you people right?" Of course, she doesn't touch on the fact that her calling down to Roy it was triggered the thing's attack. That obviously wasn't her fault, nope, Roy should have just 'knew' what trashcan was the man.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Digging her claws into the bricked edge of the rooftop, Pantha will easily pull a chunk from the building. Hefting the chunk up over her head, the felinoid woman hurls the mass of cement and brick towards the back of the furry toothsome critter with all her considerable strength. "Think fast, Ugly."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Like he has any -idea- what's going on, and Roy is still trying to figure out why all the stars in the heaven has descended upon his poor head. At least he'd shake it off... after he figures out where his headset went.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">The furry toothsome critter (FTC) had no trouble blocking the cement, dust flying out from the shattered chunk. In response, it would just grab the large trash bin next to the cans and hurl it right back. "Hisssss... foolish cat-woman!" the FTC utters. Right, dialogue wasn't the alien's thing.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Seriously? Cat Woman?" She snarls, "That's all you got? At least make it sting. I called you ugly." Spats Pantha, as she easily leaps away from the hurled trash can. Finally, she's dropping down towards the ground, close to Roy, but not close enough to say touch, if he thinks she's in league with the FTC over there.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Hey Boy, -" That's to Roy, "- get your head together. Thought they trained you guys better. Get your ass up." Then Pantha, once again attacks. This time she's going in for a quick and low attack. She darts forward towards big, strong and hairy, and with her claws upon her hands she'll lash out to try and gut the alien thing.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">She may not be a speedster, but there's a quickness to her attacks as well as strength behind it. She really is trying to gut the would-be Plumber. Better him-it than her.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Ah hell with it!" Abandoning his search for his headset, Roy leaves his crossbow to the side, instead going for his fold-out bow and quiver. Or more particularly, the ice arrow. Keeping that alien on ice might be useful... well, if it wasn't so DAMNED BIG. Hope the cat lady knows what she's doing... just get him some time to hit.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">The FTC was perfectly willing to engage in hand-to-hand, but that Pantha's claws proved to be sharper than its natural toughness has it bellow out in rage as its abdomen is raked with bloody ragged stripes. "You're going to pay, human!" it burbles in a harsh voice, before it changes shapes into something sleeker, quicker... now more claws and teeth, and attacks like a rabid wolverine.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Oo human. That hurts." Spats Pantha sarcastically, even as her claws score the monster's hide. "Haha. Not fast enough. Got you."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Of course, she wasn't expecting him to change shapes quite so fast either, and so, when he comes out as crazed as a rabid animal she's momentarily startled. It's enough for the alien to score a scratch upon her arm, but at that slice of pain, Pantha is moving once again.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">She doesn't yowl, or howl, like the beast did, but she does hiss when she's hit. "Bastard. You're payin' for that."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Leaping away from him, and backwards, Pantha lands deftly near a few garbage cans. Mock-sighing, the felinoid woman says, "Guess I'm gonna have t'throw some of your friends at you now." And she does just that, as she hefts first one garbage can and then the second to toss at the creature. The third and fourth cans soon follow as well.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Garbage piled on garbage, the alien disappears underneath the stinky mess. It's all too quiet, for the moment, and Roy curses, as he fires the ice arrow too late. So yes, he's got the equivalent of a frozen iceball of garbage. "Aw dammit!" curses Roy. "If it's turned into an ant or something in that ice ball, we'll -never- find it. And it'll just explode at the worst time." Another ice arrow is pulled out, and readied. "Got any more bright ideas, cat-girl?"

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">When the ice arrow hits the pile of trash, Pantha can't help but cant her head aside, before her mask covered face turns in the general direction of Roy. "Really? That's all you got? Some ice?"

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Scorn can be heard in her voice, before she growls, "Excuse me, ain't you the one that should be fightin' this thing? Not me. And call me cat girl again and you'll be seein' red too."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Her claws are flexed for emphasis before her gaze goes back to the ice ball of garbage. "Do you got something that'll burn? I say burn it out. Hell, maybe if we just burn it, it'll kill the thing."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"I don't do killing unless I -have- to," Roy retorts, as he reaches into his quiver. "I've got taser arrows, but I'm calling in backup on this thing." Reaching for his headset and picking up his crossbow as he does so, Roy does a quick call, keeping an eye on the ice ball. "Who're -you- anyway, catgirl?" Roy replies, his attitude just as defiant as hers.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Sissy." Retorts Pantha at the mention of not killing unless he has to. "That's gonna get you killed someday." Mutters the felinoid woman as she settles back into a crouch. Her tail winds tightly around her ankles, as she too watches the ice ball. Waiting for an suspicious movement, noise, creaking, anything.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">It's only at Roy calling her catgirl again, that her head whips back around. "Pantha." She spits, "The name's Pantha and I'm the one savin' your ass." Claws flex with ire against the dirty and scuffed concrete, a warning to Roy, if he heeds it. "What's with the guy anyway? What he do to have you chasin' him."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Been kicking about the hero game a while. Haven't gotten killed yet," Roy retorts, as he checks the ice ball. "Besides, we need him alive, if only so he can tell us if there's some sort of hidden invasion or not going on."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">The ice ball begins to rattle, then explodes once more into the FTC critter. This time, though, Roy is immediately firing his taser arrow, right into the mouth of the critter.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">ZZZKKKT.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">And the creature trembles, before shrinking down to a hooded robed figure, with what looked like tentacles looming out of its hidden face. Still staggering, still moving...

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">"Huh. Must of been luck that you ain't dead yet, Pretty Boy." Says Pantha, as she still occasionally flexes her claws against the cement. It's only as the pile of ice and garbage starts to move, that she tenses, readying to pounce if she needs to.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">THankfully, Roy has it covered as he tasers the 'being'. Wrinkling her nose behind her mask, Pantha says, "Why do they always have tentacles. Disgustin'." Idly her hand will pick up a chunk of brick and with careful aim, she lobs the cement at the monsters head. "Nighty night, Ugly."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">And that takes care of -that- alien. Backup does indeed arrive, complete with the proper equipment to take in the alien, and while they pause briefly at the sight of Pantha, Roy waves them away.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">As the alien is being taken in custody, Roy turns towards Pantha with a grin. "That's these aliens for you. Haven't sorted out what they want, but SHIELD wants to find the answers too. So... Pantha, eh? Haven't caught you before. From around here?"

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">Pantha bristles towards the men, when they stop to eye her for a minute, but when Roy waves them away, she settles down a tiny bit.

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica">A snort can be heard from the woman as she glances towards Roy, his last question being somewhat answered "Yes and no." A hand will idly touch the scratch upon her arm, but when she finds it superficial, she'll simply wipe the blood on the ground. "Came t'visit someone, but when I saw you gettin' your butt whooped, figured I'd stopped and lend a hand." A flash of teeth can be seen, as she smiles towards Roy. It's not the friendliest of smiles, but it's still a smile. "Now that you're gonna survive, guess I'll be off. Try t'stay safe, you can't always depend on people savin' you when you're down."

<p style="margin:0.0px0.0px0.0px0.0px;font:12.0pxHelvetica;min-height:14.0px">Crouching low for a second, Pantha gathers her strength and leaps towards the roof of the building she was upon. There's only the slightest of claw-scrabbling before she's easily balanced upon the ledge. Her backpack is quickly wrestle on before she turns to waggle her fingers at Roy. "Bye, Pretty Boy." Then she's off, easily leaping towards the next building, before loping across that rooftop and going to the next.

Finish